Random Friday Randomness

listening:

Authenticite - The Syliphone Years is an amazing 2-disc collection of music coming out of Guinea between 1965-80, when according to the liner notes "a new nation asserted itself and placed music at the forefront of its identity." lots of weaving reverbed-out guitar and sax, serious issues discussed with a party atmosphere.
The Triffids - In the Pines the one Triffids reissue i hadn't picked up yet because i remember liking it the least, but it's effing great like all the others. radically different (ie non-slick) versions of many Calenture tunes.
White Stripes - Icky Thump still digesting this one, but i can't get track 2 - "You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You're Told) outta my head. i know they're fully invested in The Schtick, but i think i'd enjoy the records better without it...but that's my problem i suppose!

speaking of schtick, the NBA draft was on last night and King Kaufman over at Salon has a typically hilarious breakdown of the whole thing, including something that irritated me while watching it -- Stephen A. Smith was SHOUTING the whole time, even when he was saying things that didn't require that amount of emphasis, which was pretty much everything he said. Kaufman also points over to #1 pick Greg Oden's blog which is really good and funny -- wide-eyed and self-aware in the right proportions. My favorite quote from his description of dinner with Steve Nash is this:
"We went to a Brazilian restaurant that was really good. I usually hate it when there is fruit with my meal but there was the orange slice that came with my meal and I just happened to try it in the middle of me chewing my other food and it was delicious." good stuff and things are looking up for Jailblazers fans.

some new telephone hits the shelves today. tech writer Steven Levy likes it, and he also likes Portastatic so of course i trust his opinion implicitly... but still, $600? and you still have to have an ipod due to memory on the phone not being all that? eh. maybe i'll wait for Mach II.

weekends, have one!