looks like owen wilson

you were a cool dude.

things that lasted on the dvr my college roommates and i kept throughout a 3 year period:

- that wonder showzen where they find liquid imagination

- 2005 National Championship game, and it skips every time vince scores bc 60 people were jumping up and down in our living room

- A 3 video slice of vh1′s I love the 90s that included: Naughty By Nature, A Tribe Called Quest, and Digital Underground. If between 8 and 30 people were over, I was putting that shit on.

-Rules of Attraction, maybe one of the best movies ever to watch past 2am, may as well watch a movie with a timeline as distorted as your consciousness. rock n roll.

-This gorillaz concert.

Here i go talking about me, let’s get back to D-Hop

what a classic. i hope they cremate him in a flaming bus that flies off the highway.

ps. I’m leaving for europe in a week. That will serve as a severance between myself and the site. I’ll stick one pretty big rant next week, get out the negativity before I go a wanderin’. It’ll be humorous, don’t worry.

The Sports Guy

It’s over man, I’m sorry.

I’m tired of your formulaic ways.

I’m tired of you over hyping fan anguish. “The fans have struggled for so long…..years of anguish….blah blah blah.” Either your team is good and you watch, or your team sucks and you probably watch some other teams. Perennial playoff teams that have never won a title; Do you really expect me to believe that the lives of the fans in those cities is so much worse off than those in some city whose team never goes to the playoffs? Those fans get to watch their team for more games, in more meaningful situations, boosting the economy of the local businesses and diverting national  media attention towards their home. Everyone wins, even if you lose.

I’m tired of you making a numbered list and somehow because of this you covered everything there is to be said about that subject.

There are 4 types of players.,

1.

…

4.

There are only 6 ways to win a game.

1.

…

6.

Really? no gray areas. Just bc you make a stupid list doesn’t mean the case is closed. You know when people say, “there are two types of people in this world, those that love Burt Bacharach, and those that don’t”? That’s a joke, because it’s fucking stupid to break things down so narrowly. Plus everyone loves Burt Bacharach.

I’m pretty sure you can’t enjoy a game without choosing a side, and if you can’t enjoy choosing a side, you have to bet on it in order to force yourself to choose a side. You aren’t a true sports fans, because you can’t enjoy the game for what it is. Something has to be on the line. You are like my mom and my girlfriend(s), who always ask, “Who do you want to win?” every time I try to watch a game. I want as many awesome plays as possible, I want quadruple over time, I just want the game to never end. You, you have to manufacture story lines, and throw down cash in order to create a false sense of drama. You watch sports like a woman. The game doesn’t need all the bullshit. The game should be enough in and of itself. That’s why you watch all those shitty reality shows: manufactured bull shit drama.

You taught me a lot about pop culture, you introduced to me to Ronald Jenkees and you always rep’d Vince Young and Kevin Durant (hook ‘em), for that I thank you, but it’s time for me to move on.

1. he is grabbing 1/4 of all rebounds when he is on the floor in the bucks – hawks series, but you aren’t watching that series so…yea. the bucks are getting owned btw.

LOL, my name is bjorn, and I love the NBA.

2. jj hickson has played 2.5 minutes in the bulls series. 2.5 minutes???? the cavs got straight out hustled last night and this young fella, who played about as good a robin for lebron as one could ever ask, ALL YEAR, gets 2.5 minutes over 3 games??? mike brown is the worst. he better have a shrine to lebron in his home, bc he would be unemployed without him.

speaking of lebron and the cavs, their lack of any great 1 v 1 defenders was readily apparent last night. good near the basket defense sure, but heinrich, rose, and deng (kinda) can all hit the mid range well, and there is really not much you can do to help there. It is up to the defender to stay close, don’t jump and keep his hands up. No one on the cavs is doing that! especially lebron. henirich, deng, and rose each got him jumping.

3. meanwhile in the middle of nowhere….durant blocks kobe in a huuuuge possession. Take note King, while rose and heinrich were sending you flying on fakes, KD was blocking Kobe. The cavs and lakers are two fabulous defensive teams, but you have to respect what the lakers are doing to the thunder. The cavs need to be watching the way kobe and artest play d. they never jump, they never allow the offensive guy to go anywhere with out a hand on the hip. The focus it takes to play that kind of defense is incredible. I am enjoying watching these two series immensely. Young players, old players, exciting players. Tons of trash talk. Artest is fucking nuts. Noah is hilarious.

