Top 10 Albums of the Year

Here is my Top 10 Albums of the Year. The list could probably change in a few weeks since I'm leaving off a few good albums that I'm uncomfortable putting on a Top 10 with only one or two listens under my belt.

10. Ben Folds - Way to Normal
9. Jack Johnson - Sleeping Through The Static
With Ben Folds and Jack Johnson you pretty much know what you're going to get and I find that comforting.
8. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
Seeing "Kids" performed live was one of the highlights of my summer. I liked the first two singles off the album and was pleasantly surprised it turned out to be a pretty solid album throughout.
7. Mates of State - Re-Arrange Us
If I was doing a list of Top 10 singles of '08, "Get Better" would be jockeying for a top spot. I'm a sucker for male and female harmonies.
6. Gary Louris - Vagabonds
I loved The Jayhawks and for awhile I was on Team Mark Olsen, but within the last few years I've jumped ship. This is a solid album with some great guests. Don't be surprised to see the Mark Olsen/Gary Louris collaboration on my Best of '09 list next year.
5. Okkervil River - The Stand Ins
Unfortunately this album would have been a top 3 for me but I'm too easily swayed by how a band is live. And if you read our comments on the Okkervil River show this year you know I was disappointed. Maybe they'll just have to be a really good studio band for me...like my Steely Dan perhaps.
4. She & Him - Volume 1
I'm very much looking forward to Volume 2. It was exciting to learn that her voice carries over live too. It gives me the same kind of feeling as the Matthew Sweet and Suzanna Hoffs : Under the Covers Volume 1 gave me...which was good.
3. My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
I feel like I pork MMJ enough on this blog so go back and read it if you really need to know how I feel about this album.
2. The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
Getting to see them twice on their Stay Positive tour helped out this ranking alot. Not to say that it wouldn't have been top 5 but I listen to this album and it brings back great memories. Constructive Summer might be one of those songs I play on a loop every Memorial Day for the rest of my life.
1. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
Crazy harmonizing. I actually got into the game really late with this album. But since I got it a few months ago I haven't been able to go more than two consecutive days without listening to it. I'm looking to putting it on during a heavy snowstorm while drinking some sort of seasonal winter lager.

I'll drop some honorable mentions in there too:
-Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
Would have easily been in there if the year ended in September. Enjoyable album except for the Blake's Got a New Face song which is my least favorite songs of the year. They started to wear on me a tad so they fell a little.
-Weezer - Red Album
If for no other reason that every time I hear Weezer it brings me back to some happy teenage places. Average album compared to the Blue Album and Pinkerton but still enjoyable. "Greatest Man Who Ever Lived" would probably have a spot on my Top 20 song countdown.

My apologies to:
Deerhunter, Matt Costa, Death Cab for Cutie, Jenny Lewis, Bon Iver, Neil Diamond, Aimee Mann, Calexico and Blitzen Trapper. For one reason or another I didn't spend enough time with your 2008 release or just haven't gotten it yet.

1. The Shield - Possible Kill Screen - Original Air date: 11/18/08

This is another penultimate episode of a series. The series finale of The Shield could have easily had my top spot as it was one of (if not the best) series finales ever. But the reason I chose "Possible Kill Screen" instead was because it had the best scene in television this year. When Vic Mackey sits in front of that microphone about to confess all of his sins I actually almost had to pause it to compose myself. Then to actually hear him say it all (and who was around to hear it) was as intense as fiction can get. It was honestly the only non-sports related thing I've ever watched on television that I couldn't sleep afterwards.

**Bonus note** -- The Shield gets kudos from me for having an episode title so fitting to the plot and also a great pop-culture reference. "Possible Kill Screen" is reference to King of Kong which is one of my favorite documentaries.

2. The Wire - Late Editions - Original Air date: 3/2/08

Series finales usually show where characters are going to end up after the show finishes, but penultimate episodes is where the s**t goes down. So with The Wire being one of the best shows ever to on television, it was no surprise that they ended perfectly. Seeing the final actions that lead all the characters down their future paths is both heartbreaking and satisfying.

3. Lost - The Constant - Original Air date: 2/28/08

As I mentioned earlier, when I watch a serial based drama, I like my payoffs. I've always watched Lost and was going to watch it til the end regardless of it's quality. I've invested too much time not to see how it ends. Lost spent a good season and half not telling us anything and actually went from must-see on Wednesday night to something I could watch on DVR the next day. This past season though got back to what was great about Lost and this episode was the "gamechanger" for me. Not only was it based around my favorite character (Desmond), it was just a complete mind "F" of a concept. Somehow they fit a crazy time jumping adventure and an epic love story into 44 minutes and it didn't even seem rushed. I still haven't deleted it from my DVR yet.

4. 30 Rock - Subway Hero - Original Air date: 4/17/08

David Puddy (Seinfeld) was probably my favorite recurring character on a television show ever. I don't know if he's passed him yet, but Dean Winters' ("Beeper King" and Exonerated Sex Predator) Dennis Duffy on 30 Rock is gaining on him fast. Out of his five appearences so far, Subway Hero was his best episode. He saves someone's life in a subway station and becomes a local hero. Everything out his mouth has been quoted by me and my friends a couple of hundred times since it aired. And the "B" story about Jack trying to pull Tracy over to the Republican Party was good for some laughs too.

"I knew that girl was eighteen. She told me her last boyfriend was Asian, and that crap doesn't start until college." --Dennis Duffy

A Best of 2008 List - Television Edition

What fun is having a blog if you can't force your end of the year lists upon people. My first crack at it is going to be my Top 5 Best Episodes of Television in 2008. I'll try to do at least one a day for the next week.

5. Mad Men - The Jet Set - Original Air date: 10/12/08
When I'm watching a serial based drama I usually like my payoffs early and often. Mad Men does not do this. The whole series is a slow burn. But it does it in a way where, not only I'm I not annoyed, but I don't even care if they tell me anything new. For the first time in Mad Men we leave the East Coast and see Don Draper make some uncharacteristic decisions. We know that he's unfaithful and he lies so it's not a leap of faith to believe he would have a dalliance with someone in California, but to blindly follow a woman and blow off work responsibilities in the process was actually as exciting you can get on Mad Men.

The Shield Finale

The end is near! I've got about seven hours to kill before paying witness to the close of one of the greatest television series of all-time. And if the last three episodes are any indication, this could go down as one of the most satisfying endings EVER. A couple seasons back, I almost wrote off the show when they killed off Lem. To me, he was the only sympathetic character and after he died, there was nobody else to care about.

Well, I was wrong. I care about where they all wind up. Will Mackey's deal fall through? Will Ronnie exact revenge before being cuffed? Will Shane end his family's misery by his own hand? Will Claudette completely snap? Will Dutch get taken down by a budding serial killer? Will Julien remember that he's gay?

The greatness of this show is that I really don't know how it's all going to shake out, but whatever the outcome, it will make perfect sense. There will be no last-second reversals, no out-of-character moments. Their arcs are galvanized; their actions will follow suit.

The build-up to tonight's show got me thinking of the finales of some of my other favorite series. Most of them ranged from disappointing (Seinfeld, The Sopranoes, Twin Peaks, St. Elsewhere) to somewhat satisfying (Arrested Development, The Wire, Oz). I can't recall one that was great.

I guess the perfect finale is impossible, especially when you are so invested in the show and its characters. First, you don't want it to end. Second, endings are hard to nail. Third, everyone has their own vision of how they think it should play out.

