Rhett Miller...

Okay, stop laughing at me. It's not my fault I was born with a pop sweet tooth. I'm sure most of the people that read Bars & Guitars have a certain fondness for The Old 97's. I sure do. Great live, great on record. A couple of years ago Rhett Miller put out a widely panned, negatively received, oft made fun of solo album called The Instigator. I'm still not absolutely sure why the record was so negatively received, perhaps it had something to do with the semi-beefcake-look-at-me-I'm-a-poster-boy album cover. Bottom line for me is that the record has loads and loads of catchy pop songs. I know it wasn't high art, it didn't rock like the Old 97's, it wasn't true to the aesthetic of the 97's, but damn it was/is fun. So in an effort to convince others that this record is worth something beyond a surface on which on deseed your pot or carve lines I give you a couple of highpoints from Rhett.

Do not underestimate the power of a good pop song. They don't all have to save world, some just need to make it better for three minutes.

from The Instigator:

Come Around

Things That Disappear