Three flavors of new in 2009 so far

I wouldn’t lick any of these artists.  Just sayin’.

KKCK:

Akon “Beautiful”
This is one of the few five minute radio edits one will see.  A few guest stars spice up the track, which is a pretty common Akon track.  I’m actually a bit surprised at how much it reminds me of his last track.  I’m always up for more Kardinal Offishal guest spots, and this song helps in that category.  It is impossible for an Akon song to do poorly around here, so this will be big here, and probably top ten nationwide before it’s all said and done.

Leona Lewis “I Will Be”
I spent some time with this song in hopes of being inspired to write something about it.  Really, there isn’t a lot to say about it.  Leona Lewis came out of the gate with music that couldn’t be more mainstream and radio friendly.  Sure, it’s a bit bland and it doesn’t stray far from her last single, but “I Will Be” has a more uplifting title than “Better in Time” and “Bleeding Love”.  Leona is running the show now, so we might as well get used to it.

Theory of a Deadman “Not Meant to Be”
Even when my favorite cranky cannuck rockers go for the ballad, they can’t stop being bitter.  If Chad Kroeger wrote the lyrics to this music, we’d get another “How You Remind Me” or “Photograph”.  Instead, we get Tyler Connoly’s lament about a dysfunctional relationship.  Nickelback and Theory of a Deadman couldn’t be more similar and different if they tried. 

Pick for clicks: Akon

With all the hype building up for the re-release of the 1989 Beastie Boys record Paul’s Boutique, I dug out my first print cassette tape and listened to the album for the first time since probably 1990 or 1991.  When I heard it back then, I was wanting more Licensed to Ill raps about rhymin’ and stealin’, girls, party right fights and not sleeping until Brooklyn.  What I heard was not even close to another Licensed to Ill.  I gave it a few tries, but songs like “Eggman” (though I loved “Hey Ladies”) were just a bit too off the wall for my brain, which was living on a steady diet of Motley Crue, Dangerous Toys, Warrant, and ZZ Top just to name four.  This weekend I popped in the album, and I enjoyed it so much I listened to it twice.  It actually freaks me out a little bit to think about how much I didn’t like it then, compared to how much I like it now.  Sometimes I think about all the old cassette tapes and CDs I have, and how many of them I didn’t like back then that I might like now.  Has anyone else rediscovered an album that they didn’t like at first?  I know I’ve written about this sort of thing before, but will there ever be a point where it doesn’t weird me out a bit? 

Too much f***in’ perspective man.

2009 is going pretty well so far.  No complaints on my end.  Kate and I are hoping to hit Sioux Falls this weekend.  We could use the day to ourselves (big thanx to grandma for watchin’ Braeden) so hopefully the weather cooperates.

Sunday I packed up my NES, SNES, and PS1 and moved them upstairs for quick assembly if the mood hits.  I can’t even remember the last PS2 game I played.  I received Lego Batman for my birthday, and I haven’t even opened it yet.  Kate thinks this means I’m growing up or some such nonsense, but I tend to go in streaks for video games.  This off streak has been a lot longer than most.  A lot of my part-time hobbies are falling away as more of my time is spent with Braeden and Kate, or I’m working on my writing.  It’s coming up on five years since I started writing here, and almost a  year since I went a bit wordpress nuts.  If anything, it’s making me want to do it more.  I wonder if SMSU will give me a do-over for a degree.

Yeah, probably not.  Good thing I like what I do for a living.

Have a good rest of the week.  Comments are always welcome.

More new songs than degrees outside

Well, not today, but when we added them.

KKCK:

Kanye West “Heartless”
I’m slowly warming to the new sound of Kanye.  I still miss his rapping, but something about “Love Lockdown” makes me turn it way up.  This song has that potential.  The way Kanye moved on stage on SNL (technical problems aside) I wouldn’t be surprised if he tried to do a rock record next.  He certainly had all his lead singer moves down.

Ne-Yo “Mad”
“Miss Independent” didn’t last too long, but this song swoops in to take its place.  The song sings the familiar refrain of not wanting to go to bed mad.  I think most everyone who’s got someone has been there.  I envision a lot of calls for this song from guys who are trying to patch things up with their girlfriend and/or wife. 