Tonight, I plan to pour myself a healthy glass of wine, kick back, and let the tension of the last seven seasons finally unravel.

It better not suck.

Getting Inside Hymn -- Reckoner

Reckoner
by Radiohead

Reckoner

You can't take it with you

Dancing for your pleasure

You are not to blame for

Bittersweet distractor

Dare not speak its name

Dedicated to all you all human beings
Because we separate like ripples on a blank shore (in rainbows)

Because we separate like ripples on a blank shore (in rainbows)
Reckoner

Take me with you

Dedicated to all you all human beings

Huh??

I'm not even going to pretend that I know what these lyrics are about. I can take a stab at what the lyrics are supposed to elicit: detachment, yearning and loss. Then again, that description can sum up the entire Radiohead catalog.

Before getting into the song, I think I should first give my take on Radiohead as a band. My history with them dates back to about 1995, when The Bends came out. The ensuing love affair can be explained in three words: Fake. Plastic. Trees. Upon hearing Thom Yorke's beautiful, powerfully vulnerable voice on that track, I was hooked. The entire album, in my opinion, is near perfect. The sound was a haunting mix of lavish layers and grinding rawness. It was the church and the sump behind it. This contrast connected with me to the degree that The Bends became a defining album in my musical life.

Their follow-up, 1998's OK Computer, took my appreciation to a new level. Even more isolated and ambitious than The Bends, OK Computer pretty much blew me away. As a whole, the album isn't as consistent as its predecessor, but the highs are unparalelled. Songs like Paranoid Android, Let Down, Karma Police and No Surprises play down in an endless loop in the part of my brain that I like to occasionally visit (but wish I could live in). So, it's fair to say that Radiohead became a very important band to me.

Yet, I haven't bought a Radiohead album since.

It's part of my emotional makeup to try to preserve what I hold most dear. To me, once something reaches that exalted level, there's no place left to go but down. For the same reason, I haven't seen a Wes Anderson movie since The Royal Tannenbaums. Or been to a strip club since a marathon lap dance from a Russian named Svetlana (though that was probably just her stripper name).

So, I'm a huge Radiohead fan that chooses to idolize them from a safe distance. And that's not to say that I avoid their post-OK Computer stuff. I just don't actively seek it out. They've created some really good music in the last ten years, with a few songs that rival some of their best. But that self-preservation mechanism inside me refused to let the music all the way through.

That was until I heard Reckoner.

From the crashing cymbals to the haunting bassline to the ethereal falsetto of Yorke's voice, Reckoner encapsulates what makes Radiohead great to me: a juxtaposition of joy and sadness, celebration and lament. You want to dance and hide beneath the covers at the same time. The lyrics, usually a key component to a great song, are inconsequential. It's more of a soundscape than a song. The sonic layers are transe-inducing, allowing it to seep in without your knowledge.

The best way to experience this song is at full blast through your headphones. And again to Radiohead's rare abilities, you can listen to it in any given setting and get your desired outcome. As a workout song, it kicks ass. As a wind down song, it soothes you. As a background song, it provokes thought. If songs were relationships, Reckoner could be like your best friend.

In actuality, Reckoner reunited me with a close friend that I lost touch with for ten years. It's nice to reconnect, even if only for a few minutes.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go out and rent The Life Aquatic on the way to the strip club.

The Hold Steady - Terminal 5 - New York City - 11/7/08

I know this is over a week old and The Hold Steady are probably in Boise, Idaho by now (that's exactly where they are...I looked it up.) but it's better late than never.

Terminal 5 twice in a three day span. After The Decemberists show I was really wishing The Hold Steady were playing in a different venue. I'm not going to try to compare The Decemberists to The Hold Steady. Two completely different kind of shows. People at Decemberists shows cry when Colin Meloy breaks into a soft Fleetwood Mac cover (I saw pictures). People at a Hold Steady show jump up and down for the entire show singing along with the band.

Troufazz was along for this one. Lucky for me I was at Terminal 5 two days earlier so at least we had an example of "where not to stand" for this one. We didn't get there in time for The Drive By Truckers opting to achieve the perfect concert buzz at a different drinking establishment. I didn't have much of an interest either.

When we got to the venue we went on the complete opposite side from where I was the last time and kind of snuck right in front of a guy who was easily 7 feet tall...easily. We got to press our way pretty close to the stage without blocking anyone's view which is nice considering they probably waited through the whole Drive By Trucker set to get a good spot for The Hold Steady.

As far as the show goes, The Hold Steady are one of the best live bands touring today. There is no dull moments in the set. Even when they do play one of their ballads, they are good, and the next song brings the level right back up. Out of all the people in the place having a good time, it was easy to see who was having the most fun...Craig Finn. There is absolutely nothing choreographed about his performance. What ever herky-jerky movements he's doing on stage is just exactly what he's feeling at that moment. It's awesome to watch.

If I had to pick some highlights they would be Arms and Hearts followed right after by Massive Nights. Your Little Hoodrat Friend is always fun and How A Resurrection Really Feels was a good closer.

The Decemberists - Terminal 5 - New York City - 11/5/08

I'm not a huge Decemberists fan. I only own two of their albums and still haven't decided where I land on them. I do know that the songs I like, I really like, but sometimes it's tough to get through a whole album without skipping a little.

It was my first time at Terminal 5 and off the bat it was not one of my favorite venues. It was pretty crowded by the time we got in. We settled in a little off to the side underneath a big overhang which is underneath the balcony. It was a decent enough vantage point to see the stage but the sound was terrible from there.

From what I've heard before going in was that The Decemberists are pretty chatty on stage. Especially when it comes to politics. Being that it was the day after the election, I was afraid they would be over chatty about it. My fears were confirmed as soon as the Barack Obama lifesize cardboard cutout was brought on stage. Now The Decemberists and I our on the same side when it comes to politics but that's not what I go to concerts for. I don't want to be chanting "Yes We Can" while helping a crowd surfing cardboard Obama around Terminal 5 between every song.

All that being said, a Decemberists concert for me is the same as an album. Valerie Plame, The Engine Driver, We Both Go Down Together, O Valencia, 16 Military Wives, The Mariner's Revenge Song and Sons and Daughters were all really good but there were obvious breaks in the set for me to go get a beer without missing anything...like The Perfect Crime #2. That song sucks.

River Runs Dry

As part of my twelve-step blog rehabilitation, I attended Tuesday night's Okerrvil River show at Webster Hall, thinking that a concert review is the blog version of a simple three-chord progression: it's comfortable to do and often leads to inspiration. Plus, the Slice had been somewhat prolific in his concert reviews over the last few months -- replete with personal photos taken alongside band members -- that I feel I had to show that I, too, can leave my home and attend a public gathering.

The fact that Slice was with me is of no relevance. He can pad his stats all he wants.

So, the last (and only) time I was at Webster Hall for a concert was to catch the New Pornographers during their Challengers tour, and the experience was a great one.

The fact that Slice was with me at NP is again neither here nor there (first time I ever used that phrase... did I use it correctly?).

The NP show was a great all-around experience. Perfect amount of 'train sodas' on the way in, perfect pre-game venue in Hi-Fi (home of the world's greatest juke box) and perfect buzz heading into Webster Hall. So, the stage was set for a very enjoyable concert experience. And NP delivered, playing a high-energy, kickass set list. The crowd was all-in, vibing off the connection between artists and their fans. You could sense a mutual appreciation between them and us.

