I had written off the latest The Hold Steady album, Boys and Girls in America while in China. The other day I stumbled upon a bizarre video of them playing in a gym a song from the album to a bunch of high school students. I decided to give the new record a chance, so I bought it on iTunes. I really like it. It's not a revelation like Separation Sunday, but it's filled with top notch songs. Craig Finn does a lot more singing and lot less talking/yelling. It doesn't always work, but I'm not one to get hung up on “how things used to be.” The new piano player brings adds a great deal to the music.
Beki and I watched Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. It's a fine film. Those kinds of movies are often terrible, but the jokes in this are actually funny and sometimes even insightful.
