First up, California's fascinating band The Heavenly States answer the question "what do you get if you cross a punk singer with a rock band a pop tune writer?" with their song "Elastic Days" from their newest, quality album Black Comet (iTunes, Amazon). Then Chicago's The Fruit Bats did a great song called "Lives of Crime" from their great new album Spelled in Bones (iTunes, Amazon, Other Music). You're forgiven if you assumed at first that they were Of Montreal. Next was Norway's fluttery songstress Hanne Hukkelberg with "Cast Anchor" from her 2005 EP by the same name (iTunes, Amazon, Other Music). And finally, Los Angeles' Radar Brothers who, the worst thing you can say about is that they are so consistent as to be boring in large doses, did better track called "Papillion" off their newest album The Fallen Leaf Pages (iTunes, Amazon, Other Music).

(SPECIAL NEW BANDS THAT SOUND OLD EPISODE!) First up, NYC's great new group that could easily pass for being from 40 years ago The Dansettes did a demo song called "Forty Days". They have a new EP coming out soon. Get on their email list for details. Next was Big Sandy (without his Fly-Rite Boys) doing a 50's nod called "Have Love Will Travel" from his album Dedicated to You (iTunes, Amazon). Next was the UK's The Bees (formally The Band of Bees) whose album is a when's when of earlier sounds. We heard "The Start" from their recently released in the US album Free the Bees (iTunes, Amazon, Other Music). Next, also from the UK, was Little Barrie with the song "Free Salute" from their debut album We Are Little Barrie (iTunes, Amazon, Other Music). Then Michigan's Saturday Looks Good to Me did "Lift Me Up" from their latest album Every Night (iTunes, Amazon, Other Music). And finally some straight up R&B from an electronica producer very well disguised, meet Jamie Lidell. The song was the title track from his album Multiply (iTunes, Amazon, Other Music).

First up, Liverpool's Kathryn Williams did a cover of Nico's "These Days" from her all covers album Relations (iTunes, Amazon). On the same album she covers Pavement's "Spit on a Stranger" which is one of my favorite of their songs. Her's isn't as good as Mr. Malkmus', but it sure beats Nickel Creek's attempt. Next was the song "Forces" from Sweden's The Concretes new release of their album of previously-hard-to-find-in-the-US-songs Layourbattleaxedown (iTunes, Amazon, Other Music). Then we heard Seattle's pre-teen wonder-girls Smoosh, and their song "Massive Curve" from their only album so far She Like Electric (iTunes, Amazon, Other Music). Smoosh is playing a couple of shows in NYC, and elsewhere. So check these kids out if possible. And finally New Orleans' most promising rock band in recent memory, World Leader Pretend, did "Tit for Tat" from their debut album Punches (iTunes, Amazon). This week's episode features a clip from The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. You can download a great selection of QuickTime clips from the Daily Show at One Good Move.

(SPECIAL EXTRA-LONG MY FAVORITE COUNTRY/WESTERN SONGS EPISODE!) First up, the Canadian-born country/rockabilly/dance-hall-geniuses Ray Condo & His Ricochets are on full tilt for "Done Gone Crazy" from their 1997 album Door to Door Maniac (Amazon). Then The Dave & Deke Combo did their toe-tappingly fun song "Two Timin' Mama" from their 1996 album Hollywood Barn Dance (Amazon). Next I laid the smack down with some quality country covers of non-country songs. First was the Gap-tastic Queen cover by Dwight Yoakam of "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" from, among other places, his Very Best of... (iTunes, Amazon). Then Austin's Dollar Store did the best Cher cover ever, "Believe" from their not-terribly-good self-titled album (iTunes, Amazon). (Cowboy hats off to Coverville for turning me on to that one.) Then it was back to the good-ole traditional country/western sounds with Tennessee Ernie Ford doing "Ballad of Davy Crockett" from any number of his around 100 releases, like this Greatest Hits (Amazon). Then we took it to the trailer park for Southern Culture on the Skids stand-out Little Debbie Love Ballad "Camel Walk" from their album Dirt Track Date (iTunes, Amazon, Other Music). Faux-old-timey-band Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys were next with "Three Years Blind" from their 1997 album Feelin' Kinda Lucky (iTunes, Amazon). Then we heard two songs by the legendary Austin country songster Blaze Foley. First was "Wouldn't that Be Nice" (not a Beach Boys cover), followed by the title track to the album, his prescient "Oval Room," which one can only assume was written about the Bush Dynasty (iTunes, Lost Art Records). And finally the classic western swing band The Light Crust Doughboys did "Happy Trails" from their limited edition, no longer available album Doughboy Way.This week's episode features a clip from the podcast for Ebert & Roeper at the Movies as they review the new Dukes of Hazard movie.

First up, the United Kingdom's great new rock act, The Envelopes did "It is the Law" from their forthcoming album (released this week) Demon (Amazon), you can buy this song from iTunes. Next was some quality German electronica by Mouse on Mars called "Send Me Shivers" from their most recent album from last year called Radical Connector (iTunes, Amazon, Other Music). Then one of my favorite songs by the band Solex called "One Louder Solex" from their 1998 album Solex vs. The Hitmeister (iTunes, Amazon, Other Music). And finally from the eagerly anticipated new album from Michigan born Sufjan Stevens called Illinoise (iTunes, Amazon, Other Music), we heard the appropriately titled song "Chicago."This week's episode has a clip from the July 29th Counter Spin from the media watch-dog group FAIR. (subscribe to their Podcast)

First up, New York City's awesome, modern-day-ragtime-band The New Rags did two songs off their new EP Take Jennie to Brooklyn (Silent Stereo Records). We heard "Your Room" and one that reminds me of older Of Montreal called "Love of My Life". Next was a song by former Pixie and longtime quality rocker Frank Black called "I Burn Today" from his brand new album Honeycomb (iTunes, Amazon). Then another New York City indie rock band, The Cloud Room, with their song "We Sleep in the Ocean" from their self-titled debut album (iTunes, Amazon). They have a great video for their standout song "Hey Now Now" on their website as well. And finally Andover, Massachusetts' longtime pop-punk band Piebald did "Part of Your Body is Made Out of Rock" from their 2004 album All Ears, All Eyes, All the Time (iTunes, Amazon). This week's episode has a Sounds in My Head first... an ad! But it's not really an ad, because no one is paying me to play it. It's really just a promo for The Dorktones Podcast. It's a cool show out of Norway that features classic surf/soul/reggae/rock/etc. This week's show also had a clip from the July 21st episode of Air America Radio's The Majority Report about Bush's "bold pick" of John Roberts for the supreme court.

First up, the UK's Interpol, known as Apartment, did "Everyone Says I'm Paranoid" from their EP by the same name (iTunes, Amazon). Then Austin's Ghostland Observatory did "Silver City" from their recently released, debut Delete, Delete, I Eat Meat (Indierect Records). After listening to Ghostland Observatory's album I was reminded of New York City's The Bravery, so we heard their fantastic "The Ring Song" from their self-titled debut (iTunes, Amazon, Other Music) from earlier this year. And finally on this episode, California's alt/country King Straggler did "Rebel" from their new, also self-title debut (iTunes, CD Baby).This week's episode features a clip The Muppet Show. Which incidentally will have a complete season one DVD box set release on August 9th. Pre-order yours now at Amazon. If you're into that sort of thing, like I am, check out my favorite Muppet website: Toughpigs.com.