Instant Q

As promised here are the Q's, and they are coming a whole lot sooner than the P's. There's good reason for the quick turnaround, the Q's are the smallest playlist on my iTunes of all the letters. The Q's featured two bands and 72 songs. The Q's were completely dominated by the first band, with 71 of the 72 songs coming from this band. The Q's were really easy to get through, and really quick to finish. Let's get it started.

The first of the two bands featured on the Q's is Queens of the Stone Age. Queens of the Stone Age are a hard rock band out of Palm Desert, California who began in 1997. The band was formed by Josh Homme after the breakup of his previous band, the previously mentioned, Kyuss. Homme briefly played as a touring guitarist, but then recruited several other ex-Kyuss members to become Queens of the Stone Age. The band released their first full length album in 1998 with the self titled Queens of the Stone Age. The band had no bass player at the time of the recording so Homme played guitar and bass on the record in addition to his duties as lead singer. After the record was finished former Kyuss bass player Nick Oliveri joined the band. The band then went on to record Rated-R and after its 2000 release began to obtain some mainstream attention. The band gained opening slots for bands like Foo Fighters and Smashing Pumpkins. Their success and popularity grew even more with the release of their third record Songs For The Deaf. The album featuring Dave Grohl on drums and powered by the rock radio standard "No One Knows" went Gold. Oliveri was fired by the band shortly after finishing the tour for the album due to erratic behavior, and there has since been a rotating cast of musicians to replace him. The band's next two albums Lullabies To Paralyze and Era Vulgaris only helped grow the band's popularity, despite failing to meet the success of Songs For The Deaf. The band is known for their hard, driving sound that Josh Homme has described as "Robot Rock" due to their tight riffs and repetitive riffs. The band's music has also been described as "Stoner Rock" for its themes, but the label has been rejected by Homme. The band features a rotating cast of musicians providing guest spots on each album with just a few core members staying constant between albums. Queens of the Stone Age's music has changed slightly from album to album, but the music generally features driving riffs with heavy fuzz on the guitars. Josh Homme has shared vocal duties from to time, but it's his vocals that make the biggest impact. His voice can go from a monotone droning to a higher pitched wail and everywhere in between. I first heard Queens of the Stone Age with the release of Songs For The Deaf in 2002. I heard "No One Knows" on the radio and instantly fell in love, I purchased Songs For The Deaf and my love grew. The album is just one amazing song after another. The album has a unifying concept of listening to the radio on a road trip from Los Angles to Joshua Tree, California and features several different "stations" and "DJs." I listened to this album on repeat for a long time, and I liked it so much that I was given Rated-R by my older brother. I really liked Rated-R as well, it was a different sound but just as good. I then purchased Lullabies To Paralyze which was a bit of a disappointing effort after the previous album. I the purchased Era Vulgaris and a 8 song CD featuring a few covers and B sides called Stone Age Complications. Finally, this year I purchased their self titled debut when it was reissued in May. The first album was good in its own right and felt like what it was, the beginning of the band's amazing sound. I've been a big Queens of the Stone Age fan for a long time now, and Songs For The Deaf is one of my all time favorite albums. I come back to the album frequently and every time I still love it. I also enjoy Homme's side project Them Crooked Vultures, which will be mentioned in the T's. I look forward to new Queens of the Stone Age material, and will continue to enjoy what I have in the meantime.

Queens of the Stone Age "No One Knows"




The second and final band is The Queers. The Queers are a punk rock band who formed in New Hampshire in 1981. The band broke up three years later without releasing any music. The band reformed in 1986 with the only original member being the lead singer Joey "Queer." The band began to gain a following in the punk rock community, with their following growing with each new album. The band plays a Ramones influenced style of punk, featuring poppier riffs and lyrical themes centering around girls, drugs, alcohol, and having a good time. The song featured here "LoveLoveLove" is a fun and quick little song about being left by a women, and hurting badly afterwards. The lyrics at points proclaim "I'll never smile again," but then in the chorus he tells himself "I didn't like her anyway." It's a song with some really nice guitar riffs and fun vocal delivery for a song about losing a relationship. I had heard of The Queers before this blog and listening to this song, but I hadn't really bothered to listen to them before. I like this song, it's fun, and it does remind me of the Ramones, but it also reminds me of bands like Screeching Weasel. I can see myself coming back to this song as part of a playlist of punk rock songs, but not really any other time. I'll enjoy it on shuffle, but not frequently.

The Queers "Love Love Love"



That's it for the Q's! As promised they were quick! The R's are quite a bit longer and will be up as soon as possible, but it will probably be at least two weeks. Check back just in case I get done quicker than expected. Please comment.

P's and Carrots

The P's are up next three weeks after my last post. I was hoping to get this written and published a bit faster, but a Holiday weekend and working Monday thru Friday last two weeks didn't allow for that to happen. The P's were a bit longer than I expected before starting on them, more than double the length of the O's. The P's featured thirty eight different artists and twenty two hours of music. Of the thirty eight artists twenty five of them had only three or fewer songs on the playlist. The P's didn't start off well for me, and that made getting things started a bit difficult. After a bad start, things did get a lot better and finished strong. With that established we'll move on to the meat of the post for the P's.

The P's started off with two albums from the Christian Alternative Rock band P.O.D (Payable On Death). P.O.D are a Christian Rock band out of San Diego, California who rose to mainstream popularity at the tail end of the 90's and beginning of the 00's. The band has sold over ten million records in its 19 year history, making them one of the best selling Christian Rock acts. The band started of playing rap metal with overt Christian themes and lyrics, but has slowly moved to more of a Nu Metal sound with more subtle references to Christian themes. The band gained popularity with its third studio album The Fundamental Elements Of Southtown, which went Platinum after its release in 1999. The band gained even more popularity with the release of their follow up album Satellite, one of the albums featured on this playlist, on September 11, 2001. The positive uplifting message of the first single "Alive" is what drove the popularity of the album. The follow up single "Youth Of The Nation" featured lyrics dealing with school shootings, and what might drive a kid to commit such a heinous act. The next single "Boom" became widely used by sports teams to pump up the crowd, and in movies for much the same thing. I first heard P.O.D in 2001 with the release of Satellite and the single "Alive." I really liked the song so I purchased the album. I really liked the album, and it wasn't until a bit later that I found out that they were Christian Rock. I usually wasn't a fan of Christian rock, but I made an exception for P.O.D. After listening to the album for a while, I decided to check into their previous albums and found their debut album Snuff The Punk at my local record store. I immediately disliked this album after only hearing a few songs. It wasn't the sound that I had enjoyed, and it was so overtly Christian that it became annoying. I stopped listening to P.O.D shortly after that, and I would hear their songs here and there but I never made a conscious effort to listen to them. I hadn't listened to anything besides the singles for a long time before this blog, and I didn't particularly miss them. Upon listening to P.O.D again I hear the Christian themes more and more. Their music doesn't make up for the themes, it's not that good, it's you're standard Nu Metal sound that cropped up at the beginning of the 00's. If I heard P.O.D for the first time right now, I wouldn't purchase either of these albums.

