it is coming out on may 9 and if you aren't one of those people that get digipacks of garbage + the occasional AMAZING BIT OF EXCELLENTLY CRAFTED, WELL-THOUGHOUT and FUN WEIRDNESS, then mark your calander to get it then.

the first track "Roses and Teeth for Ludwig Wittgenstein" is like an a grown-up harry potter type english major going to see marilyn manson (as in, you know, that guy made some salient points in bowling for columbine and maybe he isn't just a shockjock), meeting a parade of gay goth teens who invite him vampiro-clubbing, and then going home at 7am to write a paper about the whole thing but the kids' ruboff dark majik turns the paper into a song: digital transfer sexy philo dance sound!

here's a new ongoing news theme for the music issue: music-writing is going to hell in a handbasket I shall hensforth call WORDCOUNT

WORDCOUNTOO1: Look! Rolling Stone not only wants you to be their intern, they want to make areality show about it. Now both your labor AND your likeness can be exploited. Interning is good, the best experience one can get in music writing, I think...but doing it on national television? I mean, really folks. No one cares about rock critics THAT much. do they? if so, please see news item below.

IN OTHER NEWS: the da capo book best music writing 2006 writing selections are done. more comments later when i can think about it and no, i will not tell you if your piece made it into this round. a true lady never tells. but for those of you who do not know but who wrote great pieces none the less, THANK YOU for taking the time to think about music and writing in new, fresh, weird, funny, thoughtful, engaged, passionate, bizarre and original ways. my mind is a sea of thoughts about what it means to write about music and i will accordingly write here as soon as i catch up on my own deadlines (cough cough).

SEEhere: Amazing photos of Chrissie Hynde in EW. The one in the cage? dunno. The one with all the rad chicks...inspiring!