Top ten albums of 2007

10. Handsome Furs - Plague Park

Dan Boeckner (of Wolf Parade fame) and his wife Alexei Perry surprised in 2007 as the Handsome Furs with their synth-pop debut, Plague Park. The record is the definition of minimalism - solely consisting of synth, sparse guitar, drum machine and vocals, the record pulses with emotion and a true sense of intimacy. Clocking in at less than 37 minutes (with only nine tracks) Plague Park may be over quick, but the short length serves the individual tracks well, keeping them fresh and interesting. Standouts include “What We Had,” “Handsome Furs Hate This City” and “The Radio’s Hot Sun.”

9. Jens Lekman – Night Falls Over Kortedala

Night Falls is the best pure pop record to come out this year. Lekman offers small slices of life taking place in the titular Swedish city, Kortedala. Ranging from awkward dinners at a girlfriend’s (“A Postcard to Nina”) to break-up songs, to straight-up love songs (pretty much everything else) Lekman’s tracks are filled with vitality and color, brought to life by his unique and wonderful vocals, string, horn, and bell arrangements. Sometimes happy, sometimes sad, often humorous, Night Falls is always whimsical and joyous.

8. M.I.A. – Kala

M.I.A. has joined Kanye West and a handful of other rappers that it’s O.K. for hipsters to like. Her follow-up to 2005’s Arular is chock full of clever samples, near spotless production and interesting guest appearances. On “Paper Planes” M.I.A. borrows The Clash’s “Straight to Hell” and adds samples of guns reloading and cash registers slamming to glorious result. Kala runs the gamut of sounds and genres, showing off M.I.A.’s broad musical taste and aptitude. Whether it is Bollywood inspired songs like “Bamboo Banga” and “Jimmy,” or slowing down and distorting the Pixies “Where Is My Mind?” chorus on “20 Dollar” almost beyond recognition, Kala is a triumph.

7. The White Stripes – Icky Thump

Icky Thump, the sixth full length from the White Stripes, is a return to the more blues influenced rock music Jack White idolizes. Following the mixed reception of Get Behind Me Satan, another sub-par album could have doomed the band to mediocrity. Instead, Icky Thump brings a pure blues and country rock feel that cements the White Stripes as one of the premier bands of the decade. Unlike previous White Stripes albums, Jack White’s guitar is allowed to do much more of the talking – serving as the centerpiece to almost all the records singles. On “I'm Slowly Turning Into You” and “You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You're Told)” White lets loose and the result is some great blues/rock for modern and traditional music fans alike.

6. Klaxons – Myths of a Near Future

Rave. Nu rave. Dance punk. Whatever the Klaxons are labeled, one thing remains constant – Myths is a killer record. The Debut from the U.K. trio is easily one of the best dance albums of the year. Packed with angular, frenetic guitar riffs, en-masse vocals, synth beeps and chirps and funk bass lines, Myths is a lesson in how to correctly do dance music. Songs like single “Golden Skans,” “It’s Not Over Yet” and “Gravity’s Rainbow” can be a welcome reprieve on any iPod filled with more “serious” music. If the Klaxons are the next great British band or simply a flash in the pan remains to be seen. But bands could do a lot worse as a first (and/or last) record than Myths.

5. Patrick Wolf – The Magic Position

Wolf’s story is one of an 11 year old prodigy with a knack for the violin, piano and writing songs well beyond his years. Releasing his first solo album at the ripe age of 20, Wolf has met near sweeping critical acclaim for all subsequent releases. 2007’s The Magic Position features a more mature and focused Wolf than in his previous efforts. His mix of strings, piano, synths and a wholly one-of-a-kind, crooning voice makes for one of the most unique listens this year. Although the record loses steam in its last third, the joy of songs like “Accident & Emergency,” “Bluebells,” “(Lets’ Go) Get Lost” and the title track, is undeniable. Also, extra points for best cover art ever.

4. Radiohead – In Rainbows

What can be said of In Rainbows that hasn’t been said already? It’s a much awaited release from one of the world’s most popular acts. It can be had for no cost, legally. Above all else - it is one hell of an album. In Rainbows can be filed under the “pleasant surprises of 2007.” Not because it’s a great record from an obscure band – quite the opposite. In Rainbows is a surprise because absolutely no one saw it coming. The album was announced mere weeks before it could be “purchased” through the band’s Web site. With so much positive PR, In Rainbows could have just been average and it would have been well received. But Thom Yorke and company decided to make one of their best records in years. From anthems like “Bodysnatchers” and “Jigsaw Falling Into Place” to sprawling emotional ballads like “Videotape” and “Reckoner,” Radiohead have done it yet again.

3. Arcade Fire – Neon Bible

This is the most puzzling release of 2007. It went from not on my list, to tenth, to somewhere in the middle, to two - finally settling at three. Neon Bible may be atop every best-of list - or none of them. I have no idea. The fog surrounding Arcade Fire’s second full length may have something to with the astounding success of the band’s first record, Funeral. Practically putting Canada on the indie rock map, Funeral has been hailed as on the best records of the past decade or so. Living up to that amount of praise must be anything but easy. What’s so wonderful about Neon Bible is that the singles (“Intervention,” “No Cars Go,” and “Black Mirror”) start to fade into the background the more one listens to the album. Tracks like “Windowsill” and “(Antichrist Television Blues)” start to move to the forefront. The more you listen to Neon Bible, the better and more complete it gets, with each song revealing its purpose and value.

2. Feist – The Reminder

Although the single “1, 2, 3, 4” has been all but killed thanks to that infamous iPod ad, Leslie Feist managed to create one of the most beautiful albums of the year. Opener “I’m Sorry” is a wonderful break-up/apology song, showcasing one of the best voices in music today during the last 45 seconds or so. With soothing bass, acoustic guitar licks, upbeat piano and the silky smoothness that is Feist’s voice, the songs on The Reminder will thaw even the most jaded music fan’s heart. “Sea Lion Woman,” “Past and Present” and “I Feel It All” are all deserving of their own commercials.

1. Animal Collective – Strawberry Jam

It had been nearly four months and dozens of records listened to with Feist hanging on to number one. I honestly didn’t think it could get much better than the pop/folk perfection that was The Reminder. But from the opening video game beeps of Strawberry Jam leadoff track, “Peacebone” it was clear there was a new number one. Animal Collective have been a staple of the “freak folk” sub-genre since their first album in 2000. Their mish-mash of unnatural synth, tribal screams, alien guitars and ability to hide amazing hooks beneath it all, has made the band one of the most interesting acts around. Strawberry Jam is the apex of the band’s attempt at “pop” music. The haunting, slow-building “For Reverend Green,” the marching band-esque “Derek” and the spectacular ballad “Fireworks” take listeners on a tour of dozens of different sounds and styles – all of them worth the price of admission.

Honorable mentions: Okkervil River - The Stage Names, Bright Eyes - Cassadaga, Panda Bear - Person Pitch, Stars - In Our Bedroom After The War, New Pornographers - Challengers, Kings Of Leon - Because Of The Times, The Shins - Wincing The Night Away, Justice - Cross.

Countdown to Armageddon

David versus Goliath. Satan vs. God. Schwarzenegger vs. The Predator. Mario vs. Bowser. All epic chapters in the struggle of good versus evil. You can now add 2007 Patriots v. Colts to that list.

This isn’t the game of the decade or century – this is the game of the millennium - probably of all time.

On one side there is Bill Belichick and his hoard of ruthless, bloodthirsty thugs hell-bent on obliterating all opposition that stands before them. Wrongfully accused of cheating by the NFL, Kaiser Belichick has commanded his troops to take no prisoners on their path to vengeance.

Tom Brady – the Darth Vader to Belichick’s Emperor Palpatine – has eviscerated opponents to the tune of 30 touchdowns to 2 interceptions over his first games and is on pace to re-write the record books in his opponents blood. Almost all his touchdown passes have come with opponents already conceding defeat, often down by 30 or more points in the third or fourth periods.

Aiding Brady and Belichick on their quest to shame the game of football and the institution of the NFL is their new receiving corps. Made up of “to the highest bidder” mercenaries (many of whom have criminal records), this group’s only loyalty lies in their desire to see their enemies' will broken and bodies' beaten down.

Randy “Baby Eater” Moss has caught 11 touchdowns, all the while constantly trash talking opposing defenses, dogging it on plays that aren’t centered on him and doing inappropriate end-zone celebrations – much to the delight of the classless Belichick. Wes “White Supremacy” Welker has six TD’s on the season and is currently under investigation by the FBI for possible ties to international terrorism. Donte “Spits-In-Your-Face” Stallworth has three touchdown catches this season – with his longest catch going for the completely inappropriate 69 yards.

Playing the Spartans to Belichick’s Persian Army are the pure and darling Indianapolis Colts. Tony Dungy has compiled a happy-go-lucky cast of God-fearing gentlemen who just “want to play the game the way it was meant to be played.” Defending Super Bowl champs, the Colts have quietly gone about their business this season - often kneeling three times and punting once they take leads of more than six points. Known to shake the hands of each and every member of the opposing organization (including ball boys, camera men, owners and cheerleaders) after victories, the Colts are without a doubt the classiest team to ever play professional sports.

