Say anything.

Do I have anything to say today? I thought I did -- there were several bits of news I wanted to address recently, but as I looked into them further, they became less and less interesting to me. So, here we are. I have two movies to report on, but I'm going to save them as well. Instead, I've been meaning to do this for a while, so I'd like to talk a little bit about music.

I love music. Who doesn't, right? I really enjoy discovering new bands and new songs. Not too long ago, I was complaining that I had collected too much music -- it's become very difficult to create mix-tapes (really mix cds these days) for people because it takes me a whole day to scroll through my huge collection. I resolved to cut back, and maybe spend some time paring down what I had already gathered, or at least organizing it in a more efficient manner so I can find stuff more easily.

However, the best laid plans of mice and men gang oft aglay, as Robert Burns would say. In the last couple of months, I have been drawn into the world of MP3 blogs -- where other people do the work of discovering new bands for me, and then post a song or two by that band online. This way I can get a taste of the band, see if I like them, and then follow the links to buy their stuff if I really want to. It's great!! Since late May I've added over 1,000 songs to my collection, and discovered a lot of really cool new bands.

And not only discovered them, but bought their albums as well. Note to all those in the record industry: file sharing really does contribute to people spending money on cds! I've spent more money on cds in the last two months than I had in the last year.

Right this second as I type, I'm listening to a band called The Mountain Goats. They sound a little like They Might Be Giants, but with a much more depressing worldview. Or maybe they're like The Magnetic Fields with a higher-pitched singer. Something like that. Anyway, I'm in love with them right now. I've bought four of their albums and am looking into ordering some of their older, harder-to-find stuff from Amazon.com.

I really like it when bands are local, as in the case of Canasta. They came to my attention because of their song "Slow Down Chicago." It's just fun when they reference things like the corner of State and Madison (which is the origin point of the Chicago street grid, for those who don't know). Anyway, I only have their newest album, but it's great. They have some shows in town coming up, and I'm thinking of going -- also a change in my behavior brought on by hearing all this great new music. [UPDATE: In case you were wondering what they sound like, they were recently interviewed on the NPR show Eight Forty-Eight, which described them as a "chamber-pop band." What a great term!]

Note: if you're interested in a fun way to get albums by independent bands like the two mentioned above, try eMusic.com. For $10 a month, you can download 40 songs (with no goddamn DRM!). That's 25 cents a song -- suck it, iTunes! I like it so much that I've upgraded to the $15 a month for 65 downloads level.

Then there's Final Fantasy. They don't really have a web page; the link is to an interview with Owen Pallett, who's the driving force behind the band. I ordered two of their albums, but they won't arrive until next week. But the few songs I've heard are SO good that I have to list them here as one of my favorite new bands (and not just because of their inherent geek factor, given that they're named after a video game and write songs inspired by Dungeons and Dragons). I missed their recent Chicago show, sadly, but at least I will soon have two new cds!

Other cool musical-type stuff:

"Whipped Cream and Other Delights Re-Whipped" -- I've always dug on the beats of Herb Alpert, and this album just makes them even cooler. The reviewer linked to didn't love it as much as I do, but you should be aware of allmusic.com anyway -- it's like the IMDB only for music.

Little Yellow Perfect -- the lead singer of this band is the brother of a friend of mine from high school, but even without that connection I think they're great.

"Barenaked Ladies Are Me" -- they recorded too many tracks for their new album, and so will be releasing an online only version that's double length!

Jollyship The Whizbang -- are you on a pirate kick right now? [Obviously a lot of people in America are.] If so, then check out this Pyrate Puppet Rock Opera Consortium. If only they would come to Chicago...

And lastly, Jonathan Coulton -- I discovered him when the Onion A/V Club ranked his hilariously self-serious version of "Baby Got Back" as the best cover song of 2005 (and you know how I love cover songs!). Now, his podcast "Thing A Week" is the best part of every Friday for me. Check him out -- you won't be sorry!

That's what I've got for now. Tell me about some of your favorite music right now!