I rushed in here after watching last night's BSG [another mindfraker] to finish this because as I became aware today - March is almost upon us!
This one's a little bit different than last month for two major reasons...
1] I made a conscious effort to pick things up a bit after I got called out by the Missus for becoming a softy in my old age last month. Happy now?
2] At some point in the month, I decried the state of hip hop music as being really ass-o-riffic thanks to that god damn Dirty South vocal filter that seemingly is on every rap/hip hop track these days. This declaration sent me to iTunes Music Store to see if I could find some new hip hop to add to my collection that could prove me wrong. Those songs are well-represented here.
And off we go...
SIDE A
----------
I'm Not Going To Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You - Black Kids
I'm pretty sure that Kate Nash's awesome cover of this song has made a previous Mixtape Of The Month and with this featured on the playlist at work these days, I thought it was only fitting to pay tribute to the original. This kicks off Side A with a burst of energy and awesomeness. I defy anyone to listen to this song and not be singing it for days to follow. This is one of those songs that just makes you happy when you hear it.
Section 22: Running Away - The Polyphonic Spree
Unfortunately, I can't say why I've had this song stuck in my head lately and why I included it this month. In fact, there's a Non-Disclosure Agreement that would prohibit it! Suffice to say that I don't care if the Polyphonic Spree is a cult or not because they make some damn fine music. Another song that just brings a smile to my face all the time when I hear it.
Slow Show - The National
I'm pretty sure the version that'll by housed on MY Mixtape is a live one from some radio station or Internet place but the one I've included for your benefit is the actual studio version. The National didn't really come to my attention until I saw them open for R.E.M. last year. At that point, I only knew them as "the band that covered a kinda obscure Bruce song." But they quickly won me over with biiiiig songs and powerful vocals. This is one of those songs. The song [especially in the live version] just seems so huge at times, you'd think the vocals [which are damn subtle] would get lost in the mix but they just power on through to create an amazing piece of music.
Let It Slip - The School
In a similar way to the Pipettes knockin' the hell out of Pull Shapes, The School channels some of those bubble gum pop bands from the 50s to put something out there that very few bands are doing and even fewer are doing well. The version I included for you guys sounds a little different to my highly-tonedeaf ear... more polished or something... maybe I have a demo or an older less studio version? No clue but it's still awesome. Listen to this one and imagine your parents [well, if you're my age anyways] listening to something just like it.
Heavy Metal Drummer - Wilco
Back in October when I reviewed Wilco's set at the Bridge School Benefit, I made the following statement...
They took a person who didn't know many of their songs [me!] and managed to make me entertained by their entire set
So, if we go back to that statement and now reveal that months later, I'm still listening to and enjoying one of the songs they played that day that I had no clue about - well, that just shows how talented of a band that they are. I still look forward to a chance to see them in a smaller venue someday.
Just Dropped In - Kenny Rogers & The First Edition
Wait a second. Is this the same Kenny Rogers who rocked the house with The Gambler, Lady, and Islands In The Stream among others? No fucking way. I love when I stumble upon artists who went waaaaay outside their wheelhouse and managed to put something awesome together. Apparently he did this before those other songs but it doesn't make it any less amazing. Obviously, this is being included because of its' star turn in The Big Lebowski which is on my mind because Lebowski Fest is coming to Los Angeles in May and I'm trying to work myself into getting excited so that I want to go... that make sense? Oh, the song rocks too. Listen to it!
First Time High - Of Montreal
Sadly, Seeqpod doesn't have this so you can't hear it but I'd suggest hunting it down to check it out. Maybe... here!
Turn Me On - Norah Jones
After all that kickass rockishness, it's time for one of our slow jams. I'm not the kind of guy who likes to paint all these elaborate pictures about what kind of scene a certain song creates in my mind BUT... well, let's just say this song makes me easily envision it being sung by a sulty songstress on a darkened stage in a smoky piano bar... oh yeah, and she's singing that song just for you, buddy! You know it! Go get that crazy dame!
I've Been High - R.E.M.
You guys drew the short straw here because there's an AMAZING in-studio version of this that is on one of the KCRW Morning Becomes Eclectic albums. This is a great live version that you get but that studio version is the equivalent of a musical orgasm. Yep. I said it. I meant it. I'm here to represent it. But until you can track that down, you're stuck with this. And with such a beautiful song, we wrap up Side A with a bang!
SIDE B
----------
Gangsta Gangsta - N.W.A.
For years, I've sat sadly with N.W.A. only being represented on my iTunes by Compton, Police, and Express Yourself. This month, I decided to remedy that. This is one of those songs that just shows off how amazing that group was with each member carrying their own shit so strongly, it couldn't help but make the whole group rock the house. Hopefully none of you are listening to this at work - well, unless you have earphones.
Vato - Snoop Dogg w/B-Real
One of the things I love about the hip hop/rap world that you just don't usually see in other genres is how frequently you see collaborations like this. Snoop Dogg with B-Real from Cypress Hill? Seems like a natural match, huh? This one tells a pretty simply story about some guys fuckin' with gangsta Snoop and how Snoop had to deal with them. Sounds like every other hip hop song, no? I love the back and forth between Snoop and B-Real though - that's what makes this one stand out to me.
Crack A Bottle - Eminem, Dre, 50 Cent
No luck on this one either. It's nowhere to be found on Seeqpod. I'm going to guess they made 'em pull it down because this song's been all over the place lately. I'm a big fan of two of the three artists on this one so I had to give it a shot. No one puts together a hook like Eminem and Dre. This one will be stuck in your head too. Guaranteed.
California Vacation - The Game
Remember when everyone was talking about 50 Cent vs The Game? Well, one listen to the last track and this track will tell you who won that one musically. Financially? Who knows. But musically, The Game is far beyond what 50 Cent is capable of with his gangsta romance rap. This is one of those songs where you can hear the heritage of West Coast rap in every piece of it. Having Snoop as a guest star on it doesn't hurt either.
Timecop - Iron Chic
Seeqpod is letting me down tonight but I did manage to find a link for y'all for this one. This would drop us out of the gangsta rap and kick us back a ways. This is the kind of song and the kind of band that I would have gone absolutely apeshit for about ten years ago. Now? Well, I can reminisce fondly while listening to them. I'm sure I would have seen them a half dozen times in a year's span - probably all at crazy shows where 15 bands played. Ahhh - memories.
Green Means Go - The Color Wheels
This knocks us a little further away from the West Coast rap with a really fun poppy punk track. It's catchy as hell too so you can feel free to blame me tomorrow evening when you're humming "It goes green means go and no means no..." Fun song. I enjoyed it immensely when I first stumbled upon it and thought it was instantly worthy of inclusion on this list.
I Really Love You - Dee Dee Sharp
I talked about The School channeling some 50's pop earlier but this one is legit straight off the AM dial from the 60s. The thing that strikes me the most about this song though is that it feels like it should be included on a Tarantino soundtrack so that a whole new generation can treasure it - just like The Delfonics, Dusty Springfield, Dick Dale, and so many others. Tell me you can't hear this blasting out of a scene in Jackie Brown. Sadly, I don't think it'll fit in Inglorious Bastards though. Anyone else see the trailer for that and just start giggling uncontrollably? The tagline "You haven't seen war until you've see it through the eyes of Quentin Tarantino" reaffirms my belief in Hollywood... and then someone mentions Mall Cop. Sigh.
Heartless - Kanye West
Never let it be said that I don't have the ability to mock myself. Yes, after going on a diatribe above about the Dirty South vocal filter - here it is in all its glory. And yes, I do think it's a cheap trick for Kanye to go for because I think he's better than that. His vocals are good enough to stand on their own without some fucking studio magician slapping shit on him to make him sound like a robot. But, that being said... great song.
End tape!
I'll be back tomorrow [or Monday] to talk about my favorite music from February so it's a jam-packed music weekend here at the B-Spot.
Listen and enjoy...
2009-02-28
2009-02-27
Can I Defer This Post?
Okay - damn. I really hate when I have to take stuff back but...
Really? Isn't that just a BIT too much deferred money to think they'd
take it?
Sigh. I guess this will never end.
Sent from my iPhone
2009-02-26
Dodger Spring Training: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
Well, so goes the waiting game. Might as well not delay it any longer.
THE GOOD
Jason Schmidt Pitches... FOR REAL!
Now, I wouldn't want to get overly excited yet but the mere fact that he's already on a normal throwing program is good news. He pitched in a game and was okay to throw again in the following couple of days. I'm not about to predict we suddenly might get the Jason Schmidt of old in our rotation but if he's anywhere near that level, he could be absolutely vital. If he's not? Well, there's a shitload of guys who can slot in at the #5 spot.
Orlando Hudson Signs
I have some mixed feelings on this one but I'm not naive to think this is anything but a good thing for the Dodgers. It has pretty much been universally hailed as the best bargain of the winter and it gives the Dodgers yet another threat in the lineup. The bad part of this is Blake Dewitt who seemed certain to have earned a spot on the team after filling in so well for Jeff Kent last year. In the end though, I think this is directly a result of the extended negotiations with You-Know-Who. It's a move with a couple of purposes. It bolsters the lineup to ensure that if "the other guy" is not signed - the lineup won't be complete ass. It also sends a message to Satan Incarnate that we may not need his big client afterall. Maybe we won't even stick around in the negotiations... bitch.
THE BAD
The Starting Pitchers Fail Day One
Let's preface this with the standard "it's still early" but on Day One of Spring Training play, three of the Dodgers' starting rotation candidates took the mound in the forms of Ramon Trancoso, Claudio Vargas, and Eric Milton and collectively got rocked. Trancoso, who you may recall as a reliever last year, made his bid to make the rotation by giving up a grand slam in the 5th inning. Vargas looked shaky in the first inning when he gave up a run on two hits but set the side down in order in the second. Milton gave up three hits over 1 2/3 innings. So, really, it was just Trancoso who got completely smoked but Milton didn't fill me with confidence either. Vargas might have earned a closer look. But... say it with me... it's still early.
THE UGLY
Mr. Ramirez? Stuff It! I'm Over It!
The above was my exact quote when I found out that Manny and his bloodsucking jackal had rejected the latest offer from the Dodgers which basically was a one year deal with an absolute no-win option for a second year. That was a major concession by a team negotiating against itself and still it got nowhere. I'm over it and judging by a poll on the Times website which, as of right now, shows 47 percent of fans wanting the Dodgers to pull the offer and forget about it, I'm not alone in this. I seriously can't believe it's gotten this far and I'm really disappointed by it. I love Manny as a player on the field and won't forget his contribution to last year's team but... I'm over it. I'm completely okay with letting the kids play 2009 and seeing what happens. I was okay with that last year and I'm okay with it this year.
And that's that.
THE GOOD
Jason Schmidt Pitches... FOR REAL!
Now, I wouldn't want to get overly excited yet but the mere fact that he's already on a normal throwing program is good news. He pitched in a game and was okay to throw again in the following couple of days. I'm not about to predict we suddenly might get the Jason Schmidt of old in our rotation but if he's anywhere near that level, he could be absolutely vital. If he's not? Well, there's a shitload of guys who can slot in at the #5 spot.
Orlando Hudson Signs
I have some mixed feelings on this one but I'm not naive to think this is anything but a good thing for the Dodgers. It has pretty much been universally hailed as the best bargain of the winter and it gives the Dodgers yet another threat in the lineup. The bad part of this is Blake Dewitt who seemed certain to have earned a spot on the team after filling in so well for Jeff Kent last year. In the end though, I think this is directly a result of the extended negotiations with You-Know-Who. It's a move with a couple of purposes. It bolsters the lineup to ensure that if "the other guy" is not signed - the lineup won't be complete ass. It also sends a message to Satan Incarnate that we may not need his big client afterall. Maybe we won't even stick around in the negotiations... bitch.
THE BAD
The Starting Pitchers Fail Day One
Let's preface this with the standard "it's still early" but on Day One of Spring Training play, three of the Dodgers' starting rotation candidates took the mound in the forms of Ramon Trancoso, Claudio Vargas, and Eric Milton and collectively got rocked. Trancoso, who you may recall as a reliever last year, made his bid to make the rotation by giving up a grand slam in the 5th inning. Vargas looked shaky in the first inning when he gave up a run on two hits but set the side down in order in the second. Milton gave up three hits over 1 2/3 innings. So, really, it was just Trancoso who got completely smoked but Milton didn't fill me with confidence either. Vargas might have earned a closer look. But... say it with me... it's still early.
THE UGLY
Mr. Ramirez? Stuff It! I'm Over It!
The above was my exact quote when I found out that Manny and his bloodsucking jackal had rejected the latest offer from the Dodgers which basically was a one year deal with an absolute no-win option for a second year. That was a major concession by a team negotiating against itself and still it got nowhere. I'm over it and judging by a poll on the Times website which, as of right now, shows 47 percent of fans wanting the Dodgers to pull the offer and forget about it, I'm not alone in this. I seriously can't believe it's gotten this far and I'm really disappointed by it. I love Manny as a player on the field and won't forget his contribution to last year's team but... I'm over it. I'm completely okay with letting the kids play 2009 and seeing what happens. I was okay with that last year and I'm okay with it this year.
And that's that.
2009-02-25
Maybe Not Yet
This was the night I intended to do another Dodger news recap...
...but there's something in the air. A secret meeting at Dodger Stadium resulting in a not-so-secret offer to He-Shall-Not-Be-Named-Until-It's-Over. It seems odd to do said recap tonight... just in case. Let's wait a day and see what happens.
So, in place of that...
see more pwn and owned pictures
...but there's something in the air. A secret meeting at Dodger Stadium resulting in a not-so-secret offer to He-Shall-Not-Be-Named-Until-It's-Over. It seems odd to do said recap tonight... just in case. Let's wait a day and see what happens.
So, in place of that...
see more pwn and owned pictures
2009-02-24
BSG vs Lost: Week 5
These seem to be getting later and later every week but I do keep remembering to do them in time - so I guess that's a good thing, right?
This week's showdown may seem a little unfair because with a viewing tonight, I've seen last week's Lost a total of three times now. The Missus went to bed early the first time I saw it. She fell asleep during a rewatch that was FOR HER BENEFIT! And tonight, I finally made her watch it so we could watch tomorrow's without having to wait. So, this may be a little unfair.
But Lost truly was the calm before the storm this week as it was the final episode before the Oceanic Six got back to the island. We got the last bit of preparation for that but while it probably should have been a pretty dull ep, it really was an "out of the park" episode. We had a little bit of a throwback to the days where Lost provided more questions than answers - with just a few answers to shut up the criers.
