1. When You Come Back Down- Nickel Creek

• "When you're flying high, take my heart along, I'll be the harmony to every lonely song, that you learn to play, when you're soaring through the air, I'll be your solid ground, take every chance you dare, I'll still be there, when you come back down." Nickel Creek came up on the blog about 6 weeks ago with the ultra-smooth "Out Of The Woods". "When You Come Back Down" is more of the same, and that's a good thing. The lyrics, instrumentation and melodies are nice. The harmonies are outstanding. The harmonies set the song apart. I referenced hearing Nickel Creek for the 1st time on a trip from Vegas to the Grand Canyon. My time in the canyon was brief but quite memorable. I arrived with sun poisoning from laying out at the Mandalay Bay for hours without sunscreen (I apparently need humidity to tell me I'm roasting). Doped up on various medication I nearly passed out in a bathtub full of water the 1st night. I rallied the next night and partied into the early morning hours with canyon locals, drank Knob Creek, talked trash to a Pitt grad and woke up with a Native American girl nowhere near my hotel. Ah, to be 23 again.

2. I Me Mine- The Beatles

• "All through the day, I me mine, I me mine, I me mine, all through the night, I me mine, I me mine, I me mine." Can't we all just get along? "I Me Mine" from the album "Let It Be" is believed to be George Harrison's comment on the infighting amongst The Beatles as egos spiraled out of control and the band began to implode. Rolling Stone magazine had a great article last year about the breakup of the band which made it seem like John Lennon's insecurities played a central role in the demise of the fab four. The article suggested that Lennon couldn't keep up with McCartney's songwriting in terms of quantity and couldn't handle it. "I Me Mine" is one of the last songs the group recorded together although John Lennon was absent from the recordings. The "Let It Be" version features string and brass overdubs from producer Phil Spector. A more stripped down version appears on both the "Anthology 3" collection and "Let it Be...Naked".

3. Pablo Picasso- Citizen Cope

• "If I had a pistol, I'd brandish it and waive it, she's the only one alive that knows that I'm not crazy." Citizen Cope first entered my consciousness when he appeared at Jammin Java in northern VA. This is the same venue where I did my 1st open mic after a few too many adult beverages. "Pablo Picasso" comes from "The Clarence Greenwood Recordings" album. Citizen Cope probably falls into the alt-rock category but there are heavy reggae and hip hop influences in his sound. "Pablo Picasso" isn't one of my favorites but the album has some great songs. "Sideways" (featured in the "My Jiggly Ball" episode of Scrubs) is amazing mellow-awesomeness, "Son's Gonna Rise" thumps, "Bullet and a Target" has been used in numerous films and TV shows, and "Hurricane Waters" is so good that Richie Havens recorded a version of it for his last album. If Citizen Cope returns to Jammin Java I may be available to open.