P.O.D "Alive"


Following P.O.D. on the playlist is Papa Roach. Papa Roach are a California based Nu Metal band that rose to popularity in 2000 with the release of their major label debut Infest. The album featuring the hit single "Last Resort" went triple Platinum. The band featured guitars with low drop down tunings, with lead singer Jacoby Shaddix (calling himself "Coby Dick" at the time) shouting or rapping overtop. The band's sound fit in with other rap rock bands like Limp Bizkit, and gained them massive Alternative radio play in the early 00's. The band followed up Infest with 2002's Lovehatetragedy, which featured a sound that was slightly less metal and more general rock and roll. The album didn't do nearly as well as Infest, only going Gold. Their third album Getting Away With Murder sold better, going Platinum. The band received some backlash from long time fans for the softer, alternative rock sound featured on the album. I first heard Papa Roach back in 2000 with the release of Infest. I really liked the lead single "Last Resort" and the follow up single "Broken Home," so I went out to my local record store and purchased Infest. I was a really big fan of the album, and for a couple of years I was really big into Papa Roach. I purchased Lovehatetragedy right after it was released, and enjoyed it but wasn't as big into their change in sound. I fell out of love with Papa Roach and didn't even purchase Getting Away With Murder which was released two years later. I stopped listening to Papa Roach, only hearing them when I would hear "Last Resort" or "Getting Away With Murder" on rock radio. I hadn't listened to either of the two albums I own for years before this blog, and like P.O.D. I didn't miss them. The songs just don't do it for me the same way they did when I was thirteen. I would not purchase Papa Roach if I was hearing them for the first time and had my current musical tastes.

Papa Roach "Last Resort"



Next up we have singer/songwriter/ comedian Parry Gripp. Parry Gripp is best known as the lead singer of the pop punk band Nerf Herder. As mentioned in the N's Nerf Herder provided the theme song for Joss Whedon's Buffy The Vampire Slayer. For the P's Parry Gripp contributes the album For Those About To Shop, We Salute You. The album features fifty one tracks of faux commercials and theme songs. The album features "theme suites" where several tracks together generally revolve around one theme. There are songs about food such as "Great Nachos, Great Price" and "Bran Flakes," songs about Sports such as "European Football" and "Golf Is Groovy," just to name a few. The songs are all really quick to fit with the standard TV commercial's thirty second length, and this leads to an album with fifty one songs equaling only 34 minutes. The songs are all extremely goofy and fun. I first heard of Perry Gripp a few years ago when I became aware of his YouTube videos and songs, I really liked all of these songs so when I came across this album at the Library I snatched it up. I'm glad I did, the album is full of really quick but really amusing little jingles. I will come back to this album again and again whenever I need a good laugh. I recommend the album for fans of Weird Al and other comedy musicians.

Parry Gripp "Do You Like Waffles?"


Yet another full album contribution is up next, this time it's from the band Passion Pit. Passion Pit is an electronic rock band from Cambridge, Massachusetts that started out as a solo project of front man Michael Angelakos. The band's debut EP Chunks Of Change started out as a four track demo that Angelakos gave to his then girlfriend as a Valentine's Day present. He then began to distribute the album around the campus of Emerson College where he was attending classes. After playing a solo show he was approached by Ian Hultquist and asked to collaborate. They fleshed out the lineup and released their debut EP Chunks Of Change in 2008, which featured the four songs from the demo he gave his girlfriend and two new tracks. The EP gained the band some mainstream notice and the song "Sleepyhead" was featured in several commercials in 2008. The band then released their debut LP Manners in 2009, and gained even more attention through songs like "The Reeling" being used in commercials. The band's sound consists of samples mixed with electronically produced beats and keyboard effects, all with Angelakos' high falsetto crooning over top of it all. I first heard Passion Pit back in 2009 with the release of Manners, I heard the song "The Reeling" on MTVu and was intrigued by what I heard. I wasn't sure I liked the song at first, but after hearing it a few more times I became a fan. I still wasn't enough of a fan to purchase the album, I considered it but passed it up. I then received both Manners and Chunks Of Change from my younger brother, who had both albums. I enjoyed both albums, they each had their own unique charms, but I felt like Manners was the better of the two. I felt like Angelakos had improved as a writer, using less clumsy metaphors and a bit more simile. I enjoy the high pitched electronics and the dancy feel of a lot of the songs. I enjoy Angelakos' vocals, they remind me a bit of a cheaper version of Brian Wilson. I'm not a huge fan of Passion Pit, but I enjoy them casually.

Passion Pit "Sleepyhead"


The first one and done artist on the playlist is up next, The Passions. The Passions were a short lived band who in their five year existence were one hit wonders with the song "I'm In Love With A German Film Star." The band formed in 1978 featured music that focused heavily on the vocals of lead singer Barbara Gogan's voice and the echoing chords and notes of Clive Timperely's guitar. This gave their songs a sound that some have described as "misty." The song is about a former roadie for The Clash and The Sex Pistols who had minor roles in a few German films. I first heard the song when I first listened through the box set Left Of The Dial: Dispatches From The 80's Underground. It was one of the songs that stood out for me, with its echoing guitar complementing the slow pace and the Gogan's great voice. I've listened to the song here and there over the years, and even played it on my radio show once or twice. It's just a well done song, that deserved the attention it got in the 80's. I will come back to this song occasionally, but due to it only being one track it won't be too often.

