I think it hurts far more (especially in film) when the author is trying to predict near-future technology. That almost inevitably ends in embarrassment. But if they're being true to what's happening at the time it can serve as a time capsule for future readers. I enjoyed The Circle (didnt' see the film) and it's…

I think you've got that backwards.

Can I put you on the list?

I don't know enough about early Offspring to comment (I have a hard time imagining how they would ever be considered punk), but GD at least started out with the DIY punk aesthetic before crossing over with the help of slicker production values on Dookie.

Isn't it this way with most music? The most digestible stuff is going to get the airplay, then you follow the thread to their influences and more interesting peers. Hell, I expect quite a few younger people discovered Led Zeppelin beyond Stairway to Heaven thanks to Wolfmother.

It was very sudden. I mean the very end, when it actually died, was very sudden.

The Tower Records in my college town would play the new releases when they arrived on Tuesday (I think) and the employees were knowledgeable music aficionados. Yes they were pricey but I found a lot of stuff I'd never have come across.

One of those three cars could get you laid by a suitably trashy girl, though.

1. Convenient? Fine, I'll give you that one.
2. Free? Maybe to you, not to all the people involved in getting it produced. Dick move.
3. (Unspoken) Unless you're listening on earbuds, the sound is noticeably inferior. I remain amazed how quickly people gave up sonic richness for 1. convenience.

My 15 year-old recently downloaded that Disturbed Sound of Silence. I feel I've failed as a parent and am waiting for CPS to show up at my door.

I guess the Dropkick shtick has worn thin by now, but Sunshine Highway is still in my regular rotation. Plus I guess each generation of upcoming Boston Massholes can discover DM for themselves.

I'll bust out some comps that I still consider mandatory; Rhino Records' No Thanks! The 70s Punk Rebellion and Left of the Dial: Dispatches from the 80s Underground. Both are 4-disc sets and absolutely kill. These sound like Now That's What I Call Music! Volume 24.

If I never again see that guy's byline on this site it will be too soon.

I think people just didn't know what to make of it. It rocks pretty hard, but there's a nastiness to it that is unique among REM records. It's also the heaviest of their records by a mile. Regardless, I think it's aged very well. Kenneth, I Don't Sleep I Dream, Star 69, Strange Currencies, Bang and Blame and…

Now there's some names I haven't heard in a while. Turks' aggression couldn't quite obscure that they were pretty melodic underneath. The Reverend, meantime, is just a bad motherfucker. Bet he has the wallet and everything.

Based on name only. Their music was two entirely different things. Plus I think the Hives are still recording.

Maybe Hedgetrimmer is like Michael Richards in UHF, and his hedgetrimmer is his most prized possession in life.

I'd swap out horny for earnest or some such. Being horny is too aggressive towards women.

Workin the snake, no doubt.

Most guys I knew in school who delivered pizzas actually liked the job just fine. Drive around listening to music, get some cash tips to underreport, borderline zero responsibility.