NBC is the latest addition to the iTunes family. Now you can download shows like "Law & Order", "The Office" (Carell, not Gervais), and I kid you not, "Knight Rider". Yeah.

It's official: I'm sudoku's bitch.

I finally saw "Rent" last night! I managed to keep my singing & dancing to a minimum (I'm sure the people around me were grateful), but I did let out a small gasp of surprise when I saw that Stephen Chbosky wrote the screenplay. He also wrote "The Perks of Being a Wallflower", a book that I re-read every year because it makes me cry and references "Asleep" by the Smiths at least three times. You should read it, too.

The kids over at Santa Monica High School--excuse me, SaMo--went berserk with the online voting and managed to win a concert with Kanye West. Kanye even wore his favorite holiday sweater for the occasion!

There are apparently a billion shake-ups happening over at the LA Times, one of which is that adored/loathed critic Robert Hilburn accepted a payout and is leaving. Some of the bands he's championed over the years include Nine Inch Nails, Bright Eyes (the infamous "Conor's the next Dylan" article), and the White Stripes, while apparently disliking the Chili Peppers. At least that's what Flea says.

I saw a picture of New York ice skating the other day and I thought, "Oh, how idyllic that looks!" Of course, that's because it's sunny and nice here. Still, wouldn't it be nice if us LA people could go ice skating outside? Guess what? We can! Well, except for me, I have weak ankles.

If you're currently braving the OC, head over to the Irvine Spectrum, or as those in the know call it, "The Speccie". If you'd rather brave crosstown traffic than go over the Orange Curtain, go downtown to Pershing Square for "Downtown on Ice", which runs until New Year's. Or if you're really a masochist, go to Universal Citywalk. Enough said about that one.

Or maybe you don't like the cold, even if it's manufactured. Maybe you're just scared of Zambonis, I don't know. Either way, you can still get snow twice a night at The Grove, even while you're wearing flip flops and sunglasses. Good times!

Bring on Christmas!

But first, one of my favorite Christmas traditions is wrapping gifts while watching "The Sound of Music", which is why a little piece of me died when I read that Julie Andrews was recommending Cameron Diaz for her role should they ever remake the movie. Um, no. No no no. I will not have my �Lonely Goatherd� song bastardized in such a manner.

Is your business going under? Turn to U2 for some sensible advice.

Wow, there�s a lot of Strokes news for you today. You should be so lucky!

First, as you probably know, you can now watch the �Juicebox� video on the official website. So woo-hoo for that.

However, some people were less than happy with the video. (Maybe they wanted more nudity?) One of those people was a fan named triple_six, who mashed the video with clips from �Night of the Living Dead� (a movie I�ve never seen because I�m a big scaredy-cat who freaks out when I see a dragonfly, much less zombies).

The second person who didn�t like the video was its director, Michael Palmieri. If you head over to the �Press� section of his website, you can see not only triple_six�s mash-up video, but a long (we�re talking long) explanation from Mr. Palmieri about how the video got edited down by The Man. A �director�s cut� of the video is also available under �Videos�. Whew. What a story. You can all thank the Strokes MB for the fun stuff.

Also, the band is playing a tiny show tonight in London, which made every single British Strokes fan line up in the cold. Such dedication! Photographer Andrew Kendall was also out there and put together a fun lil� photo montage, just for you.

EDIT: Ooh, I just discovered that Radio 1 is is doing a live broadcast of tonight's show, starting at 9:15pm London time. Convert accordingly.

And finally, if the video news bores you and you hate that transatlantic flight to London, you can always read a brand-new and interesting article on The Strokes in the latest issue of Filter Magazine. Again, the Strokes MB comes through with a transcription, but some interesting tidbits are below:

�One barometer for the state of mainstream music might be the monolith that MTV has become. And what's worth noting is that indie bands like Modest Mouse and Grandaddy and Sigur Ros haven't really been excised from MTV's version of the world. It's just that they've been relegated to being the background music for some of the network's 50 or so shows, of which fewer than 10 play music videos. While the Strokes' image and brand of music are decidedly more MTV-friendly, there's still no guarantee that MTV will promote them. Moretti says, �It's crazy, they're always playing 'Hard to Explain' or 'Someday' in the background. It's like, 'Thanks for playing our video.'�

�Nor does Hammond buy the argument that MTV's hands are tied by consumer demand when it comes to choosing which videos to play. �They could put on anything they way and people would see it,� he says. �That's the power they have. I think they could put on anything, play it enough, and everyone would be like, 'That's amazing!' Meanwhile, he continues, the "heads" on those shows say they're fans. �Usually, if I say I'm a fan, it means I usually try to listen to it or like it. If I'm not a fan, then I play something completely different. People love it! Can't play it though.��

Well. Damn that MTV. I knew they were trouble from the minute I laid eyes on them. Take that, MTV!

