Dot.conor...

is moving...to a new server. our apologies for the serious lack of entries in the past few weeks, but the dot.conor staff has been working tirelessly in creating an all-new experience for all of the dot.con-rades out there in cyberspace. please be patient, dot.conor 2.0 will be up and running any day now. in the meantime, peruse our archives, visit our friends' sites, or just sit and wait.

thank you for your patronage.

Chow down on...

baked cheetos quoth mandisa, "god is good, honey." and for once we agree with one of her remarks for the sheer fact that baked cheetos are indeed heaven-sent. they have everything their grease-filled brethren have: the odd shape, the unique texture, the factory-created orange cheese mixture that stains everything. what the baked boys don't have are the calories, the fat grams, and the feeling of betrayal to ones body after consuming an entire large bag in one sitting whilst typing an overdue psychology paper back in the college days of yore. (sorry, that was an overshare...) while it'll never be quite understood what the common bond between something called a "cheeto" and a large-jowled tiger is, we are forever grateful to folks at frito-lay for answering our prayers and replacing our lard-filled nightmares with low-fat dreams.

Buy tickets to...

american idols live! admit it, you'll need your 'idol' fix before the television phenomenon starts back up next january (or later this summer if you plan on auditioning...). and while it's sad but true, this will be the last time kevin covais or bucky covington will see the light of day. or so we can hope...

Add to your iPod...

the prize fighter

by the velvet teen

indie rock at its finest, the california trio known as the velvet teen add depth and ethos to a song about a washed up boxer on this track on their "out of the fierce parade" album. featuring a killer hook, and a melody that begs to be echoed, 'the prize fighter' has what most songs by such bands has: staying power. for beneath the power chords, the less-than-stellar vocals, and garage-like production values is a song that actually makes sense in the storytelling, a rarity in today's music scene. and four years after it's release, the song sounds fresher than most new ones. it's dynamite.

See...

mission: impossible 3 do yourself a favor: imagine it's 1985 and you just saw and fell in love with tom cruise in "top gun", and that it's not 2006, the year that the world officially hated tom cruise. now, pony up $20 (after the diet coke and day-old nachos) and see his new movie. it's good. it's really good. j.j. abrams, mastermind behind alias & lost, has taken the ethan hunt franchise and given it a much needed shot in the arm. there's action, there's suspense, there's humor, there's tom cruise. (oh wait, that last one doesn't work anymore.) abrams' supporting cast shines. jonathan rhys meyers, maggie q, ving rhames and keri russell are dynamite as hunt's crew, while laurence fishburne and billy crudup, as execs at the fictional IMF agency, continually make you scratch your head. and philip seymour hoffman thrills as the film's villain. the film is equal parts alias, felicity, and lost, with a smattering of the previous two in the trilogy. and it's worth the price of admission just to see greg grunberg's cameo. trust.

Add to your iPod...

goin' back by dusty springfield forget "son of a preacherman," this is the song that dusty springfield should be famous for. though a relatively unknown track in the states for her, the byrds had a modicum of success with the same track, penned by carole king. the entire song is one sweeping crescendo about self-realization as one ages. dusty's mellow vocals blended with a gentle piano builds into a full-fledged orchestral delight. simply put: a magnificent song.

Dot.conor pick city...

los angeles, california

admittedly not our favorite city in the lower 48, but that's no reason to hate on new york's sibling on the left coast. while there are drastic differences between the city we call home and the city of angels (taxis v. actually driving; rude people v. fake people; rats v. smog) there are many redeeming qualities that la has that ny doesn't: palm trees, pedestrian right of way, warmer climate, pin's hot dogs, the grove, and michael vartan. if there are any dot.con-rades in the greater la area this weekend, feel free to grab a beverage with us as we sit and chit-chat with rande gerber & cindy. ok, we like to dream.

