It's too bad the Pumpkins let the marketing of Zeitgeist get out of hand. Download all the bonus tracks yourself and make your own version of it. Then you will see how impressive this album really is and that Billy Corgan is still capable of writing great music after all these years.

4. Explosions In The Sky - All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone: When I saw the Pumpkins in Boston, MA, last October, this Austin, Texas all-instrumental, post-rock band simply blew me away with their live set. In the 1990s, the Pumpkins had such acclaimed acts like Grant Lee Buffalo and Fountains of Wayne open for them. But EITS is easily the best opening act they've ever had, IMO. I was somewhat familiar with this band's music going into the concert and knew they had several albums out, but from the first notes of their show I was sold, and later got a hold of this album. Short as it is, AOASIME is full of majestic soundscapes and tones that remind me somewhat of Sigur Ros, and the rush of loud guitars, delicate piano and epic song structures are Mogwai-ish in their quiet-to-loud dynamics. Another instant winner of an album.

5. Down - Down III: Over The Under: You've got to give it up for Phil Anselmo. When he wasn't trying to ruin his or other people's lives with drugs and alcohol abuse, he always managed to work hard and long enough to become one of the great singers in modern metal, largely with the now tragically defunct Pantera. But supergroup Down, lead by Anselmo and musicians from C.O.C., Eyehategod and Crowbar has been making heavy, southern and stoner metal (with Black Sabbath influences) since 1995. Their third album, Over The Under, written with Hurricane Katrina in mind — Anselmo is from New Orleans — is no less heavy and no less satisfying than their other two releases, NOLA and Down II. So go buy it if you don't already have it, metalheads!

6. Dinosaur Jr. - Beyond: Speaking of the '90s, listening to this, the first Dinosaur Jr. album in a full decade, it feels nostalgic, and is definitely return to form. It is also the first CD to feature the original lineup of J. Mascis, Lou Barlow, and Murph. Loud, noisy amps and distortion rule the day on tracks like "Almost Ready," but there are also a couple of softer, kinder melodic Lou Barlow numbers on here as well. This is a welcome development for the band, as Barlow didn't get to include a lot of his material on past Dino Jr records. It all makes for a truly rewarding listen, and another largely great comeback record by a legendary alternative rock band.