Mini round-up: Slap bets, Delbert McClinton and ATX

A handful of things that brightened my August:

This spawn of Mumford & Sons and techno music (neither of which I enjoy):

Entertainment Weekly’s excellent Season 9 coverage of “How I Met Your Mother”:

(Discovered: TheSlapbetCountdown.com –indicating the next slap will be doled out on Nov. 18–, the return of Ellen D. “Nobody asked you, Patrice!” Williams, and the growing awesomeness of Cristin Miloti as the mother.)

My aforementioned favorite country single of the year that I reviewed over at Country Universe:

And this Texas road trip classic:

…re-discovered during my second consecutive trip to my college town this summer, which never (ever, ever) gets old:

Happy September!

Grammy Awards 2011: On the bright side

Last night’s Grammy Awards were a mixed bag for me –Need You Now is the best country album of the year? Really?– but it’s more fun to focus on the good stuff, no? Below are some of the things I loved.

This quote from the red carpet:

“It might be a little less campy. Less rhinestones, more leather.”

— -Adam Lambert on his new album. Say what?

This performance:

These reactions:

• Nicole Kidman jamming to “Teenage Dream”
• Jada & Will Smith (@ the 4:36 mark):

This win from the pre-telecast ceremony.

And this lovely surprise: (I was rooting for Eminem, but no complaints from me. An ironic shout-out to The Woodlands, Texas, for paving the way for this album.)