I am currently listening to Jon's Best of 2005 Breakfast of Champions podcast (which aired 12/30). I highly recommend.

I'm with Tina. Listened to this on the long train ride home today, and damnit, now I have to find sneaky ways to import lots of music without it getting stuck in the customs. (From just one listen, I got the song by Dream Bitches stuck in my head. And that's a good thing.)

Thanks Nicklas. Where're you from?

I'm from Sweden.

Sweden, how cool!

Gosh knows I think so. Varifrån i Sverige?

Småland fast jag bor för närvarande i Uppsala. Which means I got the worst of both worlds. Too much humidity to make the cold bearable and far too much mosquitoes.

Robin: it's just like every other place.

* för närvarande ("just nu")---for the time being, at present ("just now")

Ooh! I'm learning new phrases!

Wow, I didn't know it could be cold and really humid at the same time. All the super-cold climates I know of are low in humidity.

it's just like every other place.

Heh. Try using healthcare in the US and you'll find different. Hee!

I've never been to Småland nor Uppsala. I've only visited Stockholm, Helsingborg, Ystad and Sundsvall so far. I last went in 1993. I wish I could afford to go again.

Robin: it's just like every other place

Well, yeah. It is just like every other place (and also has its own unique personality, just like all places), but it's cool that you found us and we get to meet you. I really enjoy hearing from the Buffistas in Israel and Ireland and Egypt and Australia and Germany and all over this country.

The police have made two arrests in the Harvey killings: [link]

__________

In totally separate news, I am listening to the PEFECT Sunday afternoon album: Begonias by Cary Caitlin and Thad Cockrell. They are the lesser known other half of Whiskeytown (Ryan Adams' first band). Their post W-town efforts have not been anything too special until this album. It's not too country to send anyone who doesn't lean that way running for the hills but it really doesn't have any "alt" to it either. A lot of reviewers are making Gram Parsons/Emmylou comparisons - I'm not sure I agree, but it's v. good.

If you liked any Whiskeytown albums or are looking for a sleepy twangy Sunday afternoon album, it's worth a listen: [link]

Finally, my favorite find from the albums I bought after listening to Jon's Best of show is a band it's impossible to find anything out about because they have NO national press but seem to be revered in their hometown of Knoxville. Dixie Dirt: the name makes them sound twangy but they are not. At all. I got their latest album off of emusic and there is nothing else on it better than the song Jon played: "Bad Lights." It's still a good album. I have to admit I was a little disappointed though - based on how good that song was, I thought I was hearing another Rilo Kiley. (Meaning a female led band that I would begin immediately to worship. I don't have a lot of female singers that I really love. It's a me-thing that I wish wasn't and am working on thus this post about all female singers/bands - but there you go.)

Speaking of Rilo Kiley. I heard the first few tracks off of Jenny Lewis' solo album Rabbit Fur Coat this weekend. Not suprisingly, I was giddy with delight that her voice, lyrics and music are as unbelievably great as ever. My copy is pre-ordered on Amazon - it comes out on the 24th of this month.

OK. I'm done.

Wait, no I'm not. Emusic users: go now and try a couple tracks off that Bettye Lavette album that all the editors keep pimping. Especially try the Sinead O' Connor cover and "Just Say So." I was freaking out listening it to on my headphones last night - it's great. Non emusic users: go join or at least get the 50 free downloads you get in the free trial.

tina, on your recs I just used up my last 3 downloads for this 30 days on emusic.

Thanks.

edited b/c I really can read. der.