songs and singles I've been digging PART 1

Death Cab for Cutie - Soul Meets Body

This has been one of my favorites for a while, it's a cool mid-tempo song with a simple but catchy guitar hook. The record this is from, Plans, is a decent one, although I was disappointed that there weren't too many songs that were as good, or better, than this one. The best tracks on Plans are mostly the acoustic and ballad-oriented ones, which is fine, but I was hoping for some more upbeat and fast paced offerings. I'm definitely withholding further judgement on this band until I hear their earlier work, which I understand is quite good (although apparently Ben Gibbard's already higher registered-voice has deepened, which is a bad sign since high-pitched and whiny vocals is one of my main reservations with the whole "emo" universe) . Either way, this is an outstanding track.

download "Soul Meets Body" here
stream of "Soul Meets Body" here

so brown eyes
I hold you near
cause you’re the only song I want to hear
a melody softly soaring
through my atmosphere

Franz Ferdinand - Do You Want To?

This is another catchy song; it has a cool frivolity to it, and it rocks. Franz Ferdinand's self-titled debut was extremely solid, and hopefully their next record will keep up such high quality. "Do You Want To?" sounds heavily influenced by Devo, David Bowie, and the Talking Heads. I'm not much of a fan of Devo, but the Talking Heads, on the other hand, I enjoy quite heartily. I love their whole attitude/ demeanor/ approach, which is goofy, aloof, and artsy; they even seem to exude a quasi-homosexual aura. Watching these guy play live, watching their videos, and listening to their lyrics, I constantly find myself saying "These guys are so gay!" But that doesn't matter - I wouldn't care anyway, they seem to have fun with the idea, and they churn out some damn fine tunes. I'm looking forward to their upcoming CD with guarded optimism, but if this song is any indication, Franz Ferdinand could take a place as one of rock's best new bands who made a stellar debut record within the past two or three years (the Killers would probably have to be the leader of this group).

check out

the awesome video for "Do You Want To?" (scroll down)
download the actual song here

Ryan Adams and the Cardinals - Cherry Lane

This is just a sick, sick song. Ryan Adams, one of my favorite artists, is set to release his second record in less than 4 months, Jacksonville City Nights, with a third CD of material recorded for inclusion in Cameron Crowe's upcoming movie, Elizabethtown. This tune, though, is off his double CD masterpiece Cold Roses. One of his best songs, of which he has many, "Cherry Lane" starts as a country-ish, bluesy mid/fast-tempo rocker that slows down and then builds back up, culminating in an epic and melodic outtro. This is off the first disc from Roses, and it's a great start for anyone not familiar with Ryan Adams.

You can listen to a stream of Cold Roses here.
I love Ryan Adams. I gotta admit, I celebrate the guy's entire catalogue.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Ain't No Easy Way

This is a stomping blues/rockabilly monster. Their new album, Howl, is a completely new and drastic departure from their previous two albums, which, while still blues-based, were electric rockers in the spirit of Nirvana, the Jesus and Mary Chain, and louder Oasis. On Howl, basically every track features acoustic guitar and a simple rhythm section. Given the talent of their drummer, this is a little disappointing, but it's still an interesting and worthwhile detour for the band. B.R.M.C. are one of the victims of rock's current state and the complicated record industry, but hopefully we'll see continued output from these guys.

Listen to "Ain't No Easy Way" here
download an MP3 here

Coldplay - The Hardest Part

Alright, I admit it, I like Coldplay. Aside from the stellar one-liner from The 40-Year-Old Virgin making fun of them, and despite the multitude of people who hate them, Coldplay is a very good band. "The Hardest Part" is their best song to date, and a highlight from X+Y, which is a superb record. What makes it even better for me is that it sounds exactly like classic piano-based R.E.M., and Chris Martin has specifically mentioned that the song is an ode to R.E.M. and Michael Stipe, who have influenced Coldplay and Martin. There are probably lots of people who dislike both bands, I'll take the low road by saying they can eat my ass - fuck them, they wouldn't know great music if it jizzed on their face.

download "The Hardest Part" here

the Rolling Stones - Rough Justice

It's great to know that the fathers of rock one one level, and the grandfathers of rock on another, can still kick out the jams at 60 years old. One of the greatest bands to ever pick up instruments (#2 on my best rock bands list), A Bigger Bang is a return to their raw and bluesy MO. This is the first track, and it's a naughty and exhilirating way to get things started. Everyone sounds 40 years younger than their age here, with Charlie Watts ignoring his corpse-like state and Keith Richards and Mick Jagger lighting the fuse. Good to hear two part guitar interplay in most of the songs. This is one of the better loud tracks on the record, along with "Look What the Cat Dragged In", "She Saw Me Coming", and "Infamy".

listen to "Rough Justice" here

Nine Inch Nails - Only

Continuing the return to form theme, it's good to have Trent Reznor back in the land of the relevant. "Only" sounds a lot like classic NIN from the Pretty Hate Machine and Downward Spiral years, featuring Reznor's trademark angst and anger, along with the cool riff that dominates the song. Awesome f-bombs never hurt good tunes, either.

