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Last week was spent amongst starving actors, frantic agents and sweltering Disneyland mascots that comprise Los Angeles, so I cannot give you a first-hand breakdown of the local rock-n-roll lifestyle from last week, but I trust you made the most of it.

What I do have is a list of my top 10 CD’s of 2006, in descending order:

10. The Court and Spark – “Hearts”: Sure, their diva act at the Red Star ruffled my feathers, but there is no denying the candlelight glow of their flickering post-Nashville splendor. It’s like someone slipped something good in your drink for a change.

9. I Love You But I’ve Chosen Darkness – “Fear Is on Our Side”: Gaze at your shoes and rejoice! The textbook perfect haze and luster of this Austin group give me hope for both the future and the music I listened to in high school. Maybe it wasn’t so bad after all.

8. Pink Mountaintops – “Axis of Evol”: despite the meaninglessness of a Velvet Underground comparison, I’ll throw it out there anyway. This jingle-jangle project of narcotic drum machines and lazy punk strumming is a perfect summer album, for me anyway.

7. Dixie Chicks – “Taking the Long Way”: Yes, I know, we are supposed to hate pop country because, on the whole, it’s rather dreadful stuff, but with each album The Dixie Chicks have suckered me in, and if you still have a place in your heart for the salad days of Fleetwood Mac, you might just dig it.

6. Film School – “Film School”: This album somehow gets better and better as I listen to it. Like #9 above, it shows that I was not the only one who saw something special in The Cure.

5. Shearwater – “Palo Santo”: Jonathan Meiburg gets his Jeff Buckley on in this fourth release from this Okkervil River side project. It differs greatly from the other stuff I’m loving this year in that it borrows heavily from the Smiths instead of The Cure.

4. Centro-matic - “Fort Recovery”: The feedback-drenched monolith is a brave step forward for this always-surprising band.

3. The Moore Brothers – “Murdered By The Moore Brothers”: Sleeper album of the year, just like Greg Moore’s side band Owl and the Pussycat was in 2003. The dark, funny side Simon and Garfunkel could never reveal is meted out with some of the cleverest lyrics of the decade.

2. Drive-By Truckers – “A Blessing and a Curse”: Still the best band in the world, even when they aren’t singing specifically about the South. Their critical eye points inward as they put together the tightest album of their career.

1. Sufjan Stevens – “The Avalanche”: Maybe you haven’t heard it yet, but you will. This album of outtakes from the Illinois sessions is on par with that stellar album. Stevens can evidently sneeze out a catchier melody that a regular songwriter labors to produce.

HERE IS WHAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU

Wednesday, June 28: Tilly and the Wall are at Spanish Moon, Bones and Pearline dirty up the North Gate Tavern. Landmines, Baby! kick off their national tour tonight at The Darkroom.

Thursday, June 29: The Moonlight Towers are in full view at the Red Star. Meriwether is at the Varsity

Friday, June 30: The Myrtles awake from their slumber to perform at Chelsea’s. Electro-dada madness awaits your dancing feet when the 9th Ward survivors Quintron and Miss Pussycat blow your mind at Spanish Moon. Frames of Reference and Secret Annexe are at the Red Star, and North Gate Tavern is having 80’s Hair Metal Night Benefit for MDA featuring A Soup Named Stew, Judge Way High Men Of Genius, Stelladora, Jack's Revenge, and Torn and Frayed. Megagasurus, Seven Deadly Sins, Jack's Revenge are getting rowdy at Click’s. Finally Arcane Theory is having their CD release party at The Darkroom. And if none of that tickles your fancy, Ronnie Milsap is at the Belle of Baton Rouge Casino

Saturday, July 1: Return to Twang, Two Goats and their Money and La Rocca are at North Gate Tavern. Fred Weaver’s birthday bash is being held at Spanish Moon. k-flux and Epic are at Chelsea’s

Tuesday, July 4: Happy Birthday, United States! Fortunately there is a short distance from the fireworks out on the levee and The Mendoza Line, appearing at the Red Star.

Wednesday, July 5: This should be one of the best shows of the year. Danielson (aka Daniel Smith, The Danielson Familie) will bring his berserker tent revival to Spanish Moon in support of his new album Ships, which is like what Sufjan Stevens will sound like when he finally snaps. Don’t miss this one.