Picture of the Week

New Music Tuesday 9-29-09

Here is a sampling of some new music that is on the shelves today. Enjoy

Zero 7 - Yeah Ghost
Breaking Benjamin - Dear Agony
Ghostface Killah - Ghostdini-Wizard Of Poetry
Madonna – Celebration
Melvins - Chicken Switch

Not a bad showing. Of course there are far more releases. These are simply the ones that jumped out at me.

Best Time of the Year is Coming!

There is electricity in the air this time of year. The end of summer signals the start of fall baseball. This is when everything is on the line. Six teams square off for a piece of sports history. The MLB Playoffs are where legends are made. Who can forget Kirby Puckett, Kurt Schilling, Joe Carter or the many others who came up big in the post season. What makes the MLB Playoffs so unique is that the limelight is not simply reserved for the big names. Who can forget Scott Podsednik's home run in the 2005 playoffs or Aaron Boone's walk off winner. There is nothing like the MLB Post Season.

Football fans will cling to the Super Bowl but honestly how many truly great playoff games have their been? I am not blaming football but the format of baseball's multiple game championships leads to more memorable moments. Get ready baseball fans October 7th will be here in no time.

New Music Tuesday: 9/22/09

Here is a sampling of some of the new albums in stores today. Enjoy

Basement Jaxx - Scars
Brand New - Daisy
David Gray - Draw the Line
Pearl Jam - Backspacer
Sea Wolf - White Water, White Bloom
Castanets - Texas Rose, Thaw & The Beasts
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis - White Lunar
They Might Be Giants - Here Comes Science

Status Update: Facebook is Lame

I try to steer clear of any sort of politics on this blog but I cannot help it. I just read that Sarah Palin has been getting her message out through Facebook. Leave it to Sarah Palin to rid Facebook of any coolness factor it had left. Granted, I have cut back on Facebook since the term "social media" came to fruition. It also felt a little strange when my parents became friends with me. I want them to know what is going on with my life but like having a filter. Leave it to Sarah Palin to prove that things are way cooler until your parents get involved.

What is the deal with Fleet Foxes?

Is there anyone else who is just not that into them? I feel as though I am the only person in the world who does not dig Fleet Foxes. It has become so bad that when people ask me if I listen to them I have to preface my answer with, "I don't know what my deal is but..." It is as if I feel guilty not liking them. Their self titled album is on all of my trusted media sources top albums of 2008 lists. No I am not referring to Rolling Stone and Spin. The album appears on nearly every single reviewer for Pitchfork's list. Maybe I am just missing something here. They sound a lot like the Byrds, I get that but what makes their music so special? There is only one other band that has alluded me like these guys do, Arcade Fire. What bands are just not that into?

Pitchfork's top albums of 2008 list

The Gaslight Anthem, Ogden Theatre, Denver CO

Say hello to the crowd, tell some stories, play a few songs, crack a couple of jokes and say goodnight. The format for a live concert is fairly predictable, even for those who have not attended very many. The Gaslight Anthem’s ability to take this simple formula and turn it into something memorable is what separates them from many of the others bands I have seen. The band exuded confidence, charisma and lightheartedness as they tore through their set. It was evident that they thoroughly enjoy playing live together. What impressed me the most was the way they connected with the crowd. They were genuine. I was not just seeing another band go through the motions. This was a band that cared and was real. They laughed and joked around with each other. It was like watching a group of my friends play. It was refreshing to see a band that does not take their fans or popularity for granted.

It is rare that I go to a show and not have any complains. The crowd was electric, the setlist fantastic and the band sounded perfectly gritty. I felt a bit nostalgic as the show reminded me of the hardcore shows of my youth. All in all, The Gaslight Anthem puts on a show that is not to be missed. This is their final tour before the release of their next album, hopefully in early 2010.

The Gaslight Anthem Website: http://www.myspace.com/thegaslightanthem

New Music Tuesday 9-15-09

Here are a few albums that are in stores today. Enjoy

Muse - The Resistance
Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson - The Break Up
Kyle Hollingsworth - Then There's Now
Mason Jennings - Blood of Man
Ministry - Last Dubber
Q-Tip - Kamaal The Abstract

Stay Classy Kanye

For the record I do not watch MTV or see Kanye West's display during the Video Music Awards. Actually I think it is kind of humorous that MTV gives awards for music videos and they do not even show music videos anymore. Anyway I watched Kanye on Youtube this morning and once again he proves that money and fame can buy a lot of things but it cannot buy class. Between him and Jay Cutler I do not know who did a better job of representing the windy city yesterday.

Rockabilly Surf

So I went to a show last night. My friend said they were of the rockabilly surf variety. I was intrigued. I had not heard rockabilly surf before and it was pretty good. The bands we saw were The InSinerators from Gunnison and Mad Dog and Smokin' Js.

Both bands were fantastic. I am honestly not much of a rockabilly fan but Mad Dog and the Smokin' Js are definitely worth seeing. The InSinerators definitely have a fresh sound as well. If you want to hear something a little different check out these two bands.

Mad Dog and the Smokin' Js

Hometown Pride

No matter where you go, you can never truly escape your roots. This became evident to me the other night at the Colorado Rockies game. The Rockies are in first place in the Wild Card Race and have had a phenomenal second half to their season. Still, as I watched the Rockies and Reds I could not help but anxiously watch the scoreboard for Chicago White Sox score. Even though the White Sox are nearly mathematically eliminated, they hold my attention.

