• Pop Talk Archive • Recent stories by David Segal • Entertainment Guide: Music • Talk: Entertainment message boards • Live Online Transcripts • Subscribe to washingtonpost.com e-mail newsletters • mywashingtonpost. com -- customized news, traffic, weather and more

Pop Talk
With David Segal
Washington Post Music Critic
Wednesday, May 22, 2002; Noon EDT

For a few years, he played guitar and sang in a deeply terrible cover band, the Bremers. The highlight of the group's show was a stalker version of "Leavin' on a Jet Plane," which was retitled "You're NOT Leavin' on a Jet Plane." He's been at The Post for going on eight years, first as a Book World editor, then a Business section reporter and finally as pop music critic. He enjoys the work and would like to point out that he is writing his bio, even though it's written in the third person, like someone else wrote it. Segal is doing that so he appears more important than he is, which is hilarious when you think about it!

Submit your questions and comments before or during today's discussion.

Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

David Segal: Greetings.

On my mind: Boots Riley, the commie rapper of the Coup, whom I wrote about today. Or whatever else you’d like to chat about.

Some trivia. I’m doing another My Top Ten, the recurring feature where I ask a great artist for a list of his or her top ten songs of all time. I did one this week, or the interview part of it anyway. The songs included the following:

Can I Get a Witness by Marvin Gaye
Footstompin by the Flares
Sure Know Enough About Love by the Hollywood Argyles
Les Trois Cloches by Edith Piaf
I’m Just Waiting for My Ma by the Velvet Underground
True Fine Mama by Little Richard
My Death by Jacques Brel
Autobahn by Kraftwerk
Hello Stranger by Barbara Lewis

And so on...

The trivia question: Who is the artist?

First to get the answer right AND supply an e mail address gets one my unbelievable mix CDs, one of the greatest collections of music ever assembled in one hunk o plastic.

Let’s play the feud.

Alexandria, Va.: The Gin Blossoms first album in the early '90s was a brilliant, but then they fired their alcoholic songwriter member and became sappy.

Do you think that New Miserable Experience is a true, albeit uncool, classic?

David Segal: I was never a Gin Blossoms fan. I thought they were too sweet for their own good. A side note: a couple years ago, I went to Alabama for a piece about Hank Williams III and I saw the guy open for Rev. Horton Heat in a honky tonk down there. Well, guess who opened for Hank III. The Gin Blossoms dude. The lead singer, whose name escapes me, if I ever in fact had it in confinement. He'd taken quite a little fall.

Fairfax, Va.: Dave -- You ever going to add your picture?

Rock On.

Laurie

David Segal: No. If you want to an image of me, though, think 58 year old Mexican with gray hair and sombrero. That's sort of what I look like.

Alexandria, Va.: Among my junior high school friends in the '60s the Jefferson Airplane were sophisticated but the Monkees were lame.

Looking back across a span of 35 years, which band do you think was truly execrable and which made good music?

David Segal: I sort of like them both, I'd say. I'm with you on the Monkees, who actually created some memorable music, despite their rap as the Pre Fab Four. As for Airplane, I'm a huge fan of Jorma K. (I won't try to spell the dude's last name) and I'll listen to their stuff just to hear his work.

Alexandria, Va.: I still see videos of Pink on TV a lot. Isn't she really a karaoke singer? What is her talent?

I see girls on the subway cuter than her, and anyone can carry a simple tune as well as she does.

David Segal: You raise a good point, though I think Pink has an alright voice, given her competitors. The talent in this genre is only secondarily about voice. Primarily it's about image. Being good at interviews, radiating a style, filling a niche that isn't already taken by someone blond and flat tummied. It's harder than you think and you realize that whenever you see someone trying to be Britney, or Pink for that matter. Pink is sort of Britney but with just smidge of anarchy added in. Yes, yes, the anarchy is as fake as Cher's chin, but that doesn't matter.

