QUICK RIFFS: Ray Wylie Hubbard

It's always nice to see songwriters get weirder with age. Too much of the American populace melts into suburbia never to be relevant again.

I literally know nothing of Mr. Hubbard and his storied discography. But I do know a song like "Opium" drips with experience, pain, and grace: "It's such an elegant decay/such an elegant decay."

WORTH A LISTEN: OK Go - The Leaf

OK Go, in addition to occasionally having way too much fun, are apparently capable making a beautiful, stripped down, guy-with-an-acoustic-guitar-and-some-sentiment ballad. In terms of longevity, this one's gotta be up there with their older poppier stuff like "1000 Miles Per Hour" and "Here It Goes Again."

NOTABLE COVERS: Rural Alberta Advantage - Eye of the Tiger

I can't quite tell the degree of sincerity with this one, but the track holds up to seemingly earnest acoustification better than you'd first imagine. Now try an alternative version with some "Don't Haunt This Place Drums," RAA!

Eye of the Tiger - The Rural A...