silence is a rhythm too
Monday 12/29
Check out Cha Cha Cha's "The best songs of 2003 for you to download". Very exciting, and a good way to score some new mp3s.
Thnks to everyone for the kind words on the birth of my daughter. She and mom came home today, so it's on to a life of little sleep. It's seriously worth it tho'...
Time For Football
My pain for the Vikes loss lasted about 5 minutes and I moved on. They didn't deserve a spot in the playoffs. Year 2 of a 3 year rebuilding program sees them move from 6 - 10 to 9 - 7 which is an improvement. Add a few more big D players, a couple of O lineman and another WR and things should improve next season.
Sunday 12/28
My wife delivered a beautiful baby girl (7 lbs 3 oz with a full head of brown hair) at 6:45 in the evening yesterday, Dec.27. Everything went well and everyone is doing well. Mom and baby get to come home tomorrow morning. Yay!
Time For Football
The Vikes win their division with a victory at the AZ Cardinals. Go Vikes! And go Denver (at G.B.)...
Friday 12/26
Baby d-day plus six - if the baby doesn't come tonight, tomorrow we will be checking into the hospital at 8:00 AM and the mid-wife will be inducing labor. One way or another we will have this child!
Thursday 12/25
Baby d-day plus five, no kid.
It's Xmas, the presents have been opened and are scattered about the house. My lovely wife gave me the Ben Stiller Show 2DVD set - I am so freaking excited to see all the episodes again in crisp digital format instead of the bad VHS copy I taped off of Comedy Central a few years ago. Also got some new Doc Martens, a jacket and some wireless headphones. It's been a good day...
Wednesday 12/24
Baby d-day plus four, and the precious miracle hasn't yet arrived. Christmas is tomorrow and so the odds of a Xmas baby are up. Yikes.
Time For Football
The appearance of afros on the Vikings sideline this week was not limited to Randy Moss. Receivers Kelly Campbell and Keenan Howry and offensive lineman Bryant McKinnie all sported the 'fro. These guys all planned to inaugurate the look at the KC game, and Kelly Campbell gave this definition of afros to reporters after the game - "America's Finest Receivers On Sunday". Too damn funny. This team may have it's problems, but it's clear that theses guys get along pretty well, and ultimately that will help them.
Tuesday 12/23
Baby d-day plus three and still no baby - maybe Paul is right and we'll have a little Jesus (II).
Prepare for a big year of reissues, including stuff from Dylan, Johnny Cash, Dave Brubeck and the Eurythmics. Also very exciting is the US release date (January 27th) for the reissues of all of the Echo & The Bunnymen albums, each remastered and expanded to include a bunch of extra tracks, many previously unreleased. Crocodiles includes the four track EP Shine So Hard, the first E & The Bmen record I ever owned - an incredibly rocking live EP. Bring it on.
Monday 12/22
It's baby D-day plus two now, and there's still no sign of the little one. The wait continues...
Saturday 12/20
Time For Football
The Minnesota Vikings gave their fans a good reason to be merry this holiday season with their 45 - 20 thrashing of the Kansas City Chiefs this afternoon. Randy Moss took the braids out of his hair and unleashed the killer afro and inner freak, and helped the Vikes jump to an early 24 - 0 lead. He's known for playing big games when he's in the national TV spotlight, and after being called out for failing to catch the pass at the end of last weekend's game he was ready to play. Rookie running back Onterrio "Steal Of The Draft" Smith aslo had a huge day running the ball. But most impressive was the Vikes D - they essentially shut down one of the best offenses in football until it didn't matter any more. This was probably the best game the Vikes have played all year. There were no stupid mistakes or penalties, and there was lots of scoring - the most points they've put up all season. The last game of the year is next weekend at the Arizona Cardinals. If the Vikes win they're 10 - 6, in the playoffs and hosting a first round game. Go Vikes!!!
Friday 12/19
The folks over at astralwerks.com have put up a page of their staff picks for best records of the year. There are a few of their own listed but there's a lot of other good stuff too.
Tuesday 12/16
A Top 50 of 2003 list is up over at Via Chicago - many choices that I agree with. Outkast, Manitoba and The Postal Service get much love in the top 10...
Today's 5 CD shuffle at work was mostly an old school affair, and was pretty fun...
