Being that I got a copy a few months ago, and the new Elliott Smith album has really outshone all other comers in terms of newsworthiness, I forgot that Ted Leo's new album came out yesterday. The Washington Post gives it a glowing review. This is still, for my money, MY FAVORITE ALBUM OF THE YEAR SO FAR^©. The runners-up, forthwith:

2. Elliott Smith - From a Basement on the Hill
3. A.C. Newman - The Slow Wonder
4. Wilco - a ghost is born
5. The Roots - The Tipping Point

I think that's it. The new Twilight Singers hasn't caught fire with me yet, and I'm not sure how I feel about the Black Keys album. The Streets is bumping up against there like a skank in a nightclub. P.J. Harvey is close.