While I still don't think anybody should say "I get all my news from the Daily Show" and be proud of it (read something, dinks), my love for Jon Stewart is at a possible all-time high. If you haven't seen this already, Jon kicked Bill O'Reilly's ass on O'Reilly's own court. This is second only to his William & Mary commencent speech in my Reasons Jon Stewart Rules Despite Being Yet Another Shticky Guy With A Talk Show.

You know who else rules? My sister. Read her Knee Jerk Notes On New Fiction piece over at the Morning News. It's hilarious, succint and proof that she's more cultured than me because all the books I read I have the word "rock" in the subject heading (plus I've usually already read them twice before). Check out some of her other pieces too. Claire Zulkey was a fan of her old blog and called her a "smart, snarky girl" in an interview. Zulkey doesn't know the half of it (snark-wise, at least). I couldn't be prouder. They've got her CARICATURE at the end of the article, for chrissakes! Though I'm disappointed she's not holding her chin.

The hype surrounding the Junior Boys' Last Exit is true. Ok, well I'm not sure what they're saying about it is correct (I don't remember anything other than that everybody loves it), but it's beautiful and definitely worth checking out.

Thalia Zedek review on Stylus.

Fuck a VH1 Classic. Thanks to DSL it's all about new videos on the web.

Christina Aguilera feat. Missy Elliott, "Car Wash": They must have digitally edited out all the crack pipes from the studio footage. It's a free world and if Xtina wants to bite Nellie McKay's image go ahead, that girls been tripping balls for a while now. But as a big fan of "I'm Really Hot" and "Tush," I was not prepared to see Missy visibly feeling this crap from behind a mixing board. Everything thing I've seen from this Shark Tale movie looks like an excruciating minstrel show. Yo, Fish, WHAT UP!

Cake, "No Phone": Even if you never need to hear nasal dorkfunk again in your life (no, they have not taken it to the next level yet), this video may reaffirm your love of humanity.

Coup, "Ride The Fence": Best Schoolhouse Rock Episode Ever.

De La Soul, "Shopping Bags": I'm one of those guys who thinks AOL: Bionix is their best album to date (xgau says it best - "anybody who wondered what rap would sound like when it grew up now has an answer") and this glass-bottle fueled track has me really excited about the new album. I didn't even know one was coming out!

Donnas, "Fall Behind Me": I forget who made the connection, but yes they do sound like Velvet Revolver here. Their hair-tossing is making me do double duty to look past it though. Rowr rowr rowr rowr ROWR!

Duran Duran, "Sunrise": Somebody give these guys a Faint album fast.

Faint, "I Disappear": Camper Van Duran! Seriously, think about it. Listen to his voice, especially on the track "Desperate Boys." So Lowery.

Fatboy Slim, "Slash Dot Dash": really fucking old fucking old fucking old fucking old old fucking fucking old old old old old fuckinfuckinkfuckinfuckinfucking old fucking old fucking old really fucking old and I say this as somebody who loves the Prodigy's new jock jams. The difference, see, as that old Fatboy Slim sounds wack too now.

Finger Eleven, "One Thing": Oh so you're the guys who sound like Staind covering Jim Croce! I've run into your song on the radio a couple times and I've been meaning to tell you to go fuck yourselves and die, but I didn't know whose name to curse. I feel better now.

Jet, "Look What You've Done": I might be able to appreciate the Evil Dead-meets-Bambi video more if this vapid piano ballad didn't have less energy than "I Love To See You Smile."

Keane, "Somewhere Only We Know": Man, the ratio of post-Coldplay piano-stroking Danny Boys to girls who lick this shit up must be like 1:1 now. Go away.

Korn, "Word Up": "Yo, Fieldy, this Anthony guy's been giving Fred Durst a lot of love for being unpredictable and batshit. How about we get some of that love by covering Cameo and making it sound like Midnight Oil?" "Yeah, and we'll superimpose our faces onto dogs kinda like that Basement Jaxx video!" "Yo!" Nice try, guys.

