StainMaster Productions

2003-11-22T23:57:00.000-05:00

NO WORSE THAN US

Former Tuesday Morning Quarterback, Gregg Easterbrook has posted a well written defense of gay marriage on his Easterblogg.

C'mon, do you really think the homos can fuck up marriage any worse than we breeders have?

2003-11-20T22:49:00.000-05:00

SLUMP

Maybe this means I'm out of my slump (in writing and what not).

I've been hearing Thomas rave about Dizzee Rascal for a few months now, and Matador has posted an mp3 of "Fix Up, Look Sharp" to their site. All I can say is, "HOT SHIT!" I'm not quite the fan of his collab with Basement Jaxx as Submeat, but this track is boomin' Club Ralston to the ground. If this song is any indication, Dizzee will be an early front runner for '04.

2003-11-20T22:37:00.000-05:00

FUCK ME GENTLY

I know I'm late on this (I believe 'meat was raving about it months ago), but last week I finally picked up the Yeah Yeah Yeahs Fever to Tell. Holy fuck, Batman! This one is a stunner. The single (& video) "Maps" is a jaw-dropping Sonic Youth meets Chrissie Hynde post-art-punk noise ballad that is the most emotionally devastating song I've heard all year. And then there's the disco-punk anthems spread throughout the record that rival what I've heard from Electric Six. Fever to Tell is a lock for my Top Ten.

2003-10-15T22:14:00.000-05:00

HEART-ACHIN' MAN

The Cubs are about to blow a 3-1 series lead. Every statistic was in their favor except for the fact that they haven't been to the World Series in 58 years. My grandfather was 28 years old in October of 1945. This is all too depressing. If the Yankees make it, I'm not watching a single pitch of the World Series.

2003-10-11T13:57:00.000-05:00

1972

Here's a challenge: put on a show in Cub-crazy Chicago on a night when the game is out of town and goes into extra innings, and then try to keep everyone's attention on the stage. I'm happy to report that Leona Naess and Josh Rouse did a fine job.

The Abbey Pub is split into two parts. There's a traditional pub side that serves food and drinks and has numerous televisions. Then there's the concert hall side, which looks more like a renovated Knights of Columbus banquet room. There is one tv on the concert side of the building, which was left on before the show and during the opening act, Forty Piece Choir.

Leona took the stage just as Sammy struck out to open the top of the 9th. The tv went off and a handful of Cubs fans ventured over to the pub to catch the rest of the game. Those who stayed were treated to a solid set by this still-developing songbird. Most recognized for dating Ryan Adams, Leona's set was an eclectic selection of songs from her three albums. Her stage presence easily captivated loyalists and probably garnered a few converts. Far from flawless, but her second album I Tried to Rock You But You Only Roll (awful title) is worth checking out.

After a very short set change, Josh took the stage ready to groove us back to 1972 (the year he--and I--was born, and the name of his latest album). Josh has been playing with most of his current band for a couple years and you can tell. Josh is looking slick with longer hair, a black t-shirt and sporty blazer (I told him after the show the he looked like a former college roommate of mine). He wants to dance as much as he wants to rock. The set was great, but how could it not be? Every one of his songs is memorable at least in part, and generally as a whole. If my short-term memory serves me right, the set included (not in order): 1972, Love Vibration, James, Slaveship, Comeback, Flight Attendant (encore-closer), Nothing Gives Me Pleasure, Miracle, Under Cold Blue Stars, Feeling No Pain, Laughter, Directions, Dressed Up Like Nebraska (acoustic-encore), and Flair (acoustic-encore), as well as covers of Steely Dan's "Dirty Work" and Marvin Gaye's "Where Are We Going?". The band sounded great. Josh looked like he was having fun. I can't imagine how exhausting it is to travel hundreds of miles everyday and then set up and put on a killer show. I talked to Curt and Hags for a few seconds after the show and they both said they were a little tired. You wouldn't know by their performance. Josh may have been just a tad more animated when I saw him last year in Indy, but like I said, the new songs are more about the groove than the rock. Well worth the 6+ hour round trip.

I didn't get to ask Josh the two questions I had in mind: What does it feel like to have a room full of people singing along to your songs? And, How much fun is it to sing such great songs every night? The new t-shirts are great. I hope they offer them online after the tour.

Another high point of the evening was getting to roam around Wrigleyville on the night of a Cubs playoff game, even if the team was in Miami. The energy in that neighborhood is amazing. Enjoyed a Wrigleyville Dog and a pint of New Castle at the Gingerman, next to the Metro (Death Cab for Cutie was the headliner). Truly a great evening.

2003-10-06T18:42:00.000-05:00

RUSH

It's been interesting to see everyone's viewpoints on this "grand" controversy about Rush Limbaugh's comments regarding Donovan McNabb (meanwhile our government is killing innocent people overseas and disenfranchising thousands here at home on a daily basis). I must admit I was a bit surprised to see a mild defense of Rush by Paul over at God's Audio/Visual Aid.

While I would agree that Rush's comments do not construe racism, he employs some prejudice and faulty logic to make his point. And some of it may just get down to semantics. For instance, Paul asserts, "McNabb's record as a QB is frightfully average" Well, his (and his team's) record in McNabb's first three full seasons was 11-5, 11-5, and 12-4; plus two trips to the "Final Four" in one of the most evenly competitive leagues in all of American sports. You can argue, as Rush did, that the defense carried the team. Philly certainly had a strong defense in those seasons, but undoubtedly not the dominant, winning defense that Tampa Bay and Baltimore needed to win their titles.

Now you can argue that McNabb's passing stats and ratings have been middle-tier over that time, but there is much more to a quarterback's effectiveness than his completion percentage and passer rating. I'll use Terry Bradshaw as an example. His career completion percentage is only 52% (McNabb's is 56%) and over his career Bradshaw threw two more touchdowns than interceptions (McNabb is currently +29). Statistically, Bradshaw was average at best, but his record sparkles. Of course you can attribute the Steelers success in the '70s to their defense, but Bradshaw's peers thought enough of his ability to deliver in the clutch and during big games to enshrine him in the Pro Football Hall Of Fame. Statistics can be misleading, especially at the quarterback position. There are so many intangibles that go into being a great pro quarterback. If you complete 50% or less of your passes on 1st and 2nd down, but are a 75% passer on 3rd down, or in the case of McNabb, have the ability to run for 1st downs, your statistics may not be great, but your effectiveness cannot be denied. The consensus among NFL players and coaches is that Donovan is a great pro quaterback. I can't think of a group of people more qualified to make that judgement.

But my biggest problem with what Rush said was not his inaccurate evaluation of a certain player's value, but rather his audacity to use a sports program to sneak a political jab at affirmative action and the mythical "Liberal" media. He was hired by ESPN because of his passion for football and his effectiveness as a speaker. He couldn't stick to the format (you decide why), so it was time to go. What I think Rush (and perhaps Paul) doesn't understand, is that black athletes in any sport don't need apologists or hype or anything else to succeed (or appear successful). The stakes are so high, that no coach or organization is going to stick with a loser to rectify years of social injustice. Rush, like Jimmy "The Greek" and many others before him, still holds a prejudice that minorities can't succeed without some invisible hand forcing them to the front, whether it be media hype, affirmative action, or "breeding." Those assumptions completely disrespect the hard work these athletes have put in to be at the top of their profession. I find it offensive when somebody says Larry Bird was great mainly because of his "work ethic", but Michael Jordan was great because he was a "natural, gifted athlete". Jordan was gifted for sure, but he became the best because he took those abilities and out-practiced and out-worked everyone until his skills were second-to-none.