We learned that the Dharma Initiative built that room under the church as a way to find the island. We learned that are certain times when the island can be found and that room is the key to finding those times.
And that's about it.
But now we got a bushel of new questions. How the hell did Hurley get away from the police and know to get to the plane and why is he carrying a guitar case? [I'm guessing the answer to both of the last two questions is the same.] Why is Sayid in police custody? What the hell happened to Ben [and PLEASE tell me it's not what I think it is]? And of course, where is Aaron?
Gotta love Lost. Just when you think you've got the answers, they change the questions!
BSG had quite the show to beat this week and while they delivered another fun show with lots of twists and turns... I thought it fell flat yet again. I just didn't care as much as I thought I would. And to be honest, the blame falls squarely on the character of Ellen. She was quite interesting to watch when she was away from the humans in the Fleet but as soon as she landed on Galactica, she became the same character that I hated all those months ago. There were some pretty gripping emotional moments throughout the ep but in the end...
Round Five goes to Lost!
After five weeks...
Lost - 3
BSG - 2
This week's showdown may seem a little unfair because with a viewing tonight, I've seen last week's Lost a total of three times now. The Missus went to bed early the first time I saw it. She fell asleep during a rewatch that was FOR HER BENEFIT! And tonight, I finally made her watch it so we could watch tomorrow's without having to wait. So, this may be a little unfair.
But Lost truly was the calm before the storm this week as it was the final episode before the Oceanic Six got back to the island. We got the last bit of preparation for that but while it probably should have been a pretty dull ep, it really was an "out of the park" episode. We had a little bit of a throwback to the days where Lost provided more questions than answers - with just a few answers to shut up the criers.
We learned that the Dharma Initiative built that room under the church as a way to find the island. We learned that are certain times when the island can be found and that room is the key to finding those times.
And that's about it.
But now we got a bushel of new questions. How the hell did Hurley get away from the police and know to get to the plane and why is he carrying a guitar case? [I'm guessing the answer to both of the last two questions is the same.] Why is Sayid in police custody? What the hell happened to Ben [and PLEASE tell me it's not what I think it is]? And of course, where is Aaron?
Gotta love Lost. Just when you think you've got the answers, they change the questions!
BSG had quite the show to beat this week and while they delivered another fun show with lots of twists and turns... I thought it fell flat yet again. I just didn't care as much as I thought I would. And to be honest, the blame falls squarely on the character of Ellen. She was quite interesting to watch when she was away from the humans in the Fleet but as soon as she landed on Galactica, she became the same character that I hated all those months ago. There were some pretty gripping emotional moments throughout the ep but in the end...
Round Five goes to Lost!
After five weeks...
Lost - 3
BSG - 2
2009-02-23
Wrestlemania Coming To Arizona
The "buzz" started breaking out earlier today and now it seems like the WWE will make it official tomorrow. Wrestlemania 26 will be held in Phoenix, Arizona.
And I am stoked!
I REALLY wanted to go to Mania this year but I just couldn't bring myself to actually fly to Houston for it. It'd be an amazing show, I'm sure, but I didn't feel up to dropping that much cash but Phoenix? I can drive to Phoenix!
If I go to Wrestlemania 26, it'll be only my second Mania visit - the first being the horrific Wrestlemania 2000 at the Pond in Anaheim. Since then, Wrestlemania has really become a several day event with the return of Axxess this year, the amazing Hall of Fame ceremony, and now with Ring Of Honor following Mania around the country to host a show or two the same weekend. And as it stands, there's a very strong possibility that 26 could be the final Mania for both Shawn Michaels AND The Undertaker. How can I resist?
Sometime tomorrow, the WWE will make it official and I will officially be counting down the days because that one is going on my calendar in an instant.
2009-02-22
Quick Oscar Thoughts
I'll probably have a little more to say on all this tomorrow but some quick thoughts...
** Disappointed in the Best Actor results. Sean Penn had a great performance in Milk but Mickey Rourke deserved that Oscar and I'm not just saying that as a long-time wrestling fan.
** Disappointed that the Best Supporting Actress went to the one movie in that category that I hadn't seen. That is all.
** Overjoyed that Slumdog took the categories that I thought it should take including Song and Editing. But that movie, by far, was the Best Picture of 2008 and it would have been an out and out travesty for anything else to win.
** Of course, I'm happy that Heath Ledger got the Best Supporting Actor nod but I still feel that Academy thought that was there way to pay tribute to The Dark Knight without actually having to "suffer the indignity" of having a comic book movie possibly win Best Picture.
** And my thoughts on Best Actress? Well, I'm sure I've posted this before but it was never more fitting than tonight...
2009-02-21
Benjamin Button
Also a pleasant surprise. First one to get audience applause when it
was over. I'm not sure if it's Best Picture worthy though - I'll have
to ponder that.
was over. I'm not sure if it's Best Picture worthy though - I'll have
to ponder that.
Sent from my iPhone
The Reader
Wasn't really feeling this one. It was okay but I can now, as
predicted, declare that someone was robbed!
predicted, declare that someone was robbed!
Sent from my iPhone
Milk
I stand corrected. Milk was extremely well done and just MIGHT crack
my Top 5!
my Top 5!
Sent from my iPhone
2009-02-20
Top Five Friday: An Oscar Edition
It's a long, somewhat grueling day that had me incredibly cranky at the ending of No County For Old Men last year. In case you've forgotten, you can now relive my rage from that night.
But tomorrow is a new day and it's time to "run the mile" again. With that in mind, I'm going into this Showcase with certain expectations and preconceived notions so I thought it'd only be fitting to run down in order what I think I'll enjoy the most tomorrow.
NOTE: Much like last year when immediately following Michael Clayton, I proclaimed that Sweeney Todd got robbed - I fully expect to utter that a few times with The Dark Knight, The Wrestler, Doubt, and possibly Wall-E as this year's victims of choice.
5. The Reader
Now, to be fair, I know very little about The Reader. In fact, when the nominees were announced, I was absolutely clueless to what this was even about. Soon enough though, I found things that made me cautious. It's apparently sorta a Holocaust movie. I've never seen Schindler's List and it's pretty much the standard-bearer for that "genre" so I'm not particularly excited about seeing this. Then, I find out Kate Winslet's in it and since she was partially responsible for three of the most painful hours in a theatre I can recall...
But there's slight hope. I hear the Holocaust thing is an undertone and not the overreaching story. Then, someone mentions that Winslet is naked through a large chunk of the movie. I'm sure that's an overstatement and I'm not sure ordinarily that'd be enough to make me watch the film but hey... it can't hurt, right? And finally, someone who has actually SEEN all 5 movies already told me this was the best. I'm holding severe doubt on that one but I was magnificently surprised by Atonement last year so... we'll see.
4. Milk
Reviews on this one from people I trust to do reviews all seemed to say the same thing: Sean Penn's performance is amazing but the movie? Well, that's not all that great. And not to be the insensitive prick here but is anyone else getting the vibe from this one that people aren't allowed not to like it because of the subject matter? It's like Philadelphia or any Denzel movie where he's a black guy put into [INSERT 'BLACK GUY FORCED TO DEAL WITH RACISM AND 'THE MAN' SCENARIO HERE!] It's almost like if you see you don't like it, you're a bad person. I'm hoping I'm wrong on this one but... well, I'm not hopeful that I am.
3. The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
This is such a polarizing movie. When it first came out, all I heard was how fantastic it was and that I was an idiot for not racing out to see it. Now that people have had some time for reflection, this one is suffering some serious backlash. I was kinda in the middle about seeing this when it first came out and my desire to see it has slowly slip-slided down the road since then. But of the movies I've listed so far, this is the one I have the most hope for. Besides, some say it's the same movie as Forrest Gump and I love that damn movie.
2. Slumdog Millionaire
I've already seen this one and I adored it. I have a hard time imagining that any of the others will come close to touching it. I'm undecided if I'll skip out on this one to go grab dinner or not since it's the second to last movie of the night. I'd really like to see it again, I think. We'll see!
1. Frost/Nixon
This is legitimately the only one of the Best Picture nominees that I actually WANTED to see when it first hit the cineplexes. I'm not entirely sure why. It's some piece of that former history major in me, I'm sure. I have high hopes for this one and I think it possibly could be my favorite of the day. But it's in the death slot - starting at 9:45 PM when I'll start thinking about how I have to be at work at 7 AM on Sunday. This could easily put me down for the count if it starts to drift.
In the end, I'm pretty sure this is how my Top 5 will go heading into Oscar Night.
1. Slumdog
2. Frost/Nixon
3. The Reader
4. Benjamin Button
5. Milk
And in the end, I'm pretty sure I'll be staring at the final closing credits wishing it was...
1. Slumdog
2. The Dark Knight
3. The Wrestler
4. Doubt
5. Frost/Nixon
Just a hunch.
I might pop in throughout the day tomorrow with brief thoughts on each flick since it'll probably be my only chance to post tomorrow.
2009-02-19
A quick one
Little too tired to write much but I read this at work today and I had to call upon my manliest of manly feelings to not openly cry. I seriously started to tear up!
First there were all the "slow jams" on the Mixtape Of The Month... now this? What's happened to me?!
First there were all the "slow jams" on the Mixtape Of The Month... now this? What's happened to me?!
2009-02-18
Dodger Spring Training: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
The Good
Ethier avoids arbitration
Arbitration is always a tricky thing for a fan. On the one hand, you'd like to see your team not get financially raped but if the player has it coming to him, you don't want to see him get hosed either. But the real hard thing with arbitration is the feelings it created. The team feels the player wasn't worth what he wants and that he's being unreasonable in his demands. The player feels the team doesn't respect his contributions. No matter how the hearing results - and the Dodgers haven't lost one since Kim Ng took over on that front - bitter feelings seem to always remain. So, I was very happy to hear that the Dodgers avoided going to arbitration with any players this year with a last-second deal with Andre Ethier. And when I say "last-second," I mean it as apparently the deal was signed in the hallway outside the hearing. Hopefully both sides can put it behind them and get down to business.
The Bad
The Dodgers' Starting Pitching Woes
Despite some good news on the Jason Schmidt front - it appears he may actually be ready to take the #5 slot in the rotation for the start of the season - this area of the team is a definite weakness and an area to be quite concerned with. With the departure of Brad Penny and more specifically, Derek Lowe, over the past few months, the Dodgers faced a situation where they really could have used more than Randy Wolf. The current rotation looks like Chad Billingsley, Hiroki Kuroda, Clayton Kershaw, Randy Wolf, and Jason Schmidt - which on paper should be solid at worst. Buuuuuuut... well, Billingsley is coming off a broken leg in the off-season... Kuroda's still talking about shoulder tightness... Kershaw's just a kid... Wolf is Wolf... and Schmidt hasn't pitched in ages. There's a ton of rookies and journeyman jostling to make the team as well but it's obviously a problem spot. I'm optimistic but very realistic at the same time.
The Ugly
Brad Penny vs Larry Bowa: Let's Get It On!
And not in a sexy Marvin Gaye kind of way either. Penny fired the first shot earlier this week by going on to the Boston media about how happy he was to be out of LA since apparently he felt we wanted him to pitch hurt last season. He also called out Larry Bowa for talking shit about him to other players behind his back. Bowa retaliated by questioning his heart, his work ethic, his stamina, his loyalty and a few other things. It was really quite the fiery reply so there's obviously some bad blood there. In the end though, it never turns out well when a player blasts his former team. To his new team, he already looks like an ungrateful whiner with questionable team spirit. To his old team, they feel betrayed [especially the fans] for the support they gave him all along. It's all part of modern sports though so what can you really say?
Maybe I'll make this a weekly thing throughout the spring.
Anyone like that idea?
2009-02-17
2009-02-16
Bruce Is Still The Boss
I don't think I wrote much about this 'round Super Bowl time but my primary reason for wanting Super Bowl Sunday off of work was not to watch the game as I really couldn't give a shit about that [although it was an amazing game] nor was it to watch commercials as it usually is [I just didn't care for most of them this year.] No, the reason I wanted to be glued to my couch that day was for the Halftime Show.
The Boss was comin' to town and as longtime readers here know, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band would on any given Sunday be my answer to the question...
"Who is your favorite band on Earth?"
Now, you're probably asking yourself why I'm writing about this close to two or three weeks late.
Well, since it's my day off, I'm sitting here in my makeshift "office", listening to the crazy rain fall down outside, and digging through my slew of mp3 blogs for this week's hidden treasures. I visited my usual three and then decided to try a handful of others that were linked to from my favorites.
And there it was...
Bruce's Superbowl Diary!
Originally from brucespringsteen.net, take a look...
SUPER BOWL JOURNAL
I
Six Air Force Thunderbirds have just roared overhead at what felt like inches above our backstage area, giving myself and the entire E Street Band a brush cut. With 20 minutes to go, I'm sitting in my trailer trying to decide what boots to wear. I've got a nice pair of cowboy boots my feet look really good in, but I'm concerned about their stability. Two days ago we rehearsed in full rain on the field and the stage became as slick as an ice pond. It was almost impossible to stand on. It was so slick I crashed into Mike Colucci, our cameraman, coming off my knee slide, his camera the only thing that kept me from launching out onto the soggy turf. When Jerry the umpire in "Glory Days" did his bit, he came running out, couldn't stop himself and executed one of the most painfully perfect "man slips on a banana peel" falls I've ever seen. This sent Steve, myself and the entire band into one of the biggest stress-induced laughters of our lives that lasted all the way back to our trailers. (A few Advil and Jerry was okay.)
I better go with the combat boots I always carry. The round toes will give me better braking power than the pointy-toed cowboy boots when I hit the deck. I stuff my boots with two innersoles to make them as fitted as possible, zip them up snuggly around my ankles, stomp around in my trailer a bit and feel pretty grounded. Fifteen minutes…oh, by the way, I'm somewhat nervous. It's not the usual pre-show jitters, not "butterflies," it's not wardrobe malfunction anticipation anxiety, I'm talking about five minutes to beach landing, "Right Stuff" "Lord Don't Let Me Screw the Pooch in Front of 100 Million People" one of the biggest television audiences since dinosaurs first screwed on earth kind of semi-terror. It only lasts for a minute…I check my hair, spray it with something that turns it into concrete and I'm out the door.
