is it monday yet?

califone - Roots & Crowns: I picked up on these guys with last year's king heron blues, a chilling slice of dark folk. This release still has some of the folky element, but it's augmented with bizarre-o sound effects and some non-traditional song structures. The stand-out track is the cover of Pshycic TV's, 'the orchid'. This reminds me a bit of Bodies & Minds by the Great Lake Swimmers. A good album to throw on when the sun is tucked behind the clouds, or you're driving around town aimlessly.

chin up, chin up - This Harness Can't Ride Anything: This album title makes no sense, and neither does their name really, but that's OK. Their debut, we never should have lived like we were skyscrapers was the last cd I think I actually purchased. They're from minneapolis or somewhere around there. Lead singer sounds a lot like mid-era archer's bachman, and a bit less mumbly now.

the hold steady - Boys and Girls in America: The opening guitar riff is great, but then the lead singer starts squawking away like the dude from the counting crows, and it's next to impossible to take anything he says seriously, or even ironically for that matter. Case in point - "How am I supposed to know that you're high if you wont let me touch you?" Example #2 - "she was a really cool kisser and she wasn't all that strict of a christian." Vomit.

cut chemist - The Audience is Listening: Decently cohesive effort from one of the J5's turntablists. Essentially a big beat disc with obligatory, yet surpsrising tasteful scratchy bits. My fave track is 'the garden' largley due to the way it keeps building and because I have no idea what the female vox are saying, but they sure sound pretty.

jon spencer blues explosion - Xtra Acme: This was released back in '99, but I just picked it up and totally dug listening to it on the way to A-Basin for my first day on the slopes. It's a full-length remix album of Acme, and kicks ass because they sing about hot dogs and say fuck.