Maybe McNabb is overated. Maybe he does get too much media exposure. But can you say for sure it's because the media and the NFL are looking to compensate for years of denied opportunities? Some athletes just have a magnetic personality and some don't. Barry Bonds, arguably the best baseball player of this era, has few if any endorsement contracts. He's not a likeable guy. The man they call "Mr. Baseball", Bob Uecker, played parts of six seasons in the big leagues and was a career .200 hitter (that's really bad for those not in the know). You can't make the assumption that the media spotlights McNabb because they want to see a black quarterback succeed. There's just no evidence.

2003-09-20T11:21:00.000-05:00

MERRY HO HO

Never too early to think about Christmas, or Christmas music, right? Our friends at Lost Highway records has cooked us up a down-home, acoustic CD.

A Very Special Acoustic Christmas - 10/21/03
1. "Silent Night" - Reba McEntire
2. "Frosty The Snowman" - Dan Tyminski
3. "Please Come Home For Christmas" - Willie Nelson
4. "Just Put A Ribbon In Your Hair" - Alan Jackson
5. "Only You Can Bring Me Cheer" - Alison Krauss
6. "Even Santa Gets The Blues" - Marty Stuart
7. "Jingle Bells" - Earl Scruggs
8. "Christmas Time Is Near" - Ralph Stanley
9. "O' Come All Ye Faithful" - Patty Loveless
10. "O Holy Night" - Wynonna
11. "Walking In A Winter Wonderland" - Pat Green
12. "Let It Snow" - Sam Bush
13. "Away In A Manger" - Ricky Skaggs
14. "Christmas Time At Home" - Rhonda Vincent
15. "I'll Be Home For Christmas" - Tift Merritt
16. "Peace" - Norah Jones

2003-09-19T19:45:00.000-05:00

QUOTE WHORE

Want to use a great line from one of your favorite movies but can't remember the exact words? Lose yourself for hours on imdb.com looking up your favorite movie quotes. How extensive are they? Just check out their page on Heathers, one of the most quotable movies of all time.

2003-09-19T09:04:00.000-05:00

MORE HOWARD

Here's a link to a story on Howard's Pub from Reuters.

2003-09-19T08:53:00.000-05:00

STANDING FIRM

This makes me so happy. Here's an excerpt of a hurricane Isabel story from the Associated Press:

On isolated Ocracoke Island along the Outer Banks, about 15 people gathered at Howard's Pub to ride out the storm.

"Isabel's eye passed right over us," said Buffy Warner, the pub's owner. "It was so dramatic. The rain was actually driving horizontally with these incredibly dark skies and no visibility. Then, within about 60 seconds, the sky became bright white."

Hope all my friends in Hampton Roads are safe. Talked to Thomas last night (I can't believe they still had cell phones!) and things were okay with him.

2003-09-10T21:34:00.000-05:00

TMQ

The return of the NFL season also marks the return of Tuesday Morning Quarterback. Gregg Easterbrook is a man after my own heart. He's a solid writer, intelligent, witty, a sports nut and has a keen eye for "cheerbabes." He's critical of the logic behind Ten Commandments monument supporters in Alabama, he's skeptical of "Democrat" General Wesley Clark's potential run for the White House, and he almost never refers to teams by their trademarked nickname (the best being Potomac Drainage Basin Indigenous Persons instead of the overtly offensive Redskins). Gregg's insights are usually spot-on, and when they're not, they're at least a fun, thoughtful read. The only problem is that his articles are so thorough, I usually don't have time to read it all.

2003-09-10T21:16:00.000-05:00

FACT OR FICTION

So Clear Channel says they aren't the big, bad corporate monster that everyone thinks they are. Check out their Know The Facts page to see their side of the argument. Here's my analysis: there are 13,418 radio stations in America. CC says they "only" own 9%, and that the top ten media conglomerates "only" own 43% of radio stations nationwide, compared to the 60%+ market share of conglomerates in cable, film and recording industries. If you take 9% of 13,418 you get over 1,200 stations! Now divide that by the top 150 markets, which must reach at least 90% of the population, and you've got an average of 8 stations per market. And I'd bet on average, those stations all rank in the top 20 Arbitron ratings. So, if all my realistic assumptions are anywhere near correct, the actual audience share by Clear Channel is well, well, WELL over 9%. Probably somewhere between 60%-80%. That's dominance. That's power. That's darn near a monopoly. Call me a skeptic or cynic. That's fine. How much choice do you feel with your local radio?

2003-09-08T21:05:00.000-05:00

GBV

So the track listing for the Guided by Voices "Best-Of" (titled Human Amusements at Hourly Rates) has been released, or at least posted at Pitchfork. It goes:

01 A Salty Salute
02 Things I Will Keep
03 Everywhere With Helicopter
04 I Am a Tree
05 My Kind of Soldier
06 14 Cheerleader Coldfront
07 Twilight Campfighter
08 Echos Myron
09 Learning To Hunt
10 Bulldog Skin
11 Captain's Dead
12 Tractor Rape Chain
13 Game of Pricks
14 To Remake the Young Flyer
15 Hit
16 Glad Girls
17 Drinker's Peace
18 Surgical Focus
19 Cut-Out Witch
20 The Best of Jill Hives
21 Hot Freaks
22 Shocker in Gloomtown
23 Chasing Heather Crazy
24 My Valuable Hunting Knife
25 The Official Ironmen Rally Song
26 Non-Absorbing
27 Motor Away
28 Teenage FBI
29 Watch Me Jumpstart
30 Exit Flagger
31 Back to the Lake
32 I Am a Scientist

Not a bad collection. I'd obviously make some substitutions. Don't really understand "Twilight Campfighter"s inclusion. My list of suggestions could go on forever. Not a bad effort by Bob, really.

2003-09-08T20:58:00.000-05:00

PIGSKIN

On a better note, the NFL season kicked off with my two favorite teams winning. My all-time favorite Steelers picked up a huge win over division rival Baltimore, while my hometown Colts survived another sub-par performance by Peyton Manning in their narrow victory at Cleveland. The Colts will have their hands full against the Titans at the Dome next week. Pittsburgh's defense should give them an edge against Mr. Everything, Priest Holmes and the Kansas City Chiefs. I belong to a football fantasy league and joined a Yahoo! Pick'em group to keep things interesting. This week resulted in a push. I lost my fantasy game because I have no running backs (of any quality), and I won my Pick'em group. Next week I'll go for the sweep.

2003-09-08T20:45:00.000-05:00

SAD

I'm sad that our governor, Frank O'Bannon, had what appears to be a stroke-enduced cerebral hemorrhage this morning. He hasn't been nearly as visible and popular as (now senator) Evan Bayh, but he's always seemed like a wise, friendly statesman. I can't really put my feelings into better words right now, but my thoughts and prayers are with the O'Bannon family.

2003-08-20T16:47:00.000-05:00

SOLID TEN

It's been an interesting ten years since Magnet began publishing their indie-rock-centric rag. Issue 60 (that's six per year, one every two months, bi-monthly, for those who have trouble counting) does a decent job of arbitrarily summing up the previous decade. They've got the usual spotlights on artists and bands that were most influential. And they've got the standard countdown list, this one being their top 60 (why 60? why it's issue #60) albums since 1993. I own a surprisingly low 30 of them, though I do own 11 of the top 12. Can't argue with their top pick, Neutral Milk Hotel's In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, which is probably my number two album of all time.