Patsy Cline is the next one and done artist to grace this playlist. Cline was a country music singer who gained popularity with her crossover pop hits that came at the height of the "Nashville Sound" of the early 60's. She gained her success from her singles, songs such as "Crazy" (the song featured here) and "Walking After Midnight." The song "Crazy" is a slow country ballad that was written for Cline by Willie Nelson in 1961. The track is a beautiful one instrumentally, but especially vocally with Cline's beautifully expressive contralto really standing out. Cline would die in a plane crash two years later, and would gain even greater success after her death. She has sold over fifty million albums since her death and been inducted into the Country Music Hall Of Fame. I can't recall where I first heard this song, but it was most likely from my father. The song is one that I've heard numerous times throughout the years, and I have always found to be a beautiful and poignant song. I enjoyed Patsy Cline, and admire her wonderful voice.

The next two tracks on the playlist come via singer songwriter Patti Smith. Patti Smith is a musician and poet who began to gain attention with the release of her 1975 debut Horses. This album led to her connection with the Punk Rock scene of the 70's and led to her being called "The Godmother of Punk." Her music is infused with her poetry, and this sometimes gives her songs the feel of a poetry reading accompanied by music. She became a very active activist performing at AIDS benefits in the 90's and protesting the War in Iraq in the 00's. The two songs featured here are "Free Money" and a cover of the song made popular by Jimi Hendrix "Hey Joe." I can't recall the first time I heard Patti Smith, but like with Patsy Cline I've heard her from numerous sources over the years. I really enjoyed both of the songs featured here, especially her cover of "Hey Joe" which starts out with some spoken lines about Patti Hurst. I would like to look further into Patti Smith at some point in the future, I'm just not sure when.

Our next one and done artists, Penetration, were a British Punk Rock band who gained attention in the punk rock scene in the latter half of the 70's. The attention came from the release of the single "Don't Dictate" and their debut album Moving Targets in 1978. Lead singer Pauline Murray's forceful vocal style drew comparisons to Patti Smith and Siouxsie Sioux, both female punk rock icons. After a disappointing follow up album the band broke up just three years after their inception. During their brief run the band played some of the biggest punk rock clubs of the 70's such as The Roxy and opened for bands such as Generation X, The Vibrators, and The Buzzcocks. "Don't Dictate" is a slightly more complex song than many of its punk rock peers at the time, with a bit more than your standard three chords. I wasn't familiar with this song before hearing it on the box set No Thanks! The 70's Punk Rebellion. I didn't really recall the song when I came back to it for this blog, but I'm glad I got to come back to it. It's a really well done punk rock song, and Murray's voice really helps to drive home to forceful nature and the lyrics of rebelling against being told what to do. I will do my best to come back to this song again in the future.

Another punk rock band is our next one and done artist, this time it's 90's punk and the band Pennywise. Pennywise is a punk band based out of Hermosa Beach, California, who after forming in 1989 signed to Epitaph Records which was owned by Bad Religion guitar player Brett Gurewitz. The band gained some minor mainstream attention with the revival of public interest in punk rock in the mid 90's, but unlike the other bands involved in the revival they chose to stay on an independent label. The band plays a politically charged brand of fast paced punk rock. Their songs tend to focus on the degradation of American society, and political/moral wrongs. Their songs are played at a fast pace, but unlike some of their punk peers who play a similar quick paced style their songs have been known to crack three minutes. I've been aware of Pennywise for quite a while now, I had heard the name even before I started getting into punk rock in the early 00's. I had never really bothered to listen to the band before hearing this song, "God Save The USA," on Rock Against Bush, Vol.1. I like this song, it's a good fast paced song with a bit of Bad Religion influence in it. Despite my enjoyment of this song, I haven't bothered to try and look more into the band. I'm just not a big enough fan of this song.

We move away from punk rock the next one and done artist, Percy Sledge. Percy Sledge is an American Soul singer who rose to popularity with the release of his first single "When A Man Loves A Woman" in 1966. The song propelled Sledge to be the first artists signed to Atlantic Records to have an album certified Gold. Sledge went on to release several more successful singles, but none could quite match the popularity of "When A Man Loves A Woman." The song is a soulful song of heartbreak written about a girlfriend who left Sledge in 1965 after he lost his job. The song is the one Sledge is best known for, and became the cornerstone for his career. Sledge's soulful voice is what stands out the most in his recordings, the pure emotion and soul of his vocals is what makes him special. I can't recall the first time I heard "When A Man Loves A Woman," but it's a song I grew up with and one that I'm very familiar with. I really like the song, and I enjoy Sledge's soulful vocals quite a bit. I will continue to come back to this song over the years.

The next artist is yet another one and done artist, this time it is Pere Ubu. Pere Ubu were an "avant-garde" rock band from Cleveland, Ohio which formed in 1975. The band's sound was generally described as "underground rock," partly due to the fact that the band never received mainstream attention. The band took elements of garage rock, raw guitars and vocals, and mixed them with electronic accompaniment. The band would gain a devoted cult following over the years, and had a definite influence on New Wave and Garage Rock bands that came after them. Their lyrics were interesting featuring lines like "The Girls won't touch me because I have a misdirection," and "My Mom Kicked Me Out Until I Find Some Pants That Fit." I hadn't heard of Pere Ubu before hearing this song on No Thanks! The 70's Punk Rebellion, and I hadn't listened to it again after that initial listen through. Upon listening to it again I can definitely hear a sound that has influenced several current bands I'm familiar with today. It's an interesting song, and definitely a bit avant-garde for its time. I enjoy the song alright, but it won't be something I come back to often.

Next up is the second to last one and done artist before our next full album contributor, the artist is Phil Phillips. Phil Phillips is an American R&B singer who gained popularity in 1959 with the release of his song "Sea Of Love." The song went to #2 on the Pop Music Charts and #1 on the R&B charts. The song is in the classic R&B style of the 60's, it's a slow paced ballad of love. Phillips sings his heart out to the girl he loves, and his vocals are harmonized by his backing vocalists The Twilights. Phillips was not compensated properly for the success of "Sea of Love" and this led to him leaving the music business and never releasing his already recorded full length album. He didn't feel like he was being treated fairly or compensated fairly so he never released it. I wasn't familiar with this song before this playlist, but I enjoyed it. I've always enjoyed classic soul and R&B, and this is a great example of the genre. I wouldn't mind coming back to this song occasionally.

