Retro.

This just has to be fake.



It just has to be.

(Via You're Horrible.)

Lady O.

Say what you will about our president and his skills thus far...



Oh, hey. That's offensive.

Anyhow, say what you will but you have to agree...



We've got one hot First Lady. And she knows how to dress herself.

Texas.

Alright, kids. Let's start this off.



I was born and semi-raised in Texas, as you may know. ("Semi-raised" because we made pit stops in Oklahoma and Florida before moving back to Texas when I was 7.) Thankfully, my parents decided to stick around Texas after that. I've lived in central Texas, north Texas and southeast Texas (where I am now, for the time being). As a result--and as a reflection of the incredible diversity of Texas--I've got barbecue sauce and zydeco music coursing through my veins.

Anyhow, I do love my great state and I am proud to be a Texan. I'm not going to claim that Texas is the best place ever (or even the best state in the union). I've never been everywhere, so I can't make that judgment. But it is home and I do love it.

And Texas Monthly is one of my favorite magazines. Much more than a simple Texas travel magazine, TM manages to pack in incredible photographs, amazing articles and tons of other info every single month. It really is quite fantastic.

The March issue detailed what was hailed as "The Bucket List," or "63 things every Texan must do before they die."

Well, I'm setting out on a journey to do all 63. (I've already done a few in my life, but I'm going to try and do them again.) I love Texas with all my heart, but I haven't even come close to seeing everything there is to see. So, I'm going to detail that journey right here, on my blog.

I hope that even you non-Texan readers (I'm sorry, by the way) will enjoy my musings on Texas. I'll try to take it easy on the whole "TEXAS IS AWESOME" spiel and stick to the more universal themes.

So, my first stop on the bucket list? Reading Larry McMurtry's "Horseman, Pass By." McMurtry is a seminal Texas writer, most famous for his epic (and massive) "Lonesome Dove." He's credited with revitalizing and redefining the classic western novel. I'll let you know when I'm done.

Alright. Redirect. Go.

Okay. I've been a bad, bad blogger. I know this. But here's the thing, I got a job. So now that I have a full-time job, blogging is not my first priority.

However, I'm trying to recommit and redirect. My posts may not be as pop-culture heavy as they used to be, especially since I'm not quite the culture vulture as I used to be. I am, however, cooking a lot more. So maybe that will find its way into my posts.

I can't make any promises, but check back soon. I'll try and get this thing off the ground again.

Though I do like some of what I see on Pitchfork Media, I'm oftentimes frustrated over their extreme aversion to popular music. They're really too indie for their own good.

However, with their recent review of Lady GaGa's latest album, I have to give them props for giving the album the grade it deserves (a 7.8, a perfect grade for the album which is quite good but not AMAZING), but also for this quote:

"Remember that "Simpsons" Treehouse of Horror where the Krusty the Clown doll was trying to murder Homer? Turned out the problem was the doll had a switch on its back set to "evil" and with a flick of the wrist, it could be reset to "good." It feels like sometime late last summer, someone flicked a similar switch on Lady Gaga. For about a year, she was nothing but a lot of talk and a badge-- only without the badge. She filled her résumé and interviews with style icon namedrops-- Andy Warhol and his notions on celebrity, the denizens of New York's downtown arts scene, and avant couture designers like Thierry Mugler-- but her singles betrayed none of the artistry that she insisted was part of her package. "Poker Face" had about three big hooks, but next to her other singles-- which ran the gamut from forgettable fluff ("Just Dance") to "Muffin Top" ("LoveGame")-- it seemed like a fluke. Then, between the VMAs and "Paparazzi", she came into her own. And on "Bad Romance", the lead single from The Fame Monster, she became kind of awesome."

I've said it before, but it's true. I didn't really like her first album. The singles were pretty alright, but as a whole it was lackluster (yet another reason why it should NOT be nominated for a Grammy for Album of the Year). But with The Fame Monster and its original single "Bad Romance," Lady GaGa became less of a derivative poseur and more of an icon-in-the-making.

So, good on you PFork.

Breaking the silence.

I'm breaking my blogging silence (sorry 'bout that, by the way) to post this...



This is a "new" song by M.I.A. that may be called "There's Space for Ol Dat I See," perhaps from her upcoming album...supposedly due this summer.

I'm being vague because there's not really much we know about it. She posted it on her Twitter with just the song "title." It may not be new, but it comes complete with a video! It seems very much in the vein of "20 Dollar" or some of her other slower songs.

I like it. Enjoy!

Palin.

All you need to know from her interview with Oprah on Monday.

Real.

Oh, Allison Iraheta. You'll always be my Idol.

You're not an arrogant dick or a mildly entertaining (but ultimately bland) singer-songwriter.

You're an unabashed, Kelly Clarkson-emulating, A-Ha video-aping pop singer. And I thank you for that.

Go 'head, girl. Keep on keeping on.

Crazy "Crazy in Love."

I've said it a thousand times, but "Crazy in Love" is one of my favorite songs ever. It seems fresh every single time I hear it. Every now and then, on a random listen, I'm blown away all over again by the horns, Beyonce's vocals and just the pure joy of the whole song.

Anyhow, thanks to Pretty Much Amazing, I found a cover of the song by VV Brown that actually captures the "crazy" in the song. Her cover is frenetic, all over the place and pretty much amazing. (Ha!)



Cool, huh?

Sorry for the long absence. I'm working on working out a end-of-the-decade type countdown for my favorite albums/songs of the noughties. So...stay tuned.

While you're waiting, take some time to listen to the two Beyonce/Lady GaGa collaborations going around right now.

This is "Video Phone," a track (and latest single) from Beyonce's album that she's sort of re-releasing with a Lady GaGa verse.



The song is one of my favorites from her last album. And the video is hot as hell.

And this is "Telephone," a track (and rumored next single) from Lady GaGa's latest...uh...album The Fame Monster.



Lady GaGa has been somewhat hit or miss for me. Her debut album was alright in my eyes, but I wasn't spazzing out over it. However, I've gotten a hold of her newest work (the eight-song album/reissue) and I have to say I'm pretty impressed. "Bad Romance" is an over-the-top, massively catchy, hot mess of a song. It's epic. And though my favorite part of this "Telephone" song is the Beyonce verse (it's almost like a rap cameo), it's definitely a great pop song. And the other six tracks are equally bizarre and rather terrific.

Glambert.

This here is the album artwork for Adam Lambert's upcoming album, For Your Entertainment.

And...this is just...I can't...



Huh?