The Friday Fight

VS.

Two of the funkiest white boys to ever do it.  St Louis soul Vs. Philly soul taking on the Prince of Soul, Marvelous Marvin's "I Want You".  Discuss.

Spelling Bee

PJ Harvey - 'Let England Shake'

I hear so much Kate Bush in this album.  I hear quite a bit of Bowie. Even perhaps a bit of Cyndi Lauper? But the one I was initially searching for, Ms. Polly Jean Harvey, I couldn't find.  Not the PJ Harvey that I've grown to know and love.  But she's in there.  Poured over this record, heart and soul, and saturated down to the marrow.
This is the follow-up to 'Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea' that I've been waiting for. 'Uh Huh Her' didn't really do much for me and 'White Chalk', even less.  I was a bit fearful that the avant-garde PJ that I'd loved had  moved on to a more safe and sedated place. This album, however, I've not been able to stay away from.  I'm very cautious of trying to not burn myself out on music that I enjoy so I'll stop listening to it even when I feel I'm not finished with it, that way letting it be a pleasant surprise when it comes up on my shuffle.  Every other day though I find myself queuing up this album in its entirety.

7.5/10

.

Valentine's

Happy Valentine's Day from the Bachelor Chicken-inspired Patty

I imagine there are only a handful of us, mostly male, that earnestly try their hardest to spend Valentine's Day, above all other days, avoiding the opposite sex.  But for all of you lovers out there I'm going to share one of my favorite new songs.  This is for you to make your love to.


Loney Dear - Loney Blues by edin2sun

RPA & The United Nations of Sound

RPA & The United Nations Of Sound

Richard Ashcroft & The United Nations of Sound's 'United Nations of Sound' is going to see a proper US release On March 29th under the moniker of simply Richard Ashcroft.  This, I believe, is a horrible idea and I'll tell you why:

The album is shit.

And I don't mean to say that with any malicious intent.  I've tried to force Richard Ashcroft's solo work onto everyone I know who's got a heavy head.  Most know him as the lead singer of the now thrice disbanded The Verve, but it's songs like 'I Get My Beat' 'XXYY' and 'Science of Silence' that he'd released as a soloist that placed him high among the numbers of my favorite artists.

There is very little of that man found in this latest project.  Richard's song writing and backing vocals seem completely phoned in.  The lyrics are rehashes of previous songs on prior albums.  Songs that were done better the first time.  And what the hell is with that awkward falsetto on 'Life Can Be So Beautiful'?  Why did no one tell him it was a bad idea?  Even still that turns out to be one of the catchier songs.  Granting these set backs Richard's voice is just as good as it's always been.  I don't fault him entirely for the shortcomings of this outing. Primarily I will blame that on the production done, surprisingly, by Chicago native and notable Hip Hop producer No I.D..  I remember No I.D. from back in the mid nineties when he was working with soon-to-be superstar COMMON and mentoring a young Kanye West.  I haven't really followed his career much after that, because I was never really blown away by him but it seems he's kept busy.  He's responsible for Jay Z's 'Death Of Auto-Tune'. So when I read that he'd worked on this album fond memories flooded back to mind.  Those were soon followed by massive apprehensions about how this collaboration would turn out.  All of those fears were confirmed once I got my hands on the album.
Every thing's played in really tight 4/4 arrangements.  Metronomic high hats.  Smooth ass bass lines.  With a couple exceptions, tracks that would seem more fitting for rap verses or spoken word.  I personally prefer the twangy slide guitar of his first album 'Alone With Everybody'.  I used to say the Brits make Country music far better than us Yanks.
Not to say that this is all bad, but it's a departure and that's fine.  My point is that it should be an off-shot side project as opposed to being included in the formal canon of Richard Ashcroft albums.  He's made some truly exceptional music and at moments that potential peaks it's head out on The United Nations of Sound but either it's short lived (i.e. the ending of She Brings me the music when the song just starts to be worth the 3 minute investment right before it abruptly ends) or it's stifled by the ill fitting instrumentation.

