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Jason Isbell in town on the 22nd, and then Wilco four days later...awesome!

I included Challengers in my top 5, but it was actually a grower for me. I didn't really like it that much the first five or six times I listened to it. But listening to it at about 6 in the morning on the way home from a night shift at work really changed my mind. Maybe it was the lack of sleep, but whatever it was, I finally started digging the album. Now it's one of my favorites for the year. So I can understand people not thinking it was one of the year's best.

Patterson Hood, the leader of the Drive-by Truckers, has his Best of 2007 list up over at DBT's myspace page. Wilco gets two mentions--one for SBS and one for their ACL taping. You can read his entire list here.

1. Jason Isbell - Sirens of the Ditch 2. The Weakerthans - Reunion Tour 3. The New Pornographers - Challengers 4. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky 5. Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger Special mention: Jeff Tweedy's Living Room/Letters to Santa Show from 3 March 2007. I could listen to this forever. Honorable mentions: Bright Eyes - Cassadaga, Tegan & Sara - The Con The saddest part about making this list was realizing just how little music I bought this year. Well, I bought a lot of music, but just not a ton of new releases.

DBT's European label has 2 minute clips of every song on the new album on their site. Brighter Than Creation's Dark (2 minute clips) This is a very country album. I love DBT enough to be cool with them doing different things, but I still love them best when they rock out. Give me SRO any day.

What he said. I'm really enjoying this album.

When Jason was still with the Truckers he threw a pick out to the crowd at the first Virgin Fest in Baltimore. It went right to my wife. She keeps it on her bedside table! We're definitely going to go the February show at the 930 Club. I didn't get to see him when he came through DC earlier this year, so this will be great. I really hope he plays Razor Town.

After a quick first listen to the samples here are my thoughts: --there don't sound like there are many rockers on this one --Cooley's songs for the most part sound great --I really dig that Shonna's singing on this record --Patterson songs this time around by-and-large are a little too mellow for me Of course I reserve the right to completely change my mind once I hear the whole album.

My five votes went to: Wilco - SBS The Weakerthans - Reunion Tour (write-in) The New Pornographers - Challengers Tegan and Sara - The Con Jason Isbell - Sirens of The Ditch (write-in)

Paste also had a great intro to their Top 50 in the magazine that addressed the problem of trying to compile a top whatever list. I believe the editor pointed out that his favorite album of the year didn't even make the Top 50. I liked their list (even though I've never been able to get into the National), but the Harp list brought to light one major mistake with the Paste list: no Jason Isbell "Sirens of the Ditch." I'm glad Harp included it in their top 10. It's a really great album.

According to Paste:

The horror! The horror! People might have to start paying for music! Oh the humanity!

Of the three versions of the song (Jason solo/acoustic, Jason solo/electric, Jason with band on album), the solo/electric combo really does it for me. I like the other versions, but I love version. It's just beautiful. On a related note, I'm not sure if I'm a bigger fan of the "somebody else's" vs. "Hollywood" war lyric. Either way it's an incredible song.

This former English teacher completely agrees.

Geffen will be releasing a CD of Rivers' home demos in December. According to Rolling Stone, this will include tracks from the mythical (in Weezer fan circles at least) "Songs From The Black Hole," the album that got scrapped before Pinkerton. Those songs are something like the Holy Grail for Weezer fans. I can't wait to hear what might have been.

*rim shot*

Thank God for Paste Magazine. Part of the reason I got a subscription to the magazine was because of the music sampler that comes with each issue. (And how could I pass up on a magazine that writes about Wilco, The Drive-By Truckers, and other bands I love? Why do I even still bother getting Rolling Stone?) The latest CD had "Civil Twilight" on it, thus introducing me to The Weakerthans. I've been trying to find the new album in my area, but alas had to just order it online. I really dig it and will be checking out their other stuff.

I'm definitely looking forward to the new album (and seeing them at the 930 Club at the end of this month). I've heard the single a couple of times, and while it's not a huge departure or stretch from their other stuff, I still like it. I think both Bleed American and Futures were excellent albums.

I'm really looking forward to the first post-Isbell album. (Jason's solo album is fantastic--get it if you don't already have it.) The new album's title will have to grow on me, but I'm very happy about the length of the album. Nineteen songs--here's hoping we get a lot of Cooley! Based on what the band has said about the new album, I think we will get a lot of Cooley indeed. Now if they would just go ahead and announce where the New Years' show is this year. Rumors put it at the 930 Club in DC. That would just be too awesome.

A local band in DC (emmet swimming) did this a year or so ago and people apparently voted for songs that they almost always play live anyway. It was a cool idea, but it definitely wasn't a show full of rarities. (It was still a good show, just not the show I was expecting.) It's still awesome that Wilco's doing it. I hope they do pull out some rarely played songs, and that there's a good bootleg of the show.

I loved the last disc (Awake is the New Sleep) and can't wait to hear the new one. He's also really excellent live. I saw him at a small club in DC (the Black Cat) a couple of years back and Maria Taylor and Har Mar Superstar opened up for him. That's probably one of the best shows I've been to. Maria sounded great, Har Mar was outrageous and entertaining, and Ben made everyone have a great time.

I absolutely agree. Myriad Harbour was the standout for me when I first listened to this album. I also couldn't get "Entering White Cecilia" out of my head last night. As far as the new album goes, I think I figured out the best time to listen to it. I was driving home from work this morning at about 6 am (I'm working nights right now), and I was listening to the last couple of tracks. It was still dark, there was hardly anyone on the road, and it was nice and quiet. The album sounded great. I imagine this would be a great album to listen to at the end of a night out, maybe while the sun is co

Definitely check out her CDs or see her live. If you listen to "Maybe Sparrow" from Fox Confessor Brings the Flood you'll hear what an incredible voice she has. We saw her a couple of weeks ago in DC and she sounds just as incredible live. Her earlier albums are a lot more country, but her voice is beautiful all the same.

For those interested, you can download two songs from the new album at Spin and Stereogum. Lake Michigan Chicago X 12