Flashback Friday

I just wanted everyone to thinkkk about Spice 1 today. Spice 1, one of the few rappers I enjoy. This is a flashback to the early high school days. This entire album reminds me of being passed out in the back of a Blazer. ah, the memories are thick...
FACE OF A DESPERATE MAN-SPICE 1

I'm Not There

THATS NOT BOB DYLAN...AND IT'S NOT A MAN EITHER

Bob Dylan covers are often boring to me. The best one I have heard is Pearl Jam's version of Masters of War. The new double disc from the movie I'm Not There isn't too bad. I had to buy it just because I had to. There are some very unremarkable songs (Stuck Inside of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again-Cat Power--I can't remember if I read this or thought it or both but all I picture is Chan Marshall singing this song on Wednesday night at Lanhucks Karaoke , One More Cup of Coffee-Roger McGuinn) but there are also some really good ones. I would say for the most part I enjoy the soundtrack. I enjoy the songs Stephen Malkmus does (Ballad of a Thin Man and Can't Leave Her Behind) and Yo La Tangos version of Fourth Time Around is really great. I really like the songs Mason Jennings does, but they are two great simple songs and I think its pretty hard to fuck those up. I almost can't believe I am about to write this next line, but I will. Jack Johnson does a great job with Mama You've Been On My Mind...I mean its good. Then he goes and fucks it up by absolutely ruining one of my favorite things Bob Dylan has ever done. He takes Last Thoughts On Woody Guthrie and turns it into his goddamn surfer boy sitting by a Karate Kid campfire sing along. He was close and almost hid the fact that he is a douche bag...almost.

Jack Johnson [mp3] Mama You've Been On My Mind
Bob Dylan [mp3] Last Thoughts On Woody Guthrie

The Mutineers-Misunderstood (Cover)

The Mutineers take different forms. Sometimes a solo act...sometimes a full band. On the last day of 2006 they were a band. Here is a short clip from New Years 2006. Sorry the picture isn't very good. Yes that is the Gambler. I want to thank you all...

Returning To The Fold- The Thermals

This was just a excellent album. It was simple and it was great. I don't know why it took them so long to come out with a video for this song but here it is... This is my favorite song on the record...and Hutch Harris rivals John Darnielle for most animated singer...of all times.
RETURNING TO THE FOLD

Sun Kil Moon

I feel like listening to Sun Kil Moon today.
Sun Kil Moon [mp3] Grey Ice Water

Christmas...It Starts NOW!

SMALL PICTURE OF OUR SWEET TREE

No time for messing around. Thanksgiving was nice, but now it is over. November 25th. I am beginning Christmas. Actually, it was the 24th. A tree was purchased...ever so carefully...with the correct height and symmetry....the correct fullness and length of branches. Decorated with knotted up Christmas lights (Clark Griswald was referenced more than 3 times in a matter of minutes) and ornaments new and old; then enjoyed as we sat and got drunk in front of the illuminated Frasier Fir. This year I am pulling out all the stops. Bing Crosby will begin his jing-jing-jingling later this week as will Nat King Cole and, who know, maybe the Chipmunks. A Christmas List of appropriate movies will be made and checked off as we watch them**.
I am looking at our tree right now and I love it. It smells great and it is a perfectly decorated tree. I wouldn't complain if Mother Nature decided to provide a little snow this year. Last year we got a snowday thanks to a massive ice storm that forced us into pioneer like living conditions for 4 days. Awesome!
It is going to be a good Christmas this year.
Eef Barzelay [mp3] Joy To The World
I love the version of this song he does.
**
Christmas Movie List
10. BEAUTIFUL GIRLS- More like a seasonal movie instead of a Christmas Movie "Conway you come waltzing in with your big city bullshit..."
9. THE REF- (an almost always overlooked Christmas movi... Dennis Leary is hiIllarious and this is a must on anyones list)
8. SCROOGED- Bill Murray pours a great whiskey and Tab in this movie...a drip of Cola
7. CHRISTMAS VACATION- (Clark to Eddie)Can I refill your eggnog for you? Get you something to eat? Drive you out to the middle of nowhere and leave you for dead?
6. ELF- The funniest PG movie ever. Just passing Uncle Buck for the honor.
5. A CHRISTMAS STORY- A Classic. Tongues stuck to poles, insinuated profanity, the Bumpus hounds, and ocular damage due to Red Rider B-B Guns. I love 24 hours of this movie.
4. HOME ALONE- Never gets old does it
3. THE GRINCH WHO STOLE CHRISTMAS- A few years ago (the year of the blizzard) my friends and i were drunk as shit watching this late at night. When the Grinch gets that sled of presents up to the top and it almost plummets I yelled out "oh shit!" like I had never seen this movie before.
2. A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS- Linus has the greatest monologue in animated history.
1. ITS A WONDERFUL LIFE- Not only is this my favorite Christmas movie, but it is one of my favorite all around movies ever. Yes it is one of the longest movies EVER...but it is great

(Honorable Mention--Twas The Night Before Christmas, Frosty the Snowman)

New Mountain Goats Album Coming in February

THE MOST ANIMATED SINGER ON PLANET EARTH IS.....JOHN DARNIELLE
Christmas comes a little later this year if you love the Mountain Goats like we do. Their new album is due out February 19th. We have heard a couple songs from this upcoming record called Heretic Pride. We can't wait...can you?
Here is what John Darnielle had to say about Heretic Pride:
"We are really excited about this album, and we wish it were out right now, but there is a law against releasing albums in December unless you are Queen. Any album you see released in December is actually by Queen, no matter what it says on the cover. Then in January everybody is recovering from having listened to too much Queen. Hence, February. See you then!"

Heretic Pride:
01 Sax Rohmer #1
02 San Bernardino
03 Heretic Pride
04 Autoclave
05 New Zion
06 So Desperate
07 In the Craters on the Moon
08 Lovecraft in Brooklyn
09 Tianchi Lake
10 How to Embrace a Swamp Creature
11 Marduk T-Shirt Men's Room Incident
12 Sept 15 1983
13 Michael Myers Resplendent

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

--YOU ARE NEXT ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK WEIRD BIRD--
With Thanksgiving being the MOST overlooked holiday out of all the holidays, I am going to ignore Commercial America's overt attempts to skip this great day with all their flashy lightbulbs and 4am sales...I am going to ignore it and enjoy my family and football and eating too much food and taking naps whenever I feel like it. Have a nice Thankgiving!

Eef Barzelay [mp3] Thanksgiving Waves

PLEASE VOTE FOR ALBUM OF THE YEAR!!!!!!!!!

Okkervil River---Girl in Port

Gary and I were sitting around listening to this song and others last night, drinking just enough to irresponsibly bet on Thankgiving Day NFL games. Here is a video for this fine, fine song.

Okkervil River--Girl In Port

What I Have Been Wearing Out On My Ipod...

TWO GALLANTS

For all of the purchase-worthy albums that have come out towards the end of this calender year I want to say that the Two Gallants new one is becoming my favorite. I am always weary of my initial reaction to new records. I realize my impulsive opinions are usually to the extreme.
"I love this album it is the best I have ever heard in my life".
"This record is an utter disappointment and it depresses me because I was looking so forward to it"
After giving those new cds (Two Gallants, Flying Cup Club, The Shepard's Dog, Random Spirit Lover, Reunion Tour, Cease to Begin) some time I have come to the conclusion that Two Gallants-Two Gallants is my favorite. I dont know if it is necessarily the best (musicianship and lyrics) but it is definitely my kind of music. Semi-sad bastard whiskey sippin tunes that out of nowhere can rock out and wake you the fuck up. There is something about rage filled lyrics that I love. They are on tops of my list of bands I would love to see. Just two fellas. You get the sense, from their music, that their idea of a great time is rangling cattle and sitting by a campfire blacking out from whiskey. And although that doesnt quite fit the description of my life I often romaticize that lifestyle and that image comes through to me in their songs.
Two Gallants [mp3] Reflections of the Marionette
SIGUR ROS

When I don't feel like listening to words I understand or instruments I can decifer and I feel like listening to Icelandic music I listen to Sigur Ros. I purchased their newest album Hvarf-Heim, which is a double disc (one live and the other are old B-sides). The live disc is all songs released on other albums while the B-sides are good without a standout track. Every song they play seems like a soundtrack to me. Albeit to a boring movie that is my life. Its very good short distance driving music. Anything longer than 15 minutes you are risking narcolepsy.
Sigur Ros [mp3] Vaka
*the video for this song is pretty great. If you like end of the world, children in gas masks, evacuation type imagery.