Katy Perry ”Thinking of You”
Ms. Perry invited scandal and buzz with “UR So Gay”.  She then teased men and infuriated others by proclaiming “I Kissed a Girl”.  Then she kept it moving and toned things down with “Hot n’ Cold”.  Now she’s just going for the big hit with the ballad, after already scoring two number one songs.  I applaud her for a great plan, but she’s almost setting her next album up to be a dud if it doesn’t have the hit power this one has. 

Buckcherry “Don’t Go Away”
Don’t go away?  Is that the best line you can think of?  Dude, you’ve been lit up on cocaine, called her a crazy bitch, then claimed you were too drunk to WHAT and now your best tactic is to say “Don’t Go Away”?  Oh, you framed the line inside a ballad worthy of your 80s metal heroes?  Well, that’s different.  Snug that bandanna and get those bics flicked people.

Pick to click: Katy Perry

Year end top album lists are starting to pop up here and there.  Rolling Stone went with TV on the Radio, while their readers picked The Killers.  The reader pick surprised me, but the magazine pick I still can’t wrap my head around.  I’m still chapped at how much I didn’t like TV on the Radio’s last CD, so I haven’t even given a thought to checking out the new one.  I still haven’t met a fan of the band, nor someone who can tell me why TV on the Radio is such a big deal to some music fans, and a total unknown to others.  NPR listeners picked the CD from Fleet Foxes.  I almost picked that up back when this town had a Starbucks.  I heard one song (“He Doesn’t Know Why”) and that didn’t do much for me.  Is the rest of the CD like that, or is it all pretty much like that?  I’m going to start reviewing the year that was 2008 in more detail next week.  If anyone has a CD to recommend, let me know ASAP.  I always hate to hear something that would have been on my list after I made the list.

Over the past week, I’ve been working on getting my mitts on the albums I didn’t have by Matthew Good and the Matthew Good Band.  I first heard MGB when the Muchmusic feed was still on the digital tier, before it was replaced with the at-first-promising but now-really-disappointing Fuse.  I’d heard a song or two during VeeJay sets with Rachel Perry and Ed the Sock (among others), and they also made Mr. Good sound like a really interesting fellow.  A few years later, I was browsing the used CDs at the dearly departed Sound Station in Brookings, and I found a copy of the US release of Beautiful Midnight.  I thought it was worth seven bucks to give it a whirl, and it won me over after one listen.  Years later, after having no luck finding his stuff in the States, I found a few albums used when Kate and I were honeymooning in Winnipeg.  Later that year, I downloaded his stellar 2007 album Hospital Music at iTunes.  Getting the rest of his material was on my list of things to download, but for some reason or other I kept putting it off until this past week.  While listening to a song today, I thought about why I liked Matthew Good, and I have no idea.  I just do, and that’s a bit weird to me.  It isn’t like the music is that different than stuff I normally listen to, but I really don’t know why I enjoy listening to him so much.  It occurred to me that maybe it’s because he’s an artist I can claim as my own around here.  There aren’t many Matthew Good fans in the United States, and from what I’ve read he’s fine with that.  That has always struck me as an odd reason to like a band/artist, so today I’m recommending anyone who hasn’t checked out a song by either Matthew Good solo or the Matthew Good Band.  I’d be curious to hear from anybody who hasn’t heard him before and their first impressions of Mr. Good.

So…that’s all that’s really on my mind right now.  We’ll call it good for today (not an intentional pun).

Three songs that can’t get Daft Punk out of my head

Around the world around the world around the world around the world around the world…

KKCK:

Kevin Rudolf w/Lil’ Wayne “Let It Rock”
What it isn’t: a remake of Bon Jovi’s “Let It Rock” from Slippery When Wet.
What it is: A song that tries to tell the CHR/Rhythmic side to rock.  There isn’t a lot of info on Mr. Rudolf around, but his MySpace lists his previous work, and it reads like a session musician for a number of artists.  Lil’ Wayne pops up, because he seems to feel the need to be in almost every song out there.  I was fully expecting his part to sound tacked on, but it fits in better than I thought it would. 
Could Daft Punk make it better? I think they could do a number on this one.

