We May Define Snobbery Differently....

But this is good for a laugh. As per Amanda at Pandagon:

If you don’t mind telling, what exactly is in your music collection? (Or just list the highlights, I’m sure you’ve got a ton.) Thanks!—Lisa

This is why I do the Friday Random Ten! Though, to be fair, those are my MP3s, so they won’t have a bunch of shit I wore out years ago, but according to my CD changer, that selection includes a lot of Velvet Underground, Iggy Pop, Devo, and for some reason, a bunch of be-bop. But a good reference is the song list from when I was on a friend’s radio show in Champaign–the instructions were to pick a sampling of the music I’d considered most influential, and this is what I played. And there was nothing ironic or silly about that answer, really, so next!

Are the Buggles cool or not? I was just trying to persuade someone that they were cool, but then then I realized that I don’t remember what their song even sounds like, and having the first every MTV video may not in fact be cool. Also, joining Yes has got to be the most uncool thing any band has ever done in the history of the world. But I still have a lingering suspicion that they’re cool. Thoughts?—Matt Weiner

“Video Killed the Radio Star” is one of three karaoke songs I can actually do well, so that makes the Buggles cool, if only because they, along with Blondie and Cindy Lauper, save my tuneless ass.