Phoenix comes up next to break up the block of one and done artists, right before another small block of one and done artists. Phoenix are a French Dance Rock band based out of Paris. The band formed in 1995 shortly after guitarist Laurent Brancowitz's previous band, featuring the two members of Daft Punk, broke up. The band began to gain some attention in 2000 when two songs from their debut album United were used in the movies Lost In Translation and Shallow Hal. With the release of their second album Alphabetical in 2004 the band gained greater mainstream success. Their next album, the one featured here, It's Never Been Like That, was released in 2006 and met with success equal to that of Alphabetical. The band received their big international break with the release of 2009's Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, and the hit single "1901." The band plays an upbeat style of rock and roll with featuring a guitar sound that relies on quick little strums broken up to give it a dance like atmosphere. That accompanied by the steady beat of the drums and steady rhythms of the bass make for a sound that is danceable without having to add the effects of synthesizers or keyboards. Over all of this lead singer Thomas Mars' vocals are a large part of the complementary sounds that make up Phoenix's music. I first heard of Phoenix back around 2009/2010, I started to read about them in music magazines and then finally I heard "1901." I enjoyed the single, but not enough to make me go buy the album. When my younger brother heard I enjoyed the band he gave me the album featured here It's Never Been Like That. I had the album but I never really gave it a proper listen until this blog, and I'm sorry that I waited so long. It's a very good album, full of great catchy tunes. I've come to enjoy Phoenix more over the past year or so, and this album is helping with my enjoyment.

Phoenix "Long Distance Call"



The one and done artist Pink Mountaintops is the next band on the playlist. Pink Mountaintops are a psychedelic rock band from Vancouver, British Columbia. I couldn't find anything about this band beyond the fact that they're from Vancouver and are part of a group of musicians called the Black Mountain Collective. According to Black Mountain's Wikipedia, Pink Mountaintops are the experimental side of lead singer Stephen McBean. The song "Can You Do That Dance?" is a pretty simple song, it's pretty much the same few chords repeated over and over. It starts with a steady drum beat, the guitar joins in alternating between two chords, and then the bass does the same. The lyrics are very repetitive as well, with McBean constantly asking "can can you do that dance?" It's an interesting idea, but it gets a bit boring after a while. I probably won't come back to this song.

Another one and done artist is up next in The Pipettes. The Pipettes are an indie Girl Group based out of Britain. The band was formed by guitarist Monster Bobby who recruited the three female vocalists in an effort to recreate the sound of the 60's girl groups made popular by producer Phil Spector and give it a modern twist. The band makes sure to emphasize the women vocalists, with their backing band The Cassettes never appearing in photo shoots. The women all wear polka dots and dance in synchronized routines. All of the songs are written together by the three women. The song featured here "Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me" is a catchy tune that sounds a lot like intended, a girl group from the 60's. The song as can be gathered on the title is about falling out of love, or just not being interested in the advances of another. I first heard The Pipettes back in 2006 with the release of the single "Pull Shapes." I really liked "Pull Shapes," it's a really fun and catchy song, featuring a video that pays homage to the movie Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls. I really liked the song but never explored further, and then I realized that my brother had put "Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me" on my computer for the party to celebrate his wedding. I really enjoy both songs, even if they do have a bit of a cheesy factor to them, but because of this I don't know that I would want a full album.

We have a multiple album contributor up next in The Pixies. The Pixies are an American rock band active during the latter half of the 80's and the beginning third of the 90's. The Pixies have been named by multiple popular artists of the 90's alternative rock and today's alternative rock as a major influence. The band played a mix of indie rock and surf rock, with changes in the dynamics of the music thrown in the middle of songs for good measure. The band never gained widespread popularity in the United States, but gained considerable following in The United Kingdom. Since the band disbanded in 1993 several of their songs have been featured in blockbuster Hollywood movies. The song "Where Is My Mind" was prominently featured in the closing scenes of the Edward Norton, Brad Pitt movie Fight Club. The movie has a large following and the song is one of the most memorable from the film because of the finals scene in the movie. Over the years the members of the Pixies have also made contributions to other artists' songs and lead singer Black Francis had some minor success as a solo artist. The albums featured on this playlist Bossanova, Surfer Rosa, and Doolittle are considered their best. The first time I can recall hearing The Pixies and knowing it was The Pixies was on a mix CD that my older brother made for my Dad featuring the song "Monkey Gone To Heaven." I really liked this song, but it was a few more years before I really checked beyond that song and "Where Is My Mind." I got the three albums I mentioned previously from my younger brother who was already a big fan of The Pixies. I listened through all three albums and enjoyed them, but then moved on until coming back to them for this blog. I once again enjoyed the albums, but this time I don't intend to move one. The albums are too good for me to move on, I will be coming back to the Pixies again.

The Pixies "Where Is My Mind"


Next up is English singer songwriter PJ Harvey. PJ grew up listening to American Blues and Captain Beefheart and than incorporated those influences into her music. PJ Harvey started her musical career playing as part of a trio called PJ Harvey. The band began in around the start of the 90's and broke up after only two albums around 1993. PJ Harvey has drawn on a number of different musical styles and influences for each of her albums, never liking to repeat herself. Each new album has a different sound both musically and visually in the way she dresses. Her songwriting and music has gained her international acclaim and made her a darling of the music media. The album featured here 4-Track Demos is a collection of demos released in 1993. Of the fourteen songs, eight were from her previous and final album as a trio, and six were unreleased songs. The tracks are raw and stripped down versions of what would be fleshed out and layered as part of the trio's recordings. The songs were all recorded by Harvey at her home on a 4-Track tape recorder, all of the songs feature only Harvey singing and playing guitar and occasionally throwing in other instruments such as a tambourine or organ. Many fans and critics hailed the songs as better than the final album versions. The album released in 1993 was the album that signified her transition from part of a trio to solo artist. I first heard PJ Harvey years ago, my Dad was a fan and would play her albums in the car or on the stereo outside while he worked. I like PJ Harvey, but I really like this album especially. The songs have a raw feeling and have a bit of a ferocity to them that can get lost in the mix as part of a group. All of the songs on this album are good, and it makes me sorry that I had largely ignored this album until this blog. I enjoy these songs and will definitely come back to them again.

PJ Harvey "Reelin"



Next we have the first of two one and done artists who come before our next multiple album contributor, the first being The Plimsouls. The Plimsouls were the project of lead singer Peter Case who had just finished being part of the previously mentioned power pop band The Nerves, who's song "Hanging On The Telephone" was famously covered by Blondie. The band never achieved a large amount of success, having most of their success locally in Los Angeles, California. They had a minor hit when one of their songs was included on the soundtrack to a Hollywood film. I like The Plimsouls, although their not all that different than The Nerves. They feature very similar guitar tones and Case's vocals haven't changed much. Cases vocals remind me quite a bit of the vocals of The Exploding Hearts or Elvis Costello. It's an enjoyable song, and kind of catchy. I don't know how often I'll come back to it but it's fun.

