MUSIC: I've been listening to the new Strokes album [Room on Fire](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000C9ZLD/mattorama) and I like it other than one small problem, it's only 30 minutes long. I love the thing but at $12 on sale I'd like at least as much entertainment as I would get out of a hour-long TV show or a $12 graphic novel. The Kings of Leon album [Youth and Young Manhood](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00009YFP8/mattorama) is about 45 minutes and that's about right. Of course I'd like as much music as possible and would hate to see any band put crap songs on an album just to fill time but 30 minutes? I'm already commited to buying it since I downloaded the whole thing in MP3 but the songs are good enough that I want more of them.

As far as the album goes, it’s really good. The rock stuff is right on and the slower songs are great as well, a testement to the lead singer. I’m a big fan of the return of rock music to the music industry and I’ve bought 3 or 4 new albums in the last month, way more than I usually buy. I really like the aforementioned Youth and Young Manhood a lot. It’s gotten the most play of anything on my computer at work recently except the bunch of Flaming Lips songs I downloaded (and plan on buying the CDs of because I have no idea why I never listened to much Flaming Lips in the past). I’ve only listened to Room on Fire a few times but it’s great. I also really like the album by Jet called Get Born. I can’t comment on the influences of these bands because I had absolutely horrible taste in music as a kid and never, ever listened to anything good so I don’t know who is stealing from who, what influences are most important to which band, all the stuff that people are arguing about with these new rock bands. I just like the music, just like I like listening to the original rock from the 60s and 70s. If you like rock music I would recommend all three of the albums I just mentioned. If you have any recommendations of stuff old or new along the lines of these bands, I’d love to hear about them. Post them in the comments section if you would be so kind.