Wow, what a plane. Excuse me, AIRBUS. After an impressive-looking first class area, the rest of the plane had a front and back section, each almost as big as regular planes. There were 2 aisles separating the sets of 2, 4, 2 seating in each row.
I’d been on a plain like this as a kid when my family took a trip to Israel and Egypt. But that was 25 years ago. Jeez… back then I used to think just being 25 was old, or old enough. Now somehow I’m old enough to remember something I did 25 years ago.
I’ll tell you what, Lufthansa has nice service. Each seat had a fresh pillow and blanket it in plastic waiting for our heavy heads and weary bones. The plane started moving very soon after we all boarded. None of this shit we usually get on AirTran or Southwest where you sit there for a half hour in the stuffy air while the captain tells you that we’re waiting for other planes to take off so we can first start taxiing down the runway.
No, these Lufthansa peeps are all business. Once we took off, the little TV screens showed maps with a little airplane icon tracking our progress. It would zoom in on the DC area and then zoom out to bigger pictures showing the ocean we’d cross and marking our final destination of Munich.
Quickly, the efficient staff was serving drinks and some strange cheese-stick crackers. They didn’t have Jack Daniels, but I can’t complain: the drinks were apparently free. I opted for some Warsteiner premium verum: German beer. Pretty good.
It’s something like 10pm and they’re serving a hot dinner meal after coming around to give us hot/moist towels. Dinner came in little foil containers with either a veggie/pasta dish or chicken, green beans, and mashed sweet potatoes. I got the chicken. They came with a roll, a surprisingly nice salad and some tiramisu cake that was really good.
After dinner, the beer and Zanex team was starting to win the battle against the cramped seats and nearby crying children. It was time for Radiohead’s Kid A album to take me off to sleep among the clouds. I faded in and out, changing pillow positions and shifting in my seat and apparently sleeping for 2-3 hours. I’m really not sure.
Soon the house lights were back on, people were stirring and bright sunlight came through the few windows whose shades had been opened.
My eyes hurt, barely encouraged by the sight of the coffee and breakfast carts coming around. Didn’t we just eat dinner? It’s 3am, but with the time change it’s 9am. I’m tired.
As we approached Munich, we quickly realized we’d be landing at about the time our connecting flight to Athens would be boarding. Looks like we’d have to do an O.J. Simpson through the airport to make it to our gate on time. (Keep in mind, in this context, to “do an O.J. Simpson” means running and jumping over luggage if necessary to hustle through an airport like the old Hertz commercials, not stabbing and killing our ex-wife and her friend and dropping our bloody glove near our house and not going to jail and then coining a new euphemism: “Looking for the real killer,” which actually means “Playing golf and making smarmy comments at money-making appearances.”)
I’d heard how nice and modern the Munich airport was, and it was, but we didn’t have time to linger. We negotiated all the escalators and corridors following the signs for Gate G20. We got there just in time to join the end of the line of people boarding the flight for Athens.
Thank god. I don’t care how nice the Munich airport is, the next flight to Athens wasn’t till 7pm and the thought of sitting around for 8 hours in another airport was unappealing to say the least.
A smaller, regular-sized plane this time. Just a 2-hour flight. But once again, Lufthansa hooked it up: lunch was a hot rice dish and 2 more free Warsteiners.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Waiting at Dulles
We only got to the airport 6 hours early.
Better early than late, of course, but I don’t think I’ve ever checked in and gone through security a full 6 hours early. Talk about having time to kill… I needed an arms dealer and a warehouse full of explosives to carry out the bloodbath necessary for this wait.
We got to our gate, 45B, and it was crowded with people waiting to board a flight ahead of ours. I pictured them safe on the ground at their final destinations, knee-deep in their vacations, before we would even board our plane.
Fuck.
We sat at the next gate over, adjacent to ours. There were plenty of seats. We figured we could just shift over to our actual gate sometime in the next few hours once it cleared out.
Within about 12 seconds we were ready to take a walk. Find a snack, some drinks… maybe some window shopping.
My 75-year-old Greek father-in-law stayed sitting at the gate. We surrounded him with our carryon luggage and set off to explore what Dulles Airport had to offer.
The Tequilery, a small bar that served Mexican food. Dan’s Tap Room, a restaurant/bar that looked to have basic American fare: burgers, grilled chicken salads. A kiosk selling countless items printed with USA and America! Even shot glasses, nail files, towels, and toilet paper with the White House logo printed on it. How ridiculous. Who would want that shit? Even if you gave it as a gift, would anyone really think you stayed at the White House? Seems to me that commercialized crap like that does as much to soil the alleged sanctity of the office of the presidency as anything Bill and Monica might have done after a late-night pizza.
On we walked, passed a magazine shop with a Starbucks in it, a small Borders bookstore, and your other basic airport/pseudo-mall offerings.
Outside, the rain continues to pour down for the fourth straight day. It seemed like it had been raining for weeks. Between the rain and the waiting to board a 9-hour flight, I felt like a giraffe or zebra waiting for Noah to give me the “All aboard!” onto his ark.
Got a slice of pizza, sat around, took a walk, sat around, went for drinks, sat around, took another walk, stood around cuz we just couldn’t sit anymore.
