Pop shit.

• Where to begin.
  
  I want to like the new R.E.M. album. sigh. I've been saying that since, oh, 1998.
  There was a time (that would be 1992-1996) when I would count down the days till the release of a new R.E.M. album, buy the thing, and be madly in love with what I was hearing. With this new one, Around the Sun, I am finally being forced to accept that that R.E.M. is over. We're now three albums into the post-'98 meltdown (wherein drummer Bill Berry departed, manager Jefferson Holt was ousted, and longtime producer Scott Litt stopped collaborating with the band) and it's not getting any better. I'm not saying that R.E.M. hasn't made any worthwhile music since then, they have. But it's been minor and nowhere near the quality of their best work.
  Around the Sun isn't a particularly bad album, it's just an indifferent album. It's as if the band couldn't be bothered to come up with anything remotely melodic after they crafted the solid lead single/album-opener "Leaving New York." The first few songs after the opener, while not thrilling, are at least... kind of interesting. "Electron Blue" is a noble stab at electro-pop and Q-Tip's guest rap on "The Outsiders" is... er, nice. But after that: track after track after track of ho-hum Stipe lyrics over bland, freeze-dried arrangements. "It's easier to leave than to be left behind," Mr. Stipe sings on "Leaving New York." R.E.M. is clearly taking the hard route.
  
  
• R.E.M. take note: the U2 single is really pretty good. I kind of hate to admit it, as Bono has been grating on my last damn nerve since... well, since whenever he decided he was a policy-maker and started showing up on The O'Reilly Factor. But I gotta say: "Vertigo" is some pretty excellent arena-rawk from the boys, all Bono yelps and trade-mark Edge monster-chords. It's nice to have a great U2 song on the radio (even if I don't really listen to the radio).
  
  
• Michael Moore, from his iTunes celebrity playlist, on "Where Is the Love" by The Black Eyed Peas featuring Justin Timberlake: "It is one of the first truly great songs of this new century." Yeah, Michael stick to doing what you do best: making shitty, artless docs.
  
  
• Oh Gwennie: the first single sucks, the name of the album (one more time: Love Angel Music Baby) is really embarassing, and now this:
  
  In case you couldn't tell, it's an album cover.
  
  
• From the trusty MTV News files: "Jessica Simpson's upcoming Christmas album will be sold exclusively at 7-Eleven convenience stores starting this month." 1: Holla for artistc integrity. 2: There's no better way to celebrate the brith of Christ than with the music of Jessica Simpson, a tasty Jalapeno and Cream Cheese 7-Eleven Go-Go Taquito™, and an ice cold 40 oz. Starburst® Fruit and Crème Orange Flavored Slurpee® Drink.