Walking out of that show, I had nothing but praise for the show and the venue. Maybe my only knock was AC Newman's ill-advised shirt fabric that concealed no physical secrets in front of the harsh stage lights. He may want to do a few push-ups in between writing perfectly crafted pop songs is all I'm saying.

So, admittedly, the bar was set pretty high going into the OR show.

The night began much like the aforementioned... we had some premium brews on the ride in (Sam Adams Octoberfest) and made our way from Penn to HiFi. A slight miscalculation in subway usage set off a sries of unfortunate events, which entailed a good amount of aimless walking, a forced Burger King purchase in order to use the restroom and a cab-driver miscommunication that culminated in a tour of the island of Manhattan. When we arrived at the bar, the effects of some tasty train beers were all but negated.

But we were not defeated. If anything, our mishaps were looked at as a sign of divine intervention, in that both of us were trying to limit our evening's intake. A few pints and choice jukebox selections righted the ship. We headed to Webster Hall in full-concert mode.

When we got there, the second act, Crooked Fingers, was in the midst of their set. After ordering one of only two agreed upon beers, the Slice and I headed to a pocket on the floor, stage left. We settled just behind a blinding spotlight that may or may not have actually been a Lasik surgery laser. After my vision returned, I was instantly enamored by the band's female singer/bassist/rhythm guitarist/violinist. She was blond, talented, approachably hot and the owner of an adorable paunch that was beautifully accentuated by her choice of shirt (take note AC Newman). We dothed her 'Stevie Ray Paunch.' She was great. The band was good. All in all, a great way to get into concert mode.

After their set and and a 30 minute break, Okerrvil River took to the stage.

First off, I'll admit that I'm not a huge OR fan. I've been getting into their catalog over the last few weeks and I really liked what I heard. And many of those same songs that were played that night sounded just like what I heard. But, I just couldn't get into it. The band's stage presence didn't help.

There is no denying that lead singer Will Sheff is very talented. He writes and performs on a level that is enviable. However, he also seems like a bit of a douche. He may be the greatest guy ever, but the douche vibe was present on this night. Was it the hipster-esque, unkempt hair? Possibly. Was it the almost choreographed 'spontaneous' gyrations he went into when he was 'feeling it?' Maybe. But I think the biggest reason I didn't connect was that he conceded that he wasn't into banter and told us that he 'had nothing cool to say.'

I'm ok if a band doesn't want to directly address their audience, but I take issue with someone when they tell me that is what they're going to do.

It's douche-y.

Just play if you want to play. Don't reference anti-banter because doing so is, in fact, banter. Tortured, too-cool-to-be-bothered, banter. And I hate that.

I stayed to hear "Our Life Is Not a Movie or Maybe," because it rocks, and then I walked out. Not as a protest. I was hot, a little tired and saw enough.

Still, I'm glad I went. I love concerts. I love the city. I love well stocked juke boxes.

And I love Stevie Ray Paunch.

Eavesdropping on an IM Chat

(My Morning Jacket is playing and can be heard through the wall)

Troufazz: I can hear it!

vanDERslice: Mine?

Troufazz: yeah. sounds sweet.

vanDERslice: It's awesome. If there was a MMJ concert every weekend, I would go.

Troufazz: You'd att an MMJ con ev week?

vanDERslice: If it was local? At least every other week. It affected me in a very bizarre way.
I'm still figuring out how to put it in words so I can blog about it

Troufazz: Is it like being converted to a religion.

Troufazz: A spiritual (re-)awakening?

vanDERslice: Actually knowing at that moment that you're probably seeing the best live band
you might ever see was weird. I always thought it would be something I would come to in retrospect.

Troufazz: Nice. If I were a blogger (which I was before my license was revoked), I would liken it to a rare experience when you can experience a shift in real time... like knowing the moment you fall in love during the actual moment it happens.

Troufazz: would that be epiphanous?

vanDERslice: Exactly.

My Morning Jacket - Festival Pier at Penn's Landing - Philadelphia, PA - 9/5/08

A lot of times I will ruin things for myself by going into them with extremely high expectations. From everything I've heard and read about My Morning Jacket's live shows, I was concerned with this also being the case for my first time seeing them live. It honestly took half of a song to understand that it was going to be, for a lack of a better word, special. I've been to my fair share of concerts and as great as most of them were, they all have had a logical place and time where they should end. With MMJ that was not the case. The whole show was on a straight trajectory upwards throughout. They could have played for two more hours and the energy level of the crowd wouldn't have dipped a bit. Jim James owned us.

During the encore while playing Touch Me I'm Going To Scream Pt. 2 it started to drizzle a little bit and across the Ben Franklin Bridge there was an impromptu fireworks show. I'm assuming that it was not planned by the band since Jim James looked at his band mates with an expression that indicated he was as surprised as we were.

I could go on but I'm not a good enough writer to do the show justice. Here's the set list:

1. Anytime

2. Aluminum Park

3. Off The Record

4. Evil Urges

5. Touch Me I'm Going To Scream Pt.1

6. What A Wonderful Man

7. Two Halves

8. Golden

9. Thank You Too!

10. I'm Amazed

11. Evelyn Is Not Real

12. Sec Walkin'

13. War Begun

14. Phone Went West

15. Librarian

16. Dondante

17. Gideon

18. Lay Low

19. Mahgeetah

*****ENCORE*****

20. Wordless Chorus

21. Highly Suspicious

22. Cobra

23. Smokin From Shootin

24. Touch Me I'm Going To Scream Pt.2

25. Run Thru

26. One Big Holiday

I'm 30 now and.....

I turned 30 a few weeks ago. I targeted my birthday as the day that I'll try to make some positive changes. Once again I would try to eat better and go to the gym, I would dedicate some time every day (even if it's only a half hour) to writing a few pages of a screenplay I've been trying to write and I would read more books.

At least New Years is only a few months away so I can try again.

Newport Folk Festival - Part 2

This weekend was the tale of two days. Saturday the weather was bad but the lineup was awesome. Sunday, the weather was great but the lineup wasn't as good. Unlike the day before, we brought a cooler with pre-made mixed drinks in soda bottles (since you weren't allowed to bring in alcohol).

Since the music wasn't as important today, just a brief recap:

Brandi Carlisle - I really like her 1st CD, was off put by them using a song off her second album to promote a new season of Grey's Anatomy so I never got it. She sounded great and did the only encore I've seen at the festival so far doing Hallelujah.

Calexico - I only have one Calexico CD which I like a lot. Unfortunately they didn't play anything off of it. Other than JIM JAMES coming out for a song with them, the highlight was a good cover of Alone Again Or. I like Calexico's sound with the brass section and everything. I'm going to pick up some more of their stuff.

Son Volt - I was really big into Alt-Country a few years ago and Son Volt's Trace was a big album for me so it was cool to get to see them. We walked over to the Harbor Stage to see them. Hanging out behind the stage watching and eating some food was none other than JIM JAMES again. Between coming out with these other acts and just seeing him just taking in the whole festival raised my man-crush level to orange.

That pretty much wrapped up the festival for me. Jimmy Buffett was coming up next and the place was filled with Parrotheads. We hung out back at our blanket for a little bit. As soon as the applaud came for Jimmy Buffett we started packing up our blanket to the stunned amazement of some fans.

Fort Adams was a great venue for a festival. It was very spacious and the sound carried far. The atmosphere was great with boats crowded as close to shore as they could. It looked like a great party out there. I need a sailboat.

