Twenty new songs rockin' my iPod this month

1. New York Dolls - Fool For You Baby

A Phil Spectorish wall of sound, a dom-dom doobie-doobie lyric, and David Johansen barking, "Ooooh, yah!" Johansen's first tribute to being "a foo' in luv" since his ill-advised turn as Buster Poindexter, and it's all good, girlfriend.

2. The Strokes - Taken for a Fool

Fools are big this month.

3. The Sounds - Something to Die For

You can't go wrong with a tall, blonde Swedish woman singing a pop song about love and death.

4. Raveonettes - Forget that You're Young

You can't go wrong with a tall, blonde Danish woman singing a pop song about love and death.

5. The Unthanks - Last

The Unthanks make me sob out loud, even when I don't have a clue what they're singing about in those accents.

6. Bob Geldof - Young and Sober

A slapstick take on the events of his life so far. It'll end in tears.

7. British Sea Power - Observe the Skies

The British Navy versus aliens. Sign me up. 

8. Buffalo Tom - Hawks and Sparrows

A sweet, mid-tempo tribute to Mia "rhymes with sparrow" Farrow.

9. Steve Martin/Paul McCartney - Best Love

The Wild and Crazy Guy meets the cute Beatle - and the best song on Steve Martin's new bluegrass album. Almost makes up for Martin singing Maxwell's Silver Hammer in that crappy Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band movie. Almost.

10. The Streets - Roof of Your Car

Kicks off with the funniest vibrato in rap and becomes a sweet tribute to summer: lying on the roof of a car, staring up at the stars.

11. The Go! Team - Bust-Out Brigade

Rock and roll needs more marching bands, and more marching bands need rock and roll. 

12. The Cars - Too Late

The best song on the reunion album has hooky synths and a big chorus - like every Cars song ever written.

13. Fleet Foxes - Battery Kinzie

Them Fleet Foxes sure love Neil Young and apples.

14. Kate Bush - Deeper Understanding

Kate Bush, not Al Gore, invented the Internet. A re-recording of her 1989 song "Deeper Understanding" featuring new, great Portal 2 vocals on the chorus. Still remarkably prescient: the Internet, Facebook, Skype, Instant Messaging, emoticons, and - er - programs from magazines (OK, they can't all be gems).

15. Art Brut - Lost Weekend

Notable for being the first song in which the singer with the bad haircut kinda, sorta, almost sings. 

16. Phosphorescent - It's Hard to Be Humble (When You're From Alabama)

It's hard to be cool and ironic when you're from Alabama too - but horns clearly help.

17. The Walkmen - Juveniles

Country air is good for you, no matter whose side you're on. So says this fun song that could really use a whistling solo.

18. Original Cast - I Believe (Book of Mormon) 

I also believe that God has a plan for all of us and that plan involves making my own planet. 

19. Men Without Hats - This War

The first song from the 80s synth-poppers in some time - still synthy, still 80sy, and only available for now on YouTube via the Kenton Larsen dance-cam (click on above link to get seasick).

20. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Heart in Your Heartbreak

My favorite bands are skinny and geeky and wear sweaters. Lift your skinny fists like antennas to Heaven if you agree.