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I love the itunes on my computer. I've always wanted a jukebox for my CDs, but now I don't even need one. I've never been a big reader of liner notes, so downloading music is cool for me too. My two latest acquisitions are the newest discs from the Backstreet Boys and Nine Inch Nails. I feel fairly confident I'm the only one buying that combination.

The Backstreet Boys was more of the usual, middle of the road but well sung. They always talk about how they are all so different, one likes hard rock, one wants to do more Latin, another wants to get into Christian music. They should do what the Beatles did on the White Album; divide up the tracks and have at it. That would be a disc worth listening to. The lowest common denominator of their combined passions does not have much zest.

But it did come with a free QuickTime video. And a booklet which I've honestly haven't looked at yet (see above, liner notes).

The Nine Inch Nails, With Teeth, I'm really enjoying. In my opinion, it's the best NIN front-to-back listen since Pretty Hate Machine. I know, I know, Downward Spiral is supposed to be the masterpiece, but I found most of the songs went on too long. I realize as I say this that I am being the Emperor in the movie Amadeus ("There are too many notes. Just cut a few and it will be perfect!"). I wonder how many other suburban work-at-home moms listen to NIN. Probably not as many as listen to the Backstreet Boys.

I just got a new book on my all-time favorite band, a-ha. It starts out like this: "When a pop song makes you wonder if it's written by an idiot or a genius, it is almost certainly a hit. Take on Me is a song like that." This is probably the most positive thing the whole book has to say, but it was a very interesting read. Apparently they were hoping to have a career track like the Beatles - one big hit and the record company would give them total autonomy. So they wrote that one big hit... and never got out from under it. Their new disc comes out sometime this fall, but I don't know yet if Amazon.com will carry it as an import or if I'll have to pay steep eBay prices. They say it will be "dance music for the soul" which already has me intrigued.