My Chemical Romance, "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)": Wow, I guess I DO still like pop-punk! This stuff has the same reckless melodi-spazz vibe as Desaparecidos and the singer reminds me of some eighties dude whose name escapes me. Argh, two weeks till I'm in the radio station again. I should have burnt this today! I had no idea these guys didn't suck!

New Found Glory, "Failure's Not Flattering": Sounds like Dennis DeYoung leading Superchunk, and it might be their best single to date (they normally sound like Dennis DeYoung leading a Superchunk opening act). Still makes my dick shrivel up, fall off and run under the couch though.

REM, "Leaving New York": My inner middle schooler just shot himself (REM's inner 24-year-olds blew their heads off a long time ago), but of all the mellow gold burbling out these days this was easily the most intriguing. I could actually see this growing on me. The video, though, wtf REM DOES equal Air Supply now.

Simple Plan, "Welcome To My Life": No matter what you think of a new Good Charlotte single (and the new one is mediocre, I've said it already), the concurrent Simple Plan track is always at least ten times worse. They're ripping off "Complicated" now. Seriously, Pierre, what's THAT shit aboot?

Britney Spears, "My Prerogative": Slo-mo Kish Kash, which isn't as good as "Toxic"'s stream-lined Kish Kash but still pretty entertaining. Funniest background vocals of the year and the video is a trip. I'll keep laughing till somebody dies.

Strokes, "The End Has No End": These guys would have been my heroes in high school. Now I can merely approve and, with minor reservations, endorse. Keep the sunglasses, Julian.

Sum 41, "We're All To Blame": Like the last shit I took, this is slightly more redeemable than LeTigre's "New Kicks." Like everything else by Sum 41, the video is infinitely more intellgient and entertaining than the song itself ("supersize my tragedy!" Tell it like it is, Darrel or Dweezil or Dingle or whatever your name is!). This does NOT make up for the lack of a new Desaparecidos album and I hope Dumbell's image hijack (even the acoustic guitar!) hurts Conor more than anybody.

Tegan And Sara, "Walking Like A Ghost": Why is this the single? Why did they make this video? Why? Trust me, the album is really good.

Three Days Grace, "Just Like You": What if Fugazi's ONLY distinctive trait was self-righteousness?

Usher feat. Alicia Keys, "My Boo": Damn, girl. Damn. Ooh. I thought the presence of Alicia "Whitney Houston wasn't humorless enough" Keys would signify snooze, but this thing grabs me like a Gaye-Terrell update or something. He forces her to loosen up a little, she puts a little hair on his chest and I'm thanking God I didn't buy Confessions already, cuz now I can get The Special Edition and hear this whenever I want.

Kanye West, "Workout Plan": BENTLEY FARNSWORTH RAPS! Sorry, had to get that out of the way. Of all his attempts to pile as many novel details as possible over his irredeemably mediocre delivery, this is by far my favorite. I'm nobody's misogynist, but I've been burnt enough that I've got a soft spot for post-Jagger bullshit calling. Especially when it's this funny and outside-the-box.

Here's what got played on my radio show today (haha I should call it Anthony Is Radio). If you listened, gracias, though anybody checking my site out in the first place gets hearty thanks as it is.

Arcade Fire - Crown Of Love
Beep Beep - Business Casual
Crooked Fingers - New Drink For The Old Drunk
Drive-By Truckers - Lookout Mountain
Evaporators - Addicted To Cheese
Faint - Desperate Boys
Gravenhurst - Damage
Hives - Diabolic Scheme
Interpol - Evil
Jonathan Fire*Eater - Give Me Daughters
Killers - On Top
Lashes - Death By Mixtape
Mouse On Mars - Wipe That Sound
New Wet Kojak - Do The Math
Oranges Band - Stars Are Ours (Stuck)
Park Ave. - All Boy Band
Rogers Sisters - Freight Elevator
Sahara Hotnights - The Difference Between Love And Hell
Tegan And Sara - Take Me Anywhere
Tegan And Sara - I'll Bet It Stung
Unrest - Teenage Suicide
Vermont - Indiana Jones
Wilco - Spiders (Kidsmoke)
Young Heart Attack - To The Teeth
Spoon - Decora
Superchunk - Cool
Sloan - False Alarm
Fall - Sparta

Anybody who wants to find out how goofy my voice is should listen to my radio show this Monday (tomorrow), 11am-1pm EST. Go to the Lion 90.7 fm website and click on "listen live." I'll be playing a lot of cool, new stuff.

