I just added the Hold Steady's Separation Sunday to the recommended listening section. The Hold Steady may not be for everyone; Craig Finn's talk/singing might get a big grating for some. But if you like to rock, like guitar riffs and bar music, this is for you. Lyrically, it's fantastic, featuring about 1,000 references to Minneapolis, where Craig Finn's old band, Lifter Puller, was based (apparently he moved to Brooklyn for the new band so he wouldn't always be "that guy from Lifter Puller" around the Minneapolis stomping grounds).

My recommended albums lately have been really rock-oriented, I just noticed. And I'm planning on buying the new Sleater-Kinney this weekend. I guess I've been rock-deprived for awhile, huh?