I catch sight of Patti smiling. She's been my rock all week. I put my arm around her and away we go. They take us by golf cart to a holding tunnel right off the field. The problem is there are a thousand people there, tv cameras, media of all kinds and general chaos. Suddenly, hundreds of people rush by us in a column shouting, cheering…our fans! And tonight also our stage builders. These are "the volunteers". They've been here for two weeks on their own dime in a field day after day, putting together and pulling apart pieces of our stage over and over again, theoretically achieving military precision. Now it's for real. I hope they've got it down because as we're escorted onto the field, lights in the stadium fully up, the banshee wail of 70,000 screaming football fanatics rising in our ears, there's nothing there. Nothing…no sound, no lights, no instruments, no stage, nothing but brightly lit unwelcoming green turf. Suddenly an army of ants come from all sides of what seems like nowhere. Each rolling a piece of our lifeline, our earth onto the field. The cavalry has arrived. What takes us on a concert day 8 hours to do is done in five minutes. Unbelieveable. Everything in our world is there…we hope. We gather a few feet off the stage, form a circle of hands, I say a few words drowned out by the crowd and it's smiles all around. I've been in a lot of high stakes situations like this, though not exactly like this, with these people before. It's stressful, but our band is made for it…and it's about to begin…so happy warriors we bound up onto the stage.
II
The NFL stage manager gives me the three minute sign…two minutes…one…there's a guy jumping up and down on sections of the stage to get them to sit evenly on the grass field…30 seconds…they're still testing all the speakers and equipment…that's cutting it close! The lights in the stadium go down. The crowd erupts and Max's drumbeat opens "10th Avenue." I feel a white light silhouette Clarence and I for a moment. I hear Roy's piano. I give "C"'s hand a pat. I'm on the move tossing my guitar in a high arc for Kevin, my guitar tech, to catch and it's…"ladies and gentlemen, for the next 12 minutes we will be bringing the righteous and mighty power of the E Street Band into your beautiful home. So…step back from the guacamole dip. Put the chicken fingers down! And turn the TV ALL the way up!" Because, of course, there is just ONE thing I've got to know: "IS THERE ANYBODY ALIVE OUT THERE?!"
All I know is if you were standing next to me, you would be. I feel like I've just taken a syringe of adrenalin straight to the heart. Before we came out, I had two major concerns. One, something might go wrong beyond my control. That completely disappeared before we hit the stage. Tonight our fate is in the hands of many, so no sense for useless worry. Two, I was worried that I would find myself 'out' of myself and not in the moment. My old friend Peter Wolf once said 'the strangest thing you can do on stage is think about what you're doing." This is true. To observe oneself from afar while struggling to bring the moment to life is an unpleasant experience. I've had it more than once. It's an existential problem. Unfortunately, right in my wheel house. It doesn't mean it's going to be a bad show. It may be a great one. It just means it might take time, something we don't have much of tonight. When that happens, I do anything to break it. Tear up the set list, call an audible, make a mistake, anything to get "IN." That's what you get paid for, TO BE HERE NOW! The power, potential and volume of your present-ness is a basic rock and roll promise. It's the essential element that holds the attention of your audience, that gives force, shape and authority to the evening's events. And however you get there on any given night, that's the road you take. "IS THERE ANYBODY ALIVE IN HERE?!"…there better be.
I'm on top of the piano (good old boots). I'm down. One…two…three, knee drop in front of the microphone and I'm bending back almost flat on the stage. I close my eyes for a moment and when I open them, I see nothing but blue night sky. No band, no crowd, no stadium. I hear and feel all of it in the form of a great siren like din surrounding me but with my back nearly flat against the stage I see nothing but beautiful night sky with a halo of a thousand stadium suns at its edges. I take several deep breaths and a calm comes over me. I feel myself deeply and happily "IN."
Since the inception of our band it was our ambition to play for everyone. We've achieved a lot but we haven't achieved that. Our audience remains tribal…that is predominantly white. On occasion, the Inaugural Concert, during a political campaign, touring through Africa in '88, particularly in Cleveland with President Obama, I looked out and sang "Promised Land" to the audience I intended it for, young people, old people, black, white, brown, cutting across religious and class lines. That's who I'm singing to today. Today we play for everyone. I pull myself upright with the mike stand back into the world, this world, my world, the one with everybody in it and the stadium, the crowd, my band, my best friends, my wife come rushing into view and it's "teardrops on the city…"
III
During "Tenth Avenue" I tell the story of my band…and other things "when the change was made uptown"…. It goes rushing by, then the knee slide. Too much adrenalin, a late drop, too much speed, here I come Mike…BOOM! And I'm onto his camera, the lens implanted into my chest with one leg off the stage. I use his camera to push myself back up and…say it, say it, say it, say it…BLAM! BORN TO RUN…my story…Something bright and hot blows up behind me. I heard there were fireworks. I never saw any. Just the ones going off in my head. I'm out of breath. I try to slow it down. That ain't gonna happen. I already hear the crowd singing the last eight bars of "Born to Run" oh, oh, oh, oh…then it's straight into "Working on a Dream"…your story…and mine I hope. Steve is on my right, Patti on my left. I catch a smile and the wonderful choir, The Joyce Garrett Singers, that backed me in Washington during the Inaugural concert is behind us. I turn to see their faces and listen to the sound of their voices…"working on a dream". Done. Moments later, we're ripping straight into "Glory Days"…the end of the story. A last party steeped in merry fatalism and some laughs with my old pal, Steve. Jerry the Ump doesn't fall on his ass tonight. He just throws the yellow penalty flag for the precious 40 seconds we've gone overtime…home stretch. Everyone is out front now forming that great line. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch the horns raising their instruments high, my guitar is wheeling around my neck and on the seventh beat, I'm going to Disneyland. I'm already someplace a lot farther and more fun than that. I look around, we're alive, it's over, we link arms and take a bow as the stage comes apart beneath our feet. It's chaos again all the way back to the trailer. A toast…our families, friends, Jon, George, Brendan, Barbara, with Don Mischer, Ricky Kirshner, Glenn Weiss, Charles Coplin, and Dick Ebersol, the great team that put it altogether and the end of a good football game.
IV
The theory of relativity holds. On stage your exhilaration is in direct proportion to the void you're dancing over. A gig I always looked a little askance at and was a little wary of turned out to have surprising emotional power and resonance for me and my band. It was a high point, a marker of some sort and went up with the biggest shows of our work life. The NFL threw us an anniversary party the likes of which we'd never throw for ourselves (we're too fussy) with fireworks and everything! In the middle of their football game, they let us hammer out a little part of our story. I love playing long and hard but it was the 35 years in 12 minutes…that was the trick. You start here, you end there, that's it. That's the time you've got to give it everything you have…12 minutes…give or take a few seconds. The Super Bowl is going to help me sell a few new records, that's what I wanted because I want people to hear where we are today. It'll probably put a few extra fannies in the seats and that's fine. We live high around here and I like to do good business for my record company and concert promoters. But what it's really about is my band remains one of the mightiest in the land and I want you to know it, we want to show you…because we can.
By 3 am, I am back home, everyone in the house fast asleep and tucked in bed. I am sitting in the yard over an open fire, staring up again into that black night sky, my ears still ringing…"Oh yeah, it's alright."
2009-02-15
BSG vs Lost: Week Four
Alright, alright - let's get it on.
So, in an interesting twist, both shows had a lot of similarities this week. They both seemed a bit like "filler" shows leading into the big stuff. And more importantly, they were both stuffed with lots of backstory to appease some of the diehards looking for answers.
Over on Lost, we got to see Rousseau's crew get struck with "The Sickness" that we first learned about so, so, so long ago. We also got to see what appears to be the home of the smoke monster. Plus another appearance by Christian/Jacob? Here's my question - so we presumably just saw Locke get off the island to go talk to the Oceanic Six, right? And we know there was at least a decent period of time between when that happened and the "present" we're seeing with the Six right now, right? And we also know that there was a decent length of time between when the Six got off the island and when Locke got off the island, right?
So, how in the hell is time working on the island? Crazy stuff.
Over on BSG, it was time to learn some Cylon backstory. It was wild stuff and really helped flesh that out. The big news on BSG is that there's apparently another Cylon that we didn't count before. I have my suspicion as to who it is but I'll keep it under wraps for now. But really, I didn't think BSG offered that much up other than the Cylon history lesson. There was a few other plot advancements of note but on the whole, it was greatly underwhelming considering how awesome the two mutiny episodes were.
Round Four goes to Lost!
After four weeks:
Lost - 2
BSG - 2
So, in an interesting twist, both shows had a lot of similarities this week. They both seemed a bit like "filler" shows leading into the big stuff. And more importantly, they were both stuffed with lots of backstory to appease some of the diehards looking for answers.
Over on Lost, we got to see Rousseau's crew get struck with "The Sickness" that we first learned about so, so, so long ago. We also got to see what appears to be the home of the smoke monster. Plus another appearance by Christian/Jacob? Here's my question - so we presumably just saw Locke get off the island to go talk to the Oceanic Six, right? And we know there was at least a decent period of time between when that happened and the "present" we're seeing with the Six right now, right? And we also know that there was a decent length of time between when the Six got off the island and when Locke got off the island, right?
So, how in the hell is time working on the island? Crazy stuff.
Over on BSG, it was time to learn some Cylon backstory. It was wild stuff and really helped flesh that out. The big news on BSG is that there's apparently another Cylon that we didn't count before. I have my suspicion as to who it is but I'll keep it under wraps for now. But really, I didn't think BSG offered that much up other than the Cylon history lesson. There was a few other plot advancements of note but on the whole, it was greatly underwhelming considering how awesome the two mutiny episodes were.
Round Four goes to Lost!
After four weeks:
Lost - 2
BSG - 2
2009-02-14
All-Star Saturday Recap
Just finished watching All-Star Saturday and before I call it a night, I thought I'd pull a Dwight Howard and THROW DOWN some serious comments.
Geico H-O-R-S-E
This was kinda fun. It got a little dull at points when they couldn't hit a shot and seeing Kevin Durant win it with just long-range jumpers was kind of a letdown but hey... it was something different at least. Best shot to me was the jumper from the bleachers - probably not a huge degree of difficulty but at least it looked good.
Shooting Stars
Ahhh, the one time of year to see Bill Laimbeer chuck up half-courters. Good times. The Los Angeles squad got bounced early because they just couldn't hit the half-courter but it's always cool to see one of the Lakers' unsung heroes get to play a role in All Star Weekend. Oh, the Detroit team won but no one cared.
Skills
The thing that struck me the most about this one was the amount of half-assery going on. A few years ago when (I think) Kobe, Kidd, Parker, and Bibby were in it, they were hauling ass through the course. These kids were just taking their time with it all and made the whole competition kinda weak. I didn't even care who won by the end of it.
3 Point Shootout
The big story going in was Jason Kapono trying to win his third title in a row. The big story going out was how awful the competition was. Some embarrassingly low scores and it does the NBA no favors when the commentary team is putting down the shooters as being bad and how the really good shooters in the league aren't involved with it. The air goes out of the balloon when Kapono gets eliminated and some scrub from the Heat that I don't know wins.
Dunk Contest
What can you say? It was entertaining. There are issues with the Dunk Contest. As has been stated, almost every dunk possible has already been done in some fashion and most people are struggling to find something unique that they can physically do so in most cases, they're resorting to cheap gimmicks and the like. Sure, the Superman thing was funny as was Nate Robinson breaking out the green gear but... really? Then you have the horrible rule that they get two minutes to hit the dunk and if they fail, they get two more attempts. This creates horrible segments of the contest where they can't hit the dunk and everyone grows restless. I say go with the three strikes, you're out rule. If they can't land it in three, tough shit. I'd also like to see them go back to six dunkers but that's just me. The "big news" during the contest was LeBron "preliminarily" putting in his name for next year's Dunk Contest. That could be fun.
In the end, I think the NBA needs to boost the star power in these events by hook or by crook to really get people interested in them.
As for the game? I haven't decided if I'm watching it. I'm working and WWE's No Way Out looks pretty good so I might go for that viewing choice.
Geico H-O-R-S-E
This was kinda fun. It got a little dull at points when they couldn't hit a shot and seeing Kevin Durant win it with just long-range jumpers was kind of a letdown but hey... it was something different at least. Best shot to me was the jumper from the bleachers - probably not a huge degree of difficulty but at least it looked good.
Shooting Stars
Ahhh, the one time of year to see Bill Laimbeer chuck up half-courters. Good times. The Los Angeles squad got bounced early because they just couldn't hit the half-courter but it's always cool to see one of the Lakers' unsung heroes get to play a role in All Star Weekend. Oh, the Detroit team won but no one cared.
Skills
The thing that struck me the most about this one was the amount of half-assery going on. A few years ago when (I think) Kobe, Kidd, Parker, and Bibby were in it, they were hauling ass through the course. These kids were just taking their time with it all and made the whole competition kinda weak. I didn't even care who won by the end of it.
3 Point Shootout
The big story going in was Jason Kapono trying to win his third title in a row. The big story going out was how awful the competition was. Some embarrassingly low scores and it does the NBA no favors when the commentary team is putting down the shooters as being bad and how the really good shooters in the league aren't involved with it. The air goes out of the balloon when Kapono gets eliminated and some scrub from the Heat that I don't know wins.
Dunk Contest
What can you say? It was entertaining. There are issues with the Dunk Contest. As has been stated, almost every dunk possible has already been done in some fashion and most people are struggling to find something unique that they can physically do so in most cases, they're resorting to cheap gimmicks and the like. Sure, the Superman thing was funny as was Nate Robinson breaking out the green gear but... really? Then you have the horrible rule that they get two minutes to hit the dunk and if they fail, they get two more attempts. This creates horrible segments of the contest where they can't hit the dunk and everyone grows restless. I say go with the three strikes, you're out rule. If they can't land it in three, tough shit. I'd also like to see them go back to six dunkers but that's just me. The "big news" during the contest was LeBron "preliminarily" putting in his name for next year's Dunk Contest. That could be fun.
In the end, I think the NBA needs to boost the star power in these events by hook or by crook to really get people interested in them.
As for the game? I haven't decided if I'm watching it. I'm working and WWE's No Way Out looks pretty good so I might go for that viewing choice.
2009-02-13
Okay, I Lied
So, tonight's post is no better buy I have to go into work on my day
off tomorrow! Yes, I'm getting up at 6 AM to go to work on my day off.
off tomorrow! Yes, I'm getting up at 6 AM to go to work on my day off.
Pity me!
Sent from my iPhone
2009-02-12
Spectacle
I stumbled upon a show on the Sundance channel recently called Spectacle. It's hosted by Elvis Costello and looked like it had some promise so I DVRd a couple of episodes to check it out.
