Most People Are DJs

Hey hey, my my. I'm enjoying the suffocating stench of a wandering skunk, which has surrounded my house with his or her particular scent. I'm glad I can share with you. We're all about sharing and caring here at the Blizznog.

Bring the noize:

• I know I'm late to the party on this one, but I've been getting into The Hold Steady recently. I'd read of them in various indie rock publications, but it wasn't until a post in the fine Clicky Clicky blog that I paid heed to my good friend OJ's praise of THS' 2005 album Separation Sunday. I downloaded that through eMusic and really have been enjoying it and the band's first album ...Almost Killed Me. Frontman Craig Finn doesn't so much sing as rant over the band's rockisms, telling stories about Midwestern losers and users and abusers while dropping in a myriad of pop culture references and subreferences. Think early Bruce Springsteen crossed with the snarky esoterica of Dennis Miller. It's definitely an acquired taste, but I'm down. Finn was the voice of another unsung act from the '90s called Lifter Puller, which played more of an art-punk sound behind his stories. The band was formed at Boston College, where Finn was a student and then continued in his hometown of Minneapolis. I'm eager to check out LP's catalog as well. As for The Hold Steady, they're currently at work on a new album, which I look forward to hearing and seeing them perform live.
• All right, what the hell's going on with North Korea? Apparently, Kim Jong-Ill is playing a game of chicken with the rest of the world. I've seen reports that say the missiles they've been firing are pretty primitive and won't do much damage, but they're just begging to be invaded. I don't get it.
• It's all fun and games until part of your skull falls off.
• Damn, Hassle the Hoff is doing his best to stay in the news. Crying on American Idol, starring on a crappy Idol knockoff, having chandelier accidents, acting in Sandler movies, and now this. I'm still waiting for his rap album with Ice T to come out.
• I guess what with the popularity of the InterWeb, the push for simpler spelling is coming to the forefront. No shock, given the fact that the most writing done by kids these days is in emails or instant messages. Abbreviations are the norm. Still, as an editor by trade, I find all that "LOL! OMG! LMFAO!" stuff pretty annoying.

Getting back to The Hold Steady, here's their video for "Your Little Hoodrat Friend" off Separation Sunday: