Happy New Year and Four Days

It's been exactly one year and four days since I started writing this little piece of unnoticed blog material, and I must say I've enjoyed writing maybe as much as you enjoyed reading the infrequent updates of musical (and sports related) material I've subjected you to. 2011 was actually a pretty good year I must say. I know the general common interest of the start of a new year is high hopes of generally better 365 days than previous, but I think this year my resolution is to hope for more of the same. I know that's a little dismal, but I think it's more realistic to anticipate the ups and the accompanied downs together....No year will ever be perfect. But if this year yields the same results as 2011, I'll be happy.

I apologize for missing opportunities to post over the holidays, but luckily there wasn't much on the horizon worth posting about. The days are short, and I'm just too tired I suppose to dig for new material. But it's a new year, so, I do plan on writing more, time permitting. My list of 2011's best moments was going to be spectacular (at least in my mind) but who am I kidding? It would have bored non-Mavs fans, generated more acclaim for artists I've already posted numerous times on here, and I didn't feel like writing it as much as you don't feel like reading it.

I will however say that 2011 had some major musical upsets dotted here and there. From adult contemporary renditions of post-punk hits, to Justin Bieber's self-comparison to Kurt Cobain, it was a fun year for disappointments to the human ear. This year, I hope a creative revolution will be reignited in the musical world, I won't get my hopes up, but I look forward to little sparks to go off here and there.

So I hope this will be my return to the blogosphere, and I look forward to another great year of the mediocrity and surprise enjoyments. Since I started this blog with one of my top favorite songs, perhaps of all time, I will celebrate my return with it as well....

Happy Day After Thanksgiving

I'm thankful for having survived another holiday, cheers. And obviously...
leftovers.

I"m not Sayin'

I certainly don't mean to "NBA Lockout" this blog, to those of you who occasionally read this, just the business of these months make it hard to write as much as I would like.

Last night's Morrissey performance was one for the books as expected. He certainly hasn't lost his swagger, and still remains to be one of the last few, true musicians alive today. Highlight moments for me were as follows: A cover of Lou Reed's "Satellite of Love," his referring to the Republican debates to mistaking it as the movie Cocoon, and closing out the show with "Still Ill." Superb as always....



Oh, and I really enjoyed the Nico video that was played pre-perfomance...

Monday Live (Spooky Edition)

Monday Live

I scrapped my original post in honor of the show I will be absent from tomorrow night. The city of Austin is not unlike that good-looking popular kid from high school, and every neighboring city are the nerdy lackies of said city. He gets all the attention and the attractive girls, leaving his friends, Dallas, San Antonio, Houston, etc., on their own. Every touring band I've ever wanted to see this year skips my town entirely in favor of the forever cooler music mecca of the great state of Texas. So, just like in high school, I'll just stay home and listen to angst ridden love songs all night.

Kevin Arnold sells Real Estate

It wasn't that long ago one of my favorite childhood pastimes was re-uploaded into memory (and yes it was a television show), The Wonder Years complete series was available on Netflix. Then, imagine my surprise, the same week New Jersey indie rock posterband Real Estate releases their newest LP, Days. And one such song entitled "Wonder Years," only hightened my excitement of this new release. Of course upon hearing...meh, not so much. I actually heard that last line muttered in my head by Daniel Stern midway through the track.

The latest album is not without it's familiar low-fi surfy charm, albiet very polished and studio friendly. I had to give it a few listens to let it grow on me, but, grow it never really did. There are a few key tracks, one of course being "Out of Tune", which wasn't really that amazing when I heard it a few months back, but now it's kind of the best song on the album. However, I will say, after viewing some of their live takes on the album, I can see behind the veil of clean, uninteresting pop, to the real backbones of these songs....they are meant to be enjoyed live. Really. But that's where the buck stops with me. I know I am being a bit hard on the guys, but when you release a debut album of such high caliber, you can only hope to do just as good at best. They set the standard too high for themselves perhaps. I don't know. It won't stop me from seeing their set in November though...see for yourself.

Anika 2

Even though this album dropped months back, the fresh uncomfortableness of Anika's dark and beautifully imagined pop tunes still make my head go bob. I like the new video of my first favorite track from her debut album.

Monday Day Live

Italo Disco Thursdays

Disappointment, Frustration, and Ice Cream

This has nothing to do with music, but just my frustration venting out...

Really, after listening to a rather discerning interview with Dallas Mavericks' Tyson Chandler today I am getting rather impatient and sad about the cancelled first two weeks of the NBA season. But at least it's at a time when the Mavericks are NBA champions, so I guess I'm just an impatient fan awaiting their follow up to an amazing season.

Monday Morning Live

Just to liven up my Monday mornings, I've decided to start this weekly forum of my favorite live performances past and present.

I suppose I'll start with the most obvious and work from there. My least favorite Beatles song followed immediately by one of my most favorites.

Cowpoke Sunday

So I think I'm finally over the newest Javelin EP, Canyon Candy. True, I've kept this in steady rotation for the past month or so, but it's high time to retire it..at least for the time being.

I don't know why I like this duo so much. They're strange blend of hip hop, classic R&B, and electronica is just fun really. That's the best I could do in adjectives, fun. Like a Tarantino film, they blend modern pop with strange nostalgic rarities from the past. Their music is fresh, albiet a bit familiar. And their latest EP, a concept album, doesn't lack in any of these. I don't normally enjoy concept albums, but this is different. Classic westerns and modern pop electronica? Count me in...well, yea, not exactly. On paper it looks rather meh, but it's fun. What else can I say?

Italo Disco Thursdays

I am really going to try to make an effort to bring back my weekly dance-a-thon that is Italo Disco Thursdays. It faded over the summer, and I think now that fall is upon us, it's time to bring this dusty old forum out of storage...

What better to reinstate Italo Disco Thursdays than the classic, and perhaps my most personal favorite jam of all time, Charlie's "Spacer Woman". This song can quite possibly be the audio definition of what classic Italo-Disco is to me. Granted, Charlie never really released anything else worth noting, but this song was certainly more than enough contribution to the genre for me.

Sealed Fresh

I have so much to blog about, but as busy schedules demand, this will have to tide me over until time permits me...

I don't normally like this brand of indie-beach-surf-pop stuff, but this song has a quality I can't quite put my finger on as to why it makes me express enough interest in to share with you. Kinda like candy corn...

I've Got Nothing Tuesdays

Introducing my new forum ladies and gentlemen. Similar to slow news days, this will be my weekly Tuesday entry. Nothing special. Nothing groundbreaking. Nothing noteworthy. Just a man and a blog entry. So take that. No, I just need more material really. This has been kind of a slow year in music. Nothing new on the horizon that has been really grabbing my attention. I've heard a few great songs, albums, and artists, but nothing that has stuck with me for more than a few days. I miss the days of perusing the cd and record selections at local music shops. Another modern day victim to the convenience of internet music downloadery. Purchasing and finding great artists used to be a real challenge, but now kids, the entire process can be done literally in minutes. And, can be quite forgotten just as fast. So no wonder nothing's really grabbing my attention lately. I have succumbed to the ease of downloading and it has in turn created a form of musical ADD.

Well, just to show that I still retain great music once heard from the days of yore (in this case, the days of 2010...whoa), California's White Fence still eases their way into weekly rotation. A bit of The Kinks, mixed with perhaps the artistry of The Fall, I have found some great pleasure in listening to this band, and perhaps may venture out into the sunshine to maybe pick up their music the old fashioned way...

Happy Monday

Here's to Monday...

On A Sunday Afternoon...

So, again, my updates have lacked so much lately. I don't know how most bloggers keep this up. I'm so busy laying around I guess. But with the lack of a basketball season on the horizon, and impending obligations at a cease and disist, I suppose I could blow the dust of this old blog and start writing again. I was incidentally, also just trying to run the clock out on that whole "My Summer Album Days" thing. Now that summer's over I can get back (hopefully) to a steady schedule of random nothings.

I've posted Real Estate material on this blog a total of two times this year, which is too much for a blog that's only 8 months old, but nonetheless I will keep them coming. It's Sunday, I'm feeling nostalgic, and dreaming of autumn...

My Summer Album Daze Part 5

Okay, so every weekly forum I have tried on this messy blog of mine has failed, but darnnit, I'm going to keep this going. As summer is ending I still have a plethora of albums to add to my summer heat collection. Actually, I may use that name as the title of my compilation to be used in one of those tv ads where couples are strolling beaches and laying by the fireplace, as song titles such as "Keep It Rollin'" scroll up on the screen.

Anyhow, I decided to mash up two album releases into one summer recommendation, as I really couldn't choose between the two. Oh You're So Silent Jens and Night Falls over Kortedala are seperate entities of beautifully written songs comprising the complete work of art each album represents, but together they make a perfect entry into my list of summer albums. The first time I heard "A Postcard To Nina" I was sizzling on my patio (at night no less, thank you Texas), and the sweet bassline just felt like a soft bassline cruising my inner ears, and yea, suffice to say, I was hooked. Jens may be one part Jonathan Richman, one part Morrissey, but he stands alone in his ability to create quirky musical gems that are none too romantic and summery in their own right.

I swear, this gem took me a while to warm up to, but if can hold out through the song's prototypical songwriting style until the 3:30 minute mark, you'll encounter the greatest use of sampling and melody ever used in one song ever. Period.



And any song that references Warren G get's an A in my book..Please enjoy.

For Blogging Out Loud

I forgot how amazing this song was. It's the loudest, soothing song I've ever laid ears upon. I'll just let the song speak for itself. I decided to include the live version as well, as it requires dual appreciation from their performance as well. (Make sure your bass levels are adjusted accordingly...the bass riff begs you.)

Gotta go to Work

This jam really works well when played first thing in the morning en route to my job on a Monday morning. Or whatever morning. Rest in peace Guru. The king of monotone. There's a shortage of MC's such of his talent these days.