Baseball 2011: end of the regular season

Damn it! That's sort of what I said when Papelbon's fast ball was hit into the right center gap and the tying run came into score for Baltimore. "Oh No Crawford," is exactly what I said as the next batter flared Papelbon's pitch to Boston's struggling, big money free agent in left field. Just like the rest of his season he couldn't quite come through. Within a minute it seemed like Even Langoria hit his game winning home run against the Yankees to push his Tampa Bay Rays into the playoffs. The Red Sox had a collapse with a pre 2004 quality to it, being up 9 games or something at the beginning of the month and winding up having to win on the final day of the season to win the American League wild card.
The whole month of September it seemed they were down by three runs by the second inning and any lead the Sox could get was wasted by their bullpen in the late innings. My observation was that if 3rd baseman Kevin Youkilis had not been injured, the team's line up would have been able to generate those extra few runs over September that would have won them another game or two and starting if pitcher Clay Buchholz hadn't had his back problems he would have given them a least one quality start making all this a non issue. Nobody said being a Red Sox fan was easy.

The whole last night of the season was crazy and may be remembered for some time as one of the most exciting final days. Four teams (St. Louis, Atlanta, Boston and Tampa Bay) All looking for one more win just to play one more day. Only The Cardinals got their business done easily with a 7-0 rout of the Astros. The Braves choked up a lead in the ninth  and wound up losing to the Phillies in 14 innings; their season was just as ridiculous as the Sox'. Meanwhile down in Tampa the Yankees took a 7-0 lead into the 8th inning and blew it having to play twelve innings with the prevailing Rays. These games could send any fan into therapy.

Anyway below are the final standings and my predictions
American League
East: Yankees (Red Sox)
Central: Tigers (Tigers)
West: Rangers (Angels)
Wild Card: Rays (Yankees)

National League
East: Phillies (Phillies)
Central: Brewers (Brewers)
West: Diamond Backs (Rockies)
Wild Card: Cardinals (Braves)

What will the playoffs bare? I want a Detroit vs. Milwaukee World Series.

Weekly Mix #80

I don't know how I feel about this mix. There's a lot of stuff on here that may be forgotten in the near future. I'm partial to great music butu when nobody cares about it . . .
Anyway go listen to these songs and enjoy the exploration of new music!

Mix # 80 from Solidpants on 8tracks.

1. Ezekiel 25-17 film dialogue from Pulp Fiction
Sam Jackson at his best. When I used to make mixes on cassette it was a lot easier to copy film dialogue but I'm not invested enough anymore to do that sort of thing digitally.
2. Highway To Hell by AC/DC

It's definitely one of AC/DC's best songs and the premise is classic rock stuff. They Say when Bon Scott died he was getting his in order but when you choke on your own vomit in your car in front of your house it seems a bit unlikely.

RIP Bon Scott

3. Crackerman by Stone Temple Pilots

Here's a song I never really listened to until 2010; I just ignored it. From STP's debut, Core it kicks a little ass.

4. Standing Still by Eat Sugar

This is a great little rock/pop song by a band that I don't think I'll ever hear of again, I loves those drums!

5. Second Chance by Peter, Bjorn and John

I'm so glad this band came out with more than one good new song.

6. Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before by The Smiths
 One of the greatest 80s bands to never make it big in the states. Too good I guess.
7. Blood by The Dears

One of the best modern Canadian bands to never get anywhere in the states

8. Post Break-Up Sex by The Vaccines
Great band name and almost a great song but to sort of tries too hard to sound like something besides a good pop song.
9. I Got You (I Feel Good) by James Brown

The hardest working man in show business, the godfather of soul! Refusing this song is like refusing incredible awesome stuff.

RIP Mr. Brown

10.Come On Get It by Lenny Kravitz

Promises and teases, that's what Lenny's career in music has turned into. This isn't so bad as it almost delivers awesome.

11.Born To Lose by Motörhead

Born to lose, live to win. That's Lemmy's tattoo.

12.Sheena Is a Punk Rocker by Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Evergetic and more poppy than the original Ramones version but still good.

13.Man of Misery by Beady Eye

Liam Gallagher's new band? Goodbye Oasis until 2020 when they reunite.

14.Garbage Truck by Sex Bob-Omb

This one sounds like the previous song, don't it? I don't know which I like better

15.Intro (Dream Sequence) by Alice In Chains

It's loud, short and scary, not really a song.

