Can You Hear Me Now?

Just got a new cell phone last month. But damn, I wish I'd seen this one first. What's better than a phone that can give you a hug?

My friend Mike sent me the link to these Quicksand videos from their appearance at the first Van's Warped Tour back in 1995. The videoes include the entire set, and pretty much iall their hits. The sound quality is not half bad either. For more info on this amazing band, check out the, Quicksand Website. Also, if you keep searching on You Tube, you can find their appearance on Jon Stewart's old show on MTV. Remember that?

OJ. What the hell is wrong with you? In a scene from his new candid-camera program "Juiced," O.J. Simpson pulls a prank involving the infamous white Bronco, drawing criticism from the family of a man he was accused of killing. View story here. As part of the pay-per-view show, Simpson pretends to sell the Bronco at a used car lot and boasts to a prospective buyer that he made the vehicle famous..."It was good for me it helped me get away," Simpson said. Wow, that is just wrong!


Listening Pile
I'm digging some tunes I got from Ladytron a little while back. The songs are intriguing and engaging, invoking the ability to make audiences shake it. The arty blend of darkness synth lines with warm real instrumentation proves to be the record's best attribute and Ladytron kill at it.

Here it is, a link to Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy". Man, this is a hot track. I heard they were pretty wack at Coachella though.

She should be nice and attractive and... topless. Topless is good!

Wow, this Gnarls Barkley album is blowing up like crazy! . Gnarls Barkley is a collaboration between Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo. Their first album, St. Elsewhere , was released by Warner Music on April 24, 2006 in the UK and is set to be released May 9 in the U.S. by Atlantic/Downtown Records. It was made available for download one week earlier in the U.S. iTunes Music Store and other online download stores. "Crazy", the first single, became the first ever UK number one based on download sales alone. Nuts I tell ya. But damn are they some catchy tunes. Soulful, full of samples and beats galore. Danger Mouse is on a huge roll. Which after hearing about Charles Barkley and John Daly's incredible gambling loses, I'm wondering at what point will Sir Charles come calling for his share of the pot. That Danger Mouse just loves to not make money on any of the work he does huh!

Found this amazing story last week on how young adults in the United States fail to understand the world and their place in it, according to a survey-based report on geographic literacy released today. For example, despite non-stop news coverage since the war began in Iraq in 2003, 63% of Americans aged 18 to 24 failed to locate the country on a map of the Middle East. 70% could not find Iran or Israel. Now, I'm no Columbus or anything, but I know where Iraq, Iran and Israel are. If you would like to test your knowledge, please take thisquiz. I blame this decline on you Steve Jobs. Well, maybe it's because most kids that age learned Geography like this

So, the other night I'm watching Road Trip, well, because there was nothing else on. And that scene where Horatio from SNL puts the kids's french toast in his pants comes on. Holy Snikes, is that scene hilarious. I credit that scene for making me never, EVER!, sending food back because it's not cooked right. Unless I can see the kitchen of course. What ever happened to Tom Green. Last thing I remember was testicle cancer and Drew Barrymore dumping his ass.

Bond's #715, a joyless endeavor. I have to say, Tom Verducci put is so eloquently the other day in this article. He talks about Bond's chase for Ruth, and ulitimately, the chase for Aaron and how something that should be so great, has becomes so joyless and unrewarding. He closes with this, "An athlete being labeled a cheater is worse than being called soft or a loser or even a jerk. And yet that is the verdict on Bonds, a player once gifted with as great a package of all-around baseball skills the game had ever seen. And that, really, is why this tour toward history is so sad." Which sadly is the biggest bummer. Bonds could have been as great as his godfather, Willie Mays, maybe even better. But now, we'll never know how good he was, just that he cheated us all of something great.


Listening Pile
My god, I am loving this new I LOVE YOU BUT I'VE CHOSEN DARKNESS album. The Austin band's first full length, Fear Is On Our Side was released March 7th on Secretly Canadian. I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness had worked with Spoon's lead singer, Britt Daniel, who produced their earlier work. On Fear Is On Our Side, former Ministry bassist and programmer Paul Barker, produced and engineered. I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness make beautifully haunting music that sees them expand a bit on their earlier work. The vocals are frightengly distant and full of disdain. The guitars soar and crash around linear bass lines and synthy sounding drums. What you could imagine this bands sounds like, dark, brooding and full of mystery, is sort of what you get. And it's damn good.

They are going out to the West Coast w/ the Rogers Sisters, and then come back to NYC to play the Bowery on July 19.

So, has anyone noticed how the worst rapper ever, The Streets, new track, "When He Wasn't Famous", sounds so much like the beat to the "Macarena"? I kid you not. Check it out here This guy is horrible. I'm sorry, I just don't get it!

When I Am King, You'll Be First Against the Wall

Radiohead is touring. Radiohead is touring. YAY!!! And to think, now I won't have to go down to the lovely and scenic, Manchester, TN to see them at the hippie love fest that is Bonnaroo. Though have you noticed that so many of the bands playing are not jam bands, but halfway decent indie rock. I smell a conspiracy here. Peep the Radiohead tour dates here I know for sure I'm going to one of the NYC dates. Hoping I'll maybe get to see at least one more show too, whether it's the other NYC show, LA or Philly.

What the f'ing hell happened last night on LOST. Man, there have been some crazy twists and turns this season, but I gotta tell ya, I didn't see that coming. The sex, the picnic, the shootings. Did Michael go nuts? Did he hate those other folks? What the hell happened? I bet they don't air a new episode for another three weeks now too. UGH!!! Erika had a good point last night, that we shouldn't watch the season as it happen, but rather just ignore it and rent it on Netflix at the end. I don't know if I can do that. I think I'm hooked. LOST, I just can't quit you!

My friend Colin's band The Attorneys, have entered a contest to get their song on some new movie with that assbanger, Josh Hartnett. Hey, he sucks, and I'm sure the movie will, but their song is great and should win. Go here and vote for them. Spread the news too mang! They are playing the Delancey Saturday night too. If I get back in time from MK's Seis party, I will be there.

Actually, that leads me to this. What do you do when someone keeps trying to be your friend on Myspace and you keep rejecting them? I mean, at least four or five times now. Do you just not respond? Do they know you've rejected them? And no, it's not her. I mean, can you really reject a young impressionable girl like this, who has a webcam! HA! Remember, when Myspace first started and would allow crazy porno pics up. Rupert, I blame this on you!

Listening Pile
Been listening a bit to that Wolfmother record. I have to say, I was drawn in by the hype a little. So I felt inclined to give the record a fair shot. Man, was I wrong. I like this band the first time around, when they were called Black Sabbath. WTF! This band is lame and so unoriginal, they make the Yeah Yeah Yeahs look like Sonic Youth. Wolfmother completely rips off Sabbath, down to the riffs and melodies. Except for the one song on the album where they rip off the White Stripes, this sounds like it could be the new Sabbath album. Man, what a disappointment.