At some point, I went for drinks with my brother-in-law. He ordered a rum and coke, and I got a Jack Daniels and ginger ale. For the extra $2 we both upgraded to “doubles.” So our $8.50 drinks had almost as much liquor in them as what a regular single drink should. Pretty soon the father-in-law shows up. If there were 2 things he could sniff out in an international airport, it’s a bar and his sons.
He’s an Ouzo man of course, but most American bars, especially these small airport/mall joints, usually don’t have Ouzo. So in restaurants he usually gets beer. Budweiser is his brand. Not Bud Light, or Select Ice Draft or anything, just “Gimme one Budweiser,” he says.
But now, here, in the midst of a 6-hour wait… after driving 2 hours in the rain from our house to his son’s hotel… after sitting in the hotel restaurant/bar for a 2-hour lunch that featured 2 Budweisers for him and the worst service known to man… after all this, and an 9-hour flight ahead of us, Budweiser wasn’t gonna cut it.
“You have cognac?” he barks quickly in his accented English.
The waitress says, “Sure, Courvoisier or Hennesy?”
“It no matter, just make-a for double!”
We drank our drinks and watched Spain and France play World Cup soccer, tied 1-1, and tried to pretend to recognize tripping fouls and show mild excitement if/when the ball neared the same zip code as the goal.
The waitress came back around and asked dad if he wanted another drink. He declined and she gave the clichéd flirty-waitress smile and said, “Oh well, I tried…” After she walked away, dad commented that she had a beautiful smile. He’s 75 years old. Tired. Impatient. But he still knew when a cute waitress had a nice smile.
On our way out, he even went so far as to stop her and tell her how beautiful her eyes and smile were. When guys half his age or younger pull that shit it’s usually somewhere between sad and desperate, and not far from creepy. But when he did it, it was as cute as her smile.
Back at Gate 45B, we were still serving out our sentence as other inmates began to fill in the seats around us. Outside, the rain pounded the runways and the sky darkened.
Soon we’d be taking off and joining the rain, clouds, and darkness up in the sky. Obeying that little light that tells us when we could unhook our seatbelts… about 362 passengers and a large crew would crowd onto this big plane… this giant tube with engines and wings… and trust the physics and technology that most of us don’t understand and hope we can safely sail 50,000 feet above the ocean and cross the whole damn thing.
Next stop: Munich.
Better early than late, of course, but I don’t think I’ve ever checked in and gone through security a full 6 hours early. Talk about having time to kill… I needed an arms dealer and a warehouse full of explosives to carry out the bloodbath necessary for this wait.
We got to our gate, 45B, and it was crowded with people waiting to board a flight ahead of ours. I pictured them safe on the ground at their final destinations, knee-deep in their vacations, before we would even board our plane.
Fuck.
We sat at the next gate over, adjacent to ours. There were plenty of seats. We figured we could just shift over to our actual gate sometime in the next few hours once it cleared out.
Within about 12 seconds we were ready to take a walk. Find a snack, some drinks… maybe some window shopping.
My 75-year-old Greek father-in-law stayed sitting at the gate. We surrounded him with our carryon luggage and set off to explore what Dulles Airport had to offer.
The Tequilery, a small bar that served Mexican food. Dan’s Tap Room, a restaurant/bar that looked to have basic American fare: burgers, grilled chicken salads. A kiosk selling countless items printed with USA and America! Even shot glasses, nail files, towels, and toilet paper with the White House logo printed on it. How ridiculous. Who would want that shit? Even if you gave it as a gift, would anyone really think you stayed at the White House? Seems to me that commercialized crap like that does as much to soil the alleged sanctity of the office of the presidency as anything Bill and Monica might have done after a late-night pizza.
On we walked, passed a magazine shop with a Starbucks in it, a small Borders bookstore, and your other basic airport/pseudo-mall offerings.
Outside, the rain continues to pour down for the fourth straight day. It seemed like it had been raining for weeks. Between the rain and the waiting to board a 9-hour flight, I felt like a giraffe or zebra waiting for Noah to give me the “All aboard!” onto his ark.
Got a slice of pizza, sat around, took a walk, sat around, went for drinks, sat around, took another walk, stood around cuz we just couldn’t sit anymore.
At some point, I went for drinks with my brother-in-law. He ordered a rum and coke, and I got a Jack Daniels and ginger ale. For the extra $2 we both upgraded to “doubles.” So our $8.50 drinks had almost as much liquor in them as what a regular single drink should. Pretty soon the father-in-law shows up. If there were 2 things he could sniff out in an international airport, it’s a bar and his sons.
He’s an Ouzo man of course, but most American bars, especially these small airport/mall joints, usually don’t have Ouzo. So in restaurants he usually gets beer. Budweiser is his brand. Not Bud Light, or Select Ice Draft or anything, just “Gimme one Budweiser,” he says.
But now, here, in the midst of a 6-hour wait… after driving 2 hours in the rain from our house to his son’s hotel… after sitting in the hotel restaurant/bar for a 2-hour lunch that featured 2 Budweisers for him and the worst service known to man… after all this, and an 9-hour flight ahead of us, Budweiser wasn’t gonna cut it.
“You have cognac?” he barks quickly in his accented English.
The waitress says, “Sure, Courvoisier or Hennesy?”
“It no matter, just make-a for double!”
