(178) Proud Flesh - Husband & Wife (Crossroads of America)
Bloomington buds' newest LP is easily their best yet. I appreciate the brighter feel and faster tempos. (7/10)
(179) Racoon Panda - Lettercamp (Five Three Dial Tone)
Debut from ex-Friendly Foes bassist + friends. Detroit people seem to be going gaga over this blatant pop. Not I. (5.5/10)
(180) Out of Tune 7" - Real Estate (True Panther)
NJ dudes make some of the best songs of late. Here are two more that are as good as the best from 2009's LP. (8.5/10)
(181) Not Music - Stereolab (Drag City)
Is this supposed to be the final Stereolab album? It's quite good, and sounds exactly like Stereolab. (6.5/10)
(182) The Age of Adz - Sufjan Stevens (Asthmatic Kitty)
First proper LP since '05 took me a min to get into. Good, different, masterful, but I prefer the folk. (7/10)
(183) Forget - Twin Shadow (Terrible)
Interesting, cool electronic pop that's 80s leaning but still sounds modern. Features two fantastic songs. (6.5/10)
(184) Golden Haze EP - Wild Nothing (Captured Tracks)
American release of Evertide EP plus three older songs that are great. It's scary how good this kid is. (8/10)
(185) Down There - Avey Tare (Paw Tracks)
Animal Collective dude's solo LP sounds like their last few releases but sparser and minus Panda Bear. Totes good. (7/10)
(186) Play It Strange - The Fresh & Onlys (In the Red)
Third psych-pop LP in two years is solid and probably their most cohesive. Opener "Summer of Love" rules. (6.5/10)
(187) In Evening Air - Future Islands (Thrill Jockey)
The music is synthy and very solid post-punk/new wave, but singer dude's voice is irritating as all hell. (5.5/10)
(188) Love Remains - How to Dress Well (Lefse)
Terrible R&B take on chillwave, I guess. I'm sick of this bad white dude falsetto. Worst release of 2010. (1.5/10)
(189) You Can Count on Me 7" - Panda Bear (Domino)
Second preview of upcoming Tomboy LP is quite a bit better than first. When is this album coming out? (7.5/10)
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
2010 NFL Midseason Redemption
Ok, here's where I reassess my atrocious pre-season predictions and hopefully redeem myself. Let's do this.
AFC East
Not surprisingly, the AFC East is a neck-and-neck race between the New England Patriots and New York Jets. It seems that, in spite of their 6-2 record, the Jets aren't playing as well as everyone expected (though old man LaDainian Tomlinson has been a pleasant surprise), and the Patriots are at least keeping up if not better (though they lost to the Cleveland Browns, and thus are far from dominant). The Miami Dolphins are proving their mediocrity, and could fight for a Wild Card spot, though highly unlikely. The Buffalo Bills are better than their 0-8 record, and have shocked with quite a passing attack, but obviously they are completely out of the picture.
Champ: New England Patriots
AFC North
The Pittsburgh Steelers played incredibly well to themselves up for a fantastic season when Ben Roethlisberger returned. They're defense is back to being the best in the NFL, and although their offense is a bit sloppy right now, this team is looking like the class of the AFC. The Baltimore Ravens are right there with them in spite of barely winning some games that should have been complete blow outs. The Cleveland Browns are defeating some of the NFL's best (New Orleans, New England), but there is no way they are for real, even if Peyton Hillis can run over everybody. Terrell Owens is looking like his old stuff, and maybe even the best receiver in the league, and Carson Palmer is finally playing close to his 2005 level, but they are all but finished.
Champ: Pittsburgh Steelers
AFC South
This is turning out to be quite a race between all four teams, but especially the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans. The Titans defense is playing great, Chris Johnson is having a great year (was there any question?), and I'm sure exactly what's going on at QB and receiver, but I want Vince Young to succeed. The Colts are losing games they shouldn't be, but they are struggling with a lot of injuries on offense. Peyton Manning will figure it all out with the help of only himself, and they should win this division with little trouble. The Houston Texans were looking awesome at first, and Arian Foster is trying (and succeeding) to be the next Chris Johnson. Matt Schaub is throwing sloppy, but Andre Johnson doesn't seem to be affected by that. Their defense still isn't any good, even though they have some tremendous young talent. David Garrard and the Jacksonville Jaguars are playing pretty well while MJD is disappointing (at least in my fantasy football leagues). I can't imagine they keep this up.
