you know you're getting old when you have tickets to see one of your favorite bands in concert, and you would rather stay home playing Wii.

***

That said... I went anyway... and saw Wilco tonight. Neil got us some badass seats in the eighth row... naturally, there was one empty seat next to us until the SECOND Wilco hit the stage, and then it was occupied by a grossly overweight, drunk, piece of shit, who yelled and did that two-in-the-stink whistling thing FIVE TIMES A SONG... until the 12th song or so, then he only did it twice a song. thank heaven for little girls.

the setlist...

Hummingbird
Ashes of American Flags
Sunken Treasure
Remember the Mountain Bed
Company in My Back
You are My Face
Pot Kettle Black
Handshake Drugs
War on War
A Shot in the Arm
Side With the Seeds
Jesus, Etc.
Impossible Germany
Wishful Thinking
California Stars
Walken
I'm the Man Who Loves You

___Encore Break____
Hate It Here
ELT
Heavy Metal Drummer
Kingpin

____Second Encore Break___
The Late Greats
Red-Eyed and Blue
I Got You (At the End of the Century)
Casino Queen
Hoodoo Voodoo
Outtasite (Outta Mind)


That's right... 27 songs... sheeeeesh...

My hetero-man-crush Glenn Kotche needs a haircut. He looks like a Silverchair second stringer.

Overall, they played a lot more of the songs of theirs that I don't much like than the last show I saw. (that setlist can be found here) The highlights were easily 'Impossible Germany' (still one of my favorite solos ever), 'Company in my Back' and 'Casino Queen'. I was SHOCKED that they played even one song from 'A.M.'. I was hoping to hear 'Theologians', as that was the song they did last time that finally got me into 'A Ghost is Born', but no dice. Either way, they were great, as usual, and they seemed to be having a lot of fun up there.

and yes, i had to google the lyrics to about 5 of those because i wasnt sure of the exact song titles... and that woody guthrie crap never really won me over.

It was nice to see Neil and Micah again. I hardly ever see them anymore. We had a good dinner at Saggios, ran into some BIG NAME CELEBRITIES (Dick Knifing anyone? Larry Barker much?), and I got to breathe garlic breath into Neils face all night. That was nice.

I made a post-show dash to the merch table... bad move. They should have a line for just people who know what they want and are paying with cash. Instead, they have a mob of people who need to see every shirt in every size and are paying with a credit card, or trying to borrow money from their friend, who is standing with their back to the table just out side of earshot. I stood there with my exact change for what felt like ages.

***

Also... I played the Austin Powers pinball table in the SUB game room. It was going well, I earned a free game, but then my second ball got stuck in the toilet (literally). So i went to the attendant to see if he could reset it, but he said it did the same thing yesterday and gave me my money back. Oh well. The backglass was so bright it made a huge glare on the upper playfield anyway.

I'm sure everyone has heard it by now, but the new Weezer single... it's actually good! I'm as shocked as you are.

The lyrics aren't completely awful!

The melody is fantastic!

The composition is interesting!

It almost kinda sounds like old Weezer. It sounds like what Old Weezer would probably sounds like at this point in their career, had they survived.

I'm stunned.

The new Scarlett Johansen song isn't completely awful either... wowzers. I wouldn't buy it, but it's not awful. not awful. and shes engaged to ryan reynolds. i thought he was still with alanis.

welcome to my new blog... i'm going to spill gossip on all the hottest young celebrities. I'm like Perez Hilton, only fatter and with a worse haircut (yes. both are possible.)

***

I'm digging the Wombats too. I'm officially a 13 year old girl.

'Great DJ' by The Ting Tings is the Free Download on iTunes right now. Just go to the iTunes homepage and there is a link to it right in the center of the page.

It's one of the better tracks they've offered recently.

Also, I think iTunes turned five years old today. Word.

WTF?

They've got this and a German language track called 'German Studies', both from the new record... I thought Fotini put one of her greek cds in my playlist at first when this came on.

