The pretzels critics have to twist themselves into to not give New Pornographers releases an 'A' must be exhausting. I mean, what are we all looking for in music if not this?

Good to know. I've heard it once and it sounds promising. I must have played American Slang 500 times, Handwritten less than 10.

I was elated when American Slang actually lived up to and occasionally surpassed '59 Sound and Sink or Swim. Was equally as disappointed in Handwritten, which cut the pace in half to only accentuate the silliness of the dramatic lyrics and delivery. I'm very wary of this new one, but will give it a chance.

The world it could be Ryan's… BUT THEY JUST WANT MONEY… IT'S A CONSPIRACY!

I spent the first five months or so of the year listening almost exclusively to The War on Drugs' Lost in the Dream and Drive-By Truckers' English Oceans, in an obsessive way with both. Then I kind of stopped looking for new stuff, got into a retro The Band kick, and I'm eagerly awaiting the new New Pornographers…

In those 9/11 quotes, he sounds exactly like Osama Bin Laden.

His audience is more like 83rd graders. At least age-wise.

Underrated deep cuts: Capital Radio Two; One Emotion; Groovy Times; Gates of the West; Inoculated City; The Prisoner

I think this was on Sandinista

Aw, you take that back about "Julie"… one of my favorite Strummer vocals, he sounds like he's having a blast.

So many to choose from, but White Man is a very worthy choice. My next five would be Complete Control, Rudie Can't Fail, Hate and War, Corner Soul and Straight to Hell.

An incredible episode of TV. It never leaves you.

Great live band. Only one stone-cold classic record in Too Far to Care, but wow, what a record. A candidate for the best alt-country album ever. It's definitely the funniest. I also thought the one record where they got relatively dark, Drag It Up, was excellent as well.

I hear Petty. Petty if he fronted U2 circa 1980-84. (not an insult)

It's really strange that they haven't reviewed English Oceans, especially after debuting an exclusive premiere of one of its songs (The Part of Him) right here on the A.V. Club. And yes, it is an excellent album, their best in years.

Wow, A.V. Club. I guess the anticipation built so much for this album that you didn't even review it?

If the A.V. Club doesn't review English Oceans, this is will be worse than the Neko Case C+ travesty.

The secret service would have let him go down to a crowded subway platform by himself, and even if he bribed them to leave him alone for a minute, they wouldn't have been concerned that a woman was killed in the same place in the very time frame he was down there?

The West Wing! Santos has nearly had eight years at this point. Time for President Seaborn.

Also: Brighter Than Creation's Dark. While there was some filler, there's a ton of high-quality stuff on that one. Isbell elevated two albums to greatness in the 2000s, but the Truckers have been proving over and over again since that they are still vital. Southern Rock Opera, Decoration Day and Dirty South to me are…