Earworms: The Next Generation

You know what's been stuck in my head lately? The new Maroon 5 song. I don't really like Maroon 5 at all, because I find their songs to be whiny and annoying. Seacrest has been spinning "Makes Me Wonder" on a regular basis, though, and I've even gone to the band's web site to listen to it over and over. (I don't know what's wrong with me either! What can I say? It's catchy! I'm counting the days till I can download it on iTunes.)

In other music news . . .

I've received about twenty things I've requested on Lala.com — not bad for one month. I'm liking most of them so far (B. B. King, G. Love and Special Sauce, Southern Culture on the Skids, Rhett MIller, John Pizzarelli, Al Green, Peter Cincotti) but there are a one or two I think I'll throw back (The Raveonettes, for example). I would send out more of my CDs so I can get more new stuff, but I can't find my envelopes. I know I got a pack of ten of them in the mail a few days ago, but they've disappeared into the gaping maw of my messy apartment. Meh. They'll turn up.

I was at the library to pick up stuff the other week, and killed some time in the audiobooks section and then hit the music section. Rant: Why is it impossible to find anything in the library's CD collection? Part of it is the layout of the racks — The A's and B's are off to the side, near the new books mini-shelf and behind the information desk. Then the C's are . . . over by the computer terminals? I have no idea. /Rant.

I did manage to snag a few discs by the Eels. I really only know the song that was featured on The O.C. soundtrack, but I totally love it, so I thought I would see what else is out there. I've only listened to half of Shootenany, but I like it so far. I added it, Beautiful Freak, and Live at Town Hall to my Want List on Lala.

I picked up a Flat Duo Jets CD because I vaguely remember them getting a shout-out in Sassy eons ago. I always meant to look them up, and then never did. Here's my chance. I had it on while I was working, and wasn't overwhelmed. It's okay, but . . . nothing really struck me as something I had to hear again and again.

I took Erasure's Other People's Songs because I heard that Abba-esque was awesome, and this seemed to be more of the same concept. I haven't actually heard their album of Abba covers, and I hardly even listen to Pop!, the greatest hits CD that I already own, so why I thought this would be worth a listen, I don't know. I did like their take on "Solsbury Hill," but the rest of it — no thanks.

What else? Oh, something called Anywhere the Girls Are! The Best of the Fantastic Baggys caught my eye. I thought, This has to be a joke, and I must listen to it. It's cheesy in a good way, all right. If you're in the mood for '60s surf music, have at it.

Anyhow, yesterday I got an e-mail from Pandora about something Megan L. mentioned a few weeks ago: The impending death of independent Internet radio as a result of increases in the royalty rates. I don't completely understand the whole situation, but I do love Pandora, so I signed the petition on Save Net Radio.org. You can read more about it here on the Pandora blog.