Well, Blueberry Boat is ace (as is the Soft Set) but right now I'm being blown sideways by the Streets' Grand Don't Come For Free, the first authentically British rap concept album. It's almost impossible to describe the Streets if you haven't heard them - imagine a lot of UK Garage, a bit of Kinks, a whopping slab of Ian Dury and a fair bit of Virginia Woolf putting together an album about going to clubs and fighting with your mates. Astonishing. Hec, if you don't have this you should really pick it up.

Jim, I've downloaded a few Streets songs, and it doesn't quite work for me. So much of what he's doing is about the lyrics, but the rhythm/accent of his speech is hard for me to understand. So I lose about 2/3 of the words and it just sounds like some English dude muttering over music. Which is a shame, because when I read reviews of his stuff, I love the concept.

(And, somewhat defensively, I feel obligated to note I'm usually pretty good with accents, just something about his throws me off.)

I've heard a couple of tracks from the Streets. I'm with LJ -- I don't get it. Though "Dry Your Eyes" is really starting to grow on me.

Glad the CDs got there, Jim! I'm with these guys on The Streets, though. It just doesn't work for me.

That's a pretty sophisticated mix there - good show on the rearing there Hec. Did he actually do the burning/taping, or did he just make the list?

He basically just cherry picked stuff I have played for him in the car that he particularly liked. I have to say I admire his devotion to Dick Dale. I did the actual playlist, but it's so easy on iMac I'm pretty sure he could've done it himself. He's on the computer a lot so dragging and clicking wouldn't be unfamiliar, and he can type his name (for high scores on games). I'll have to let him try on the second set. He's already wanting some songs that we didn't include (for some reason, he really loves Iggy's "Loco Mosquito").

This morning I got to hear him singing along with his discman on the way to camp, which mostly meant he was doing Mondegreens in all directions, mumbling and shouting the title in the chorus.

Jim - I will boldly dive into The Streets and check them out.

Emmett is a lethal cute bomb. He's a weapon of cute destruction.

LB was singing "I Want You" (The Beatles one) the other day, and it cracked me up. Especially as he was putting Harry Potter Legos together as he did it.

Was LB singing the "dum-dum-dum-dum-dums" as well?

You really need the whole album for The Streets to make sense. And you may well need to be British, 20-35, and vaguely urban (not in the euphemistic sense of the word).

I'm two out of four there. For you, I'll give the guy another chance.

"Fit But You Know It" is a fine song, but Jim is right that it's a concept album -- almost more of a recorded play with music than an album, really. I like some of what I've heard of "Original Pirate Material," and it's a bit more accessible, I think.

And on the Brit rap front, I just heard my first Dizzee track and am understanding a bit of what the fuss there is as well.