Northern Reflections – A Bunch of Quick Hits

It’s been how many and a half months since I wrote a blog entry? Two? That’s a lot. Busy with family, busy at work, I’m sure my ones of readers understand.

So, what’s happened since mid-March? Plenty, I’d imagine. Here’s what I’ve got off the top of my head:


The Stanley Cup Playoffs

In the West, the 8-seed LA Kings (a.k.a. the West Coast Flyers) shocked the world (outside of the U.S., where they don’t watch ice soccer), beating the 1, 2, and 3 seeded Canucks, Blues, and Coyotes to make the Finals. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that’s never happened in pro sports before – 8-seeds have made finals, but not by going through the 1, 2, and 3 is my guess.

In the East, my Philadelphia Flyers won the highest-scoring series in the history of time (source: Wikipedia) against the stupid Penguins before completely forgetting how to score goals in the second round and falling to the stupid Devils. The stupid Devils are playing Game 6 tonight against the stupid Rangers. I’m pulling for the lesser of two evils and hoping the stupid Devils advance to lose to the Kings.

My concern about the Kings is that they’ll have been off for eight days by the time the Finals start on May 30 (all games start at 8p.m. ET, check your local listings). That break will help them get healthy, but it will also completely negate their incredible momentum. Here’s hoping they can keep the mojo going. I’d love to see Carter, Richards, Williams, and the rest of the West Coast Flyers get a Cup, even if it’s not with the right team.


Stella Ella Ola’s Free EP

A Canadian band called Stella Ella Ola released a self-titled four-song EP for free. Since it was brought to my attention by Hollerado, whose awesome Record In a Bag album I reviewed here back on March 9, I figured I’d give it a listen. I honestly expected to half pay attention then delete the files. I mean, it’s free – how good can it be? What happened instead is that I was completely drawn in. I now follow the band on Twitter (@_StellaEllaOla_) and Facebook, and I’m very eagerly awaiting the release of their full album (which is, apparently, scheduled to drop in the fall).

I’m going to wait for the full release to do a review. In the meantime, go here to download the four-track EP for free: http://stellaellaola.bandcamp.com/album/stella-ella-ola-ep. Seriously. Do it. It’s a few minutes of your time to get four great songs for free. You’ll thank me later.


The Flawedcast Network

Holy shit did this take off. Congrats to all involved, but especially to Andy Gaston, who’s the driving force behind it.

During my blogging hiatus, I also fell behind on the podcasts, so I missed a bunch of Flawedcast Prime, Monday Night Flaw, and WTNY episodes, but I’m back to listening to those regularly, along with Gamer and Proud and Army of Dorkness. I haven’t heard MMA-Hole yet. I have zero interest in MMA, so I doubt it would be for me, but I hear good things for anyone out there who is interested. I am looking forward to TV for Vendetta. Hope that hits soon.

Seriously, congrats guys. This is a lot of fun. Keep up the awesome.


The NBA Playoffs

I understand that these are occurring.


The Avengers

Wow. This is a very good movie. Not Oscar-good, but popcorn-great. Fuck the Oscars anyway. They don’t concern themselves with “movies.” They deal in “films.”

If you haven’t seen The Avengers, you might be the only one. It’s on pace to become the highest-grossing thing that’s ever been done (source: Wikipedia). I’m not reviewing it here. If you want a review, there are thousands available on that Internet thingy, and Army of Dorkness carved out a tight 6.5 hours of an 8-hour show to talk about it. Just see it if you haven’t. It’s awesome.


Jack White’s New Album

Not surprisingly, Blunderbuss is really fucking good. White’s able to make an album that’s clearly not The White Stripes, but still has the occasional nod to the band. On top of that, it’s clean, language-wise, which is important to me because there’s a dearth of really good music I can share with my daughter. I’d love to have her listening to Green Day, Foo Fighters and Beastie Boys, but you can’t just hit play and walk away. You have to monitor each song as it comes up and be ready to hit FF if it’s swear-laden, which many of them are.


R.I.P. MCA

Speaking of Beastie Boys…

Poor dead MCA. Along with his band mates, the guy entertained me for 25 years. I owe him a huge debt of “Gratitude” (couldn’t resist) for that. I haven’t been this upset about a celebrity death since Clarence Clemons, and those are probably the only two that have really affected me. (Even Cobain didn’t bother me much. It was shocking, but not surprising, and I’d moved on to Pearl Jam by the time it happened.)

