I don't know if this has been brought up, since I don't normally swim in these waters, but I thought I would mention that WNYC is doing a webcast of Candide , starring Patti Lupone and Kristen Chenoweth, right now at [link] . They are still in the prologue.

I saw the Magnetic Fields tonight, and they were awesome! Uh, in a morose and sarcastic kind of way. They did a bunch of songs from the new album (of which my favorites were "I Thought You Were My Boyfriend" and "I Wish I Had An Evil Twin" and "I Don't Believe You"). So many good songs. And I finally bought 69 Love Songs (I'm listening to it now! AIFG!) and also the new one.

The coolest thing about the show, though, was that Kelly Link opened! She read part of a story from Ellen Datlow's new anthology The Dark about zombies and pajamas and working at a convenience store. She seemed really nervous, and I wasn't entirely sure whether she'd meant to finish the story or not, because she stopped kind of abruptly and said "And that's all I'm going to read tonight" and walked off. But she got enthusiastic applause, and everyone I talked to was really into the story, so I hope she didn't feel like the audience wasn't appreciative enough.

So, about two weeks ago I finally got around to ordering Television: Live at the Old Waldorf 1978, from Rhino Handmade. I got an email confirming the order saying that the shipment should arrive in 5 to 7 days. I wait 7 days. I wait another 7 days. I check the order status using the confirmation number in the email. It says "Back Ordered". Hmmm. I go back to rhinohandmade.com and now the CD is listed as "Out of Print".

Doesn't sound like I'm gonna get it, does it? I was probably too late by only a few hours. Damn it.

Rhino sent an announcement saying they were gone, but that announcement was made more recently -- maybe within the last week. Write to them and complain! Maybe they have a few copies laying around. Squeaky wheel and all that.

And if that doesn't work, I'm sure "someone" could burn you a CD-R. You'll be at the F2F, right?

Yes, I'll be at the F2F, and thanks to, um, "someone" for the CD-R offer. But I've found a source for MP3s of the album. I emailed Rhino Handmade customer service, so if they come up with a copy, I'll be glad to get the legit version. Otherwise I'll be content with the MP3s.

Today I got the new Loretta Lynn - the reviews are not wrong. It is wonderful. Very Loretta - with just a wee bit of Jack White. I've listened to it four times - which is amazing considering that today I also got my hands on an unbelievably good soundboard-quality bootleg of the Pixies show in Eugene, OR on 4/28.

It is freakish how - the same - they sound. *Almost* too much the same. It was like listening to an album kind of. Or at least a perfomance from 15 years ago - I mean - they sound just like they did. If nothing else, they are incredibly well rehearsed. As much as there was a sense that there was some passion lacking in their performance - I wanted to cry at how much I can't wait to be in the audience to see them perform. Check out the set list:

Planet of Sound
Caribou
U-Mass
I Bleed
Is She Wired
Gouge Away
Ed is Dead
River Euphrates
Debaser
Crackity Jones
Hey
Monkey Gone to Heaven
Bone Machine
Levitate Me
Blown Away/Nimrod's Son
Here Comes Your Man
Wave of Mutilation (UK Surf)
Mr. Grieves/Vamos
Where is My Mind
Gigantic
Tame
In Heaven
Wave of Mutilation

And lots of talking in between songs from both Kim Deal and Frank Black - they honestly seemed to be having fun and enjoying each other.

Two other things - I keep reading really good things about the new Cure album coming out at the end of June. I'm still scared (I haven't heard anything worthy of them since Disintegration). But it's still good to hear positive things.

I also heard another DJ'd mash up of Jay-Z's Black album - except this time it was mixed with Pavement's Slanted and Enchanted instead of the Beatles. Interesting. I forget the name of the DJ.

A quick google of Jay-Z and Pavement, turned up The Slack Album. I'm downloading it right now (I'll let you know later if it's fucking great).

Thanks for the link Jon - I heard it at a friend's house. His FAQ is funny "Q: Aren't Black album mash ups, like, totally February?". Hee.

I can't find a list of what songs he mixed together though for each track - did you see one?

Looks like they're in order.

[link]

Ah. If I had just kept reading until the second paragraph...

Short attention span, I have.