The first episode featured Herbie Hancock so I didn't really expect much out of it and was much more looking forward to the second one with Jenny Lewis and She & Him - two of my favorite acts. Oh, Jakob Dylan was on it too but... yeah.
So, Herbie Hancock. The show is kinda unique as it features an interview interspersed with the guest performing bits of music here and there. The end of the show saw a duet with Elvis himself.
I found the show interesting enough that I was glad I had watched it and am looking forward to the next one.
Weird post, huh? I just spent about four solid hours writing so I'm a little brain drained.
I'll try to do better tomorrow!
The first episode featured Herbie Hancock so I didn't really expect much out of it and was much more looking forward to the second one with Jenny Lewis and She & Him - two of my favorite acts. Oh, Jakob Dylan was on it too but... yeah.
So, Herbie Hancock. The show is kinda unique as it features an interview interspersed with the guest performing bits of music here and there. The end of the show saw a duet with Elvis himself.
I found the show interesting enough that I was glad I had watched it and am looking forward to the next one.
Weird post, huh? I just spent about four solid hours writing so I'm a little brain drained.
I'll try to do better tomorrow!
2009-02-11
Blue's Concert Calendar
I haven't updated this in a while so I thought I'd give it a look in a slightly different fashion. Instead of just listing a pile of shows that I think sound snazzy, I thought I'd spotlight a handful of my favorites that I'd like to go to the absolute most and then give a little insight as to why.
Sound good? Good!
Tuesday - Feb 17 - Largo - Ben Lee
This is a record release show for Ben Lee and since I kinda dug his last record, I'm thinking I might kinda dig this one too. For someone who went from my least favorite of the Bens [Folds y Kweller being the others,] I've quickly developed a fondness for Mr. Lee. Bonus points if he gets Mandy Moore there to duet on Birds And Bees.
Tuesday - Feb 17 - Glass House - Lykke Li
I really wanted to see Lykke Li at a live in-store at Amoeba late in '08 but didn't make it. I think I'd enjoy this show - or I'd leave it absolutely hating Lykke Li. It's one or the other - I don't think there's an in-between on that one.
Thursday - Feb 26 - Largo - Colin Hay
I've extolled the virtues of how awesome Colin Hay is on this page a handful of times. Mix his newer solo stuff with his acoustic greatness in tackling the old Men At Work jams and I'd have to imagine Colin Hay is one hell of a show to see.
Thursday - Feb 26 - Club Nokia - Tenacious D
Oh, come on. It's the D! Do I really need to go further? The first time I heard more than one or two songs from the D was when they performed at Comic-Con a few years ago. An actual sorta full concert at Comic-Con in front of 7,000+ geeks. You've gotta love that. Oh, and don't forget that Jack Black was on stage a couple hours earlier to answer questions about King Kong and got only D questions instead. Awesome.
Tuesday - March 10 - Henry Fonda - Cut Copy
Cut Copy was one of my favorite discoveries of 2008. Their amazing blend of retro 80's sounding greatness mixed with a tinge of the modern electronic style made theirs a sound that I loved to hear over and over throughout the year. And people are still discovering Cut Copy so I'd love to see them in a small venue before they potentially explode.
Thursday - March 26 - Glass House - The Airborne Toxic Event
One of my favorite band names EVER - The Airborne Toxic Event also holds the honor of being the only KCRW Morning Becomes Eclectic podcast that I've actually taken the time to listen to of the 20+ on my iPhone. They played a fantastic acoustic set on that show and ever since I heard it, I thought seeing them live in a small venue would be amazing.
Thursday - April 2 - The Wiltern - Lily Allen
Well, since I enjoyed Kate Nash so much, it only seems fitting that I might enjoy the artist that most people confuse Kate Nash for. Lily Allen preceded Kate Nash by about a year but I just never got as into her as I did Kate Nash. But the Lily Allen album has provided some surprising moments for me on shuffle over the past six months or so.
Wednesday - April 15 - LA Sports Arena - Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band
Arguably my favorite band in the world and almost definitely my favorite live act of all time? Yeah, I'm pretty sure I want to go to this show. The only thing holding me back is the shitty venue. The LA Sports Arena? Really? Bruce, how can you make all the 25-65 year olds that make up your demographic travel down to the fuckin' ghetto to see you live? It's just mean!
Thursday - April 16 - Staples Center - Britney Spears
Now, I'm only half-joking about this one. I mean, I'd go - I seriously would go. But there's a handful of reasons it'll never happen. 1] I would hate every single person in the arena. There's not a doubt in my mind that I'd ponder several times throughout the night the best way to permanently silence 15,000 voices. 2] She'll lip sync and I'll be pissed. It'll be some bullshit "Oh, she has to focus on the dancing" excuse that'll make me want to tear down the heavens because Janet Jackson and Madonna dance as hard as Britney does and they don't use that shit as an excuse. 3] Well, I just don't know if I'd want to admit I was at the show. It's bad enough that I have to tell people I saw New Edition in concert. How many strikes against my street cred can I have?
Thursday - April 23 - Henry Fonda - Mates Of State/Black Kids
That's a hell of a double bill. I adore Mates Of State and have ever since they outshined everyone musically at the Death Cab show a few years back. Seeing them in that small of a building would be a fantastic night. Plus, you get the Black Kids who have one of my favorite songs of the moment. It's a win-win night.
Tuesday - May 19 - The Palladium - The Decemberists
I don't think I've been to the Palladium for somewhere approaching a decade and since they recently renovated the place, I'd love to check it out to see what they've done. Plus, I've been wanting to see The Decemberists for a long while since I had to miss out on their night at the Bowl with the Orchestra to attend a bachelor party.
Sunday - May 24 - Greek Theatre - Flight Of The Conchords
The greatest comedy act of our time in one of my favorite concert venues? How can we go wrong? But I'm not sure I'm willing to cough up $50 for this show.
Sound good? Good!
Tuesday - Feb 17 - Largo - Ben Lee
This is a record release show for Ben Lee and since I kinda dug his last record, I'm thinking I might kinda dig this one too. For someone who went from my least favorite of the Bens [Folds y Kweller being the others,] I've quickly developed a fondness for Mr. Lee. Bonus points if he gets Mandy Moore there to duet on Birds And Bees.
Tuesday - Feb 17 - Glass House - Lykke Li
I really wanted to see Lykke Li at a live in-store at Amoeba late in '08 but didn't make it. I think I'd enjoy this show - or I'd leave it absolutely hating Lykke Li. It's one or the other - I don't think there's an in-between on that one.
Thursday - Feb 26 - Largo - Colin Hay
I've extolled the virtues of how awesome Colin Hay is on this page a handful of times. Mix his newer solo stuff with his acoustic greatness in tackling the old Men At Work jams and I'd have to imagine Colin Hay is one hell of a show to see.
Thursday - Feb 26 - Club Nokia - Tenacious D
Oh, come on. It's the D! Do I really need to go further? The first time I heard more than one or two songs from the D was when they performed at Comic-Con a few years ago. An actual sorta full concert at Comic-Con in front of 7,000+ geeks. You've gotta love that. Oh, and don't forget that Jack Black was on stage a couple hours earlier to answer questions about King Kong and got only D questions instead. Awesome.
Tuesday - March 10 - Henry Fonda - Cut Copy
Cut Copy was one of my favorite discoveries of 2008. Their amazing blend of retro 80's sounding greatness mixed with a tinge of the modern electronic style made theirs a sound that I loved to hear over and over throughout the year. And people are still discovering Cut Copy so I'd love to see them in a small venue before they potentially explode.
Thursday - March 26 - Glass House - The Airborne Toxic Event
One of my favorite band names EVER - The Airborne Toxic Event also holds the honor of being the only KCRW Morning Becomes Eclectic podcast that I've actually taken the time to listen to of the 20+ on my iPhone. They played a fantastic acoustic set on that show and ever since I heard it, I thought seeing them live in a small venue would be amazing.
Thursday - April 2 - The Wiltern - Lily Allen
Well, since I enjoyed Kate Nash so much, it only seems fitting that I might enjoy the artist that most people confuse Kate Nash for. Lily Allen preceded Kate Nash by about a year but I just never got as into her as I did Kate Nash. But the Lily Allen album has provided some surprising moments for me on shuffle over the past six months or so.
Wednesday - April 15 - LA Sports Arena - Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band
Arguably my favorite band in the world and almost definitely my favorite live act of all time? Yeah, I'm pretty sure I want to go to this show. The only thing holding me back is the shitty venue. The LA Sports Arena? Really? Bruce, how can you make all the 25-65 year olds that make up your demographic travel down to the fuckin' ghetto to see you live? It's just mean!
Thursday - April 16 - Staples Center - Britney Spears
Now, I'm only half-joking about this one. I mean, I'd go - I seriously would go. But there's a handful of reasons it'll never happen. 1] I would hate every single person in the arena. There's not a doubt in my mind that I'd ponder several times throughout the night the best way to permanently silence 15,000 voices. 2] She'll lip sync and I'll be pissed. It'll be some bullshit "Oh, she has to focus on the dancing" excuse that'll make me want to tear down the heavens because Janet Jackson and Madonna dance as hard as Britney does and they don't use that shit as an excuse. 3] Well, I just don't know if I'd want to admit I was at the show. It's bad enough that I have to tell people I saw New Edition in concert. How many strikes against my street cred can I have?
Thursday - April 23 - Henry Fonda - Mates Of State/Black Kids
That's a hell of a double bill. I adore Mates Of State and have ever since they outshined everyone musically at the Death Cab show a few years back. Seeing them in that small of a building would be a fantastic night. Plus, you get the Black Kids who have one of my favorite songs of the moment. It's a win-win night.
Tuesday - May 19 - The Palladium - The Decemberists
I don't think I've been to the Palladium for somewhere approaching a decade and since they recently renovated the place, I'd love to check it out to see what they've done. Plus, I've been wanting to see The Decemberists for a long while since I had to miss out on their night at the Bowl with the Orchestra to attend a bachelor party.
Sunday - May 24 - Greek Theatre - Flight Of The Conchords
The greatest comedy act of our time in one of my favorite concert venues? How can we go wrong? But I'm not sure I'm willing to cough up $50 for this show.
2009-02-10
CHRISTIAN!
Well, it was quite the unexpected and blah return but Christian is back. And in honor of that...
2009-02-09
Rejection
Eh... most people probably have guessed/assumed by now but I might as well make it official. A couple days ago, I finally got a reply from the fellowship I had submitted my screenplay to and... well, since I'm not doing cartwheels, I'm sure you get the idea.
I don't want to turn this into some crazy introspective "where do we go from here" style post soooooo...
Yeah.
I don't have much to say about it. I'll just have to figure out what to attempt next.
Thanks for all the support.
I don't want to turn this into some crazy introspective "where do we go from here" style post soooooo...
Yeah.
I don't have much to say about it. I'll just have to figure out what to attempt next.
Thanks for all the support.
2009-02-08
BSG vs Lost: Week Three
Alright, let's do this before I completely forget.
Lost tried to strike a big blow back to retake the crown this week but really, all I can seem to remember about it was that I was kinda brainscrambled when it was over. Not that I'm one of those people bitching about it being too confusing or what have you - but I just remember my brain being a little fuzzy when it was all said and done. I actually didn't care for it as much as the week before even with the big shocker of a finish.
BSG was highly anticipated this week after the big cliffhanger with the grenade last week. This was the week that Adama and the gang fought back. Some bloodshed ensued and in the end, someone got executed.
Damn right he did!
My brain is a little fuzzy after being at work for 12 hours today so let's make this easy...
BSG - 2
Lost - 1
But this week, I'm nowhere near as excited about BSG as I was last week. This is Lost's chance to pull the comeback.
Oh, and I officially gave up Heroes this week. We'll see if they can win me back when Bryan Fuller gets back in the game.
Lost tried to strike a big blow back to retake the crown this week but really, all I can seem to remember about it was that I was kinda brainscrambled when it was over. Not that I'm one of those people bitching about it being too confusing or what have you - but I just remember my brain being a little fuzzy when it was all said and done. I actually didn't care for it as much as the week before even with the big shocker of a finish.
BSG was highly anticipated this week after the big cliffhanger with the grenade last week. This was the week that Adama and the gang fought back. Some bloodshed ensued and in the end, someone got executed.
Damn right he did!
My brain is a little fuzzy after being at work for 12 hours today so let's make this easy...
BSG - 2
Lost - 1
But this week, I'm nowhere near as excited about BSG as I was last week. This is Lost's chance to pull the comeback.
Oh, and I officially gave up Heroes this week. We'll see if they can win me back when Bryan Fuller gets back in the game.
2009-02-07
2009-02-06
Top Five Friday: RAIN!
Don't call it a comeback - just call it the long awaited return of Top Five Friday!
In honor of the rainy weather (my favorite) washing down all over Southern California and the craziness of Madonna's "Rain" coming up on random during my drive home, I decided to make this list.
Without further adieu...
THE TOP FIVE SONGS IN MY ITUNES LIBRARY WITH "RAIN" IN THE TITLE!
5. Rain King - Counting Crows
Ahhh, Counting Crows. I used to love them. I don't think I've heard anything new from them in years but that first album from them was golden. I couldn't even begin to imagine how many times that disc got spun round and round. The other thing that I'll always remember about them is that they were the first band that I listened to that my aunts got into later. For years it was the opposite - Springsteen, Petty, Styx, The Eagles, whatever. But the Crows were the first that I had first! Oh, and the live version I'm linking to is pretty fun. They sound like they're having a good time.
4. No Rain - Blind Melon
Now THIS one takes me back. Unfortunately, the first memory that came to mind only took me back a few months but that's okay. One of the girls at work said they planned on going as a bumblebee for Halloween and I queried if they were going for the Bee Girl. Looks of puzzlement ensued and I felt old. Turns out she had no idea who the Bee Girl was nor did she know Blind Melon. A quick YouTubin' made her recognize the song but she'd never seen the video. I blame MTV and their lack of livin' up to their name if you ask me.
3. Who'll Stop The Rain - Creedence Clearwater Revival
I don't think I have any funny stories about this song. But it's an awesome song with "rain" in the title so... nyah!