So here's some music that makes me happy to wake up and go to sleep. Enjoy your day.

Franz Ferdinand, "The Fallen"

"We've already seen that the fallen are the virtuous among us / Walk among us / Never judge us..."

Joni Mitchell, "A Case of You (live)" (thanks to Mr. Luna)

"Just before our love got lost, you said / I am as constant as a northern star..."

Matisyahu, "King Without a Crown"

"What's this feeling? / My love will rip a hole in the ceiling..."

"Good Night and Good Luck" Official Motion Picture Soundtrack

"I know the routine / Put another nickel in that there machine / I�m feeling so bad / Won�t you make the music easy and sad...?"

Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash, "Jackson"

"Oh, we got married in a fever! / Hotter than a pepper sprout!"

One of my current favorite singers is Imogen Heap, whose new album "Speak For Yourself" has finally been released in the US! Hooray! I've been listening to "Have You Got It In You?" on repeat for the past 12 hours or so, but if you're a live music type person, "Morning Becomes Eclectic" has the full live audio & video from her studio set last week, while LA CityBeat reviews last week's show at the Hotel Caf�. (Side note: read the Hotel Caf�'s FAQ for a giggle.)

These four girls went to a U2 show and all they brought back was a lousy recording contract and several endorsement deals.

Normally, I think Pete Doherty is a moron and I leave it at that, but this morning's Guardian interview is interesting, to say the least. For example, the room he was living in:

"God knows what his room looked like before, because it's in a pretty shocking state now. Drug paraphernalia and CDs are scattered across the bed, and there are rows of blackened, broken miniature bottles of alcohol from which he has been smoking, a trunk full of junk, a motorcycle by the bed, and the words "ROUGH TRADE" daubed on the wall in fresh, dripping blood."

Not to be blas� about it, but cocaine was the least of Kate Moss's problems.

And finally for a Friday, if Claymation + dry British wit + cocktails - annoying Fanta commercials = your idea of a good time, "Wallace & Gromit - Curse of the Were-Rabbit" is playing at the Arclight's 21+ screenings this Friday-Sunday. Go and be merry, kittens!

Does anyone really think her career is over? Let's be realistic here. (Link from Oh No They Didn't!)

When I was five years old, my very favorite TV show of all-time was "Fame" and I wanted to be just like Julie, the cellist. In fact, when we were learning the letter F in kindergarten, I used the word "fame" as an example of a word that began with F (megalomania starts so early). And now the first season in on DVD!

During his latest tour, Trent Reznor went back to New Orleans and saw his old hometown for the first time since Katrina. NIN.com has photos from the trip and The Times-Picayune talks to Trent about his old hometown:

"You know the feeling when the system breaks down, and how terrifying that can be? To me, that was when my grandmother died and my grandpa broke down crying. I'm not used to seeing that. He's supposed to be the rock -- it's very unsettling to see that collapse. From watching what happened (in New Orleans), it felt that way -- these parts aren't supposed to break. The government that takes half my paycheck, I thought that's where some of this was going."

Thanks to the incredibly well-moderated NIN Hotline for the links.

Ryan Adams & the Cardinals are going on Letterman this Friday night, so do whatever you can to see that. Side note: you know what I miss? The old crazy Ryan Adams web page. The new one just doesn't have that same whacked-out-on-drugs vibe. I guess that's what happens when you get all cysty and whatnot.

So you might have heard that there's a bit of hoopla with The Strokes lately, what with all the new songs that are leaking like a faucet. (Note to their record company: you're not fooling anyone.) And I have to admit this has been a bit depressing for me.

"Ahem," you might say, "how could anyone POSSIBLY be sad when there's new Strokes music? Even Trent Reznor can't find anything bad to say about them!"

See, it goes a little something like this. When "Room on Fire" came out in 2003 (really? 2003? Time just flies, doesn't it?), I had heard most of the songs on it from concert bootlegs and it just didn't have that same new, exciting, splendid feeling. So I decided that when the next album came out, I wouldn't hear any songs beforehand.

That, my friends, was very stupid. I'm in AGONY NOW. So please go forth and enjoy the new fun music without me. I'll just sit here. Alone. Empty. Sigh.

But for old times' sake...

And now I love it even more because tonight, The White Stripes are on "Charlie Rose". Hooray for the bad lighting and barely-decorated set! Seriously, I heart Charlie Rose. Me and Tivo love him. (Thanks to TT for the heads-up.)

I was totally a sensitive kid growing up, so if Madonna was my mom and confiscated all my clothes and made me wear the same thing to school every day, I would've had a nervous breakdown. Hang in there, Lourdes!

