At a rather short nine tracks, !!!'s newest offering is a brilliant display of programming proficiency. The drum loops are some of the most textured and layered I've ever heard. The problem is that there isn't much musical substance to turn that programming into a great album.

It seems when most bands write what I would dub as "synth pop," they have a catchy song that they do their best to add a little computer flare to, either through the production process or with some vintage synths. On the contrary, apparently !!! go through this process backwards, missing the foundation of what could really hold their record up on its own two legs.

Each song is hand-crafted with a droning synth lead or pad in the background, layer-upon-layer of sampled percussion, and a basic verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus structure. The blueprint is there for a smash hit, but A) the slap-back reverb on every element dirties up the mix, B) there's only one solitary tempo change in the entire record, and C) the elements of the song are so thickly layered that the overall tone is muddled cacophony.

Clearly a lot of thought and skill went into the production of this album; It just doesn't have the substance or variety to be very listenable. I'm pegging this one at a D+.

However, there's a component of the live show that people frequently overlook: the opening act. Okay kids, story time.

As I've mentioned before, one of the first concerts I attended was No Doubt in 1997. I couldn't wait to see my biggest crush, Gwen Stefani, live onstage. I couldn't care less about the opening acts. I wanted to see the band I bought tickets for.

As a consequence of having this event planned by my father, we showed up at the concert about 20 minutes before anyone took the stage. Even he hadn't heard of the opening acts, but by-golly, if we paid good money for our tickets, we were going to see every ounce of entertainment we deserve.

The Vandals took the stage, and being that the show was 13 years ago, I don't even remember seeing them. It was what happened when they finished that blew me away: Cake walked up like a gaggle of truckers from Sacramento.

I was drawn in. Sure, once they played "The Distance" I realized that I had heard them before, but they put on an amazing live show. Their music was completely original and their onstage presence was incredibly interactive and entertaining.

I went out and bought Fashion Nugget that week. Since then, I've purchased every album (some on collector's-edition vinyl) and seen them live twice more. Cake is one of my favorite bands these days, all because my dad made me go to a concert earlier than I would have gone on my own.

The opening act has a history of being overlooked. We've all regarded opening acts as an opportunity to find our seats, great bathroom break time, or a chance to make a beer run. Maybe it's time we open our minds and -- in the words of my father -- get our money's worth.

Music I've found with this method:

• Silversun Pickups
• Eisley
• Incubus
• Cartel
• The Honorary Title

Big ups to the guys for spending the time with us and being so candid.

The first method of discovering music that I’d like to share with you is a bit of a crapshoot. In order to discover really great music that others aren’t familiar with, you have to be comfortable listening to a lot of terrible music.

That’s not to say that listening to terrible music is necessarily a terrible experience. You can learn a lot from listening to types of music that you’re not accustomed to listening to. A great example of this is how I grew up with music teachers telling me how great classical music is and having Beethoven and Mozart shoved down my throat. It wasn’t until I was 20 and decided to sit down and listen to Gustav Holst that I really learned to appreciate the genre. Now I hear Beethoven and Mozart as the amazing artists that they are - baffling me every time I listen to their work.

How did I discover Gustav Holst?

An image from “Family Matters” that’s burned into my brain is of the Winslow family’s trip to Vegas. Steve Urkel takes off his glasses, closes his eyes, and uses his frames as a magnet, guiding him to the slot machine that will win him the jackpot.

I’ve stolen this method to blindly discover new artists at the music store. I call it “Record Shop Roulette.” When I walk in, I simply pick a spot in the store. This method is most easily employed at a shop that I’ve never been in, as I won’t know what genre occupies each part of the store. 

Ignoring the signage or the part of the alphabet, I thrust my hand into the pile and pick up a CD. If it’s something that I’ve come across before, I put it back and try again - this time in a different part of the store. Gustav Holst? I’ll give it a try.

Granted, I’ve made my way through some deplorable music on the way - Chingy, Fefe Dobson, Ill Niño to name a few - but as you’ll see below, Record Shop Roulette has led me to some of my favorite music to listen to.

Music I've found with this method:

• Taking Back Sunday
• The Strokes
• Bright Eyes
• Snow Patrol
• Ratatat

You may be asking yourself, "Why is a Houston based website writing about a Scottish indie band?" Well the answer to that is simple: BLP are an innovative, palatable, and overall fun band that with the right help may very well be breaking air waves on this side of the pond in the near future. 

BLP are currently recording an LP at Ceva studios -- where the likes of Mogwai and Belle and Sebastian have recorded -- that is slated for a release later this year.  They have just finished shooting a video for "Julianne" directed by Dan Morgan which was released on a Double A single as well as "Post It Song" on local Scottish label: Tough Wax Records.  If you dig what you hear, let them know on their official MySpace page!