The team’s leader, Peyton Manning, came from humble beginnings. Selected in the sixth round with the 199^th pick in the NFL draft, it took a freak injury to incumbent starter Drew Bledsoe for Manning to take the reins. He went on to win numerous Super Bowls, all the while staying humble and out of the public eye. Manning owns the single season touchdown record and “would be delighted” if Brady were to break it. Funny, good looking, a great actor and one hell of a football player, Manning embodies what it means to be a man – almost as much as Bret Favre does.

Manning’s primary targets are the handsome and friendly Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne. Life-long Colts, these two Jerry Rice-like players represent what it means to be wide-outs. They are known to never complain about opposing defensive backs rough, physical play – often complimenting them if they are shut down in AFC Championship games. They play through injuries, have never taken off a single play, block for their running backs and give every touchdown ball they catch to children diagnosed with cancer.

So the stage is set between these two historic rivals. It will undoubtedly be the greatest game ever played – not only in football, but in any sport. The game will rival the legendary Stanford/Cal “the band is on the field” game. There will be an enormous 30+ point comeback that will be better than the Bills/Oilers playoff game in 1993. Trick plays will be run similar to the Oklahoma/Boise State Fiesta Bowl in 2007. Oh yeah, that Trinity High 15 lateral play – that’s nothing compared to what the Colts have planned for the opening kickoff. Red Sox/Yankees in the 2004 ALCS? Forget that. The 2007 sudden death MLB contest featuring the Rockies/Padres? Less drama than a high school play. The “Miracle on Ice” between USSR/USA? Getting there, but still not even close.

This game will be most like World War II, except if the Axis were crushing opposing armies by 25.5 thousand casualties per battle and running up the death count. God help us all if Belichick (Hitler) and Brady (Mussolini) are victorious over Dungy (Roosevelt) and Manning (Churchill) in the war game of the millennium.

Third time’s the charm - Halo 3 best in series

Halo 3 is the most important video game of all time.

Note that is “most important” - not best. Halo 3 is doing something for the video game industry that is far more important and impacting than how good or bad the game is.

The marketing blitz for Halo 3 has bordered on surreal. Mountain Dew cans, NASCAR cars, 7/11 slushies and Burger King french fry wrappers all bear Master Chief’s (the games hero) likeness. Even Radio Shack, which doesn’t sell video games, is going to carry the title.

One would think that Halo 3 was Hollywood’s next big blockbuster – not a mere video game. The game has already gone gold prior to release, selling one million copies (via pre-order) in North America alone. Many Halo fans lined up before midnight on Monday just to get the game as early as possible

Halo 3 is - without doubt or hyperbole – the single most hyped video game ever. It is probably one of the most hyped media releases ever.

That being said, there is no way a game this built up could live up to the massive expectations put upon it. Anything less than immaculate and it will be seen as a failure to many.

For those unfamiliar to the series, Halo is a sci-fi action story that takes place in the year 2552. The story revolves around a faceless, futuristic armor-clad hero named Master Chief. The Chief has to save the world from a hive-minded alien race (the Flood) from infesting the universe.

The plot isn’t anything thought-provoking, but it does the job of keeping the game interesting and the action flowing. But most people don’t play Halo for the compelling plot - they play it for the frenzied action.

Halo 3 delivers this action through a variety of futuristic, over-the-top gunplay and vehicular mayhem that all span across gorgeous landscapes. Players will take on a myriad of alien races ranging from the hulking, simian-esque Brutes to the disgusting reanimated corpses that are the Flood.

On a purely aesthetic level, Halo 3 is a stunning game. Pools of water reflect sunlight and respond to steps through them. Tress and grass wave in the wind - while enemies and allies alike have detailed facial expressions. It is one of the best looking Xbox 360 games available, probably trailing only Gears of War and Bioshock.

The musical score and voice acting is also spot-on, especially for an action title. The orchestral music swells up at appropriately tense moments and takes a back seat when necessary. The voice over work is particularly well done. Whether it’s a nameless Marine or Master Chief’s sidekick, Cortana, the voice work is consistently solid throughout.

Halo 3 has a copious amount of weaponry at the player’s disposal. Stand-bys such as the sub-machine gun, grenades and shotgun are back - with a few tweaks in appearance and clip size. New additions such as the Spartan laser (capable of cutting vehicles in half) and the gravity hammer (capable of sending opponents flying) are a blast to play with and will keep Halo 2 veterans on their toes learning new tactics.

New to Halo 3 is the equipment. These items won’t dish out punishment, but can be invaluable in combat situations. Their effects range from forming a shield around the player that is immune to gunfire (Bubble Shield) to slowly draining enemies’ health (Power Drainer). The equipment adds another wrinkle to the game without feeling unfamiliar or forced.

Vehicles in Halo 3 have gotten a lot of the attention from the developers. The newly added Mongoose (a two-man, four wheeled ATV perfect for capture-the-flag) and Hornet (basically the human version of the Covenant Banshee) are a joy to drive in solo and multiplayer games alike.

Speaking of multiplayer, it has always been the crux of the Halo series. Sure the campaign mode is enjoyable - but the game’s value truly surfaces when multiple players are involved.

Like its predecessor, Halo 3 supports Xbox Live as well as system link multiplayer - with the ladder allowing up to 16 players in a single game. The game comes with a number of brand new maps that have been meticulously thought out to stand up to hundreds of thousands of games.

One of the new features of multiplayer is the Theatre. In it you can watch replays of your last two dozen or so games - pausing, fast forwarding and slow-motioning the action. You can then save screenshots or record miniature clips of something awesome you did and share them with your friends - or better yet - enemies.

There is also a map editor called the Forge in which players can change locations of weapons, vehicles or almost anything else on any of the games multiplayer maps. Although not a true map creator featured in other titles, the Forge is deep enough to keep ambitious players tweaking maps for hours and hours - adding new twists on familiar maps. The Forge also supports Xbox Live, allowing players to share their maps with players around the globe.

It’s creative and forward-thinking content like the Forge and Theatre that separates Halo 3 from other console titles.

Underneath all the hype and marketing lies a truly wonderful action video game. Anyone who bought and played either the original Halo or Halo 2 will thoroughly enjoy Halo 3 for quite some time. Those new to the party – this is the reason you’ve been looking for to buy an Xbox 360.

Although Halo 3 isn’t immaculate, it is extremely enjoyable and anyone who calls it a failure would be remiss. The campaign is better than Halo 2’s and wraps up the trilogy in a definitive and satisfying manner. The multiplayer is superb, as is expected from a Halo title. New additions - the Forge, Theatre and graphical and weapon upgrades - solidify this already spectacular franchise as one of gaming’s all-time greatest.

Halo 3

Xbox 360, $59.99
Bungie Studios, Microsoft Game Studios

September 25, 2007

Halo 3 Beta impressions

After reading everything there is online about the much anticipated multiplayer Beta for Halo 3, I finally got to play it yesterday. The three level Beta was an absolute blast to play and should rejuvenate even the most grizzled of Halo 2 veterans.

The folks over at Bungie seemed to have thought about every angle, tweaking and changing things enough to keep the game fresh, but not too much as to alienate hardcore Halo 2 fans. There are new weapons, maps grenades and vehicles. There are modified old guns, the new equipment system, adjusted controls and shiner graphics.

I could easily see myself wasting tons of time playing this slice of the game, thankfully, I don't have a 360. Yet.

For those who don't relentlessly hound the Internet for info on Halo 3, the biggest change in the game if the equipment. Reloads (and all subsequent commands for X) have been mapped to the left and right bumpers on the 360 controller. The X button now uses any equipment you have, to a variety of satisfying results.

The bubble shield was by far the most enjoyable and interesting equipment available in the Beta. Upon use, the bubble shield expands around your character in, well a big bubble. This bubble is impervious to bullets and grenades, but can be passed through freely by allies and enemies alike. This causes some very entertaining situations. The first time I used the shield, I tried to walk out of it and throw a grenade, only to not run far out enough, dropping the frag into the shield and killing myself.

From protecting teammates who are holding the Oddball to getting those precious seconds while your health recharges, the bubble shield will be a welcome addition to the Halo arsenal.

The other equips weren't as exciting as the bubble shield, but should prove to be useful once the full game is released. The portable grav lift has some deep strategic uses, particularly in CTF and Assault variants. You can drop it anywhere, either to find some place high to snipe or to avoid using doors or other easily defending positions.

I had very limited experience with the trip mine, mostly killing myself the few times I acquired it. It seems like a nice lat ditch effort weapon and should be adept at racking up that new medal for getting a kill after you've died. The power drainer seemed the worst of the equipments, acting as a sort of inverted bubble shield. Instead of protecting you, the power drainer lowers the shields of anyone within its radius, eventually killing them. It also disables vehicles, which is a nice option for those without rockets/Spartan lasers.

As cool as the equipment are, weapons are the lifeblood of the Halo franchise. It is clear that some weapons needed nerfing (sword, sniper auto-aim, plasma pistol, battle rifle) and others needed a shot in the arm (brute shot, needler, pistol, SMG) from the previous game. Thus far Bungie seems to have done a good job addressing these needs.

