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I want to ride my bicycle . . .

Songs in my head:
"Bicycle" by Queen
"You're My Best Friend" by Queen

I have a friend named Mark that is really into music. So much so that I would not be surprised if he would have to move into a bigger place to accomodate his ever-growing vinyl/CD/video/DVD collection. To those that think I'm a little too much into music will think he should be admitted to a mental ward. To those that understand the power of music, you know that music is not just some cheap and disposable thing to put on in the background. Every week, Mark sends out an MP3 via e-mail of a song that rocks his world. You never know what he'll send, but it's almost always a good track. It may be brand new, a few months old, a years old or many years old. Always something I look forward to every week. Now he's expanded his discoveries to the web on this website.

Let the hype on the Rakes begin!

What is the deal with band gear getting stolen, especially in Texas? Camper Van Beethoven got their stuff stolen again!

The newest installment of the Onion's Commentary Tracks of the Damned: Say It Isn't So! Former TCU student Chris Klein chimes in on his take on the movie.

Speaking of the Onion, this article's headline says it all: "Watching fewer than four hours of television a day severely inhibits a person's ability to ridicule popular culture."

You know you've read a good book on a band when you decide to get more records out of their back catalog. I picked up the Manics' b-side collection, Lipstick Traces, last night. Lots of great songs are spread across the two discs. Some of the ones that stood out upon first listen are "Forever Delayed," "Prologue to History," "Dead Trees and Traffic Islands," and "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head." I've heard very good things about their newest record, Lifeblood, but I doubt that it will be released in the US. Hello, CD Wow . . .

MTV.com has this great article that debates whether or not American Idol is hurting music. My attitude is: it's a TV show with an effective way of marketing young singers. It's selling records but it's not hurting music. These are artists meant for the pop music crowd, not for the people that want something new, radical or arty. It's meant to be an accessible way of introducing the next possible superstar. It would be a whole different show if it was called Credibility Idol. Understand that Pop Idol, the British version that inspired the American version, is still big business in England and the UK. Yet bands like Manic Street Preachers and the Libertines still sell well and make good records. In other words, its influence is not hurting the overall music scene's influence on those that listen to it. Don't worry folks, those taking shortcuts to fame will pay for it when their new record doesn't sell a lot of copies and he/she blames everyone else for its "failure" (record label not promoting it is an often used phrase) and wants to know why he/she doesn't have credibility. Sounds harsh, cynical and biased but just ask this guy about his experiences with American Idol.

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