The Rock Ridge Music GHIDRAH – the music is FIRE!
This week's GHIDRAH features tracks available for free mp3 download on Rock Ridge Free! http://www.rockridgefree.com/
Here are this week’s GHIDRAH songs:
SONG 1: Ike Reilly Assassination - "When Irish Eyes Are Burning"
SONG 2: Ugly - "Sex, Drugs, and Rock N Roll"
SONG 3: Steriogram - "Just Like You"
And, for your convenience, here are the GHIDRAH links:
SONG 1: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_1.wma
SONG 2: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_2.wma
SONG 3: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_3.wma
The GHIDRAH is a song-of-the-week program. Each week the songs change, but the links don’t change – it is self-refreshing content. To get more information about putting the GHIDRAH on your site, please reply to this email and visit http://www.rockridgemusic.com/top-music.htm.
Thank you for your support of this free music program.
Monday, November 26, 2007
"Devin Hester, You Are Ridiculous!"
So yesterday I went to the most fun Chicago Bears game I have ever been to. The game was at Soldier Field, where the Bears hosted the Denver Broncos… where Shanahan thought it would be a good idea to kick to Devin Hester. Devin Hester returned the kick for a td… twice. He has now scored 3 less tds in 10% of the games of the all time leader! In one of the returns, he leaped right over Bronco's punter Todd Sauerbrun like a fallen hurdle. All this after he had fumbled one a stupid play to allow Denver their first three points of the game.The Bears defense looked soft but behind Hester, a blocked punt by Peanut Tillman and a drive by Rex Grossman with phenomenal catch by Berrian. Though they looked soft, down the stretch, they seemed to start getting the stops they needed.
The Bears got the ball first in the overtime and wasted no time moving down the field and winning thanks to a big catch by Desmond Clark and then a Robbie Gould field goal.
Some people seem to be saying, "the Bears are back!" I still think its a little early for that. The division is lost, and they are back in the Wild Card hunt, but this is one game. They have some big games coming up with the Giants, Washington and Minnesota. All are virtually must wins if they want a crack at the post season.
The Bears lost running back Cedric Benson to an ankle injury but Adrian Peterson stepped up to the plate and made a couple big plays for the Bears. And though he is the weakest player on the team and is responsible for a couple huge Broncos plays… this will get Adam Archuleta a get out of jail free card. I saw Jennifer Walcott at the game yesterday wearing his jersey. If you don’t know who she is, please see below.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Music Review: The Marble Index - Watch Your Candles, Watch Your Knives
http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/11/20/072355.php
Here is an article from Nathalie Vanderheyden on The Marble Index- Watch Your Candles, Watch Your Knives for BlogCritics Magazine.
------------------
I have to begin with yet another admission which makes me think that I should start calling my reviews 'true confessions'; but that's another story. In any case, I must confess to a certain bias when reviewing bands from Hamilton Ontario. I feel a swell of pride in my Hammertown guys and gals that may color my perception. I'm confident however that when it comes to The Marble Index, my hometown pride is well placed.
Their second release Watch Your Candles, Watch Your Knives is a slick recording showcasing a more mature band with the experience of a successful first launch and allot of touring under their belts.
The tracks on this CD are very danceable and alternative-radio friendly songs that still manage to retain a slight garage band feel. I guess you could say the Marble Index's sound has moved into a three car heated garage with a kick ass sound system, a lounge space and a mini bar fully stocked for an endless block party. It's guitar driven dance music minus the techno pop.
One of the best tunes in my humble opinion is "All That I Know". This is the second track on the CD, though it really should have been the first. It has a great hook that gets your head bopping to the beat from the first pluck of the guitar.
Track 5 "Let Me Be The One" is another tune that finds me hitting the replay button. This catchy song has the slightest hint of reggae and demonstrates vocalist Brad Germain's knack for delivering lyrics like "If I can't be yours tonight, let me be the one that could hold you for the rest of your life" in a style that sticks to my brain and gets me singing the harmonies in a fantasy duet. (Then again maybe I just always wanted to be a cool back up singer complete with tambourine and cow bell - "more cow bell!")
I've seen track 8 "I Don't Want To Try To Change Your Life" performed live at a local gig, so I know for a fact this song gets the crowd jumping on the dance floor and sets the girls screaming. The Marble Index, I can honestly tell you, put on a fabulous live show.
In this age when any tone deaf, teeny bopper nymphette with the right sound engineer can be a pop diva, the ability to sing and play your instuments well is becoming an endangered skill. These guys however, sound as good live as they do on their CD.
They're also great fun to watch. The Marble Index, comprising of guitarist and vocalist Brad Germain, Bassist Ryan Tweedle, and Drummer Adam Knickle look like they're having the time of their lives on stage; and lead man Germain really knows how to connect to the crowd and get a serious party vibe streaming through his audience.
The group has demonstrated a good deal of growth on this sophomore release, though I think there is still room for improvement in developing their music. This is really good but somewhat familiar guitar driven dance music. I can hear the potential for a unique distinct sound but I don't think they've quite reached it yet.
That said, if they are already this good then they can only go up from here. If they keep refining and honing their songwriting skills with each new album then I have no doubt that The Marble Index will still be around cranking out awesome tunes long after the latest flash in the pan party band has fizzled into oblivion.Watch Your Candles, Watch Your Knives is released on Rock Ridge
Music and tracks include:
1. Everyone Else
2. All That I Know
3. Couldn't Do Without
4. Same Schools
5. Let Me Be The One
6. We Always Complain
7. What We Need
8. I Don't Want To Try To Change Your Life
9. Anytime
10. Not Impressed
11. Same Old Lie
12. Never Ends
Here is an article from Nathalie Vanderheyden on The Marble Index- Watch Your Candles, Watch Your Knives for BlogCritics Magazine.
------------------
I have to begin with yet another admission which makes me think that I should start calling my reviews 'true confessions'; but that's another story. In any case, I must confess to a certain bias when reviewing bands from Hamilton Ontario. I feel a swell of pride in my Hammertown guys and gals that may color my perception. I'm confident however that when it comes to The Marble Index, my hometown pride is well placed.
Their second release Watch Your Candles, Watch Your Knives is a slick recording showcasing a more mature band with the experience of a successful first launch and allot of touring under their belts.
The tracks on this CD are very danceable and alternative-radio friendly songs that still manage to retain a slight garage band feel. I guess you could say the Marble Index's sound has moved into a three car heated garage with a kick ass sound system, a lounge space and a mini bar fully stocked for an endless block party. It's guitar driven dance music minus the techno pop.
One of the best tunes in my humble opinion is "All That I Know". This is the second track on the CD, though it really should have been the first. It has a great hook that gets your head bopping to the beat from the first pluck of the guitar.
Track 5 "Let Me Be The One" is another tune that finds me hitting the replay button. This catchy song has the slightest hint of reggae and demonstrates vocalist Brad Germain's knack for delivering lyrics like "If I can't be yours tonight, let me be the one that could hold you for the rest of your life" in a style that sticks to my brain and gets me singing the harmonies in a fantasy duet. (Then again maybe I just always wanted to be a cool back up singer complete with tambourine and cow bell - "more cow bell!")
I've seen track 8 "I Don't Want To Try To Change Your Life" performed live at a local gig, so I know for a fact this song gets the crowd jumping on the dance floor and sets the girls screaming. The Marble Index, I can honestly tell you, put on a fabulous live show.
In this age when any tone deaf, teeny bopper nymphette with the right sound engineer can be a pop diva, the ability to sing and play your instuments well is becoming an endangered skill. These guys however, sound as good live as they do on their CD.
They're also great fun to watch. The Marble Index, comprising of guitarist and vocalist Brad Germain, Bassist Ryan Tweedle, and Drummer Adam Knickle look like they're having the time of their lives on stage; and lead man Germain really knows how to connect to the crowd and get a serious party vibe streaming through his audience.
The group has demonstrated a good deal of growth on this sophomore release, though I think there is still room for improvement in developing their music. This is really good but somewhat familiar guitar driven dance music. I can hear the potential for a unique distinct sound but I don't think they've quite reached it yet.
That said, if they are already this good then they can only go up from here. If they keep refining and honing their songwriting skills with each new album then I have no doubt that The Marble Index will still be around cranking out awesome tunes long after the latest flash in the pan party band has fizzled into oblivion.Watch Your Candles, Watch Your Knives is released on Rock Ridge
Music and tracks include:
1. Everyone Else
2. All That I Know
3. Couldn't Do Without
4. Same Schools
5. Let Me Be The One
6. We Always Complain
7. What We Need
8. I Don't Want To Try To Change Your Life
9. Anytime
10. Not Impressed
11. Same Old Lie
12. Never Ends
Changes for Lollapalooza? (ill logik)
So I am back at home in Chicago for Thanksgiving this week. I came back because Sister Hazel. They played the Chicago Lighting Festival (along with KT Tunstal and Corbin Bleu... whoever that is). So I am staying th week.
So it was in the Chicago Tribune, that the plan maybe to have second concert in Philly that would include the same idea as Lollapalooza Chicago, however, it won't have all the bands that were in Chicago. It turns out it actually hit a snag in its plan this week. C3 Presents has already announced Loallapalooza will be in Chicago for the next 4 years but that doesn't mean they don't want to expand. They are looking at Belmont Plateau in Philly for 2 or 3 weeks after the Grant Park show.
They are saying that it wouldn't be called Lollapalooza but it would follow the same model. While C3 wants to bring it to Philly... Electric Factory (Live Nation) has other plans. They want to be the one to do it.
All this is fine with me. I am not one of those people who thinks that my toes are being stepped on by having more than one show. I could care less if they do 10 shows... all I know is I will see it in Chicago... and thats fine!
The only part that actually pissed me off were some comments by Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell. The Jane's Addiction front man said, "the scariest predicament we face in the music is that commercialezation has killed off the underground scene. It used to be at Lollapalooza that the audience was full of 20,000 freaks and miscreants and outcasts. But now people look like they walked out of the Gap."
Well Mr. Farrell... what the fuck do you expect when the tickets for 3 days are approaching $200, you have every single sponsor you can think (Adidas, iTunes, AT&T, MySpace, Citi, Play Station, Bud Light, etc.) and you yourself did a song with Fergie! If the show is commercial, the fans will be commercial too. But that doesn't even matter. Since when is a music festival for some people but not others. Isn't that whats beautiful about music? Isn't music the universal art? I coulda sworn it was.
So it was in the Chicago Tribune, that the plan maybe to have second concert in Philly that would include the same idea as Lollapalooza Chicago, however, it won't have all the bands that were in Chicago. It turns out it actually hit a snag in its plan this week. C3 Presents has already announced Loallapalooza will be in Chicago for the next 4 years but that doesn't mean they don't want to expand. They are looking at Belmont Plateau in Philly for 2 or 3 weeks after the Grant Park show.
They are saying that it wouldn't be called Lollapalooza but it would follow the same model. While C3 wants to bring it to Philly... Electric Factory (Live Nation) has other plans. They want to be the one to do it.
All this is fine with me. I am not one of those people who thinks that my toes are being stepped on by having more than one show. I could care less if they do 10 shows... all I know is I will see it in Chicago... and thats fine!
The only part that actually pissed me off were some comments by Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell. The Jane's Addiction front man said, "the scariest predicament we face in the music is that commercialezation has killed off the underground scene. It used to be at Lollapalooza that the audience was full of 20,000 freaks and miscreants and outcasts. But now people look like they walked out of the Gap."
Well Mr. Farrell... what the fuck do you expect when the tickets for 3 days are approaching $200, you have every single sponsor you can think (Adidas, iTunes, AT&T, MySpace, Citi, Play Station, Bud Light, etc.) and you yourself did a song with Fergie! If the show is commercial, the fans will be commercial too. But that doesn't even matter. Since when is a music festival for some people but not others. Isn't that whats beautiful about music? Isn't music the universal art? I coulda sworn it was.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Celebrity Access
Here is a interview i did with Celebrity Access:
http://encore.celebrityaccess.com/index.php?encoreId=103&articleId=23870
Ben Miller is A&R manager for Rock Ridge Music and has signed TrashlightVision, a hard hitting mix of dirty rock, metal and punk from Brooklyn, NY and Marble Index, a straight forward indie rock band which loves chord changes from Hamilton, Ontario.
http://encore.celebrityaccess.com/index.php?encoreId=103&articleId=23870
Ben Miller is A&R manager for Rock Ridge Music and has signed TrashlightVision, a hard hitting mix of dirty rock, metal and punk from Brooklyn, NY and Marble Index, a straight forward indie rock band which loves chord changes from Hamilton, Ontario.
