Last summer, T-Pain made it very profitable/cool to sing like a robot. Ever since, everybody seems to be trying their hand at it, or rather, using some sort of vocal modulation/autotune to emulate a sound that is both infectious and patently insincere. Lil’ Wayne’s hit single “Lollipop” is the most recent and notable instance of T-Pain’s influence, and it’s also the most dramatic deconstruction of that sound to date. T-Pain makes Windex’d, pristine pop music, songs you can check your hair in or snort drugs off of or, most importantly, cut into little squares and stick on a Styrofoam sphere to be hung in the middle of a dance floor. The vocal fx, the pedestrian lyrics, the chintzy beats - it’s all low-to-no risk, simple, easy, breezy, beautiful, Christie Brinkley....

WEDNESDAY [7] music • The Shins, Viva Voce at The Backyard music • Love and Dancing, with Daetron Vargas, Disco Nihilist, Majora Y Minora, and John Gomi at The Peacock music • Spinto Band, Dios, The Changes at Emo's music • Invincible Czars, Bee vs Moth, Golden Arm Trio at Emo's Lounge music • Woodgrain Wednesday with Bavu Blakes, DJ Rapid Ric, D-Madness at The Parish Room music • Patty Griffin at Waterloo Records......

THURSDAY [18] Beware of possible cancellations today and tomorrow -- call ahead! film • Spike & Mike's Sick & Twisted Festival 2007 at Alamo Downtown (7pm, 9:30pm) film • Terror Thursdays: Revenge from Planet Ape at Alamo Downtown music • Carrots, Darling New Neighbors, The Sleepwalkers at Emo's music • Spaceinvader Orchestra, Supercontinent, Kosmodrome at Emo's Lounge music • Shuttle Debris, Matson Belle, Ear of Anon at Stubb's music • "Smash" video release, Chingo......