End Of January 2011 Media Intake

The Tick Vs. Season One (1994-95)
Thanks to cheap Amazon prices, I recently picked up the DVD sets of the first two seasons of what might have been my favorite childhood Saturday morning cartoon. I quickly and promptly made it through season one of The Tick over the span of about two days, and it ruled. Every character, hero and villain, is charming and funny, and the jokes are so dry. Way over my head when I was a little kid, but I'm coming to understand why my dad enjoyed watching this with me so much. I think my favorite episode was and still is The Tick Vs. The Tick, followed by The Tick Vs. The Uncommon Cold. My favorite villain is easily The Evil Midnight Bomber What Bombs at Midnight, and my favorite minor heroes are Carpeted Man and Captain Mucilage. Zipperneck and The Human Ton + Handy are also brilliantly hilarious villain ideas
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East of Eden - John Steinbeck (1952)
My longtime bud and more recently boss Abbott has always raved about John Steinbeck's East of Eden as his favorite novel since I can remember. I finally got around to reading it this month, and for the most part it did not disappoint. This incredibly complex and epic story was amazingly written, and the way the characters are developed and the events unraveled is virtually untouchable. I even loved the completely unredeemable characters. Early on in the book, after the event of a birth of twins, I had it set in my mind how I wanted the book to finish. Unfortunately, as appropriate and Steinbeckesque as the ending is, I was a bit bummed out by it. Still, East of Eden is one of the better novels I have ever read.


Shopgirl - Steve Martin (2000)
I am thankful that I was able to read this novella by Steve Martin in one sitting during the second half of my shift last night. The two main characters are somewhat interesting, but the minor ones are moreso. The events and interactions that occur are mostly intense but pretty dull as well. The most appealing thing about Shopgirl is the way it is written: the narration and dialogue really do sound like words that would come out of Steve Martin's mouth, whether it be during a performance or what I always imagined would be his regular vernacular.

A Few More Things To Be Really Excited About In 2011

This week has packed quite a punch for me with exciting news about things coming out in 2011. Let's talk about it.

- REAL BRAID REUNION, FOR REAL. The influential and best midwestern, mid-90s second wave emo (or post-emo or whatever) band has decided to maybe not tour, but to write, record and release a new album. This is unbelievably awesome, and I don't have any doubts in my mind that the record will be fantastic. You can read about this here and here. If this new record is half as good as 1998's perfect Frame and Canvas, I will be completely content. I haven't been this excited about a music release since In Rainbows.

- NEW FEELIES ALBUM. Coming April 12th via Bar/None Records, titled Here Before. The great 80s jangle pop band returns with their first album since 1991's Time for a Witness. Pitchfork has posted an MP3 of the album's second track, "Should be Gone," here. I haven't gotten to listen to it yet, but according to Bravender, it is real good.

- POSTHUMOUS DAVID FOSTER WALLACE NOVEL? The other night I was just browsing on the interwebs and decided I would read about DFW on Wikipedia. Then, I discovered plans for a posthumous publication of an unfinished novel of his titled The Pale King. Seems like no one tried to finish it or touched it too much aside from an editor, so that's great news. According to the Wikipedia article, "The novel portrays IRS agents working in a Midwestern office attempting to overcome the 'intense tediousness' of their jobs." Seems underwhelming coming from the same guy who write Infinite Jest, but it is also supposed to be structured as a mock memoir, which should be interesting. I am so pumped for this.

- SUPER BOWL. The Pittsburgh Steelers vs. the Green Bay Packers. That just rules. Of course, I'll be rooting for Pittsburgh very hard, but would not be offended by a Green Bay victory.

Oh yeah, and also, two more 2011 albums that are ruling me: Lemuria's Pebble (Bridge Nine) and Minks' By the Hedge (Captured Tracks). I'll talk more about those a bit later, though.

Books Read in 2010

I thought it would be fun in a nerdy way to share the list of books/graphic novels/comic collections that I read in 2010. This was a big deal to me as I had a mission to read 50 books, not including graphic novels, within a year. I succeeded, and had I included graphic novels, I would have completely murdered that goal.

Anyway, for shits and giggs, here are two lists documenting every book I read in 2010, in the order that I read them, and along with the rating (out of five) that I gave them on my new favorite "social networking" site, Goodreads. Most of these were first time reads with the exception of the Rowling, Salinger and Tolkien books.

REGULAR OL' BOOKS

(1) Eating the Dinosaur by Chuck Klosterman (Jan., 4/5)

(2) The Adventures of King Midas by Lynne Reid Banks (Jan., 3/5)

(3) Animal Farm by George Orwell (Jan., 5/5)

(4) Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll (Jan., 3/5)

(5) It by Stephen King (Jan., 4/5)

(6) Post: A Look at the Influence of Post-Hardcore - 1985-2007 by Eric Grubbs (Jan., 4/5)

(7) Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction by J.D. Salinger (Feb., 3/5)

(8) Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger (Feb., 3/5)

(9) Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger (Feb., 4/5)

(10) The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (Feb., 5/5)

(11) The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides (Feb., 3/5)

(12) The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (Mar., 5/5)

(13) The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien (Mar., 5/5)

(14) The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien (Apr., 5/5)

(15) The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien (Apr., 5/5)

(16) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling (May, 4/5)

(17) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (May, 5/5)

(18) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling (May, 5/5)

(19) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling (May, 5/5)

(20) Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling (May, 5/5)

(21) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (Jun., 5/5)

(22) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows by J.K. Rowling (Jun., 5/5)

(23) The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (Jul., 3/5)
(24) REAL Ultimate Power: The Official Ninja Book by Robert Hamburger (Jul., 2/5)

(25) The Giver by Lois Lowry (Aug., 3/5)

(26) The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (Aug., 3/5)

(27) 33 1/3: The Flaming Lips' Zaireeka by Mark Richardson (Aug., 3/5)

(28) Holes by Louis Sachar (Aug., 2/5)

(29) Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace (Aug., 4/5)

(30) 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King (Aug., 2/5)

(31) American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis (Sep., 3/5)

(32) The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve (Sep., 2/5)

(33) The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (Sep., 3/5)

(34) I Am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Woolfe (Oct., 3/5)

(35) The Manchurian Candidate by Richard Condon (Oct., 4/5)

(36) Exile by Blake Nelson (Oct., 3/5)

(37) Slumdog Millionaire by Vikas Swarup (Oct., 3/5)

(38) Nellcott is My Darling by Golda Friend (Oct., 2/5)

(39) One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Oct., 2/5)

(40) The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (Oct., 2/5)

