Tonight ... the first of many trips to Miller Park this season. All the anxious faces as they walk to their seats. Watching kids interact with their parents in anticipation for the game to start. Most of the time, including tonight, as Robb Edwards asks us all to rise and remove our hats for the national anthem, Gracie slips in her left hand inside my right hand, as if to tell me this is something we do together. Our first dogs of the spring were shared with, I believe, my first toast of hot dogs. Came up with that on the spot. In the 2nd inning, Gracie exclaimed, "Daddy! Did you remember that Carlos Gomez used to be a Met ?!" I told her that Johan is most likely lost for the year, his career possibly over. We shared a hot pretzel. We watched in excitement as Braun hit a "MOOOOOOOON shot". Gracie got up every half inning to try to mug for "Fan Cam". I sat in silent reflection, thinking about many more of these perfect nights to come this summer. In the bottom of the 6th, Gracie said, "Daddy, I wish we could stay here forever". Within five minutes, she said, "Daddy, we can go after Rios hits". On the way out, I bought Gracie an assorted box of Brewers baseball cards. Her face lit up, just like mine did as a kid.
Tonight ... was heaven.
Music, Sports, Clips, Bacon and the Funny (maybe not so much bacon)
Friday, March 29, 2013
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
newgazzi Vol 02
Yes, newgazzi is my attempt at giving exposure to new music, but what exactly does "new" mean? It's important that we don't get too caught up in the word new. The first 14 tracks here are new. New to me, at least. Track 15 belongs to a man I discovered about a year, year and a half ago, but he passed away about a week ago, and maybe this will be new to you, and I wanted to share his music with you The bonus track is something I heard for the first time on Saturday morning, and I can't get it out of my head. Enjoy newgazzi, Vol 2 ....
Great riff, great bass line. I discovered this song three days ago.
9. "Best of Friends" by Palma Violets (from the LP "180")
Some crunchy goodness to enjoy, another free tune from iTunes.
10. "The Storm" by The Airborne Toxic Event (from the EP "The Secret")
I spent 8 days in the hospital last July, and when I got home, my good friend Nick gave me a bunch of music to listen to while I sat at home rehabbing and studying for my insurance exams. One of the bands he introduced to me was The Airborne Toxic Event. Both of their long players are good listens, and this is from their new EP.
11. "Let Me Back In" by Rilo Kiley (single)
I guess this isn't a new song, as Jenny Lewis and Rilo Kiley will be putting out a compilation of demos/b-sides/rarities in the next month or so. Jenny Lewis is one of my favorite voices in popular music, and although I'm on the fence about buying the entire collection to be released, I'm definitely in for this first single.
12. "Sacrilege" by Yeah Yeah Yeahs (from the LP "Mosquito")
Andy Fefer introduced this band to me a while back. I have a few of their records, but in all honesty, I really have to be in the right mood to enjoy them. They are really good, I just couldn't listen to them "all the time". That being said, if the rest of "Mosquito" is as good as this song, than "Mosquito" will be in heavy rotation for a while. This song is an early, albeit very early, favorite for song of the year.
13. "Faith in a Man" by Danielle Ate the Sandwich (from the LP "Like A King")
Here is the beauty of social media. I follow Nataly Dawn, who was featured last month in newgazzi, Vol 1, on Facebook. I was on her page a few weeks ago, and stumbled upon an artist that Nataly follows. So I did some research. I read some reviews. I listened to some songs, bada-bing, bada-boom .... now I'm a huge fan. This record is so good, and hey, I love eating sandwiches, too !!
14. "Strictly Reserved for You" by Charles Bradley (from the LP "Victim of Love")
I discovered Charles Bradley in 2011, as he was featured on SPIN's "Nevermind" covers album, "Newermind". He and his band covered "Stay Away", and is the gem of the album. This is from his new record, which isn't even out yet.
15. "Shiloh" by Magnolia Electric Co. (from the LP "Josephine")
I'm not exactly sure when I discovered Jason Molina. I've been saying a year or year and a half ago, but it may have been more like two years ago. What I remember is that my friend Howard was creating a playlist of songs that contained the name Josephine, and I bought this album about two weeks before he told me about his playlist. I became a fan of Molina through reading reviews and browsing new music, but never really knew much about him. Jason Molina passed away last week from alcohol-abuse related organ failure, 39 years old. We hear about celebrities dying young all the time, but only a handful of them have really hit home. Chris Farley. Jeff Buckley. Add Jason Molina to the list. I struggled with which song I wanted to use to remember him, then I saw this video online. A beautiful marriage of audio and video. RIP Jason.
Bonus Track !
