Happy birthday to me. It's like my iPod knew, and was all, here you go, Betsy, have some awesome for your birthday! (Oh yes, that was right after Erik G. said, here you go, Betsy, take the iPod Roulette for your birthday!) Have you fallen in love with Menomena's Friend and Foe yet? No? Well why the heck not? It's easily one of the most original and delicious albums released this year. It has a die-cut cover. igDana and I got to check out a prototype of the new vinyl sleeve at Barsuk, and it's awesome times 10. Everything about this album is just a giant parade of awesomeness. And each song is its own float in the awesome parade. I don't love any of them more or less than any others; if for a moment I start to think I do, I realize I'm all wrong as soon as the next begins. "Wet and Rusting" makes me happy because of its tempo changes, piano strokes, chimes, vocal collaboration towards the end, and fun electronic bits.

I was sad that I had to miss Menomena when they came to Boston. I'm very curious to see how they reproduce/reinterpret the songs live. I do, however, get to boast that they were on the cover of the magazine I work for (yeah, that jig is up at this point, now that there are photos of me on TIG and all) earlier this year. That's how I first got to hear them. Props to our editor Katherine for having the foresight to predict the Menomena phenomenon. It seems only fitting to provide you here with the source of their name, cause who can't watch this old Muppets skit a thousand times?

{Betsy submitted this article yesterday, July 16, which was her actual birthday. Wish her a happy one!}