(41) Naked by David Sedaris (Oct., 3/5)

(42) The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown (Nov., 3/5)

(43) Atonement by Ian McEwan (Nov., 2/5)

(44) Angels & Demons by Dan Brown (Nov., 2/5)

(45) The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart (Nov., 3/5)

(46) Manstealing for Fat Girls by Michelle Embree (Nov., 3/5)

(47) Slowly Downward by Stanley Donwood (Nov., 3/5)

(48) Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver (Dec., 2/5)

(49) Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier (Dec., 1/5)

(50) The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (Dec., 2/5)

GRAPHIC NOVELS/COMIC COLLECTIONS

(1) 100 Bullets Vol. 5: The Counterfifth Detective by Brian Azzarello (Jan., 5/5)

(2) 100 Bullets Vol. 6: Six Feet Under the Gun by Brian Azzarello (Jan., 4/5)

(3) 100 Bullets Vol. 7: Samurai by Brian Azzarello (Jan., 4/5)

(4) 100 Bullets Vol. 8: The Hard Way by Brian Azzarello (Jan., 5/5)

(5) 100 Bullets Vol. 9: Strychnine Lives by Brian Azzarello (Jan., 4/5)

(6) 100 Bullets Vol. 10: Decayed by Brian Azzarello (Jan., 4/5)

(7) 100 Bullets Vol. 11: Once Upon a Crime by Brian Azzarello (Jan., 4/5)

(8) 100 Bullets Vol. 12: Dirty by Brian Azzarello (Jan., 4/5)

(9) 100 Bullets Vol. 13: Wilt by Brian Azzarello (Jan., 5/5)

(10) Bone Vol. 1: Out From Boneville by Jeff Smith (Jan., 4/5)

(11) Bone Vol. 2: The Great Cow Race by Jeff Smith (Jan., 4/5)

(12) Bone Vol. 3: Eyes of the Storm by Jeff Smith (Jan., 5/5)

(13) Bone Vol. 4: The Dragonslayer by Jeff Smith (Jan., 5/5)

(14) Bone Vol. 5: Rock Jaw, Master of the Eastern Border by Jeff Smith (Jan., 4/5)

(15) Bone Vol. 6: Old Man's Cave by Jeff Smith (Jan., 5/5)

(16) Bone Vol. 7: Ghost Circles by Jeff Smith (Jan., 5/5)

(17) Bone Vol. 8: Treasure Hunters by Jeff Smith (Feb., 5/5)

(18) Bone Vol. 9: Crown of Horns by Jeff Smith (Feb., 5/5)

(19) Superman: Red Son by Mark Millar (Mar., 4/5)

(20) Batman: Dark Victory by Jeph Loeb (May, 4/5)

(21) The Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book by Bill Watterson (May, 4/5)

(22) Hellboy Vol. 7: The Troll Witch and Other Stories by Mike Mignola (Jun., 3/5)

(23) Hellboy Vol. 8: Darkness Calls by Mike Mignola (Jun., 3/5)

(24) Hellboy Vol. 9: The Wild Hunt by Mike Mignola (Jun., 4/5)

(25) Hard Boiled by Frank Miller (Jun., 3/5)

(26) Powers Vol. 1: Who Killed Retro Girl? by Michael Brian Bendis (Sep., 4/5)

(27) The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Vol. 1 by Alan Moore (Oct., 4/5)

(28) Top 10 Vol. 1 by Alan Moore (Oct., 4/5)

(29) V for Vendetta by Alan (Nov., 5/5)

(30) Top 10 Vol. 2 by Alan Moore (Nov., 4/5)

(31) Smax by Alan Moore (Dec., 4/5)

(32) The Forty-Niners by Alan Moore (Dec., 3/5)

(33) The Dark Knight Strikes Again Vol. 1 by Frank Miller (Dec., 4/5)

(34) The Dark Knight Strikes Again Vol. 2 by Frank Miller (Dec., 3/5)

(35) The Dark Knight Strikes Again Vol. 3 by Frank Miller (Dec., 4/5)

(36) Y: The Last Man Vol. 1: Unmanned by Brian K. Vaughn (Dec., 4/5)

(37) Y: The Last Man Vol. 2: Cycles by Brian K. Vaughn (Dec., 5/5)

(38) Y: The Last Man Vol. 3: One Small Step by Brian K. Vaughn (Dec., 4/5)

(39) Y: The Last Man Vol. 4: Safeword by Brian K. Vaughn (Dec., 4/5)

(40) Y: The Last Man Vol. 5: Ring of Truth by Brian K. Vaughn (Dec., 5/5)

(41) Y: The Last Man Vol. 6: Girl on Girl by Brian K. Vaughn (Dec., 5/5)

NFL Conference Championships/Super Bowl XLV?

Here is another blog post where I make a fool of myself again with some more football predictions. This coming Sunday hosts two huge games. obviously, in the AFC and NFC championships. These will be both fun and stressful to watch, as in each game I feel passionately for one team and strongly dislike the other (at least this season).

Before I get on with my picks, I want to draw attention to this: a post I made on Super Bowl Sunday last year. You can go ahead and ignore all the bold and idiotic claims I made regarding Super Bowl XLIV (New Orleans vs. Indianapolis). You can also please ignore the fact that at the beginning of the 2010 season, I predicted Indianapolis and Green Bay play in the Super Bowl, and then midway through the season I changed my mind and decided it would be Pittsburgh and the New York Giants. But, in that Super Bowl post from last year, if you would kindly read the final paragraph, you will see that I picked Pittsburgh to play Green Bay in this year's Super Bowl. Just saying/bragging/hoping.

Oh, and the picture above is not any indication of how I think a Super Bowl that featured Pittsburgh and Green Bay would necessarily go down. Again, just saying.

Anyway, here we go!

