Dear iPod Genius Function:

Little less than three days ago, I thought you were the most brilliant thing ever. I thought you were the savior to humanity, that you would make me complete in ways I had not even fathomed were possible. Three days ago, my exaltations of your wonderfulness rang about the land - or to the four or so people I physically talked during those three days that would care/indulge me.

After a whirlwind courtship, I regret to say the bloom has fallen from the rose. The reason? You are obsessed with Conor Oberst. I know! I, too, am obsessed with Conor Oberst. I think he is brilliant. I love him. I listen to him constantly! Several of his songs are among the most played on my iPod. You seem to agree this was a good choice. Very well.

However. As much as I would normally agree that Conor Oberst goes with everything, I was hoping we could branch out a little bit. Or, if we constantly played Conor Oberst stuff, it wouldn't be the same Conor Oberst stuff - unless that is truly the cream of the crop. Which, no, is unfortunately not always the case.

Listen, I love Bowl of Oranges as much as the next person. But three times? In three different Genius playlists? Also, Eagle on a Pole? If we must have a Conor Oberst song on every Genius list you create, could we at least switch it up a bit? And could we dial back the Oberst love to only one song of his per playlist generated? That would also be swell, because my current Genius creation has five - count 'em, FIVE - songs by this man on it. Out of twenty-five! Even I, with my love for him, recognizes this as a bit excessive.

Once we handle the Oberst Overload, I think we should discuss how you seem to only pull the same artists and the same songs by those artists regardless of playlist generated. I understand that I listen to a lot of music that sounds the same. I understand that Conor Oberst can sound country, so if I pick a Ryan Adams country song or a Willie Nelson country song or a Johnny Cash country song, some Conor may show up. But what's the excuse for throwing in "Annie Waits" by Ben Folds? Or the same three She & Him tunes? Or the Shins?

I have a massive, massive amount of music to choose from, to go hog wild with and make a myriad of interesting and wonderful and exciting mixes. Mixes that will once again win my love and admiration. Mixes that include music I have forgotten I have! I'm not going to forget I have The Shins. Or Ben Folds. Or She & Him. Or Rilo Kiley. Really. I'm not. I listen to those guys on my own.

I'm sorry, Genius. I think we may have to break up. I'm leaving you for your more erratic cousin, Shuffle. Sure, I am often frustrated and skipping song after song I don't want to listen to in that moment. But at least it sometimes gives me The Clash, or Buffy Sainte Marie, or K.D. Lang. You do not. Maybe we'll see each other around.

Odd Discoveries

So. A couple of weeks ago, my iPod, the one I got about 5 years ago and have put through more hell than any electronic device can be expected to go through without imploding, erased itself. The last 5 years of my life and a couple of weeks' worth of podcasts, gone. Then, the iPod I bought through a third party vendor to replace the old iPod in order to transfer songs before dropping the iPod into the shredder, out of my car, off of my desk, etc. caught up with it decided not to work. I then did what any reasonable person would do - I had a minor/major flip out, and - after a couple of weeks of being a crankpot - went to the Apple store and purchased a *new* new iPod to replace the other iPod that had erased itself.

Now, I'm going through the arduous process of putting the music that had been on my old iPod before the Great Wipe onto my new iPod. And here's where I've discovered some odd things. Like, I have a cd called "Sex Pistols and Sid Vicious LIVE". Where would I have bought this? Why wasn't I concerned when Sid Vicious was labelled separate from the Sex Pistols? And why, for the love of God, would I think a live Sex Pistols show would be something worth listening to in audio form? Many, many questions abound.

None of those questions, though, come close to this one: Why did Rush cover Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth" - and why do I own it?

How Awesome Is This?

NPR has made available free 12 song samplers for each of the two music festivals taking up residence in Newport, Rhode Island (which may or may not have changed its name recently from the long, cumbersome, and obscure "State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations" to the more well-known and shorter "Rhode Island").

If you have iTunes, I highly recommend downloading them. If you don't have iTunes, I highly recommend getting iTunes and then downloading them.

Holy Crap!

Jay friggin' Smooth (aka Ill Doctrine) has a podcast. It is really just his videos, but I think it is the awesomest of awesome. I wish I could link it, but it was prominently displayed in iTunes' podcast section. So if you love iTunes, podcasts, and Jay Smooth like I do, go to iTunes and search Ill Doctrine's podcast out!