1.Long Emotional Ride – Graham Parker – The Rumour give him a harder back bone, but hard than what? Last time I saw him was solo at Joe’s Pub, and he didn’t need much then. So consider this a nostalgia trip mostly in name, and get off on the return of Brinsley Schwartz and the sound of pub rock in transition. Killer emotional wreck rocker, by the way. Grade: A
2. Don’t Let Me Down – Solange – This is a pleasant enough indie hybrid. Not much future in it but I got no kicks – Grade: B+
3. Sing The Delta – Iris Dement – This is a big song for 2012 even though it may not appear to be, it is at the emotional heart of what happened during Hurricane Sandy, a deep ingrained American heart in pain or in pleasure – Grade: A
4.Shake It Out – Florence + The machine – About recovering from a hangover, Florence claims, but it is really about being “always darkest before the dawn” and of course, the reverse – Grade: A
5.Diamonds – Remix – Rihanna – Kanye needs to find his inner whatever again. It hasn’t been around much except for one verse on Throne – Grade: C
6.Poses – Rufus Wainwright – “life is a game and true love is trophy”, Rufus’ shallow masterpiece – Grade: A+
7.Dig, Lazarus, Dig – Nick cave – And maybe Cave’s funniest moment – Grade: A
8. Bombtrack – Rage Against The Machine – Aged well, but aged… Now everybody sounds like this – Grade: A
9. Don’t Let me down – The Beatles – Yeh well, how is that working out? – Grade: A+
10. Powderfinger – Neil Young – Undeniable high point of the MSG gig on Tuesday came early – Grade: A-