1. The Connells - If you don't think there was a moment where they were the best rock and roll band in america, nay... the world, well.. then i just don't think we can be friends. I pulled out "Ring" the other day and was amazed at how solid of an album it is. One tends to think of "Boylan Heights" or "One Simple Word" or "Fun & Games", but... "Ring" has some killer songs, and the pristine production to pull it off. Plus, by then... this was a band that on one hand had given up, and on the other hand had nothing to lose. And they fucking nailed it.

2. Atmosphere - The lead single from the new album on Epitaph. There's a song called "Lift Her, Pull Her", but i haven't heard it yet. When i do, i'm sure i'll upload...

3. Cinerama - One of the highlights of the show i caught last month. Not as huge in the recorded version... live it was a rocker.

4. The Grifters - My 18 Gig harddrive at home is now filled... 16 Gigs of which are MP3's. I've had to go through and delete some stuff. This wasn't something I've deleted, but I listened to it for the first time in a long time. Somehow seems appropriate to listen to some sounds from Memphis with the passing of Sam Phillips yesterday. RIP.

5. The Mountain Goats - From Tallahassee... that record keeps getting better and better and better.

6. The Cecil Taylor Unit - Recorded in 1961. Allmusic.com says "This date as a whole was one of Cecil Taylor's last ones on which he still had a connection (if loose) to more traditional straight-ahead jazz." I don't like it as much as the crazier stuff of later years (and i listen to cecil taylor for the piano playing, not for the horn playing). But... still a nice listen.

7. Ida - I've had this song in my head for weeks for some reason, and a) damn if "Ten Small Paces" hasn't disappeared somewhere in my apartment and b) damn if it didn't take me TWO WEEKS to find a copy on Kazaa that would download cleanly. yikes. still... it was worth it.

8. Hampton Grease Band - Been meaning to unleash this track upon all of you for some time. This week just seemed like the proper moment. I genuinely do love this song, in case anybody is going to ask me "is this some sorta joke?".

9. Suzanne Vega - I heard this song not once but twice last week. I didn't think that was possible. once in a restaurant, once in a store. how weird is that? this song was on many a mixed tape in 1988. i bet there are at least 10,000 women out there that put this song on a tape to their boyfriend-going-off-to-college. if i'm ever an eccentric rich guy i will hire gallup to back up all of my claims like that.