By Eric Lochridge

OK, so tell me what’s worse: A Steven-Tylerless Aerosmith or no Aerosmith at all?

It’s probably good that Hagar is all tied up with Chickenfoot, huh?

By Todd Williams

It’s always been a question of mine. How is it that some folks, even one’s with immense talent and who unabashedly refuse over-production (ahem, Paul Westerberg) manage only to put out an album every so many years and other folks, such as Ryan Adams, put out multiple albums in a single year.
You can claim quality, but it took Guns ‘N Roses about 15 years to bring “Chinese Democracy” into being, and although it isn’t the worst thing I’ve ever heard, it certainly isn’t a masterpiece.
And then, there’s the peculiar case of Jack White. White isn’t content just to put out multiple albums in one year, he has to now have multiple bands as well. Already the driving force behind the White Stripes and a key member of the much beloved Racounteurs, White has unveiled his hand in a third band, The Dead Weather.
All I can say is, wowza. I can’t wait to hear what they sound like.

By Crystal Hohenthaner
Journal Staff

Okay all my music aficionados (is that how you spell aficionado?), I need help. I need to get a Christmas present for my boyfriend. He is a big music lover – and I don’t mean the way Brittany Spears fans love music. He is actually a skilled and talented musician and he can even write music – which completely baffles me. In fact he has actually produced several indy CDs.

Cool, right?

Not so cool for me at the moment, because I really want to get him something ‘musical’ for Christmas, but his abilities and understanding are so far above mine that I am basically paralyzed with fear over the possibility of giving him something lame.

I already got him something small and funny … er, lame. That’s right I have exhausted all of my silly points and I still want to get him something more. Unfortunately, I’m basically out of money too.That means, I’m thinking musical and cheap – would it be totally lame to burn him a CD of love songs? And, if it isn’t too lame, what songs should I put on the CD?

Help me! Please!

It’s funny how ubiquitous free music is becoming.

I mean, there was the whole Wilco experiment with “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.” And then there was Radiohead’s “pay as much as you want” and releasing a full album on the Internet.

And, of course, there’s the modified course, such as Paul Westerbergs 49:00, which is a whole album of material that was briefly available at 99 cents on Amazon and some other sites.

But I ran into a new one recently. I get up between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. to begin my shift. Now the first three or four hours of my shift is right there in my bedroom at the computer station. That’s where I write my morning column.

And while I’m writing, the TiVo often will change the TV station (yes, I have the TV on generally, even at that hour of the morning) so that it can download its content. It does this two or three times a week.

Anyway, it basically runs modified advertising while its downloading schedules and the such on to your TiVo box. And it is often the same stuff, repeated over and over.

One of those extended commercials that played through what seemed an entire summer was a tourism ad for the state of Texas. And one of the songs that played on it was really catchy — generally, a little more country than most of my likes, but I still liked it. Kind of like if the Cowboy Junkies went ultra pop.

Anyway, I searched far and wide for the song. First iTunes — no luck. Then Google, then Limewire and Bearshare, all with no luck. Egads, it seemed unfindable.

Then I went to the state of Texas’ tourism Web site, and after mining through enough the page, I found a link to the mp3. Not only a video of the commercial , but also a downloadable mp3 free of charge.

Heck, I wanted to pay for it, but they must look at it as a form of advertisement. Not that I’m complaining, but it hurts my head sometimes when I think back to 10 years ago and how unfathomable that scenario would have been.

Is it where it needs to be? Probably not. But the electronic makeup of music has forced the industry to change, even if it’s at a snails pace.

By the way, the song was “I’m Free” by Barbara Breckinridge. And no, it isn’t the song made popular by The Who, but you probably already figured that out by my description of the song.

By Crystal Hohenthaner
Journal staff

Is there anything short of murder that I can do to make Colbie Callait go away forever! Not only does she have three songs currently on pop radio and VH1 — all of them are intensely overplayed and they SUCK!

Okay, I’ll dial back the frustration a bit. They don’t completely suck. They have reasonably good lyrics — which would usually be enough for me. But come on, was she trying to make this music boring? Every time I get into my car I hear that iambic drone of hers and I want to puke!

DA da DA da DA da DA da
DA da DA da DA da DA da

In fact I usually say, “spare me,” out loud and everything. But I can’t escape. When I change the station — there she is again!

DA da DA da DA da DA da
DA da DA da DA da DA da

Enough already. Man can someone teach that girl about driving bass-lines and percussion? Can I get a riff please?

I’m also pretty sick of Natasha Bettingfield and Jordan Sparks — mostly because both are overplayed on both the secular and Christian stations. Oh, and their songs are all WAY too long. I mean even if I didn’t hear them constantly I’m pretty much tired of the song before it’s even half over!

Oh, and that Three Doors Down song is so over I want to punch the lead singer!

So what songs are you all sick of hearing on the radio? Maybe the forces of the universe will be kind and the people who choose programming for the local radio stations will see our posts and take these songs out of heavy rotation.

Let’s hear it! Oh, or quit hearing it.