Macy's Eleven nonlinear notes

1. "Every Way," Mad Tea Party. I'm not lying: This is really just two people making all this noise, a couple from Asheville. He's playing the drums with his feet, the guitar with his hands and when he's not singing sometimes he plays the harmonica too. She plays the ukelele and sings and wears very awesome Frye boots, which make me real covetous. Thanks to our musician pals, Frances and Lee West, for tipping us off to them when they played 202 Market last month. And next time they're in town, I'll definitely let the squad know -- we should pack the place!

2. "I Love the Rain Most," by Joe Purdy. When I was little, I was the youngest in my neighborhood, and some of the bigger kids were too cool for me but sometimes they begrudgingly let me play. When it rained, I was 100-percent sure that they would not be outside playing without me.

3. "Downtime," by Chuck Prophet. Just a super-cool groove I happened onto via one of those "if you like that song, then you'll really like this song" features on itunes.

4. "At the Beach," by the Avett Brothers. They were in town recently, and I really wanted to go. Instead, I was at the Patrick Henry High School vs. Cave Spring football game watching my son's band march to "The Pyramids of Egypt." Priorities, man.

5. "Casimir Pulaski Day," by Sufjan Stevens. The line about the dad driving to the Navy yard parking lot just to prove he was sorry — killer story-telling. Writing like that makes me believe.

6. "Down the Line," by Jose Gonzalez. Recommended by the coolest niece ever named Willa Rose Vogel who was going to the Grassroots music festivals outside of Ithaca, N.Y., with her hippie parents when she was still in diapers (in their shit-brown van with the "check engine light" flashing red). She has a radio show on Monday nights at Colby College in Maine (though she's in Spain this semester). I'll send you the link when she's back on the air, and maybe she'll give us a shout-out.

7. "Soft and Sweet," by G. Love & Special Sauce. He's all gushy with his new baby on this one — so this is for Sam and Seth and Kathy and John and all our newly urped-upon pals out there.

8. "Everybody Move It," by Teddy Thompson, son of Richard and Linda Thompson, recommended a while back by Kurt Rheinheimer, who writes great short stories about baseball and heartbreak.

9. "Scythian Empires," by Andrew Bird, recommended months ago by our mystery guest, Chris Henson. Chris creates amazing things on his computer while at the same time listening to music and watching "Citizen Kaine" and reading liberal blogs — and yes, I do worry about him come Nov. 5 — at 4:30 in the morning.

10. "Plaid Lined Jacket," by Tom Brosseau, another Willa Rose favorite.

11. "Ed is a Portal," by the Akron Family. I don't know what it means, but it's a great groove to work out to.

The debate's starting, gotta run. Thanks for all the great tunes -- I'm really enjoying these little weekly gifts.