I was at Mt Bachelor actually, fellow Oregonian!
Muzik, glad everything's cleared up and that the thread is still ripe for good discussion!
As long as we're on the topic of new music, I don't want to make it seem like everything I think is good today is experimental and pushing the envelope. Many of today's musicians receive attention simply for being really good at playing music (which makes sense, yeah?). A few examples I like a lot:
The Dodos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhLRxui7vXU
Sigur Ros
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWiJWLiSKro&feature=related
The Thermals (great pop music with punk lyrics. one of my personal favorites, possibly because we share the same hometown)
The Fleet Foxes
Sufjan Stevens:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDRrqcZbdPU