Things I Have Done Since My Last Post

1) Finished my Christmas Shopping (God bless on-line stores. I hate the mall at Christmas time)

2) Finished unpacking from my move into the new house. (oh, who am I kidding, I still have boxes in almost every room)

3) Put together about a thousand toys for my boys for Christmas (Daddy, why did Santa paint all the toys with Red dots?)

4) Watched a lot of football (which the wife hates but 'tis the bowl season in college so it had to be done)

5) Worked. And worked. And worked (anyone who said middle management is easy has never been in the middle of those in power and those who are not...let's face it you can't please anyone let alone everyone)

6) Hung Christmas lights...in the dark. Because I like a challenge.

7) Watched a lot of TV (Hey honey we have almost 34 hours free on the TIVO!!)

8) Hung about 30 shelves (why do houses not come with shelves? Do people not feel the need to display dust inducing chochkees in their houses like we do?)

9) Put together a bunch of storage units and pre-fab furniture (again, more red dots)

10) Procrastinated. Kinda like I'm doing right now.

Coming soon...Your Moment of Zen's Top albums of 2008. Maybe.

Happy Holidays.

Something that got stuck in my head...

I was driving home tonight when I flicked across a cover of U2's "Seconds" by Rogue Wave and I thought, "Wow, I haven't listened to WAR in forever!" My U2 consumption lately seems to be mostly the last two records and THE JOSHUA TREE (because that is all that is currently on my iPod). So when I sat down to re-ignite the blog with posts I dug out WAR and popped it in and was instantly reminded why this was my favorite record of theirs for a long time.

WAR has the mark of a band making the leap. In sports, the leap is when a good player ascends to greatness right in front of our eyes. I remember when I saw Kobe Bryant of the Lakers make the leap. It happened with my beloved LA Angels in 2002 (when they won the World Series) and WAR was when U2 made their leap. The songs had more bite and polish than BOY or OCTOBER. The lyrics now encompassed a more direct marriage of the spiritual and the political and The Edge found his signature guitar sound here. Most critics say that THE UNFORGETTABLE FIRE is the leap record because of the presence of Brian Eno but I argue that the images that came from WAR (The band in the snow for "New Year's Day", Bono and his white flag at Red Rocks on "Sunday, Bloody Sunday) are what most people remember from that era of the band.

The real secret of this record though are the album cuts. Unlike other 80's bands, U2 took their time crafting a whole album. Sure the singles are brilliant but "Like a Song..." and "The Refugee" hit the mark for their power and musicianship better than many other bands hits. Re-listening to the record as a whole it strikes me how each song seems to flow into the next, as if part of a larger plan all along. In essence, a band moving away from their established style into something new. In fact, WAR departure in sound from the first two records set the tone for the bands experimental nature (another thing most critics credit to FIRE, when in fact FIRE is more along the lines of OCTOBER than WAR ever was).

So, what does all this mean. It means it's a damn good record (although you probably already knew that) and one that should be included on your iPod just in case you need something that still kicks ass...

(mp3) U2 - Like A Song...

(mp3) U2 - The Refugee

In Case You Missed It

I may or may not post a larger rant later tonight but in case I don't I wanted to put this song up for several reasons:

1) Wilco is a great band

2) It's only performance was on the brilliant COLBERT REPORT right before the election. (something I will attempt to comment on later)

3) It is a nice return to the old blues/country roots of the band (with shades of Uncle Tupelo) and away from the more experimental stuff they have been putting out.

So here it is:

(mp3) Wilco -- The Wilco Song (courtesy of You Ain't No Picasso)

Catching up with...

So, I have been away (I know, nothing new there) so I have some not necessarily thematic thoughts to get everyone caught up:

1) Hands down my new favorite TV Show of the moment is Chuck. Not only is it funny and full of action, it has great music. Case in point was the superb use of Rush's "Tom Sawyer" to illustrate the climactic battle Chuck has to go through against the old game Missile Command. It was a brilliant use of the song and made me jump on the net and grab it for the ole' iPod.

(mp3) Rush -- Tom Sawyer


2) I have, for the most part, ignored the new OASIS record. For someone who is card carrying member of the Britpop fan club to write these words might constitute blasphemy, but I just haven't been able to get excited. The two exceptions to my blah attitude are the singles "Falling Down" (both the original and the Chemical Brothers remix) and "Shock of the Lightning". Both of these songs could very easily have fit onto the first two records so this is most likely why I enjoy them. The rest feels like filler to me.

