I seem to stumble on more interesting new things in electronica than in rock these days. Most of the rock stuff I've enjoyed in the past year or so is by folks who've been around a good while -- Richard Thompson, Tanya Donnelly, Frank Black & the Catholics, Bloodthirsty Lovers (featuring Dave Shouse from the Grifters, who has a sly electronica influence and a drummer who can mimic drum 'n' bass one second and do Elvin Jones the next), Aimee Mann, Chuck Prophet, Robbie Fulks and the Iguanas. And there's a New Orleans band called the Geraniums, all guys in their late 30s-early 40s who have played in scads of other bands, that sort of blends Van Morrisson, the Velvet Underground and the Pogues without sounding overly like any of those. My favorite rock album of the whole year was P.J. O'Connell's, which is pretty much an NRBQ album w/ P.J. as the lead singer. I haven't bothered to buy albums by any of the much-touted young groups that are supposed to be reviving rock or garage rock or what have you. It's fun to see them pop up on late-night talk shows, as a change from the Jewel wannabes and the hip-pop posses, but none of the material is especially compelling. I listen to the college station here a lot and they're bad at back-announcing so I call and get artists' names when I really like something, but I can't remember ever calling to get the name of any rock groups they've played.