toxic

Toxic
$1.29
Alright, take yourself to back in the day, before all the personal stuff, and when Britney ruled the music world with an iron poppy fist. Still not there? Oh well... This song, her last real song that anybody would pass more than a horrifying glance at her. And while not her best vocally, you just can't get away from that beat. Congrats, kudos, and bravo to the producer that created that, because it is simply amazing. Perfect for spy movies, and when it was used in "Chuck," and it's just so darn catchy. You know the opening chords, you know the riff, it's all familiar, and lovable.

As for Britney herself? She's okay, normal dance club fare. Nothing special vocally here. Lyrics? It's Britney, b**ch! Who needs lyrics? Just a beat, and a music video!

So overall, you might want to skip the vocal version, and just get the instrumental version which I am just lovin' up on now. So hurry, get it, use it as a ringtone! Or use it next time you can't get the James Bond/Mission Impossible Theme for your secret spy activities.

By the way, some great covers have been made of this song, and most of them come out surprising well. Some offer a different take, some are fun, some are strange to say the least. Hard-Fi did a great low-fi indie cover of the song, which all but removes the original melody, and just keeps the lyrics, while adding some car effects.

Nickel Creek did a great humorous live performance that you can find in various places. In that version, one of the band members readily admits, "This song kicks a*s!"

And Yael Naim did a cover of the song, which is very strange and haunting. I didn't care for it, but some will and do.

Toxic (Britney Spears Cover)
$0.99

The Airborne Toxic Event
$9.98
At first listen, you think Arcade Fire and The Killers had a beautiful baby boy - but the louder and longer you play this, the more you realize this sound is fresh and very pure. Taking a bit of a leap, its a funked up grandson of Whipping Boy's "Heartworm" - achingly confessional lyrics with monster hooks. "...Midnight" stands out stylewise from the rest of the album - much more grand, certainly the set closer made for dark arenas lit by iPhones. The rest of the songs are choppier, but no less fun. I'm hoping the deluxe version's bonus tracks become available as single song downloads now that I've plunged on the album.

Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What's at Stake for American Power
$16.95
I initially purchased this book thinking it would be an expose on chemicals found in our everyday products (and it did include some eyebrow raising info along those lines) but it quickly developed into a detailed explanation of how America no longer dominates the foreign markets as it once it.