2. Have You Ever Seen The Rain? - Creedence Clearwater Revival
It's odd that two of my favorite CCR songs both involve "rain." It's even odder that perhaps my most vivid memory of this song is an R.E.M. show from several years ago. I remember it quite well because as long-time readers of this page know, R.E.M. is one of the Missus' favorite bands. We had tickets for a show at the nearby venue formerly known as Irvine Meadows and now known as OUTDOOR VENUE SOLD TO THE HIGHEST CORPORATE WHORE. So, we were supposed to go see R.E.M. at OVSTTHCW but it had been raining all day. Now, you know how your Ticketbastard tickets say "Rain Or Shine" on them? Fuck it all if they don't actually mean that shit. The debate was on - do we swallow the price of the tickets and skip the show or do we brave the elements and hope the rain doesn't arrive? Much to my dismay, we did the latter - which turned out okay for most of the night. But at one opportune moment, the skies opened up and it started to sprinkle which prompted this absolutely awesome one minute of stage time where Michael Stipe did an impromptu cover of this song as the rain fell down upon him. And so I say... simply... awesome.
And the #1 song with the word "Rain" in the title currently in my iTunes library...
1. November Rain - Guns N' Roses
Oh, don't act so surprised. Now, I can share two memories of this song for you. First? Remember when this song "hit it big" and all the Top 40 stations wanted to play it for all the little fuckers who saw the video on MTV? Remember how they bastardized it by ripping out the guitar solo and the end of the song? No? Well, obviously I do and I'm scarred for life over it! Oh, my other memory of this song? When I saw GNR in concert a couple of years ago and my friend Poff and I ceased and desisted all searching for our missing, drunk friend Phil so that we could watch this song be performed. Hey - you've got to have priorities, people.
And that's that. Let it rain!
SeeqPod - Playable Search
In honor of the rainy weather (my favorite) washing down all over Southern California and the craziness of Madonna's "Rain" coming up on random during my drive home, I decided to make this list.
Without further adieu...
THE TOP FIVE SONGS IN MY ITUNES LIBRARY WITH "RAIN" IN THE TITLE!
5. Rain King - Counting Crows
Ahhh, Counting Crows. I used to love them. I don't think I've heard anything new from them in years but that first album from them was golden. I couldn't even begin to imagine how many times that disc got spun round and round. The other thing that I'll always remember about them is that they were the first band that I listened to that my aunts got into later. For years it was the opposite - Springsteen, Petty, Styx, The Eagles, whatever. But the Crows were the first that I had first! Oh, and the live version I'm linking to is pretty fun. They sound like they're having a good time.
4. No Rain - Blind Melon
Now THIS one takes me back. Unfortunately, the first memory that came to mind only took me back a few months but that's okay. One of the girls at work said they planned on going as a bumblebee for Halloween and I queried if they were going for the Bee Girl. Looks of puzzlement ensued and I felt old. Turns out she had no idea who the Bee Girl was nor did she know Blind Melon. A quick YouTubin' made her recognize the song but she'd never seen the video. I blame MTV and their lack of livin' up to their name if you ask me.
3. Who'll Stop The Rain - Creedence Clearwater Revival
I don't think I have any funny stories about this song. But it's an awesome song with "rain" in the title so... nyah!
2. Have You Ever Seen The Rain? - Creedence Clearwater Revival
It's odd that two of my favorite CCR songs both involve "rain." It's even odder that perhaps my most vivid memory of this song is an R.E.M. show from several years ago. I remember it quite well because as long-time readers of this page know, R.E.M. is one of the Missus' favorite bands. We had tickets for a show at the nearby venue formerly known as Irvine Meadows and now known as OUTDOOR VENUE SOLD TO THE HIGHEST CORPORATE WHORE. So, we were supposed to go see R.E.M. at OVSTTHCW but it had been raining all day. Now, you know how your Ticketbastard tickets say "Rain Or Shine" on them? Fuck it all if they don't actually mean that shit. The debate was on - do we swallow the price of the tickets and skip the show or do we brave the elements and hope the rain doesn't arrive? Much to my dismay, we did the latter - which turned out okay for most of the night. But at one opportune moment, the skies opened up and it started to sprinkle which prompted this absolutely awesome one minute of stage time where Michael Stipe did an impromptu cover of this song as the rain fell down upon him. And so I say... simply... awesome.
And the #1 song with the word "Rain" in the title currently in my iTunes library...
1. November Rain - Guns N' Roses
Oh, don't act so surprised. Now, I can share two memories of this song for you. First? Remember when this song "hit it big" and all the Top 40 stations wanted to play it for all the little fuckers who saw the video on MTV? Remember how they bastardized it by ripping out the guitar solo and the end of the song? No? Well, obviously I do and I'm scarred for life over it! Oh, my other memory of this song? When I saw GNR in concert a couple of years ago and my friend Poff and I ceased and desisted all searching for our missing, drunk friend Phil so that we could watch this song be performed. Hey - you've got to have priorities, people.
And that's that. Let it rain!
SeeqPod - Playable Search
2009-02-05
2009-02-04
The Facts Are These...
On a night where my brain feels a little mushy after enduring the absolute glory that is Group Day on American Idol (arguably the greatest day of the Idol season for sheer amazing trainwreck television) and another swirly mindbending episode of Lost, I needed some assistance in finding the way to a (somewhat) coherent post. So, I dug "deep" into Yahoo and pulled up about ten headlines that looked interesting from every section. Let's see if I was right!
U.S. Government Helps Angry Springsteen Fans
The facts are these - Ticketmaster had a fuck-up during a Bruce on-sale over the weekend. Apparently some people attempting to buy from the pre-sale got "accidentally" redirected to Ticketmaster's resale site where buyers sell their high demand tickets at a premium. Many fans cried "scam!" and got Ticketmaster to issue a statement offering to refund the difference to anyone who felt they bought from the resale site in error. Somewhere in here, the government decided to intervene and tell Ticketmaster they fucked up. That's good. Because it's not like there are more important problems the government should be addressing right now. Fuck, man - it's almost enough to make you become an anarchist at times.
My thoughts? Remember the good ol' days when it was "illegal" to resell tickets and you had to go to a "licensed ticket broker" like Night On The Town tickets. Do those places still exist? How is it possible to maintain the overhead to have an office like that when everyone and their mother is selling Miley Cyrus tickets through eBay, Craigslist, StubHub, or some other online store? Oh, the story - nah, I doubt Ticketmaster really tried to defraud people. I'm sure it's just another in a long line of historic Ticketmaster fuckups. Hey, remember when Pearl Jam told Ticketmaster to fuck off over their huge service charges? I sure do. Every time I pay those service charges for any show - especially Pearl Jam. Can't fight City Hall.
'90s Pop Star May Add Drama To New 'Survivor'
The facts are these - Tamara "Taj" Johnson, formerly of SWV, is going to be on the next Survivor.
My thoughts? Two come to mind. 1) Who is the dopey ass "journalist" writing these headlines and having the nerve to call this chick a "star?" Talk about writing a headline only for the click-through. This fucker's no better than on those shitty wrestling newz sites that have headlines like, "HOGAN AT WRESTLEMANIA!" only to find out when you click through that Reliant Stadium has a janitor named Steve Hogan who will be cleaning up some spilled beer after the show. The other? Does anyone still fucking watch Survivor? I'm sorry for all the swearing tonight. I'm feeling a little cranky.
Era of $60 Video Games May Be Ending
The facts are these - some older video game titles had their prices cut for the holidays and then didn't go back up after the holidays ended. But all the other "news" in this article says they expect new titles to keep their higher price point.
My thoughts? What the fuck was the point of this story? How slow of a news day is it? You wrote an article teasing lower video game prices only to state straight-away that there's basically no fucking chance that's happening?
Baseball Commissioner's Surprisingly Large Salary
The facts are these - I'm sure most people have read this one by now. Bud Selig - yes, the Bud Selig who had a World Series cancelled on his watch... yep, also the one who let an All-Star Game end in a tie... yes, the one who let the steroid saga spiral all out of control until the U.S. Government had to intervene [another fantastic use of their time by the way]... he's been paid a shitload of money. Just shy of 18 million in 2007 to be precise.
My thoughts? I thought the fucker was overpaid when I thought he was getting paid a shitload less. No wonder he's stalled so long in leaving the job he said he'd leave ages ago. My other thought? Did anyone else hear the talk that Bush might take the Commissioner job he's always wanted when Selig steps down? And did anyone else have total faith that MLB would be bankrupt and invading Iran a few months after he gets the gig? He already fucked up the country - do we really need him fucking up our National Pastime as well?
NBA Adds H-O-R-S-E To All-Star Weekend
The facts are these - after getting absolutely drilled by the sports media over the past few years for how awful they've allowed the fun parts of the All Star Game to slip, the NBA is scrambling to become hip again. Of course, they once had Hall And Oates perform at an All Star Game so I have little hope that David Stern will suddenly be street.
My thoughts? This could be a lot of fun although the "no dunking" rule already makes me a little annoyed. However, I fully expect that the NBA will be unable to compel their big stars to compete in this - just like the Slam Dunk contest - and it will probably suck balls. But all is not lost because where else besides All Star Weekend can I see Bill Laimbeer tossing up half-court shots competitively?
You know... I just don't think I can do the rest of these.
There's a story about the FBI searching the home of a man linked to poisoning Tylenol in 1982.
1982?
Seriously?
OJ really MIGHT find Nicole's killer before the fuzz.
There's another one about Russia wanting to help the U.S. in Afghanistan while spouting lots of anti-U.S. rhetoric and making strong demands of the Obama administration. I swear to God, these two countries just aren't happy unless the threat of global annihilation hangs over us all. I hope we didn't mothballs all the air raid sirens. But with all the movies and such that have been made about nuclear wars, do you think we can still convince people they'd survive a nuclear strike if they got under their desk and covered their head with their arms?
The last one is just so damn awful, it doesn't even merit discussion. It's such a disgusting yet dead-on-balls-accurate statement of society as a whole, I don't even think I can joke about it.
Well, I probably could but...
Let's let it speak for itself.
Insert your own punchline.... HERE!
U.S. Government Helps Angry Springsteen Fans
The facts are these - Ticketmaster had a fuck-up during a Bruce on-sale over the weekend. Apparently some people attempting to buy from the pre-sale got "accidentally" redirected to Ticketmaster's resale site where buyers sell their high demand tickets at a premium. Many fans cried "scam!" and got Ticketmaster to issue a statement offering to refund the difference to anyone who felt they bought from the resale site in error. Somewhere in here, the government decided to intervene and tell Ticketmaster they fucked up. That's good. Because it's not like there are more important problems the government should be addressing right now. Fuck, man - it's almost enough to make you become an anarchist at times.
My thoughts? Remember the good ol' days when it was "illegal" to resell tickets and you had to go to a "licensed ticket broker" like Night On The Town tickets. Do those places still exist? How is it possible to maintain the overhead to have an office like that when everyone and their mother is selling Miley Cyrus tickets through eBay, Craigslist, StubHub, or some other online store? Oh, the story - nah, I doubt Ticketmaster really tried to defraud people. I'm sure it's just another in a long line of historic Ticketmaster fuckups. Hey, remember when Pearl Jam told Ticketmaster to fuck off over their huge service charges? I sure do. Every time I pay those service charges for any show - especially Pearl Jam. Can't fight City Hall.
'90s Pop Star May Add Drama To New 'Survivor'
The facts are these - Tamara "Taj" Johnson, formerly of SWV, is going to be on the next Survivor.
My thoughts? Two come to mind. 1) Who is the dopey ass "journalist" writing these headlines and having the nerve to call this chick a "star?" Talk about writing a headline only for the click-through. This fucker's no better than on those shitty wrestling newz sites that have headlines like, "HOGAN AT WRESTLEMANIA!" only to find out when you click through that Reliant Stadium has a janitor named Steve Hogan who will be cleaning up some spilled beer after the show. The other? Does anyone still fucking watch Survivor? I'm sorry for all the swearing tonight. I'm feeling a little cranky.
Era of $60 Video Games May Be Ending
The facts are these - some older video game titles had their prices cut for the holidays and then didn't go back up after the holidays ended. But all the other "news" in this article says they expect new titles to keep their higher price point.
My thoughts? What the fuck was the point of this story? How slow of a news day is it? You wrote an article teasing lower video game prices only to state straight-away that there's basically no fucking chance that's happening?
Baseball Commissioner's Surprisingly Large Salary
The facts are these - I'm sure most people have read this one by now. Bud Selig - yes, the Bud Selig who had a World Series cancelled on his watch... yep, also the one who let an All-Star Game end in a tie... yes, the one who let the steroid saga spiral all out of control until the U.S. Government had to intervene [another fantastic use of their time by the way]... he's been paid a shitload of money. Just shy of 18 million in 2007 to be precise.
My thoughts? I thought the fucker was overpaid when I thought he was getting paid a shitload less. No wonder he's stalled so long in leaving the job he said he'd leave ages ago. My other thought? Did anyone else hear the talk that Bush might take the Commissioner job he's always wanted when Selig steps down? And did anyone else have total faith that MLB would be bankrupt and invading Iran a few months after he gets the gig? He already fucked up the country - do we really need him fucking up our National Pastime as well?
NBA Adds H-O-R-S-E To All-Star Weekend
The facts are these - after getting absolutely drilled by the sports media over the past few years for how awful they've allowed the fun parts of the All Star Game to slip, the NBA is scrambling to become hip again. Of course, they once had Hall And Oates perform at an All Star Game so I have little hope that David Stern will suddenly be street.
My thoughts? This could be a lot of fun although the "no dunking" rule already makes me a little annoyed. However, I fully expect that the NBA will be unable to compel their big stars to compete in this - just like the Slam Dunk contest - and it will probably suck balls. But all is not lost because where else besides All Star Weekend can I see Bill Laimbeer tossing up half-court shots competitively?
You know... I just don't think I can do the rest of these.
There's a story about the FBI searching the home of a man linked to poisoning Tylenol in 1982.
1982?
Seriously?
OJ really MIGHT find Nicole's killer before the fuzz.
There's another one about Russia wanting to help the U.S. in Afghanistan while spouting lots of anti-U.S. rhetoric and making strong demands of the Obama administration. I swear to God, these two countries just aren't happy unless the threat of global annihilation hangs over us all. I hope we didn't mothballs all the air raid sirens. But with all the movies and such that have been made about nuclear wars, do you think we can still convince people they'd survive a nuclear strike if they got under their desk and covered their head with their arms?
The last one is just so damn awful, it doesn't even merit discussion. It's such a disgusting yet dead-on-balls-accurate statement of society as a whole, I don't even think I can joke about it.
Well, I probably could but...
Let's let it speak for itself.
