Thoughts...

...On Music
1. The new Springsteen albums sounds great. I love how loose it sounds; at times, the Boss is just wheezing through the song, out of breath. It has the vitality of live performance.

2. I finally have found The Grey Album online - you know, the mix of Jay-Z's The Black Album and The Beatles' The White Album. I've listened to it enough now to say it while knowing it's not just the novelty of it: this is brilliant stuff. Some songs become so powerful in their new coronation that I get goosebumps down my spine.

3. It's hard to hear it now, but Jewel used to be a pretty good songwriter and performer. I've followed her career for a decade now, and when she started off, I was just learning the Internet and ended up becoming a fan that way. Her albums have never really shown it, but some live bootlegs that floated around during that time showed her to be a Springsteen-esque rocker with clever wordplay and great vocals. (Bob Dylan, who she toured with, used to love her song "Sometimes It Be That Way.") Only on a few tracks - like her hit song "Standing Still" - has it ever come across on CD, and I just listened to a few tracks on I-Tunes from her new album, and it's unlistenable. She's derailed her career by her spirtuality makeover, and then her poetry makeover, and then her pop makeover, and she's never really been what she seemed like she was when she came up - a great songwriter. A wasted talent.

4. Ray Lamontagne is coming to Baltimore, performing at Pier Six. However, he's opening for Guster. I graduated from college five years ago, thanks. I still might go, because I'm hankering for some live music, but I don't want to spend 25 bucks to see Lamontagne sing five songs, so I've got to do some research to see how long he's onstage and stuff like that.

...On Baseball

1. The Tigers lost a series to the Minnesota Twins, but they're still 20-12. That's the most games they've been over .500 since 1993. I'm loving it. They're in Baltimore tomorrow and I think I'm going to make it. I even have a date for the game on Thursday.

2. I just traded Miguel Tejada for Bubba Crosby, Dontrelle Willis, and Danny Baez in my fantasy league. That's the most blockbuster trade I've ever made. I basically think Tejada and Crosby will put up similar numbers the rest of the way. Tejada will definitely have more power, but he's gotten off to such a great start that he'll have to even off a bit to get down to his career norms. Plus, I think he might sulk as the year goes on. Yup, I'm justifying it to myself.

3. The Orioles' ERA is 5.70. So much for that Leo Mazzone magic.

...On Television

1. I used to teach with Ed Burns. Here is his interview about teaching, in preparation for The Wire's upcoming season. If you haven't heard, it's focusing on the school system in Baltimore.

2. According to her blog, production has wrapped on the series.

3. I don't actually watch TV, although I did grade in front of an episode of The Family Guy last night.