The needler is now more powerful, reloads faster and seems overall a better gun. It cannot be dual wielded anymore for "purple rain," but it's for the better. New kids on the block, the Spartan laser, brute pistols and assault rifle (of Halo 1 fame) seem balanced and are fun to use. The laser is the only gun I am worried about as it is essentially a sniper that eats vehicles for breakfast, but time will tell.

There is just so much to talk about this relatively small sample of Halo 3. The maps are good, the guns are fun to use and balanced, the equipment adds a layer of strategy, the vehicles are a blast and seem like they may actually be useful and best of all - it still feels like Halo.

1UP has a great strategy guide on all things Halo 3 Beta which anyone who's interested should check out.

One thing I know for sure, I am probably going to be about $458.99 dollars poorer come November.

NBA Playoffs: Round 2

So I am late on my predictions (final exams and such) and didn't do so hot in my predictions. Three out of four in the East and a forgettable one out of four in the West. The Mavs/Warriors series was amazing and the Jazz/Rockets was great as well. Other than that there were a lot of teams that barely showed up, (Heat, Wiz, Nuggets and LA) making for some boring games.

The second round is already underway and is promising to be a whole lot better than the first. So with some series already two games in, here are my predictions - with a little cheating.

West

Spurs over Suns in seven
San Antonio leads this series 1-0 already, but I honestly thought they were going to win the series anyway. The defense is just good enough, Nash cannot guard Parker and the Spurs are just simply built to win in the playoffs. When the Suns don't shoot the three well, they lose. If the other games are half as dramatic as game one, this will be one hell of a series.

Warriors over Jazz in seven
That's right, give me some of that Golden State kool-aid and save me a seat next to Jessica Alba on the Warrior bandwagon. Looking at game one the Jazz played Golden State's style and ended up winning the game. But the Warriors can take solace in the fact that they were a Jason Richardson wide open three away from leading that game with less than a minute to go.

The Jazz will kill the Warriors on the boards and Boozer will have some huge games, but I don't believe Utah can keep playing the Warrior way for an entire series. Plus I don't care how good a road team Utah is, that crowd in Oakland is going to be insane.

East

Cavaliers over Nets in six
The series no one cares about. The Raptors/Nets series was pretty even and yet terribly unwatchable. In game one of this series the Cavs won 81-77. Yawn. This series needs a LeBron vs. Carter brawl or something to make it exciting. As far as the game goes, the Cavs are better on the boards, have the better star, and actually have players who aren't guards. Inconsistency be damned, Cavs win.

Chicago over Detroit in seven
I know they are down 0-2 to the best team in the East. I know they are young, inexperienced and probably a little out coached. But something tells me the Bulls aren't going to go down this easily. Ben Gordon has done a disappearing act so far and I think that will change. Chris "Fountain of Youth" Webber dropped 22 points in their last win, I don't think that will happen again. Even if the Bulls don't win, I think this series goes longer than four games.

Feist enraptures on "The Reminder"

When Leslie Feist isn’t busy being an adorable songbird, she is busy making music. Feist is one of the many members of the Canadian super-group, Broken Social Scene, as well as a successful solo artist with two studio albums to her credit. 2004’s “Let it Die” was a critical success, giving Feist an identity outside of Broken Social Scene.

“The Reminder,” Feist’s follow-up to “Let it Die,” takes the singer’s vocal driven pop to the next level. “The Reminder” is a smooth, relaxed and joyous album that showcases Feist’s silky voice perfectly on almost every track.

Feist wastes no time opening “The Reminder”. “So Sorry” is a sultry ballad about confused lovers. It features acoustic strumming and some soft percussion, and really sets the tone for the rest of the album. If you aren’t melting by those last “tonight’s” then there is something wrong with you.

“I Feel It All” follows “So Sorry,” changing the pace a bit. This track is much more upbeat and whimsical, using a lot of piano, chimes and some hand claps for good measure. This is one of the best tracks on the album, and one of the better singles of the year.

“My Moon, My Man” completes a great three song span on “The Reminder.” Each of these are very solid singles, and if this album is a success, it will be on the back of these three songs.

“1, 2, 3, 4” is another great track on the album and uses a broad range of sounds to create a lighthearted love song. Banjo, horns, strings, backing vocals and finger snaps all combine to support Feist’s vocals without overwhelming them. Feist also shows her knack for writing compact lyrics that aren’t too heavy or too trivial, matching the mood of her songs. “Sweetheart bitterheart now I can tell you apart / Cozy and cold, put the horse before the cart / Those teenage hopes who have tears in their eyes / Too scared to own up to one little lie.”

If there is anything to complain about on “The Reminder” it’s that Feist reigns it in too many times. She’s at her best when her songs are carefree and fun. The first three tracks, “1, 2, 3, 4,” and “Sea Lion Woman” are all examples of this. Some of her sleepier tracks, “The Water,” “Honey Honey” and “How My Heart Behaves” are some of the weaker songs on the album. Luckily, Feist’s voice saves these and actually offers a change of pace that is understandable.

Silky, angelic, buttery, sexy. These are all words used to describe Feist’s voice, and you would be hard pressed to find someone to disagree. But Feist isn’t simply relying on her voice to sell records. Although the majority of her songs are about love, they remain so varied in sound that you’ll hardly notice. And by the time you’re done listening, you may be in love with her voice. “The Reminder” is a wonderful and gorgeous album that will strongly contend for album of the year come December.

How the Warriors are saving the NBA

The Golden State Warriors haven't been in the NBA playoffs in 12 years. A young Chris Webber and Latrell Sprewell were the leaders of that team. More than a decade later, after compiling a 9-1 record down the stretch and barely sneaking into the playoffs at 42-40, the Warriors have the heavily favored Mavericks down three games to one.

Heavily favored isn't the right term. Dallas won 67 games this season, having one of the best regular seasons in the history of the sport. The Mavs are stacked with talent, including MVP candidate Dirk Nowitzki. Despite the Warriors sweeping the season series with the Mavs, 3-0, few gave them a realistic chance to oust the West's top seed. There are still three more games to be played, two of those at Dallas. But the Warriors have outplayed the Mavericks in every way thus far. In doing so, the Warriors are saving the NBA.

Of the three major sports - baseball, football and basketball - basketball has to be third in terms of popularity. The TV ratings sag, especially during the long, drawn out playoffs. Even though the league has marketable stars like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and Tim Duncan, it is still struggling to keep pace with the NFL and MLB.

I don't think I am alone in saying this, the Mavs/Warriors series has been everything one would want in a sporting event. Last night I found myself cheering aloud as the Warriors refused to lose in front of their 20,000 strong home crowd. You could feel the electricity of the crowd, starved for more than ten years, as their team closed in on a historic upset. Whether these fans have been there all year long, or have hopped on the bandwagon, is irrelevant. If you lived in the Bay area, why would you not want to be a part of this?

Golden State toppling the Mavericks and advancing to the second round would be the best thing for the NBA. Golden State would become everybody's team. The Oracle Arena would become a place visiting teams dread to play in. Baron Davis would vault himself into stardom. Ugly memories of Stephen Jackson in the stands at Detroit would be forgotten, for a while at least. An upset of this magnitude (no eight seed has beaten a one seed in a best of seven series in the NBA) would no doubt grab peoples attention.

The Golden State Warriors would become an NBA team again.

You Love It

Is your teams draft pick going to be a bust?
Via ESPN

With the absurd pageant that is the NFL Draft looming this weekend, ESPN's Page 2 has come up with a comprehensive study of draft busts. I am talking 15 years of first-round picks, nine different positions and a very scientific approach. They found out that 53 percent of QB's are "busts," and they didn't include guys like Jeff George, Trent Dilfer and Kerry Collins. So Oakland, Cleveland, Detroit, or anyone else looking at Brady Quinn and JaMarcus Russell, beware - one of them is probably going to stink.

Russell Simmons wants slurs out of rap
Via Playlouder

This issue transcends the music world and with the whole Imus fiasco, has become a national concern. Simmons basically wants the n word, "ho" and "bitch" removed from the hip-hop lexicon. I understand these are harsh and even hateful words, but Simmons is treading on dangerous ground here. Next someone will want "fuck" or "kill" banned. As ugly as some words are, censorship is even uglier.

Schilling's bloody sock a bloody fake?
Via ESPN

Ever since Curt Schilling took the mound with a sutured ankle and blood-stained sock in 2004, conspiracy theorists have questioned its validity. This article is short and sweet, so I won't get into details here. But I do know that Bob Ryan of the "Boston Globe" said he has seen the sock in Cooperstown and the blood has oxidized. Someone isn't telling the truth here. Blood, paint or ketchup, Schilling gave at least 1-2 more years of his career, maybe more, to pitch in that post-season. If he did fake it to turn himself into a "legend" or something, whatever. The Red Sox still won the World Series.

Interpol details new album
Via Pitchfork

It's about damn time. "Antics" came out in 2004. Interpol hasn't toured at all, at least to my knowledge. What have they been doing? I had almost forgot they even existed. That said, I am extremely excited (and not bitter in the least) about their new album. With two solid releases under their belts, it will be interesting to see what these guys have in store for number 3.

