It's The Final Cee-ount-dee-owwwwwn!

Well, it's more like The Initial Countdown, but I can't imagine GOB dancing around to The Initial Countdown. Anyway, allow me to condense what I've been listening to of late into digestible chunks... and then footnote the living shit out of it.

What's In My Virtual 5-Disc Changer
5. Dangerdoom - The Mouse And The Mask
4. Jimmy Eat World - Stay On My Side Tonight EP *
3. Sigur Rós - Takk
2. Kasabian - Kasabian **
1. The Darkness - One Way Ticket To Hell... And Back

That's My Joint, Yo
5. Kanye West - "Touch The Sky"
4. Kasabian - "Reason Is Treason"
3. The Darkness - "Hazel Eyes"
2. Sigur Ros - "Glósóli"
1. Dangerdoom - "Vats Of Urine" (see earlier post)

Late Adopter Top 5 Albums
5. Bruce Springsteen - The River
4. (tie) They Might Be Giants - Apollo 18 / John Henry / Factory Showroom
3. Stereolab - Emperor Tomato Ketchup
2. Pulp - Hits
1. (tie) The Beta Band - Hot Shots II / The Beta Band ***

* - This EP is notable for featuring a worthwhile, dare I say good, remix of "Drugs Or Me." The original tune, for those who didn't die from listening to it, was earnest, but so unsophisticated lyrically that no adult could possibly take the words seriously. When your heartfelt anti-drug ballad inspires straight-edge people like me to start wondering which friend of theirs could score them some heroin if they ever wanted it... well, I think something might not be working. Jim "No, It's A Different Jimmy" Adkins comes off sounding like a real wuss, which is saying something in today's rock world. Fortunately, the electronic remix distorts the unbearable emo-nstrual lyrics to the point where one can actually listen to the song without vomiting, committing seppuku, or shooting up with borrowed needles. But there's also a duality that comes along with that vocoder-fication... when Adkins sings "I can't tell you from the drugs," you can't tell him from the vocoder. Are we the drug-addled girl he's singing to, and is that how unclear the message would sound to a strung out person? I doubt that was the intention, but interesting to think about nonetheless.

** - Kasabian fucking rocks.

*** - This is a late adoption of those two albums, not the Betas themselves. I've been into the Betas for a while now, but only recently turned the corner from thinking The Three EPs was their peak. But no. They were the real deal. And now they're gone. Check out their best-of for a good (if imperfect) sampling of their best work.