Sunday, April 30, 2006

SuSh 04.30.06

Still recovering from my flu/cold/whatever. Was feeling much better yesterday, but this morning I woke up feeling like my ear was going to explode from all the fluid....very painful. However, now I feel descent. Just sinus issues, which usually means the virus is finally leaving my body. I really need a good night of sleep tonight. Hopefully tomorrow I'll awake feeling very refreshed. Still planning on seeing Vanderslice. Sucks that I have to go it alone because all my friends that would go have to work.

Gonna chug some Nyquil and:



Current track count: 4768

1. Guided by Voices - "Ex-Supermodel" (Alien Lanes)

2. Man or Astro-man? - "Interstellar Hardrive" (EEVIAC)

3. Guided by Voices - "Smothered in Hugs" (Bee Thousand)

4. Mountain Goats - "The House That Dripped Blood" (Tallahassee)

5. Broken Social Scene - "Lover's Spit" (You Forgot it in People)

6. Pixies - "Wave of Mutilation" (Doolittle)

7. Shins - "So Says I" (Chutes Too Narrow)

8. Queens of the Stone Age - "Song for the Deaf" (Songs for the Deaf)

9. Coldplay - "Everything's Not Lost" (Parachutes)

10. Beulah - "What Will You Do When Your Suntan Fades?" (The Coast is Never Clear)

11. Modest Mouse - "Life Like Weeds" (The Moon & Antarctica)

12. James - "Dead Man Whistling" (Wah Wah)

Weird playlist. At least it woke me up. The Coldplay seemed to work, but in an ironic type of way. Kind of like going to a Coldplay concert in a Motorhead t-shirt. Everything really came together with "Life Like Weeds." "Dead Man Whistling" is nothing more than some brief noise, but it fit so perfectly.
|

Saturday, April 29, 2006

Draft

I freaking love the NFL Draft. Sometimes I feel like I enjoy it more than the season itself. Usually Josh and I have a get-together and enjoy. Not now. In fact, I had to work today. I did watch about half the first round in our lottery booth before getting home.

The Rams draft was good. I like the moves they made. It's great to see them actually filling holes. I love Tye Hill's style; a little bruiser with tons of speed. I'm really curious about watching Joe Klopfenstein at tight end too. (It's only fun if you say it like Gene Wilder: "That's Klopfenstein.") (EDIT: Holy crap, they just traded up to draft Dominique Byrd. That's awesome!) They thing that worries me, however, is that this may be the first time I can actually say Arizona is kinda scary. Having high picks for a decade or so may finally pay off.

Broncos draft, I am really excited about.

I can't believe they picked Jay Cutler! That was the last thing I expected when they traded up to get him. Plummer's really only got a couple more years in Denver. Plenty of time to groom Cutler. Plus with his cannon in Denver's thin air, he'll be tossing the ball into the parking lot with ease.

But they weren't done!!

The trade for Javon Walker really didn't surprise me, but it did excite me nonetheless. I'm glad they're finally getting someone better than Lelie. I love Lelie, but I hate his one style of play. He's great down field, but can't break tackles or catch anything short-field. One touchdown from your number two receiver when your top guy is nearing retirement isn't good.

I am very excited about this Denver team not only for now, but for years down the road.

By the way, is it me or is this year's coverage on ESPN been horrible? Not that I'm a big Chris Berman fan at all, but he's been a joke all day. All day he seems confused and kept talking all over himself. Plus he kept ruining every first round pick before they were actually announced. He's paid to talk, but for god's sake, just shut up!!
|

Friday, April 28, 2006

In Sick

Man, I'm so ill today. I woke from my nap yesterday filling less than stellar. Then I woke for work this morning around 3am and just couldn't move. Chest pain, head ache, sore eyes, stuffy nose, upset stomach, the whole bit. I had to call in sick. That really sucked because I could've met Tommy Chong today. He was our guest on the noon show.

I'm feeling slightly better now, but not much. I hate calling in sick to work so I've made up my mind to fight through it tomorrow. I've been lying around all day today. So much so that I can't lie down anymore because my neck is killing me. I'll fight it out long enough to come home just to lie around and watch the NFL Draft.

Hopefully I'll feel better soon because I've got a John Vanderslice show to catch on Monday in Charlottesville.
|

Thursday, April 27, 2006

Wes??

Did I see Wes Anderson in an American Express commercial tonight??