Pop music has gone through so many ups and downs in the last ten years, I would have liked to read an article about the flow of the music industry in the last ten years: the fads, scenes, movements, changes, etc. that have come and gone. Of course there should be an article about how college radio has been influenced by the trends and policies of major record companies - which could have included perspective on one of Magnet's chief influences/rivals, CMJ. So there's a lot of what you'd expect, and quite a bit of what you'll love.

2003-08-12T21:40:00.000-05:00

QUEEN ME

When do I get a harem of homos (not you, 'meat - no offense) to convert me into an irresistable bachelor? I've worked on the bod, now I need some fashion tips and a re-decorated bedroom/bath.

2003-08-12T21:33:00.000-05:00

NEW, IMPROVED PAUL

Paul is back, and better than ever! I agree that the new Sloan video isn't all that. I'm not turned off by Chris' glasses, but the scarf has to go. I'm disappointed in the concept. Didn't the Smashing Pumpkins cover this ground in the video for "Rocket"? And the performance clips just aren't that exciting. If I weren't a Sloan fan, this video would not make me a convert. Still love the song. Most of the audio clips leave me salivating.

2003-07-31T20:41:00.000-05:00

SEARCH AND DESTROY

Sorry to disappoint the person who went searching for "neice pussy photo". I'm quite disgusted that the search engine returned my blog! BTW, my neice is turning 6 on tuesday, and she's adorable.

2003-07-31T20:28:00.000-05:00

PLEASURE LISTENING

Have you been listening to (goddamn) Thomas' Launchcast station? Why the fuck not!? Here's what I've heard in the last hour:

Sigur Ros, "Avalon"
Jane's Addiction, "Jane Says"
Manic Street Preachers, "There by the Grace of God"
R.E.M., "Orange Crush"
Kruder & Dorfmeister, "Deep Shit Pt. 1 & Pt. 2"
Brand New Heavies, "Sometimes"
The Prodigy, "Fuel My Fire"
Alexander O'Neal, "Criticize"
Interpol, "Obstacle 2"
The Pixies, "I'm Amazed"
Rolling Stones, "Sympathy for the Devil"
Depeche Mode, "Love In Itself"
Maxwell, "Know These Things: Shouldn't You"
Everything But The Girl, "Mirrorball"

Not a stinker in the bunch, really. Just a brief glimpse of what makes (goddamn) Thomas so damn fascinating. I really should go back and re-evaluate Maxwell's second album Embrya. I put it away too soon after it came out in '98.

2003-07-31T20:17:00.000-05:00

DON'T CALL IT A COMEBACK

Yay! Paul is coming back! I'll be sure to update the link as soon as he gets the new site rollin'.

2003-07-31T20:12:00.000-05:00

VIDEOS TO GO

Josh Rouse's new video for "Love Vibration" is up and available for streaming at MTV.com believe it or not (in the Here today, hip tomorrow section). According to Josh (posted on his own forum):

the video was an intentional rip off of the movie "office space." we are currently working on another concept for another video to the song "comeback." both videos are done by a girl named yael stav who lives in canada, and has done videos for hayden, howie beck, and kathleen edwards.

I like the video. I love how the song sounds - sort of a David Gates by way of Greg Dulli vibe going. I'm not usually a big fan of call-and-response songs, so it'll be interesting to see how it grows on me. You want more? How 'bout this? The new album, 1972, will feature a limited edition free bonus DVD that includes the "Love Vibration" video and a 40 minute short film on Josh called "Fact/Fiction"!

If you follow the link to the MTV video page, you'll notice that in their "Classic Videos" section they currently have five Duran Duran videos! And not exactly the most obvious ones like "Rio" and "Hungry Like the Wolf". Unfortunately, the "Girls on Film" video is the edited version. No, I'm not dumb enough to have expected the boob-filled cut, but it would've been a pleasant surprise. That's why losers (like me) have the VHS.

Also checked out the new Justin video, "Seniorita", while I was there. I think this song cements the notion that this album is his Off the Wall. Does that make Pharrell the new Quincy Jones? The video is nice. Of course it doesn't hurt to have impossibly skinny chicks shakin' their money makers Latin-style.

2003-07-31T19:44:00.000-05:00

SWIMMING IN MY CLOTHES

I realize this is a good problem to have, but I've lost enough weight in the last six months that the majority of my clothes are now too big for me. Shirts that used to be a little tight fit, shirts that used to fit are a little too big, and shirts that used to be comfortably loose look more like shower curtains. Don't even get me started on my pants. Two words: Hammer time!

2003-07-29T08:29:00.000-05:00

HAPPY BLOG-DAY

StainMaster Productions formally observes the one-year birthday of Oh Manchester, so much to answer for. Happy blog-day Submeat!

2003-07-27T12:59:00.000-05:00

ON WITH THE SHOW

Was fortunate enough to catch Eels in concert at the Vogue in Indy on Thursday. I only own one Eels CD (Souljacker) and was worried that it'd just be some cheap imitation of Beck. Instead, I was treated to a thoroughly good rock show by a very tight band. The rhythm section was solid but unspectacular, but the guitar work between E and the other guy (Joe Gore?) was excellent, blending rock riffs with occasional shards of noise, blues and even surf. E started the show upstairs while his band rocked onstage. After a brief overture, E addressed the crowd from above and then wailed on a harmonica and descended the staircase. He makes an outstanding frontman and not a second went by where he wasn't captivating the audience. E was very playful with the Indy crowd, despite the relatively low turnout. If Eels come to your town, I suggest checking it out.

2003-07-27T11:32:00.000-05:00

WHERE DOES IT END?

I'm trying to imagine what the logical conclusion is to the RIAA's witch hunt of its own customers. How far will they go? Supposedly they're now targeting tape traders, even fans of bands who allow their shows to be taped! What's next? Will I not be allowed to play a CD in my car if I have a passenger who doesn't own a copy of the album themselves? Is that considered stealing copyrighted music? Do I have to keep my windows rolled up and make sure a passer-by isn't exposed to the poison that is "free" music? These questions sound rediculous, don't they? But when you put it in context of the RIAA, it doesn't sound that far-fetched, does it? Is it possible for me to type a sentence that doesn't end in a question?

2003-07-25T16:28:00.000-05:00

COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT WARNING:
It appears that you are offering copyrighted music to others from your computer. Distributing or downloading copyrighted music on the Internet without permission from the copyright owner is ILLEGAL. It hurts songwriters who create and musicians who perform the music you love, and all the other people who bring you music.

When you break the law, you risk legal penalties. There is a simple way to avoid that risk: DON'T STEAL MUSIC, either by offering it to others to copy or downloading it on a "file-sharing" system like this.

When you offer music on these systems, you are not anonymous and you can easily be identified. You also may have unlocked and exposed your computer and your private files to anyone on the Internet. Don't take these chances. Disable the share feature or uninstall your "file-sharing" software. For more information on how, go to http://www.musicunited.net/5_takeoff.html.

This warning comes from artists, songwriters, musicians, music publishers, record labels and hundreds of thousands of people who work at creating and distributing the music you enjoy. We are unable to receive direct replies to this message. For more information about this Copyright Warning, go to www.musicunited.net.

Anyone else seen this?