4. No one really expected the Blazers to win, did they? Yawn fest. I hope the Suns hit 140 before that’s over.

5. Magic/Bobcats. Triple Yawn.

6. The Heat offense is one of the worst things I’ve ever seen. Not even yawning, dead.

at least you still have your looks Mr. Wade

7. Jazz – Nuggets. Two wounded teams with a lot of heart, battling. Good stuff. The two teams are opposites; the jazz run a structured offense, the nuggets just go ballin’. The Jazz keep their cool and the Nuggets be yellin’ an shit. The nuggs are down a coach, while the Jazz are down 2 starters. No idea what is going to happen. This I do know: Kenyon, Carmelo and J.R. Smith doing a crossword puzzle would be humorous.

8. Texas Series: Ah yes, the nba playoffs, when my dallas friends who haven’t watched basketball all year get to brush off their “Basketball expert” hats, my houston friends start talking about next year (or 1994, depending how drunk they are), and i watch the tv through the space between my fingers, wishing I smoked cigarettes  so I would stop chewing on my hand.

The spurs are looking balanced, and when they play the right personnel, look smooth. Manu is playing well. I don’t really like talking about the Spurs. As long as they cut down on turnovers and don’t play mason jr. or bogans, I’m happy.

Don't be dumb Tullos

The mavs have improved greatly on defense, mostly thanks to the big trade trade and coaching of rick carlisle. A line up that includes Dirk, Haywood and Butler for them is devastating (this word has it’s roots in “bad stars”, just learned that) not only in the defensive paint but on the offensive glass. When the spurs’ 1st and 2nd big men are a combined 75 years old and 3rd and 4th are Matt “My arms are stuck like this” Bonner and DeJuan “Why’d you put the honey so high, I’m only 6’7?” Bear, offensive rebounding is a big worry.  A couple of things have been working in the spurs favor in this department: 1) Haywood still doesn’t start and gets into early foul trouble, sending/leaving in erik dampLOL 2) dirk has been playing far from the basket at both ends.

Number 2) there leads me into my next subject. Dirk was obviously amazing in Game 1. When Dirk wasn’t shooting (and making) caron butler was taking the same shots and making them. However, I don’t see how the Mavs can honestly expect to win with out some real cuts to the basket. Kidd can hit any pass, but Butler, Dirk, and Terry are too willing to just sit outside. Great if you make them, but as game 2 showed, if you don’t, your odds for offensive rebounds decrease, and you don’t get McDyess and Duncan in foul trouble. Butler should be making off the ball cuts, bc dirk and terry simply can’t. Butler getting to the rim is the key to this series for me. Unless Dirk shoots 100% again, and then FUCK IT.

A More Perfect Union

Titus Andronicus | MySpace Music Videos

If someone is confined to a chair, can they still dominate a stage? Yes, Solomon Burke can.

I periodically get a kindly suggestion from a friend about thematic possibilities for a Wonderful Wednesday post.  At some point in the dark reaches of February I was propositioned about whether such requests were honored (they are).  Though no outside suggestion was given, I struck upon The If Clause because of its lawyerly associations (my old man and my step-mom are both practicing attorneys).  It seemed a ripe subject.

In fact, it could perhaps be construed as too ripe.  While I generally stick to a general pattern of three-four songs per post, choosing songs for The If Clause was like choosing a favorite child.  How can you force a man to pick between the likes of Elvis Presley  (If I Can Dream), Solomon Burke (If You Need Me), The Smiths (Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This), and Whiskeytown (If He Can’t Have You)?  The prospect is damned nigh impossible.  Call if the easy way out, but I decided to just create a complete mix instead. So here are 14 songs to mark April 14th. You can listen to the tracks below or download a zip file here. Enjoy!

If You Let Me Be Your Anchor-Dawes

If I Can Dream-Elvis Presley

If I Lose-The Band

If He Can't Have You-Whiskeytown

If You See Light-The Mountain Goats

Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before-The Smiths

If You Need Me-Solomon Burke

If I Had My Way I'd Tear The Building Down-Blind Willie Johnson

If You Ever Get Famous-The Duke and The King

If You've Got the Money, I've Got The Time-Willie Nelson

If You Call Me-Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings

If You Leave It Alone-The Wave Pictures

If It Was Good Enough For Daddy-Clarence Reid

If I Had A Hammer-Willie Hightower

Disregard the idiot in the back, Heather is on the right.

It’s just a perfect little cinematic creation and features one of the best, not to mention surprising (for non-Tenacious D fans), endings ever. When Jack Black takes the stage as “Barry Jive and the Uptown Five,” you don’t really know what to expect. You certainly don’t expect this arrogant twat to hit those notes, but he does. And watching the utterly shocked faces of Cusack and Iben Hjejle is just priceless every time. Lost in that shuffle of greatness are the closing lines from Cusack talking about making a mix-tape for Laura, “Full of stuff she likes. Full of stuff that make her happy. For the first time I can sort of see how that is done.” This Wonderful Wednesday is sort of like that, but shorter and for my friend, Heather.  Her birthday is tomorrow (Thursday) and she’ll probably be pissed I didn’t get her a real present, but those cost cash money.