"Crave You" by Flight Facilities (single)
Just discovered this, and I can't get it out of my head !!
1. "Let the Day Begin" by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (from the LP "Specter at the Feast")
8 of the 15 artists featured this month are new discoveries for me. As I stated last month, the thing I love most about this project/hobby/what have you is discovering new music for the first time. I spend a lot of time, mostly on Tuesdays, just surfing around iTunes and listening to new stuff. I thought this was a good track to start with ... Robert Levon Been, covering one of his dad's songs from 1989. Fans of Al Gore may be familiar with this tune. Gore used The Call's version in his 2000 campaign.
2. "Little Numbers" by Boy (from the LP "Mutual Friends")
This song was free on iTunes a few weeks back, and after hearing it a few dozen times, I would have paid the full $1.29 for it. Very catchy.
3. "Peace and Quiet" by Waxahatchee (from the LP "Cerulean Salt")
This is definitely the most unique band name featured this month, and a mighty fine track 3 for what I'm creating here.
4. "What Am I Living For" by Bonnie "Prince" Billy & Dawn McCarthy (from the LP "What the Brothers Sang")
Last month, I had a lot of good stuff to share, and this was the last song that didn't make the cut. I liked it enough to feature it this month. Now, I'm not a huge fan of country music, but this is a great recording, no matter what genre you want to slap on it.
5. "Flaggin' A Ride" by Divine Fits (from the LP "A Thing Called Divine Fits")
Yes, this came out in August of 2012, but I wasn't aware of it until a few months ago, and what did I just say about not getting caught up in the word new. We just talked about this. This is Britt Daniel's side project, and it needs to be heard. They will be in Madison on April 3rd.
6. "Run Boy Run" by Woodkid (from the LP "The Golden Age"
Is it possible for someone who has produced hits for Katy Perry and Taylor Swift to write and record an indie masterpiece? Well, that's what Yoann Lemoine has done here. I've owned it for only one week, and I'm sure this will be at the top of my top albums list for 2013, and who knows, may have already supplanted a spot on Fugazzi Grand III (top 500 albums), coming to "The Litmus Configuration" in 2014.
7. "Ingenue" by Atoms for Peace (from the LP "Amok")
This is Thom Yorke's side project, and I didn't want to like it. I don't. I love it. I'm not the biggest Radiohead fan, in fact, their are only 2 Radiohead albums that I will give the time of day to, but this is an amazing sonic experience. Buy it right now. This blog will still be here when you get back from Best Buy .... although I don't think Best Buy would carry this.
8. "Hacienda Motel" by Pickwick (from the LP "Can't Talk Medicine"
Great riff, great bass line. I discovered this song three days ago.
Some crunchy goodness to enjoy, another free tune from iTunes.
I spent 8 days in the hospital last July, and when I got home, my good friend Nick gave me a bunch of music to listen to while I sat at home rehabbing and studying for my insurance exams. One of the bands he introduced to me was The Airborne Toxic Event. Both of their long players are good listens, and this is from their new EP.
I guess this isn't a new song, as Jenny Lewis and Rilo Kiley will be putting out a compilation of demos/b-sides/rarities in the next month or so. Jenny Lewis is one of my favorite voices in popular music, and although I'm on the fence about buying the entire collection to be released, I'm definitely in for this first single.
Andy Fefer introduced this band to me a while back. I have a few of their records, but in all honesty, I really have to be in the right mood to enjoy them. They are really good, I just couldn't listen to them "all the time". That being said, if the rest of "Mosquito" is as good as this song, than "Mosquito" will be in heavy rotation for a while. This song is an early, albeit very early, favorite for song of the year.
13. "Faith in a Man" by Danielle Ate the Sandwich (from the LP "Like A King")
Here is the beauty of social media. I follow Nataly Dawn, who was featured last month in newgazzi, Vol 1, on Facebook. I was on her page a few weeks ago, and stumbled upon an artist that Nataly follows. So I did some research. I read some reviews. I listened to some songs, bada-bing, bada-boom .... now I'm a huge fan. This record is so good, and hey, I love eating sandwiches, too !!
14. "Strictly Reserved for You" by Charles Bradley (from the LP "Victim of Love")
I discovered Charles Bradley in 2011, as he was featured on SPIN's "Nevermind" covers album, "Newermind". He and his band covered "Stay Away", and is the gem of the album. This is from his new record, which isn't even out yet.
