There is a song on Liz Phair's self-titled fourth album called "Rock Me," and it's a little like Steely Dan's "Hey Nineteen":Phair is dating a guy who's nine years her junior, and he's broke and not very smart, but he's good at ripping off her dress, and he likes to tell her how smart she is, and this is what she wants.

Old dogs may have trouble with new tricks, but sometimes musicians have trouble sticking to the good tricks they know. Not so Yo La Tengo.

Ghostface Killah and M.O.P. both emerged in the mid-'90s, during the same crime-rap renaissance that made icons of Nas, Biggie, andMobb Deep. They both lurked in the shadows of larger crews--Ghostface played the wall with the Wu-Tang Clan, while M.O.P. studied under Gang Starr.

Most pop-punk bands sing about feeling bad, but sometimes it's hard to tell if they mean it. At this point, it's undoubtedly pretty good to be Good Charlotte. They can cry if they want to--it's their party. Which means it's a fine time for the return of Northern California's Deftones, a seriously moody quintet whose fanbase overlaps equally with those of Korn, Weezer, and the Cure.

She tries to say good-bye, then offs her boyfriend's boss. She tries to walk away, then puts a gun to your head. Don't you sometimes think Macy Gray tries just a little too hard?