Anyhow, with the bad, I give you the good! These guys are my new friends, well on myspace at least. I swear, I really don't go on myspace that much. I digress. So, The Picture is a Brooklyn five piece that lists, Blur, Stone Roses, Velvet Underground, Jesus & Mary Chain, The Cure as influences. So, if you like those bands, you should take a momment and listen to the Picture.

I won't say that women belong in the kitchen, but they don't belong in the dugout

Things I Think I Think

1. I've never really listened to Mono, but what I do know, is they are Japanese and they are a post rock outfit. Mono Review at Pitchfork.
And yes, they totally pulled one on Victory Records and Hawthorne Heights. Read the wonderful manipulation of some lame call to arms letter Victory sent out., below.


2. Um... So I finally saw Brokeback Mountain the other day. Uh... well.... I saw it. It was well shot. Heath and Jake were terrible in it. Sorry, but they could have gotten much better actors. The sex scenes were a bit tamer than I thought, but the first one, was well, unexpected to say the least.

3. Does David Bowie just keep latching himself onto hip cool bands or what? I mean, every few years, he just finds another young hip band, and latches himself on. This time around, it's, TV On The Radio. He scurried past me last week right as the band was about to go on stage at the Bowery. According to this Rolling Stone story, he's been a fan for some time. He's appearing on one of their new album's tracks. I also hear he was working with the Secret Machines on their new one.

4. Wilder Valderrama, enjoy your fame and your romps with hot young celebutantes now, because this is what your future looks like. Hot Springs Homes.Oh, poor Erik Estrada. How far you've come from your days with Morgain Fairchild

5. How do you know MisShapes has jumped the shark? Axl Rose was there this weekend. Yeah, that Axl Rose. Guns N' Fucking Roses. Man, they will let anyone in these days. I'm just waiting for Jim J. Bullock or Gerardo to show up and throw down some records. Ah, well, since Misshapes moved, to Don Hill's, you just can't call it home anymore... You know, where everybody knows your name... Ha, see videohere

6. Now did I call it or what? Keith Hernandez (aka 'The Second Spitter' ) made some creepy comments during the Mets game on Saturday night. here "Who is the girl in the dugout, with the long hair?" Hernandez said during the broadcast. "What's going on here? You have got to be kidding me. Only player personnel in the dugout."

"I won't say that women belong in the kitchen, but they don't belong in the dugout," Hernandez said.

Hernandez, a former Mets first baseman, then laughed and said: "You know I am only teasing. I love you gals out there -- always have." He also went on to say that he thought she "was Morgana ['The Kissing Bandit'] for a minute, but she wasn't blonde."

WOW! I don't even think James Woods could have made that shit up. AWESOME!!! Dude is so getting fired. And she's definitely not asking him up for coffee.

7. Apparently, Monopoly is in for some changes. For real man, the game that has stayed virtually unchanged since being invented in 1935 is in-store for some big time changes. As I found out from this CNN Article, the game's updated Here and Now edition, due in the fall, will replace Atlantic City landmarks with legendary streets, neighborhoods and national monuments. Until May 12, fans can vote for their favorite landmarks from 22 cities — including New York's Times Square, Chicago's Wrigley Field, Honolulu's Waikiki Beach, Beverly Hills' Rodeo Drive and San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. What, no Pinky's Hot Dog stand, Playboy Mansion, or The L Train? Bummer!

Listening Pile:
Band Of Horses's Everything All the Time isn't gonna win them any prizes for originality. At times singer, Ben Bridwell's reverb-laden vocals immediately evoke memories of Built to Spill and more recently, My Morning Jacket. However, they do sound refreshing over the course of the album. Ultimately, the album's ethereal atmosphere is set with the opening track, brilliantly titled "The First Song." "The Funeral" is the winner here, which builds like a slow burn, leading to the song's crescendo, a burst of floating guitars, drums and reverb. The band's niche is its delicate balance between gloomy, quiet and loud dynamics. It's a good listen, that surprisingly, gets better each time.

Nice game, pretty boy.

Seven Things I Think I Think

1. I saw the Gorillaz at the famed Apollo Theater last week. It was a fantastic show. Just about all the guest stars on the record, actually made it out to play with the band at the Apollo. De La Soul, Ike Turner, Neneh Cherry, Bootie Brown, Roots Manuva, and Martina Topley-Bird. Also, Shaun Rider from the Happy Mondays made it out. Which gets me thinking, they should make TV spots of him, and use that as reasoning for kids not to do drugs. Others only turned up on tape, including Dennis Hopper and MF Doom.

The visuals for the show were not in front of the band, they didn't play behind screens the way, I guess they've done in the past. They all played in front of white screens that were shaded with different colors to go along with the one main screen that had animated images projected onto it. There were also two puppets, of Murdoch and 2d that introduced the band before the set, and for the encore.
None the less, it was still a really special show. Playing mostly songs from the most recent disc, Demon Days, they did manage to play one song from the War Child Benefit and some other song that I wasn't familiar with. They didn't play one song from the S/T debut, not even the hit single, "Clint Eastwood", which I was convinced would have been the encore.

2. I don't know if anyone saw the Strokes on Letterman this week, but wow! Wow, were they horrible. I was actually thinking to myself the other day, you know what, there are at least two or three songs on that new album that I don't hate. Of course, they didn't play any of those last night. I'm not sure what song they played, but it should have a name like "don't play with me, I have aids" or something like that. (yes, I stole that from the mcluskyism bio) I swear at one point, they all just looked at each other and realized how bad they were actually playing. It's like that moment when a guy realizes he's on Maury Povich to see if he's the baby's daddy, not to win a vacation or a new car. Julian, what the fuck, was that "Yee Haw" all about? Fab, I've got news for you, movie starts don't date guys in lame bands. Video here:

3. I finally saw Editors at Webster Hall last week. It was a good show. The band plays with lots of emotion and conviction. The played through most of the songs from their debut album, the Back Room. Also, playing "Heads In A Basket," a B-Side that was only available as a free download last week. Highlights included first US single, "Munich", and my pick for best song on the album, "Bullets". They played well, but seemed to have some trouble engaging the crowd and sounding a bit small for the size of the room. I wish I'd gotten the chance to see them at the Mercury Lounge a couple months back. They should have done two nights at Bowery or something.

4. This Plastic Constellations band needs to be stopped. On iTunes they are said to sound like Fugazi and AT The Drive-In. Which they sound nothing like. They sound like mini-Papa Roach or POD. Just plain awful! At first I thought this was a joke. But, well, no it's not! These kids think they are good and sound like Fugazi!

5. I had the flu all weekend. I'll tell ya this, I felt like total crap. I was knocked on my ass. I didn't get out of bed for two days. I didn't leave my house for four days! FOUR DAYS! I can only imagine what something worse than the regular flu I had could feel like. If that bird flu really does start to spread, I'm working from home until they find a cure.