(mp3) Oasis - Shock of the Lightning

3) Has a band coming off a huge commercial album ever had a quieter follow up release than SNOW PATROL? I would have expected their new stuff to be plastered all over the radio and TV but I have heard nary a peep from their new album. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

4) This past week was homecoming week on my campus. This is one of my favorite times of the year and makes me a bit sad I chose to go to a college with no football team and very little school spirit. Perhaps that is why every year I lose my voice screaming at the top of my lungs to get a bunch of teenagers excited about a game. (BTW, our team lost again this year, making it 13 straight loses to the cross town rival). In honor of that here are some of the best collegiate fight songs around.

(mp3) USC Fight Song
(mp3) Notre Dame Victory March
(mp3) Michigan Hail To The Victors
(mp3) Florida State War Chant
(mp3) University of Tennessee Rocky Top



Hopefully it won't be as long till my next post.

Cheers.

I Love Democracy

I love the process of voting. I am one of those old fashioned types who believes that one should actually go to the polls, stand in that little plastic booth and punch the card with your choices. I have yet to give in to the absentee process mostly because I think it robs us of the joy of electing people and making choices on those propositions interest us the most. I admit that often I approach voting with less than a full plate of understanding of the intricacies of the different measures and some of the lesser known judges that are running. But I still like the pageantry of election night. I will be glued to the TV as the results come in and states are lite up either red or blue. (by the way, how cool are the sets for election night. Seriously who wouldn't want to play with a huge electoral map).

So I will wait till tomorrow night after work to go to cast my vote. I will be tired and hungry (and given my new house payment poor) but I will be right there to punch my card and get my sticker. I owe the democratic process that much..

(mp3) Billy Bragg -- From Red To Blue

Lost Bands of Britpop (Part Six)

One of the odd things about the Britpop of the 90's is that it was divided into several camps. You had those bands that came from Manchester and had a decidedly dancy style to their music. You had the bands that were still recovering from the shoegazer movement. Then you had those bands that were climbing the pop charts by channeling the Beatles and the Stones (*cough* Oasis). Every once and awhile one of these bands would dabble with their musical formula and would be met with either derision by the mainstream press or adoration for stretching their musical legs. Herein lies the problem with a band like KULA SHAKER. These lads had several strikes against them when they first came to prominence:

1) Lead singer Crispin Mills was more famous for his mother (Disney staple Actress Hayley Mills) then for his music.

2) They utter pretentious nature of their musical influences. (think Pink Floyd mixed with The Stones and Ravi Shankar)

3) Mills gigantic mouth.

Obviously, the combination of these elements meant that they were slated for a meteoric rise and fall (isn't that always the case with these bands) and true to form their first record, "K", was a huge hit in the UK and made quite a bit of noise in the States. With it's mix of mystical lyrics, dancy drums and layered guitar work, Kula Shaker's debut was unique and I have to admit, very addictive. "Hey Dude" hits you from the moment it comes from the speakers with all the bravado of Trex. "Govinda" uses guitars to transport the listener to the hills of India, while "Tattva" is a perfect pop song about love and peace that seems straight from the sixties. Really, that is the key to the album; it has a dated and yet modern feel to it. Listening to it today it does not feel out of place or wain in it's potency to excite.

The rest of the Kula Shaker story is the typical downfall of a popular band. The band broke up after their second record with Mills going on to various other bands and solo projects before reforming the band in 2004 and releasing some new material. I get the impression that Mills is cut from the same cloth as other musical savants who feel that their music is never quite right and that must have driven his band mates insane. You can hear a lot of studio trickery on his later work that was not present on the debut. But for sheer joy and musical pleasure, their first album still delights.

(mp3) Kula Shaker -- Tattva

(mp3) Kula Shaker -- Hey Dude

In Honor Of My New Commute

I have never been one who likes to drive. Part of this is due to the fact that I currently tool around the greater San Gabriel Valley in a 1993 Nissan pick up that is lovingly referred to as a "P.O.S.". But it is also due to the fact that I get bored easily and a long drive is just about the greatest form of torture for someone with ADD. So with the new move arrives a special present; a 45 minute commute to and from work!! This has meeant getting up a half hour earlier (those of you who enjoy sleep undersatnd the importance of the last half hour of rest prior to the day) and sitting in traffic with the countless others on the 210 freeway heading off to the day's activities. Then when the day is done I get to do it all over again.

