Thursday, October 28, 2010

Weekly Mix Tape Pt 39

 Here is a mix that was fairly up to day when it was made in 2005. It includes one of my favorite songs from 2004 including Portions for Foxes; a dark little ditty. We explore another track from The White Stripes' Get Behind Me Satan  album which almost seems like classic rock at this point.


Enjoy!

1. Bullet With Butterfly Wings by Smashing Pumpkins
"The world is a Vampire", Billy Corgan didn't have his coffee that morning or so I'm guessing but then again he's diva
2. Black Tambourine by Beck
This little Scientologist jam kind of makes me want to dance
3. I Hate the Way you Love by The Kills
All their songs sound the same
4. 99 Problems by Danger Mouse feat. Jay-Z
From the infamous Grey Album. The Beatles got mashed up with Jay-Z; it so good.
5. Portions for Foxes by Rilo Kiley
Sung by former child actor Jenny Lewis, this is a song about being lonely and having an empty soul
6. Take, Take, Take by The White Stripes
Obsession is bad, bad, bad thing
7. Mother Mother by Tracy Bonham
A 90's one hit wonder, the former Berklee College of Music student goes pop rock. It's a good song about being on your own for the first time.
8. Vertigo by The Libertines
America had The Stroke and England had The Libertines
9. Crispin Glover by Scarling
L.A.'s own little goth pop band. I saw them live in 2005 and they played really well.
10.NYC by Interpol
New York City's own Joy Division  that has a bassist that looks like Crispin glover . . . do you get the progression?
11.Love Will Tear Us Apart by Joy Division
If it's not love it's impending fame
12.Misty Mountain Hop by Led Zeppelin
Classic rock that is supposedly about a walk in the park. I love the organ in the beginning, it sounds like jet travel.
13.Freedom Fighters by The Music
 A random song that I assume was bigger in the UK than here.
14.The Rooster by Outkast
This is a hot jam from the Speaker Box and The Love Below
15.No One Knows by Queens of the Stone Age
The ever changing line up of QotSA makes me wonder a lot about the band.
16.I Hope, I Think, I know by Oasis
 This was an overlooked gem on Oasis's highly anticipated album, Be Here Now.  The album was overripe and self indulgent but this song is short and simple. They even reference Wonderwall.
17.Sometimes Always by The Jesus & Mary Chain
Alternative rock started to put out duets in 1994 a sure sign of a genre's demise. Hope Sandoval from MAzzy Star lends her sweet lazy vocals to this tune
18.Rodeohead by Hard 'N Firm
Chris Hardwick of Singled Out and Web Soup was in this odd little band and made a very good Radiohead medley, country blue grass style.
19. Crawl Straight Home by HorrorPops
Rockabilly done modern
20.Goodbye Stranger by Supertramp
I used to get Heart and Supertramp mixed up when I was a little kid; i think I thought the singer was a woman. A song about love on the road, real problems that none of us have to deal with.

Monday, October 25, 2010

2010 World Series

So my predictions weren't correct, in fact they were dead wrong but I am OK with that. So this year we will have the Texas Rangers facing off with the San Francisco Giants for the baseball championship.
Congratulations to both teams! The Rangers are going into their first World Series ever while the Giants are looking for their first championship since they moved from New York back in the 1950s, longer than the Texas franchise has existed.

The way I see it is this, the Giants can win if their pitching stays sharp continuing to be very hard to score off of. Their hits will come and will probably scrape out between two and four runs a game. the Rangers on the other hand will win if they score more than four runs; there will be no tight games of 9 to 8. Texas has the neutralizer of Cliff lee who should be capable of shutting down the Giants' bats but who knows; they aren't a team that relies on the long ball and every run they get is a miracle so that strategy may still work. Pat the Rangers' starters I recall their being some bullpen problems which could also come into play in the late innings.
So to reiterate, if Texas starts hitting dingers regularly, forget about it, the Rangers will clobber San Francisco but if the Giants maintain it will be very tough. Don't expect Cody Ross to continue his post season power surge and don't expect the Giants pitching to walk three batters intentionally; they're made of tougher stuff than the Yankees as they know they can't rely on a juiced up Cano Home Run, a moon shot by mouth breathing Texiera or a disingenuous round tripper from A-Fraud.
To me this doesn't seem like a Series with a foregone conclusion; it could be combination of Texas tee offs and San Francisco Torture.