Natasha Bedingfield “Angel”
What it isn’t: it is NOT a remake of “Angel” by Aerosmith, or Angie Perez, or Jimi Hendrix, or Fleetwood Mac, or Madonna, or Angela Winbush, or Eurythmics, or a-ha, or Pearl Jam, or Sarah McLachlan, or Shaggy, or Two Tricky, or Belinda Peregrín, or The Corrs, or Within Temptation, or Pharrell, or Chiara, or Aretha Franklin, or Anita Baker, or Jon Secada, or Massive Attack, or Dru Hill, or Lionel Richie, or Blue October, or Stabbing Westward, or Judas Priest, or 8mm, or MxPx, or Leona Lewis, or Jack Johnson, or Marty Friedman.
What it is: Besides another name to add to that list (by the way, thanks to wikipedia and a bit of my memory for that list) when we get the next “Angel” song?  Well, it does remind us that Darkchild is forever, and I had forgotten that of late.  This track suffers from “why is this a single” syndrome.  I’ve heard very good things about this album, but this song just doesn’t grab me the way past songs by Natasha Bedingfield have. 
Could Daft Punk make it better?  I think a glitchy remix with some pounding beats couldn’t hurt.

Jack’s Mannequin “The Resolution”
What it isn’t: a remake of anything I can think of.  Seriously, I can’t even think of another song called “The Resolution”
What it is: A very solid pop-rock song that makes more sense than I thought it did the first time I heard it.  I listened to their first album, The Mix Tape, and it didn’t grab me.  This one grabbed me.  Maybe I need to go back, but I’m learning that isn’t always a cure all (more on that later).
Could Daft Punk make it better? Daft Punk makes most everything better, but this song is pretty good as is.

Pick to click: Jack’s Mannequin

If I may get back to getting back to albums, what I’m about to say will kill my chances of ever being cool in the eyes of Pitchfork.  I like Liz Phair better on a major label.  I’ve been hearing nothing about how great Exile in Guyville is since I bought Whip Smart back when it came out.  That album fell so flat with me I just blew off Liz until her Capitol Records debut came out, and I found it on sale really cheap.  I read nothing but hateful, spiteful reviews of the album, and while not perfect, I enjoyed it a lot more than Whip Smart.  Even her second Capitol album, which took a good slagging as well, sounded pretty decent to me.  I’ve been in a much more indie-rock mindset lately, so I thought going back to Guyville now would start me on a road to wanting Liz’s discography.  After listening to Guyville a few times, I don’t even have the urge to go back to Whip Smart again.  At first I considered that Guyville’s time has come and gone, or has it not aged well.  However, I know Liz is on tour right now playing the album in its entirety, so that tells me I’m in a small camp about her two Capitol albums.  Any Phair-weather fans want to tackle this one?

Babywatch is on heightened alert, with high alert status to follow soon.  So, if I don’t post on a Wednesday in the next month, that’s why.  We’re about four days away from the earliest of the many due dates we’ve been given.  The process now is adjusting the felines to what they can and can’t do.  Granted, when Eileen sleeps in the crib it is one of the most adorable sights around.  Kate is really worried about how Eileen will react to the drop in attention.  The other cats will be fine, IMHO.  Eileen should adjust well, even if part of that is settling for attention from me.  For a while it might be that whoever doesn’t have the baby has to have a cat or four in petting distance.

I’ll leave you all with a question.  I had planned on my first words to the baby to be “welcome to Earth” but I’m open to any suggestions.

Four are usually not fantastic…

…but we give this week a B+ for effort.

KKCK:

David Archuleta “Crush”
It cranks up the intensity bar set by David Cook.  Well, maybe 1/4 turn.  He has more of the “Idol” voice I expect to hear when I hear one of these songs.  Curiously, his song seems to be rising faster than David Cook’s song, which has been out for several weeks now. 

