Spinning This Week:

Jill Parr : Me Again
Jon Foreman : Spring and Summer
Sixpence None the Richer : Self-titled
Iona : Beyond These Shores
Sixpence None the Richer : Divine Discontent
Katy Hudson : Self-titled
Steven Delopoulos : Me Died Blue

Hot Pick: Out This Week

Jon Foreman : Spring and Summer

Note: Although I came up empty at Best Buy, Circuit City, Target and Wal-Mart, I was able to score a copy of this project via Amazon.

My Two Cents: howsweethowcruel

Truly a lyrical dichotomy, Josh Schicker's latest release, howsweethowcruel, examines themes of both contentment and discontent. Nearly two years of marriage seem to have served Schicker well, as the singer-songwriter sounds more content -- and, at the same time, discontent -- than ever. This burgeoning artist appears to have awakened to the world around him and writes about personal, national, and global crises just as passionately as he does about his new wife. While his last album, Moonlighting, may have been his most "successful" project to date, it seemed to be the most sterile. Thankfully for long-time fans, hshc is a return to the earnest performances that garnered Schicker's following in the first place. All profits from hshc -- a live, seven-track EP -- will be donated to Blood:Water Mission.

Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of

Is it an omen or simply a budget decision made by a suit? The sticker that seals the top of a new CD comes in two varieties: 1) cheap and sticky, and 2) smooth and clean. More often than not, I encounter numero uno. Before the disc is even spun, its jewel case has been scarred by the sticky ghost of cheap materials. From my experience, it seems that lower-budget releases are fitted with the tacky, white critters. I've found no evidence, however, that a lower-quality sticker equals a lower-quality album. What a rare joy to encounter a clean, no-stick seal just before spinning a new record!

EP = H2O

One of my college friends (who is also one of my favorite independent artists), Josh Schicker, is a singer-songwriter based in Portland, Ore. who just released a new EP. All of the profits from the album sales will be given to a non-profit organization called Blood:Water Mission. If you've heard about the clean water and AIDS crises in Africa and wondered what you could do to help, here's a small thing that can make a big difference. Go to JOSHSCHICKER.COM and follow the links to buy the new EP, howsweethowcruel. There you will learn about what Blood:Water Mission does and what we can do to help. It doesn't get much better than getting good music for supporting a great cause.

Spinning This Week:

Josh Schicker : self-titled
My Brightest Diamond : A Thousand Shark's Teeth
Josh Schicker : howsweethowcruel
Coldplay : Viva la Vida
Paul Wright : Sunrise to Sunset
Jars of Clay : Who We Are Instead
Newsboys : Shine: The Hits

Hot Picks: Out Today

Coldplay : Viva La Vida
My Brightest Diamond : A Thousand Shark's Teeth

Spinning This Week:

Josh Schicker : howsweethowcruel
Over the Rhine : Patience

Spinning This Week:

tobyMac : Alive and Transported
Josh Schicker : howsweethowcruel
Snow Patrol : Eyes Open

Spinning This Week:

Various : A Tribute to Joni Mitchell
Once : Music from the Motion Picture
KT Tunstall : Drastic Fantastic