That's Hot - Week ending 8/13

The dog days of summer are upon us -- here's some stuff to occupy yourself indoors:

1. A Boot and a Shoe by Sam Phillips
   Though I placed it at No. 2 of my 2004 list, this album has slowly and steadily risen in my estimation, and I recently made the leap of placing it in my NO. 1 OF ALL TIME (oh yeah, you read that correctly!). That might make me sound fickle, but it's the first time that I've changed that ranking since I began my Top 100 list about six years ago (Allison Moorer's The Hardest Part was the previous #1, in case you're wondering). A Boot and a Shoe is quite simply the clearest realization of what I wish all pop music was - every line somehow rings with perfect emotional truth, and it says all it needs to in a span of 35 minutes. Not entirely unlike her previous effort Fan Dance (#6 of all time, and sort of a companion piece) but somehow more hopeful and more grounded.
   
   
2. Deadwood Season 1 DVD Set
   I'm not sure why I never checked this out on HBO, but the DVD set is awesome. Great show, but if you're a fan of westerns, it's a must-see. Warning: if you have some aversion to the word "cocksucker", you should probably skip it altogether.
   
   
3. "Jealous of the Moon" by Nickel Creek
   From their brand-new record Why Should The Fire Die?, this song sort of embodies their full transition from newgrass proteges to pop stars (in the best possible sense). I've been unable to get the chorus out of my head - co-written with Gary Louris of The Jayhawks, by the way.
   
   
4. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
   I've actually finished a few books lately, but Gilead is the one that has stuck with me. Almost a philosophy book, though a narrative thread does somewhat exist. This Pulitzer Prize winner is a deep breath of decency and compassion (think of it as the anti-Deadwood).
   
   
5. Rolling Stones Catalog on iTunes
   The Stones' ABKCO catalog is now available exclusively on iTunes. I've never been able to successfully burn my SACD versions of Beggars Banquet, Let It Bleed, etc., so now I can pay for them twice! I'm not sure if these are the remastered versions, but they're still worth having on the iPod in any case.