The Arcade Fire on Austin City Limits

Sorry I forgot how badass The Arcade Fire is. I caught them on Austin City Limits this weekend (apparently we are one week behind the world in regards to PBS programming) and the show was really very good. The best performance I have seen on ACL maybe ever (I really enjoyed the Bright Eyes show a couple years ago). They are huge. Sometimes I just want to hear a man and his guitar...other days I want to hear a band full of horns and accordians and megaphone singers and gigantic noise. Its all about horns these days, you know. Some bands just give off a feeling different than any other band and I think The Arcade Fire does this. Something like a cult kind of feeling; Win Butler the cult leader...they act like zombies stuck in their music. They kind of remind me of gypsies even though their music is not gypsy music (Beirut). I was a huge fan of their first LP Funeral. It was one of those great eerie sort of records. Neon Bible was pretty great itself. (Antichrist Television Blues) is my favorite song on the album. You really hear a lot of the Boss in that record. And that is not a bad thing. In fact you probably know that Springsteen covered Keep the Car Running. You can almost believe he wrote that song.
Tivo is a brilliant invention and allows me to watch all Austin City Limit shows at my leisure.
The Arcade Fire [mp3] (Antichrist Television Blues)

To The Dome

It's definitely not as gratifying as if you were playing in the game...or even having something to do with it as a coach(I did videotape through pouring buckets of rain on our latest scouting venture...surely that counts for something), but it is still pretty awesome. Our football team won 50-20 in the semifinals of state to go to the dome and play for the 4A State Championship. All we wanted as a high school athlete was to be the best in the entire state. It was an odd feeling winning this game. First of all we beat their asses...and no semifinal game should ever be so lopsided. Secondly, being the JV defensive coordinator, my contribution to this effort is close to obsolete. And lastly, as coaches, we didnt even play in the game. With all that being said it is still amazing to think back to hot ass August two-a-days and where you are now.
on the note of "football"--the best show you have not seen because it is on Friday nights is Friday Night Lights. I recommend you pick up the first season and watch it over this Thanksgiving holiday season.

All Time Quarterback [mp3] Dinner at Eight in the Suburbs

If You Haven't Watched 30 Rock Yet You Should Start

I can play this clip at any moment in the day and laugh...

If I'm not mistaken his left hand there is a carnie hand...

Flashback Friday

I miss cool Flava Flav when all he did was finish lines with Chuck D.

Where Has Mia Sara Gone?

Mia Sara was and still is a band. They have done one song to limited critical acclaim. They have T-Shirts. They have never played their own show. They have been compared to Guns N Roses and their quest for Chinese Democracy. They new album is due out soon.
Here is their one song.

Mia Sara [mp3] Last Song

52.5

Band of Horses Guest List is on Pitcforkmedia.com right now. Just thought I would add this since I have been to this record store (and it is a good one). Mitch knows what I am talking about...

FAVORITE RECORD STORE--Ben Bridwell (Band of Horses)
I'll go with 52.5 in Charleston, South Carolina. I've been going there since I was probably like eighteen. They were in a different location, but now they just moved but still in downtown Charleston. I remember going there and wondering even what ska or, like, the Intelligent Dance Music or whatever IDM was. You know, just like, when I was young enough to not even understand all kinds of forms of music, I've been going there that long-- it holds a special place in my heart. And I actually haven't been there in awhile unfortunately. I hate-- my truck doesn't have a proper tags on it, and I'm afraid to cross the bridge into the next county, in case they throw me into jail or something.

