Weekends aren't my strong suit.

First and foremost, I have to apologize for not posting in several days - illness and papers tend to do that to you. Whatever, I'm sorry, and I won't be around during Easter weekend either!

mp3: Old 97's - Designs on You

Buy: Old 97's - Satellite Rides

I just recently rediscovered this track and I'm as in love with it now as I was three years ago when I first heard it. The Old 97's are masters of sweet power pop and 'charming' could be the best description of this track. Filled with hooks, "Designs on You" almost sounds as if it were ghostwritten by Paul Westerberg (street corners, girls getting married, "I won't tell a soul", nightclubs...) and manages to smile all the way through a sad song.

• Stereogum reviews the Hold Steady's cover of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame". I hate to say it, but I have to agree with half of the comments - it is pretty painful to listen to, as excited as I was upon reading the initial article.
  
• Pitchfork chats it up with Carl Newman of the New Pornographers. I'm a big fan of theirs, so I'm duly intrigued at the prospect of a new album. It sounds as if it will be great - I loved the power-pop punch of Twin Cinema, but I'd happily listen to anything they release.
• Just announced: Joy Division sneakers. My only possible response to this is What? I wasn't impressed with J Mascis' Nikes, but these might be even worse, if that's possible. I'm actually kind of sad that this wasn't an April Fool's joke, because that would be brilliant, but seeing as it was a day later I suppose it wasn't. (I am amused by "FACT 10" and "Step inside...", and I guess the sole design is cute, but... I wouldn't buy any.)
• Omaha's TheReader talks to Conor Oberst. This is a pretty nice interview, if you excuse the fact that it's all in one skinny column. I'm not sure what happened to their layout designer.
• Band to watch: Leeds' The Rosie Taylor Project. Fine, they're friends of a friend, but I'm sure I'd still find them as incredible if I had no idea who they were. Brilliant country-tinged indie rock that's like nothing else coming out of Britain at the moment.
• TV: The Office is doubtless my favorite show on television right now, so I was pretty pleased to read this Onion A.V. Club interview with writer/actress Mindy Kaling. Speaking of which, tonight may have been my favorite night for NBC ever, what with new episodes of both the Office and Scrubs - both being surprisingly phenomenal.
  
• Final TV note - and following on the Office theme; last night's episode of Conan O'Brien featured fellow Office writer/actor B.J. Novak along with none other than Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! It was rather exceptional.
• The Tampa Bay Online talks to Colin Meloy about his "English Lit Major lyrics". I'm particularly fond of his quote on growing up with "a steady diet of Morrissey, Robyn Hitchcock, Hüsker Dü and The Replacements". Sometimes I wonder if we weren't actually separated at birth.