AFC Championship
This will be quite the physical brawl as two of the NFL's best defenses square off. I cannot imagine Mark Sanchez doing what he did last Sunday against the #1 defense in the league. The Jets may have beat Pittsburgh in the regular season, but if I have my facts right, Troy Polamalu wasn't even playing (and he is the glue that holds this defense together, apparently). Regardless, this shouldn't be a statistically pretty game, and should be very close, and if Pittsburgh doesn't shut Rex Ryans fat mouth, I'm gonna be pissed.
Final score: Pittsburgh Steelers over New York Jets 20-17

NFC Championship
I don't hate the Chicago Bears nearly as much as I do the New York Jets, so my soul won't be crushed if they win. But boy do I love the Green Bay Packers with Aaron Rodgers at the helm. So much so that I think I am ready to call them my #2 NFC team after the Detroit Lions (which, admittingly, is probably only because I have to say that having grown up in Metro Detroit). Anyway, this game should be real good, and I stress the SHOULD, because, to paraphrase my friend Eric Gallipo, of all the teams left, the Bears are the most likely to let the game get out of control (though, don't get me wrong, I'd love to see that happen to the Jets). This could be another great defensive match, but I think it's more likely that the Packers D make a fool of Jay Cutler than the Bears to keep Rodgers in check the way he's been playing this month (his performance against the Atlanta Falcons last Saturday has to go down as one of the greatest by a quarterback in the playoffs of all time). I think he might tear Chicago apart.
Final score: Green Bay Packers over Chicago Bears 27-17

January 2011: The Month Of "D"

This month, January 2011, there are four bands with names that begin with the letter "D" who are releasing albums that are very good to just about perfect. It is an exciting month for music, and here I am, about to talk a little bit about these four albums.


Deerhoof Vs. Evil - Deerhoof (Polyvinyl, 2011)
With the recent signings of Deerhoof and Vivian Girls, the Polyvinyl Record Co. seems to be trying to make some sort of hipster comeback. This is awesome. After the wonderful guitar onslaught that 2008's Offend Maggie brought, I've been anxious for the next Deerhoof LP. After my first couple of times through Deerhoof Vs. Evil, I was a little disappointed. "The Merry Barracks" has some brilliant moments (mainly in its guitar chime towards the end), and the album's opening two tracks, "Qui Dorm, Nomes Somia" and "Behold a Marvel in the Darkness," almost rival the best tracks from Offend Maggie ("Offend Maggie" and "Family of Others"). Almost. The sounds throughout are considerably more varied than Offend Maggie and 2005's The Runners Four, thus having more in common with Milk Man (2004) and Friend Opportunity (2007). Thankfully, this new one is still very much a Deerhoof record, as the beautifully quirky melodies, chimey retro guitars, driving bass and Greg Saunier's insane drumming are all still there. Deerhoof Vs. Evil is already easily growing on me.


Kaputt - Destroyer (Merge, 2011)
I've gone on quite a journey with Dan Bejar's Destroyer since 2008's disappointing (though not terrible by any means) Trouble in Dreams. 2009 saw the release of a couple ambient songs in the Bay of Pigs EP, and last year there was the Archer on the Beach EP, which featured two even more ambient tracks that were way over my head. Also in 2010, I revisited Destroyer's Rubies (2006), and discovered that it is one of my favorite albums of the past decade. So, I was very interested in the 2011 release of Kaputt, which comes out of the gate with a fantastic and surprising sound that is subtle, smooth and sexy. There's not a song that's less than good in the whole lot. The chord progressions are painstakingly simple and brilliant and Bejar's signature crooning is just as awkward and somehow enjoyable as ever. Substituting acoustic drums with drum machine is an intriguing and appropriate decision, and the additions of sexy saxophone and flute are welcome ones, as weird as that may be. "Bay of Pigs" shows up again as Kaputt's closer, and it just might be the record's best track. I am very much looking forward to spending more time with this one.


Emergency & I (Vinyl Reissue) - The Dismemberment Plan (Barsuk, 2011)
The Dismemberment Plan's seminal 1999 masterpiece, Emergency & I, gets the vinyl treatment for the first time, and now that I'm pretty seriously purchasing vinyl, I couldn't be more excited. The album is just about perfect and still sounds fresh and completely unique 12 years into its existence. The vinyl reissue features perhaps their zaniest track, "The Dismemberment Plan Gets Rich", from the split EP with Juno, as well as a few b-sides that I've never heard before. I cannot wait to hear what "A Life of Possibilities," "Spider in the Snow," "The City," "Girl O'Clock" and "Back and Forth" sound like on vinyl.


Ducktails III: Arcade Dynamics - Ducktails (Woodsist, 2011)
I haven't necessarily loved anything Ducktails' Matthew Mondanile has released (aside from absolutely everything I've heard from his main band, Real Estate) until I heard some of the songs from his just released third full length, Ducktails III: Arcade Dynamics. His previous releases are predominantly ambient and formless lo-fi psychedelic soundscapes that often times were quite beautiful. Ducktails III: Arcade Dynamics is much different in the sense that it basically sounds like a druggier Real Estate with drum machine instead of live drums. Obviously it is very early to make this claim, but as of the middle of January, I think this is my favorite album in 2011 so far.

Six Films Recently Viewed For The First Time

Right back atcha all quick-like.

For the non-profit agency that employs me part-time, I job coach on Mondays at a Family Video in Canton. They have a lot of previously viewed DVDs on sale for $2. Sometimes I purchase some. Here comes a list of five of those that I recently watched (and another movie that my friend Whitney rented), along with what I said about them via Facebook.

Art School Confidential (2006)
Written by Daniel Clowes, directed by Terry Zwigoff
Dark, weird, pretty funny. Malkovich is masterful as a pretentious drawing and painting professor.

Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever (2009)
Written by Joshua Malkin, Randy Pearlstein and Ti West, directed by Ti West
Hilarious and totally disgusting. Very cool style, film looks surprisingly good. The first Cabin Fever is one of the greatest gross out horror films I've ever seen. This one, albeit still totally good, lacked a little bit, even in the gore sense... which is crazy.

The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys (2002)
Written by Michael Petroni and Jeff Stockwell, directed by Peter Care
Meant to see this long ago. Good coming of age film. The animated scenes were fantastic. Was completely shocked by the ending. I have a huge crush on Jena Malone.

Gentlemen Broncos (2009)
Written by Jared and Jerusha Hess, directed by Jared Hess
In spite of the recycling of types of characters from Napolean Dynamite, Gentlemen Broncos was insane and funny. It dragged in places, and a lot of the story and characters were forced, but there were enough hilarious, bizarre and uncomfortable moments to make watching this quite enjoyable.

Observe and Report (2009)
Written and directed by Jody Hill
Very dark, very funny. I cannot deny that Seth Rogan is one of my absolute favorite actors and dudes around.

Where the Wild Things Are (2009)
Written by Spike Jonze and Dave Eggars, directed by Spike Jonze.
Finally saw it! Beautiful both visiually and emotionally, but still not quite as amazing as I was hoping for.

Y: The Last Man

Y: The Last Man (Vertigo, 2002-2008)
by Brian K. Vaughn and Pia Guerra
For around the past month, I've been reading a comic book series collected into ten trades called Y: The Last Man. I borrowed the series from my great buddy Matt Rickle, who has never led me astray. Needless to say, it ruled.

