Over the last year, I've found obsessive listening far more rewarding than brief attention to the latest latest. Neil Young, Townes Van Zandt, and now Dead Moon all have a few things in common- each aims for the gutcords and heartstrings, with occasional nods to the funnybone. I wish I had a list of great new bands I could deliver but, well, checking it out and checking it out and checking it out salves curiosity but don't always do much for that needy and extremely demanding visceral voice crying out for some touch in the late night dark. I really like the new Demon's Claws record, but I can't imagine putting it on in the wee hours and settling in for the big eye-close. That new Final Solutions sounds purty dandy after one listening but it ain't getting the push when the alligators need feeding. It's a gas downloading but I can imagine buying 200 bucks worth of Dead Moon vinyl and lying down on the couch to die.

Seeking it all out is wonderful, but like the mad bomber Daryl Lamonica, sometimes you gotta go deep. After hearing Lucas deliver an unsolicited and note-perfect, "I'm pissed off, pissed off pissed off, it's just the way I am," I gotta believe the benefits fall forward.