4.5 out of 10

Standout songs on The United Nations of Sound are:
Good Lovin'
She Brings Me The Music
Glory
Life Can Be So Beautiful

I'll let you look those up on your own time.  As for now I'll leave you with a few of the Richard Ashcroft songs that I've loved throughout the past decade.

The Gentleman Rules

Gentleman Rule #001

Discretion is key in all gentlemanly endeavors.  This may seem elementary but you'd be surprised how many break the first rule of the gentleman's code:

Don't talk about your conquests.

You don't go around talking about how much money you made last year or how much you dropped on your vacation.  Talking about your successes in the bedroom is  just as tacky.  Even more so because in this case there are other parties involved.  

The tight-lipped gentleman need not worry about his reputation.  Speculation alone will have people jumping to conclusions.  I'm not a ladies man in the least but I've heard my name tossed around with women whose hands I'd never even shaken. It is, of course, at that time that you set the record straight for posterity. But details; details never need be discussed. 

Jeans

I try not to be negative in this blog but I have to present you with  One Thing I Hate:

I'm not particularly tall, about 5'11, and I've weighed within 3 pounds of 145 since graduating high school. I'm in an unusually healthy percentile for my age and weight.  So why is it that I can't find jeans that fit well and are long enough??
My waist is about a 28 but I always look for a 30 just because that way I can at least get a 32 length.  Even with that being the case my jeans are always super hiked up when I sit.  That's fine in any other kind of pant but not jeans.  I don't like sock being viewable in my jeans.  a 30/33 or 30/34 would be ideal and it's impossible to find unless I go to a more 'urban' store and buy a super baggy pair of pants with all sorts of ridiculous embroidered angels wings and pistols with studs around all the pockets.
Perhaps that'll be a good look for me.

The Fisherman Sweater: The Last Word in Male Badass'ery

                    

                    

If there's one thing I appreciate that the Irish have given us, it would be the fisherman sweater.  Call it fancy if you like but I've never seen a man in a fisherman sweater that I'd be confident going toe to toe with except for this guy:

And even he looks oddly respectable here.

I own a fisherman sweater that I wear on as many occasions as I can.  It looks great over any collared shirt and is essential to my wardrobe throughout the winter.  The larger and more obnoxious the collar the better.  The one Mr. Pattinson is sporting above is one of the best examples I've found in my searches.  Not to mention, of course, the man who made the fisherman sweater famous:

Is Arkansas the epicenter of The End?

Both of these news stories come within days of one another just as the calendar turns over to 2011:

The story of an estimated 100,000 dead fish in NW Arkansas:

Image courtesy CNN.com

preceded by over a thousand birds falling from the sky on New Years Eve: 

Courtesy MSNBC.com

For the sake of full disclosure I have to admit that, yes, I am an alarmist.  But I think this is enough to pique anyone's interest.  

Let's recap, shall we?

2010 happened.  It's a fact.  And in a matter of hours it'll be relegated to the history books.  Personally it's been a pretty record breaking year.  Not all necessarily good records or records that I'll share but, be that as it may, a very remarkable year.  For the first time in a long time I've had a year wrought with more realizations of ideas/plans than cathartic realizations.  My hands have gotten dirtier this year.  Maybe I'll get some actual calluses in 2011.  I've both had more expendable finance and been more destitute than previously in life.  I've met some good people and lost good people.  I've seen a lot of places that I didn't imagine I would.
On this day dedicated to the summation of a year  I'll now present you with my 2010 honors.  It's not very concise and has been thrown together only in the past week or so.  Just a heads up: A lot of the honorees that made this list may not have actually been released in 2010 as sometimes I'm a bit late with keeping up with new media.  I'm trying to stay as up to date as I can but there are things that have had a profound affect on me this year that are well older than a year.  I'm sure I've left out a number of things that should be mentioned.  At least next year I'll have this blog to look back on to jog my memory. Speaking of next year, I'm keeping my resolution simple: and that resolution is to give more toasts. Nothing keeps you grounded in the moment more than verbalizing it.  Toasts make you seek out the good and to appreciate it.  It also requires that I spend more time breaking bread (and uncorking) with those I care about. But alas, that's all for tomorrow.  On to the past...

