Hey Sailor(s)!

Late night in Annapolis, Maryland. Drove here Friday afternoon to meet Grace, whose animation team was competing - and won - the annual FIRST Robotics Competition. I hit the road with The Dissassociatives, who have a great sound for driving - upbeat dance pop, with a hint of Jellyfish-style harmonies and light. Moved on to Kings of Leon's new one, which just gets better and better. I'm even able to make out some of the lyrics!

And, after a celebratory dinner-and-movie ("The Incredibles") at a shopping center cinema grill, I found a Tower Records (actually, I found it while getting lost on the way to the movie) and picked up a few things:

1. ROCK SOUND magazine with free CD
This one's for Grace - Green Day on the cover and a big story inside with many more photos of her "boys," plus a free page of stickers, including one of the "American Idiot" logo and My Chemical Romance. The disc claims to have an "exclusive" Arcade Fire song, but it's from the "forthcoming album 'Funeral'" so this must be an old issue. Grace took it to her room, so I don;t have the date. I hope that awful pic of one of the guys from Slipknot doesn't give her nightmares.
2. ELVIS COSTELLO - Goodbye Cruel World
I didn't know Tower dealt in used (sorry, "previously played") CDs, but this store had a small-but-sweet selection. Elvis may bankrupt me with the continual re-release of his catalog, but how can I resist these two-disc sets with rarities and demos, especially when it's $10.99 with an extra 20% off? Looking forward to reacquainting myself with this album on the drive home tomorrow.
3. BRAZIL - THE GREATEST SONGS EVER (Time-Life)
Another used cheapie - $4.oo - with "Girl from Ipanema" and a slew of names I don't recognize. But Terry likes Brazilian music (he saw Antonio Carlos Jobim perform in Rio!), so this will make a dandy gift.
4. IVY - In the Clear (Nettwerk)
Another one for the boy. While I am a bigger fan of Adam Schlesinger's work with Fountains of Wayne, Terry is smitten with this band - must be the coy female vocalist.

Sent:
THE HOOTZ - Too Hoot to Handle (Koch)
A children's album, pitched as what it might sound like if Mariah Carey and LL Cool J recorded for kids. But you can't say Hootz around me without bringing up an image of Hooters, and that is a negative image indeed. Aimed at ages 3-5, it may be something I can pass on to one of the neighborhood kids, but there's no place I can think of to pitch it.

It's late. Must sleep. Robots again tomorrow/today...