Ben Folds

Been listening to a lot of Ben Folds today - he's been touring a bit lately, playing some new songs. Some seem catchy (Effington, Hiroshima) but I'm not feeling much lyrically. Here's an older one, All U Can Eat, which is one of those neat little Ben Folds-y deconstructions of America. First line is pretty great.

Damien Rice - Rootless Tree (piano version)

Possibly my favorite use of the word "fuck" in song.

Ryan Adams

Last week was the three year anniversary of the release of Cold Roses, which is among Ryan Adams' magnum opuses - an 80 minute double album packed with songs both instantly lovable and which grew more impressive over many listens. For reasons unknown to me, I've been thinking about the song Now That You're Gone a lot lately; it's one of those songs that comes to me sometimes when I haven't heard it in a long time. What struck me in re-watching the Austin City Limits performance from the fall of '05 is the restraint in the arrangement - the song could be a fist-pumping ballad with some more dramatic drumming and maybe a louder electric guitar. The chorus can sustain it - I definitely throw an arm in the air when singing it - but Ryan keeps it subdued and the song is better off for it.



As a bonus, another one that's been on my mind lately - Ryan and the Cards' cover of Alice in Chains' Down in a Hole. I was there the first time they busted it out, and it was a stunning experience - first that they were actually covering Alice in Chains, and second how well it worked. Let's just say Ryan can emotionally take on Jerry Cantrell's lyrics.

I think I know why people might like Barack

Remember when Bill Clinton when on Arsenio Hall in 1992? Me neither, I was 9. I mean, I remember that it happened, and people were really impressed, but it didn't hit me. Well, I think I figured out what that experience was like.

Two videos, the first from last week, the day after the debate. Let's just call this one the Hillbilly off His Shoulders:

The second, from tonight, features Barack finally (FINALLY!) referencing something I noticed a few years ago: the dude sounds like the Rock. This is, subtly, one of his best traits: he sounds powerful and strong, even if the dude is pretty skinny. It's a manly voice, and a charismatic one - the Rock's voice was one reasons he's such a huge star. But anyway, all three candidates will appear on WWE Raw tonight - Hilary sounding forced as usual, McCain making reference to Hulk Hogan (old much?), and Barack being reserved but stealing the show, with one of the great catchphrases in sports entertainment history. 

To quote Beaneball's reaction: HE DID IT HE DID IT HE DID IT OH MY GOD AMERICA WINS WE ARE THE WINNERS

Rock of Love finale and an album recommendation

A bit of dialogue to encompass why Rock of Love is so great.

Daisy: It offended me that you called me a stripper.

Ambre: That's your occupation! I'm a TV host and you're a stripper!

I guess I'm happy that Ambre won since Daisy has bothered me - no, repulsed me - for two months now. Plus, I bet it lasts like three months, and then it ends, and then there can be a sweet Rock of Love 3.

Quick album recommendation: the Cardigans' Gran Turismo. A lot of people probably recognize the band from that poppy song from the Romeo and Juliet soundtrack a long time ago (Lovefool), but their sound has gotten VERY different over the years. I've been a fan for a while of their 2003 album Long Gone Before Daylight, which fits nicely into the folk-rock I tend to favor. Gran Turismo, on the other hand, is electronic, spacy, ethereal. Captivating. I've long admired the big single, My Favorite Game, but the whole album, in sequence, is something I hadn't experienced until tonight. Can't believe I waited this long to finally just sit down with it (well, not quite - I was on the treadmill for part of it).

Grumpy Old Man

“Everybody, all they want to talk about is our free-throw shooting. I don’t know why. I come back to the conclusion that maybe they haven’t seen our team play, nor do they really know and the easy thing to talk about off the stat sheet is our free throws."
- John Calipari

I hate to be a curmudgeon, but being able to hit free throws is a basic fundamental of basketball. If you can't do it consistently, you really shouldn't win a title. It's the easiest way to put away a close game - if you can get a lead and hit your free throws, it's almost impossible for the trailing team to comeback.

Maybe, just maybe, there's a reason why Calipari still doesn't have a title. Just sayin...

New Notable Artist

This guy is pretty great.

N.B. He's been my best friend for the last decade, so I might be biased. But the performance is legit great.