I've been listening to a lot of Screaming Trees and Mark Lanegan solo stuff lately, and I'm just blown away by how awesome it all is.

Screaming Trees, on one hand, is a more energetic rock thing, but Mark Lanegan's vocals couldn't fit in with it any more perfectly. That haunting, almost Tom Waits Light sound that he has in his voice is just so awesome, but it fits in so well with that Screaming Trees stuff.

Then you have his solo stuff, much softer, almost a little bit western (in US terms) sounding, but so soothing. It's just as awesome, but at the same time it is so much different. He's really beginning to climb up the ladder on my list of vocalists.

Who else is a fan of either project? If not, have you heard either, and so on.

yeah, i really enjoy mark lanegans voice. its very warm and comforting.

i discovered screaming trees just before they broke up but followed marks solo work and was especially stoked when he started showing up on the odd qotsa and desert sessions song. he certainly brings an awful lot any des/sess song that he appears on.

i got bubblegum recently but havent given it much of a chance. (a case of 'so much music, so little time')

of his earlier stuff, pre-dust, what would you recommend?

I think that Buzz Factory and Sweet Oblivion are good Screaming Trees albums. As for his solo stuff, Whiskey for the Holy Ghost is really good, and the Winding Sheet is pretty good, its his first one. I'll Take Care of You is pretty good too. I have a couple others, but it is similar to the case with you and Bubblegum (which I also like a lot), just haven't gotten around to giving either more than a couple of listens.