MOG

That was a pretty good weekend, if I do say so myself. There was drinking, there was shopping, there was music, there was movies. We've a lot to get through, so I guess I'll get started...

I saw TMNT and, against everything I was expecting, it was awesome. So much fun I couldn't believe it. It's absolutely a kids film, but in that good way. And it looks great. If you've seen it, you'll know that the next five words alone recommend the movie: Fight Scene In The Rain. Okay, moving on.

Remember the Sounds/Long Winters debate from a couple of posts back? Well the winner - by default - is... The Sounds! I hate saying by default, because I don't want to imply I don't like it. But they didn't have _any_ Long Winters stuff in stock, so it wasn't what you'd call a difficult decision. I still want some Long Winters, so my Amazon wishlist has been updated accordingly.

So... 'Dying To Say This To You' is a pretty good album. It's a little more electronic than I'm generally in to, but I can't help but listen to an album that starts with a cowbell solo (hence the title of this post). From song to song it can sound like The Donnas, The Killers, The Hives, Franz Ferdinand, Blondie or Bananarama -so it's nothing if not eclectic. It's a good album, but much like the Hold Steady I think it would sound better in a bar. I'm planning a barbecue party for some day this summer, and selections will definitely make that playlist.

If anyone cares, I also bought some books! 'Fortress of Solitude' by Jonathan Latham (because it was mentioned in the book I'm reading at the moment, 'The Polysyllabic Spree' by Nick Hornby) and Blankets, by Craig Thompson (I think), because it looks like the book I want to eventually write and draw (once I learn to write and draw). Incidentally this is also the first book ever to make me use the phrase "it's not a comic, it's a graphic novel", so I'm really nerding it up here.

On Sunday mornings my wife takes over the TV to watch Countryfile, a show dealing with agricultural and environmental issues. I'm not into it - I generally take that hour to hit the showers, read the paper and make a playlist for my day - but lately it's been bookended (on a different channel) by 'How I Met Your Mother'.

I have to admit, I'm hooked on this show. We're only on the first season here, but we're getting three episodes a week, which isn't bad at all. Why they're showing it on Sunday mornings is beyond me, but it's a convenient time for me, so I'm not complaining. I kinda like the theme music, by an apparently unsigned band called The Solids. They've few songs available on their website (thesolids.com) - sort of Guster/Remy Zero sounding stuff, if anyone's interested.

Incidentally, if anyone's into Guster-ish bands who do the theme music to sitcoms, I recommend the album 'Hope and Wait' from a few years back by the band My Friend Steve. It's a good album in its own right but it also features the song 'Charmed', which was the theme song to the late 90s 'Friends'-esque teen sitcom 'Zoe, Duncan, Jack and Jane'.

Finally - and it's a good thing, because this is starting to run on a bit - I joined the REM fan club this morning. Why? Apart from the fact that I'm a big REM fan and have been meaning to join for years, they're playing five now-sold-out nights in the Olympia Theatre here in Dublin to rehearse new material, and I didn't find out until it was too late.

Let me repeat that: REM (tied with Bruce and E Street as my all-time favourite band) ARE PLAYING FIVE NOW-SOLD-OUT NIGHTS IN THE OLYMPIA THEATRE HERE IN DUBLIN, AND I DIDN'T HEAR ABOUT IT UNTIL IT WAS FAR TOO LATE. I'm gutted. So I've joined the fan club in an attempt to avoid missing this stuff again.

Anyway, congratulations for making it down this far. I'm going to shut up and get back to work now.

Y'all take care...