16.Family Man by Hall and Oates

Hookers were very prevalent on their H2O album ie. Man Eater

17.Before the Rain bu Duran Duran

Don't Hold back the Rain, that was an old song and this is a new song, just as good too.

18.My Kinda Lover by Billy Squier

Before he decided to do weird Flashdance moves in his videos, Mr. Squier had some really good rock/pop songs like this one.

19.Buick MacKane (Big Dumb Sex) by Guns N' Roses

Some people hate The Spaghetti Incident but not me. This is a mix of a Soundgarden song and a Nazareth song and it works.

20.Lost In Hollywood by System of a Down
"All maggots smoking fags on Santa Monica Boulevard" this is a chilly distopian view of Hollywood show business. Angry, angry song.
21.You Showed Me by The Watson Twins

Haunting vocals and stark, lovely.

22.Blood by My Chemical Romance

I have a friend who heard this song and thought this was what the band sounded like, he was not pleased when he heard more of their music. This is indeed a funny little show tune but it's a joke and more of a fun sing along for their concerts than anything else.

23.Get Some by Lykke Li
I heard this song played on the radio once, once. That's too bad, it's a good song.
24.Woo Hoo by The 5.6.7.8's

Japanese retro music made famous in Kill Bill and Vonage adds

25.Loser by Beck
It took this long to get on a mix and I don't know why.

Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame time again.

So as you know I'm not psyched on the RNRHOF idea but it's an istitution and I can't ignore it. This year's nominees are as follows with my two cents.

Guns N’ Roses: Absolutely! There's no two ways about it.

The Cure: Unless you don't think they're rock they need to be in the HOF along with the Smiths, hand in hand. Put Robert Smith in that museum!

Heart: Yeah, man great in 70s, cheesy in the 80s but sold a lot of records!

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts: I want her to be because Joan does rock and has the attitude but she doesn't really have the credits

Eric B. and Rakim: not for me thanks

the Spinners: I don't know

the Small Faces/Faces: no

Freddy King and Rufus with Chaka Khan: no

Beastie Boys: Longevity, big hits, sure

Laura Nyro: no

War: no

Donovan: I don't know

 Red Hot Chili Peppers: I guess, for all the same reasons as the Beastie boys, but man do they suck badly now. They used to be so cool, alas.

Left of the Dial

R.E.M. in many ways are the great American success story and gave hope to every band that played less than mainstream music out of their garage. This is a band that went from Radio Free Europe which only kids in Athens GA. heard to Everybody Hurts which everybody heard. They are the classic example of a band that with each increasingly successful album put out lost fans as they made even more. They are the band that appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone as "America's Best Rock n' Roll Band" and only got bigger from there much to the chagrin of their oldest fans.
Everybody seems to have their cut off point with R.E.M, for some it's Life's Rich Pageant, others it's Green and some will say that after their first album, Murmur they sucked ass; all the time critics loved them and their concert venues got bigger and bigger. Their singer Michael Stipe went from a shy mumbler on stage to being a tremendous front man who threw his body around, danced ridiculous and wore costumes. Bill Berry on drums, Mike Mills on bass and Peter Buck on guitar all seemed like dudes you would never pick out as rock stars, all unassuming in appearance, more like college students than musicians. Their sound a southern inspired cryptic style of rock that nobody else sounded like. Starting around 1980 they manged to avoid being new wave, metal or even grunge though they were without a doubt, indie college rock.

My introduction to them was in 1985, Can't Get There From Here and I thought it was a funny sounding song with a funny looking video. After hearing this song I was introduced to more of their music by a friend of mine who flatly said ever other album they put out sucks. I was a big fan of Life's Rich Pageant as well as Dead Letter Office and as much as I liked those album I never bought their next album, Document which would be their introduction to the main stage of Rock N' Roll.

