My South By Southwest '06 experience with Apollo Sunshine is well documented. With an open slot in my schedule, I casually bounced over to see the spinART showcase. As I walked in, a three piece was setting up. Apollo Sunshine was the name. Never heard of them.

About 45 minutes later, I departed the club soaked in sweat with the greatest natural high (fine, about 19 beers as well) I'd experienced since those Marah shows back in the late 90s. These guys were young, loud, raucous, sloppy yet incredibly tight and full of rock fury. The highlight of the show was a song called "Phyliss," which had a room of newcomers dancing, yelling and standing in awe. Three guys. They switched instruments numerous times throughout the song. Guitarist/vocalist Sam Cohen must've played about six instruments during this one tune. Picks were flying, snare drums snapping, strings busting and voices howling. It was an escalation of in-your-face blazing rock n' roll. And the whole room felt it.

We're still a long way off, and I'm very, very surprised that 39 democrats voted against, but the bill has passed. My representative, Nancy Pelosi, deserves an enormous amount of credit. We, as a country, stand one step closer to the biggest legislative victory of my lifetime.

When looking at my overall love for music, there's little question that I'm drawn to albums over single songs. Despite now being fully into the digital era, I like to look at an artist's work as a sequencing of songs and lyrics that tell an overall story, or some shit along those those lines.

All that being said, there are certain songs that absolutely nail me. Songs that I listen to over and over sometimes for months at a time. And these are usually songs that open my mind to possibilities both attainable and reserved for dreams. These are the songs that I can't shake.

For the rest of November, I'll highlight my favorite songs of the past ten years.

The confusing yet beautiful opening 30 seconds of this track are a world somewhere. It may be a carnival, maybe a backyard bbq, maybe a mall somewhere, but whatever it is, it's a blend of children, dogs, change rattling, machinery, perhaps rain and there's the backdrop of a violin. And then this entire mess calms and Will Johnson and his band slowly edge into one of the most beautiful songs of the past ten years. It's past 90 seconds when the vocals finally hit. "Make no mistake, we'll be the ones, to happily set you on fire. You hit the brakes, a little too late, securing your date with the lake." The words may haunt but the instrumentation, clarity of Will's voice and the impeccable pacing make for one of the prettiest compositions I've ever heard.

Says Jemaine

I'd say this is a good move. Following a fantastic first season, the writing suffered throughout Season 2. Nearly every episode of the first season had brilliant moments, but it became clear over the second season that the material just wasn't there anymore. Nevertheless, it was a great show for a time.