Good, bad, good

Good: I went to the Caribou show at Rock and Roll Hotel last night, and it was absolutely great. Riffs and patterns building up on top of each other, peeling off and coming back in again, all wrapped up in a bit of a psychedelic swirl. You can check out videos of them in the studio playing Yeti and After Hours off their previous albums, but where they really shined was in performing tracks off the new album.

Bad: My shifter cable broke on the ride home this evening, leaving my bike stuck in the highest gear.

Good: I stopped at Crooked Beat on my way home to pick up the new album by The National. I debated a while on whether to buy the CD or LP copy, and went with vinyl. When I opened it up at home, I found a certificate that said

Greetings to you, the lucky finder of this ticket. The bearer of this ticket will receive a $50 credit at the store where this CD or LP of The National High Violet was purchased.

I was a little skeptical at first, but on The National's website it says that "Many indie stores also have one special copy of High Violet which contains a Violet Ticket which is redeemable for a $50 store credit." Sweet!!