February 2008 Archives

At work but still sick. Hence my brevity.

Things I'm loving right about now

• Leap Day!


• Tissues with lotion in them.


• Ted Leo emailing me to tell me he likes the new design of the leafblower. Best.


• PJ Brown.


• The prospective Allen - Alien backcourt.


• Last night's LOST episode. Holy Fuck.


• The High Places LP 03/07 - 09/07. Saw them and loved them last year at Whartscape.


• Panda Bear's Person Pitch. Gruff played me the first song off this album on the tour bus in D.C. It's amazing, like a Beach Boys side project produced by DJ Shadow.

Things I am rather "meh" about right now

• SXSW. I do not care what artists you have playing there.


• Traveling again this weekend.


• Citibank canceling my debit card to "protect my checking account" from identity theft. That's great, but how about telling me before you do it next time, okay?


• Coughing up green stuff.


• Still being sick after three days.

I'm enjoying my second day at home on the couch due to flu-like symptoms. My aches and congestion went away overnight, although I seem to have developed a cough this morning. Ugh. Oh well, I'm getting plenty of nap time with Mr. Pink.

During my downtime, I'm subjecting myself to a bunch of crappy movies. Miami Vice was terribly confusing and didn't make a lick of sense, Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny was one of the worst movie I've ever seen and The Mummy hasn't aged well. But Thank You For Smoking still worked for me the second time around. Then again, I have a thing for Maria Bello.

And I don't care how bored I am, there's no way I'm watching Lady in the Water.

Don't talk back to Darth Vader. He'll get ya!

ELBOW

April 27, 2008 | 8:30 PM

Tickets go on sale this Friday, February 29 at 10:00 AM!

Washington D.C. motherfuckers!

So spoke our tour guide at the Sam Adams Brewery on Friday. He was talking about the special Brewmaster Blend of Stout pictured above, but he might as well have been talking about the weekend in Boston that Ms. Smith and I just had.

To be honest, we were just happy to get up there in the first place. We took the 9 a.m. flight out of Dulles so we arrived up North before the snow did. While we were waiting for our bags, we learned that the flights scheduled to arrive after us had all been canceled. And with good reason; it snowed from noon until after 10 p.m., leaving between 8 and 10 inches of snow on the ground. But we had no problems getting around town - if anything, it just made the city more picturesque.

I've been to Boston plenty, but this was easily my best trip yet. We had a great hotel - smack dab on the MIT campus -, a great neighborhood, great food and drink and no shortage of things to do. It all culminated with the Super Furry Animals show Saturday night, which was - for the record - my 30th (!!!!) Super Furry Animals gig. I too recoiled in horror after reading the previous sentence.

The gig was great, a loose and informal affair in front of a sell-out audience. The Paradise is a great room, although it has a funny shape. It's very wide, but not very deep. The sides of the club have risers and balconies, so the best view is generally from the sides of the stage. But the sound was superb, as was the vibe from the crowd.

A few hours before the gig, I got an email from David, a reader of the leafblower who wanted to buy me a pint at the gig. After doing so, I bought the next round and insisted he come backstage after the gig to meet the band. We made our way backstage as the last strains of ":Keep The Cosmic Trigger Happy" faded into the night and I introduced him to everyone and we hung out well into the early morning, drinking beer and talking football and whatnot. The recent injury to Eduardo was a big point of conversation, as was the band's Conan O'Brien taping today. We had two sides arguing for specific songs - myself and the crew on one side and the band on the other. Add in the 37 Stella's I drank andyou can see where this is going.

Anyways, before I knew it, the driver started up the tour bus, which meant it was my time to head back to the hotel, officially ending my Super Furry road trip of 2008. I think this tour has been really good for the band. They stripped down their show to the bare essentials, letting their songs speak for themselves and from the feedback I've heard, the reception has been entirely positive. Another ilb reader, Joyce from NYC, emailed me this morning to say last night's show in NYC was the best he'd seen the band do in over six years.

I think it's easy to get caught up in the "show" aspect of the last few tours, and I definitely missed the video of head-banging Ozzy during "Receptacle for the Respectable," but I think this tour (and album) are a reboot of sorts for the band, and it's done the trick. You don't need Yeti costumes when you write perfect pop songs and this tour reminded everyone of that.

On the good news front, there is a possibility of another US tour towards the tail end of the year, which is both exciting and frustrating. Exciting because, hey, more shows! Frustrating because I will either be on my honeymoon or out of vacation days. :)

I'm not sure if the Conan taping will air tonight or another day, so check your local TV listings. Gruff said the band were supposed to do Conan at the start of the tour but they decided not to do it because of the strike. This will be the band's second appearance on Conan, the first came back when the band was promoting Rings Around The World. Here's the mp3:

[mp3] Super Furry Animals | (Drawing) Rings Around The World (live on Conan O'Brien)

Here are some of the links that have been clogging up my inbox during my work-imposed blogging hiatus.

