I Need This

Badly.

That happens to be James Morrison's CD, Undiscovered. And I've already tried to buy it in our local record shop here in Milford...No dice. Apparently, it's still an import. And while that does make me feel very chic and la-di-da because I want an album that is not yet released here in America, it does pose a problem.

See, it seems that every time I turn on the radio, I hear one of five songs: Hinder, Lips of an Angel; Nickelback, Far Away; Sean Paul, Give it up to Me; Snow Patrol, Chasing Cars; All American Rejects, It Ends Tonight. For honorable mention, I'll stick freakin' Five for Fighting in there with The Riddle. Seriously, every time I turn on the radio, one of them starts playing, and I can't even describe the feeling of anger that courses through my body with the opening chords of each ditty. The songs were good, at first. But now, eight million four hundred forty four thousand eight hundred and sixty two plays later...Not so much. At some point, you realize that you'd rather stick a razor in your ear than listen to one more spin of each record.

It's not because they're bad songs, but because they're overplayed and they don't speak to me at all. None of them make me feel wrapped up and safe, the way I prefer my music to make me feel.

Which brings me to last week, when Billy and I watched a repeat episode of Grey's Anatomy, and this incredible voice sung us through the last part of the show. It was rich and deep and rough and smooth all at the same time. Billy and I knew instantly this was a guy we'd both love.

So I dug around on the internet to find him, and I did. Except that, when I found him on Amazon, they said his album wasn't released in the US until September 12. I trudged down to the aforementioned record store to see if they maybe they had it early, in Import form, but no luck. So, a week later, I checked back on Amazon yesterday, and it's there and released, but it will take three to six weeks to get it. And it costs $30. So, hey, why not check out Amazon.uk? I did, but I think it only ships into the UK, and I don't know what 8.99 in euros comes out to be in US dollars. Probably a thousand dollars or something. Who knows.

And this is where my self-diagnosed OCD comes into play. Because, seriously, I have to have this CD. Have to. I've listened to this guy on his website, on his myspace page, everywhere, and I just can't get enough of his voice. I just know this is a CD that would see constant repeat on my player, yet I can't get it.

I went back to the record store yesterday, and, though the CD may or may not be released in the US, they still don't have it. So I bought the new Justin Timberlake CD to hold me over. I don't much like buying kitschy pop music in that particular record store, because the owners employ a bunch of punk boys to run it, and they play really loud punk-type music in the place, and I feel so ridiculous when buying the new Christina Aguilera or Justin Timberlake CD. I feel like they're judging me for my taste in music, and I just know they're making fun of me as soon as I leave. On the other hand, I also think that - since I'm in there all the time - they say to each other "I just can't figure out her taste. One week it's Christina Aguilera, the next it's Ray LaMontagne. Then it's Keb' Mo'. Then she's looking for some British artist, now Timberlake?" Because that makes me feel cultured and mysterious and diverse.

And though the new Timberlake CD really is quite fantastic, I'm still longing for Mr. Morrison. I suppose eBay is my next move, though buying things on eBay is still sort of foreign to me. Billy keeps insisting I just order it - from somewhere - but I keep hoping against hope there will be some easier way to get it. Until then, I suppose I'll be tethered to this computer, listening to "Better Man" and "Wonderful World" on his Myspace page when I'm alone in the office, and wishing I had the CD.