The ex-husband of one of the nine people killed at a Christmas Eve party in Covina has received demands from a landlord to pay the dead woman's rent.
Broadcrest Foothill Apartment Homes claims Alicia Ortiz broke her lease on an Upland apartment when she and her 17-year-old son were killed by her sister's disgruntled ex-husband. The landlord informed her former husband, Carlos Ortiz, that she gave "insufficient notice to vacate." The company says it is owed $2,821 in rent and penalties.
Insert your own punchline.... HERE!
2009-02-03
Manny Watch Continues
Honestly, I'm getting a little sick of all this so I'm going to make this my last post discussing the Manny Ramirez situation until he's signed - here or elsewhere.
Last night took an interesting turn in the saga as the Dodgers offered up a one year, $25 million dollar offer that would have:
a] Allowed the Dodgers to dangle the free agency carrot over his head all year, presumably ensuring maximum effort while also ensuring he would be able to hit the free agency market next winter when he could hope for better results
b] Make Manny the second highest paid player in the Major Leagues - not too shabby
c] Keep the Dodgers payroll-flexible beyond this season
Within 24 hours, Manny and his puppetmaster had rejected the deal. No big surprise to me. I didn't think his pride [or Boras' bank account] would let him take a one year deal after all the bluster about needing 4 or 5 years. Apparently, somewhere and somehow, Boras must think there's a better offer out there.
Not from the Nationals who shot down rumors of their interest today. The Mets did likewise last week.
That basically leaves the Giants as the only other team with public interest and they appear to not be willing to go past two years. So, will they go higher than the Dodgers originally offered for the two year + option deal? If they don't, Mr. Boras may find himself minus one high profile client in the near future.
So, will the Dodgers stay in this little race?
Right now, the odds are pointing against it. Check out these little tidbits.
** Once again, the Dodgers are showing signs of weariness at dealing with Boras. Frank McCourt was quoted as saying, "His agent is challenging to work with. It's been over three months, and [we're] two weeks away from spring training, and we still have not received a specific number from the agent. At some point in time, it's time to move on." Now that may be a lot of public posturing but it could also mean that I'm not the only one growing tired of being jerked around by the Dreadlocked One and his minion.
** There has been an increase in rumors over recent days that many in the Dodgers Front Office are advocating spending the Manny money on Randy Wolf, Orlando Hudson, and either Bobby Abreu or Adam Dunn. Coletti restated the team's interest in Abreu today as well according to Abreu's agent. Dunn is playing the waiting game as well as the Dodgers are apparently his top choice if the Manny negotiations go south.
** "We have tried to bring closure to this," McCourt said. "Three times, we've tried to bring closure to this. It's not for a lack of effort. What should be clear to everyone is that signing Manny was -- and remains -- a priority. How long that remains a priority will depend on other things that happen as we get closer and closer to the real season."
Closure, huh?
Sounds kinda nice, doesn't it?
Despite signs pointing the other direction, Coletti apparently did not contact the agents for any of the Dunn/Abreu/Hudson triumvirate today - holding firm to the company line that they're still trying to bring back Manny.
I'm sure I'm not alone - Larry Bowa agrees! - in thinking that (a happy) Manny is the Dodgers' best option and if at all possible, they should make that happen.
By the same token, they can not allow themselves to be held hostage by Scott Boras and Manny Ramirez at the possible expense of other free agents that could be gotten to make the team better. Is Adam Dunn a better player than Manny? Hell no. But at a fraction of the cost and to go into Spring Training with your full squad? Possibly.
I think the Dodgers owe it to themselves, their fans, and to Manny to make one final offer. Make it the very best offer you're willing to make and slap a deadline on it. 24 hours, 48 hours, 5 days - whatever works.
If it's accepted, the streets of Los Angeles will be lined with dreadlocks and dreams of playing in October once more.
If it's rejected or ignored, it's time to move on - for all of us.
2009-02-02
Lost vs BSG: Week Two
TOTALLY forgot to do this last week until someone reminded me on Sunday.
So, last week featured a showdown between a FRICKIN' HYDROGEN BOMB on the Lost island and... well... complete and unbridled chaos on BSG.
Lost was incredibly good as we dove even deeper into the whole time travel thing - Desmond getting involved (maybe TOO involved for his own good) in trying to discover what happened and getting obsessed with himself being the only person to potentially save the people on the island. We found out that Farraday FUCKED SHIT UP before vanishing off the face of the Earth. We also got more of the Locke and Richard story. Plus, the Others speak Latin? What the fuck? It was some crazy shit going down... and oh, did I mention A FUCKING HYDROGEN BOMB?!?!
I really didn't think BSG stood a chance of knocking Lost off their lofty perch in Week 2 of this head-to-head showdown and to be honest, I hadn't really given the show much thought when I dragged my tired ass home late on Friday after working a closing shift. By the way, if I haven't said it before, I believe there's a special circle oF Hell reserved for the person who invented the late closing shift on Friday.
So, there I was... tired and ready for sleep when I decided that I should probably give BSG a watch before I went to bed.
There's this science fiction story that some of you may have heard of. Starts off with a pretty basic set-up...
"It is a period of civil war."
That saga turned out pretty okay so I guess it's only fitting that before BSG wanders off into the nostalgia of our minds that they go through their own civil war.
AND WHAT A CIVIL WAR IT'S TURNING OUT TO BE!
Badass Adama and Ty throwin' down with the young punks, whippin' out assault rifles and pistols like they're on Arnold's team in Predator. We've got Starbuck blastin' suckas like she's straight out of Boyz N The Hood - or that scene in Swingers where Sue gets stepped to. Plus, there's Lee getting suckerpunched by some fool. Balthar and the President working together - sorta. And so much more.
And don't forget that weaselly little fuck Gaeta stirring shit up all the while. Ohhh, I want to see that fucker sucked out an airlock in the worst possible way right now. Adama better not forget that shit. We do not train to be merciful here - mercy is for the weak.
To wrap things up, we've got Ty and Adama like Butch and Sundance ready for one final gunfight.
AND THEN IT ENDS?!?!
The judging should end there - I know this. But I have to give BSG bonus points for the teaser of next week's show - Ty dead? Adama getting airlocked? And Bad Ass Roslin screaming "I'M COMING FOR YOU ALL!"
Holy crap!
If you haven't guessed yet, BSG takes this week in a walk. As awesome as Lost was, I'm SOOOOO much more looking forward to this week's BSG and that's the real test.
After two weeks of battle...
Lost - 1
BSG - 1
Tune in next week - same frakin' time, same frakin' channel.
So, last week featured a showdown between a FRICKIN' HYDROGEN BOMB on the Lost island and... well... complete and unbridled chaos on BSG.
Lost was incredibly good as we dove even deeper into the whole time travel thing - Desmond getting involved (maybe TOO involved for his own good) in trying to discover what happened and getting obsessed with himself being the only person to potentially save the people on the island. We found out that Farraday FUCKED SHIT UP before vanishing off the face of the Earth. We also got more of the Locke and Richard story. Plus, the Others speak Latin? What the fuck? It was some crazy shit going down... and oh, did I mention A FUCKING HYDROGEN BOMB?!?!
I really didn't think BSG stood a chance of knocking Lost off their lofty perch in Week 2 of this head-to-head showdown and to be honest, I hadn't really given the show much thought when I dragged my tired ass home late on Friday after working a closing shift. By the way, if I haven't said it before, I believe there's a special circle oF Hell reserved for the person who invented the late closing shift on Friday.
So, there I was... tired and ready for sleep when I decided that I should probably give BSG a watch before I went to bed.
There's this science fiction story that some of you may have heard of. Starts off with a pretty basic set-up...
"It is a period of civil war."
That saga turned out pretty okay so I guess it's only fitting that before BSG wanders off into the nostalgia of our minds that they go through their own civil war.
AND WHAT A CIVIL WAR IT'S TURNING OUT TO BE!
Badass Adama and Ty throwin' down with the young punks, whippin' out assault rifles and pistols like they're on Arnold's team in Predator. We've got Starbuck blastin' suckas like she's straight out of Boyz N The Hood - or that scene in Swingers where Sue gets stepped to. Plus, there's Lee getting suckerpunched by some fool. Balthar and the President working together - sorta. And so much more.
And don't forget that weaselly little fuck Gaeta stirring shit up all the while. Ohhh, I want to see that fucker sucked out an airlock in the worst possible way right now. Adama better not forget that shit. We do not train to be merciful here - mercy is for the weak.
To wrap things up, we've got Ty and Adama like Butch and Sundance ready for one final gunfight.
AND THEN IT ENDS?!?!
The judging should end there - I know this. But I have to give BSG bonus points for the teaser of next week's show - Ty dead? Adama getting airlocked? And Bad Ass Roslin screaming "I'M COMING FOR YOU ALL!"
Holy crap!
If you haven't guessed yet, BSG takes this week in a walk. As awesome as Lost was, I'm SOOOOO much more looking forward to this week's BSG and that's the real test.
After two weeks of battle...
Lost - 1
BSG - 1
Tune in next week - same frakin' time, same frakin' channel.
2009-02-01
January In Music
I decided to make a conscious effort to cover music a little more around here in 2009 and I think I've been doing okay thusfar. If you were here at the end of the past couple years, you know that I usually end up posting a Top of the previous year. But for '09, I've elected to do one of those each and every month.
Without further adieu, the Top 5 Most Played "New" Songs of January 2009:
Honorable Mention:
You You You You You - The 6ths And Katharine Whalen
Half Asleep - School Of Seven Bells
Let It Slip - The School
More Adventurous - Rilo Kiley
5. The Wrestler - Bruce Springsteen
If this was a subjective list instead of based on playcount, I'd have this as my Number One song of the month. I hadn't really heard much of the song until we went to actually see The Wrestler a couple of weeks ago. So, after this fantastic, gripping, heartbreaking story that hits far too close to home for someone who has watched pro wrestling since the mid-80s, the end credits come on and this song starts up. If there's such a thing as an absolutely perfect song to sum up a movie, it's this one. One of my favorite "new" Bruce songs ever.
4. Jai Ho - Slumdog Millionaire Soundtrack
It's Soundtrack Mania here at the B-Spot for the month of January as three of the Top 5 spots are held by songs from movies. I dug the hell out of Slumdog. As much as I loved The Wrestler, I thought Slumdog was even better. And I'm really glad I didn't see Slumdog in 2008 so I wouldn't have to face the struggle between that and The Dark Knight as my favorite movie of 2008. But what really surprised me was how much I liked the soundtrack. I'm not much of an electronica guy and even less of a guy who likes "world music." But somehow, they knocked that combo out of the park with the Slumdog soundtrack that I bought the night we saw the movie.
3. Thank You Mario But Our Princess Is In Another Castle - The Mountain Goats & Kaki King
Okay, okay - I'll admit it. I downloaded the song because of the Super Mario reference. Are you happy now? But the beauty of it was that the song turned out not to be some gimmicky tune aimed at those of us feelin' the nostalgia of the 80s - it's actually a good damn song. I always have to give credit to a band that has the balls to stick their vocalist out there all alone to sing with hardly any accompaniment. That's got to be a tremendously difficult thing to pull off. But with a simple piano backing and a little shuffling percussion, the lead singer here knocks this the hell out of the park Roy Hobbs style.
2. We Rule The School - Belle & Sebastian
What was I saying about a band with the balls to toss their singer out there almost all alone to sing their hearts out? Oh yeah, Belle & Sebastian does that almost every single time out of the gates. I linked to a live version of this song instead of the studio version that the Blues have been rockin' out to over the past month but the point still stands. Belle & Sebastian are easily one of my favorite bands so it's always very cool to stumble upon a song from them that I haven't yet stumbled upon.
And the #1 song of January 2009...
1. Latika's Theme - Slumdog Millionaire Soundtrack
Soundtrack Mania strikes again! Oh, and in this case, you can also say that the Missus strikes again because as much as I love this song and think it's probably the best piece of music on the Slumdog soundtrack, I did NOT listen to it eleven times in January! When I was updating iTunes this morning, this song had 5 plays until I plugged in Mrs. Blue's iPhone. As Joe Rogan would say... BAAAA-BLAAAAAAM!
But seriously, for those of you who haven't seen Slumdog yet or if you have and didn't bother to check out the soundtrack, listen to the two very different songs on the Top 5 of January and see if you change your tune.
Without further adieu, the Top 5 Most Played "New" Songs of January 2009:
Honorable Mention:
You You You You You - The 6ths And Katharine Whalen
Half Asleep - School Of Seven Bells
Let It Slip - The School
More Adventurous - Rilo Kiley
5. The Wrestler - Bruce Springsteen
If this was a subjective list instead of based on playcount, I'd have this as my Number One song of the month. I hadn't really heard much of the song until we went to actually see The Wrestler a couple of weeks ago. So, after this fantastic, gripping, heartbreaking story that hits far too close to home for someone who has watched pro wrestling since the mid-80s, the end credits come on and this song starts up. If there's such a thing as an absolutely perfect song to sum up a movie, it's this one. One of my favorite "new" Bruce songs ever.
4. Jai Ho - Slumdog Millionaire Soundtrack
It's Soundtrack Mania here at the B-Spot for the month of January as three of the Top 5 spots are held by songs from movies. I dug the hell out of Slumdog. As much as I loved The Wrestler, I thought Slumdog was even better. And I'm really glad I didn't see Slumdog in 2008 so I wouldn't have to face the struggle between that and The Dark Knight as my favorite movie of 2008. But what really surprised me was how much I liked the soundtrack. I'm not much of an electronica guy and even less of a guy who likes "world music." But somehow, they knocked that combo out of the park with the Slumdog soundtrack that I bought the night we saw the movie.
3. Thank You Mario But Our Princess Is In Another Castle - The Mountain Goats & Kaki King
Okay, okay - I'll admit it. I downloaded the song because of the Super Mario reference. Are you happy now? But the beauty of it was that the song turned out not to be some gimmicky tune aimed at those of us feelin' the nostalgia of the 80s - it's actually a good damn song. I always have to give credit to a band that has the balls to stick their vocalist out there all alone to sing with hardly any accompaniment. That's got to be a tremendously difficult thing to pull off. But with a simple piano backing and a little shuffling percussion, the lead singer here knocks this the hell out of the park Roy Hobbs style.
2. We Rule The School - Belle & Sebastian
What was I saying about a band with the balls to toss their singer out there almost all alone to sing their hearts out? Oh yeah, Belle & Sebastian does that almost every single time out of the gates. I linked to a live version of this song instead of the studio version that the Blues have been rockin' out to over the past month but the point still stands. Belle & Sebastian are easily one of my favorite bands so it's always very cool to stumble upon a song from them that I haven't yet stumbled upon.