The next one and done artists are Plumtree. Plumtree were a Canadian indie rock band that gained some popularity back in the mid 90's. The band was made up of four teenage girls, the oldest being seventeen at the time of the band's formation in 1993. The band recorded a demo that gained them some notice and got them added to a compilation of High School bands in Ottawa. The song released on the compilation earned them opening spots supporting a few more established bands, and then signed to an indie label which released their first 7" record in 1994. The three songs lead eventually to a full album that after its release began making the rounds on Canadian College radio. Their second album gained them a slightly larger following and landed them on the rotation of Much Music's music video show. The band broke up in 2000 to pursue academics, but not before leaving a mark on Canadian pop culture. The song featured here "Scott Pilgrim" inspired the popular comic series of the same name and the movie that came from it. The song is a very poppy song that definitely has some teenage mindset and phrasing. The chorus exclaims "I've like you for a thousand years, a thousand years." The song is about unrequited love between two good friends. She likes him, but he can't see her in that light. The guitar work isn't complicated but it has a really nice tone and really like it. The whole song is really enjoyable. I hadn't heard of Plumtree before getting this song on the soundtrack for Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World. I'm glad I've heard it, it's really fun song. I will try and come back to it from time to time.

After Plumtree comes the next artist to contribute multiple albums to this playlist, The Pogues. The Pogues are an Irish Folk Punk band that gained some prominence in the 80's and early 90's. The band formed in London in 1982 plays traditional Irish folk instruments like the tin whistle, mandolin, and accordion and play them in a manner more in the style of punk rock. The band plays this mix of traditional Irish Folk and Punk rock, with lyrics that feature politically charged themes having to do with Irish politics, historical tragedies usually sung in vague references. The band led by Shane MacGowan, formerly of The Nips, started gaining notice after opening for The Clash in 1984. The band enjoyed moderate success for the next few years, but were soon becoming just as known for Shane MacGowan's drunken antics as for their music. MacGowan's behavior became so erratic and disruptive that the band kicked him out in 1991. The band went on for another five years without him before breaking up in 1996. The band reformed in 2001 for a reunion show, and has toured sporadically since then. Their tours usually include a few dates on the East Coast of the United States. The Pogues never gained much in the way of commercial success, but have seeped their way into popular culture over the years and are still much loved by The Punk Rock community. The first time I can recall hearing The Pogues and knowing it was when my older brother gave me the songs "The Band Played Waltzing Matilda" and "The Sickbed Of Cuchulainn." I really liked both of these songs, "The Band Played Waltzing Matilda" was a poignant cover, and revolved around the World War I Battle of Gallipoli. The song is from the point of view of a young Australian man who is sent to war at Gallipoli. In the song he sings about the horrors of battle and how terrible war is. This still remains one of my favorite Pogues songs. A few years later when I started working at the radio station, I picked up a copy of The Best Of The Pogues. I really liked this album, there were a lot of great songs and I became a bigger fan of The Pogues because of it. Then in 2006, when I went to New York City for Spring Break, I got to see The Pogues live at The Roseland Ballroom. I really enjoy the mix of traditional Irish Folk music and punk rock, and how Shane MacGowan's heavily accented voice complements it all. I played The Pogues frequently on my radio show and have been listening to the best of album and also If I Should Fall From Grace With God which was given to me a few years later by my younger brother. The Pogues are a band I find myself coming back to often, and one I will enjoy for a long time.

The Pogues "Streams of Whiskey"



After the Pogues come the first of the three one and done artists that come before the next full album contribution. The Pointed Sticks are a Vancouver based pop punk band that originally formed at the end of the 70's and then broke up at the very beginning of the 80's. The band reformed in 2006 and have been touring. The band played a fast paced punk rock style mixed with five part vocal harmonies and keyboards. The band released a few singles and one full length album before breaking up. I wasn't familiar with the Pointed Sticks before my older brother put them on my iTunes for his Wedding Celebration, and I hadn't listened to them since. Upon listening to the song for pretty much the first time, I enjoyed what I heard. The band reminds me of an early version of a few pop punk bands that would come about in the early 00's like Tsunami Bomb, The Soviettes, and The Epoxies. I enjoy this song, but not enough to explore any further, I don't see myself buying the full length album anytime soon.

The next song also comes from my older brother's Wedding Celebration playlist, this time it's Poison's "Every Rose Has Its Thorn." Poison is an American Glam Metal band who gained fame and popularity in the mid 80's and stayed popular in to the mid 90's. The band featured your standard teased long hair and flashy/androgynous clothing that became prominent in the mid and late 80's. The band led by front man Bret Michaels had a string of Top 50 hits, with the most successful being "Every Rose Has Its Thorn." The song is what became known as a power ballad, where a normally high energy loud Glam Metal band slows it down for a tender ballad. The song, written by Michaels, is supposedly about a woman Michaels loved who cheated on him. The song was the band's first and only number one song. I think the first time I heard Poison was through this song, and this is one of the only Poison songs that I can name if asked to name a Poison song. I was never a fan of Glam Metal, I didn't like their look, I don't like their sound. This song is a Glam/Hair Metal classic, and enjoyable enough for what it is. It's a bit cheesy in my view, but it's still a very lovely song.

The third one and done artist of this block is The Police. The Police were a British New Wave band that formed at the end of the 70's, and quickly gained popularity. The band gained national popularity with the release of their first album in 1978, which featured their signature single "Roxanne." Two years later they were on their first world tour after releasing their third album, the album was the first to gain widespread success abroad. The band broke up in 1984, and have since gained a huge worldwide following, selling more than fifty million albums worldwide. The band led by front man Sting on vocals and Bass played a punk rock influenced style of music mixed with heavy jazz and reggae influences. Sting went on to have his own successful solo career as both a musician and an actor. I first heard The Police through the single "Roxanne." Over the years I've heard a good amount of music from The Police, but I always seem to come back to "Roxanne." It's probably one of my favorite New Wave songs of the 70's and 80's. I really like Sting's voice when he sings, especially when he puts emphasis on singing the name Roxanne. I can't foresee a time when I won't enjoy "Roxanne," and I plan on coming back to it frequently.

