I'd forgotten all about posting CD thoughts until I got a reminder email this morning. I like all three CDs I bought on the 12th. Smile is good but the only word I can use to describe it is "meandering". It's very artful and cohesive, but spends far too much time playing with tempos and styles to be as catchy as Pet Sounds. After listening to it several times, not much about it sticks in my head, and it's not one that I'd listen to regularly or burn tracks off of.

I like the Dido CD, Life for Rent, simply because it's easy to listen to and Dido has one of the few pleasant female voices in recent years. You can put it on in the background for hours on end while workin and it's pretty good music too.

The Muse CD is still getting a fair amount of play time. As I posted before, it's not the type of music you'd normally find me listening to. People compare them to Radiohead, a group which I never cared much for. I also hear a bit of Coldplay in their stylings, if not their sounds. See what you think:

Stockholm Syndrome (MP3 634KB)
(the harsher end of their spectrum)

Butterflies and Hurricanes (MP3 580KB)
(instrumental break)

The Ashlee Simpson story below is pretty funny. The live clip is even funnier -- you can probably find it on eMule if you file share.

Happy Birthday Anna! And Booty!