Don't miss the Short List of Music. Sixteen music-industry mavens who know their stuff are each recommending five of year's essential and sales-impeded music -- no gold or platinum albums -- and submitting it to Short List. From there the albums are compiled and the large list voted upon by the same panel, creating a short list (aha!) of essential listening for the year.

Names of note include musicians Beck, Lucinda Williams and Dave Grohl; industry vets Steve Lillywhite and Dan Nakumura; and critics Neil Strauss and Touré. I'm looking forward to the results, especially the long list.