2003-07-23T18:35:00.000-05:00

LYRIC O' THE MOMENT

I don't believe in love, and I want to believe
- from "She Heightened Everything" by Pernice Brothers

2003-07-22T21:23:00.000-05:00

THIS NEWS DOES NOT SUCK

Sometime this fall (please make it near November 28), Matador will release a Guided by Voices box set entitled Hardcore UFOs. Contents of said boxed set will be:

-- one disc live (hand-picked by Bob Pollard and webmaster Rich Turiel)
-- one disc unreleased
-- one disc Matador A's and B's
-- one disc Greatest Hits, chosen by Bob
-- one disc 'Forever Since Breakfast' (the first ever GBV)
-- one DVD 'Watch Me Jumpstart' expanded w/ all the videos

and a perfect-bound booklet a la 'Slanted Luxe'

You could possibly win it all for free if you're lucky enough to find one of 25 "golden tickets" to be packaged in the first CD pressing of the new album Earthquake Glue.

2003-07-21T18:41:00.000-05:00

FEELIN' BLUE

Finally picked up my own copy of Massive Attack's Blue Lines today. Fuck, what a brilliant record. I have absolutely no excuse for not owning this record before. It is so genius I can't even begin to put it into words. There's no point in trying. You...must...listen. Unless you only listen to rock or country.

2003-07-17T23:30:00.000-05:00

SPEAK OF THE DEVIL

Submeat and I were on the phone this evening and he told me about his conversation with our long-lost college radio supervisor, media studies professor, and intellectual vixen Dr. Jinny Keller. I went to the Manchester College website to look for a link to WBKE for use in the post below and stumbled across a picture section. Most of the pictures are recent within the last 4-5 years, but a few are from my days of roaming the MC campus between '92-'96, including this one of the lovely Ms. Keller (along with WSBT's Jeff Shafer and the always gorgeous Betsy something-or-other).

2003-07-17T23:22:00.000-05:00

ME, MYSELF & I

Tonight somehow turned into one of those "me" nights when you're by yourself and you don't want to watch TV and instead indulge in something you take (or used to take) a great deal of pleasure. I'd been thinking about it for a few weeks, but tonight I finally dove into my huge box of tapes, mostly from my college radio days at 89.5 WBKE, Manchester College. I (and for two years my friend Ben) put on a damn good radio show. Sure, we were unpolished as broadcasters, but our playlists were genuinely diverse and downright compelling. If I'm ever lucky enough to have a job that I enjoy as much as I did college radio, I'll know I've found my place in the professional world.

2003-07-17T23:02:00.000-05:00

SPREAD THE LOVE

Thanks to largehearted boy (aka David) for posting his own 5x5 and the accompanying reference link. Can't argue with his #1 band or which GBV songs he selected. He even included one of my all time favorite sleeper hits called "He's the Uncle" which is from a hard-to-find Australian EP split with Superchunk.

2003-07-17T22:52:00.000-05:00

BEAUTIFUL, IN EVERY SINGLE WAY

Head on over to The Rub and read Paul's account about his favorite song of all time. Beautiful, poetic, tragic, triumphant. We should all be so lucky to have a story that moving behind something so significant. I don't think I know what Paul does for a living, but his writing has my attention.

2003-07-16T18:24:00.000-05:00

FIVE (fingers) FOR FIGHTING

Thank you, God. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

2003-07-12T15:54:00.000-05:00

I'M CRABBY

Ever since Jenn's Oscar party, I've been obsessed with crab (or krab as it were) dip. She served a great one at the party that someone had purchased at a local grocery store. I suppose in Norfolk delicious seafood dips are as common as humid summer days, but in Indiana they're hard to come by. We do have a good fish market not too far away and they make a nice cajun crab dip, but I'm looking for a more summer-style dip. If you know of a brand or store that sells a good crab dip, please give me a holla.

2003-07-12T10:23:00.000-05:00

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2003-07-12T09:57:00.000-05:00

VH DUMB

Why am I torturing myself by watching VH1? They just played the Jewel video. That song is horrible and the video is worse. Did she and Liz Phair get together and make a bet on who could be worst female rock "artist" of 2003. Jewel does not pull off sexy, whether she intends it to be taken seriously or tongue-in-cheek. How can a woman with those curves come off so unflattering?

On a brighter note, the Matchbox 20 song doesn't make me hurl.

2003-07-12T09:51:00.000-05:00

AK + US

Alison & the boys are apparently touring the last half of the summer. They are true road warriors, and they're coming to within a two hour drive of most of you, at least those of you in the states.

2003-07-12T09:45:00.000-05:00

FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE

CMT should be worth watching tonight at 8e/7c for Grand Ole Opry Live. Tonight's performers are Jessica Andrews and Alison Krauss + Union Station. Or just wait for the files to show up on the internet.

2003-07-11T08:55:00.000-05:00

FINALLY

I have updated some links to the left

2003-07-11T08:24:00.000-05:00

FIVE-ON-FIVE

Taking a cue from butt boy (who I'm sure got the idea somewhere else), I shall do my best to offer my personal 5x5: five favourite songs by my five favourite artists.

#1 Guided by Voices/Robert Pollard
1. Echos Myron
2. Your Name Is Wild
3. I Am a Scientist
4. Tractor Rape Chain
5. Psychic Pilot Clocks Out

#2 Pavement
1. Cut Your Hair
2. Perfume-V
3. Grave Architecture
4. Shoot the Singer
5. Here

#3 Sloan
1. Losing California
2. Keep On Thinkin'
3. The Good In Everyone
4. Everything You've Done Wrong
5. Waiting for Slow Songs

#4 Public Enemy
1. Bring the Noise
2. Fight the Power
3. Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos
4. Can't Truss It
5. Burn Hollywood Burn

#5 Josh Rouse
1. Directions
2. Under Cold Blue Stars
3. Feeling No Pain
4. Afraid To Fail
5. Laughter

Ugh, how do I make a top 5 list without Beth Orton, A Tribe Called Quest, Smashing Pumpkins, Matthew Sweet, Elliott Smith, Belle & Sebastian, PJ Harvey and many, many others!?

Addendum: 'meat says he came up the 5x5 idea on his own. I suppose that might be true.

2003-07-07T22:38:00.000-05:00

MORE JOSH ROUSE

For those of you who can't get enough Josh, there's a couple exciting developments in his world. First, you can hear some sound clips at the Rykodisc website of his new album 1972 (the year I was born). Also, Josh's website has both a message board and forum that Josh posts to on a regular basis! (and also has a post by Wilco's Jeff Tweedy if you believe it) with all kinds of insider goodies. This record is going to be the shit, y'all. Mark your calendars for August 26th. Just one week after the Guided by Voices and Sloan orgy. Thank god I'm going to have great tunes to relieve the depression of being unemployed.

2003-07-03T12:16:00.000-05:00

LYRIC O' THE MOMENT

i want so badly to believe that there is truth, that love is real
and i want life in every word to the extent that it's absurd
- from "Clark Gable" by The Postal Service

2003-06-30T19:53:00.000-05:00

LOOKING BACK

Not only is this midway mark a good time to see what's happened so far in the first half of the year (in music), it's also a great opportunity to look back at last year and reflect on what I thought was great in 2002:

Top Ten Albums

1. Josh Rouse, Under Cold Blue Stars: yep, still a classic. no weak tracks that I see. anybody listening to john mayer really needs to open their ears to this guy. I cringe to even compare the two, but imagine if jm were a thousand times more enjoyable and a million times more talented. However, in the last 12 months I've been listening to his second long-player, Home a bit more and might say now that it's an even better album.

2. Beck, Sea Change: my opinion on this record has not changed, although I don't pull it out that often. I probably haven't listened to it enough to catch all the subtle genius of the whole thing.

