T.S.Eliot called April the cruelest month. But he was just being a jerk. April is one of our finest months, since it stays brighter later and grass starts growing and hay fever season hasn't quite settled in. It hasn't led many people to write decent songs about it, though. You'll notice I had to mention Simon and Garfunkel again--at this rate I'm expecting a cease and desist order anyday now.

April--Sun Kil Moon: Not a song but an entire album! I asked and I received! Already one of my favorites of the year and one destined to make anyone who listens to it a better person. Doesn't come with a money-back guarantee but it does come with a bonus disc.

"April After All"--Ron Sexsmith: Ron Sexsmith is one of those songwriters that other songwriters like a whole lot and the general public doesn't care a whit. While I think he's great, I'm starting to think that these other songwriters say they like him because they know he hasn't got a shot at overtaking them anytime soon. He's a non-threat. Because he's polite. Because he's respectful. And, yes, you knew this was coming, because he's Canadian.

"April Come She Will"--Simon and Garfunkel: Aside from being too short a song, the only other problem I've had with it is that part where the autumn winds blow chilly and cold in August. S&G grew up in Queens, New York not Alaska. I've never felt a chilly autumn wind in August. And September is not the beginning of snow season. If Simon had laid out the months correctly, he'd have a song nearly twice as long, correcting all shortcomings. If only...

"April"--Deep Purple: Before Deep Purple turned into a "Space Truckin'" good time, they played around with all types of psychedelia, covering "Hey Joe" by mandatory decree and having a gratuitous hit with "Hush." This is the type of tune that ends up on those early retrospectives because they have to put something on there before the band jumps record labels.

"April"--Ian Moore: From his album Luminaria, the one I remember liking. Moore was once a bluesman who discovered Tim Buckley or something and suddenly started writing these long, experimental tunes that meandered and made you think of starting your own potato farm. Then he stopped doing that so much when he realized that people starting potato farms didn't buy CDs. Then again, neither does anyone else these days, so I don't know what musicians are expected to do. Sell t-shirts, I guess.