Magic

After several listens to The Boss's new effort, I have decided it is indeed worthy of the tags "universal" and "timeless". I have never been a huge Springsteen fan, but I have always appreciated his music.
The raucaus opening track "Radio Nowhere" and the mental-picture-painting "Girls in Their Summer Clothes" are standouts.
Glide Magazine's review of the 10/17 show at MSG hits the nail on the head:

"The ten-piece E Street Band is indeed a cast of characters, each one personally defined and worthy of their own charms. Guitarist Steven Van Zandt and saxophonist Clarence Clemons are Springsteen foils that hold it down from the wings while The Boss works his own magic over the crowd. From front to back, Springsteen hand-delivers a little piece of himself to every single person in the house. He lets you know that he knows you're there, and he appreciates it immensely. Springsteen's true gift is how he is able to speak his mind without condescension, without judgment of his fellow man, and with a true message of hope. It is reasons like these that Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band remains timeless after all these years."

Bruce Springsteen truly is American Music History 35 years in the making. Several years ago, I was given tickets to see him play PNC Park in Pittsburgh. I gave them away because I had to work at 8:00 the next morning. Looking back on it, I should have given up sleep that night and braved the 6 hour round trip, because I may never get such a great opportunity (especially for free) again. And Max Weinberg rules.

Breaking News: All Online Data Lost After Internet Crash

Tasty Beverage of the Week

One of the friendly folks at Pletcher's recommended this fine product to me, and I couldn't have been more impressed. He asked me what I liked, with my response being "hoppy IPA's". I never had any of Weyerbacher's beers before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. This is actually one of their only low ABV beers (and by low I mean 6.2%!).
Weyerbacher is made in Easton, PA - gotta support the Pennsylvania brewers. Hops Infusion is crafted using 7 different kinds of hops.
To quote Beer Advocate's review: "Egats! Hops are imploding over taste buds! Mellow medium body, very smooth on the tongue with a lower level of carbonation. Hops, hops and hops ... they go from juicy fruit and citric rind to herbal and earthy with flowery flavour throughout. Hop oil is sweet and overly expressive, tastes of fresh hop tea. Malt is nearly nonexistent other than the mouth feel, they are pretty much masked by the hop's clout. Some fruit esters punch a small hole into the flavour threshold, a very small hole that is. Bitterness is up there but this is more of a hop flavour ale than an overly bitter ale. Complexity of the hops makes the mind go a tad towards madness. This beer never really has an end and has an everlasting finish, it just keeps lingering with hops.... Well, well, well aren't we the little hop bastard of the bunch, delicate but strong. Hop addicts will get a soothing fix of this one, only ballsy beer drinkers should attempt to drink Hop Infusion."
I've always considered Beer Advocate to be THE authority on beer, and this review is a great one.
Someday soon when I'm feeling brave, I look forward to trying some of Weyerbacher's other strong ales.

Ninja Parade Slips Through Town Unnoticed Once Again

This explains all those times I found candy in my pocket...

When #1 Comes to Happy Valley

This was only the third time Penn State had played a #1 ranked team at home, and the last time was in the 70's. Game time was set for 8:00 pm. A night game in the home of the ultimate tailgating paradise. The rain cleared by mid morning, making way for many hours of partying. Perfect weather for a football game.
Last night's loss to the Buckeyes was especially painful because my tickets to the game were in the visitor section. I had just enough tasty beverages to make the hostile surroundings interesting, but not enough to get myself arrested.
When the Nittany Lions had the lead, it was glorious. There would not have been a better seat in the house if we could have pulled off the upset.
But when Ohio State began to dominate, the second largest crowd in Beaver Stadium history became much quieter. That is except for the drunken asses dressed in red who surrounded me. They became much louder and profane in their celebration. My flask of bourbon was not enough to make it seem okay.
It was definitely an experience I will not forget.
This video has nothing to do with last night's game, and the Ohio State fan pictured is nothing like the jagoffs I met yesterday. But this is much better than watching highlights from the game.
And no, I absolutely do not like Ohio State now.

Oh yeah, it's probably NSFW.

Tasty!

After many years of neglect, I busted out my growler and took it for a fill-up at Otto's this afternoon. My selection for this evening's Game 1 of the World Series (Go Colorado) is the Mt. Nittany Pale Ale. 64 ounces of fresh-brewed, tasty goodness.
Several interesting coincidences led to my revived interest in craft brewed beer:

• Late night shuffleboard with Jameson Irish Whiskey caused a 36 hour unpleasantness, thus halting my desire to consume any form of liquor. Luckily, this came after summertime, so I had several months to enjoy Palomas in the sun.
• Gus blogged about the top 5 ranked beers in 6 different categories. I woke up from my tasteless light beer phase. The lack of Magic Hat's inclusion from the lists led to disgust, and then...
• My bottle cap from a Fat Angel said "You're a Winner", which I came to find out means I get a free t-shirt! This happened almost 3 years to the day from my trip to Burlington with my wife for our honeymoon. That week we stopped at the Magic Hat Brewery each afternoon to pick up a growler of fresh suds.
• Pletcher's, our local beer distributor, carries an excellent selection of hoppy ales. I started with Dogfish Head 60 Minute I.P.A., followed by a Stoudt's Variety Pack, and then a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

Now my only problem is the 14 crappy Labatt Blue cans and the 2 Bud Lights that are wasting valuable space in my refrigerator. Should I take them out? Should I try to feed them to someone else? Should I just drink the damn things? Another one of life's great dilemmas.