6. I don't know if anyone out there has listened to the telecast of the Mets games on SNY. But have you noticed how much Keith Hernandez (aka 'The Second Spitter' ) sounds, like James Woods. My god, it's scary. I'm just waiting for him to say "I hope you all get anal herpes!" or " Some we give them the good life, others we give it right up the ass." Which leads me to this posting I found here, on the best 'Seinfeld' sports momments. #1 was genius. And, I'm sorry, but putting Ralph Kiner on TV is sadder than putting on Dick Clark. Poor Kiner's got a foot and a half in the grave, and some dumbass reporter from SNY asks him the dumbest questions. "So Ralph, how do you feel about the Met's chances this year?." How about "Hey Ralph, gonna make it to the end of the program?"

7. I've been watching the Alternative on VH-1 classic. Man, there have been some great videos on this thing lately. Blur's "Girls & Boys", Breeders "Canonball", Heaven 17, so many, I can't even remember them all. Videos I haven't seen in years. You'd think MTV would want to help that music industry thing and maybe think about playing videos again. Considering the joke that MTV and M2 have become. The best chance you have at seeing good music videos is on MTV2 Subterranean. Even then, half the show is crap major label baby bands. Ah, well. I guess you could always watch Matchbook Chemical Boy Romance on Fuse.

Listening Pile
Best two songs I've heard today, Joy Division's "She's Lost Control" and Travis' "Writing To Reach You" . "She's Lost Control" will easily top any of the bands these days that have copped their style. Dark, brooding and translike in it's percussion, this song may be one of the band's best. But I mean, come on, like Michael Bolton, I celebrate the entire catalog. Travis kicked off their best album, The Man Who, with "Writing To Reach You", which in my opinion has some of the best guitar harmonies I've ever heard. I also love how he asks, "What's a Wonderwall anyway?" The good news is after the mostly disappointing 12 Memories album, they are once again teaming up with Nigel Goodrich on their new disc. I'm hoping he helps the band return to form. If you check out their site, you can read up on their studio diaries.

Come Play My Game I'll Test You

Seven Things I Think I Think

1. Freakin LOST. Goddam them to hell. I'm really getting sick of having to wait weeks on end to see a new episode. I wish this (be careful, first time I saw this, I threw up in my mouth) upon all the big wigs that make me wait for a new episode. Though the one I watched last night was one of the best of the season. I swear, I have friends that are so obsessed with this show they plan their Wednesday nights around it. This leads me to think. Do I really want to be obsessed with 24. I have the chance to start from season one, and watch them all on DVD. Do I need another show to watch. Probably not!

2 Why is the Three 6 Mafia doing a song with Paris Hilton. This is just nuts. Plus, Dr. Dre already did the girl making the blowjob sounds on a record thing. Anyhow, I know the Three Six guys won like 18 grammys. But I still have no clue what they sound like. Think we need to just stop making new hip hop and just re-issue all the classics from the late 80's and early 90's that were total sample driven and not about grillz or humps. Though come on, that new Ghostface is pretty hot! But, well, it's Ghostface. It's ain't no "Protect Ya Neck", but come on, there hasn't been that great of a collaborative hip hop ensemble, since... hmmm. Well, ever!

3. Last week, I saw Prodigy at the Nokia Theater (yeah, we know I despise that place). Not only was the band fantastic, burning away through hits from the past, like "Firestarter," "Smack My Bitch Up," and "Breathe", but they also mixed in newer songs like "Spitfire" and "Hot Ride," from their most recent disc, Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned. I saw the most amazing crowd I've seen in ages. People were literally going ape-shit. Man, those guys really bring it though. They play a killer set and try to get the audience as involved as possible. Keith Flynt and Maxim were both out among the crowd at various points during the show. It's crazy to think Breathe was a hit almost 9 years ago. I still remember coming home after partying with my friend Jose and trying to figure that song out. If you get a chance, you need to see their new video for Voodoo People(Pendulum Remix). Wow! This band's videos are always great. And as I've felt for a long time, bands like Linkin Park and the like, should be paying this band royalties for ripping off their sound, and having them pave the way for bands like this.

4. I need to find a contact at Nike that can score me some out of print sneakers. I swear, I spent all Saturday searching for these. I swear it's like they only make a limited for midgets and freaks. How could you have ten pairs in size 7! Then I spent the next few days trying to find them online. These are pretty hot. I actually have a pair in another color. Nothing beats old-school Nike. Well, except maybe old-school hip hop.

5. It's now been ten years since Placebo burst onto the UK music scene with their self-titled debut album. Instantly pegged as Bowie and glam revivalist, they put out some of the most interesting, beguiling and androgynistic records of the past decade. I still remember seeing them open up a K-Rock show with Kid Rock on the bill sometime 98, and rowdy fans calling singer Brian Molko a fag. Always a bit misunderstood and thought provoking for US crowds(especially in the Kid Rock era), Placebo have become huge stars in their native UK and across Europe. Placebo are getting set to release their fifth LP, Meds, in the US next week, on the Astralwerks label. The set features 13 new tracks, of their dark-yet-glammy rock and heartfelt tales of addiction, sex, love and loss, but the overall sound is a bit stripped down, back to basics, raw. There is less studio trickery than on previous efforts. This is Placebo at it's most honest and human state, as Meds is more of a slow-burner and not as slick as their previous efforts. The album features the singles "Because I Want To," and "Song to Say Goodbye," as well as guest spots from Michael Stipe of R.E.M. on "Broken Promise" and VV of the Kills on the title track. It was recorded over an eight-week period at RAK Studios in London, with Dimitri Tikovo and Flood. I was also fortunate enough to get a limited edition 2xCD set that features a number of audio/video extras, including a documentary on the making of the record, live clips, and four additional audio tracks.

6. Barry Bonds wants to crawl into a hole, because there is so much going on in his life. Sadly, Major League Baseball wants him to do that too. Apparently, Bonds is bummed about all that information coming out on his steroid use, tax evasion, his ego and his mistress. Man, this guy needs to shut up. He has utterly embarrassed Major League Baseball. He's disgraced himself, the Giants ogranization, his family, any just about anybody else that cares about the game. He did this to himself. Just admit you couldn't handle seeing McGwire and Sosa hit balls out of the park and America falling in love with them. He took what was a great career at the time, and turned it into a joke. He could have gone down as one of the greatest of all time, now he'll just be remembered as a cheater, and a liar.