The gist of the story is a plague hits the entire earth, killing every living male mammal on the planet with the exception of Yorick Brown and his current pet monkey Ampersand. Most of the ten books focus on the two companions' various journeys and misadventures trying to discover the source of and solution for the plague with the mysterious government agent 355 and the brilliant and sometimes equally as mysterious Dr. Allison Mann.

I'm not going to get too detailed, as there is a lot of ground to cover with a lot of subtleties and twists that I'd rather not spoil. I will say that, while not perfect, the entire series is nothing short of fantastic. Not the best comic series I've ever read, but still, damn amazing. If you consider yourself my friend, and feel that you can trust my judgment without many specific details, then just do yourself a favor and read this ASAP. It opens perfectly, has plenty of peaks and very few valleys and ends beautifully and emotionally (which, is very appropriate for this blog). To be honest, a specific occurence in the final book seriously made me cry. I may be a baby, but you better read Y: The Last Man if you haven't already.

The Future/2011 Intro

Heya, pals! How'd you like my 2010 year-end list? No comments, huh? Well, I'm over it.

2010 is over and done with, thank God. Time to move on to 2011.

Things will be different, technically and emotionally, here at Emotional Drumming 2K11. I'll probably be posting even less due to having two jobs instead of zero now. I'm giving up the Twitter reviews, since I haven't had the time to emerse myself in new music quite so much since this past September. Plus, I think I'm finally of the opinion that I'd rather focus on the tons of old(er) music I've discovered and am interested in than this trivial new shit. Not that I won't listen to new music, because you know I will, just not so intensely.

I sort of want to make this blog a little more interactive too? That's touchy because there aren't too many people I like to argue about things with over the internet, and I definitely don't like doing that with strangers. Alas, I hope there is more of all of that this year.

Regardless, I think I'm going to try and make the blog even less official and perhaps even less organized than it is. A good friend of mine, name of Brian LaBenne, started a new blog where he just talks about various pieces of media/art/pop culture/whatever that he consumes, and I really like that idea (you can go to that very blog by clicking on his name a little ways back). I think at times I want to put that sort of twist on this blog, so I'll try to talk more about baseball and books and movies and video games. You know, other things that I like aside from music and football. And, also, all of this, assuming that I some how have the time for it all.

Lastly, no promises, but I still intend to finalize and post some sort of list of my favorite records from the past decade. I know at this point it's really late, but I don't care.

To the future! And another, more interesting post instantly!

25 Favorite Albums of 2010

(25) Innerspeaker - Tame Impala (Modular)
Very cool sounding psychedelic rock from Australia. The best thing about this record is the way it sounds, much thanks to a stellar production job by Dave Fridmann.
Top jam: "Jeremy's Storm"


(24) Big Echo - The Morning Benders (Rough Trade)
Here is a pop record that wasn't all that different from last year's Grizzly Bear album. Nothing really daring about it. Nice production and nice songs. I'm not sure why I ended up liking this so much by the end of the year, but it is totally good.
Top jam: "All Day Day Light"


(23) The Drums - The Drums (Island/Moshi Moshi)
Obnoxious vocals singing really great melodies, subtle instrumentation, lots of drum machine. This year I rediscovered my love for 80s-sounding bands, and it started with The Drums.
Top jam: "Let's Go Surfing"


(22) High Violet - The National (4AD)
I fought with this record until it finally won. I still think 2005's Alligator is their best, but High Violet is leaps and bounds better than 2007's Boxer.
Top jams: "Lemon World"


(21) The Brutalist Bricks - Ted Leo and the Pharmacists (Matador)
Ted Leo and co. make a triumphant return with The Brutalist Bricks. So triumphant, I think this is their best album yet.
Top jam: "Bottled in Cork"


(20) Clinging to a Scheme - The Radio Dept. (Labrador)
Another 80s referencing album that I really appreciated this year. Nice singing, great wide open production. When it's at its best, Clinging to a Scheme sounds like The Cure at their best.
Top jam: "Heaven's on Fire"


(19) Subiza - Delorean (True Panther)
Every song on Subiza may sound the same, but this is some great (and pretty) dance music with some of the best chord progressions.
Top jam: "Simple Graces"


(18) Teen Dream - Beach House (Sub Pop)
Another set of slow yet beautiful organ-driven songs from Beach House that somehow are not as boring as they should be. The melodies and Victoria Legrand's vocals are killer.
Top jam: "Lover of Mine"


(17) Marnie Stern - Marnie Stern (Kill Rock Stars)
I've always loved the idea of Marnie Stern, but wasn't completely won over until her 2010 self-titled effort. This collection of songs still offers up the technical insanity of her previous albums, and in addition the melodies are cathier and the songs are poppier.
Top jam: "For Ash"


(16) Swim - Caribou (Merge)
After the psychedelic beauty presented on 2007's Andorra, Caribou guy Dan Snaith decided to record a dance record. This is that dance record, and the sounds on it could have only come from Snaith. Straightforward rhythms mesh with ambient backdrops and spacey vocals that bring Junior Boys more to mind than past Caribou releases. Personally, I prefer the psychedelia, but Swim does just fine for me too.
Top jam: "Leave House"


(15) Halcyon Digest - Deerhunter (4AD)
It seems like a lot of critics are claiming Halcyon Digest as Deerhunter's biggest and best moment yet. I completely disagree. 2008's Microcastle/Weird Era Cont. is obviously better. That being said, Halcyon Digest is still totally good. Lockett Pundt's songs are awesome, and the guitars sound great.
Top jam: "Helicopter"


(14) King of the Beach - Wavves (Fat Possum)
Nathan Williams recovered from his disasterous 2009 thanks to the righteous pop punk of King of the Beach, his only good LP so far. With Jay Reatard's rhtythm section in tow, absolutely everything here is better than anything he's ever done (that I've heard).
Top jam: "Super Soaker"


(13) Color Your Life EP - Twin Sister (Infinite Best)
I am so excited for what this band does next. The weird vocals coupled with the eerie tone of the music make this a fascinating listen every time.
Top jam: "Lady Daydream"


(12) Lisbon - The Walkmen (Fat Possum)
Since 2002, a new album by The Walkmen comes out every two years without fail and it is either really good or fantastic. Lisbon falls somewhere between the two. "Woe is Me" is their best song since "Little House of Savages."
Top jam: "Woe is Me"


(11) Everything in Between - No Age (Sub Pop)
I didn't quite get them on Nouns and then started getting there with last year's Losing Feeling EP. Now with Everything in Between I can say I am a No Age fan. There's still some punk edge, but a lot of the time it is shrouded in shoegaze. Thank God for songs like "Glitter" and "Sorts."
Top jam: "Glitter"


(10) Holiday Band - Memory Map (self-released)
Some buddies of mine from Bloomington turned me onto this band. Fun, technical, creepy guitar pop done just the way I like it.
Top jam: "Stowaway"


(9) Measure - Field Music (Memphis Industries)
I wish this was more focused, as it is supposed to be two separate LPs, but I find that I really have to struggle to find anything to complain about. All the best songs (with the exception of one) are found on the first half, but everything beyond that is still gorgeous. I'm just glad to have my boys back.
Top jam: "Measure"


(8) Transference - Spoon (Merge)
Jensen and Bravender both said it, and I'll elaborate slightly: The first half of Transference is the best thing Spoon has ever done. I'll add "Trouble Comes Running," "Out Go the Lights" and "Nobody Gets Me but You" to that statement.
Top jam: "Is Love Forever?"