Good Luck guys!

Friday, October 22, 2010

Weekly Mix Tape Pt 38

There is a lot of huge songs on this mix and a lot of oldies in respect to the time the mix was made. There are only two songs from same decade which is against my current way of thinking which requires more modern tracks with old highlights that show genre and influence.

listen and enjoy

1. Rio by Duran Duran
This is what star power is all about, only a band like Duran Duran could pull off a song like this and make it seem awesome, only a band like this could do a video like this with Simon Le Bon riding the bowsprit.
2. Communication Breakdown by Led Zeppelin
So powerful, heavy and fast this song was when it came out in 1969 that it caused the Beatles to break up.
3. Barracuda by Heart
And while we're on the topic of powerful and heavy, this song goes the full distance! Rocking out full bore!
4. How Soon Is Now? by The Smiths
Some have labeled the best song of 1980s and I don't disagree. While initially I found this song morose and depressing, I couldn't resist it's sonic beauty. Johnny Marr's guitar work is beautiful factories, passing cars and emotional. It is a song that never charted in the states by a band that wasn't even as popular as The Cure but there's nothing else like it. Not even U2, R.E.M or Guns n' Roses could accomplish something like this.
5. New Model No. 15 by Marylin Manson
He can suck it a smile, not bad. Apparently he has adult film talent singing in the background but all I hear is Marylin's whiny bark.
6. Draw Your Breaks by Scotty
After all that power guitar we're taking it mellow and to the Caribbean island of Jamaica.
7. Here Comes the Hotstepper by Ini Kamoze
This is a feelgood song not in the way that makes you walk on sunshine but the kind that makes you feel cooler than shit and strut.
8. Wrong Way by Sublime
A song about hooking up with a girl who has unfortunate family issues by a guy who OD'd twice in the same tenderloin hotel. Rest in Peach Bradley.   
9. Roots Radicals by Rancid
Even though they were from The East Bay they always seemed more British than their contemporaries, Green Day and Offspring.
10.What' I Say, Pt 1 by Ray Charles  
Some of the best organ in popular music, ever. The groove and rhythm travel and get the blood in motion.
11.Hey Sailor by The Detroit Cobras
I've never seen this band live but I have heard they smoke more cigarettes than any other band. this is whiskey lovin' blues rock.
12.Daddy Never understood by Deluxx Folk Implosion
Straight ahead loud from the notorious motion picture, Kids.
13.Sing Your Life by Morrissey
I thought this was a happy song when I first heard it but that's the way it is with the best song from this man.
14.Jesus Christ Pose by Soundgarden
Let us return now to crazy guitars that rip up the fabric of reality, dig into your mind and demand satisfaction. Chris Cornel used to be such bad ass motherfuckin' singer and then fame happened.
15.Big Empty by Stone Temple Pilots
This was the song that made STP  cool to me. I didn't quite bond with the first album but this tune was soulful, bluesy and huge and available on the Crow soundtrack as well as the bands second album.
16.It's Only Rock n' Roll (But I like It) by The Rolling Stones
Classic rock must be represented. I must have been real hot for this song at the time I made the mix because I rarely ever play it. Maybe I just needed a song.
17.Jealous Again by The Black Crows
I hated this song for years, I hated this band for almost as long as I hated the song but I mellowed and realized it wasn't that bad.
18.Portland, Oregon by Loretta Lynn and Jack White
Some people said this was their favorite song from 2004 but I disagree. It is a good tune about gin drinking though.
19.Where Did You Sleep Last Night by Nirvana
  When Nirvana's Unplugged album came out I told myself I wouldn't buy it unless the Leadbelly cover was on it. The amount of pain and agony Kurt Cobain emotes through his voice is enough to make you shutter and almost agree to help him pull the trigger.
20.Hey, Hey, My My (Into The Black) by Neil Young
This is the story of Johnny Rotten or at least that what Neils says and who knows, maybe it is but if you read or heard Kurt Cobain's suicide note you know that he incorporated it into his rock n' roll story.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Dead Stars: Tom Bosley

Actor Tom Bosley passed away on October 19th at age 83. He played the iconic role of Mr. Cunningham on Happy Days, an old school dad who was constantly being tested by the subversive 1950s. Coming along in the 1970s he wasn't the innovator of TV fathers but he did have staying power, 11 seasons worth.

