No, I don't have the CD in my hot little hands yet, but that will come.

Owing to time constraints at the public library, I had to sort of truncate my Divorcees post. And after I logged out it occurred to me that regular readers of this journal might have looked at that post title and though, "Okay, since when do you use "sissy-boy" as an insult?"

True, all true. But the thing is, so much New Country these days makes me want to kick someone to death that I don't mind what you say about it as long as it's negative.

Don't get me wrong: there's some good stuff there. And I have a big soft spot for people like Tim McGraw. But I still routinely change the radio station when I come into the barn because Mitzi doesn't react well when I'm all pissed off, and...

Okay, I've mentioned in book posts that I have gotten to sort of hate Man With A Code books, just because so often the Man With A Code is so insufferable about it. (I have finally quit on Spenser, because the character's self-righteousness has finally taken over completely.) In New Country, you get Values songs, where the singer brays about how he (it's nearly always he) has Values that are the most Valuable Values ever and this makes him superior to all those other shameful folk who have none, all expressed in Republican National Convention-speak that makes me furious. I mean, for some reason smug just does me in.

Kick kick kick!!!

And then there are those screwed-up relationship songs that... okay, the old outlaw country songs featured a lot of bad men doing bad things in relationships, but they tended to own it, you know? Like, "Good-Hearted Woman" is impressed that the woman finds it in her heart to overlook the guy's faults. By contrast, when Mitzi was at the trainer's I used to be in the arena longeing her and this song kept coming on the radio where the guy was whining about "why do I always say things that I know will hurt you and never tell you I love you and treat you badly" blah blah blah, the implication being "Oh I love you so much but I just can't say it."

Here's a thought, arsewipe: maybe the problem is that you're an abusive shithead and you really don't love her at all, okay?

Kick kick kick!!!

I tell you what, I used to have to practice deep calming breaths when that damn song came on so as not to get all filled with rage and scare Mitzi half to death.

Also, there's that fucking Toby Keith song "How Do You Like Me Now" which initially sounded like a perfectly fair "we broke up and aren't you sorry" song, but which on listening closely turns out to be "I harassed you in high school and you wisely ignored me, so now I am going to feel pleasure that you're going through hard times even though you never did a thing to me." I thought it was impossible to hate Toby Keith more than I do, but apparently I was wrong. I even resent his duet with Willie Nelson (especially since their lynch-mob song is so stupid in and of itself.)

Kick, kick, kick!!!

Plus, the tunes are so generic and indistinguishable from moronic pop half the time, what the hell is the point?

Ahem.

Why no, I will not be attending the Keith Urban show this summer, unless someone really stellar (by which I mean dirty) is added to the bill.

And thank you for letting me get that off my chest!

Bathing beauty Bengal cat!

I dashed out at lunchtime to pick up the Divorcees' CD. It's supposed to storm this afternoon and I thought I'd get out early. Plus I may have a chance to load the CD to my iPod before I leave work.

Anyway, I approached the counter at HMV with the Divorcees' CD and Highway 61 Revisited and one of the cashiers waved me over. He looked at the Divorcees and commented on what a good band they are. I replied that I'd just seen them live. He remarked that he'd never seen them full-on but his band had played with them at something when the Divorcees were playing as a three-piece doing Johnny Cash covers. (Oh. My. GOD!) So once I got my CD I remembered to ask him the name of his band, and it turned out to be The Grass, who are also on my radar as a band I need to see.

So I told him I'd heard good things about them and would certainly check them out.

And I think we parted happy. Only I was happier, for I had two new CDs and another band on my list!