Shwayze “Corona and Lime”
Patrick Swayze jokes aside, this song really took me by surprise.  Once a week we get some CDs called “Hit discs” which contain all the major songs going for adds in a given week.  This song was tucked in with the “Urban/CHR Rhythmic” tracks, and fairly deep into that section.  Usually those songs are the rap songs like Three 6 Mafia and T.I.  This song has a real smooth flow and a chorus that is hard not to sing along to, and the song is in no way daypartable, unless the station is one of those “variety without rock and rap” stations, in which case this might be a night only track.  Since our variety tends towards “more rock and some rap” the “Corona and Lime” can flow all day.

Apocalyptica “I Don’t Care”
You’re right.  I don’t.  I’m more interested in a band that rhymes with Apocalyptica that’s feeding their new single tomorrow.  No offense is intended toward the band, but their choice of singer (dude from 3DG) didn’t help me like this one.

Linkin Park “Leave Out All the Rest”
Since I work at a Top-40 station, I have a great working knowledge of Linkin Park radio tracks.  Sure, I have their three studio albums as well, but their radio songs are fire-branded into my brain.  Where does this one fit in?  Well, I think it has less oomph than “In the End”, but in a good way.  “Numb” isn’t even a good comparison, as the song has about as much in common with that as it does “Somewhere I Belong”.  “What I’ve Done” burned the whole album for me, but this song should have been released sooner, as it ranks a bit ahead of “Shadow of the Day”.  It still pales to what I consider LP’s best radio friendly track, “Breaking the Habit”.  Originally I was going to do a bit about how all their songs sound the same, but looking at their list of radio hits, there is a lot of variety here.  I’ll have to save that rant for the next Nickelback album.

Pick to click: Shwayze

This.  A thousand times THIS.  How much of my soul do I have to sell to get this to happen?

This past weekend was one of the better weekends I can recall.  Kate and I had a free night in a hotel in Sioux Falls, and we found pretty much everything we needed for baby that we didn’t have yet.  It was also a breakthrough weekend of sorts for me.  It’s been my practice in the past to bottle up things that bothered me, until the contents were under a great deal of pressure and led to some kind of angry outburst (almost always when I’m alone).  Every woman I’ve dated has done something that bothered me at some point, and I never said much of anything because…I was afraid of losing them.  Even being married to Kate for over a year hadn’t changed this habit.  I still had a fear that if I voiced something that annoyed/angered/bothered me at the time, it would do more harm than good, and I’d end up alone again.  It sounds silly to think that one goof would cause me to think that way, but that’s how my brain works for various reasons.  Anyway, Kate did do something that annoyed me at B&N, and I actually said something while it was still fresh in our minds.  Shocker here…we’re not separated.  In fact, she thanked me for saying something and apologized for what happened.  I’m not saying I have a lot to complain about, far from it.  It was just a big leap forward for my brain to know it doesn’t have to bottle everything up, and to know I can voice something and not worry about being dissed and dismissed. 

This fall is going to be crazy everywhere in my brain.  My life is getting that “big change” only a child can deliver, but there’s a distraction wherever I look.  Shirley Manson on the new season of “Terminator”.  New albums are dropping from Metallica, AC/DC and Guns n’ Roses (I want to believe!).  Never mind what’s shaping to be a monumental election, and a Yankees free post-season.  I’m supposed to keep an eye and ear on all this and know which side of the diaper goes where?   I don’t think my life has ever been this nuts, and the emphasis is on nuts, because I can’t wait for it all to hit me at once. 

Finally, we have Rob Schrab.  If you are a fan of Rob’s work and have never read Scud: the Disposable Assassin, you fail at everything.  I have been waiting for ten years to see how the story ends, but I’m re-reading the first twenty issues in the book first.  Anyone posting spoilers in the comments gets de-friended .