We go way back.  Not as far back as some of my friends, but we’ve essentially loved and hated one another since we were about 13 years old.  I’ve pissed her off more times than I can count and spent many years calling her by a nickname she hated, but she’s still most always around for me when I need some unbiased advice.  Well, check that…when I need to feel better about myself and hear that I’m too good for so and so anyhow.  And that sort of leads into the first song(s) of the day.

Kim & Cookie

Though I can still recite the above verbatim (mostly!), there was a time in my life where I could flip my cap around backwards and spout off every lyric on Stankonia.  And I never had a more knee-deep partner in the Church of ‘Kast than the H.  While there are a few songs I could select from the catalog, I have to go with the nastily clever, ninth track on Stankonia.

“I’m a gentleman, I’m gonna satisfy yo’soul then I’m gonna get mine. Like Wimbledon, be back and forth across the court til we give out. You take it all or spit it out? Are you makin a point and livin’ the life? Do you really know what it feels like to have no control over the g-spot? It’s like a brand new pair of Reeboks or a junky, freshly detoxed.  You feel the tingling all over like convulsions or the rooster pox.”

Need a dovetail? How about Erykah Badu.  Just keep in mind, even though she strolled naked through Dealey Plaza recently, she’s still an artist and still sensitive about her shit.

I love Badu –always have, always will–  and Call Tyrone is one of my favorite tracks.  It’s hard not to like such a defiant f* you song.  With Badu it is a jam, but with the boys from Kentucky?  It’s still awesome, but it’s also epic hilarity in disguise.

It’s weird defining a relationship in song, especially when it is one of deep friendship.  Despite the vast gray areas, amorous relationships just seem easier to define.  It just makes sense to categorize the connection in song.  But in actuality, the same premises apply.  It’s not the song itself, but the memories that are associated with the music.

Wyclef Jean was a big part of my life as an adolescent.  I listened to The Carnival a hundred some odd times throughout high school and there is no song in the world that makes me think of my friend more than Mona Lisa by Wyclef Jean.  In my mind, it’s just simply her song.  She owns it like the Cowboys own Dallas and there is no better song to cap this Wonderful Wednesday post.  Follow ‘Clef’s advice, turn up the speakers and let the Neville Brothers take you away.

Mona Lisa-Wyclef Jean

An Easter Past

For one, I’m not quite the churchgoer I once was. Further, I’ve outgrown my mother’s traditional gift of a pastel polo to mark the event. Easter wasn’t Easter without something overly preppy to don for the Sunday sermon. Obviously it is a bit unfair to link a “fall from grace” to no longer receiving aqua colored shirts, but it was always how I marked the event. Its cessation happened to coincide with my growing distance from the “church” and thus they are saddled together in my mind.

“O! Grace, when you stop believing, that don’t mean that it just goes away”

Even as my belief waned, I retained a passionate fascination with the concept of redemption and the stark contrast of puerile innocence.  Discovering the music of Jason Molina, specifically his work with/as Magnolia Electric Co, was akin to the experience of Alaskan prospectors in the Klondike Valley.  Here was an artist boldly mining the human experience in all its forms, unabashedly confronting the darkness within.  It was everything I ever wanted to experience.

I’ve mentioned before that I’m not always so hip to the indie scene.  Thanks to my bombastic pal, Bjorn, I was introduced to a group called Dear and the Headlights.  I’m not quite a fanboy like Mr. B, but I enjoy their tunes.  This especially dark track caught my ears while listening to their album, Small Steps, Heavy Hooves.

“At least looking in the mirror won’t feel like lying”

Appreciating the power of belief, unlike the act itself, is quite easy.  Perhaps because I grew up in a churchgoing atmosphere, it is easier to understand the urge.  Releasing the problems of this world onto someone or something else is a helluva release.  And that’s what we are all searching for in this world, really.  No matter who you are or what you believe in, you search for an escape, a way to drop the problems of this existence behind and find that tabula rasa somehow.  When Colin Meloy sings about entering a church to buy a “little white candle,” it reminds me of that long sought for escape from the trials and tribulations of the present.

“Are you feeling better now?”