Audioslave - Doesn't Remind Me

This track also harkens back to classic early 90's-era rock. Tom Morello, despite his immense talent, still manages to frustrate guitar aficionados with his simple guitar solos, overutilizing what he describes as making barnyard animal noises. Nevertheless, the solo here is incendiary (to use a line from Almost Famous), and it's one of the better solos you'll hear from a mainstream radio song these days.

video stream here

Nickel Creek - When In Rome

I like bluegrass a lot, and I especially took to it after first seeing O Brother, Where Art Thou? and enjoying its soundtrack a few years ago. Nickel Creek is a great modern bluegrass-fusion band, if you will, and "When In Rome" is the first track off their excellent new album Why Should the Fire Die?. They've been evolving since their first release a few years ago, and besides being talented musicians, Nickel Creek know how to write songs not only within the bluegrass genre but also combining the music they were raised to enjoy with the best of other facets of rock, 'alt-country', and folk. This track fits in well with two other favorites of mine, "The Fox" and "Smoothie Song". I highly recommend it for those who enjoy their pickin' and fiddlin', in addition to anyone who appreciates good music.

Listen to an NPR stream of a live peformance, including "When In Rome", here

the Shout Out Louds - The Comeback

An infectious little track that has an early Weezer feel to it, but sonically owes more to new wave bands like Television and various-era Flaming Lips (their lead singer sounds a bit like the Lips' Wayne Coyne and Pavement's Stephen Malkmus). "The Comeback" reminds me a little of Matt Sharp's sideproject the Rentals, the song "Friends of P" in particular. If you like the Strokes and other 'indie rock', you'll dig this. There's been a surprising number of acts coming out of Sweden recently, including the Hives, the Caesars, the Perishers, and these guys, among others.

Listen to "The Comeback" here (scroll down, then click on "Free" under where it says "choose download type")


more to come...

The importance of the Yankees failing to make the playoffs, more steroid drama

I'll get more into it within the next few weeks, but it seems that the Yankees not making the playoffs this year, besides being something that most baseball fans would celebrate, would be an unmitigated boon for the Orioles.

Rumor has it that the Yankees current GM, Brian Cashman, is sick of George Steinbrenner and the situation in New York, and that he would covet running the Baltimore Orioles. I believe this would be a huge pick up for the Orioles, as Cashman has a reputation in baseball as a respected and well-liked GM. Implications for drawing a successful manager, such as Jim Leyland (who has expressed a desire to get back into baseball), and opening the door for suddenly interested and previously hesitant free agents to come here this winter are exciting to say the least.

The big problem is that the Yankees, for the first time in several months, as of last night overtook the Boston Red Sox for first place in the American League East and are half a game back in the Wild Card standings. Steinbrenner is notorious for being volatile and having a "what have you done for me recently?" attitude. Even though Cashman's job as GM of the Yankees would still remain in doubt if they reach the postseason, winning the World Series would probably keep him in New York. Given the Yankees previous success and experience navigating through the playoffs, such a scenario would be fairly possible. At that point, Cashman leaving would be on his own accord. The current rumblings have him as already past the point of no return, but nothing is certain. The only near certainty would be the Yankees and Cashman parting ways if they don't reach the playoffs.

The most frustrating factor in all of this is the fact the Orioles control their own destiny in this regard - they are wrapping up a four-game series today, and they host New York at Oriole Park next week for 3 games. How have the O's responded? By losing the first three games of the series, and catapulting the Yankees into first. Further complicating matters is this weekend's series against the Red Sox, creating a double-edged sword and lose-lose situation. I honestly hope we just lose out against the Red Sox and help them win the East, but New York has taken matters out of our hands by winning three close games against us and, as all good teams do, controlling their own destiny.

In other Orioles news, the ongoing Rafael Palmeiro controversy just took another strange turn, as he now implicates a teammate. One of the worst Orioles seasons of the past 20 years gets more interesting, and this offseason will prove beyond a shadow of a doubt whether the Orioles are THE worst-run franchise in all of baseball, or whether they can avert disaster and, combining some promising pieces with shrewd and drastic moves, finally contend in a brutal division.

