COMIC? NO. HILARIOUS: So, Comic Sans MS was cool for about two minutes in 1997. Okay Maybe a bit of 1998, too. Apparently, the rest of the world didn’t get the memo. Here’ an AWESOME Wall Street Journal pieceabout the backlash against the typeface.

FAN MAIL?: My good friend Stephanie Nelson submitted this screenshot today from her Scrabble game:

Unfortunately, she lost. Still, it was still a really nice thought.

IT’S GOING TO TAKE AN ‘INFINITE’LY LONG TIME: My ladyfriend jokes with me how I’m telling everyone in earshot about my attempt to read Infinite Jest, the epic tome written by the late David Foster Wallace. I’m 22 pages in and have no idea what’s going on. Still, I’m going to work at it. I’ll update with my progress.

SPITZ TAKE: I spent a good part of my morning reading The Confessions of Eliot Spitzer, a lengthy interview with the ex-NY Governor. Interesting read. What’s more shocking is that I hardly think we’ve seen the last of the dude. He comes off as rather intelligent, despite his um, personal follies.

‘C’MON, REALLY GUYS?’ : I’m just as impressed with Susan Boyle’s showing on Britain’s Got Talent as everyone else is. She’s a great singer. But the media is making WAY too big of a deal about her being frumpy. Hopefully her talent, and talent alone can carry her through the competition. She hardly needs it, though, as she’s already become a star because of the YouTube clip.

TWITTIGUE: After going strong on Twitter for a couple of weeks, I’ve slowed down massively. Kind of realized I was getting lost in there for a bit. Also, following celebrities is not nearly as cool as I thought it was. Okay, except @robcorddry. Pretty much always hilarious.

UP, UP, UP, AND AWAY! Am I wrong to think that reading this AP piece about M.I.A., that when her next record drops, it’s going to be an absolute smash? Seems like the buzz surrounding her just grows and grows every time she does something.

WOMP WOMP: Al wins. Norm loses. Result? Best headline evarr:

Okay, it actually reminds me of this. (Fast forward to 3:27):

GORE VERBINSKI, EAT YOUR HEART OUT: Here is a graph detailing the number of pirates killed by each President. Staggering.

THE SWISH: New York Yankee and former member of the Chicago White Sox, Nick Swisher pitched in the Rays 15-5 blowout of the Yankees last night. Swisher hasn’t pitched since he was a freshman in high school. Amazingly, no one scored. Funny piece. Swisher used to do segments on Comcast Sports Net in Chicago when he was here, and he always seemed like a nice dude.

WOOF WOOF: O hai, Bo Obama!

CHICKEN CUTLER: I’m just as amped as every other Bears fan for the arrival of Jay Cutler, the first real QB we’ve had since, well, this guy.

Dinosaur Jr.’s choice to play DeKalb, Illinois, a town 65 miles west of Chicago was a weird one. Then again, Dinosaur Jr. is a weird band.

In 2005, the capricious ‘classic’ lineup of the band that fell apart shortly after the release of 1988′s Bug reunited to much fanfare. The legendary feud between singer/guitarist J Mascis and bassist Lou Barlow was finally put to bed after over a decade. Along with drummer Emmett “Murph” Murphy III, the ensuing tour was a triumph, and was followed by a successful comeback album, Beyond in 2007.

Two years later, the band is gearing up for the release of Farm, due in June, with a run of dates across the US.

The band took the stage in pieces for Saturday’s’ set. Murph and Barlow were first – Barlow, a legend in his own right for his work with Sebadoh and Folk Implosion, was especially well received. Minutes later (or so it seemed), a sedate Mascis wandered on stage and picked up his guitar, standing in front of his giant wall of amplifiers. The band then launched into bouncy “In A Jar” off of 1987’s You’re Living All Over Me. The thirteen-song set was heavy on cuts from the band’s most recent disc, as well as their 1985 debut, Dinosaur. Highlights came in the form of “I Don’t Wanna Go There”; a track off of their forthcoming disc (and being handed out as 7-inch or digital download with every concert ticket purchase) as well as the gorgeous Barlow sung “Back To Your Heart”.

The band is not only a formidable live act, but also a fascinating character study. It’s as if none of them would have anything to do with each other if they weren’t in a band. Then again, they probably don’t. It should be noted that Dinosaur Jr. are an incredibly loud band – to the point where earplugs were not only recommended, but also sold at the merch table.

On stage, Mascis a bit of an artifact – silver haired, stoic and reserved. His guitar playing was sinewy – alternately invigorating and demanding of the concertgoer’s attention. On occasion, he rocks from side to side. Barlow, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. He was energetic, hardly able to stay in one place and conversational with the crowd, to the point where it’s fair to suspect that he may have been indulging a little too much. Murph, seated between the two, was the perfect conduit, providing the steady beat and acting as the glue keeping the two personalities working together.

It seems to work well for Dinosaur Jr. As the band’s original lineup celebrates the twenty-fifth year since it’s inception, they seemed to do something in DeKalb that not many bands that have reunited after a long wait can claim. They picked up exactly where they left off and showed no signs of losing a thing in the process.

See more photos from the show on our Flickr page.

You may recognize Neko Case’s voice from the Canadian indie-pop band The New Pornographers, but this isn’t run-of-the-mill indie-pop. Middle Cyclone is filled with intellectual, complex and engaging alternative pop music. Each listen allows you to peel back another layer.

With a tinge of alt-country and a heaping spoonful of Memphis soul (think Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins’ Rabbit Fur Coat or Cat Power’s The Greatest), this is a crowd-pleaser from beginning to end. Her voice is strong, flexible and mature. Case could never be a pop star, but she has the pipes of a true professional.

Middle Cyclone is jangly enough to be pleasant without being too sweet. The highlight of the album is the multi-layered instrumentation. Case incorporates everything from acoustic instruments (guitar, banjo, cello) to synths and a toy music box. The variety allows her to create a truly diverse yet coherent collection of songs. The range of different sounds allow for each song to have its own vibe. Ubiquitous vocal harmonies on the album make it warm and inviting. Thoughtful lyrics take this album from just good musically to great overall.

The album takes the listener on an auditory ride. It takes some unexpected turns. The mood sometimes changes quickly, from lighthearted (“I’m an Animal”) to weighty (“Prison Girls”) and satirical (“People Got A Lotta Nerve”) to melancholy (“Polar Nettles”). Each track could find itself nestled into very different mix CDs.

Most of the songs are short and always leave the listener in want of more. The best tracks are the opener, “This Tornado Loves You,” a driving non-traditional love song; “Magpie to the Morning,” a cautionary, sultry summer song and “I’m an Animal” with its prominent percussion and simplicity. The album closes with a thirty-minute field recording of crickets, peepers and other natural sounds. Such sounds are often associated with the coming of spring and summer. Although it seems frivolous to use so much time on the track, perhaps Neko Case is conveying the message that this long winter has come to an end. Fittingly, Middle Cyclone is the perfect soundtrack for the end of our winter hibernation.

Neko Case – People Got A Lot of Nerve (MP3, via Stereogum)

For ten days, my girlfriend Kim, my friend Emily and myself went on a ten-day stretch of going to see The Hold Steady in seven cities. Instead of doing the usual writeup of each show, we decided to capture the experience in a series of video blogs posted to the band’s message board. We have yet to do the Epilogue/wrap up, but felt it was necessary to post this now while it is still feels fresh in our minds. There’s so many stories that these videos don’t contain, and it’s stuff I’ll never forget, either.