She Puts Hope In The Bottom Of My Box!

I've been hearing songs off the new Aimee Mann album @#x%x*! Smilers, and for some reason the crazy old music geek who sits on the porch in my head yelling at the kids going by has been increasingly making sure I know, "That's the girl who did Voices Carry! She hooked up with those Squeeze boys and married that No Myth guy!"

I walk by and nod politely, probably the music geek catches my eyes rolling because they're her eyes too and I have some nerve rolling my eyes at myself but I just haven't given enough attention to this. I love Aimee Mann, and have for nearly a quarter of a century. I had a similar epiphany about Suzanne Vega last year, and just last month--on a much smaller scale--realized I like Coldplay. But since I got my own radio, Aimee Mann's music has been coming out of it, into my head, and it sticks there, which is remarkable considering the state of my head. My cousin, who usually loves everything cool before I admit to loving it, loves Aimee Mann. Coincidence? I think not.

So here for your listening and viewing pleasure is the first song I ever really sat up and said, "Ooh!" to by 'Til Tuesday, Looking Over My Shoulder, which I first heard in my room just before dinner as it played on a local video station called U68 back in the '80s, and her newest song, 31 Today, which recently came to visit my ears on a night I needed it via a local radio station called WFUV. Then there's I Should've Known, and That's Just What You Are, and...these songs, they are my friends.

She Puts Hope In The Bottom Of My Box!