Ben's first industry experience was as an intern from Syracuse University at DAS Ventures, David Sonneberg's management company in year 2002 where he helped run the John Lennon Songwriting Contest (JLSC) and the promotion of the JLSC Bus at the 2002 Warped Tour. "For the contest itself, I was in charge of getting in touch with people who had incomplete applications and letting them know what was missing," he reminisces. "The bus was a mobile recording studio that would work with local kids from the Boys & Girls club to document a day at Warped Tour. My job was to get different bands to help the kids either to hang out or just sign off that the kids can record them."
After graduating from Syracuse, Ben worked at Special Ops Media in 2003 where he got his first taste of online marketing and some basic new media, working on Cypress Hill SmokeOut, Freaks and Geeks and assisted with projects such as Santana, Three Days Grace, Robbers on High Street and Jane’s Addiction.
He then joined Jason Spiewak at Studio E in 2004, where he got to use some of his learned tools from Special Ops to help with some viral marketing for Local H. He also did some of his own online work on the side with his own company, Ill Orange Marketing, and got hired to do some online work for TVT Records (Pitbull, Ying Tang Twins).
"Shortly after, I joined Tom Derr at Rock Ridge Music in 2004," he says. "I started as the street team coordinator and did some online work as well. Once Jason Spiewak joined the team, my online job became more viral so I was able to focus more on my street teams. Some of the teams I ran include, Ike Reilly Assassination, Domeshots, Love.45, Sinch, Legbone, Accident Experiment, and helped with the Five.Bolt.Main team. I also worked with online teams for Zack Wylde’s Black Label Society on Artemis, Danko Jones on Razor & Tie and Fall As Well on Imprint Records."
"Street teams are exactly what they sound like," he opines. "It's the fans of a band that promote on the streets, at shows, at record stores and lifestyle shops-- i.e. skate shops or tattoo parlors. They usually go in with some posters, stickers or flyers and let the people know about the band be it for a release or a show. Street teams are usually made up of a band’s most passionate fans."
After running the street teams for two years, Ben was promoted to A&R manager, "which was a personal goal that I'd always wanted to achieve," he reflects. "Since becoming A&R manager, I have signed Trashlight Vision and Marble Index and have helped out with a couple other signings that were not my deals."
Experience & Advice
The two biggest mistakes, which I don’t feel the need to get specific about, have both had to do with paying close attention to detail. Now I try and pay close attention to detail.
As an A&R manager what type of artists are you looking to sign?
We're looking for just about anything. Currently on the roster we've everything from guys who perform alone with acoustic guitars all the way to metal bands who sing about beer and everything in between. If the music's good, the band has a fan base we can work with, and they're willing to work as hard as we are, we are down for anything.
How effective are street teams?
Its hard to tell directly from sales but if done correctly, it could help with getting a bands name out there. It also has to do with the tools themselves. If you're giving a way a flyer people will look at it and read the information… cool, so Band X has a new record coming out. However, it's better to have a call to action on the flyer… go to Band X’s website to hear the new tracks from the upcoming album and download a song for free. That makes it’s a little more appealing to the perspective music fan. Again, the key to street teaming is getting the demographic that you want. It’s a lot easier to shoot fish in a barrel. Street teaming done right can be very effective.
How important is marketing to an emerging artist?
It’s pretty important in developing a band's name through branding. For example, if you're working with a hard rock/metal band, and Slipknot is in town--that would be a good place to send some street teamers to hand some things out. Clearly you don't want to send the same street teamers to a Fergie show. The key is hitting up the right musical demographic for your promotions. Even if the kids never check out the music, they may see that name again in the future and say, “wait, I’ve heard of that band.”
How effective are YouTube and MySpace sales?
I'm not totally sure how that connects directly for sales. People use them incorrectly if you want to know the truth. If you're just a band asking random kids to be your friends, they may not care to even check you out. However, MySpace can be killer for your existing fans. It's a good place to provide music, blogs and some connection between the band and their fans in a central location.
How do you feel about free downloads off the Internet?
It’s great. I personally don't do any of that downloading, not because I'm overly moral, but because I like supporting bands and don't want to mess up my computer. Rock Ridge Music is pretty positive about downloading. We have a website called RockRidgeFree.com where we give away songs. It's like and online sampler disc. What's a better way to promote your music than by letting people hear your music.
First concert attended
Jonathan Brandmeier had a show with different bands in 1990 at the World Music Theater in Tinley Park, IL.
First industry job
Answering phones and customer service for the John Lennon Songwriting Contest in 2002.
Career highlights
The first time I saw a Rock Ridge Music label on a CD in a store and receiving my first signed record deal in the mail.
Career disappointment
Luckily so far they've been light a few and far between: when I really dig a band and for one reason or another the deal falls through.
Greatest challenge
Introducing myself to the world. I became an A&R guy at 24. I didn’t know too many people so I'd to create my own network. Also making bands realize that they don’t need to shop their record and wait for a check to show up.
Best business decision
Hands down: becoming a member of Rock Ridge Music. It has given me a great opportunity to see the birth and maturation of a record company from the ground up. I was the first day to day employee so I learned a ton really quick.
Memorable industry experiences
The first RRM release date comes to mind. Of course, going to an after party in August, 2006 at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City after the VH1 Decades Live show with Incubus, Kings Of Leon, Iggy Pop and the Pretenders walking around wasn’t so bad either.
What friends would be surprised to learn about you?
I enjoy my train ride to Newark; I don’t watch scary movies because I get scared; I've seen Barry Manilow live more times--twice-- than I've seen Social Distortion--once-- unfortunately sad.
Industry pet peeve
People who don’t talk about ideas, problems, solutions or anything that has to do with the music business but drop name after name.
If I wasn’t doing this I'd be......
second baseman for the Chicago Cubs or selling peanuts at Wrigley Field-- one of the two -- either way I would be at Wrigley.
Favorite teams
Chicago Cubs, Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls and Syracuse basketball.
Industry mentors
Jason Spiewak and Tom Derr.
Ben can be reached at (973) 596-0444x26 and by email at ben@rockridgemusic.com
Monday, October 15, 2007
Music from the Ghidrah (10/15) - Leo, The Marble Index, Steriogram
The Rock Ridge Music GHIDRAH – the music is FIRE!
This week's GHIDRAH features songs from our 10/9/07 releases. All new music from Leo, The Marble Index, and Steriogram!
Here are this week’s GHIDRAH songs:
SONG 1: Leo - "Broken Record"
SONG 2: The Marble Index - "All That I Know"
SONG 3: Steriogram - "Just Like You"
And, for your convenience, here are the GHIDRAH links:
SONG 1: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_1.wma
SONG 2: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_2.wma
SONG 3: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_3.wma
The GHIDRAH is a song-of-the-week program. Each week the songs change, but the links don’t change – it is self-refreshing content. To get more information about putting the GHIDRAH on your site, please reply to this email and visit http://www.rockridgemusic.com/top-music.htm.
Thank you for your support of this free music program.
This week's GHIDRAH features songs from our 10/9/07 releases. All new music from Leo, The Marble Index, and Steriogram!
Here are this week’s GHIDRAH songs:
SONG 1: Leo - "Broken Record"
SONG 2: The Marble Index - "All That I Know"
SONG 3: Steriogram - "Just Like You"
And, for your convenience, here are the GHIDRAH links:
SONG 1: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_1.wma
SONG 2: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_2.wma
SONG 3: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_3.wma
The GHIDRAH is a song-of-the-week program. Each week the songs change, but the links don’t change – it is self-refreshing content. To get more information about putting the GHIDRAH on your site, please reply to this email and visit http://www.rockridgemusic.com/top-music.htm.
Thank you for your support of this free music program.
Saturday, October 06, 2007
Sweet & Vicious and Black & White (The Bar Card)
Sweet & Vicious
Last night we headed down for some drinks at a Sweet & Vicious (Spring & Bowery). It was a new place for me but everyone I was with had been
before. I really dug this place. It was perfect for what I wanted last night. It wasn't overly crowded or crazy. There weren't a lot of bridge and tunnel types, however there was a good number of "cohorts" as I like to call them. Cohorts are the guys who go to bars wearing their work clothes with their work buddies and they are always the loudest drunkest bastards in the bar. The music was predictable hip hop but the crowd but it wasn't the Midtown type of crowd either, nor was it one of those snobby types that looks down even at its own patrons. Not to mention they knew how to pour a pint of Guinness.
The space was an opened single room with a long bar on one side. They kept the stools there which is always a nice change from some of the more crowded places. The floors were wood and there were these huge circular light fixtures on the ceiling keeping the place nice and dark.
Location.
The location was great quick trip there from my apt and of course and I love the Bowery. The space itself looked like it belonged in the Bowery.
Music.
Predictable hip hop. Thank god it wasn't dirty south stuff.
Crowd.
The crowd was fine. Not overly hip but didn't really care. The weird thing was the bar emptied at 1:30.
I would definitely go back.
Black & White
When we first got to Black & White I loved it. The crowd was a little more Village Hip than the people at S&V. The music was great. The space was just as plane as the name would suggest. A bar and some tables. There was no sign out front (at least I didn't see it) and it was hard to tell that there was a bar there. Again, they knew how to pour a pint of Guinness.
Location.
Love the east village and they did a great job making it seem like a hip little secret.
Music.
One of the best rock DJs I have ever heard in the city. The music included The Stooges, Blur (but not Song #2), Stone Roses, MC5 and the list goes on. It was awesome.
The Crowd.
The crowd was fine. There weren't that many people there when we go there. But it was mostly the types that would dig the music that I mentioned. A few posuers too.
Now, I dug this bar too but I can't support it. My friend payed for a round of drinks and didn't pick his money up fast enough and one of the bartenders put it in the tip jar. When my friend told the bartender of the mistake, he refused to give it back. Then another bartender gave it too him. When we stepped outside, that same jerkoff bartender told the bouncer never to let us in again. He also told us he was the owner. We then got into a yelling match and the bouncer (who was very nice) said we could come back another time. Fact of the matter is, there was no way that fat bartender was the owner... it was very strange.
Thanks to the bartender, I don't plan on going back.
Last night we headed down for some drinks at a Sweet & Vicious (Spring & Bowery). It was a new place for me but everyone I was with had been
before. I really dug this place. It was perfect for what I wanted last night. It wasn't overly crowded or crazy. There weren't a lot of bridge and tunnel types, however there was a good number of "cohorts" as I like to call them. Cohorts are the guys who go to bars wearing their work clothes with their work buddies and they are always the loudest drunkest bastards in the bar. The music was predictable hip hop but the crowd but it wasn't the Midtown type of crowd either, nor was it one of those snobby types that looks down even at its own patrons. Not to mention they knew how to pour a pint of Guinness.The space was an opened single room with a long bar on one side. They kept the stools there which is always a nice change from some of the more crowded places. The floors were wood and there were these huge circular light fixtures on the ceiling keeping the place nice and dark.
Location.
The location was great quick trip there from my apt and of course and I love the Bowery. The space itself looked like it belonged in the Bowery.
Music.
Predictable hip hop. Thank god it wasn't dirty south stuff.
Crowd.
The crowd was fine. Not overly hip but didn't really care. The weird thing was the bar emptied at 1:30.
I would definitely go back.
Black & White
When we first got to Black & White I loved it. The crowd was a little more Village Hip than the people at S&V. The music was great. The space was just as plane as the name would suggest. A bar and some tables. There was no sign out front (at least I didn't see it) and it was hard to tell that there was a bar there. Again, they knew how to pour a pint of Guinness.
Location.
Love the east village and they did a great job making it seem like a hip little secret.
Music.
One of the best rock DJs I have ever heard in the city. The music included The Stooges, Blur (but not Song #2), Stone Roses, MC5 and the list goes on. It was awesome.
The Crowd.
The crowd was fine. There weren't that many people there when we go there. But it was mostly the types that would dig the music that I mentioned. A few posuers too.
Now, I dug this bar too but I can't support it. My friend payed for a round of drinks and didn't pick his money up fast enough and one of the bartenders put it in the tip jar. When my friend told the bartender of the mistake, he refused to give it back. Then another bartender gave it too him. When we stepped outside, that same jerkoff bartender told the bouncer never to let us in again. He also told us he was the owner. We then got into a yelling match and the bouncer (who was very nice) said we could come back another time. Fact of the matter is, there was no way that fat bartender was the owner... it was very strange.
Thanks to the bartender, I don't plan on going back.
Friday, October 05, 2007
A Victory for the RIAA (Lefsetz Letter)
What did we learn here?
That the courtroom oath no longer means SHIT! Did you read the evidence? The woman used the same name for her MySpace account, to get dates on Match.com... Talk about GUILTY!
But we know people trade files P2P. What the fuck are we gonna DO ABOUT IT?
According to the RIAA, we should all just cease and desist. After we stop smoking dope and having unprotected sex. Yes, just say no.
