Heavy Rotation, our top spins for the week of December 7, 2009

As music critics -- and people who generally think about, talk about, listen to and make music -- the most common question we get asked (and ask each other, for that matter) is, "What are you listening to right now?" The pervasiveness of this query is precisely what inspired Heavy Rotation. For the benefit of those who happen to be curious and to give you a feel for our individual sensibilities, we've compiled a list of all the things we're listening to this week. Feel free to chime in with picks of your own after the jump.

MARK BLIESENER
John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band- Happy X-mas War is Over
Slade - Merry Christmas Everybody
Wizard- I Wish it Could be Christmas Everyday
Irma Thomas- Gee Whiz it's Christmas
Graham Parker - Christmas is for Muggs

CHRIS CALLAWAY
Paul McCartney & Wings - Band on the Run
The Kinks - Give the People What They Want
XTC - The Big Express
XTC - Drums and Wires
Owsley - self-titled

CORY CASCIATO
Jesse Rose - Jan 2009 Essential Mix
George&Caplin - He Really Got Through to Advertising Remix EP
I Am the Dot - Rare Creatures EP
Raging Family - Black Holes
Blue Oyster Cult - Agents of Fortune

BRIAN FREDERICK
Matt & Kim - Grand
30 Seconds To Mars - This Is War
Birdman - Pricele$$
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever To Tell
Amanda Blank - I Love You

ADAM GOLDSTEIN
tUnE-yArDs - "Real Live Flesh"
Lovage - Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By
Various Artists - Light: On the Southside
Louis Armstrong and Earl Hines - "Weather Bird"
Magnetic Fields - "A Chicken With Its Head Cut Off"

JASON HELLER
Exodus - Bonded by Blood
Shudder to Think - Ten Spot
Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti
Unbroken - Life.Love.Regret.
Galaxie 500 - On Fire

DAVE HERRERA
John Common & Blinding Flashes of Light - Beautiful Empty
Flashbulb Fires - Glory
Christopher Jak - Leadfoot Lover EP/Folk EP
Hot Congress - Hot Congress Vol. 1
I Am the Dot - Rare Creatures EP

NICK HUTCHINSON
Great American Taxi - Streets of Gold
Albert Collins - The Complete Imperial Recordings
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
Furthur - Hammerstein Ballroom, NYC - 12.08.09
Glee - The Music Volume 1

THORIN KLOSOWSKI
Real Estate - Real Estate
Prefuse 73 - Security Screenings
David Bowie -  Space Oddity
Vaselines -Enter the Vaselines
Do Make Say Think - Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn

KIERNAN MALETSKY
Risk Assesment -- The Don'ts & Be Carefuls
Merry Christmas -- Mariah Carey
Dark Rift -- Pictureplane
The Cars -- The Cars
Face Control -- Handsome Furs

SEAN MERRELL
Yes - Relayer
Bark Psychosis - Hex
Daniel Lanois - Belladonna
Trans Champs - Double Exposure
King Crimson - Larks' Tongues in Aspic

TOM MURPHY
Telepathe - Dance Mother
Broadcast - Broadcast and The Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults of the Radio Age
Moonspeed - Flowers of the Moon
Windy & Carl - Songs For the Broken Hearted
Godflesh - Streetcleaner

JEF OTTE
Oblio Duo - Unreleased LP
Izcalli - Despiertame
The Chariot - Wars and Rumors of Wars
The Mars Volta - Frances the Mute
Chet Atkins & Lenny Breau - "Batucada"

ADAM PERRY
Jolie Holland - The Living and the Dead
PJ Harvey - Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea
Radiohead - Amnesiac
Animal Collective - Feels
Bob & Doug McKenzie - "The Twelve Days of Christmas"

CHARLES RUSSELL
The Big Pink - Too Young To Love
Grendel - Chemicals + Circuitry
The Presets - Kicking & Screaming
Deadmau5 - FML
Pinch - Get Up (Guido Mix)

DUTCH SEYFARTH
The Congress - Loretta
The Pogues - The Very Best of the Pogues
Stephen Marcus - If The Phone Ain't Ringing
The Railbenders - Southbound
Dose - Get Off My Lawn

KYLE SMITH
Roxy Music - Country Life
Serena Maneesh - Serena Maneesh
David Bowie - Aladdin Sane
Echo and the Bunnymen - Ocean Rain
The Cure - Faith

JON SOLOMON
Tom Waits - Glitter & Doom Live
Action Packed Thrill Ride - Best I've Felt
Jane Birkin - Au Palace
Charles Mingus - Mingus Plays Piano
Chocolate Genius Inc. - Black Yankee Rock

AMBER TAUFEN
Zero 7, Garden
Aceyalone, A Book of Human Language
The Flaming Lips, Clouds Taste Metallic
Blackalicious, The Craft
Radiohead, Hail to the Thief

ANDY THOMAS
Look Mexico - To Bed To Battle
Moonspeed - Flowers of the Moon
Todd Snider - East Nashville Skyline
Flashbulb Fires - Glory
Hot Snakes - Audit Progress