3. Blackalicious, Blazing Arrow: not quite all killer, no filler (no, not Sum 41) but awfuly damn close. a seamless, challenging, funky album that doesn't get enough spins. “Chemical Calisthenics” may launch a thousand MCs.

4. Ron Sexsmith, Cobblestone Runway: wasn't sure what to make of this eclectic disc at first, but like most of his recordings, it seeps in with repeated listenings. there are a few hokey lyrical moments ("God Loves Everyone") but even those come off very genuine.

5. Guided by Voices, Universal Truths and Cycles: still not the complete LP of "classic" period GBV (imo: Propeller, Bee Thousand, Alien Lanes, and UBUS), but a vast improvement over Do the Collapse. "Everywhere with Helicopter", "Pretty Bombs" and "Eureka Signs" may be their strongest three-song segment in years. Still, some songs could have benefitted from better production while some could probably stand less.

6. The Reindeer Section, Son of Evil Reindeer: not quite the pure pop perfection of Josh Rouse, but a damn fine pop record. rocks a lot stronger than the best Belle & Sebastian while retaining the some of the same sophisticated melodic structures.

7. The Flaming Lips, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots: "Do You Realize" what a deep, mind-fuck this album is?

8. Alison Krauss + Union Station, Live: they are astronomically talented and this record demonstrates why.

9. Okkervil River, Don't Fall in Love with Everyone You See: Definetly the most challenging of my top ten from last year, which makes it that much more rewarding. For the Neutral Milk Hotel fans who are bummed that Mangum has hung 'em up for good.

10. N*E*R*D, In Search of...: lights...camera...boob touching!

Really nothing I can look back on and say I've lost interest. Because of job circumstances (70-80 work weeks) I haven't spun these records nearly as much as I'd like or would have in the past. 2002 wasn't the strongest year in music, but enough good stuff to keep me on my toes.

2003-06-27T11:05:00.000-05:00

GOING POSTAL

Some of you might be interested to know that on July 8th, The Postal Service will release "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight" EP/CD5. It has a couple remixes and a Flaming Lips cover. Kewl.

2003-06-27T10:47:00.000-05:00

PASSING ON

Long after he let societal evolution pass him by, Strom Thurmond passes away. Apologies to his family and loved ones that I don't feel sorrow. Hell of an obit, though. I don't agree with much he did or said, but he certainly didn't hold anything back. If we can take anything from his legacy, I guess it would be his zeal to live life to the fullest and have such an extraodinary impact on the world.

2003-06-27T09:35:00.000-05:00

SLOAN SLOAN SLOAN SLOAN

Hey kids, do you like beautifully crafted power-pop? Then sprint thyself over to the new Sloan preview site for their new album Action Pact, and check out the first single "The Rest of My Life". It's two minutes and 47 seconds of brilliant guitar pop bliss. The album streets August 19th (same day as the new Guided by Voices album Earthquake Glue) and is produced by Tom Rothrock, who has produced fantastic albums by Beck, Elliott Smith, and Foo Fighters among many others. I've listened to "The Rest of My Life" probably a dozen times over-and-over and have yet to tire of it. I *never* listen to a song like that. If you've liked anything from Sloan before, I can almost guarantee you'll like this.

2003-06-26T09:18:00.000-05:00

FREAKIN' WEEKEND

Had a marvelous weekend (yeah, I know it was four days ago). The highlight, outside of the beer can chicken, was drinking free beer in an elementary school parking lot. How? One word: Catholics. Thanks to my roommate's co-worker, we were hooked up with free beer while attending the Christ the King Summer Celebration. Festive indeed.

Also slept from 6:30pm Friday until 7:00 the next morning. Popped right out of bed and prepared to wash my car, which hadn't been bathed since before winter. While I was finishing, my neighbor came over and offered to show me how to polish and wax it! Nobody ever showed me how and I was always scared I'd scratch the clear-coat finish if I did it wrong. Applied some Rain-X (it really works!), Armor-Alled the interior and bumbers (another suggestion from the neighbor), gave the tires some "wet 'n' protect" and my ride was all pimped out. Another neighbor asked if I had a big date to which I sadly replied "uh, no." Great way to spend a day outside,however. Not a cloud in the sky and low humidity with temps toppng out around 80. A wonderful setup to the beer-soaked evening that followed.

2003-06-26T08:55:00.000-05:00

BEER CAN CHICKEN

Haven't blogged in two weeks! I think I know why: I've been trying to make up for 10 months of social inactivity in two weeks. It's been fun, but it's been exhausting.

The other reason is because I'm still trying to recover from Beer Can Chicken. Not only does it make the chicken tender and juicy, but it was worth it just for the novelty of shoving a beer can up a chicken's ass before roasting it. My roommate and I made two chickens on her gas grill. We had to position them in such a way that it looked like they were dancing...or hugging. We had a few problems with flame-ups, but that was quickly cured by keeping a water spray bottle next to the grill. Since the chickens have a beer can up their brown-eye, they have to stand up on the grill. Makes for a big mess in the kitchen, but I can't wait to try it again. We've had leftovers all week.

2003-06-11T14:10:00.000-05:00

FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH

I went to a few high school graduation open houses last weekend. Didn't know anyone except the kid and maybe a teacher or two. When I was introduced to one mother, she thought I was 15 and was her daughter's schoolmate. She was completely serious. I'm 30.

2003-06-11T12:05:00.000-05:00

PERMANENT VACATION

Enjoying this five day mini-vacation (was supposed to be the whole week, but with our sports teams winning that means I get to work two 15-hour Saturdays and a 10-hour Friday) by sleeping in, running a few errands and doing a chore here and there. I'm also taking two road trips, which used to be the lifeblood of my weekends. Sunday I went to Chicago with Jason and Andrew from Luna for a night at the Abbey Pub to see a little power-pop band called The New Constitution (think T. Rex and Badfinger juiced up for the 21st Century). A fabulous 45-minute set. Then the stage was handed to this awful, Irish band called The Frames, doing a horrible impersonation of Coldplay mixed with the worst (of which there are many) elements of Dave Matthews. They were so bad I don't care if that last sentence eliminates every sorority girl from my list of potential sex-partners.

Tomorrow, I'll be heading to the Cincinnati area to visit King's Island and finally ride Son of Beast. I wouldn't consider myself a roller-coaster enthusiast, but I do enjoy a good thrill ride.

2003-06-11T11:21:00.000-05:00

WEB MADNESS

I've been using the last two days off to catch up and try out some things on the web. Unfortunately, that does not include catching up on all my blog reading. One thing I did try is Friendster, at the request of Thomas and Amber. It's like a cross-section of America, except without all the boring people. In less than 24 hours I'm already "connected" to over 4,000 people: women, men, gay, straight, married, single, young, old...the whole gamut. Wanna join? Just ask.

I've also signed up for AOL Instant Messenger (with the classic callsign getstumpy) because, as Tom put it, I'm tired of being the last person who hasn't. We'll see if I get any more use out of it than I do Yahoo! Instant Messenger.

FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE

If you're a fan of power-pop, like I am, you'll want to take notice of Foutains of Wayne's new album Welcome Interstate Managers. And you'll want to follow the media link on their site and watch an archived video of them appearing on Late Night with Conan O'Brien performing the Kinks song "Better Things" two weeks after 9-11.

