Where Have You Been?

• Debating whether I should go alone to a restaurant called, no joke, The Glory Hole. Verdict: no.
• On the side of the road, north of Scranton, blown tire, waiting for AAA. Listening to Yo La Tengo at negative volume, pissed off. Reading about Gnarls Barkley, a band I couldn't care less about and still won't (horrible record). Watching the first snow of the year fall.
• 3 hours later, driving through PA on 495 listening to Califone's Roots and Crowns (better while not in traffic/on the couch), the Junior Boys' So This Is Goodbye (amazing record. made perfect by the extremely bright, moonlit night) and Thom Yorke's solo job ("Black Swan" is amazing).
• Downloading Alan Braxe & Friends' The Upper Cuts, possibly the best record ever compiled. Albums are overrated? If you don't believe me, at least try Most Wanted, which makes me feel like sex.
• Watching VH-1 Classic, thinking Rod Stewart's cover of "People Get Ready" (one of my favorite songs ever by Curtis) sounds like sonic jihad (but in a horrible way with lots of nerve gas and unintelligible screaming). Guitar solos in fields while immigrants watch? Rod in a Canadian tuxedo? Incorrect. Not even campy funny. How could Rod stray so far from early "Maggie May" form? Dude's a shadow of his former self, and this was in the early 80's (I think?). Reminds me of one time when I was opening a bottle of wine and almost poked my eye out, but had to get stitches. That was more fun than this.
• Glowing about my favorite new punk band, F*cked Up. Probably because of their name alone and band members being called Pink Eyes, Mustard Gas, Concentration Camp. Similarly glowing about Holy Sh*t, Ariel Pink's new outfit, mostly because of their name, but "Written All Over Your Face" is very groovy.
• Not loving J. Robbins' new outfit, Channels. I loved that first Burning Airlines record, but everything after has been minorly enjoyable, J.
• Reading Bret Easton Ellis. How'd I miss this dude?

More to come...