We drank our drinks and watched Spain and France play World Cup soccer, tied 1-1, and tried to pretend to recognize tripping fouls and show mild excitement if/when the ball neared the same zip code as the goal.
The waitress came back around and asked dad if he wanted another drink. He declined and she gave the clichéd flirty-waitress smile and said, “Oh well, I tried…” After she walked away, dad commented that she had a beautiful smile. He’s 75 years old. Tired. Impatient. But he still knew when a cute waitress had a nice smile.
On our way out, he even went so far as to stop her and tell her how beautiful her eyes and smile were. When guys half his age or younger pull that shit it’s usually somewhere between sad and desperate, and not far from creepy. But when he did it, it was as cute as her smile.
Back at Gate 45B, we were still serving out our sentence as other inmates began to fill in the seats around us. Outside, the rain pounded the runways and the sky darkened.
Soon we’d be taking off and joining the rain, clouds, and darkness up in the sky. Obeying that little light that tells us when we could unhook our seatbelts… about 362 passengers and a large crew would crowd onto this big plane… this giant tube with engines and wings… and trust the physics and technology that most of us don’t understand and hope we can safely sail 50,000 feet above the ocean and cross the whole damn thing.
Next stop: Munich.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Stick a Fork in Hillary Clinton
Tuesday night, with her small lead in Indiana dwindling to what would ultimately be a measly 2-pt win, er, tie really….. Hillary Clinton took the stage to ecstatically claim victory, despite getting blown out in North Carolina. That, combined with the close Indy results, signal the beginning of the end of her quest to return to what she seems to think is her house…. That White one on Pennsylvania Avenue.
Within the first several minutes of her speech, she was telling us the name of her website and asking for money.
She’s vowed to keep going….. and she will, trying to hang around till Barack Obama self-destructs and/or she can get Florida and Michigan resolved (in her favor). Neither will happen. Maybe they cut a deal with FL/MI but she wouldn't get all those delegates.
She's done. But she knows she'll win 2 of the next 3 primaries so she'll hang around like that last guest who just won’t leave when the party is over
I wonder if the Clintons are just sorta seeing what happens this week with numbers, spin, Superdelegates..... then, after winning West Virginia on Tuesday, she can go out on top and say she was willing to go all the way and keep fighting (for us!) but the math/votes/supers.... she'll say she's doing the right thing for the party so she can be VEEP, or, more likely come back in 2012 if McLame wins or whatever.
Hopefully she quits sooner than later. One more week instead of one more month. PLEASE Hillary.
She has to realize that it's foolish to wait till the May 31 meeting about FL/MI (why not move that up a few weeks!) It'll just make her look like she's trying shenanigans, and even if they somehow resolve/seat those delegates, they'll give some to Obama so it still won’t matter. If she quits this week before WV, it'll look like it's not her choice. By quitting next week, she can get one more win AND pretend to be going out on her own terms.
Apparently, everyone knows this and admits it but the Clintons:
And as Superdelegates continue to trickle over to Obama (following a few former Clinton supporters who switched to Obama last week), now, even more prominent Democratic Clinton supporters are saying she should get out soon.
But word is she’ll finish out all of the primaries and this is more likely to officially end in early June.
Meanwhile, the day after his solid showing in North Carolina and Indiana all but locked up the nomination, Obama had no events scheduled. I like that........ "my work is done here, time to catch up on some sleep. Lots more work ahead."
And now McCain is pushing that "Hamas has endorsed Obama.” The general election is on.
When Obama wins states like NC, they say "oh, well duh, high black population. He was supposed to win," as if it shouldn’t count. When Clinton wins in PA, OH, or Indiana (barely), where it's her white non-college demographic, they hail it as absolute proof that only she can beat the mighty John McCain. That only she can get votes from blue-collar white voters.
But let’s give some uneducated/blue-collar/white people some credit. Maybe they are smart enough to realize that McSame will keep screwin the poor/middleclass while the rich get richer and a Democrat might return us to better economic times, peace, and prosperity. Maybe, just maybe.... rural types will finally realize that the ol' Republican politricks of "They're gonna take away your guns and ban your bibles! There will be fags running in the streets tryin to molest your kids!" is just a load of crap.
Sure, Obama didn’t win the majority of the blue-collar vote when matched up against a Democrat like himself... but when matched up against McBush 3.0, Obama will be able to win on issues like jobs and the economy. That will win back most of the blue-collar vote. It's ridiculous to suggest that how Obama faired in the primary vs. a Democrat dictates with any certainty how he'd fair vs. a Republican in November.
Unfortunately, as much as I tried to give them credit two paragraphs ago, there are still a lot of rural folk who will fall for the "those damn liberals'll raise your taxes, take your guns, ban your bibles, and let the fags run wild!" spin
And in that voting booth they'll assume that all politicians will screw the working guy no matter what, so let's just fall prey to the fear tactics and vote for McSame to keep us McSafe because we think Barack Hussein (did you know his middle name was HUSSEIN!!) Obama might be a Muslim or something....
“We just don’t know anything about him” I hear people say. Well, he has all his policy proposals on his website. He’s written two books: one about his life and upbringing, and one that lays out his vision for America. So you can know plenty about him if you’re really interested.