Back at the hotel, me and my friend were on the elevator back from the hotel rooftop bar. When the doors opened JIM JAMES was waiting to get on. We shook his hand and told him that we were fans and all that other stuff. He was really cool and genuinely seemed to appreciate it. Later on when we went back to the rooftop bar, he was still there. We had one more brief interaction and quietly shared a Newport sunset. Man-crush level...red.

Newport Folk Festival - Part 1

I've wanted to check out Newport for a few years now. Unbeknownst to me, it was my friend's favorite town in the world. So when I sent him a link (half jokingly) saying we should check out the festival he got really excited and it was booked two days later.

We got up there Friday night with our lady friends and went out for dinner and drinks. After dinner we went to a bar called The Red Parrot. At the back end of the bar we saw Jakob Dylan. In short, we met him, he seemed like a nice guy and he was very nice about taking a nice group photo with us. But he wasn't even the coolest musician I would meet that weekend.

Saturday:
Young at Heart Chorus - They were a novelty act but very entertaining. These guys were 75 to 85 years old singing Hendrix, Coldplay and Bruce Springsteen songs. Seeing people move around singing, dancing and having a good time at their age was actually pretty moving. I'm actually glad I left before they were done so I didn't have to stay around for their inevitable standing ovation. If I had stayed I might have started welling up in front of people and I wasn't ready for that at noon.

Cowboy Junkies - Only went over for the last four songs. I'm only really familiar with their radio stuff which I didn't get to hear any. Pretty decent though.

Jakob Dylan - I was in to the Wallflowers first CD, but since then it seems like if you've heard one Jakob Dylan song, you've heard them all. I should have left this set a little earlier to go back to the main stage, but at the time, I thought meeting him the night before obligated me to stay for most of it.

Richie Havens - The reason I wish I left Jakob Dylan's set earlier. I only got there to see him close with a kick ass rendition of Won't Be Fooled Again.

When we first got to the festival, we were fortunate enough to lock down seats under the tent of the Harbor Stage which was where most of the good acts were playing that day. Between the threat of thunderstorms and the fact that the Harbor Stage had the better acts, it got more crowded at the tent as the day went on. As a group, there were acts that some of us wanted to see that others didn't which made saving seats alot easier.

Steve Earle and Alison Moorer - I enjoyed the 2nd half of his set more than the first. He brought out a DJ and played 'Satelite Radio' which I've heard before somewhere. As a fan of The Wire, the highlight was him closing with Down in The Hole.

She & Him - Probably my favorite performance of the festival (I may have retroactively changed my mind on that though which I'll explain later.) I've been getting into Zooey Deschanel lately as a singer and as a piece of ass. I love her voice on the album and it really holds up live too. She doesn't always look comfortable on stage but that is expected from someone who only recently started performing her own music. It started to downpour during this set which for some reason makes it seem alot more epic. I'm glad we had our seats since there was about a thousand person overflow coming out of the tent with only 500 seats tops under the tent. Jim James came out for an M. Ward cover which really electified the crowd since I would imagine half of them were there at the She & Him set to jockey for position for his set coming up next.

Jim James - Going in to the festival this was the performance I was looking forward to the most. After watching his set there were two things that were abundantly clear to me. First, the guy's voice is sick. Second, I need to see My Morning Jacket live. Since being back from Newport and relistening to the broadcast of it online, it might be my favorite of the festival and I think I'm developing a man-crush.

Black Crowes - I wasn't excited about seeing them. I just don't get the appeal. I guess my biggest problem was with their set list. If you're familiar with their whole catalog then it was probably amazing for you. Being at a festival where everyone is there for many different bands, I think a greatest hits kind of set would have been more appropriate. The highlight of the performance was looking up at the top of the fort and seeing Jim James. We actually waved at him and got one back. My man-crush level is raised to yellow.

Coming up...Day 2

Newport Folk Festival Teaser

I got back from the Newport Folk Festival and I'll probably blog it out in a few installments but I'll show you the highlight of the trip.

That's me sharing a Newport sunset with Jim James

MGMT - McCarren Park Pool - July 27th - Pt.2

I was probably only in McCarren Park Pool for about an hour and a half total and we missed the Ting Tings and Black Moth Super Rainbow. They were setting up for MGMT's set which gave me the opportunity to get in to two games of dodgeball. I'm hoping that I drank a little too much and that was why I was so terrible at a game I used to be classified as a wizard at (I'm afraid that it's not though). Either way, it was fun to play dodgeball again. I don't think I've played "real" dodgeball in like 20 years. By "real," I mean with the rubber kickballs not Nerf or anything like we were forced to play with before I even graduated from Elementary School.

For MGMT the place was packed and it seemed like most of the crowd was really into it. I'm not super familiar with the album but I recognized enough to enjoy the show. One one complaint was that for the encore they played what felt like was a 10 minute song I didn't recognize which seemed to bring the crowd down a little. On the flip side, it was followed up by the high point of the show which they closed with Kids which I thought sounded great and the crowd was really into it which always helps.

MGMT - McCarren Park Pool - July 27th - Pt.1

A few weeks ago I went to McCarren Park Pool for the first time. I showed up at 1:30 and my line wasn't too bad (as shown by the black line on the picture to the right). The doors opened at 2:00pm, and I was probably in there by 2:30pm.

This past Sunday, I showed up at roughly the same time with roughly the same rainy weather conditions. But this time the line was this long (on left). Luckily this time I did have someone with me and there was a deli a half a block away which came up huge with the Coors Light tall boys and paper bags. I can't tell if the doors opened at 2:00 since I was a mile away but I'd say by 3:45 I was approaching the area where I was on the Hold Steady line a few weeks earlier. Until...

We learned that we weren't making such great progress and the line was just re-routed so we were lined up around the pool and not around people's homes. We had only made slight progress (picture on right). After about another hour I walked to get us another six pack. By now the Ting Tings are on. I took an hours worth of public transportation to get there and I'm questioning whether or not we're even going to get in. I tell my friend to wait in line and I'm going to go to the front and ask the security guys if they are almost at capacity and if it's worth waiting. As I'm walking up to the front I see a group of people cut the line. It totally made sense as to why this line wasn't moving, it was happening all over the place. The line wasn't being policed at all. I get a hold of my friend and tell him to just walk towards the front of the line and find me. I engaged these two guys and started talking about the venue and the band. My friend came over with the beers, we gave them one and we had our new place in line. Not long after we cut the line, security came with a pitch counter and started counting off people and figuring out where they would be at capacity. He didn't get that far passed us before he determined who the last group getting in would be. We missed the first two acts but we did get in before MGMT came on.

Hold Steady - McCarren Pool - June 29th

Last Sunday I went to McCarren Park Pool in Brooklyn for the first "Pool Party" of the summer. While most people show up every Sunday for the dodge ball and slip and slides, I was lucky enough to get to see one of my current favorite bands.

This was actually my first McCarren Park Pool experience. I imagine that it is usually a lot more crowded on a weekly basis than it was that day because of the weather. From the moment I stepped on line I was treated to sporadic torrential rainfalls. There were a few time where I really thought it couldn't rain any harder...then it did. I didn't mind it though. Once you're wet you just need to embrace it. If anything else, it weeded people out and kept the actual Hold Steady fans in the building. And I'll also mention that, from a spectator's point of view, a dodge ball game can actually seem epic when being played a teeming rainstorm.