I listened to Licensed to Ill and Paul’s Boutique sparingly as a kid. I enjoyed them (and still do), but the band was really a comedy act at that point. They changed that image with Check Your Head, and that’s when I really started paying attention. I love that album. They followed it with the masterpiece that is Ill Communication, and then they fell off a bit. Hello Nasty was merely good, which, to me, was a letdown after back-to-back greatness. Then To the Five Burroughs happened. I guess it’s my fault for expecting more than a love letter to a post-9/11 New York City, but I was really disappointed in this album. Even when they dropped the pure comedy, these guys were still all about fun. Well, not with this album. It’s dark and it’s angry, and it took the band a long time to release another (rap) album.

Seven years after Burroughs, and well into MCA’s battle with throat cancer, Beastie Boys released Hot Sauce Committee Part Two in 2011. What a great album. It goes back to the basics, with the band not taking themselves or their music too seriously – but not sacrificing quality for an instant. A really fun, star-studded video for “Make Some Noise” only added to the excitement I felt for this album. It was getting better and better with each listen.

And then MCA died.

I knew he was sick. I knew this was a possibility. I was still waiting with bated breath for the concert tour announcement. I was really looking forward to seeing Beastie Boys tear up a stage one more time.

But MCA died.

I can’t imagine what Ad Rock, Mike D, and the extended Beastie Boys family have gone through over the past few months. I know it’s immeasurably worse for them than it is for me. But I hurt too. I hurt for them, and I hurt for me. I hurt for everyone who won’t get to see Beastie Boys in concert (again or for the first time). I hurt for the knowledge that there’s no follow-up album to Hot Sauce coming. I hurt for selfish reasons, and I don’t care.

But I’m also thankful. Thank you, MCA, for 25 years of entertainment. I obviously didn’t know you, but everything I’ve ever seen or read tells me you were a really decent human being who was loved and respected by everyone who was lucky enough to know you. There may not be any new music coming, but you’ve left behind an unparalleled library for us to enjoy forever. So thank you.


And that’s it for me. Sorry to end it on a down note. I was just firing stuff out as it occurred to me, but that’s the first I’ve written about MCA, and it made me sad, and I don’t feel like writing anymore now.

If you’ve got thoughts you’d like to share on MCA or any of the other topics I covered, post them in the Comments box. I’m particularly interested to hear what people think of the Stella Ella Ola EP.

And I’m still very open to “Blog-on-demand.” If you’ve got something you want me to spout off on, just let me know.

Have fun. Play safe.

Your pal,

~Hodgey

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Northern Reflections – Album Review: Hollerado’s Record In a Bag

I’ve never written an album review before. Apart from not knowing how, I’ve never felt the need. Most of what I listen to is well-known by the masses. Do you need to hear my take on a Pearl Jam album? No. Beastie Boys? No. Foo Fighters? Again, no. But Hollerado? Who-the-what-now?


This Ottawa-based band likely isn’t known to many people outside of Canada. That’s okay. They’re relatively new, and they’re paying their dues in bars and clubs for now. They’ll get there in time.


The odd thing about Hollerado is that their debut album, Record In a Bag, doesn’t sound like it comes from a new band. Despite the incredible amount of fun the band is clearly having, it’s a mature album in terms of song quality and production values.


If I had to compare their sound to well-known bands, I’d say it’s a combination of Weezer and OK Go. But I don’t have to, so I won’t.


Record In a Bag (the bonus track version) consists of 13 tracks. Here they are:


1. “Hollerado Land (By Sam)”
As an introduction to an album and a band, this hits the right notes. It’s a silly song. One guy with an acoustic guitar. At 1:34, it doesn’t overstay its welcome, but it sets the stage for an album that doesn’t take itself too seriously, as further evidenced by the title of the first “real” song on the album:


2. “Do the Doot Da Doot Do”
Cue feedback, cue drums, here we go. High-energy, bouncy, jaunty – this is going to be fun. Clearly, these guys want to let their listeners know that we’re in for a ride.


3. “Juliette”
This was my introduction to the band. Very poppy, but deceivingly well-written despite that. It’s a love story of sorts. Young man meets older woman. She educates him on life. He looks back fondly. Really catchy tune.


4. “Fake Drugs”
Let’s take it down a notch. After a couple of fairly fast-paced rock songs, Fake Drugs brings some heavy bass to the mix. It would be criminal for this song not to make it into a movie as background music at some point. It’s that type of song.


5. “Reno Chunk”
Not really a “song,” per se, this is four lines over 10-seconds. It’s almost like a forgotten refrain for the next track.


