Current Music Obsessions

What's this? An opinionated nerd ranting about something? No! I'll try not to break a paragraph for each. For the most part, these are newish releases (save the Go! Team), but that doesn't mean any future musical cheers and jeers will be.

Stubbs the Zombie (The Soundtrack)—Various Artists: Classics as performed by contemporary altindie sensations, each with a vague association with the living dead. It's rare that I dig a compilation, seeing as how being a pretentious pseudohipster (too cheap to be the real thing) demands I want my albums to be a full, artistic experience. The vibe here, however, is just too avant to ignore—tunes range from Cake's swinging "Strangers in the Night" to the Flaming Lips' trippy "If I Only Had a Brain." If you like zombies, cover songs, and idiosyncratic pop, be sure to check this out.

You Could Have It So Much Better—Franz Ferdinand: The sophomore album by Scottish swingers Franz Ferdinand has a more focused sound, bringing a more refined album that sounds, well, better than the first one. Like the last album, You Could Have It So Much Better is an album you can stand still to while your girlfriend dances—though, on a few tracks, you may briefly want to "rock out." This can be accomplished by violence and general nonsense. Yes, the band's latest offering has a slightly harder sound, but it doesn't distract from an overall swankiness that's all their own. I can't think of a single song I don't dig off of this album.

Leaders of the Free World—Elbow: The newest Elbow album is more accessible than the previous two, but that certainly doesn't detract. Leaders of the Free World is clever but unpretentious (I'm looking at you, Postal Service and Wilco), and the sound a mite eclectic. There's heart in this recording, and you can hear it.

Thunder, Lighting, Strike—The Go! Team: Last year's debut of the Go! Team has been recently rereleased with an extra track, but it just goes to show that the band is still the only group out there with what can only be described as "Quentin Tarantino orchestrating the theme and ending credits to a '70s cop show" sound. Packed with cheerleader chants, distorted riffs, and a tiny touch of breakbeat, the Go! Team delivers an album that's out of this world—you've just got to hear it for yourself. Truly bebop.

What's in a Name?

Or, more accurately, a URL?

For some reason, this webaddress is bugging me. Perhaps "norealreason.blogspot.com" would be better? Or maybe I'm just looking into this a little too much. God knows no one's reading this pointless travesty.

But shouldn't the address reflect the title? "Spaceman Bill" is merely an old handle, and since it's obvious I don't care about anyone knowing who I am (hint: look right), what's the point? I don't think anyone's going to steal my identity—certainly wouldn't be worth the effort. So what's the point of sticking with that name as the address?

Anyway, for all one (or two) of you reading, you may need to flag a different address sooner or later.

Here I Sit, Broken-Hearted

Came to shit, and started a blog. It's official—I'm a whore. It could be worse, however.

At least I'm not on Xanga.

Yes, blogging, online journals, or whatever you'd like to call them, these concepts are horrifying to me. Sure, there's an intriguing, interesting one every once in a while, but thanks to the gifts of technology every whining emokid in the nation can bear his soul to the entire world. It's enough to make a fellow sick.

So why have I joined the ranks of these godless heathens? To be honest, I'm not quite sure. Maybe I want to coax people into helping me get free stuff? Well, I'll be the first to admit that I love to whore myself out for prizes, but that can't be the entire reason. Perhaps I'm just another opinionated idealist who believes he actually has something of interest to say? Come now, that's impossible! Maybe I'm just bored at work?

Sounds good. Cut and print.