To be honest, I don't know who Sarah Lucas is, but I have to link to this article about her simply because of the tag line: "Ever since she reinvented sculpture with her self-portrait with fried eggs..." Good stuff.

And in other wacky Brit news, Fatboy Slim and David Byrne are making a musical about...wait for it...trust me, it's worth it...Imelda Marcos. Yep. Yep yep yep.

You know what? We get it. We get that Liz Phair Now is not Liz Phair Then, that she writes poppy songs and the kids love 'em and everyone else hates them. Didn't we go through this last year? Jesus tapdancing Christ, WE GET IT. Let it die!

So of course I have to tell you about my current favorite CD, and I think the best way is to describe a phone conversation I had with my lovely brother yesterday:

Chris: So you need to tell me about music. I need to learn more about music. What's this one the kids are always talking about? Death Cab...?
Me: 'The kids'?! You're 25! The kids are the same age as you. I'm going to buy you a wool cardigan with elbow patches for Christmas, Grandpa.
Chris: (all excited now) Really?!
Me: (heavy sigh) You know who you would love? Panic! at the Disco. They're incredible.
Chris: What.
Me: Panic! at the Disco.
Chris: *snort*
Me: What?
Chris: *snicker, muffled guffaw*
Me: THEY'RE A GOOD BAND! WHY ARE YOU SO JUDGMENTAL?
Chris: *not even trying to muffle his laughter now*
Me: You said you wanted to know more about music. I'm trying to help you out.
Chris: *Literally crying from laughing so hard* Panic? At the Disco?
Me: Write it down. Are you writing it down?

Sigh. My brother's skepticism, however, doesn't change how much I love this band right now. I'm actually thinking of reasons to run errands just so I can be out & about while listening to their CD, "A Fever You Can't Sweat Out". You can download some of their stuff over at Pure Volume or get really obsessive and read ever word of their website.

And just 'cause we all love nostalgia and Halloween and tradition (and if you don't, pretend for me, okay?), "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" is airing on October 25th at 8pm. Grab your Linus blanket and hunker down.

WHITE STRIPES ON THE DAILY SHOW! WHITE STRIPES ON THE DAILY SHOW!

Seriously, I cannot handle such excitement. I fear my heart will combust.

Thursday December 1st. 11pm.

Oh, and the New Yorker is releasing 4000 article on 8 DVDs, but whatever with that...

I've also been test-driving cars, as leaving the job also means giving up the company car (not to mention the Blackberry and free home internet). So if anyone owns a car dealership, used to be a car dealer, or is just an excellent wheeler & dealer, please save me.

Speaking of shopping, even though it's not yet October, Target's Breast Cancer Awareness website has the cutest (and cheapest) pink cashmere scarves, just in time for sore throat season.

Newsweek is the latest in a series of stories about "Laguna Beach", a show that reminds me every day why I hated high school. Kristen, the Jessica Wakefield of her day, talks about the 20-page questionaire MTV made her fill out before being cast. My favorite question: "Name your five best friends and one thing you hate about them." BFF, girls!

Oh, dear sweet Siouxsie Sioux. When I was sixteen and in the throes of being "arty" and "different", I survived a family reunion on a Carnival cruise ship by listening to "Dazzle" repeatedly on my Walkman. Thank you, Siouxsie!

Hmmm...I don't know if this is real or not, but either way, the music is awesome. Michael Chabon created an iMix of music that he listened to while writing "Kavalier and Clay". He is cool like ice, people.

So okay, let's get to the good stuff. It was White Stripes weekend over at Coney Island! Miss Modern Age has reviews and pictures rarin' to go, and the NYT gives an odd yet glowing review.

They covered Tegan and Sara's "Walking With a Ghost" and while the mp3 from Coney hasn't yet floated up, you can listen to the Stripes cover it in Toronto, thanks to The Little Room.

And for those of you who crave nostalgia, check out the video of the Strokes & the White Stripes performing "New York City Cops" together at the 2002 Radio City concert. Why did I not fly out for this show?! WHY?!

Odd mp3 Request of the Day: Does anyone else remember that Disney cartoon "Johnny Fedora and Alice Bluebonnet" about the two hats in love? Does anyone have the mp3 of the Andrews Sisters singing the title song? I've had it in my head for two days now and it's not going anywhere. You are too kind.

Those lovely Strokes have named their third album, due out in January 2006 (I think): "First Impression of Earth". Sure, fine, just deliver the fun music, please.

And in related news, honorary Stroke Amanda de Cadenet opened her latest photo exhibit last night in New York.

