1. Genus Panthera
Lions, tigers, leopards, and jaguars. Crème de la crème. You already know how much they rule. If we didn’t invent guns, we’d be living as their pets right now. Btw, what you call panthers are actually mutants.

2. Black Panthers
A major part of the counterculture, these fiercely anti-white socialists spread ideology more than violence. I always fuddle Huey Newton with Huey Lewis & the News, though.

3. Carolina Panthers
Highly successful expansion team that lost Super Bowl XXXVIII to the Pats. Known for its nasty defense and even nastier stadium.

4. Pink Panther
Owns one of the most famous theme songs ever and served as a lucrative home insulation salesman. Blundering detective films in the ’60s made him a supercartoon.

5. Jagdpanther
The fifth Panzer model was easy to move, heavily-armed, and had a roomy interior. It destroyed all types of vehicles, especially the British Gazelle and American Tasty Pig.

David Pajo has been around. He started with Slint in the ’90s and hooked up with Stereolab, Tortoise, Matmos, and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, among others. Afterwards, the Louisvillian even spent time with Zwan. Heh. This is his second solo album, and “1968″ (yes, with quotes) features more instrumentation than his vastly acoustic, road-written first.

Down-tempo, acoustic tracks of mellow vocals and light electronics make the album ripe for late-night chillin’ and more Elliot Smith comparisons. A humming current of electricity has been developed for “1968″, just enough to give the sound a buzz. Worthy of a listen, fo sho.

Now It’s Overhead is Andy LeMaster’s baby, his production and songwriting skills on display. NIO’s new album, Dark Light Daybreak, shows off countrified electronica with expansive synth, murky jams, and elastic vocals worthy of the new Omaha we’ve come to love. These tunes are catchy but sedate, slightly haunting, and convey roadtrip introspection.

“Let the Sirens Rest” opens the album with a sleepy-eyed warble broken like daylight by severed chords and piercing notes. “Walls” is urgent, with ominous drums and a panting chorus. A majority of the album, though, features LeMaster’s protracted, airy vocals.

In “Night Vision”, he serenades over Rhodesian droplets and distorted backing wails, one of the calmer tracks. “Type A” is a nearly-optimistic, down-stroke jam that rivals giddier acts. NIO has a fairly wide range of tempos, despite an overriding dusky mood. Overall, it’s technically intricate, slightly subdued, inviting but biting fuzzrocktronica.