While I wish there were more candid photographs of the band in it (come on, give a '90s indie rock fetishist something to stare at!), I'm glad to have a copy of Perfect Sound Forever, the new Pavement bio. While the culture-oriented opinions in the book are bit too indie-good/mainstream-bad for my pop-diluted tastes, the chapters dealing with Pavement's origins were full of interesting anecdotes and astonishing revelations. Seeing the way hype built up around the band as they rapidly evolved from a piss-take noise-pop duo to The Greatest Rock Band You've Never Heard is fascinating, especially since most of the articles I've read about the band were written circa Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. It's also interesting to read a detailed description of the band's dissolution, since the press releases offered at the time were conflicting and vague. Author Rob Jovanovic offers enough quotes from the band to offset his across-the-sea take on U.S. pop culture (yeah, ok, that's a real bugaboo of mine), plus there's lots of photocopies of old reviews to ponder. Now where's that Guided By Voices bio? Or how about The Oral History Of Steve Albini?

There's a BBC documentary on the new Pixies DVD, and it's fascinating to hear what all these Brit-rock fuddyduddies think about the band (the ONLY Americans were Kristin Hersh, who got about two seconds of air time, and Steve Albini). "Fooking amazin' bahnd"...so many of them talked about the intensity and violence of the music while only BONO (jesus wtf hell goddamn) acknowledged the humor behind it all. Nobody seemed to want to acknowledge the bubblegum side of the Pixies, only the pigfuck aspects. Oh wait, Gavin Rossdale talked about how the "Uriah hit the crapper" line made him crack up. His hair kept me from appreciating that. I'm giggling more than anything when I hear the Pixies. "he bought me a soda and tried molest me in the parking lot HEP HEP HEP!" Ol' Chucky Thompson was trying to keep himself amused.

I mean Bono claimed that the whole quiet verse - loud chorus thing starts with the Pixies. Dork, pop music been doing that since forever! Hell, Bread did it on "Everything I Own," Bob Dylan did it on "Like A Rolling Stone," even! Maybe the Pixies did more dramatically and frequently (it almost sounds LESS impressive when you realize how often they utilized it), but it wasn't a new concept.

Kim Deal is one of the sexiest people on the planet. If I ever bloat up I'm going to have Black Francis pics all over my apartment (just like George Costanza and his Dennis Franz poster).

I've been feeling rather inspired lately (one of the reason's last name is Mayer and his first ain't Oscar though he may well be a weiner) and once I get over this cold this page will feature some of my most proof-read and edited work to date (sweet diggity damn!). Until then, please enjoy the majesty that is AMERICAN ALIENS, Fred Durst's blog!!!!!!!!!!!

This post is dedicated to Fred Durst. You are my favorite muthafucka. I told you, didn't I?

It seems only right to celebrate Scott Woods creating a list of his favorite albums. One of the main men behind rockcritics.com (a site that chain-of-events-wise has altered the course of my life) is now presenting his favorite song, album and movie from each of the 40 years he's been on this planet on his new blog. Dig in!

A great way to create potential shopping lists is to use Robert Christgau's random A-list creator. Every time you refresh the page you get ten different A- or greater Consumer Guide reviews. Here's ten albums I'd likely buy (if I found cheap copies) from ten different A-lists:

First: Janet Jackson, The Velvet Rope

Second: this list is disqualified since I already own four of the albums (in order of favorites: On The Beach, Spend The Night, Another Green World, Lodger - which I actually just sold back)

Third: EPMD, Strictly Business

Fourth: Jonathan Richman, Jonathan Sings!

Fifth: Eminem, Fucking Yzarc (like I'm going to find Eminem bootlegs anywhere)

Sixth: Beastie Boys, Beastie Boys Anthology: The Sounds Of Science (I've been listening to my sister's copy of
this a lot. Great rarities, and I'd rather hear their mediocre funk jams in this context than on the full-lengths. Have I mentioned how excited I am to hear the new single?)

Seventh: Latin Playboys, Latin Playboys (what I've heard of this Los Lobos side-project I like a hell of a lot more than Los Lobos)

Eighth: Pretenders, Learning To Crawl (though I've ignored this album enough times in used vinyl racks that I probably should give Kimya Dawson's My Cute Fiend Sweet Princess a shout-out as well)

Ninth: X, More Fun In The New World (since I enjoy Under The Big Black Sun just as much as its more hailed predecessors - which is a bit but not a lot, I really should have the follow-up as well)

Tenth: Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, Collector's Item (that Mario Winans song is making me hungry for some strong-voiced R&B)

While there won't be any extended projects here until at least September (I've got some ideas but it's going to require having cable internet at home, which I won't have until I move to my new apt. in August), I'm probably going to be posting lots of random bullshit. Enjoy.


Both Yellowcard and Hoobastank have made videos for their earnest, nasal songs about regret ("I'm sorry that I herrrt yewwwwww" kills me every time) that imply that the bands are actually criminals (Hooba fakes a car accident so that they can steal an older man's ruby, Yellowcard's lead singer stole a briefcase with a bunny insignia that two pimps and his leather-clad love interest really want bad). Both songs are significantly less endearing when the guys hide their emoting behind post-Tarantino hijinks. This wasn't even the most absurd example of defensive posturing I saw on MTV today while doing laundry. That would have to be the ads for men's moisturizers.


I also saw the video for "All Falls Down." While the music, lyrics and "concept" (I thought all concepts were by WARRANT) are of the highest quality, Kanye West is an extremely mediocre rapper [sentiment edited out of respect to my friend Travis and also because "All Falls Down" sounded even better the second time]. Seriously, MA$E would have asked to do a second take if he delivered a "c'mon, c'mon" that weakly. I can see why critics have so much enthusiasm for him, and I'm impressed that he's been able to get the mainstream to root for him as well, but GODDAMN does he need to get a voice coach. I know he can afford one.

Here they are, my 100 favorite albums of all time (Starting with #100 and working down, left to right). Click on an album cover and get the review. Thanks for reading.