My lovely mom was in town yesterday and so we made hay and ran the gamut of Los Angeles, from lunch at Geoffrey's, iced tea at Peet's for Mom's slightly consuming iced tea habit, then dinner at Fred 62 and a whirlwind ride over to the Arclight, where we accidentally ended up in the middle of a B-list movie premiere and almost went down the press line. Oops.

But all this to say that on October 6 at the Arclight, they're holding a special screening of "The Squid and the Whale", the new film from Noah Baumbach. Noah, Laura Linney, and Jeff Daniels will all be at the Q&A afterwards, and if my experience at Arclight screenings hold true, there will probably be free wine & beer afterwards. However, that's just a prediction.

As for my Decemberists concert experience, let me say this: here are the upcoming tour dates. You will find your city--or the city closest to you--you will buy tickets, and you will go and have a phenomenal time and sing and dance and do audience participation and scream like a whale is eating you alive (so fun!) Trust me on this one. It was the best show I've seen all year.

And to tide you over until the fun circus rolls into your town, you can watch the video for "16 Military Wives", which looks like "Rushmore", the video for My Chemical Romance's "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)", and US foreign policy all had a play date together. Awww...

And Salon.com is offering two free downloads by a band I've never heard of: The Perishers. Should I have heard of them? I always feel so out of the loop when this happens. Anyway, you can get a gorgeous version of "Pills" with Sarah McLachlan (right-click and save) and "Weekends" (ditto on the right-clicking). Tip: if you're feeling a bit delicate and small this morning, this is the kind of music you need.

And despite the prayers of many, the VMAs went off without a hitch last night. I Tivo�d the whole thing, so I have no idea if it was a trainwreck or just a fender-bender. All I know is that Green Day won a bunch of stuff and Gwen wore something vaguely leopard-ish. Woo.

You know who didn�t have a good time in Miami this weekend? Suge Knight. How scary would it be to try and shoot Suge and miss?! Whoever the shooter is, I hope you�ve got a wad of cash and a new identity in Europe because having Suge Knight as an enemy? No thank you.

The heroes of the Greek Theater, the White Stripes, taped an episode of �Morning Becomes Eclectic� to air on September 6th at 11:15. Don�t worry, I�ll remind you.

Philip Seymour Hoffman sends his voice higher than I thought possible in the trailer for �Capote�, his new movie about the research that went into �In Cold Blood�.

Death Cab talks to Newsweek about lots of fun things. And speaking of Death Cab, �The OC� returns on September 8th. Yay! Let the fall begin!

So The Strokes have a new album coming out, with the first single being named �Juicebox�. (Side note: I love juiceboxes! They�re so convenient!) They also have been hanging around at Mets games with Drew Barrymore, who managed to piss off an entire family. Or did they piss her off? We may never know.

The NYT profiles Venice Beach boutiques on Abbot Kinney and Main Streets. Love Abbot Kinney. May I recommend Joe�s and Jin Patisserie, where you can sit and have afternoon tea? I thought so.

So Dallas and Maret and I were seeing "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" at the Grove on Wednesday (side note: Steve Carell on "The Daily Show"? Hilarity.) We were just about to walk in the theater and we're all like, "Do you hear Lisa Loeb? Is someone singing?" And sure enough, there's Lisa Loeb next to the fountain show, in concert, singing "Stay". And oddly enough, I was so excited to see her! Maybe it's just because I saw her kitchen on The Food Network and she has a Hello Kitty toaster. So jealous.

I have to thank Catherine for providing me with unlimited humor this morning. She had the good fortune to go to Maine and visit an umbrella cover museum. (To quote: "People. The Umbrella. Cover. Museum.") Apparently the owner wrote a song about said covers, which she plays on the accordion . Of course there's video. I love this umbrella-cover-obsessed, accordion-playing woman! I wonder if she needs an intern.

The Guardian has a big ol' feature on Sigur Ros this morning. Dallas and I are going to see them at the Hollywood Bowl--are you? If you're one of those people that's like, "I can't understand what they're saying! Is that even english?", try listening to some mp3s.

The LA Times is featuring the new wave of indie-folk music in this Sunday's magazine section, with pieces on Devendra Banhart, Sufjan Stevens, Bright Eyes, Joanna Newsom, et al. You know, the usual group of kids.

Next Tuesday, I'm going to a special screening of "Proof" at the Arclight, but maybe you'll be next door at Amoeba Music, watching John Vanderslice perform live. He goes on at 7pm, so you can still get a good night's sleep afterwards.

But if you're feeling kind of hermit-y, stay home in your PJs and listen to The Secret Machines & Kings of Leon perform live in concert for NPR.

And if you need a quintessentially good movie experience tonight and can't handle the Grove on Friday nights, The Aero Theatre is screening "Breakfast at Tiffany's" tonight at 7:30. Go and cheer for Cat. Aero Theatre, 1328 Montana Avenue at 14th Street, Santa Monica.