Bethesda: Smooth jazz rox! The Coup are lame. Send them back to North Korea, where they belong along with all the other Commie swine.

David Segal: How about if instead we send the Coup to Bethesda!

Fairfax: Isn't the original Gin Blossoms lead singer dead?

David Segal: My producer Joe says that the original Gin B. singer killed himself. But I'm talking about the guy who rode with the band to it's glory, the one who sang to a toaster on their video. I think he's very much alive.

Anyone know?

Alexandria, Va.: I have never seen the Ozzy Osborne show. What is the appeal? How much fun can it be to watch some rich guy raise his kids?

David Segal: I dig the Osbournes, as I love all reality TV no matter how crappy.

New York, NY: Did you get to the Belle and Sebastian show last week? How was the show in DC? I went to the show up here in NYC a week and a half earlier and was completely impressed by the performance and saddened by the fact that they rarely make the trip to the States. The ability of each member to change instruments depending on the song. The interactions with the audience were great, from bringing a fan up on stage to sing and dance to singing happy birthday to the few fans who were loud enough to yell their names up onto the stage, they made a real connection with the audience. They even aired out some backstage turmoil over an obvious set list disagreement with a song of apology. Honestly, it is one of the top three concerts I have ever seen right there with a performance by Live circa 1994 and a David Bowie concert.

David Segal: I missed that show, sad to say. And now I wish I had been there even more.

Cap Hill 20003: I am still shocked that musicians like Eminem and Ja-Rule and Cypress Hill and Rage Against the Machine can rap and sing about ideas and ideals that are completely counter to what mainstream society holds near and dear, but its an act like The Coup that takes the brunt of the criticism. Misogyny, drug use, the anti-gay agenda, anti American sentiment...you can find them all over the place in music, today, yesterday and tomorrow.

So why The Coup? You have to think that a majority of the bad feelings Boots et al have garnered is not due to their music, because obviously not many people have heard it (and yes, I have). Its due to that bad bad bad timing with the original cover art. Its due to the fear after September 11th that anyone not flying the flag off their house, their car, their lapel, their lips, was anti-America and anti-American values.

Following in the footsteps of Public Enemy and George Orwell before them, the Coup focuses on the music, the art, not the politics. The feeling is that if you do one right, the other will follow. The album’s messages aren’t just about killing CEOs. They preach about rebelling against unjust authority, about being prepared for the worst, and about looking around and choosing a stance.

Party Music is smart, funny, endearing, interesting, thought provoking music. Isn’t that what art is about? Isn’t that what it should be about? Provoking discussion...Making you think about what you believe in...Causing you to reevaluate and either hold fast or grow your self and your ideals?

To quote one of my favorite songwriters, Joe Henry, “There is no revolution without boots and song.” Or is that “Boots -Riley] and song”?

Thanks for a great article, and a great recommendation, David!

David Segal: You're most welcome. I agree with you about the Coup of course. If any of y'all know the band only as a notorious bunch of red-wing loonies, you're missing something special.

DC: Smooth Jazz sux, though you're right about the Coup.

David Segal: Amen.

DEE CEE: Dave Matthews. Though since I won last week, I'll take tickets for good seats to Fugazi's annual free show at Ft. Reno July 1.

David Segal: I'm afraid I can't offer you even the free show seats. Dave Matthews is the wrong answer, DEE CEE.

Useless Info. Dept.: Wasn't it the Gin Blossom's lead guitarist - who also wrote all the songs on NME - that killed himself?

David Segal: That's what I thought.

Anyone want to fess up to know about the fate of this band?

washingtonpost.com: 'Boots Riley Hopes the Coup's Album Will Rattle the Capitalists, and Make Some Change' By David Segal Wednesday, May 22, 2002

Washington, D.C.: Hi David,

Any recommendations for how one finds out good new music? I've lived in a few places now, and the D.C. radio stations seem to the worst I've heard for playing new music.