Next up comes the band Polysics, who contribute three albums to this playlist. Polysics are a Japanese New Wave/ Electro Rock band who formed at the end of the 90's in Tokyo. The band led by front man Hiroyuki Hayashi ("Hiro"), plays a style of high energy rock with synthesizers, which have become more infused in the music with each new release. The lyrics are a mix of Japanese, English, and a language made up by the band (Toisu means hello). The band credits its biggest inspiration to American New Wave rockers Devo, and have even been called "The Japanese Devo." The band is an interesting mix of style and contrast. All of the members wear orange jumpsuits with a patch with the letter P, and dark sunglasses. The contrast in the band comes in the personalities the members display on stage. Hiro plays guitar and sings in a frantic style full of energy, and Fumi on bass and displays a similar high energy. All of this energy is contrasted by Kayo who remains emotionless and robotic on the synthesizer, this plays into her frequent use of vocoder to give her voice a robotic sound. The band makes frequent use of these robotic voice effects, with Hiro and Kayo both making use of the effect. The band achieved some moderate US success when they signed to Myspace Records in 2007 and toured the United States on The Myspace Music Tour. The band has achieved much greater success at home. In 2010 Kayo left the band, and they have since continued on as a trio. I first heard The Polysics back in 2005/2006 when I picked up a compilation called Japan For Sale, Vol. 4. The compilation contained the Polysics song "Kaja Kaja Goo." I liked the song so I explored further into the band and came across the video for the song "I, My, Me, Mine." I really liked the song, and enjoyed the video which featured several different dancers performing various styles of "popping," the most notable among them being a 12 year old Japanese girl who calls herself Strong Machine 2 (named after her dancer father Strong Machine). She was also featured in the video for the song "Electric Surfin' Go Go." I continued to explore all the videos that were up on YouTube and eventually purchased Now Is The Time and Polysics Or Die!!! so I could hear more than just what I had watching videos. For a long time those were the only two I had and then about a year ago I added the album Karate House to the collection, which featured the song "Catch On Everywhere." I really enjoy Polysics' frantic high energy music, it's a whole lot of fun to listen to and really catchy even if you don't understand most of what they're singing. I highly recommend that you check out Polysics.

Polysics "Electric Surfin' Go Go"


After Polysics we get to another block of artists who don't contribute full albums to this playlist, the first being The Pop Group. The Pop Group are a British band considered to be part of the post-punk sound. The songs saw a range of influences including jazz and dub reggae. The band lasted only three years, and never achieved any noteworthy success. The song here "She Is Beyond Good And Evil," was released as the band's first single in 1978, and comes to this playlist via No Thanks! The 70's Punk Rebellion. Their lyrics were often politically themed. Their sound for me is very reminiscent of The Clash in songs like "Rock The Casbah." I wasn't familiar with this song before the box set, and it didn't stand out for me so I hadn't listened to the song since my initial listen through of the box set. It's an alright song, that as I said reminds me of a Clash song but in this case it feels a bit like a Clash B side or something that wasn't as strong so it got put at the end of the album. I probably won't come back to this song outside of shuffle.

The next artist on the playlist is The Posies. The Posies are an alternative rock band that formed in 1987, and are based out of Washington. The Posies play a smooth brand of alternative rock, with very little of the heavy distortion heard among a lot of the bands of the 90's grunge and post grunge era. The Posies were compared to bands like The Hollies and Big Star. Their songs featured themes having to so with love and relationships. The band gained success in the 90's get a few top 40 hits, and airplay on MTV. The band's sound is very pleasant and full of nice harmonies. I wasn't familiar with The Posies before listening to the two tracks on this playlist. I had heard the name mentioned before, but these songs were the first I heard from The Posies. I'm not sure how these two songs came to be on my iTunes, and I hadn't listened to them before this playlist. The songs are nice, very enjoyable. The nice mellow sound is something that I have to be in the right mood for, and bands like this are perfect for those certain moods.

Our next one and done artist for the P's is the British Rock band Prefab Sprout. Prefab Sprout formed around the beginning of the 80's and rose to popularity just a few years later. The band's greatest success came in Great Britain, where eight of their albums made the Top 40. The band had moderate success in the United States, but barely cracked the Top 200. The song featured here "When Love Breaks Down," from the band's second full length, is a nice rock song about the loss of love in a relationship. It's got some very nice harmonies and is very melodic, it has some similarities in style to bands like The Cure. I wasn't familiar with this song before hearing it on the playlist, I had heard it once before on my initial listen through of Left Of The Dial: Dispatches From The 80's Underground. The song is a nice one but it didn't stick out for me when I first heard it, and it still doesn't. I imagine I'll quickly forget about this song again. It's a nice song, just not usually my style.

Next up is another one and done artist, The Premiers. The Premiers were an American Garage Rock band who gained attention with the release of their cover of the song "Farmer John" in 1964. The song went to # 19 on the charts, and was the band's only hit. The song has that raw garage rock sound similar to The Kinks and The Kingsmen, with a bit of R&B flavor. The band released one album, which consisted of a lot of R&B covers. The band opened for a few R&B and Garage Rock acts, but disbanded when two of its members were drafted into the Army. I had heard this song before this playlist, but I had never heard a band name connected to it before this playlist. I had heard the song "Farmer John" in various places over the years, from my brother or my Dad who were fans of this style of music. I like the song, it's fun little rock song. It's done very well and is very catchy. I don't know how often I'll come back to this song, but it's not out of the question to click on this song every once and a while.

Coming to the playlist with three songs from three different sources are The Pretenders. The Pretenders were an English rock band with an American lead singer who gained almost instant success. The band formed in 1978 and by 1979, and before their first full length album, the band had a #1 song with "Brass In Pocket." The song was a huge success in England and reached the Top 40 in the US as well. Led by lead singer Chrissie Hynde the band gained further success over the next three years before losing two of its four members, one was fired the other died of heart failure due to a reaction to cocaine. The band had released two highly successful albums at this point and decided to keep going with a new guitar player and new bass player to replace the two members they had lost. Over the next few decades the band has achieved further success with a ever rotating cast of different band members, some have left and some have been fired by Hynde. Hynde has been credited as one of the best song writers of the 80's, and The Pretenders have been named as one of the greatest bands of all time in various lists in Rolling Stone and on VH1. I can't recall the first time I hear The Pretenders, and I haven't listened to them much over the years. I hadn't really listened to the three songs featured here much, but when I listened to them for this playlist I recognized them, especially "Brass In Pocket." I really enjoy these songs, in large part thanks to Hynde's vocals. The instrumentation is very nice as well, but Hynde's vocals really help make the music for me. I imagine I will come back to these songs on occasion, especially "Brass In Pocket," which is my favorite of the three songs.

