Rock catch-all

1. REM in Actually Appealing New Album Shock! Really. I don't cringe with embarrassment in the listening. It's like Green and the good tracks from Out of Time had a baby. It almost makes me want to see what I missed on albums like On the Sun and Contract Full-Filler (names approximate). Only almost, though - I could never waste that much time, when I have so much to share with you wonderful people!



2. I have about 50 LPs to check out but haven't the time.



3. I thought I felt all indifferent about the newish Belle and Sebastian record, but suddenly it's all I've listened to in the truck for a week! Even the Norah Jones-equipped track is great, and, in fact, it was stuck in my head all weekend. I also stuck all the bonus tracks (including the mighty "Suicide Girl" -starting to get some feeling back in my wrist after seeing the video) on the end which REALLY makes this pup swing. So, yeah. But then, in my loneliest moments in the dark of night, I have to wonder if my unquenchable need to listen to this is just a subconscious ruse to keep me from getting off my ass, listening to my own dreck and writing some LYRICS for once in my lazy, miserable life? Your call!



4. Okay, I've never cared about Luna and wasn't smart enough for Galaxie 500 back in the olden times. Just not on my radar. HOWever, in the throes of "nothing good streaming on Netflix"-ness Saturday night, curiosity drove us to watch that 13 Most Beautiful: Andy Warhol Screen Tests thing that was mentioned (probably?) on Magnet and Pitchfork for about 11 seconds and was soundtracked by Dean and Britta (see? a point!). What good little songs! The Paul America test with a song called "Teenage Lightning" ("...put your hand down my pants...") was especially scintillating. Also, this would have been an aMAzing thing to watch when I was still on the jazz cigarettes, because I'm sure the confluence of hazy Velvets-lite rock and vintage Warholia would have had the late-20's me dopily reflecting aloud to whomever was unlucky enough to be in the room: "Wow. Dude. Just think, like, the day they shot this, like, Dennis Hopper, probably had lunch at the Russian Tea Room first, and it was raining, then he went in, shot this little movie at the Factory, talked to Billy Name, then came out and the clouds were parting and there was a rainbow...plus that's like ten years before 'landing on fractions, man' and twenty before Frank fucking BOOTH, for god's sake..." or something.