Fun with iTunes

Despite having iPods, we haven't actually purchased much music online. That's partly a function of the iTunes Music Store not being available in Switzerland until recently, and then once it was available it seemed like they never had the songs we wanted.

But this weekend we were watching an episode of The Sopranos that featured the old song "World Destruction" by Time Zone & Afrika Bambaataa--you know the one: "This is a world destruction, you're life ain't nothing, the human race is becoming a disgrace..." But with a good beat! Anyway, it brought me back to my college days and, much to my surprise, did the same for Gretchen (usually my college memories are high school for her). As soon as the episode ended I was on iTunes and there it was! Next thing I knew I was wracking my brain for obscure (or not-so-obscure) songs that I needed to hear NOW. Most of what I was looking for they didn't have, but I had some success in a few broad categories: Upbeat '80s New Wave ("Private Idaho" and "Strobe Light" by the B-52s), Angry ("Killing in the Name" by Rage Against the Machine and, from cult classic movie Repo Man, "Institutionalized" by Suicidal Tendencies), Upbeat/Angry (the aforementioned "World Destruction"), and Thoroughly Wussy but Good Anyway ("No One Is To Blame" by Howard Jones and "Superman's Song" by the Crash Test Dummies). Maybe it's good that their selection isn't that great because I could see spending WAY too much time and money looking for hidden gems...