Seriously, it's just the holiday that makes it look as if I haven't posted anything but TONY links in a week. That said, I'm pretty proud to share this week's experiment. Anyone who reads TONY regularly can tell how much we (meaning I) appreciate certain New York City-based artists and ensembles, some of whom the magazine can even claim to have been in the forefront of covering.

This week I decided to ask some of those artists who it is that they admire… which New York City-based peers, performers and creators they think have the potential for a serious breakthrough, whether that's defined along artistic or commerical terms (or both).

Voila: "We got next" is born. Neat, informative and — best of all, maybe — I have to do very little actual work. Which is more of a bonus than you know, just lately.

I originally hatched the idea for the pop-music section, and pressed my colleagues into duty with me. Together we roped in some excellent responses from Matthew Friedberger of the Fiery Furnaces, violinist Jenny Scheinman, Charlie Looker (formerly of Zs, currently of Extra Life), and pianists Vijay Iyer and Ethan Iverson. Which one picked a longtime bandmate, and which one chose Gabriel Kahane? Find out right here.

Of course, it didn't take me very long to recall that I know plenty of cool, creative classical artists, too. And thus "We got next" spread to the TONY classical pages –  the first cross-genre fusion to take place in the mag during my seven years of service. It's not rocket science, but it's a start.

Besides, who among us couldn't have guessed that the very best answers, hands down, would come from Jeremy Denk? Which is not to speak ill of Clarice Jensen, Simone Dinnerstein or Claire Chase, all of whom provided enthusiastic responses and fascinating picks. (Yup, at least one official bandmate here, too.) As an added incentive for your perusal, I was able to score some exclusive streaming audio from three of the four picks — without any of them finding out what was going on. Yes, I can be nearly slick. Really, why aren't you here yet?

One more very cool thing about this duh-why-didn't-I-think-of-it-before concept is that I'm conceiving this week's mega-installments as just the beginning. From now on, when you least expect it, you might well encounter a free-floating "We got next" box anywhere in the TONY music pages. We've already got three equally great first-round participants who were squeezed off the page (since in the end I prioritized performers with imminent gigs) waiting for their chance to heap glory upon those they've chosen to celebrate. And I'm sure they're far from alone.

Me, I'm pretty satisfied. And you will nearly never hear me say that.

Words about tonight's Asher Roth set at S.O.B.'s just as soon as I can get to it. What I'm really dying to know, though, is whether I actually saw Nico Muhly there, or if that was just a bedheaded figment of my overactive imagination…?

Update Sept 4, 3:30pm: I've been assured that my mind was playing tricks on me when I thought I saw Nico at S.O.B.'s last night. Fun to go all Gawker for a sec, though. Also, I can't believe that I forgot to mention my other contribution to the current issue: a Top Live Show preview for the mighty English grindcore progenitors of Carcass, recently reunited and back for blood this Saturday at Nokia.

Playlist:

Renée Fleming – Four Last Songs: Richard Strauss Songs and Arias – Munich Philharmonic/Christian Thielemann (Decca)

Gabriel Kahane – Gabriel Kahane (Wasted Storefront)

DJ Envy – Purple Codeine, Vol. 18 (mixtape)

Lil Wayne – Tha Carter III (Cash Money/Universal)

King Crimson – Park West, Chicago, IL, August 7, 2008 (DGMlive official download)

Janelle Monáe – Metropolis: The Chase Suite (Special Edition) (Bad Boy/Wondaland)

UGK – Super Tight… (Jive)

Juliana Hatfield – How to Walk Away (Ye Olde)

Grateful Dead – Road Trips, Vol. 1, No. 3: Summer '71 (Grateful Dead)