OMG O/CD Tally run amok

Too early in the year to fall so far behind with the Tally. There's a handful of My Own Cash Money purchases to get to, plus the PEP (Puffy Envelope Promo) Squad, and the always hard to keep track of Digital Deliveries, but I'll start with yesterday's first trip of the new year to the CD Cellar, my go-to swap shop in Falls Church. My bag of cast-offs netted me a couple of new release DVDs and a healthy bunch of musical acquisitions. As usual, I spent much of my time scouring the clearance section, where discs are just $1.99 or 10 for $15.99. Also as usual, once I found more than five or six I wanted, I went for the even 10. And so, I add these:

The BLACK CROWES – Warpaint (Silver Arrow)
Haven’t listened to these guys in a while, and the package design is cool.
ALBERTA CROSS – Broken Side of Time (ATO)
I confess – the first time I heard this band, I thought it was the name of a female singer with a gruff, tough voice. Either way, I liked the one track I heard, so now I can explore the rest.
HEADLESS HEROES – The Silence of Love (World’s Fair)
I got this album last year in digital form and since I’ve been enjoying the music – female-fronted mid-tempo smart rock - and think the cover is beautiful, why not?

OLIVER TWIST – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Sony Music Soundtraxx)
Music by Rachel Portman, who’s done some lovely stuff for the likes of “Emma,” “A Little Princess” and “Chocolat” – yikes, just checked Wikipedia and she’s composed for about 100 films! People like that make me feel sooooo lazy.
LESS THAN JAKE – Greased (No Idea Records)
I like the band OK, but was really taken by the cover – a parody of “Grease,” the totally inappropriate for HS musical theatre production (lesson: girls, give up your own personality and be a tramp and you’ll get the guy). And yes, the band is actually performing songs from the soundtrack so, if you’ve ever wanted to hear “You’re the One That I Want” played in breakneck punk style, here’s your chance.
MIDDLE DISTANCE RUNNER – The Sun and the Earth (Engine Room Records)
Simple cardboard cover with a nice insert card from a hard-working local band. Didn’t even know this title existed, even though I was in regular touch with a member of the band for awhile.
MATT MORRIS – When Everything Breaks Open (Tennman)
Just before I left the house, I saw that this guy was coming up on the Ellen Degeneres show (mom was watching) “with Justin Timberlake.” The advance listed JT as a co-producer (with Charlie Sexton of all people!), and one reference from a Google search named MM the JT of Colorado. Hey, RH at “All Things Considered” – I got your watermarked copy here. Tsk, tsk, tsk.
CITY of LIGHT’S CAFÉ PARIS MELODIES - Various Artists (Delta Entertainment/Laserlight)
A 2-CD set of songs sung in French by uncredited vocalists. Risky, but could be amusing dinner music.
BEST TRACKS from The BEST ALBUMS of 2002 – Various Artists (Q Magazine)
For a while, I was buying all the British music mags with CD samplers, so I may well have this one already, but I don’t recognize the cover and the acts included are so good – Doves, Moby, Bowie, Polyphonic Spree, Badly Drawn Boy, U2, Flaming Lips, that it’s like (barely) paying for someone to make me a cool mix CD. I do, however, bristle at the inclusion of Nickelback.

And a few more at "full" price:
DEAN MARTIN – Making Spirits Bright (Capitol)
“The Greatest Holiday Songs” it says here. Maybe, maybe not. But I love Martin’s voice and laid-back, near insouciant (a fancier word than “nonchalant") manner. I hesitated at spending the $5.99, but wasn’t sure if I’d be able to find this again before next year’s Cool Yule.
MAX REBO BAND – Return of the Jedi (LucasFilm/RCA)
This sweet little single, only $1.00, features the alien band that played in the cafe scene in the Star Wars film. It's one of those clear discs with a colorful graphic (of three aliens) that makes it appear to be a die-cut disc. One day it will make a great gift for a SW fan in my life, or I'll find someone willing to make me a profit for it on ebay.

Year-to-Date O/CD Tally: 20