Great Depression Redux

Any of you bastards worried about your jobs? Man, this is turning into something that definitely isn't a laughing matter!

Hubba Hubba

Book Blog

Hey fellas, I've started a new blog called 28 Books. I'm basically using it as an online reading diary, but feel free to check it out and leave your witty-ass comments and deep thoughts on the books I post. Bring wine and cheese if you're coming over.

Shit

Paul Newman was the absolute epitome of cool in my book. Every public aspect of his life, from his acting to his humanitarian efforts, were first class all the way. He once quipped to Maureen Dowd that he feared his epitaph might read, "Here lies Paul Newman. He died a failure because his eyes turned brown." Not by a long shot. For Slap Shot alone he deserves film canonization, and that's not to mention Hud, The Hudsucker Proxy, Cool Hand Luke, The Verdict, Road to Perdition, and countless others.

The Greatest Drum Roll In The History Of Recorded Music?

I firmly believe Green Day's Tre Cool is one the most unappreciated drummers working today. He's easily in my top five (with Josh Freese and Dave Grohl) in terms of technical proficiency and raw power. Why am I such a drum fag? Because a band is only as good as its drummer. Anywho, listen to the drum roll at the beginning of this song and bow your head to its unholy fury.

Catchy Friday

Through the miracle of the internets, a bit of much-needed catchiness for your Friday commute.

Port O'Brien I Woke Up Today from Port O'Brien on Vimeo

And To Be Fair...

Smokin' Joe isn't exactly FDR.

Oh Ye of Little Substance...

Watch CBS Videos Online

Lipstick!

Update: I take it all back.


Watch CBS Videos Online

Nostalgia

I'm off back to Blighty for my 20-year college reunion, so no posts for me for a while. I haven't been to any reunions in the meantime, so it will be interesting. Like most people I have been madly trying to lose some hair in the run up to seeing everyone again, and I am pleased to say I have been very successful.

Young Brians

OK, here it is. The first and only album by my band from the last century. Released in 1989, I promise this album got good reviews. From reliable sources. Promise. Anyway, my blatant infatuation with M. Stipe probably stopped us from Grunge Glory. Still, some good songs, and a chance to hear J. Nebel play lots of excellent guitar. He was nineteen. Frankly, That's Progress.

Happy Colt David Day

I feel like we should remember this every year.

Democracy is Coming to the USA

When someone posted the Randy Newman song last week, it brought to my mind a Leonard Cohen song from about 15 years ago called 'Democracy'. Great tune, and I'd love to hear the verses he might add after the past 15 years. I can't embed the video, but you can find it here.

Sam Spade is a Private Dick

I just finished reading The Maltese Falcon. I'm surprised I hadn't read it previously as I spent most of my teens reading detective fiction. I guess I was more into English locked-room whodunnits than hard-boiled American crime fiction. Although Hammett more or less invented the genre, it has been so overdone in the years since it is almost difficult to not laugh out loud at some of the now stereotypical moves Sam Spade makes. The thing that surprised me was the fact that a novel published in 1929 in America would make no bones about having a gay character or talking frankly about female nudity. I have never seen the movie either, although I plan to rent it sometime this week.

Challenge for White Album fans

One of my Beatles loving friends recently challenged me to whittle the White Album down to one ten track album in running order. An ultimately pointless, but interesting exercise. Anyone else care to give it a shot? I'll post mine when you've finished.

Catchy Friday

Big Boy Music Video
by Coming_Soon_Band

Tres entraînant.

Moriarty

Moriarty - Clip Private Lily - exclu DailyMotion
by naiverecords

I went off this band after reading that they are named after Dean Moriarty, not Professor Moriarty. But I must admit they know how to make Jay watch one of my music videos.

The Great Gig in the Sky

Rick Wright of Pink Floyd died today. He seemed like a nice guy in a group filled with assholes. I don't have much time for PF these days, but during college their music acted as the soundtrack to many, many 'experiences' for me. RIP. Read about it here.

Ha Ha

Modern Guilt

Beck's latest, out since June of this year, is excellent. Some of the sonic experimentation that is evident on every Beck release, but lots of great melodies as well. It is definitely my fave since Sea Change. Do you like Beck? Follow Those Pretzels!