When I moved to Denver 3 years ago, I figured that the Rockies would become my team in the National League. I grew up a White Sox fan so cheering for the Cubs has never been an option. In fact, I quietly enjoy watching the Cubs flounder year after year. As I watched the game last night, I strange feeling came over me, much like the one that did in 2007 when the Rockies made it to the World Series. As exciting as the game was, it did not create the same euphoric feeling when the Rockies won in the 9th as when the Sox won close games. I cheered for the home team because I am a baseball fan but it was not the same. I am not emotionally vested in the Rockies. Last night, I came to the realization that this is the closest I can get. Even if I live in Colorado for the rest of my life, nothing can capture the magic of following the White Sox in my youth. Those magical nights in the outfield bleachers when the Cleveland Indians or Milwaukee Brewers would come to town. The crowd would stand for the entire game as you could feel the electricity in the air. All of the 2nd place finishes were worth it when the White Sox won it all in 05'.

Baseball has not quiet been the same for me since they won the World Series. I never thought it would happen in my lifetime. It is strange when you have wished for something for so many years and then it happens and you do not know what to do. A giant weight was lifted off your shoulders.

I go to Rockies games to take it all in. The magic of being at the ballpark is still there. I may have reached my ceiling for how attached I can get to the Rockies but love watching the emotionally vested fans around me. It is hard to match the excitement of watching your favorite team accomplish everything you have ever wanted. Go Rockies.

New Music Tuesday 9/8/09

Here are a few of the new releases that are in stores today. Enjoy

Phish - Joy
Rodrigo y Gabriel - 11:11
Jay-Z - Blueprint 3
Yo La Tango - Popular Songs

Writting From the Past

I came across a piece of writing I typed up after I graduated college. It is interesting to be able to look through a window into my past. I am posting it as a message. Life gets better I promise. I think everyone feels a bit of shell shock after they graduate college. Enjoy

It didn’t end with a zip or a bang or a huge drunken party.  There wasn’t even a scene like those of a movie where a bunch of friends are sitting at a bar giving endless toasts to the past adventures of the last four years.  Nothing said about the future and how bright it may be.  It ended with a snap like that of a pull firework or the fizzle of a cheap sparkler.  There was supposed to be cheers and jeers, laughter and tears.  There was none of that here.  It ended end when uncharacteristically the Dean of Students pronounced my name correctly, a dead meaningless handshake and an empty congenial nod.  For others it ended with the words with honors preceding their name.  For many that will be the last time an adjective will precede their name. With honors or without, going to be bed early the night before graduation or getting half-cocked it’s all one in the same.  It marks the end of an era and the beginning of a new day.  Your agenda is empty.  For some it ended with impossible promises like I’ll see you again and we’ll definitely stay in touch.  With others it occurred over a phone conversation in a vacant hotel room, a plea to move to DC or a great new job in Omaha.  This is life, the next step, right.  At times I feel like a Vietnam Vet who can’t get over the fact the war is over.  I spent four years of my life being sprayed with napalm, thinking that 10 was the start of the day and sure enough that a hangover was enough to garner one’s sympathy.  I was living in a foxhole of college bliss and now I’ve been thrown back into the working world. I am expected to be humble and shrug it off.  I’ve been robbed of my youth and everyone expects me to help the burglar named time load up his get away vehicle.  All I have left are memories that serve me well.  They allow me to easily forget about the things I have regretted over the last four years. The mind is a curious thing.  It alters things.  Not intentionally but just enough to allow us to get by.

Change

I have had a friend staying at my place the last week and it made me realize how much I appreciate my few moments of solitude. Do not get me wrong, our friend is a fantastic guest and company but I am looking forward to having things back to normal next week.

Earlier in the week, I was thinking about how nice next week was going to be and then it dawned on me that my view on solitude has changed. I could not help but chuckle. The word solitude means alone or single. I have not been alone or single for over 5 years. My view on this word has changed. Five years ago my excitement was for complete dictionary definition solitude and now solitude includes my wife. It is funny how the little things change. My adjusted definition is proof that I am married to my soul mate. It must be a sign.

As a child, I was never 100 percent confident in my abilities to do anything perfectly correct. I would frequently do something and then ask for a sign from God to prove I did it correctly. I never asked for earth shattering signs because I was never confident God existed and if he did, why would he waste his time turning the sky purple just to tell me that I had chosen the correct answers on my grade school quizzes. I asked for little signs like, "if this is the correct answer then make the classroom clock bell ring at the top of the hour as it did every hour or if I am not correct make the clock stop working completely." I always wanted to give God choices. If neither one happened, I knew he was too busy. The funny thing is that I was a straight C student. It was comforting to know that God scored average on grade school quizzes as well. He saved his real powers for much bigger things.

Nowadays, I am more confident than I was as a child. I would be a complete liar though if I said I did not still ask for signs from time to time. I think we all do. The signs I use today are based upon the sheer amount of happiness I have in my life.

New Music Tuesday 9-1-09

Here is a sample of some of the new albums that are in stores today:
David Bazan - Curse your Branches
Black Crowes - Before the Frost...Until the Freeze
Beanie Sigel - Broad Street Bully
The Used - Artwork
Dr. Dre - Chronic Re-Lit
John Fogerty - Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again
Reverend Horton Heat - Laughin & Cryin
Drive By Truckers - The Fine Print