Anybody who's dying to hear my take on The Dirty South should check out what I wrote on the ILX DBT thread. It was hell to get out of bed and go through the labors of getting online and writing it out at four in the frikkin' morning, but my brain required release.

Really short review for folks who don't wanna bother with dense postage: John Cougar Mellencamp & Crazy Horse. I enjoy everything except the Pusser Trilogy and "Daddy's Cup."

Dom and Edward's Top Ten Reasons Why Jay-Z Sucks for Stylus is pissing me off. Why should my Top Ten article next week have to follow something this exceptionally funny!?!?! It's not fair.

It's not the funniest thing I read last night, though. That would be Fred Durst's latest post on American Alien:

do you get it? do you really get it? some people were just born to get it and others just weren't. the ones that weren't have no idea what i just said and the ones that do understand completely. and so goes life in my mind.

The Chocolate Starfish is my man Fred DURST! God bless you, you crazy muthafucka. How can so many people hate you when you're providing so much more entertainment and food for thought (popcorn is food) than the average celebrity. I probably shouldn't be saying this in public, but I am seriously considering attempting to write about book about the guy. There's no subject I am more inspired to write about and there is easily no subject I am more qualified to cover. I'll probably name it Enter The Starfish.

I have proven scientifically, beyond a reasonable doubt, that my CD collection is awesome. Check out The Freelance Mentalists to learn how I know, and how you can find out if yours is too.

Yo La Tengo, you packed us in like goddamn sardines and then played an unconscionable amount of ballads (there was a moment where I realized I was hearing "Pablo & Andrea" live almost nine years after I first heard the song and I forced myself to enjoy it, despite having so many fuckers who I've NEVER seen at a local show before bang into me - it's not my fault I'm 6' 4"!!!!). I should be a whiny bitch but Georgia's voice is gorgeous and it was great to tell Ira that it's his fault that for years I couldn't play a guitar solo without trying to do some "My Heart's Reflection"-style skronk shit. Thank you for coming to town.

Tegan & Sara for Stylus. They're coming to town but they're opening for Melissa Ferrick (ack) and probably not playing with a full band. I'll probably pass but you should NOT pass on the album. I don't care what audience they usually cater to, this is one sweet slice of catchy-as-hell pop-rock.

Songs I'll yell for at the Swing State Yo La Tengo show tonight if I'm drunk enough (and haha I already am) - in descending order: Blue Line Swinger, Tom Courtenay, Emulsfied, Too Late, Mushroom Cloud Of Hiss, Orange Song, Barnaby Hardly Working, Sugarcube, Cherry Chapstick, SUPERPOWERLESS BY DUMP, Speeding Motorcycle, False Alarm, I Heard You Looking, Nowhere Near, Andalucia, The Evil That Men Do, INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT BY DUMP, COME ON PLAY SOME DUMP DUMP IS HERE LET DUMP PLAY SOMETHING, Blitzkrieg Bop (Wedding band version! I bought two tickets to this show as a wedding gift for William & Tara!), From A Motel 6, My Heart's Reflection, Down To The Bitter End, Flying Lesson (actually I'll probably scream for Flying Lesson before a lot of these), Out The Window, Demons, nothing from Summer Sun cuz frankly that album was kind of wack, Big Sky (though that would just remind me that Dave Schramm was at the last two shows but not this one), Moby Octopad, You Can Have It All, and oh man oh man oh man am I excited for this.

I got Electr-O-Pura based solely on reviews when I was 16 and it had a tremendous affect on me (here's what I wrote about the album a while back). Now I'm gonna get to see them at a BAR. Not a club, a BAR. They're getting rid of all the tables to fit all the fans in. Sweeeeet.

Let's be superficial and discuss the bodies of famous people for a second.