Give me a break.
You're a fifteen year old. You've heard about this old band from the seventies, from before you were born, when your PARENTS were in high school. You could wait to hear "Stairway To Heaven" on the radio, maybe even "Kashmir" and "Whole Lotta Love", but you want MORE Zeppelin. You want to start with "IV", work your way back to "II", and then go to "Physical Graffiti" and "Houses Of The Holy", never mind the debut. Yup, why don't you plunk down A HUNDRED BUCKS!
But how are you going to afford Cold Stone? The movies? Video games?
You must give those up. Music is competing for the entertainment dollar and you've got to make a choice. Either have a well-rounded life or listen to music, it's your decision, this is the way it's got to be, because the rights holders SAY SO!
Now if I rang up Robert or Jimmy and asked them... Do you want a few rich teenagers paying a hundred bucks plus for your catalog or MILLIONS paying a lot less, what do you think they'd say?
Well, they'd say this Ahmet Ertegun tribute is really a soft launch for their tour. They're going to go out on the road and rape and pillage...why do you think they're PRACTICING SO HARD! And they don't want to play arenas, but STADIUMS, like in the old days, and they want to FILL THESE BUILDINGS! And the old farts will pay a lot to sit up close, but they won't pay a fortune to sit in the bleachers. But these kids, they'll be thrilled just to BE INSIDE!
Do you get it yet? That it's not about the rights holders, but MUSIC! That the RIAA companies have music locked up, they want to charge a fortune for it, and therefore most people can't afford it. And that there's an easier way out, monetizing the present behavior...having everybody be a music customer, resulting in at least as much revenue, and a healthy scene, great live gate, tons of merch sales.
Who's gonna follow Neil Young? Who's gonna follow the Paul McCartney, the Stones and the Eagles? Where are the next ARENA bands, never mind stadium acts. The only way we can build these bands is by getting the music in people's hands. And last I checked, ten dollars from a million people is no different from one dollar from ten million people. It's just that now, A FUCK OF A LOT MORE PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT YOU, A FUCK OF A LOT MORE ARE FANS!
Couldn't happen in the old days. The costs were too high and you couldn't reach people easily. But the Net has broken down these barriers. Let me ask you, in what ways have the RIAA companies embraced the Net?
iTunes is worse than CDs. The sound quality sucks and the price is the same. Where's the innovation? Where's the BUILDING of the business. The assholes are so busy trying to MAINTAIN what they've got that they can't see the virgin landscape open for the taking, the vast resources that can be used to promote music to what it once was, the hippest artistic medium on the planet, as opposed to the inbred cousin no one wants anything to do with.
This is a business built on bullying and intimidation. And it's no surprise the RIAA's legal strategy reflects this. And those days are through. Transparency rules. It's not about paying radio off and cheating acts on royalties, it's about making the music available to hear on the Web and transparent accounting. The industry's worst nightmare.
So they convicted a guilty woman and penalized her an amount she'll never be able to pay.
Their hands were tied. How else could they get everybody else to settle for a few thousand. Huh? Is this strategy WORKING? Cara Duckworth of the RIAA said "We lose money on our litigation program." Okay, if you lose money there, and you're losing CD sales, WHERE ARE YOU WINNING? What's the strategy to turn things around? NOWHERE IN EVIDENCE!
People want a lot of music for a low price. The labels don't offer this. Except as evaporating subscriptions with low tech devices that make iPods look like hand-held human transporters. It's like trying to get people to give up their BMWs by offering them Kias. Sure, Kias might get better gas mileage, BUT DO YOU WANT TO DRIVE ONE?
The labels are making music free. The lawsuits not only lose money, they're not reducing file-trading. All they're doing is scaring off people who don't buy music ANYWAY!
If this is a victory, then I don't understand the game.
This is a flawed strategy exercised to make non tech-savvy label heads feel good as they drink expensive wine and worry about their eight digit payouts. This is like TV networks not being on the satellite. Huh? Eventually the networks merged with the cable stations. Everybody made more money. The labels have to embrace the Internet, or else go extinct. Which, they're doing a good job of. As far as getting acts to cough up their touring and merch revenue, they're lucky to get good acts to sign with them AT ALL! You tell me what to record, you can't get me on the radio, you don't pay me and you won't let me leave. This is an enticing business proposition?
As for the public... The RIAA lost people's hearts and minds a long time ago. It happened when people discovered the original Napster and then got iPods. They all said WOW, THIS IS GREAT! How come the labels can't understand this? A buck a track? That's like $4,000 for a PC. But now they're five hundred bucks at Wal-Mart and everybody has one. Which business model do you want to employ? A few at a high price or many for very little? Do you want EVERYBODY listening to music or only the privileged, dedicated few. Think about it. And then figure out how to monetize the stealing, how to give the people what they want. ISN'T THAT THE ESSENCE OF BUSINESS?
That the courtroom oath no longer means SHIT! Did you read the evidence? The woman used the same name for her MySpace account, to get dates on Match.com... Talk about GUILTY!
But we know people trade files P2P. What the fuck are we gonna DO ABOUT IT?
According to the RIAA, we should all just cease and desist. After we stop smoking dope and having unprotected sex. Yes, just say no.
Give me a break.
You're a fifteen year old. You've heard about this old band from the seventies, from before you were born, when your PARENTS were in high school. You could wait to hear "Stairway To Heaven" on the radio, maybe even "Kashmir" and "Whole Lotta Love", but you want MORE Zeppelin. You want to start with "IV", work your way back to "II", and then go to "Physical Graffiti" and "Houses Of The Holy", never mind the debut. Yup, why don't you plunk down A HUNDRED BUCKS!
But how are you going to afford Cold Stone? The movies? Video games?
You must give those up. Music is competing for the entertainment dollar and you've got to make a choice. Either have a well-rounded life or listen to music, it's your decision, this is the way it's got to be, because the rights holders SAY SO!
Now if I rang up Robert or Jimmy and asked them... Do you want a few rich teenagers paying a hundred bucks plus for your catalog or MILLIONS paying a lot less, what do you think they'd say?
Well, they'd say this Ahmet Ertegun tribute is really a soft launch for their tour. They're going to go out on the road and rape and pillage...why do you think they're PRACTICING SO HARD! And they don't want to play arenas, but STADIUMS, like in the old days, and they want to FILL THESE BUILDINGS! And the old farts will pay a lot to sit up close, but they won't pay a fortune to sit in the bleachers. But these kids, they'll be thrilled just to BE INSIDE!
Do you get it yet? That it's not about the rights holders, but MUSIC! That the RIAA companies have music locked up, they want to charge a fortune for it, and therefore most people can't afford it. And that there's an easier way out, monetizing the present behavior...having everybody be a music customer, resulting in at least as much revenue, and a healthy scene, great live gate, tons of merch sales.
Who's gonna follow Neil Young? Who's gonna follow the Paul McCartney, the Stones and the Eagles? Where are the next ARENA bands, never mind stadium acts. The only way we can build these bands is by getting the music in people's hands. And last I checked, ten dollars from a million people is no different from one dollar from ten million people. It's just that now, A FUCK OF A LOT MORE PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT YOU, A FUCK OF A LOT MORE ARE FANS!
Couldn't happen in the old days. The costs were too high and you couldn't reach people easily. But the Net has broken down these barriers. Let me ask you, in what ways have the RIAA companies embraced the Net?
iTunes is worse than CDs. The sound quality sucks and the price is the same. Where's the innovation? Where's the BUILDING of the business. The assholes are so busy trying to MAINTAIN what they've got that they can't see the virgin landscape open for the taking, the vast resources that can be used to promote music to what it once was, the hippest artistic medium on the planet, as opposed to the inbred cousin no one wants anything to do with.
This is a business built on bullying and intimidation. And it's no surprise the RIAA's legal strategy reflects this. And those days are through. Transparency rules. It's not about paying radio off and cheating acts on royalties, it's about making the music available to hear on the Web and transparent accounting. The industry's worst nightmare.
So they convicted a guilty woman and penalized her an amount she'll never be able to pay.
Their hands were tied. How else could they get everybody else to settle for a few thousand. Huh? Is this strategy WORKING? Cara Duckworth of the RIAA said "We lose money on our litigation program." Okay, if you lose money there, and you're losing CD sales, WHERE ARE YOU WINNING? What's the strategy to turn things around? NOWHERE IN EVIDENCE!
People want a lot of music for a low price. The labels don't offer this. Except as evaporating subscriptions with low tech devices that make iPods look like hand-held human transporters. It's like trying to get people to give up their BMWs by offering them Kias. Sure, Kias might get better gas mileage, BUT DO YOU WANT TO DRIVE ONE?
The labels are making music free. The lawsuits not only lose money, they're not reducing file-trading. All they're doing is scaring off people who don't buy music ANYWAY!
If this is a victory, then I don't understand the game.
This is a flawed strategy exercised to make non tech-savvy label heads feel good as they drink expensive wine and worry about their eight digit payouts. This is like TV networks not being on the satellite. Huh? Eventually the networks merged with the cable stations. Everybody made more money. The labels have to embrace the Internet, or else go extinct. Which, they're doing a good job of. As far as getting acts to cough up their touring and merch revenue, they're lucky to get good acts to sign with them AT ALL! You tell me what to record, you can't get me on the radio, you don't pay me and you won't let me leave. This is an enticing business proposition?
As for the public... The RIAA lost people's hearts and minds a long time ago. It happened when people discovered the original Napster and then got iPods. They all said WOW, THIS IS GREAT! How come the labels can't understand this? A buck a track? That's like $4,000 for a PC. But now they're five hundred bucks at Wal-Mart and everybody has one. Which business model do you want to employ? A few at a high price or many for very little? Do you want EVERYBODY listening to music or only the privileged, dedicated few. Think about it. And then figure out how to monetize the stealing, how to give the people what they want. ISN'T THAT THE ESSENCE OF BUSINESS?
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Cubbies Beat Themselves In Game One Of The NLDS
Well… unfortunately I have to put the first loss on Lou himself. There were two mistakes in this game that I didn’t get.
First, off the mistake everyone is talking about. Pulling Zambrano after 85 pitches is crazy. Zambrano is willing and able to throw 120 for you on any night. The guy had given up only a run last night. Lou decided to go with Carlos Marmol (who has been the Cubs best reliever this year no question). Marmol gave up the lead right upon coming into the game. Disaster. Lou must have known that was going to be the first question he was going to get in the post game press conference.
The second thing that I didn’t understand happened much earlier in the ball game. At the time, the Diamondbacks were winning 1-0. Theriot hit a ground ball to the left side of the infield and the throw was airmailed over the head of the first baseman. Ok, so now you have a runner on second and no outs. The next batter was Zambrano (your pitcher). I know he is a great hitter for a pitcher and had a hit last night. However, he swung away. He swung away. He swung. First pitch was a line drive to the short stop who made the out and the runner didn’t advance. The next two outs were Soriano and Jones flying out. No runs, one man left on base.
Tonight the Cubbies will try and even the series before heading home to the Friendly Confines. Ted Lilly will face Doug Davis.
Go Cubs Go!
First, off the mistake everyone is talking about. Pulling Zambrano after 85 pitches is crazy. Zambrano is willing and able to throw 120 for you on any night. The guy had given up only a run last night. Lou decided to go with Carlos Marmol (who has been the Cubs best reliever this year no question). Marmol gave up the lead right upon coming into the game. Disaster. Lou must have known that was going to be the first question he was going to get in the post game press conference.
The second thing that I didn’t understand happened much earlier in the ball game. At the time, the Diamondbacks were winning 1-0. Theriot hit a ground ball to the left side of the infield and the throw was airmailed over the head of the first baseman. Ok, so now you have a runner on second and no outs. The next batter was Zambrano (your pitcher). I know he is a great hitter for a pitcher and had a hit last night. However, he swung away. He swung away. He swung. First pitch was a line drive to the short stop who made the out and the runner didn’t advance. The next two outs were Soriano and Jones flying out. No runs, one man left on base.
Tonight the Cubbies will try and even the series before heading home to the Friendly Confines. Ted Lilly will face Doug Davis.
Go Cubs Go!
Monday, September 24, 2007
GHIDRAH - special CAYAMO edition - Beth Wood, Oval Opus, The Duhks
The Rock Ridge Music GHIDRAH – the music is FIRE!
This week’s GHIDRAH features artists playing on CAYAMO, a journey through song. Cayamo is a 6-day Caribbean cruise featuring the crème de la crème of songwriters, including headliners and Grammy award winners, Lyle Lovett and Emmylou Harris, in addition to Shawn Colvin, Patty Griffin, John Hiatt, Buddy Miller, Brandi Carlile, Ari Hest, The Duhks & Patrick Davis. They will be joined by other great songwriters and emerging artists for the inaugural cruise, which stops in Cozumel, Mexico; Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; and Ocho Rios, Jamaica.