6. “Americanarama”
We get back to the high-energy, fun rock here with a song about the U.S. falling from grace. It’s not at all about taking shots at the States. It’s more of a “Hey guys, remember all those great things about your country? What happened?” The video is incredible, and was, apparently, shot in one take.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Whv1tLqKZig


7. “On My Own”
Wait…what just happened? Is this…country? No, no quite. But it’s close. This is the first song to really showcase the band’s harmonizing skills. Really well done. Subtle, but effective. Can you subtly showcase something? Apparently. Anyway, it’s this song that really makes you stop and think about the quality of the album. It’s easy to let the first half become background music. It’s just so easy to listen to. But then you realize that it’s so easy to listen to because it’s so well done.


8. “Got to Lose”
Oh, COME. ON. An organ transition from the end of “On My Own” into this? More harmonizing in the intro? Gives me chills every time. Then, the drums and guitar kick in, and we’re back into rock. Not heavy. Not fast-paced. But definitely rock.


9. “Hard Love”
Back to a more country vibe here. Still not country, but country-ish. Bluesy, too. Yeah, that’s it. It’s bluesy. Definitely more blues than country. But still rock.


10. “Riverside”
More bouncy pop now. A nice reminder after three pretty serious songs that Hollerado is a fun band having fun making fun music. Also, more “do do dos”. Good times.


11. “Walking On the Sea”
This song lives in my head. I often find myself singing it for no apparent reason. Catchy guitar, nice drums, great tune. Also, whistling outro. Can’t beat that.


12. “What’s Everybody Running For? Part II”
A Canadian drinking song. (And yes, we do have other kinds.) Rolling drums, loads of harmonizing. “How far to the town/Where a bar can be found?” Pure fun.


13. “Get Loose” (Bonus Track)
Not sure why this didn’t make the original cut. It’s every bit as god as the rest of the album. A nice, mellow way to finish off a 45-minute listen.


These guys definitely have some tricks up their sleeves, and they use them to great effect. Stuff like “Reno Chunk” and the transition from “On My Own” to “Got to Lose” make this an album, rather than a collection of singles. It’s clear that great care was taken in writing and building this album as a whole. Every piece belongs in the spot it occupies. There are no jarring shifts in style or tempo or quality.


If you like things that are awesome, do yourself (and a band that’s just getting started) a favour, and pick up Hollerado’s Record In a Bag on iTunes. It’s $9.99, which is a bargain.

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Northern Reflections - The 2012 Grammy Awards

So, the Grammys happened last night. I’m still not sure what they were trying to accomplish with the show, but it was pretty terrible. It seemed really disjointed and nonsensical in parts. There were plenty of technical glitches. They let Nicki Minaj do whatever the hell it was Nicki Minaj did. And they celebrated Chris Brown as a returning hero, rather than blackballing him or, at the very least, acknowledging that he’s a deplorable fucking scumbag. I got a bit of a late start on the tweeting, but I got caught up. Most of the typos are courtesy of my iPod, which is not the ideal mass-tweeting method.

Without further ado, accompanied by a bottle of wine and a few beers, here’s what I saw.


12h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
#ChrisBrown managed not to punch any ladies on stage. Kudos.
12h Matthew Brown @geekcanuck
@psychofish77 he also managed to look like Q-Bert but without... You know... Any fun.
Retweeted by Michael Hodge
In reply to Michael Hodge

12h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Catching up, Springsteen was the Boss, the LL prayer for Whitney was unnecessary and probably offensive, that Bruno Mars was a lot of fun...

12h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Alicia Keys is pretty and amazingly talented, they gave Adele an award for something, #ChrisBrown danced in jean tights, and country music.

12h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Dude's mic died. I know what his next song will be about.

12h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
In other entertainment news, 2-1 #Flyers over Red Wings in the 2nd. Hate the Wings even more than the Rangers.

12h Flawedcast @flawedcast
Great to see Chris Brown do all his hits. Except for those hits he had on Rihanna's face because he's a woman-beating piece of shit.
Retweeted by Michael Hodge

12h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
How is the Grammys nog airing live on the West Coast? That's barbaric.

12h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
I mean, it's happening live on the West Coast. Did they need a 3-hour delay in case #ChrisBrown snaps and starts beating up women?

12h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Jack Black is trying to talk over screaming women to introduce the greatest rock band on Earth today.

12h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
The Staples Center cannot contain the Foo Fighters. They had to play outside so as not to blow the fucking roof off.