Plane fakes emergency to let fans view soccer

Plane fakes emergency to let fans view soccer

The title could not say it any better. These real news stories that could pass for something you'd find on The Onion are great to find. What a testament to the power of the world's greatest sport, as well to the less than stellar decision-making and ill-advised attitude of certain African leaders. You have to appreciate stories like this, funny on several levels, and pathetic on a couple (way to make well-meaning and concerned emergency personnel panic). Sports Rule.

Jorge Julio

The following is a post I made to Orioles Hangout regarding Jorge Julio, the Oriole I despise the most (Sammy Sosa would take that honor usually but there's no way he's coming back after this year, and, when we signed him, I accepted the probability his career was already over and he would be awful for us).

check out a funny, facetious page referring to Julio's antics

-------

I rarely post, but I'm the typical long time lurker. I just have to throw in my 2 cents on Julio, if only for the therapeutic value of venting on perhaps one of the most frustrating and angering players I've ever encountered in my 15+ years as a serious Orioles fan (Luis Polonia, Deivi Cruz, Armando Benitez, Sammy Sosa, Jimmy Haynes, Glenn Davis, Manny Alexander, Jim Traber, Juan Bell, Mike Timlin, etc. don't even come close).

First, in terms of injuries as an excuse, I refuse to buy it. At best it might explain some of his struggles, at worst it's a lame cop out used by numerous players after repeatedly failing and putting up subpar numbers. It's one thing for rumblings to surface of injury to Miguel Tejada and to some extent Melvin Mora, who still put up solid averages and more than productive offensive numbers (especially in the case of Tejada), but it's quite another for a pitcher who has NEVER displayed consistency and has frequently gone through stretches of implosion where he will single-handedly cost the Orioles games. There is no Oriole pitcher in recent memory who has come into games with two, three and even four run leads and almost methodically gone on to put several runners on via the walk, followed by the inevitable 2 or 3-run homer. It's almost as if it's scripted.

Many O's fans will recall Armando Benitez and his eerily similar struggles; both players threw hard fastballs and sliders (comprising their entire repertiore in their early careers), and both were prone to erratic stretches where they gave up leads in important games. Both seemed to have mental issues which got in the way of the obvious talent they failed to completely harness.

But Benitez went on to have quite a dominant career as a closer in the NL. Meanwhile, we've given Julio several years worth of chances for redemption and evaluation for the incompetent front offices and management of the past several years. He's proven that he can't handle his reponsibilities, that he will always be immature (constantly turning around to see if his fastball reached 100 MPH rather than worrying about anything closely team-related), and his talent will continue to remain unfulfilled and the perceptions of it misplaced. Perhaps he will go on to find success later in his career, but I for one hope it is not with the Orioles.

Julio needs a chance of scenery, and the Orioles will be much better off for it. I've shouted so many obscenities and words of profane defeat after watching Julio blow games that I can't take it anymore. I've done so watching him fail in every role, closing games because he was the Orioles closer, closing games because our #1 closer had worked the previous three games, pitching the 8th as the set-up man because he blew so many saves as the closer, pitching in the 8th because it was his job from the beginning of the season, pitching in the 7th down 5 runs because he was so bad in every situation he pitched before and he was in such a slump that there was nowehere else for his baffled manager to put him.

We've already squandered so many chances for a trade, but let's at least not compound our errors by making this clown a part of our long term plans. So long Jorge Julio, we knew ye well and we are worse off because of it.

Movies I'm Looking Forward To

Munich

This Steven Spielberg picture is based on the real-life terrorist killings of Israeli atheletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics. An unfortunately appropriately-themed film given current events, this project has already amassed massive buzz and hype as a Best Picture contender. Given the director, and a usually strong Eric Bana in the lead role (despite his involvement in atrocities such as The Hulk, he was the highlight in the unfairly panned Troy), hopefully this movie will not disappoint.

Boondock II: All Saints Day

The sequel to Boondock Saints. One of my favorite movies, the original is simply bad ass. With several memorable scenes (the escape from the Russians post bar fight, taking out the Russian syndicate, the "firefight" sequence), a cool story, lots of violence and swearing, and a funny performace in his only on-screen role to date from David de la Rocco, it's a nice addition to the violent gangster genre that, while Saints is not in the same league, Pulp Fiction and Goodfellas tower over. Willem Dafoe is great as a high-strung FBI agent.