That funky freshman year $#!*

Today, while putting in commercials and doing other station related work, I’ve started listening to a CD I recently (and finally) got my hands on.  Even though I’ve not heard it since about 1993, I still remember a lot of the music (and lyrics even!).  I’ve never owned it before, and now I only own it digitally.  It was property of my college roommate back in 1992.  He bought a five-CD changer, and we had it hooked into my “Mega-bass” boom box.  For a while, he only had one CD, but soon, he had a pretty good collection, and this one was almost always in.  I’d grown up not hating rap, but I didn’t give it a second thought.  By the time he moved out (nothing I did…he just wanted some…privacy?  he was more of a ladies man than I was) I knew every song on this CD, along with House of Pain, DJ Magic Mike, Black Sheep, and Public Enemy, thanks to a few days of all day Super Mario 3 playing and that he listened to mostly rap all the time.

Back in 1994 or 1995, I lost touch with the old roomie.  We were in the same major, and I like to think we stayed friends the two years he went to SSU.  He transferred to Florida State, and we had some kind of awkward exchange at some NBS-AERho convention about him thinking SSU was small time and me thinking his attitude had gotten too big.  So Matt Rost (formerly of Mankato), if you find this, I’m sorry.  I hope you’re doing well wherever you might be, and I hope you’re still enjoying Cypress Hill.  Also, thanks for broadening my musical horizons, even if I prefer Ludacris to most rappers (however, my favorite rap group is still Public Enemy).

32 is the code word…or number

As in 3 new songs 2 weeks in a row.

KKCK:

Three 6 Mafia “Lolli Lolli (Pop that Body)”
No, it isn’t T-Pain in the song.  It’s also not quite the Halloween piano riff due to rights issues (unless you find the early leak of the song).  This would make two hip-hop hits in a year that reference the humble lollipop.  The energy of this song grabs your attention, and the flow, tempo and vocal style all work well within the song’s tight beats.  I’ve been giving our hip-hop adds some grief lately, but this one I like a lot.  I’d like it more if it worked in Smarties somehow.  Those things are where it’s at.

Theory of a Deadman “Bad Girlfriend”
Three albums in, the angry, bitter Nickelbackish band from Western Canada finally clocks into KKCK, and not even with a ballad.  Rather, they relay the tale of a girl who sounds like trouble with a big ol’ 72 point font bold-italic-underline “T” at every turn.  Yet, she sounds like just the kind of girl for a struggling band’s lead singer to hook up with, date for a time, and get burned on.  That propels the band down a path of rockin’ bitterness and the bad attitude boogie woogie.  Three albums later, the band is on the verge of major success in a new market.  So, thank you former bad girlfriend of Tyler Connoly of T.o.a.D.  fame.  You helped send the band down the path that led them to writing a song about you and getting a hit out of it.  That, and it’s the first song I can recall using the phrase “d— magnet”.

Matt Nathanson “Come on, Get Higher”
For some odd reason, people I work with think I know a ton about music.  I don’t think I know enough, and sometimes it really shows.  Case in point: Matt Nathanson.  I spent the first few times listening to him trying to figure out what band he was from.  No lie.  I thought he was some lead singer from some band I wasn’t remembering.  After a wiki check, I now see his band exists only in my head, where they had some moderate success early in the decade, opening for bands like Train.  Then, a second album didn’t deliver the goods and the band started fighting about the direction they should take.  The guitarist wanted to rock out and play Nickelcreed music.  The bass player’s cousin’s older brother managed some country singer who wanted a new bass player and song helper, so he wanted to go after those Nashville dollars.  The drummer wanted to add his other eight friends and turn the group into a Polyphonic Spree style band, or even a Polyphonic Spree tribute band.  Frustrated, Matt breaks up the band to focus on the folk rock on his own.  See, that was all in my head about this guy.  Wiki says he’s been a solo performer his whole career, going back to the mid-90s.  So, Matt, I’m sorry for breaking up your band that only existed in my head.  Oh, and the song?  It sounds like the dude from Train only folkier and mellower than any Train song I can think of.  Like, maybe if Train spent too much time on Jack Johnson’s tour bus.  That takes care of the higher part.  The come on part sounds like one of the better solo male performer songs that pop up and result in another outbreak of one-hit-wonder-itis.  Hopefully Matt got his shots.

