Celebrating the love.

Tankboy is no fan of Valentine's Day. Sure, I like giving a card to my mom, and having a nice dinner with Photogal, and having an excuse to chow down on lots of chocolate. What I don't like is being told by greeting card companies that there is a specific day I should celebrate love and relationships. (Well, I guess with the addition of the most bogus of holidays, Sweetest Day, there are now two.) I mean, shouldn't one be celebrating their relationship with their loved one each and every single day? And why in God's name would you want to create a day that's going to make some single folks miserable? It just seems so misguided.

But none of this is news, right? Everyone has griped about just this subject a million times before, so my adding fuel to the fire is pretty pointless.

Instead I'll just pass along this cover of Liz Phair's "Fuck And Run" by Cassettes Won't Listen as my own Valentine to each and every one of you. None of us is truly alone. Just remember that.

MP3: Cassettes Won't Listen "Fuck And Run"

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Now, why didn't I think of that?!

Sometimes I come across a blog that introduces me to an idea so awesome I am super-pissed I didn't think of it myself. So kudos to Jason Hare for thinking up the "Lost Soundtrack Classics" concept, wherein he and a pal dissect the tunes that made everyone's cinematic experience that much more rockin'. The first tune discussed? Joe Esposito's "You're The Best" from The Karate Kid. Download the tune below and then read all about it here.

MP3: Joe Esposito "You're The Best"

You know what, I suddenly feel the need to live my next three minutes or so in a training montage ...

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Some quick thoughts on a few upcoming local record releases.

All of these artists will warrant further discussion on either Chicagoist or donewaiting as the actual release dates and/or release shows approach, but here's a sneak peek into some early impressions.

ANDREW BIRD: I have never understood why people went ga-ga for this guy. I've always found him pleasant enough, but was never really knocked out by his music. His new disc, Armchair Apocrypha, doesn't really change that situation at all, but I can say it's my favorite album of his thus far.

BOBBY CONN: Okay, I've always been nuts about Bobby Conn, and his new disc, King For A Day, also does nothing to change that situation. It's more of the same, and with Conn "the same" consists of '70s influenced big-top, glammed up, rock and/or roll with lyrics so acidic they melt the air between his tongue and your ear. Hey, that's good! I think I'm using that line in my full review ...

THE SAFES: These brothers (literally: brothers) have been under my radar and I can not figure out how the hell I missed them! The manic Townsend/Moon Who-stylee pop-rock on Well, Well, Well is just barely kept from going nuclear by this terrific trio. These guys really should be getting all the attention that has thus far (unfairly) heaped upon The Redwalls.

NARRATOR: These cats sound like they grew up loving the hell out of Fugazi and most of the other Dischord groups. Guess what? So did I. All That To The Wall is populated by songs that sound like they're trying to outrun themselves, and listening to it makes me totally bummed I missed them a few weeks ago when they played with Oxford Collapse.

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Enough already!

Time for work. Hopefully my words, tunes, and the overwhelming presence of kitten pictures, has helped get your day off to a good start.

See you tomorrow, same Tank-time, same Tank-channel.

Okay, okay ... one more picture ...


Hi Pickle!