12h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
5-6 song mini-concert? Awards can wait.

12h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Apparently, Real Housewives of Vancouver is happening. Way to go, assholes. I guess the embarrassment from the riots has worn off.

12h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Was watching hockey and missed the intro. No idea who the singing lion is here. Terrible song though.

12h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
In related news, it's 2-2. I rivalry-hate the Rangers, but I hate the Wings on a level usually reserved for German dictators.

12h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Guess lion-lady is Rihanna. #ChrisBrown should punch Coldplay. It'd be a great PR move.

12h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Jesus. This is fucking terrible. I've never listened to a whole Coldplay song before.

12h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
It's inexcusable that people think this is good music. Those people should be neutered. And shot. And beaten by #ChrisBrown

12h Flawedcast @flawedcast
Like, the kind of drunk where you're pouring more booze down your throat around the exiting vomit.
Michael Hodge @psychofish77
@flawedcast I thought he was making vomitus noises there.

12h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
On Whitney: she made a lot of really bad choices that led to her early death. That she used to have talent makes it no more or less tragic.

11h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Is Coldplay the new Nickelback, or have both been shitty for an equal amount of time?

11h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
If best rock performance goes to Coldplay, music is broken

11h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Thank you. They gave it to the only ROCK artists of the nominees.

11h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Played off. Guess Dave pissed the producers off by talking about real music.

11h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Next up, legendary surf band...Maroon 5?

11h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
At least dude can sing. That said, bring out the Beach Boys. And @JohnStamos

11h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
I don't think mash up means what the Grammys producers think it means. It's not "randomly throw together"

11h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
The Beach Boys weren't thinking 50 years out when they wrote all those high notes.

11h Flawedcast @flawedcast
The Beach Boys just blew Maroon 5 and Foster the People off the stage. #Grammys
Michael Hodge @psychofish77
@flawedcast what's a Foster the People?

11h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Wait wait wait. A tribute to today's dance music with the Foo Fighters? Color me intrigued.

11h Flawedcast @flawedcast
@psychofish77 That was those queers.
Michael Hodge @psychofish77
@flawedcast I thought that was Maroon 5

11h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Stevie Wonder can do whatever he wants. The man has earned his place among the legends.

11h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Nice of Stevie to intro Sir Paul. I really hope we don't get any Band on the Run bullshit here.

11h Michael Watson @MDWDFW
Legends like Chris Brown and Bruno Mars apparently? RT @psychofish77: Stevie Wonder ... has earned his place among the legends.
Michael Hodge @psychofish77
@MDWDFW someone needs to hand Stevie a lead pipe and aim him at Chris Brown.
Fred Solomon @fsolomon75
@psychofish77 @MDWDFW Like a pinata? Sweet.

11h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
McCartney as played by Dana Carvey at the end there.

11h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Best R&B album goes to...Chris Brown. He beat the shit out of the competition

11h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
"I don't know what to say." Sorry would be a good start, asshole. #ChrisBrown

11h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
This Chris Cornell looking dude has a good sense of humor and a good voice. Also, what did Taylor Swift win two of already?

11h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
I really don't like Taylor Swift. I hate her music, but I also have something against her as a person for some reason.

11h rob delaney @robdelaney
REMEMBER KIDS: It's not enough to punch a woman to win a Grammy. You also have to steal dance moves & lip synch poorly.
Retweeted by Michael Hodge

11h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
"Production number" is code for "not singing". At the show where they're giving out awards for singing. Niki Minaj has balls. Probably.

11h Flawedcast @flawedcast
Coming up: Adele accidentally confuses her microphone with her eclair #overfeedback
Michael Hodge @psychofish77
@flawedcast Coming up: a performance from One of the Bella Twins.

11h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
NPH makes his obligatory award show appearance presenting songwriter of the year.

11h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Adele (the Bella twin) wins. She's gracious and British and quick.

11h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Oh Kate Beckinsale. You're so pretty.

11h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
If that was an intentional fuckup in the Katy Perry act, it was poorly executed. If not, nice recovery.

11h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Best country album goes to someone I've never heard of. I assume. They're still going through the noms.

11h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Award goes to Lady, Andy, Bellum. Apparently a popular country trio.

11h C.B. Cebulski @CBCebulski
So Dave Grohl gives that amazing acceptance speech about making music naturally again, and then they send them off to LMFAO?!
Michael Hodge @psychofish77
@CBCebulski Cut them off with.