I'm not exactly sure when I discovered Jason Molina. I've been saying a year or year and a half ago, but it may have been more like two years ago. What I remember is that my friend Howard was creating a playlist of songs that contained the name Josephine, and I bought this album about two weeks before he told me about his playlist. I became a fan of Molina through reading reviews and browsing new music, but never really knew much about him. Jason Molina passed away last week from alcohol-abuse related organ failure, 39 years old. We hear about celebrities dying young all the time, but only a handful of them have really hit home. Chris Farley. Jeff Buckley. Add Jason Molina to the list. I struggled with which song I wanted to use to remember him, then I saw this video online. A beautiful marriage of audio and video. RIP Jason.
Bonus Track !
"Crave You" by Flight Facilities (single)
Just discovered this, and I can't get it out of my head !!
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Fugazzi Grand III
In late 2010, Fugazzi Grand was my attempt to rank my top 1,000 songs of all time. A list of favorites, as it were, not an attempt to tell you what I thought the best songs were.
Last summer, Fugazzi Grand II : SNL was my attempt to rank my top 1,000 moments in the history of Saturday Night Live. Same premise. What I liked, not what I perceived as the best.
Well, my most ambitious project (outside of the book I wrote) is coming to "The Litmus Configuration" in 2014, AND WILL LAST AN ENTIRE YEAR !!
That's right .... Fugazzi Grand III : Albums is coming, January 1, 2014. I will be counting down my Top 500 favorite albums. 1,000 just isn't possible. As of today, I own 616 long players. I haven't hammered out the specifics yet, but I'm going to be open minded to certain greatest hits collections, live records and EPs. For example, Tom Petty's Greatest Hits has to make the list. Eric Clapton's Unplugged is too good to leave off, and there are a handful of EPs that deserving a spot. After all, a few of the EPs I have are longer than 2-3 records that will make the list.
This is what I'm planning. Staring January 1, 2014, I plan to feature 2 records a day for the first 135 days of the year, and 1 a day for the last 230 days of the year, for a total of 500. Yeah, Rolling Stone does this every 10 years or so, but guess what, you buy it, you take it in to the bathroom later that night, and 45 minutes later, you've whipped through the whole list. I'm reinventing the word buildup with this one, baby!
As with the other two volumes of Fugazzi Grand (especially the first one), a list like this is intended to entertain you, keep me busy, but most of all, help start a conversation between music enthusiasts. I want feedback! I want to hear your favorites. Tell me I suck! But let's talk music !!
I'll be spending time here and there working on creating the order of the list. And just like the previous two, try not to get too caught up in the exact order. I guarantee that I like 1 more than 500, but what I have ranked 378 and/or 381 could move up or down at anytime depending on my mood, or how the Mets are doing ...
We are more than 9 months away, and I hope to contribute a lot more to the blog between now and then. Continue to check back for my take on music, baseball, books, comedy, fantasy football and the what not. And I will most certainly continue to share "newgazzi" with everyone, on the last Tuesday of every month (see you Tuesday), and I might have some exciting news regarding newgazzi in the near future.
Thanks for reading "The Litmus Configuration" !!
Joey
Last summer, Fugazzi Grand II : SNL was my attempt to rank my top 1,000 moments in the history of Saturday Night Live. Same premise. What I liked, not what I perceived as the best.
Well, my most ambitious project (outside of the book I wrote) is coming to "The Litmus Configuration" in 2014, AND WILL LAST AN ENTIRE YEAR !!
That's right .... Fugazzi Grand III : Albums is coming, January 1, 2014. I will be counting down my Top 500 favorite albums. 1,000 just isn't possible. As of today, I own 616 long players. I haven't hammered out the specifics yet, but I'm going to be open minded to certain greatest hits collections, live records and EPs. For example, Tom Petty's Greatest Hits has to make the list. Eric Clapton's Unplugged is too good to leave off, and there are a handful of EPs that deserving a spot. After all, a few of the EPs I have are longer than 2-3 records that will make the list.
This is what I'm planning. Staring January 1, 2014, I plan to feature 2 records a day for the first 135 days of the year, and 1 a day for the last 230 days of the year, for a total of 500. Yeah, Rolling Stone does this every 10 years or so, but guess what, you buy it, you take it in to the bathroom later that night, and 45 minutes later, you've whipped through the whole list. I'm reinventing the word buildup with this one, baby!
As with the other two volumes of Fugazzi Grand (especially the first one), a list like this is intended to entertain you, keep me busy, but most of all, help start a conversation between music enthusiasts. I want feedback! I want to hear your favorites. Tell me I suck! But let's talk music !!
I'll be spending time here and there working on creating the order of the list. And just like the previous two, try not to get too caught up in the exact order. I guarantee that I like 1 more than 500, but what I have ranked 378 and/or 381 could move up or down at anytime depending on my mood, or how the Mets are doing ...