But don't worry, it's not over yet. Claire's online photo gallery is up and open for business. Sniffle...

Elizabeth Crane, in her brilliance and infinite wisdom, has written a short story. All one sentence and all about Owen Wilson. Praise be. If you must have more! more! more! you can buy "All This Heavenly Glory". Now relax.

The new Gap ads are online now, featuring a bunch of musicians singing a bunch of their favorite songs while wearing their favorite jeans. Hey, that's just like me! Thanks to Brandon Boyd for covering Elvis Costello's "Alison". I heart that song. Really, I do.

You need more music, though. I can tell. So now you can hear Tori cover "Total Eclipse of the Heart", "Angie", and "Dream On". Heh. Remember when she sang "Dream On" with MTV VJ Jesse Camp, back when Tori was still on TRL? You don't? I do! (Thanks to Mr. Luna for the original link)

And finally, do you love Jack White? Do you love babies? Do you love Jack White AND babies? (Thanks to the CCCers)

11. Turned 28. Yay for newfound wisdom and the beginning of crow's feet (I'm a squinter, so it's inevitable).

10. Ate a particularly nasty bite of camouflage melon, got food poisoning, and spent the next three days in bed, dying. But while I was in bed watching the X Games and simultaneously dehydrating, I saw a commercial for "Coq Roq", the new campaign for what are essentially McNuggets from Burger King. "Woo boy," I thought. "The shit's gonna hit the fan on this one. No way will our 'Vote-For-George-Bush-Otherwise-Satan-Wins' society stand for this!'" And yet, nothing. Not even a whimper of protest. Still, have you seen the website? There's music! And angry chickens wearing goggles and helmets! Good times!

9. Went to the Apple store at the Grove, saw Vin Diesel (who is not as short as he looks), and bought a gorgeous and sleek little Powerbook G4. We're the best of friends now. I mean the computer, not Vin Diesel. But Vin, I wouldn't say no to coffee. Anyway, a big thank you to The Modern Age's comments section, where I learned about "refreshed models" and saved myself $400.

8. Traveled to Seattle with the lovely Adri, where we met up with the equally lovely Katy and saw only blue skies, and went to a Fourth of July party that stretched over three houses and waaaayyy too much alcohol. Later, I made out with an adorable rocket scientist, while--and I'm not making this up--fireworks exploded over our heads. Later, Katy's cat loved up my hairbrush. Sadly, there were no fireworks for Kitty, but my hairbrush hasn't been the same since.

7. When the lovely Dallas went to Japan for two weeks, I begged him to bring me back My Melody toys. "Anything!" I said. He returned with a plastic tote bag, a toiletry kit (complete with toothbrush!) , a key chain, and a Hello Kitty hand fan for cooling off in my non-air-conditioned apartment. Dallas just got a bit lovelier.

6. Went to Phoenix in late June, where the local banks informed me it was 117-degrees. That didn't stop the Warped Tour, and it seemed like every gas station and convenience store parking lot had a bunch of little punkers covering themselves in SPF 30 before heading in. And ever since, my taste in music has been tweaked ever so slightly. Music I can't stop playing on my iPod:
"Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge", My Chemical Romance

"Almost Here", The Academy Is... ("Slow Down" will having you bouncing around the subway like a pinball)

"Everything is Alright", Motion City Soundtrack

"From Under the Cork Tree", Fall Out Boy

Seriously, when I turned 28, I also turned 13.

5. EDIT: My brother called me and said, "Uh, #5? Not smart." And he's probably right. Damnit. So it's been edited to avoid tears, potential lawsuits, and eventual commentary on VH1's "Best Week Ever". Because even though I love "BWE", chances are if they're talking about you on that show, you're not having the best week ever.

4. Went to Vegas for the lovely Maret's birthday, went out dancing and got all sweaty and blistered, then came back to Mandalay Bay at 4am and drank champagne and ate strawberries while looking at the Strip. Things like this never happen to me!

3. Visited the lovely Heather so I could see her new, cute, adorable baby, Owen. He has red red hair that goes up in a little pompadour. Basically, he's a tiny Conan O'Brien. In a onesie.

2. Read Rick Moody's article in The Atlantic Monthly about how he hated Columbia's MFA program while I ate tacos at La Sirena and felt the tiniest, teensiest bit of redemption. It's the little things.

I took advantage of my (self-declared) summer hours on Friday by going to see "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" at a matinee. Such a great summer movie! I'm not going to beat you over the head with the whole Brad/Angelina thing, but if you want to see some shots from the upcoming W Magazine spread, enjoy. If you want more, knock yourself out. (link via A Socialite's Life.)

