Anyone needing a further fix of "best of" lists need look no further than to PopMatters, which has an exhaustive package that features the 50 best albums of the year and best-of lists of 10 for electronic, country, jazz and metal music. A list of the 20 best reissues, including my take on the Gang of Four's Entertainment, also is part of the package. Many of my picks made the upper reaches of the top 50, including surprise list-topper the New Pornographers.

In other news, the Rolling Stones are using their clout to give a boost to some notable acts. The Stones have announced opening acts for their 2006 North American tour, and the slate offers a few pleasant surprises. I'm not sure who Anik Jean is, but after that things get interesting. Sloan joins the band for a few dates, as do Metric, Soulive, Brooks & Dunn, Queens of the Stone Age, Merle Haggard and the Meters. That sounds like a pretty great festival, actually, and it's a credit to the Stones that they're willing to give their audience something different.