Ashlee Simpson's video for "Shadow" has revealed that it is possible for me to be revulsed on an artistic, musical and cultural level and still find the singer in question really frikkin' hot. It's all about that enormous schnozz. I'm grateful for this revelation because it's kind of nice to know I still have a little lust left in me.

Paul Banks is an acne-riddled pudge with a dumpy ass a la Julian "Pizza The Hutt" Casablancas. I've got bad skin and a rather curvy, awkward physique myself, so if anything this should endear him to me even more than his awkward hollers already have. You think I'd be kind and not point this out. Thing is, the video for "Slow Hands" tries to keep this fact hidden as much as possible (it's all wide shots or extreme close ups - dude won't be wearing summer colors anytime soon), lest people bring up the Pixies more than Joy Division and arty girls stop having that dream where he flies in through the window. Plus he has this big hair twirling moment while I get to stare at my ever-thinning dome in the mirror every morning. So fuck that. He's a puuudge.

Over at Stylus we've got ourselves a lil' daily mp3 blog called The Stypod. Today, Tuesday, September 21st, I'M running the show, sharing three of the most ludicrous, beautiful, bonkers, completely omgwtf OVER THE TOP tracks I've ever heard. I'm ecstatic knowing they're just a click away for anyone who gives the slightest shizzle and I hope you indulge. Check it out!

Todd Burns, you are my favorite muthafucka. I told you, didn't I?

1980s: Poison's Rikki Rockett sprays a burst of water out of his mouth. The screen freezes and vibrant crayola covers the spew.

1990s: Nirvana's Dave Grohl imitates a water fountain and emits a mighty gusher in slo-mo over his head.

2000s: Interpol's Sam Fogarino inhales a long stream of water into his mouth thanks to digital film trickery.

Drummers be spittin'.


(Can anyone name all three videos being referenced?)

Man, that new Interpol album. I can't believe how much mileage they're getting out of their shtick. Distinctively awkward romantic declarations over dreamy guitars and martial rhythms. That's all they do and I can't stop listening. I used to say that Paul Banks' lyrics were ghastly but I find them so enjoyable and memorable that I have to hesitate. While his lyrics and vocal style are melodramatic and downright emo, there's a cool, composed wit that make them less dismissable than, say, Taking Back Sunday's. The difference between Turn On The Bright Lights and Antics is similar to that of Murmur and Reckoning: a little more rock, a little less reverb, increased vocal confidence and not the slightest drop-off in energy or inspiration. The lack of any blatant attempt at evolution might be off-putting for "next level" addicts, but all the raw materials that made the debut so endlessly listenable for me are still evident and effective.

The good folks at City Lights (if you live in State College and don't shop there you're courting some serious karmic bitchslappage) recently ordered cheap copies of Neil Young's Zuma and After The Gold Rush so I snapped them up. Despite being a Neil freak since middle school (I first learned guitar chords from his On The Beach-Rust Never Sleeps song book), I've intentionally put off purchasing all of his "classic" albums. The idea was to leave some great numbers fresh and unheard for the 30-year-old and beyond versions of me. Now the only canonical work I've yet to own is, ironically, Harvest. Hopefully that massive archival box set they've been promising for over a decade will come out during my lifetime (if there's a Young-sung version of "Flying On The Ground Is Wrong" on there I will pay any price they demand - thanks for the Rainy Day version, Evan).

I haven't put on After The Gold Rush, but Zuma has already done a few rotations in my CD changer. It's a perfect album for where my head's at these days. No reason to go into detail, but Robert Christgau's passing reference to "relative neatness and control" in his review covers a good part of it. Out of the storm but no land in sight yet. Post-Snodgress, pre-Pegi.

Chuck Eddy recently posted scathing enough reviews of the new Northern State and Drive-By Truckers albums on ILX that I have yet to check out their new releases despite their previous works appearing in my top ten for 2003. Last night I checked out both band's sites and listened to the samples for All City and 3 mp3s from The Dirty South.