Also, I'm getting into older punk music. I know Jonathan Richman, Ramones, Clash, DKs (which I love). Any suggests what I should try next? You like Iggy and the Stooges? Television?

Thanks.

David Segal: You know, finding good music now is tough. I'd try Internet radio. Check KCRW, which has a great show called Morning Becomes Eclectic and a whole lot of other great music. A google search will find the station asap.

As for what to consume next, by all means get yourself some Iggy. (Raw Power is not a bad place to start.) From that era, I'm a fan of the Jam as well as Big Star, who is beloved by our freelancer, Eli Attie. Early Nick Lowe is amazing. I could go on. And on.

Greenville, S.C.: I have to wonder if you would have treated a Nazi band leader to the same soft focus profile as you did Boots Riley ahd he produced a good sounding record that you could dance to. Would there have been a vignette of domesticity? Would you have treated those who oppose this murderous ideology as the violent ones who "garrot" and "drubb?" Would you have, as you did with Mr. Riley, ignore a call for violent revolution made in the aftermath of Sept. 11? Would you have failed to note the tens of milions of dead that resulted from the past attempts to impose that inhuman creed? Calling for the murder of people because they are in a different class or race is so disgusting that it should subsume any "artistic" merit. Since this is the clear call of Bolshevism as of Naziism, I would like you to explain how you could not see this.

David Segal: Let's be clear on one thing: there isn't any racism in the Coup. I'm not sure why you assumed there was, but there aren't any anti-white sentiments to be found on the album.

Also, I see a big difference between an ideology, like Nazism, which was explicity genocidal, and communism, which is not. Yup, Stalin killed a lot of people, but so did King Leopold, the ruler of Belgium and the dude who murdered millions of people in the Congo when his country was extracting a fortune in rubber. Do we conclude from that fact that capitalism is a murderous ideology. Probably not, though certainly capitalism has led to plenty of death. Instead, I'd say that Leopold was an sociopath who would gotten along famously with Stalin.

What I'm saying is that Boots' ideas are pretty outrageous, but not so outrageous that he's disqualified from a hearing, especially because he's SO DAMN GOOD.

Salt Lake City : We don't allow the Coup's "kind" in Utah. No Coup, Never, Never! Why are these people allowed to fly on airplanes?

David Segal: I don't know, but if you see Boots get on your plane, you best haul your ass off the jet.

KalOHrama: How bout the "great artist" top ten's as mix cd prizes?

David Segal: Look, no artist, not a one of them, has ever come up with a better list of songs than the one I have on this CD.

Columbia, MD: About your trivia question: The Pet Shop Boys were in town recently so I'll go with Neil Tennant.

David Segal: Not the Pet Shop Boys.

Dupont Circle: Rumor has it that the Coup is going to do a smooth jazz album with the Gin Blossoms.

David Segal: I'll buy that.

Gaithersburg, MD: Please fill in the blank:

Radiohead, Built to Spill, Modest Mouse, Elliott Smith, _________________

David Segal: doot da doot da doooooooo!!

L.A.: I challenge the Coup to a face-off against Quiet Riot! They could never stand up to our sonic assault. We are as hip as we were in 1982. No one messes with Quiet Riot!

David Segal: Come on feel the noise/
Girls rock your boys.

That's some quality lyrics, right there!

CD question: Mr. Segal,

Is there some way we can get your Super Fly Mix CD w/o answering trivia questions? I cannot follow the chat b/c of work (god, forbid!), and so never get a chance. I'd be happy to PAY you, it sounds so great. Thanks.

David Segal: I'm afraid that for the time being the only way to get this Immense CD of mine is to win the game. Maybe once I get some more blanks I'll start giving these things away to anyone who asks. Give me some time.

This thing is too good not to share.

It's changing people's lives. It's bringing families together. It's paying off the national debt.

Trivia...: Was this an interview that has already gone to print or is it still in the wrangling with the editor phase?

