Self - "Better Than Aliens". Two minutes of distinctly weird guitar pop. A widow goes down the usual lifepath, ignoring the squiggly synth sounds that are hiding in the left channel. But then - zoom, zap, "abducted." "Your love's better than aliens, tonight" sings a lace of vocals, a silly scoop of wry romanticism. Self was brought to my attention by Justin, and they do a variety of quirky-earnest things (like a twang-less Clem Snide, kinda, or Liam Lynch). The main site is here, but there's a phenomenal fan-site which carries several dozen okayed mp3s from the band's records (although, well, said mp3s are currently offline). A new LP should be coming out later this year. (This is from 1999's Breakfast with Girls.) [buy]

Royal City - "Little Heart's Ease". A track from Royal City's surprisingly excellent new record, Little Heart's Ease. I was one of the few who wasn't so taken with Alone at the Microphone (apart from the blaze of "Bad Luck"), so this is a wonderful return to form. It straddles a fence between the reverent, Edenic lovesongs of At Rush Hour the Cars, and Microphone's maggot-ridden Gomorrah. Aaron Riches sings in a kind, new testament voice about hopeful, new testament things. His band, meanwhile, doesn't let the noise disrupt the pages or let the dust settle around them. There's life, even in the hush: the optimism of those who have undergone trials. "Jerusalem" is a little song in the shadow of a tree, hot and dry, with a crag of electric guitar that overhangs. Hayden after five years as a Franciscan monk, after buying a white linen suit and finally (really) learning how to play guitar. [buy]

The Greatest Drum Solos, with mp3 samples. [via close your eyes]