Kramer in the back of Rango when they were both young and shiny

Rango’s tenure is easily demarcated in our family’s memory because my dad purchased it right before he married his second wife, Ingeborg. Being ever logical, we drove his brand new truck from Schulenburg,TX to Mankato, MN in freakin January for the wedding. I know what you are thinking, “Where are those towns?” “Who gets married in January in Minnesota?” Well they are both on the way to somewhere, I assure you, and that’s just my dad. I guess you don’t know how a car really runs until you drive it 2,000 miles through the snow. Well played old man. From that moment on, Rango knew the kinda shit he was in for.

My Dad and Ingeborg made another acquisition along the same timeline – the good dog Kramer went to live with them in Schulenburg. He was a very loving, very quiet, very dumb black lab with a head the size of a beach ball. When he and Rango met, it was love at first sight. They went everywhere together. From year 4 through 14 of Kramer’s life, from the time he could levitate into the closed bed to the time his hind legs were failing him and he had to be lifted in, Kramer loved riding on Rango’s back. Nary an FM road in all of coryell, colorado, fayette or lampasas counties went unexplored by my Dad, his truck, and his dog.

My dad and Kramer the morning after a night atop Enchanted Rock

The time came when Kramer wasn’t Kramer anymore and eventually he passed. He took one more ride in Rango’s bed out to a friend’s land, where his gigantic skull now rests. That very same day some passing motorists offered my dad $1,500 for Rango, way above market value for a 10 year old truck with 240k + miles. My dad declined because he couldn’t say goodbye to both of his most loyal companions in such proximity.

That turned out to be an excellent decision because Rango kept kicking out miles, and even got a new friend to ferry. A beautiful Red-golden retriever named Addison (Addie) joined the club 3 years ago. While she was a bit more skiddish about high speed travel than Kramer was, Addie enjoyed many a country jaunt.

Addie in rare Central Texas snow

Recently Addie hurt herself severely and lacked the alertness she formerly possessed. In the outrageous windstorms of this past weekend, the back gate was jarred open and she took to wandering. My dad and Rango looked all over for their companion, but while searching the truck got stuck in the mud. The engine burned out in an effort to escape (neither my dad nor rango quite understood the term “four wheel drive”). Not long after the mechanic woefully shook his head in regards to rango, did my pops get a call from animal control that Addie had been struck and killed while crossing highway 190.

At least Rango will never have to travel another mile without a good dog on her back.

Ben Nichols of Lucero

As many are no doubt aware, SXSW is a horrifyingly large affair.  True participants in the event can expect long days filled with countless stimuli.   It is simply the norm and something loved by many, myself included.   In the past, my participation in the event was always as a passionate observer.  This year, however, I was actively engaged in helping put on the event.

Though this position offered its own rewards, the pitfall of the arrangement was the inability to see much in the way of SXSW programming.  Though there were a few notable exceptions, much of the music I saw was on the Day Stage.  So while I could go on and on about how electrifying it was to see Raphael Saadiq or Lucero, it would just be rehashed ground (for me at least).  Instead, I’ll just supply a few tracks from some groups I saw up on the fourth floor of the ACC and, like myself, a guy with a Waylon fixation.

Generally speaking, I’m irreparably un-hip.  So, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that I had no idea that Jason Collett was once a member of Broken Social Scene when I sat down in an arm chair to hear him play.  Despite being Canadian, his solo work would seem to most nicely fit under the broad genre of Americana (listening to him play called to mind acts like Dylan or Neil Young).

Not dissimilar from Collett was The Middle East, a folky Australian outfit.  And, in the same vein, I was entirely ignorant of their harmonic tunes prior to sitting down to listen to a few tracks.  Their music is quite pleasing, perfectly suited for watching the rain fall from the vantage point of a cozy living room.

The first act I saw on the day stage was Acrylics.  This infectious pop outfit from Brooklyn had the difficult task of opening up the Day Stage on Wednesday afternoon.  They came through in spades.  I was pressed for time, but didn’t want to leave.  Particularly dig this track:

In total, I saw about seven evening acts.  Two of those I had seen before but loved even more this time around (Saadiq, Lucero).  Of the remaining five, there were only two that stuck out in my mind as particularly enjoyable: Smokey Robinson and Whitey Morgan.  While the prior could be expected, the latter was not.  I slid into the showcase a song or two into the set, but Morgan and the 78s laid down a string of songs that were quite enjoyable.  More than that, Morgan possesses the gift of gab on the stage.  Between songs he peppered the audience with a current of conversational tidbits that had many in stitches.  The music is far from novel, but it’s damn enjoyable to hear live.  Since I have a fawning adoration of Waylon, I particularly loved this track:

Standing shoulder to shoulder with Mr. Robinson was the highlight of my festival, so I’ll leave you with the green-eyed wonder himself.