(7) Crazy for You//Something in the Way 7" - Best Coast (Mexican Summer//PPM)
I don't care if Bethany Cosentino's lyrics are completely stupid (which they are), her songs are laced with the best melodies I've heard all year. My fondness for her music started with the Something in the Way 7" and culminated finally with her debut full length, Crazy for You. Yes, her music is excrutiatingly simple and does sort of seem like a cash-in, but when her melodies are that memorable, I am not going to complain.
Top jams: "Crazy for You"//"Wish He Was You"


(6) Out of Tune 7" - Real Estate (True Panther)
Only two songs, but they are perfect. "Out of Tune" might be Real Estate's best song yet. And, they are quickly becoming my favorite guitar band around.
Top jam: "Out of Tune"


(5) Contra - Vampire Weekend (XL)
2008's self-titled debut was a bit top heavy, and while a few of those songs are still Vampire Weekend's best, Contra just works much better as an album. I am impressed by how much of a success this, their sophomore LP is. It perfectly combines everything I loved about their first record with new sounds and ideas. I am pleasantly surprised that I came to love this so much more than the first one.
Top jam: "California English"


(4) Before Today - Arial Pink's Haunted Graffiti (4AD)
I will not blame you for thinking this album is perfect, if you in fact do. If I'm going to complain about anything regarding Before Today, it's simply that it's a little too dense for me, I guess. The majority of the songs are incredible, but more than that, the production and musicianship are really what make the album what it is.
Top jam: "Round and Round"


(3) Astro Coast - Surfer Blood (Kanine)
Surfer Blood made their debut with a safe sounding nod to all that was good about 90s indie rock. Fortunately, sentimentality isn't the only thing that kept me hooked to Astro Coast. Every song on the record rules, the guitars are perfect, the melodies are awesome blah blah blah, just like most everything that I like. What this has over other releases on this list is that it reminds me of the music I listened to mostly in high school (namely Weezer and Piebald). So, I guess sentimentality was a big deal here.
Top jam: "Swim"


(2) Public Strain - Women (Jagjaguwar)
Women's second (and potentially final) LP is another mess. It's missing the outright jams that their 2008 self-titled debut had, but as a whole, it's definitely a great note to end on. The album cover describes the vibe of Public Strain much better than any writer can: it is bleak, mysterious and weirdly beautiful. Chad VanGaalen's production is such an important piece to the puzzle that I can't deny it might be my favorite thing about the album. Though, the guitars, whether they grind, jangle or chime, are completely awesome, too. Public Strain is just such an all-encompassing listening experience, it's difficult to detail little elements as to why it deserves my #2 spot. You're just gonna have to trust me.
Top jam: "Eyesore"


(1) Gemini//Golden Haze EP - Wild Nothing (Captured Tracks)
Wild Nothing did it just right for me this year with their somber and gothic 80s pop not too unlike early to mid-80s Cure and (according to everyone else) Cocteau Twins (who apparently I should completely love). On both Gemini and Golden Haze, Wild Nothing brought to the table the best songs and (along with Best Coast) a lot of the best melodies of the year. Gemini is just shy of being a perfect album, and the three post-Gemini songs on Golden Haze prove that Jack Tatum is already honing his writing and producing skills. I will never tire of these recordings and absolutely cannot wait for whatever Tatum does next.
Top jams: "Chinatown"//"Take Me In"

2010 Twitter Review Session #12

(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)

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

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)

2010 Twitter Review Session #10

(149) Horse Power EP - Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. (Quite Scientific)
Terrible band name, but a solid first effort from these subtle Detroit electronic pop craftsmen. (6.5/10)

(150) As Stowaways in Cabinets of Surf, We Live-Out in Our Members a Kind of Rebirth - Half-Handed Cloud (Asthmatic Kitty)
Friend of Sufjan releases his first LP since 2006 and while fun and nice, it is way too silly for me. (6/10)

(151) Lisbon - The Walkmen (Fat Possum)
Yet another classic Walkmen record. These guys have to be one of the best bands so far this century, right? (8.5/10)

(152) Public Strain - Women (Jagjaguwar)
The follow-up to their incredible debut is a slow burner that reveals more with each listen. It is also incredible. (8.5/10)

(153) Crush - Abe Vigoda (Bella Union/PPM)
Really great, new-to-me art punks trade in their guitar noodling for some 80s sounds and more wailing vox. GOOD. (7/10)

(154) Of Gold - Bars of Gold (Friction)
Ex-Bear Vs. Shark + members of Detroit's Wildcatting = the third BvS LP that could've happened? Solid. (6.5/10)

(155) Penny Sparkle - Blonde Redhead (4AD)
Melodramatic and TOTALLY boring. Where the hell is the awesome drumming from all their previous albums? (5/10)

(156) Tall Hours in the Glowstream - Cotton Jones (Suicide Squeeze)
2009's LP from this lad 'n' lass from Page France was a pleasant surprise. This is more like what I expected. (5/10)

(157) Liz, Ryan & Sean EP - Friendly Foes (self-released)
Detroit students of Superchunk end their short run with two really great songs and two forgettables. (6/10)

(158) Ophelia 7" - Minks (Captured Tracks)
Another group of 80s gothic new wave revivalists on Captured Tracks. No Wild Nothing, but these songs are still good. (7/10)

(159) Divorce Music - Ian Saylor (self-released)
The Rants singer/songwriter and his newest solo effort. Still pop genius, but slightly too ballad heavy. (6.5/10)

(160) Marnie Stern - Marnie Stern (Kill Rock Stars)
Like guitar noodling and drum wanking? Stern's newest offers the best of both of those. Totes badass. (7.5/10)

(161) South Carolina 7" - Tennis (Fire Talk)
Neither of these indie pop songs are better than "Baltimore," but overall I like this is better than that 7". (7.5/10)

Women/DD/MM/YYY/Marco Polio and the New Vaccines @ The Magic Stick, 9/28/10

Bands don't really come and play Detroit anymore. However, this fall, things seem different, and there already have been and also will be some really great lineups hitting up the various venues. The one I was most looking for: Women, one of the absolute best newer bands around, playing the Magic Stick.