While Northern State's new tracks sound as flat and uninvolving as he implied (only the closing Har Mar track made me regret the 30-second fade-out), I was knocked out by how much I enjoyed the DBT tracks. Jason Isbell's numbers on Decoration Day were a bit staid for my taste, but his "Never Gonna Change" moved plenty for this Crazy Horse fan. "Putting People On The Moon" is a fine "Rain On The Scarecrow"-style slice of indignance and "Carl Perkins' Cadillac"'s plenty enjoyable too. If there's an unconscionable amount of drag-ass, petrified alt-country on the album, its not audible here. There's so much of what I enjoy about the previous Drive-By Truckers' releases (distorted guitar interplay, proud vocals full of lyrical brimstone and wit) on these tracks that I'm embarassed I don't have the album already. I was going to get it today but my store of choice just ran out of copies. I deserve to wait till Tuesday.

Nu-wave sex fiends the Killers and Franz Ferdinand have been booted from my Top Ten this year to make room for a new Anthony-approved archetype: genre-bending poptastic harmonizing duos who would probably prefer that you didn't bring up sexual preference! I'll be writing about Tegan & Sara's So Jealous in Stylus soon, but those looking for more info should check the links over at Mystical Beast. It's his enthusiasm that made me check out the promo when I saw it at the radio station.

Big & Rich are getting written up all over the place, but their Horse Of A Different Color is as instantly memorable and endearing as the hype has implied. I was pleasantly surprised to find out how many songs don't focus on the Big & Rich shtick. The one about living in a six foot town is currently my favorite (cuz this 6'4" dude bumps his noggin everywhere). Horny post-punkers might reclaim their dominance if the new Interpol album (which I already love) grows on me as much as much as Turn On The Bright Lights did. Plus, I'm going to order that Fever album as soon whenever I remember to.

Listened to the radio a bit today. I really should do it more often.

Ok, so in "Sunshine" Lil' Flip notes that he wants "a lady in the streets, but a freak in the sheets." Ludacris made a similar claim in Usher's "Yeah," but where Luda sounds comic and self-aware, Lil' Flip comes off like he's deadly serious and totally oblivious to what a hypocritical, possessive shit this makes him (Pharrell would get all "She Wants To Move" if he saw that shit going down in a club). Thankfully, right afterwards they played Pitbull's "Culo," on which the pro-freak Pitbull says that the last thing he needs is a lady. Since none of the rappers in question could be mistaken for a gentleman, I think Pitbull's the most likeable here. It feels silly to commend a rapper for offering cunnilingus (though shaving is a prequisite) and an "even exchange," but in the fuck-crazy world of modern rap, this qualifies as enlightenment. Plus he's got Lil' Jon throwing vocal firecrackers all over the place rather than some anonymous girlfriend cooing on the chorus.

Right after THAT I got to hear LL Cool J's "Hush." As much as I enjoyed "Headsprung" I was a bit disturbed by how anonymous L sounded on the track. "Hush" returns his vocals to the forefront, but the cartoonish-even-for-Mr.-Smith chorus and the "everything will be ok if you do it my way" sentiment make for a wack combination. I do like these lines a lot:

God willin, we still be doin' our thing
when my six-pack's faded
and rap's outdated
but that's many years from now, so don't rush

My Veils review is up at Stylus. Initial (unsubmitted) draft: the words "I don't care" repeated 150 times.

Did a radio show today (I'll probably give advance notice and a weblink next time) for the first time in weeks. The "format book" (100 new CDs half of our show is supposed to come from) was missing so there's more old stuff here than I usually play.

Adam Ant - Stand And Deliver
Bullet Parade - Dodge, Peon!
Clean - Tally Ho
Desaparecidos - Greater Omaha
Elastica - Generator
Flaming Lips - Talkin' 'Bout The Smiling Deathporn Immortality Blues
Gossip - Heartbeats
Half Japanese - Turn Your Life Around
Interpol - Length Of Love
Jonathan Fire*Eater - Give Me Daughters
Ben Kweller - Ann Disaster
Libertines - Can't Stand Me Now
Stephen Malkmus - The Hook
Naked Raygun - Treason
Old Time Relijun - Jail
Pop Unknown - Contact
Quasi - Smile
Rocket From The Crypt - Can You Hear It?
Softies - Sleep Away Your Troubles
TV On The Radio - Staring At The Sun
Urge Overkill - The Mistake
Vermont - The Ballad Of Larry Bird
Walkmen - Little House Of Savages
Yo La Tengo - Little Eyes
Yo La Tengo - Barnaby, Hardly Working
Yo La Tengo (w/ Daniel Johnston) - Speeding Motorcycle
Yo La Tengo - Cast A Shadow

If my time slot partner Megan agrees (we switch off each week), I want to call our Indie 500 sub-show Old Enough To Know Better. We've both been at the station way too long.