One of our many goals at AudioADD is to help you as a reader come across new music that you wouldn't have otherwise heard. Something that I'd like to share with you is the ways in which I come across music. 

Co-founding a music-interest website has certain pressures. Not only am I expected to be familiar with the music that other people listen to, but I'm also required to have a repertoire of undiscovered, hidden gems up my sleeve - a way to enlighten a reader by surprising them with that "How have I not heard this already?" feeling.

To fulfill these expectations, there must be implicit methodology. If I'm going to be considered the master of my passion, I must have a plan of attack.

Over the next several weeks, I will be providing you a window into the world of how I uncover new artists in a series of posts called "AudioDiscovery". My hope is that you'll learn some of these methods and ultimately share your findings with me. In truth, there is a lot of garbage out there, and the more sifters we have, the more gold we'll find!

I hope you have as much fun reading as I do writing. Please keep your comments coming along the way, and feel free to email me if you have something to share. I want to know how YOU discover music, and I hope we find something new together! 

One thing that sticks out in my mind when I think of pregnancy is the image of a mother holding a big pair of can-style headphones up to her womb.

Whether the purpose is to shape the baby's mind or intelligence, alter its personality, or simply to just stop all of the kicking, I've always wondered what I would want my child listening to before they entered the world.

Below is a list of albums I wish I could have had under my belt by the time I crawled out. Perhaps a few of these will fall on a little Branch's ears one day.

Have you had a child, or do you plan on it? What kind of music were you or will you be blasting into the womb? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments! 

• Abbey Road - The Beatles
• Steamin' with the Miles Davis Quintet - Miles Davis
• The Planets - Gustav Holst
• Thriller - Michael Jackson
• Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Elton John
• Together We're Heavy - The Polyphonic Spree
• Kid A - Radiohead
• Chutes Too Narrow - The Shins
• Hourglass - James Taylor
• Texas Flood - Stevie Ray Vaughan

Wendy Dio left this message for the fans on his official site:

Today my heart is broken, Ronnie passed away at 7:45am 16th May. Many, many friends and family were able to say their private good-byes before he peacefully passed away. Ronnie knew how much he was loved by all. We so appreciate the love and support that you have all given us. Please give us a few days of privacy to deal with this terrible loss. Please know he loved you all and his music will live on forever.

- Wendy Dio

The affected building has been the home of the Opry since it's relocation in 1974, but the original venue has served the country music scene since 1925. Offering 150 shows a year, the Opry's management is scrambling to game-plan upcoming performances. Stay tuned to the Opry's Twitter feed for updates as the story unfolds.

Sacramento rock legends Deftones have had a rough last couple of years. After all but scrapping their latest project, Eros, in 2008, bassist Chi Cheng suffered severe brain injuries after a November car accident in Santa Clara.

As Cheng’s recovery continued to show little progress over nearly a year, the band decided to regroup and write a new album with a new direction, recruiting Quicksand bassist Sergio Vega to hit the studio with them

Enter, Diamond Eyes. If there’s anything to be said about Deftones, it’s that they’re true to themselves. Their latest effort is a testament to their 12-year career that marks the first page of a new chapter.

The title track starts the album off downtempo, detuned, and destructive. From the beginning, frontman Chino Moreno wants you to know that he has a new hold on his vocals. “Diamond Eyes” has the first truly prevalent harmonies I’ve ever heard on a Deftones album.

Between “Royal”’s mix of the heavy and angelic to razor-sharp guitar riffs of “CMND/CTRL,” there’s a spastic sliding between screams and crooning melody. “Beauty School” eases up on the pain a bit, taking a calm song and adding that signature California edge, singing lines of “shooting stars from the barrel of your eyes.”

“Prince” offers a dissonant look back to Around the Fur. Every detail is intact - instruments in this album are isolated and poignant - unlike the muddled mess that embodied Deftones and Saturday Night Wrist.

You can taste the metal in the album’s first single, “Rocket Skates.” The driving guitar and blood-curdling, nails-on-a-chalkboard screams pave way for “Sextape” - a mix of spacey, sobering guitars. This sensual ballad features far-reaching falsetto and rich, airy vocals that harken back to White Pony.

“Risk” is a textured canvas of different tones. The effects play and muted chucks across guitar strings create a whole environment for the listener. “976-EVIL” introduces droning guitars that crescendo towards the close of the album.

“This Place Is Death” closes out with a hard-hitting supernova of sound. The ebb and flow of this track tapers off into nothing time and again before exploding back into verse.

Diamond Eyes is not just a progression, but a true mark in the Deftones’ history. As bands evolve and change their sound with the wants of their top-40 fans, few are as loyal as Deftones. Even in losing a member, there’s something preternatural about their cohesiveness and uniformity about a band. Diamond Eyes is an A+.