7. I saw Snow Patrol for the first time the other night. I'd really loved their last two records, and also the Reindeer Section, side project dubbed a Scottish indie super-group, which singer, Gary Lightbody participated in with members of Arab Strap, Belle & Sebastian, Idlewild, Mogwai and Teenage Fanclub. Well, Snow Patrol's last album, The Final Straw, blew up across Europe, and here in the US as well. Even getting them a slot opening up for the omnipotent, U2. And being featured on one of those annoying AOL Session on Demand. Snow Patrol did an intimate show at the Bowery Ballroom, and man, did they kill. They really rocked out all their songs, adding a really incredible live dynamic to the songs. I had a few problems with the evening. First of all, with their growing popularity, their fans have gone from indie rockers, to fans of the oc, frat boys and sorority girls. While being great for the band, really hurts them in a live setting. I can still hear those guys screaming to chug and those girls yapping away during the quiet parts. They also butchered my favorite song from Final Straw, "Grazed Knees," and during new single, "Hands Open", singer Lightbody played sans guitar, like they are trying to add some sort of front man status to him. Lastly, they had the god awful Martha Wainwright(yes, Daughter of Loudon and sister of Rufus) come out and do a song with them. Which, I have to say, the song itself sounded great, really giving me hope that maybe this album will be pretty good. But dear god! Can that woman make my balls crawl up into my abdomen pretty fast. God she sounds like a someone beating a bag of cats against a wall.

Listening Pile
Just came across this great review of Ian Love's new Self Titled album. As you know, Ian played in Rivals Schools, Burn, and fronted his own Cardio. He's got a really amazing voice and this record sees him take production duties in his home studio, and playing most instruments. The songs are touched with piano, mellotron and softly strummed guitar. You can check out some of them here

Best two songs I've heard today. Radiohead's "There There" and My Bloody Valentine's "When You Sleep". Man, good stuff from two amazing, and highly influential bands. Which leads me to this; I think I'm really starting to like this Pilate song I've been hearing. Of course, when you google them, this comes up, "Toronto based rock/pop band described as Radiohead meets Crowded House. MP3s and upcoming shows." Yikes! Well, OK, I can actually hear that. Anyhow, I was totally blown away by their video for "Barely Listening". Shot so well, it looks amazing, and the song is great to boot. I'm thinking the Canadian government paid for at least part of this. I totally have to track down a copy of this album.

Au Revoir Simone. They're a three-piece all-keyboard, all-girl band from Brooklyn. Also, came across this band Heather D'Angelo sings, keys and drum-machine; Erika Forster and Annie Hart on vocals and keys. They make really pretty songs. Check them out on their site.

Dad! Tom Cruise won't come out of the closet!

Seven Things I Think I Think

1. This NCCA Basketball tournament has got me going bonkers. I’ve already forsaken the fine people in Nevada and Wilmington Area of North Carolina. And damn that San Diego State. How did they blow that game against Indiana. It’s always amazing to me, how these basketball teams go unnoticed the whole year, only to have strangers from all over the country cheer for them to help them win their tournament pool. And what is up with Adam Morrison clubbing himself over his head with the basketball. What a weirdo, and what an awful mustache. And let me say this, he’s no Larry Bird. No matter how he shoots.

2.Scientologists are really getting out of control. Isaac Hayes, a Scientologist!?!, and longtime show member voicing the Chef quit the show, saying he could no longer tolerate its religious "intolerance and bigotry. To top it off, a controversial episode of "South Park" a mocking outspoken Scientologist Tom Cruise was yanked abruptly from the schedule Wednesday. Get this, hollywoodinterrupted.com said Thursday that Cruise threatened to not promote "Mission: Impossible 3," the upcoming summer blockbuster, if the offending episode ran. Comedy Central is owned by Viacom, as is Paramount, which is putting out the film. I'm sure grand wizard John Travolta is flying around in his plane putting a hex on Trey Stone and Matt Parker.

3. Wow, I’ve been to a lot of really good concerts lately. Mogwai, which is one of the most amazing live bands on the planet, was as expected unreal. They played a bunch of new tracks from their stellar new album Mr. Beast. Including the best titled song ever, Glasgow Mega Snake. They did however play in what could be one of the worst venues in NYC, the Avalon. Which many formerly know as the Limelight. Yes, that Limelight. You can follow them around on tour too, here.. I was a little worried when the googlemap had them in the middle of the ocean. But all seems ok now. I managed to see Film School 3 times over the span of last week as well. The first time I saw them, they were fantastic, playing in front of a thin crowd at Bar 13, as part of the Shout! party. Then, they had their gear and van stolen in Philly a few days later. As a result, their next two shows almost a week later in NYC, didn’t quite sound right as they had to piece together some equipment to play. The 2nd night at the Mercury did sound pretty good though. They kill it live, adding lots of emotion and really rocking out. I have to say, my biggest disappointment of last week, was Preistess opening up for Early Man. Wow! Talk about bad. It’s uninspired dirty corporate rock. I guess it’s what corporate stiffs at their label think of as risky and challenging music with a potentially huge audience. Or as I like to call it, the Queens of the Stone Age effect.

4. What the hell is Jay Leno apologizing for. Has anyone seen this. Apparently a viewer was upset at the talk show host poking fun at Cheney about shooting his friend in the face when Leno jokingly compared the VP’s hunting accident to Gerald Curry, a lawyer who's traumatic ordeal in 2003 resulted from a gun-happy antagonist outside of a Los Angeles courthouse. To make things worse, Leno displayed news footage that was videotaped of Gerald Curry cowering behind a tree to prevent receiving a fatal injury. Not everyone saw the joke as being humorous, and Jay Leno called personally to apologize to Wendy Brogin, who is a friend of the lawyer, following her written complaint to the comedian. My thought is, why is he not apologizing to his viewers for still being on the air and keeping the truly best late night host(sorry Dave) Conan O’Brian away from the job he’d be best at. Shame on you Jay Leno.

5. Pelican is hitting the road with the Deftones and Mono. Yeah a weird pairing right. No genius, it's two separate tours. The Deftones dates are part of the Taste Of Chaos tour. Seems like it could be a pretty good tour for those guys, well sort of. I mean, they play in front of large crowds, mostly comprised of hot topic mall rats that might have a tough time getting into the avant post rock instrumental of Pelican. The Taste of Chaos tour, also features Thrice, Dredg, and As I Lay Burning, Bleeding Through the Horse of the Wolf. Or whatever that last band is called.