Phillies about to win something, at least
Via Deadspin

The Phillies are 30 some-odd losses away from being the first sports franchise to lose 10,000 games. Anyone who argues that Boston or Chicago are the most tortured sports cities need to shut up. With the Phillies, Sixers and Eagles either breaking hearts or stinking it up every year, Philadelphia fans have it way worse than anyone. Plus, they booed Santa. Now that's an angry group of fans.

Rick Carlisle out as Pacers coach
Via ESPN

Dear Celtics, hire this guy ASAP.


Since there was very little video game news this past week, I just wanted to comment on how amazing the Halo 3 leaked video is. Just watch it. Terribly annoying song aside, it is truly a great watch.

NBA stories: the MVP, the draft and the playoffs

As another NBA season winds down, there are a few compelling storylines still going on. Tops among them are the MVP race, the upcoming draft and the exciting NBA playoffs. I decided to combine them all into one post. So on to Oden, Dirk, the playoffs and more.

MVP – Two man race?

The general consensus is that the MVP is coming down to two guys – Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks and reigning two-time MVP, Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns. The NBA MVP is one of my favorite sports arguments, mainly because almost no one can agree on who should get it. This argument stems for the fact that “MVP” means a lot of different things to different people. I have come up with the three general categories of MVP’s to try and figure all this out.

1) The best player on the best team
This group tends to win out the most, barring a legendary season from an individual. This player has very good stats - usually not the best, but makes up for it by leading his team to a number one seed during the regular season. By this definition, Dirk should be MVP.

2) The guy with the best numbers
Usually loses to previous category, mainly because said player is an alpha-dog and his team is less than great. Kobe Bryant is the poster child for this MVP, putting up stupid numbers and carrying his team. Think Texas Rangers Alex Rodriguez.

3) The guy who, without him, the team would fall apart
A unique MVP candidate and one Steve Nash rode to back-to-back awards. This player is so unique that if he weren’t on the team, the team would be significantly affected. Would the Mavs and Lakers fall apart without Kobe or Dirk? Absolutely, but without Nash the Suns would be a lost team.

So which one is the right answer? Well it seems to change every year. It seems every season there some guy on a mediocre team who puts up great numbers but gets burned by the “well his team wasn’t that good, how valuable can he be?” I tend to lean towards that category, and in my mind Kobe is the most valuable player. I know I said this last season, but without Kobe scoring 50 points seemingly every night, the Lakers would be a lottery team. Kobe has no All-Stars to support him (unlike Nash and Dirk, who have numerous) and opponents know what is coming every single night - and still cannot stop him. 50+ points ten times, 31.6 points per game and over five rebounds and assists per speak for themselves.

Dirk is going to win, and Nash will probably come in second. I don’t keep my healthy man-crush on Dirk a secret, he is probably my favorite NBA player, and I will be happy to see him win. But to me, Kobe is the most valuable player in the NBA.

My ballot:
Kobe
Nash
Dirk
Duncan
Arenas

Oden/Durant sweepstakes

I have kept my mouth shut on the whole Oden/Durant argument for a few reasons. One, I wanted to watch them play more, specifically in the NCAA tournament, as I felt like I didn’t know enough about them. Another was that neither player had actually declared for the draft yet. Although a minor formality, now that both have expectedly declared, I feel better talking about them. Finally, I really wasn’t, and am still not, 100% sold on my choice. But here goes.

Greg Oden is a franchise player, an impact guy on defense and one who is still evolving offensively. He played with a broken right hand for a good portion of the season, so he is not only a warrior, but obviously ambidextrous. He was by far the best player on the floor in the national championship game and really flexed his muscle. He reminds me a lot of Emeka Okafor, there are a lot worse people to be compared to. Is he the next Ewing, Parrish or Russell? I highly doubt it. Oden also has a great demeanor, calm, cool and collected. I am in the camp that this is a boon, not a hindrance. Some argue that he “doesn’t get fired up” or “isn’t a team leader.” I have to disagree - just because a guy doesn’t pound his chest or slap the floor after a dunk, doesn’t mean he isn’t a leader. Give me a cool player over a hothead almost every time.

To me Oden will be something like 14-18 points, 10-12 rebounds, 1-2 blocks a night (with a number of altered shots, which they should really figure out how to make a stat for) and shoot in the high fifties from the field and a reliable 70-80 percent from the stripe. Can you build a team around this guy? Without a doubt. Oden’s defensive presence is undeniable and his offense has a high ceiling.

If the Celtics draft him and pair him with Al Jefferson, a post player with better offensive skills, Boston suddenly becomes a force in the East. Oden could also take pressure off Pau Gasol defensively in Memphis (assuming they don’t trade him) to create a lethal tag team there. Centers this talented don’t come around very often.

Kevin Durant is the fire to Greg Oden’s ice. Durant made me check when Texas was playing on TV and tune in, just to see if he would put up another 35 point/20 rebound game. He is lanky, can score from anywhere inside (and sometimes outside) the three-point line in a myriad of ways and has a knack for turning it on during crunch time. He was without a doubt the best player in the nation last season and was a man amongst boys.

Durant is drawing comparisons to the incomparable Kevin Garnett, a big man who has an unbelievable amount of tools on the offensive end, can pass well and plays solid defense. But can Durant save a franchise? I am not so sure.

My crystal ball looks something like this for Durant: 20-25 points, 8-10 rebounds, 3-4 assists and scattered steals and blocks. Gerald Wallace is a player that comes to mind when I think of Durant (and yes, that is two Charlotte Bobcats references). My big concern is Durant’s size; he seems too small to post defenders up and too big to take guys off the dribble. I see Durant getting pushed around by bigger players on offense and defense until he bulks up. Also, what position do you stick him at? Not the four, maybe the three? I don’t know – right now he seems like a prospect without a position, always a dangerous proposition. That being said, Durant has a bigger upside than Oden, if a few things go right.

1) Get on a team with a big man. Durant and Jefferson on the court at the same time is match-up nightmare for teams. You have to double Big Al and Durant is almost un-guardable by non centers/power forwards. On a team like the Bucks, with Villanueva/ Bogut down low and Durant roaming is a pretty scary thought.
2) Bulk up. Durant will be pushed around when playing defense for the first few seasons of his career. He should just look to Yao Ming for advice.
3) Get drafted by Minnesota. Durant/Garnett for president in 2008.

Final verdict: Oden. I became a huge believer in him during the Final Four. There were some dunks where he looked like vintage LSU Shaq - and it was scary. But honestly, I won’t be sad if the Celtics get Durant at number two. And David Stern, please freeze some ping pong balls so Boston doesn’t get jobbed again. Do it for Red, DJ and Tim Duncan, I beg you.

Let’s wrap this 1500+ word behemoth with some quick playoff predictions:

West

(1) Dallas over (8) Golden State in 4
I know the Warriors swept the season series, one of the games the Mavs didn’t try in. I know Nelson understands all the ins and outs of the Dallas game plan. I know the Warriors are hot and pumped about being in the playoffs. But they are in happy to be here mode and don’t have the muscle or stamina to hang with the Mavs.

(2) Phoenix over (7) Los Angeles in 5
Have to give the Lakers one win for the “Kobe just dropped 58 points” game that he will have against the Suns. Beyond that, the outcome looks pretty grim for the Lakers.

(6) Denver over (3) San Antonio in 7
If you can’t see me, it’s because I am way out on a limb on this one. The NBA is notorious for having very few upsets in the playoffs. But there is something about this Denver team that I like. Iverson and Carmello going for a combined 60 points a night? Marcus Camby playing a worn out/older Tim Duncan? Ginobili and Parker not looking like the players they were two years ago? Yeah, I am probably wrong here…

(5) Houston over (4) Utah in 5
Utah is playing like trash down the stretch, losing home court advantage in the first round, which is sad because I really like this team. Houston is cresting at the right time, with the ridiculous combo of T-Mac and Yao putting up monster numbers, a solid supporting cast of role-players and the best defense in the league? Sounds like a championship bound team to me. But Dallas and Phoenix may have something to say about that.

East
(1) Detroit over (8) Orlando in 5
No contest here really, experience and talent over youth. They may squeak out one win if Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson have unconscious nights at the same time.

(2) Cleveland over (7) Washington in 4
No Arenas in the playoffs is a true crime. There is no way Arenas lets LeBron whisper in his ear like he did last year. I am pretty sure Arenas would pants James or something if he tried that junk again.

(3) Toronto over (6) New Jersey in 6
Everyone’s upset special. But I am a believer in the Raps, Bosh is a great player and TJ Ford is a solid point guard. If Bargnani plays well, I look for the Raps to prevail in a tough series.

(5) Chicago over (4) Miami in 5
I don’t see the compelling match-up everyone else does here. This same Bulls team (minus Ben freaking Wallace) pushed a full-strength Miami to the limit last season. Wade is probably 60-75 percent and Shaq does not like playing against Wallace and company. I like the Bulls to win here and to come out of the East.

You Love It

Imus fired
Via ESPN

Don Imus was fired earlier this week for his inflammatory remarks toward the Rutgers women's basketball team. Days before, MSNBC pulled the plug on the TV simulcast for his radio show and sponsors had begun pulling out. This comes as somewhat a surprise, many thought a slap on the wrist and an honest apology would have been enough. Me, I think he should be fired, and props to CBS for having the guts to do the right thing at the cost of a profit. Joke or not, too many people get away with terribly racist remarks on public forums. By not punishing them, we are quietly condoning their actions.