The drive has forced me to listen to a ton of sports talk radio (just about the lowest common denominator of entertainment is the afternoon drive talk show.) Although I do, from time to time, find the guys on AM 570 (Money and Petros) entertaining, the 710 ESPN yakkers (Denholm and Long) are god awful and make me want to leap screaming from me semi moving vehicle. Seriously, I could do these guys jobs in my sleep. The only reason I listen is to keep abreast of the day in sports. The talk is broken up by a combination of KROQ, 100.3 the Sound (a new alternsative for old people station that is like THE WAVE but with REM and U2) and the old iPod. So in honor of my new found time in the car, here is a mini-mix of songs. Happy commuting everyone (I will now go load my gun for the tomorrow's onset of road rage...)

(mp3) Snow Patrol --Headlights
(mp3) The Perishers -- Let There Be Morning
(mp3) It Hugs Back -- Other Cars Go
(mp3) A3 -- Woke Up This Morning
(mp3) Jimi Hendrix -- Crosstown Traffic (Courtesy of Metal Bastard)

Not Dead...just moving

I haven't fallen off the face of the earth, just moving into a new house. Once things settle down I will be back at it. Cheers!

200th post -- nothing but chaos

So I had intended to Post a podcast for my 200th post but haven't had five minutes to sit down and record it due to the following:

1) My wife having surgery and being bed ridden for a week and a half
2) The impending purchase of a new home and the subsequent packing required
3) A tedious and time consuming job interview for a promotion.
4) No support network in the area (although a last minute call to the bullpen to bring in my dad for babysitting duty paid off)
5) My two sons simultaneously deciding to channel Dennis the Menace and spend every waking hour hurling themselves and any convenient object at each other.


All of these factors have led me believe that my karma is currently out of whack. Now the surgery could not be avoided. After seven months of intense pain it was finally time to end the household nightmare for my wife. Buying a new house is actually a good thing, but if you have ever gone through a house hunt and the accompanying purchase process you know that this is some sort of Chinese torture program. The job interview kind of came out of left field and let me say that finishing second in a job race is no fun. Having no parents (my mom is in Oklahoma packing my brother up to ship out to Afghanistan and my wife's parents live in Oregon) makes corralling the children somewhat complex and required me to take a week off. If anyone actually knows me then you know what a rarity it is for me to take any time off, let alone a week. Finally, the only explanation I have for my boys is that they are 2 1/2 and boys ('nuff said).

So where does this leave me? Will I maintain my sanity long enough to get through October? Will I survive all the various trials to succeed and prosper? I hope so. In the meantime I feel the JOY DIVISION just about sums up my mood right now.

(mp3) Joy Division -- Disorder
(mp3) Joy Division -- Day of the Lords (for the chorus of "When will it end" over and over again like a mantra)


But fear not fair readers, salvation is near because baseball playoffs start Wednesday.

(mp3) Train -- Calling All Angels

Promoting a Blog I Love

I always admire other bloggers. It takes dedication and passion to keep posting music day in and day out (lord knows I have trouble putting down a post a week!!) So when bloggers move beyond the realm of just commenting on music and onto actually putting music out I have to take time to say "Way to Go"! One such blog I frequently read is 17 Seconds run by a very knowledgeable chap named Ed who has started his own label. Taking the DIY spirit to heart and putting out what I hope is a long line of great Scottish bands that are sorely in need of some attention. Case in point is ABERFELDY, which has just released a a divine slice of pop heaven as a single called "Claire/Talk Me Round". If you love catchy indie pop then check out these songs on their myspace and by all means by the damn single when it comes out. I know Ed will appreciate it.

17 Seconds Records (Official Site)

Stream Aberfeldy Single here

A Quick Hit for the Day

Things are nuts around the house right now. I am prepping a move into a new house so I don't have a ton of time for anything enjoyable. I did however want to share this song with you just because it came on the iPod today. I think I will probably do a proper RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE post later, but here is probably my favorite track of theirs recorded live at a show I was at (which ended up being the last time they performed live until recently).

More later...

(mp3) Rage Against The Machine -- Guerilla Radio

Kanye West gives good Daft Punk!!

So, I stopped watching the Video Music Awards via MTV (perhaps the most misleading moniker in TV these days..but that's a post for another time). Anyway, I stopped watching the VMA's mainly due to the fact that most of the artists that are performing are not my cup of tea. But I happened by the show a few days ago, just in time to catch KANYE WEST's live performance of his new single, "Love Lockdown". Some thoughts about the performance and Mr. West himself:

1) It takes real guts to play a new song live on an awards show. There are a lot of things that can go wrong, so I have to applaud him for that. This was always my biggest complaint against THE CURE, who would religiously trot out "Just Like Heaven" for the umpteenth time rather than risk any sort of fan backlash.