This Week's New Releases

It pains me to say it, but I'm disappointed by Neil Young's latest effort, Chrome Dreams II. I had very high expectations, especially after visiting An Aquarium Drunkard for the long lost original 1977 unreleased predecessor. It's no secret that Neil is one of my favorite artists of all time. Whether it's his beautiful, acoustic, heartfelt ballads or his "Grandfather of Grunge" electric noise-rock, each of his phases represents a different stage in my life. I remember camping at our cabin in the woods (built from logs and mud) while my buddy Verno played songs from Neil's Unplugged album on an old guitar around the campfire in the mid-90s. Fast forward to 2003's headlining Bonnaroo appearance. Neil is universal - a true legend in our time. I'm not saying Chrome Dreams II is horrible, but I found it tough to listen to it the whole way through. There are definitely tracks worth hearing, so it is still a must-have in any music lover's collection.
But when it comes to new music this week, I've gotta instead recommend Ryan Adams' Follow the Lights EP. I haven't always been a Ryan Adams fan - it took some time for me to get into Easy Tiger.
And if you're feeling adventurous, you can count on Ween. La Cucaracha delivers more of the creativity and disturbing antics we have come to expect from Dean and Gene.

Band of Horses on Letterman 10/18/07

Dave says "Yessirree". You can't help but love these guys.

Ghostland Observatory on Conan 10/16/07

Damn. That is funky.

Who'd want to be Harry Truman?

Having followed You Ain't No Picasso's link to The Top Ten Most Incomprehensible Bob Dylan Interviews, I was instantly fascinated by the Playboy Interview from February 1966.

Both the magazine and the artist were revolutionary during those days. And both continue to provide social commentary while simultaneously providing influence.

Check out this excerpt:

PLAYBOY: In recent years, according to some critics, jazz has lost much of its appeal to the younger generation. Do you agree?
DYLAN: I don't think jazz has ever appealed to the younger generation. Anyway, I don't really know who this younger generation is. I don't think they could get into a jazz club anyway. But jazz is hard to follow; I mean you actually have to like jazz to follow it: and my motto is, never follow anything. I don't know what the motto of the younger generation is, but I would think they'd have to follow their parents. I mean, what would some parent say to his kid if the kid came home with a glass eye, a Charlie Mingus record and a pocketful of feathers? He'd say, "Who are you following?" And the poor kid would have to stand there with water in his shoes, a bow tie on his ear and soot pouring out of his belly button and say, "Jazz, Father, I've been following jazz." And his father would probably say, "Get a broom and clean up all that soot before you go to sleep." Then the kid's mother would tell her friends, "Oh yes, our little Donald, he's part of the younger generation, you know."

Wakey Wakey, Rise and Shine

It took several listens for me to feel confident enough to even attempt to comment on Radiohead's new album, In Rainbows. With my 5:30 am listening this morning, I knew it couldn't wait any longer. It's been many years since a collection of songs has inspired me to think so deeply.

Earlier this week, I turned off all the lights downstairs and trekked groggily upstairs for bed at the end of the evening. After realizing I left my phone on the dining room table, I stumbled back down in the dark. A copy of Chuck Palahniuk's Haunted rested on the table near my phone. I did not realize until that moment that the disturbing image on the cover glows in the dark. I was quite surprised to be face to face with such a shocked looking ghost.

One morning this week I went out the front door prior to dawn to walk the dog. One of our neighbors, a retired hippie who drives a Park Avenue, was walking down the street alone in the dark. Why? Where was he going and why was he awake at that hour?

And Radiohead released In Rainbows on October 10th. It doesn't sound much like something representative of sunshine and bright colors. To me it represents the uncomfortable surprise of something you knew was there, but it was always hidden during the daylight. And strangers wandering in the dark for some unknown reason while most of civilization is safely sleeping indoors.

I have not yet finished Palahniuk's Haunted, and I have not formed all the opinions I someday will about Radiohead's latest release. But both are beautifully disturbing and disgustingly pleasing to the senses.
Late in his life, Timothy Leary published Chaos and Cyber Culture where he proposed that the PC was the LSD of the 1990's. In many ways, this is even more true today. There is no way to expand your mind today like the immediate accessibility of information on the internet. And In Rainbows seems to be a perfect soundtrack to that trip.

