Things are kind of quiet 'round these parts after the holidays. We're heading into that after-the-holidays dead-zone void musicwise after this weekend. Newswise, there's not a lot to report, so I thought I'd take a quick look at the mailbag.

-- A reader who goes by the name RJ Sak wrote me with his top-10 list, which included MC Lars, Fiona Apple, Basement Jaxx, Three-6 Mafia and Hayes Carll, who topped it at No. 1. He's "The real deal," says Sak. "Found him playing a bar in Austin. His music and lyrics confirmed my hometown hunch: Saddle Creek Records is finished. The whole 'I'm-a-sensitive-nervous-little-tea-pot' routine was cute. But when the kiddos outgrow their Batman undies and Superman PJ's, the party is over. Time for Hayes and I to watch some football and change the air filter." Ouch! I listened to a couple Hayes tracks on Myspace. His stuff is on Lost Highway and reminds me of BJ Thomas. Not bad, though I don't know how his music is related to Saddle Creek, which doesn't do this sort of thing. No reason to lash out, RJ, just change the channel quietly. Speaking of top-10 lists, mine will go online as part of the annual Year in Review article tomorrow morning.

-- Matt Beat, of local band Electric Needle Room, writes to confirm that Omaha radio is indeed a-hurtin'. Says Matt, "...Here I come to Omaha and, I must say, I was VERY disappointed. Sometimes I wonder if I was destined to come here and somehow start my own station -- it was something I always wanted to do, for I loved radio the three years I was in the business." Good luck with that one, Matt. If you or anyone else gets the bread together to create a broadcast college-style radio station in this market, they'll have at least one volunteer to give them a hand.

-- Todd Hanton wrote to give me a head's up that Kite Pilot will be back in January, performing as a trio. The band has written six new songs along with two others they wrote with Austin Britton before he moved to the West Coast. Kite Pilot has gigs lined up at O'Leaver's Jan 5 (with red hot local band Cloven Path and Latitude Longitude), and the Saddle Creek Bar Jan 19 (with Eagle*Seagull and Landing on the Moon) and Feb. 23 (with Spring Gun and Adam Weaver and the Ghosts).

-- Finally, Greg Edds of Little Brazil writes to say his band has one of their new tracks posted on their Myspace page. "The track is called 'Shades.' The record, Tighten The Noose, has been pushed up to a Feb. 6th release date," says Edds. Little Brazil also have a gig slated for Sokol Underground Jan. 22, opening for The Appleseed Cast and Asobi Seksu.

--Got comments? Post 'em here.--