Want to win a free cabin on Cayamo? Enter to win here: http://www.rockridgemusic.com/sixthman
Eleven years ago Texas singer-songwriter Beth Wood kissed her day-job goodbye and hit the road to play music full-time. Since then, she has released seven independent albums, won many songwriting awards including the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk Award, charted in the top 20 on the AAA radio charts, had a song featured on Fox Television’s “Party of Five”, sung our National Anthem at major league baseball and basketball games, and toured nationally as a solo artist. But most importantly to Beth, she has found a way to connect with others through her music. Beth is a high-energy communicator of joy, a modern-day troubadour with a killer voice, poetic lyrics, and wickedly strong guitar stylings. If you ask Thor Christensen at the Dallas Morning News about Beth, he’ll say, “a voice and songs this strong are bound to persevere.”
Nestled on the Ohio River, where north meets south, is the humble hamlet of Cincinnati, Ohio. Born in this hybrid culture of North, South and Midwest, Oval Opus has soaked up a little bit of charm, a little bit of honesty, and a lot of pop sensibility to mold their unique, yet universal sound. Spawned from a chance meeting on the campus of Miami University in Oxford, OH, Oval Opus has spent the last several years establishing themselves as one of the most successful independent touring acts in Ohio and the region. With soulful vocals, classic rock driven guitars and tight radio ready songs performed with the energy and virtuosity of their live rock shows, with their new album, Oval Opus showcases their diverse talent and deliver profound yet playful pop/rock tracks that separate them from your everyday rock band to something short of legendary. www.Ovalopus.com or www.myspace.com/ovalopus
The most vital acoustic music band made today acknowledges its predecessors and lives in the here and now. For four years now, The Duhks, the band of five skilled, high-energy, tattooed twenty-somethings from Winnipeg, Manitoba, has been riveting audiences and winning staunch fans across North America and around the world with just that kind of music. Blending soul, gospel, folk, samba, old time country and irish dance music, The Duhks are definitely a band to keep you eyes and ears on! Migrations, the title of their sophomore release, seems to speak for itself. The Canadian prairie band has toured relentlessly, played everything from rock halls to theatres to festivals, making the world their home. Time can only tell which direction the Duhks will fly to next, but one thing’s for certain—they will bring with them a sound unlike any other.
Here are this week’s GHIDRAH songs:
SONG 1: Beth Wood – “Right On Time”
SONG 2: Oval Opus – “Anchorman”
SONG 3: The Duhks – “Ol Cook Pot (Live)”
And, for your convenience, here are the GHIDRAH links:
SONG 1: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_1.wma
SONG 2: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_2.wma
SONG 3: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_3.wma
The GHIDRAH is a song-of-the-week program. Each week the songs change, but the links don’t change – it is self-refreshing content. To get more information about putting the GHIDRAH on your site, please reply to this email and visit http://www.rockridgemusic.com/top-music.htm.
Thank you for your support of this free music program.
This week’s GHIDRAH features artists playing on CAYAMO, a journey through song. Cayamo is a 6-day Caribbean cruise featuring the crème de la crème of songwriters, including headliners and Grammy award winners, Lyle Lovett and Emmylou Harris, in addition to Shawn Colvin, Patty Griffin, John Hiatt, Buddy Miller, Brandi Carlile, Ari Hest, The Duhks & Patrick Davis. They will be joined by other great songwriters and emerging artists for the inaugural cruise, which stops in Cozumel, Mexico; Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; and Ocho Rios, Jamaica.
Want to win a free cabin on Cayamo? Enter to win here: http://www.rockridgemusic.com/sixthman
Eleven years ago Texas singer-songwriter Beth Wood kissed her day-job goodbye and hit the road to play music full-time. Since then, she has released seven independent albums, won many songwriting awards including the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk Award, charted in the top 20 on the AAA radio charts, had a song featured on Fox Television’s “Party of Five”, sung our National Anthem at major league baseball and basketball games, and toured nationally as a solo artist. But most importantly to Beth, she has found a way to connect with others through her music. Beth is a high-energy communicator of joy, a modern-day troubadour with a killer voice, poetic lyrics, and wickedly strong guitar stylings. If you ask Thor Christensen at the Dallas Morning News about Beth, he’ll say, “a voice and songs this strong are bound to persevere.”
Nestled on the Ohio River, where north meets south, is the humble hamlet of Cincinnati, Ohio. Born in this hybrid culture of North, South and Midwest, Oval Opus has soaked up a little bit of charm, a little bit of honesty, and a lot of pop sensibility to mold their unique, yet universal sound. Spawned from a chance meeting on the campus of Miami University in Oxford, OH, Oval Opus has spent the last several years establishing themselves as one of the most successful independent touring acts in Ohio and the region. With soulful vocals, classic rock driven guitars and tight radio ready songs performed with the energy and virtuosity of their live rock shows, with their new album, Oval Opus showcases their diverse talent and deliver profound yet playful pop/rock tracks that separate them from your everyday rock band to something short of legendary. www.Ovalopus.com or www.myspace.com/ovalopus
The most vital acoustic music band made today acknowledges its predecessors and lives in the here and now. For four years now, The Duhks, the band of five skilled, high-energy, tattooed twenty-somethings from Winnipeg, Manitoba, has been riveting audiences and winning staunch fans across North America and around the world with just that kind of music. Blending soul, gospel, folk, samba, old time country and irish dance music, The Duhks are definitely a band to keep you eyes and ears on! Migrations, the title of their sophomore release, seems to speak for itself. The Canadian prairie band has toured relentlessly, played everything from rock halls to theatres to festivals, making the world their home. Time can only tell which direction the Duhks will fly to next, but one thing’s for certain—they will bring with them a sound unlike any other.
Here are this week’s GHIDRAH songs:
SONG 1: Beth Wood – “Right On Time”
SONG 2: Oval Opus – “Anchorman”
SONG 3: The Duhks – “Ol Cook Pot (Live)”
And, for your convenience, here are the GHIDRAH links:
SONG 1: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_1.wma
SONG 2: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_2.wma
SONG 3: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_3.wma
The GHIDRAH is a song-of-the-week program. Each week the songs change, but the links don’t change – it is self-refreshing content. To get more information about putting the GHIDRAH on your site, please reply to this email and visit http://www.rockridgemusic.com/top-music.htm.
Thank you for your support of this free music program.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Rich & Famous, Broke & Well Hung
It all started with Life Styles of the Rich & Famous. Lets go back to Saturday... This past
Saturday, I went to the Syracuse vs. Illinois football game at the Carrier Dome. I had breakfast in Manhattan, lunch on Marshall Street and dinner in Westchester. How did I do this you ask? I flew on a private jet from Westchester to Syracuse and back. It was a 35 minute flight. No security. No gates. It was amazing. The plane belonged to my roommates family friends. When he isn't using it he rents it to people like Faith Hill and Tim McGraw... crazy. The plane was beautiful. So we drive to the airport. Drive onto the tarmac, and get on the plane. Someone even parked the cars for us.
A limo picked us up at the airport in Syracuse and took us to the game. When we got back, the cars were waiting for us. It was amazing.
Celine Dion, Marc Anthony, etc.) Oh man. This place was like nothing else. I have actually been there before. She had a Christmas party last year. It had a roof deck that included breathtaking views of Central Park. Then last night I went to a VH1 Save the Music dinner at the home Denise Rich (songwriter for breathtaking views of the park. Beautiful art and marble floors and was probably no joke 15-20 times the size of any other apartment I have ever been to and I was only on the main floor. Oh and the woman in the picture to the right was there. It was nice meeting her. As you can probably imagine.
Here I am with $17 in my pocket and drinking champagne and Grey Goose with these people. Then I met up with my girlfriend, her sister and her sisters friends for some predrinks before the Kings of Leon show at Radio City Music Hall. The show was fantastic but the funniest part of the night was an African American "thugish" type dude had some comments about me being with all those young girls. As we walked past he grabbed his junk and said, "eh boy whatchu doin' with all them girls, i have 13 inches and I don't have that many girls." At which case all of us started laughing. It was fantastic.
I love New York.
Saturday, I went to the Syracuse vs. Illinois football game at the Carrier Dome. I had breakfast in Manhattan, lunch on Marshall Street and dinner in Westchester. How did I do this you ask? I flew on a private jet from Westchester to Syracuse and back. It was a 35 minute flight. No security. No gates. It was amazing. The plane belonged to my roommates family friends. When he isn't using it he rents it to people like Faith Hill and Tim McGraw... crazy. The plane was beautiful. So we drive to the airport. Drive onto the tarmac, and get on the plane. Someone even parked the cars for us.A limo picked us up at the airport in Syracuse and took us to the game. When we got back, the cars were waiting for us. It was amazing.
Celine Dion, Marc Anthony, etc.) Oh man. This place was like nothing else. I have actually been there before. She had a Christmas party last year. It had a roof deck that included breathtaking views of Central Park. Then last night I went to a VH1 Save the Music dinner at the home Denise Rich (songwriter for breathtaking views of the park. Beautiful art and marble floors and was probably no joke 15-20 times the size of any other apartment I have ever been to and I was only on the main floor. Oh and the woman in the picture to the right was there. It was nice meeting her. As you can probably imagine.
Here I am with $17 in my pocket and drinking champagne and Grey Goose with these people. Then I met up with my girlfriend, her sister and her sisters friends for some predrinks before the Kings of Leon show at Radio City Music Hall. The show was fantastic but the funniest part of the night was an African American "thugish" type dude had some comments about me being with all those young girls. As we walked past he grabbed his junk and said, "eh boy whatchu doin' with all them girls, i have 13 inches and I don't have that many girls." At which case all of us started laughing. It was fantastic.
I love New York.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Music From The Ghidrah 9/19/07: Reel Big Fish, The IRA, Psychostick
The Rock Ridge Music GHIDRAH – the music is FIRE!
This week’s GHIDRAH says “Bottom’s Up”!! All tunes about drinking stuff, and doing stuff.
Here are this week’s GHIDRAH songs:
SONG 1: Reel Big Fish – “Beer”
SONG 2: The Ike Reilly Assassination – “The Boat Song (We’re Getting Loaded)”
SONG 3: Psychostick – “Beer!!!”
And, for your convenience, here are the GHIDRAH links:
SONG 1: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_1.wma
SONG 2: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_2.wma
SONG 3: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_3.wma
The GHIDRAH is a song-of-the-week program. Each week the songs change, but the links don’t change – it is self-refreshing content. To get more information about putting the GHIDRAH on your site, please reply to this email and visit http://www.rockridgemusic.com/top-music.htm.
Thank you for your support of this free music program.
This week’s GHIDRAH says “Bottom’s Up”!! All tunes about drinking stuff, and doing stuff.
Here are this week’s GHIDRAH songs:
SONG 1: Reel Big Fish – “Beer”
SONG 2: The Ike Reilly Assassination – “The Boat Song (We’re Getting Loaded)”
SONG 3: Psychostick – “Beer!!!”
And, for your convenience, here are the GHIDRAH links:
SONG 1: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_1.wma
SONG 2: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_2.wma
SONG 3: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_3.wma
The GHIDRAH is a song-of-the-week program. Each week the songs change, but the links don’t change – it is self-refreshing content. To get more information about putting the GHIDRAH on your site, please reply to this email and visit http://www.rockridgemusic.com/top-music.htm.
Thank you for your support of this free music program.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
WEST IS BEST! (Hits Daily Double)
50 Cent and Chesney Score Top 3, Disney Has Two in Top 5, But Kanye's Total is Year's Best
September 18, 2007
The people have spoken, and it’s Graduation day for IDJ’s Kanye West.
In the much-celebrated battle between the dapper rapper and Shady/Aftermath/ Interscope gangsta icon 50 Cent, West wins going away, with a first-week total of 930k that tops his own Late Registration, which bowed at #1 in August 2005 with 860k in sales.
Fiddy has nothing to be ashamed of, as Curtis tallies 660k, which represents the second-largest one-week total of the year, topping Linkin Park’s 625k back in May.
SBMG Nashville’s Kenny Chesney doesn’t exactly have to go hat in hand, either, with an impressive 400k tally for Just Who I Am: Poets and Pirates, which would have been an easy #1 in any other week but this one.
Those three together represent sales of about 1,000 copies less than the entire 200 best-selling albums totaled last week.
Walt Disney Records is the week’s other big winner, with two in the Top 5, including High School Musical 2, once more in six figures at 130k, and Hannah Montana 2--Meet Miley, while Hollywood Records sports the next highest debut, the third volume of the Grey’s Anatomy soundtrack at #13.