Ten Things I Would Rather Be Doing

Ten Things I Wish I Was Doing Right Now Instead of Working
10. Drinking large quantities of alcohol with my friends heading towards the goal of blacking out (before sunset)
9. Sitting in my living room listening to full length albums on my headphones.
8. Sitting on a porch in a rocking chair enjoying what will be one of the last real fall days before we are hit by winter
7. I havent read a good book in a long time...today I would like to read a good book that I cant put down.
6. Kicking field goals
5. Napping for the first time today
4. Writing letters on my typewriter while drinking and listening to Bob Dylan
3. Playing RBI Baseball
2. Spending the entire afternoon at a movie theater
1. Spending too much money at a record store

Two quite random songs for you to listen to today as you are thinking about not working

Okkervil River [mp3] April Anne (daytrotter session)
Page France [mp3] Chariot (live)

The Mountain Goats @ The Billiken Club

I was sitting at the bar, one stool over from John Darnielle and Peter Hughes, thinking about something I could say to them that wouldnt seem like I was attempting to ask them out on a date or planning their assasination. I just dont have anything to say to "famous" people. Nothing unassuming and worthwhile. How I wish I had the ablility to walk city blocks with...lets say Mike McCready...making chit chat worthy of "interesting banter".
The show was good as always, or at least what I expect. They played two new songs (Craters of the Moon? and another one that I didnt catch the name of) The second one was sweet and he closed the show with it. Only after playing The Best Ever Deathmetal Band Out Of Denton which made the night for me. Still, No Children was absent and that kind of bummed me out. He did play Mole and Love, Love, Love and We Were Patriots. It was a good show.
As we were leaving we ran into them and I patted John Darnielle on the back and said "good show guys...real entertaining"...thats all I could get out and I wish I would have left out the "real entertaining" part because it made me feel like his grandmother coming to a show she felt obligated to attend and congratulating her grandson because she loves him. F!!

The Bowerbirds opened up and they were really good

The Mountain Goats [mp3] Pinklon

The Bowerbirds [mp3] Dark Horse

Molding them into 'Cool'

For those of you producing offspring these days I am excited for you. You have the opportunity to bring a living being into this planet and form him/her in the image of cool. And we all know the first step to cool is music. Slightly before wearing interesting clothes and being able to handle inordinate amounts of beer. A buddy of mine plays these children songs in his car for his child...one song, sang by what I can only imagine as a 65 year old librarian named Vivian has the chorus "what a beautiful pussy you are" and I almost piss myself every time I hear it. What he should be doing is playing Pearl Jam and Bob Dylan and The Weakerthans and My Morning Jacket. Your kids could be cooler than Lou Reed and that is almost impossible.
I grew up listening to the Beatles and the Beach Boys and Buddy Holly...I am thankful for that. If I started listening to Bob Dylan when I was just old enough to speak I would be too cool for planet earth. Jackson Brownlee just attended a Bob Dylan/ Elvis Costello show and he is well on his way. Good work on that one Pops. This one goes out to the kids soon to be born...and the hope that your parents will give you the tools to be cool.

Please tell me there is someone on this earth cooler than Eddie Vedder at this moment...you cant...because it is impossible
Enjoy the weekend. Get outside before you complain about the cold.

Flashback Friday

Nada Surf-Popular

Wash your hair at least once every two weeks!!

Two Games To State

High School Football playoffs. So many kids are going to basketball practice instead of continuing on with the football season. More kids are filled with disappointed than with hope. Our team is two wins away from playing in the Dome. Pretty amazing time of year. Packed stands...everybody believing they are going to play in front of thousands on the turf of the Edward Jones Dome. Everything riding on every play. Two huge games away. HUGE! Not that I have had a ton to do with it...you know...JV assistant coach...blitzing too much and too randomly, scouting duties on weekends...a master at videotaping, but its still a good feeling. For your team to win.

The Mountain Goats [mp3] Fall Of The High School Running Back
The Mountain Goats are playing a free show in St. Louis this weekend. I think I will be attending. Any opportunity to see the Mountain Goats should be taken.

Me No Scared Of No FBI

I've been listening to this one a lot lately. It doesn't really fit with any of the other songs of his I have posted. Those are great...and this one is really good...just in a different way. You have to pay attention to his songs...otherwise you are going to miss something big.