Money Mark - Push The Button
Arling & Cameron - Music For Imaginary Films
Radiohead - The Bends
Kid Loco - A Grand Love Story
The Stills - Logic Will Break Your Heart
Monday 12/15
My second child's due date is this Saturday, so my already hectic life is going to be a even more so in the coming weeks. It's another girl, and since the wife and I already have one of those (who will be 4 in January) we are set. Got the clothes, got the toys, got the room ready to go, and I know my wife is ready, so bring it on...
I may or may not be doing the "best of the year" thing - we'll see what time allows me to get done.
What were your favorite records of the year?
Sunday 12/14
The new Kelis album Tasty has worked itself into heavy rotation at my place this week. The Neptunes play a big part, and they are responsible for the first single Milkshake, a song I really dig. The other tunes they do are all pretty much in their usual vein. Raphael Saadiq also helms a couple of numbers and brings his deep retro soul style to the mix, and Dallas Austin provides one of the more rocking moments on Keep It Down. There's party tunes, soulful ballads, weird '80's synth pop (the tune with Andre 3000 - available as a download this week) and even an attempt at social commentary on Rolling With The Hood, although it is a bit out of place amid all the partying and sex. It's not as "arty" as her debut, and I've never heard the 2nd album - a Europe only release, but I'm digging it.
Time For Football
The Vikings choked down the stretch today when Randy Moss let the defender take the ball away in the end zone, and instead of the game winning touch down it became the turn over that sealed the loss. With a Packers win against the Chargers today they and Vikes will be tied for first in the division, both at 8 - 6. Inconsistency has been the team's bugaboo all season, and continues to be their downfall. At the beginning of the season I picked them to finish the season 8 - 8, and it look's like they might just do it. AAAAAAAGGGGHHHHH!!!!
Friday 12/12
Duran Duran announce UK tour dates, including one at the "intimate" Wembley Arena.
Blur are planning to release a new EP in 2004 now that they've wrapped up their world tour. Anybody out there heard the Damon Albarn LP yet?
New mp3s today...
Kelis' Millionaire is a track written and produced by Andre 3000 from Outkast. Uptempo electro madness in return for her guest shot on his track Dracula's Wedding. These two folks make good studio. The other two tracks are remixes of old songs... The Postal Sevice remix of the Flaming Lips' Do You Realize?? is an IDM flavored mix, all uptempo skittery beats. The Black Strobe remix of Playgroup's Number One is taken from the 2 CD reissue of the Playgroup record, and is excellent . Enjoy...
Tuesday 12/9
I'm still here. The last 4 days have been kinda hectic so I haven't done a thing around here. Truth be told I've been a little burned out on the whole update thing too...
Finally word of a new Zero 7 album - called When It Falls, due out on March 9th. They've sure taken their sweet time with the follow up - it will be interesting to see if they can match Simple Things.
A Pixies DVD is coming, with 8 vids, a concert movie and a British documentary calle Gouge.
Time For Football
The Vikes played a good Seattle team on Sunday and spanked them, playing their best game of football all year. Only 5 penalties, 193 yards rushing, and a killer performance from QB Duante Culpepper plus a defence that looked much improved over the one we've seen the previous few weeks led to a big win. This weekend the Vikes travel to the Chicago Bears, then it's the Chiefs at home and the Cardinals at Arizona. We could see a 10 - 6 team by the end of the season. I remain cautiously optimistic.
Friday 12/5
Here's the complete list of this year's Grammy nominees. Fountains Of Wayne are nominated for best new act?!? Too damn funny. Album of the year nominees are Missy Elliiott, The White Stripes, Outkast, Justin Timberlake and (ugh ewww) Evanescence. Watch the big show on February 8 and be disappointed when none of the bands you are rooting for win anything...
Thursday 12/4
New mp3s today...
7 Hurtz are a French duo who's LP Electroleum was released by Trevor Jackson's Output Recordings and has bercome one of my top ten electronic releases of the year. It's tasty electro with a dark edge, and Tension On Sight is one of my fave tunes from the album. On a similar electro bent is the Luke Vibert tune ILoveAcid, which celebrates the acid house style. The 2 rock tunes are from Stelllastarr (an uptempo rocker with just a hint of The Cars) and Kings Of Leon (killer guitar riffage!). Enjoy.
