Oops!  I forgot last month… here’s what was spinning at the Outlandos headquarters.  You know the drill.  Some of it new.  Some of it new-ish.  Some of it just plain new to me.  And then there’s the old and the just because….
                

Eef Barzelay, Lose Big

Clem Snide front-man/main-man back with another solo project.  Holy crap, it’s amazing.  Intense, smart, a masterpiece of sorts.  Could Be Worse (reminds me of The Smithereens), The Girls Don’t Care, Take Me, Apocalyptic Friend, Me No, I Love the Unknown.  Buy it.

NPR, DNC

Astounding coverage, and since we don’t have TV, the theater-of-the-mind-factor was HIGH.  Bill made me laugh.  Teddy made me cry.  Conversely, Sarah scares the crap out of me.  Tell me you’re registered.

KatJonBand, Do You?

Jon Langford of The Mekons and Kat Ex of The Ex teamed up on a record they are calling Duo.  This song is shitloads of freakin’ fun!

Winterpills, Central Chambers

Philip is my favorite.  If you haven’t heard his solo work, it goes best with bad weather and a stiff drink.  Rip your heart out kind of stuff but stunning.  His band, Winterpills (which includes his lovely wife Flora on vocals, piano, and keyboards) is a bit more on the lighter side — at least at first listen.  They have two previous albums, you should own both.  The new one, Central Chambers (streaming in full at the link above) is out 10/14.  You’ll want that one too.  Beesting, We’ll Bring You Down, and You Don’t Love Me Yet are standouts but really, the whole thing is pretty damned fine.

Matt Mays & El Torpedo, Terminal Romance

In case you don’t already know how I really feel about Matt….  Yes, this one’s still in the car.  Still loving the entire thing although my new favorite is Digital Eyes.  Got my sites set on catching a show this October.  Look out.

Vampire Weekend, Everywhere

Honestly, these guys are overrated.  But I’m a sucker for a Mac cover.  Likey.

Neon Neon, I Told Her On Alderaan

Hey, I liked the 80s.  Men at Work meets Psychedelic Furs.

The “New” Classic Rock, Classic Hits 92.9

I can’t even believe I’m listening to terrestrial radio but I LOVE this station.  The DJs are awful.  The commercials are awful.  The production is god-awful.  And Lord knows, segues are out of the question.  It’s a weird mix of classic rock and 80s pop, loads of album cuts.  Next NPR, it’s my new go-to.

Calexico, Carried to Dust

These guys are incredible.  Carried to Dust = work of art.  Whoever thinks the album is dead a) is an idiot and b) needs a heavy dose of Calexico.  Everything they do is gold.  And one of the best live shows I’ve ever seen featured a cover of Love’s Alone Again Or, mind-blowing: