First up, Austin's promising new indie pop/rock group Voxtrot did "Raised By Wolves" from their debut EP by the same name (Other Music, Online). Next was the French-sisters act CocoRosie who did "Noah's Ark" from their new album by the same name (iTunes, Other Music, Amazon). Then the Argentina's Contramano did "Checking U" from their self-titled debut album (iTunes, Amazon). And finally, Wales' lo-fi pop-pop songster Helen Love did "Debbie Loves Joey" from her latest EP The Bubblegum Killers (iTunes, Amazon). This week's episode features a clip from Real Time with Bill Maher. You can see the whole segment here.

First up, London's quality electronica outfit Mint Royale with their song "Little Words" from their new, rather-good album See You In the Morning (iTunes, Amazon, Other Music). Also check out the video to their song "Singing In the Rain". Next was Ireland's Hal who, from track to track, you can actually hear the sound of their hat-tipping to The Beach Boys or Harry Nilsson, but in this song, "Fools By Your Side", they sounds more like something else I can't pinpoint. The song is from their at-least-average self-titled debut album (iTunes, Amazon, Other Music). Then Melbourne, Australia's (NOT NYC's AS I SAY IN THE EPISODE!), New Buffalo, did "I've Got You and You've Got Me" from last year's The Last Beautiful Day (iTunes, Amazon, Other Music). And finally Iceland's fantastic Sigur Ros did "Hoppípolla" which I am told means "Hop in a Puddle" from their forthcoming (released tomorrow) new album Takk (iTunes, Amazon), which means "Thanks". This week's episode features a clip from Real Time with Bill Maher. You can see the whole segment here.

(SPECIAL NEW ORLEANS POST-HURRICANE EPISODE) First up, London's (via New Zealand) The Veils did their somber "The Valleys of New Orleans" from their 2004 debut The Runaway Found (iTunes, Amazon, Other Music). Then long-time indie favorites The Silver Jews did "New Orleans" from their '94 album Starlite Walker (iTunes, Amazon, Other Music). Next was one of my favorite classic New Orleans' instrumental bands, The New Orleans Ragtime Orchestra, with "SOME SONG" was taken from the Arhoolie Records release Creole Belles (iTunes, Amazon, Arhoolie). And finally, from The Smoking Popes final album, featuring standards covered by the band, called The Party's Over (iTunes, Amazon), we heard "Stormy Weather". This week's episode features the song "New Orleans Farewell" by Guy Van Duser & Billy Novick behind a montage of sound documenting the Bush Administration's guide of how to not handle disaster you failed to prevent. Click here for links to help. Links from montage: FoxNews, Ted Koppel, RealTime, NOW, Countdown, On the Media, NBC Telethon, CNN, Harvey Jackson. Look at the photos and their captions mentioned by On The Media.

First up, California's fascinating band The Heavenly States answer the question "what do you get if you cross a punk singer with a rock band a pop tune writer?" with their song "Elastic Days" from their newest, quality album Black Comet (iTunes, Amazon). Then Chicago's The Fruit Bats did a great song called "Lives of Crime" from their great new album Spelled in Bones (iTunes, Amazon, Other Music). You're forgiven if you assumed at first that they were Of Montreal. Next was Norway's fluttery songstress Hanne Hukkelberg with "Cast Anchor" from her 2005 EP by the same name (iTunes, Amazon, Other Music). And finally, Los Angeles' Radar Brothers who, the worst thing you can say about is that they are so consistent as to be boring in large doses, did better track called "Papillion" off their newest album The Fallen Leaf Pages (iTunes, Amazon, Other Music).

(SPECIAL NEW BANDS THAT SOUND OLD EPISODE!) First up, NYC's great new group that could easily pass for being from 40 years ago The Dansettes did a demo song called "Forty Days". They have a new EP coming out soon. Get on their email list for details. Next was Big Sandy (without his Fly-Rite Boys) doing a 50's nod called "Have Love Will Travel" from his album Dedicated to You (iTunes, Amazon). Next was the UK's The Bees (formally The Band of Bees) whose album is a when's when of earlier sounds. We heard "The Start" from their recently released in the US album Free the Bees (iTunes, Amazon, Other Music). Next, also from the UK, was Little Barrie with the song "Free Salute" from their debut album We Are Little Barrie (iTunes, Amazon, Other Music). Then Michigan's Saturday Looks Good to Me did "Lift Me Up" from their latest album Every Night (iTunes, Amazon, Other Music). And finally some straight up R&B from an electronica producer very well disguised, meet Jamie Lidell. The song was the title track from his album Multiply (iTunes, Amazon, Other Music).

First up, Liverpool's Kathryn Williams did a cover of Nico's "These Days" from her all covers album Relations (iTunes, Amazon). On the same album she covers Pavement's "Spit on a Stranger" which is one of my favorite of their songs. Her's isn't as good as Mr. Malkmus', but it sure beats Nickel Creek's attempt. Next was the song "Forces" from Sweden's The Concretes new release of their album of previously-hard-to-find-in-the-US-songs Layourbattleaxedown (iTunes, Amazon, Other Music). Then we heard Seattle's pre-teen wonder-girls Smoosh, and their song "Massive Curve" from their only album so far She Like Electric (iTunes, Amazon, Other Music). Smoosh is playing a couple of shows in NYC, and elsewhere. So check these kids out if possible. And finally New Orleans' most promising rock band in recent memory, World Leader Pretend, did "Tit for Tat" from their debut album Punches (iTunes, Amazon). This week's episode features a clip from The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. You can download a great selection of QuickTime clips from the Daily Show at One Good Move.

(SPECIAL EXTRA-LONG MY FAVORITE COUNTRY/WESTERN SONGS EPISODE!) First up, the Canadian-born country/rockabilly/dance-hall-geniuses Ray Condo & His Ricochets are on full tilt for "Done Gone Crazy" from their 1997 album Door to Door Maniac (Amazon). Then The Dave & Deke Combo did their toe-tappingly fun song "Two Timin' Mama" from their 1996 album Hollywood Barn Dance (Amazon). Next I laid the smack down with some quality country covers of non-country songs. First was the Gap-tastic Queen cover by Dwight Yoakam of "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" from, among other places, his Very Best of... (iTunes, Amazon). Then Austin's Dollar Store did the best Cher cover ever, "Believe" from their not-terribly-good self-titled album (iTunes, Amazon). (Cowboy hats off to Coverville for turning me on to that one.) Then it was back to the good-ole traditional country/western sounds with Tennessee Ernie Ford doing "Ballad of Davy Crockett" from any number of his around 100 releases, like this Greatest Hits (Amazon). Then we took it to the trailer park for Southern Culture on the Skids stand-out Little Debbie Love Ballad "Camel Walk" from their album Dirt Track Date (iTunes, Amazon, Other Music). Faux-old-timey-band Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys were next with "Three Years Blind" from their 1997 album Feelin' Kinda Lucky (iTunes, Amazon). Then we heard two songs by the legendary Austin country songster Blaze Foley. First was "Wouldn't that Be Nice" (not a Beach Boys cover), followed by the title track to the album, his prescient "Oval Room," which one can only assume was written about the Bush Dynasty (iTunes, Lost Art Records). And finally the classic western swing band The Light Crust Doughboys did "Happy Trails" from their limited edition, no longer available album Doughboy Way.This week's episode features a clip from the podcast for Ebert & Roeper at the Movies as they review the new Dukes of Hazard movie.