So today the chalkmarks are almost completely gone, wiped out by several smatterings of rain. I don't think I've ever looked at a patio-filled stretch of street with so much melancholy. (talk about a rapid transformation from exuberance to regret: maybe flashmobs should be called 'flashregrets,' or 'flashnostalgia'.)

i've been listening to the new(ish) Long Winters record on most of my commutes back and forth to Downtown. it's an astoundingly great poprock record, and my review is percolating nicely. i keep skipping a couple of the tracks, though - not because they're bad songs, but because i know the lyrics too well. this is a new experience: the words in the chorus (not the music, or the way the words are sung) are grating on my nerves. the songs in question are the ones about being "stupid," and the opening "gang-signs" track.

when i get home, i almost always throw on "Unhappy," from the upcoming Outkast record. There's something chill and familiar about it - a domestic party. plus, the lyrics: i'm confident i might be mishearing things, but doesn't big boi say that as a child he "found out that santa claus was nothing more than vanilli"? vanilli? as in Milli thereof? as synonym for "inauthentic"? I love it.

i've been looking at the pop montreal lineup, and between my trip to toronto that weekend, and a growing dissatisfaction with live music, i'm tempted to forego any and all shows, instead spending that money on CDs. on the other hand, this Melon Galia mp3 has me itching for some jaunty twee french pop...

another revelation these days is the limited-edition demo record that came with the first x copies of Songs:Ohia's Magnolia Electric Company. my promo lacked the bonus CD, so I've only now managed to download these lowkey acoustic-strummed roughs. they're in stark contrast to the big, bold, shining things that emerged on the album - but listening to each i hear different things, and put together, this is jostling with Four Tet, the Clientele and the Microphones for album of the year...

two recent additions to the blogroll on the side of this page: tangmonkey's Kevin has started a film-music-pop-culture blog, widescreen and stereo sound, which is full of insight, and PopMatters' David introduces a fantastic blog called Damaged in Transit. both made recent posts about The Strokes' preview single, "12:51", so I shan't.