Finally! A how-to guide on being a Swedish rockstar groupie.

Or you could just move a bit southwest and check out new Mew music instead. New Mew music. New Mew music. Ha! Say it ten times fast. Either way, the song is fantastic. (Link via Mr. Luna.)

This weekend, I helped my lovely friends move in together in Hancock Park. Ryan McGinley took his friends to Mexico, where they went swimming and jumped off cliffs and modeled designer clothing. If I had a nickel for every time this happened to me...

Speaking of friends, a long long long time ago, Amanda Decadenet was supposed to publish "Just a Boy", a photography book based around her boyfriend, Strokes guitarist Nick Valensi. Apparently, that was a limited market, so now the book has morphed into "Rare Birds". But of course, you don't care about that. You just want pictures of the Strokes & their friends sleeping and singing karoake. Done.

Cartoon Show of the Day: Oh my gosh, I'm obsessed with "Hi Hi Puffy Ami Yumi"! It's basically a cartoon show about two Japanese rock stars who go on tour and solve problems and play guitar & drums. Think a smaller, more animated White Stripes. I watched six episodes in a row on Sunday and in my dreams last night, I was singing the theme song. It's awesome.

That being said, here's a list of some of 6 favorite obsessions right now. Maybe you share some of them, maybe you hate them, or maybe you're stuck on the fact that I scramble eggs in rhythm. What can I say, it's a gift.

1) The White Stripes - This one's a no-brainer. Their new CD "Get Behind Me Satan" is such a nice change of pace, and I never realized how much Jack sounds like Elliott Smith. Plus, a certain someone got married on a canoe in the middle of the Amazon, which is always cause for celebration! The party continues today on NPR's "Fresh Air", when Terry Gross interviews Jack & Meg. If you're shoe shopping on your lunch hour and miss it, no worries. They're archived online.

2. It feels like every week is the LA Weekly's Annual Music Issue, but I guess this is the official one. Miss Kate talked to Rivers Cuomo and Jeff Barry, and there's also a piece on Derek Sivers, aka the man behind CD Baby. Have you ever ordered anything from them? They write nicer thank-you notes than my mom.

3. I hate humidity. It's the main reason why I can never live on the east coast during the summer. Just looking at pictures of Florida in July makes my hair curl. That being said, we all need a little glow that isn't sweat-induced. Origins You're Getting Warmer Masque smells so cinnamon-y and heats by itself, and feels really good when you're sunburned and/or recovering from heatstroke. Plus it clears all the guk out of your pores and whatever else masques are supposed to do.

4. It's too easy to say that I'm obsessed with Target. Who isn't? So if I had to pick my favorite thing at Target, it would definitely be the olive green bolero sweater for $14.99. You can put it over a Hanes t-shirt or a sundress and let me just say this: it looks so much cuter in person than it does in the picture. Don't be misled. If you really want to be a hipster, go to the Target on Santa Monica & LaBrea, where ironic t-shirts and skinny legs are de rigeur.

5. The "Rent" movie trailer is finally here, and here's the best part: it doesn't look bad! I was one of those crazy nutter-butters that used to wait in line for 12 hours at a time for tickets at the Nederlander in New York, so if this movie sucks, I'm gonna be pissed. Chris Columbus, please don't fail me. I'm begging you.

6. I've had the oddest hate/love relationship with Gwen Stefani's music. Usually, the first time I hear one of her songs, I'm like, "Oh my God, this is the worst song EVER!" And then I hear it again and I say, "Okay, this is the second-worst song ever!" By the end of the first week, I'm humming along. By the end of the second week, I'm shouting, "This shit is BANANAS! B-A-N-A-N-A-YEAH!" and smiling like a big dork. If you're halfway between like I was, check out a ridiculously huge amount of Gwen videos. (What, like you're busy at work? Please. It's summer.)

"Hahaha...holy crap...holy CRAP...sniffle...HOLY CRAP!...Marissa, you are so useless! I have a house plant that thinks more than--wait a minute, I totally take that back."

It's shows like this that make Tivo totally worthwhile.

The song they played during the funeral and the big dramatic scene at the end? I've been listening to it on repeat all morning, which is probably making my neighbors' ears start to bleed. Anyway, it's "Hide & Seek" from Imogen Heap, who used to be one-half of the band Frou Frou (Good God, that is a horrible band name). You can pick it up at iTunes or, if you're a UK reader, over at Imogen's online store. Boogie down.

Celebrities get used & abused in the name of advertising.

The one thing Tivo DIDN'T record was Conor Oberst making Jay Leno's hair even whiter on "The Tonight Show". Conor sang "When the President Talks to God" while doing his best sartorial impression of a certain Texan. Links from Stereogum.

