Is there a more perfect song than "Florida's On Fire" by Superchunk? This song came on when I was walking out of my apartment onto the Philly streets and made got me all worked up. (Does anyone else have a problem holding back from doing rock moves like me? Seriously, I'm a mess when I'm listening to music on headphones, especially when I workout. I want to jump off the treadmill and do David Lee Roth kicks and guitar face.) Not to mention the rest of Here's To Shutting Up is pretty unbelievable. Does anyone make indie like this these days -- that happy, punky, jangly stuff? How much longer until this stuff becomes chic again -- a Chapel Hill renaissance?

This isn't to dismiss modern music because the Secret Machines' "Nowhere Again" is really great. I didn't really like this album (Now Here is Nowhere) the first 10 tries and honestly gave up, but just heard it through a new pair of ears today. Really nice -- good space rock that could find a home on alternative radio. Dudes seriously sound like the Flaming Lips playing Zep covers.

But back to NC stuff. I went to CD Alley in Chapel Hill (best record store ever) about a week ago and picked up the new Cat Power. Talk about a great record to have while driving in the south -- all warm guitars, horns tooting away and wispy voice perfect for a southern night. It was work, but The Greatest puts me on a different tip, adult-contempo style, but great for cruising the long curling roads of North Carolina. It's changed flavor now that I'm home: it's kind of got me think of making babies to a Pottery Barn soundtrack. But in a good sunflower and vanilla Yankee Candles way, not a Harry Connick Jr. way. That dude's Brokeback!