Most Memorable Moment of 2010

Singing Solsbury Hill with Matt C. at Matt G.'s bachelor party

Honorable Mention

Performing with The Suite D's at Pabstolutely 3

Materializing the Youngstown Freak League

The Suite D's in Scottsbluff NE

...and just last night at Matt E.'s house after hours with J.Nutt (shame on all of us)

Best new acquaintance of 2010 (tie)

Debbie E./

Cherise B.

It's true, I don't get to see or talk to Deb as much as I could when we worked together, and Cherise has been pretty damned flakey (yea, I said it) I've had some of the best times of 2010 with these ladies.  Whether it'd been on the basketball court setting up pick and rolls with Deb or not salsa dancing with Cherise, they'd both aided in turning around more than a few situations which otherwise would have only been tolerable.  

Honorable Mention

That would just be in poor taste but if I met you this year and you're not mentioned above, step it up! Try feeding me or buying me things.

Best Movie 

A Serious Man - Ethan & Joel Coen

F*ck this movie.  It's so exquisite.  Up until this point I've still only seen it once but the impact is still felt.  Far and away my favorite Coen Brothers movie and that's no small feat with the caliber of the work they've put out.  Eerie and illuminating, this flick is dripping with subtlety and allusion.  I wrote a small interpretation on IMDB immediately after watching it but it seems to have been taken down when they reformatted.  I'd actually just received the movie from Netflix yesterday and will likely watch it this weekend.  It will be an event.  

Honorable Mention

Big Man Japan

Inception

Tokyo! 

Favorite Book Read This Year: 

(I haven't read any books released in 2010 so I'm gonna give this honor to:)

Dirty Hands (1948) - JP Sartre

I haven't read much in 2010.  Not much at all.  Dirty Hands is actually a short story included in the collection No Exit (and 3 other plays).  I've owned said collection for a number of years but never got around to reading Dirty Hands.  Throughout it's 5 acts (mostly played out in flashback) you're invited to some of the best internal conflict played out through Hugo as he ponders the justification of carrying out a political assassination.  Sartre, in my opinion, has been the best at character development and laying out the innermost conflicts of his characters.  This piece isn't as good as No Exit or The Wall but it is signature Sartre.  And the way that the finale plays out will have the hairs on the back of your neck at attention. "Unsalvageable!"

Honorable Mention

Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates (2001) - Tom Robbins

Best Album

King Warrior Magician Lover - Rob Roy

I may be a little biased on this one.  You know when you discover something on your own without being directed by MTV (as if they still played music) or Pandora and it's all your own.  You try to turn your friends on to it, beeming like a proud parent.  Not to say that it's not a great album.  It'll have you bobbing your head from start to finish.  There are a couple of kinks in the armor but nothing that can't be forgiven.  It's an independent release and quite an impressive one.  

Honorable Mention

Plastic Beach - Gorillaz

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - Kanye West

Best Song 

Flat Of The Blade - Massive Attack (Heligoland)

glitchy at it's beginning it soon becomes something far more brooding, which is right down my alley.  It's a sinister track which features the most delicate and classical vocals by Guy Garvey.  The lyrics are very evocative as well.  Basically everything a song needs to have me hooked.  