Document brought them from the basement and into the frat house with, It's the End of the World As We know It, and I feel Fine. The One I love however is a great pop/rock song still, a classic that deserves all the kudos it gets. It was also one of those ambiguous clues to Michael Stipe's sexuality. Green, their sixth album was one that I really, really liked despite that horrible song, Stand  that was played every hour on Mtv and was all over the radio. Orange Crush, Turn You Inside Out (even if it sounded just like The Finest Work Song), and my favorite track on the album, You Are The Everything held the album together. The Latter song would heavily influence their biggest song ever on their biggest album ever which came next.
Out of Time gave us Losing My Religion a song you couldn't avoid if you tried. It was played on rock stations, alternative stations, adult stations, your parents CD player and was Mtv all day; the video was gorgeous and weird and wone almost every VMA it was nominated for. The album sold 12 million copies world wide! While Losing My Religion was the high point of the album many of the bands hard core fans had jumped ship by then. Shiny Happy People may be the lowest depths the band ever sank to and made their future look unbearable. That song still leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
With 1992's Automatic For the people the band's 8th album it seemed the pattern continued, old fans rejected them while new fans devoted themselves to the band. Everybody Hurts, another gigantic hit on the radio and Mtv made this album mega successful. As many people loved that song and that damned video there were as many who hated it. I remember sitting in my living room with my roommate who began playing they song on his guitar we changed the the lyrics to "everybody sucks . . . my ass."
When The biggest band in the land returned in 1995 with, Monster they tried to get away from their increasingly wussy status and put some fuzz and volume on the guitars with a an album that sort of rocked with songs like,  Star 69 and What's the Frequency, Kenneth? but it was also apparent that Michael Stipe and the boys weren't young anymore. Don't get me wrong one of my favorite R.E.M. songs, Let Me In is on this album.

And then it all seemed to stop. Something in the music world change, something in the hearts of Mtv changed. Their airplay was diminished quite a bit and even though the critics still loved them their popularity seemed to dwindle down to where it had been before Document. I know people who will tell you about their best work was put out after Monster but I'm not one of them. Maybe their decline was all due to Bill Berry leaving the band, I don't know. Maybe it's just not possible to pretend you're still and alternative/indie band after so many year, so many concerts and so many record sales, maybe they should have finally embraced just how big they were so they could continue being a huge act. Maybe they didn't want that.
Where do they belong in the rock pantheon after their 30 years of performing and recording? They deserve a place of note, that's for sure and while they haven't been relevant for the past fifteen years their first fifteen were damn good and they were damn cool. A little southern band with very astute melodies and a sound that while familiar was all their own, R.E.M. have been to the mountain top of popularity and back down and seemed to never give in to what music trends were going on. That in it's self earn my respect.

I never saw them live but I did see Stipe and super model Helena Christensen go into a bar in New York once, I kept on walking.

My Top 10 R.E.M. Songs (in no roder)
1. Let Me In, Monster
2. You Are The Everything, Green
3. Swan Swan Hummingbird, Life's Rich Pageant
4. 1,000,000, Chronic Town
5. Radio Free Europe, Murmur
6. The One I Love, Document
7. Low, Out of Time
8. Superman, Life's Rich Pageant
9. Orange Crush, Green
10.Fall On Me, Life's Rich Pageant

Honorable mention: Toys in the Attic, Dead Letter Office

Let's get the band back together, man

Seattle music and the grunge era is now twenty years old, firmly and securely letting me know that I am past due. Recently I've had conversations with friends of mine about that era what it all meant if anything. There was a time when all involved would say it meant nothing but as age has set in and paid off well as well a s a documentary on Pearl Jam I'd say that note has changed. At the time it was supposed to be counter culture or the rise of the underground but now I see it as just more Rock under a different label. There was great music and not so great music but the funniest thing is that I never saw any of Seattle bands live which makes me feel quite lame. I almost saw pearl jam in Boston about five years about I passed that up to have dinner with old friends.
So instead of lamenting that, I made a Seattle Mix which isn't just the early 90s big four Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Alic In Chains it's the bands that I know and like from that region, even Aberdeen. No Tad, no Sir Mix-a-lot. It thought about putting a modern Alice In Chains song on here but as good as the song is it didn't feel right, I wasn't sure if the Foo Fighters counted so I left the  off also I almost put L7 on here before I realized they were from LA. No Stone Temple Pilots because while they fell under the grunge label at the time they were from southern California as well. This leads me another point would be a mix of all the bands who get lumped into the Seattle grunge department even though they had nothing to do with it, there were bands from Boston that got were lumped into that genre as I recall. Jeepers, I should put out my best of Boston mix too, i should go city by city. Anyway enjoy it. Click on the song title to hear it.

1. Queen Bitch by Green River

The band that started it all, members of Mudhoney and Mother Love Bone and then Pearl Jam made up the line up.

2. Crazy On You by Heart

Hell yeah, Heart! Sure they were horrible in the 80s but their music in the 70s was hot.

