Communique #4: I just want to take this time to pay my respects to the family of Michael Jackson. Despite all the negative publicity Jackson got toward the later part of his life, he will always be the King of Pop who inspired countless artists and fans as well as shaped a huge part of the music world we've inherited today.


Get These Now!:
It's hard to believe that the year is already half over. Summer is here and whether you're chilling on your hammock in the backyard, or out having an adventure, great tunes are absolutely essential to fully enjoying the season. Lucky for us 2009 is shaping up to be a great year for music. So here are some picks for the best albums and EP's of 2009 so far [not ranked].

1. Merriweather Post Pavilion - Animal Collective
2. Eats Darkness - Apostle of Hustle
3. Fruit - the Asteroids Galaxy Tour
4. Still Night, Still Light - Au Revoir Simone
5. Two Suns - Bat For Lashes
6. Together Through Life - Bob Dylan
7. Outer South - Conor Oberst & the Mystic Valley Band
8. Summer of Hate - Crocodiles
   
9. Dark Night of the Soul - Dangermouse and Sparklehorse
10. The Open Door EP [EP] - Death Cab For Cutie
11. The Hazards of Love - the Decemberists
12. Fever Ray - Fever Ray
13. Tonight: Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand
14. Ganglians [EP] - Ganglians
15. Monster Head Room - Ganglians
16. The Mountain - Heartless Bastards
17. In System Travel [EP] - Jamie Vex'd
18. Begone Dull Care - Junior Boys
19. Octahedron - the Mars Volta
20. Miike Snow - Miike Snow
21. Manners - Passion Pit
22. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix - Phoenix
    
23. Invaders Must Die - the Prodigy
24. Mandala - Rx Bandits
25. Swoon - Silversun Pickups
26. The Eternal - Sonic Youth
27. To Lose My Life - White Lies
28. Wilco - Wilco
29. Chamber Music - Wu-Tang Clan
    
30. It's Blitz - Yeah Yeah Yeahs