After seeing Macaulay Culkinin in a people magazing wearing a Strokes t-shirt I thought with a sigh, another decent band ruined by becoming too trendy too fast. Baby got the bends.

So I’ve been downloading gig after gig of stuff recently, trying to find a replacement for the Strokes of yesterday. After all, they really just play catchy make out music, it couldn’t be too hard. I wanted something more mature, darker perhaps, and aged, but with memorable melody and sensible hooks. So here’s what I’ve found in the world of music:

Interpol. They’re not that aged perhaps but they come across like a raging Merlot buzz. I picture swank nights out in Paris, running around with an avant-garde literary types and vapid sexy models in fashionable clothes, all disheveled by alcohol. Pure pop existentialism. I can say pretty much without a doubt that Turn On The Bright Lights will be number one on my 2002 top ten list. It would be a miracle if something beat it, although I’m holding out for the new GnR. What an ensemble that is. Tommy Stinson! And Weezer opening for GnR on the Chinese Democracy tour? Maybe we’ll get a duet out of Thom Yorke and Axl after all…that’s all I want for X-mas Mom…

Spoon is back. Kill the Moonlight is a masterpiece of minimalism. It’s simple, with so little rough sounding guitars, yet still comes across tough as nails. Damn if that dude can’t write the catchiest little diddies…ok, maybe this one will be number one…But just let it be said that nothing could ever compare to Series of Sneaks. For nostalgic reasons too, it was one of my favorite summers, the summer I discovered Stoli Orange…

This year has also seen some amazing comebacks. Both Elvis Costello ( Note: I hate people named Elvis) and David Bowie have put out great albums. Heathen is superb old school bowie, he’s at his best. This album will definitely end up in my top five. Wire has put out a rocking EP after 10 years or so of silence, and surprise, it rocks. I mean it’s good, not good for old timers like anything the Stones would do, but good as in new, creative, fresh, etc. All three of these groups seem to be harkening back to earlier eras of their musical careers for inspiration.

On the local front, Race Against Disaster will be changing our name it appears, due to internal dissent, conflict, rage and general alcoholism. Suggestions?

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