We are more than 9 months away, and I hope to contribute a lot more to the blog between now and then. Continue to check back for my take on music, baseball, books, comedy, fantasy football and the what not. And I will most certainly continue to share "newgazzi" with everyone, on the last Tuesday of every month (see you Tuesday), and I might have some exciting news regarding newgazzi in the near future.
Thanks for reading "The Litmus Configuration" !!
Joey
Sunday, March 17, 2013
2013 MLB Predictions
Here are my "official" 2013 MLB predictions ...
AL East
1. Toronto Blue Jays
2. Tampa Bay Rays
3. Baltimore Orioles
4. New York Yankees
5. Boston Red Sox
It almost looks like I hit the shuffle button on this one, doesn't it. The Blue Jays did a lot to improve their already improving team by bringing in Reyes and Dickey. The Yankees seem to have lost a lot of pop and are really old.
AL Central
1. Detroit Tigers
2. Kansas City Royals
3. Chicago White Sox
4. Minnesota Twins
5. Cleveland Indians
The Tigers just have more talent. The Royals will be interesting to watch over the next few years. I should be making my first trip to Target Field this summer.
AL West
1. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
2. Texas Rangers
3. Oakland Athletics
4. Seattle Mariners
5. Houston Astros
I think the A's take a step back, the Angels will score a ton of runs and the Astros, despite the cool unis, may be the worst team of all time.
AL Wild Card Game
Texas Rangers at Tampa Bay Rays
AL Divisional Playoffs
Tigers over Rays
Blue Jays over Angels
ALCS
Blue Jays over Tigers
NL East
1. Washington Nationals
2. Atlanta Braves
3. Philadelphia Phillies
4. New York Mets
5. Miami Marlins
No innings limit for Strasburg and the addition of Dan Haren make the Nats tough again in '13. The Marlins will also be historically bad.
NL Central
1. Milwaukee Brewers
2. Cincinnati Reds
3. St Louis Cardinals
4. Pittsburgh Pirates
5. Chicago Cubs
The Brewers did what they had to do, completely revamping their bullpen, now it falls on a relatively young rotation to bring the Brewers back to the playoffs.
NL West
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2. San Francisco Giants
3. Arizona Diamondbacks
4. Colorado Rockies
5. San Diego Padres
I think the Dodgers and Giants will give us the best divisional race this year.
NL Wild Card Game
Giants at Braves
NL Divisional Playoffs
Nationals over Giants
Dodgers over Brewers
NLCS
Nationals over Dodgers
World Series
Nationals over Blue Jays in 6
AL East
1. Toronto Blue Jays
2. Tampa Bay Rays
3. Baltimore Orioles
4. New York Yankees
5. Boston Red Sox
It almost looks like I hit the shuffle button on this one, doesn't it. The Blue Jays did a lot to improve their already improving team by bringing in Reyes and Dickey. The Yankees seem to have lost a lot of pop and are really old.
AL Central
1. Detroit Tigers
2. Kansas City Royals
3. Chicago White Sox
4. Minnesota Twins
5. Cleveland Indians
The Tigers just have more talent. The Royals will be interesting to watch over the next few years. I should be making my first trip to Target Field this summer.
AL West
1. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
2. Texas Rangers
3. Oakland Athletics
4. Seattle Mariners
5. Houston Astros
I think the A's take a step back, the Angels will score a ton of runs and the Astros, despite the cool unis, may be the worst team of all time.
AL Wild Card Game
Texas Rangers at Tampa Bay Rays
AL Divisional Playoffs
Tigers over Rays
Blue Jays over Angels
ALCS
Blue Jays over Tigers
NL East
1. Washington Nationals
2. Atlanta Braves
3. Philadelphia Phillies
4. New York Mets
5. Miami Marlins
No innings limit for Strasburg and the addition of Dan Haren make the Nats tough again in '13. The Marlins will also be historically bad.
NL Central
1. Milwaukee Brewers
2. Cincinnati Reds
3. St Louis Cardinals
4. Pittsburgh Pirates
5. Chicago Cubs
The Brewers did what they had to do, completely revamping their bullpen, now it falls on a relatively young rotation to bring the Brewers back to the playoffs.
NL West
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2. San Francisco Giants
3. Arizona Diamondbacks
4. Colorado Rockies
5. San Diego Padres
I think the Dodgers and Giants will give us the best divisional race this year.
NL Wild Card Game
Giants at Braves
NL Divisional Playoffs
Nationals over Giants
Dodgers over Brewers
NLCS
Nationals over Dodgers
World Series
Nationals over Blue Jays in 6
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