Calling a CD Loose Ends is dangerous - with the implication that a band is emptying its junk drawer of songs - but for a local act that hasn't broken yet, it's downright lethal.

I had hoped that the third CD from Iowa City's Human Aftertaste would merely be misnamed, but Loose Ends is a perfectly appropriate title. There's an EP of good material on this collection, but at 45 minutes it's fatty and self-indulgent. Two versions of the cover "Goodbye Horses," a live track, and a mostly spoken-word piece drag it down, and much of the remainder is undistinguished.

Kudos go out to Sub Pop Records and its commitment to alternatives to fossil fuels. Earlier this year, the label purchased enough wind-powered Green Tags to be 100-percent Green-e Renewable Energy certified, and it debuted the first-ever "green" album with Kelley Stoltz's Below the Branches. Green Tags financially support the generation of power from renewable sources, and are meant to offset a business' or household's consumption of fossil fuels.

Who says only "the kids" can rock? A handful of new CDs from older, established artists are on the horizon for the new year, tickling my ears with hip collaborations, serious ambitions, and a "supergroup" to slay all supergroups.

Imagine if Dave Matthews moved back to South Africa to find inspiration for a new album. After contemplating what really matters in life and taking some elements of the native music styles, including hand-drum percussion and backing vocals that at times sound similar to tribal choirs, that new Dave Matthews album might sound a lot like the debut recording from the Spiral Band.