10 Random Things that are Awesome

1. Sarah Vowell books
2. Elecric Light Orchestra albums
3. Two days off in a row from Borders
4. Stop and Shop roast beef sandwiches with Tropicana Pink Lemonade
5. Donald Fagen solo albums
6. Stanley Kubrick films
7. David Lynch films
8. American Idol
9. The Carol Welsman special on BET Jazz
10. Thumbprint Cookies with Pink Icing

Indigo Girls Rarities

I was able to get a promotional copy of the Indigo Girls rarities CD that came out last year. It's really, really good. I always have to laugh whenever they tell you in the liner notes that they are embarrassed about some really old song that they've decided to include. Those songs invariably become my favorite ones. Stop selling yourselves short, Amy and Emily. Your early stuff is really good. But, long story short, for any die-hard Indigo Girls fans who might read this blog -- do yourself a favor and pick this baby up. You get a cool Clash-cover "Clampdown" and a live performance of a song called "Let Me Go Easy" which seems to be about euthenasia. Leave it to Amy and Emily to write this real happy, sing-songy song about something so controversial. But, I really like it. You get this really charming song Emily wrote in college called "Never Stop." That's the one she's embarrassed about, but it's AWESOME. It's really sweet, earnest and melodic. It seems like maybe she hadn't embraced herself as a lesbian yet, because some of the lyrics seem like she's talking about a guy, but that makes it even more charming. You just get this image of a college girl who doesn't even realize she's a lesbian yet, so she's writing this song about a guy. The best song on the rarities disc is their cover of "Uncle John's Band" by the Grateful Dead. And, you get a cool song they did with Michael Stipe called "Skin." The song Amy is embarrassed about is "Cold as Ice," but again, she needn't be, because it's awesome. And, one last great track worth mentioning is a live a cappella version of a song called "Finlandia," which has the same tune as the hymn "Be Still My Soul." The harmonies are breathtaking and beautiful.