And the #1 song of January 2009...
1. Latika's Theme - Slumdog Millionaire Soundtrack
Soundtrack Mania strikes again! Oh, and in this case, you can also say that the Missus strikes again because as much as I love this song and think it's probably the best piece of music on the Slumdog soundtrack, I did NOT listen to it eleven times in January! When I was updating iTunes this morning, this song had 5 plays until I plugged in Mrs. Blue's iPhone. As Joe Rogan would say... BAAAA-BLAAAAAAM!
But seriously, for those of you who haven't seen Slumdog yet or if you have and didn't bother to check out the soundtrack, listen to the two very different songs on the Top 5 of January and see if you change your tune.
2009-01-31
G.I. Joe Trailer arrives!
Go check out the G.I. Joe teaser trailer to be shown tomorrow during "The Big Game."
First impression?
Not as bad as I was expecting. Sienna Miller looked hot. Snakes and Stormy looked alright. The rest was passable. I'm not about to shoot my expectations into the stratosphere but...
I am now officially cautiously optimistic.
First impression?
Not as bad as I was expecting. Sienna Miller looked hot. Snakes and Stormy looked alright. The rest was passable. I'm not about to shoot my expectations into the stratosphere but...
I am now officially cautiously optimistic.
2009-01-30
Coachella
Earlier today, the Coachella lineup was announced which is always kind of a cool thing. Not because I'd actually go, mind you, because at my advanced age, the idea of spending three days in 110 degree heat to see bands - awesome or not - does not sound that appealing. But I'm usually more curious about the lineup because I always like to see how many of the bands I've actually heard of. It's kind of an indie street cred test thing.
I decided to raise the bar this year and look to see how many bands performing at the festival I actually OWN music by.
Those bands that I have at least one song from are bolded below:
A Place To Bury Strangers
Alberta Cross
Amanda Palmer
Amy Winehouse
Antony and the Johnsons
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti
Atmosphere
Bajofondo
Band Of Horses
Beirut
Billy Talent
Blitzen Trapper
Bob Mould Band
Booker T
Brian Jonestown Massacre
Buraka Som Sistema
Cage the Elephant
Calexico
Christopher Lawrence
Clipse
Cloud Cult
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band
Craze and Klever
Crookers
Crystal Castles
Dear and the Headlights
Dr. Dog
Drive By Truckers
Drop The Lime
Electric Touch
Felix da Housecat
Fleet Foxes
Franz Ferdinand
Friendly Fires
Fucked Up
Gang Gang Dance
Genghis Tron
Ghostland Observatory
Girl Talk
Glass Candy
Glasvegas
Groove Armada (DJ Set)
Gui Boratto
Henry Rollins (What? I don't have anything by Henry Rollins? Weird!)
Hercules and Love Affair
Ida Maria
James Morrison
Jenny Lewis
Junior Boys
K'naan
Late of the Pier
Leonard Cohen
Liars
Los Campesinos!
Lupe Fiasco
Lykke Li
M. Ward
M.A.N.D.Y.
Marshall Barnes
Mastodon
Mexican Institute of Sound
Michael Franti & Spearhead
Molotov
Morrissey
MSTRKRFT
My Bloody Valentine
N.A.S.A.
No Age
Noah and the Whale
Okkervil River
Paolo Nutini
Patton & Rahzel
Paul McCartney
Paul Weller
Peanut Butter Wolf
People Under the Stairs
Perry Farrell
Peter Bjorn and John
Public Enemy
Roni Size Reprazent
Ryan Bingham
Sebastien Tellier
Shepard Fairey
Silversun Pickups
Steve Aoki
Superchunk
Supermayer
Surkin, Para One (Live)
Switch
The Aggrolites
The Airborne Toxic Event
The Black Keys
The Bloody Beetroots
The Bug
The Courteeners
The Crystal Method
The Cure
The Gaslight Anthem
The Hold Steady
The Horrors
The Killers
The Kills
The Knux
The Night Marchers
The Presets
The Ting Tings
Themselves
Thenewno2
Thievery Corporation
Throbbing Gristle
Tinariwen
TRAV$DJ-AM
Turbonegro
TV On The Radio
Vivian Girls
We Are Scientists
White Lies
X
Yeah Yeah Yeah's
Zane Lowe
Zizek Club
So, of the 122 bands listed as currently playing Coachella, I have music from 44 of them for a grand total of:
36%
Total FAILING grade on the indie street cred front BUT I bet if you took out all the electronica bands that I basically ignore and the international acts that I don't listen to - I probably managed to pull off a respectable score.
Right?
Please?
Come on!
I decided to raise the bar this year and look to see how many bands performing at the festival I actually OWN music by.
Those bands that I have at least one song from are bolded below:
A Place To Bury Strangers
Alberta Cross
Amanda Palmer
Amy Winehouse
Antony and the Johnsons
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti
Atmosphere
Bajofondo
Band Of Horses
Beirut
Billy Talent
Blitzen Trapper
Bob Mould Band
Booker T
Brian Jonestown Massacre
Buraka Som Sistema
Cage the Elephant
Calexico
Christopher Lawrence
Clipse
Cloud Cult
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band
Craze and Klever
Crookers
Crystal Castles
Dear and the Headlights
Dr. Dog
Drive By Truckers
Drop The Lime
Electric Touch
Felix da Housecat
Fleet Foxes
Franz Ferdinand
Friendly Fires
Fucked Up
Gang Gang Dance
Genghis Tron
Ghostland Observatory
Girl Talk
Glass Candy
Glasvegas
Groove Armada (DJ Set)
Gui Boratto
Henry Rollins (What? I don't have anything by Henry Rollins? Weird!)
Hercules and Love Affair
Ida Maria
James Morrison
Jenny Lewis
Junior Boys
K'naan
Late of the Pier
Leonard Cohen
Liars
Los Campesinos!
Lupe Fiasco
Lykke Li
M. Ward
M.A.N.D.Y.
Marshall Barnes
Mastodon
Mexican Institute of Sound
Michael Franti & Spearhead
Molotov
Morrissey
MSTRKRFT
My Bloody Valentine
N.A.S.A.
No Age
Noah and the Whale
Okkervil River
Paolo Nutini
Patton & Rahzel
Paul McCartney
Paul Weller
Peanut Butter Wolf
People Under the Stairs
Perry Farrell
Peter Bjorn and John
Public Enemy
Roni Size Reprazent
Ryan Bingham
Sebastien Tellier
Shepard Fairey
Silversun Pickups
Steve Aoki
Superchunk
Supermayer
Surkin, Para One (Live)
Switch
The Aggrolites
The Airborne Toxic Event
The Black Keys
The Bloody Beetroots
The Bug
The Courteeners
The Crystal Method
The Cure
The Gaslight Anthem
The Hold Steady
The Horrors
The Killers
The Kills
The Knux
The Night Marchers
The Presets
The Ting Tings
Themselves
Thenewno2
Thievery Corporation
Throbbing Gristle
Tinariwen
TRAV$DJ-AM
Turbonegro
TV On The Radio
Vivian Girls
We Are Scientists
White Lies
X
Yeah Yeah Yeah's
Zane Lowe
Zizek Club
So, of the 122 bands listed as currently playing Coachella, I have music from 44 of them for a grand total of:
36%
Total FAILING grade on the indie street cred front BUT I bet if you took out all the electronica bands that I basically ignore and the international acts that I don't listen to - I probably managed to pull off a respectable score.
Right?
Please?
Come on!
2009-01-29
Poor Multi-Millionaire
There's been a lot of talk on the Manny front this week so it seemed like a good time for a little rundown on what's being discussed.
Let's start ten days ago just for a complete roundup...
January 19th
---
Ken Rosenthal reports that the Dodgers have roughly 50 million in payroll flexibility assuming they're aiming for a similar payroll to last season. You have to imagine they were holding half of that for Manny. But the other half? Beats me. They're not likely to spend $25 mil on pitching at this stage of the off-season in my opinion. I'm guessing they'll come up far short of the 50 mil which'll get them worlds of shit from the fans but... no point on spending money for no reason, right? Save it just in case you can find a trade mid-season.
Rosenthal also speculates that the Giants have one eye on Manny but are really looking to fill their "big hitter" role in a trade - perhaps Prince Fielder. Makes sense. They do have some talented prospects to work with - probably more prospects than money.
Dylan Hernandez also reports that day that there's basically a stalemate between the Dodgers and Scott Boras. The Dodgers are holding firm on their two-year $25 mil offer so that they don't bid against themselves. Boras is holding firm on his desire for a four or five year deal. So... stalemate. But apparently Boras and Ned Coletti had a 15 minute conversation the day prior... so that's... something?
January 20th
---
SI's Tom Verducci reports that although the Giants aren't in the market for an outfielder, they'd make an exception for Manny. But they're not willing to enter a bidding war for him meaning they're looking for the big bargain too.
January 22nd
---
Ken Rosenthal says the Giants might consider Manny in a high dollar offer because they have a lot of low-cost younger players right now. It's a similar situation that the Dodgers find themselves in except a lot better since they don't have albatrosses like Jones and Pierre hanging on them.
SI's Jon Heyman believes the Dodgers will eventually bid against themselves and go to three years to land Manny [which is what I've suggested for a lonnnnnng while now.] I still believe if you stick him with a 2 year deal, you just might not like what you end up with.
A little fly in the ointment popped up this day when the Mets CEO made headlines by stating that Minaya has never asked if he could try to sign Manny. Obviously, the Mets getting into this would potentially be a game-changer. Some hopeful Mets fans see this as a public signal to Boras to try to get the Mets involved - like he hasn't already been trying for months.
The final piece of Manny-related news [sorta] that day was Kobe making headlines by offering to play LF for the Dodgers. Yes, it was a joke. But I bet it'd put some asses in the seats.
January 23rd
---
ESPN's Jayson Stark says the Dodgers intend to finish up with their pitching staff before really looking to finish the Manny situation. Again, that makes sense because that'll really let you know how much financial flexibility is left.
January 26th
---
Things picked up a little bit after a few days of silence. The day started with Bill Shaikin saying the Dodgers were still waiting for a counter-offer from Boras on their 2 year deal offered before. Boras is such an ass. Apparently Coletti doesn't believe Boras repeatedly re-starting his "dresm deal" constitutes negotiating. Like him or not, Ned's on target here. All of LA wants Manny but if the price isn't right, I'll take a season of Adam Dunn for half the price.
Later in the day, Jon Heyman reiterates that Manny still wants the 4 or 5 year deal at $25 mil per. Another baseball exec is quoted in the same article as saying he believes the Dodgers and Manny are in the "fourth inning" of negotiations. No idea what the fuck that means.
January 27th
---
Rosenthal tries his hand at matchmaker a few weeks early when he not only speculates the Giants would be a bad fit for Manny considering the ballpark and questionable supporting cast but that a good compromise with LA might be two years with a third year option and no-trade protection for the first two season. I can live with that as well. It's bidding against ourselves a bit but I'd rather have a happy Manny than "Manny Being Manny."
January 28th
---
Boras made headlines today with "news" that most people universally shat upon as being total and complete bullshit. So, first he claimed that "the train had left the station" with the Manny negotiations in progress with the Dodgers and other mystery clubs he won't name. He also proclaimed that Manny would be signed by Spring Training [which I kinda think is true.] The Mets manager piped in by saying he'd love Manny on his team but apparently the manager and the CEO being interested isn't enough - hopefully.
January 29th
---
Jayson Stark kicks us off by speculating that Manny could wait until March to sign. God, I hope not. I can't take much more Manny Watch. He also says that Adam Dunn is waiting for Manny to sign because Dunn prefers LA. I'm starting to think it may be time to turn up the pressure on Boras. Well, once we have a starting pitcher or two anyways.
But here's my favorite story and the reason I decided to write this tonight...
Albert Pujols says that he can't understand why no one has signed Manny and that his good friend has told him that "nobody wants him" or some such. Pujols went as far as to exchange numbers with Tony LaRussa and Manny in hopes Manny would give some kind of discount to the Cards. The Cards GM says they're not interested either.
So, Mr. Pujols, as talented as he is, can't comprehend why a team might be scared of signing Manny? Really?
As much as I love watching Manny the player and I enjoyed meeting Manny the person, even his biggest fan has to admit he's a powderkeg always dangerously close to a spark. You just don't know what Manny you'll get from night to night. Dodger fans who are calling for Coletti's head to sign him could just as easily be calling for Coletti's head in August when Manny has a phantom knee injury because global warming has left field in LA around 86 degrees.
Production = dollars in baseball... usually. But even the most desperate of offense-starved teams has to give Manny a second look.
Can you blame them? Really?
Let's start ten days ago just for a complete roundup...
January 19th
---
Ken Rosenthal reports that the Dodgers have roughly 50 million in payroll flexibility assuming they're aiming for a similar payroll to last season. You have to imagine they were holding half of that for Manny. But the other half? Beats me. They're not likely to spend $25 mil on pitching at this stage of the off-season in my opinion. I'm guessing they'll come up far short of the 50 mil which'll get them worlds of shit from the fans but... no point on spending money for no reason, right? Save it just in case you can find a trade mid-season.
Rosenthal also speculates that the Giants have one eye on Manny but are really looking to fill their "big hitter" role in a trade - perhaps Prince Fielder. Makes sense. They do have some talented prospects to work with - probably more prospects than money.
Dylan Hernandez also reports that day that there's basically a stalemate between the Dodgers and Scott Boras. The Dodgers are holding firm on their two-year $25 mil offer so that they don't bid against themselves. Boras is holding firm on his desire for a four or five year deal. So... stalemate. But apparently Boras and Ned Coletti had a 15 minute conversation the day prior... so that's... something?
January 20th
---
SI's Tom Verducci reports that although the Giants aren't in the market for an outfielder, they'd make an exception for Manny. But they're not willing to enter a bidding war for him meaning they're looking for the big bargain too.
January 22nd
---
Ken Rosenthal says the Giants might consider Manny in a high dollar offer because they have a lot of low-cost younger players right now. It's a similar situation that the Dodgers find themselves in except a lot better since they don't have albatrosses like Jones and Pierre hanging on them.
SI's Jon Heyman believes the Dodgers will eventually bid against themselves and go to three years to land Manny [which is what I've suggested for a lonnnnnng while now.] I still believe if you stick him with a 2 year deal, you just might not like what you end up with.
