Stone Temple Pilots

So it's been almost ten years since STP released an album and even longer since they released anything good. Since then their sinewy Scott Weiland has released shitty solo records and fronted the band Velvet Revolver which also included Duff and Slash of Guns N' Roses incase you weren't aware. Honestly I don't care what the other members of Stone Temple Pilots were doing in this time, maybe they were thinking about a new Talk Show album or maybe they were counting their millions and raising families. Whatever.

So, Stone Temple Pilots has released this new self titled album which has the quality of being very easy to listen to as it flows from song to song without any real moments that would cause me to skip a song. Gone are the days of the grunge era's version of the Doors and here is a Californian, 70s, country, rockabilly influenced sound which is not breaking any new ground but it is worth listening to.
The first single, "Between the Lines" is what you would expect from a band of 40 year olds, the music moves but doesn't have that heavy sound that the band has used, the melody is catchy as are many of Stone Temple Pilots tunes. The other real rocker is, "Fast As I Can" which can be heard on ESPN's Baseball Tonight as filler music. "Huckleberry Crumble" is a cool Aerosmith, "Rocks" era influenced song.
Their is nothing on the album in the way of a ballad like "Interstate Love Song" or "Creep" and nothing rocks as hard as "Sex Type Thing" or even, "Down". At worst the songs canseem like the little brothers of "Lady Picture Show" and "Sour Girl" at best it's a catchy mid tempo rock record.

I'm not handing out stars or amps or scale it from 1 through 10 but I will say this album is worth a listen

American Cheese

Is this cheese that is known as "American" really a good example of what our country can produce or is it a symbol of just how disgusting our nation is?
What used to be made from a blend of Colby and Cheddar is now something that doesn't even fit the legal definition of cheese. It is a product that was forced into American homes during 3 months of 1942 wartime efforts as U.S. officials put a ban on all foreign cheeses.
The cheese is naturally a wonderful ingredient for Macaroni and cheese and a grilled cheese sandwich but after that the product is thin of tasty possibilities. It's something that if you're not raised on it you won't acquire the taste for like many regional dishes but like real region fair, American Cheese isn't worth much aside from cheap.

Drinking for Democracy

As Stated all over the place I am a sucker for junk food and now that Mountain Dew has tossed out some new colors for the masses to drink and then elect one to keep while the other two are sent off to a place shamed soft drinks wallow. You can find New Coke and Pepsi Clear slowly going flat over the decades.

First we have the blue, "Voltage" flavor which is a light tasting berry concoction which didn't really inspire anything in me. I can't see myself craving this beverage.



The white beverage called. "White Out" is a bit better in flavor but again it's not that interesting. The one thing that I kept thinking however was that I was drinking a white liquid; it didn't feel all together innocent.

Weekly Mix Tape Pt 17

Let's Rock! At Least at first we will before we settle down into some other elements of pop music. Enjoy the sounds at you leisure. These songs flow pretty well even if it doesn't seem like it. All the songs are available for purchase on iTunes but as per usual my attempt to be awesome and tech savy by creating a link have failed so happy hunting.

1. Girls, Girls, Girls by Mötley Crüe
What is a marble larch?
2. Do You Want To hit It by The Donnas
Horny rocker girls posing a very interesting question
3. One-Armed Scissor by At The Drive-In
After this album the band broke up and became The Mars Volta
4. Radio Free Europe by R.E.M.
Ladies and gentlemen, R.E.M. before they became total pussies
5. The Next Episode by Dr. Dre
This is the one with Snoop Dogg on it
6. You Do Something To Me by Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad at her most sultry
7. What Difference Does It Make by The Smiths
Best Smiths song Ever
8. Elephant Stone by The Stone Roses
This was a big single in the UK
9. There's No Other Way by Blur
The US's first taste of the band back in 1991; I wasn't a fan at the time
10.The Other Side by Aerosmith
This song was in "True Romance"
11.In A Little While by U2
Why do I keep putting horrible U2 Songs on mixes, actually this song is just lazy
12.Block Rockin' Beats by The Chemical Brothers
This track was part of the great techno push of 1997
13.Darkside by Crazy Town
This song sucks but it goes well with Disco Science
14.Disco Science by Mirwais
I wan to see the laboratory that this Science is done in
15.Unsung by Helmet
They were dubbed the next Nirvana
16.Buddy Holly by Weezer
Great Video by Spike Jonze
17.Pleasant Valley Sunday by The Monkees
Somebody should cover this song . . . No, I take that back
18.Heartbreak Hotel by Elvis Presley
We've all checked in once or twice in our lives
19.Spin The Bottle by Juliana Hatfield Three
I think this song is about Johnny Depp
20.Then The Morning Comes by Smash Mouth
What happened to Smash Mouth?
21.My Way by Sid Vicious
Best version of this song of all time!