David Segal: Interview has not gone to print.

Frederick: Arrest the Coup now! We have had enough of their pinko garbage! I can feel them rape my brain right now. That is not a good feeling. Oh, the pressure.

David Segal: Dude, you might want to cut down on the caffeine.

Washington DC: Serious question about your Coup interview and feelings about the group in general. I have heard the album -- I just think its okay. I'm a hip hop head and, while I respect their talent (especially the lyricist), its just not my thing. It seems like hip hop for those who don't really like traditional hip hop. Which is fine, but don't tell me it was the best hip hop album of the year. My bigger problem is that they get away (at least from most music critics) with saying some very profane, provacative stuff while Eminem gets pilloried for his stuff. As a black man, this concerns me because it seems that people hold white folks to a higher standard than blacks, essentially the difference in expectations of an adult and a child. Honestly, that really offends me.

David Segal: You know, you raise a very good point. I agree with you: white rappers are held to a higher standard. There is indeed a reverse discrimination going on here. Black rappers say incredibly nasty things and nobody ever thinks to call them on it. I really should have written a piece about that when Em's last album came out. There's nothing on that thing that hasn't been said, with even more profanity before.

That said, it's not true that the Coup got a free pass. As you can see from my piece today, Boots got fricaseed for his words. albeit by people who never heard them.

Still, you raise a truly provocative point. It is indeed patronizing to NOT call black rappers for their misogyny and obscenities.

quiz whiz: it's moby!

David Segal: Nope.

Dave - c'mon: Also, I see a big difference between an ideology, like Nazism, which was explicity genocidal, and communism, which is not.

Communism not explicitly genocidal? There's a lot of scholarship that says it was. To alter a society as communism dictates requires the eliminating of millions of groups of people who would resist those plans.

But back to music: hey, old question: when you reviewed the N'Sync concert a few months ago, I could have sworn that you said that P.Diddy opened for them. Was this true? He's reduced to this?

David Segal: Was Marx for genocide? It's been a while since I cracked Das Kap, but I don't recall him calling for Hitler-style massacre. But I might be wrong.

Ok, so on the table, we've got a question about the Gin Blossoms and a question about communism. Let's hear from you, people.

Yes, I reviewed the N Sync show and yes Diddy opened for them! Weird, huh? I don't get it. Diddy actually opened for Britney a few months ago, too. Odd little niche, esp for a guy who pretends to be so suave.

Dover, DE: I played the Coup for my chickens and they loved the funky beats, but didn't care for the politics. Most of them abandoned Marxism for anarcho-syndicalism years ago.

David Segal: Wow. That's really very peculiar. I wouldn't eat those chickens, big man.

Dirty South, Atlanta GA: Diamond Dave,
Maybe it is just me getting old and aging with my genre, but I am way more excited about new albums from "oldies" like the Breeders and Paul Westerburg than I am by today's new artists. What's wrong with me and the rest of the indie nation? What new indie rock can you turn us onto?

David Segal: Oh, there's plenty of good indie rock out there. The Strokes and White Stripes, whom I've been pushing for months, are both great. As for Westerburg, that's a might fine album. You'll enjoy it a lot.

Washington: Is it Busta Rhymes?

David Segal: You're joking, I'm sure. You think Busta listens to Jacques Brel?

Hee heee....

Trivia answer: It's John Tesh. Gotta be. I know he's a HUGE Kraftwerk fan...

Jono

David Segal: Not Tesh.

DC 20009: Gin Blossoms (i'm originally from phoenix). Robin Wilson has always been their lead singer (and also plays guitar) and is alive to the best of my knowledge (he formed a new band called Gas Giants though i dont know their current status). Doug Hopkins (guitarist) wrote some of their biggest hits (like Hey Jealousy) and was booted from the band (likely because of an alcoholism problem) and later commmitted suicide.