It was a great commercial, but what the hell? He's the last person I expected to see pushing credit cards.
|

Back

Got back from vacation on Monday evening, but have really struggled to try to get back on schedule. I was getting used to getting to bed when I should be just getting into work.....one of those types of vacations.

I think this pic sums it up pretty well:


Here's Josh with a sweet shiner from his kick-ass motorcycle accident.


Hedges and I reacting to Josh telling us a story about his ex-girlfriend's talented vajayjay at Shakespeare's.


Holy crap! Gordon and I ran into Jeff Burrows for the first time in around eight years.


Saw Foundry Field Recordings at the Dukum. This is the third time I've seen them. They got GOOOOD. Really good. I was blown away.


Oh yeah, saw some baseball too. Lots of baseball. The Tigers sucked, but at least the little bro kicked ass.


Great vacation. I could do that every night forever, but I'd be dead within a couple of years.
|

Thursday, April 20, 2006

Adios (Temporarily)

Flying home tomorrow morning. Need a little sleep tonight, but I've been playing Mike Tyson's Punch-Out all night.

I'll be back in Richmond on Monday night.

Bye!!
|

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

Bitter

Today was payday! Woohoo!! I finally have some money to blow. I spent the last of my pre-check funds on cigarettes and booze at the bar last night. I had today all planned out. I got up, payed the bills, went to Chipotle for lunch, got a haircut, bought stamps, quick trip to the grocery store, and go nuts at the record store.

The plan was to buy a whole bunch of those used CDs I saw last week. I was going to forget about the new Fiery Furnaces for now and go nuts on the used stuff. Problem was, they were all sold! Well, not all, but at least the ones I had planned on getting. Even the ELO section was cleaned out. Dammit!

I did find Half-Handed Cloud's Halos & Lassos used for only $7, so I gave it a shot.



It's pretty descent. I listened to it twice as I drove around. It's essentially a big suite filled with childish lyrics and music (Casio beats, banjos). I don't really know how else to describe it. It's pretty unique. Not the best thing I've heard all year, but worth $7.

Oh speaking of musical suites, I did also buy the Fiery Furnaces' Bitter Tea.



Now this is a damn good album. It really took me by surprise. I love the Fiery Furnaces, but maybe I don't quite understand them like I should. Pretty difficult stuff to listen to. I really did like last year's Rehearsing My Choir, but it's not something to listen to that much. Bitter Tea is far more accessible. Still pretty chaotic and strange, but maybe a touch more pop-oriented. It's long, but I've about finished it twice now. I can listen to this one driving around. Definitely can't listen to Rehearsing My Choir while driving around. It's a sit-and-pay-attention album.

Bitter Tea, by the way, is definitely not a kitty-approved album. Huxley was terrified while I listened to it. Too many scary noises. She sat in my chair with her ears perked back and eyes wide open as she looked around confused. During "Whistle Rhapsody" she finally bolted into under my dining room table and hid. I guess I'll be listening to this one with the headphones on from now on.
|

Sunday, April 16, 2006

SuSh 04.16.06 (Freedom)

I finally get a day off and I am so relaxed right now. There have been plenty of times when I haven't had a day off in a long time (I once worked three months straight without a day off), but for some reason these last two weeks have really kicked my ass. Last night I was so tired and disoriented that I found myself watching Van Damme's Kickboxer on TV and couldn't turn away...maybe in a train wreck type way. At least now I can finally get some nice sleep, although I'm sure I'll wake up at 4am in a panic that I'm late for work.

Fly out Thursday to Kansas City. For now:



Current track count: 4735

1. Morrissey - "Alma Matters" (Maladjusted)

2. Johnny Cash - "One" (American III: Solitary Man)

3. Wilco - "Barnyard Pimp" (Wilco Book CD)

4. Jay Farrar - "Driving the View" (Live EP)

5. American Music Club - "Over and Done" (Mercury)

6. Wilco - "How to Fight Loneliness" (live in Columbia, Mo. 11/20/00)

7. Flaming Lips - "All We Have is Now" (Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots)

8. Broken Social Scene - "Our Faces Split the Coast in Half" (Broken Social Scene)

9. Queens of the Stone Age - "Hangin' Tree" (Songs for the Deaf)

10. James - "Just Like Fred Astaire" (Millionaires)

11. Yo La Tengo - "Walking Away From You" (Genius+Love=Yo La Tengo)

12. Rolling Stones - "Moonlight Mile" (Sticky Fingers)

Killer playlist! That Queens of the Stone Age sticks out like a sore thumb, but somehow it actually worked. "Moonlight Mile" was a great way to finish.
|

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Broke. Mad.