Dead Stars: Ronnie James Dio

RIP DIO

Singer of Rainbow, second singer of Black Sabbath and Solo Heavy metal god , Ronnie James Dio is dead at 67 from a battle with stomach cancer. The man with one of the hugest voices in Rock left us with at least a couple of gems most notably, Holy Diver" and "Rainbow in the Dark" which added to the mysticism and aura of heavy metal music in the early 80s. What I liked about the man was that he seemed to have a good sense of humor to him whenever interviewed even to go as far as saying his Italian grandmother was responsible for the devil horns hand gesture many fans throw up at rock shows. He was pint sized but that voice was gigantic and will live on on in the rock ether forevaw and evaw, Dio, YOU ARE A HOLY DIVAW!

Weekly Mix Tape Pt 16

This mix takes shape and is full of good songs and a few horrible ones. Oh yeah, enjoy


1. Highwaystar by Deep Purple
If you don't like driving to song . . . Fuck You!
2. Speed by Atari Teenage Riot
defined German industrial hardcore
3. Let Forever be by The Chemical Brothers
Featuring Noel Gallagher of Oasis
4. Citysong by Luscious Jackson
More NYC danceable rock
5. Elevation by U2
Another sucky U2 song from the "All That You Can't Leave Behind" Album
6. Locked Out by Crowded House
This what rock from New Zealand sounds like
7. Idioteque by Radiohead
The title of this song enforces the belief that this band is full of themselves
8. Sonnet by The Verve
Sweet and tender Brit pop
9. Butterfly by Crazy Town
This singer of this band can now be found on Celebrity Rehab
10.Empty Skies by Kosheen
This band should be from Germany but they're from Bristol England
11.Simple Kind Of Life by No Doubt
No Doubt's sell out album
12.Love For Sale by Fine Young Cannibals
A lovely rendition of the Cole Porter song
13.Oh My God by Guns N' Roses
This is all we got from Axl between "Sympathy For The Devil" in 1994 and Chinese Democracy in 2008; it doesn't suck as badly as either of those items
14.Stupid Girl by Garbage
The song that broke the band to the masses and put Shirley Manson in short dresses for good
15.I Am Stretched On Your Grave by Sinead O'Connor
Baldy sings a poem written in the 1600s . . . good for her. This melody is actually quite hypnotic
16.When Worlds Collide by Powerman 5000
Rob Zombie's little brother belts out like a dog some Industrial Metal
17.Viva Las Vegas by Elvis Presley
What else Could you ask for Elvis and Vegas together at last.
18. Break On Through by The Doors
The Doors first single and a great karaoke number
19.Panama by Van Halen

Weekly Mix Tape Pt 15

Here is your regularly scheduled weekly mix! There are a lot of power hits on this baby and there is some plot to it which is always enjoyable.

1. Zoo Station by U2
Ready to let go of the steering wheel?
2. Back In Black by AC/DC
One of the most awesome rock songs of all time.
3. Independent Women by Destiny's Child
don't hate
4. Fame by David Bowie
With John Lennon on guitar this is gem in the Bowie catalog
5. The Way I Am by Eminem
an answer to "Fame"
6. Strawberry Fields Forever by The Beatles
It's the Beatles
7. Don't Call Me Baby by Madison Avenue
More disco!
8. Burning Flag by Marilyn Manson
Never a big song but it's an angry rocker
9. Closer by Nine Inch Nails
The best Nine Inch Nails release? Yeah, I can accept that
10.Body Movin' by The Beastie Boys
Goof y in their old age
11.Life of Leisure by Luscious Jackson
Freinds of the Beasties
12.Pressure Drop by The Maytals
One of my favorite reggae jams
13.Punk Rock Girl by The Dead Milkmen
Funny song that should be more well known than it is
14.Punk Rock Classic by Red Hot Chili Peppers
continuing the Punk Rock theme. Gn'R takes a lump in this one for no real reason
15.Playground Love by Air
From The Virgin Suicided movie
16.Doin' Time by Sublime
this song gives me a yuk feeling
17. Sympathy For The Devil by The Rolling Stones
Is this one of the top ten rock songs ever?

