I'm out like gout. Off to Los Scandalous to play tomorrow with Mr. Ted Leo and Los Pharmacistas in Pomona, and then onward through Southern California and into Arizona and finally in Austin to play South By Southwest. You should check out the hott (yes, two t's) new splash page over at radiocommunique.com, and while you're there you should check out our tour dates and buy an EP or a shirt or something so that we can afford the two-dollars-and-something-cents a gallon gas that's going on over here.

Austin should be fun, since we're staying a couple of days and both Jon and Millie will be there, as well as all my friends in Texas. I'm going to miss Miss Rodeo America and the kitties too, and I'm also missing Kyle's wedding today (Congratulations to the two of you, we'll have to have some sort of short reenactment when I return). It's a whirlwind weekend, but you can sit back and groove to some Marvin Gaye by downloading the MP3 of the week.

I'm Audi five-thousand.

Lately, I've been playing the "in a week I'll be" game, in which I imagine where I'll be in a week's time. A week from now, I'll be onstage in San Diego, waiting to drink a pint before heading to Phoenix the next day. Amazing to think about, sometimes.

Tonight I had an unsuspected break from band-related activities and ended up stretched out on our couch, watching About A Boy with Miss Rodeo America and sipping cheap white wine. I actually enjoyed the movie, even liked some of the cinematography. Though the ending turned up the heartwarming knob a bit *too* much, I came away happy. Still, you'd think after reading the horrible copy on the rear of the DVD case that I would have hated it, so actually enjoying myself isn't too bad an ending.

Half day of work tomorrow and then the two-hour drive to Sacramento to hookup with the Ted Leo & The Pharmacists tour. I think it's supposed to rain, but either way, I don't really mind.

Just about the only thing I feel like listening to these days at work is The Clientele's Suburban Light. Maybe it's the beginning of a new fascination with dreamy UK reverb pop, or perhaps it's that I'm playing rock music almost 7 days a week now, but everyyday I've been listening to the record first thing in the morning, and then again right when I get back from my lunch.

I think what I like most is the fuzzy, highly lo-fi production. Far from a moping dark record fit for mod kids and their scooters, it's more of a summer afternoon in Paris full of good memories and bright, 1960's colored flowers. Five Day Morning is a straightforwar strummy gem, while the meter in the lyrics on Joseph Cornell get me every time. It's a mix of heavily familiar yet amazingly fresh songs that keep me listening, every day. Somewhere in between The Beach Boys, Galaxie 500, and more recently The Shins, Suburban Light is probably my favorite album right now. Oh yeah, and check out the Velvet Underground-ish Reflections After Jane too. I guess what I'm trying to say is, if there's any record actually worth purchasing right now, this would be it. Oh, except for the Communique EP of course.

So lately I've been going into another Springsteen phase, one where I've found a newfound liking for his post Born In The U.S.A. material. Tunnel Of Love and Lucky Town have been getting more spins, and The Ghost Of Tom Joad has become one of my favorite late night records. It's interesting to me to hear a non-E Street band playing Springsteen songs.

Take "Streets Of Philadelphia," which won an Oscar in 1994 for best song. I love the opening drumbeat, but it's something Max Weinberg would probably never come up with. Yeah, maybe I think about this sort of stuff too much, but I've got to have something to do at work all day (besides work, that is).

I got a good rest last night and woke up early in order to take online traffic school to get rid of a ticket I got a couple months ago. I figured it would take at least 3 hours, maybe four, but halfway through The White Album I was already taking the final exam. I kid you not, the above question was actually on my test. So, let's weigh my traffic school options: sit in a crowded room in some cheap motel for 8 hours on a Saturday afternoon, OR sit in my pajamas, pet the cat, drink some coffee and listen to The Beatles for an hour. I heart the internet.

Our Noisepop show on Friday went rather well, although we were quite cramped on Cafe DuNord's small stage. Tuesday we start our mini-tour with Ted Leo, rock!