Halo 3 - only 6+ months away!
Via Kotaku

Halo 3 can't come soon enough. This video, a "documentary" on the game, shows a ton of gameplay and even has a detailed diagram of one of the new maps. Everything simply looks better, more crisp and clean. Plus the new additions, the innuendo laden "man cannon", the bubble shield and the trip mine all look fantastically fun. This is going to sell a ton of 360's.

Lollapalooza unveils insane line-up
Via Pitchfork

Fancy rich people who can afford festival tickets, mark your calendars for August 3-5. Lollapalooza 2007, in Chicago, has revealed a pretty ridiculous assortment of bands. For $165 you can see the likes of: TV on the Radio, LCD Soundsystem, Daft Punk, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Interpol, Spoon, Iggy and the Stooges and Pearl Jam amongst many many others.

The next step in video games: emotion
Via Destructoid

Very good feature on D-toid about what video games have to do to stay alive for the foreseeable future. It runs kind of long, but makes a lot of good points about the stagnation in the industry. Plus, I love the anything that reps "Shadow of the Colossus."

Sportsmanship, shmortsmanship
Via Deadspin

57-1. That was the score of a Bridgewater State vs Newbury college baseball game. That's right, baseball. 57 runs. There are so many things wrong with this - it is truly absurd. Why didn't the coach pull every one of his starters after the score was say, 25-1? Even if he did, why didn't he tell his guys to not swing at anything at all and just end this. This game must have taken hours, embarrassed Newbury to no end and is one more nail in the coffin of sportsmanship today. Still, it's damn funny.

Pacman Jones suspended for entire 2007 NFL season, rain not in forecast
Via ESPN

Adam "Pacman" Jones was suspended for the upcoming 2007 NFL season after meeting with commissioner Roger Goodell. Jones was arrested multiple times in 2006, most notably in Las Vegas while attending the NBA All Star game. Jones' West Virginia Teammate, Chris Henry of the Cincinnati Bengals, received an 8-game suspension for similar breaches in conduct.

This is a step in the right direction for Goddell and the NFL. David Stern, NBA commissioner, runs that ship with an iron fist and is working hard to clean up its "image problem." While his methods may seem strict at times, he is truly trying to maintain an air of professionalism within his league.

When players like Tank Johnson and the entire Bengals team getting away with various crimes and misdemeanors with seemingly no consequences, it sets a bad example for America's most popular sport. The entire season is severe, but it sets an important precedent to others.


I am going to leave with one last link. This isn't so much news as it is great. This is Feist's new video for the song "1,2,3,4" off her new album "The Reminder", due in May. I just got into Feist and I am digging her new album, but this video puts it over the top for me. If you don't have a huge crush on Feist, male or female, after watching this video, then you sir/madam are an idiot.

Baseball Stadium Music

A lot of things happen in a baseball game. And while I believe that those events are exciting themselves, sometimes they need a little boost. That’s where stadium music comes in. Although I am against almost all forms of stadium noise, (basketball being the worst) baseball uses music very well.

While watching a game the other day (probably Red Sox/Rangers) and hearing Pantera’s “Walk” when a player was issued four balls I was inspired - inspired by that deft usage of music in a sports situation.

Baseball is also home to the best use of music in sports – the closer’s song. Is there anything more menacing than Trevor Hoffman jogging to the mound to AC/DC’s “Hells Bells?” No other sport lets players choose music they enter to (other than pro wrestling) and, I personally, am a huge fan of it.

As dumb as I think the whole “We Will Rock You” and “Rock and Roll Part 2” stadium anthems have become, I would love to choose the music that played when I walked up to bat or out to the mound to close out a game. That was the reason I loved “NFL 2K5” for the Xbox. You could upload songs off CDs and set them to play during almost any game situation. I spent hours fine tuning which parts of songs were appropriate for which situation. Andrew WK’s “Ready to Die?” after a sack? Oh hell yes. MC5’s “Kick Out the Jams” after a first down? You know it.

So that particular Pantera moment, along with being a music and baseball dork, brought me here. A collection of songs I would choose for a number of baseball situations. I also have created an iTunes playlist that you can check by searching for any of the artists and selecting "most recent iMixes", it should be there under "Baseball Stadium Music", if you want to hear samples of the songs.

Rally anytime after the 7th inning
Keys here are songs with a great chorus and the ability to pump up the crowd and players. Being able to sing along is a bonus, not a necessity.

Klaxons – “It’s Not Over Yet”
I’ll start off with a newer song, but one I think is perfect for this situation. At about the 50 second mark you’ll hear why, very sing-along-able, catchy and fitting for the moment.

Andrew WK – “Get Ready to Die”
An old “NFL 2K5” favorite of mine and here’s why:
“You better get ready to run, cause here we coooooome/You better get ready to die/Get ready to die!”
Maybe a little on the violent side for the kids, but there’s one thing I know - Andrew WK never gives up.

Iron Maiden – “Run to the Hills”
Sometimes the most obvious choice is the right one. Bonus points if the Cleveland Indians used this.

Dragonforce – “Through the Fire and the Flames”
At seven minutes it’s hard to pick one blurb of this song that is the most adrenaline ridden. I would probably just play this song throughout the bottom of the 9th inning.

Closer entrance music
Intimidation is the story here. The song has to strike fear into hitter’s hearts. When it comes on, the crowd knows who’s coming into the game.

Wolf Eyes – “Black Vomit”
The iTunes sample doesn’t do this song or group justice. This 8-minute trip to Hell is one of the most frightening songs ever created. I would demand my closer walk to the mound and until the song reached at least the 3:18 mark. I would also demand total silence from the crowd for added effect. Honestly, your closer could be Big Bird and if he came out to this song, with a totally silent crowd, the away team would have no shot. None. They’d be utterly mortified. Just listen to the iTunes sample of “Stabbed in the Face” for a taste of what I’m talking about here.

Slayer – “Raining Blood”
I am shocked no one has used this yet. The first minute, with the rain storm intro followed by the insane guitar/drums, is so perfect for a closer.

Radiohead – “Street Spirit (Fade Out)”
Haunting song - intimidating in a different way, but great nonetheless.

Star Pitcher gets two strikes on a batter/K’s a hitter
Anticipation is the important ingredient here. You want the fans on their feet on two-strike counts, anticipating the big strikeout, and then the cheer when the pitcher gets it.

Queens of the Stone Age – “You Think I Ain't Worth a Dollar…”
The moments of silence right at the two minute mark into the “Oh!” would be perfect but the intro is great as well, starting off quiet and then exploding. Of course, iTunes is missing this song on that album.

Michael Jackson – “Beat It”
This would be for the post-strikeout and I really wanted an MJ song in this list. I find this one not only funny and appropriate, but embarrassing for the hitter when thousands of drunken fans are yelling “Beat it!” at you.

Megadeth – “Take No Prisoners”
I imagine the sound cutting out right before the line “Take no sh*t!” and fans filling it in, that makes me happy.

Batters to the plate
These are songs I would personally like to hear before I got to the plate. I had an iTunes playlist called “Back from the Dead”, songs that - if I was dead and in the ground - may resurrect me. Needless to say, they’d pump me up.

Lightning Bolt – “Assassins”
This song is so extreme I wouldn’t even care if the whole stadium would hate it. I could be facing Randy Johnson with a toothpick, no batting helmet, in my underwear and this song would get me in the box, it’s that great.

The Sword – “Freya”
The badass factor is off the charts here. Mix shredding guitars, pounding drums and a Norse theme and I turn into Ted Williams.

Depeche Mode – “Just Can’t Get Enough”
What can I say, the Mode is awesome.

TV On The Radio – “Wolf Like Me”
If there was a Hall of Fame for pump-up songs, this would be a first ballot entry. The last 1:45 is otherworldly.

Assorted others
These are situations that either a) don’t really deserve songs or b) don’t happen all that often. But I still found some gems that had to be shared.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Tick”
Used for opposing manager timeouts or pitchers taking too long. For some reason I think this would really get under their skin.

The Knife – “Heartbeats”
I would use this for a fan favorite who isn’t very good, but loveable anyway - some quirky reliever or pinch hitter. And yes, in my perfect world role players get songs too.

Van Halen – “Jump”
This may or may not already be used in stadiums, either way I would reserve this for sparkling defensive plays - dives for line drives, robbing home runs, that sort of thing. It’s and obvious choice, but still great.

Run DMC – “You Talk too Much”
The opening line “Shut up! You talk too much” would be great for a manager who argues too much or a hitter who whines to umps excessively.

Motley Crue – “Kickstart My Heart”
This is great for when the home manager is getting in a heated argument with the home plate ump and will be invariably thrown out of the game. Lou Pinella’s theme song.

N.W.A. – “Straight Outta Compton”
If there is a better song for a baseball brawl, I haven’t heard it.

Bright Eyes’ “Cassadaga” charms with country feel

Conor Oberst, the man behind Bright Eyes, is a true prodigy in an industry full of them. First recording at the ripe age of 14, Oberst has since released seven full length albums for the better part of ten years, garnering hoards of devoted fans along the way with his brand of guitar folk/pop music.

