Underrated I - I don't like you, but I love you.

 Some of my favorite humans are Humanists. Maybe that term is too vague or loaded, but I think I'll stick with it.

That is, the people I find most interesting, insightful, and imitable, are primarily interested in people. Particularly when it comes to my favorite songwriters. Whether they are truly Humanists who reject other more dogmatic theological doctrine, or just find humans more interesting and valuable than imaginary wizards in the sky, I don't know. (Not that sky wizards aren't cool, they just don't show up 'round here enough for my tastes. Every two-thousand years is less frequent than the elusive McRib, for goodness sake).

However, these same Humanistic songwriters who seem genuinely concerned with the plight of their fellow man and worry when injustice is done, also like to hold a giant magnifying glass up to the sores of humanity. They don't shy away from sticking their fingers into abscesses or turning on the bright lights to see the boils and scabies even better.

Dylan took this tact often, with songs like "Lonsome Death of Hattie Carrol,"  "The Death of Emmit Till," and plenty of others. Westerberg worried mightily about the plight gender-queer kids in tight pants with wallet-chains long-ago, many years before Pete Wentz married the prom-queen. Fiona Apple might be a co-dependent bore in real life, but in her songs, she will punch you in the dick if you mess-over another girl. Eddie Vedder used to wear a hair-shirt for ever bete-noir teenager in the world. Rhett Miller, even though he married a super-model, has to work very hard to write anyting but songs of romantic lament, sad anthems for every skinny dork in Texas who never got the girl.

Ike Reilly - "I Don't Want What You've Got (Goin' On)," Sparkle in the Finish.

Ike Reilly falls in with this very loose assemblage of songwriters. He is most assuredly disturbed by the callousness with which the modern world treats his fellow man. But goshdarn if he doesn't find his fellow man in equal parts, pathetic, annoying, disgusting and despicable. If there were another form of life on Earth with whom he could cavort, converse and copulate, he would undoubtedly prefer them to human beings. But since there is not, he's thrown his lot in with the Adams and Eves.

A glance at his album titles lets you know he's a bit jaded and not always hopeful when it comes to his brethren. Salesmen and Racists? Pick one, or maybe you're both. Junkie Faithful. Opiate of the masses or Church of Burroughs. I don't know which one makes me less nauseated. Posion the Hit Parade. Music biz got you down, Ike?

That said, he is the most underrated purveyor of cynical folk-rap this side of St. Bob. His songs make you want to shout, dance, lock arms and march, break bottles and fight, and then go back to the bar to tell each other stories as you bleed on the beer-soaked floor. See him live.

I Don't Want What You Got (Goi...