Detroit's own Marco Polio and the New Vaccines started the night off. To be completely honest, I was too busy not caring, and instead showed up a little late and talked to friends instead of paying attention. I'll tell you what, though, they were loud, obnoxious and very synthy. Meh. I'm not even going to extend any more effort to explain any further. I will say that I've read on some Detroit music blogs that they are one of the most "entertaining" local bands around these days. Thing is, I just want to watch bands that have released albums that I like play quality versions of songs from those albums. That's all.

Anyway, Women's support on this leg of their tour was DD/MM/YYYY, whom I had no expectations whatsoever for. Turns out, they were really sweet. They had that whole one-and-one-fourth drumkit split between two dudes thing going, and there was some impressive and confusing polyrhythm stuff going on. The songs were sort of there. They were interesting, and there were some cool melodies, guitar and synth work, but the main appeal was the unhinged energy in their sound. And also, the main drummer was INCREDIBLE, and an absolute blast to watch.

This was a special night for Women, as it was the very date of the American release of their new album, Public Strain. I was hoping they were going to begin their set with the ambient opener from that album, "Can't You See," but instead they came right out with the poppiest track, "Narrow With the Hall," which was more than acceptable. They did eventually play "Can't You See," and other highlights from the new album were "Heat Distraction," "Drag Open" and the immaculate closer, "Eyesore," which they played very fast. In fact, they played most of their songs fast. Something I like about their albums is how they are chaotic and have this semi-punk attitude about them, but most of their songs are slow or at fastest mid-tempo. It was fun to seem them play everything considerably faster.

Unsurprisingly, the best moments of the night were during the performances of songs from their 2008 self-titled debut. They played most of the greats ("Cameras" and "Group Transport Hall" being unfortunately omitted). "Lawncare" was especially disorienting and awesome, and the awesomely plodding pace of their "hit," "Black Rice," was replaced with a sense of urgency, almost as if the band wanted to hurry and get it over with. "Upstairs," which is just a nice little ditty, transitioned into "Sag Harbor Bridge," which has some insanely fast guitar playing as is. Thankfully "Shaking Hand," probably my favorite Women song, was played as well, and everyone in the band actually plays fast for that jam, so times that by 1.25 or something, I guess.

Seeing the band Women live is an interesting and wonderful experience. Their records are more than just lo-fi recordings. The use of tape and shitty equipment and stuff really does contribute a lot to the feel and sound of their songs, sort of acting like extra instruments on their own. But live, the songs are just balls out. Crazy distortion, lots of scratching and scraping guitar sounds, barely audible vocals, but nice, crisp sounding drums as opposed to charmingly shitty and overdriven ones. Actually, at the Magic Stick, everything but the drums sounded exactly like they do on record.

God, I love this band.

Fall 2010 Mix

Ok, enough football. Let's move on to something else exciting that's going on right now: FALL. I love it. Am glad to be in it. And, with the season comes my fifth annual fall mix, the second one that I have shared on this blog.

Download it right HERE as a zip file via Mediafire.

The tracklist:

1. "The Lie and How We Told It" - Yo La Tengo
2. "I Remember Learning How to Drive" - Animal Collective + Vashti Bunyan
3. "Prima Donna" - Cass McCombs
4. "Who Found Who's Hair in Who's Bed?" - Owen
5. "Found Out About You" - Gin Blossoms
6. "Runnin'" - Emily Jane Powers
7. "Wasted Hours" - Arcade Fire
8. "A Tender History in Rust" - Do Make Say Think
9. "Strings That Tie to You" - Jon Brion
10. "I'll Never Leave You" - Rogue Wave
11. "Young Bride" - Midlake
12. "In the Kitchen" - Field Music
13. "Days" - Television
14. "It Was a Strange Time in My Life" - Jens Lekman
15. "Breathing" - Lake
16. "Meridian" - C-Clamp
17. "Bay of Skulls" - Sun Kil Moon
18. "Get a Room" - Jim O'Rourke

Please, enjoy, and let me know what you think or if there are any issues with the downloading of the file.

2010 NFL Preview: Post-Season Predictions

AWARDS
Most Valuable Player: Aaron Rodgers (QB, Green Bay)
Offensive Player of the Year: Chris Johnson (RB, Tennessee)
Defensive Player of the Year: Patrick Willis (ILB, San Francisco)
Comeback Player of the Year: Brian Urlacher (MLB, Chicago)
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Ryan Matthews (RB, San Diego)
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Ndamukong Suh (DT, Detroit)
Coach of the Year: Mike McCarthy (Green Bay)

PLAYOFFS
AFC Wild Card Round
New York Jets over Houston Texans
Baltimore Ravens over New England Patriots

NFC Wild Card Round
Minnesota Vikings over New York Giants
Green Bay Packers over San Francisco 49ers

AFC Divisional Round
Indianapolis Colts over Baltimore Ravens
San Diego Chargers over New York Jets

NFC Divisional Round
Green Bay Packers over New Orleans Saints
Minnesota Vikings over Dallas Cowboys

AFC Championship
Indianapolis Colts over San Diego Chargers

NFC Championship
Green Bay Packers over Minnesota Vikings

Super Bowl XLV
Indianapolis Colts over Green Bay Packers

2010 NFL Preview: NFC West

Standings
1. San Francisco 49ers (10-6)
2. Seattle Seahawks (6-10)
3. Arizona Cardinals (6.10)
4. St. Louis Rams (3-13)

Most Valuable Offensive Player: Frank Gore (RB, San Francisco)
Most Valuable Defensive Player: Patrick Willis (ILB, San Francisco)
Addition With Biggest Impact: Alan Faneca (OG, Arizona)
Mr. Irrelevant: Matt Leinart (QB, Arizona)

Without question, the NFC West has to be the weakest division in the NFL. I think everyone's projected division winner is San Francisco, who have a bright future, but as of now are just a little bit better than mediocre. I'm not exactly sure what their offense is going to be like aside from run-heavy, as long as Frank Gore remains healthy. Tight end Vernon Davis finally removed his head from his ass last season and became a star, and wide receiver Michael Crabtree could be a real stud in due time. Alex Smith had his moments in 2009, but the quarterback situation is shaky. The 49er defense came out of nowhere to be incredible last year, and I don't see why they won't keep it up into 2010. Young inside linebacker Patrick Willis has emerged as not only the leader of this defense, but also perhaps the best defensive athlete in the entire league.