I think it's funny how people often criticize Obama's speeches for being short on substance.... as if every single appearance must be him reading policy papers and reciting all of his issue positions. Yea, I know the knock on Obama is that he's all style and "just lofty speeches," but there are times when the duty of a leader is to provide some inspiration... some clarity and perspective on important issues, even if they are general ones such as “the direction of our country” and “the way Washington works.”
Gore and Kerry were criticized for being nerdy and/or boring, lacking style and inspiration.... now Obama's being criticized for being not nerdy/boring enough.
But what do I know; I’m just another Barack Obama supporter. Another fool who has been duped by lofty rhetoric. Ah yes, of course. Anyone who supports/likes/votes for Obama must be just caught up in blind faith. It couldn't be that we've been reading and watching and listening and come to an informed decision. We’re just so caught up in the lofty speeches that now we're all drones aimlessly following this false prophet of hope. okay.
Within the first several minutes of her speech, she was telling us the name of her website and asking for money.
She’s vowed to keep going….. and she will, trying to hang around till Barack Obama self-destructs and/or she can get Florida and Michigan resolved (in her favor). Neither will happen. Maybe they cut a deal with FL/MI but she wouldn't get all those delegates.
She's done. But she knows she'll win 2 of the next 3 primaries so she'll hang around like that last guest who just won’t leave when the party is over
I wonder if the Clintons are just sorta seeing what happens this week with numbers, spin, Superdelegates..... then, after winning West Virginia on Tuesday, she can go out on top and say she was willing to go all the way and keep fighting (for us!) but the math/votes/supers.... she'll say she's doing the right thing for the party so she can be VEEP, or, more likely come back in 2012 if McLame wins or whatever.
Hopefully she quits sooner than later. One more week instead of one more month. PLEASE Hillary.
She has to realize that it's foolish to wait till the May 31 meeting about FL/MI (why not move that up a few weeks!) It'll just make her look like she's trying shenanigans, and even if they somehow resolve/seat those delegates, they'll give some to Obama so it still won’t matter. If she quits this week before WV, it'll look like it's not her choice. By quitting next week, she can get one more win AND pretend to be going out on her own terms.
Apparently, everyone knows this and admits it but the Clintons:
- "Stick a Fork in Her - She's Done," recommended the New York Post, calling Indiana a "shroud" for Clinton.
- "This nomination fight is over," said Clintonite-turned-ABC Newsman George Stephanopoulos.
- "We now know who the Democratic nominee is going to be," submitted NBC's Tim Russert.
- "For the Clintons, this is the night the music died," proposed MSNBC's Pat Buchanan.
- The Washington Post had Clinton's own aides conceding "it would be difficult."
- Word spread overseas. "It would take a miracle for her to win," concluded the Times of London.
And as Superdelegates continue to trickle over to Obama (following a few former Clinton supporters who switched to Obama last week), now, even more prominent Democratic Clinton supporters are saying she should get out soon.
But word is she’ll finish out all of the primaries and this is more likely to officially end in early June.
Meanwhile, the day after his solid showing in North Carolina and Indiana all but locked up the nomination, Obama had no events scheduled. I like that........ "my work is done here, time to catch up on some sleep. Lots more work ahead."
And now McCain is pushing that "Hamas has endorsed Obama.” The general election is on.
When Obama wins states like NC, they say "oh, well duh, high black population. He was supposed to win," as if it shouldn’t count. When Clinton wins in PA, OH, or Indiana (barely), where it's her white non-college demographic, they hail it as absolute proof that only she can beat the mighty John McCain. That only she can get votes from blue-collar white voters.
But let’s give some uneducated/blue-collar/white people some credit. Maybe they are smart enough to realize that McSame will keep screwin the poor/middleclass while the rich get richer and a Democrat might return us to better economic times, peace, and prosperity. Maybe, just maybe.... rural types will finally realize that the ol' Republican politricks of "They're gonna take away your guns and ban your bibles! There will be fags running in the streets tryin to molest your kids!" is just a load of crap.
Sure, Obama didn’t win the majority of the blue-collar vote when matched up against a Democrat like himself... but when matched up against McBush 3.0, Obama will be able to win on issues like jobs and the economy. That will win back most of the blue-collar vote. It's ridiculous to suggest that how Obama faired in the primary vs. a Democrat dictates with any certainty how he'd fair vs. a Republican in November.
Unfortunately, as much as I tried to give them credit two paragraphs ago, there are still a lot of rural folk who will fall for the "those damn liberals'll raise your taxes, take your guns, ban your bibles, and let the fags run wild!" spin
And in that voting booth they'll assume that all politicians will screw the working guy no matter what, so let's just fall prey to the fear tactics and vote for McSame to keep us McSafe because we think Barack Hussein (did you know his middle name was HUSSEIN!!) Obama might be a Muslim or something....
“We just don’t know anything about him” I hear people say. Well, he has all his policy proposals on his website. He’s written two books: one about his life and upbringing, and one that lays out his vision for America. So you can know plenty about him if you’re really interested.
I think it's funny how people often criticize Obama's speeches for being short on substance.... as if every single appearance must be him reading policy papers and reciting all of his issue positions. Yea, I know the knock on Obama is that he's all style and "just lofty speeches," but there are times when the duty of a leader is to provide some inspiration... some clarity and perspective on important issues, even if they are general ones such as “the direction of our country” and “the way Washington works.”
