Welcome Interstate Managers

He was killed by a cellular phone explosion
They scattered his ashes across the ocean
The water was used to make baby lotion
The wheels of promotion were set into motion

And so begins one of my new favorite albums by Fountains of Wayne. It came out last June, but I only recently purchased a copy. During the Grammy Awards, I was rooting for them or Evanescence to grab Best New Artist, because we all know the importance of that distinction.

And the bourbon sits inside me
Right now I'm a puppet in its sway
And it may be the whiskey talking
But the whiskey says I miss you every day

I love their storytelling, the geographical references and Chris Collingwood's voice. The album is an eclectic assortment of humorous, somber and pointedly critical songs. My favorites include "Bright Future in Sales", "Hey Julie" and "Hackensack". A couple of the more unique topics include a waitress who takes too long to serve coffee (which is just wrong) and a football quarterback making a single pass.

He looks to the left
He looks to the right
And there in a golden ray of light
Is his open man
Just like he planned
The whole world is his tonight

I can listen to this great little record for hours. Now I want to hear some of their earlier work.