I get a kick out of the Irish Catholic vigilantes go on a morally paradoxical killing spree angle, given my own affinity for Catholicism. I'm also a fan of the fact both brothers have the Blessed Mother tattoed on their necks, but I might be the only person you'll ever hear say that. I hold Mary in the highest regard; the reasons for that I'll save for another post.

Either way, considering the original didn't get a full release because of the Columbine shootings AND the fact director Troy Duffy got blacklisted by Mirimax before it's release - it was only shown in 5 theaters across the country - it's impressive that the film was so enthusiastically received and was re-released on DVD solely on strong word-of-mouth. All for a film that basically went straight to video.

Duffy again is writing/directing the sequel, and, although there's no Dafoe, the two main characters are back, with the addition of what looks like a blonde Irish hottie. Sounds good to me!

The Departed

This promising film boasts a sick cast and director. Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg, Jack Nicholson, and Martin Sheen are directed by Martin Scorsese in a story about an Irish gang member and a police cadet who respectively infiltrate the other side as moles. A remake of the Hong Kong original Infernal Affairs, which was fairly well-done, one can see why Scorsese might have been excited to re-interpret a movie that came out only a few years ago. Scorsese is responsible for some of my favorite films - Goodfellas, The Last Waltz, and Gangs of New York - and classics such as Raging Bull and Taxi Driver, among others.

DiCaprio, Damon, and Wahlberg have also appeared in some of my favorite movies; these guys are talented and, for the most part, they turn up in more good films than your average successful actor. The Departed is allegedly going to be violent and suspenseful, with Damon mentioning that a sequel would be hard to do given the bloodshed in it. This is one of those projects where it would be quite difficult to not at least entertain and feature high-quality filmmaking and production. This is a lot like when I first heard about a comedy starring Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn and Luke Wilson back in 2002 - I remember looking forward to Old School as comedic gold well before it was released theatrically. Different genres, but same principle at work.

Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny

The first time I watched a Tenacious D episode was several years ago during college, and I could tell right away that I was seeing something outrageous and funny. At the same time, knowing I have a quirky sense of humor, and knowing that the series was out of left field even for HBO, I didn't think it would catch on. I was sort of right, but mostly wrong on that. The Tenacious D series did in fact die out, but luckily Jack Black is as resourceful and stubborn as his band name suggests. Never ashamed to call themselves the greatest band in the world, the D managed to record an album. The first time I heard their ballad "Fuck Her Gently" was on the internet, I rejoiced inside for I knew JB and KG had overcome the odds and triumphed; the D was a force, and it was here to stay.

Ben Stiller and John C. Reilly show up in the Pick of Destiny, along with Tim Robbins. On a sidenote, I have a love/hate relationship with Robbins (about 90% hate). I have always liked him because he played Andy Dufresne, a well-acted role in my all-time favorite movie, The Shawshank Redemption. He's a good actor (despite his appearance in one of the worst movies ever: Mission to Mars), but I absolutely hate his political viewpoints on just about everything. I think he's a Communist ass, but at least he had a funny cameo in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, so hopefully he'll follow up with another one here. You also have to like the cheesy yet grandiose pun of a title. One of the few red flags associated with this movie is the unproven director attached to it, Liam Lynch. Either way, expect some funny songs, some wierd adventures, and some lofty claims from the D.

check out some Tenacious D videos, including "Fuck Her Gently", here

The Passion of the Clerks

Kevin Smith is a good writer-director, even though his work has been a little uneven and inconsistent over the years. Watching Clerks and Mallrats for the first time were memorable movie experiences. This sequel has a lot to live up to, as the first film came out of nowhere with virtually no budget to be an indie classic. Dante and Randal are classic characters despite obvious shortcomings in the script, most of the humor is scathing and crude (in the best way), and you can find some classic conversational dialogue between the novel characters. Jay and Silent Bob launched their recurring characters here, even though I'm still wondering why Jeff Anderson's career didn't pick up considering his performance as Randal was the funniest - he's been relegated to almost exclusively Smith projects. Maybe his style was perfectly suited for this type of movie only, or maybe he caught lightning in a bottle and was never a good comedic actor, who knows. Rosario Dawson just signed on to the project, and even though I'm not too big a fan of hers, she's still a hottie. Check out Kevin Smith's own website for the best updates on this flick.