I grabbed a ton of unreviewed promos while there. Reactions so far: Wiley deserves further inspection, Har Mar Superstar doesn't (dude seems to forget that lyrical inspiration is a hell of a lot more important and achievable for him than lush beats). The Blues Explosion is a little more charged musically than they were on Plastic Fang (only song that I ever care to hear again is "She Said," since it's about werewolves), but I am so glad I'm not Jon Spencer. I'm not surprised a semantics major would be adrift once the zeitgeist has abandoned him entirely. Fatherhood seems to have made him tired of crass clowning, but he doesn't appear to be able to abandon his shtick enough to make his balladry resonate. Sad, though Chuck D's cameo is even lamer.

First songs I've bothered to download now that I can (Sticks McPhee's "Drinking Wine Spodyody" over at Tofu Hut would count if I could actually KEEP the track).

Dismemberment Plan, "Close To Me" (from the band's site)
Gang Starr, "Gotta Get Over (Remix)" (courtesy of Soul Sides)
Hot Snakes, "Hi-Lights" (preview track at Swami Records)
Invincibles, "Heart Full Of Love" (Soul Sides)
Lady Sovereign, "Ch-Ching" (found over at Fluxblog)
Lady Sovereign, "Sad Ass Strippa" (Punktum and NYLPM. Nathalie knows what time it is.)
Morrison, Travis "What's Your Fantasy?" (from his site)
Pickett, Wilson "I'm In Love" (Soul Sides)
Rose, Tim "I Got A Loneliness" (both Rose tracks from Mystical Beast)
Rose, Tim "I Gotta Do Things My Way"
Sebadoh, "Gimmie Indie Rock" (from Spoilt Victorian Child)
Touissant, Allen "Get Out, Woman" (Soul Sides)

I already have the Sebadoh track on tape, but I wanted a digital copy. The rest were revelations. All highly recommended.

The hate that Morrison's Luda cover has received is really sad. Joyless, puritan, conservative indie fucks need to die. All of 'em. His available originals were less obviously crucial, in part because I'm not used to hearing his songwriting and vocals without the D-Plan rhythm section (who look like clowns - have you seen the "Time Bomb" video? - but were key to the band's appeal). They're growing on me though, especially "Born In '72." Definitely looking forward to Travistan.

Land Of A Thousand Dances, Michael Daddino's awesome attempt to review every American #1 pop hit since 1950, is showing signs of life. If he stops again I'm going to try and put him on salary or something. I need this.

Thanks to my new DSL connection I'll probably be talking more often about new shit.

For some reason when I watch videos on Launch the video runs at a slower pace than the song. It's not choppy though (at work the feed often stops), so I don't mind. In fact it means I have something to look at without being quite so distracted from the song itself.

Haha last time Yellowcard hid their song of regret behind a video that mixed Groundhog Day with Tarantino. Their new single is a declaration of apology and devotion, the video is about a peace protest! Flowers in gun barrels! Jesus.

Just as Ghostface got all "fuck that, I DO wanna know if she's fucking around" when discussing the Mario Winans hit, I can't hear Snow Patrol's "Run" without getting all crabby about guys repeatedly screaming that they will always love you even after you dump them. The song does awaken that sentiment within me, but that Coldplay-style lurch really adds to the sense of drag-ass masochism this track has. Dry your eyes! The Used's "Taste Of Ink" from 2002 is a much better take on the subject: bouncy beat, more focus on the singer's sense of freedom and the line "As long as you're alive and care/ I promise I will take you there" sanely asks for a little reaffirmation that you want the schmuck around.

Nobody better hate on the Beasties after they see the "Triple Trouble" video. Beasties are for the children.

