Top 5 - March 2 2008

1. Guided By Voices - Alien Lanes
Often viewed as Bee Thousand's kid brother, Alien Lanes packs 28 songs into just over 40 minutes. My copy actually smells like basements and stale beer.

2. Nick Lowe - Jesus of Cool
Pure Pop For Now People. This reissue restores the original UK trackorder and tacks on some choice bonus cuts ("Cruel to Be Kind (Original Version)"). The cover photo perfectly illustrates his chameleon-like appropriation of pop stylings.

3. Throw Me the Statue - Moonbeams
Secretly Canadian keeps sneaking out these great little records. "Lolita" is a great sounding homemade pop tune that trades Nabakov's dreariness for the sunny sounds of toy xylophones, hyper-active drumming, and choppy acoustic guitars.
Download: Throw Me the Statue - About to Walk

4. Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung by Lester Bangs
I originally read through this collection of Bangs' writings in college, but hadn't revisited since. While often obnoxious, his writing style deftly mimics the propulsive nature of good rock 'n roll. Worth the sticker price for his account of the 1977 Clash tour.

5. Deer Tick - "Dirty Dishes" Live at SSLB Fest (video)
Sam first introduced me to Deer Tick through this very site, but this video really peaked my interest. Filmed in a dark apartment bathroom, John McCauley picks and rasps his way through "Dirty Dishes" in a way that could never be contained by a traditional recording.