Anyone listen to Nellie McKay? I just picked up her major album release.

I have a friend who really loves her. She quotes her all the time. I haven't heard anything by her, though. (Have you gotten to hear Snow Patrol yet? If you haven't, get on IM and I'll send you some.)

Sasha Frere-Jones gives her a pretty good review in the latest New Yorker. It's online -- check it out.

Anybody know Modest Mouse?

I can't believe someone finally mentioned Modest Mouse in this thread besides me!!

My favorite albums in order.

The Lonesome Crowded West: Excellent. Rough, genre-crossing deliciousness. The lyrics are kind of a tour through lead singer Isaac Brock's descent into crazyness. Literally. There is a great article in this month's Magnet about how the songs are about the hallucinations he was experiencing at this point in his life. The last album they did on the Up label before moving to Epic. "Jesus Christ Was an Only Child" from this album is my not-country, not-rock song on my Buffista mix.

The Moon and Antarctica: This was their first big studio album and it shows. Simply excellent production. It is their most listener friendly. "Paper Thin Walls" and "Trailer Trash" are great introductions to their sound. They just released a re-mixed version and it's great - but I'd recommend the original.

This is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About: I think this an album that is more difficult to get into, personally. If you like what you hear off the others - check it out for sure, though. "Dramamine" is a classic MM song.

Good News for People Who Love Bad News: Their newest and what is supposed to be thier "break-out" album. I like it a lot. But I think it gets dull in the middle. iTunes has a version of my favorite song "The Good Times Are Killing Me" that is not on the album and does not have the production that Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips did - he really added a lot to the track. I'm glad they included his version on the CD.

Everybody and His Nasty Parlor Tricks: A collection of singles from their Up catalog. Worth it just for the song "Here it Comes".

Building Nothing out of Something and Sad Sappy Suckers: only for the hardcore fan. Fantastic but very rough.

Brock also has a very intersting solo album under the name Ugly Cassanova called Sharpen Your Teeth.

I am obviously a pretty huge fan. I couldn't be happier that they are finally getting some rotation on MTV and the radio - but I'm sad they are playing Lollapalooza. They haven't toured in a while and I was hoping to see them in a small venue.

Was there a band called Danger Mouse?

Not a band but a DJ. He started off the mashing of Jay-Z's Black album with other albums craze. (He mashed it with the Beatles' White Album).

edited to fix stuff.

Kickin' review, tina! Now I just wish I still lived near Rasputin's. I've given up order CDs from Amazon's "New and Used" third-party vendors, because the last 3 have been pirated copies.

Now, I'm all for handing the RIAA over to the Army MPs, but if I want a pirated copy of something, I'm not going to be ordering through Amazon. And I'm not going to pay legit copy prices. So looks like I'll be digging for MM albums elsewhere.

RIP Elvin Jones. There's a rather depressing review of his last concert here.

Jon, I was just coming here to post that R.I.P. Bah.

Jon, I was just coming here to post that R.I.P. Bah.

Well, if you're lucky maybe someone else will die soon.

(I don't mean that in a mean way at all - I just found your post funny.)

Heh. The "Bah" was because the dude died, not because I didn't get to post the R.I.P. first. Although it's funnier the way it reads, because it *does* sound like I wanted to post the R.I.P. first.

RIP, Elvin. There goes one of the last of the great ones.

Although I'm crazy about Tina, I'm not so much crazy about Modest Mouse. I like 'em in small doses, but not so much in full album form. That may just be underexposure.

And today's my birthday! I share it with Pete Townshend, Malcolm X, and Ho Chi Minh, so no need to pile on happy b'day wishes, just please think of Pete, Malcolm, or Ho.

And last news: I spent the last two evenings (into late nights) in the studio where we've been recording drum tracks for a new album. The band doesn't have a name yet, but it's me & the other guitarist from my last band. I'm thinking about going with The Zeppos.

I'm going to wish you a happy birthday anyway. Ha! You have been foiled!

I'm thinking about going with The Zeppos.

You don't suppose anyone will confuse this with Zippo lighters?