Named after an album by the acclaimed minimalist composer Terry Riley, the uber indepth mp3 blog Curved Air is basically a treasure trove of obscure music, from the psych rock and kraut recordings that staffers at shops like Other Music obsess over, to even more esoteric things like experimental electronic music from the 1970s, free jazz, fusion and folk that's so folky it makes Bob Dylan look like he's in a hair metal band (not that his recent penchant for highly trimmed chin beards doesn't already).

The thing that makes Curved Air different from all the other MP3 blogs out there is that it's devoted not just to single songs but whole albums, which are available for download after reading through lengthy and often rhapsodic reviews of the recordings, complete with references and editorial commentary. Add to that a Flickr Stream linked off the front page, extensive archives and a donation button to pay for upkeep on the site and what emerges is less MP3 blog and more full stop music-obsessive resource. Throw in a bizarre section entitled "crumbs" featuring viral videos like a clip of McRorie the one man band, a genius cut-up of three old musical instructional videos, and some bizarre faux instructional videos as well and you've got hours of entertainment at your fingers...

While the recordings may not be familiar to many, just a casual poke around has turned EMERGE on to some pretty heady stuff, from Faust to the site's insiration, Terry Riley.

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