RIP Tom Bosley
 TV Guide ranked him number 9 on the all time TV father list which isn't bad. In comparison to how TV fathers have recently been portrayed recently (Homer Simpson, Don Draper, Peter Griffin) his traditional character is a breath of fresh air as he doesn't destroy the house, he doesn't bone all the girls at the office, endanger his families lives or come up with hair brained schemes to get rich quick. Howard Cunningham was a no bull, hardware store owner who just wanted to come home from work to an appreciative family and a steak.

In addition Mr. Bosley also won a Tony award in 1959 and co starred on Murder She Wrote.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Dead Stars: Barbara Billingsley

Barbara Billingsley died Saturday at the age of 94. If nothing else she set the standard for TV house wives in the 1950s and 1960s on the hit show Leave It To Beaver. High heels and pearls were the look all the time, very impressive for a stay at home mom who has degenerated since then.

RIP Barbara

Here's the deevolution of housewives for those of you who don't see it. If we start with Mrs. Cleaver out next step would be:

  Carrol Brady: She started off like Mrs. Cleaver but along with the rest of her family got a little groovy at the 1970s shook their peaceful Californian living. This house mother wore pants and did a lot less house work as she had her live in servant/carpet muncher Alice.

Next we took a weird lateral move in the 70s and 80s where the housewife was replaced with a servant lie Mrs. Garrett so her feelings and sexuality didn't need to be addressed unless we were faced with a very uncomfortable very special episode. There was no Mr. Garrett so we must assume she was either a widow or a liar. The possibility that Mr. Garret left her ass for a sexy french maid is also up for deabte.

Suddenly when things looked hopeless Claire Huxtable popped up! She was a Lawyer or a Doctor or something that netted a lot of money; she had a lot of children and seemed to take good care of that big house. I don't recall a servant ever getting shown out the back door.  Kudos to the 80s, right?



Wrong! We then got slapped with the reality of the typical housewife who was angry, bitter and not a very good housekeeper. In addition she couldn't even keep her ass thin for her man. The appearance of Rosanne caused men all over to balk at the prospect of getting hitched and having kids as this bite of reality was a bit too much.

Somehow our housewife suddenly took all the laziness and bitterness of Roseanne and decided she was a prostitute. Peg Bundy the horny, inappropriately dressed stay at home mom set the bar for the girls who teenagers when they first saw her and is many ways responsible for the rash of Real Housewives.

The Horror, the horror, the horror!

Friday, October 15, 2010

Weekly Mix Tape Pt 37

There's not a lot of modern music on this mix even for the year it was made in 2005 but there is a lot of British music.