Champ: Indianapolis Colts
AFC West
The West is INSANE. The Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders battling for the top spot? Who would have thought? They're running games are incredible, and picking up the total slack that their passing games are showing, and they're defenses are tough and stubborn. This is looking like classic 1970s Chiefs/Raiders stuff. San Diego's defense is surprisingly ranked #1 in the NFL last I checked, but the run game is shit and they have no valuable healthy receivers. Philip Rivers is still finding a way to accumulate a lot of yards for himself though in his quest to break Dan Marino's record. I am shocked at how bad this team is playing. I never would have guessed Kyle Orton and Brandon Lloyd would be the top QB/WR duo in the league, but they are. Unfortunately, this isn't helping the Denver Broncos win games.
Champ: Hmmm... I'm gonna go out on a limb and choose the Oakland Raiders, as much as I want the Kansas City Chiefs to win the division.
NFC East
This division is a mess. The New York Giants could have a commanding lead if they continue to perform like the best team in the NFL. The defense is dominant, Eli's receivers are completely overperforming and Ahmad Bradshaw is becoming their new Tiki Barber. The Philadelphia Eagles are inconsistent, and they're performance depends entirely on who is playing quarterback. When Vick is in, THEY look like the best team in the league, at least offensively. When it's Kolb, they're pretty sad. With Donovan McNabb, the Washington Redskins are mediocre, and there's not much more to say about them, aside from they're defense is totally good. The Dallas Cowboys let their egos get in the way of their obscene amount of talent, and they are god awful, and it is HILARIOUS.
Champ: New York Giants
NFC North
The Green Bay Packers are facing a ton of crippling injuries, and somehow still look dominant at times. If Aaron Rodgers can just get used to using less, they will breeze through the second half. The Chicago Bears are playing about as well as I expected, and their record is better than they really are. In his repeat attempt of 2009, Brett Favre is actually making the Minnesota Vikings a worse team. Despite finally putting up big numbers this past Sunday, they should start thinking about starting Tarvarus Jackson and just handing off to Adrian Peterson all the time. Their incredible defense is playing meekly at best. It's crazy to think that if the Detroit Lions just knew how to finish games, they could be 7-1. Of their losses, aside from the one to the Vikings, the rest have been by a touchdown or less. Their offense is playing well, and the defense is on the right track (if only they could learn how to tackle). The Lions are looking way better than I was expecting, even if they still are only 2-6.
Champ: Green Bay Packers
NFC South
Things are very interesting in the NFC South. The New Orleans don't quite seem to have the chemistry they did last year. The Atlanta Falcons are playing as I hoped and expected on offense, if not even a little better. The Falcons have the edge there thanks to Michael Turner and they're running game. However, the Saints DO have a guy named Drew Brees. I have no idea how the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 5-3 behind a second year quarterback with virtually no talent to work with. This can't stand. The Carolina Panthers have one more win than the winless Buffalo Bills, but I think they are much worse. They should have the best rushing attack in the NFL.
Champ: Atlanta Falcons
NFC West
This division is in shambles. The St. Louis Rams are miraculously at .500 with a rookie quarterback who seems to know how to make plays, and they're defense isn't looking too shabby either. The Seattle Seahawks are at .500 when Matt Hasselbeck can't through the ball worth a damn anymore, and there is no talent on offense whatsoever. The Arizona Cardinals have won two more games than they should have with idiots somehow throwing at least well enough to get the ball into Larry Fitzgerald's hands. The San Francisco 49ers should easily have had this division basically won by this point. They have a talented wide receiver, one of the most talented tight ends, Frank Gore is having a great season at running back. Their quarterback situation is not promising at all. But that shouldn't matter when Gore can run up and down the field and catch short passes, and you also have such a great defense that is underperforming.
Champ: I cannot imagine the Rams or the Seahawks taking this, so I'm saying that the San Francisco 49ers will get their heads out of their asses and win this with an 8-8 record.