Pick to click: Three 6 Mafia

Saturday I had the chance to see the new project from the Spooncat lads.  The Radio Specialists played outdoors and for a decent sized crowd in downtown Sioux Falls.  Due to an accident involving one of the members, some other Spooncaters popped up and a five-song Spooncat set worked into the set.  The Radio Specialists played some diverse music, that’s for sure.  Most of them I knew, but there were a few I have no basis of comparison (note to self, I need some Miles Davis).  The band added a harmonica player, a double axe attack, a cellist, and a new female singer who popped on stage from time to time.  The most interesting combo of the night was their take on “If I ever Lose My Faith” by Sting.  Jeremy and Anna-Lisa turned it into a duet, and the thought of doing it as a duet had never occurred to me.  It worked very well, and sounded great.  Another familiar song I didn’t expect to hear was “The End of the Innocence” by Don Henley (which they nailed).  Those were the highlights for me, but I don’t want to imply the rest of the show wasn’t memorable, because it was one of those shows where all the songs just flow in your ears, and it’s hard to remember songs because the flow was just that smooth.

This brings me to another thing.  I sometimes wonder if I go to concerts properly.  I’ve been to a few shows that cause me to get up and get crazy, but for the most part when I see a live band, I like to sit and take it in.  This might be why I’m just not into going to shows like I used to be.  I go to a live show for the audio experience, and everything else is just lost on me.  I don’t especially like standing in the middle of a crowd, nor to I like “clapping my hands” or “swaying” or “gettin’ crazy” or whatever else bands ask you to do.  I’d rather just sit back and take in how the music sounds as it was intended, rather than how it’s committed to a medium (which I also enjoy, but for other reasons).  I thought of this yesterday as I was listening to the new Alice Cooper album.  When I saw Alice several years ago, I was near the front and I was standing there just taking it all in.  Then, Alice came to that side of the stage and gave me an angry look, one that said “how dare you come to my show and not show emotion”.  Quite quickly I started acting excited and what have you, because offending Alice Cooper is about the last thing I’d want to do, as he’s been one of my favorite singers for over 20 years.  It isn’t like I wasn’t enjoying the show, far from it.  I just would rather enjoy without feeling the need to get all nutty and jumpy.  Does that make any sense?

By the way, the new Alice Cooper CD is pretty good.  It isn’t quite as good as his last album, but it’s a lot better than the few before Dirty Diamonds.  It pulls off the concept album trick without sounding too much like one.  As long as I’m talking about new albums, We the Kings put out a decent debut, but it doesn’t do much different than other bands of similar sound.  I’m thinking that if you’re buying We the Kings you aren’t looking for Kid A.  Scars on Broadway deliver a very solid debut, and it should leave those who miss System of a Down well tided over.  Also, I finally checked out the new CD from Sioux Falls’ Spill Canvas.  The album isn’t quite what I was expecting, as most of the songs struck me as a bit moodier and slower than “All Over You”.  I hadn’t noticed this on “All Over You”, but in the slower songs Nick Thomas sounds a lot like Matthew Good.

In not-new CD news, I picked up the They Might Be Giants CDs aimed at kids, since Kate and I’s bundle of joy will be here in a month or so.  I think I liked Here Come the ABCs slightly more than Here Come the 123s.  I need to find my old 40 GB iPod and load those up, along with loading up some classical albums I picked up really cheap at Kmart several years ago.  Any other good nursery song suggestions?

3 isn’t inspiring any subject material

So let’s get to it.

KKCK:

Estelle w/Kanye West “American Boy”
Once in a while a song comes along.  This song stands out from others by the unique ability to make me want to do things, unspeakable things.  I believe the proper term is “dancing” but nothing I do resembles such an activity.  Yet, the beat and music behind Estelle’s unique voice cause my so-called “booty” to “move”.  It is a phenomenon that is hard to control, and for the most part I’ve experienced without witnesses, not counting cats.  This might explain the cat vomit clean ups so far this week.