“Cassadaga” is Oberst’s 2007 offering and is an evolution in his sound and style. That style, emotionally charged guitar ballads with a folk influence, has taken on a strong country twang on “Cassadaga”, and it works very well.

The album gets its name from a community in Florida, known for its belief in spiritualism and mysticism, where Oberst and company spent some time while assembling “Cassadaga” over the course of a year.

Oberst does a great job of painting a picture of this place on the album, utilizing acoustic guitars, haunting back-up vocals and whimsical string arrangements to create a very “old world” feel.

The first single off of “Cassadaga” is “Four Winds”, a rollicking fiddle-driven track full of the Midwest charm Oberst is known for. But beneath the acoustic strumming and catchiness of Oberst’s vocals, lie some politically charged lyrics.

Lyrics are where Oberst stumbles on “Cassadaga.” At points, he can be clever and humorous. At others, the lyrics come off as heavy handed and cliché. “Four Winds” features the unevenness of Oberst’s writing. “The Bible's blind, the Torah's deaf, the Qu'ran's mute/If you burn them all together you get close to the truth still” is a not-so-subtle condemnation on organized religion that is a little too obvious.

But later he comes up with this gem: “All the way to Cassadaga to commune with the dead/They said, ‘You'd better look alive.’” These two lines are what prevent a very good album from becoming a great one.

“Hot Knives” is one of the best cuts on “Cassadaga” and exemplifies Oberst’s knack for catchy songwriting. This song blends all the sounds on “Cassadaga” - acoustic guitar, piano, strings and Oberst’s ghostly voice – into one gorgeous, sprawling track.

The first half of “Cassadaga” is definitely the stronger half. The “spiritualism” theme is felt a lot more on the first six or seven songs and the songs have a healthy range of sounds. “Four Winds” and “Hot Knives” are the more “rock” songs, while “Make a Plan to Love Me” and “Soul Singer in a Session Band” are more folk and country aligned ballads.

“I Must Belong Somewhere” is a prime example of Oberst over-thinking his songwriting. He gives the listener tons of great small-town imagery – “Leave the garden tools in that rusted shed…”/“Leave the autumn leaves in their swimming pool…”/“Leave the epic poem on its yellowed page…” But then feels the need to bookend them with social commentary - “Leave the widower in his private hell…” / “Leave the poor black child in his crumbling school today…” / “Leave the hawks of war in their capitol…” What could have been a great, simple, whimsical song, turned into a song about the ills of the world today.

There’s a lot to like about “Cassadaga.” Oberst merges many different sounds – country, pop, rock and folk – into a likeable package that is easy to listen to. While the lyrics waver from witty to silly, it is not hard to overlook the bad for the good.

Long-time Bright Eyes fans will pick this up on principle alone and should find it a reassuring step forward in the bands sound. Newcomers to the band should see “Cassadaga” as a good reason to explore Oberst’s past work.

“Cassadaga” is a solid work of folk/country/pop music. Anyone who enjoys good songwriting, expansive guitar ballads and up-tempo country rock songs will find something to love on “Cassadaga.”

The Locust's "New Erections" falls limp

I feel like I need to say something about this band on personal level before I get to the review. The Locust are one of my favorite bands. I have seen them many times live and loved every show. I own all their albums and listened to them to death. I have often stood up against people who say “they’re just noise, any idiot could do that” or “how can you listen to this?” The Locust’s new album is a big disappointment and everything I loved about this band is, at best, a shadow on this record.

The Locust have been one of the most divisive bands in recent memory. I cannot think of a band more people love and respect, and a band even more people absolutely hate and discount completely.

Granted, their sound is very different, full of heavily distorted guitars, strange synth effects, machine-gun drums and screeching vocals. The bands sound can best be described by their name, The Locust really do sound like a plague of locusts.

“New Erections” is the bands fifth full length in their 13 year existence. “New Erections” is somewhat of a departure from the bands previous albums, in sound as well as structure.

Instead of the bombastic 30 seconds to one minute long tracks seen in previous albums, “Plague Soundscapes” and the bands self titled release, The Locust have expanded their attention spans and created 11 songs ranging from one minute all the way up to four minutes.

The band has explored longer tracks before, on the excellent “Safety Second, Body Last” there were only two tracks, one at four minutes and one at six minutes. There were distinct songs in each “movement” that made the tracks flow very well as two long pieces. “New Erections” on the other hand, falls flat on its face. The songs are way too long and drawn out, even the ones that are two minutes.

But it’s not only structure that “New Erections” fails at. The bands sound has changed distinctly since “Safety Second, Body Last.” The lyrics are much more discernable now, revealing their inherent goofiness and over the top, dramatic nature. On the first track, “AOTKPTA”, the line “Is this the dumpster of your dreams?” makes me cringe. On previous Locust records the lyrics weren’t important at all, they were garbled and furious. Trying to understand them was a foolish endeavor and reading them still gave the listener no insight into what they meant. On “New Erections” the lyrics are loud and clear, which is a bad thing.

The Locust have also adopted a more droning sound, which they used sparingly on previous albums to create a lull before the storm. “New Erections” slogs on, despite being only 23 minutes long. It seems as though the band said “screw it, you think we can’t make long songs?” and went out and made some pseudo doom metal songs.

There are a few bright spots on “New Erections” though. “Hot Tubs Full of Brand New Fuel” sounds like vintage Locust, complete with absurdly fast drumming, alternating screaming vocals and the knowledge of when to slow it down before exploding. “Book of Bot” picks up as it goes on, and when it does so, it is vicious. But again it fails as a full four minute song. If this track were divided into five or six mini tracks, it would have been much better. The last minute and a half drones on and on, for seemingly no reason.

Maybe The Locust have grown up. Who can blame a band that is almost 15 years old? Or maybe I’ve grown up. But get one thing straight, this is no longer the band that wanted to “change the way people look at music or maybe just destroy it in general”, as singer Justin Pearson once said. “New Erections” is a big disappointment to Locust fans and adds to the ammo of Locust detractors. Hopefully this won’t be the last we’ve heard from this band.

Arcade Fire's "Neon Bible" a strong sophomore effort

Over the past few years Canada has become the hot bed of indie rock talent. Bands like The New Pornographers, Wolf Parade, Broken Social Scene, Feist and Final Fantasy all hail from Canada and are among the most critically acclaimed groups in music today.

But the most popular members of the Canadian brotherhood of indie have to be Arcade Fire. Arcade Fire’s 2004 release, “Funeral”, appeared near the top of many “best of” lists, despite fairly modest sales. After almost two and a half years of waiting, Arcade Fire have finally released their highly anticipated follow-up to “Funeral”, titled “Neon Bible.”

As the name suggests, “Neon Bible” has a heavy religious theme running through it. But instead of coming off as preachy or cliché, the band manages to convey its message in a subtle and creative way. Never shying away from heavy subject matter, Arcade Fire also tackle the war in Iraq, poverty and the problems with society today in general.

“Black Mirror” kicks off the album and gets right into that heavy subject matter. With the final lines – “Mirror, mirror on the wall, show me where the bombs will fall” “Black Mirror” gives a grim view into the future. But what Arcade Fire does best is balance dark topics with lighter music. “Black Mirror” starts off with droning lyrics and soft piano, but slowly builds to its climax with increasingly loud strings, pounding drums and screaming vocals.

“Intervention” is one of the strongest tracks on the album and showcases Arcade Fire’s knack for unusual instrumental arrangements. The song starts off with an organ pound, followed by acoustic guitar and then a pinch of triangle, all of which are sustained throughout the song. Win Butler’s vocals get more and more passionate as “Intervention” goes on until he belts out the chorus one last time – “Working for the church while your life falls apart. Singing hallelujah with the fear in your heart. Every spark of friendship and love will die without a home.”

The most uplifting and upbeat track on “Neon Bible” is “No Cars Go”. Sung by Butler and his wife/band mate, Regine Chassagne, the song tells of an imaginary Utopian society where “no cars go.” This song features a beautiful accordion part as well as some great up-tempo drumming. But the beauty of this song lies in its simplicity. The lyrics consist mostly of “no cars go” and emphatic “heys!” and really resonates when Butler and Chassagne sing with almost no music backing their voices near the songs apex.

“Neon Bible” is not without a few minor duds though. The title track is repetitive and seems out of place. Same goes for “My Body is a Cage”, a slow crawling piece that only picks up about halfway through.

“Funeral” was widely considered a modern masterpiece - it is foolish to think that Arcade Fire could replicate that emotion and flawless songwriting on “Neon Bible”. That being said, “Neon Bible” is in no way a disappointment. It is poignant, full of depth and covers a broad range of sounds in its 11 tracks. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see “Neon Bible” atop quite a few “best of” lists when 2007 is over.

You Love It: 3/30/07

So in the tradition of naming stuff after songs that I like (blog's name comes from a Locust song) I decided to name the weekly links after a Peaches song that is totally badass, "You Love It". I don't know why, so give me some feedback in the comments.

IGN makes another top 10 list
Via IGN

I will admit that I love top 10 lists. They are always good for sparking conversation and good natured complaining. IGN really loves top 10 lists, making a new one almost everyday. This is one of the better ones I have seen, the top 10 toughest games to beat. As with all lists, there are some strange inclusions and questionable order (Ninja Gaiden Black only number 10? That game took years off my life) but overall, a solid read.