Dead Stars: Lena Horne

RIP Lena

Dallas Braden's Perfect Game

So Oakland Athletic's very average pitcher, Dallas Braden pitched a perfect game on May 9th; only the 19th perfect game in major League baseball history. So where does this put the guy who up until now was best known for telling Yankee All Star 3rd baseman and confessed juicer Alex Rodriguez he was acting like a tool as he walked over the pitching mound as he returned from 3rd to first base. I don't claim to know what sort of weird respect you're supposed to show more veteran players but their does seem to be some sort of code of conduct regarding this relationship between newer players and older players. Also there could be a relationship between guys like A-Rod a 3 time MVP and Hall of Famer to be vs. guys like Dallas Braden who's in his 4th year and posted an 18-23 in 53 career major league starts. I do however like the fact that the pitcher called out the highest paid player in Baseball for being a dick; walking over the pitchers mound when you're on the other team is the equivalent of going to your friend's house, eating all his snacks, taking a dump and not flushing or maybe it's just arrogant.

Anyway, where does this put Braden, Mr. 209 (area code of his home town, Stockton, CA.)? He doesn't seem to posses the "stuff" to make him an ace nor does he have the history but let's suppose he is the next Tommy Glavine another soft tossing lefty (which by the way is much different than a leftist soft tosser) who was 33-41 after four years in the bigs. It wasn't until season five that he started a run of 3 consecutive 20 win seasons and his Hall of Fame career which eventually saw him win 305 games and being rewarded with the National League Cy Young award twice in 1991 and 1998. (and would have won a couple more if it hadn't been for teammate Greg Maddux) If this does happen suddenly we are blessed with what would look like a baseball class war where the working class Braden will annually go against the likes of the elite A-Rod and his Yankees or the Red Sox who only pretend to be working class but are really just as elite kinda' like that rich kid that who dresses in torn jeans and smokes out with the kids on the other side of the tracks. It would be great for baseball lore to see rivalries like this! Personally I love it when players trash talk; I loved it when Chipper Jones announced during the 1999 National League Championship Series that, "Mets fans should go home, and put on their Yankee stuff." They beat the Mets but were swept by the Yanks, so he was right, very astute. (Did you know he named one of his kids Shea?)
Alas as we all know this will only last until Braden's contract is up and he signs with the Yankees in 2012 for big money. That's the reality of baseball in these days of payroll disparity (Pittsburg Pirates at about $35,000,000 and the Yankees at $206,000,000 and Oakland at $52 million). Great players can not stay in small markets which may or may not be better for the game. It's bad for teams but to have the best players on the major market teams creates super stars who sell a lot more jerseys and tickets. Adrian Gonzalez in a Dodgers uniform rather than his Padres' is a far more lucrative asset. Josh Becket pitching for Boston makes more revenue for his team now than he did when he was with Florida Marlins. Of course some players will be able to stay where they are as long as they want, Albert Pujols are Tim Lincecum are fine examples of the franchise player.
What was I talking about? Oh, yeah, I hope Dallas Braden hits A-Rod in the ass next time they face one another.

Here's an interesting follow up. Looks like the A's are smart! Braden Doesn't like the shirt.

Weekly Mix Tape Pt 14

That's right I'm putting forth a bonus mix because these Mixes seem week and uninspired. Maybe I'm wrong and I just can't recall why the mix was so awesome at the time. I think the real issue with this mix is the lack of current music on it for the time I made it; it sounds more like a weird rehash without any real cohesion. The songs aren't bad but . . . I don't know, I've done better. I think I hit a low point in my consumption of music and was getting into songs looked over from before. These mixes may stay this way for a while but we shall see . . . There will be another Mix on Thursday! I dunno the songs are good but the flow . . . she is weird.

1. American Woman by The Guess Who
The original is the best, none of this weird Lenny Kravitz funny business
2. Mama Kin by Guns N' Roses
This cover is actually better than the original Aerosmith version; I'm confused why I didn't put this before "Dream On"
3. Song 2 by Blur
Woo-Hoo!
4. Fuzzy by Grant Lee Buffalo
It's all so fuzzy now, this song always reminds me of hangovers
5. Eleanor Rigby by The Beatles
Look at all the lonely people, should have been followed by "The Beautiful People"
6. What I got by by Sublime
This is where we enter the California lazy section of the mix
7. Fly by Sugar Ray
This is where we exit the California lazy section of the mix
8. Electricity by Spiritualized
Critics loved Spiritualized, I hought they sounded good
9. Pizza Cutter by Letters To Cleo
Here's your Boston element
10.Get off Of My Cloud by The Rolling Stones
Groovy song by the Stones
11.Lithium by Nirvana
I recall the most normal people loving this song
12.Rollin' by Limp Bizkit
Hate it!
13.Disposable Teens by Marilyn Manson
This was Marilyn's follow up to the Dope Show
14.The Drugs Don't Work by The Verve
This song makes me sad
15.Nobody Weird Like Me by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Before they were the biggest band n the land they were weird
16.Girl, You''ll Be a Woman Soon by urge Overkill
Urge Overkill . . . Was this a real band?
17.That's Entertainment by The Jam
Yes it is
18.Goldfinger by Ash
Underrated song
19.Today by Smashing Pumpkins
Billy Corgan almost killed himself instead of writing this song, would anybody have remembered who he was if he had?
20.Dream On by Aerosmith
Still haunting after all these years

