For all my optimism and whatnot it's been a good while since I've written a review and I'm having a bitch of a time really getting back into the game. Conversations? Easy. Short reactions? Easy. 400+ words? Ehhhh. Doesn't help that I've been listening to a lot of albums that I don't feel qualified to write extended pieces on. I'm not saying only "experts" should write about a type of music, I'm just saying that I lack the desire or energy to spout fountains of text about noise/experimental/instrumental/psychedelic/sounds-nice-in-the-background/bet-i'd-like-it-more/if-I-saw-it-live/or-had-access-to-drugs stuff I've been listening to. Writer's block is definitely going around right now, unsurprisingly. I will get back in the game this week, though. I will, I will, I will.

I made a mood-lightening CD for my air-travel time two weeks ago. Songs I have on CD that force for me to smile I hadn't already placed on single-artist CD-Rs, structured in my usual alphabetized format. To swipe a joke from blfc, here's manthony m1cc1o's Back To Mine.

A.R.E. Weapons - Don't Be Scared
Basement Jaxx (feat. Dizzee Rascal) - Lucky Star
Cult - She Sells Sanctuary
Dismemberment Plan - Superpowers
Electric Six - Electric Demons In Love
Fugazi - Full Disclosure
Go-Go's - Head Over Heels
Hot Snakes - Salton City
Enrique Iglesias - Escape
Junior Senior - Shake Your Coconuts
R. Kelly - Red Carpet (Pause, Flash)
Limp Bizkit - Livin' It Up
John Mayer - Clarity
Prince - Dirty Mind
Queen w/ David Bowie - Under Pressure
Rolling Stones - Jigsaw Puzzle
Smashmouth - All Star
Transplants - Tall Cans In The Air
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Y Control

One small bit of record nerd cred defensiveness: if I had the new CD reissue rather than the old Mute cassette reissue of A Trip To Marineville, Smashmouth would have been replaced by Swell Maps' "Harmony In Your Bathroom." THAT'S RIGHT! I'M OLD SCHOOL! MY FONDNESS FOR MAINSTREAM ISN'T DUE TO IGNORANCE! IT'S BY CHOICE! I'M NOT ULTRAGRRRL, OK? ARRRRRRRGH! Not that "All Star" isn't a classic. It is. Just...yeah.