As far as the show goes, I don't think it's possible for The Hold Steady to play a bad show. Even if their songs weren't any good, they really seem like they enjoy what there doing and it really brings the show up a notch. They played pretty much the whole new album which is very good. I'll give the fans there alot of credit. Not only did they sit through the rain, most of the fans were singing along with the new songs despite the new album not being physically released at the time (iTunes only).

I debated whether or not to go to this concert since I would be going myself but between The Hold Steady and the concert venue, I definately made the right call.

The Loss Of Summer

What used to be my favorite season of the year has now become the season that I dread. I like the heat. I like wearing shorts. I like baseball, drinking outside during the day and the beach. The summer is also the time where I like to slow things down. Unfortunately the late teen/early 20's version of Slice just assumed everyone else felt this same way when planning out the rest of his life. It's disheartening to learn that it's not the case.

Today is the day that New York teachers finish work for the summer. Now for two months I'm going have a constant reminder of how I fucked up by not becoming a teacher. Not only do I have a few friends who are teachers (who are nice enough to send me text messages during the day telling me how awesome it is not to be at work), I'm engaged to a teacher so it's now right in my face 24/7.

Although it'll be at the forefront of my mind every second of the summer I'll try to keep it out of the blog. I even get tired of hearing my self complain about it out loud.

Hold Steady on Sunday!

Getting Inside Hymn -- Ocean of Noise

First off, I think I may need to further explain my selections for 'Getting Inside Hymn.' It's not solely based on one particular thing, be it lyrics, music or instumental or vocal proficiency. Granted, any combination of the aforementioned usually are a huge factor in transending a 'song' into an 'experience.'

The best songs, I think, can create a mood: romantic (Sinatra), relaxed (Jack Johnson), fun (New Pornographers), pensive (Sigur Ros). Of course, bad songs can elicit an emotional response, too. But not the ones that I like to feel, save the conflicted feelings I get when hearing 'I Kissed A Girl,' my summer '08, 'fat girls and mopeds' guilty pleasure.

So, in the lamest of distinctions, I don't just hear a good song... I feel it.

One of the more recent tracks that broke through the senses was 'Ocean of Noise,' by Arcade Fire. The album from which it derives -- Neon Bible -- is rock solid. It's well crafted, ambitious and dramatic in the best possible way. To me, the drama is most amplified in 'Ocean of Noise' (with Intervention, and it's Pink Floyd- bleek lyrics via a children's choir a close second). The lyrics of my favorite track are pretty solid on their own merit:

In an ocean of noise,
I first heard your voice,
Ringing like a bell,
As if I had a choice, oh well!

Left in the morning
While you were fast asleep,
Into an ocean of violence,
A world of empty streets.

You've got your reasons,
And me I've got mine,
But all the reasons I gave
Were just lies to buy myself some time.

In an ocean of noise,
I first heard your voice,
Now who here among us
Still believes in choice?
—Not I!

No way of knowing
What any man will do,
An ocean of violence
Between me and you.

You've got your reasons,
And me I've got mine,
But all the reasons I gave
Were just lies to buy myself some time.

I'm gonna work it out.
'Cause time won't work it out.
I'm gonna work it out.
'Cause time won't work it out for you. I'm gonna work it on out.

I gotta say, 'You've got your reasons, And me I've got mine, But all the reasons I gave Were just lies to buy myself some time' is some real good shit on the page. But when the lyrics are married with the slow-burning, haunting build of the music, the listener (or me) is transfixed.

The mood it elicits is a mixture of lust and loss (call it 'luss'). It's four-plus minutes of yearning and self-reflecion (or is it denial?) drenched in lovers' sweat. I want to have sex to this song, but I fear being crushed in its emotional wake. Not to mention the four-plus minute running time... I'm no superhero.

Getting Inside Hymn

I love music. If I had to choose between being deaf or blind, I would give up my eyesight only because I couldn't imagine a songless world. Plus, being blind would greatly increase the talent pool, rendering any woman with less than a discernible amount of facial hair a ten.

Given the fact that I'm willing to relinquish my vision, it's obvious that music has a profound effect on me. Not all music, mind you. I'm indifferent to 90% of the stuff that people listen to, and if it elicits any emotion, it's usually anger. I don't think of myself as a music snob... I'm not comfortable being painted with that brush. But I do have a certain prerequisite -- a buy-in factor -- to enjoy music. Being introduced to the Beatles at an early stage (and henceforth convinced that they are the best introductory course in music) in my development, I am a sucker for good melody and tight song structure. The Beatles discography is really a microcosm for my musical development. From straightforward pop (Meet the Beatles), to more challenging, boundary-testing fare (Rubber Soul, Revolver), to experimental (White Album), to the lavishly produced (Let it Be).

The list of favorites are too long to list and, frankly, too boring to read. However (and this is the point of my new blog series... I can't believe I typed 'blog series'), there are some songs that I find so transfixing -- so otherworldly -- that I almost want to climb inside it for its duration. It's a four-minute vacation -- a brief respite -- from the confining walls.

A great song can make you disappear completely. Unlike being blind, where everything else disappears completely.

Upon further review, I really hope I never have to make that decision.

So, that's the premise. Each installment will take a song and explain why I want to live in it. Given that I've threatened to start this series for four months now, I will be happy if I make it past three installments. Three counts as a series, right?

Tune in (you see it!) soon as I attempt Getting Inside: Ocean of Noise by Arcade Fire.

Pretirement

A group of recent college graduates pool all of their money and credit cards together to buy a bus and travel around the country going to music festivals and having one last year of fun before joining the work force.

He Killed Last Night

Ronin Blakely, a crisis-management specialist who helps preserve and restore the image of many Hollywood elite, meets his toughest challenge in A-list client Dean Baker, a comedic superstar that just so happens to be a mass-murderer.

Thoughtling

I went to high school at the wrong time. It's disappointing that I missed out on Rainbow Party era.

Screenplay Logline Attempt

-A man gets hypnotized to black out Mondays through Fridays from 9-5 so he doesn't remember being at work. After a few months, he learns that he took all his vacation time and hasn't been to work in a few weeks so he enlists the help of his friends to find out what he's been doing with his time.

So I saw Forgetting Sarah Marshall

I'm jealous of alot of people's lives, there are not many that I'm more jealous of than Judd Apatow (maybe Jack Johnson). While I'm stuck in a soul sucking job, this guy gets to run around and make movies with his friends all day. Normally I would hate a guy for his lot in life (i.e., Derek Jeter) but I guess I can overlook it since he seems to have my sense of humor.

If Freaks and Geeks lasted for more than one season, I would be more than comfortable saying it was my favorite television show of all time. While not as good as F&G, Undeclared ranks on my top 5 shows that got cancelled too soon. So based on all that you can probably guess that I liked this movie based on my bias going in.

I've tried to write screenplays before and my biggest complaint about this movie is the problem that I normally have when writing. Sometimes I'll think of funny scenes for a movie and instead of saving them for a later screenplay, I'll fit it in to the one I'm currently doing. More often than not it interupts the flow. I noticed this happening a few times in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Not that those scenes weren't funny, but it felt a little forced once the next scene got you back to the plot.

Random notes:
-I had no idea that Mila Kunis is hot.
-I'm pretty much over Jonah Hill
-If I was going to have a man crush, Paul Rudd would be an option.
-I thought I was going to hate the "Sarah Marshall's Lothario Boyfriend" character but he was a pleasant surprise. Pretty funny.
-Jack McBrayer's role was pretty close to his role on 30 Rock...which was fine by me.
-One of the more quotable movies from under the Apatow umbrella.

