In the course of scouring the universe for the freshest talent (and usually coming up empty), it’s nice to come up with something that you actually want to listen to more than once. Enter Monroe Johnson, a Venice, CA singer-songwriter who’s clearly down with Buckley but throws in some electronic into the mix a la Cassettes Won’t Listen, Baby Dayliner etc. This is what I listen to when I’m about to call it a night, but the Nick Drakes of the world are too slow for me. We particularly dig “Amory,” which deftly mixes Johnson’s croon with funk-dance rhythms and, unlike some groups which shall remain nameless, projects an earnestness rarely found in white-boy soul. (URB Blog on 8/26/08 written by Jason Newman)