Maybe Now I'll Get In Her Pants

Guster has made a cute animated video for One Man Wrecking Machine, their excellent new tune from their upcoming CD Ganging Up On the Sun. Me gusta Guster. Amen.

Nothing Sings Like a Sad Refrain

I simply cannot stop listening to Jon Auer's new CD. It's a classic. Every song is worth every second. Rave rave rave. Download one of the best on it: Six Feet Under.

Show Us All How to Shine

The new Mike Viola (he of Candy Butchers semi-fame) is now available on iTunes. Just Before Dark is full of brand new solo material that he recorded acoustically at LA's Largo club, the same club Jon Brion plays every Friday night. Haven't heard it yet, but I've rarely been disappointed in his output.

Subsistin' on that Same Old Bread

Zzzzzzzz.....oh, sorry - just fell asleep listening to Live's latest, Songs From Black Mountain.

The album isn't bad, but it's just not that exciting. There aren't even any standout tracks. Every song is a solid 3 rating. It's certainly no Mental Jewelry or Throwing Copper. Not even close. About on par with their last couple of albums. Enjoyable, but unexciting. Even the album cover art is boring and looks like 1/2 of the artwork produced for their singles and albums.

The band has also mellowed quite a bit over the years. The edge is still there, but it's not as sharp. As evidence, they appeared on American Idol tonight. :-)

I'm a big fan and would like just about anything they release, but this one was disappointing for me.

My Baby's Tied to a Chair

Enough about the Raconteurs and Jack White. Let's focus on some solo Brendan Benson. I remember falling in love with Sittin' Pretty (download it here) back in my radio days. It took a listener to call in to suggest the lyrics may not be as friendly as he made them to sound. Still, a delightful listen every time. Benson is as too poppy as they come.

We All Want To Be Big Stars

How the Counting Crows descended to Smash Mouth-esque depths of irrelevancy. Great read for August and Everything After fans.

I Came in Here for that Special Offer

Now you can hear Ben Folds pulling a Randy Newman by soundtracking an animated movie. Stream the full Over the Hedge Soundtrack at AOL. A reworked Rockin' the Suburbs is an interesting choice considering the original's less-than-kid-friendly lyrics. Any excuse to use William Shatner I guess.

Previously...