11h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
How has no one pulled a Nancy Kerrigan on #ChrisBrown? Never a Gilooly around when you need one.

11h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Also, fucking Red Wings. The #Flyers have some serious problems right now. Gotta win some games, boys.

11h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Pepper Potts out to introduce Adele, who will sing a song I've never heard.

11h Flawedcast @flawedcast
Kelly Osbourne looks good.
Michael Hodge @psychofish77
@flawedcast I had no idea the Bellas were British

11h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Not my style, but Adele wasn't at all offensive. Tons of talent there.

10h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
I still don't know what two Grammys Swift won, but she's out talking about Glen Campbell, who has "altimers disease". Fucking idiot.

10h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
I don't retain info like memories of past Grammys, but this show seems to be 1/2 country and a 4:1 ratio of music to awards, which seems odd

10h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Way to try to look entertained, crowd. Sadly, you look like I feel.

10h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
I muted it. Did they just list nominees for Lifetime Achievement Award? That would be awesome.

10h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
The country theme continues with Carrie Underwood. And Tony Bennett.

10h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Tony Bennett...who apparently won a Grammy tonight. Did I miss the awards show, and this is the world's worst after-party?

10h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Or did Tony Bennett and Taylor Swift win awards for editing that didn't make the broadcast?

10h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Bon Iver, who was not, as I thought, an AC/DC singer, won best new artist. Seems like an ungrateful douche. But they played Grohl off.

10h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
We take care of our own. Unless her name is Rihanna. We take care of our artists in their times of crisis. Unless, you know.

10h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Music Cares about everyone but Rihanna.

10h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Beat up our women, but don't download our songs. #MusicCares

10h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Poor dead Heavy D
Fred Solomon @fsolomon75
@psychofish77 Poor poor dead Heavy D

10h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Lengthy dead reel this year. Clarence Clemons should have been last.

10h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
To give Whitney a special segment at the beginning and a song after the dead reel is ridiculous. Disrespectful to the other dead.

10h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Where the fuck was Kevin Costner last night? Some bodyguard he turned out to be.

10h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Those women dancing with #ChrisBrown look pretty nervous.

10h Flawedcast @flawedcast
This is a good lesson to young men: don't hit women or you'll only get two performances at the Grammys. #ChrisBrown #FuckThisGuy
Retweeted by Michael Hodge

10h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Disappointing that Foos decided to play their instruments, not beat #ChrisBrown to death with them.

10h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Now I don't know what's happening. Scary mouse DJ took over.

10h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
I never thought I'd be wishing for more and/or longed acceptance speeches. They seem to have foregone the awards portion of the awards show.

10h Tim Micallef @tim_micallef
Anyone else notice...Deadmau5 was lip syncing!!! #Thatssome...
Michael Hodge @psychofish77
@tim_micallef Until you retweeted "wa5", I thought it was "Deadmaufive". #outoftouch #okaywiththat

10h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
They keep telling me people won awards, but they're only showing awful performances.

10h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
This Minaj chick isn't even pretending to sing all the words.

10h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
This isn't shocking or controversial. It's just bad.

10h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
I guess this is like SNL, where the last 30 minutes are filler.

9h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Why can't they just call it Song of the Year? A record is the same thing as an album. Album if the year shouldn't be a separate award.

9h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Also, "venti" means 20. Congratulations, you're stupid in three languages.

9h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
This is probably the worst awards show in history. And I'm including the ESPYs.

9h Andy Gaston @DiarrheaVolcano
@psychofish77 There's Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Album of the Year. It's very confusing.
Michael Hodge @psychofish77
@DiarrheaVolcano Wait, really? At least one of those is redundant.

9h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Hey it's Michael Jack...nope, Diana Ross.

9h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Album of the Year goes to not Foo Fighters.

9h Andy Gaston @DiarrheaVolcano
@psychofish77 It's a moot point anyway, because Adele won all three.
Michael Hodge @psychofish77
@DiarrheaVolcano They probably just got confused and said fuck it.

9h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Okay, Adele. Shut up and let McCartney close the show. I need this to be over.

9h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
I think LL Cool J just offered to fuck America

9h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
It would have been funnier if Carveh was actually playing Paul here. Not like he was busy doing anything else.

9h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Remember the Joe Strummer tribute? This show should be embarrassed to be associated with that show.

9h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Six guys with guitars on stage. I recognize three. Surprised Bruce stuck around. Paul should be on bass. Dave looks like he's having fun.