Some things I watched

I read Bringing Down the House a few years ago and anytime a book I read is made into a movie, I'll go see it. If it's bad, I'll just tell them I read the book so I was curious to see it.

21 had one major thing going against it from the get go. I hate Jim Sturgess. I don't know him from anything other than a two and half minute trailer for Across The Universe, but I hate him because of it. I wasn't expecting much more than a popcorn flick whose sole purpose was to make me want to go back to Vegas again, and that's pretty much what Im got.

It was very overstylized which is to be expected when Vegas was involved, Kevin Spacey was a little too over-the-top my problem with his character is that it was a little riduclous to believe a college professor can wield as much power as he did.

If I was going to rate this movie on a scale of 1 to 35, I'd probably give it around a 21.

-----------------------------------

A welcome surprise from my Netflix queue, The King of Kong probably ranks in my top 5 documentaries right now. Any film that can have me mocking a whole subculture in the first ten minutes to me having a rooting interest in one of the characters less than seventy minutes later deserves alot of credit.

I would have thought these characters were made up if the concept of people caring about classic video game high scores wasn't so bizarre that it had to be true. You have the born loser Steve Wiebe who has had opportunities for success taken away from him on numerous occasions and finds solace in trying to beat the high score in Donkey Kong after getting laid off from work. Billy Mitchell is the classic arcade game Wunderkind who at one point held high scores in a few classic arcade games but his Donkey Kong record is the only one he still holds. He's the least physically intimidating person you could imagine but with a dark beard and a sweet, jet black mullet, he's gotten himself a "trophy" wife (that could only be considered hot in the video gaming subculture) and a bunch of hero worshippers who are his eyes and ears at the arcade. It's crazy. I couldn't recommend it more.

Explosions in the Sky - Crazy Donkey

Whether I'm emptying the dishwasher or playing a game of Madden, I can put on Explosions in the Sky and the experience just seems to become more important.

When I saw that they were playing at a bar I used to go to on Long Island this past Sunday I figured it would be worth checking out. I've never seen an experimental, instrumental band before. I was very curious about what the crowd would be like or if there would be a crowd at all but as it turns out, it was packed.

I'll start off by saying that they were really good. For a band who has no vocals, they were entertaining to watch on stage. Two of the guys spent alot of time on the floor which I normally don't really care for, but it didn't seem forced at all. It just seemed like that's where the song ended up taking them. The funniest part of the show was that the audience didn't know when to applaud. They didn't really take breaks between songs. Most of their songs run about 7-10 minutes so they just kind of run into one another. I would definately see these guys again. I would imagine an Explosions in the Sky concert would kick ass at an outdoor venue.

Check Out My Six Pack - Volume 2 - Magic Hat Circus Boy

Circus Boy from Magic Hat Brewing Company was the selection this week. I have no good reason for why I picked this one this week since I hate the circus (clowns) and it's a Hefeweizen which is apparently a summer beer.

The Magic Hat website describes it as: Hefeweizen Unfiltered and unfettered, Circus Boy is a unique and refreshing American-style Hefeweizen.Is he a who? Or a what? Or perhaps some of both?

Very easy to drink. I was watching the NCAA Tournament and was done with my six pack well before the first game ended. But I actually did notice there was a hint of some lemon or other citrus-like stuff. I normally don't pick up on that kind of thing so it was either really strong or my palate is maturing. Probably the former.

Bonus points for surprising little messages under each bottle cap. Mine were:
-Can I have this dance?
-Suck the toe of Edgar Allen Poe
-Life is Better inside a Warm Sweater
-It's always best to Confess to your Mess
-Don't drive a car if you're not going far
-You're never Alone with a Bone

Not much else to say. I probably wouldn't order it in a bar. Not as good as Long Trail IPA.
3.5 out of 6

Should I give it an extra half point because the guy at the beverage store gave me a Magic Hat Condom? Nah.

I have to come up with a new angle for this feature

My annual drunkest day of the year diary

Every year I take off for the first two days of the NCAA Tournament. That Thursday routinely ends up being the drunkest day of my year. Last year I ended up throwing my shoes and people playing in a pool league and ended up sleeping at 7:00pm across the street in a seedy motel. None of this I remember which means, yes, I was blacked out by about 5:00pm. This year, I did decide to take it a little easier during the day sessions so I can remember the night games. This is, after all, the best sporting event in the world. Also what I decided to do was carry around a pad and write down things that happened. Here's what transpired:
---------------
12:20pm - First 3 games tipped off. First pitcher of Bud Light.
(Changing Times in Northport. The other bar we got to doesn't open til 2pm.)

1:20 - Leprechaun Pics. Kind of early for this.
(There was a cardboard cutout of a leprechaun with the face missing where you can put your face in. It was more of a bored halftime activity more than it was alcohol related.)

2:37 - I lost a bet that I was +18.5 at the half. Awesome. First loss in my brackets.
(Georgia)

3:05 - Got to Instant Replay. Now it begins. Side note - Got hooked up at Changing Times.
("Now it begins" refers to the fact that I drove so now I can turn up the drinking a little bit.)

4:00 - Funniest woman you know?
(I'm pretty sure that we were having a conversation about female comedians.)
Jukebox Songs- Fake Headlines(New Pornographers), In Your Head(Tegan and Sara), Underdog(Spoon), Foundations(Kate Nash) and Wave of Mutilation(Pixies)

4:16 - "You guys should both go fuck John Starks then."
(I don't know why I said that but that conversation did spark the creation of a new drink which I'll touch on later.)

5:00 - Found out a plan for my car. No dinner. Getting Fuuuuuuucked Up!
(Yes...I wrote "u" 7 times.)

5:30 - Drink Game
Bob got mine Cap't Morgan on the Rocks. I drew a car bomb. Dorin got an appletini but traded for a "John Starks" which is a double shot of 151 and any rum of your choice, Dan-Wine Spritzer, Jay traded for said appletini, Craig-Midori Sour and Pete-Hypnotic Breeze.
(In the drink game everyone writes a drink down on a piece of paper and pulls one out of a hat. The hope was that it would be really embarrassing to order or too tough to drink. Needless to say, whoever wrote down car bomb was the least creative member of my group. Also worth mentioning was the trade that happened with the Appletini. The guy who originally got the Appletini traded it because of a situation where he was hit on by a guy at a bar who bought him an appletini and, rumor has it, nuzzled his nose on his cheek. I wasn't there so I can't confirm it.)

6:20 - "Don't tell me how to drink this," says Bob
(Having problems with his Cap't Morgan on the rocks.)

7:00 -Me and Dorin lost at Pool

8:00 - I'm doing a Jager Bomb!!
-I'm going to be 2-3 so far (betting)
-We're playing the game again. I have another easy one.
(I don't remember what it was.)

9:15 - First Jager Bomb ever. FIRST JAGER BOMB EVER
(See 8:00. I'm obviously in trouble.)

10:35 - Jager Bombs!!!
Nicole: I want to punch her in the mouth.
(I have no idea who Nicole is or who she wants to punch in the mouth.)

11:20 - Apparently I'm doing a Jager Bomb!!!

3:30 - Played Rockband and Singstar 90's
---------------
I can't wait to do it again next year.