***

and what's up with imeem? Does ANYONE just surf around there listening to stuff? I really only use it to share music via the little player. I have just shy of 19,000 total plays in my account! I don't promote it anywhere but here, so ... weird. How is it that we have a full blown blog with a bi-weekly podcast, that's over a year old at that, and it's got less than a tenth the plays that whatever crap I put on imeem does?

Jon... we need to dig for gold via imeem ASAP.

***

We recorded and released a demo podcast... a THIRD podcast... it actually turned out better than i thought. we were not really confident on the pacing and format, but we got the recording nailed down and halfway through it sounds great. we also didnt have a need to censor ourselves, so its a lot more entertaining than supercandid... not that i'm hating on supercandid or anything.

as soon as we get another show in the can, i'll post a link... unless you want to hear it, just comment and i'll send you the link. its really rough as far as content... it involves mainstream movies though. It's 'The Stupid Podcast for Jerks'... a nod to such an obscure movie, even we haven't digested the pop culture hipness of it.

I love being a man (sometimes)... I packed all my junks in about 5 minutes. Now I have time for CoD4.

***

MFing Metal Gear Beta update is at 30% complete. I started it five hours ago. These are some biloxi speeds here or something. It's all Konamis fault. It's using an elaborate mirror system.... I'm uploading at 5kb/s... i'm downloading at just over 1. the best i've seen i was downloading at 4kb/s, but i was uploading at 33kb/s... so whoever is leeching me is making out much better than i am.

***

cd update for a while

Phantom Planet - Raise the Dead
Black Francis - svn fngrs

I haven't bought a Frank Black record in years... but when i saw that 'Black Francis' was releasing a new record, my pixies pavlov reflex went off and i instantly preordered it... weird... so it showed up today, and i was like 'why the heck did i just run off and order this?', i threw it in and i'll be damned... it actually sounds kinda pixie-ish.

so then i did some reading, and it turns out thats what he was going for... this is the 'last' recording as Black Francis. and its good. well... maybe not just like the pixies... but its much weirder than his folk country roots rock records. it's like 8 bucks or something on amazon.

phantom planet is much different than their other records... this one is the 'arty' record i guess.... they kinda have a slight radiohead vibe... which is a compliment i guess because EVERY band thinks they sound like radiohead, but this one actually does sometimes. you ask any band what they sound like and they'll say 'like radiohead but...' and then whatever makes them 'unique'. its funny... in the late 90's early 00's, bands said this, then they got into the thing 'like coldplay but...' and now its back to radiohead. right on.

here's a song i wrote:

tomorrow is the best day!
the best day in the world (besides days that i dont work)!
xbox is releasing battlezone!
its one of the best 2600 era games ever and i love it!
and its got new graphics and live camera support and its 5 bucks!
and i'm so happy!
and also they are releasing some crappy Rocky and Bullwinkle game!
and i love rocky and bullwinkle now even though i didnt get them when i was a kid!
because all the cold war jokes were over my head!
but now i love them!
i'll probably just play the demo!
but thats ok!
because its fun times for free!
but the xbox servers are crawling freaking incredibly slow right now!
and yesterday!
i'm not sure why!
maybe its the new halo 3 maps or something!
i dont know, but i hope they download battlezone very fast!
i'm very excited!

- copyright 2008 don.

More like 'Tard.

***

Jon reminded me how much I loved the Fear of Pop record about 10 years ago... I still say 'In Love' is the best Shatner/Folds song, and I LOVED 'Has Been', which had like 5 great Shatner tracks.

Poll #1166769
Open to: All, results viewable to: All

Level 2

As an aside, Natalie's younger sister, Laura, is also a singer. Her music is much better than Natalie's. You can find her stuff here: http://www.lauraimbruglia.com/home.htm

Also, she looks almost nothing like her sister.

***

It's record convention day! Going with some guys from work in an hour. I have a good feeling about today, but last time I hardly found anything, so it could be a dud.

Norah Joneses 'rock band' side project kinda sucks. Also, not very rockin'.

WTF? New, weird, Weezer song... It's on the top video... you have to stop the bottom video since they're both on auto play.

