1. CB1 - “Theme from Captain Carrot”
Super Reverb
Avant Garde is the French Word for Shit

In the DC comic book series Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew, Rodney Rabbit need only consume a cosmic carrot to transform into his aforementioned superhero alter-ego. I imagine the UK duo Super Reverb eat magic mushrooms to similar effect, the brilliance of which is evident on this quick and dirty slap-whap, slap-whap Fall-esque ditty.

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2. “Multitude of Casualties”
The Hold Steady
Separation Sunday

Like life on Mars, The Hold Steady are one of those organisms that thrive in harsh environs. I imagine them arising from a nebula of puke, liquor and filth from the rarely cleaned floor of a seedy dive bar—a place where invoking the 10-Second Rule on a fallen pretzel could bring a swift and painful death. Yet from such hardscrabble arises something of surprising beauty. Props to T2 for the referral.
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3. “Emily Kane”
Art Brut
Bang Bang Rock & Roll

With a schlubby, off-key lead singer and a band of average instrumental dexterity, Art Brut are proof that every now and then, heart trumps virtuosity. Bang Bang is brilliant rock-and-roll best enjoyed like whiskey—straight-up, and in short, pure doses. I’ll take shot of unbridled enthusiasm over a foofey Joe Satriani umbrella drink any day.

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4. “I Am Always The One Who Calls”
Pedro the Lion
The Only Reason I Feel Secure

Clear as a bell are the short breaths
That you take when you're distracted
Same as the way that you roll your eyes
When I've asked too many stupid questions
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5. CB2 - “The Instrumental”
Lupe Fiasco
Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor

Maybe it’s because Lupe Fiasco is more likely to rap about robots and skateboarding than thug life that I like this record so much. Another strength is the variety of his collaborations with the likes of Jill Scott, Gemini, Sarah Green and—on this track—Jonah Matranga of the band Far. Somehow ironic that the record’s biggest dud is the track that features Jay-Z…and the worthless “shout out” track at the end.
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6. “Future Sound”
Jurassic 5
Feedback

The Jurassic 5 are the Jesse White Tumblers of rap. Their rapid-fire mic-trading vocal gymnastics are nothing short of Olympic-caliber. It's evident both on this track and on a great live appearance from KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic that you can see right here.
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7. “The Food” (Live)
Common (with Kanye West)
Be

Every time I hear this track, I'm blown away that it was actually recorded live. The dope beats and tight vocals almost make me wanna give Common a pass card on the “Peace, Love and Gap” commercial. Almost.
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8. CB3 - “Dead To Rights”
Twilight Singers
Powder Burns

Twilight Singers frontman Greg Dulli (ex of Afghan Whigs) possesses an innate charismatic badassness that is completely absent from my genetic makeup. But I got catharsis on my side, so don’t fuck with me or I’ll kill you with passive-aggressiveness biotch!
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9. “Tears Don’t Matter Much”
Lucero
That Much Further West

To say this band would go down well with cheap beer is anything but a put down. Simple, to-the-point and rocking, Lucero is a fairly new discovery for me and one of my happiest stumbles.
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10. “Kissing Families”
Silversun Pickups
Pikul

I totally OD'd on this song early last year, but after a 10-month hiatus, it's sounding really good again...and it smells a little like teen spirit.
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11. “Fall on Tears”
Love Spit Love
CMJ #51 – 11/97

They say the first step in recovery is admitting you have a problem, so here goes:

My name is Don and I like '80’s John Hughes movies.

Foremost is Pretty in Pink whose title was derived from the Psychedelic Furs song of the same name. Before massively crushing on Molly Ringwald, I already owned a couple of P-Furs records including Talk, Talk, Talk on which the original version of “Pretty in Pink” appeared. Though I eventually lost interest in the Furs--you know, Mirror Moves and all--I’ve always liked frontman Richard Butler’s distinctive vocals. Recently I ran across this track--though it appears to be from '97--by Love Spit Love, the band he and his brother formed after the Furs split. And I cant't help it, I sing the “La La La” part at the end every time.
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12. CB4 - “Such Great Heights”
Iron & Wine
Such Great Heights EP

The first time I heard this cover of the Postal Service, it took me a while to figure out why I knew the words to a song I’d never heard before. Then for a moment I thought maybe I was dead and this was what happened…random electronica-ish songs you kinda like get played slow and softly as you walk towards the Light. Then I ordered my burrito and knew I was OK…I mean why would I need food in the afterlife, right? I was just waking up. Eventually I hunted this version down and have come to really like its sweet, genteel roll.
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13. "Happy"

Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins

Rabbit Fur Coat

A Mazzy Star-meets-Emmylou Harris sound is not what I expected from Jenny Lewis, the lead singer of the indie pop band Rilo Kiley. But I gotta say I like the surprise of both her songwriting and delivery, as well as the poignant addition of the Gospel harmonies of the Watson Twins. This album is a gem and one of the best of 2006.

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14. "Greenwich Time" (Live)

Jay Farrar

Bootlegged from KEXP

"Greenwich Mean Time" (GMT) is a term originally referring to mean solar time at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich in England. It is now often used to refer to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) when this is viewed as a time zone, although strictly UTC is an atomic time scale which only approximates GMT in the old sense. It is also used to refer to Universal Time (UT), which is the astronomical concept that directly replaced the original GMT.

Glad I could clear that up for you.

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15. "The Needle Has Landed"

Neko Case

Fox Confessor Brings the Flood

I love the Neko. Mmmmm Neko.

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16. "24-Hour Store"

The Handsome Family

The Singing Bones

You just don’t hear the musical saw all that often. For me it’s just this song and the movie Delicatessen. But as that apocalyptic cannibalistic black comedy and “24-Hour Store” prove, there are some rare, perfect moments for that eerie wail.

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17. CB5 - "Next Year Never Comes"

Havill's Radio, TV & Hi-Fi

Citizen's Band Radio

This track features samples of legendary Chicago Cub broadcaster Jack Brickhouse. Jack once tipped my friend with a stick of gum for carrying his golf clubs at the country club where we both worked as caddies. Jack was a comp member, meaning he basically freeloaded dinners and golf at the club. He was also employed by the Wrigley Corporation who owned the Cubs at the time, meaning he probably didn’t even pay for the gum! So perhaps the reason the Cubs are such perpetual losers is not the oft-mentioned Cubs Curse, but the karma of Brickhouse.

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18. "Chicago" (Multiple Personality Disorder Version)

Sufjan Stevens

The Avalanche

I know…I’m such a homer. Sufjan Stevens’ orchestral folk opus Illinois was probably my favorite album of 2005. This remix of “Chicago” replaces the lushness of the album version with a quirky, fun, blip-pop treatment that takes the original in a new direction while still maintaining its tender sentimentality. It is one of three alternate versions of the song that appear on The Avalanche, a collection of outtakes Stevens released in 2006.

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19. "Hands"

Ms. John Soda

Notes and the Like

Nary a mix goes by that I don’t find a way to work in some Notwist-related bits--Michah Acher in da mix.

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20. "Kill My Television" (Snowbird Escapes Remix)

Alias w/Havill's Radio, TV & Hi-Fi

Citizen's Band Radio

The intrepid Loosegoose is on the hunt for a little Snowbird. And she might just well be keen... until the 'goose goes party line with it all and blows it.