Weekly Mix Tape Pt 13

I don't know what the hell was going on with this mix unless I was just mixing to mix, who knows? There is some shitty music on here but that's usually the case. I blame the thoroughly un-American bands, enjoy!

1. Whole Lotta Rosie by AC/DC
Angus!
2. Head On by Pixies
A great cover of the Jesus and Mary Chain's song.3. A Song For The Lovers by Richard Ashcroft
Singer for the Verve goes out and gets strings; this songs is so sweeping and dramatic, love it!
4. Glycerine by Bush
The Kids loved this song, and Gavin is one of the sexiest men in rock they say

5. Do The Evolution by Pearl Jam
One of my three favorite Pearl jam songs, so angry and rockin'!
6. The National Anthem by Radiohead
Which nation? The Critics Loved this song
7. My Funny Valentine by Chet Baker
Chet was sweetest just before he nodded off from shooting up

8. Sick of Myself by Matthew Sweet
I concur
9. Kryptonite by 3 Doors Down
Everything 3 Doors Down did after this was shit.
10. Hail Hail Spit N' Drool by The Hives
It sounds like punk but I don't know if it really is, they dress too well.
11.Break Stuff by Limp Bizkit
More angry Shit
12.Testify by Rage Against The Machine
Grrrrr!
13.Waterfall by The Stone Roses
This song lets us kick back and enjoy the day a bit more
14.Summer Rain by U2
Total Shit! This song is such a lame one
15. Age of Consent by New Order
Everybody's favorite age next to the Bronze Age
16.Love Is A Stranger by Eurythmics
This song is some good synth stuff. It's sexy and creepy and makes me want to hang out with machines more.

17.Poison Arrow by ABC
Martin Frey, last of the true romantics
18.Girl From Mars by Ash
One of those Brit Pop, coat tail riding bands that wasn't British
19.Leave It Alone by Mary's Danish
Late 80s early 90s Alternative Band from Los Angeles
20.Beat Surrender by The Jam
This song almost soaks up all the suckiness on the this mix to bring us to an even level
21. BBC by Austin Powers
Michael Meyers as a shagadelic 1960's spy

World Cup

It's that time again when every 4 years the soccer/football fans of Earth go insane as the World Cup champion is decided. We are led to believe that every nation on the planet explodes with hope and fever when this tournament is played all nations bt the greatest one of them all; the United States of America.
Reason has it that there's just something about the American psyche that can't get a grip of the beautiful game or Joga Bonito as the Brazilians call it, maybe it's too boring or the whole off sides rule confuses to many folks. Sure there are some Americans who like and even love the sport but they all seem to be a bit out there, a bit liberal and often talk about their health food diet too much. It has almost become American not to like the sport on the principle that the rest of the world adores the game, just another stance to push everybody else away as we insist everybody need us and do as we say (except China).
I see it as propaganda though; I mean we can get into American Gladiators we can get into anything, right? One idea I can agree with is that it's very hard for bookies to put out a point spread for games which are generally concluded with a 2-1 score (and that's an exciting game) so the gambling aspect that many Americans use to make sports more . . . "interesting" The other point would be the difficulty in placement of television commercials, there's only one scheduled break at half time and the rest is continuous with virtually no timed stops. that you can fit an advert into. With modern technology adds can be ran across the screen at any time which is very annoying but more and more common. So the connection would be the lack of big money to be made and that is what we are about as a country isn't it? Making a buck, because as we all know, "Greed for lack of a better word is good" So if we can make Soccer a more lucrative game for US we can have every rabid sports fan in America live for the World Cup, stay up to strange hours as live games are telecast from South Africa! MAybe I'm wrong about this, maybe if their was more violence like in Hockey or Football we would tune in; do we need more Zidane!
My personal feeling about the game is that there needs to be less flopping and the off sides rule should be dropped.