so, i've been travellling for the last three weeks. my grandpa died. i didn't want to write about it on my blog, cause it's so dramatic/emo/smacks of desperation for attention, but you know what? it's what's on my mind right now and to second guess that cause it's public record is the antithesis of what i started blogging for, and blah blah even tho Chuck told me that some of his writers consistently get more hits on their pieces bc they're avid bloggers, i don't want to think of this thing as a lame promo tool for my fabulous writing/academic/public intellectual career (career, career). i had to pick the music at his funeral, and i failed miserably - shaker hymns, bach fugues, and "amazing grace" because he used to listen to the bagpipe version at unholy dB levels while painting when i was a kid.

so i've been flying and driving a lot, aka, listening to a lot of music. i'm happy to report that even though i hate the premise, the bulky phrasing and VH1-ification of the 80s, I still sort of like bowling for soup's 1985, and like them even more for this, from their site:

"The Eighties were really influential to me," says Reddick. "And a lot of people coming to our shows are fourteen or fifteen, but their parents are barely in their thirties. And everyone thinks they're outdated, but you know what?" He laughs. "We're outdated too. We just disguise it well in Dickies." As usual, there are some odd twists to the song, including the fact that it was really supposed to be about 1984. "That's true," admits Reddick. "But 1985 rhymes better with 'preoccupied,’ so there's the song."

I mean, if you're going to take song-writing lessons from Sugar Ray, you can at least use what you've learned.

this piece makes me want to hear the futureheads, though i have to say that dogs die in hot cars is my favorite second line brit invasion band of the moment - so beautifully madness, so patently uncool.

Umm, that ciana track has this curious mantra feeling, sparse and minimal - my head wants to fill out the verses with yelps, strings, squishy electro sounds - with her falling, breathing "sexy, independent, down-to-spend-it type that's gettin' his dough," which would sound fierce if it weren't for the fact that her voice is more texture than substance. still, photos on her website try to make her beyonce-diva where she seems like a very nice girl next door - an even more sexy fantasy, if you ask me, and why not?

And finally, "What Are You Waiting For," starting off torch burner/high school musical lead actress - hello? why does everyone always eat it up when someone puts out a self-hating/industry concious pop track (like n'sync's fabu 'pop')? this sound sounds like it fell out of the Larry T. electro stationwagon, got ran over by radio compression and flopped back into the present. You're still a Super Hot Female! Ohh pleeeassse. I'm not waiting for your hott track, Gwen, because you've made then for ten years. I'm waiting to see if you're going to make more of this fawning garbage trying to chase pink just cause moby liberated you from your ska-destiny.