I'm still head over heels for "With Teeth", but for those of you who still need convincing, stop listening to the Myspace stream and go to Much Music instead. Sooo much better.

The New York Post is making everyone register to read their website, but the system's swamped and no one can log in. I had no idea I was so attached to Page Six. That's kind of humbling, actually.

And Britain's favorite about-to-break-up-oh-wait-maybe-not band Razorlight covers Kings of Leon's "Milk" during a recent concert. Link from one of the many, many KoL livejournals.

But before I jump into my wetsuit, though, I'm going to Amoeba bright and early this morning (Aimee Mann will be there tonight, too bad our paths won't cross). Why? Because two of my favorite, favorite artists are releasing work today! I love Tuesdays!

First off, Ryan Adams & the Cardinals have "Cold Roses" out today. If you go to his website, you can stream the entire album, which I find to be the musical equivalent of a hazy sunset. That's a compliment, by the way.

And then--and THEN--Nine Inch Nails release "With Teeth". For the two of you who knew me in high school, you know how big this band was for me. They nurtured my inner goth, and now that I'm grown up and semi-well adjusted, I still love them. So today I'll be playing the role of the geeky fan girl in line at Amoeba, and then I plan to drive and listen until my gas tank hits "empty".

Trent Reznor's recently hit the trifecta of music fame by a) selling his New Orleans house to John Goodman and moving to LA, b) surviving a London heroin overdose, and c) playing Coachella without getting sunburned. All in a day's work! (Side note: wouldn't it be awesome to see Trent interviewed for the "My Favorite Weekend" column in the LA Times's "Calendar" section? Does he brunch? Does he go to Katsu-Ya, which seems to be a requirement of anyone who has a SAG card? It'd be a riot.)

I'm sure your interest has been whetted, so head over to The NIN Hotline or message board Echoing the Sound, if you're one of those shy, opinionated types.

"[Hammond Sr.] is also not above the occasional paternal indiscretion: his biography mentions that prior to discovering rock music, his son was a champion roller skater. 'It's weird it hasn't come out sooner,' groans Hammond Jr. 'The weird thing is, I used to skate in front of, like, 5,000 people and I was never nervous, but the first time I got on stage, there were four people there and I vomited.'"

Oh, Albert! I'm dying of laughter! This explains that whole skating monkey thing from the "Hard to Explain" video. Oh, my sides...

Are you having a bad week, too? Maybe a little stressed? Or maybe you hate your job and think you've sold out on your artistic vision? First, go read the "Wage Slaves" article in Bust Magazine (thanks, Mad Orange Fools!), then learn about the things that saved my life.

Get thee to Temecula! No, I'm totally serious. You can wine-taste all around this great town for dirt-cheap prices. Tip: Stuart Cellars is the best. Take a picnic lunch, buy a bottle at Stuart, then sit outside and eat and drink. Bliss on the side of a hill. Oh, and Tip #2: Bring Claritin.

Or, if you're scrimping on gas and don't feel like getting on the 91 Freeway, stay local. Go to AOC and drink at the bar, then go sober up with the cheap food at Doughboys. If you don't want to sober up, though, note that you can bring wine to Doughboys for no corkage fee. They'll give you plastic cups and a corkscrew. It's just like college.

And finally, if you're the one in charge of bringing the wine, read up.

I'm sure you've read about it on many other great pages, but The White Stripes' new album is coming out. "Get Behind Me Satan" is landing...well, I don't know! I can't find a date anywhere. I think that's just because I'm lazy, though. Anyway, if you want to hear Zorro and Catherine Zeta Jones's--excuse me, Jack and Meg's--first single "Blue Orchid", hike to iTunes.

And while you're at it, listen to the new Ryan Adams & the Cardinals single, "Let It Ride". It's groovy, just like that wacky Mr. Adams.

And Leonard Cohen might be nominated for a Nobel Prize for Literature. As someone who's been lying in fetal position listening to "Famous Blue Raincoat" and "Suzanne", I say, "Give it to the man!"

(Side note: Speaking of awards, Ryan Fucking Seacrest is getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Why, you ask? My friends, that's an excellent question.)

Far more worthy of a prize is whoever's running Bunnyshop. It's like reading Vogue, Real Simple, US Weekly, and InStyle, all at the same time! I love it because they bring me MK and Ashley haikus, Donatella vs. Muppet Janice comparisons (I can't BELIEVE that I never realized the similarities before!), and the best shoes ever. They have Smiths lyrics on them! And stripey insides!

