I'm back! I'm back! So sing to raise the blind up... Yes, 1200-ish miles, two dance recitals, a graduation, a Mother's Day luncheon, and one new phone later, I have returned from the wilds of Far West Texas. I had a really wonderful time in El Paso -- here's a big shout-out to my mom for finishing her bachelor's degree and a huge congrats on being accepted to the writing and rhetoric Ph.D program! My sister's dance recitals were grand -- the theme was, ironically enough, "New York, New York," which made me a little sentimental, naturally. It was really nice to see my family and friends and hold new babies and generally enjoy the lovely non-humid sunny weather. (And oh yeah, I've lost everyone's phone number, so I'm gonna have gobs of fun updating my phone book...)

I love the I-10 drive, especially as, being a huge, huge nerd for The Mountain Goats, I get to play the All Hail West Texas game. What's that you ask? Well, when you're heading west, when you see the sign for Toyahvale, start playing All Hail West Texas (alternatively, if you're going east, start playing the album around the time you start seeing signs for Toyah -- not Toyahvale). If you're obeying the speed limit (within about 5 mph or so...), by the time "Jeff Davis County Blues" comes on, you will be in Jeff Davis County, home of the evil I-10/I-20 split, and currently the site of some gnarly construction that made that whole stretch of the drive even more scary than usual. (I've nearly been flattened by semis flying off that interchange more times than I care to admit...) And, oh bother -- I don't have the song with me to post and I took all my CDs out of the car -- typical me after a road trip, I'm a little fried today.

So, you know how it is in the world of music bloggers -- here's my big question: Have I missed the latest next big thing? I'd hate to be behind after a few days of being away. (Please read this with a big dose of sarcasm, which never comes through via text...!)

In other news, I was one of the contributors to the Visceral Song Moments feature over at goodhodgkins.com -- I'm sure my selections won't surprise regular readers in the slightest! Additionally, I Guess I'm Floating listed this blog in their feature on blogs with named for songs or albums. So, here's a big howdy to new visitors following those links!

Some items that have been in heavy rotation lately...

Sambassadeur -- Think Nothing Of It
We've posted about Sambassadeur before; their new EP, Costal Affairs, cements their position as one of the best "shoejangle" bands (a term coined by Ryan at goodhodgkins.com) -- I'd apply this moniker to the latest from Phoenix and Voxtrot as well. Sambassadeur sounds as if they've totally eaten New Order for breakfast and The Bats for lunch (esp. with the appearance of the cover of "Claudine") on the entire EP; I really like that. (More Costal Affairs tracks are at GoodHodgkins, Indie Don't Dance, and Plague of Angels.)

The Pipettes -- ABC

We've also posted about The Pipettes before; and despite my angst over hyping a pre-fab indie band constructed to be a postmodern Ronettes, I just can't stop listening to them -- especially this charming track about trying to get a preoccupied boy's attention. After a string of charming singles and EPs, their debut album, We Are The Pipettes, is due out July 3rd in the UK.

The Long Winters -- Pushover (right-click & save as)

Let's just say I'm waiting on tenterhooks for my advance copy of putting the days to bed, which looks as it may never arrive and I may have to wait until the July 25 release date to hear the rest of what promises to be the best Long Winters album yet. We've stuck by Mr. Roderick and the various incarnations of his band through thick and thin over the years, and it's been worth it to see him finally gaining wider notice. (Don't make us remind y'all about how we were there the first time he played "The Commander Thinks Aloud" at that in-store at 33 Degrees @ SXSW 2003 2004 after we demanded he play a new song... Those were the days, kids. Oh yes.)