9h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
That was superbly awful. I went in with high hopes and was very disappointed. Adele won all of the awards and #ChrisBrown is a hero. Awful.

9h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
My main takeaway from the show is that I really have no idea who won anything. This awards show had almost nothing to do with awards.

9h Andy Richter @Andy_Richter
Everyone at the Grammys is orange.
Michael Hodge @psychofish77
@Andy_Richter Chris Brown won't punch pylons #littleknownfact

9h Neil Patrick Harris @ActuallyNPH
Great Grammys! Bravo to the entire gang that produces this show. Seriously, from backstage it's unreal. Crew, handlers, producers: bravo!
Michael Hodge @psychofish77
@ActuallyNPH From my couch, it was terrible. No idea who won awards, lots of mic problems, Nicki Minaj. Just terrible.

9h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
I guess Dave Grohl was the yin to Chris Brown's yang. Wrote and sang songs, didn't beat up women. Didn't wear denim tights.

9h Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Coldplay is a shittier Radiohead.

Michael Hodge @psychofish77
Goodnight, Psychophants

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New music usually makes me grouchy - let's revisit something old

Today's blog comes from PH Message Board Poster, The VP:

When is the last time you listened to an entire album from beginning to end? Like lay on the floor with the good headphones on (not the wimpy earbud shit), close your eyes and have the music so loud you can tune the rest of the world out? I learned that trick from my dad. Mom learned quickly to stomp on the floor when our attention was needed. How depressing to have to return to reality.


When I listen to the old metal hairband music now I often laugh. Cherry Pie is more comedy than music. People once took The Final Countdown seriously. It's true. Girls actually swooned and giggled at the men-sticking-their-tongues-through-peace-signs pictures that graced the pages of Metal Edge magazine.


If you haven't listened to all of Def Leppard's Pyromania in a while, it's time to take another listen. It won't make you laugh, unless you have a good memory of the videos. This music still gets to me. Crappy B-sides don't exist on this album. The obligatory power ballad to bring in the girls is omitted. I'll argue with anyone that the best albums of all time do not have power ballads.


1. Rock Rock Till You Drop - Don't listen to the words. Joe Elliot and Rick Savage were never the best songwriters. Great guitar, Steve Clark had a unique style that I always loved.


2. Photograph - Classic tale of the boy who falls for the Playboy of the Month girl. The video shows Marilyn, but we know better.


3. Stagefright - The world may end tomorrow, I am going off to war, we have to have sex RIGHT NOW by the dashboard light. Yet another 'we have to do it tonight' song that represents horny teenage boys with the added fantasy of having flocks of groupies around.


4. Too Late for Love - Some might argue that this one is the power ballad, but the music isn't slow enough and the lyrics are plain stupid (once again). Great guitar solo, slow buildup, intense middle and ending - like sex. Love this one.


5. Die Hard the Hunter - Time to make the political statement - which doesn't work when your songwriting skills are somewhat limited. My least favorite song of the bunch, but not enough to disqualify Pyromania from the 'great album' list.


6. Foolin' - Wow. Just wow. Every time I hear it this one gets to me. Play it at 11 and you'll get chills. Or maybe that's just me. It doesn't help that I wanted to marry Joe Elliot from age 12-21. Please forgive me.


7. Rock of Ages - THIS is the rock anthem of the 80s. Kiss's anthem was for the 70s and is another casualty of our time - I laugh when I hear it now. When asked to name one song that is an example of all 80s metal - Rock of Ages could easily be the one. Besides, like the Kurgen said, 'I've got something to say...it's better to burn out than to fade away'!


8. Comin' Under Fire - Uh, hey Beavis, he said come. heh heh heh


9. Action! Not Words - We've got another horny teen boy again - see #3. Terrible lyrics, good music.


10. Billy's Got a Gun - It wasn't Janie, it was Billy! No, this tale didn't start with Columbine. Go read the Bachman books. Also of note - You think Nirvana thought up the super long random ending to a record? No, they weren't original! Listen to the end of this one.


Mutt Lange showed up to help out with Pyromania and it is obvious. The sound and the band's musical ability definitely took a jump from High N Dry. You can wikipedia all the details, but I remember at one time record sales were right up there with Thriller. At the time that was quite a feat.


Have I tempted you to go dust off your old CD yet? Go take a listen and then come back and argue with me. It isn't any fun if everyone agrees with me! Play it for your kids - it's never too early to start influencing them away from the foul sludge of pop radio. Show them what a true work of art is all about.

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