That’s all she wrote, kiddies.  Enjoy your Wednesday.

Mad Props T, Mad Props

Welp, Avatar didn’t win Best Picture, which for some reason I was actually concerned about. I am confident that when that movie comes out on video, and everyone watches it at home on their regular tvs, people will come to the same conclusion I have: Sigourney Weaver kinda already looks and acts like a cat mantis. I’m pretty sure they just painted her blue.

Ol’ Duder won himself an oscar too. Not too shabby. Obviously, he is an actor.

The American Jihadists

“War on Terror” has been a popular buzz phrase for our operations in the Middle East and abroad. The phrase was concocted in reaction to the accusation that America was declaring war on the Muslim world. The phrase showed that,  no, we are declaring war on the action of terrorism, a “hate the sin, not the sinner” kind of thing.

Recent events call this phrase back into view. A few weeks ago a man flew a plane into an IRS branch here in Austin and last thursday another man opened fire at the Pentagon. Attacking a government building during operating hours with an intent to kill whomever happened to be around; that kind of unfocused rage can only be described as terrorism.

After these attacks we have learned that these men were vocal (on the internet and in person) anti-government types.  Just as men in caves a world away send out messages of hate filled bile across the internet through video, audio, and written word, so too did these men voice their hatred of the American Government.

A petri dish of hate

So if these men committed acts of terror, however clumsily, are we at war with their ilk? Quite plainly, we are not. It has become fashionable to be feverishly anti-federal. Stories about people shamelessly brandishing firearms at political rallies, constant portrayal of our leaders not as fellow countrymen on the other side of a idealogical line but as evil beings closer to devil than human; even if they are constitutionally protected, these ideas are dangerous. The parallel between radical Islam, radical libertarian-tea party, radical anything is becoming easier to draw. While most members of these groups certainly won’t act, nor do they intend to, as they grow in intensity, number and emotion there are certain inevitabilities. The wrong people will become inspired, and terrible things will happen.

If we are really fighting a “war on terror”, it is time to investigate the extremists in every corner, else change the name of the war to “War on those who hate the west from this certain area of the world”. Islamic jihadists aren’t that much different than our own nuts here at home, they’ve just been pissed off for longer and have had more practice. Oh yea, they are a lot less fat and don’t have air conditioning, cars, and nice televisions.

Lots of thoughts on the NBA coming soon. Everyone think about my wordily adept partner Peter this week, it is the week of fruition for him and all the  other employees over at SXSW, so he is going to be living the life of an under appreciated rock star for a little while. Let’s hope he gets laid and no one punches him in the face any harder than I used to. As hard as I used to punch him, not…never mind.

The Beautiful Decay-Skyzoo
Skyzoo – Friday – Scoot Inn

Playa Way-8Ball & MJG
8Ball & MJG – Thursday – Barbarella

Symphonies-Dan Black
Dan Black – Thursday, Friday – Dirty Dog/Emo’s

Just Ain't Gonna Work Out-Mayer Hawthorne
Mayer Hawthorne – Friday, Saturday – AMH, Mohawk

O, Dana
Big Star – Saturday – Antones

Sixes and Sevens-Lucero
Lucero – Friday – Red Eyed Fly

Get Up Jake-Deadstring Brothers
Deadstring Brothers – Friday – Continental Club

Triggers and Trash Heaps-Centro-matic
Centro-matic – Thursday – Emo’s

Robots-Dan Mangan
Dan Mangan – Thursday – Central Pres. Church

When You Call My Name-Dawes
Dawes – Weds – Club De Ville

House Built For Two-Delta Spirit
Delta Spirit – Thursday – Emo’s

Big Country-Ha Ha Tonka
Ha Ha Tonka – Saturday – Red Eyed Fly

She Left Me For Jesus-Hayes Carll
Hayes Carll – Thursday – Antone’s

Above The Sun-Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson
Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson – Thursday – Maggie Mae’s Gibson Room

Suffused With Love-Sondre Lerche
Sondre Lerche – Thursday – Day Stage

Strangers-The Dutchess and The Duke
The Dutchess and the Duke – Thursday – The Galaxy Room

Why Don't They Let Us Fall In Love-The Morning Benders
The Morning Benders – Weds – Emo’s Jr

VCR-The xx
The xx – Thursday – Mohawk

An Almighty Thud-We Were Promised Jetpacks
We Were Promised Jetpacks – Wednesday – Parrish

Be Less Rude-Frightened Rabbit
Frightened Rabbit – Thursday – Parrish

Euro-trash Girl-Cracker
Cracker – Thursday, Friday – Encore Patio/Aud. Shores