***

FlatOut for the 360 is GREAT. Its like Burnouts Hillbilly cousin. it looks good, handles pretty well and the levels are destructible... as are the drivers. I didn't even touch the ragdoll minigames and it had me going for over an hour. so fun at a budget price. and they even nail the Nitro better than Burnout... when you speed up, you actually go faster than your opponents! on Burnout, the screen just blurs and all the other cars still stay in the same position relative to your position.

still... i do love me some Burnout... but FlatOut has really come a long way since the first game.

***

i made another DVD... this time i compiled all the PlayValueHD podcasts. they look GREAT on the tv, i guess thats the HD part... and its like one long documentary about gaming! i love it! i hate Dan though. i hope hes playing some idiotasshole character. hes got feathered hair, bad hornrims, a popped collar and a members only jacket. tre douche!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TAMARARARA!

You're old.

***
going to breakfast with my mom today. its been like... 5 years since we had a meal together just the two of us. or did anything just the two of us. weird.

***

Phil Keaggy's "The Master and the Musician - 30th Anniversary Edition" is one of the nicest reissues I've ever seen. The second disc has commentary on every song, outtakes, interviews, rare and unreleased tracks and different mixes of a few songs with both front and rear mixes on different tracks. If an album as obscure as that can have all this content, why not "Doolittle" or "Fear of a Black Planet" or something...? sweeeeet.

***

man... this dang mac is giving me all kinds of headaches. so it locked me out of my itunes music folder. its permissions are listed as 'you can only read'. and its locked, but wont let me unlock it. wtf? so i cant add or subtract from that folder. so i had to create a new music folder... just wtf!!!?

and it keeps changing the status window to the freaking equalizer... why?

***
shorty i could take you dare... AHHHH SHOOT ME!!!!

Poll #1158405
Open to: All, results viewable to: All

Round Six

Yes, I know they both have solo careers, and have performed with other bands...

This was actually an easier one, as I'm not really feeling either of them.

Also, Tegan and Sara look too much alike to bother with.

***

CD Update of the past few days...

She & He - Volume 1
Foo Fighters - The Colour and the Shape (reissue)

I'm man enough to admit it... that Foo Fighters record is one of my favorite albums of all time.

and Zooey Daschanel is hotter than dinosaur bones, but her music ain't.

***

went to church tonight. it was nice... and spiritual. i was trying my hardest to imagine what Christ was thinking on this day. what the people involved, and even the bystanders were thinking. how it felt to be part of the crowd. what it meant to be killed for someone else, or how it would feel to know someone died just for you. my brain can't even imagine it though. i thought of how i would feel if my dad died, or if a close friend did, and i felt a twinge of sadness, but nothing to how the real thing would feel, i'm sure...

and i still think Christian music is far too morbid for it's own good.

Dear Kanye West,

The words 'sh!t' and sh!t' do not rhyme. Nor to the words 'tonight' and 'tonight' or the words 'now' and 'now'. they don't rhyme because they are the same words. when making rhymes, stop using the same words over and over. busta rhymes did it like 15 years ago in one song and it was funny at the time, but now its just sad. and to do it in the same song on top of that? please stop recording and allow some real emcees to step into the spotlight for the attention of 55 year old music executives and 12 year old girls.

thanks,
don

***

and while we're at it. Sean Kingston. Taking your girlfriend to the slums where killers get hung does not a romantic evening make. i know you COULD technically take her there, but just DON'T. why even offer? is it a threat or something? 'look baby, if you act right we're going to 'sip pina coladas', if not, we're headed to the hood. its cool, because 'i'm known in the ghetto, just stay by my side'. the guy was like what 16 when he recorded that? don't you think if his ass was really running from gunshots all day he would have dropped a couple pounds? the guy looks like Biggy as a baby.


***

Last night david came over and we worked on some SSBBrawl for a while. he let me know what different things meant and what not. we watched a bunch of Spike Jonez videos. it was fun, but i got tired and cranky pretty early... and i suck at Brawl. we did do pretty well on the homerun derby after a while though.