Breaking up the streak of non album contributions, and beginning a block of full album contributions, is Primal Scream. Primal Scream are a Scottish Alternative Rock band formed in Glasgow in 1982 by lead singer Bobby Gillespie. The band began gaining popularity around 1984, shortly after Gillespie quit as the drummer of Jesus And Mary Chain. The band became a large player in the 80's Indie scene before moving in a new direction at the beginning of the 90's. This new direction mixed garage rock with some elements of psychedelic rock, and Acid House Music, and in 1991 it gained the band a more mainstream popularity. The band's first major label albums were more garage rock and psychedelic with later albums incorporating more dance music/house styles into the music. The band's albums each seemed to have a slightly different overarching influence. The album featured here is Dirty Hits which is a collection of the band's greatest hits from between 1990 and 2003. The album really highlights the different influences that the band incorporated into their music, one song sounds like a Rolling Stones song, while another is more dance music heavy. I first heard Primal Scream a few years ago through my older brother, I liked the couple songs I heard so I burned this greatest hits album from my Dad. I enjoyed this album, it's got a lot of great songs with a wide range of influences. The problem with this album is the Bonus Disc, it's a disc full of remixes, and it gets boring and annoying after just a few songs. I hadn't listened to this album much before this playlist, but I liked it quite a bit. I definitely think I'll come back to this album again, but skip the Bonus Disc.

Primal Scream "Rocks"



Following Primal Scream we have the Prince. Prince is a Minneapolis born singer, song-writer, and actor who's prolific thirty year career has made him one of the most well known funk artists of all time. Prince began his musical career at the end of the 70's, and released his first album in 1978 after being signed to a major label. Prince instantly began gaining attention for his musical style which mixed elements of funk influenced by artists like Parliament and James Brown with rock and jazz. His music became known as "The Minneapolis Style" which was a mix of funk, R&B, rock, pop, and New Wave. All of this complemented by Prince's vocal range, which usually slipped into the higher octaves. He began having more and more success with each new release, and the song "Little Red Corvette" allowed Prince to be one of the first black artists to be featured in heavy rotation on MTV. In 1984 Prince formed the band The Revolution and released the movie Purple Rain. The movie and the album were both very popular and received praise. The soundtrack featured classics like "When Doves Cry" and "Purple Rain." Prince's has been a bit of a controversial artist during his career, his sexually explicit lyrics in songs like "Darlin' Nikki" led to Tipper Gore's campaign for warning labels on explicit albums. Prince for a period was known only by a symbol which was a combination for the symbols for men and women. During the time from 93-2000 when Prince was known by the symbol he increased his musical output but left the public eye a bit. He had some resurgence in the 00's, even playing the Super Bowl Half Time Show in 2007. I can't recall when I first heard Prince, he just one of those artists who are so prevalent in popular culture that you just eventually become aware of him. For a long time that's all I knew of Prince, just the few songs I had heard over the years. I added his 2007 album Planet Earth to my iTunes to become more familiar with his music, and for my Dad who liked Prince. I had hardly listened to the album over the past four years since adding it, but I did see Purple Rain during that time period and enjoyed the accompanying music. I enjoyed this album, Prince is definitely trying to stay true to himself but explore new styles as well, even rapping at one point. I'll probably stick to the singles most of the time, but I'll enjoy the album too.

Prince "When Doves Cry"



Another full album contribution is follows Prince, this time it's The Prize Fighter Inferno's 2006 album My Brother's Blood Machine. Prize Fighter Inferno is the solo project of Coheed and Cambria front man Claudio Sanchez. The album was recorded over a period of about seven years with various recording devices and people. The album is more acoustic/electronic than Coheed and Cambria's music, with most songs featuring Sanchez on acoustic guitar with electronically programmed beats in the background. Like the songs he writes for Coheed and Cambria the songs on the album are part of a story. The story featured in My Brother's Blood Machine are a prequel to the story featured in the albums of Coheed and Cambria, The Amory Wars. The story told here contains similar themes of love, the importance of children, and death. According to an MTV News interview "The Blood Machine revolves around three families, one being the Bleam family, who are our horrific sort of 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' family," there's also the McCloud Family whose daughter Cecilia is the main character, and the Early family whose son is Cecilia's love interest. The songs revolve around subplots dealing with Cecilia's life and trials, her molestation at the hands of her father, how she steals her young twin brothers and runs away, and how after running away she meets the Bleam family. The Bleam Brothers are horrific monsters who's crazy mother has convinced them that God wants them to be the new death, that they have to collect souls for God. The brothers invent The Blood Machine, which tears people to pieces and in their minds collects that persons soul. So, like The Amory Wars the story is not a feel good happy ending type of story. I first heard of Prize Fighter Inferno back in 2006 with the announcement of the release date of the album by Coheed and Cambria. Since I was already a really big Coheed and Cambria fan by this time I instantly pre-ordered My Brother's Blood Machine after hearing just a few tracks beforehand. I really like this album, it's a nice change of pace from Sanchez's usual songwriting. You can hear allusions to the sound featured on the album in Coheed and Cambria's third album Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through The Eyes Of Madness, which had a electronic programming in small bits on a few songs. I've listened to this album a lot over the past five years, and I hope to hear more Prize Fighter Inferno material out of Sanchez.

The Prize Fighter Inferno "Who Watches The Watchmen"



Following Prize Fighter Inferno we have two one and done artists before the next full album, the first of the two is the band Prototype. Prototype are a Los Angles based Heavy Metal band who have had several of their songs featured in video games, including Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. The song featured here is a cover of Metallica's "Trapped Under Ice" from the compilation Overload: A Tribute To Metallica. Whereas I have trashed every other Metallica cover that has come up on iTunes, this cover is actually decent. The cover is pretty faithful to the original. The instrumentation is right, and the vocals aren't growled or screamed at you, they're sung in a tuneful yell like the original. For a cover this isn't bad, but I won't come back to it by choice.