Not feeling: Los Lonely Boys' "Heaven" (Lobos doesn't move me either) and Gretchen Wilson's "Redneck Woman" (I'm not really into song about what the person doesn't do). Guess I'm not that old after all.

Billie Joe's guitar is back so yay for "American Idiot" (dude had it on mute for most of Warning). Now if only his lyrics would cohere. Second album in a row where the first single tries to dis the right, second time he's failed to come up with any damning zingers.

I'd like to thank the Scissor Sisters for reaffirming that I don't like EVERYTHING that's fucked up. I'm so glad I wasn't alive when Elton John was really huge.

To all my friends who love the Postal Service: Phil Collins cover. Made to sound like Sugar Ray only more turgid and twee. Josh Hartnett video. SUCKAS!

They kept the dog corpse in the "Y Control" TV edit! YAAAY!

It's been far too long since I've listened to the radio (haven't done it much since my walkman went kaput aside from the day I was moving from the old apt to Casa Del Manthony). I only know three songs in the top 10 well. I'm going to have to start playing it at home. I need to catch up.


"Breaking The Habit," the FIFTH single off of Linkin Park's TEN song album, is the no. 1 modern rock track. ALL the singles from the album hit no. 1 except "Faint" (ironically the best), which only made it to no. 2. This puts the album in the same status as Hysteria where it's basically an accidental Singles Going Steady: half A-sides, half B's. I should buy it already. Alice Cooper covering Depeche Mode while Vanilla Ice hops around in the background? Love it. "Breaking The Habit" is such a Postal Service song! Laptop rock has made it!

Reasons you should join me in playing Tyrannosaurus Hives a whole fucking lot.

1) "The main difference is that the last album said 'I am right' and this one says 'You are wrong.'" - Howlin' Pelle.

2) I wasn't so sure why the Hives were right last time. I'm much more sympathetic to the idea of us being wrong. Song after song pointing out ignorant assholes? Oh yeah.

3) The sound is very Devo and very Nuggets at the same time. Everybody's thinking about the latter already, but I think acknowledging the former is key to getting into the quirky groove here.

4) The shrillness that bothered me about Vini Vidi Vicious album is still present, but there's more separation between the elements. They can slow down without being totally parodic about it a la "Find Another Girl." I can tell what Pelle is yelling about more often, and there's more vocal hooks as well.

5) They're kind of like a Fall that isn't worried about being obvious.

6) "The theme [of this record] would be that people are idiots." - Howlin' Pelle.

Pondering the merits of Shifty over at Stylus. You know, the dude from Crazytown.

If you think I owe you some Fall comps and your name isn't Rob, Evan or Derek please e-mail me. I'm hoping to get this all taken care of this week (once I buy some more CD-Rs).

Last two CD-Rs I made my sister before she headed back to school.

Another Bad Creation “Aeisha”
David Bowie “I Dig Everything”
Clock DVA “4 Hours”
DeFranco Family “Heartbeat (It’s A Lovebeat)”
Brian Eno “Seven Deadly Finns”
Percy Faith “Delicado”
Johnny Gill “Rub You The Right Way”
Hawkwind “Magno”
LCD “Losing My Edge”
Nice-n-Smooth “Sometimes I Rhyme Slow”
Old Dirty Bastard “Shimmy Shimmy Ya (A Capella)”
Polysics “XCT”
Rainy Day “Flying”
SPK “Mekano”
Telescopes “3D Jesus Ashtray”
Suzanne Vega “Tom’s Diner (A Capella)
Wrecks’n’Effect “Rump Shaker”
Yardbirds “For Your Love”
Zoot Woman “Grey Day”

!!! “Feel Good Hit Of The Fall”
Ambulance Ltd “Primitive”
Bone Thugs ‘N’ Harmony “Mr. Ouija”
Cosmic Rough Riders “Revolution In The Summertime”
Diodes “Tired Of Waking Up Tired”
Eria Fachim “Savin’ Myself”
Go-Betweens “Right Here”
Heavy D & The Boyz “Blue Funk”
Lime Spiders “Slave Girl”
Mark Morrison “Return Of The Mack”
Normal “Warm Leatherette”
Polyrock “Romantic Me”
Random Hold “What Happened”
Sweet “Action”
Treble Charger “Even Grable”
Ultravox “Hiroshima mon amour”
Hank Williams “Blue Love In My Heart (Demo)”
Y Pants “Favorite Sweater”
Zapp “More Bounce To The Ounce”