3. Bed of Roses by Screaming Trees

Not one of the big four, Screaming Trees were the authors of a lot of airplay. Their biggest hit, I Nearly Lost You was overplayed and got a big life from it's presence on the Singles soundtrack.

4. Touch Me I'm Sick by Mudhoney

This is what indie rock is all about, loud and obnoxious and dumb.

5. Here She Comes Now by Nirvana

Great little cover of Velvet Underground expanding the original version by three minutes of fuzz. The biggest band of the era. RIP Kurt.

6. I'm Above by Mad Season

Some called them a supergroup as they were made up of Alice In Chains and Pearl Jam members but when you take a look at all the mingling in the Seattle bands it's just another project. Temple of the Dog is not on this mix but they are a good example of the incestuous nature of the scene.

7. The King is Half-Undressed by Jellyfish
These guys were all the buzz for a couple months with a Queen/Beatles sound back in 1990. The singer was the drummer and stood upright when the performed. I guess Sheila E was also an influence.
8. Jesus Christ Pose by Soundgarden

It doesn't get much heavier than this or as frenetic. Some say nothing off the Badmotorfinger album can compare with the Superunknown album but I disagree. Chris Cornell has got the greatest pipes to come out of Seattle since the Wilson sisters of Heart, I mean holy shit that dude can sing!

9. Negative Creep(live) by Nirvana

This is my favorite Nirvana song and that may be an annoying hipster sort of thing to say but I just love how hard this song is, how out of control it seems.

10.Nutshell by Alice In Chains

None of the big 4 could be more dark Than Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell's band. This song is somber if not down right depressing and as per usual about addiction.

11.Lump by Presidents of the United States of America

You remember this ditty, right? Weird Al even parodied it. They preferred to be called PUSA for whatever Seattle reason. They were one of those bands that would have never made a name for themselves if it hadn't been for all the big bands in the area. Coat tails anyone? This was the Seattle band you little sister got into after it was over.

12.Are You Experienced? by The Jimi Hendrix Experience

He was from Seattle and he was buried there so deal with that if you disagree. This is the greatest guitarist in rock, right? Hard, psychedelic beautiful.

13.Black Hole Sun by Soundgarden

Psychedelic and beautiful, spoon fed to the masses. This song more than any of the others has grown on me.

14.Would? by Alice In Chains

Not only soft and acoustic but big and aggressive with amazing harmonies. This song wasn't supposed to be on the Dirt album but it's notoriety from the Single's soundtrack pushed it on. This is my favorite Alice In chains Song.

15.Barracuda by Heart

Man did they rock this jam! Could anybody even cover this song and do it justice?

16.Do The Evolution by Pearl Jam

Those who know me know that this is my favorite PJ song. Why? I don't know. It's lo-fi, angry and doesn't sound like Pearl Jam. Additionally the video is super cool!

17.Silent Lucidity by Queensryche

Before the Grunge fad, this was Seattle. It's still a big epic sweeping song that I enjoy.

18.Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns by Mother Love Bone
RIP Andrew Wood, you were born to be a star but it wasn't meant to be. Pearl Jam also does a great version of this song.

Weekly Mix #79

Oh Boy! 2011 is here for the mixes which means there aren't very many to go. Much of this mix was made after one of the best weeks in music release memory where it seemed like everything good came out!

1. In a Big Country  by Big Country

Bagpipes! 80s rock! It didn't get any bigger for these Scottish dudes. The singer killed himself a few years back from what I hear.

2. Under Cover of Darkness by The Strokes

The Strokes are back!!! In my mix world they've been around forever but in the real world this was the first album in years and the single is delightfully Strokestacular!

3. Breaker, Breaker by Peter, Bjorn and John
This is the best thing the boys of PB&J have done since they blessed us with the ubiquitous ,Young Folks. Worth the wait, maybe.
4. 1,000,000 by R.E.M.

Their first single ever which nobody heard outside of Atlanta for years, you gotta love that 1980s indie rock!

5. Sing by My Chemical Romance

They got lots of play from this song, especially on some add for some TV show.

6. Being Followed by Duran Duran

I love it, I love their come back album!

7. Everybody Have Fun Tonight by Wang Chung

Stupid but fun. Wang Chung will make another appearance with us in the not too distant future.

8. Twenty Yards behind by Dr. Feelgood

Ska! Ska! Ska!

9. Let England Shake by PJ Harvy

It has been a long time between PJ Harvy listens for me but I'm glad I listened to this new song.

10.S and M by Rihanna

Club Music!