***

last night i had a couple things go down in my dream... the first is that i dreamed my jaw was really hurting... and thats because it was. i had moved my jaw to the side, you know, like right now, move your jaw to the right as far as you can... then i pressed my fist up into the bottom of it. like a mentally retarded version of 'The Thinker'. so i was essentially punching myself in the face all night.

then at the time i was dreaming about the new Animal Crossing game on the Wii. in my dream, it worked like i think that AudioRider game works, you travel along a windy road collecting crap with your character. the characters in the game were actually from some Sony game.... that one with the white cat with the pointy ears and the X's for eyes when he laughs.... i forget the name. anyway, i thought to myself 'why did they even bother releasing this under the AC name when it's totally different. its fun i guess, but wtf?'

Poll #1156365
Open to: All, results viewable to: All

Round Three

This was almost a different battle... Bjork was a last second addition... I felt the previous contender was too much of a shoo-in, so i mixed it up... two nutjobs now. one is 'eccentric', the other is a crackhead.

as much as i love trashy looking women (and i do, though mostly only secretly in a virgin-whore type of way), this is an easy vote for me personally, though i could see it being tough for some.

ALSO... Friday I'd love for the poll to feature user suggested singers. i'm trying to focus on 'rock' or indie music, not so much Foxy Brown or Diana Krall, etc. Please, let me know who you'd like to see do battle in this tiny, meaningless poll.

***

Late to the party? Voting is still open for

Round One

and

Round Two

***

looks like LJ should hit it's billionth post soon...

I'm thinking a lot today about my favorite music ever.

Do people still have favorite bands? Does that go away in high school? I mean ONE favorite band... not more than one.

Anyway, it's strange the songs that you never get sick of, or rather that I never get sick of. There are songs that I once thought were my favorites and I'd never get sick of, but then after a few dozens listens, the spark was gone.

Then there are songs that really do prevail and make me flutter every single time I hear them. For years. Multiple times. Maybe songs that I don't think of being my favorites, but that I have such a deep love for that they go way past my conventional favorites.

An example... 'Glass Corridor' by Lansing-Dreiden. I don't remember where I first heard this, but I've never got sick of it and never not wanted to listen to it. I've never skipped past it and I still use it on mix cd's all the time.

I guess a lot of my mixtape standards would fall into that camp. Songs that I just ALWAYS think are important to hear and share.

hmmmm....

i should make a list of my 'real' favorite songs.

HOLY SMOKES! The Black Crowes 'Warpaint' debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200! sheeesh. i thought i was the only one alive who picked it up, but it turns out there were 46,000 of us. not many, and it was a slow week, but still... that's four times what Malkmus did.

Yes. I'm listening to Vodka Grasshopper again.

***

Alright.... media dump...

So one of the funniest things I've heard all week is the latest podcast from Jonathan Katz (aka Dr. Katz). it only comes out once a month, and its short (the last show was less than 7 minutes), but it kicked my ass. i thought it was so simple and so funny. i wish i were that smart. anyway... i features an awesome cameo from Jon Benjamin (i swear, he's everywhere now) as well as Tom Snyder and some chick who i forget her name... AND an interview with Hannah Montana! the best part, if you want to hear it you dont even have to bother with itunes because i uploaded it to imeem JUST FOR YOU. not that you're going to listen to it, because you never do. but thats ok, its just here for you.. to make it easy, not to force it on you.



***

NEXT...

this song was voted the #2 best song EVER by some german radio station... #1 was 'Stairway to Heaven' so, take from that what you will. ('Lucky Star' would have been funnier)

its not a bad song... but yeah... I can think of two Thin Lizzy songs i'd pick over this one, and thats just THIN LIZZY. besides... everyone knows the second best song of all time is 'Let's Dance' by David Bowie.

Liquido - Narcotic

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EDIT...

er... did LJ just shutdown the youtube app?

Because I've been listening to Christmas music all morning... you should too... or at least this, my second favorite Christmas song, and favorite Sufjan Christmas song (maybe even Sufjan song period).