Legal Commentary

The announcement of the new rotation (which includes my excellent colleague Geoff Rapp) and reference to the Magnetic Fields in posts below prompt me to sign off with my traditional (well, this is the second time) request for suggestions for Cool, New, and/or Really Good music in the alt-rock vein. And since I?m doing this on a blog, that?s what you kids call a "bleg" right?

I'll start.  Here are ten songs from the last couple of years that I would suggest downloading or otherwise buying (in no particular order):

1.  "The Nun?s Litany" ? Magnetic Fields;  2.  "Acid Test" ? Emma Pollack [saw her open for the New Pornographers earlier this year and she was great];  3. "The Bleeding Heart Show" ? The New Pornographers;  4. "The Crane Wife 3" ? The Decemberists;  5. "When Romance is Dead" ? the Beautiful South (from, sadly, their final album);  6. "Fluorescent Adolescent" ? The Arctic Monkeys;  7. "The Underdog" ? Spoon;  8. "Dashboard" ? Modest Mouse;  9. "Earth Intruders" ? Björk (great concert);  and 10. "I?m Slowly Turning Into You" ? The White Stripes

I?m also getting into some French music. I would recommend Zebda (Algerian, technically), Louise Attaque, and Les Rita Mitsouko. And my hip colleague Lesa Byrnes even turned me on to some fun German punk.

Your turn, and see you next time.