[mp3] The Mountain Goats | Sax Rohmer #1
New record HERETIC PRIDE out now.

[mp3] The Whigs | Right Hand on My Heart
Heard nothing but good things about this band, mostly from this guy. They start a short tour with the Spinto Band in the next few days.

[mp3] Ghostland Observatory | Dancin' On My Grave (Let There Be Vinyl remix)
At the 9:30 Club on March 29th.

[mp3] Nik Freitas | Sun Down
My friend (yes I'm a name dropper) Jim Fairchild can't say enough good things about Mr. Freitas. Instrumental Analysis concurs.

[mp3] These United States | First Sight
Local boys finally doing some good away from home. Can't recommend these guys enough, but you can see for yourself in March.

[mp3] Say Hi | Northwestern Girls
[mp3] Say Hi | Toil And Trouble
[mp3] Say Hi | Zero To Love
I am loving Say Hi's new album The Wishes And The Glitch. Droney, dream pop at its best. Playing the Black Cat on March 4th. I'll be there.

[mp3] Dead Meadow | I'm Gone
[mp3] Dead Meadow | What Needs Will Be
Unofficial favorite band of the Super Furry Animals. Bunf never shuts up about them.

[mp3] Bowerbirds | In Our Talon
Played the Black Cat on Sunday.

It's Super Furry time again around these parts. Ms. Smith and I are (weather permitting) heading up to Beantown this morning in advance of the SFA show at the Paradise tomorrow night. If you're going to be in attendance, get at me.

When All Points West was announced everyone was all like "Fuck yeah! Coachella East. This festival will be pure and total PWNAGE!"

Now that the initial line up has been announced, suddenly it seems like it's more like "Ummmm....Hey music fans. You like Radiohead, right? Well we have them playing twice! In two days! Wehavesomeotherbandsplayingthatyoumightalsolike." Single day passes are $89 and three-day passes are $258. Tickets go on sale Friday, February 29 at 12 Noon (ET) via Ticketmaster only.

Is seeing Radiohead play two sets on consecutive nights worth $300? I'm not sure (but then again, I think I'm more excited about seeing Underworld than Radiohead at this point). Keep in mind their regular US tour will hit NYC eventually. Will fans simply wait for those climate-controlled gigs instead? I know more bands will be added to this bill, but there's not a whole lot here right now. I'd give the thumbs up to KOL, Underworld, Girl Talk and maybe The Go! Team, but the rest of that lineup is a total snoozefest.

Earlier today I was a bit bummed when I found out that Virgin Fest would fall on the same weekend as All Points West. Now...not so much. APW is starting to look a lot like Field Day or Across The Narrows.

Full line up (so far) after the jump.

Ouch.

"The proposed Rockets-Hornets deal would give New Orleans two veteran scorers, and a little more size with Bells, off the bench."

By "Bells" I assume they mean Bonzi Wells.

Anyways, great deal for the Hornets. Yes, they're taking on salary here, but I've never been a big Bobby Jackson fan (sorry Coolfer). He's too injury-prone to be reliable. James and Wells are both battle tested and playoff-ready.

Also loving the Spurs / Sonics trade for Kurt Thomas. Can you believe the Sonics got three # 1 picks for KT? Phoenix gave them two just to take Thomas over the summer and now they get another for getting rid of him. And lets not overlook how this hurts the Suns. They traded Thomas away in a salary dump and now he goes to one of their chief rivals. Ouch. And the Spurs come up with another typically savvy move. By trading for Thomas, they also get his Bird rights, meaning they don't have to spend any of their MLE money over the summer if they decide to resign Thomas.

BTW, The C's lost their second straight last night and Duke lost to Miami for the first time in 45 years. Seems like only yesterday that the one and only Danny Ferry was dropping 58 points on their sorry asses. Yes, you just read a Danny Ferry reset. Deal with it.

**UPDATE** They fixed it now.

**UPDATE 2** - Like Woah. Two possible trades by the Cavs after the jump

MMJ strikes again! Here is a video they shot last year at Lollapalooza, comprised entirely of video taken by the audience on their cell phones, digicams and whatnot. What I love about this is they credit the people during their little snippet of video. Best. I am seriously late to this party, but I like MMJ more and more everyday.

[via Grant and his Man Ship]

If item # 2 is correct. Underworld opening for Radiohead on their US tour?

Holy fuck.

Via The Tripwire, I see that the Brothers Gallagher have placed 1 and 2 in the poll of the top 50 Best Ever British Albums put on by Q Magazine and HMV. I also took great pleasure in seeing that Blur placed no higher than 25th for Parklife, proving once again that while that fookin' poof Albarn may be the critic's darling, Liam and Noel are the men of the people. All you need to do to get an understanding why is listen to this fantastic All Back to Mine BBC program recorded with Noel back in 1997 . Noel seems like someone you could go down the the corner pub and have a pint with, while even Dan Abnormal admits his own bands hates his guts.

