1. The new WALLS OF JERICHO album With Devils Amongst Us All is simply massive. I’ve loved everything this band has done and I’m flat out blown away by this one. I don’t recall what songs Trustkill has made available from this yet, but I hope “And Hope to Die” gets a public preview before the August 22nd release date.

2. THE DRAFT’s debut In A Million Pieces made for some solid car-trip moments this weekend. Listening to HEAD AUTOMATICA’s Popaganda while driving through the scariest thunderstorm I have ever experienced, however, was not the best fit. I knew I should have brought that INTO THE MOAT disc along with me.

3. Mel Gibson gets arrested for DUI and goes nutso with anti-semetic comments while responding to the arresting officer. I’m glad to see that irony is not dead.

4. The air-conditioning is on at Pastepunk HQ and my in-office thermometer still reads 88 degrees. Ugh.

5. It’s hard to get an appreciation for the distribution reach of certain indie labels while living in a major metropolitan area. While cruising through a Wal-Mart in “small town” New York I was more than impressed by the number of Victory and Vagrant titles on hand. Sure – having major label distribution helps, but I imagine to the common consumer who knows of little distinction between the two formalities, a persual of the music racks shows an impressive showing by the indies.