Gore and Kerry were criticized for being nerdy and/or boring, lacking style and inspiration.... now Obama's being criticized for being not nerdy/boring enough.
But what do I know; I’m just another Barack Obama supporter. Another fool who has been duped by lofty rhetoric. Ah yes, of course. Anyone who supports/likes/votes for Obama must be just caught up in blind faith. It couldn't be that we've been reading and watching and listening and come to an informed decision. We’re just so caught up in the lofty speeches that now we're all drones aimlessly following this false prophet of hope. okay.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Danny Federici 1950-2008
Most of the headlines will read “Long-time Springsteen keyboardist dies.” His name was Danny Federici, and even most music fans couldn’t pick him out of a lineup. He wasn’t an onstage sidekick like saxophonist Clarence Clemons…. He didn’t clown around and share Bruce’s microphone or have a side job on the Sopranos like Steve Van Zandt. But Bruce fans know that, simply put, Danny was The Man. My friend Mike from the Fearless Romantics blog put it this way: “Oh, this is just so sad. Danny will always be the man. every time I listen to one of those great tracks where he just defined that E Street sound, gave it that extra zing, a bit of mystery, and, like I've said before, made sure Bruce never became Meat Loaf. He always seemed to be in the background at the shows, in terms of personality – he just let his music do the talking. But you knew that he'd been there all the way, was a superb musician, and without him the whole Springsteen sound would have been so different.”
He’d left the band late in 2007 to battle cancer… a fight he lost April 17, 2008 when he passed away. Sad news for sure, as he’d recently joined the band for a guest appearance in Indianapolis just a few weeks prior.
I guess most of us hoped he was recovering and would be back with the band soon. Reports from a recent show in Anaheim noted that, during the intro to "Magic," Bruce paused and seemed to stammer his way through the words "Danny needs your prayers..."
It’s strange to feel sad about the death of someone you didn’t know and never met. But I’m glad that the last time I saw Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, we sat behind the stage but pretty close and behind Danny’s side of the stage.
During band introductions, Bruce used to refer to him as Phantom Dan. Now you see him, now you don’t. RIP Danny, you’ll be missed.
See him take one of his solos from his final show with the band by clicking here.
From BruceSpringsteen.net:
"Danny and I worked together for 40 years - he was the most wonderfully fluid keyboard player and a pure natural musician. I loved him very much...we grew up together."
—Bruce Springsteen
The Federici family and the E Street family request that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Danny Federici Melanoma Fund. A web site for the Fund has been established: http://www.thedannyfedericimelanomafund.com/news.html
Monday, April 14, 2008
Record Store Day: 4.19.08
April 19, 2008 has been declared Record Store Day by the folks who declare such things. There was a RecordStoreDay.com website about it with quotes from artists and a way to search for your nearest store, but it seems to be down. See how bad they must be hurting?
Go out this Saturday and support your local independent record store! I read something recently that the two largest music retailers in the U.S. are Walmart and iTunes. That’s kinda sad. Stop buying CD’s from Best Buy and Target and start supporting these local indie places before they’re all gone.
Aahh… but what to buy? Here’s the Top 10 New, Old, and Recent Albums Recommended With Confidence:
1. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Dig Lazarus Dig!!! (2008) Strange storytelling, distinctive voice, rockin tunes, and solid production. In other words “the new Nick Cave album is good.”
2. Nine Inch Nails – Year Zero (2007) Most famous for the way Trent Reznor hyped this before its release, but the album itself is actually great. Too bad the marketing got more media coverage than the music. I’ve never been a big Nine Inch Nails fan, but this is an excellent record. Very “listenable” songs for the average non-NIN fan, but still packed with the all the noise-meets-instruments genius of Reznor’s production.
3. Jason Isbell – Sirens of the Ditch (2007) Former Drive-By Trucker’s first solo album is full of solid tunes. Highly recommended.
4. The Word – The Word (2001) Pedal-steel guitar phenom Robert Randolph teams up with keyboardist John Medeski and the North Mississippi Allstars for jammin instrumentals that aren’t too wanky or boring.
5. Raconteurs – Consolers of the Lonely (2008) Brendan Benson and Jack White get the band back together, resulting in a deeper, more varied, and flat-out rockin second album.
6. Old 97’s – Too Far to Care (1997) Underrated classic alt-country gem here. Trademark witty lyrics and heartbroken melodies… The peak example of the Old 97’s train wreck of rock and country.
7. Wu Tang Clan – 8 Diagrams (2007) Legendary hip-hop group led by The RZA return to peak form with an instant classic. That’s not just lazy review-speak, the album is really that good.
8. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Howl (2005) Alt-rockers tone it down a bit for more of an Americana feel and it yields the highlight album of their career.
9. David Crosby – If I Could Only Remember My Name (1971) Crosby’s first solo record is an overlooked piece of rock history. Nice little album features great guitar work by Jerry Garcia. Appearances by Mickey Hart, Paul Kantner, Jorma Kaukonen, Bill Kreutzman, Phil Lesh, Grace Slick, Joni Mitchell, and Neil Young don’t hurt either. But Crosby’s voice and songs like “Music Is Love,” “Laughing,” and “Cowboy Movie” are the real stars here.