David Segal: Ah ha. Thank you. Yes, it was Robin Wilson I saw open for Hank III. Dude sang to a toaster. He'll never live that down.

Virginia: David S. - seriously, don't you think the coup's boots and co. are just affected poseurs, mining that tired antiestablishment neo-commie, anticapitalist rap? I like the album fine, but it seems kind of contrived.

David Segal: Well, Boots is pretty serious about this commie stuff. He's sincere about it. But who cares? The politics of the album aren't all that interesting to me, or at least they pale next to the music and the brilliance of the word play.

Greenville, S.C.: I never said that the Coup was racist. I just don't understand the moral difference between killing a person because he is a kulak with an extra cow and killing a person because of his race or religion. The core of the free market is not violence. Lenin and his heirs, including Mr. Riley put violence at the heart of their solution for the problems they see. Why does the fact that he has talent erase the horrendous implications of what he wants?

David Segal: I guess it's hard for me to get worked up and worried about Boots actually killing anyone. Or that anyone listening to him will kill someone. It simply isn't going to happen. The dude's tour was sponsored by Pepsi! Whatever he says, whatever his ambitions, he's essentially harmless. Interesting, talented, smart and very funky. But harmless.

Philadelphia: Jail to the Coup! The Coup to jail! America has had enough!

David Segal: You, too, might want to cut back on the caffeine.

Washington DC 20003: Physical death tolls from implementing communism

USSR - 20 million
China - 65 million
Vietnam - 1 million
North Korea - 2 million
Cambodia - 2 million
Eastern Europe - 1 million
Latin America - 150 000
Africa - 1,7 million
Afghanistan - 1,5 million

Check out "The Black Book of Communism" for the story of communism and its inherent link to genocide. Very interesting...

David Segal: We've strayed a little ways from music, but it's my fault.

To be clear, I wouldn't recommend communism for anyone, anywhere, ever.

Never thought I'd have to add a caveat like that, but that's what I get for writing about Boots!

Trivia City, MD: Well, if it were 1977, I'd say David Bowie. It's not, and I'm still gonna guess David Bowie.

BTW, what's your personal take on Brandon Cruz fronting the Jello-free Dead Kennedys? Inspired bit of casting or sacrilege? I'm standing in the heart of the latter camp, myself.

David Segal: Bowie is correct.

We have a winner.

We've got your e mail. We'll be in touch.

Pretty cool list, huh? And his take on it was fascinating. Look for it at a news stand near you, soon.

Dave - c'mon (contd.): Marx didn't espouse genocide but Lenin and Mao did, and they added (evil)context to Marx's writings. Marxism is a somewhat different philosophy from communism.

But yeah, I thought P.Diddy tried to promote a sort of a badboy image. Maybe it only works when standing next to N'Sync - although isn't Joey pretty edgy also?

David Segal: Oh, yeah. And Lance Bass, why he's downright dangerous.

Wash DC: So, what is your favorite venue in the DC area? Does it differ depending on the kind of music or show?

David Segal: I'd say 9:30 but that weasel Seth Hurwitz refuses to cordone off some space for non-smokers, which is just a dawgone shame. What's up with that? Obviously, there are people who come to the club who don't smoke. Why can't they have, you know, a few square yards of (relatively) breathable space?

C'mon Seth. You the man! You can do this! The Troc in Philly is entirely non smoking and that place is packed!

Also, I love the Birchmere (non-smoking) and Iota and Constitution Hall.

Alexandria, Va.: Hasn't this radical Marxist lyrical pose been done before by the Clash 20 years ago?

And didn't Sting respond wisely by saying that the Clash had the political understanding of a group of 14 year olds, but that he Sting was much more mature, he was 15?

David Segal: Boots is a huge Clash fan.

Yes, it's been done. But everything's been done. The question now is whether it's been redone in a way that's interesting.