enjoy the exploration

1. Epic by Faith No More
Before the word "Epic" became synonymous with annoying exaggeration this song was nnown for wacked out it's video, this was one of the first rap/rock bands to make a splash in the mainstream.
2. Nuthin' But A "G" Thang by Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Dogg
Classic rap from a man who is becoming the Axl Rose of the hip hop world; it's been 17 years since this album came out.
3. Higher Ground by Red Hot Chili Peppers
This was the bands MTV breakthrough from 1989. Stevie Wonder's original never dreamed of big drums like these.
4. My Friend Goo by Sonic Youth
What is this song about? Some say it's a bout a the dumb poser girls who go to rock shows and some say it's about a bitter slut.
5. Boogie Shoes by K.C. & The Sunshine Band
Having just bought the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack used and cheap I began to revisit an album I listened to all the time when I was 5 years old; it still sounds good.
6. You Can Get It If you Really Want by Jimmy Cliff
Music from the 1972 film, The Harder They Come. I've never seen it.
7. Jive Talkin' by Bee Gees
This is one of the rare disco era Bee Gees that's more groovy than over the top disco; it;s also from Saturday Night Fever
8. No Wow by The Kills
Every song the Kills do sounds just like this. Alison Mosshart went on to be in The Dead Weather with Jack White.
9. Blue Orchid by The White Stripes
And speak of the devil, Jack White appears with his first band. Listening to the vocals I often wonder if this song is a joke. For the record this mix was made years before the Dead Weather existed which goes to prove that there is a cosmic unconsciousness.
10.Molly's Lips by Nirvana
Catchy, catchy, catchy grunge pop, change the music and it could be a song from the 60s
11.Sign Your Name by Terence Trent D'Arby
The ballad that followed the hit Wishing Well, Mr. D'Arby proves he has a heart.
12.Like Glue by Sean Paul
He will not play number two and that's all I can understand in this dance hall song.
13.We 'A' Rockers by Inner Circle
Continuing our Jamaican music we have the theme to Rockers  a movie I Know I saw in the theater in 1978 because people tell me I have. Rockers is the other reggae movie.
14.Alright by Supergrass
This band was third part of the Brit pop invasion of the mid 90s following Blur and Oasis
15.Main Offender by The Hives
More rock from the land of Thor and Odin. I wonder if these guys got beat up by the death metal guys?
16.Weirdo by The Charletons
Manchester, so much to answer for. This is from the sophomore album by the band that were second only to the Stone Roses . . . and maybe the Happy Mondays in that rock sub genre. The Charlatans  however made more records than all of them with a much longer career.
17.Lost In The Plot by The Dears
This song wants to be a Smith's song so bad. Canadian rock sometimes comes through but . . .
18.I Started Something I Couldn't Finish by The Smiths
there's nothing quite like the real thing. Off the bands final album, Morrissey croons the line, "Typical Me, Typical Me, Typical Me", it's funny.
19.There She Goes by The La's
This song was bigger than the band and that's why they never put out another album. I can think of at least two covers of this song but the original is still the best. I saw The La's play a free show at the Hatch Shell in Boston in 1991.
20.Porcupine by Mary's Danish
Grunge era rock that wasn't grunge but still encapsulated the early 90s angst and "irony".
21.Missing by Beck
Kind of a trippy Latin number but not quite; it's a weird one
22.Vasoline by Stone Temple Pilots
This song is better in retrospect than it was at the time, like most of STP. I mean that in a good way. When Velvet Revolver performed this song it rocked a bit harder than this which is awesome!



23.Rat Velvet by Lemonheads
Boston Punk from the mid 80s
24.Moonlight Drive by The Doors
A dark song and a pretty song that ends our mix smooth.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

American League Championship 2010

The American League will come down to the Western Division champs, the Texas Rangers playing the Wild Card New York Yankees. Both Teams can swat the ball pretty good and both a have a killer number one starter in their pitching rotation. So I would suppose that this series may come down to everything else. Who can be more patient at the plate who's bullpen stays strong.
Will Alex Rodriguez, the recently voted most dishonest man in baseball be able to hit or refrain from some manner of cheating? Can Vladimir Guerrero's knees hold up? Will Cliff Lee continue to toy with Yankees hitters like he did in last year's World Series? Is Andy Pettite healthy?
The biggest modifier is the Yankees experience in the post season; they won it all last year and many of the players have been in the playoffs a dozen times. It's passion versus professionalism.
I'm picking the Yankees in Six.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

National League Championship 2010

So we got the formidable Philadelphia Phillies versus the scrappy San Francisco Giants vying for the National league pennant.



Watching the teams play should be a throw back to the lat 1960s when pitching dominating everything, the scores should be low and the dram tight. I expect to see games that have 2-1 finals and are decided withing the first inning or not until after the starter is done, I expect a couple games to be decided by a Phillie's bomb in extra innings, I expect the Giants to score a run or two they shouldn't.
The first game will be a showcase of awesome pitching with National League strikeout king Tim Lincecum and 21 game winner Roy Halladay hopefully bringing their Ace stuff to the mound.