No, I am not feeling the new Good Charlotte single. Thank you for asking. While I still assume that their upcoming Chronicles Of Life & Death (the hell?) album will hold some classics (GC 4-EVA, fuck the haters), it's Travis Morrisson's solo debut and Interpol's latest that I'm really excited to hear this month.

Just watched the new video for "Back Of A Taxi" by Your Enemies Friends. I wasn't sure whether this qualified for my 2004 singles list (didn't the song first show up around 2003?) but if the video just came out now then I guess it does (might still make my top 10). Nu-wave at its most aggro (I need to buy that Fever album already, dammit).

My big problem with the video is their decision to do tons of overlapping images and noise effects while also making it clear that its just the band standing in a room. Had the images of the band been more divorced from reality (like the performance scenes from Superchunk's "The First Part"), or if it was a simple well-edited performance vid it would have worked, but as it stands the earthbound stuff makes the stylized moments hokey. Plus it's clear the lead singer is a little timid about pretending to sing without a mic (can't blame him).

I feel the need to point out that the female 2/5 of the band are mighty hot (one I call FIRE! one I call ICE!), but frankly it's more noteworthy when I don't find a woman in a good band hot (I really should try to pioneer some kind of boy-groupie network, or am I already too old to become the male Pamela Des Barres?).

Shout-out to the Spinto Band. First time I saw these guys it seemed like Ric Ocasek had seen the Strokes on TRL, decided the world needed to be shown how new wave guitar rock was done, grabbed six of his children, threw instruments on them and made them practice 7 nights a week until their fingers were sore. They were so tight (the cover of "Just What I Needed" was almost fascist in its perfection), so catchy and so enthusiastic (looked like they were 16 AND had choreographed moves) that I assumed an abusive dad had to be behind it all. I've seen them a couple times since, and my admiration has not waned. Their new songs are terrific (as soon as they release some new material I'll undoubtedly be shouting about it somewhere), they aren't afraid to rock the kazoos, their cover of the Motels' "Airport" is so fun I almost don't want to hear the original and if the audience is real nice they'll bust out their breathtaking rendition of "Walk The Dinosaur/Where My Dogs At?" There's MP3s on their site. Check it out.

Me on the Killers in Stylus. Positive reviews that no band would be grateful for are a specialty of mine.

You should be reading nyc.indymedia.org

Another CD-R

Amps "Tipp City"
Butterglory "She Clicks The Sticks"
Edwyn Collins "The Campaign For Real Rock"
Deftones "Feiticeira"
Mark Eitzel "The Global Sweep Of Human History"
Fountains Of Wayne "All Kinds Of Time"
Grandaddy "Straw Dog & The Chocolate Shake"
Hives "Walk! Idiot Walk"
Kid Rock "Paid"
Les Baton Rouge "Traffic Trail"
Marilyn Manson "Doll Dugga Zub Zub Ziggity-Zag"
New Wet Kojak "Get The Curse"
Old Time Relijun "Jail"
Pooh Sticks "Working On A Beautiful Thing"
Quarishi "Stick 'Em Up"
Royal Trux "(Have You Met) Horror James?"
Self "Pattycake"
Transplants "Tall Cans In The Air"
Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Shot Down"

I like working evenings, since it means I rarely have to set my alarm clock. The downside is that rather than listening to new music and writing, I tend to spend the morning/afternoon playing albums I already know by heart, shlepping around downtown or nursing a hangover. Time flies.

The Mountain Goats when I need to chill.
The Clean when I am chill.
Fugazi when I need to get serious.
AC/DC when I need to BLOW ALL THE SHIT OUTTA MY BRAIN.

No other bands are allowed on my CD player. Not today.

This is why I'm glad I'm not a full-time critic.