1. Payphone – Maroon 5 – It loses your cool quota to love one of the most hated bands in hipdom, and Wiz's rap is kinda lame, but I love Adam's falsetto and the band can arrange a pop song better than the average band. Much better –  Grade: A-

2. Mercy – Kanye West – Kanye's problem as a pop song writer is he isn't John Lennon -he can't bring depth of emotion to his good ass music, however good ass it might be – Grade: B+

3. Panic In Babylon – The Brian Jonestown Massacre – Middle eastern flavored flute on an instrumental scoop - Grade: B+

4. Never Close Our Eyes – Adam Lambert – This guy is as good as his material and his material sucks big time - Grade: C

5. Teenage Sounds – Neon Trees – Still getting into the album, but this is the best named song of the year – Grade: B

6. Black Girls – Chester King – I'm gonna give it a "B", butthis is pretty good glam rock and it might take another coupla spins for the hooks to hook – Grade: B

7. Hey Jane – Spirtualized – Ladies and Gentlemen, we are steadfastly earthbound – Grade: B

8. 50 Ways To Say Goodbye – Train – Only New York Post's Dan Aquilante could compare this Maraiachi piece of crap to Paul Simon's "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover" with the advantage going to Train. A crime against nature – Grade: F

9. Me And Bobby McGee (Demo) – From the Complete Pearl Sessions. Perfection – Grade: A+

10. My Meds – Loudon Wainwright III – After an album agout the new Great Recession, Loudon has aging on his mind on this ragtime ode to pilling your way to death. Grade: B