Aimee Mann's body double

Aimee Mann, who got her start years ago in Til Tuesday (remember "Voices Carry"?), remains criminally ignored despite a sterling solo career and self-effacing appearances on "Portlandia." 

This fun video from her upcoming album features John Hodgman and Laura Linney, whose characters directly and indirectly encourage Mann to stay in the shadows. Kinda ironic since that's where she's been since MTV stopped playing music videos. 

'The Wire': The Lego season

I'm among those smart folks who proclaim "The Wire" one of the best TV shows ever and also admit that people who say that are sometimes full of it. 

So it's with a smirk that I share this fun Lego-powered interpretation of some of the series' themes. Hardcore fans will catch more than a few inside jokes. 

Quick review: 'UFO: The Chrysalis Years (1973-1979)'

UFO is one of those bands that many people have heard but can't quite place. "Ah yeah," they'll say when you mention or hum some of their songs.

It's a crime these melodic hard rockers aren't a household name, with a 42-year career that's still going strong, as I noted last year. 

But this post focuses on "The Chrysalis Years (1973-1979)," an excellent five-CD collection that highlights the band at its commercial peak. At a time when FM was coming into its own, UFO delivered a series of radio-friendly rockers like "Lights Out," "Rock Bottom," "Doctor Doctor" and "Only You Can Rock Me."

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