not the TRACK LISTING OF BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN'S FORTHCOMING CD

1. Blame it on the Night Sky
2. Tellin' Lies
3. We Can't Go On Like This
   
4. Wonderin' How You Been
5. Topeka
6. Listenin' to Your Heart
7. These Dusty Dirt Roads
8. Empty Mill Town
9. My Boardwalk Girl
10. Lost Voice in the Coal Mine
11. Sally, Don't You Break This Heart
12. I Think We're Gonna Make It
    

Cultural Irony and/or Coincidence #6: The Veruca Salt Circle of Life

Okay. Follow me here:

1. The band They Might be Giants got their name from a 1971 film called They Might be Giants, starring George C. Scott and Joanne Woodward.
2. In 1986, They Might Be Giants released their song, "We're the Replacements," which was a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the '80s band The Replacements.
3. Strangely, the next year The Replacements released their song "Alex Chilton," another tribute-- but this time to the lead singer of the influential '70s group Big Star.
4. On their 1972 album #1 Record, Big Star had a song called "Thirteen," which featured the lyric, "Won't you tell your dad get off my back/ Tell him what we said 'bout 'Paint It, Black'." This was a reference to the Rolling Stones song "Paint It, Black," which was released in 1966.
5. Interestingly, Bob Dylan released his critically acclaimed hit "Like a Rolling Stone" a year before--in 1965. A reference to the band? Of course.
6. Keeping the string of connections going strong, David Bowie released "Song for Bob Dylan" in 1971.
7. Then, on their 1997 album Eight Arms to Hold You, flash-in-the-pan alternative band Veruca Salt featured the song "With David Bowie".
8. Veruca Salt got their name from a character in Roald Dahl's novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
9. This was made into the movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, which was released in 1971--the same year as They Might Be Giants.

Best of 2007: A Preemptive Retrospective

I woke up this morning to a new dawn: 2007 had arrived! Seems like just a week and a half ago I had downed my New Year's Eve keg of Ambien, Lunesta, and Jagermeister cocktail before going to bed. But here it is: 2007 and a full bladder.

I feel bad about going straight from Christmas musings to a week and a half into the new year; I didn't give 2006 a proper looking back. Well, that's not going to happen in 2007. As a matter of fact, I'm going to go ahead and do my Best of 2007 Lists now so I don't forget them once late December (and its tempting sedatives!) comes around.


Best Album of the Year

Britney Spears, The Grant Sessions

In an effort to undo 2006's Shavenvagina-gate and return to her jail-bait innocence days, Spears did the unthinkable (easy for her) by doing an entire album of Amy Grant covers. Spears not only took on the early '90s mainstream radio Grant (in a stroke of fortune, Peter Cetera was available for another duet!) but also the late '80s Christian pop Grant. With L'il Jon on the mixing boards, "El Shaddai" never sounded so tight. (Download this: "Baby, Baby (Hit Me One More Time...Again)")

Best Film of the Year

Oceans 1

Steven Soderburgh reclaims his reputation as avant garde film-maker with this look back at the origin of his Oceans series (hey, it worked with Dumb and Dumberer, right?). In this first installment, young Danny Ocean (Topher Grace) does a one-man stage show, ranting on the joys and frustrations of small-time robbery. Hip music, stylized tinted lenses, shaky hand-held camera work, and a Wonder-Years-esque voice-over by George Clooney made this film a shoe-in for Oscar buzz.

Best Song of the Year

"Do They Know it's Christmas? (2007)"

Only Phil Collins and Bananarama returned for this remake of the 1984 politically and socially charged original. Instead of taking on apartheid in Africa, the new version focuses its attention (and proceeds) on a more contemporary issue: Mexican immigration. But because most Mexican immigrants are Catholic, most actually do know it's Christmas. To counter this, the chorus was changed to "Do they know it's Christmas time at all?...Yes." Still: in a year of tired emo-hip-pop, this was the best song of the year.



Best TV Show of the Year

As all network and cable stations shut down early in 2007, the best "TV show" was found--surprise, surprise--on the internet. No description can do this show justice. You have to see it (again!) for yourself: Best TV Show of the Year