Damn I'm broke right now. I had to get some new tires on my car last week which cost quite a bit of coin. Plus my rent killed me. Plus I had to get MLB.tv (priorities, you know). While I was buying the new Flaming Lips a week ago I shopped through the used stuff and found probably more stuff that I want than any other time EVER!! Check this list out:

Apostle of Hustle - Folkloric Feel
ELO - A New World Record
ELO - Discovery
ELO - Secret Messages
Joanna Newsom - The Milk-Eyed Mender
Will Oldham - Ode Music
Will Oldham & Rian Murphy - Almost Heaven
Palace Brothers - There is No-One What Will Take Care of You
Sigur Ros - Von
Sigur Ros - Svefn-G-Englar
Sigur Ros - Takk
Songs: Ohia - Ghost Tropic

But no, I had to save my money. There's a semi-happy ending because I ordered that Apostle of Hustle on Amazon for $3.50. Plus I went today and all of those used CDs were still there. I finally broke down and bought the Songs: Ohia. Oh, yeah and I budgeted enough for today's sweet new release:

Calexico - Garden Ruin


This is Calexico's first "proper" album since 2003's Feast of Wire. Now I admit that I really didn't have to wait that long. I only got into Calexico when I saw them open for Wilco in September of 2004. Still, I can be excited about it.

Garden Ruin is pretty damn good. I really like Calexico's earlier mariachi-style sound, but it's always great to hear a band never settle and make it work. The southwestern blues influence is still very prevalent, but now there are more jazz elements than I remember hearing from them before. There are some great songs here. The ones that stand out after one listen are "Roka" and "All Systems Red." I'll definitely be getting my money's worth here.
|

Everything Hits At Once

Ooooh, I love being a fan of Spoon!!

Not the most surprising news, but I guess Merge will finally be re-issuing Spoon's out-of-print debut LP Telephono and the EP Soft Effects. I always figured either Merge or Matador would be doing so. That's why I never bought either from eBay for $50+ a pop. I don't own anything from Telephono, but I have found downloads of every song but one from Soft Effects. That's always frustrated the crap out of me, but at least now I won't have to worry!

Plus from a new Spoon album early next year?! Plus a solo album from Britt Daniel?! Damn!!
|

Monday, April 10, 2006

Red Sea

I am exhausted. I'm in the middle of a two-week straight stint at work. It's the beginning of the week and I feel like I'm waiting for my weekend. Plus I've been late two days in a row (shhhh). However today I came home early, got a few great hours of sleep, and got up to watch the Cards game.



There was no way I was going to miss that, what with the new stadium and all. Last week I had a free preview of Comcast's MLB package, but that's gone now. I bought a season's subscription to that MLB.tv thingy so I could watch. The picture was a little dark, but I got to see all the pre-game festivities....meaning I got to hum the Budweiser March while dancing around my apartment. I got to see my favorite player, Willie McGee. I got to see my namesake, Lou Brock. It was cool seeing Bruce Sutter too. My first glove was a Sutter glove!

The game was fantastic. I was making a shake in the kitchen between innings in the third. By the time I got back, Pujols had already gone yard. Dammit. I sat still the rest of the game and saw a gem by Mulder. A two-run homer too? Freaking sweet.

The new stadium looks beautiful. Really at ground level, though, it's hard to spot much of a difference. I kept forgetting what stadium it was until they went to a view of the top of the stadium. I love to death that there are no gimmicks to the new stadium. No flagpoles or hills or crap like that. Just a great city skyline to look at. I'm really, really going to miss the old Busch, but I can't wait to see this park in person.
|

Sunday, April 09, 2006

Chopper

|

Saturday, April 08, 2006

The Avalanche

Now that the new Flaming Lips has been released, there aren't too many more releases that I've been dying for. Tuesday is the new Calexico (pretty cool). The next week is the new Fiery Furnaces (I'll get it). May sees the release of new stuff from Danielson and Grandaddy (I'll get them, if I have the money). June doesn't have anything but a new instrumental soundtrack from Portastatic (eh, still waiting on some new Superchunk).

