* That Britney Spears song “Toxic” that everybody likes really isn’t very good. I feel vindicated. (Folks, if you want to hear good James Bond-style music that isn’t actually from a James Bond movie, buy Portishead’s records.)
* I also feel vindicated that the Strokes have released “Reptilia” as a single, seeing as how it’s easily the best song from Room on Fire. And the video’s actually quite good and interesting-looking.
* So is the video for Blink 182’s “I Miss You,” believe it or not. And the song is good, too! You half expect the bass player to appear with a shaven head and a long-sleeved black t-shirt reading “ZERO” on. And if they keep making this kind of music, the guy with the lousy voice could actually make his lousy voice work in the context of what they’re doing, which is impressive. Even the de rigeur lesbians are creepy hairy French 1930s surrealist lesbians rather than porn stars with enema bottles or whatever. Well done, Blink 182–a worthy follow-up to that side-project song from a year or so back, which was also good.
* However, the fact that every single other band has a lead singer who sounds just like the lousy singer from Blink 182 is not good at all.
* What the hell is this Maroon 7 situation?
* Jim Shearer?
* Oh, hooray, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have the video for “Maps” in heavy rotation. Best song of last year, I think. And the video’s pretty good too, if a little staid. It reminds me a little of the Doves’ video for “Caught by the River,” a song that should have been an enormous fucking hit in the States but wasn’t, possibly because they looked bored while performing it. It’s tough for Karen O to look bored, though, so there’s hope.
* That blue-eyed soul remake of “Fell in Love with a Girl [Boy]” is way too easy.
* It’s nice to see that after a year away, hip-hop videos still look and sound exactly the same. Good on you, hip hop!
Oh, cable. The Sopranos, Curb Your Enthusiasm, History Channel specials about barbarians, non-stop Law & Order reruns, and VH1 Classic. Delightful.