Columbia, MD: Hey Dave, how about posting that list of tunes from your mix again? I know you posted it a few weeks ago, but your most recent archive postings are February.

Also, if some pathetic person were to send you a copy of his or her recent mixes, might you respond in kind with your latest mix?

David Segal: Uh, Joe the caller raises a good point. What's with the archives? They seem to conk out in Feb.

Yes, we could do a little swap. If you send me yours, I'll send you mine. And here's the liner notes again:

You hold in your hands the single greatest mix CD in the history of music. No, that doesn’t go nearly far enough. . .I’m not actually sure how to go further, but whatever. The point is, this is a REALLY great collection of songs. Most of it is stuff that I’ve been loving in recent months and the material ranges from quiet love songs to communist rap, with stops for ska and guitar pop and electronica and some other stuff, too. Feast your ears.
--David Segal, pop music critic, the Washington Post.

1) Glad Girls by Guided By Voices. Pogo fuel by my favorite living rocker, Robert Pollard, the former third grade teacher who is now the full-time leader of the cultishly loved GBV. I’ve got a particular weakness for this song because the band let me play it with them at a concert in Philadelphia a few months back.

2) Underneath It All by No Doubt. If loving Gwen Stefani is wrong, you don’t want to be right. From the band’s nifty new album, “Rock Steady.”

3) New Slang by the Shins. Song of the year, according to . . . me. This is an Arizona garage band that clearly has studied Brian Wilson and on this campfire love song the quartet created something utterly gorgeous that’s going to last. The tune showed up recently as the backing track of a McDonald’s commercial promoting the chain’s spuds. Odd choice, given the reference in the song to “dirt in your fries.”

4) Wear Clean Drawers by the Coup. Boots Riley, the voice and songwriter of this Oakland rap act, pays tribute to his four-year old daughter, Alena. I met her when I interviewed Boots and I can testify to her staggering adorability. Riley is a Maoist revolutionary of some kind and takes his politics so seriously that he nearly left this song of the album, “Party Music.” I’m glad he left it on.

5) You You You You You by the 6ths. One of the most beautiful love songs I’ve ever heard. Written by Stephin Merritt, the brains of the Magnetic Fields, and sung by the lead vocalist of the Squirrel Nut Zippers. Almost makes you want to buy a Squirrel Nut Zippers album!

6) Nine Bullets by Drive By Truckers. Skynyrd-loving rednecks from Alabama and their finest four minutes. From the album “Pizza Deliverance.”

7) Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley. Chilling effort by the (now deceased) guy who inspired Thom Yorke of Radiohead to sing falsetto. It’s a Leonard Cohen song.

8) Dope Nose by Weezer. Is it my imagination or they did they lift the chorus from “The Banana Splits”? Off an upcoming album.

9) Ride the Fence by the Coup. A more typical song from the album of the year, according to . . . me. Boots here raps his funky revolutionary manifesto and manages to make sedition seem like a hoot. Includes this memorable shot at self-description: “I’m proletarianfunkadelicparliamentarian.”

10) Some Indian Song by Some Indian Guy. Ok, so I lost the CD case for this one, but I do know that the song is from the soundtrack to a Bollywood film. I find it really mesmerizing, even though I have no idea what the hell the dude is singing about.

11) Rock Steady by No Doubt. More great ska pop. The lyrics are more poignant than you’d expect and the chorus got stuck in my head for about a month.

12) Bygones (Won’t Go) by Nick Lowe. This one could have been written forty years ago, by some country music smoothie. The best track from his excellent “The Convincer.”

13) Let the Drummer Kick by Citizen Cope. Cope, aka Clarence Greenwood, is a local boy who played in area clubs for about a decade and finally landed a major label deal last year. His debut is superb and this is one of the more beguiling songs on it. Sort of white man’s stoner hip hop.

14) From Rushholme With Love by Mint Royale
Electronica with curry.