Add to your iPod...

to all of you by syd matters five facts: 1) the singer/songwriter has been compared to nick drake, to thom yorke, to elliott smith 2) he was a hit at this year's south by southwest 3) he's french 4) he's not very pretty 5) his songs will rock your world...and then some

Add to your iPod...

god of wine by third eye blind well before stephan jenkins started to date vanessa carlton, which caused his band to suck forever more, third eye blind made good music. sure the radio-friendly tunes on their debut album were catchy and fun, the bunch of songs on the latter half of the same album were dynamite. "i want you" & "motorcycle drive by", luckily, only have traces of the same band that came up with the "do do do doo, do do do doo" line of their first single. but it's "god of wine" that stands out the most. slow and steady, leading up to a raucous crescendo, the band from san francisco proves that they have more up their sleeve than their hits would suggest. if only that still held true.

Read...

wine for dummies even if you claim to know everything about wine, or you are only familiar with the boxed variety, this book will forever change your life. everything about wine is explained here, from the different types of grapes used, to how to properly store and open wine, to the difference between a zinfandel and a white zinfandel. didn't know there was such thing? well you are going to need more than just this book... the novice will be able to impress his friends at the next cocktail party by discussing the medium body of the vintage cab he's swirling around in the stemless glass in his hand. the newly minted 21-year-old will be able to detect the buttery aftertaste of a 2001 chardonnay as it rolls down her tongue. and the 86-year-old franzia addict will learn that there is life beyond the rubber spout stemming from the cardboard container. at least we can hope.

Everything looks better with a...

sunburn. not the gross kind of sunburn, with oozing blisters and peeling skin, but the look of being sun-kissed for a couple of hours too long. not only will your co-workers think you've been someplace exotic, it makes whatever it is you are wearing pop even more. even a mexican tuxedo will look good. on second thought, maybe not. honestly, never wear the mexi-tux...

Add to your iPod...

here and now by luther vandross the late, great luther (looking terribly thin in that picture) is responsible for some of the greatest soul ballads of all time. while "a house is not a home" and "superstar" are timeless, nothing holds a candle to 1991's "here and now." an unabashed love song that still tugs at the heart strings, luther shows why he is the original 'velvet teddybear.' impeccable range and full of restrained power, luther slays when he sings, "your love is all i need." taken too early due to a stroke, the song is painfully ironic, for as it turns out, the very-closeted singer yearned for someone to say the very thing to, but never did. he struggled with his weight, with the tabloids, and with his own insecurities. screw the newcomers who want to take his thrown, and throw out the covers of his work - luther vandross is the real deal.

Pay attention...

to the band on 'american idol.' they're amazing. the horn section on elliott yamin's "teach me tonight" is superb. the depth that the musicians has is quite impressive. without them, chris would not be chris, katharine would not be "kat", and pickler would not be...oh, wait - she's gone! finally!

You may exhale...

the blogger's block is over. dot.conor has returned. the world will never be the same again...

Add to your iPod...

talk (remix) by coldplay 'how to make a good song better' should be a requisite course taken by all artists, and coldplay's "talk" should be the text book. a great song on its own due to chris martin's voice and jon buckland's unmistakable guitar lick, but what separates the version found on x&y and the new remixed version(s) is night and day. the new mixes add depth that was never there to the song. junkie xl's mix, by far the best of those available, does what every remix has: minutes upon minutes of filler beats capped with the song at hand. but the way that the aforementioned guitar lick permeates those beats makes up for the previous five minutes of teasing noises and hints at what's to come. at its peak, the remix is simply amazing. and at roughly 10 minutes long, it is perfect for the treadmill. press play, run, repeat.

Watch...

thief

fx has become the hbo for folks who don't want to dish out $15 a month for good television. nip/tuck, the shield, and rescue me are all ground-breaking series, but none possess the same spark that thief does. andre braugher's performance is reminiscent of his days on homicide - dark, honest, gritty. the story of professional thieves in post-katrina new orleans focuses less on the jobs, and more on those on the job. each character has a story, and as we slowly learn those, we see that it's one big heap of tragic characters all trying to make an honest living the most dishonest way possible. fierce writing, stellar soundtrack, and tack-sharp acting make this a must-see. there are only 6 episodes in the entire season. catch it before it's stolen off of the airwaves...

Finally...

lent is over. now you may go back to your pagan-like ways of injesting candy, alcohol & fast food like water. gone without masturbation for 40 days and 40 nights? go buy some goggles. and some neosporin.