AWARDS
Most Valuable Player: Peyton Manning (QB, Indianapolis)
Offensive Player of the Year: Arian Foster (RB, Houston)
Defensive Player of the Year: Clay Matthews III (OLB, Green Bay)
Comeback Player of the Year: EDIT: Wait, the obvious choice is Michael Vick (QB, Philadelphia)
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Dez Bryant (WR, Dallas)
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Ndamukong Suh (DT, Detroit)
Coach of the Year: Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh)
PLAYOFFS
AFC
1. Pittsburgh Steelers
2. Indianapolis Colts
3. New England Patriots
4. Oakland Raiders
5. Baltimore Ravens
6. New York Jets
NFC
1. New York Giants
2. Atlanta Falcons
3. Green Bay Packers
4. San Francisco 49ers
5. New Orleans Saints
6. Philadelphia Eagles
AFC Wild Card Round
New York Jets over New England Patriots
Baltimore Ravens over Oakland Raiders
NFC Wild Card Round
Green Bay Packers over Philadelphia Eagles
New Orleans Saints over San Francisco 49ers
AFC Divisional Round
Pittsburgh Steelers over New York Jets
Baltimore Ravens over Indianapolis Colts
NFC Divisional Round
New York Giants over New Orleans Saints
Green Bay Packers over Atlanta Falcons
AFC Championship
Pittsburgh Steelers over Baltimore Ravens
NFC Championship
New York Giants over Green Bay Packers
Super Bowl
Pittsburgh Steelers over New York Giants
AFC East
Not surprisingly, the AFC East is a neck-and-neck race between the New England Patriots and New York Jets. It seems that, in spite of their 6-2 record, the Jets aren't playing as well as everyone expected (though old man LaDainian Tomlinson has been a pleasant surprise), and the Patriots are at least keeping up if not better (though they lost to the Cleveland Browns, and thus are far from dominant). The Miami Dolphins are proving their mediocrity, and could fight for a Wild Card spot, though highly unlikely. The Buffalo Bills are better than their 0-8 record, and have shocked with quite a passing attack, but obviously they are completely out of the picture.
Champ: New England Patriots
AFC North
The Pittsburgh Steelers played incredibly well to themselves up for a fantastic season when Ben Roethlisberger returned. They're defense is back to being the best in the NFL, and although their offense is a bit sloppy right now, this team is looking like the class of the AFC. The Baltimore Ravens are right there with them in spite of barely winning some games that should have been complete blow outs. The Cleveland Browns are defeating some of the NFL's best (New Orleans, New England), but there is no way they are for real, even if Peyton Hillis can run over everybody. Terrell Owens is looking like his old stuff, and maybe even the best receiver in the league, and Carson Palmer is finally playing close to his 2005 level, but they are all but finished.
Champ: Pittsburgh Steelers
AFC South
This is turning out to be quite a race between all four teams, but especially the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans. The Titans defense is playing great, Chris Johnson is having a great year (was there any question?), and I'm sure exactly what's going on at QB and receiver, but I want Vince Young to succeed. The Colts are losing games they shouldn't be, but they are struggling with a lot of injuries on offense. Peyton Manning will figure it all out with the help of only himself, and they should win this division with little trouble. The Houston Texans were looking awesome at first, and Arian Foster is trying (and succeeding) to be the next Chris Johnson. Matt Schaub is throwing sloppy, but Andre Johnson doesn't seem to be affected by that. Their defense still isn't any good, even though they have some tremendous young talent. David Garrard and the Jacksonville Jaguars are playing pretty well while MJD is disappointing (at least in my fantasy football leagues). I can't imagine they keep this up.
Champ: Indianapolis Colts
AFC West
The West is INSANE. The Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders battling for the top spot? Who would have thought? They're running games are incredible, and picking up the total slack that their passing games are showing, and they're defenses are tough and stubborn. This is looking like classic 1970s Chiefs/Raiders stuff. San Diego's defense is surprisingly ranked #1 in the NFL last I checked, but the run game is shit and they have no valuable healthy receivers. Philip Rivers is still finding a way to accumulate a lot of yards for himself though in his quest to break Dan Marino's record. I am shocked at how bad this team is playing. I never would have guessed Kyle Orton and Brandon Lloyd would be the top QB/WR duo in the league, but they are. Unfortunately, this isn't helping the Denver Broncos win games.
Champ: Hmmm... I'm gonna go out on a limb and choose the Oakland Raiders, as much as I want the Kansas City Chiefs to win the division.
NFC East
This division is a mess. The New York Giants could have a commanding lead if they continue to perform like the best team in the NFL. The defense is dominant, Eli's receivers are completely overperforming and Ahmad Bradshaw is becoming their new Tiki Barber. The Philadelphia Eagles are inconsistent, and they're performance depends entirely on who is playing quarterback. When Vick is in, THEY look like the best team in the league, at least offensively. When it's Kolb, they're pretty sad. With Donovan McNabb, the Washington Redskins are mediocre, and there's not much more to say about them, aside from they're defense is totally good. The Dallas Cowboys let their egos get in the way of their obscene amount of talent, and they are god awful, and it is HILARIOUS.
