1. the new Weezer
2. Shuggie Otis, "Inspiration Information"
3. the new R.E.M. (for the woman)
4. Bob Dylan, "Blood on the Tracks"
5. Bob Dylan, "Bringing it all back home"
6. the Best In Show DVD
Here's what Pitchfork has to say about the new Weezer record.
I'm inclined to agree, to some extent. There's nothing urgent about it. And Rivers Cuomo has just totally gone pansy-ass soft - pretty much every lyric is all mushy, sappy love stuff. Where's the "Jonas"? Where's the funny? Where's the full-out rock assault? Plus it's only 28 minutes long. What the shit is THAT about? It's been, what, 4 years?
That said, it's nice to have some new Weezer, and my bitterness is really just because it's early. It's an enjoyable listen, but there's nothing timeless about it.
Oh, and the new R.E.M. is pretty weak. I lost my fanatical interest in them at around the time "Automatic for the People" became overplayed. If you listen carefully, you'll see that pretty much 90% of their songs are all in the same tempo and every chord change happens in the same place. It's boring. (Sorry, babe!)
Shuggie is awesome, though.
More to come - gotta get some work done.