Learn the lyrics to...

lying is the most fun a girl can have without taking her clothes off by panic! at the disco not only is every song title on this las vegas' debut release enjoyable to read, they also pair their brand of dance/rock with lyrics so clever and fresh that they bowl you over upon first listen. after building their fanbase through myspace.com, the group was signed to the same label as fall out boy, a band also known for playing melodic rock music you can't help but nod your head or shake some body part to. with lines like "is it still me that makes you sweat?" and "so you testosterone boys and harlequin girls" it's no surprise that this band's cult following has propelled them from internet obscurity and into society's conscience. note: click on the title of this entry to learn the lyrics

Add to your iPod...

dear mr. president by pink (featuring indigo girls) pink, excuse me, p!nk has always been outspoken, and on her new album she does not relent. from mocking everyone from paris hilton to jessica simpson on her first single "stupid girls," the philadelphia native goes after someone far more important in the aptly titled "dear mr. president." sounding nothing like the rest of her catalog, alecia moore borrows the vocal and instrumental talents of amy ray & emily saliers to add an additional layer to her powerful, yet demure-sounding rant. while the focus of this song is clearly george w., mr. cheney does not escape pink's wrath, either. the lyrics, "what kind of father would take his own daughter's rights away/and what kind of father might hate his own daughter if she were gay?" are overtly directed at the vice president and his lesbian daughter. this song is refreshing not only for the subject matter, but for the fact that it actually sounds like the indigo girls of yore, before they got too righteous and experimental. oh, and pink sounds good, too.

Tuesday's guilty pleasure...

what's left of me by nick lachey it's a good song! trust. with one listen, the misery that was soul-o will be erased from memory and you will learn to at least appreciate who will be the more successful 'newlywed' (you heard it here first). no longer living behind the blonde curtain of his ex-wife's fake hair, the boy from ohio shows us why 98degrees was successful - he knows how to craft unadulterated cheese. and even if you're lactose intolerant, you'll fall victim to lachey's beckoning gaze and irresistible hooks.

Shed a tear...

for mandisa it is a dark, dark day for those living in mandisa-land. for those not in the know, our beloved plus-sized sister with pipes of gold got an unexpected au revoir from american idol last eve, thus sufficiently ruining all hopes for a true diva to rip the crown from fantasia's weave. it's ok, though. not only did barry manilow promise her a spot on his stage, lane bryant and fashion bug plus would be fools to not snatch this starlet up. so, here's to you, mandisa - may you thrive in your post-idolhood with kim locke, frenchie, and jennifer hudson. you'll be missed. unlike bucky, who, along with his dreaded hair, is still around...

Add to your iPod...

flying high by jem devoted dot.conor reader, katie from rhode island, emailed us about this little ditty from jem, the young welsh singer. and it's as simple as her name is: soft vocals accompanied with a lone acoustic guitar. her harmonies do the trick, especially the falsetto that she whips out on the later versions of the chorus. you'll listen to this and think that jem is truly outrageous.

04.05.06

on this day in history: 1614: pocahontas married john smith 1864: siege of yorktown began 1976: howard hughes died 1988: tracy chapman released "fast car." (we love black lesbians) & those born on this day: spencer tracy bette davis booker t. washington gregory peck and... mars rogiero, a tried and true friend of the folks at dot.conor, not to mention the editor's #1 nemesis. cheers to you on your 24th. may you get laid over and over tonight.

Where is...

mindy cohn the best part of the facts of life (you know it's true tootie fans...) mindy has been conspicuously absent on the pop culture radar. though she has been staying afloat as the voice of velma on the latest editions of scooby doo, she has yet to tackle a role much like she did on the show that introduced us to kim fields, george clooney, mackenzie astin, & molly ringwald (look it up). there will never be another natalie green. and for this, the world will never be the same.

Add to your iPod...

send for henny by the trashcan sinatras before you even start, let the obvious be stated: dot.conor has already shared its love for the trashcan sinatras with its faithful one time before. but as with all good things in life, one needs seconds. and on the first day to actually feel like spring since the equinox, and a day that may even tempt us with a taste of summer, there is no better song to let flow from your earbuds than this. happy guitars, harmonies that are reminiscent of juliana hatfield, and perhaps the best spring-like line: "come into my house, throw open the windows wide. go back to your house to do likewise" all add up to one addicting tune. not sure who henny is, but when it gets too heavy, send for her.

