It is now safely close enough to Yule and Christmas that I have been able to transition to the Xmas CD Load in the Car:

1. A Merry Snoopy Christmas (Snoopy vs. the Red Baron) - The Royal Guardsmen
2. A Charlie Brown Christmas - Vince Guaraldi Trio
3. Christmas Live - Mannheim Steamroller
4. Christmas Attic - Trans Siberian Orchestra
5. A Winter's Garden - Loreena McKennitt
6. To Drive the Cold Winter Away

Prince--Purple Rain, Sign O' The Times, Lovesexy, Diamonds and Pearls and the 1992 symbol album.

Talking Heads--Remain in Light

Jet--Get Born: Prominently featured in a current series of iPod commercials and two EA Sports games (NHL 2004 and Madden 2004). One of the few newer bands that I dig.

Peter Gabriel--So and Us

Wham!--Make it Big

They Might Be Giants--Flood

The Cure--Boys Don't Cry, Disintegration, Galore (The Singles 1987-1997), Wish and Wild Mood Swings

Morrissey--Bona Drag

Godflesh--Hymns

Slayer--Soundtrack to the Apocalypse (box set)

Roxy Music--For Your Pleasure

The Cult--The Singles 1984-1995

Suicidal Tendencies--Lights...Camera...Revolution and The Art of Rebellion

Sun Ra--Space Is the Place

The Amps--Pacer

The Breeders--Title TK

The Afghan Whigs--Gentlemen and 1965

The Twilight Singers--Twilight as Played by the Twilight Singers

Tenacious D--Tenacious D

Melvins--Houdini

Howard Jones--The Best of Howard Jones

George Michael--Ladies and Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael

Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy--Hypocrisy Is the Greatest Luxury

Butthole Surfers--Independent Worm Saloon

Fishbone--The Reality of My Surroundings

Ozma - Spending Time on the Borderline

Grateful Dead - Closing of Winterland

Susan Tedeschi- Wait for Me

Kim Wilson- Smokin' Joint

Jim Beer & The River - Dust of my Forefather's Bones

The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots

This was in my user title briefly before. Well, I gotta tell ya, it's pure genius. Stunningly original; occasionally weirder than Radiohead, and yet strangely more accessible (once you can get past Wayne's voice). If Pink Floyd had modern recording tools in 1968, this is what they would have turned out.

Also,

Brave the Day - LP

The EP is now available on Rhapsody. The LP is available from itsaboutmusic.com, where you can also find other sample songs. This is the band that I briefly had a shot at being the bassist for. Well they have found a better guy to be their bassist. Apparently. But in any case, these kids are going to be signed to a major record label. It's just a matter of time. They're simply great. Singer Rebecca has the most awesome voice, songwriter/guitarist Josh develops really interesting songs and neat chords and is a terrific player to boot. It's alterna-pop, and not overly folky, except that Rebecca has a country twinge to her from time to time that makes it a tad more American and broadens their appeal.

That is a great record. I still like Radiohead more, but the Lips make some damned fine music. I saw them open up for the Butthole Surfers in '93...good show.

I've always wanted to listen to their 1997 release Zaireeka. The problem is that its 4 CDs are meant to be played simultaneously. So, you have to set up 4 independent CD players, and probably need someone to help you start them all at the same time. If you don't play all 4 CDs at the same time, it apparently won't sound right. From what I've heard though, it's a great release...and it's very cool that a major label was willing to release something so "challenging."

Speaking of Radiohead, the Lips do a cover of "Knives Out" on their Fight Test EP (UT, don't know if you've heard it yet or not...it's on Rhapsody), and it's very good. Wayne Coyne's voice sounds so much like Thom Yorke's that it's spooky...but it's distinct enough that you know he's not imitating. They also do an interesting cover of Kylie Minogue's "Can't Get You Out of My Head" on the EP.

This week, I listened mostly to stuff that I've had in my Rhapsody library for a while, though I did add a few things...

Etta James--Her Best

Adam Ant--Super Hits

Bauhaus--Crackle (a "greatest hits" CD, if you will)

Jimi Hendrix--Smash Hits

I've had Tori Amos "little earthquakes" in my car for about a week now......good shit. she's weird, but in a disturbingly sexy way. maybe it's the way she sits on the piano stool?

Why, is it upside down?

(I haven't seen the album art, am barely aware of who Tori Amos is. I don't get out much)

http://www.musicolympus.com/toriamos/pics/stage8.jpg

kind of hard to see, but she sits all the way on the right edge of the bench, and her right leg goes straight down or back....almost like she's grinding it. and she moves around a llot.....freaky