Saving Abel “Addicted”
We’re playing the “amended lyrics” version, so it went from borderline PG-13/R to mostly PG.  It’s like seeing a movie on TV when you’re a kid, and you know there are swears and scenes cut out.  Then, you get older and rent the film on VHS or DVD, and realize you weren’t missing much, and the movie wasn’t that good anyway.  If this song was an action film aimed at a male demographic, it would be a Spike original film written by one of the better writers of SciFi original movies, and would star somebody you swore you remembered from some show that was cancelled pretty quickly.  SciFi keeps making stuff like “Mansqito”, so if you’re in that percentile, enjoy the song.  I’ll pass if that’s cool with you.

Lifehouse “Broken”
Sometimes, a song title will remind me of another song.  Gavin DeGraw’s “In Love with a Girl” always makes me think of “Fell in Love With a Girl” by the White Stripes.  I dig the White Stripes, but I’m pretty noncommittal about Gavin DeGraw.  I thought that was as bad as it would get.  That is, until “Broken” by Lifehouse.  Everytime I see it, “I’m Broken” by Pantera rockets into my head.  “Broken” isn’t quite the anti-”I’m Broken” but it might be in the same general area.  The Lifehouse song is one that the ladies usually call for, or the guys call it in for them.  At least that’s what I tell myself when deep voiced dudes call for Miley Cyrus.  *shudder*

Pick to click: Estelle w/Kanye West

My shoulder feels like Mr. Spock gave me the Vulcan neck pinch for a good six hours.  Once in a while I sleep on my arm/shoulder/neck funny, and this is the result I live with for a good week or so.  What always gets me is that I never sleep that differently, so I have no idea why it happens when it happens. 

Thank goodness Mythbusters has new episodes starting next week.  It might wash the taste of “I Survived a Japanese Game Show” out of my head.  That show had a neat idea, and parts of the show are quite good.  I’m not sure if this is a problem with other reality shows (since I rarely watch any) but it is now to the point where none of the contestants left are really even likeable.  I think there’s one left named Bilenda or something like that, and she inspires “meh” while the rest are just annoying and spiteful.  The two hour finale is next week, and I’m very okay with that.  Thank goodness for DVR, as we now just fast forward all the interviews and just watch the Japanese game show elements.

Speaking of game shows, the new GSN series “Catch 21″ isn’t too bad.  The host is Alfonso Ribeiro, who you may remember as Carlton from “Fresh Prince of Bell Air”.  I never would have thought of him as a game show host, but he does a really good job.  It isn’t quite a show worth DVRing, but if it’s on and nothing else is, you could do worse.  If you don’t like product placement, be warned. 

I’ve read a lot of negativity towards the new X-Files movie, and the friend I went to it with called it “the worst movie of the year, worse than Space Chimps” (which prompted the response “you saw Space Chimps?).  I enjoyed the movie, which is odd since I’ve seen all of three or four episodes of the show.  The few episodes I’ve seen I enjoyed, but I watched them midway through the run, and I was so hopelessly out of the loop I decided to just wait and watch them all on DVD someday when I’m retired.  I enjoyed David Duchovny’s dry delivery and Gillian Anderson’s conflicted storyline, along with what little bit of Mitch Pileggi’s Skinner that made it into the movie.  Fans of the show probably have more of a beef with the movie, but I enjoyed the first X-Files movie without watching the show, so as a fan of X-Files movies, I wasn’t let down. 

The ol’ homestead is almost ready for the new tenant, a.k.a. the baby.  Kate has the living room nearly baby-proofed, and if he/she (I’m holding out hope the ultrasound tech goofed up) was to arrive now, we’d have everything we need, and almost everything we want.  Everyone says that the nine months go by fast, and Kate would agree.  I actually don’t think they did.  For me at least, time seemed to go slower.  Does this mean I lose my “make fun of Kate having no patience” cred?

This Saturday the Spooncat-ish group The Radio Specialists take to Phillips avenue for the annual steak-out, and I hope to be there to enjoy some tunes, and maybe this year some steak.  I need to get in touch with the guys and ask exactly how one does that. 

Until next time…

2 in a room, and one won’t wiggle it even a little bit

As…it…grooves?