03-17 Dayton, OH - Hara Arena *
03-18 Milwaukee, WI - Eagles Ballroom *
03-19 St. Paul, MN - Roy Wilkins Auditorium *
03-21 Fargo, ND - Civic Memorial Auditorium *
03-22 Lincoln, NE - Pershing Center *
03-23 Kansas City, MO - Kemper Arena *
03-25 Denver, CO - Fillmore Auditorium *
03-27 Fresno, CA - Selland Arena *
03-28 San Jose, CA - Event Center at San Jose State University *
03-29 Sacramento, CA - Arco Arena *
03-30 Long Beach, CA - Long Beach Arena *
04-01 Salem, OR - The Pavilion at Oregon State Fair *
04-02 Everett, WA - Everett Events Center *
04-04 Billings, MT - Casey's Golden Pheasant
04-05 Fargo, ND - The Aquarium
05-08 Buffalo, NY - Mohawk Place #$
05-09 New York, NY - Avalon #%&
05-10 Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church #%
05-11 Washington DC - Black Cat #%
05-13 Asheville, NC - The Grey Eagle #%
05-14 Atlanta, GA - Drunken Unicorn #%
05-15 Atlanta, GA - Drunken Unicorn #%
05-17 Orlando, FL - The Social #%
05-19 Gainesville, FL - Common Grounds #%
05-21 Houston, TX - Walters #%
05-27 San Diego, CA - Casbah %^
05-29 Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour %^
05-31 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall %^

Theres is a nice review of Pelican's The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon the Thawon PItchork too. Though I still think Australasia was their best work. And, they certainly are no Isis or Mogwai. But really, come on, who is?


6. So, I hear baseball was invented in the United States. Apparently, someone forgot to tell the USA baseball team that they are supposed to be better than everyone else. They utterly embarrassed the United States baseball program in the World Baseball Classic. Randy Winn was playing left field for the team. Randy Winn!!! We lost to theMexicans, Koreans, Canadians, and barely escaped the same fate against Japan, albeit on a very questionable call. I mean, this isn’t soccer or hockey, we’re supposed to be good at this. The saddest part is they played guys that aren’t even in the Major Leagues. They played guys that play in some third rate league in Juarez, Osaka and Incheon. Sadly, the only good thing about this, is that Jeter, A-Rod and Caveman will return to the Yanks sooner than later.

7. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are about to release their new album, Show Your Bones on March 28th. I have to say, upon hearing the first single, Gold Lion, I was totally convinced this was a Siouxsie and the Banshees B-side. The entire album feels very different from "Fever to Tell". It retains a lot of the bands rawness and Karen O’s brashness, but adds a silky layer of polish. The drumming is crisp. The guitars, in tune and heavier in the mix. They funny thing is, on half the songs on this record, I hear classic alternative and pop songs. It’s like Karen and Co. decided, “you know, I really love “Staying Alive”, can we somehow work the melody into this song.” Or, “I love Th’ Faith Healers, can we work a similar sounding chorus into this song.” That is ultimately the most disappointing part of this album. Alan Moulder’s fantastic mix, apparently can’t help them write better songs. Or their own for that matter. Unoriginal, uninspiring.

Listening Pile
Editors’ song, “Munich” is the free download of the week at iTunes. This is two really good tracks(including the Goldfrapp) out of the last 4 or 5 that are not some bad god rock or corporate singer songwriter. This is the single from their upcoming US debut, The Back Room, which comes out here in the US next week. There is a halfway decent review of the album here , as well as the Film School and She Wants Revenge. It’s good stuff, check it out. They say this, "Lights" is a miniature emotional tour de force where soaring, U2-inspired guitars collide with mopey sentiments. "Munich" runs with that inspiration, but from there, the album starts repeating itself and the returns start diminishing. It's never bad, but a great setup needs a great punchline.” And you totally have to read what they say about She Wants Revenge.

Also, while I'm at it. That song, "In The Sun" originally penned by Joseph Arthur, and reworked with Michael Stipe, sounds great. Stipe and several special guest (including Chris Martin, Will.I.Am, and Justin Timberlake), all reworked the song and have made it available on iTunes to help the victimes of Hurrican Katrina. I'm thinking Senor Stipe should start a relationship with Joseph Arthur, where he writes the tracks and Stipe just does the singing. As those last few R.E.M. albums have been tragic. But really, there's a great story about Stipe's work with the Mercy Corps here

I'm in the waste management business. Everybody immediately assumes you're mobbed up. It's a stereotype. And it's offensive.

i accidentally erased this post, which had a really funny joke about nascar and the sopranos. don't you hate when that happens. is there a way for me to salvage my post? anyone?

The Olympics have been interesting to watch. I always think it's pretty funny watching sports on TV that you would never even know exist, and 6-8 hours after it happened, to boot. I've enjoyed watching the luge and skeleton teams, which you have to admit, going down a mountain at 80 mph on a sled seems like it could be a lot of fun. Skiing, boring, unless someone wipes out. Hockey, no fun as they can't fight. Men's Ice Skating, come on, really! But Ice Dancing. Interesting to watch because of the pretty... um... I mean the incredibly talented skaters, fun! I'm no longer allowed to watch this, just like Dancing With The Stars, for obvious reasons, though really, I was pulling for Jerry Rice. Honest.

Listening Pile
Baltimore's Metal Hearts have really impressed me with their debut album on Suicide Squeeze. Teenagers, Anar Badalov and Flora Wolpert-Checknoff, 18 and 19 respectively, began making music together in early 2004. On Socialize, the duo (along with drummer/recording engineer Sam Leiber) put together a fantastic melange, of mopey bedroom rock. Anar's baritone trades melodies with Flora's airy registers, through blended layers of sparse drum loops and bleeps, synthesizers, gentle plucked guitar licks, and some strings. A really good debut from these youngsters.

I Just Can't Quit You...

As I type this, I'm watching the first Baseball Tonight of the year. Man, do I love me some Peter Gammons and Harold Reynolds. Anyhow, I totally forgot about this picture someone sent me a few weeks ago. It makes even more sense now.

I'm an FBI Agent.

OK, I know, it's been a while since I've posted (two weeks!). But come on, who reads this thing besides, Mike, Dave and maybe Erika anyhow. So here goes and I promise, I'm gonna try to blogerize more often.

Seven Things I Think I Think

1. So, the Superbowl was a let down. About the only good thing that came out of it was Chuck Klosterman's blog on ESPN's Page2. I really hope he steps it up and gives us a blog for next year's Ms. America, especially after reading his face off with Bill Simmons, AKA the Sportsguy. I would die to hear his thoughts on taping your bathing suit and the giving yourself a face lift for one night. As for the ads, the Fed Ex one with the cave men, and the Ameriquest ones were great!

2. Valentines Day, came and went. And yeah, the Romance is great. Wonderful. You gotta love how simple things like, flowers, chocolate, wine and candles are impossible to find on February 14th, say, 5:30 pm. My favorite part is the candy. Which is now at discounted cost. Yeah! I love how this dude dives into where the holiday came from and what to do with all the candy, check it out. here. I especially love when he says this" Where does this holiday come from? Well, it comes from screwing, and the Catholic Church." Priceless!

3. I went to see Mission of Burma and the Battles at Bowery Ballroom last week. Both bands were great. Battles opened up and really kicked it out with their mix of mathy electronic rock action, nicely warming up the crowd for Burma. MOB really rocked hard, playing a healthy mix of songs from their Vs. album, ONOFFON and their upcoming new album, Obliterati. Though their set got a little long, evident by people gazing at the stars during new songs, I was really surprised at how many hardcore fans were still there til the end. A great show. The line of the week was heard that night, in the woman's bathroom. I mean, I didn't hear it, but my girlfriend did. "Man, you're bound to find a guy here, it's like 90:1." Girls, you heard it here first, go to math rock or post punk shows to find eligible men.

