Still on the fence about Solange?

Well, check out this clip of an interview, and then we'll talk.



Yeah. What a bitch. I still don't even know what really happened, but I'm done with her.

If that video left a bad taste in your mouth, check this one out.



It's a bunch of seventh graders performing "1234" by Feist, choreography and everything! Adorable!

Kinda puts our rendition of "Boot Scootin' Boogie" to shame, don't you think?

End of Summer '08 Mix

One of you made a comment about missing my Top Songs of the Year mix, and it's true...I had started one at the end of 2007, I had the songs all picked out and everything, but I was in transition and for whatever reason did not follow through with it.

But to make up for it, I made a fun End of Summer '08 mix. Yes, it's a rar file, and yes, you have to download it and burn it to a CD and listen to it in your car on the way to the winery, lake, dog park, bingo casino....whatever it is that you do in the summertime. Me, I like to sun my sexy, shiny legs.

DOWNLOAD JOE'S END OF SUMMER '08 MIX!!

I don't know what order these songs will be in when you open it, but this is the order I see them in when I open winRAR:

1. "Black and Gold" - Sam Sparro

I don't know much about this dude. I think he's foreign and gay. What else do you need? I will give you this, though: my niece knows this song from her dance class, and that's awesome.

2. "Dry Town" - Miranda Lambert

Sure, it's a country song, but that's no reason for you to skip past it to get to Solange. It's so cute -- she's stuck in some random town and can't find any Miller Lite. I can really relate to this tune because the only liquor store in the CWE is STILL boarded up, even though they promised to be open in May '08.

3. "I Decided" - Solange

I alternate between rooting for Solange and despising her. She's going to be compared to her big sis Beyonce until the end of time, and that's gotta suck. But then she makes horrible videos and names her album Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams.

I take it back -- her videos aren't horrible. It's just that there's so much going on in them that it's hard to take it all in.



See? That's a lot of look.

4. "I Know UR Girlfriend Hates Me" - Annie

I'm not sure if it's really spelled "UR" but that's how it's tagged in this mp3. Cute song, even if I think a 35-year-old woman should be concerned with more important things.

5. "Lights Out" - Santogold

You might know this song from the Bud Light Lime commercials, but that's not why I love it. I love it because it's smooth and refreshing, laid-back, and perfect for a warm summer day. Please listen responsibly.

6. "Oh My God" - Mark Ronson feat. Lily Allen

I wanted to show Mark Ronson some love after catching his photo spread in that weird (sort of) magazine that usually comes packaged with the New Yorker, and comes out around the same time as that special on CBS where Fergie inevitably warbles through some lame number while wearing a tiny teddy or something. Fashion Rocks, maybe?

Anyway, he looked hot.

7. "Oxford Comma" - Vampire Weekend

Alan: "I only need a few hours of sleep during the week. I stay up until three and get up at eight. Then I catch up on Saturday and Sunday."

Me: "I'm the opposite. I like to get a lot of sleep during the week, and then get crazy on the weekends and stay up all night and sleep all day. I'm like a vampire, but only on weekends. Oh my god!"

8. "Paper Planes (original version)" - M.I.A.

Here's how I envision it:

M.I.A. writes a song. She includes the lyric "All I wanna do is zoom zoom zoom zoom and a boom boom." Teddy Riley of Wreckx-n-Effect denies her request to use it, because, hello, she's a crazy blue-wig wearing rapper who may or may not have terrorist connections. She replaces the line with gunshot sounds, making the song about nine zillion times more awesome.

A year later, the song is in the top ten of Billboard's Hot 100 (seriously!).

Don't feel bad for Teddy Riley, though. He's probably still living off of the money he made from Guy.

9. "Pot Kettle Black" - Tilly and the Wall

Definitely my favorite band that uses tap-dancing as percussion.

10. "Singer Songwriter" - Okkervil River

I haven't even stopped loving the Okkervil River album that came out last year, but this new one is just as good. I love this song the most. It basically says, "Yeah, we can all agree that you have amazing taste. You like the best movies and music and art, etc., but that's all you have going for you. And everyone thinks you're a snob about it."

At least that's what I get from it.

11. "Souled Out!!!" - Conor Oberst



I have three words for you: shirtless Conor Oberst. He's no Jason Bateman, but he has been on my list of celebrities I'd like to see shirtless.

12. "That's Not My Name" - The Ting Tings

I probably couldn't tell you exactly why I love this song so much. And truthfully, it should be about two minutes shorter than it actually is. But it's sassy, and brassy, and bold.

13. "Erase/Rewind" (Kleerup Remix) - The Cardigans

Fact #1: I've loved The Cardigans for more than a decade.

Fact #2: Robyn worked with this Kleerup dude on "With Every Heartbeat," probably one of my favorite songs of all time.

I was pretty excited to learn about this remix, which was included on the recent "best of" album. It didn't really blow me away, but it's cute, and the Cardigans can do no wrong, in my book.

14. "This is Not a Test" - She & Him

OMG She & Him are so adorable. I love the album, the video, I love everything about them. My other niece wasn't too keen on this song, but she changed her mind when I told her that the singer was in Elf.

15. "Two Halves" - My Morning Jacket

The only song in this mix that I wouldn't describe as "cute," "Two Halves" sums up perfectly how I feel about the gray hairs that are suddenly appearing all over my head. Wyatt said it best: "He's getting old!"

Here's another link to download if you haven't already!

End of Summer Mix

Check out my adorable nephew Dylan singing "Bleeding Love." I'm not sure why it's so quiet, but trust me, it's worth it.