2) You could tell the crowd wasn't feeling the song right away. There appeared (at least on TV) to be a bit of pause.

3) The song is a real change of pace for Kanye. He sings and the song has no real chorus. Two things that don't often spell hit.

4) This song is his "heat check" moment. For those who do not play basketball, a heat check is when someone who is playing especially well decides to just throw up a ridiculous shot to see just how hot they are. No matter how crazy or insane the shot, if one is hot it always goes in. This song is an experiment in how hot Kanye is. If it's a hit, then he might just release a polka single next.

5) My main point of this mini rant is this: How come no one is calling Kanye out for cribbing from DAFT PUNK? It was one thing to lift a sample for his hit "Stronger" (a song I actually like quite a bit), but now he's just writing songs that sound as if they were already created by the French techno band. Really, one of the remixes I heard sounds like it leapt right out of the setlist for DAFT PUNK'S last live disc. How come people will buy millions of copies of this, but will ignore the DAFT PUNK catalogue?

The truth is I actually like this song (and a few others of his as well). It pushes the boundaries of what most pop music is today and I am all for pushing boundaries. But kids, do yourself a favor and check out the Daft Punk song I'm posting here for your pleasure. Who knows, Kanye may decide to make this one his next single.

(mp3) Kanye West -- Love Lockdown (Chew Fu Small Room Remix) (Courtesy of The World Forgot)

(mp3) Daft Punk -- Television Rules The Nation / Crescendolls (Live)

Lost Bands of Britpop (Part Five)

Some bands just catch lightening in a bottle. They are great for one record and then disappear. For some it's not that they don't release other stuff; it's merely that it's ignored. For others, one record is all they can muster. ELASTICA actually fit into both categories. I remember getting the 7" record of their first US single "Stutter" (back in my radio days when records were still pressed for playing purposes) and I was shocked at what I heard. Not since THE PRETENDERS, had I heard a female voice with such power and focus. Justine Frischmann had the kind of raw emotion to her voice that made their songs jump out of the speakers and grab hold of you. I must have played "Stutter" three dozen times prior to the release of their debut record. Needless to say, my hopes were high for the whole album. And it did not disappoint. Now, Elastica, wasn't exactly setting off in uncharted waters with their mix of pop and punk but it had a real sense of urgency and the entire collection had a drive and immediacy to it that it mad it infectious. Then radio got a hold of "Connection" and everything changed. Justine became the new it face of British rock (due in large part to her very public relationship with Blur's Damon Albarn) and the band couldn't put a follow up together. Time came and went, as did several members of the band, and most of the world forgot about the band.

Justine and a new line-up put out a follow up but it didn't go anywhere. This is what I mean by a band that falls into two categories. They didn't have enough in their creative repertoire to sustain a second record when the first took off. Then by the time they did, music had moved on. It's for the best really. Even now, the first album stands up remarkably well to the test of time. "Never Here" and "Waling Up" could still fit into US radio today (and they weren't even singles here). "Connection" still hits a wondrous note with the siren style guitar lick. Even the album tracks have the same bite they did almost thirteen years later. Truly, Elastica was one of the great lost britpop bands.

(mp3) Elastica -- Stutter

(mp3) Elastica -- Waking Up

Just When I've Lost Faith in Humanity

These were the top headlines from the local rag today here in Pasadena:

1) Woman struck by vehicle in Montebello

2) Man shot in Baldwin Park

3) Man dies after being punched
4) El Monte police officer shoots self in leg

5) Man arrested after blast
6) Gang member sentenced to death for killings

Seriously, that is one bad news day. So just when I have seemingly lost all faith in my fellow man, my iPod blessed me with this track late in the evening. Not only does it have a wonderful message, but the way it builds musically as Michael Hutchence (an underrated singer in my mind) plays out his story is breathtaking. It just made my day a little brighter and gave me hope that there still is beauty in this somewhat messed up world of ours.

(mp3) INXS -- The Stairs

I don't normally put lyrics in my posts but I have always loved these. They might be a bit hokey and naive but they still produce a lump in my throat.