A&M/Interscope’s Fergie (#6), Roadrunner’s perennial Nickelback (#7), Universal Republic’s surging Colbie Caillat (up 22% at #8), UTV/UMe’s Now 25 (#9) and Jive/ZLG’s Justin Timberlake (up 11% at #10) round out the Top 10.
Other chart newcomers include Trisha Yearwood’s Greatest Hits on MCA Nashville (#21) and Atlantic’s B5 (#28).
MTV VMA exposure appears to have helped strong gainers such as Interscope maestro Timbaland (#27-12, +47%), Geffen’s Common (#20-15, +25%) and Def Jam/IDJ’s Video of the Year winner Rihanna (#21-18, +31%). Other double-digit increases are registered by A&M/Octone’s Maroon 5 (#19-17, +14%), RCA’s Daughtry (#22, +16%), Reprise’s Michael Buble (#28-25, +10%) and WB’s Talib Kweli (#38-30, +12%).
Interscope Best New Artist Grammy candidate Feist uses the ubiquitous exposure of the new Apple Nano TV spot to move back into the Top 50 at #37, with more than double her previous week’s sales total.
Next week, a slew of new releases will crack the Top 50, including James Blunt, Chamillionaire, Barry Manilow, Rebe McEntrire, Twista, U.K. opera phenom Paul Potts and KT Tunstall.
September 18, 2007
The people have spoken, and it’s Graduation day for IDJ’s Kanye West.
In the much-celebrated battle between the dapper rapper and Shady/Aftermath/ Interscope gangsta icon 50 Cent, West wins going away, with a first-week total of 930k that tops his own Late Registration, which bowed at #1 in August 2005 with 860k in sales.
Fiddy has nothing to be ashamed of, as Curtis tallies 660k, which represents the second-largest one-week total of the year, topping Linkin Park’s 625k back in May.
SBMG Nashville’s Kenny Chesney doesn’t exactly have to go hat in hand, either, with an impressive 400k tally for Just Who I Am: Poets and Pirates, which would have been an easy #1 in any other week but this one.
Those three together represent sales of about 1,000 copies less than the entire 200 best-selling albums totaled last week.
Walt Disney Records is the week’s other big winner, with two in the Top 5, including High School Musical 2, once more in six figures at 130k, and Hannah Montana 2--Meet Miley, while Hollywood Records sports the next highest debut, the third volume of the Grey’s Anatomy soundtrack at #13.
A&M/Interscope’s Fergie (#6), Roadrunner’s perennial Nickelback (#7), Universal Republic’s surging Colbie Caillat (up 22% at #8), UTV/UMe’s Now 25 (#9) and Jive/ZLG’s Justin Timberlake (up 11% at #10) round out the Top 10.
Other chart newcomers include Trisha Yearwood’s Greatest Hits on MCA Nashville (#21) and Atlantic’s B5 (#28).
MTV VMA exposure appears to have helped strong gainers such as Interscope maestro Timbaland (#27-12, +47%), Geffen’s Common (#20-15, +25%) and Def Jam/IDJ’s Video of the Year winner Rihanna (#21-18, +31%). Other double-digit increases are registered by A&M/Octone’s Maroon 5 (#19-17, +14%), RCA’s Daughtry (#22, +16%), Reprise’s Michael Buble (#28-25, +10%) and WB’s Talib Kweli (#38-30, +12%).
Interscope Best New Artist Grammy candidate Feist uses the ubiquitous exposure of the new Apple Nano TV spot to move back into the Top 50 at #37, with more than double her previous week’s sales total.
Next week, a slew of new releases will crack the Top 50, including James Blunt, Chamillionaire, Barry Manilow, Rebe McEntrire, Twista, U.K. opera phenom Paul Potts and KT Tunstall.
Yankee's Prank Strikes Out (Boston Hearld)
I thought this was hilarious...
------
Talk about sore winners.
Griffin Whitman, a 10-year-old Red Sox [team stats] fan from Swampscott, was excited to attend his first Yankees vs. Red Sox game Friday night. The young autograph -collector was even more thrilled to score Yankees outfielder Shelley Duncan’s signature before the game. That is, until Griffin read the message from the 27-year-old rookie: “Red Sox suck! Shelley Duncan.”
“It was cool to get his autograph,” Griffin said. “It didn’t make me feel happy when he wrote that.”
Griffin’s mother, Karen, blasted the Yankees slugger’s bad manners.
“This is someone who wears the Yankee uniform and is on the payroll and should be setting an example for 10-year-olds,” she said.
Duncan, son of St. Louis Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan, has become a fan favorite in the Bronx for hitting mammoth home runs since he was called up from the minors in July.
Yesterday afternoon, a Yankee spokesman declined to comment until he got a chance to speak to Duncan.
------
Talk about sore winners.
Griffin Whitman, a 10-year-old Red Sox [team stats] fan from Swampscott, was excited to attend his first Yankees vs. Red Sox game Friday night. The young autograph -collector was even more thrilled to score Yankees outfielder Shelley Duncan’s signature before the game. That is, until Griffin read the message from the 27-year-old rookie: “Red Sox suck! Shelley Duncan.”
“It was cool to get his autograph,” Griffin said. “It didn’t make me feel happy when he wrote that.”
Griffin’s mother, Karen, blasted the Yankees slugger’s bad manners.
“This is someone who wears the Yankee uniform and is on the payroll and should be setting an example for 10-year-olds,” she said.
Duncan, son of St. Louis Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan, has become a fan favorite in the Bronx for hitting mammoth home runs since he was called up from the minors in July.
Yesterday afternoon, a Yankee spokesman declined to comment until he got a chance to speak to Duncan.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Jozy Altidore: Patience, Patience (New York Times)
September 14, 2007, 5:18 pm
Jozy Altidore: Patience, Patience
Red Bulls forward Jozy Altidore contributes items for The New York Times Goal blog each week about his life, soccer and his ambitions. This is his fifth post.
Jozy AltidoreRed Bulls’ striker Jozy Altidore.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
How The West Has Won (Hits Daily Double)
Kanye’s Opening Week of 800k+ Will Be Biggest in Two Years, 50 Cent at 600k, Kenny Chesney 450k Following one of the worst weeks in the history of album sales comes one of the liveliest, and boy was it needed. That would more than top Shady/Aftermath/Interscope rapper 50 Cent, who has loudly declared he’d retire if West’s album sold more than his, better start boning up on his golf game, because Curtis will land at #2 with a still-impressive 600k, plus or minus. Kenny Chesney will have to settle for third place with his new album Just Who I Am: Poets and Pirates on SBMG Nashville, which will bow at #3 with around 450k. The only other album of note to hit retail is the latest edition of the Gray’s Anatomy soundtrack from Disney's Hollywood Records. The market was down a little less than 4% vs last week, down about 23% vs same week last year and now down 14.5% year-to-date. |  |
Monday, September 10, 2007
Music From The Ghidrah 9/10/07: Chris Volz
The Rock Ridge Music GHIDRAH – the music is FIRE!
This week’s GHIDRAH features songs from the upcoming Chris Volz album “Redemption”. The album hits stores Tuesday.
“Nothing great happens without taking risks,” says Chris Volz. And while this comment can apply to almost anything in life, he means it in relation to his forthcoming album, “Redemption,” his first as a solo artist. As someone who has always performed in a band scenario (formerly with FLAW and the recently-disbanded Five.Bolt.Main), the solo thing has been a leap for him, yet one he was ready to make. And his lyrics, while always deep and introspective in the past, seem to plumb new depths here, opening Volz wide to listeners and fans. “The lyrics on this record are very personal,” he says. “I don’t sing about anything I haven’t felt or don’t mean.” Redemption drops 9/11/07, and Volz will be touring in support of the record in October.
Chris Volz is MSN’s Artist On The Rise this month: http://www.windowsmedia.com/Mediaguide/artistontherise
Here are this week’s GHIDRAH songs:
SONG 1: Chris Volz – “Redemption”
SONG 2: Chris Volz – “All My Life”
SONG 3: Chris Volz – “Secure”
And, for your convenience, here are the GHIDRAH links:
SONG 1: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_1.wma
SONG 2: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_2.wma
SONG 3: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_3.wma
The GHIDRAH is a song-of-the-week program. Each week the songs change, but the links don’t change – it is self-refreshing content. To get more information about putting the GHIDRAH on your site, please reply to this email and visit http://www.rockridgemusic.com/top-music.htm.
Thank you for your support of this free music program.
This week’s GHIDRAH features songs from the upcoming Chris Volz album “Redemption”. The album hits stores Tuesday.
“Nothing great happens without taking risks,” says Chris Volz. And while this comment can apply to almost anything in life, he means it in relation to his forthcoming album, “Redemption,” his first as a solo artist. As someone who has always performed in a band scenario (formerly with FLAW and the recently-disbanded Five.Bolt.Main), the solo thing has been a leap for him, yet one he was ready to make. And his lyrics, while always deep and introspective in the past, seem to plumb new depths here, opening Volz wide to listeners and fans. “The lyrics on this record are very personal,” he says. “I don’t sing about anything I haven’t felt or don’t mean.” Redemption drops 9/11/07, and Volz will be touring in support of the record in October.
Chris Volz is MSN’s Artist On The Rise this month: http://www.windowsmedia.com/Mediaguide/artistontherise
Here are this week’s GHIDRAH songs:
SONG 1: Chris Volz – “Redemption”
SONG 2: Chris Volz – “All My Life”
SONG 3: Chris Volz – “Secure”
And, for your convenience, here are the GHIDRAH links:
SONG 1: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_1.wma
SONG 2: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_2.wma
SONG 3: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_3.wma
The GHIDRAH is a song-of-the-week program. Each week the songs change, but the links don’t change – it is self-refreshing content. To get more information about putting the GHIDRAH on your site, please reply to this email and visit http://www.rockridgemusic.com/top-music.htm.
Thank you for your support of this free music program.
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Zambrano Tears Into Wrigley Faithful (ill logik)
So this weekend after Carlos Zambrano has gotten shelled for the again. Zambrano is 0-7 since the begging of August and complained yesterday about being booed by his home fans. He went on to say that this is when the fans should be most behind him because he is struggling.
"I don't accept that the fans were booing at me. I can't understand that. You know, I thought these were the greatest fans in baseball. But they showed me today that they just care about them, and that's not fair, because when you're struggling, you want to feel the support of the fans. No, I don't accept it. I just pointed to my head, and I will remember that because I don't want any bad outings. I know the great moments of my career will come."
When people boo players like Zambrano, they aren’t booing him because he sucks. No, they boo Rex Grossman because he sucks. They boo Zambrano because he is awesome. Because he is one of the best pitchers in the majors and he isn’t playing like it. A month ago he had a legitimate shot at winning 20 games, that idea is way passed.
Carlos, the fans are going to be fans. They will back you when you win. They will get down on you when you lose. Don’t worry about the fans. Just worry about winning a godforsaken game. Please… we need you.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
CBGB Founder Hilly Kristal Dies (The Tripwire)
After battling lung cancer for quite some time, CBGB founder Hilly Kristal has passed away. Kristal had a wild ride over the past couple of years, fighting to keep his lease so that the legendary punk venue could remain open in its original location. Despite the efforts of Kristal and a wide assortment of supporters, the Bowery Residents Committee finally got there way and booted CBGB from the building. Now all that remains from the venue's glory days is a whiff of cigarette smoke and stale air, as it has been gutted and is waiting for a new tenant.
Less than a year after the official end of CBGB, it is like a one-two punch with the passing of Kristal. You have to give the man props for helping light the fire to get punk rock in motion here in the US, giving bands like The Ramones and The Talking Heads a place to perform in their early days. Hilly Kristal and the defunct CBGB are rock & roll institutions, and it is a damn shame that they are both now gone. RIP Hilly Kristal... you will be missed. He was 75.
According to Gothamist, a public memorial in Kristal's honor will be held at a later date. In the meantime, friends and supporters and send donations in his name to either the American Cancer Society or Hilly Kristal Foundation For Musicians And Artists (168 Second Avenue, PMB 207, New York, NY 10003).
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Bands That Should Reunite
Guns ‘N Roses
So I went to see Axel and friends 4 times this past year. The first three of those shows were at Hammerstein so that the band can get its legs back under them. Axel sounded surprisingly good. The band sounded good to but there is something weird about the guitar player not having a top hat on when you see Guns ‘N Roses.
The Smiths
The band is so far superior to Morrissey’s solo work. That’s not saying I don’t like his solo work… its just not the same. This is highly unlikely as I read he once said, “I’d sooner eat my own testicles than reunite with the Smiths.” Yikes…
Soundgarden
Audioslave made the same song on repeat. Matt Cameron is drumming for Pearl Jam again. Chris Cornell did another solo record. I saw these guys in ’95 at the Aragon Ballroom and will never forget that show. I liked the long hair era, however, the Superunknown and Down On The Upside era will remain one of my all time favorites.