The only thing I've really been anticipating is the new Golden Smog on July 18, but that's been pretty much ALL I've been excited about.

Then yesterday I saw this to be released on July 25:

I figured Sufjan Stevens would release something this year. I was hoping for something new in his 50 states project. I definitely wasn't expecting a compilation of outtakes from Illinois. I wasn't overly thrilled about it at first, but I've thought about it plenty and I am VERY excited about it. Think about it, twenty-one more songs from last year's best album. Maybe it is milking it, but I don't particularly care. I can't wait.

I've already heard the song "The Avalanche" and it is fantastic. If you haven't heard it, get it here.

Oh and if you need something a little Sufjan to keep you occupied, you really should check out his song "Variation on 'Commemorative Transfiguration & Communion at Magruder Park'" from I Am the Resurrection: A Tribute to John Fahey. I've probably listened to it like a thousand times and I still contend it's one of the best songs I've EVER heard.
|

Tuesday, April 04, 2006

At War

Yeah Yeah Yeah!!



It's Flaming Lips Day!! First one in almost four years. I'm so excited.

You know, it's funny though. Most of the time when a band doesn't release a new album for four years, it seems as if they just disappear. It seems like a lifetime. However with all the stuff the Lips have released over the last four years (a video compilation, a couple of EPs, a documentary, countless tribute songs), it's like they've been everywhere. It's definitely a big time to be a Lips fan.

I've listened to about half of At War with the Mystics and it's great. Plenty of reviews have slated this as their "return to rock." Not quite sure about that. Maybe there are more rock elements than on Zaireeka, the Soft Bulletin, and Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. However, to listen to pre-Zaireeka stuff and compare it to At War with the Mystics, it'll take a hell of a lot more to say the Lips are a rock band again.

Damn, this is a great album. I'd expect nothing less from the Flaming Lips. Maybe it's no Soft Bulletin, but nothing is. It's so great to hear a band like this never settle on one sound. They're totally undefinable. It's so great to hear something new like this!!
|

Saturday, April 01, 2006

SuSh 04.01.06 +Some!

Had to put the blog on the backburner this week because it was incredibly busy. We had a big 10K here in Richmond today that required a ton of preparation. This morning I directed a four hour show from the race. It was pretty wild. Five field crews. Chaos. All-in-all, it went pretty well. I'm glad it's over though.

A couple of my favorite things right now:

Phosphorescent
Great damn band. Very Neutral Milk Hotel-esque, what with the horns and distortion (hornstortion?). Great country sound. Excellent stuff. I've been obsessed with it all week. Another Wajda suggestion. Attaboy!

Jason Molina
Okay so I've been a fan of Molina/Songs: Ohia/Magnolia Electric Co. for a while now, but I really got back into him this week. I pulled out Didn't it Rain earlier this week and remembered how great it is. Then I downloaded his solo Pyramid Electric Co. on iTunes. It is unbefuckinglievable. When he wants to be, Molina can be a dark and disturbing writer. Pyramid is probably the best example of this. Go get it. It's only, like, $7 on iTunes.

Okay, stressful week. Really need to unwind. Also really need sleep because of daylight savings tonight. All I need to do is go in and direct the morning show tomorrow, then it's a couple of days off.....then two weeks straight without a day off, but I have vacation right after that so I'm not complaining. Can't wait for Tuesday. If you don't know why, then I guess you're not as cool as me.

I know what I need. Spin me a winner.....



Current track count: 4692

1. Minus 5 - "Daggers Drawn" (Down With Wilco)

2. Modest Mouse - "Lounge (Closing Time)" (The Lonesome Crowded West)

3. Elvis Costello & the Attractions - "Living in Paradise" (This Year's Model)

4. Yo La Tengo - "Decora" (Electr-o-pura)

5. Cursive - "Mothership, Mothership, Do You Read Me?" (Burst & Bloom)

6. Wilco - "Hotel Arizona" (live in Columbia, Mo. 11/4/97)
(I was there. Jeff sounded really drunk.)

7. Johnny Cash - "Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream" (At Madison Square Garden)
(The intro to this song has one of the best lines JRC ever.)

8. Lambchop - "Each Time I Bring it Up it Seems to Bring You Down" (Aw C'mon)
(My jukebox apparently really, really likes Lambchop. They seem to be on every shuffle.)

9. Iron & Wine - "Radio War" (Our Endless Numbered Days)

That's a good place to end. Nice work!!
|