Andrew Beaujon's new book "Body Piercing Saved My Life" is an intriguing exploration of the Christian rock subculture written from a secular point of view, but without the sort of reactionary anti-Christian bias that you may expect from a typical music critic. In its pages, Beaujon debunks many preconceived notions about Christian musicians, but never quite as effectively as in his chapter about Pedro The Lion's singer and songwriter David Bazan, who emerges as the most fascinating personality in the entire book. Though he is a highly respected figure within the contemporary Christian rock scene, Bazan is more or less exactly the opposite of the Christian rocker stereotype. He's cynical about modern Christianity, favors leftist politics, drinks heavily, swears on and off stage and openly disdains a literal interpretation of the Bible. Musically, Bazan specializes in arty, downbeat music more simpatico with the indie underground than the uplifting, squeaky clean mainstream Christian rock of, say, Switchfoot or Casting Crowns. Though Bazan mainly tours on the secular circuit, he makes an effort to consistently challenge his devoted Christian audience's ideas about their faith with his sharp words and stage banter. "Selling Advertising," the opening track from Bazan's new solo EP, is a fine example of Bazan's songwriting chops as well as his tendency for critical lyrics. In this song, he chastises an overzealous Christian writer for his "reviews of what other people do" with light sarcasm before moving in for the kill on the final verse by reminding him that his living is earned from "selling advertising, tracking trends, corralling demographics, and maximizing traffic."

When I stumbled upon the trailer for the new kids' show "Yo Gabba Gabba," it was the best sort of Internet serendipity: totally unexpected, completely bizarre and almost too good to be true. The two minute trailer is an explosion of bright colors, goofy yet well-designed plush characters and sets, insanely catchy music, unlikely guest stars (Biz Markie?!? Okay, sure!) and beyond manic energy. Best of all, "Yo Gabba Gabba" manages to co-opt hip-hop music and iconography without being lame or contrived by logically matching elements of its sound and style to a modern kids' aesthetic. If you think about it, it's not a stretch at all. "Party In My Tummy," a track recorded for the show and featured on the "Yo Gabba Gabba" Web site, is brilliant in how it acknowledges that Brazilian funk and Miami booty bass, with their highly energetic beats and simply rapped call-and-response chants, are ideally suited to the purposes of children's music. Musically, there's not a lot separating "Party In My Tummy" from the sort of tracks you'd expect to hear in a DJ set by Diplo. Lyrically, however, we get a guy with a silly voice rapping about eating vegetables instead of lewd, sexually aggressive lyrics. It's extremely cute and fun, and I especially love the little details, such as the way the main vocalist says the words "green beans" with a slightly strange cadence and rhythm.

I've never been there, but this excellent Euro-disco cut makes the Hungarian capital seem like it could be the most dangerously sexy place on the planet. Built on a pulsing electronic bass line and moved along by an increasingly dramatic arrangement, "Budapest" sounds like an entire spy thriller condensed into one five minute dance floor epic, with its swelling electronic strings and crashing guitars amping up the dramatic tension, and the distinct, urgent voice of guest vocalist Olga Kouklaki providing an additional jolt of eroticism and exoticism.