2003-06-03T21:13:00.000-05:00

PRINCESS BUTTERBALL

Lisa Marie Presley must be sucking every goddam dick in the record industry! How else do you explain VH1 already making an episode of Driven about her? Her single, "I'm a No-talent Nepotistic Pussy" (does anyone really care what it's called?) is gawd-AWFUL! And the video? Pure CRAP! (and this comes from an expert) She moves like a robotic Melissa Etheridge. She has less soul than Jewel. I'd scream "GO AWAY TO THE FORGOTTEN LAND OF KELLY OSBOURNE!!" but I'm guessing public apathy and album sales will do the trick for me.

On to something that doesn't suck, T. Rex's Electric Warrior re-issue. Downright brilliant! Worth it just for "Raw Ramp."

Woman I love your chest, too
Baby I'm crazy about your breasts

Look closely and you'll see that it's infinitely more poetic than John Mayer's "Your Body Is a Wonderland."

2003-05-19T21:24:00.000-05:00

I've revised my Spring comp once, and I'm still not crazy about it. It's missing something--I just don't know what. I'll have it all figured out by Monday, I hope. Hell, there's only about a month left in Spring anyway.

2003-05-19T21:19:00.000-05:00

BEN & I

I hate to play the "how cool am I?" card, but since Thomas is so fucking good at it, I say "what the hell?!"

Found out Sunday that the wonderful Todd, of Luna Music, put together another one of his Live in the Lab mix CDs of deep, deep house this weekend. This one happens to include a new Ben Watt 12" mix (of what I don't remember--but who cares!?) that only Todd and a select few other people in the world currently have in their hands. To make it cooler, there are only 10 copies of this CD being produced, of which I will receive one, as will Ben Watt. To make it even cooler, the cover photo is a picture of ME! - dancing at a club last December where Todd was spinning. Yeah, Ben Watt is going to have a picture of me on the cover of a CD that only he and I and 8 other people own. Dig It!

In other Ben Watt news, some of you may have heard that the Lazy Dog project is no more. They held their final Club Night this past Friday. Not to fear, Ben is busy at work starting up his new label Buzzin'Fly Records, featuring Ben's new single "Lone Cat (Holding On)" which you may or may not be able to find on your favourite peer-to-peer file sharing network.

2003-05-03T00:05:00.000-05:00

Aiight. I think I've made a Spring comp I'm happy with. Of course I'll need a couple nights (and spins) to know for sure. As of right now, the track listing looks like this:

01) Robyn Hitchcock, "All I Wanna Do Is Fall In Love" (from the brilliant b-side comp Invisible Hitchcock)
02) Justin Timberlake, "Rock Your Body (video version)" (extra beat-box!)
03) Jamiroquai, "Love Foolosophy"
04) Kylie Minogue, "Love At First Sight"
05) soulDecision, "Ohh It's Kinda Crazy" (not a boy band, they're Canadian!)
06) ABC, "The Look of Love"
07) Foutains of Wayne, "Better Things" (Kinks cover)
08) The Beatles, "And Your Bird Can Sing" (Revolveer album cut)
09) The Olivia Tremor Control, "Hideaway"
10) Guided By Voices, "Game of Pricks (live)" (recorded at the Patio in Indy, Feb. 1996)
11) Lindsay Buckingham, "Holiday Road" (from the movie Vacation)
12) James, "Laid" (she only comes when she's on top)
13) Sloan, "Losing California" (my #1 song of the 90's)
14) Badfinger, "No Matter What" (best power-pop song ever!)
15) Van Morrison, "Brown Eyed Girl"
16) Matthew Sweet, "I've Been Waiting"
17) Brendan Benson, "Tiny Spark"
18) The National Splits, "Fader to Fader"
19) The Minders, "Yeah Yeah Yeah"
20) Supergrass, "Alright"
21) *Bonus Track

Give me a shout if you must have your own. It's poptastic and DuPalicious!

2003-04-30T22:33:00.000-05:00

Yeah, maybe Thomas is right. Howard Dean is worth getting excited about. Even if he doesn't win the nomination, he may have a profound effect on the talking points of the Democratic primary.

2003-04-30T22:28:00.000-05:00

Six Bacardi Limon and diet Sprites make Stumpy feel gooooooood.

2003-04-30T20:09:00.000-05:00

Suck my balls.

The Dante's Inferno Test has banished you to the Second Level of Hell!
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:

Level	Score
Purgatory (Repenting Believers)	Very Low
Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers)	High
Level 2 (Lustful)	Very High
Level 3 (Gluttonous)	High
Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious)	Very Low
Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy)	Low
Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics)	Moderate
Level 7 (Violent)	Moderate
Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers)	Moderate
Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous)	Low

Take the Dante's Inferno Hell Test

2003-04-28T20:01:00.000-05:00

Took half a day off today. That in itself is headline news. Had lunch with my mom, sister and neice. It was awkward and sad. Conversation rarely came easy. You'd think for people who hadn't seen each other since Christmas there'd be a ton of stuff to catch up on. Instead it felt like the distance and communication gap had stymied all commonality. I knew I'd see my family less when I moved to Indy, but I didn't predict I'd communicate with them less the way I have. Maybe that will improve once the school year is over. Maybe I should make it my goal to talk to or e-mail my mom at least once a week.

It didn't help that for the first time, I had a bad meal experience at Max & Erma's. I ordered the pulled-pork barbecue sandwich and it tasted alright but it was a little dry. I substituted fries with black bean salsa, which was a mistake. It was too weird having cold black beans and corn. Service wasn't great, either. For some reason we had two servers (never said one was a trainee) who both had the personality of a sponge. And they couldn't get our order right (no mayo on my mom's sandwich, lettuce on my sister's even though she asked to hold it). Guess I'm just in the mood to be critical.

After I post this I plan to go to town on my spring pop comp!

2003-04-28T19:51:00.000-05:00

Fabulous article on Robert Pollard.

2003-04-25T06:54:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure what to think of this. Is it hysterical or pathetic?

2003-04-24T23:24:00.000-05:00

I'm a sucker for Lingo, an original program on the Game Show Network. The goal is to solve the word puzzle, which is always five letters long. They always give you the first letter and tell you if you get any other letters correct, and if they're in the right place or not.

Tonight, this one team was getting creamed...bad. On their next to last puzzle, they were given a T followed by four blanks. The woman on the team guessed--with a straight face--TAINT. She was wrong. Chuck Woolery had no comment or snicker. The game proceeded as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. I'm going to sleep with a big smile on my face.

2003-04-20T19:27:00.000-05:00

Oh...my...gawd! This is so funny. I've known about this since Tom posted about it many months ago, but today was the first time I've read my blog through the shizzolator. Priceless

2003-04-20T09:33:00.000-05:00

Because of my emotional detachment from my job, I did spend a bit more time at work not listening to our station and instead listening to my own stuff at my computer. Heaviest rotation went to Justin's "Rock Your Body (video version)," Nada Surf's "Inside of Love," and those kids from Chicago, The National Splits. I cannot get that Splits record out of my head. Their songs are so amazingly catchy. I know I've said that before about a lot of other pop bands, but these hooks are just as sharp as any I've ever heard. I'm right on the edge of buying the Nada Surf album, just to reward them for a great single. The other songs I've heard are good as well, but "Inside of Love" devastates me everytime I hear it. And the Justin, well, it's a really fucking good pop song. I think we're almost at a consensus. I've been talking to a kid at school that loves hardcore, underground hip-hop--the kind Tom used to spin on his show--and he loves it. I think even Ben has indicated that it's a good pop song.

