Scalzunfield

I still dislike it, don't worry. It hasn't grown on me yet. Country through I'll Fight are the worst three running tracks in the Wilco catalogue, hands down.

Hawks were definitely making me nervous last night. But, anything less than winning the next 2 at home will make things very hard on them. And even then, they have to win the next 4 out of 5...

Wings in 4, maybe 5, no problem. They're a better team all around than my Hawks, but the refs are lending a HUGE helping hand. So far I've seen two high sticks not called in each game on the Wings, and Patrick Sharp was body slammed into the ice last night so hard he was bleeding from his head and yet...no call. Then they called Bolland for a hook when the blade of his stick was pointed AWAY from the Detroit player.

I don't want to call conspiracy theory, but holy crap are the refs turning a blind eye to most Red Wing penalties that seem to get immediately called on the Hawks. I know the Hawks had their fair share of power plays in last night's game, but it was obvious stuff getting called, but only getting called 50% of the time on the Wings. I know the Hawks get away with some stuff too, but if the refs in the playoffs are going to make a habit of calling ONLY the obvious penalty, you have to call the obvious every damn time it happens on BOTH teams, not pick and choose when and where.

I don't want the Wings to win again, they are Cup-hogs and need to let someone else have a chance, haha. But I'm pulling for Bruins/Wings final.

I really liked the Hawks before the series but Byfuglien (who was my favorite Hawk as he was a PG Cougar and we have many mutual acquaintances, I've heard nothing but good things about him) had that smart ass grin the entire time, even when the Hawks were down 2-1 in the series. Plus, Kane had that really cocky comment about Willie Mitchell that just kind of pissed me off. So now, they're on my hate list. I'll probably forgive them after the playoffs. The Hawks were my #2 team all year, they're so fun to watch and I love seeing players my age or younger than me succeed.

 

EDIT: Damn Caps got bamboozeled!

The Kane comment was in response to Willie Mitchell saying every one of Kane's goals is lucky. I loved the kid's remark: he took a jackass comment by a mediocre veteran and made a joke out of it.

As for Byfuglien, he made life hell for Luongo and it was a beautiful thing. Luongo is one of my least favorite goalie's due to his constant cry-baby stuff like threatening to retire if they make the nets bigger. Grow up and be a role model, let alone a captain like your team made you.

I like the Canucks, but have very little respect for a handful of their players. If they can keep the twins and Luongo they'll be great for years.

I'd like to heap on the praise as well and I know I'll probably get slammed on this board for saying this:

I'm just not feeling it. It's dull in much the same way SBS was but without You Are My Face, Impossible Germany, and Side With The Seeds to bolster it up.

I love Bull Black Nova and even Sunny Feeling, but the rest of the album is quite bland.

They torn apart One Wing as the ending I heard live was excellent and by far the best part of the song: it's missing on the album and the song suffers without it.

Also, I could do without Solitaire and Everlasting completely.

I'm hoping it'll grow on me but I'm not holding my breath: I'm sadly not impressed.

If anyone can provide a non-Twitter link, my e-mail awaits (mmulcahy06@hotmail.com). I'd probably have to love you for at least the next six weeks.

If someone would send me a link to the leak, I would much appreciate it!

 

Edit: I forgot there were no PMs. ikol83@gmail.com would be a good place to send a link!

This goes double for mmulcahy06@hotmail.com

Pleeeeeease.

I hate life

Quite the opposite feeling over here as a Hawks fan, but Luongo just flat out did not show up in game 6. He was very inconsistent over the course of the series, but the defense didn't help him out in last night's game either and he didn't make the saves he had to. On the other hand, it doesn't help his cause that he drops to his knees so early: the Hawks went to town on that last night.

But he's a damn good goalie (possibly a little overrated) and he'll get a better shot for the cup than this year. However, I don't think it'll be with the Canucks. If they're going to focus on re-signing the twins and they're going to spend the money that's being discussed now it's going to be hard to put four real good lines together in Vancouver for a long time as long as there's a salary cap.

