CDs listened to today:

• Richard Wilson: Symphony No. 1
• XTC: Oranges And Lemons
• Luciano Berio: Notturno
• Eugene Anderson: Tuba Concerto No. 1
• Beastie Boys: Check Your Head
• Nine Inch Nails: With Teeth
• Luigi Nono: Como una ola de fuerza y luz
  

CDs listened to today:

• Arnold Schoenberg: Die Gluckliche Hand
• Tripping Daisy: I Am An Elastic Firecracker
  
• H. Owen Reed: La Fiesta Mexicana (conducted by Frederick Fennell)
• John Phillip Sousa: Marches
• Various Artists: ProjectHuman, disk 2
• Nine Inch Nails: With Teeth
• Kaiser Chiefs: Employment
  

OK, another cool website. Click here for a look at a set of links that send you straight to a Google Maps page with an image of various interesting tidbits. I was disappointed to see that you have to log in to contribute a link, so here's my favorite local image: Red Rocks Amphitheatre (scroll left & down a bit after zooming in).

CDs listened to today:

• Gustav Mahler: The Symphonies, disk 6
• Prince: Batman
• Chen Yi: Chinese Folk Dance Suite
• Harry Partch: The Bewitched
• Smashing Pumpkins: Siamese Dream
• Nine Inch Nails: With Teeth
• Billie Holiday: The Quintessential Billie Holiday, Volume 8
  

So lately, I've gotten hooked on the Food Network's show, "Good Eats." This is a real guilty pleasure. It's a fairly ubiquitous show that's been running for several years, giving it quite a backlog of episodes for me to enjoy. A glance at web commentary shows some good descriptions of the show: cooking with a dash of Mr. Wizard, a little history and equipment advice and the odd lame sketch.

I can't help but wonder if this is the most male cooking show ever as our host works his way through plenty of technical details. He runs about explaining the chemical transformations of the Maillard reaction (aka browning), how to shop for cooking devices, or anatomy lessons to guide the viewer on how to choose a good cut of beef. What with all the diagrams and costumed history lessons, how can a guy resist this?

CDs listened to today:

• Living Colour: Vivid
• Thomas Ades: Arcadiana
• Arthur Honegger: Symphony No. 3
• New Radicals: Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too
• Various Artists: Drum & Bass Sessions, 2
• Nine Inch Nails: With Teeth
  

CDs listened to today:

• Ludwig van Beethoven: Sonatas for Cello and Piano, disk 2
• The Cure: Staring At The Sea: The Singles
• Luigi Nono: Como una ola de fuerza y luz
• William Bolcom: Orphee-Serenade
• Green Day: Dookie
• The Kills: No Wow
• Neil Currie: Tumbling Strain
  

CDs listened to today:

• Beastie Boys: Paul's Boutique
• Andrew Bird: Andrew Bird And The Mysterious Production Of Eggs
  

CDs listened to today:

• Various Artists: ProjectHuman, disk 1
• H. Owen Reed: La Fiesta Mexicana (conducted by Frederick Fennell)
• Dana Wilson: Piece of Mind
• X: Los Angeles/Wild Gift
• Kaiser Chiefs: Employment
• Johann Georg Albrechtsberger: Concerto in B flat major
  

CDs listened to today:

• Slowdive: Just For A Day
• Chen Yi: Chinese Folk Dance Suite
• Alfred Schnittke: String Quartet No. 4
• Tricky: Pre-Millenium Tension
• Billie Holiday: The Quintessential Billie Holiday, Volume 8
• Luciano Berio: Notturno
• Bedrich Smetana: Ma Vlast
  

CDs listened to today:

• Thomas Ades: Arcadiana
• Gustav Mahler: The Symphonies, disk 5
• The Presidents Of The United States Of America: (eponymous)
• Various Artists: Drum & Bass Sessions, 2
• Luciano Berio: Notturno
• Arvo Part: Tabula Rasa
  

CDs listened to today:

• Green Day: American Idiot
• Luigi Nono: Como una ola de fuerza y luz
• George Crumb: Songs, Drones and Refrains of Death
• Little Village: (eponymous)
• The Kills: No Wow
• Luciano Berio: Notturno
• Vagn Holmboe: Concerto for Tuba and Orchestra
  

CDs listened to today:

• Elliott Carter: The String Quartets
• Ludwig van Beethoven: Sonatas for Cello and Piano, disk 1
• The Cure: Mixed Up
• Andrew Bird: Andrew Bird And The Mysterious Production Of Eggs
• Kaiser Chiefs: Employment
• William Bolcom: Concerto for Violin in D

CDs listened to today:

• H. Owen Reed: La Fiesta Mexicana (conducted by Frederick Fennell)
• Antonio Albinoni: Adagio in G for Orchestra and Organ
  
• Bahia Black: Ritual Beating System
  

CDs listened to today:

• Billie Holiday: The Quintessential Billie Holiday, Volume 8
• Richard Wernick: Musica Ptolemeica
• World Party: Goodbye Jumbo
  

CDs listened to today:

• Alfred Schnittke: Concerto Grosso No. 5
  
• A Tribe Called Quest: People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
• Chen Yi: Chinese Folk Dance Suite
• Nikos Skalkottas: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra
• Various Artists: Only For The Headstrong
• Kaiser Chiefs: Employment
  

CDs listened to today:

• Possum Dixon: (eponymous)
• Thomas Ades: Arcadiana
• Arvo Part: Stabat Mater
• Sleater-Kinney: The Hot Rock
  
• Various Artists: Drum & Bass Sessions, 2
• Kaiser Chiefs: Employment
• Luciano Berio: Notturno
  

CDs listened to today:

• Luigi Nono: Como una ola de fuerza y luz...
• Robin Holloway: Fantasy-Pieces on the Heine Liederkreis of Schumann
• New Order: Substance
  
• The Kills: No Wow
• Kaiser Chiefs: Employment
• Gustav Mahler: The Symphonies, disk 4
  

CDs listened to today:

• Elliott Carter: The String Quartets
• Ernst Bloch: Symphony for Trombone and Orchestra (Branimir Slokar, soloist)
• Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band: XXL
• George Crumb: Night Of The Four Moons
• Little Feat: Hoy! Hoy!
  