Former MLB pitcher, Ugueth Urbina, sentenced to 14 years in prison
Via ESPN

This is truly a bizarre and sad story. Urbina, who last pitched in 2005 for the Phillies, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for attempted murder of five workers on his Venezuelan ranch. It's strange to think that this guy was pitching in Boston a few years ago and won a World Series in 2003 with the Marlins.

Lil John receives officially dumbest Guinness World record ever
Via Tiny Mix Tapes

TMT comes off as pretentious more often than not (way worse than Pitchfork) but every once and a while they come out with gems like this. Apparently Lil John now holds a Guinness World record for, get this, "largest pendant in the world". No additional comments needed for that.

Gilbert Arenas, NBA's court jester
Via ESPN

Let me just say that Arenas is my favorite player in the NBA, and it has very little to do with how he plays. So far this season Arenas has: laid his jersey on an opponent's court after hitting a game winning shot, coined his own nickname - "Hibachi" and said he would score at least 80 points against this years Duke team. Add to that list "made bets with opposing fans that he would hit the game winning shot." Arenas bet Portland fans $10 that he would hit a game winner against the home team Trailblazers. Turns out he lost, but that's not the point. Arenas does all the ridiculous things us normal people would do if we were athletes. He's is a mix between Chad Johnson, T.O. and Manny Ramirez and maybe the craziest super-star we have in sports today. I can't get enough of him.

Mario and Sonic to appear in video game together. In other news, cats and dogs now living together
Via Kotaku

Back when my gaming habits were in their infancy, you were either a Sonic fan or Mario fan. Never both. I myself liked Mario more, I think Sonic was a little too edgy for me. Those spikes and that smirk were a bit much. Anyway, Mario and Sonic are now set to appear in a game together for the first time ever. This is pretty earth shattering for anyone born after 1980. It really doesn't matter what the game is, it could be a stupid Olympics tie in and people will still be interested in it. Oh wait.

Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster training to become ninja
Via AZStarNet

Absurd quote from this: "You have to (learn) how to throw a throwing star and nunchucks and all those kinds of things," the Chicago Cubs closer says. "Obviously you've got to do martial arts and learn how to be really quiet, which is a tough task for me because I talk a lot."
That pretty much sums it up.

Mysterious God of War site goes up
Via Kotaku

Viral and guerrilla marketing has become huge over the past few years. Most recently, that over-blown Aqua Teen Hunger Force bomb scare. On the heels of God of War 2's release and the announcement that a PSP version of God of War will arrive sometime, comes this mysterious countdown site. According to the article, the site's URL was revealed when a gamer landed a 999,000 hit combo. The countdown also has nothing to do with the PSP version of the game. I love the GoW franchise and I am pretty interested to see what this is all about.

Kobe Bryant shoots his way into record books
Via ESPN

Earlier this week, Kobe Bryant scored 50 or more points in a record four straight games, becoming only the second in NBA history to do so. I have always felt Kobe gets a bad rap as being a ball hog and shaky character guy. The bottom line is, his team stinks and they need him to score 35-50 every night to win games. The Lakers won these four games by five, seven, two and six points. In short, they needed every ounce of his scoring to win. Did Kobe throw his name in the MVP race discussion? We'll save that for a full article.

Shaughnessy rips Schilling, bloggers
Via Boston.com

I saved this for last because it made me quite angry. In short, Globe sports writer, Dan Shaughnessy, decided to tear into Curt Schilling and his fans, particularly about Schilling's new blog. In the article, Shaughnessy creates mock messages sent to Schilling and subsequent Schilling responses. Using handles like "Sycophant38", "Lapdog38" and "Suckup38", Shaughnessy has no qualms about expressing his bias.

One passage that really struck me:
"Loser38: I used to go to Star Trek conventions and comic book trade shows. No more. Now this blog is my life. My girlfriend says I'm spending too much time on this site. I say she's being ridiculous. I mean, what's six hours a day when you have a chance to communicate -- cyberspace to cyberspace -- with a legitimate Hall of Famer? Do you think I'm being reasonable, Schill?"

That passage rips: Star Trek fans, comic book fans, folks who use the Internet, puppies, babies, rainbows and unicorns. Among others ripped in the article: Red Sox fans, people who live at home, anyone socially awkward, WEEI listeners and overweight individuals. All in two small pages.

Now I consider myself an ethical "journalist." Shaughnessy's article is unprofessional, foolish and immature, to say the least. I am shocked that the Globe would print it, as it subverts many unwritten journalistic codes. I understand that blogs are slowly dissolving the need for newspapers, and thus, Shaughnessy's job. And I understand the world is rapidly changing around him, with this crazy interweb seeping into the holy institution of news. But that doesn't give Shaughnessy an excuse to grind a whole lot of axes in a childish and cowardly way. I sincerley hope this article cost the Globe a significant number of readers. I know it has lost one.

I'll leave with this passage from Shaughnessy:
"CHB38: What do you say to those media morons who contend that you are a self-important blowhard with an ill-informed opinion about everything and an insatiable need to be worshipped by sheep-like fans and late-night blog boys who live in Ma's basement?" (Italics added by author).

Pulitzer prize committee, save yourself some time and give it to Shaughnessy now.

Weekly News: 3/22/07

I figure if I come up with something I can post once a week, that will get a lot more regularity into my writing, as posts have been sparse. So here's a few news stories for the week or so in music, video games and sports all in one, enjoy. Oh and if anyone can come up with a better name for this, leave it in the comments.

Papelbon to return to Red Sox closer role
via ESPN

According to the article, with Julian Tavarez and Joel Pineiro struggling in the de facto closer role, Papelbon is expected to return to his dominant closing role. This is a huge mistake. You could go to war with Schilling, Dice-K, Beckett and Papelbon as your starters. I have always been of the school that it is much harder to get to the 9th inning than it is to finish it. Why can't they go closer by committee with Tavarez/Pineiro/Donnelly/ Hansen/Delcarmen until one of them steps up? If Papelbon can't handle starting (I think he can) then I guess I can understand moving him back. But the Red Sox rotation is top 5 in all of baseball with Papelbon in it. Without him who knows. And who's to say his is going to be nearly as good a closer as he was last season?

Matt Schaub, Falcons backup QB, signs deal with Texans
via ESPN

Matt Schaub is the best back up in the NFL. He torched the Patriots for 400+ yards and a couple of touchdowns two years ago. He could have started for at least 10 NFL teams last season. The Texans gave up a lot (swapping first round picks this season with the Falcons and second picks over the next two seasons) for Schaub but it should prove to be worth it. David Carr, God bless him, is not the right QB for this team. He will be a good quarterback somewhere else, maybe Oakland or Cleveland, but after five seasons he hasn't lived up to his first-overall-pick status.

Wii's "Cooking Mama: Cook Off" another average game for Wii owners
via Kotaku

One of the best things about the amazing site, Kotaku.com, is their Frankenreview section. Instead of writing their own reviews, they compile scores and paragraphs from prominent gaming sites to give the reader a nice cross-section of opinions. I had been looking forward to Cooking Mama for the Wii since I watched some videos, as it looked pretty fun and unique. From these reviews, I think I will save my $50 for Super Paper Mario.

Top 30 Guitar Hero 3 song suggestions
via Idolator

I have been watching so many custom GH2 song hacks on YouTube I am happy to see something actually constructive about the inevitable GH3. The list has some dubious inclusions (#'s 28, 19, and 24) but is overall pretty good. I love the Sleater Kinney reference and of course the more Megadeth in my life, the better. Slayer's "Raining Blood" and Dragonforce's "Through the Fire and the Flames" (of hacked version fame) have to be in the next game. I will lead riots if they're not. And Harmonix/Red Octane, please if you're going to put a Guns and Roses song in GH3, make it "November Rain". That way I can finally play the solo outside of a church in the desert.

2007: Already pretty awesome year for music
via Pitchfork

Love 'em or hate 'em, Pitchfork is the most important site in Indie music. With Panda Bear's (of Animal Collective) solo album and LCD Soundsystem's new record getting 9+ scores from the oft-pretentious site, 2007 has had quite a few critically acclaimed indie releases thus far. The stat geeks over at Metacritic.com have a best of '07 list that contains a ton of indie all-stars. The likes of Arcade Fire, Patrick Wolf, Of Montreal, The Shins and Deerhoof are all there, all scoring at least a 79 or better.

Arcade Fire's Neon Bible debuts at #2 on Billboard charts
via Billboard

The Arcade Fire's long-awaited new album, Neon Bible, debuted at #2 on the Billboard charts last week. It has since dropped to 18th, but remains one of the most commercially successful indie albums in recent memory. Couple this with that appearance on SNL, and is Arcade Fire in danger of *gasp* selling out and doing an ad for iPods of Burger King? I think the whole "sell out" thing is kind of overblown anyway. It's nice to see smaller bands become popular and do stuff like SNL. More power to them.

It ain't easy being green

This was done for my Feature Writing class and thus has a lot less stats and sports jargon

Ben Perkins watches his Boston Celtics struggle through another game, on the edge of his chair not more than a foot from his roommate’s 48” flat screen TV.