In a room above a busy street
The echoes of a life
The fragments and the accidents
Separated by incidents

Listened to by walls
We share the same spaces
Repeated in the corridors
Performing the same movements

Storey to storey
Building to building
Street to street
We pass each other
Storey to storey
Building to building
Street to street
We pass each other

Listened to by walls
We share the same spaces
Repeated in the corridors
Performing the same movements

The nature of your tragedy
Is chained around your neck
Do you lead or are you led
Are U sure that you don't care
There are reasons here to give your life
And follow in your way
The passion lives to keep your faith
Though all are different all are great

Climbing as we fall
We dare to hold on to our fate
And steal away our destiny
To catch ourselves with quiet grace

Storey to storey
Building to building
Street to street
We pass each other on the stairs

Listened to by walls
We share the same spaces
Repeated in the corridors
Performing the same movements

Storey to storey
Building to building
Street to street
We pass each other on the stairs

Thank God for Sarah Palin!!!

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the planet (just consumed by the first of many 65 hour work weeks in the coming year). I have every intention of resuming my semi-regualr schedule of music related posts tomorrow.

It's hard to believe that since my last post the Democrats nominated the first ever minority for President and the Republicans selected someone even less qualified than former VP Dan Quail for their ticket. Isn't progress grand? Seriously after the week I had I needed a good laugh and god bless the GOP for giving me a good one. Now before being accused of being a sexist let me be clear, I fully believe that a smart woman can one day be president. And I admit I know very little about Mrs. Palin (seems more appropriate to call her this so as to go with her whole hot librarian vibe - to steal a line from about 10,000 comedians in the last week!) but is running the state of Alaska for less than two years really enough of a resume for the second most powerful person in the US. I mean, Jesus it's FREAKIN ALASKA!! What's her primary constituency...moose and geese? So maybe I'm being a wee bit harsh. After all, she is probably smarter than me (Dear God let's hope so or we are all doomed.) But just think one should have logged more than 1 and 1/2 baseball seasons as a leader of people in order to be allowed to chair the Senate.

I think this video is the perfect intro to the woman who may be VP

Well, at least the next two months aren't going to be boring. Hold on to your hats folks...it's gonna get a bit bumpy.

More tomorrow...I hope.

New Bloc Party

I have made no secret of my disdain (or perhaps apathy is a better word) for the last BLOC PARTY album " A Weekend in the City". Maybe it's because "Silent Alarm" was so good and so polished for a debut that I raised the bar on the band too high. Maybe it was that I had a poor digital download of the album which made the nuances harder to appreciate. Maybe the darker feel wasn't where I was at the time, but the whole album left me wanting more. Anyone can see these guys could very well be a great band and make great music for a long time. But with the surprise release of their third album "Intimacy" we might be seeing a full fledged band emerge with the kind of adventurous spirit of RADIOHEAD or U2.

"Intimacy" a record that is all over the place. The lead single, the horn and back beat infected "Mercury" recalls early CURE with it's cacophony of sounds and lyrical nonsense. "Ares" has the feel of an anti-war rant (still digesting the lyrics) when it suddenly softens in the middle. "Halo" could be a Silent Alarm outtake with it's driving guitar/bass combo. But it's when the band unleashes "Biko" that we see something totally different. Here the band writes the closest thing they have to a ballad but full of longing and suffering that makes it an extraordinary listen. The second half of the album has an anthemic feel of a band writing for arenas and large concert venues. Clearly the band has big ideas of it's mind for the immediate future.

"Intimacy" is not as fresh as the debut or a nuanced as the second album, but the entirety is a wonderful listening experience and the sign of a huge leap forward for the band. In a year full of great albums this one is in the running for top honors.

(mp3) Bloc Party -- Biko

Zencast #15 (The Indie Cast - B)

Being the attention whore that I am, I looked at the stats for all of my podcasts and found that the most successful one, based on listener downloads, was the so called "Indie Cast" I did about 5 months ago. So I threw together some random new indie rock and ,VOILA!, a podcast was born. Hidden gems here include the latest from MOGWAI and THE AIRBORNE TOXIC EVENT as well as a great new single from RA RA RIOT. Enjoy these 49 minutes of fun and, as always, feedback is appreciated.

