THE BEGINNING OF JEFFREY MORGAN’S MEDIA BLACKOUT #401.1!

Ray Charles – Genius Loves Company (Concord) :: And modesty hates egomaniacs.

Last of the Famous – The Music Or The Misery (FourFiveSix) :: Make mine misery because these Clash City Poppers don’t rock my casaba.

Norman Brown – I Might (Warner Bros.) :: Sexy, soulful old-school make-out music for tough guys who’d rather be inside bangin’ than outside gangin’.

The Hentchmen – Form Follows Function (Times Beach) :: Funky reverb garage surf music with a Leigh Stephens fuzz-tone pedigree and cool black turtleneck lyrics like: “I was only five when I saw the scene of that Charger versus Steve McQueen.”

Junior Boys – Last Exit (KIN/Domino) :: Hall & Oates join Kraftwerk. File under: Outenzi Touchenzi.

Wyclef Jean – Welcome To Haiti: Creole 101 (Sak Pasé) :: Those of you who don’t speak Spanish, Creole or French can look forward to Jean’s next album: Welcome To America: English 101.

Minnie Driver – Everything I’ve Got In My Pocket (ZOE/Rounder) :: Hide the straight razor because this set of sad songs is the best melancholy music since Sinatra’s Only The Lonely.

Janiva Magness – Bury Him At The Crossroads (Northern Blues) :: On the prowl with a sexy growl, this blues-beltin’ babe provides the perfect yoni yang to Minnie’s yearning ying.

Elvis Costello – The Delivery Man (Lost Highway) :: And you thought marriage would mellow him.

SIZZLING PLATTER OF THE WEEK: The Briggs – Leaving The Ways (Side One Dummy) :: Absolutely the best high-energy hybrid of the Clash and Metallica you’re likely to hear in many a moon so go out and get it, got it?

Be seeing you!