Some other surprises (pleasant and otherwise); Keane placing twice in the top 13, The Manics The Holy Bible, Songs of Faith and Devotion from Depeche Mode, only one album for The Who and no New Order.

Here's the Top Five, full list after the jump.

01. Definitely Maybe Oasis
02. (What's The Story) Morning Glory? Oasis
03. OK Computer Radiohead
04. Revolver The Beatles
05. The Stone Roses The Stone Roses

Also last week, the network announced the renewal of 11 of its scripted shows for the 2008-2009 offering.  Among those named for renewal are five procedurals, three crime dramas, two sitcoms and one supernatural drama.  Surprisingly, it does not include How I Met Your Mother.

CBS renews The Big Bang Theory but not HIMYM?

Even though my big project at work has yet to officially launch (next week, hopefully) it appears as though I am through the worst of it. And by worst of it, I mean working 31 out of the last 33 days (as of the end of last week). I let out one helluva an exhale on Friday night while I was on the plane back from Orlando. I think it's safe to say that no one needed this three day weekend more than I did.

So what did I do with my time off?

• Spent some QT with the future Mrs. Leafblower.


• Reacquainted myself with Mr. Pink. Reacquainted Mr. Pink with the laser pointer.


• Ran some errands, did some laundry. Exciting!


• Ate at Ruth's Chris (food was excellent, the service not so much).


• Watched the slam dunk contest, which was pretty amazing. Although the first two dunks by Gerald and Dwight Howard were the best. That cupcake stunt blew my mind.


• Slept in every day.


• On Guto's recommendation, watched Once in a Lifetime with utter amazement.


• Wanted to go snowboarding but when the temps hit the high 60's yesterday, headed to the National Zoo instead (hence the photo).


• Had a blast at the drag queen brunch at Perry's in Adams Morgan.


• Bought a new pair of adidas.

So yeah, not too shabby. I'm still digging out from my time away (I have 200 things saved in my Bloglines that I wanted to post about or mention), but hopefully I'll be back up to speed soon.

We're still moving things around, but welcome to the new design. RSS readers, click through!

There are still some tweaks and modifications to come, but in the meantime, please let me know if you click on something and it doesn't work.

Cheers.

Can I get a w00t w00t?

The perfect way to start a three day weekend.

Anybody else score? My ticket buying experience was surprisingly easy.

"Gary Williams is a sweaty, whiny little bitch."

Actually, that was me that said that. Eff you Maryland.

22-1, baby.

For the first time in three weeks, I had a day off yesterday! Praise to Jeebus!

So what did I do with my precious time off? Well, I went and saw some robots.

And some art:

And some (entirely unfulfilling and somewhat boring) rock:

More rock tonight before I travel to Orlando tomorrow!

Not to keep playing the "Woe Is Me" card, but last night there were people coming home from the Wizards game when I got on the Metro after finally leaving the office. I'm at the point where I've stopped reading blogs because I'm sick of reading about people actually having a life.

But wait! It gets worse. I dropped my iPod on the concrete on the way home and now I'm getting the dreaded Question Mark Folder of Death. I can hear the hard drive clicking when it's trying to retrieve a song.

Dagger.

The good news? I think Mr. Pink is getting the hang of Tumblr, so he's going to start blogging on my behalf.

[mp3] The Rakes | Work, Work, Work, Pub, Club, Sleep

PS - Go to hell Carolina!

Hello wonderful people of the interwebs.

Sorry for being out of touch lately. I've been slaving away on work related web stuff 10 hours a day, seven days a week and the last thing I want to do when I have a tiny bit of downtime is get in front of the computer and blog.

So I'll just let you know that I finally get why sports fans everywhere are so obsessive about Erin Andrews. Oh and that Marissa Miller, she's also moderately attractive.

Hey, look at that! Someone else thinks R.E.M.'s Accelerate is going to be pretty good. Color me cautiously optimistic.

Oh yeah, I'm totally in agreeance with Lefsetz here. Because tickets went on sale so early, I already know what my birthday present is. But there are much worse things that going to see My Morning Jacket at Radio City Music Hall on your birthday. Thanks Ms. Smith! I promise to act surprised. I hope they do something special, like break out the luau outfits or wear those crazy boots held together by scotch tape.

BTW, I downloaded this MMJ show in MP3 format and am enjoying it thoroughly. Do any of you kind souls out there in cyberspace have the live MMJ show that was available as a podcast from the iTunes Music Store? The link there appears to be dead.

Thanks for listening to me ramble. I need to go play fetch with Mr. Pink. He gets bored easily.

See you soon soonish.

"Weird Fishes / Arpeggi"

Is it me or does Ed O'Brien totally make this song? He's the new Mike Mills. His band's songs don't work (or perhaps I should say work MUCH better) when his backing vocals are up high in the mix. But I digress...

"Body Snatchers"

"House of Cards"

More here.

Paul Gasol to the Lakers. Wow.

I wonder if they would do a Odom for Kidd trade now?

Elbow's new track “Grounds For Divorce.”

Wow. Just amazing.