Inspirational.

I'm sure everyone has heard this story, but this is the first time I've seen a photo of Jack the Cat running a brown bear up a tree.


I think Lucy the Dog would do the same thing. She's pretty territorial too!

While I'm in a kitty kind of mood...


Geez, I know, when did I turn into a girl? Remember when I actually used to write stuff? Whatever.

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Wherein I break down and decide to, in fact, actually write something instead of skating by on pictures of kitties.

Okay, here's something. I was listening to Lily Allen's debut and thinking to myself, "Man-o-man, Tankboy, if this isn’t great summer music I don’t know what is." Then I thought about it some more. Stereogum turned me on to a couple of her demos a while ago, and the bloggerrati commenced the full-on freak-out. She was touted as a female Mike Skinner or something. Now that I've digested the whole album, though, I would say that she is actually more like Len with her reggae-lite beats and mockney accent.

This doesn't mean I don't enjoy the disc...but then again I also like Kelly Clarkson, Christina Aguilera, and any other number of female popsters. It's amusing to me that crit-types are all agog over an artist who is really no different than most of the stuff they slam on a pretty consistent basis.

This is the problem with "everyone" being a critic. Pronouncements are made without further review and things get totally out of hand. (Ref: tapes 'n tapes for further evidence of the backlash that invariably ensues. Ref also: CYHSY, although this is not as strong since my own personal backlash with this group occurred before the tidal wave of acclaim came their way and ruined The National's tour.) Having an opinion is not the same as having a critical viewpoint. It just isn't.

So from a critical viewpoint I have to say Lily Allen's album is primarily a fluff-filled affair that gets by on sheer cheek and wit. If anything, that wit is the only thing that really keeps her from being a full-on novelty though it doesn't save her from the unavoidable quick trip to the cut-out bin a few months down the line.

My own personal opinion though? It's a fuck-load of fun to listen to and will surely see much play in my car stereo with all four windows rolled way down.

Further on the topic: This is where critical and opinion can meet safely and lock arms. The new Muse disc is so fanFUCKINGtastic it takes my breath away. Without a doubt this is the best album I have heard in a long time. I loved Absolution and just sort of assumed that would be their peak but boy was I wrong. I like it when I'm wrong like this.


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Go to this!


I'm not staying out late tonight, but I am going to be sure to stop by and see what Tom knocks out for a bit.