So far this week, we've already recorded Royal Bangs and New Zealanders The Ruby Suns, who parked their motor home at West Lake Park for the night, ate some Huckleberry's pizza, and then drove to Chicago to make the long flight home. They were a little worn out when they came to see us, but the tunes turned out well. Everyone should check out their newest Sub Pop record and complain to someone that it's not been released on vinyl.

I have a certain admiration for Rob Gordon, John Cusack's character in the 2000 film High Fidelity. Although flawed by a heavy case of snobbery, living by the maxim that the more you like something, the more you insult the majority of it, he had such a strong passion for music that he had to make it his life's work.

It seems as though the Quad Cities have their own Rob Gordon (rather, a duo) who have made their passion also their business, making it a must-visit for any music fan in this area. To be fair, Jorge and Amber Tapia, owners of Mixtapes located at 830 15th Avenue in East Moline, carry a different disposition than Cusack's character; they leave the elitism at the door. It seems as though they have developed their own maxim: the more you like something, the more you want to share it with as many people as possible.

It has been a furious two days, as late this Monday we confirmed what is just one of a number of flood-benefit shows that we're looking at staging here in the Quad Cities over the next month. We've been talking with some great bands about coming in here and donating their talents to help out those who lost a lot in the recent floods here in Iowa. All door proceeds for the show will go to local flood victims.

We're busy as always this week, bringing in a number of bands that will be playing this week's Pitchfork Festival in Chicago. The sessions that we'll be recording here in Rock Island include visits by Candle, Bear Country, The New Year, The Icy Demons, Jennifer O'Connor, Secret Machines, The Dutchess & the Duke, the Prairie Spies, Ani DiFranco, and Supergrass.