This is kind of scary

I graduated with a BA in Communications but kind of forgot what kind of jobs I can get with that useless degree. So I go to Yahoo! and do a search for "Careers with a communication degree" and look what comes up. I'll give you a minute.

http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=careers+with+a+communications+degree&fr=yfp-t-501-s&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8

You've got to be kidding me. I almost just cried for the first time since I've seen Hardball.

Going to my happy place

Every year I take off for the 1st two days of the NCAA Tournament. It's pretty much four days of drinking and college basketball. Easily my two favorite days of the year.

My Final 4 is UNC, Stanford, Kansas and Louisville with UCLA beating Kansas in the Championship. I will be wrong.

Check out my Six Pack - Volume 1 - Long Trail IPA

Even though I'm almost 30, the type of beer I drink is not unlike it was when I was in college. Not that I feel I'm above the cheap beer. If someone hands me a Bud Light, MGD, Golden Anniversary or a Steel Reserve I'll drink it appreciatively. But I felt like it was time to see what else is out there. Every week I usually get a six pack during the week and settle in to watch a sporting event. Usually it's just Bud Light or Stella, but now I'm going get one of a beer I've never had before. Last week I had Smuttynose's Portsmouth Lager and Anchor Steam (It was a two 6-pack week). This week I had Long Trail Brewery's IPA. As a guy who drinks alot of beer, I only this week learned that IPA actually stands for India Pale Ale. Go figure.

Long Trail describes it like: We've brewed our filtered IPA for 13 years, and never considered offering the REAL (unfiltered) version that is naturally carbonated just as it comes out of our fermenters. Well here it is! We hope you enjoy our REAL IPA.

I don't know who I'm kidding. I can't pick up flavors or anything. I can just tell you that I didn't make a face on my first sip which is a good sign. A six-pack for me is usually just enough to get me a mini buzz and give me a quality nights sleep. I must admit, after my six pack, I did blend up a margarita. Maybe it gave me a buzz good enough that I didn't want to stop drinking? Let's go with that. It was 5.9% Alcohol content.

I don't want to set the bar too high because there should be many six packs to come, so I will give it 4.5 out of 6. (Get it....six pack) I'm still coming up with the graphic.

By the way, if you thought this was a blog about my abs, I don't want you to come back here anymore.

My soccer jersey

About 2 years ago I realized I have nothing really cool to wear for St. Patrick's Day except for some t-shirt someone gave me from Kohl's like 5 years ago. I decided (despite my hatred for the sport) that an Ireland soccer jersey would be the tits. My perfect shirt size is an XLT which isn't really easy to find so I usually go between an XL and XXL depending on the garment. To err on the side of caution, I ordered myself a XXL Ireland soccer jersey online for like 90 bucks justifying the purchase as something I'll wear for many March 17ths to come. About 5 days later it shows up and I go try it on. Apparently the website failed to mention that soccer equipment has it's own different size charts not unlike how a men's medium is different than a women's medium. Turns out a soccer XXL is like a men's L. Needless to say, when I tried it on, it needed to be helped off. Now this is my own fault because I should have realized that I've never seen a guy my size play soccer, therefore, a XXL isn't probably a popular size in that sport. On top of that, soccer jerseys aren't exactly "flowey." For some reason I couldn't return it though. It was the highest size they had and I did/do still want it. So I stashed it in my closet so maybe one day I'll fit into it should I eventually ever choose to actually take care of myself. I hear chicks do that. Anyway, I've eaten healthy for the last few months and been occasionally going to the gym and actually shed a few pounds. So I'm going to give it another shot this year. I'm not hopeful though. It was REALLY tight two years ago.

What a way to end a vacation

I was scheduled to fly from Orlando to JFK at 12:35pm on Friday Feb 22nd. There was bad weather in the Northeast so I went online and called the customer service hotline and they both said that the flight was pushed back to about 4:00pm. No big deal. It happens all the time. So we stayed put and left later for our flight instead of hanging out in the airport for a few hours. On the way to the airport, we called AA again to see if the flight was delayed any further. It turns out that the flight was scheduled to go at 1:00pm now meaning we were missing the flight. To make a long story short, we had to fly to Miami and then be put on standby for a flight to JFK. After not getting on two standby flights (by one person each time no less) and having to sleep in a mouse infested terminal (I consider six or seven mice in one concentrated area an infestation), we got on a flight at 6:50am on Saturday to LaGuardia. That meant we still had to go to JFK to pick up our bags which

went out on the first flight we were on standby for...which was nice. Otherwise it was a good trip.

Last Day of Work???

Today is my last day of work for at least a week (vacation) and possibly longer if those lotto tickets to the left work out.

Lent

I'm not a religious guy. I can't remember the last time I went to church for anything other than a wedding or a funeral. Nevertheless, I've been giving stuff up for lent for as long as I can remember. In the past it was easy because I would just give up soda and fast food. This year though I'm still holding to my New Years Resolution to eat healthier so I haven't had Coke or fast food yet this year so I was at a loss as to what to give up this time. Here was my thought process:

• I'm not a huge "sweet" eater. If I went to a restaurant and had to choose between choosing to have an appetizer or dessert, pass me some boneless buffalo wings. So sweets aren't good enough.
• That being said, I was thinking about not having appetizers when I go out to eat (I go out to eat alot). But I'm going on a cruise soon and apps will be too "in my face". I also go out for the NCAA Tournament every year where Mozzerella Sticks and Wings become a big part of it. Giving up appetizers would be setting myself up for failure.
• Alcohol? I would be willing to try it if the timing was different. I think it would actually benefit me in a big way. Imagine how much my tolerance would go down? I'd spend alot less on beer when it was over. Alas, Lent happens during St. Patty's Day and the NCAA Tournament. I'm all for giving up something hard, not impossible.
• If I was dropped on a desert island and can have only one food dropped down to me for each meal, it would be cheese burgers...easily. That's probably doable.

So I gave up cheese burgers. Not just burgers though. Beef as a whole. No Philly Cheesesteaks, no pasta with meat sauce. I'm making due with Chicken and Turkey.

If you read a news story on Easter about a guy running around a field taking bites out of cattles, that'll be me.

My prediction for this weekend

With the Super Bowl looming there are a lot of predictions being made so it's only fitting that I made mine for the weekend. And with that: I do believe Punxsutawney Phil will indeed see his shadow tomorrow. Take it to the bank.

Super Bowl Predictions

-- I will lose money.
-- I will look at my box numbers 4,000 times, instantly forgetting them each time.
-- I will drink and eat, possibly to excess.
-- I will not watch the half-time show.
-- I will make an ill-advised halftime bet to recoup losses, only to further increase said losses.
-- I will come close to winning a box, only to have it squandered by a last-minute drive.
-- I will ask up to three waitresses wearing a Giants' jersey to marry me.
-- If I drink too much, I might ask two guys the same question.
-- By the time the clock expires, I will vow to never: gamble, drink, eat, propose again.

Score: Pats 35, Giants 28

Let me check if I have 5-8...

Nope.

So I saw Cloverfield...

Unfortunately last weekend I had to cancel my trip to Philly to see the Rhett Miller concert for reasons explained in my last post. I did try to salvage the weekend a little by going to see Cloverfield.

I'll start by saying that I'm one of those people where J.J. Abrams is now with Kevin Smith and Judd Apatow as guys who I'll give anything they have a hand in a chance (although I'm not going to see his reboot of the Star Trek franchise).