I also expect the the Phillies to win in 5 games due to their tremendous line up, almost all of them can go deep at any time an area which the Giants seem a little anemic. The games will be close and tough.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

C'mon Dave, Give me a break


Diamond David Lee Roth is 56 today, happy birthday to one of the great front men and mad men of Rock n' Roll! He swings from cables, does back flips, round house kicks, jumping splits, howls and croons; it doesn't get much better. Beginning in the 70s he helped but a face on California hard rock with Van Halen bringing more bombast and sex appeal than anybody ever wanted

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Weekly Mix Tape Pt 36

In earlyish 2005 it came from someplace somewhere. It's not cutting edge but it has some good music. Listen and enjoy.


1. Synchronicity by Police
The Opening track is the opening track from one of the all time great albums, Synchronicty 
2. You Know Who You Are? by Nine Inch Nails
It was exciting that this came out but at the same time it was the end of the road
3. The Kids Are Alright by The Who
Not a bad song but that's okay
4. The Hardest Button To Button by The White Stripes
Thump,thump, thump, that's the song along with some funny lyrics
5. E-Pro by Beck
Little groovy song
6. Love Me by Eek-A-Mouse
This a weird song that I've always liked
7. God's Cop by Happy Mondays
Embracing a dance movement before their; this song gets some Disco down
8. Sprosten Green by The Charlatans
this is the more upbeat U.S. mix, shorter, better
9. New Moon On Monday by Duran Duran
 What is this song about?
10.Smile Like You Mean It by The Killers
The band that wanted to be Duran Duran . . . but Simon LeBon never went solo
11.True Faith -(94) by New Order
This song always made me curious
12.She Watch Channel Zero?! by Public Enemy
One of the genre changing greats
13.Whip It by Devo
The 80s were all about whipping it
14.Hip Hop Star by Beyoncé
Big Big Boi and Sleep Brown help out the diva on this one
15.Daddy Rolling Stone by The Forty-Fives
Good song, lame band
16.Pretty Noose by Soundgarden
Post grunge Soundgarden was a little flacid but this one was decent
17.Tell Me Something Good by Rufus
Funkytime fun
18.Float On by Modest Mouse
One Hit Wonder?
19.Night Moves by Bob Seger
A song about being young and trying get some action
20.I Believe in a thing Called Love by The Darkness
Bring back the glamorous Rock after it had seemed to disappear for a while

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Baseball Playoffs 2010

So I made some predictions at the end of Spring Training which were not totally correct, let's examine them.

American League Division leaders: Predicted vs. Reality
A.L. East:Yankees/Rays
A.L. Central: Twins/Twins
A.L. West: Rangers/Mariners
A.L. Wild Car: Red Sox/Yankees
Excuses: I fell under the media spell of the Mariners being a good team and that was dumb. The Red Sox should have made it but the whole team became crippled and they just couldn't play through the adversity. The Rangers are a surprise with Vladimir Guerero coming back to life as some sort of undead Designated Hitter. As far as the Twins are concerned they are the best of the Central; they just outplay everybody else. I'm always happy when the Yankees don't finish first and I think it's funny they had to settle for the wild card slot. All that money and all that fame and they came in second simple and plain.


National League Division leaders
N.L. East: Phillies/Phillies
N.L. Central: Cardinals/Reds
N.L. West: Giants/Giants
N.L. Wild Card: Atlanta/Atlanta
Excuses: The Phillies are not to be messed with. The Reds showed crazy tenacity this year and showed me that St. Louis isn't the powerhouse I thought it was. It took until the final day of the regular season for the West and the Wild Card to be settled and that's awesome, sorry San Diego. The Giants' starting pitching is great and their bullpen has been airtight while Atlanta suddenly got real banged up in the end and may not be able to progress through it.


Post Season Predictions:
A.L. Champs: The Rays over The Twins
This may be the year that the Twins beat out the Yankees now that they have a new stadium and home field advantage. The Twins have to remember to keep the peddle down or they will find themselves watching the League Championship from the outside again. The Tampa Bay team will win knowing next year is going to suck!

