You may not know this but there are other entertaining websites on the web.

In fact, in other cities there are plenty of independent and ingenious sites who do amazing beautiful things with culture and so forth. Here are some of the highlights from our sister sites this week, thank-you-note style!

The Bay Bridged — San Francisco

Dear Bay Bridged, thanks for your friendly podcast spotlighting the gentle and weird indie/doo-wop band Sonny and the Sunsets, but given our present frigid mood we were even more intrigued by your 'Shredification' metal feature previewing the new High on Fire record.

Tea Party Boston

Thanks for introducing us to Grieves, who raps way better off drugs.

Live From Memphis

Thanks for giving us the Memphis perspective at the passing of her favorite bloddy son, Jay Reatard. "There were two Jays: The musician and the freak show..."

Gaper’s Block — Chicago

Please say thank you to your in-house foodies for this thorough introduction on what it takes to be a great beer home-brewer (besides, apparently, proximity to Milwaukee).

l’étoile — Minneapolis

Thanks to your gossip blog LOL/OMG, we found  out about a possible copy-cat video feud brewing between two local bands, Motion City Soundtrack (meh) and something called Koo Koo Kanga Roo (holy shit!). I guess it's clear whose side we're on huh?

Lawrence.com — Lawrence KS

Thanks for your interview with Linda Andrus, who specializes in art made from gum wrappers and other trash: it's nice to know my Bazooka Joe addiction can be used for something positive finally.

Muzzle of Bees — Milawaukee

Thanks for your thoughts on the Greatness of James Taylor. I'm not sure I can agree, but it's good to consider the alternatives.

My parents were those 1971 suburban kids. When I eventually joined the party, we would listen to JT albums in the car on the long drives up canyons to yonder fishing holes. Those songs stuck, and even as a teenager with all that brit-pop and alterna-distortion I was into,  I had my JT Greatest Hits safely in the collection....He’s had musical ups and downs, personal successes and failures; he’s been hospitalized several times for depression and drug addiction over the years (he finally kicked the methadone habit in the early 80s) — other recording artists have had lower lows and still maintained their critical ethos. But his body of work, taken as a whole, is remarkable, and should be given the credit it’s due.

Aural States — Baltimore

Thanks for reminding us that ska used to be kind-of OK, especially when it wore a Cat-in-the-hat Hat like the guy from All Mighty Senators!

Philebrity — Philly

Thanks for helping us get reacquainted with late Philadelphia legend Teddy Pendergrass, from transsexual tragedy to Jeantastic triumph:

Three Imaginary Girls — Seattle

Finally thanks to these apocryphal ladies  for posting about new material by my favorite person in the Pacific Northwest:  John Roderick of the Long Winters. I would listen to this 20x in a row, but unlike most of you I have to work tomorrow. So I'll just watch this 10x and call it a day.

PS THANK YOU INTERNET

Previously in Misc/Awesome:

• 12/28: Terrible Boyfriend/ Girlfriend Generator.
• 12/1: The John Waters Advent Calendar-it starts today
• 11/28: It Chooses You: All I Want for Christmas is Everything from Miranda July's Pop-Up Shop
• 11/3: Things I'd Move to Minnesota For
• 9/6: PHOTOS: Maloof $$ Money Cup
• 9/2: PHOTOS: Chantilly Model Train Show
• 9/1: Libby's List: 5 Things I Want Right Now...
• 8/22: PHOTOS: Best Friends Day
• 8/10: PHOTOS: Lawn Mover Racing, Eastern Seaboard Regionals @ Bowles Farm
• 7/26: Special List: Things the BYGays Want Now That We Can Marry In DC (and NY!)