Led Zeppelin
Ok ok… I know you can’t reunite a band when someone has passed away. Don’t make records… just do shows!
Pink Floyd
I don’t have to explain this one. I went to see Roger Waters and it was in my top 3 shows I have ever seen in my life. It was amazing. He sounded amazing. The show was amazing. The crowd was amazing. I can’t even fathom how much better it would be with David Gilmour but I would love to see what it would be like.
Oraganized Konfusion
Pharoahe Monch is still kicking… where is Prince Po? “Fudge Pudge” is a perfect example… just verse after verse no hook no chorus. It was hip hop!
Black Star
My two favorite rappers (Mos Def & Talib Kweli) were in a group together… they still should be. This was the smartest duo hip hop ever saw.
Fugazi
I was never a big Minor Threat fan. I am not much of a fan of the Evens. However, 13 Songs was one of my favorite albums ever. “Waiting Room” is a classic. I would love to see this band live. You know Ian MacKaye is powerful… he coined the term straight edge!
Stone Roses
Clearly I was way to young to remember this band doing anything. I love their record, but everything I have read has said they were supposed to be the big thing and they just disappeared. “I Wanna Be Adored” is one of my favorite songs of all time. Where are they now?
Misfits
Not any incarnation of them. I want Danzig to get up there and put his hair into a single spike in front of his head. “Last Caress”, “Static Age”, “Hybrid Moments”, “Bullet”, “London Dungeon”, “We Are 138”, “Teenagers From Mars”, “Where Eagles Dare”…
Sly and The Family Stone
I love this band. To hear the correct voices singing “Everybody Is A Star” would be unreal.
So I went to see Axel and friends 4 times this past year. The first three of those shows were at Hammerstein so that the band can get its legs back under them. Axel sounded surprisingly good. The band sounded good to but there is something weird about the guitar player not having a top hat on when you see Guns ‘N Roses.
The Smiths
The band is so far superior to Morrissey’s solo work. That’s not saying I don’t like his solo work… its just not the same. This is highly unlikely as I read he once said, “I’d sooner eat my own testicles than reunite with the Smiths.” Yikes…
Soundgarden
Audioslave made the same song on repeat. Matt Cameron is drumming for Pearl Jam again. Chris Cornell did another solo record. I saw these guys in ’95 at the Aragon Ballroom and will never forget that show. I liked the long hair era, however, the Superunknown and Down On The Upside era will remain one of my all time favorites.
Led Zeppelin
Ok ok… I know you can’t reunite a band when someone has passed away. Don’t make records… just do shows!
Pink Floyd
I don’t have to explain this one. I went to see Roger Waters and it was in my top 3 shows I have ever seen in my life. It was amazing. He sounded amazing. The show was amazing. The crowd was amazing. I can’t even fathom how much better it would be with David Gilmour but I would love to see what it would be like.
Oraganized Konfusion
Pharoahe Monch is still kicking… where is Prince Po? “Fudge Pudge” is a perfect example… just verse after verse no hook no chorus. It was hip hop!
Black Star
My two favorite rappers (Mos Def & Talib Kweli) were in a group together… they still should be. This was the smartest duo hip hop ever saw.
Fugazi
I was never a big Minor Threat fan. I am not much of a fan of the Evens. However, 13 Songs was one of my favorite albums ever. “Waiting Room” is a classic. I would love to see this band live. You know Ian MacKaye is powerful… he coined the term straight edge!
Stone Roses
Clearly I was way to young to remember this band doing anything. I love their record, but everything I have read has said they were supposed to be the big thing and they just disappeared. “I Wanna Be Adored” is one of my favorite songs of all time. Where are they now?
Misfits
Not any incarnation of them. I want Danzig to get up there and put his hair into a single spike in front of his head. “Last Caress”, “Static Age”, “Hybrid Moments”, “Bullet”, “London Dungeon”, “We Are 138”, “Teenagers From Mars”, “Where Eagles Dare”…
Sly and The Family Stone
I love this band. To hear the correct voices singing “Everybody Is A Star” would be unreal.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Boycott BP (cont)
This was in the Sun Times last week.
-------
-------
Boycott BP
If BP insists on dumping more pollutants into our lake, it's time for us to stop pumping its gas into our tanks. We're calling for an all-out boycott of BP gas. Maybe then, BP will realize that hollow promises aren't good enough for customers.
Maybe then, they'll be ready "to commit" to keeping Lake Michigan clean. BP America vice chairman Stephen A. Elbert vowed Wednesday only to look into incorporating new technologies to reduce additional pollutants into the lake.
But he also stood by the company's plans to discharge 54 percent more ammonia and 35 percent more sludge particles into the lake as BP moves forward with a $3 billion expansion of its Whiting, Ind., refinery. The water is not going to be "damaged," Elbert claimed.
Environmental activists and city officials think differently, and for at least a month have been raising their objections to Indiana's decision to issue a permit to BP. Their concerns have pretty much fallen on deaf ears -- until this week when BP executives met with them to discuss more environmentally friendly alternatives.
Even if BP is working within the parameters of federal and state regulations, putting extra pollutants into our major drinking water source is an abysmal option. The lake, as Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) put it, is our
Yellowstone Park, our Grand Canyon. No one would dare mess with those national treasures. Why mess with ours?
At this point, the only clear message BP is sending is that it wants to have its cake and eat it too. BP executives want their company to be known as the greenest -- as suggested by its logo, meant to resemble a sunflower and show its commitment to the environment. But they also want to dump in our lakes. They can't have it both ways.
That's why we have to help them decide which road they'll choose by hitting their pocketbooks -- at least until Sept. 1 when they'll return to Chicago to give Emanuel and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) an update on their plans.
Starting today, we should just drive on by those green, yellow and white gas pumps. Throw the BP credit cards into the salad spinner and kiss their Wild Bean Cafe goodbye.
Vote with your feet, er, wheels, and drive to another gas station.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Music From The Ghidrah 08/27/07: The Ike Reilly Assassniatnion, Cantinero, Marble Index
The Rock Ridge Music GHIDRAH - the music is FIRE!
Cantinero is back, and we are offering a sneak preview of "My House" from an
upcoming album. Cantinero's debut "Championship Boxing" received rave
reviews, and coverage that included an 11 minute interview on NPR's Weekend
Edition, video play on MTV's Subterranean, and a Top 50 record at the AAA
radio format.
"We Belong To The Staggering Evening" is the natural yet alarming evolution
for The Ike Reilly Assassination. Sounding furious and maniacal and on top
of the world at the outset, "The Staggering Evening" is performed with
something to prove and nothing to lose. Handclaps and tambourines, the
call-and-response, twisted-gospel vocals, and driving NYC-underground
guitars are all part of Reilly's American portrayal of rock 'n' roll in this
lost new era. Produced by Reilly, "The Staggering Evening" is an album that
should be blasted on a hectic Friday night from jukeboxes in bars that
haven't banned smoking, from college dorm rooms, from economy cars in shit
traffic, and stuck in the ears of iPod-listening subway riders. It's a
"Cops" episode; it's Lenny Bruce after being the celebrity judge on
"American Idol;" it's a night full of lust and regret, blood and anarchy,
and a blind date with the disaffected -- a hilarious night that begins with
a swill and ends with a tender kiss.
For some, living the rock 'n' roll dream means fame, fortune and all the
excess that comes with it. The Marble Index are living a different dream. It
involves the proverbial blood, sweat and tears. It involves perseverance and
effort. It involves working like sons of bitches and making the most of
opportunity. If this dream doesn't sound as sexy, you've read too many
magazines. This is good, old-fashioned rock 'n' roll spirit, with nothing
airbrushed, steroid-pumped or collagen-enhanced - but sexy indeed. In fact,
if you compare The Marble Index's self-titled debut and their latest, "Watch
Your Candles, Watch Your Knives," you'll hear a band who haven't lost an
ounce of muscle, but have gained a remarkable amount of finesse. Even as
their album was landing on new shelves in new countries, the Index had
regrouped at home to record "Watch Your Candles, Watch Your Knives." They
hunkered down for several weeks at Hamilton, Ontario's Catharine North
Studios, with producer Scott Sh
ields (the Mescaleros, G.U.N.) at the helm.
Here are this week's GHIDRAH songs:
SONG 1: Cantinero - "My House"
SONG 2: Ike Reilly Assassination - "When Irish Eyes Are Burning"
SONG 3: The Marble Index - "All That I Know"
And, for your convenience, here are the GHIDRAH links:
SONG 1: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_1.wma
SONG 2: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_2.wma
SONG 3: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_3.wma
The GHIDRAH is a song-of-the-week program. Each week the songs change, but
the links don't change - it is self-refreshing content. To get more
information about putting the GHIDRAH on your site, please reply to this
email and visit http://www.rockridgemusic.com/top-music.htm.
Thank you for your support of this free music program.
Cantinero is back, and we are offering a sneak preview of "My House" from an
upcoming album. Cantinero's debut "Championship Boxing" received rave
reviews, and coverage that included an 11 minute interview on NPR's Weekend
Edition, video play on MTV's Subterranean, and a Top 50 record at the AAA
radio format.
"We Belong To The Staggering Evening" is the natural yet alarming evolution
for The Ike Reilly Assassination. Sounding furious and maniacal and on top
of the world at the outset, "The Staggering Evening" is performed with
something to prove and nothing to lose. Handclaps and tambourines, the
call-and-response, twisted-gospel vocals, and driving NYC-underground
guitars are all part of Reilly's American portrayal of rock 'n' roll in this
lost new era. Produced by Reilly, "The Staggering Evening" is an album that
should be blasted on a hectic Friday night from jukeboxes in bars that
haven't banned smoking, from college dorm rooms, from economy cars in shit
traffic, and stuck in the ears of iPod-listening subway riders. It's a
"Cops" episode; it's Lenny Bruce after being the celebrity judge on
"American Idol;" it's a night full of lust and regret, blood and anarchy,
and a blind date with the disaffected -- a hilarious night that begins with
a swill and ends with a tender kiss.
For some, living the rock 'n' roll dream means fame, fortune and all the
excess that comes with it. The Marble Index are living a different dream. It
involves the proverbial blood, sweat and tears. It involves perseverance and
effort. It involves working like sons of bitches and making the most of
opportunity. If this dream doesn't sound as sexy, you've read too many
magazines. This is good, old-fashioned rock 'n' roll spirit, with nothing
airbrushed, steroid-pumped or collagen-enhanced - but sexy indeed. In fact,
if you compare The Marble Index's self-titled debut and their latest, "Watch
Your Candles, Watch Your Knives," you'll hear a band who haven't lost an
ounce of muscle, but have gained a remarkable amount of finesse. Even as
their album was landing on new shelves in new countries, the Index had
regrouped at home to record "Watch Your Candles, Watch Your Knives." They
hunkered down for several weeks at Hamilton, Ontario's Catharine North
Studios, with producer Scott Sh
ields (the Mescaleros, G.U.N.) at the helm.
Here are this week's GHIDRAH songs:
SONG 1: Cantinero - "My House"
SONG 2: Ike Reilly Assassination - "When Irish Eyes Are Burning"
SONG 3: The Marble Index - "All That I Know"
And, for your convenience, here are the GHIDRAH links:
SONG 1: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_1.wma
SONG 2: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_2.wma
SONG 3: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_3.wma
The GHIDRAH is a song-of-the-week program. Each week the songs change, but
the links don't change - it is self-refreshing content. To get more
information about putting the GHIDRAH on your site, please reply to this
email and visit http://www.rockridgemusic.com/top-music.htm.
Thank you for your support of this free music program.
Friday, August 24, 2007
100 Greatest Beat Downs (ESPN (Page 2)
Here's one writer's opinion of the top 100 beatdowns:
1. Secretariat destroys the field at the 1973 Belmont Stakes by an astonishing 31 lengths to win the Triple Crown ... "He is moving like a TREMENDOUS machine!" A performance so dominating spectators were weeping in the stands.
2. Tiger Woods wins the 2000 U.S. Open by a mind-boggling 15 strokes.
3. 1940 NFL championship: Bears 73, Redskins 0. The Bears had 501 yards of offense, intercepted eight passes and officials had to ask Bears coach George Halas to run or pass for the PAT on the team's final two scores because so many balls had been kicked into the stands.
4. Mike Tyson knocks out Michael Spinks, who had never been knocked to the canvas in his career, in 1 minute, 30 seconds.
5. 1996 Fiesta Bowl: Undefeated Nebraska wipes out undefeated Florida 62-24, rolling up 624 total yards, to win the national title.