The Bourne Ultimatum

Matt Damon will be back to reprise his role as Jason Bourne in the third of this series. The first two were quality espionage thrillers, and there's no reason to think this one will disappoint as long as the same people are involved. I've already mentioned that Damon is a favorite actor of mine (his turn as Will Hunting standing as my favorite character of his), and the Bourne series illustrates some of his range as an actor - it doesn't require too much in the area of thespianism to play Bourne, but he's still a good in a straightforward action role, and it's a departure from most of his more involving characters (excluding, of course, his wonderfully ridiculous cameo in Euro Trip).

more to come...

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The Poker Sponge

I have to share my favorite poker story and hand of all time, something which occurred in November of 2003 at the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. Unfortunately, those unfamiliar with Hold Em or poker in general will not find this anecdote amusing nor interesting. Oh well!

Anyway, I'm sitting at a 20/40 table with a bunch of loose and crazy players, including your stereotypically LOOSE Asian gamblors. One in particular is giving a new definition to the term loose calling station, and a couple young kids sitting to my left had pointed his play out to me as soon as a sat down. These two young players were fun to play with, and, over the course of the evening, I had become buddies with them and enjoyed watching the donkeys around us play their hands. A.J. sat to my immediate left. He was always joking around, and the fact he sounded like Marlon Brando in The Godfather (except with an even higher, raspier voice) made him even funnier. To his left was his friend Alex, a solid Asian kid who was running bad that night. Finally, in the 1 seat, playing EVERY hand, was an old Asian man in his 60's. This guy was there to GAMBLE. I'm talking about calling three bets cold with 2-7 suited. If he held an Ace, see you at the river. Gutshot draw with two cards to make a pair lower than the board? See you at the river!

A.J. had said an hour before, "Check out the guy in the 1 seat, he's a huge sponge." "Sponge?", I asked, as I was unfamiliar with the term. Apparently it was poker lingo for a player who absorbed incredible amounts of bets and raises with astonishingly awful hands. I hadn't heard the term before, but I took a liking to it. Anyway, I'm in the 7 seat, in the small blind, when I get dealt pocket aces (A , A ) and the following hand occurs:

Alex folds, fold, Sponge calls (shocker), call, raise, call, fold, fold, fold, and action is to me. I make it three bets to go, A.J. immediately folds and wishes me luck, Sponge insta-calls two bets cold, and everyone else calls. The flop comes:

4 J 8

As I was the small blind, action starts with me. I know I have the best hand, but the table was playing loose-aggressive, so I check with the intention of check-raising the flop and hopefully taking control of the hand. Sponge checks, check, 3 seat bets, and 4 seat raises. I still had no doubt that I had the best hand, and figured I was up against a J (the 3 seat, probably QJ, KJ, or AJ) and a club flush draw (the 4 seat). I raise and make it three bets. In the play of the night, the Sponge makes what is now a routine call. It's not too often that you see anyone cold-call THREE bets, much less after the flop, but this man was not to be denied. Anyway, the 2 seat folds, and the 4 and 5 seat both call. I'm even more sure of my read now. The turn:

5

This isn't a great card for me, but it's not a bad card either. The only player I'm worried about is the Sponge at this point, and I bet out. The Sponge makes another quick call, and the other two players call as well. Now the moment of truth, a sizeable pot and one card to come. The river:

6

Sort of a nauseating card. The flush draws are busted, but any 7 makes a straight. I still think I'm good and figure if I'm beat, I'll know when I'm raised. After my bet, everyone is silent, with the remaining players still in the pot contemplating. At this point I sensed that no one had a straight. The Sponge called my river bet, which was no surprise, and the 3 seat disgustedly called while the 4 seat folded. I flip over my aces, and the 3 seat says "Nice hand, I had a jack." A couple other guys say nice hand, and A.J. sitting next to me was whispering "You're good, you're good, that's a monster." After what seemed like another 10 seconds, the Sponge finally speaks up after seeing my hand. "No goo!! Two peh!," and the Sponge flipped over 5,6 off for runner-runner two pair.

"Oh my fucking God, the Sponge just hit runner-runner two pair, that's so awful!" were the words of empathy from A.J. as I mucked my aces after flashing them quickly. I was a little disappointed in losing a nice pot, but I couldn't help laughing after thinking about what had transpired. After dumping a couple thousand, the Sponge used his 3 bets-cold- for- a- gutshot-on-the-flop hand to catapult himself into a nice little rush, as he started combining suckouts with a few genuine monster hands to win back his lost thousands, only to start absorbing bets and giving chips away again.

It's funny to think that those swings are part of the reason Sponges everywhere play the way they do, along with the fact they can't tolerate not being in the action every hand.