Could someone put my brain back in my head?

...haven't I gotten into Counting Crows before.

Whywhywhy?

I'm really quite keen on the album version of "Lie in our Graves" from the Dave Matthews Band (on the Crash album). They, or more likely the genius who produced that one, mixed in some samples right as the music drops into a... well, I lack the musical vocabulary to describe what happens in the song, but it can't be duplicated live, and it makes me think every time of being in the midst of friends or other loved ones on a warm evening with drinks, laughter, and all the positive things that company like that should be associated with.

But I'm not going to burden this page with more lyrics. Suffice to sum up, the lyrics reflect Dave Matthews' preoccupation with the transience of life and his determination to enjoy what little time he has. It's hard not to agree with him.

This presents quite a contrast with my drive in to work this morning. My favorite talk radio shows (I've been getting wickedly political lately) don't air on the weekends, so I hit the "CD" button on my stereo and Stabbing Westwards' Darkest Days CD happened to come on. I turned into the screaming banshee driver from hell, singing at the top of my lungs (badly, as ever), the whole way there. It felt good.

And as long as I'm on the topic of music, I might as well plug one of the coolest things I've ever found on the internet: Pandora Radio

Seriously, for anyone that has any interest in listening to new music and/or being part of what is essentially a really interesting experiment in music and psychology (though they don't advertise it that way), check it out. My stations based on Ferry Corsten, Massive Attack and The Dave Matthews Band have all yielded a bounty of aurally delicious fruits.

I have $40 in gift cards to spend on my spankin' new iPod. It's my first portable mp3 player ever, and I'm still very excited about and by it, even though I've been using it steadily since early January.

Anyhow, I'm struggling to think of songs or albums I should buy because I own most of the music I like on CD already, and much of the rest is trance. I don't want to buy trance over iTunes because most trance CD mixes are one continuous mix that get broken into tracks based on the transitions, meaning that if I play a playlist on shuffle or just hit Shuffle Songs, those songs will play without their proper intro and outros, and the transitions are a big part of why I love that kind of music.

So unless someone knows a groovy way around that little issue, I'd rather stick with songs and albums that shuffle well.

That said, I need suggestions, people! I've already bought Linkin Park and the few Massive Attack songs that I didn't have that I actually like (I already had most of the awesome ones I love). I find, with Massive Attack, I either love the track or absolutely can't listen to it.

So... suggest stuff! I'm willing to try new things, too. You can be as diverse and lengthy as you want, but you're probably most likely to suggest something I'll actually buy if you keep your list on the short side.

Oh, and I should probably add: don't bother suggesting rap, hip hop, reggae, Dixie Chicks, or the like.

I have Wham's "Careless Whispers" stuck in my head right now, and it won't come out.

I. Am not. Happy!

At least it's not Gwen's f$%#'ing banana song.