Shameless plug of the day...

this morning, the dot.conor staff awoke to breaking news on all of our email addresses: the big pony is back. the big pony, you ask? just think of the famous ralph lauren horse magnified by 25 and you have the big pony. flawless on a polo shirt, smokin' on a hoodie, this is the thing to don this spring. dot.conor guarantees that you'll love the way you look in a big pony, that you'll come back for more. and tell the naysayers to leave the ridicule at the door - they're just jealous that their abercrombie moose is so measly.

It's almost time for...

seersucker don't let the stripes and unconventional fabric ruffle your feathers - anyone can wear seersucker. but wearing it well is another story. seersucker suits are for professional croquet players over the age of 60 who reside in wales. a seersucker sportcoat with a t-shirt, jeans and flip-flops is perfect for the twenty-something manhattanite. just be wary of the eventual seersucker backlash. it's bound to happen. much like vodka, it is possible to have too much of a good thing.

Add to your iPod...

panic by the smiths ahh, the way pop music used to sound: short & sweet with just enough sass and punch to have you humming it for hours, if not days. morrissey and co. deliver and then some on the classic "panic." pete yorn attempted to cover this song a few years ago, but no one will be able to replicate the majesty of the original. the lyrics, about the crap music played in the clubs in the united kingdom, is what the song embodies. "hang the blessed dj/because the music that they constantly play/it says nothing to me about my life." the ending hook is unforgettable as morrissey and his slew of back-up singers (many of whom were kids) repeat in a chant-like fashion, "hang the dj, hang the dj, hang the dj." you'll be hard-pressed to not chant along with them. all with me now, "hang the dj, hang the dj, hang the dj."

Add to your iPod...

demolition by ryan adams that's right - download the entire album. it's that good. by far adams' most underrated work, the songs here are reminiscent of his days with whiskeytown: slower, more melodic, yet no two songs sound the same. "dear chicago" is the star of this show, though, as adams strums his guitar whilst pouring his heart out. it's two minutes and thirteen seconds of musical bliss that rips you apart instantly. demolition exemplifies why he has been lauded as the bob dylan of his generation. good music comes too easily to him. luckily, we are on the receiving end, and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight.

Here is...

the real final 4 yo dog, check it: mandisa, chris, katharine, & elliott will be the final four idols standing. mark my words.

Rediscover...

the york peppermint pattie dark chocolate + some minty gelatinous mixture = candy nirvana. york should replace the "a low fat food" with "contents could cause extreme addiction." not only does the peppermint pattie cause your tastebuds to do somersaults and exult with glee, they package this candied heroin in a shiny silver package that beckons you to with its beauty, only trick you into ripping it open, savoring its contents, and forcing you to eat roughly 3-8 more in one sitting. getting the sensation once is clearly not enough. damn you, york. damn you!

Add to your iPod...

the golden age by beck as soon as beck hanson strums the first chord of the song, you're sucked in and he does not relent until the last note of the pedal steel sends you forth. the opening cut off of beck's 2002 effort, sea change, this song sets off a litany of tracks that not only make you want to find the nearest razor blade, but also make you want to find someone to hug and tell them how much you love them. that's the thing with beck - you never know what you're going to get. a dramatic departure from every other album he's made, this disc is so bogged down with melancholy bliss that it makes you feel kind of happy because his songs are that good. "the golden age" is remarkably simple: acoustic guitars, pedal steel, "oohs" & "ahhs", and hanson's distinctive voice lift song into the realm of superiority. an added bonus is seeing this song performed live. witness beck alone on a guitar while his band sits at a dinner table playing glasses, plates, salt & pepper shakers, even food. brilliant. "put your hands on the wheel/let the golden age begin..." so much more than a song lyric, but a life motto...

Where, oh where...

is spring...?

