I love a smoke and a pancake.

I believe that's where he wrote "Rolls Like White Elephants."

Agreed, and the "Thank you for your service" line at the end of the birthday cake sketch just killed me.

I really liked FSF a lot, too. It's such a strong combo of good hooks and production craft. "Closing Time" got overplayed for sure, but "Singing in My Sleep" and "This Will Be My Year" were a couple other great pop songs that should have been monster hits.

Exactly. I think it's their most dynamic album, but they didn't dilute an ounce of the anger. For something like "Far Away" to still give me chills and get my political dander up a dozen years later is a hell of a feat. And then you can sweeten it up with "Oh!" and those amazing drum fills. It's one of my all-time…

One Beat is my favorite. I feel like it's their London Calling, where they took that white-hot ball of fury that made them so amazing and spread it across a broader sound. Plus I think Janet Weiss's playing and the way they recorded her drums went to a whole new level, which gave the album so much heft. I love all…

Agreed, you can practically feel the water rushing toward you at the end of that song.

That compilation turned me on to quite a few bands I would have missed otherwise. I became a big fan of The Jam because "In the City" was on there.

Was that one of the old DIY compilations that Rhino put out? That's where I head this song for the first time.

Grade-A morons

Workers of the world unite!

Comfortable is a good way to put it. The other thing that makes it a bit odd is that each season starts out pretty slow, but then they pick up quite a bit toward the end. The chemistry among LeBlanc/Mangan/Grieg and Grieg/Perkins is enough to smooth over some of the duller parts.

I had a weekend a couple years ago where I spent two days sealing the cinderblock walls and cement floor of the basement in my old house, in part because I was trying to eradicate the smell of an old, sick cat who had developed problems keeping his urine in the cat box. I put on Los Campesinos! because I wanted…

"German Kid" has given me the motivation to finish my concept rap album celebrating Polish Americans, Pula$ki Day-m, featuring the single "Pokey dem Ho-keys"

"German Kid" has given me the motivation to finish my concept rap album celebrating Polish Americans, Pula$ki Day-m, featuring the single "Pokey dem Ho-keys"

He also sends out the funniest blast e-mails ever. Worth opting in just to read lines like this: "You don't have to join ANYTHING to buy these tickets and if you opt in, youll only hear from me once in an old man's jizz-cycle."

He also sends out the funniest blast e-mails ever. Worth opting in just to read lines like this: "You don't have to join ANYTHING to buy these tickets and if you opt in, youll only hear from me once in an old man's jizz-cycle."

Spotify=beating off

Spotify=beating off

I was jealous of the vinyl edition but grateful that the CD booklet was so well done. The photos are great and really add to it feeling like a classic 80s indie album.