Fast-paced Friday.

I've decided two things. The first is that in the past year I've really fallen in love with hyphenated words and I don't know if this is because I've been forced to adopt more AP standards in "the real world" or if it's because hyphens make me look smarter. I'm almost positive it's the former. Secondly, same thing goes for ellipses ... only now I know I'm at least using them properly (while abusing them with overuse) spacing-wise. Come to think of it, has anyone else noticed I've been using "-wise" and "-thingie" a lot? I mean, I Know it's probably just a stylistic thing that keeps popping up, but am I the only one that's noticed it?

Anyway. It's Friday, I have to get to work ... so prepare for a bunch of bullets.

• First of all, Scott and I did a dual review of the new Catfish Haven disc and I really like how it turned out. Surprisingly, a lot of other people did as well! There were a few haters (primarily the folks who have latched onto Catfish Haven like the prey of a bunch of Okie Noodlers) but the comments section elicited at least one spirited, and well reasoned, back and forth. I like when that happens. Read the whole thing here.
  
• Has anyone else seen Idolator? It's Gawker's attempt at entry into the world of music blogging and so far it seems to be pretty lame. However I'm not going to jump on the bandwagon -- already teetering from having to many half-bit music-crit wannabes on it anyway -- and slam it completely yet. It's only been up a few days and it's obvious they're going through some birthing pains and haven't quite figured out just what it is that they want to do. Let's see what they do in the next few weeks before passing final judgment, eh?
  
• The Assembly is playing The Darkroom tonight. I would go, except I already went to The Darkroom last night. Thinking The Assembly was playing last night. Yes, I traveled by foot, bus, and cab for over an hour only to find out I had arrived at the club a day early. I am indeed, if there was ever any doubt, an idiot.
  
• More about them later, but Earl Greyhound are un-fucking-believable. Their debut disc is one of the hands-down freshest things I have heard in ages. I'm saving up all my fancy-schmancy rock-crit wordings for a review at donewaiting next week, but suffice to say that this is one NYC band that is doing something unlike almost everyone else on the scene ... and I don't mean they're some sort of punk cabaret act or anything like that. No, they are solid, brawny rock and/or rollers in a truly classic sense. But, I get ahead of myself. I just wanted to clue you in ahead of the review so you can pose as one of the cool kids when everyone else is having their minds blown a month or so down the line.
  
• Speaking of minds being blown, mine still hasn't recovered from the new Hold Steady disc. As a matter of fact, why don't we just kick the weekend off with a grand, epic note, and leave you with the opening track off said forthcoming disc. It's got more than a smidgen of early Springsteen laced throughout the album, and this song is the most obvious, and beautiful, example of that influence. Enjoy.

The Hold Steady "Stuck Between Stations"
You're just going to have to take my word on how awesome that track is, since the label has asked me to take it down.