The bandwagon...

has set sail. the wildcats of villanova will take their first steps on their path towards victory on friday. put on your blue and white. turn on cbs. sing the fight song. and remember the post that dot.conor published on february 1st in which it was predicted that the 'cats will be in the final 4. all with me now, "v for villanova..."

Add to your iPod...

8th world wonder by Kimberley locke quite possibly one of the most underrated contestants to ever grace the american idol stage, ms. locke emerged as a successful solo artist long after seacrest announced that ruben (who?) studdard triumphed over ms. clay aiken in the season 2 finale. almost as well-known for her duet with frenchie davis on "band of gold", her pop radio hit "8th world wonder" is pure gold cheese. lame-as-hell lyrics combined with mediocre studio production make this song irresistible. the truth is, kim can sing. it is unfortunate, though, that her label made her pose for her cover art in her own apartment, but that doesn't take away from the fact that locke should have been the american idol. why, you ask? well, ruben has eaten himself into oblivion, while clay pretends to be straight to an unbelieving public. this leaves room for an idol replacement. my vote: the 8th world wonder herself.

It's good to be a...

leprechaun tomorrow is st. patrick's day, a day where beer and whiskey are downed like water, the non-irish yearn to be, and the irish gloat because they are. kelly green is the color of choice for most folk, including the leprechaun. the usually non-existent, small sprite will be brought to life by fat, drunk, middle-aged men all across this fine country of ours. no longer will they be confined to cereal boxes and the dreams of our ancestors. i, the editor of dot.conor, and a true irish lad through and through, wish everyone a happy st. patrick's day. if you're in new york, stay home and watch the parade with a handle of jameson in your hand. if you're not, well erin go bragh to you then. and please, wipe that little bit of vomit from your chin.

Add to your iPod...

long time coming by delays the intro is unmistakable, for when you hear it (and you most certainly have) you, too, want to be in that diamonds commercial being asked to marry someone again while your parents and friends hang out, hidden, on the piazza (or wherever they are) above. sheer brilliance. so add this song by the british trio off of their faded seaside glamour album, put your ipod on, go to some piazza nearby and re-enact that magical moment. a killer opening followed by a catchy brit-pop tune, minus the self-loathing and blahh vocals. a good tune, a great commercial, a fantasy unfulfilled...

Add to your iPod...

worldwide suicide by pearl jam i will admit - i'm not even close to being a die-hard pearl jam fan, but i do like the band. they've survived popular music's ups and downs while managing to keep their sound intact, which is a feat in and of itself. now, more than a decade after their not-so-subtle debut, and more than four years since they last hit the studio, seattle's finest is back. and their first single...is really good. far better than half of the stuff heard on terrestrial radio today, eddie vedder and co. have never sounded fresher. available only on their website, or on some site called myspace.com, "worldwide suicide" will surely put pearl jam back on the top of the charts, and will garner more fans from the younger set, which makes me feel only older. swell.

Pay homage to...

the hotel bed there is something magical about (good) hotel beds. whether it's the crisp white linens, the heavenly feather bed, or the sheer opulence of a king-sized mattress, hotel beds are in a class by themselves. pretty to look at, prettier to sleep in, the hotel bed is an experience. the sagamore in miami, the beverly hilton in los angeles, the four seasons in dallas, the fairmont copley plaza in boston, and the sofitel in philadelphia (pictured) are some of the best hotel beds offered - beds so good you literally melt into them. someone please pass the ambien.

Happy birthday...

conor mcgill the editor of dot.conor turns 24 today. we wish him well as he ventures into his mid-twenties. and we hope he likes what we have learned in photoshop. rumor has it he's picky about himself in pictures...

Rediscover...

orangina the carbonated beverage that is 12% juice and 2% pulp is 100% delicious. not as bubbly as the standard soft drink (they do tell you to shake it, after all), orangina reigns supreme as the most underrated drink in the market. sweet, yet tart, and light, yet full of natural pulp, this stuff is simply delicious. beyond-refreshing, there is simply not another beverage like it. drink up.

Happy birthday...

marion barry the dopest (sorry...) mayor in u.s. history turns 70 today. after rocking out to "it's hard out here to be a pimp" on his iPod, the district of columbia's former mayor is going to blow out his birthday candles, then do a line of blow. smoking crack on camera is so 1990.