2003-04-20T09:19:00.000-05:00

Just to break it down for y'all, this is the week that was:

Monday, 8am-8:30pm 12 and 1/2 hours

Tuesday, 8am-10pm 14 hours

Wednesday, 5:30am-8:30pm 15 hours

Thursday, 8am-10pm 14 hours

Friday, 8am-4pm 8 hours

Saturday, 8am-10pm 14 hours

Grand total: 77 and 1/2 hours in six days.

2003-04-20T09:14:00.000-05:00

Today is the first time I can remember not seeing my mother on Easter. And I owe it all to my job. I was at work until 10pm last night, waiting for a baseball game to end. If I'd been able to leave at our normal sign-off time of 5, then I most likely would've driven up last night. I'm not going today because: it's a three hour trip one-way, I haven't done laundry since before spring break (because of my job), and I have CDs to burn for a wedding this Saturday (that I can't attend--because of my job) that I haven't been able to burn yet--because of my job. Even though I don't subscribe to any particular religious dogma, it is still sad to not see my family on Easter, especially since I haven't seen any of them since Christmas. It'd be one thing if I were like Tom and lived 13 hours from home, but I only live 150 miles from my nearest relative.

Not sure what I'll do for food today. Haven't been grocery shopping for anything but bread, milk and beer for over a month. I don't even know what's open that caters to a bachelor on Easter.

2003-04-20T08:56:00.000-05:00

Yep, it's been six days since my last post. I just worked the week from hell. We had baseball or softball every night this past week, including the ever-exciting world of junior varsity baseball. I suppose I should feel lucky because my boss originally had freshman (!!) games on the schedule. But after a 75 hour week at a place you're going to leave, it's hard to look at the birght side.

The only night I had off was Friday, and I decided to see my friend Ben, who I hadn't seen since my birthday last November, who is one of the people I moved to Indy for with the anticipation that I'd see him a bit more, not significantly less. I had a great time. We ate at a great, authentic Mexican restaurant, then played some hopped up version of Uno, where I once again claimed my throne as Supreme Loser.

2003-04-20T08:54:00.000-05:00

THANK YOU JEN!! The Oscar poster arrived in great condition. I'm now taking advice on the best way to frame and display it. I don't have too much to spend, so if anyone has ideas on where to go and what to do, please fire away.

2003-04-14T22:17:00.000-05:00

Ha! 20%. Take that, bitch. You're still more R&B than Wil Phillips.

2003-04-14T21:32:00.000-05:00

Sorry, no updates this week. Too many 12 hour days. No sleep. Too P-ohed.

2003-04-11T17:58:00.000-05:00

Gee, I'd love to check my Yahoo! mail when I'm at school, but they've decided that anything on Yahoo!, Google and Geocities is too much for high school kids. At least they haven't cut off Blogger...yet.

2003-04-11T17:55:00.000-05:00

Could somebody conjugate the verb "to shnocker?" My boss is calling a high school baseball game on the radio, and he keeps saying "shnockered." Hard-hit ball to the field? It was shnockered! Batter hit by pitch? He was shnockered! I'm all for alliteration, but please stay inside the unabridged dictionary.

2003-04-11T17:35:00.000-05:00

One of the stations we monitor for EAS (Emergency Alert System) is WFMS in Indianapolis ('nap-town, y'all). It's a "Hot" Country station. That means it's playlist is slightly larger than an infected sweat gland. For some reason, the speaker hooked up to it is louder than I remember it, even though it's turned down as low as it can go. That means, all day long, I hear nothing but "Have You Forgotten" - perhaps the worst song of 2003 in any genre - and Kenny Chesney - pick a song, I don't hear a difference. I don't see what the fuss is about, except that most girls and some boys think he's "hot," and even in that regard I think he's overrated. Is he storing nuts in those cheeks or what? His songs are mind-numbingly simple. I could swear the vocal melody in "Young" is identical to that of "The Good Stuff." All of his songs follow the exact same template in music, melody and lyrics. He's the "hot" country Jimmy Buffett. Sure, his songs seem like mindless fun at first, but they wear thin after just a few listens. If Britney is the Frosted Flakes of popular music, then Kenny Chesney is Sugar Smacks.

2003-04-11T16:56:00.000-05:00

I was feeling very '94 today, partly because Jon Spencer Blues Explosion is playing Indy tonight. Don't know if I'm going yet. So I decided to pull out my vinyl copy of Orange, the first vinyl record I ever truly bought (my sister owned records when I was little, the first music that was truly mine was Culture Club's Colour By Number on cassette, which I may still own), all my JSBX 7" records, and Pavement's Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. Nice to hear the classics every now and then, altough I'd argue that Orange is a little inconsistent in spots. But the cover is a beautiful shiny silver and from what I've been told, limited edition and a rare find.

2003-04-11T16:42:00.000-05:00

Whew, thought they were going to tell my boss today that I've submitted my resignation and that they (administration) is trying to find ways to keep me, which may involve encouraging him to retire. I still don't have a proposal to accept or decline. Maybe next week. Word is starting to spread amongst school adminstrators and staff members. I had one assistant principal stop and say "I heard you were leaving" and said I did a good job, but didn't seem too torn up about it. Of course she's known as the "ice queen" and like Sylvester Stallone, couldn't crack a smile or laugh without major reconstructive surgery.

Did I mention I'm working at least 18 hours tomorrow? Somebody numb me.

2003-04-11T09:00:00.000-05:00

You know you're at a bad station when a kid says "this isn't a bad song" and what's playing is Richard Marx's "Satisfied." Bad. Very bad.

2003-04-10T19:21:00.000-05:00

Haven't posted in a few days because:

I've been working late, again.

When I'm home, I'm tired

or trying to catch up on basics such as e-mail, laundry and dishes

and grouchy.

I don't really want this to be a constant barrage of negativity. I'd rather focus on the areas of my life for which there is much positive passion.

I'm trying to decide what to do with my job. On one hand I have a secure, adequate income. On the other hand, I work a minimum of 60 hours a week (usually 65-80), I don't like where I work, what we do and most of the people I work with. My job takes me away from everything I moved to Indy for, plus everything else I had going for me before I came here. They're trying to find incentives for me to stay, but none of them seem to involve less hours.

So I must decide soon what to do, depending on what they offer. Do I sacrifice another year of my life with the hope that after next year things change drastically and I get to work less and have more input (perhaps even run the joint)? Or do I risk financial jeopardy and remove myself from an unhealthy situation?

2003-04-10T19:00:00.000-05:00

Nothing more exciting to broadcast on the radio than high school girls softball! Kill me!

2003-04-06T23:06:00.000-05:00

Watched Midnight Run tonight with my roommate and her boyfriend. I have two words for you: "Shut the fuck up!"

2003-04-06T18:15:00.000-05:00

NORFOLK & OCRACOKE

Here are some pictures I took while on vacation to Virginia and Ocracoke Island to visit my friend Tom. Hope the link works!

2003-04-06T16:48:00.000-05:00

Syracuse vs. Kansas

And then there were two. This is the game I was hoping for once the Final Four was determined. Either Williams or Boeheim will get their first championship, and they both deserve it. Both appear to run first-class programs with little or no ethical controversies. They both conduct themselves as gentlemen and both graduate a high percentage of their student-athletes. Who says you have to run a dirty program to get to the top? This is a no-lose situation from my perspective.

