By the time you see this, I’ll be in Oklahoma for my grandmother’s funeral. It’s going to be rough, but I’m glad I get to be back home for it.

1. John Mellencamp, “Circling Around The Moon”: I have a soft spot in my heart for the Mellencamp album Mr. Happy Go Lucky. It’s very much of its time, with the drum machines and nods to rap and hip-hop in the music.
2. M. Ward, “Hi-Fi”: M. Ward always delights and always puts out something clever and ephemeral.
3. Matchbox 20, “Damn”: I don’t know why I like Matchbox 20 so much. I can’t explain it.
4. MILCK, “Quiet (Stripped)”: A more subtle, acoustic version of this song that I liked very much when I heard the original version.
5. Molly Lewis, “Our American Cousin”: Who doesn’t love a song about Abraham Lincoln’s trip to Ford’s Theater?
6. The Mountain Goats, “Wage Wars Get Rich Die Handsome”: When doesn’t a Mountain Goats song make you want to eat the rich?
7. The Mystiqueros, “Good”: I learned this song years ago at the Mansion on O Street from the band I used to play with on Sundays. It’s a pretty decent little number.
8. The Yardbirds, “Smokestack Lightning (Live)”: Who doesn’t love the Yardbirds?
9. Rhett Miller, “Terrible Vision”: This song is sad and beautiful and I love it.
10. Pixies, “Debaser”: Why. not round things out with some screaming?