The Seattle Seahawks are basically in shambles. The team has no offensive skill players of note, and Matt Hasselbeck is too far past his prime to bring them up from the ashes. The defense has two strong points in talented and seasoned veteran Lofa Tatupu and potential future star Aaron Curry. Seattle could possibly have the shittiest roster in the NFL, but they will find ways to win in a bad division somehow.

Since the retirement of Kurt Warner, not only did the Arizona Cardinals decide against ex-USC Heisman poster boy Matt Leinart as the starting quarterback, but they cut him from the team as well. Very funny, and also, probably not the worst idea. However, this leaves them with Derek Anderson, who had one very good and two very bad seasons in Cleveland, to lead the team. This does not bode well for Larry Fitzgerald, the second best wide receiver in the NFL. Making matters much worse, number two guy Anquan Boldin hightailed it to Baltimore (a fantastic move for both him and the Ravens). The running game will have to pick up the slack, and I'm still on the fence in regards to how capable Beanie Wells and Tim Hightower are. The defense lost its leader in Karlos Dansby, but Darnell Dockett, Joey Porter, Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie and Adrian Wilson help make this a solid unit. Still, its going to be very hard for this team to win against good teams without Warner.

For no reason whatsoever, I really do hope that Sam Bradford, the first pick in the 2010 NFL draft, completely revives the St. Louis Rams and makes them contenders once again in a few years. And, Steven Jackson is one of the best running backs in the game today, and I'd bet that he is sick of being on the worst team in the entire league (yes, even worse than the Detroit Lions, trust me). In order to help Bradford out, the Rams need to do something, anything, about their receiving corps. Middle linebacker James Laurinaitis and free safety Oshiomogho Atogwe are worth mentioning for their individual achievements, but this defensive unit is utterly atrocious.

2010 NFL Preview: NFC South

Standings
1. New Orleans Saints (13-3)
2. Atlanta Falcons (11-5)
3. Carolina Panthers (7-9)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-14)

Most Valuable Offensive Player: Drew Brees (QB, New Orleans)
Most Valuable Defensive Player: Jon Beason (MLB, Carolina)
Addition With Biggest Impact: Dunta Robinson (CB, Atlanta)
Mr. Irrelevant: Derrick Ward (RB, Tampa Bay)

I know the 2010 NFL season has already started, and I have slacked on these posts, but I feel I must finish what I have started.

The NFL seems so wide open to me this season, that I think the New Orleans Saints have just as much of a chance to repeat as chance as any of the top teams have of winning the title. Not much has changed here since last season, aside from losing a few irrelevant guys and free safety extraordinaire Darren Sharper being injured right now. Drew Brees should have no problem completely dominating teams through the air with his spread out, early 2000s New England Patriots-esque receiving corps (led by stud Marques Colston). And, the running game should once again offer a solid backup plan. The defense, while not quite incredible, should once again cause tons of turnovers and score an impressive amount of points. Everybody keeps talking about the Dallas Cowboys, but the Saints are still the class of the NFC.

After coming out of nowhere two years ago to look like one of the best up and coming teams in the entire league, 2009 was an off year for the Atlanta Falcons. I'm not sure it can be entirely blamed on quarterback Matt Ryan and running back Michael Turner being injured for a few games, but that was definitely part of it. Ryan should easily get back into the groove this year, once again throwing to Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez, and as long as Michael Turner is healthy, he should run all over everybody and find the end zone 10 to 15 times. Atlanta's defense isn't that great, but cornerback Dunta Robinson was a good pickup, and defensive end John Abraham has had incredible seasons in the past. Middle linebacker Curtis Lofton has become the leader of the D, and a few seasons this could be a formidable unit.

In spite of the loss of Julius Peppers, the Carolina Panthers' defense should still be better than it probably will be. Jon Beason is young and is turning out to be one of the absolute greatest defensive athletes in the game today, and Thomas Davis is improving with each season. It should be pretty interesting to see where the offense goes in 2010. The quarterback situation is virtually in shambles, and if Matt Moore turns out to be shit, which is very possible, rookie Jimmy Clausen will spell him, and supposedly he is NFL ready. Stellar wide receiver Steve Smith is still here, after having pretty much his worst season in 2009, and the running game is tops in the NFL with both DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart capable of running for 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers might be the worst team in the entire NFL. The only players worth a damn here are tight end Kellen Winslow, linebacker Barrett Ruud and aged cornerback Ronde Barber. Last year's big money pick-up Derrick Ward amounted to absolutely nothing, and there are no proven receivers anywhere on the team aside from Winslow. Cadillac Williams has reclaimed the starting running back spot, but that doesn't mean anything good, necessarily. I will be surprised if the Bucs win even three games.

2010 Twitter Review Session #9

(127) Mines - Menomena (Barsuk)
Like a darker, less zany repeat of 2007's album, which I wasn't blown away by in the first place. Not bad, though. (6.5/10)

(128) Say No to Love 7" - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (Slumberland)
One good and one ok song from these 80s indie popsters who soon should be all over 89X. (6/10)

(129) Disconnect From Desire - School of Seven Bells (Vagrant/Ghostly International)
Ultra dramatic, bland, unoffensive synth pop with a slight nod toward shoegaze. Way too safe. (5.5/10)

(130) Sex With an X - The Vaselines (Sub Pop)
One of Kurt Cobain's favs return from a long time of nothing to release a record that sounds just like the 90s. (6/10)

(131) Evertide EP - Wild Nothing (Warmest Chord)
Quick, awesomely produced follow-up to the totally awesome Gemini LP. Pretty much just as good. (8/10)

(132) The Way Out - The Books (Temporary Residence)
Quite beautiful sample heavy chopped up collage music. Do they still call this kind of stuff folktronica? (6.5/10)

(133) Say It - Born Ruffians (Warp)
Maligned sophomore indie pop LP is way better than most people realize. Still doesn't touch their debut, though. (7/10)

(134) Mind Altar - Deastro (Ghostly International)
Collection of self-released EPs is leaps and bounds better than last year's full length. Obnoxiously trendy, but GOOD. (7/10)

(135) Admiral Fell Promises - Sun Kil Moon (Caldo Verde)
Unsurprisingly gorgeous new effort from Koz and only his classical guitar. Not quite another Pink Moon. (6.5/10)