10. Black Keys – Attack & Release (2008) New one from bluesy guitar-drums duo gets better with every listen.
Go out this Saturday and support your local independent record store! I read something recently that the two largest music retailers in the U.S. are Walmart and iTunes. That’s kinda sad. Stop buying CD’s from Best Buy and Target and start supporting these local indie places before they’re all gone.
Aahh… but what to buy? Here’s the Top 10 New, Old, and Recent Albums Recommended With Confidence:
1. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Dig Lazarus Dig!!! (2008) Strange storytelling, distinctive voice, rockin tunes, and solid production. In other words “the new Nick Cave album is good.”
2. Nine Inch Nails – Year Zero (2007) Most famous for the way Trent Reznor hyped this before its release, but the album itself is actually great. Too bad the marketing got more media coverage than the music. I’ve never been a big Nine Inch Nails fan, but this is an excellent record. Very “listenable” songs for the average non-NIN fan, but still packed with the all the noise-meets-instruments genius of Reznor’s production.
3. Jason Isbell – Sirens of the Ditch (2007) Former Drive-By Trucker’s first solo album is full of solid tunes. Highly recommended.
4. The Word – The Word (2001) Pedal-steel guitar phenom Robert Randolph teams up with keyboardist John Medeski and the North Mississippi Allstars for jammin instrumentals that aren’t too wanky or boring.
5. Raconteurs – Consolers of the Lonely (2008) Brendan Benson and Jack White get the band back together, resulting in a deeper, more varied, and flat-out rockin second album.
6. Old 97’s – Too Far to Care (1997) Underrated classic alt-country gem here. Trademark witty lyrics and heartbroken melodies… The peak example of the Old 97’s train wreck of rock and country.
7. Wu Tang Clan – 8 Diagrams (2007) Legendary hip-hop group led by The RZA return to peak form with an instant classic. That’s not just lazy review-speak, the album is really that good.
8. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Howl (2005) Alt-rockers tone it down a bit for more of an Americana feel and it yields the highlight album of their career.
9. David Crosby – If I Could Only Remember My Name (1971) Crosby’s first solo record is an overlooked piece of rock history. Nice little album features great guitar work by Jerry Garcia. Appearances by Mickey Hart, Paul Kantner, Jorma Kaukonen, Bill Kreutzman, Phil Lesh, Grace Slick, Joni Mitchell, and Neil Young don’t hurt either. But Crosby’s voice and songs like “Music Is Love,” “Laughing,” and “Cowboy Movie” are the real stars here.
10. Black Keys – Attack & Release (2008) New one from bluesy guitar-drums duo gets better with every listen.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
I like the Counting Crows new album. That's right, I said it!
I know… it’s not cool to like the Counting Crows. They’re a pop/rock band that originated in the 90’s and had a big hit with “Mr. Jones.” Their lead singer Adam Duritz looks like Robert Downey, Jr., with fake dreads.
They make decent records. Their first one, August and Everything After, was both critically acclaimed and commercially successful. They have this sort of modern-folky/classic rock sound behind Duritz’s more-than-capable vocals (often referred to as “whiney”). And while he often sounds whiney (told ya), he is a good singer and decent lyricist.
But this is the blogosphere. I’m kinda new to this blog thing, and while I might not have invented the Internet, I’ve clicked around enough to know that serious music freaks and bloggers are not supposed to like the Counting Crows. Like, at all. Duritz and the Counting Crows are the people and bands we’re supposed to make fun of while extolling the virtues of some hot trendy band of hacks like the Killers or Snow Patrol. Sorry, but I’m not playing along.
Rolling Stone magazine, that former authority on all things rock music and former pillar of music journalism, just had a good feature on Duritz. Talked about how he has a life-long mental illness that’s been diagnosed as a dissociative disorder. Now, I’m usually the first person to not feel sorry for rich celebrities who “just cant cope” with their fame and riches. But maybe this guy is a real human being who happens to have some real issues that have nothing to do with being a celebrity (other than living under a microscope of criticism and needing to take meds that make him gain weight). Maybe he’s not just whining about how hard it is to be the rich and famous Mr. Jones Guy. The article was titled Why Can't Adam Duritz Get Any Respect? How the Counting Crows leader battled depression and his critics — and made his best album in a decade.
Then, elsewhere in the same issue, the actual album review is filled with snarky comments like “We know, dude: Life in L.A. is tough.” And yet it also admits that some songs are “little masterpieces of pop craft.” So it’s like they can’t deny that the actual album is good (despite the unenthusiastic 3-star review), but they’re just too cool to not take cheap shots at Adam Duritz.
Funny, looking at my notes from when I first heard the album, I wrote: “it's okay. after a few listens I’m not all gung-ho to keep listening more..... I liked the first album a lot (back then) but I wouldn't classify myself as a big Counting Crows fan so I kinda don’t care either way.”
A few listens later I wrote: “Listened to this again yesterday, starting on track 8 and just listening to 8-14. Pretty enjoyable. I reckon it would be better with a few less tunes (taking out tracks 1, 13, and 14 wouldn’t hurt).”
By today, several more listens later, I found myself writing “man I’m really loving this record a lot more than I ever thought I would!”
Hmm. So there it is: I love the new Counting Crows record and I’m not gonna be ashamed to admit it. Just don’t send this link to any of your really cool music buddies.
