The record company, Rosie...

I was going to compose something here about the new Calexico record. How they needed to stop doing what they were doing, and how they took a step that wasn't necessarily forward, and how time will vindicate them for this move anyway. (There was also a planned digression about how we don't normally think of pop records as "composed music".) But then I remembered Chuck Klosterman's article about the Advanced theory of pop music, and I couldn't think of anything I could say about Garden Ruin that would be better than simply calling it Advanced. Maybe after I road-test it in the desert I'll be able to articulate my thoughts better. (You know I'm good for it.)

The co-creator of the Advanced theory runs a blog too (found via Jimmy Page's Sweater Vest). There's a lot of interesting stuff there, but if you only have time for one video, I suggest the R.E.M. performance on Nickelodeon in 1983. (Yeah, 23 years ago.)

At least one of you will want to see that Mats vid too, if you haven't already. Tommy: seven years into the band, and still just 19.


FMFM: Garden Ruin