N.L. Champs: The Phillies over The Giants
While the Giants and Braves series will be good and a showcase for their stud rookies (Buster Posie and Jason Heyward respectively), the Giants look like they can win the short series. The Phillies have too much fire power for anybody, the Reds aren't up to par and the especially Giants despite their awesome pitching staff. Let's face it Oswalt, Hamels and Halliday are three starting pitchers that nobody wants to mess with; their only weak spot is their closer Lidge.


Wolrd Series Champions: Philies back on top over the Rays who play well but are going to be over matched by the seasoned fellows from the city of brotherly love.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Daily Download

1990's Rock! Type by Living Colour

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Daily Download

You love it! I Ran (So Far Away) by Flock of Seagulls

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Weekly Mix Tape Pt 35

Here is the this weeks Mix! I enjoy this one quite a bit and you should too. MP3s really were working for me in this time, very early 2005.

1. The Hand That Feeds by Nine Inch Nails
Welcome back to world of Music Trent; it had been many years since it he put something out.
2. Sex Type Thing by Stone Temple Pilots
This song rocks so well it's a miracle it wasn't used 30 mixes ago!
3. Hollaback Girl by Gwen Stefani
 I don't know why this song is here
4. Girl by Beck
Summertime good vibes
5. Bad Moon Rising by Creedence Clearwater Revival
One of my favorite apocalypse songs
6. Bringin' on the Heartbreak by Def Leppard
Power Ballad!
7. You Know You're Right by Nirvana
The final Nirvana song released; I think it's about Courtney Love being a horrible bitch
8. Gimme Shelter by The Rolling Stones
Martin Scorsesse love's song. It's been in at least three of his movies.
9. Beverly Hills by Weezer
Rivers sings from the heart
10.Not Too Soon by Throwing Muses
Before Tanya Donelly was  singer for Belly
11.Brave New World by Michael Penn
Yes, this is Sean's brother
12.All I Wanna' Do by Sheryl Crow
This song wore me down and now I don't hate it
13.Funk No.49 by James Gang
 Such a cool jam
14.Sweet Dream (Are Made Of This) by Marilyn Manson
Sometimes I listen to this and I think Manson missed the point
15.Who's That Girl by Eurythmics
This is the Cabaret sounding song
16.Faith by Limp Bizkit
This is a joke but it's worth it.
17.My Michelle by Guns N' Roses
This was one of the best songs the band ever did and a true story
18.Prisoner of Society by The Living End
Feaux punk fromAustralia
19.No New Tale To Tell by Love & Rockets
Back in the 80s this song was so cool and underground
20.Gigantic by Pixies
Kim Deal before she headed up the Breeders sang about big, black penis
21.Over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
RIP Israel

Daily Download

Haunting Melody: There Is an End by The Greenhornes and Holly Golightly

Friday, October 1, 2010

Daily Download

You may have heard this in commercials: Two Weeks by Grizzly Gear

Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame 2011

So the nominees for 2011's class of Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame have been released. Here they are along with by totally biased thoughts:


Alice Cooper: YES. The man is originator who only has to thank Screamin' Jay Hawkin's for his career. Without Alice Cooper there's no Kiss or Marylin Manson.

Beastie Boys: I suppose, when they started I hated them and then after a couple albums I liked them but now I am annoyed by them

Bon Jovi: NO. Besides  one or two tracks this band stinks and has no redeeming value

Chic: NO. I can only think of one song by them

Neil Diamond: NO, Mr. Diamond is not Rock but is quite a man of his own.

Donovan: Yes, Sunshine Superman has stood the test of time and Atlantis was used in Goodfella's

Dr. John: NO, He's been around forever but I'm not sold on his credits.

J. Geils Band: NO, I'm a Boston boy but I can't equate, Love Stinks and Centerfold into enshrinement

LL Cool J: YES, LL is the archetype of his generation of rap and his career spanned a couple decades

Darlene Love: NO, who is this?

Laura Nyro: NO, who is this?

Donna Summer: Yes, she is a disco diva who worked hard for the money! Last year I said no but I am flip flopping



Joe Tex: NO, who is this?

Tom Waits: YES! Tom Waits has been around forever and releases interesting albums that are all part of his world. His voice is like no other and his songs are typically interesting.



Chuck Willis: NO, and that's all I have to say about that