Champ: New York Giants
NFC North
The Green Bay Packers are facing a ton of crippling injuries, and somehow still look dominant at times. If Aaron Rodgers can just get used to using less, they will breeze through the second half. The Chicago Bears are playing about as well as I expected, and their record is better than they really are. In his repeat attempt of 2009, Brett Favre is actually making the Minnesota Vikings a worse team. Despite finally putting up big numbers this past Sunday, they should start thinking about starting Tarvarus Jackson and just handing off to Adrian Peterson all the time. Their incredible defense is playing meekly at best. It's crazy to think that if the Detroit Lions just knew how to finish games, they could be 7-1. Of their losses, aside from the one to the Vikings, the rest have been by a touchdown or less. Their offense is playing well, and the defense is on the right track (if only they could learn how to tackle). The Lions are looking way better than I was expecting, even if they still are only 2-6.
Champ: Green Bay Packers
NFC South
Things are very interesting in the NFC South. The New Orleans don't quite seem to have the chemistry they did last year. The Atlanta Falcons are playing as I hoped and expected on offense, if not even a little better. The Falcons have the edge there thanks to Michael Turner and they're running game. However, the Saints DO have a guy named Drew Brees. I have no idea how the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 5-3 behind a second year quarterback with virtually no talent to work with. This can't stand. The Carolina Panthers have one more win than the winless Buffalo Bills, but I think they are much worse. They should have the best rushing attack in the NFL.
Champ: Atlanta Falcons
NFC West
This division is in shambles. The St. Louis Rams are miraculously at .500 with a rookie quarterback who seems to know how to make plays, and they're defense isn't looking too shabby either. The Seattle Seahawks are at .500 when Matt Hasselbeck can't through the ball worth a damn anymore, and there is no talent on offense whatsoever. The Arizona Cardinals have won two more games than they should have with idiots somehow throwing at least well enough to get the ball into Larry Fitzgerald's hands. The San Francisco 49ers should easily have had this division basically won by this point. They have a talented wide receiver, one of the most talented tight ends, Frank Gore is having a great season at running back. Their quarterback situation is not promising at all. But that shouldn't matter when Gore can run up and down the field and catch short passes, and you also have such a great defense that is underperforming.
Champ: I cannot imagine the Rams or the Seahawks taking this, so I'm saying that the San Francisco 49ers will get their heads out of their asses and win this with an 8-8 record.
AWARDS
Most Valuable Player: Peyton Manning (QB, Indianapolis)
Offensive Player of the Year: Arian Foster (RB, Houston)
Defensive Player of the Year: Clay Matthews III (OLB, Green Bay)
Comeback Player of the Year: EDIT: Wait, the obvious choice is Michael Vick (QB, Philadelphia)
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Dez Bryant (WR, Dallas)
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Ndamukong Suh (DT, Detroit)
Coach of the Year: Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh)
PLAYOFFS
AFC
1. Pittsburgh Steelers
2. Indianapolis Colts
3. New England Patriots
4. Oakland Raiders
5. Baltimore Ravens
6. New York Jets
NFC
1. New York Giants
2. Atlanta Falcons
3. Green Bay Packers
4. San Francisco 49ers
5. New Orleans Saints
6. Philadelphia Eagles
AFC Wild Card Round
New York Jets over New England Patriots
Baltimore Ravens over Oakland Raiders
NFC Wild Card Round
Green Bay Packers over Philadelphia Eagles
New Orleans Saints over San Francisco 49ers
AFC Divisional Round
Pittsburgh Steelers over New York Jets
Baltimore Ravens over Indianapolis Colts
NFC Divisional Round
New York Giants over New Orleans Saints
Green Bay Packers over Atlanta Falcons
AFC Championship
Pittsburgh Steelers over Baltimore Ravens
NFC Championship
New York Giants over Green Bay Packers
Super Bowl
Pittsburgh Steelers over New York Giants
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
2010 Twitter Review Session #11
(162) Minotaur EP - The Clientele (Merge)
One spoken word track I could do without and seven songs that sound exactly like The Clientele. (6.5/10)
(163) Black City - Matthew Dear (Ghostly International)
Very cool and bizarre electronic pop from Ann Arbor's fav son. Two fantastic jams in "Shortwave" and "Monkey." (6.5/10)
(164) Halcyon Digest - Deerhunter (4AD)
Thought the new LP was too boring at first. Turns out it's just another great record from Bradford Cox and co. (8/10)
