I say it every year, but Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin is my favorite festival. And that won’t change in 2011, thanks in part to a badass lineup that includes Danzig playing Misfits tunes, Public Enemy playing Public Enemy tunes, the fucking Hot Snakes, Reggie Watts, M83, Slayer, Ted Leo, Russian Circles, Del the Funky Homosapien and Touché Amoré, just to name a few.

Last year was doubly special, since I got to meet up with Josh, Sammy, Don and Sergio for the first time during the trip. Hopefully I get to see them again, both on the road and at the festival.

This record is superb front to back. I’ve been listening to it almost nonstop for weeks now, and I’ve yet to hit a lull in my enjoyment or fixate on any idiosyncrasies within the album’s framework.

But above and beyond any listening pleasure I get from it (and I do get plenty), David Comes to Life brings very specific issues to the forefront for me. They’re things we discuss regularly on Buzzgrinder, ranging from the heavy segmentation of the recording industry into genre-specific ghettos to the evolution (or lack thereof) in hardcore music at large.

It makes me wonder why Fucked Up and, say, Torche aren’t touring together. Or why bands are still writing Disfear records. Or why a label like Matador could never sign someone like Touché Amoré. Or why that gaunt dude who always wears Frenchkiss band shirts keeps refusing to pop in some Pelican.

But even with all the negativity I’m bringing to the table, seeing Fucked Up be Fucked Up reminds me that there are bands interested in exploring more aggressive forms of music without capitulating to the conventions therein. I don’t care if a record happens to be “brutal,” “heavy,” “technical” or “sludgy.” I just care if it’s good. Those words have no intrinsic value. If the music sucks, making it heavier won’t make it better. And neither will adding reverb, just for the record.

:: Folk/bluegrass musician Hazel Dickens passed away Friday morning at the age of 75.

:: Some Arcade Fire members got to sing Take Me Out to the Ballgame during a Cubs game.

:: Nicki Minaj continues to amaze me. And not just because of that rear. But also because of it.

:: The Nation lists the top 10 protest songs of all time. Sure, I get that Get Up, Stand Up could be at the top of the list — but how is (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!) not at number two?

:: Speaking of those crazy Beastie Boys, did you watch a boombox at Madison Square Garden play the boys’ new album?

:: Motion City Soundtrack is in the studio. If the band’s new material keeps moving in the same grown-up, guitar-driven direction, then we might have a good album on our hands.

:: Ditch your halcion, part six.

:: Random tracks that don’t suck:

In about 63 hours, I’ll be throwin’ some ‘bows at Ear X-Tacy to make sure I get my hands on every Record Store Day release I need. Of course, “need” is hardly the proper term, but when you’re standing there holding the last copy of a Japanese Les Savy Fav import on coke bottle clear and orange swirl vinyl — well, that’s when “need” is the right word.

With that in mind, here is my list of RSD desirables. In looking through the list, there were some entries I objectively knew I should care about. For some reason, though, they just didn’t make me tingle. Below, you’ll find the tinglers. Not all of them are must-haves, but they’re all tinglers nonetheless.

• Bad Brains – Pay to Cum seven-inch
• Bad Brains – God of Love
• Big Star – Third (test pressing edition)
• Buck Owens – Close Up the Honky Tonks/My Heart Skips a Beat seven-inch
• Deerhoof/Xiu Xiu – Almost Xiu Xiu, Almost Deerhoof seven-inch
• Lady Gaga – Born This Way picture disc (for my wife, I swear)
• Mastodon/ZZ Top – Just Got Paid seven-inch
• Manchester Orchestra – Simple Math seven-inch
• Piebald – Vol I-III Triple Gatefold 3LP Special Edition
• Rival Schools – Wring It Out seven-inch
• The Beach Boys – Good Vibrations/Heroes and Villains 10-inch
• The Flaming Lips – Heady Nuggs box set
• Arthur Russell – World of Echo
• Fucked Up – Town Comp
• Superchunk/Coliseum – Horror Business/Bullet seven-inch
• Touché Amoré – To the Beat of a Dead Horse
• Joan of Arc – Presents: Don’t Mind Control

Needless to say, my eyes are bigger than my wallet. But what about you? What are your tinglers? And by that, I mean records that you want to buy this Saturday. Perv.