Random Music Thoughts

I was going to call this Notes on Music or something, but that's just too cute....

Don't have enough to say about any of these for a real post, so just a few scattered thoughts about music I'm playing far too much lately (especially for The Offspring's tastes).

• Joe Pug is the son that Dylan never had (which would make more sense if Dylan didn't have four sons). His Hymn 101, in particular, is one of those songs that justifies the existence of American pop music more.
• Fiction Family marketed their debut album perfectly, even if it reeks of bait 'n switch. Jon Foreman of Switchfoot and Sean Watkins of Nickel Creek gave away copies of their first single, "When She's Near" for a few weeks before the album's release. It was a nice, catchy pop song that served as a great advertisement for a CD that was full of good, but not at all catchy songs. Most of the time I listen to it, it's out of a desire to justify the purchase, not because I want to hear it.
• That is not at all the case with Marian Call's Got to Fly. This tribute to Battlestar Galactica, Firefly/Serenity and Geek-hood in general is something even the non-geek can appreciate. Her brand of "funky indie alt-folk", great vocals and lyrics is the perfect music to read by. It's impossible not to feel like you're in a coffee bar somewhere while listening to her. The fact that you get songs like "It's Good to Have Jayne on Your Side" or references to Yo-Saf-Bridge is just icing on the cake.
• I caught a couple of episodes of Can You Duet? last year, and while I never got invested enough to tune in regularly, it was easy to tell early on that Joey + Rory were the most talented duo in the batch, and yet didn't have a shot at winning (see Elliott Yamin). Months later, I haven't heard a peep from the winners, but I can't stop playing Joey + Rory's The Life of a Song.
• And after watching Scrubs this week, I have to include this little webisode featuring Kate Micucci (of Garfunkel and Oates)--eyes like that belong on an anime heroine, not a ukulele player. Good stuff.