Add to your iPod...

i have nothing by whitney houston quite possibly the best song from one of the worst movies ever, this is houston in her prime. her voice is flawless, powerful and polished. she sings her heart out and you can feel her emotion every time she belts out the chorus. it's a sad reminder, though, of what she was and what she could have been. and how fitting is the title now that her current claim to fame is being the drugged-up wife of bobby brown on his train-wreck of a reality show. where's kevin costner when she needs him?

Happy birthday...

ed mcmahon tonight show sidekick, star search emcee, publisher's clearing house spokesperson, grandfather of alex schmerge. is there anything this guy can't do? today he's turning 83, and still sporting those huge glasses.

It's not so...

hard out here for a pimp after all... did crash really win best picture? did dolly lose to the three 6 mafia? did a bird land on charlize theron's shoulder for the entire show? apparently, the answer is 'yes' to all three of those smoldering questions. i will admit, crash is good. is it the best picture of the year? no. it was well-written (for the most part) and shot well, but race relations is so 2001. dolly parton and her two friends had the oscar in the bag, that is until the three 6 mafia hit the stage. the song is good. the hook is superb. their performance was jaw-droppingly...terrible. and honestly, charlize, you're gorgeous, but that dress was hideous. it made marc anthony look good.

Happy birthday...

elizabeth barrett browning author, poet, originator of the "butt cut." she would have been 200 today. and would probably still be rockin' that 'do.

Add to your iPod...

mirrorball by everything but the girl tracy thorn and ben watts have been making truly great music for twenty years, but it wasn't until their song "missing" got a dance-floor makeover that their career not only took off, but took a 180 degree turn...for the better. easy-listening, soft-rock was their specialty for the first half of their career, and no one made that kind of music sexier and more tolerable than this duo. but once "missing" hit the clubs, everything but the girl was re-born. "mirrorball", off of their walking wounded album further exemplifies ebtg's versatility. a killer song on its own, the remix puts it on a whole new level. sleek and moody, the song combines the acoustic genius that watt puts on all of their songs, thorn's heartbreaking voice, and just a touch of electronica that transforms it into the brilliant piece that it is.

There is nothing better...

than leaving the office early to do some karaoke. watch out abba - i do a mean "fernando."

Add to your iPod...

just like honey by the jesus and mary chain the scots know how to make good music. this scottish band, fronted by brothers jim & william reid, hit the scene with psychocandy over twenty years ago, but hearing it now one would know no different. their sound is still so fresh and innovative that sofia coppola used "just like honey" as the closing song to her film lost in translation, a choice that was the perfect punctuation to such a nuanced film. gritty guitars, breathy vocals, and lyrics that, strangely enough, make perfect sense, this song, much like the entire library of the jesus and mary chain, proves that good music doesn't die when your album goes out of print. it gets better.

Manicures...

are overrated. calm down, i did get a manicure. it's ok for men to do so. there is even a sign posted in the salon that reads, "it's called a man-icure for a reason." ok, i made that up... but in a matter of 10 minutes, my nails were sliced, diced and then some as a very strict korean woman had her way with me. she let out her apparent sexual frustration on my fragile digits as she wielded many a strange weapon in an attempt to beautify my fingertips. my friend got a post-manicure massage; another friend had a woman who actually smiled whilst cleaning his ever-so-dirty fingernails. what did i get? bloody cuticles.

Add to your iPod...

near wild heaven by r.e.m. overshadowed by such radio-friendly hits as "losing my religion" and "low", "near wild heaven" is the little engine that could amidst a fleet of acelas. one of the few songs helmed by bassist mike mills, this song shows r.e.m. at their almost-peak: right after their college radio days, just prior to their automatic for the people opus, but way before their years of experimentation (and the days without drummer bill berry). mills's voice is hollow in contrast with michael stipe's instantly recognizable, nasal falsetto, but it works as the lead vocal on this song. fellow athenian kate pierson of the b-52's adds some flair to the background vocals as she and stipe "ba ba ba ba ba baaa" their way through the chorus and bridge. light, fun, and classic r.e.m.