4. When I was at the Sigur Ros concert at The Theater at MSG last week. I was thinking the same thing as this guy. I just didn't say anything, or try to stare as much, since I'd get a quick elbow from the old lady. But anyhow, the set that Sigur Ros played was amazing. Nothing short of brilliant. Playing a very heavy, Takk set, they killed. The visuals were great from what I could see, we sat pretty far off on the right, up front. And I finally got the sweatshirt I'd been wanting for ages. The Vegan has nice pics up, including a pic of the Billy Joel merch booth(he played upstairs at MSG). And yes, that's how much his t-shirts cost. The lovely ladies of Amina opened up, and accompanied Sigur Ros, adding strings to their songs. Their songs are really beautiful and innovative. They use an array of instruments, both conventional and unique, such as strings, keyboards, wine glasses and more. I meant to pick up the album, but that sweatshirt set me back 45 beans.

5. I cannot wait to head over to Galapagos in Williamsburg to check this out. Point Break Live. Point Break LIVE! Yes, that Point Break. Starring Keanu and Swayze in the original, this is stage adaptation of the 1991 Keanu Reeves blockbuster. They head over to Galapagos, which has a kick-ass burlesque night, for an exclusive one-month engagement. The show, which garnered a “Seattle P-I Best of Seattle 2004” award, as well as rave reviews across the nation, tells the story of former College football star Johnny Utah—Keanu Reeves in the film—in pursuit of the bankrobbing, skydiving, bare-hand-fighting adrenaline-junkie-cum-Zenmaster Bodhi Sattva (Patrick Swayze—here played by Gearick Matthies), and features armed robbery, big-wave surfing, car chases, explosions, and no less than two extended skydiving sequences. Best of all, the starring role of Keanu will be selected at random from the audience each night, and will read their entire script off of cue-cards! Isn't that how Keanu acts? I am so there this weekend!

6. This is my favorite week of the year. Sadly, it's not because of Valentines day, nor Presidents day, though you gotta love the benefits of both days. But anyhow, Pitchers and Catchers report today! For most men, these few weeks between the Super Bowl and Reporting Day is like Thanksgiving til Christmas. I can now look forward to hearing Joe Torre talk about how he thinks that having seven starting pitchers in camp poses interesting dilemmas and who tweaked their hamstring running in the outfield. I love hearing the Mets talk with so much optimism how they finally think they are going to knock out the Braves and win the NL East. That's like trying to squeeze the fat guy out of Denny's. It's possible, but unless you got enough grease to maneuver his fat ass out the door, you're just left staring at him make a joke out of all you can eat and the South Beach diet. And this World Baseball Classic, well, it's starting to look like the Dominicans are gonna run wild on everybody, except for maybe the Cubans. Somewhere in Cuba, Fidel is lighting up another cigar for everytime some scared American backs out of the tournament, like Brittny Gastineau out of careers.

7. So, um, Dick Cheney. What more can we say about that guy. He shot his own friend. "Whoops, sorry, I didn't see you standing there. " That what he said to the guy. To top it off, the White House at first was trying to spin it onto the poor schlep who got shot, saying it was hit fault. Now, I'm not to up on my firearm knowledge, but I'm thinking it's got to be pretty hard to just accidently get shot. Guns don't kill people, Dick Cheney kills people.

Listening Pile
The Arctic Monkeys of Sheffield, England's have done what not other band before them could accomplish, the UK record for fastest-selling debut album of all time. The scanned 360,000 copies of "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not," which easily exceeded the 306,000 by Hear'Say with its 2001 debut album, "Popstars." So what's so great about the most-hyped band of early 2006 led by 19-year-old Alex Turner. What have they managed to accomplish that the likes of Oasis, Blur, Radiohead, or newcomers, Franz Ferdinand and The Libertines couldn't do before them? I have no clue. The record is catchy, at it's brightest momments, with snarly tales of small town bohemia and pretty ladies. At it's weakest moments, the album just sputters like a car out of gas. To the disenchanted youth of the UK, these are tales of their lives, their being, and their existence, to many others, the albums is just catchy songs, awkward moments, but just that, an album, not a statement of us, or our lives. To me, it just seems like one of those situations, where if enough people say its great, well, more people just start believing it. Good, not life changing.

Inside Your Company. Good Things Are Coming Our Way. I know They Always Have.

1. Went to the Plug Awards at Webster Hall last night. Man, did they do a fantastic job of promoting the show! When headliner, The National finally took the stage, the crowd was so thin, that you could hear individual conversations. Sad. The National, put together a wonderful show, despite having a fill in guitar player. Played mostly uptempo numbers and really capped off the night. Celebration and the Perceptionists both put on impressive sets as well. The awards were anti-climactic, then filled with shitty music by James "Boring" Friedman. The videos making fun of ad agents and the Other Music crew, were actually pretty funny. Sadly, the one word that comes to mind when describing the overall night, was Awkward.

2. The war on drugs starts at home huh? Well, did anyone see that former Full House star Jodie Sweetin has joined the lengthy list of child stars gone wrong. On Good Morning America this Wednesday, Sweetin, who played the loveable middle sister Stephanie Tanner on the sitcom, revealed that she is a recovering meth addict and once battled a daily drug habit. Worse part about it is she married a cop. Yeah, this guy gets the police officer of the year award. Dude, your wife is a meth head. Are you fucking blind! Sad sad day. I saw her on tv a few months ago and I just remember thinking to myself, damn, she's really got her shit together. Maybe she needs Candace Cameron to help her out a little and find out if she's a good person.

3.Anna Benson, the sexy wife of former Met and now Baltimore Oriole, Kris, has said she's planning on jumping on the poker tournament bandwagon. She's already sealed some sponsorship deals. And no lie, these words came out of her mouth, " I'm going to get schooled on how to play by some of these big-time pros," Benson said. "I want to play well. I'm not trying to do this as a joke, I'm dead serious about playing. I'm not like some bimbo sitting down at a table." You know, in fairness, she is right, she's a DUMB bimbo sitting down at a table. Anyhow, you can read the rest of his article here I especially love the part when she says she plans on winning money and giving it to the poor, because it changes lives.

4. There is a Boehner in D.C. No, for real. Earlier this week, the House Republicans elected Rep. John Boehner of Ohio as their new majority leader to replace indicted Rep. Tom DeLay. I don't know if I can make that any funnier. So, I'll just leave it at that.

5. So has anyone seen the US baseball uniforms for the World Baseball Classic. Jeez, just horrible. What the hell is up with the stupid wavey flag making an S. Just horrible. They all basically have the same design, but some colors and fonts are just way better than the US team's. For example, the black and orange of the Netherlands looks great. So does the Gold and Green of Australia. Mexico's looks like the University of Miami. And don't even get me started on the retarded hats. You can check them all out here.