Map of the week

This map purports to show regional generic terms for soft drinks. I came across the use of "coke" to mean "soda" when I lived in Louisiana, but I did not find it all that prevalent, even on my sporadic visits to gawk and throw stones at rural folk. When I was growing up, we said "fizzy drink." We also wore an onion on our belts, which was the style at the time.

Apparently, the word ‘pop’ was first introduced by Robert Southey, the British Poet Laureate (1774-1843), to whom we also owe the word ‘autobiography’, among others. In 1812, he wrote: A new manufactory of a nectar, between soda-water and ginger-beer, and called pop, because ‘pop goes the cork’ when it is drawn. Despite this unimpeachable genesis, the term ‘pop’ is considered unsophisticated by many, possibly because it is onomatopaeic, but most likely because it is popular in the midwest

Catchy Friday

Irresistable.

Dig through the couch cushions for Juvenile Diabetes

OK Bastards, we take and we take and we take. Now here's an opportunity to give back. My older bro is going to get off of his lazy ass and participate in a walk to support research into juvenile diabetes. He's set a pretty ambitious goal this year so I told him I'd spread the word. If any of you bastards have an extra ten spot lying around, then skip the hookers and blow this weekend and give to a good cause. If you'd like to donate, go here and tell 'em LBU sent you.

Oh Hell Yeah

November 14, ladies.

Randy Newman Defends the USA

Mr. Newman has a new CD out and it is seriously great. This track is a real highlight. Flow The Patriotism!

Doing the Things a Particle Can

And over in physics news this morning, ah, here's an interesting bit of gossip! Seems some European smarties in lab coats are planning to replicate the Big Bang on Wednesday. Some object, insisting that one universe is quite enough, thank you, we don't need some upstart universe crowding in on ours.

Pretty amazing, 17-mile race track for particles!

Celebrities Really Do Have Better Lives Than the Rest of Us

I'd always thought celebrities were just regular people, doing regular things, until I read this headline and article from the NME. Man, I just have to become famous. For famous people, even mundane things are learned and done in celeb-fabulous ways.

Kitty, Daisy & Lewis

You may remember these chaps from one of Andrew's catchy Fridays. They're 3 Brit siblings, 15-, 18- & 20-year-olds, drawn to '50s Rock and Roll. The throwback sound is neat to hear. Noted on the back of the CD:

We took a year to record and mix this album in our back room. Over a period of time we collected a lot of ribbon microphones, tape recorders and ancient sound equipment and eventually built a workable studio inspired by Sun studios in Memphis and Chess studios in Chicago along with the makeshift chaos of Joe Meek's studio in the Holloway Road in London. Our main objective was to capture the energy of our live gigs.

For maximum enjoyment we recommend that you turn the volume up as loud as possible.

Daisy has an interesting MySpace. I know you kids are into that sort of thing these days.

22 Dreams

Paul Weller's newest. Also features Oasis' Gem Archer and Noel Gallagher and Blur's Gram Coxon, among others. Only 21 tracks, though. Hmm...I just can't Figure Those Poms out.

Why I Love Jon Stewart

Ha ha ha ha ha

Just ... Wow

I think this commercial aired during the Republican National Convention. Anybody see it?

Ah, Coastal Living

Looks like we're in for some heavy weather here in the next couple days/weeks. At this point we're not evacuating, but we'll see how things shape up.

Predictions anyone?

Who will be this year's Cinderella, chaps? Minnesota? Jacksonville? Dare I say even New Orleans? Answers in the comments section.

Shit

Guitar Man Jerry Reed is dead. When you're hot, you're hot. When you're not, you're not. When you're dead, you're room temperature.

Google Gets Another One Exactly Right

Check out Google's new browser, Chrome.  Simple, clean and functional as hell.  Just what you'd expect from these guys.

It just keeps getting better.....

I have a feeling if this situation had happened to the Democrats, the U.S. right would be harumphing about loose family values. When it happens to a Republican family, they are 'supporting life' by deciding to keep the baby, something a Democrat would clearly never do.

In honor of . . . .

Finally getting around to fancying the pigeons with the Ida Maria CD. I think this video was the first catchy Friday, so worthy of a re-post. Terrific record (it doesn't hurt that track 9 will send A2 to sleep in about 30 seconds.)