Appreciate the joys of the...

sharpie quite possibly the best writing implement since the quill, though it could be argued that it is the best writing implement ever, the sharpie is not only fun to write with, it adds a kind of prestige to handwriting. sure, you can jot down notes or scribble your john hancock with a generic bic, but you automatically feel five notches more important and look ten notches better when the sharpie goes to work whilst in your paw. and luckily for us, there are now over 30 different tips and styles in the sharpie family to choose from. who cares if you get some ink on your fingers. that's merely a sharpie badge of honor.

Never underestimate...

carbohydrates. they're amazing. bread, pasta, rice, fruit, vegetables, sugar - all of the things in life that are taken for granted everyday are instantly missed the second they're ripped from your feeble, protein-only-diet body. romaine lettuce and starburst have never been more missed...

Add to your iPod...

world spins madly on by the weepies recently heard on one tree hill and grey's anatomy, the weepies (consisting of folk music's deb talan & steve tannen) are a breath of fresh air in the now-languid world of folk-rock that was once so widespread on every show on the wb. but as musical landscapes have changed through the years, and acoustic guitar duos have lost their clout, the weepies are a proud reminder of how good this music can be. simple, yet to-the-point, "world spins madly on" sucks you in and lets you go...but only after the 14th time you hear it. your ipod may get sick of playing it, but your ears will thank you.

Root for...

chris daughtry though following the already proven 'bo bice method', chris daughtry has a few more things going than ol' bo. firstly, the kid can sing. anyone who can pull off the bee gee's "emotions" with, well, emotion and a rock edge clearly has the chops to make it far in america's talent show. secondly, unlike mr. bice, chris has no hair, so if and/or when he decides to don the 'bo bice microphone dance' he will have nothing swinging around to distract his audience. thirdly, he's a genuine guy (he adopted his wife's children). honestly, though, how cool would it be to have a bald american idol? (ruben doesn't count!)

Samberg and parnz were right...

google maps is the best. true dat. double true. seriously, what can't google do to improve our lives? first the search engine, then the stock market, and now cartography. simple to use, and fun to boot, google has now made looking locations up on the internet the new black.

The olympics...

are boring. it's no wonder they're getting crushed in the ratings. everything nbc has done has been yawn-inducing. the usually entertaining 'today' has me thinking about tomorrow and how boring that program will be, too. you can only watch al roker eat so much pasta... furthermore, the competitions are boring. ice dancing? yawn. bobsled? still yawning. i'm still wondering how nbc could turn snowboarding, a sport that has dazzled x-games fans for years, into a snoozefest. and is it just me or does bob costas look dead...? can't wait for beijing.

Add to your iPod...

weightlifting by trashcan sinatras quite easily the best band that you've never heard of, this scottish quintet has been making amazing music for well over a decade. they're one of the few bands capable today of capturing the feel-good sound of brit-pop in its mid-90's heyday. their songs range from rhythm-heavy three minute pop masterpieces to piano-driven melodramatic masterpieces. the title track off of their most-recent offering, weightlifting is a peaceful, poignant song with a great hook. listen to it while looking at the cover of the album. it makes you feel like you there with the clothesline and mountains. it's almost cathartic.

Root for...

mandisa there is something about a strong, black woman who can belt out the notes that makes me want to become their best friend. this is why dot.conor is endorsing mandisa as the girl to watch on american idol. she's nice, has great teeth, and impeccable pipes. plus, she's got sass. the whole jesus freak angle has got to go, but she was able to put simon in his place after he make some remarks about her sizeable derriere. but the best part about her? she goes by one name.

Add to your iPod...

space age love song by a flock of seagulls when it comes to good, old-fashioned, 80's synth-pop, no one can match the goodness of a flock of seagulls. the second band to hail from liverpool sporting trademark haircuts, the flock is best known for the song "i ran". but it's "space age love song" that shows them in their prime (whatever that is supposed to mean). the intro itself is filled with hooks, and while the lyrics could have been written by a chimp, their simplicity blends well with the showy synthesizers and drum machines. it makes you want to go to the roller rink and rock out. ross gellar and chandler bing would be proud.