6. Heather Locklear and Richie Sambora have announced they are getting a divorce. Man, it gets crazy. Sambora didn't even know. Nuts huh! Just the other night, he said the rumors weren't true. Newsflash man, you just got served! With divorce papers. Wow, that's just rough. The worst part is, Sambora, who's now 46, and whose band, Bon Jovi, just put out another god awful album, well, there is no worst part. That just sucks. But who knows, maybe there are some nice looking MILFS from New Jersey he can toil with. As for Heather, ever since Dynasty when she rescued that baby, she could do no wrong in my eyes and I've always had a crush on her and thought she should be with someone way cooler than Richie Sambora. She seems like she should be with a Clooney or something.

7. Ok, so the Super Bowl is two days away. Super Bowl Sunday is the day where the most pizza is delivered, and the Monday after, is the day most often called in sick. By this time Sunday night, we'll have consumed a good amount of alcohol, eaten more wings than should be allowed, seen many ridiculous commercials(mostly for beer or soft drinks) and finally find some time to be productive on Sunday afternoons. So, on that note, I just want Seattle to win so I don't have to keep seeing that retarded Fathead commercial with Big Ben anymore. Any more of Ben might make me flip out. 12 days until pitchers and catchers report. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

Listening Pile
K, I'm gonna give a shout out to my friend Walter today. Mostly inspired by checking out United By Walter. Which is a fantastic fan site created, to bring light to his many projects and spectacular songs. I was listening to the Rival Schools album, United By Fate today. Man, this is easily one of my favorite records of all time. Each song, uniquely crafted and wonderful. Rival Schools, was led by the man himself, Walter Schreifels, who fronted the late great Quicksand as well. Drummer Sammy Siegler (who I've debated could be the greatest hardcore drummer of all time) played with CIV as well as many other N.Y. hardcore ensembles occasionally teaming up with Schreifels. The man on the other guitar with many a hot licks was Ian Love. Ian spent some time in the band Burn. Cache "Utah Slim" Tolman is in charge of the low end. He had formerly played in CIV w/ Sammy and the Iceburn Collective, when he was like 15.

Anyhow, the album saw a more melodic attack, then the post hardcore of Quicksand. From the opening "Travel by Telephone" to the Who inspired noise breakdowns of the instrumental closer, "Hooligans for Life," and "So Down On", Rival Schools rarely let up, and when they do occasionally slow the tempo down, the success of their experimentation leaves stunning results. "Undercovers On", was at that time, the most mature song Walter had ever written. The surfrock inspired guitar parst in "My Echo" were fantastic. The guitar melodies on this album are amazing, like on "Everything Has It's Point". And the use of a My Bloody Valentine drum loop in a song. Man, they hit on almost every single song on this album. And Walter hit some new territory with his vocals, also finding a bit more melody. Good Things, which was the 2nd single, was a fantastic song, with the most catchy chorus. Man, I could go on about this record for days. But I won't.

One album, all we got out of Rival Schools. But, if you check out United By Walter, you'll see a chat, where Walter mentions finally releasing the lost 2nd album, that never came out, and also more of his other projects, unreleased goodies. And, I know for sure, there are some more Walking Concert songs that are amazing, and need to come out. Ian Love, just put out a great record too. Totally solo stuff, not Cardia, which was good stuff too. And Sammy's been playing in Nightmare of You, who's record, I really need to listen to a bit more. Cache has been playing with Gavin Rossdale in Institute. I've not heard anything more than a song or two, which sadly was uninspiring.

You're not pretty enough. You're not skinny enough. You're not healthy enough.

1. Ha, did anyone see that at a Sundance screening for his new satirical comedy, Thank You for Smoking, director Jason Reitman(yeah, son of Ivan) was rather upset when he and the rest of his cast and crew discovered that a 12-second scene of a hookup between Katie Holmes' character and co-star, Aaron Eckhart had vanished. Poof, apparently into thin air. Well, before we point fingers at Tom Cruise and Grand Wizard of the Scientology cult, John Travolta, who've been known to weild their power around Hollywood. I mean, we did see him cast his spell on Oprah, right! Reitman told the NY Times that the scene was accidentally cut when two reels were spliced together in Los Angeles as filmmakers prepared a print for Smoking's four festival screenings.

2. Um. Why is Jamie Foxx getting his own TV special? I mean, we all know Jamie Foxx as a man of many talents. A comedian, a, ahem, dramatic actor, singer, Wanda on In Living Color and damn, I think he stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night ... The other night, the Oscar and Golden Globe winner gave NBC his first-ever musical special, showcasing songs from his top-selling album "Unpredictable" as well as performances with guests like Snoop Dogg and Mary J. I'm betting, Jesus, sorry, I mean Kanye showed up too.

3. So, Kobe lighting up the Toronto Raptors on Sunday in the Lakers' 122-104 come-from-behind win in L.A. is sorta old news by now. But how about this for interesting stats. He scored 1.9 points per minute, since Kobe actually sat six minutes at the end of the game. He took 66 shots! 66!!! I'm betting there were seasons, that Manute Bol didn't get that many shots. 46 field goal attempts( 28 made) and 20 free throw attempts(18 made). Man, it's like that scene in Bad News Bears when all the other kids just sit down, and give the ball to Kelly. Bill Simmons wrote a funny article about it on ESPN, which included this line, "The best reaction belonged to Jackson, who seemed amused, supportive and somewhat horrified, like how Halle Berry's husband probably looked after sitting through his first screening of "Monster's Ball." You can read the rest of his article here

4. While we're on the subject of the NBA. How about that Ron Artest deal. Holy snikes! Peja Stojakovic goes to the Pacers, and after unwillingly accepting the deal sending him to Sacramento, Artest packs his bags. While Artest is immensely talented ball player on the court, it's his antics off the court that have made him the most legendary bad-boy since Dennis Rodman. The Pacers get a good player in Stojankovic, despite being bothered by a sprained finger, a strained groin muscle and a protruding disc in his lower back which hinders his running, jumping and shooting. But man, what a trade. That's like sending away happy go lucky Heidi Klum with her cute accent and getting volatile Naomi Campbell post Wardrobe Malfunction in return.

5. So I really think everyone needs to hear this Clearlake album. I know I talked about it at the end of last year. But man. I cannot stop listening to this thing. A highly anticipated follow up to 2003's Cedars, Amber is both beguiling and adventurous. Filled with wonderfully crafted melodies, dense textures and haunting crescendos, they've made their finest work yet. The distorted guitars and driving drum beat that introduces album opener No Kind of Life only leads to the wonderfully layered vocals and the band's more muscular sound, citing, Queens of the Stone Age, Neil Young and My Bloody Valentine as being an influence on this recording. Jason Pegg's haunting vocals have never sounded more melancholic than on the tearjerker, Dreamt that You Died. "Neon" is a bluesy number complete with some harmonica licks, Finally Free is arguably the catchiest song they've ever written and album closer Widescreen, places perfect punctation on Amber, with its powerful guitar riffs.