My favorite things about the movie:

• I'm very impressed that the budget was only 25 million or so. For a movie that looked like it was filmed with a hand-held camera, the effects were pretty good. I actually think that if a giant monster started attacking New York City while I was in there, that's pretty much what it would look like.
• While I never got nauseous like a lot of people apparently did, the length was perfect for a movie shot with a shaky camera P.O.V.
• Before the monster started attacking the city, the music being played at the party was pretty cool. I went in to a monster movie not expecting to hear "The Underdog" by Spoon or "Four Winds" from Bright Eyes.

My least favorite things about the movie:

• My main complaint about the movie was actually the first twenty minutes or so. I understand that they had to make up care about the characters a little bit but I didn't. There was not one moment where I thought, "Gosh, I really hope ___________ doesn't get killed." But that's because I rarely say "Gosh." But yeah, I didn't care about a single character in the movie.

This movie, as J.J Abram's vehicles seem to be leaning towards now, had a large viral marketing campaign. Personally, I didn't follow along. Apparently there was fake websites giving hints and clues about things that could be seen in the movie if you paid closer attention. I wish I could have followed along but when I'm at work I just don't have the time. Maybe if I did, I would have liked the movie even more than I did. If I'm doing stars again, I'll probably do 3 and a half out of 5. It would have been a 4 if there was somebody for me to root for to live.

Not liking my chances

• I'm supposed to be going to Philadelphia tomorrow for a Rhett Miller concert. Like with most things that I try to do, it can never just be easy. Of course my girlfriend (who is coming with me) left work sick today. I'm unsure of how to ask her about how her illness will affect the plan without being insensitive so I probably won't. I'll probably just go to sleep and wake up tomorrow under the assumption that everything will work out. It generally does, but it seems like every time I'm gearing up for fun there is some underlying obstacle that can possibly prevent it. Just for the record, I'm not blaming her. People get sick. I'm just looking at it from the selfish side of things about how it affects me.
• Generally the day before a concert I'll be listening to that artist up until the show. Being that I have a long drive tomorrow I figured that I'd save Rhett Miller for the car ride. Since I'm trying to listen to CDs I haven't heard before this year I've decided to start with ones that I've owned for awhile but never listen to. Back in college at the University at Buffalo I was pretty big into The Tragically Hip being so close to the border and all. Turns out that I had two whole albums that I've never even put on. So today I listened to In Between Evolution and In Violet Light. In Violet Light came out in 2002 and I got it probably the week it came out. Back when I had money (good times) I used to just buy up CDs. How does it happen that I owned a CD for over 5 years before listening to it? Bad job by me. I probably have countless others. Anyway, the two albums are pretty good. I'll keep them in my rotation for the time being. They are a quality musical group.
• There was a time a few months ago where I was into that SingStar karaoke game for PS2. But in those two months I feel it started to get a little worn out. EVERY single night seemed to end with me battling it out with someone singing Heart of Glass or We Built This City (On Rock and Roll). Anyway, coming this March my interest could be renewed. SingStar 90's comes out. Now I get to wreck shop vocally to Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm and even though it doesn't sound like something a dude should admit, I don't see anyone beating me in Stay by Lisa Loeb...especially if I break out some thick framed glasses as a prop.

Have a good weekend,

Slice

The Jewish Sinatra

Who is Neil Diamond? Brilliant songcrafter or sequined sex symbol for the sexagenarian set. While I'm the first one to cry 'Cheese' at the onset of another drunken 'Sweet Caroline' singalong, I cannot deny the man's genius. Case in Point: 12 Songs, Diamond's 2005 collaboration with producer/prophet Rick Rubin. Stripped of the glitz and scent of Avon-tinged sweat, this album exposes the reason why this legend has been around for 40 years and still going strong. He writes great songs!

Give this album a listen and I guarantee you will forgive his Vegas shmaltz, his acting in the Jazz Singer, even the fact that he has to kill drifters in order to achieve an erection.

So I saw There Will Be Blood

I wanted to like it. I really did. Maybe that was the problem. I went in with giant expectations and it didn't totally pay off for me. Daniel Day Lewis was very good. Well deserving of all the accolades coming his way. Not to mention that this was over a two and a half hour movie and he was in every single scene. I get that it was a grand character piece and I'm normally on board for these type of films but there really wasn't that much drama. No surprises. Just a long slow decent fueled by greed and power.

The movie was scored very well. If I was ranking this movie on a 5 star scale, it might be worth one star on it's own. It was sporadic, haunting and intense if that makes any sense. My only issue with it was that when the music started, it seemed to allude to something dramatic happening that never came.

There are probably going to be some arguments on which film is the year's Best Picture between this and No Country for Old Men. For me it's a no contest. No Country for Old Men was the better movie. Anybody who feels the same way will be combated by movie elitists who tell you that you "didn't get it" or "had to have a great deal of patience to enjoy a movie like this" and I say fuck that. I would have sat in that theatre for 6 hours as long as it's entertaining me.

Maybe I will rate it on a 5 star scale:
3 stars. As much as it seemed like I hated it, I didn't. I just didn't love it. I went in expecting to see the next great American film and I did not. Great performance, beautifully shot and wonderfully scored and still worth seeing.

One week into the Resolutions

So it's been a little over a week until I made my pointless (...or are they) New Year's resolutions. I've decided to give a quick update on how they are going to start to satisfy my first resolution:

1. Contribute to the blog at least 3 times a week - Not going well since this is my first post of the New Year and I'm only writing this so at least if I write one the next two days, I can still keep a check next to it.
2. Stop biting my fingernails and cuticles - It was an effort in futility. I just can't stop.
3. Do some form of creative writing for at least a half hour a day - Roughly nine days into it I'm 4 and a half hours behind. Do the math...not one thing.
4. Eat a little bit healthier (key words "a little bit"...I don't want to live in a world where I can't eat Cheese steaks and drink Coke once and a while) - This is where I'm surprisingly wrecking shop. Only eating one bad meal so far (a monster Italian smorgasbord) and I have not had one single soda since New Year's. Go me. DRINKING ALCOHOL DOES NOT COUNT!
5. Listen to one new CD (new to me) a week - I tried listening to the new Sia so the effort was half there. I'm still convinced she has only the one good song though.
6. Bring lunch to work at least 3 times a week - This kind of correlates with #4 because when I bring my own lunch I'm not going to restaurants with their gargantuan American portions...god I miss those gargantuan American portions

Maybe I just had too many. I'm kind of revising the creative writing one into something else. It morphed into if I don't have at least two drafts of a screenplay done by 2009 then I'm giving up that silly dream forever. My Final Draft software will be up on eBay at the stroke of midnight.

My Hair

My life is a neverending quest to constantly test myself in order to achieve new growth. I decided to demonstrate that growth in the most literal sense. My hair. I'm growing it. Get it?

Now, this is not to say that my hair is long by normal standards. But, it is long for me. For the last ten years or so, I've pretty much rocked a flip: #2 razor on the sides and back and a flip up top. And I think I looked damn good in it, despite the fact that my hairline resembles John Travolta's in The Punisher. Yet, I felt unchallenged. Unoriginal.

Where the upside of growing my hair is very clear (groupies), there is of course the dark side that few people talk about. The awkward stage. Mine has lasted about seven weeks. And there is no sign of a reprieve.

If anything, it's beginning to mutate into something rather terrifying

I went to the restroom just before writing this and I caught sight of it in the mirror. For a second, I thought I was hallucinating that my hair was replaced by Elton John's wig.

That is NOT the look I was going for.