He jumps out of his chair at fouls the referees ignore or open shots missed by Celtic players. As the Celtics lose another heart-breaker, Ben Perkins can only watch.

The Boston Celtics record is 20 wins and 48 losses with 14 games left to play. They are the second worst team in the National Basketball Association. At one point in the season, Boston lost 18 straight games, a Celtics franchise record and a mere five games short of the all-time record.

The Boston Celtics are a pretty bad team.

Not only are the Celtics bad, they lost long-time patriarch and architect of some of the greatest Celtics teams ever, Red Auerbach, when he passed away at the beginning of the season. The Celtics dedicated their season to Red.

Perkins, a self-proclaimed life-long Celtics fan, is one of many die-hard Celtics fans that have suffered through the 2006-07 season. But unlike a lot of bitter Boston sports fans, Perkins has a more optimistic outlook on these Celtics.

“They’re a good bad team. It’s still fun to watch. They have a lot of young players playing hard” said Perkins.

Boston’s youth is its boon as well as its curse. The Celtics player’s average age is 25, very young for a basketball team. More often than not the team has shown its youth on the court: collapsing late in games in which they lead, losing to lesser opponents and seeming generally lost at points.

But all these growing pains the Celtics have endured this year may be worth it down the road, according to Perkins. “[The younger] pieces have improved this year. If they are healthy next year, they will be a good team.”

Injuries are something all sports teams have to deal with at one point or another, but the Celtics have been particularly bitten by the injury bug this season.

Perkins described the Celtics season thus far in two simple words: “Lotta injuries”.

The Celtics All-Star guard/forward Paul Pierce missed 24 games earlier this season due to a stress fracture in his left foot and an infected elbow. Boston lost 16 of its 18 game losing streak during this span.

Pierce’s absence definitely had something to do with that.

Perkins reflected on that historic 18 game losing streak in a hazy way. “I can’t even remember it. I watched most of them, they went by quick. When they finally won, I couldn’t believe they broke it, it was bizarre.”

All this losing does come with some solace at the end of the season. The teams that finish with the worst records get the best chance to draft the most highly touted college prospects.

As the Celtics season wore on and they kept losing, many fans thoughts went right to the draft. It would almost be better for the Celtics to lose games and secure a high draft pick than futilely try and win a few games here and there.

Perkins is not of those fans.

“The players don’t want to lose. I don’t want them to lose. If they win, they don’t need the pick. They have enough talent to win, to not be in last place. It’s a bad idea.”

Perkins sees his faithful cheering for a last place team as a right of passage, a weathering of a storm that makes winning all the more sweet.

Perkins compared this feeling to that unforgettable Red Sox season in 2004. He only became a baseball fan when the Red Sox made it to the playoffs that year.

“If [the Red Sox] won it would be great, but I didn’t have those 86 years of torment that other people had so it wasn’t as deep a feeling,” Perkins said.

This may not be Larry Bird’s Celtics of the 80’s. Or the team that won 8 straight championships in the late ‘50’s and early ‘60’s. This team is not going to the playoffs and probably won’t win more than 25 games.

But the fans will endure, as they always do, hoping for that one moment when their team finally reaches the top. And when that team does, the fans will celebrate: scars of losing streaks, devastating injuries and everything else.

Red Auerbach once said “The Boston Celtics are not a basketball team. They are a way of life.” Ben Perkins and all the Celtics faithful live that creed every time they watch the Green suit up and play.

Win or lose.

WarioWare: Smooth Moves Review

Platform(s): Nintendo Wii
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Intelligent Systems
Released: January 15th 2007, $49.99
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone

One instant you are picking a gigantic pixilated nose. The next, you are holding the Wii remote on your head and doing squats. Moments later you are holding the remote like a waiter holds a platter and trying to balance a broomstick onscreen. These are just a fraction of the frenetic micro-games featured in WarioWare: Smooth Moves for the Nintendo Wii.

Wario, Mario’s evil doppelganger, is quickly approaching his kinder alter-ego in terms of great games. WarioWare: Touched! and WarioWare: Twisted! for Nintendo’s DS and Game Boy Advance respectively, were cult hits. Wario’s games feature a myriad of super fast mini-games, or micro-games, which test player’s reflexes as well as attention spans. Touched! exploited the DS’s touch screen and air sensor, while Twisted! came with an internal gyro-scope for tilt sensing. The Wii’s motion sensitive controls seemed tailor made for a new WarioWare title.

If you have never played a WarioWare game let me give you an idea of what a micro-game will be like. You will be prompted with a word or phrase (“clean”, “dodge!” or “find him” for example) and you have a very short time limit to complete the given task. The challenge isn’t so much in the task, they are generally simple to complete, it is in figuring out exactly what you have to do before time runs out. How to complete each game is where the real fun lies.

WarioWare: Smooth Moves is the best WarioWare game to date, showcasing funny, inventive and completely insane micro-games that will leave players of all ages in stitches. The game’s “plot” boils down to a number of small vignettes: mini-stories with an ever-changing cast of characters. In each one the player is tasked with using the “form baton” (Wii remote) in a new way to complete a series of micro-games. You have a certain number of lives to complete the 10-20 mini-games and a boss fight at the end. But you don’t play this game for its sprawling storyline; you play it for the wacky micro-games.

The Wii remote is pushed to its creative limit in WarioWare: Smooth Moves. You complete each micro-game by using “forms” or ways to hold the remote. “The Mohawk” has the player holding the remote on top of his/her head like the namesake punk hairstyle. “The Elephant” asks the player to hold the remote to his/her nose, facing outward like an elephant’s trunk. If these poses sound ridiculous, they are. Those who have reservations about looking foolish while playing a video game should turn back now. What is impressive about WarioWare: Smooth Moves is the various ways in which the different forms are utilized. You won’t always be an elephant picking fruit while using the elephant pose. WarioWare finds cool and fun ways to push the forms to their limit, making for an experience that never feels stale or boring.

The micro-games style and look are the stuff of pure gaming joy. Many are hand drawn cartoons that look right out of a child’s coloring book. Some are throw-backs to old NES games. A few are even strange hyper-3D models. They all share one thing in common: being really weird and funny. WarioWare has style coming out its ears, even if it only lasts for 30 seconds. The games run the gamut from the everyday mundane like: swatting a fly, knocking on a door, using a key or picking your nose. To the bizarre: killing a ninja before it attacks you, directing anxious beach patrons to the correct restroom, plucking nose hair and scaring children with a skunk on a stick. They will make you smile, laugh and sometimes elicit a hearty “what?!”

Where WarioWare: Smooth Moves really shines is in the frantic multiplayer modes. There are four different multiplayer modes in WarioWare that all have something to offer. In Survival up to 12 different Mii’s can be uploaded from your Wii and used to play a simple game of last man standing. Taking turns each player plays one mini-game, if they lose that’s it for their Mii, which takes the form of an angel. As time goes on the games get more difficult and the completion time speeds up. This mode is a blast because of the sheer amount of people you can have playing this at once. Since WarioWare only requires a single remote, the act of madly passing it to the next person becomes a game in itself.

Lifeline is the next multiplayer mode and utilizes a race theme. Up to five Mii’s can participate in this race, taking turns doing micro-games of increasing point value. After five rounds, the racers are ranked and are taken to a jungle and strung up with ropes. Whoever finished the race in first gets three ropes, next gets two and so on. Players take turns cutting ropes until only one player remains. What makes this mode fun is the wild-card factor. Since there is no way to tell which rope goes to which player, the person in last can pull out upset wins.

Bomb is a variant on a childhood favorite, hot potato. The active player plays a mini-game. If they win they pick who goes next and what form they are to use. What makes this mode interesting is that each time the same form is picked; its difficulty level goes up. The only downside of this mode is it’s “whoever loses first, loses”, it doesn’t eliminate players until one remains. Balloon is similar in that the goal is to not be up when a balloon pops. When it is your turn you get a certain amount of time to pump up a balloon. After winning a micro-game, the next player in line steps up and can choose to pump the balloon. The key here is to pump up the balloon to put pressure one the player up next, but not so much that it pops on your turn. If you lose a mini-game, you have to keep going until you win, increasing the chance that it will burst on your turn. But again this mode is first person to lose, loses.

In addition to these traditional multiplayer modes, there are some more innovative ones to unlock. These utilize the Wii remote and nunchuk in coordination with one another to make for a unique co-operative experience. Speaking of unlockables, WarioWare has a good amount of unlockable content. There are practically hundreds of mini-games to unlock that take repeat play-throughs to get. There are also quite a few single player games that aren’t micro-game related. These are mostly variants on classic games such as Tetris, Breakout and Duck Hunt. That said, WarioWare won’t take very long for the average gamer to beat. My first run took about 2-3 hours and wasn’t all too difficult. Unlocking all the games takes longer (maybe an additional 1-2 hours) and the single player games can be fun in short bursts. Multiplayer and the “let me show you this hilarious game” factor will be what brings you back to this title.

WarioWare: Smooth Moves stands out in the sea of recent mini-game titles that have come out over the past few years. It also stands out as the best title in a long lineage of solid WarioWare games. Alongside The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, this is a must-own title for Wii owners. If for the nose-picking alone.