I was on the road most of the week, so this is a rare CD only list from me. Listened to a bunch of stuff going back and forth between Michigan and St. Louis. Here goes...

Dresden Dolls
Well, I took the plunge on this one. I'm liking it a ton and have already listened to it a bunch of times. It's piano and drums almost exclusively, with very few embellishments. Very dynamic. Hard to say if I would recommend this to others as it is so different from pretty much everything else out there. It has a dramatic flair and is certainly not subtle. The Single, Girl Anachronism is a bit more focused than most of the material but still represents the album as a whole pretty well.

This is Rockabilly Clash
Modern rockabilly covers of Clash songs. Spotty as most tribute albums seem to be. Some fun stuff, but really probably best to grab a track or to for a comp or to throw in the changer on random. It gets a bit much all the way through as many of the covers are fairly mundane. When the bands pick up the tempo they just can't match the energy of the originals. The more laid back interpretations hold up better to my ears.

The Ink Spots
Compilation picked up in a bargain bin that has surprisingly excellent sound for these old tunes. The disc uses the CEDAR technology to get rid of noise and it is very effective, some of the best sound I've got on this type of thing.

Tom Waits: Alice
Holds up really well in his catalog. I much prefer this one to Blood Money, the other one he released on the same day. It's blend of old carnival music and Tom's signature quirky growl and musical experimentation make for a quietly effective album.

The KLH: Chill Out
If you like ambient stuff, this is a fantastic road album. It mixes natural sounds like trains heading down the tracks and other environmental noises with electronic and natural instruments flawlessly. When Elvis comes on through a slowed down steel guitar intro, it is a thing of beauty.

OutKast: Aquemini
If you liked the recent OutKast but haven't gone into their back catalog, get this one right away. A sprawling funk, hip hop masterpiece. Listening to this one makes me anxious to hear what these two do when they get back together again as promised. As good as the separate albums are, together these guys are amazing. I'll take this over Stankonia too, by the way.

Johnny Cash: My Mother's Hymn Book
Available either as part of the Unearthed box set or on its own. A collection of traditional church songs sparsely arranged by Johnny Cash. This thing can really be a deeply moving listen if you are a fan of the man in black.

Chet Baker Sings
Great collection of pop classics with Chet providing the horn and the voice. Hard to say if he plays or sings better. High pitched, smooth vocals with heart and a touch of desperation.

ISAN: Meet Next Life
Laid back electronic mood music with a touch of real instrumentation thrown in this time around. At first listen I much preferred there stuff like Lucky cat with it's all analog synth sound, but this one just keeps growing on me. A beautiful listen going down the road with the sun in your eyes.

Big Boys: Fat Elvis
Collection of their last three releases on one CD. These guys rock hard and are just great fun, as suggested by one of their signature songs, Fun, Fun, Fun. Great combination of Texas hardcore and funk. No other band I've heard can just tear you apart with some heavy hardcore one second and tear the roof off with a cover of Hollywood Swinging the next. A sadly underappreciated band in my opinion.

Black Flag: Everything Went Black
Great collection of pre-Rollins Black Flag, including tracks with Keith Morris, Chavo and Dez taking turns on vocals. Great rough stuff. These guys, with or without Rollins, were quite simply one of the most brutal hardcore bands around. Amazing stuff that all the kiddies need to listen to and remember that punk rock really did have a dangerous edge at one time. The last track is a collection of radio commercials that manage to amuse and offend in equal measure. (Well, OK, they don't offend me, but hey)


Also listened to a bunch of other stuff, including talked to death around here stuff like Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Yoshimi, and Someday. Played a bunch of stuff off an MP3 disc I made up with about 100 songs off some vinyl from the 80s. Listened to a bit of classical stuff, mostly Mozart and Brahms. Played some early 90s electronic stuff like The Orb and The Future Sound of London. Plenty more, with all the time I spent in the car, but that's enough for now.