If I told you I had written another trendy tongue-in-cheek anti-metal article, would you laugh or be annoyed?

Billie Holiday's Strange Fruit is really quite morbid and depressing, all things considered. I can't believe this was done by a black chick in the 50s. It's moody and sorrowful and here's this woman singing about blood, bulging eyes, twisted mouths and the smell of burning flesh. Holy crap! I know she did Gloomy Sunday way back when as well. Small wonder she found her music banned on the airwaves.

Other pleasant musical finds this week include tracks from The Cramps, Snake Corps and Die Apokalyptischen Reiter. I know The Cramps in particular have been around forever, but I never checked them out before.

I've also been working on getting the full Dead & Gone series. It's a collection of funeral marches and other songs about death from various cultures. Pretty interesting stuff.

And then there's The Danielson Famile. Again, what can I say besides holy crap? These are some wacked-out Jesus freaks with bizarre and catchy music. Their main vocalist sometimes goes onstage dressed as a nine-foot tall tree, squealing out contagious high-pitched warped melodies while the others parade around in nurse uniforms and play songs which won't leave your head for days no matter how hard you try. Add them to the small list of Christian bands I like. (Which, incidentally, would also include Virgin Black, Sixteen Horsepower and Woven Hand) Who says all Christian music has to be...well...uninspired?

Lake Of Tears might reform again and make one final comeback album again. Fine by me, as I like their stuff.