(136) Baltimore 7" - Tennis (Underwater Peoples)
In spite of this style getting old again, here's another lo-fi indie pop 7" that is tasteful and way catchy. (7/10)

(137) Fckyrhed - 1994! (Inkblot/Square of Opposition)
Super short and technical new sorta full length from these noodley and screamy emo revivalists. Not much variety here. (5.5/10)

(138) The Suburbs - Arcade Fire (Merge)
Indie's biggest band fake everyone out by sounding a lil' less epic yet still self-important. Totes solid, though. (7/10)

(139) Dearly Beloved - Arranged Marriage (Suburban Sprawl)
Detroit father/son duo doin' the alt-country pop thang. Decent, "Everything is Gonna be Alright" is great. (6/10)

(140) Split 7" - Best Coast/Jeans Wilder (Atelier Ciseaux)
Best Coast song is way disappointing, but the Jeans Wilder one is a very pleasant surprise. (5.5/10)

(141) The Cradle - Colour Revolt (Dualtone)
Second LP by great indie rock band with a southern touch. Unfortunately, it is a major let down. (5/10)

(142) Desktop 2 EP - Desktop (Suburban Sprawl)
Second EP from S. MI electro-pop duo. More interesting, just as soulful, but not quite as good as 2009's. (6.5/10)

(143) Root for Ruin - Les Savy Fav (Frenchkiss)
Another LSF album that sounds exactly like their last two, except with no standout tracks whatsoever. (6/10)

(144) The Orchard - Ra Ra Riot (Barsuk)
Vampire Weekend buds and their second go-around of well produced, grandiose, Tokyo Police Club-ish indie pop. (6.5/10)

(145) Frankie Rose and the Outs - Frankie Rose and the Outs (Slumberland)
Ex-drummer of Vivian Girls and Crystal Stilts. First LP of big, mid-fi indie pop is solid. (6.5/10)

(146) Candle to Your Eye - Shapes and Sizes (Asthmatic Kitty)
Asthmatic Kitty band returns with their third LP of quirky pop somewhere between Lake and Cryptacize. (6/10)

(147) Vas Deferens EP - Sirs (self-released)
More emo revivalism that is both screamy and melodic. More like Braid or a faster Jazz June. Very good. (7/10)

(148) Let It Sway - Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin (Polyvinyl)
Third LP from this charming and talented indie pop group. A few nice emo moments, too. (7/10)

2010 NFL Preview: NFC North

Standings
1. Minnesota Vikings (12-4)
2. Green Bay Packers (12-4)
3. Chicago Bears (9-7)
4. Detroit Lions (3-13)

Most Valuable Offensive Player: Aaron Rodgers (QB, Green Bay)
Most Valuable Defensive Player: Jared Allen (DE, Minnesota)
Addition With Biggest Impact: Julius Peppers (DE, Chicago)
Mr. Irrelevant: Kevin Smith (RB, Detroit)

Once again Brett Favre pulled his old man attention whore act and had the media on his toes about whether he would retire or not. Of course he's not, duh. And, this automatically makes the Minnesota Vikings at least two wins better than they would be without him. I believe they would be playoff contenders no matter what, but Favre, despite being an old, broken man in football terms, makes them candidates to lose in the Super Bowl. This probably won't happen, but it might. Breakout receiver Sidney Rice is sidelined for the first half of the season, and that should hurt, but not too much. Bernard Berrian is capable of picking up the slack, and if Percy Harvin's head is ok, he is a stud in the making. And, don't forget that the Vikings' offense features the league's second, third or fourth best running back in Adrian Peterson (in spite of his tendency to fumble at crucial points in a game), and a touchdown machine at tight end. Their defense also happens to be very good, showcasing the best defensive line around and an already good but steadily improving linebacker corps.

Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers has turned out to be one of the premier quarterbacks in the NFL, and has a very bright future ahead of him. The Packers' 2010 season shouldn't look much different than Minnesota's. The offensive is pretty young and incredibly talented thanks to Greg Jennings and Jermichael Finley being big playmakers at their positions, and Donald Driver and Ryan Grant being consistent if not simply great. They also have a high quality defense with a decent defensive line, solid linebackers that will continue to gel and one of the best secondaries around, lead by the ageless Charles Woodson.

I don't understand why everyone is so hard on the Chicago Bears. Their situation is much better than people reason. I'm not saying they're a playoff team again quite yet, but they're not far off. Pass happy Mike Martz was smart to join on as offensive coordinator, as Jay Cutler is by far the most talented quarterback he's been able to work with since his days with Kurt Warner in St. Louis. Cutler simply had an off year in 2009. His attitude might suck, but he should be terrific in Martz's system, and I'm not just saying this because I had to settle for him in my first fantasy football draft of the season last week. Matt Forte also had a disappointing season in '09, but Martz could turn him into Marshall Faulk. The receiving corps are pretty much a mess, everyone being young and relatively inexperienced, but Martz has worked wonderful magic in something like this before. With the return of Brian Urlacher, the defensive should be solid. With the addition of Julius Peppers, if he decides to give a damn, could make them great. Lance Briggs is a terrific linebacker as well.

Ah, the Detroit Lions. My home team. As it goes before the start of every season, all of my friends that are football fans are shouting bold claims like, "the Lions will be better than the Bears," or "the Lions will win at least seven, maybe eight games!" I kind of love this, because where else does a city's football fans get excited about the possibility of a team finishing at .500, or even barely under? Unfortunately, I do not share the optimism of my friends. Not even close. I will be surprised if they win more than three games. Their schedule isn't easy, and also, the team just isn't any good. I will not deny that the Lions are headed in the right direction. Jim Schwartz made some great moves in the off-season, signing Corey Williams and Kyle Vanden Bosch to be leaders and make a disgusting defense much better. Drafting Ndamukong Suh (who analysts are saying is the next Reggie White, which is crazy to me) with the second pick in the first round was a fantastic decision, but remember in 1994 when the Cincinnati Bengals took defensive tackle Dan Wilkinson at #1? What did he do? Shit. Regardless, I have placed much more hope in Suh reviving the atmosphere of this squad than I have in second year quarterback Matthew Stafford. Stafford is showing promise, but I am very skeptical as to how long that will last. Remember Joey Harrington? I will consider Stafford a success story as long as he has a better career than Mark Sanchez, who should be horrible. Anyway, Calvin Johnson is so awesome, and I really hope Jahvid Best ends up being incredible, though its more believable that he and Stafford will spend a good portion of 2010 hurt on the bench because we have the worst offensive line in the NFL. Ugh.