Zencast #15 -- The Indie Cast - B

Tracklisting

Mogwai -- The Sun Smells Too Loud

Working For A Nuclear Free City -- Kingdom

The Airborne Toxic Event -- Sometime Around Midnight

A Classic Education -- Badlands and Owls

Anthem In -- Down

Cerulean -- Quiet Release

Alexi Murdoch -- Home

Lackthereof -- Last November

The Little Ones -- Boracay

Ra Ra Riot -- Dying is Fine

Lost Bands of Britpop (Part Four)

THE BLUETONES were supposed to be a big deal - at least, that's what the PR guy from their US label said to me in line one night at the annual CMJ festival in New York. CMJ was a magazine/charting service for College radio that was my personal bible while in college. When I was in the industry, these charts were the make or break for a new band because it told the world whether or not a band had indie cred. This is an antiquated notion these days, but a fair analogy would be a hit record today on about a thousand blogs would be the same as getting played on a thousand college stations back then. So, when you went to CMJ, you would be seeing the hippest and coolest of the music industry at that time. Each night was a collection of showcases for different bands trying to sway stations to play them on the air. Each night there was that one band that was the big ticket that every radio and industry type wanted to see. For one night in New York, The Bluetones were that band.

Now, it is never fair to raise expectations on any band to the height that they were at that night. I walked into the club expecting a band on par with OASIS, BLUR or THE CHARLATANS. What I got was an average sounding Britpop band with a couple of strong songs. I left disappointed, and turned to my PR friend and said, "So what else you got going tonight?". To a PR guy working a radio Music Director, this statement was akin to shooting his dog. Upon my return to California, I never even took the time to buy the full album. I had enjoyed the ep they had sent me and at the time that was enough for me.

About a year ago, I found "Expecting To Fly" online and downloaded it. I was surprised at the quality of the record. "Slight Return" has a nice sing-songy feel to it that never translated well live. "Bluetonic" is textbook britpop (as if recycled out of The La's leftovers), while "Talking to Clarry" has that open the show slow build to a somewhat majestic anthem feel that shows off some above average guitar work. It's a nice record and one I should have not dismissed. Were they the second coming? NO! But I was glad to see that they have carried on and I might just see what they have done since their debut. I guess the lesson here is that some bands just aren't good live (at least the night I saw them), but that shouldn't be the kiss of death. Who knows, maybe the pressure was to much for them and they were tight? Maybe a few more shows would have benefited them and given them a greater presence in the US. Still, for a britpop nugget they feel like a nice addition to the Lost Bands Catalogue.

(mp3) The Bluetones -- Slight Return (Courtesy of The Daily Growl)

(mp3) The Bluetones -- Bluetonic (Courtesy of Song, By Toad)

I had the whole album on my computer but apparently deleted it to save room!

Plugging back into the Matrix

It's amazing how reliant I have become on technology. Now, I have always been relatively in tune with the latest gadgets and advances. But over time I have become more and more attached to the notion that I can get information any time I want via the Internet. For many of us who lived prior to the Internet days, this development has changed how we act when we go on vacation. I recently spent 10 days on a ranch in Southern Oregon where I had no cell-phone reception (thereby slicing me away from being able to check my blackberry for e-mail), a computer with a dial-up modem (which makes getting information off the net next to impossible) and a local paper that was 14 pages total (mostly about local news which has no bearing on my life). Add to this the fact that, even though there was cable TV, it was in another state so forget trying to keep up on local baseball teams and their games. I was reduced to checking the ESPN crawl at the bottom of the screen over and over to see if the Angels were winning or losing. For someone who has a information addiction this is some form of sadistic torture.

(NOTE: I did have a very nice time and actually spent quite a bit in a wonderful hammock between two shade trees with a nice breeze blowing. So don't get the idea that I am ungrateful bastard who can't appreciate a little R and R)

So obviously my wife and I fought tooth and nail to see who got to the computer first upon our return home to check e-mail, facebook, websites, and other Internet related gobbledy gook (I lost which is why this is being written today instead of yesterday). So now I'm plugged back in and ready to go. Now excuse me I have to go refresh my e-mail... it's been two whole minutes.

Computer Club is a great new electronic act which seemed to fit with the theme today. All song links courtesy of I Heart Comix

(mp3) Computer Club -- Bizarre Love Triangle (yes, another version of the New Order Classic)

(mp3) Computer Club -- Laptop Levitation

Hitting the Open Road

Summer school is at an end so it's time to pack the family up in the car and head North to the great state of Oregon for our annual family trip. This year we decided to try to minimize the pain on the boys and drive through the night rather than wasting an entire day. This does mean, however, that I will have to pull an all nighter to accomplish this feat. So given the fact that I have to rest up and that I will be on vacation for the next 10 days I leave you with a couple of parting gestures. See you in a couple of weeks...

(mp3) Aberdeen -- Drive

(mp3) Elastica -- Car Song

(mp3) West Indian Girl -- Leave Tonight