Whee! According to Aimee Mann‘s official site, she will be swinging back through Asheville in June. That’s “wet my pants” news! ‘Cause I likes me some Aimee Mann.

And to answer Mike’s question in a “quickie” kinda way … yeah … I am pretty near all the places mentioned … Murphy/Andrews (Rudolph Country), Highlands, Franklin. You know, it seems like everyone lives in California.

Work is still funky. I may have to switch over and become an “after work” blogger. Grrrr.

Something to look forward to will be the chance to see Shirley Horn at the Atlanta Jazz Festival next month. I can’t even begin to tell you all how much I dig Shirley … her smooth voice, her impeccable presentation and her unique piano playing style.

Hot damn! I now have a ticket to “An Evening with Siouxsie: The Creatures & The Banshees” at the Variety Playhouse in September.
I’m so happy I could wet myself …

Standing stunned in the hall
While you fumble with your lighter
And I could make sure you recall
But I’m a lover not a fighter
…
And it’s a wonder that you’re here
And it’s a wonder that I’m still waiting
Well act surprised – act surprised now baby
…
Drop your delivery
Hold still and look at me in the eyes
…
Well I always loved your accent
Fake though it was
Like you just got back from somewhere
And you could not adjust
…
Well it’s a wonder that you’re here
And it’s a wonder that I’m still waiting
Act surprised – Act surprised now baby
…
Superchunk – Act Surprised [3.78 MB]

Mmmm, Superchunk.

Yowza! It looks as if three of my music heros will be coming through Atlanta this year. How sweet would it be to get to see all three? Pretty sweet!
Shirley Horn in May at the Altanta Jazz Festival
The Cure in July/August at the Fox Theatre
Siouxsie in September at the Variety Playhouse

Plus, I wanna know who invited Old Man Winter to come back into town.

Skinny Puppy. New Album. May 25th. Fuck yeah!!!

In Memory of John McGeoch … guitarist for Siouxsie & The Banshees and Magazine. He also played for many others bands including P.I.L. and Visage. He passed away last Thursday in his sleep.
Siouxsie and the Banshees – Christine [2.76 MB]

Since it’s a busy morning, here’s a list of what is currently in ye ole compact disc case … music guaranteed to make you even more crazy:

Concrete Blonde: Group Therapy
Depeche Mode: Ultra
Depeche Mode: Exciter
DJ Shadow: Endtroducing
Goldfrapp: Felt Mountain
Joy Division: Heart & Soul, Disc I
Joy Division: Heart & Soul, Disc II
Nine Inch Nails: Pretty Hate Machine
Nine Inch Nails: Broken
Nine Inch Nails: The Downward Spiral
Nine Inch Nails: The Fragile
Nine Inch Nails: And All That Could Have Been
Nine Inch Nails: Still
ohGr: WELT
ohGr: Sunnypsyop
The Pixies: Doolittle
The Pixies: Bossanova
Radiohead: Hail To The Thief
The Smiths: The Smiths
The Smiths: The Queen Is Dead
The Smiths: Louder Than Bombs
This Mortal Coil: Filigree & Shadow
The Blair Witch Project Soundtrack~

THE GREATEST SONG EVER!!!
(Dedicated to the one I love.)

You! I wanna take you to a gay bar.
Let’s start a war, start a nuclear war, at the gay bar.
Do ya have any money?
I wanna spend all your money, at the gay bar.
I’ve got something to put in you, at the gay bar.
You’re a superstar, at the gay bar.
Electric Six – Gay Bar [3.3MB]

Goddamn those Pet Shop Boys for coming up with another optimistic, catchy pop tune about how grand love is. “A bluer sky whenever you’re around” … grrrrrrrr!!!
Pet Shop Boys – Miracles [7 MB]

Editors Note: This song really does kick ass even if “love” is a dead concept.

So, how kick-ass is The Cure’s “Join The Dots: B-Sides & Rarities 1978-2001 (The Fiction Years)” Box Set? Pretty damn kick-ass!!! Well, I am a little biased, I guess … The Cure being my favorite band of all time. For any long time fan, this is a “must have” for your collection. It collects all the B-Sides from the past 23 years and some rarities/re-mixes. Mmmm! There are so many great songs on this set. One of the super cool things about The Cure is that their B-Sides are all on par with (and sometime surpass) cuts from the albums. The booklet that is included is pretty thorough with lots of cool band photos. The only major complaint that I have is the inclusion of the B-Sides from the “Let’s Go To Bed”/”The Walk” period. Most of us own either “The Walk” EP or “A Japanese Dream” (or both) and those songs, five in all, are included on both those releases. Plus, there is a really bad re-mix of “Wrong Number” that lasts forever. Ugh. But the good on this set far outweighs these two things. Go. Buy Now!

My Favorite Tunes From the Box:
1) “I’m Cold”
2) “Another Journey By Train”
3) “New Day”
4) “Stop Dead”
5) “A Chain of Flowers”
6) “Icing Sugar” Alternate Mix
7) “To The Sky”
8) “This Twilight Garden”
9) “More Than This”
10) “Maybe Someday” Acoustic Mix