Mixing is so subjective.
One thing I learned about is "space".
It's imperative that the sounds all have their own space in the mix and not cover up others 
within the same frequency area.  It can be done, obviously, and the best example I have is
Pet Sounds.  What an incredible example of getting 
so many sounds on top of one-another(in mono) and still be so audibly legible. 
However, when you hear it in stereo you hear even more instrumentation.  
There's just more room in the stereo mix for sounds to have their own sonic "space".  

One bass-ackward idea is to get on Myspace.com and listen to 10 random rawk bands
and DON"T do anything they did.  I can't believe some of what gets
put on display for the whole world.  It's like musical "refrigerator art".  
I'm sure their mom thinks they're good. ;-)
I have found a few really good artists on there and have added them as friends to myspace site:
Miggs -  Great voice. Good Songs.
The Holograms - incredibly hot female band and they're not bad.
Hutch - Faulkner-ites will dig this. Really good songs.
and a few others...check 'em out.  It's free.


later, joe
www.jtgimplosion.com
www.kingfriday.com
www.myspace.com/thejtgimplosion