6. I think we all knew Germans were really stange people. But this video just shows how fucked they are. Watch it, and be prepared to laugh and be shocked in amazement. Hasselhoff Wow...Um... So, my thought is. Who thought of this. Did Hasselhoff just get really fucked up one night on pain killers and he's like, "Can you guys make me fly. I want to fly! And I want two of me!" Whoa!

7. Broken Social Scene at Webster Hall last night. The show was fantastic. There were never less than 7 people on stage, and most of the time there were 12 or 13 on stage, topping out at around 16 or 17. They played a ton of the new record, despite only being lucky enough to have Emily Haines in the house to do the female vocal parts. Feist's parts were done by another back up singer. The band sounded great. Really full and lush. Fuzzy guitar squals coming from every angle, mulitple percussionists. A guest horns section. The Canadian collective makes anthemic indie rock and their live show is a party on stage, with new visitors popping in left and right for a chat.

Listening Pile
I've been listening to this Nine Black Alps Everything Is album, a bit lately. I saw them put on a fantastic show at the Mercury Lounge last week. The Manchester quartet makes a loud and deafening raucous. Everything Is' is a frenzy filled 30 minute blast with unabashed energy, but hugely influenced by growing up in the urban sprawl of Manchester. First time I heard this album, I instantly thought of grunge acts of the mid-nineties. And I guess there's a sort of new grunge movement out there, not only in the UK, but the US as well. Until they learn to absorb their influences and transcend it into their own identifiable sound, all this hype and intensity might go for naught. A good start, but I need a little more. And if get a chance check out their video for Shotdown . They are about to embark on a tour with Cribs and Giant Drag and they are scheduled to play Coachella as well.

The Dream Of A Millions Girls, That Are More Than Pretty, Can Come True In Atlantic City

Seven Things I Think I Think

1. Beck's new video for Hell Yes directed by Garth Jennings, stars four Sony QRIO robots busting their um... robot dance moves. I dunno if anyone has seen these, or if they are available in US stores. But I need to have one of these. To go along with my iDog. This could also be the funniest video, without trying to be funny, I have seen in some time.

2. Oh man, those adds on VH1, touting the preparations for the Super Bowl Half Time show. Wow! The fact they got, future Hall Of Famer and funny man, defensive lineman from the Giants, Michael Strahan to do the commercial is amazing and well deserving. But this lineup, wow! Goo Goo Dolls, Nickelback and Train for the half time show. Seriously, who do they think is watching this half time show, gay football fans in the middle of Canada. Jeez, all they are missing is Nick Lachey, and Jack from Will and Grace, to turn it into Brokeback Mountain 2.

3. While we're at it, I came across this, Vh-1 show One Hit Wonders: Hip Hop Nation Episode. Well, we know where Young MC and Biz Markie were, sitting at Denny's getting fat, subsequently ending up on Celebrity Fit Club. Vanilla Ice, well, he was getting angry on the Surreal Life. Hmmmm, I sense conspiracy here. What's next, Kris Kross get their own TV show, with Sir Mix A Lot as a sidekick, and they attempt to resurrect, not only their careers, but Big Pun from the afterlife, only to underminded by Bushwick Bill, and his midget cohort, Vern Troyer. Hmmmm, I smell an Emmy and a spin-off.

4.Did anyone see, they have changed the Miss America pageant? Well, first of all, it used to be held Labor Day Weekend and it's being held outside Atlantic City, N.J., for the first time in its 85-year-history. Vegas baby! Vegas! It's also the first time since Miss America began being televised in 1954 that the crowning won't be carried by a major TV network, but rather, CMT. Yes, that CMT, the Country Music Television Network. Also, Bert Parks, the original host of the Miss America telecast, served in that role for 25 years, well, I think he's dead. And, I guess Regis, well, isn't he dead too? I dunno, I saw Jeff Gordon on the show the other day. So anyhow, the plumber guy from Desperate Housewives is hosting. And, Jerry Rice, is a judge. Man, he's making the rounds like Kato Kaelin. Also, whomever doesn't win, gets shipped off the Island. Oh, wait. Wrong show. There are some funky new twists and turns though.

5. I guess by now, we've all seen Isaac Mizrahi cop a feel of Scarlett Johanson's boob.
Now, not only did he do that, but he looked down Teri Hatcher's dress, asked Eva Longoria about her pubic hair, for god knows what reason, asked Queen Latifah about her panties, and otherwise caught celebrities off-guard. And this guys is gay? I'll tell ya this, he's either got some big cohones, or was on some serious happy pills that night.

6. Did anyone notice, that Mike Vanderjagt(aka the Idiot Kicker) made the field goal during his guest visit on Late Night With David Letterman, the other night. In case you missed it, Vanderjagt pushed a 46-yard field-goal attempt wide right Sunday, allowing the Pittsburgh Steelers to escape an embarrassing collapse in the AFC playoffs. Man, that interview portion was rough though. Dave, really dug into Vanderjagt about missing the field goal, and the kid looked like he was about to sob at any momment. Anyhow, my point, it really did take some big cohones on his part to even go on the show.


7. After a few months of negotiations and bad press, the US government is finally allowing Cuba to play in the World Baseball Classic . MLB's initial application was shot down last month by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, but the commissioner's office and the players' association reapplied Dec. 22 after Cuba said it would donate profits it receives to Hurricane Katrina victims. Apparently there are some sanctions in place that will not allow Cuba to receive US currency. This might be the best part, "The president wanted to see it resolved in a positive way," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said in an e-mail to The Associated Press. "Our concerns were centered on making sure that no money was going to the Castro regime and that the World Baseball Classic would not be misused by the regime for spying. We believe the concerns have been addressed." Spying. Ha! For who, the Russians. What is Cuba gonna do, see that we have more money and be shocked. Have baseball players go into Starbucks and see what a Mocha Latte is? Anyhow, the real resolution came when the International Olympic Committee said it would ban the US from hosting another olympic games, the US caved.

25 days until Pitchers and Catchers report.

Listening Pile
I was just listening to Pinback's Summer In Abaddon. The San Diego band has released three fantastic albums and a few ep's. The most recent of their releases, Summer In Abaddon, released on Touch & Go in 2004, finds the band melding sensational melodies with a intricate arrangements, flourishes of electric piano, moddy guitars and dense bass lines. Shout and response vocals, tell tales of barrooms, love lost, and well, Summer's in Abaddon. Not quite as poppy or immediate as their previous works, this records basks in it's subtle beauty and delicate arrangements. And you need to check out their amazing video for Fortress . Really cool animated video.