What have you been spinning in the last week? Here's a few highlights from my week of musical debauchery....

Califone - Roomsound
Califone has probably been my favorite band for the last few years and this album is a big part of why. In retrospect, my favorite album of 2001. I think it was the now defunct CDNow that also named it best of the year in alternative rock, or something like that, back then. Visionary. A little avant garde jazz feel at times, but at heart it's really an updated version of that dirty country folk blues that the Rolling Stones perfected on Exile On Main Street, with some electronically textured junkyard sounds mixed in with the quirky, fragmented lyrical images. Nearly a perfect match for my musical tastes on most days. They've moved on a little since this one, but I don't think have bettered it overall, even though I love them all.

Graham Parker - Heat Treatment
Isn't it funny how you can listen to some albums and they sound as fresh as if they were released yesterday, but others sound like they've been gathering cobwebs for 30 years. Over the weekend I slipped in one of those nice Japanese remasters of XTC's classic Drums and Wires but it just didn't gel at all for me. Been listening a lot to the new Futureheads that sounds a lot like this and really loving it, but for some reason the XTC beats sounded plodding and syncopated and the songs just all seemed kind of tired. Not at all what I wanted to hear after a nice run - so after it was about halfway through I had to get up and change CDs. So what to play? And then my eye caught a glimpse of Graham Parker's Heat Treatment laying in a stack on the floor and I immediately knew that was the one. This isn't the run-of-the-mill, crappy sounding, original old CD, but is the 2001 UK remaster that sounds very good in comparison. So into the player it goes and it's just one incredible gem after another. Dated? Maybe in 2204, but not 2004! What a great album! Yea, I know it's not the one that everyone calls his best (actually it's probably number 3 or even 4 on most lists) but it might be my favorite some days since it was my introduction to GP. And now it even has a couple great bonus tracks from the following Pink Parker EP. Just too cool.

Concrete Blonde - Mexican Moon
I did a simple Concrete Blonde comp for my buddy tentoze a while back and from today's perspective, this one has turned into my favorite. I can (and have on many occasions) had this one playing on infinite repeat while hanging around the house and never seem to tire of it. Classic.

The La's - The La's
Guess I already said it all at Running with the La's

Sue Garner and Rick Brown - Still
Husband and wife team up with some close friends for a session in their home and parent's basement and other assorted recording venues. Result is one of my favorites from the last few years. In case you didn't intentionally miss my previous ramblings, Name a couple favorites that you don't hear anyone else mention...

Hey, I saw The Incredibles yesterday. Great fun!