Theme Park Experience

Songs in me heads: "Me and the Major" by Belle & Sebastian "Fox in the Snow" by Belle & Sebastian NME has some info about Frank Black's next solo record. Very interesting list of session musicians . . . Neil Diamond to work with Rick Rubin. Read all about here . Defamer pointed out this article in Variety about the narrowing window of movies' theatrical release to DVD. Then the Los Angeles Times has an article on Blockbuster's latest hang-up with late fees. Regardless, other than seeing this and this in the theater, I'm kicking it at home with this service. Large Hearted Boy posted a link for the new video for the Decemberists. After hearing a song in CD Addict and after seeing this video, I think I need to get Picaresque . . . Finally, here's a nice little quote from the Onion : "It says in the Bible that the morning-after pill is wrong. I believe the passage is Pharmaceuticals 3:16."

Song in my head: "Sooner or Later" by the Grass Roots Starting off the week with some sad news . Very sad. Last week, it was the La's. This week, add the dB's to the list of '80s bands getting back together. Rolling Stone has the story. The tracklisting for Paul Westerberg's forthcoming "best-of" is available here . Thanks Chrome Waves ! Jon Brion is working with Kanye West? Read more here . Weekend wrap-up: Took things very easy due to the heavy rain on Saturday. Stayed in and listened to Neil Young's Decade and disc 1 of the 1981 10-CD box set Friday and Saturday night, respectively. I watched this classic movie Saturday morning and was really blown away by it. More proof that Hitchcock made human dramas dressed up as genre pictures, Notorious is way more of a love story than a spy thriller. Since I'm through with that DVD and the two other DVDs I checked out, I sent them back this morning. I hope to get End of the Century , Burn to Shi...

Ever look at an album cover and say, "This looks familiar"? This website may help. Have a good holiday weekend.

Here is a blurb in the New York Times about the American version of the Office: "Luckily for NBC, which bought the rights to the British comedy, only a relatively small number of viewers in the United States have seen the BBC version." Only a relatively small number of viewers? This sounds in league with Simon Price's allegation that the Manic Street Preachers have no American fans.

I remember seeing the "Battle of Who Could Care Less" video on 120 Minutes . After viewing the video a few times and really enjoying the song over and over again, I decided to pick up their album, Whatever and Ever Amen . From then on and well after their break-up, I've been a big fan of their music and Ben's solo material. Whenever people ask me, "Who are your favorite bands?," Ben Folds Five is one of the names I bring up along with face to face, Wilco and so on and so forth. I think the reason why I still like their music is that their songs are full of melodic hooks, smart lyrics, great harmonies and lots of other things I can't put into words. I've often listened to their records in my car and they feel like a great soundtrack to a lonely drive. Not to sound melodramatic, but I remember driving around Kingwood on prom night looking for a pair of guitar strings with my dubbed cassette copy of Whatever and Ever Amen on. I had no interest in going...

I don't know if the Onion has done something along these lines, but I think this would be funny: Woman appearing to be on cell phone was actually talking to herself HOUSTON, TX-Lisa Jones was spotted near the intersection of Maple and Pearl talking outloud to no one in particular on Tuesday afternoon. Due to the popularity of headset attachments on cell phones, many of the passersby believed Ms. Jones was talking on one. Jones, self-diagnosed with bi-polar disorder, said she was conversing with one of the many voices in the "room full of voices" she hears in her head. No word if any charges were filed as Ms. Jones was whisked away in a straightjacket.

Songs in my head: "Hungry Eyes" by Eric Carmen "Slow Hands" by Interpol "Next Exit" by Interpol Torr posted some very cool Belle & Sebastian news yesterday. I know, all of these songs are previously released but I prefer two CDs filled with music rather than seven EPs. Add the La's to the list of bands reuniting, says NME . Punknews.org has the tracklisting and cover art for the forthcoming At the Drive-In anthology. I didn't know they covered Pink Floyd and the Smiths . . . MTV has some info about the upcoming Dashboard Confessional record. Was this show so foreign to people that it had to be Americanized for a wide US audience? As someone who loved (and still loves) the British version, I'm in the dark as to why an American version is necessary. Think I'm blowing smoke? This franchise is very British yet that hasn't stopped it from having a wide appeal. I'm unnecessarily comparing peaches and bananas here, but my hard-hea...