They make decent records. Their first one, August and Everything After, was both critically acclaimed and commercially successful. They have this sort of modern-folky/classic rock sound behind Duritz’s more-than-capable vocals (often referred to as “whiney”). And while he often sounds whiney (told ya), he is a good singer and decent lyricist.
But this is the blogosphere. I’m kinda new to this blog thing, and while I might not have invented the Internet, I’ve clicked around enough to know that serious music freaks and bloggers are not supposed to like the Counting Crows. Like, at all. Duritz and the Counting Crows are the people and bands we’re supposed to make fun of while extolling the virtues of some hot trendy band of hacks like the Killers or Snow Patrol. Sorry, but I’m not playing along.
Rolling Stone magazine, that former authority on all things rock music and former pillar of music journalism, just had a good feature on Duritz. Talked about how he has a life-long mental illness that’s been diagnosed as a dissociative disorder. Now, I’m usually the first person to not feel sorry for rich celebrities who “just cant cope” with their fame and riches. But maybe this guy is a real human being who happens to have some real issues that have nothing to do with being a celebrity (other than living under a microscope of criticism and needing to take meds that make him gain weight). Maybe he’s not just whining about how hard it is to be the rich and famous Mr. Jones Guy. The article was titled Why Can't Adam Duritz Get Any Respect? How the Counting Crows leader battled depression and his critics — and made his best album in a decade.
Then, elsewhere in the same issue, the actual album review is filled with snarky comments like “We know, dude: Life in L.A. is tough.” And yet it also admits that some songs are “little masterpieces of pop craft.” So it’s like they can’t deny that the actual album is good (despite the unenthusiastic 3-star review), but they’re just too cool to not take cheap shots at Adam Duritz.
Funny, looking at my notes from when I first heard the album, I wrote: “it's okay. after a few listens I’m not all gung-ho to keep listening more..... I liked the first album a lot (back then) but I wouldn't classify myself as a big Counting Crows fan so I kinda don’t care either way.”
A few listens later I wrote: “Listened to this again yesterday, starting on track 8 and just listening to 8-14. Pretty enjoyable. I reckon it would be better with a few less tunes (taking out tracks 1, 13, and 14 wouldn’t hurt).”
By today, several more listens later, I found myself writing “man I’m really loving this record a lot more than I ever thought I would!”
Hmm. So there it is: I love the new Counting Crows record and I’m not gonna be ashamed to admit it. Just don’t send this link to any of your really cool music buddies.
Democrats Hate America??
So this morning on my drive in... i see this asshole in a truck and on the back in HUGE (huge!) letters it says DEMOCRATS HATE AMERICA, and the C in democrats is actually the soviet hammer/sickle.
Okay, first of all, I’m not a democrat, but you can guess that their alleged platform is more in line with my thinking than the republicans. But that doesn't matter. How ridiculous and flat-out stupid and wrong is that statement?
So I’m considering just giving him the finger for being such a dick, though I probably would just do the stare-down headshake. But as I pull along side I see he's in uniform that says "county sheriff’s office." so this is the kinda whackjob that works in a sheriff’s office? Does he have a gun??
Now.... I know.... free speech and all.... but does he REALLY believe that? Aren’t there other more accurate statements he could make that might be thoughtful/intelligent reasons to not vote Democrat?
What the fuck is wrong with this country that people need to put DEMOCRATS HATE AMERICA in huge letters on their truck??
Okay, first of all, I’m not a democrat, but you can guess that their alleged platform is more in line with my thinking than the republicans. But that doesn't matter. How ridiculous and flat-out stupid and wrong is that statement?
So I’m considering just giving him the finger for being such a dick, though I probably would just do the stare-down headshake. But as I pull along side I see he's in uniform that says "county sheriff’s office." so this is the kinda whackjob that works in a sheriff’s office? Does he have a gun??
Now.... I know.... free speech and all.... but does he REALLY believe that? Aren’t there other more accurate statements he could make that might be thoughtful/intelligent reasons to not vote Democrat?
What the fuck is wrong with this country that people need to put DEMOCRATS HATE AMERICA in huge letters on their truck??
You do NOT look cool with that Bluetooth thing in your ear!
Sorry if that's you, but you're an asshole.
Seriously. There’s other hands-free options. And most of the time when I see people wearing them, they're not even on a call. Just walking around with this fuckin thing in their head so everyone can see they have one. Like "Ooh! I might get a call! I’m ready!" Bunch of tossers. Again, sorry if you have one. They just look idiotic.
ugh..... there's more and more of them every day! Multiplying like cyborgs or something. And I saw this freakin really old guy with white hair, sitting in a restaurant with his wife, not on a call, wearing one of these things.
Saw another dude the other day, driving a pistachio/light-blue Mercedes..... had a Bluetooth thing in his right ear while he was talkin on a phone he was holding to his left ear!
This is what we’ve come to? We’re so “busy” in our “fast-paced, hi-tech” world that we can’t even go like this [raises arm so hand meets ear]??
Seriously. There’s other hands-free options. And most of the time when I see people wearing them, they're not even on a call. Just walking around with this fuckin thing in their head so everyone can see they have one. Like "Ooh! I might get a call! I’m ready!" Bunch of tossers. Again, sorry if you have one. They just look idiotic.
ugh..... there's more and more of them every day! Multiplying like cyborgs or something. And I saw this freakin really old guy with white hair, sitting in a restaurant with his wife, not on a call, wearing one of these things.