Ce N'est Rien [mp3] Look Both Ways

The Greatest, Most Boring Game Ever

I guess it was because I was looking for an absolute shootout.
35-35 going into the last drive of the game.
Brady to Moss in the back of the endzone for the game winner.
They are billing it as a classic and I suppose it was in the sense that it was a 4 point game between unbeatens. Joseph Addai, if he hasnt already made a name for himself, most definitely did today. The Pats just could not stop the guy, and I dont think that we ever will. The Colts Defense is superior for 3 quarters...without a doubt the fastest defense in the league...for 3 quarters. The thing is they just burn out. The Pats Defense looked slow...we tackled poorly but by the fourth quarter the Pats defense sustained while the Colts just looked worn down. Dungy's small fast defense put so much pressure on Brady in the first half that Mitch and I (through tireless text messages) made the call that this game was just boring.The referees did about everything in their power to cheat us...horrible pass interference call on Samuel and then on Moss...give me a break. The kicker was with less than a minute in the fourth quarter the Patriots stop Addai and the Colts were looking at a 3rd and 2. At that point you wouldnt expect them to call a timeout and that they would just let the half run out. But wait...the striped morons gave the Colts a first down...WHAT!!!? Colts call a timeout and then the Patriots proceeded to let Addai catch a five yard pass and run down the field 70 some yards like he was Barry Sanders. I was hot. Bastards..plus I was hoping to have a chance of covering my first half spread (since i am now fully addicted to sports betting).
When a great team beats a great team while playing their worst game of the year...you know they are better than everybody else.
A few notes:
Colts/ Patriots AFC Championship Game Sunday January 20th...Mark your calander
Adam Vinatieri is still the Patriots best kicker
I didnt realize Joseph Addai is as good as he is...Wow he is pretty fucking good.
This week was the first time I have heard the phrase "You just got Mossed!" (From a JV football player of mine--we got Mossed a lot this year)---Randy Moss is awesome
The Patriots are the best team in football...

DONT FORGET TO VOTE FOR ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Vote For Album of the Year

LAST YEARS WINNER!!! THE BODY THE BLOOD THE MACHINE

I am bored today and this may be a little premature but voting for the 2nd Annual Red Pants Album Of the Year will begin today and go up until the last day of 2007. Last years winner was The Body, The Blood, The Machine by the Thermals. This year the nominations are from Iron and Wine, Bright Eyes, The Twilight Sad, Band of Horses, Elvis Perkins Okkervil River and Sunset Rubdown. If you have any other nominations post them in the comments and they will be added. Scroll down a bit and vote today because you only have 59 days left in 2007.

SONGS FROM THE ARTISTS
Iron and Wine [mp3] Resurrection Fern
Elvis Perkins [mp3] Emiles Vietnam In The Sky
Bright Eyes [mp3] Cleanse Song
Band of Horses [mp3] Is There A Ghost
Sunset Rubdown [mp3] Winged Wicked Things (daytrotter session)
The Twilight Sad [mp3] Cold Days From The Birdhouse
Okkervil River [mp3] Our Life Is Not A Movie, Or Maybe

***To Friends of Mine: My new email address is Mutineers23@aol.com

The Darjeeling Limited

Went and enjoyed The Darjeeling Limited last weekend. When seeing a Wes Anderson movie it is important not to compare it to his other ones (even though this is virtually impossible). The Royal Tenenbaums is one of the greatest movies of our time followed close behind by Rushmore. Bottle Rocket and A Life Aquatic are both amazing as well. Any other director on the earth would be lucky to have one of those movies as their crowning achievement. Its like Tyrone Willingham going to a BCS game in his first year with the Irish. You knew right there that he was done at first glance of an 8-3 season.
With that being said The Darjeeling Limited would be your 8-3 season. To anyone elses standard, amazing, but to Wes Anderson it is probably his 5th best movie. The dialogue between brothers (Owen Wilson, Adrian Brody, Jason Schwarzman) is awesome and funny. "I love you too, but I'm gonna mace you in the face"
They spend their time together trying to bond over Indian pain medication and cough syrup on a quest to find their mother. I will go see it again because I love the world Wes Anderson makes in his movies.
It's nice to look forward to seeing a movie again.

Good Soundtrack too.
The Kinks [mp3] This Time Tomorrow
I like this song and will listen to it more than 7 times today.