Bill Callahan -- Dream River

  You know this laid-back Indie Folk is good and all, but I can't say I am too crazy about his voice, it reminds me of the lead vocalist of The Magnetic Fields, but it just didn't work as well, it gave the music an uneven sound.

Alex Ebert -- Alexander

  A kinda weird tribute to the Folk Rock pioneers of the 60's and 70's, the songs range from really great to very bad to f*cking annoying!  Stick to, and save your hits for, your other bands buddy!

Blake Mills -- Break Mirrors

  Totally geeky delicate genius guitar virtuoso Blake Mills's debut effort.  His sound is a kind of Indie Folk drenched in lazy 70's Soft Rock, but with an awkward truth to his music.

The Budos Band -- III

  There I was, at a local downtown watering hole, gulping down copious amounts of beer and whiskey.  The owner pulls out this Ethio-esque Afro beat'd Jazzy Soul album by The Budos Band.  Needless to say my evening wasn't as successful as this killer record.  I made it home ok but totally puked in my sink, which left a barftastic odor in my apartment, luckily I cleaned 'er all up and have kept a great memory of this album!

Deer Tick -- War Elephant

  Deer Tick made me think of an updated, Indie Folk Rock version of the Mountain Goats with the extra nasally, rough, louder notes of Billy Corgan.  I like how it's part cute, part tough and part backwoods shit kicker, but it's never uneven or awkward, the album has good a flow in its changes, I can't help but admire their Band-esque air of wastecase musicianship!

Beastie Boys -- The In Sound From Way Out!

  So ... if you are getting wasted on a school night, or at my age a work night, with your buddy, and want something to play dueling djembes to, look no further than The Beastie Boys The In Sound From Way Out!  This Booker T and The Mg's-esque Soul/ Jazz instrumental compilation has tracks that range from very good, pretty ok and f*cking shit, but albums like these show their diversity and talent, who else could jump from Hip Hop to Hardcore Punk to mellow instrumentals in one fatal swoop!

Sharon Jones And the Dap-Kings -- 100 Days, 100 Nights

  I'd like to say that these guys are throwback Soul/ Funk revivalists, but goddamn their shtick is so real that they are rewriting R & B music, undoing all the damage that Disco had made over the years.  Sharon Jones And The Dap-kings definitely know how to throw it down with sweet Soul and deep Funk!