I'm so glad someone else likes the new Killers single too. I'm beginning to think the album might be interesting. And glenn, interesting to see Thom Yorke on that list - I like his album more than any Radiohead album for quite some time, any hope of you saying anything about it?  

I've read all of tWAS, but I read it before I discovered John Darnielle. So hearing that you mentioned the Mountain Goats, I went back and re-read the relevant bits... chills. I don't agree with you all the way (I think he's more humane than you see seem to, and I love the two later albums you discuss), but your reading was, as always, entertaining and insightful enough to make me feel abashed.  

And the new album, Get Lonely, is fantastic.

A few other things that are in rotation; some are not new at all:  

Calexico: "All Systems Red"
Frontline Assembly: "Future Fail"
Boards of Canada: "Dayvan Cowboy"
data Panik: "The Rulers and the States"
Fields of the Nephilim: "Requiem XIII-33 (Le veilleur silencieux)"
Prick: "No Fair Fights"*
TRS-80: "Special Effect"
Ladytron: "Destroy Everything You Touch" (yes, still)
The Mountain Goats: "This Year" (new album out today, I think)  

*Ok, that's really old. 11 years old, even.

glenn,  

In my world TRL probably wouldn't be like TRL as it is now. It would instead be hosted by Bjork and feature Laurie Anderson performing things like "O Superman". Of course, in my world, that show would last forever. In this world, it would be cancelled before the stage lights cool off.  

As for Imogen Heap: I haven't heard that album, but I'm almost certain I've heard her work before and liked it. Filed under: must check out.  

No, thank you for bringing my attention to Grant Lee Buffalo, Susan Court, Low, Fleming & John, Rachel's*, Scott Walker**, bis, Amon Tobin, Veda Hille, Nightwish, Atom and His Package, The Mountain Goats and a whole slew of other artists that I might not have had the pleasure to know without TWAS.  

* Rachel's was my favorite discovery from TWAS. Seriously. Especially Selenography.  

** While I've only listened to clips (and seen the video for "Jesse") from Scott Walker's latest, I find it arresting and intriguing. However, it was a mistake listening to those clips and video at 2:30 AM. In headphones.

Oh, and here are some more of my songs of this summer!  

James Dean Bradfield: Emigre
Celtic Frost: Os Abysmi vel Daath
Damone: New Change of Heart
Fake?: MONEY MONEY
Feel So Bad: Run or Run
The Killers: When You Were Young
The Loud Family and Anton Barbeau: Mavis of Mabelline Towers
Muse: Map of the Problematique
Puffy: Security Blanket
Rock Kills Kid: Don't Want to Stay
Regina Spektor: On the Radio
Scott Walker: Psoriatic
Thom Yorke: Cymbal Rush

Thankfully, I do not watch TRL and in general am completely oblivious to whatever is ruling whatever is ruled by whatever rules that. As far as I'm concerned, "Yes and No" is one of the songs of the summer of 2006. For me "Do You Want to Fight Me?" and "Genevieve's Wheel" are the next two here, but I like this album as an album even more than I like these individual songs. So thanks for having brought Venus Hum to my attention in the first place.  

To me Imogen Heap's Speak for Yourself would be the obvious if-you-like-this pairing with The Colors in the Wheel. Have you heard that?

glenn,  

I, too, purchased the latest Venus Hum album (on eMusic). And I listened to it a few times and liked it. It didn't grab me as much as hearing Big Beautiful Sky did the first time, but of course, I knew what to expect this time around. (A theory on being initially underwhelmed: it has to be because I purchased the EPs for "Yes & No" and "Pink Champagne" beforehand, and those two songs are damn fine tracks.)  

My personal favorite is "Do You Want to Fight Me?" with "Pink Champagne" a close second*.  

(Another thing, somewhat unrelated: having an eMusic membership has actually increased my music purchasing. This means, however, that I metabolize music faster than I used to. I couldn't imagine purchasing music at the rate that you did; how could one give adequate attention to all the bands, the songs?)  

*"Pink Champagne" would, in my ideal world, have been the song that would have topped the charts for the summer of 2006. Alas, we are stuck with the usual vapid crap on MTV's TRL. Gah.  

(Nota bummer: I have no iPod battery repair techniques to share. Please move along.)