Today. Vacuumed. Made an appointment to go see an apartment next week, excited about that. Even if I don’t like it, it’s actually going out and looking at places instead of just talking about it. This is progress. Did some work. Watched some baseball. Played some guitar. Put the old Telecaster up for sale, though only half-heartedly. I will have to do better than that. Went out to dinner with Azra, whom I hadn’t seen in a couple months. Watched The Recruit. Eh. I don’t like Colin Farrell. Have to go to bed early tonight so I can get up early tomorrow morning, bike down the Exhibition, THEN bike 50 km along the Gardiner and up and down the Don Valley Parkway, then back to the Exhibition. THEN haul my ass back home. Good times.

np – My Bloody Valentine / Loveless

np – Mojave 3 / Excuses For Travellers

This summer hours thing is the bomb-diggy. Noon on a beautiful Spring afternoon and I am set loose on the world. A leisurely jaunt through the Annex got me the new Lucinda Williams, Bedhead’s Beheaded and the debut from local outfit Space Elevator, as well as a fine sushi lunch and the copy of V For Vendetta I had on hold at the library.

The Bloor Cinema has a terrific lineup of films this month, I’m going to have to explicitly pencil them all into my calendar so that I don’t miss anything. Screening in June that I’d like to see are The Good Thief, All The Real Girls, City Of God, Laurel Canyon, Just An American Boy (a Steve Earle documentary screening as part of NXNE), Lost In La Mancha, The Pianist and A Mighty Wind. How convenient that as soon as television season ends, my nights are chock full of movies.

Comics fans – Fantagraphics needs your help. Visit their website to see what you can do.

Remarkable – Pitchfork likes Kathleen Edwards.

np – Bedhead / Beheaded

The Liz Phair backlash is in full swing. What began as some mumblings when her new record was constantly being reworked and pushed back, and turned into a steady low-range grumbling when it was revealed she was working with Avril Lavigne hit-machine The Matrix has finally become a full-bore torrent of vitriol, incited by her latest round of interviews promoting her new self-titled album, out on June 24. She’s basically disavowed the Chicago indie scene that made Exile In Guyville such a success and is making a full-out reach for the commercial success brass ring, in the mode of Sheryl Crow or, well, Avril Lavigne. Only problem, Liz dear, is that:

a) you’re old. Not that old, sure, but certainly not teen idol material. You’re still a damned attractive woman, but dressing like you’re a teenager ain’t fooling anyone.

b) You can’t sing. I mean, you can sing in your own particular style, but if you think that’s going to crossover to a market that’s conditioned to accept only digitally pitch-perfect, warbling songbirds, uh, no. Unless of course you had that Studio Magic knob on the mixing board turned up to full.

c) You’re a songwriter first and foremost. It’s the strength of your lyrics and wordplay that got everyone’s attention in the first place. You think folks on Top 40 radio will listen to your lyrics? Nuh-uh.

d) Alienating the very fanbase that put you in the position to take this running leap? Not smart. Who’s going to catch you when you fall?

This article sums things up pretty well. Good luck Liz, but my money is on this being one of the most ill-conceived career moves the world has ever seen, and the ensuing train wreck will be a cautionary tale for generations to come. I can only hope that the inevitable next ‘bitter against the world’ record will kickstart your creative process some. Getting screwed over worked wonders for Aimee Mann.

np – Low / Things We Lost In The Fire

Pretty boys rule the magazine world this month. Pete Yorn and his hair grace the cover of

Magnet, while Idlewild will be peering out from the cover of The Big Takeover for the next six months. I guess both magazines realized their habit of putting grizzled old indie rock veterans on their covers wasn’t pulling in that teenage girl demographic. Sorry, Bob Pollard, your moment in the sun may be waning.

As part of Vertigo’s 10th anniversary celebration, DC Comics has got interviews with loads of key Vertigo creators, including Neil Gaiman, Dave McKean and Grant Morrison. Even more exciting is the teaser for the Endless Nights project coming out in September, where Gaiman returns to the world of The Sandman accompanied by some top-notch artists. It should be splendid.

np – Steve Earle / Transcendental Blues