A half-dozen cool things in music, from two points of view:

Curtiss A's John Lennon Tribute, First Avenue. The 30th year, a 20-piece band, a five-hour show. Curt was beyond great in his crazy suits, standing just like John Lennon. I always love the last hour when he gets into the early Beatles stuff.

Locksley, 7th Street Entry. One of Little Steven Van Zandt's favorite bands on his Sirius XM show, Locksley is made up of fabulous garage-rock purists from Madison, Wis.

Brendan Benson, First Avenue. This convinced me that he was as important to the Raconteurs as Jack White. In fact, I think he's a better solo act than Jack. He was superb -- very pop, very melodic.

JILL WOLFE, GOLDEN VALLEY

TO CONTRIBUTE: POPMUSIC@STARTRIBUNE.COM

"The Year in BS" by Britney Spears. There were more than 13,000 stories published about Britney in 2009, according to www.britneyspears.com, and the tabloid queen ranks the Top 75 "most ridiculous" ones. No. 1 was that she's dating a Bollywood choreographer. Others: She demands stripper poles in hotel rooms; her family hunted and ate squirrels; she's addicted to gardening.

The Snaps, "Rain on Me." This track on "Spokes and Wires and Shiny Words" by Robert (Flamin' Oh's) Wilkinson's other band is the best Band song (think Levon Helm) I've heard this year. It's the fiddle-flavored Americana ditty about faith, asking God to let his "love rain on me and set me free."

Jenny Dee and the Deelinquents, Boston. On the surface, Jenny and her beehive-wearing buddies seem like a throwback girl group, but this bass-driven band swings on such classics as "Lookin' for a Love" and "All the Way to Memphis." Dee-lightful.

JON BREAM, STAR TRIBUNE