NELSON RIDDLE ORCHESTRA . . . . . Route 66 Theme (opening theme) . . . . . Route 66 and Other Great TV Themes/More Hit TV Themes
THE ESSEX . . . . . Easier Said Than Done . . . . . The Best of the Girl Groups, Vol. 2
CAMERA OBSCURA . . . . . Swans . . . . . My Maudlin Career
SMOKEY ROBINSON & THE MIRACLES . . . . . The Tears Of A Clown . . . . . Motown: The Classic Years
SHARON JONES & THE DAP-KINGS . . . . . It Hurts To Be Alone . . . . . Causes 2
JERRY BUTLER . . . . . Mr. Dream Merchant . . . . . Soul Shots, Vol. 2: A Collection of 60s Soul Classics
JARVIS COCKER . . . . . Baby’s Coming Back To Me . . . . . Jarvis
ROY ORBISON . . . . . You Got It . . . . . For The Lonely: 18 Greatest Hits
NEKO CASE . . . . . This Tornado Loves You . . . . . Middle Cyclone
JOSH RITTER . . . . . Lillian, Egypt . . . . . Animal Years

ART BRUT . . . . . The Replacements . . . . . Art Brut vs. Satan
THE REPLACEMENTS . . . . . Bastards Of Young . . . . . Tim
THE BREEDERS . . . . . Fate To Fatal . . . . . Fate To Fatal
BETTIE SERVEERT . . . . . Smack . . . . . Log 22
DAVID BOWIE . . . . . Be My Wife . . . . . Low
ST. VINCENT . . . . . Save Me From What I Want . . . . . Actor
JONI MITCHELL . . . . . Help Me . . . . . Court and Spark
RICHARD BUCKNER . . . . . Lucky . . . . . Meadow
THE BYRDS . . . . . Ballad Of Easy Rider . . . . . Ballad of Easy Rider
EELS . . . . . Railroad Man . . . . . Blinking Lights And Other Revelations

B.B. KING . . . . . The Thrill Is Gone . . . . . The Ultimate Collection
BOB DYLAN . . . . . Forgetful Heart . . . . . Together Through Life
GIANT SAND . . . . . Stranded Pearl . . . . . proVISIONS
THE HEADLESS HEROES . . . . . Just One Time . . . . . Silence of Love
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN . . . . . Meeting Across The River . . . . . Born To Run: 30th Anniversary 3-Disc Set (CD/2DVD)
JOE HENRY . . . . . Flesh & Blood . . . . . Tiny Voices
ELVIS PERKINS . . . . . Hours Last Stand . . . . . Elvis Perkins in Dearland

NEW YORK DOLLS . . . . . ’Cause I Sez So . . . . . 'Cause I Sez So
IAN HUNTER . . . . . Once Bitten Twice Shy . . . . . Ian Hunter
VUE . . . . . People On The Stairs . . . . . Find Your Home
THE YARDBIRDS . . . . . Happenings Ten Years Time Ago . . . . . Roger the Engineer
SUPER FURRY ANIMALS . . . . . Inconvenience . . . . . Dark Days/Light Years
PAUL MCCARTNEY . . . . . Magneto & Titanium Man . . . . . Venus and Mars
RICHARD SWIFT . . . . . Atlantic Ocean . . . . . The Atlantic Ocean
THE APPLES IN STEREO . . . . . Shine A Light . . . . . Tone Soul Evolution
THE BEACH BOYS . . . . . Add Some Music To Your Day . . . . . Sunflower/Surf's Up

THis one opened with the big hit in the summer of 1963 for a group of Marines who called themselves the Essex; it came to mind when I first heard the Camera Obscura track that followed, as did the Smokey Robinson & the Miracles tune that came next. The Sharon Jones and the Dap-KIngs song is an old-school soul ballad from a new disc full of donated tunes; all of its profits will go to groups such as Doctors Without Borders that are bringing aid to Darfur. From there it was an old favorite from Jerry Butler into one from Jarvis Cocker where it seems his dream actually did come true. Roy Orbison kept the positive vibe flowing, and then it was Neko Case with a meteorologically anchored tune of frustrated love into a bit of a tall tale about a lively lass from Josh Ritter that's set in the days of the silent pictures.

Art Brut on the joy of discovering music (even if you're more than a quarter century late) began this section, and then it was one from the band that Eddie Argos named his song for flowing into a new one from the Breeders. After that we had Bettie Serveert with a tune that always brings to mind Low-era David Bowie, which was followed by one from the terrific new St. Vincent disc that conjured up Joni Mitchell for reasons both sonic and thematic. Richard Buckner searching for some answers brought on the Byrds with the track that played over the end credits of Easy Rider, which is now 40 years old (yikes!), and then it was Eels finishing up with a similarly flowing tune that certainly hits home for anyone who's felt a little dislocated out there on the tracks of time.

A favorite from B.B. King came to mind because I heard a bit of it in the new track from Bob Dylan that followed. From there it was Giant Sand contemplating love gone sour flowing nicely into one from the Headless Heroes that has a similarly dusty desert night feel to it . . . along with a trumpet that immediately evoked Bruce Springsteen's moody New Jersey vignette, which was followed by a Joe Henry track that has a Springsteenian feel to it that brought us to Elvis Perkins with a rather bleak one from his latest to finish this section off.

The title track from the latest New York Dolls album takes you right back to their early days, even though David Johansen and Sylvain Sylvain are the only original members still with us. It led to Ian Hunter with one from his first solo disc that has a similar energy, which was followed by Vue adding a hint of electric blues to the mix. Then it was the Yardbirds, with one of only three tracks recorded that include both Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page, followed by some new Super Furry Animals with a rhythmic bounce that segued smoothly into Wings-era Paul McCartney. The mood was maintained by Richard Swift with the title tune from his new disc, and then it was a relatively early pop-rock gem from the Apples In Stereo bringing on the Beach Boys with some unparalleled words of wisdom to bring down the curtain.

Here's another one from Joe Henry