Flash Strike

This game is really cool. It's like a cross between those arcade games where the zombies keep jumping at you, and Delta Force. Simple, yet fun.

Click to play game

Recent Discoveries

• Check out this article for some extremely interesting descriptions of the Black Lips live shows.
• An Aquarium Drunkard has again recommended some worthwhile tunes in Steve Earle's Washington Square Serenade.
• I finally checked out Culture's Two Sevens Clash. Great rasta reggae reminiscent of very early Marley (not the stuff on Legend).
• Radiohead has decided to sign to a record label for a conventional release of In Rainbows as a CD. Maybe I'm confused, but I thought the whole point of doing what they did was to prove this was unnecessary. Those dudes sure are strange... I hope the new album is worth all this fuss.
• I just got a copy of Ghostland Observatory's 2006 album Paparazzi Lightning. It sounds pretty good so far.

The Black Keys - Live at Grimey's Records, Nashville, TN

Not to be confused with Black Lips, The Black Keys are huge and bluesy pure rock and roll music. Yes, it is just a guitarist and a drummer. They should be forced to publicly apologize to Jack White for kicking so much ass. Head over to the AT&T Blue Room to check out video of their set at this year's Lollapalooza. The tracks are also available for download from iTunes as a live EP. The gods of classic rock are smiling.

Black Lips - Cold Hands

The new album by Black Lips, Good Bad Not Evil, dropped less than a month ago. Their "flower punk" sounds like it could have been released any time during the last 40 years. After reading mixed reviews about the collection of songs, I almost passed it by. Now I'm glad I checked it out - and you will be too!

Queens of the Stone Age - 3's & 7's

Before you play this new video, I have two warnings for you:
1. It is loud and the volume control doesn't seem to work. So check your speaker volume and adjust as needed.
2. It is awesome.

"Badass sex kittens flaunt their switchblades and wreak havoc in a dangerous desert town."

Perfect New Music for the Fall

Autumn means pumpkins, hardy mums, indian corn, Penn State football, halloween candy, and new music for those chilly evenings when the sun goes down just a little bit too soon.

Iron & Wine released The Shepherd's Dog yesterday. Tour dates follow on Friday in Philly and Saturday at the 9:30 Club in D.C. Sadly, I will miss both opportunities.

I'm sure you've already been enjoying Band of Horses' new single, Is There a Ghost. The new album, Cease to Begin, officially drops on October 9th. It's tough to follow up on an album as great as last year's Everything All the Time, but I believe the boys from Seattle have done a fine job with their sophomore effort.

I swear the leaves on the trees outside my window just changed colors while I was sitting here at the computer...

Quality Television Programming

I'm almost afraid to admit how much I enjoy Californication for fear they will cancel it. After the unfortunate John From Cincinnati incident, I can't be too sure.
But seriously, it's the most interesting show on TV right now, since the new season of Weeds just isn't doing it for me.
If you don't get Showtime, you need to find a way to download or watch these episodes. The show is aesthetically appealing, psychologically disturbing, romantic, funny, and it's got lots of nudity. You can't go wrong. Fun for the whole family over the age of 18.

Top Ten Things I Learned at the Outer Banks

10. You can get crabs from Dirty Dicks. I know because I did. I also had frog legs for the first time. Awful Arthur's Oyster Bar is better.

9. Tropical storms are completely unpredictable based on what I saw of Gabrielle. It's true what they say: "If you don't like the weather, wait 15 minutes".

8. You should not mix a "captain caveman" with Captain Frank's. Although it always seems like a good idea, it's better in theory than in practice.

7. Life is a game, Fishing is serious.

6. Aliens and glowsticks floating in the ocean are very similar, and can easily be confused for one another. Even by the Fire and Rescue squad.

5. There should be a limit on the number of "Shake Your Rumps" you do in the morning. This does, however, only apply to the morning. After noon, the more the better.

4. The Andromeda Galaxy is directly above your head, approximately 2.5 million light years away. Try to wrap your mind around that late in the evening... Especially after a crab hunting expedition.

3. A northeast wind brings the fish. Particularly the 4-foot blues that have teeth. Land breezes bring the bugs.

2. It goes in the bucket. Fish, bait, Busch Light (cold beer and empties). All in the bucket. Mark will teach you how to fish. And his dog, Rascal, loves to fish as long as there's some shade.

1. Nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina in the morning.

Kick It Old School

The FL 909 is a free online TR-909 emulator. If you don't know what that means, don't feel bad. I didn't either until I read some info and tried it out. Basically, it is a drum machine you can use to create your own beats. I have gained a much greater respect for electronic music by attempting to create my own. It will take you a few minutes to figure out how all the controls work, and then hours of amazement and frustration mixing beats. For a long time I thought it would be a cool idea to create music on my computer. This tool allows you to do so for free without downloading anything. Just follow the link and get funky. To learn about the Roland TR-909 this little fella emulates, check out this Wiki entry .