So me and the equally lovely Johanna and Maret went and saw U2 on Saturday night. But we started off the day at La Sirena in Laguna Beach, where we ate grilled salmon and papaya salsa and superchunky guacamole and Dos Equis. I know, the perfect meal, right? But then we went to the Shake Shack down in Crystal Cove, where they made us peanut butter and banana milkshakes. So we were already three happy people.

Then I hit upon the biggest shopping coup of my life: a $198 cashmere sweater at Anthropologie, marked down to...wait for it...$9.95! I'm thinking of leaving the price tag on, Bell Biv Devoe style, just so I can keep telling everyone. I'm kinda tacky like that, but tell me you wouldn't do the same thing? I thought so.

Then the U2 concert. I know sometimes I'm prone to hyperbole or bouts of severe excitement and euphoria, but believe me when I say this was the best concert of my life. We danced and sang and waved and clapped and it was like I was fourteen again and music mattered more than anything in the world. Remember what that felt like? Wasn't it great? Let me tell you, it still is.

So let me spread the love. You can find mp3s and videos from the Saturday night Anaheim show, including when Bono lifted a pink lam� jumpsuit-wearing little girl onstage (best outfit ever!), or you can watch when U2 played "SNL" and made Amy Poehler cry. Or you can watch my favorite U2 video for my favorite U2 song, "Stay (Faraway So Close!)". (The site's in Spanish, but isn't this why you took a foreign language in high school?)

You know what else I'm in love with? Mr. Luna's website. Maybe you've seen it before, but it's new to me, and it makes me so happy. It's not sarcastic or snarky or mean, it's just a great page about music and mixtapes for crushes and live songs that you'll play on repeat for six hours at a time. I mean, Ben Folds & Rufus covering George Michael's "Careless Whisper"? The theme song to "Duck Tales"? (Everybody! "Duck tales, a woo-ooh!") See what I mean. Big hearts all around.

But the reason I'm truly in love with this site is that they have the U2 & REM cover version of "One" that was performed at the first Clinton inaugural. When I was a freshman in high school, I taped the whole concert and woke up early every morning, way before anyone else in the house, and I watched this song over and over again. I love blogs and mp3s and iTunes as much as the next person, but sometimes I think music will never mean as much as it did back then, when it was all mine.

(And while we wait, have you noticed that the date above is one month ahead? Huh.)

Of course, the most exciting news first. Before he did "Heartbreaker", Ryan Adams did a series of songs with Gillian Welch called "The Destroyer Sessions". And now they're online and I'm so happy they are! Please listen and enjoy.

And another thing I love is the Kings of Leon video for "Kings of the Rodeo". (Link via the LJ) In fact, this link might expire by the time you get there, so let me just say this: line dancing and lots of it. It's fabulous.

And much to my surprise, I'm in love with their CD "Aha Shake Heartbreak". When I was in Arizona all last week, I listened to it obsessively from Phoenix to Tucson to Flagstaff and back again. Good times.

You know you should read more. We all should. So you can go see Sarah Vowell talk about "Assassination Vacation" (loved it!) on March 31st at the Astor Place B&N. Before you do that, though, move down some blocks on March 29th to see Ian McEwan talk about "Saturday" (next on my list). B&N Astor Place, 4 Astor Place, New York, 212-420-1322. B&N Union Square, 33 East 17th Street, New York, 212-253-0810.

As for those of us out here, sorry kids, no one exciting is dropping by. However, you can go to Book Soup and learn about their favorite books or buy the Adam Green Magazine, which is apparently the only place in LA where you can find it. So they say. Have you heard about this? I haven't, either. So go here.

Do you make incredible mixes? Wanna be a DJ? Tell it to Indie.

And now for the musical portion of our program! First up, Beck is playing over at "Morning Becomes Eclectic" on Thursday morning at 11:15am. Woo!

And I have to tell you, I've tried to like Bloc Party. I have, I really have. For God's sakes, I have a blog! It's practically a law that I should like them, but it's just not happening for me. However, if you like them, listen to their KCRW set and then write me and tell me how crazy I am.

And finally, if you read Bob Dylan's "Chronicles" and loved it up, KEXP is running an audio feature on his life. I haven't listened to it yet, so I hope it doesn't suck. But there you have it.

Unintentional Massacre of the Day: Remember when I said I was in Arizona last week? Well, there was an unfortunate incident on the 10 Freeway with some butterflies. It turns out that in spring, huge flocks of butterflies are all over the freeway, which means that I was forced to plow through them at 70 mph. It was gruesome and splatter-filled and I spent most of the drive going, "I'm sorry, little butterflies!"

So everyone was all in a tizzy when Rebecca did a backwards swan dive on "America's Next Top Model". (link via Defamer) I've passed out dozens of times, so it was kinda interesting to see someone fall so dramatically. And that thunking sound when her head hit the floor? I know tha