The next one and done artist is the English New Wave/ Art Rock band the Psychedelic Furs. Psychedelic Furs formed at the end of the 70's and just a few years later gained success. Their success began with the release of their debut LP in 1980. Success began in England, and then spread to Germany, Italy, France, Spain, and Australia. It wasn't until the release of their second LP in 1981 that they began to achieve US success. The single "Pretty In Pink" became widely popular and inspired a 1986 film of the same name. Their first number one hit in the US was 1988's "All That Money Wants." At the beginning of the 90's the band became a fixture of college radio stations and also got some mainstream radio airplay. The band split in the early 90's. The song featured here is "All That Money Wants." The song has a very nice prominent bass line that helps drive the song along with the steady keyboards and lightly distorted guitar. This song comes off of the Left Of The Dial: Dispatches From The 80's Underground box set. I hadn't heard this song before the compilation, but I had heard of Psychedelic Furs. I had heard the name thrown around a lot over the years, but I had never really bothered to listen to them. I enjoyed this song, but I don't think I'll come back to it often.

As we round the home stretch on the P's, we have the second to last full album contribution. The band that follows Psychedelic Furs is Psychodots. Psychodots were a short lived rock band based out of Cincinnati, OH. The three members of Psychodots started out as a popular Cincinnati band The Raisins and had a few local hits before breaking up. The three would then join forces with local guitarist Adrian Belew who was coming off a stint with the band King Crimson, and who had produced a few tracks for The Raisins. The band enjoyed some moderate success, and even gained a bit of attention on MTV, but failed to translate the attention into sales. The band broke up and Belew got busy with a solo career, the remaining three members formed the Psychodots and recorded two albums and toured the east coast and the mid west. Like the Bears the band didn't really achieve any success, and the members became Belew's backing band and opening act while on tour. They play a style of rock very similar to the garage rock style of bands like The Kinks, just a bit more polished. I first heard of the Psychodots from my Dad, who was a fan of Adrian Belew and King Crimson, and other Cincinnati artists like The Bears. I had heard the name over the years, but I didn't bother to check them out until I took the album On The Grid from my Father. I took it, but didn't really give it a thorough listen until this blog. It's a very enjoyable album, full of some very good garage rock. I may come back to the album from time to time, but not with consistency.

Psychodots "Not A Pretty Face"



The last full album contributor is Public Enemy. Public Enemy are a Long Island based hip hop group who rose to popularity at the end of the 80's. The group consisted of Chuck D as the primary MC, with Flavor Flav as his hype man, Professor Griff as "The Minister Of Information" and leader of the S1W (Security Of The First World), and DJ Terminator X. The group started while Chuck D was working at a local radio station and moving furniture for his father with Flavor Flav. Chuck D produced a politically charged track for the radio station and it got the notice of Dr. Dre and Rick Rubin. Chuck D was signed to Def Jam and quickly added Flavor Flav, Professor Griff, The S1W, and Terminator X to form Public Enemy. The group released its first album in 1987 to critical acclaim. The album featured hard hitting beats with politically charged songs. The group released their second album It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back in 1988, to even greater commercial success driven by the hit single "Don't Believe The Hype." The band continued their success and the politically charged musical themes with their 1990 album Fear Of A Black Planet, and their album Apocalypse 91...The Enemy Strikes Back in 1991. The band fell off in mainstream popularity just a few years later, but have continued to produce politically charged hip hop. Musically Public Enemy features heavy use of samples of jazz, R&B, and funk, as the basis for their back beats which also frequently featured Terminator X scratching overtop the samples. Lyrically their music was very politically and socially conscious. Chuck D's lyrics centered around the struggles, concerns, and interests of the Black community. Examples include songs like "911 Is A Joke," which criticizes the time disparity in emergency response times to black communities compared to white communities. Songs like "I Don't Wanna Be Called Your Nigga" criticizes the casual use of a derogatory term referring to black people, by members of the black community, to refer to other members of the black community. I first heard Public Enemy around middle school, my Dad and my older brother were fans and my Dad would play It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back in the car on the way to school. I liked what I heard then, but I really began to appreciate how great this group was as I entered college and began further expanding my musical horizons. This group has the in your face, hard hitting, attitude of Run DMC but with a socially conscious message. I now own my own copy of It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back, as well as owning a best of compilation. I really like Public Enemy, they have some of the best beats in hip hop and Chuck D's aggressive flow and challenging lyrics make for some great music. I will continue to listen to Public Enemy for a long time.

Public Enemy "Fight The Power"



The second to last band to grace this playlist is the one and done artist Public Image Ltd. Public Image Ltd was founded by John Lydon (Johnny Rotten) after the breakup of The Sex Pistols in 1978. Public Image Ltd according to Lydon was formed to express his more creative and experimental side. The band gained attention right away with the release of the single "Public Image." The band became a continual presence on music charts and came to be revered as one of the best Post-Punk bands. The band took heavy influences from dub reggae and incorporated them into the bass lines and arrangements which also featured sharp effects laden guitar work that would become widely imitated over the years. Lydon's vocals are more chanting and incantation leaning towards the avante garde. I started hearing about Public Image Ltd a few years ago as I was getting into punk rock, I had heard of The Sex Pistols but not the bands that followed. I had a faint familiarity with the song featured here, "Rise," but was generally unfamiliar with Public Image Ltd before this blog. I like this song, it's an interesting mix of post punk and dub reggae and it works pretty well. I will come back to the song from time to time, but mostly on shuffle.

The final track and artist on this playlist is Punchline. Punchline are an American pop punk band based out of Pennsylvania. The band places a fast paced pop punk sound with lots of vocal harmonies over quick power chord laden guitars. The song featured here is "Icicles" which is a track that comes to the playlist via A Santa Cause: It's A Punk Rock Christmas. The track features themes of loss and pain, dealing with a woman who has been acting coldly towards the singer. The track features references to her leaving him at Christmas time, and him spending Christmas alone. It's an enjoyable enough pop punk song, but it's not much more than that. It's not particularly distinctive, it's just your pop punk standard. It's enjoyable but not something I can listen to consistently.

That's it for the P's, these took longer than they should have because I wasn't able to finish the post when I started it last Sunday. Since I wasn't able to finish and I have a hard time doing any writing before work the post was postponed until tonight. The Q's will be up very soon, so stay tuned and leave me a comment.