11.Communication by The Power Station

This was their third single and it was damn catchy for dorks like me.

12.Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away) by Mötley Crüe

Better words have rarely been spoken

13.Guilty Girls by BuffaloTom

Back from the dead, Buffalo Tom get really catchy and good!

14.Kiss Me On The Bus by The Replacements

Feel good indie rock 1985 style! For me R.E.M and The Matts will always be linked by that college radio of the 80s thing

15.Silver Lining by Rilo Kiley

they'll never get better than Portions for Foxes but they will make some decent tunes.

16.U Should Know Better by Robyn & Snoop Dogg

weird duo but it works and it works well in the Euro disco way

17.Wrong by Depeche Mode

Not a good song to listen to in the middle of the night even though I can't think of any other time I'd want to hear it.

18.Thrones by The Dears

Canadian Rock's best band currently. Arcade Fire and eat a dick straight up.

19.The Crystal Ship by The Doors

Crooning must continue. What is the Crystal Ship anyway?

20.Miss Misery by Elliott Smith
This song would make me kill myself too. This song should have won the Oscar for best song from a motion picture but Celine Dion got it with, My Heart Will Go On, lame. Honestly when you compare the two performances Celine should be embarrassed.

21.Hush by Kula Shaker

It's almost the same as Deep Purple's but is it better than when Charlatans UK did it in the late 80s?

22.Bad Medicine by Bon Jovi
More organ? Let's end on a high rocker!

Listen to it here!

Weekly Mix #78

Some of these mixes are better than I thought they were. There are even huge world wide hits on this one!

Mix #78 from Solidpants on 8tracks.

1. Welcome to the Boomtown by David & David
One hit wonders, sort of. They were both producers in L.A. who followed their in front of the microphone dreams

2. Red Paint by Matt & Kim

Not as good or catchy as Daylight. Brooklyn hipsters, the dream is over.

3.Girl Panic! by Duran Duran
They are back and better than have been since the Reflex! The All You Need Is Now album was produced by Mark Ronson who basically told them  forget everything they'd done the past 15 years and forget all music done in the past 15 years. Solid Gold man!
4.Lies by Thompson Twins

When's this reunion going to happen?

5.Bang, Bang, Bang by Mark Ronson & The Business Intl.
Let's all dance like it's the 80s that never happened.
6. Sleazy by Ke$ha

Sometimes pop is stupid I can't ignore it and I feel ashamed for it. Case in point, this song.

7. She Bop by Cindy Lauper

If you didn't know this song was about girl's playing five on one, you do now. This might be Ms. Lauper's sleaziest song.

8. Nobody's Fault by Aerosmith

Now we will rock! From the Rocks album that indeed rocks it's so damned good that it is right there Toys In The Attic.

9. Take This Waltz by Leonard Cohen

Back down a notch or two or three. Cohen is a strange artist who I can never really get into but can't quite cast off.

10.Too Hurt To Dance by Duffy

The littlest English pop star mopes for us.

11.(Just Like) Starting Over by John Lennon

Our deceased friend gets retro and gives us some good music.

12.Dogs of Lust by The The

Some people love this band/this guy but I just think they're alright. This song from 15 years back is the last song I can recall from The The.

13.I Wanna Be Your Man by The Beatles

Let's all give it up now for Ringo! Singing an drumming Don Henly would never be the same.

14.Move It On Over by Hank Williams

It may sound like a song about dogs but it's not; it's not.

15.Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream) by Roy Orbison
Continuing out trip into old time rock n' roll we listen to one of Roy's lovely tunes that shows what a great voice he had.
16.Louder Than Ever by Cold War Kids

Back to the now! The two songs I know by theses Long Beach guys are pretty good but they don't seem to really go for it.

17.Vampire Money by My Chemical Romance

The band that people get on my back for liking. I don't know, at least they play instruments and the singer can sing.

18.Infinity Guitars by Sleigh Bells
A lot of bands sound like this but this song does blow up so I like it. Fuzzy guitars and chick singer.
19.Finding Something to Do by hellogoodbye

So catchy you'll hate your self

20.Just Friends by Amy Winehouse

Amy and her band got a little ska going on this number. It's not the same since her passing but I din't know that at the time.

21.Only Girl (In the World) by Rihanna

I sound horrible for saying this but when she sings this song it puts her scuffle with Chris Brown in a different light. Crazy!

22.Suspicious Minds by Elvis Peresley
This is the light I'm talking about