Sadly I'm living in an ancient 20th century kind of world with only a dial-up connection, Erin!

Heather was asking about Wiley--if you mean Wiley the UK grime MC (album called "Treadin' on Thin Ice") then yes, quite good, but the general feeling among those in the know is that his real talents are as a producer rather than an MC. Anyway, the essential album in that genre (not really an album-based genre but for those of us without access to London pirate radio that's all we've got!) is Dizzee Rascal's "Boy in da Corner", although Dizzee's new album "Showtime" (which hasn't been released yet) is even better.

We've seen EC twice, because my husband has been an Elvis fan since 1983. (A young man attempted to court one of Patrick's sisters by giving her a tape of Elvis songs. It didn't work, and the tape made its way to P.) He's very good live, but he suffers from the deep-catalogue problem of playing FOREVER -- I think last time, he was onstage for something like three hours including the encores. I'm not such a fan that i didn't fiind it a tad excessive.

I've seen EC twice and as a bonuc MC of the first Down from the Mountain, pre that title, show. I love him live. "I Want You" can go on forever, but I kinda expect that.

He is on my Lyle, Emmy Lou, David, Nanci, Dwight - list of go see them as often as you can when they come to town. It doesn't mean I catch them every time they come, but I usually try.

New CDs have arrived from Australia. Aside from the hard-to-find tracks of Euphoria's "Love You Right" and Chocolate Starfish's "Mountain", I have also received the Chess musical soundtrack, an old Kevin Johnson (Rock and Roll I Gave You The Best Years Of My Life) and The Essential Bob Dylan. I'm finding this surprisingly affecting, even the early acoustic work.

REM will be playing two nights in Seattle and one night in Vancouver in November. I'd love to go to all three, but I just learned that tickets are $78 frickin' dollars.

And yet, I will pay, because it's REM. I may not see many concerts anymore, but I have vowed to myself that I will always shill out whatever it costs to see two bands: U2 and REM.

blows Angus a kiss.

Thank you. I couldn't find much on that one, and I think Mr. H will like it a lot.

Last time I saw Elvis was at The Bronco Bowl- I loved that place and have never seen a bad concert there. It was a while back. I haven't seen him playing around Dallas lately.

Re Wiley, what Angus said. I like the album, but Dizzee is just so stupidly head and shoulders above the whole genre. Showtime might finally be the UK rap album that breaks in the US, because he's a genuinely great rapper who actually sounds British.

Have written the name down, and will begin searching.

I have to say that I can't understand half the words on The Streets' recent album. That last song is pretty clear, and yes, sad, though.

In light of all the EC love; check it out:

[link]