Album Round-up/Catch-up in Which I Refuse to Grow-Up

Just some quickies to get us/me up to date. **Tangent Alert** I've noticed that I've started to use a '/' a lot. For those of you that have complained that I'm an over !!exclaimer!!, a bad speller, a poor typist, and have no taste you must be over the moon about having one more thing that you can be bitter at me for/about!! **Tangent Over** I'm also not going to make any promises about how timely these are ever going to be...But people like count-downs, right? And this is kind of like a count-down.

Morrissey - YEARS OF REFUSAL, I don't have one good thing to say about this album. I think it's a giant wank. Maybe my disposition has gotten a little more cheery and don't relate like I used to, or maybe 20 years later I just don't care. Thumbs down! BOO, Morrisey, Boo!

Neko Case - MIDDLE CYCLONE, I'm not finding all the great things that everyone else seems to be finding about this record. And more often that not I disagree (Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth). There are exceptions (Prison Girls, This Tornado Loves You). I think this sounds like a crossover record. I'm not saying that's bad. But it's not what I'm looking for. As cool as I think my parents are I do not want my same records coming out the shuffle between Sade and Air Supply over meatloaf. I guess it scares me and makes my a snob. Who wants to turn into their parents in their 30's?

Lily Allen - IT'S NOT ME, IT'S YOU, This is my favorite guilty pleasure of late. Although I've been told that I shouldn't feel guilty about it, I do. It's weird. Like Voice of the Beehive, It's soooo cheesy but I love it up. My favorite is CHINESE. And I guess I just need to get over myself that Lily Allen comes up on the shuffle right after 45 Grave, stop explaining and just own it. Ok, I'm going own it.

Andrew Bird - NOBEL BEAST, I'm really bummed that I'm not a bigger fan of this album. I love 'The Mysterious Production of Eggs' and 'Armchair Apocrypha' so much. I played them all the time my friends played them all time. I don't play this record very much. This is a very grown-up record for very grown-up people. I am not one of these people. And as far as I can tell neither are my buddies. But the arrangements are great. He proves once again that he knows his stuff. File this one under 'Trompe Le Monde'*.

Franz Ferdinand - TONIGHT: FRANZ FERDINAND, I like this album. I mean it's fine. I don't not like it. I enjoy it when it's on. I sing along and dance a little bit. But none of it seems to stick. Know what I mean? I'm never like 'Aw shit! I gotta listen to that Franz Ferdinand song', I mean, it's totally fine.

AC Newman - GET GUILTY, This kid is clever. He writes a wry lyric. He's got a very interesting turn of a phrase. He collects lots of great peeps to play with him on his records. But what I don't get is why this isn't a New Pornographers album. I also felt that way about the last album. I also think they/he sound very much like The Shins. But if that's my beef...it could be a lot worse, right? It deserves more listening than I give it. I really like the first single, 'Submarines of Stockholm' and 'Like a Hitman Like a Dancer.'

*Trompe Le Monde was the last studio album from The Pixies. At it's release it was widely regarded by critics and fans to be a horrible disappointment. With something like 'if this had been anybody but the pixies it would have been a masterpiece' cited somewhere in the conversation or review. I use use the phrase 'it's a trompe le monde' more than i probably should. As we all know Trompe Le Monde is now regarded as one of if not the best Pixies albums by drunk hipsters in Williamsburg bars.