6. Super Bowl XX: Bears 46, Patriots 10.
7. Tiger Woods shoots 18-under par to win the 1997 Masters by a record 12 strokes.
8. Rangers 30, Orioles 3. Are you kidding?
9. Billie Jean King over Bobby Riggs.
10. Muhammad Ali over Sonny Liston.
11. Lance Armstrong versus all opponents, 2003 Tour de France, Stage 15.
12. The Boston Massacre: Once down by 14½ games in the 1978 pennant race, the Yankees take over first place from the Red Sox with a four-game sweep in early September, outscoring Boston 42-9.
13. The curse ends: The Red Sox pound the Yankees 10-3 in Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS, becoming the first baseball team to rally from a 3-0 series deficit.
14. Sonny at the tollbooth.
15. The original Dream Team versus the world. Average margin of victory, 43.8 points; closest game: 32 points.
16. The Royals beat the Cardinals 11-0 in Game 7 of the 1985 World Series. Bret Saberhagen tosses the 5-hit shutout.
17. The Cardinals beat the Tigers 11-0 in Game 7 of the 1934 World Series, a game marred when Detroit fans littered the field with bottles, fruit and other garbage.
18. 2005 Orange Bowl: USC wins second straight national title with 55-19 win over No. 2 Oklahoma as Matt Leinart tosses five touchdowns.
19. 1990 NCAA title game: UNLV 103, Duke 73. The Blue Devils would get their revenge the following season.
20. Vince Carter over Frederic Weis.
21. Super Bowl XXIV: 49ers 55, Broncos 10.
22. Super Bowl XXVII: Cowboys 52, Bills 17. Would have been worse if not for Leon Lett's gaffe.
23. Game 1, 1985 NBA Finals: Celtics 148, Lakers 114 ...
24. ... but the Lakers win the series in six games, winning their four games by an average of 13 points.
25. "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King": Nominated for 11 Oscars in 2003, it swept all 11 categories. ("Titanic" won 11 of 14 categories in 1997; "Ben Hur" won 11 of 12 in 1959.)
26. 1986 NFC playoffs: Giants 49, 49ers 3 ... Joe Montana gets carted off the field after getting knocked out by Jim Burt.
27. Nolan Ryan over Robin Ventura.
28. Wilt Chamberlain versus the Knicks, March 2, 1962.
29. Mark Spitz, 1972 Olympics.
30. Michael Phelps, 2007 World Championships.
31. 1957 NFL championship: Lions 59, Browns 14.
32. With the most goals in an NHL playoff game, Edmonton pounds Los Angeles 13-3 on April 9, 1987.
33. Road Runner versus Wile E. Coyote.
34. UCLA 101, Houston 69, 1968 national semifinal. Houston, led by Elvin Hayes, had upset the Bruins earlier in the season in front of 52,000 at the Astrodome, but Lew Alcindor got his revenge in the Final Four.
35. Pac-10 versus Big Ten: From 1970 through 1992, the Pac-10 went 19-4 in the Rose Bowl.
36. National League versus American League, 1963-1982: Senior Circuit takes 19 of 20 All-Star Games.
37. American League versus National League, 1997-2007: AL goes 10-0 with one tie.
Chris Leak
38. Florida versus Ohio State, 2007.
39. Houston 100, Tulsa 6, 1968. Most points scored against a major college football opponent. Dr. Phil was a linebacker on the Tulsa squad. Coincidence?
40. But Tulsa has the largest margin of victory over a Division I basketball opponent: 141-50 over Prairie View on Dec. 7, 1995.
41. Babe Ruth versus Charlie Root, 1932 World Series.
42. Reggie Jackson versus the Dodgers, Game 6, 1977.
43. Reagan versus Mondale, 1984.
44. The playoffs versus Marty Schottenheimer.
45. Foreman knocks out Frazier. Heavyweight champ "Smokin' Joe" Frazier was a 3-1 favorite over the undefeated George Foreman for their 1973 title bout. Foreman knocked down Frazier six times in less than five minutes, the bout finally stopped at 1:35 of the second round.
46. 1954 NFL championship: Browns 56, Lions 10.
47. John McEnroe beats Jimmy Connors in the 1984 Wimbledon finals, 6-1, 6-1, 6-2 in just 80 minutes.
48. 1989 World Series: The Bay Area series was a dud as the A's swept the Giants, outscoring them 32-14 and winning each game by at least three runs.
49. 1983 NBA Finals: Moses Malone's Sixers don't quite go "Fo', Fo', Fo'," but they do sweep the Lakers by scores of 113-107, 103-93, 111-94, 115-108.
50. Bo Jackson over Brian Bosworth, Monday Night Football, 1987.
51. The Meteor over the dinosaurs.
52. 1997 Sugar Bowl: Florida avenges a loss from earlier in the season by beating Florida State 52-20 to capture its first national title.
53. Martina Navratilova versus all comers, 1983: Won 16 of 17 tournaments with a match record of 86-1.
54. Annika Sorenstam versus all comers, 2002: Won 11 tournaments.
55. Richard Petty versus all comers, 1967: Won 27 of 48 races, including 10 in a row.
56. Roger Federer versus all comers, 2006: Goes 92-5, wins 12 tournaments, including three Grand Slam events.
57. LaDainian Tomlinson versus NFL defenses, 2006. Thirty-one touchdowns? Are you kidding?
58. LaDainian Tomlinson versus Texas El-Paso, 1999: NCAA-record 406 yards and six touchdowns.
59. 1990 AFC championship: Bills 51, Raiders 3.
60. 2000 NFC championship: Giants 41, Vikings 0.
61. Minnesota North Stars 15, Winnipeg Jets 2, Nov. 11, 1981.
62. The Indians versus Custer at Little Bighorn, 1876.
63. Eric Heiden versus opposing speed skaters, 1980 Olympics: Heiden sweeps all five races.
64. In the largest margin of victory in an NBA game, Cleveland beat Miami 148-80 on Dec. 17, 1991.
65. Aaron Downey versus Jesse Boulerice: one punch.
66. Before Vince Young became a star, Mack Brown ... lost 63-14 to Oklahoma in 2000 ...
67. ... and 65-13 in 2003.
68. Jerry Rice versus NFL cornerbacks and safeties, 1985-2004.
69. Michigan State 101, Penn 67, 1979 Final Four. The Quakers had made a surprising run to the Final Four but Magic Johnson and company rolled to a 50-17 halftime lead. Magic finished with a 29-10-10 triple-double.
70. Loyola of Chicago 111, Tennessee Tech 42, 1963 NCAA first-round game. Loyola went on to win it all.
71. Kirk Gibson over Dennis Eckersley, Game 1, 1988 World Series.
72. Orel Hershiser over everyone, 1988 playoffs.
73. Super Bowl XXII: Redskins 42, Broncos 10.
74. Jason Bourne versus CIA assassin, "The Bourne Ultimatum."
75. Bill Walton over Memphis, 1973 NCAA championship: Went 21 for 22 to score 44 points.
76. Indians 22, Yankees 0, Aug. 31, 2004: The largest defeat in Yankee history.
77. The NFL versus Ryan Leaf.
78. 1961 NFL championship: Packers 37, Giants 0.
79. Orioles pitchers versus Dodgers hitters, 1966 World Series. Baltimore sweeps as L.A. gets shut out three times and hits .142.
80. Jimmy Connors nearly shuts out Ken Rosewall, 6-1, 6-0, 6-1 to win 1974 U.S. Open.
81. Los Angeles Rams defense versus Seattle Seahawks offense, Nov. 4, 1979: Seattle finishes with -7 yards.
82. Rick Wise versus the Reds, June 2, 1971: No-hits Cincy for the Phillies and hits two home runs.
83. Jacksonville 62, Miami 7, 1999 AFC playoffs. A beatdown so bad it turned out to be the last NFL game for both Dan Marino and Jimmy Johnson.
84. Super Bowl XXIX: 49ers 49, Chargers 26.
85. Angelina Jolie versus Jennifer Aniston.
86. Darren McCarty versus Claude Lemieux.
87. 2001 Fiesta Bowl: The once-pathetic Oregon State Beavers, full of pregame boasts, humiliated Notre Dame 41-9 -- and it could have been worse, as the Beavers were flagged for 18 penalties, many for illegal roughness and cheap shots.
88. Miami 58, Notre Dame 7. In 1985, the Irish suffer the worst defeat in school history in Gerry Faust's final game.
89. Super Bowl XXXV: Ravens 34, Giants 7.
90. The NCAA versus SMU football, 1987.
91. Harry Potter versus Voldemort.
92. Oilers over Islanders, 1984 Stanley Cup Finals: Edmonton ends the Islanders' four-year streak as champs by winning the final three games by scores of 7-2, 7-2 and 5-2.
93. Super Bowl XXXVII: Bucs 48, Raiders 21. Gruden had the last laugh with the Raiders.
94. The 1985 Bears had arrived: 44-0 over the Cowboys.
95. NBA referees versus Sacramento Kings, Game 6, 2002 Western Conference finals: Kings called for 27 fourth-quarter fouls against the Lakers as L.A. pulled out a 106-102 victory.
96. Boston Tea Party, Dec. 16, 1773: American colonists destroy crates of tea, spark revolution.
97. LeBron James versus Detroit Pistons, Game 5, 2007 Eastern Conference finals: scores team's final 25 points in double-overtime victory.
98. 1956 NFL championship: Giants 47, Bears 7.
99. Game 3, 1998 NBA Finals: Bulls 96, Jazz 54.
100. Georgia Tech 222, Cumberland 0. Yes, college football's most prestigious award is named after a coach who once ran up the score on tiny Cumberland College in 1916. There is a background story here: Cumberland had discontinued its football team before the season, but Tech held Cumberland to its scheduling agreement (otherwise Cumberland would have had to pay Tech $3,000), so the tiny school from Lebanon, Tenn., sent a scrub team of 14 players. It wasn't pretty as Cumberland had 15 turnovers. Beatdown? This was more like bad sportsmanship. Shame on you, John Heisman.
1. Secretariat destroys the field at the 1973 Belmont Stakes by an astonishing 31 lengths to win the Triple Crown ... "He is moving like a TREMENDOUS machine!" A performance so dominating spectators were weeping in the stands.
2. Tiger Woods wins the 2000 U.S. Open by a mind-boggling 15 strokes.
3. 1940 NFL championship: Bears 73, Redskins 0. The Bears had 501 yards of offense, intercepted eight passes and officials had to ask Bears coach George Halas to run or pass for the PAT on the team's final two scores because so many balls had been kicked into the stands.
4. Mike Tyson knocks out Michael Spinks, who had never been knocked to the canvas in his career, in 1 minute, 30 seconds.
5. 1996 Fiesta Bowl: Undefeated Nebraska wipes out undefeated Florida 62-24, rolling up 624 total yards, to win the national title.
6. Super Bowl XX: Bears 46, Patriots 10.
7. Tiger Woods shoots 18-under par to win the 1997 Masters by a record 12 strokes.
8. Rangers 30, Orioles 3. Are you kidding?
9. Billie Jean King over Bobby Riggs.
10. Muhammad Ali over Sonny Liston.
11. Lance Armstrong versus all opponents, 2003 Tour de France, Stage 15.
12. The Boston Massacre: Once down by 14½ games in the 1978 pennant race, the Yankees take over first place from the Red Sox with a four-game sweep in early September, outscoring Boston 42-9.
13. The curse ends: The Red Sox pound the Yankees 10-3 in Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS, becoming the first baseball team to rally from a 3-0 series deficit.
14. Sonny at the tollbooth.
15. The original Dream Team versus the world. Average margin of victory, 43.8 points; closest game: 32 points.
16. The Royals beat the Cardinals 11-0 in Game 7 of the 1985 World Series. Bret Saberhagen tosses the 5-hit shutout.
17. The Cardinals beat the Tigers 11-0 in Game 7 of the 1934 World Series, a game marred when Detroit fans littered the field with bottles, fruit and other garbage.
18. 2005 Orange Bowl: USC wins second straight national title with 55-19 win over No. 2 Oklahoma as Matt Leinart tosses five touchdowns.
19. 1990 NCAA title game: UNLV 103, Duke 73. The Blue Devils would get their revenge the following season.
20. Vince Carter over Frederic Weis.
21. Super Bowl XXIV: 49ers 55, Broncos 10.
22. Super Bowl XXVII: Cowboys 52, Bills 17. Would have been worse if not for Leon Lett's gaffe.
23. Game 1, 1985 NBA Finals: Celtics 148, Lakers 114 ...
24. ... but the Lakers win the series in six games, winning their four games by an average of 13 points.
25. "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King": Nominated for 11 Oscars in 2003, it swept all 11 categories. ("Titanic" won 11 of 14 categories in 1997; "Ben Hur" won 11 of 12 in 1959.)
