wearing the face of concern with your free medications.

If you take into consideration my adamant adoration for both catchy pop music and all things uncomfortable and/or awkward, it should come to no surprise that I was taken just by judging The Awkward Stage by the cover of their debut, Heaven Is For Easy Girls. Headgear (not the sporting kind; the pubescent kind), a sex doll and a youthful, fun looking bunch of musicians. Noticing that a female band member eerily reminded me of the main character from the McGee & Me videos of my cult-led upbringing clinched this album as having a fighting chance before the first note.
The first note came and went. The melodies, hooks, over-the-top pop, pianos, choirs, and guitars came and stayed. Though it's been years since I've dusted off my Travis CD's, I find that if I can note specific similarities to those "Why Does It Always Rain On Me?" saps, I enjoy them all the more. My dangling preposition, them, referring to, in this case, The Awkward Stage.
Skeptics beware. Simplicity is an attribute worthy of achieving.



The Awkward Stage's "The Morons Are Winning"
& "We're Going For A Ride"
from Heaven Is For Easy Girls



FIFTY-THREE DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS
Ferrante and Teicher/Les Baxter's "Sleigh Ride/Santa Claus Party"
Leon Redbone & Zooey Deschanel's "Baby, It's Cold Outside"
Mel Torme's "The Christmas Song"
Burl Ives' "A Holly Jolly Christmas"