KKCK:

Leona Lewis “Better in Time”
“Leona dear, the international society of one hit wonders is calling again.”
“Just hang up.  I’m not returning their calls.”
Seriously, “Bleeding Love” may never be topped, but this Brit might be the Kelly Clarkson equivalent, and we all know a pound beats a dollar.  This song does little to mess with a formula that should serve Ms. Lewis well.

O.A.R. “Shattered (Turn the Car Around)”
The new album is out, and the new song crosses over from…whatever format was big into O.A.R. (AAA?  Alt?  Hot AC?).  We’ve toyed around with this band before, but this song should keep them in the CHR mindset for a time.  The baffling thing is that they had a song that was used heavily by ESPN for the College World Series, but this isn’t it.  Maybe everybody is sick of that one?  The NCAA and ESPN probably hope so.

Pick to click: Leona Lewis

Ugh, it’s another busy day and I don’t have as much time to scribble, but in a business sense that’s a good thing.  It doesn’t help that my temporary music news site takes a while to update, as my studio computer isn’t a big fan of wordpress.  I put some pictures from my South Dakota trip up here if you want to see ‘em.  Kate has a bunch more on her facebook profile, so if you’re her friend there check ‘em out.

I hate to say more later, since I rarely post more later.

So, more later but probably not.

3 isn’t all that magical, really

Then again, I can’t do simple card tricks, so who am I to judge?

KKCK:

Paramore “That’s What You Get”
What we get is another song from the Riot CD.  I go back and forth on how to feel about this band, but as far as listening to this band, I have no problem.  I don’t know if they still consider themselves pop-punk, but they should just go straight rock and get it over with.  I think Haley Williams can pull it off.

Daughtry “What About Now”
Did you ever see the episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force that involved Meatwad losing his brain and floating out to sea saying “Do What Now” over and over?  For some reason, I hear Meatwad’s voice in my head saying “What About Now” as he floats in badly animated water every time I mention this song.  Ah, good times.  Oh, the song?  It’s a Daughtry song with more piano.

Hinder “Use Me”
These guys are from Oklahoma.  Rocklahoma is in Oklahoma.  Coincidence?  Not really.  “Use Me” has lyrics that would have been right at home on an album by Faster Pussycat, Tora Tora, Warrant, or [insert band here] on any album released between 1987 and 1991.  Even their music is less NickelCreed than before.  That being said, it will take a lot more to help me heal emotionally from people calling during “Lips of an Angel” to hear “Lips of an Angel”.

Pick to click: Hinder

I’ve been meaning to write a blog about my weekend in South Dakota, and I’ll probably post that here and elsewhere.  Work has been crazy this week, so I don’t have much time.

To be continued…?

Two songs not just for Sister Sarah

Don’t want no short short blog?

KKCK:

Jordin Sparks “One Step at a Time”
Why Jordin Sparks fans will like it: The song has a bit more bounce than “Tattoo”, which showcases her ability to handle a good dance song.
Why casual Jordin Sparks fans won’t like it: No Chris Brown.
Why Jack Johnson won’t like it: The sound of heels clacking clearly indicates shoes.

Mariah Carey “I’ll Be Lovin’ U Long Time”
Why Mariah Carey fans will like it: It’s Mariah.
Why non-fans of Mariah Carey will hate it: Well…it is Mariah Carey.
Teachers most likely to not like the song: English and/or Grammar teachers

Pick to click: it’s a tough call with both songs being third singles, and both supported by the Clock King, but I’ll pick Jordin Sparks.

If you like checking my music news links at the KKCK website (or even if you’ve never check them) I must report they are moving for a while.  The KKCK website is getting a face-lift, and won’t be able to work for a few weeks or months.  So, I’ve set up a temporary home for my music news links, KKCK playlists and Shag playlists, along with progress updates on our website (as I get them).

I don’t know my internet situation for the rest of the week, and due to the trip, I don’t have much time today, as I’ll be leaving for South Dakota in a few hours.  Check here or here for possible trip updates, and possible pictures from my personal favorite state in the union.

Have a great rest of the week!