Ok, I'm an admitted nut for this band, which is obviously not to everyone's taste. And the new CD, "The Woods" has some of the usual problems. It's got this weird fuzzy production, and the lead singer still hits the "11" button a little too often.

But damn if the songs aren't the best things ever this year.

I dare any true fan of punky loose-around-the-edges rock and roll to deny "Rollercoaster." The full album is streaming on their site, www.sleater-kinney.com

Corin, the lead singer, is an admitted Prince freak.