Birthday bliss! I've been on a self-imposed CD-buying diet of late, but I got a gift certificate today that I put to good use. I bought the Garden State soundtrack and new albums by Bjork and Zap Mama. I am verra verra happy.

I bought the Garden State soundtrack and new albums by Bjork and Zap Mama. I am verra verra happy.

Is the Bjork one Medulla? I've been wondering whether I should get that. I listened to a bit of it in the record store, and I had strong reactions in different directions. Not sure what would win out on extended playing.

ETA: Huh. My close-italics tag kept getting eaten there. Can they no longer be used with smart quotes or something?

Yes, it's Medulla. I listened to bits of it in-store and loved it. It's that voice, man. I haven't put it on at home yet (listening to Garden State now, mmm).

I'm listening to A Perfect Circle's cover of "Imagine." Whoa, it's creepy. Cool, though.

Yeah, I really like this.

Hey Tina! So good to hear from you.

Howdy yourself, Hec. Before I disappear back into semi-frequent lurkdom I wanted to share.

I have been listening to the same album all day. I bought the new Elliott Smith today. And I am here to echo the glowing reviews it has been getting.

It's fantastic and I highly recommend it to anyone who has liked his stuff in the past. I read incredibly sad suicide notes all through it (but at the same time there is a strong "life was serious shit before but it's been getting slightly better lately"-vibe going on) but much beyond that it is sweeping, Beatlesesque without being annoying about it, creative, gorgeous, dark and hopefull - all the good stuff - and there is not a track that I can even think about skipping.

It is only 15 songs of the supposed more than 23 he had finished when he died so it is a regular priced album (I got mine for 11.99) and not the bloated double-album I had initially feared. They played it at the bar before the The Decemberists show the other night and I was suprised at how perfect it was for bar music - not quite as achingly slow acoustic solo-ish as I had expected.

And on a completely opposite note - I happened to be one of the lucky Americans to catch the Ashlee Simpson lip-synching screw up on SNL last night. I actually put my hands up in front of my face when I realized what was happening. (She got caught lip synching when they played the wrong song and stormed off stage at the beginning of her second number.) Horrifying AND funny.

RIO! I'm so glad I read this thread every once in a while! MY GOODNESS! I know a nice apartment available next week, but that's too soon, huh?

And in famous-people encounters, I was having George Pelecanos sign a book, and was all, "Youknowthatobscuremusicthingyouwroterecently? IknowDavidSmayandsenthimoneofyourbooks. Because I liked it."

"Youknowthatobscuremusicthingyouwroterecently? IknowDavidSmayandsenthimoneofyourbooks. Because I liked it."

Heh. I should send him a rare soul mix. Though he knows a lot of that stuff better than I do.

I saw that Asslee Simpson screw-up, too. And I hate her a ton for blaming the band right before the end credits.

Things I bought at Amoeba (total cost about $70. Most of it was cut out/discounted except the Dan Hicks.):

House of Freaks s/t - I saw them live when this came out. Danced like a maniac and their manager gave me a House of Freaks nite lite. Anyway, great catchy roots rocks songs by a rock and roll duo.

The Indie Scene '86 - Spiff series of British independent singles, 1986 being a high note year. Tons of bands that only Jon and Jim would know, including: The Weather Prophets, Easterhouse, Blue Aeroplanes,Half Man Half Biscuit, The Flatmates, Close Lobsters, The Psylons plus some bands most folks might recognize like Pulp, The Go Betweens, Billy Bragg, The Mekons.

Electric Pocket Radio by The Incredible Moses Leroy. We feature this in the book, so I'm keen to hear it.

It Happened One Bite by Dan Hicks. Legendary lost album (soundtrack for an animated film which was never finished) put out on Rhino Handmade. Dan's the fellow who gave us the useful song title "How Can I Miss You If You Don't Go Away."

Best Of Badfinger II - yeah, I'm a hopeless power pop fan. Speaking of which, recent video scores off The Alternative include The Hoodoo Gurus' "I Want You Back" and Teenage Fanclub's "What You Do To Me."

What else...the Mojo mag freebie The Roots of Led Zeppelin with some choice delta blues cuts plus choice british folk rock. Also, the legendary Numbers band from Cleveland.

Also got a video collection of Elvis Costello ('77-83) to send to Teppy. 22 vids and such.

Did everybody see Rhino's new box set Left of the Dial? Four disks of all that stuff Jon and I listened to in college. R.E.M., Replacements, Husker Du, Mission of Burma, Smiths, Go Betweens, Mekons.

Kind of wonderning who the audience for this is. Wouldn't fans of that era already have that stuff?

Kind of wonderning who the audience for this is. Wouldn't fans of that era already have that stuff?

Would they have it on vinyl or CD?