It took me listening to about 20 acts to get to a musical group that I actually had anything to say about. That’s kind of a lot of groups, you know? There were a few decent hip-hop groups in that midst, but notheinr that really called out to my fickle ear-brain. Maybe I was just looking for somehting a little more…EuroTrash.

Discrete Encounter: It’s like the Eurhythmics and Johnny 5 in a passionate GHB-fueled sixty-nine, and I am ALL ABOUT THAT. The grinding, industrial pulse, the false harmonic pick squeals and chunka-chunka riffage, and ice-hearted, stoic female vocals drenched in reverb and digital delay… Plus, just look at them:

Man, I wish my band was that photogenic. Or that Euro-chic. Either way, listening to their throbbing electro makes me want to hold up in a former slaughterhouse-turned-disco, dressed entirely in leather and dance until my bowels turn to jelly.

Check Discreet Encounter’s MySpace here. YOu can buy their new album, 2B1 here. For $25? Really?

Admittedly, when I first saw the words “Speedo LZR,” I thought it was an abbreviation for “speedo loser.” As it turns out, in the world of competitive swimming, this space-aged suit is the polar opposite. (And yes, I just used the term “space age” without a hint of irony. Boner).

According to the Science of Sport blog, on its first professional outing, the swimmer with the Speedo LZR broke the world record…by two entire body lengths. Then the Women’s Dutch 4 x 200m relay team, equipped with the Speedo LZR, beat the world record (set 6 years back by China) by 8 seconds. I don’t know jack about professional competitive swimming, but even I know that’s kind of a big deal.

This brings to mind the whole juicing in sports argument: these people train every day for their profession; to be the best athlete, using all the technology available to get every ounce of power…so why not use drugs to further this concept? The problem is that unless everyone is doing the same drugs and has access to the same equipment and training, the competition would be unfair. Plus, you can’t make athletes who are ethically opposed to juicing use the stuff. We’re not living in a Brave new World just yet.

So in the case of the Speedo LZR, it might give the athlete an unfair technological advantage….unless every athlete was using them.

But on the other side of the coin, maybe to make it REALLY fair, they all should just swim naked, original Roman-Greko Olympics style. That would sure make the Women’s backstroke more interesting for me.

NEW ALBUM FEATURES COLLABORATIONS WITH JODY WATLEY, URSULA RUCKER, DARIEN BROCKINGTON & PHONTE OF LITTLE BROTHER, JACK DAVEY AND MORE

CARINA ANDERSSON RETURNS FOR FIRST SINGLE (MORNING CHILD�

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