The Things You Said, Forgotten

The M’s “Trucker Speed” – The first few minutes of “Trucker Speed” is impressive enough with its bustling rhythms and scorched guitar tones, but it’s all just a prelude to an inspired outro in which the “winter heat” of the psychedelic fuzz duels with the “summer snow” of a melodramatic string section. I’m pretty sure that the strings win in the end. (Click here for The M’s official site. Click here to buy tickets to see The M’s on a bill with Rogue Wave and The New Pornographers on New Year’s Eve in Chicago.)

Ms. John Soda “Nº One” – I propose an alternate title: “Can’t Get ‘Bull in the Heather’ Out Of My Head.” Well, the “Bull in the Heather” bit is a stretch, but it’s a little like being in a car with a person who hasn’t heard the song since it was on 120 Minutes in 1994 trying to remember how it goes while Kylie plays in the background. (Click here for the official Ms. John Soda site.)