26. 1986 NFC playoffs: Giants 49, 49ers 3 ... Joe Montana gets carted off the field after getting knocked out by Jim Burt.
27. Nolan Ryan over Robin Ventura.
28. Wilt Chamberlain versus the Knicks, March 2, 1962.
29. Mark Spitz, 1972 Olympics.
30. Michael Phelps, 2007 World Championships.
31. 1957 NFL championship: Lions 59, Browns 14.
32. With the most goals in an NHL playoff game, Edmonton pounds Los Angeles 13-3 on April 9, 1987.
33. Road Runner versus Wile E. Coyote.
34. UCLA 101, Houston 69, 1968 national semifinal. Houston, led by Elvin Hayes, had upset the Bruins earlier in the season in front of 52,000 at the Astrodome, but Lew Alcindor got his revenge in the Final Four.
35. Pac-10 versus Big Ten: From 1970 through 1992, the Pac-10 went 19-4 in the Rose Bowl.
36. National League versus American League, 1963-1982: Senior Circuit takes 19 of 20 All-Star Games.
37. American League versus National League, 1997-2007: AL goes 10-0 with one tie.
Chris Leak
38. Florida versus Ohio State, 2007.
39. Houston 100, Tulsa 6, 1968. Most points scored against a major college football opponent. Dr. Phil was a linebacker on the Tulsa squad. Coincidence?
40. But Tulsa has the largest margin of victory over a Division I basketball opponent: 141-50 over Prairie View on Dec. 7, 1995.
41. Babe Ruth versus Charlie Root, 1932 World Series.
42. Reggie Jackson versus the Dodgers, Game 6, 1977.
43. Reagan versus Mondale, 1984.
44. The playoffs versus Marty Schottenheimer.
45. Foreman knocks out Frazier. Heavyweight champ "Smokin' Joe" Frazier was a 3-1 favorite over the undefeated George Foreman for their 1973 title bout. Foreman knocked down Frazier six times in less than five minutes, the bout finally stopped at 1:35 of the second round.
46. 1954 NFL championship: Browns 56, Lions 10.
47. John McEnroe beats Jimmy Connors in the 1984 Wimbledon finals, 6-1, 6-1, 6-2 in just 80 minutes.
48. 1989 World Series: The Bay Area series was a dud as the A's swept the Giants, outscoring them 32-14 and winning each game by at least three runs.
49. 1983 NBA Finals: Moses Malone's Sixers don't quite go "Fo', Fo', Fo'," but they do sweep the Lakers by scores of 113-107, 103-93, 111-94, 115-108.
50. Bo Jackson over Brian Bosworth, Monday Night Football, 1987.
51. The Meteor over the dinosaurs.
52. 1997 Sugar Bowl: Florida avenges a loss from earlier in the season by beating Florida State 52-20 to capture its first national title.
53. Martina Navratilova versus all comers, 1983: Won 16 of 17 tournaments with a match record of 86-1.
54. Annika Sorenstam versus all comers, 2002: Won 11 tournaments.
55. Richard Petty versus all comers, 1967: Won 27 of 48 races, including 10 in a row.
56. Roger Federer versus all comers, 2006: Goes 92-5, wins 12 tournaments, including three Grand Slam events.
57. LaDainian Tomlinson versus NFL defenses, 2006. Thirty-one touchdowns? Are you kidding?
58. LaDainian Tomlinson versus Texas El-Paso, 1999: NCAA-record 406 yards and six touchdowns.
59. 1990 AFC championship: Bills 51, Raiders 3.
60. 2000 NFC championship: Giants 41, Vikings 0.
61. Minnesota North Stars 15, Winnipeg Jets 2, Nov. 11, 1981.
62. The Indians versus Custer at Little Bighorn, 1876.
63. Eric Heiden versus opposing speed skaters, 1980 Olympics: Heiden sweeps all five races.
64. In the largest margin of victory in an NBA game, Cleveland beat Miami 148-80 on Dec. 17, 1991.
65. Aaron Downey versus Jesse Boulerice: one punch.
66. Before Vince Young became a star, Mack Brown ... lost 63-14 to Oklahoma in 2000 ...
67. ... and 65-13 in 2003.
68. Jerry Rice versus NFL cornerbacks and safeties, 1985-2004.
69. Michigan State 101, Penn 67, 1979 Final Four. The Quakers had made a surprising run to the Final Four but Magic Johnson and company rolled to a 50-17 halftime lead. Magic finished with a 29-10-10 triple-double.
70. Loyola of Chicago 111, Tennessee Tech 42, 1963 NCAA first-round game. Loyola went on to win it all.
71. Kirk Gibson over Dennis Eckersley, Game 1, 1988 World Series.
72. Orel Hershiser over everyone, 1988 playoffs.
73. Super Bowl XXII: Redskins 42, Broncos 10.
74. Jason Bourne versus CIA assassin, "The Bourne Ultimatum."
75. Bill Walton over Memphis, 1973 NCAA championship: Went 21 for 22 to score 44 points.
76. Indians 22, Yankees 0, Aug. 31, 2004: The largest defeat in Yankee history.
77. The NFL versus Ryan Leaf.
78. 1961 NFL championship: Packers 37, Giants 0.
79. Orioles pitchers versus Dodgers hitters, 1966 World Series. Baltimore sweeps as L.A. gets shut out three times and hits .142.
80. Jimmy Connors nearly shuts out Ken Rosewall, 6-1, 6-0, 6-1 to win 1974 U.S. Open.
81. Los Angeles Rams defense versus Seattle Seahawks offense, Nov. 4, 1979: Seattle finishes with -7 yards.
82. Rick Wise versus the Reds, June 2, 1971: No-hits Cincy for the Phillies and hits two home runs.
83. Jacksonville 62, Miami 7, 1999 AFC playoffs. A beatdown so bad it turned out to be the last NFL game for both Dan Marino and Jimmy Johnson.
84. Super Bowl XXIX: 49ers 49, Chargers 26.
85. Angelina Jolie versus Jennifer Aniston.
86. Darren McCarty versus Claude Lemieux.
87. 2001 Fiesta Bowl: The once-pathetic Oregon State Beavers, full of pregame boasts, humiliated Notre Dame 41-9 -- and it could have been worse, as the Beavers were flagged for 18 penalties, many for illegal roughness and cheap shots.
88. Miami 58, Notre Dame 7. In 1985, the Irish suffer the worst defeat in school history in Gerry Faust's final game.
89. Super Bowl XXXV: Ravens 34, Giants 7.
90. The NCAA versus SMU football, 1987.
91. Harry Potter versus Voldemort.
92. Oilers over Islanders, 1984 Stanley Cup Finals: Edmonton ends the Islanders' four-year streak as champs by winning the final three games by scores of 7-2, 7-2 and 5-2.
93. Super Bowl XXXVII: Bucs 48, Raiders 21. Gruden had the last laugh with the Raiders.
94. The 1985 Bears had arrived: 44-0 over the Cowboys.
95. NBA referees versus Sacramento Kings, Game 6, 2002 Western Conference finals: Kings called for 27 fourth-quarter fouls against the Lakers as L.A. pulled out a 106-102 victory.
96. Boston Tea Party, Dec. 16, 1773: American colonists destroy crates of tea, spark revolution.
97. LeBron James versus Detroit Pistons, Game 5, 2007 Eastern Conference finals: scores team's final 25 points in double-overtime victory.
98. 1956 NFL championship: Giants 47, Bears 7.
99. Game 3, 1998 NBA Finals: Bulls 96, Jazz 54.
100. Georgia Tech 222, Cumberland 0. Yes, college football's most prestigious award is named after a coach who once ran up the score on tiny Cumberland College in 1916. There is a background story here: Cumberland had discontinued its football team before the season, but Tech held Cumberland to its scheduling agreement (otherwise Cumberland would have had to pay Tech $3,000), so the tiny school from Lebanon, Tenn., sent a scrub team of 14 players. It wasn't pretty as Cumberland had 15 turnovers. Beatdown? This was more like bad sportsmanship. Shame on you, John Heisman.
Pete Doherty's Cat Swallowed Cocaine
According to British newspaper the Daily Star, the newborn kitten - recently born to Doherty's adult cat Dinger - was rushed to a clinic after falling ill. Tests found it had ingested the drug.
Police are now said to be investigating the matter.
A spokesperson for the RSPCA (Royal Society for the Protection of Animals) says, "It is a police matter, so we cannot deny or confirm the identity of the man who had his kitten removed. But it is very important to protect animals from substances that can do them serious harm."
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Michael Vick (ill logik)
You want to know my take on the whole thing. In my opinion it’s a disgusting activity. Torturing and killing a dog is disgusting and should be illegal. I in fact do think that Michael Vick should get some jail time for doing this. I find arguing against me to be very hard in this case. If you have an argument please let me know.
The biggest tragedy in this entire case in my opinion has happened after the crime was committed. I watch all these shows and they are saying that Atlanta is split between the races. That is the biggest problem. Why does this happen? Its depressing. When will people think they way they want and not just follow their community? I guess you can say that I am going with the ‘white middle class’ side because that’s what I am. I can promise you I am not. I am going with the moral side. How can you say you love a dog and when you killed its brothers because they couldn’t be used in the sport? For a stupid, disgusting game he gave up everything that he has worked so hard for his entire life. Vick is going to lose everything, the money, the fame and most importantly his freedom. Over a dog fight worth less than he makes a half!
It’s a shame this is happening now. The NFL could use a little good press thanks to Pacman Jones. Now we have someone who the whole country loved and seemed like a good guy going to jail for 18-36 months. Remember when we used to think, ‘why is Marcus Vick so stupid when Michael is so great?’ Well there goes that line of thought. They were hanging around with the same people it just took Michael longer to get caught because it was behind closed doors.Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Muerte Las Vegas
So this past week my friends and I took our annual trip to the oasis in the desert known as
One of my friends and I had to share a bed one night. We had 2 beds and three of us so we decided that we would each get a night alone while the other two bunked up. So the first night I decided I wanted
The strongest myth that
Yes, i know how to play craps. Its my favorite thing to do at casinos. Just because i am playing it and standing alone at the table, it doesn’t mean I want to teach you how to play.
If you are winning money playing a game, don’t try and play the same game at a higher limit. It goes fast.
Girls in Vegas are hotter at night and in the casinos than they are in the day at the pool. The girls really know
Hard Rock Cafe was a pleasant surprise. I didn’t love the room or the people that worked their. But its great to be there at night and when you play in the casino its great to hear good rock songs instead of Top 40 (Palms), 80s (Mandalay Bay), or nothing at all (Belagio). Some of the cool stuff they had around. They had an amazing showcase of Beatles items. Not so much their clothing or instruments, but instead a great collection of dolls, posters, lunch boxes, games, anything to you can think of. Not that I didn't know already but it was a great display of how huge they were. They also had a great showcase of Slash's stuff, a great homage to punk and my favorite was the Sublime showcase. They had the piece of paper with the lyrics to Bad Fish in there.
Meat heads are the worst.
Tao is considered the hottest club in Vegas right now. They made my friend buy and ugly shirt at the
Banana Republic before we went in. Then the bouncer wanted to see how close attention the ID checker was paying. He had me and my friend (who looks nothing like me) switch ids. The kid saw his ID and said to him...
I will always be more impressed with a guy’s story telling me he got head for free than i will him purchasing one.
The last day we were so beat and just wanted to come home. The flight was miserable and my elevator was broken when i got home form being in the worst cab driver of all times car. The weirdest part of the day however was at the airport. A man in a TSA uniform came up to me with a computer bag told me to take the bag through security with me. I started doing so, but expressed my concern to my friend and the security guard at our checkpoint. They thought it was weird to. The man then came back and said a sarcastic 'thanks a lot' and walked away. Very strange.
Nobu and Prime are great restaurants. Prime is very hard to drink on after. We were the youngest people at Prime which was fairly conservative. There were more hot girls at Nobu than anywhere (besides the Rhino) in
Ghost Bar is still my favorite bar out there. They care about their list and the people aren't douchey. The outside area cant be beat. Granted the drinks are expensive at any other place. The outside area and the view of the Las Vegas (both old and new is amazing). Also granted, I have an amazing hook up over there so I never pay or wait
Famous People- at dinner we saw Emeka Okafor. It was hard to enjoy that since he dominated 'Cuse while at UCONN. Wanderlei Silva (UFC), Kevin Federline (phat), Kevin Dillon (Johnny Drama). It was Kevin Dillon's birthday but the Victory t- shirt and yelling Victory at the Hard Rock pool during Rehab was lame.
Last but not least, thank god I live so far from that place. I generally go 1-2 times a year to Vegas. If i lived in LA it would probably be 6-8 times.
When you are on your way home... you hate
I love/hate Las Vegas. I am so glad to be home, but I can't wait to go back.
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