CDs listened to today:

• H. Owen Reed: La Fiesta Mexicana (conducted by Frederick Fennell)
• Stephen Albert: Symphony RiverRun
• Arrested Development: 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days...
• Aimee Mann: Bachelor No. 2
• Ludwig van Beethoven: Seven Bagatelles
• The Cure: Disintegration

CDs listened to today:

• The Wonder Stuff: Never Loved Elvis
  

CDs listened to today:

• Dan Welcher: Brass Quintet
  

CDs listened to today:

• Alfred Schnittke: Concerto Grosso No. 4/Symphony No. 5
• Travis: The Man Who
• Chen Yi: Chinese Folk Dance Suite
• Jean Sibelius: Symphony No. 2
• Various Artists: One A.D.
• Billie Holiday: The Quintessential Billie Holiday, Volume 8
  

CDs listened to today:

• Gustav Mahler: The Symphonies, disk 3
• The Posies: Frosting On The Beater
• Thomas Ades: Arcadiana
• Andrzej Panufnik: Sinfonia Votiva
• Sleater-Kinney: Dig Me Out
• Various Artists: The Drum & Bass Sessions, 2
  

CDs listened to today:

• Jason Lindner: Premonition
• Luigi Nono: Como una ola de fuerza y luz...
• Robin Holloway: Concerto for Orchestra No. 2
• Oliver Nelson: The Blues and the Abstract Truth
• The Kills: No Wow
  

CDs listened to today:

• Ludwig van Beethoven: Sechs Lieder
• The Cure: Bloodflowers
• Elliott Carter: The String Quartets
• Ernst Bloch: Symphony for Trombone and Orchestra (Armin Rosin, soloist)
• Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band: Swingin' For The Fences
• Andrew Bird: Andrew Bird & The Mysterious Production Of Eggs
• Paul Creston: Fantasy
  

CDs listened to today:

• Michael Weinstein: Concerto for Wind Ensemble
• Peter Wolf: Up To No Good
• Billie Holiday: The Quintessential Billie Holiday, Volume 8
• H. Owen Reed: La Fiesta Mexicana (conducted by Frederick Fennell)
• Stephen Albert: Into Eclipse
• Louis Armstrong: Volume VII: You're Driving Me Crazy
• Aimee Mann: Bachelor No. 2
  

CDs listened to today:

• Various Artists: The Drum & Bass Sessions, 2, disk 2
• Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony No. 15
• Various Artists: Northern Exposure, disk 2
• Chen Yi: Chinese Folk Dance Suite
  

CDs listened to today:

• Various Artists: The Drum & Bass Sessions, 2, disk 1
  

CDs listened to today:

• Andrzej Panufnik: Arbor Cosmica
• Skinny Puppy: Too Dark Park
• Thomas Ades: Arcadiana
• Alfred Schnittke: Concerto for Cello and Orchestra No. 2
• Trash Can Sinatras: Cake
• H. Owen Reed: La Fiesta Mexicana (conducted by Frederick Fennell)
  

CDs listened to today:

• Andrew Bird: Andrew Bird & The Mysterious Production Of Eggs
• Lee Hoiby: Sextet for Wind Quintet and Piano
• Bill Nelson: The Strangest Things At The Strangest Times
  
• Luigi Nono: Como una ola de fuerza y luz
• Gustav Mahler: The Symphonies, disk 2
• H. Owen Reed: La Fiesta Mexicana (conducted by Frederick Fennell)
  
• The Posies: Dear 23
• The Kills: No Wow
  

I've been enjoying watching Volkswagen struggle to introduce their new GTi variant of the Golf. They started with a very testosterone-fueled concept (boys only!) of a little metaphor called "your fast." The little robot/doll thing has a creepy robotic voice (some blogger compared it to a slasher-movie voice) whispering the urge to do fast things to motorists. Stupid, unappealing and downright unpleasant.

The good news for our friends at VW is the new ads are a much more entertaining. They've now introduced the funniest bits since the ancient Fahrvergnugen commercials ("Ausgezeichnet!"). These ads recall Michael Myers' dear old character, Dieter, from the "Sprockets" sketches on Saturday Night Live. A faux German engineer hosts a parody of MTVs "Pimp My Ride" cross-pollinated with a dollop of car tuner culture parody. Assisted by a pouty blonde Teutonic model-type, our slightly too enthusiastic engineer spouts slightly dated hipster phrases as he "helps" tuner enthusiasts lose the pretense of their heavily modified rides in favor of the new GTi. He even throws a fake gang sign for "VW" in each ad. Hopefully, this link won't go stale for a while. Enjoy the ads.

CDs listened to today:

• Ernst Bloch: Concerto Grosso No. 1
• Girls Against Boys: Freak*On*Ica
• Elliott Carter: The String Quartets
• Henry Cowell: Symphony No. 11
• H. Owen Reed: La Fiesta Mexicana (conducted by Frederick Fennell)
• Libertines: Up The Bracket