Tuesday 12/2
From The NME comes Daft Punk news. The band are working on the follow up to Discovery, which I thought was a so-so record. I played Around The World from Homework at the bar the other night and got the crowd grooving, and was reminded of how big that debut was and still is. Let's hope they can recapture some of that magic.
A couple of other r'n'b vids I've been digging - the new Timbaland & Magoo tune My Indian Flute, which continues Timbaland's Indian music excursions. Some folks might feel it's played out but I still get a rush from the juxtaposition of two such radically different cultures, and this one's got the beats, melodies and vocals mixed with the raps. The other tune is also a Timbaland production - Cee-Lo's Call Me, a Dirty South number with a cool psychedelic rock guitar riff . Timbaland's production and vocals + Cee-Lo's sweet soulful style = great tune. Cee-Lo's debut last year was a big personal favorite, and hearing this tune gets me excited to hear his new LP Cee-Lo Green Is The Soul Machine - out January 16th.
Yesterday was World AIDS day and I completely spaced out putting up any related info as part of Link & Think's Observance. A great idea - here's a list of participants in the blogging community.
Monday 12/1
I've been watching VH1Soul a bunch lately because they've been playing some new tunes that have grabbed me. The new Alicia Keys single You Don't Know My Name is a lush, '70's Philly soul tune with a big flashy piano roll right before the chorus. Her debut was good, but the hype and overplay killed it for me, and so I'm kind of surprised at how much I like this new song. The other tune in heavy rotation is Kelis' Milkshake - another huge Neptunes production job. It's an insanely catchy melody built over buzzing synths and funky mid tempo beats. I love the "la la la la la's" in the chorus and the chiming hand cymbal break. The video is not appropriate for my 4 year old daughter to see - a rather sexy romp set in a diner with much shaking of breasts and booty. It's almost over the top, but the tune is so good that it doesn't matter. Both of these vid are up at Launch so if you have the fat pipe connection check 'em out.
Also part of the cable upgrade is free HBO until February, so I've been enjoying Inside The NFL and Bill Maher's show. But the one show that I've been loving the most is Curb Your Enthusiasm. Larry David just cracks me up. The whole nothingness he helped spawn with Seinfeld is continued here, but with a lot more obscenities. A lot more obscenities. They just had a 4 day marathon of shows for Thanksgiving, so I watched a bunch of them and taped even more. I love that uncomfortable feeling it gives me, and the guest stars, and the way every action gets a reaction, and it's almost always horribly wrong. Brilliant.
Sunday 11/30
The Stills' Logic Will Break Your Heart has become the most played record of the last month for me. The Canadian combo follows the blueprint set forth by the early '80's British rock scene - you know, The Cure, The Bunnymen, The Furs et al. The first few plays of this record didn't grab me, but I stuck with it. As a result I'm sure this is one of the best rock records of the year. It's melodic, well produced (but not over-produced) rock with chiming guitars and beefy bass lines. It's got some majorly catchy songs - the PIL inspired bassline (and title) of Still In Love Song, the driving Allison Krausse, the lovely melody of Lola Stars And Stripes. If you like the whole Brit flavored thing in rock that's happening right now with bands like Interpol, Elefant and their ilk then this one is worth your investigation.
I scored a freebie copy of the self titled debut from the similarly early '80's flavored band Stellastarr. This record is full of New Wave deliciousness, and also stands apart from a lot of it's peers with it's addition of female vocals, both as back ups and sharing leads. It's a lot bouncier and not as angst ridden - I hear the usual influences, and it also reminds me of The Icicle Works at times (is that good or bad?), and the singer often sounds like a mix of Curt and Ian from Tears For Fears at times. I have to say that after reading a lot of not so positive things about this record that I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it.
One final record rocking the box this week is the debut Youth & Young Manhood from Kings Of Leon. I first heard this on the way to Chicago last week, and it rocked my road trip. I picked it up last week and have been playing it ever since. I think they sound lot like the Strokes, but with Tom Petty and Captain Beefheart sharing the vocal duties instead of Julian Casablancas' mush mouth delivery.
Time For Football
It's half time and The Vikings are engaged in a shootout with the St. Louis Rams. The Vikes are looking pretty good despite a few problems early on, and trail by 3 points, 20 - 17. The Rams have 222 yards of offence, the Vikes have 221. I picked the Rams in my football pool, but my heart's with the Purple. Go Vikes.