Darth Drabek

Big Star - The Ballad of El Goodo /leaves again for another few months

Matisyahu! His cover of "Message in a Bottle" was by-the-book, but still pretty enjoyable. The Smiths - There is a Light That Never Goes Out

I'm roughly 3.5 years older than you, and I'm part of a different generation? Ouch. (P.S., Get off my lawn!) Mind the (generational) gap! Hey, those were a crucial 3.5 years! If I had been 3.5 years older when I first heard that terrible 311 song, I would have denounced it as the crap that it was. Instead I made a taped copy of the CD and listened to it incessantly in my Walkman for about a year. I used to think Metallica was cool too... ah, the shame of youth.

That reminds me of that time Peter had lunch with Vincent Van Gogh and William Henry Harrison... Also, I blame 311 for my generation's misuse of the word random. "To be the one who has it all is not that hard / And i'll be that type of dude in a funky car." Haha... oh man.

What about Sweet Home Alabama? It would be great if I could go the rest of my life without ever hearing that song again. I really do think I've heard it enough for one lifetime. In fact, I wish Neil Young had never written "Southern Man" -- a legitimately great song -- because then those Alabama boys wouldn't have felt compelled to write their side of the story. None of the current, former, alive or dead members of Skynryd are even remotely as awesome as Ronnie Wood. Seriously, Eff Skynyrd. /rant Alice Cooper - Is Anyone Home?

Wow. I actually laughed audibly at the first Sandler photoshop. That's rare. The others are great, too. In fact I bet one is hanging up in an OE cubicle right now.

Some of Pavements' older singles may or may not change your opinion. Try checking out 'Stereo' or 'Summer Babe ( Winter Version) The Grass Cats - Pill Or Potion old school country FTW! He doesn't revere Pavement? Heretic! Bow before the indie gods! Seriously, though, it's really good music -- but it probably isn't going to change your life. That's the problem with hype. It creates such high expectations that you're sure to be disappointed even if the music is good (I'm looking at you Arcade Fire). Lynryd Skynyrd - Tuesday's Gone I usually hate this band, but I make exceptions for this song, and "Simple Man" -- both of which are great.

That is pretty goddamn silly, I must say. Freedy Johnston - This should be right up your alley, Kor. 1994 FTW!

3-2-1 Let's jam! Del Tha Funkee Homosapien -

Dinosaur Jr - Crumble

A.A. Bondy - How Will You Meet Your End? I'm gonna keep that diamond in my mind I'm gonna keep that diamond in my mind For there's hell upon the breeze There's hell upon the breeze Six riders ride They say I must be the devil's child They say I must be the devil's child And the hell upon the breeze And the hell upon the breeze Six riders ride .... Ominous!

The Championship - Ferris Wheel Great alt-country band from Milwaukee. They're touring now, so go see them if they're near your town. We got to open for them Wednesday night and they put on a hell of a show.

Ha, I sent this around at work last week. It's a good find, and one of the many reasons I love the Internet.

Still one of my all-time favorite songs. Have you heard any of the the new Gutter Twins project yet? I think the album came out yesterday, and they've got the whole thing posted on their myspace page. My favorite is "The Stations." It's pretty much what you would expect from an album by Greg Dulli and Mark Lanegan. The Who - La-La-La Lies

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Babe, I Got You Bad

You know, there's a bitchin' Afghan Whigs cover of that tune. It was on an otherwise mediocre Clash tribute album... the one with Ice Cube and the guys from Korn doing "Should I Stay or Should I Go." Blecch. There are certain songs that people expect to hear at weddings. For the few people who really pay attention, it's always a pleasure when someone deviates from the norm. ("Oh, great, 'Brick House.' Didn't see that coming"). But if you have the DJ play your ideal personal mix through the whole reception, chances are you'll have some confused guests and an empty dancefloor. Most people want to dance to the same songs they've danced to a million times before. Planning the music was one of the few wedding-related tasks I handled (I also picked the tuxes and helped choose the food!). The way I see it, a personalized song or two is a fantastic idea, especially for songs where it's just you and your bride-to-be dancing. Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin - Oregon Girl

Cracker - St. Cajetan

Basia Bulat - In the Night

I've hated every porter I've ever tried, but I love a good Scottish ale. When I was in college, I always made it a point to stop at the local brewpub for happy hour -- when a pint of any of their beers went for $1. They brewed a Scottish ale there that I still haven't been able to top.

I used to be a huge Floyd fan, but I just haven't listened to them much in the last few years. Back in my college years, I saw a pretty good Floyd tribute band play "The Wall" in its entirety, complete with the live stage show. I actually caught one of the blocks of the wall when they blew it up at the end. All in all, it was a pretty cool experience, especially when he kicked the TV set over. That's when I knew those guys meant business. Wilco - I Thought I Held You

An excellent topic... I'll add my two cents. Coors Light is my favorite of the big three light beers. Nothing beats a Silver Bullet on a hot summer day -- except maybe a Rolling Rock. Although I've stopped buying Rocks since Anheuser-Busch bought the rights to make it but stopped brewing it in Latrobe. The brewery sat idle for several months before City Brewing Co. bought it. They made a deal with the Boston Beer Co., and now the plant makes Sam Adams. Sorry to go on a tangent, but I really liked Rolling Rock and I was really steamed about what happened back then. That brewery is basically the only thing in Latrobe. A-B put half the town out of work when they decided it was more cost effective to brew Rolling Rock in New Jersey. Anyway, J.W. Dundee's Honey Brown is a tasty treat and it's only a buck or two more for a six-pack than one of the big three popular lagers. Every Sam Adams beer I've had has been good, even the Cherry Wheat Ale -- and I was pretty skeptical going into that one. I'd be terribly out of line if I didn't mention The Great Lakes Brewing Co., since it's basically in my back yard. I'm not sure how far it's distributed, though. Have any of you seen these fine Cleveland-born beverages in an upscale beer stores near you? My favorite of the Great Lakes beers, although you can't go wrong with the Dortmunder or Christmas Ale, either.

Ramones - She's a Sensation

We played well, but we didn't draw too well. So I don't know how happy the booking guy is with us. Ah well. That's what happens when you play a show on a bitter cold Tuesday night ... four days after a Friday night show in the same town. It was definitely a resume-building show. Hardly anybody was there specifically to see us (most of our friends came to Friday's show instead of the Tuesday show, as most people with day jobs would), but I think we got a few new fans out of it. Django Reinhardt - Blue Drag