A little fly in the ointment popped up this day when the Mets CEO made headlines by stating that Minaya has never asked if he could try to sign Manny. Obviously, the Mets getting into this would potentially be a game-changer. Some hopeful Mets fans see this as a public signal to Boras to try to get the Mets involved - like he hasn't already been trying for months.
The final piece of Manny-related news [sorta] that day was Kobe making headlines by offering to play LF for the Dodgers. Yes, it was a joke. But I bet it'd put some asses in the seats.
January 23rd
---
ESPN's Jayson Stark says the Dodgers intend to finish up with their pitching staff before really looking to finish the Manny situation. Again, that makes sense because that'll really let you know how much financial flexibility is left.
January 26th
---
Things picked up a little bit after a few days of silence. The day started with Bill Shaikin saying the Dodgers were still waiting for a counter-offer from Boras on their 2 year deal offered before. Boras is such an ass. Apparently Coletti doesn't believe Boras repeatedly re-starting his "dresm deal" constitutes negotiating. Like him or not, Ned's on target here. All of LA wants Manny but if the price isn't right, I'll take a season of Adam Dunn for half the price.
Later in the day, Jon Heyman reiterates that Manny still wants the 4 or 5 year deal at $25 mil per. Another baseball exec is quoted in the same article as saying he believes the Dodgers and Manny are in the "fourth inning" of negotiations. No idea what the fuck that means.
January 27th
---
Rosenthal tries his hand at matchmaker a few weeks early when he not only speculates the Giants would be a bad fit for Manny considering the ballpark and questionable supporting cast but that a good compromise with LA might be two years with a third year option and no-trade protection for the first two season. I can live with that as well. It's bidding against ourselves a bit but I'd rather have a happy Manny than "Manny Being Manny."
January 28th
---
Boras made headlines today with "news" that most people universally shat upon as being total and complete bullshit. So, first he claimed that "the train had left the station" with the Manny negotiations in progress with the Dodgers and other mystery clubs he won't name. He also proclaimed that Manny would be signed by Spring Training [which I kinda think is true.] The Mets manager piped in by saying he'd love Manny on his team but apparently the manager and the CEO being interested isn't enough - hopefully.
January 29th
---
Jayson Stark kicks us off by speculating that Manny could wait until March to sign. God, I hope not. I can't take much more Manny Watch. He also says that Adam Dunn is waiting for Manny to sign because Dunn prefers LA. I'm starting to think it may be time to turn up the pressure on Boras. Well, once we have a starting pitcher or two anyways.
But here's my favorite story and the reason I decided to write this tonight...
Albert Pujols says that he can't understand why no one has signed Manny and that his good friend has told him that "nobody wants him" or some such. Pujols went as far as to exchange numbers with Tony LaRussa and Manny in hopes Manny would give some kind of discount to the Cards. The Cards GM says they're not interested either.
So, Mr. Pujols, as talented as he is, can't comprehend why a team might be scared of signing Manny? Really?
As much as I love watching Manny the player and I enjoyed meeting Manny the person, even his biggest fan has to admit he's a powderkeg always dangerously close to a spark. You just don't know what Manny you'll get from night to night. Dodger fans who are calling for Coletti's head to sign him could just as easily be calling for Coletti's head in August when Manny has a phantom knee injury because global warming has left field in LA around 86 degrees.
Production = dollars in baseball... usually. But even the most desperate of offense-starved teams has to give Manny a second look.
Can you blame them? Really?
2009-01-28
Mixtape Of The Month: January 2009
In keeping with the spirit of last night's post about Indie 103, I decided it was finally time to put up the mixtape I've been slowly working on. As you know, I've toyed with different formats to this over the months and I still haven't really found one that I liked but for now, I thought I'd go with this...
Fuck Corporate Radio
January 28, 2009
Runtime: 58:39
Side A
------
The Sound - Moody Motorcycle
This is one of those songs that if you're not incredibly careful - it'll end up dancing around your head for the entirety of the day. The chorus is as catchy as peanut butter salmonella and twice as deadly! I went back and forth on it at first if I liked the song at all but by the end, I found myself humming it when I hadn't heard it in hours. So, now that I've got you bobbing your head and singing along to the opening track...
New Room - The Botticellis
Time to take it down a step. It's a nice, simple, melodic song with nothing fancy to it. But the vocals are sharp and the music is passable. Together, it's a killer combination. Imeem doesn't have this one - BOOOOOO! - but I've linked to the kind folks at My Old Kentucky Blog. Hopefully they won't mind the extra traffic.
Border Guards - The Rosebuds
It's still a little down but the beat is up at least. I was afraid I might put you guys to sleep if I went with what I really wanted to slot in here. This'll keep you in the same groove as the Botticellis but it'll pick things up a notch.
Blue Ocean Blue - Lake
This song sounds like it should have been done by Mates Of State - which is an amazingly awesome compliment in my book because I adore Mates of State. The music actually kinda sounds like something out of an 80's videogame which is an odd comparison but when you hear it, you'll believe me. POSSIBLE KILL SCREEN!
Snowblind - +/-
You've got to appreciate a song that can start off with just a slight backing track and a soft, simple vocal and still manage to hold your attention until the song really kicks to the next level. Reminds me a little of The Postal Service at times. This is actually one of my favorite songs at the moment.
We Intertwined - The Hush Sound
Sadly, I couldn't find this anywhere for you guys. It's a real shame too because this is one of my favorite songs on this mix. I heard Fastball's "Out Of My Head" on my way to work today and it strikes me that the lead singer for them and the lead singer for The Hush Sound sound a lot alike - on this song at least. Go out of your way to hunt this one down. You won't be disappointed.
Big Star - Haley Bonar
I'll be damned if this song doesn't sound like it belongs in a movie or TV show. Especially when the chorus hits. The song isn't very remarkable and may end up quite forgettable in the end. But for now, the chorus sticks a bit in my head. The vocals sorta remind me of a solo version of Tegan & Sara for some reason. Anyone else getting that vibe?
Unforgettable Season - Cut Copy
To close out Side A, here's some words of comfort: If you're one of the few people left in the indie music listening world that somehow managed to miss out on the Cut Copy craze in 2008, it's going to be okay. The perfect blend of modern electronic music with a loving glance back at the 80's music of our youth - Cut Copy's music makes me happy. That's the only reason you should need to listen to them.
Side B
------
Singing The Devil's Tune - Nick Jaina
Before I knock you back out cold with some shoegazing, I thought I'd let Nick Jaina make sure you're still aware. This is another one that could be stuck in your head in an instant so be wary when the background vocals kick in.
Have You Forgotten - Denison Whitmer
Damn it to hell. Another song I couldn't find online for y'all. I was on a roll here with snapping off a trio of what could totally pass as folk music - the kind of song that would fit right in with some imagery out of The Grapes Of Wrath or some such shit like that. Man, I'm a terrible music writer. I'm gifted with the ability of bullshit in so many areas - why can't I write music-related bullshit?
Murder In The City - The Avett Brothers
The exciting conclusion to my Grapes Of Wrath trilogy! Are you still awake? It could be worse. I could've slipped in some Greg Graffin folk music here. Did everyone know that Greg Graffin - yes, Bad Religion's lead singer Greg Graffin - has his own folk album? Who knew? Thanks for expanding my musical horizons, Danny. I'm going to link elsewhere for this one too to the AMAZING I Am Fuel, You Are Friends
Hey Hey Hey (That Kids Okay) - Ruby Isle
Thanks to FensePost for the link.
Again, I'm not sure I'll like this song next month - or tomorrow for that matter. Hell, I might decide it's shit by the time I finish this sentence. But for now, in this time and place, I find this to be a perfectly harmless piece of fluff to break up the folk rock-a-thon.
My Friend - Dr. Dog
Okay, this one - I'm late to the party on. For months, the Interweb has been all afiery about the awesomeness of Dr. Dog and I just couldn't get it. I could listen to it - but I couldn't hear it in the immortal words of the brilliant screenwriter for White Men Can't Jump. But this one? I kinda dig it. It's got something kinda cool - a throwback sorta sound at times while avoiding being pigeonholed into some kind of "retro" slot. This one won't be for everyone but check it out. Give it a spin.
Holy Cow (demo) - Margot & The Nuclear So And Sos
Beautiful song - and don't look now, but this chorus will be wedged between your firing synapses in no time as well. The linked version isn't the demo but it'll do, donkey. I dig the demo because it's stripped down to the very basics. It really adds a charm to it that I don't think the final product has in quite as strong supply.
Sad Song (Pacific Remix) - Au Revoir Simone
This is an okay-to-good song. There are parts of it that I really, really like and parts of it I'm just kinda "meh" over. But in the end, it's a nice pick me up before the slow song that wraps up this edition of the Mixtape Of The Month.
Butterfly Nets - Bishop Allen
Sheer awesomeness. If you don't like this song, I'm not sure I like you anymore and I really doubt we can be friends. So, if you value our friendship, listen to the song again and change your mind.
I'm waiting.
STILL waiting!
Okay... you're back. Change your mind?
Awesome! Now we can be friends again! Now where the fuck did I put that hugging emoticon?
Fuck Corporate Radio
January 28, 2009
Runtime: 58:39
Side A
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The Sound - Moody Motorcycle
This is one of those songs that if you're not incredibly careful - it'll end up dancing around your head for the entirety of the day. The chorus is as catchy as peanut butter salmonella and twice as deadly! I went back and forth on it at first if I liked the song at all but by the end, I found myself humming it when I hadn't heard it in hours. So, now that I've got you bobbing your head and singing along to the opening track...
New Room - The Botticellis
Time to take it down a step. It's a nice, simple, melodic song with nothing fancy to it. But the vocals are sharp and the music is passable. Together, it's a killer combination. Imeem doesn't have this one - BOOOOOO! - but I've linked to the kind folks at My Old Kentucky Blog. Hopefully they won't mind the extra traffic.
Border Guards - The Rosebuds
It's still a little down but the beat is up at least. I was afraid I might put you guys to sleep if I went with what I really wanted to slot in here. This'll keep you in the same groove as the Botticellis but it'll pick things up a notch.
Blue Ocean Blue - Lake
This song sounds like it should have been done by Mates Of State - which is an amazingly awesome compliment in my book because I adore Mates of State. The music actually kinda sounds like something out of an 80's videogame which is an odd comparison but when you hear it, you'll believe me. POSSIBLE KILL SCREEN!
Snowblind - +/-
You've got to appreciate a song that can start off with just a slight backing track and a soft, simple vocal and still manage to hold your attention until the song really kicks to the next level. Reminds me a little of The Postal Service at times. This is actually one of my favorite songs at the moment.
We Intertwined - The Hush Sound
Sadly, I couldn't find this anywhere for you guys. It's a real shame too because this is one of my favorite songs on this mix. I heard Fastball's "Out Of My Head" on my way to work today and it strikes me that the lead singer for them and the lead singer for The Hush Sound sound a lot alike - on this song at least. Go out of your way to hunt this one down. You won't be disappointed.
Big Star - Haley Bonar
I'll be damned if this song doesn't sound like it belongs in a movie or TV show. Especially when the chorus hits. The song isn't very remarkable and may end up quite forgettable in the end. But for now, the chorus sticks a bit in my head. The vocals sorta remind me of a solo version of Tegan & Sara for some reason. Anyone else getting that vibe?
Unforgettable Season - Cut Copy
To close out Side A, here's some words of comfort: If you're one of the few people left in the indie music listening world that somehow managed to miss out on the Cut Copy craze in 2008, it's going to be okay. The perfect blend of modern electronic music with a loving glance back at the 80's music of our youth - Cut Copy's music makes me happy. That's the only reason you should need to listen to them.
Side B
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Singing The Devil's Tune - Nick Jaina
Before I knock you back out cold with some shoegazing, I thought I'd let Nick Jaina make sure you're still aware. This is another one that could be stuck in your head in an instant so be wary when the background vocals kick in.
Have You Forgotten - Denison Whitmer
Damn it to hell. Another song I couldn't find online for y'all. I was on a roll here with snapping off a trio of what could totally pass as folk music - the kind of song that would fit right in with some imagery out of The Grapes Of Wrath or some such shit like that. Man, I'm a terrible music writer. I'm gifted with the ability of bullshit in so many areas - why can't I write music-related bullshit?
Murder In The City - The Avett Brothers
The exciting conclusion to my Grapes Of Wrath trilogy! Are you still awake? It could be worse. I could've slipped in some Greg Graffin folk music here. Did everyone know that Greg Graffin - yes, Bad Religion's lead singer Greg Graffin - has his own folk album? Who knew? Thanks for expanding my musical horizons, Danny. I'm going to link elsewhere for this one too to the AMAZING I Am Fuel, You Are Friends
Hey Hey Hey (That Kids Okay) - Ruby Isle
Thanks to FensePost for the link.
Again, I'm not sure I'll like this song next month - or tomorrow for that matter. Hell, I might decide it's shit by the time I finish this sentence. But for now, in this time and place, I find this to be a perfectly harmless piece of fluff to break up the folk rock-a-thon.
My Friend - Dr. Dog
Okay, this one - I'm late to the party on. For months, the Interweb has been all afiery about the awesomeness of Dr. Dog and I just couldn't get it. I could listen to it - but I couldn't hear it in the immortal words of the brilliant screenwriter for White Men Can't Jump. But this one? I kinda dig it. It's got something kinda cool - a throwback sorta sound at times while avoiding being pigeonholed into some kind of "retro" slot. This one won't be for everyone but check it out. Give it a spin.
Holy Cow (demo) - Margot & The Nuclear So And Sos
Beautiful song - and don't look now, but this chorus will be wedged between your firing synapses in no time as well. The linked version isn't the demo but it'll do, donkey. I dig the demo because it's stripped down to the very basics. It really adds a charm to it that I don't think the final product has in quite as strong supply.
Sad Song (Pacific Remix) - Au Revoir Simone
This is an okay-to-good song. There are parts of it that I really, really like and parts of it I'm just kinda "meh" over. But in the end, it's a nice pick me up before the slow song that wraps up this edition of the Mixtape Of The Month.
Butterfly Nets - Bishop Allen
Sheer awesomeness. If you don't like this song, I'm not sure I like you anymore and I really doubt we can be friends. So, if you value our friendship, listen to the song again and change your mind.
I'm waiting.
STILL waiting!
Okay... you're back. Change your mind?
Awesome! Now we can be friends again! Now where the fuck did I put that hugging emoticon?
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