it's tough keeping up with contemporary composition - it can take years for a piece to be written, premiered, recorded, and maybe released by a label. so besides going to shows, i try to pick up releases from new music festivals, like these from the Donaueschinger Musiktage, to keep me current. unfortunately, that's no easy task either, as the DM has recently swapped distributors and each year's recordings are split up into several volumes released on a seemingly arbitrary schedule. fantastic. nevertheless, i consider these an invaluable resource for trending the avantgarde and as an introduction to up-and-coming composers/ensembles worth keeping an ear on. here are some recent favorites.

1994 vol. 1 (modern pieces for player piano! borderline ridiculous)
2002 vol. 1 (vocal-centric)
2006 vol. 3 (Smolka and Mitterer fuck with the baroque)
2006 vol. 4 (large chamber works from Kagel and Posadas)
2007 vol. 3 (works for large orchestra/electronics)
2010 (new pieces for string quartet; unreleased)