(165) Pop Negro - El Guincho (Young Turks)
Easy to just put the ol' AnCo/Panda Bear tag on this, but this LP is SO FUN. Electro-tropicalia, or something. (7/10)
(166) Interpol - Interol (Matador)
Interpol make their triumphant return to Matador with their worst album yet. Actually, it's quite terrible. (3/10)
(167) Everything in Between - No Age (Sub Pop)
This follow-up to 2008's Nouns is more atmospheric and simply better. So punk without sounding exclusively punk. (8/10)
(168) False Priest - Of Montreal (Polyvinyl)
Overall, probs better than their last two, but unfortunately lacking any outright JAMS, when that's all I want. (6.5/10)
(169) Old Punch Card - Sam Prekop (Thrill Jockey)
Third LP unfortch doesn't sound anything like The Sea and Cake and instead features sparse bleeps and bloops. (6.5/10)
(170) Susannah, You See Beyond EP - Robin Goodfellow (Romantic Air)
Synth-y, kraut-y debut from Computer Perfection keyboardist's new project. Some very cool sounds here. (7/10)
(171) The Trip - Laetitia Sadier (Drag City)
Stereolab lady's debut solo LP sounds not too unlike her band. Perhaps less futuristic, and almost as good. (6.5/10)
(172) All Delighted People - Sufjan Stevens (Asthmatic Kitty)
Suf's first release of actual songs in quite a while. Indulgent, but worth the time. There are some beauts. (7/10)
(173) Majesty Shredding - Superchunk (Merge)
First full length since 2001 from these predominantly 90s pop punk-ish indie rock studs. Haven't missed a step. (7.5/10)
(174) Personal Life - The Thermals (Kill Rock Stars)
More fun pop punk with good melodies but annoying vocals. Dude tries too hard. (6/10)
(175) The Inevitable Past is the Long Forgotten Future - Three Mile Pilot (Temporary Residence)
Classic obscure band that spawned many reunite with a very mediocre and uninteresting record. (5/10)
(176) Face It 7" - Beach Fossils (Captured Tracks)
Seems this lo-fi indie pop band is blatantly copying minor trends. But, these two jams are their best yet. (7.5/10)
(177) Write About Love - Belle & Sebastian (Matador)
First LP since 2006 loses value w/each listen. BUT, there are gems. First two songs are their best in years. (7/10)
One spoken word track I could do without and seven songs that sound exactly like The Clientele. (6.5/10)
(163) Black City - Matthew Dear (Ghostly International)
Very cool and bizarre electronic pop from Ann Arbor's fav son. Two fantastic jams in "Shortwave" and "Monkey." (6.5/10)
(164) Halcyon Digest - Deerhunter (4AD)
Thought the new LP was too boring at first. Turns out it's just another great record from Bradford Cox and co. (8/10)
(165) Pop Negro - El Guincho (Young Turks)
Easy to just put the ol' AnCo/Panda Bear tag on this, but this LP is SO FUN. Electro-tropicalia, or something. (7/10)
(166) Interpol - Interol (Matador)
Interpol make their triumphant return to Matador with their worst album yet. Actually, it's quite terrible. (3/10)
(167) Everything in Between - No Age (Sub Pop)
This follow-up to 2008's Nouns is more atmospheric and simply better. So punk without sounding exclusively punk. (8/10)
(168) False Priest - Of Montreal (Polyvinyl)
Overall, probs better than their last two, but unfortunately lacking any outright JAMS, when that's all I want. (6.5/10)
(169) Old Punch Card - Sam Prekop (Thrill Jockey)
Third LP unfortch doesn't sound anything like The Sea and Cake and instead features sparse bleeps and bloops. (6.5/10)
(170) Susannah, You See Beyond EP - Robin Goodfellow (Romantic Air)
Synth-y, kraut-y debut from Computer Perfection keyboardist's new project. Some very cool sounds here. (7/10)
(171) The Trip - Laetitia Sadier (Drag City)
Stereolab lady's debut solo LP sounds not too unlike her band. Perhaps less futuristic, and almost as good. (6.5/10)
(172) All Delighted People - Sufjan Stevens (Asthmatic Kitty)
Suf's first release of actual songs in quite a while. Indulgent, but worth the time. There are some beauts. (7/10)
(173) Majesty Shredding - Superchunk (Merge)
First full length since 2001 from these predominantly 90s pop punk-ish indie rock studs. Haven't missed a step. (7.5/10)
(174) Personal Life - The Thermals (Kill Rock Stars)
More fun pop punk with good melodies but annoying vocals. Dude tries too hard. (6/10)
(175) The Inevitable Past is the Long Forgotten Future - Three Mile Pilot (Temporary Residence)
Classic obscure band that spawned many reunite with a very mediocre and uninteresting record. (5/10)
(176) Face It 7" - Beach Fossils (Captured Tracks)
Seems this lo-fi indie pop band is blatantly copying minor trends. But, these two jams are their best yet. (7.5/10)
(177) Write About Love - Belle & Sebastian (Matador)
First LP since 2006 loses value w/each listen. BUT, there are gems. First two songs are their best in years. (7/10)
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