Saw another dude the other day, driving a pistachio/light-blue Mercedes..... had a Bluetooth thing in his right ear while he was talkin on a phone he was holding to his left ear!
This is what we’ve come to? We’re so “busy” in our “fast-paced, hi-tech” world that we can’t even go like this [raises arm so hand meets ear]??
Freedom Fries and Trucknuts
Okay, so the other day I saw one of those BOYCOTT FRANCE stickers that were popular a couple years ago. And how funny that places started changing their menus to "Freedom Fries" cuz "we dont serve FRENCH fries," all because they were smart enough to not join in our stupid war in Iraq. Yea, freedom fries. That'll show 'em!!
Then yesterday i saw a sticker that said "F*CK TERRORISM."
YEA!!!! we're winning!!!
Also... y'all seen these big fake scrotums that rednecks hang from the bottom of the back of their big-ass trucks?? Do they think this is remotely cool or tough? really? a freakin fake sack of nuts hanging from their truck? it's silly and gross.
I guess they're saying "my truck has balls" in some fashion, but just go ahead and drive a big-ass truck, that's enough to let us know you're some big bad cool dude.
Then yesterday i saw a sticker that said "F*CK TERRORISM."
YEA!!!! we're winning!!!
Also... y'all seen these big fake scrotums that rednecks hang from the bottom of the back of their big-ass trucks?? Do they think this is remotely cool or tough? really? a freakin fake sack of nuts hanging from their truck? it's silly and gross.
I guess they're saying "my truck has balls" in some fashion, but just go ahead and drive a big-ass truck, that's enough to let us know you're some big bad cool dude.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Unwritten, part 2
I read a lot. Mostly novels, contemporary stuff. Some quasi-hippie neo-classic shit like Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Strange rambling epic stories like all of Tom Robbins books. Loved John Irving’s A Prayer for Owen Meany, but also A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers.
I’ve always found excuses to wander into a bookstore and just sniff the spines. For different reasons, I have the same love for danky oddly-organized dimly lit underground used book stores that I have for the bright huge chain stores that offer best sellers, a warehouse-sized store full of every book under the sun, and a mini pseudo coffee shop in the corner.
While you can’t beat the mystique and value of a mom’n’pop used book shop, I also love the smooth new books. You can just pull them off the shelf with that ffft sound and gently imitate it by wooshing your palm across the cover. Ffft.
Sometimes I’ll visit books I’ve loved… just to touch them again. Remind me of the feeling I had when I was with them. And to make sure certain title are there. Are they in the right place? On the proper shelf, waiting to be chosen so they can give those same feelings to someone new.
I love to pick up nice crisp new books, even if they’re old titles new in paperback, the actual book itself is new. Pages unruffled, spines unbent. Like a little gift waiting to be unwrapped; to share its story and dreams and imagined worlds.
If I haven’t read it, it’s new to me.
Even books I know nothing about by people I’ve never heard of attract me. I like to turn these books over and read the glowing quoted snippets promising “a journey like no other,” and “a mesmerizing tale” or “a world of infinite possibilities playing out in a small town.”
“Redemption.”
“A tour-de force.”
My favorites were the quotes about the author. “As compelling a first novel as has ever been written.” “A strong new voice.” “Perhaps the first great voice of his generation.”
That’s what I wanted to be.
But I was a sham. All my unused pens, still full of ink, and stacks of empty pages were proof that I was nothing. I wasn’t a writer. I was the first great waste of my generation’s voice. But slowly I was forcing myself to speak.
I’ve always found excuses to wander into a bookstore and just sniff the spines. For different reasons, I have the same love for danky oddly-organized dimly lit underground used book stores that I have for the bright huge chain stores that offer best sellers, a warehouse-sized store full of every book under the sun, and a mini pseudo coffee shop in the corner.
While you can’t beat the mystique and value of a mom’n’pop used book shop, I also love the smooth new books. You can just pull them off the shelf with that ffft sound and gently imitate it by wooshing your palm across the cover. Ffft.
Sometimes I’ll visit books I’ve loved… just to touch them again. Remind me of the feeling I had when I was with them. And to make sure certain title are there. Are they in the right place? On the proper shelf, waiting to be chosen so they can give those same feelings to someone new.
I love to pick up nice crisp new books, even if they’re old titles new in paperback, the actual book itself is new. Pages unruffled, spines unbent. Like a little gift waiting to be unwrapped; to share its story and dreams and imagined worlds.
If I haven’t read it, it’s new to me.
Even books I know nothing about by people I’ve never heard of attract me. I like to turn these books over and read the glowing quoted snippets promising “a journey like no other,” and “a mesmerizing tale” or “a world of infinite possibilities playing out in a small town.”
“Redemption.”
“A tour-de force.”
My favorites were the quotes about the author. “As compelling a first novel as has ever been written.” “A strong new voice.” “Perhaps the first great voice of his generation.”
That’s what I wanted to be.
But I was a sham. All my unused pens, still full of ink, and stacks of empty pages were proof that I was nothing. I wasn’t a writer. I was the first great waste of my generation’s voice. But slowly I was forcing myself to speak.
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