Happy Monday, and happy birthday to my lovely mother, who is [redacted] years old today!

1. No Clue, “The Old Die Young”: A former student of mine’s band. They do straight-ahead, old school, hardcore punk. If that’s your jam, you’ll probably dig this song.
2. M. Ward, “i can’t give everything away (feat. Jim James & Kelly Pratt)”: I dig the smokey, 3 AM at the dinner feel of this song, especially with that saxophone part.
3. Shocking Blue, “Venus”: I prefer this original version to the Bananarama version from the 1980s. Big surprise, right?
4. Shawn Colvin, “Sunny Came Home”: A surprisingly sprightly, countryish song that I find I enjoy more with each passing year.
5. Wilco, “Unlikely Japan”: Companion to the Wilco song “Impossible Germany,” in that the lyrics to both songs reference both countries (“Impossible Germany, unlikely Japan”). Why is Japan unlikely? I dunno. Have you ever seen the sort of things they’ll sell you out of a vending machine? Place is nuts.
6. The Beatles, “Things We Said Today”: I’m a sucker for mid-period Beatles songs. Anything from ’64 to about ’66 is just the sweet spot for me.
7. Brian Fallon, “Among Other Foolish Things”: The guy writes some damn catchy songs, I have to give him that.
8. Eklipse, “Cry Me A River”: This song sounds like some other song that I know, but I’ll be damned if I can remember what it reminds me of.
9. Echo In The Canyon, “Never My Love (feat. Jakob Dylan & Norah Jones)”: Echo in the Canyon is still a loving mash note of a documentary to an entire style of pop-rock, and songs like this so faithfully maintain the style while deviating just enough to keep things interesting.
10. Dolly Parton, “Seven Bridges Road”: Just load this right into my veins, I am in need of those harmonies.