Keane is another in a long line of bands from the United Kingdom. The group struggled for recognition for a number of years before 2003...the year they recorded their first record to garner any recognition. The band released its first full album in 2004, Hopes And Fears, which sold over five million copies.

In 2006, they released their second album, Under The Iron Sea. The following is a sampling of their music. Let me know what you think of them.

Another classic set of New Rules from Bill Maher. I especially liked his rant on mustard and the part where he suggests that President Bush is a crazy person...and provides a video clip and a few other examples to prove his point.

Another great piece by the Daily Show. In this clip, John Oliver explains the actions of the President to blindly support Alberto Gonzales and other members of his administration. The strategy is basically this..."If Congress continues to question the President; he will unleash his army of idiot-geniuses". This is a must watch because it’s such a simple explanation for the frequently counterintuitive behavior of the Bush administration.

After disbanding in 1999, The Jesus And Mary Chain are reuniting for an appearance this weekend at Coachella, a three day music festival in Indio, California. The song Just Like Honey was featured in the movie Lost In Translation. Given the violent history of The Jesus And Mary Chain, it seems like an odd coupling but, in many ways, the song is perfect for the disaffected and detached theme that runs through the movie.

For those unfamiliar, performances by the Scottish group often involved band members facing away from the audience, concerts lasting less than a half an hour, and most ending with the destruction of the bands equipment and audience rioting.

Kiss You Off is the latest video from Scissor Sisters. I think it is one of their best. It has a real retro feel. Some of the band on stage scenes remind me of a combination of the set of the Mike Douglas Show and Hullabaloo. Yea, I know...where did I come up with that? See what you think and let me know. Enjoy.

Jon Stewart figures out the mystery behind the President's belief that we are making progress in Iraq...for the umpteenth time. Those struggling to see the benefits of the most recent troop surge...intended to make more progress in Iraq...will quickly realize that we have actually been making progress in Iraq for a long time now. You just need to understand how progress works in the Bush administration.

Regina Spektor was born in Russia and now lives in New York City. Her musical background and influences range from classical piano to Queen and The Moody Blues. The following clip is the music video for her song Fidelity from her album Begin To Hope. I think she has an interesting sound and her songs demonstrate a mix of musical styles.

No doubt that the words spoken by Don Imus were inappropriate and insulting and led to his demise. Since the situation began, there has been ample discussion about rap music and the lyrics found in much of today's music and society. Some suggest that it is simply an evolving culture; some suggest that it is moral decay.

There has also been debate about where comedy ends and racism or sexism begins and just what is appropriate and how and where should the lines be drawn. Let me be clear, I'm not suggesting that Imus is a comic and should be given a pass...I simply don't know enough about him to comment beyond knowing that his actions crossed the line.

Nonetheless, I've heard suggestions that Bill Maher, Borat, Sarah Silverman, and others of that ilk ought to be targeted and shut down. The problem is how to determine when comedy crosses the line and who should make that determination. Generally speaking, I think the public has a good sense of the lines...and Imus crossed them by attacking a specific and identifiable group...the Rutgers team. Comedy in the abstract seems to be accepted...but when it is applied to identifiable innocents, it becomes something else.

I found the following video at Bitch Ph.D. via Apostropher at Unfogged. It looks to be a spoof on country music and the war in Iraq and numerous other aspects of our society. I thought it was funny but I can certainly see how some might find it very offensive. While I'm gay, I wasn't offended by her remarks about gays...but I imagine others might be. So again, where should we draw the lines?

I would love to hear your comments.

Maher is in top form in this latest iteration of New Rules. He takes the Bush administration to task on the hiring of some 150 lawyers from Pat Robertson's law school...including the Department of Justice's Monica Goodling, who recently resigned and took the fifth in order to avoid testifying before Congress in the U.S. Attorney scandal. This is one of his best New Rules of this season. Take a look.

Listen To Your Heart was originally released in 1988 by the Sweedish duo Roxette. In 2005 D.H.T., a group from Belgium released a remake of the song. This video is one of the dance versions that got a lot of play in clubs. I've always liked trance music and this version has a good riff towards the middle of the song. Makes ya wanna dance.

Jon Stewart gives Senator McCain's assessment of Iraq a reality check. Stewart apparently doesn't realize that Americans routinely walk around the market wearing a bullet proof vest escorted by twenty soldiers and two Apache helicopters.

Little Britain is a sit-com that originated in the UK a few years back. Daffyd is a character on the show that lives in a small Welsh city and likes to think he is the only homosexual in the city. The following clip is from an episode in which Daffyd's brother announces that he is gay. This is classic British humor.

The following video offers another example of what I would call the classic freestyle sound. This song - One More Try by Timmy T was a hit in 1991. To see more about the history of freestyle as well as video of the latest in freestyle by Nelly Furtado, see this prior Thought Theater posting.

Wow! Talk about taking an upbeat hip hop song and turning it into a melancholy tune with a classic Morissette sound. I actually liked it and give her kudos for taking a pot shot at Fergie. Thought Theater previously posted a Mad TV spoof of this song in a skit called My Slump that makes fun of George Bush's dismal poll numbers.