Honorable Mention
Carmencita - Rob Roy (King Warrior Magician Lover)

Leave House - Caribou (Swim)

Melancholy Hill - Gorillaz (Plastic Beach)
Believer - M.I.A. (/\/\/\Y/\)

Best Television

Peep Show series 7

Peep show has been one of the shows I've had the pleasure of being introduced to and marathoning from beginning to end this year (along with the honorably mentioned Rescue Me).  As I've previously noted in the blog the first 6 series are all available on Hulu and I've watched them all several times.  Imagine my delight when I found out that series 7 was about to air in the UK.  Imagine my further delight upon being tipped off that series 7 has been uploaded to YouTube almost immediately after it's aired in the UK.  The season has just closed and has been among the best seasons of the program.  The finale didn't leave me breathless but I'm still very excited to see what becomes of the duo amid these new changes. 

Honorable Mention

Parks And Recreation season 2

Community season 2

Curb Your Enthusiasm season 7

Rescue Me (why was season 6 so terrible?)

Best Videogame

Mass Effect 2 (Bioware)

I haven't played many videogames this year.  I realized that at the last minute when I realized that I'm a videogamer and probably needed to include this category.  I've missed out on Limbo (only playing the Demo which even still threatened to make it onto this list) and Shadow Complex.  Super Meat Boy and Splinter Cell: Conviction.  All major releases that any true videogamer should have atleast rented.  But anyway.  ME2 is a great game hands down.  On many game of the year lists and with good reason.  Most of those reasons being story-based but the gameplay is MUCH improved from the original Mass Effect.  I'm super excited for the end of the trilogy late 2011. 

Honorable Mention

Alan Wake (Remedy)

Red Dead Redemption (Rock Star Games)




So that's that.  And so goes my reflection on this year save for any last minute sentiments when the ball drops tonight.  We now move on to bigger and better things. So here's to 2011: May we hold dear to the progress we've made and never forget the misteps we've taken.  Cheers

7th Floor - Serengetti

The above song is the opening track on Witchdoctor's sole album '...A S.W.A.T. Healing Ritual'.  An album that went under the radar even for those who called themselves fans of the Dungeon Family in their hay day. While Outkast and Goodie Mob albums were flying off the shelves, heralding the prominence of Southern rap,  several new artists like Cool Breeze, Joi, and Witchdoctor rode in on their coat tails.  With production by Organized Noize, who could do no wrong throughout the 90s, these albums were all solid outings atleast musically even if the artists weren't charismatic enough to bridle the beats.

I'm sharing this song for two reasons.  Primarily because it features one of the most outstanding verses in a rap song by none other than the oft-impressive Ceelo Green before he went all Hollywood. It's a mastery of acrobatic iambic pentameter.  The way he hops in and out of the rhythm so effortlessly is greater than any display by his Dungeon Family brother Andre3000 (who, before he decided he wanted to sing poorly as opposed to ever rap again, was among my top 5 lyricists).
Secondly, even above the agile delivery, Ceelo has always had the ability to to place such substance into his lyrics.  The 90s were a dark dark time as far as rap music is concerned.  It's when substance was blatantly forgone for the sake of self glamorization.  Ceelo and Goodie Mob released their first album in 1995.  Just about the time that Puffy and his shiny suits were reading Hip Hop it's last rites.  '...A S.W.A.T. Healing Ritual' was released in '97.  While everyone else was rhyming about the inches of their rims and the inches of their members The Dungeon Family remained a very spiritual bunch.  None moreso than Ceelo.  This verse is the perfect example of how motivational, humble, and even venomous Ceelo could be when he wanted to be.
I don't knock Ceelo for leaving Goodie Mob.  I didn't see it so much at the time but the group wasn't marketable enough to reach the heights he's capable of.  Honestly I'd only heard his first full solo release which was done before Gnarls Barkley and it was just okay.  But I still consider myself a great fan and supporter even if he (or his label) chooses to represent himself with lead off singles like F*ck You.

A lot of you may not be familar with the humble beginnings so here was the first single of the debut of Goodie Mob's first Album Soul Food.



Those New World Order spouting conspiracy theorists had a-15-year-old-me at 'hello'.

Cannot.Stop.Listening.