Jello-free Dead Kennedys: Heresy. Off with their heads! Burn them at the stake! Draw and Quarter them! Make them listen to Corporate Britney Music for Eternity!

Well, OK, the last may be just a bit extreme.

David Segal: We'll see. I'll be at the show, I can promise that. Ought to be a very memorable, one way or the other.

Probably the other.

Los Angeles, Calif.: Come to L.A., Dave, all our venues are smoke-free, even the outdoor ones.

David Segal: I love that about L.A.

Arlington VA: C'mon now Dave, there's a lot better indie-rock to be had out there than the White Strokes.

How about Death Cab For Cutie, Trans Am, Erase Errata, Dismemberment Plan, Clinic, Metropolitan, Hives, Mooney Suzuki, just to name a few?

David Segal: Good list. I'd add Pedro the Lion and the Lo Fidelity All Stars, who'se last album is really pretty amazing.

Annapolis, Md.: So what can you tell me about the Shins? I loved "Oh Inverted World." Any news regarding tours, new records, etc? Make MY funk da P Funk.

David Segal: Haven't heard anything about the Shins, though they just released a live album, four song thingie. Fingers crossed for their next one.

Indie Rock: I agree with you about the White Stripes - a friend lent me their CD and I was blown away by it. Can't say the same for the Strokes - too damn boring. Give a listen to the Hives instead.

David Segal: I think the Hives will be great live, but the album doesn't move me too much. They sound like THIS close to a novelty band to me on that record. And they you find out they're Swedish!

Finding good music: I like to listen to XPN.org on the internet. It's a public station that plays a variety of music (though they do tend towards the roots/Americana vein). I try to check out the people that artists I like are fans of. For example after listening to Steve Earle (Transendental Blues is an amazing album) he has turned me on to Patti Griffin, Kasey Chambers, and Ron Sexsmith. There is good music being made out there-you just have to look for it a little, and maybe branch out of the straight rock/pop genre.

David Segal: True. Good tip.

Arlington, VA: Any chance (rumor) the Stones will play a club date in DC? I see they have many free days on either side of the FedEx date (which i am glad to see has NOT sold out - altough that cuts down on the chance of them doing another show here)Maybe they'l pull a 1978/Warner Theater type gig when they announced the date and ticket sale the same day as the show? What do you think?

If you cut through they're hype machine, they are still a very good band, and I cannot name any new band (that gets played on the radio anyway) that gives us that good old time rock n roll blues swagger like they used to.

David Segal: Very few bands are good in venues as large as Fed Ex field. I mean, really. How are you supposed to connect in a space that huge. It doesn't work. Or it rarely works, unless you're up close.

NY, NY: You are comparing king leopold to Stalin? You're either disingenous or a pretty ignorant of history. Stalin killed MILLIONS of his own people and killed tons of others. By the way, if you have not noticed (clearly the Coup haven't), capitalism and freedom tend to go hand in hand, whereas Communism has not existed in one country throughout the world without mass oppression.

David Segal: King Leopold killed millions of people, too. Fact that they weren't in his own country, well, that doesn't really make him more palatable to me.

Again, I'd like to leave you with this thought. Communism -- bad.

The Coup's Party Music -- good.

If it's impossible for you to entertain these two thoughts in your head at the same time, well, you're on your own.

Ok, the politics hour with the music guy is over. Thanks for playing our little game. Sorry to all those whose questions I didn't have time to answer. I love you people, too. But I can only type so fast.

See you in two weeks.

Until then....

you know what's coming...

you fear it and yet you find it annoying

it rouses you in the morning and makes you drowsy at night....

its bigger than a Chrysler Le Baron and yet smaller than the typical toaster...

it doesn't have a driver's license and it drinks when its alone...

it lacks any odor and yet it manages to stink...

it knows if you've been naughty or nice...

it's very tacky and it's green and pink in the middle...

it's boring the hell out of even me....

ROCK ON WITH YOUR BAD SELVES!

   |      |