As far as the game itself, it hard to say. Instantly you'd expect the senior leadership of Kansas to give them the edge in a game of such high magnitude. On the other hand, is there anything Carmelo Anthony can't do? I'm scared to bet against him. But you also can't ignore the whipping Kansas put on Marquette last night. What the Jayhawks also have going for them is that their strengths - solid defense and a sinister transition offense - can pull them through even if they have an off night shooting the rock. The Syracuse zone won't have much effect if Kansas is able to push the tempo. I'll go with conventional wisdom and pick Kansas by 9, 83-74.

2003-04-06T16:33:00.000-05:00

Congrats to Thomas for finishing second in my NCAA tournament pool. He had Syracuse getting to the championship game and those 11 points vaulted him into the money ($23.50). Unfortunately for him, I'm keeping his winnings to help pay off my credit card, which took a monsterous hit from my vacation to visit his ass in Virginia and the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

2003-04-06T16:24:00.000-05:00

Went to a boys' basketball awards banquet Friday night. Reminded me of Barbara Hershey's line from the movie Hoosiers, where she says "Gods come pretty cheap..." I know these kids are better off spending all their spare time in practice rather than out getting drunk. I find the hero worship to be a little out of line and over the top. And for most of the players, it goes to their head, even for the brighter ones (of which there are few).

2003-04-06T16:13:00.000-05:00

I really thought I'd be in the mood to punch out a compilation of spring pop songs, but a cold front came through and we haven't seen temps over 40 all weekend! I'm sure the inspiration will hit me the moment I'm away from my PC. Anyone have suggestions? No gaurantees, but all will be considered.

2003-04-06T16:00:00.000-05:00

Hi ho, I'm back! Took yesterday off to enjoy a day of spiritual rejuvination - buy my new license plate (only 40 minutes!), go record shopping, clean my room and go to a killer concert.

The concert was at Radio Radio in downtown Indianapolis and featured Tobin Sprout with supporting act The National Splits. I had a wonderful day. Tobin dropped by Luna while I was there. It was nice getting to chat with him and his wife (along with their two little ones) briefly. He brought with him seven homemade clocks that are available at Luna. They're black lacquered wood with images from postcards and such instead of a traditional clock face. Very nice and only $45.

The show was great. The National Splits came down from Chicago and blew the near capacity room away with their blissful pop songs. They really hit their stride with three songs off their new album Fontana, "State of Lakes," "Get Loose" and the dreamy "Sparkhawk."

Tobin then came on with his new back-up band. Although they've had limited time to rehearse, they sounded tight. The setlist incorporated classic tunes from Toby's entire catalogue. The electricity from the stage and songs carried all the way back to the merchandise table (where I was most of the night - hopping, dancing and singing along). I'd say which songs stood out, but they all sounded great and if you know Tobin's work at all, chances are he played your favorite song. I guess if I had to pick one moment, it was when they played "All Used Up" and "Sadder Than You" back-to-back. Both songs made my Top 90 of the 90's and are classic guitar pop.

Thanks to Todd at Luna for keeping the pints coming to the merchandise table. I had a great time and may get more of my kind of religion this week. Many shows to choose from: 50 Cent on Monday, Local H and Superdrag on Tuesday, The Red Elvises (from Siberia!) are in Lafayette Thursday, and Jon Spencer Blues Explosion on Friday. How can I afford a rock 'n' roll lifestyle?

2003-04-03T19:59:00.000-05:00

I may put together a new comp in the next couple days. Inspired by Submeat's dirty pop, called Pop: Spring. You know, a collection of perfect sunny pop/rock songs that encapsulate all the feelings of spring. I certainly agree with Tom about the soulDecision tracks. I'll leave out the rest of the boy bands but will include Justin's "Rock Your Body (video mix)" and maybe a few dance-centered tunes. I'll also add a few guitar-based songs like Sloan's "Losing California" and Olivia Tremor Control's "Hideaway." Maybe even a few oldies like Badfinger's "No Matter What" and Big Star's "September Gurls." Stay tuned for the complete track listing!

2003-04-03T18:23:00.000-05:00

In my shameless, yet unapologetic, attempt to promote my friends, I give you All Access. It's an entertainment weekly published by the Muncie (Indiana) Star Press. My friend Benji has a music column and also reviews new albums. This week, he wraps up the first quarter of 2003. He has a writing style that's very different, yet still as engaging as my good friend Tom.

2003-04-03T15:54:00.000-05:00

Listen to a story about BLOGGING! You have to use your phone, but it is a toll-free number. Here's how you do it:

Dial 1-800-942-1145 and select option 2.

Enjoy!

2003-04-02T22:15:00.000-05:00

Job situation may be settled tomorrow, I hope. I don't see them coming around on my "demands" for a 45 hour, 5 days a week workweek (I'd be willing to work more hours if I actually liked the job). Cuts are happening everywhere (Manchester High School is thinking about cutting its cross-country program, among other things) so I don't see why they'd make concessions to a guy that's been there less than a year, even if I (or any self-respecting human being) deserve them.

2003-04-02T20:59:00.000-05:00

Yeah! A new Josh Rouse album this year! It's called 1972 and it should be late summer. One of my favorite artits and the year I was born!

2003-04-02T18:07:00.000-05:00

Whoa. Read this now.

2003-04-01T23:28:00.000-05:00

Got to give a shout-out to my main man Jason, store manager of Luna Music. Tuesday was his birthday. This man is generous, sincere, brilliant, and always cool to the touch. We may not always have the same opinion on records, but I always respect what he has to say and always surprised by what tricks his trigger. Not only has he put together two mind-blowing Snoop Dogg comps, but he's also got a nice mix of tunes on his channel at Radio Luna. Jason, YOU da man!

2003-04-01T23:03:00.000-05:00

I remember when my friend Tom and I received an album in the mail called The Bends and immediately dismissed it as that band's 15th minute and one second. Quickly we discovered that Radiohead was not a modern rock one-hit-wonder.

Anyone remember the song "Popular" by Nada Surf? Well, they just put out a new album, and it's pretty darn good. Apparently they've been listening to a lot of Coldplay. They're working with some arching, almost regal melodic textures - and actually pulling it off. Don't believe me? Listen for yourself. Three MP3s are available for download from the Barsuk record label website. Pay particular attention to "Inside of Love", the first single and video (getting some rotation on MTV2).

2003-04-01T22:57:00.000-05:00

The saga continues. Resignation is not fully complete. Principal still fighting to retain my services. Updates forthcoming...

2003-03-31T22:43:00.000-05:00

Well, I keep trying to add Jen to my blogroll, but the darn thing is just resisting. Maybe blogger is having issues. Maybe they're censoring The Bowling Bitch. I dunno about these fancy, frickin' computers.

2003-03-31T22:29:00.000-05:00

Thanks Submeat for the honor of "blog of the week." I guess that puts the pressure on to post some cool shit this week. I'd like to get around to 100 things about me thread. Didn't get to post anything tonight because I was busy squeezing out some Top 50 of 2002 CDs and writing a letter of resignation for work. Tomorrow should be fun!

2003-03-30T18:13:00.000-05:00

Oops! I'm still getting used to HTML code. All I forgot was one quotation mark. Here's how it was supposed to look:

I agree with Submeat. If I were to vote for a Dem in '04, that Dem would be Howard Dean. He's a genuine liberal - meaning he knows the only way to improve yourself is to improve the lives of those around you. I only hope he doesn't feel pressured to compromise his ideals as the campaign trail heats up. Now watch as the corporate/conservative media launches an all-out assault on his character and repeats baseless accusations until most of middle America believes them despite the complete lack of truth or evidence.

2003-03-30T18:09:00.000-05:00

I agree with Submeat. If I were to vote for a Dem in '04, that Dem would be