5. TV On the Radio "Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes"
I read a review of these guys and it implied that they were going to be the next best thing. So how could I not buy it? If I pride myself on one thing, it's being cutting edge. I have no idea how this album sounds as the disc is still in its wrapper, but boy does it look good on my CD rack! Our cleaning lady is impressed by it big time. Not sure if she's heard of TV On the Radio, but she's Columbian and they tend to be a very "with-it" people.

4. Danger Mouse "The Grey Album"
I don't actually have this CD, but I tell people I do and that's good enough for me. Apparently you can't buy it in stores. Not sure why. Perhaps it's illicit. I read somewhere that you can download it from the internet, but ever since my "Jenna from Survivor Sex-Tape download fiasco" I've kept away from the Kazaa icon on my desktop. I typically like mouse-themed music, thus I bet I probably would like Danger Mouse. So what's the harm in saying I have it when I don't? Plus the cool college-age guys at the record store gave me mad props when I told them I had it. That felt great!

3. Modest Mouse "Good News for People Who Love Bad News"
Guess it must be "Year of the Mouse" or something. Ho! Unlike Danger Mouse, I actually own this mouse CD. I've even listened to it couple of times. Not bad. That "Float On" record is kinda catchy. I'd love to be able to float. I guess you'd have to wear sandbags around your ankles every now and then, especially when it's windy, but other than that, floating would rock. Plus all the cool people would want to be with me, like our Columbian cleaning lady.

2. Loretta Lynn "Van Lear Rose"
If you told me at the beginning of the year that a Loretta Lynn CD would be one of my top five CDs of the year I'd have said you'd been playing in the coal mine too long, Joe Bob. But sure enough, here she is, and at #2 no less. It felt kind of funny buying her album; I hadn't been in the country music section of my local record store since Johnny Cash died. Didn't want people to think I was buying a Toby Keith record or anything. So I got in and out of there faster than you could say "I'm in love with my Columbian cleaning lady!" Apparently the guy from The White Stripes sings on one of the songs. That's neat. Even though I have all of his CDs, I haven't ever really heard him perform before, but I understand he dated Renee Zellweger for a while, so that's cool.

1. Los Amigos Invisibles "Venezuelan Zinga Son"
Most of you are probably thinking that I'm listing this Latino CD at #1 because I want to impress my Columbian cleaning lady. Well, congratulations: you're right, that's exactly what I'm doing. You think she'll be impressed? God I hope so. She's so cool and happening with her broken English and mops and whatnot. No idea just where in South America Los Amigos Invisibles are from, but there's the word "Venezuelan" in the title, so perhaps they're from Argentina or something. I'm not really up on my South American geography. Anyway, they sing in Spanish, so my plan is to have it playing the next time our Columbian cleaning lady come over. Then she'll really think I'm hip and sophisticated for having a Latin music CD. I think her name is Lucia. Not sure. She's told me before, but I rarely make heads or tails out of anything that comes out of her mouth. But she's by far the best Columbian cleaning lady we've ever had. God, I get all tingly just thinking about her! She's a delight!

This post is dedicated to daylight.