Also, that Walker punch was freakin' dirty, but I'm not surprised they didn't suspend him: the league has been horribly inconsistent on things like that. Take, for example, Cammalleri decking Havlat in the face off a faceoff back in the CGY/CHI series and not even getting a 2-minute minor let alone a fine or suspension. I understand past instances have bearing on the current punishment, but it should be the LENGTH of the punishment that is modified, not whether there IS punishment.

And a from me too. Just about the greatest album ever.

I have yet to find an album that would top London Calling for #1 on my list of all time. It's not just the songs, it's the sound of the album. It's the fact that there ARE 19 songs there and every one of them is a freakin' gem. I guess that's why I still don't get Sandinista!: it's a triple LP and you've really gotta hunt to find the songs worth putting on repeat. I put on London Calling, start at the top, and listen all the way through. I feel like I don't even have a choice.

In the series you've watched, has the officiating been as erratic and almost invisible as it has in the Flames/Hawks series?

The Flames are punching and cross-checking after every whistle and the refs do nothing about it until a Hawk player does it as well. Then the refs deem those as off-setting minors. It's gone on all series with "Celine" Dion Phaneuf, Adrian Aucoin, and Rene Bourque doing it every time they're out there. The only time it DID get called was in last night's game early in the first when Olli Jokinen sent Hjalmarsson on the Hawks flying into the end boards roughly 3 seconds after the whistle blew. It's been awful and there were some skirmishes last night at the end of the game that I'm sure will probably lead to Hawk suspensions for game 4 even though it was them finally standing up for themselves after being punched in the face all night after the play.

I'm still waiting for Cammalleri to experience some discipline after blatantly punching Havlat in the face in game one. Oh wait, he's scored 39 goals this year and you can't suspend a guy who has done that for a lousy bunch of Flamers, er Flames, can you?

Full version of Side with the Seeds:

 

http://music-mix.ew.com/2009/04/wilcos-new-dvd.html

Man Nels rippin' that solo up at the end gets me every time. I cannot freakin' wait for the two Milwaukee shows next week.

Does Hazards With Love sound in any way "The Island"? I'm thinking of picking this up, but the reviews sure do sound mixed.

It sounds like the Island at times, but imagine The Island expanded to a full 50 minutes (and with more portions that seem to drag the piece down thrown in). My opinion of the album has improved slightly but every other Decemberists album is a full head and shoulders above this. I guarantee this is easily the most disappointing album of 2009 for me.

Someone was high when they made this thread.

Clearly, whether you CAN make music and SHOULD are two different things. I, for instance, think U2 should have stopped making music nearly two decades ago as their albums have been a steady decline to the aural crap we hear now. Did they stop? Nope. Should they stop? Only if they want to. As mentioned before, this is all subjectivity.

Bottom line, it's not up to you anyways.

Not sure I'm a fan. It's just kinda blah. Maybe on repeated listens I'll feel different but right now I"m not terribly enthused.

I have to say, I think this is their best record so far. There some songs on there that would not be out of place on a Black Keys album. I'm really liking it. One thing I noticed, he sure likes using the word "boughs" in songs.

I don't know...there just isn't that hook that most Decemberists songs contain. If there ARE those hooks, they are so few and far between on this album to make it not worth listening. Don't get me wrong, I'm an "album first, singles second" kind of guy but there needs to be something that stands out and is worth putting on repeat. There's nothing here like that and the riffs that are repeated (at times ad nauseum) throughout the album aren't WORTH the repetition anyways.

it's a bit of a continuation of the prog they picked up on parts of Crane Wife, but goes even further.

That's how I felt. It brought back in particular The Tain and The Island when I listed to the new one. Sadly, the other two tell their respective stories in a much more concise time frame and this album just feels like it's dragging on at points.

Alright so I ran out to buy the new Decemberists album today. I know they are totally polarizing on these boards, but I wanted to see where the new one's ranking for you compared to previous albums.

For me, it's a complete and utter disappointment. Now, I'll admit when I heard the concept for it I was less than enthused and, unfortunately, I was not pleasantly surprised. I'd give all of their previous albums solid 7's out of 10 which, on my fairly harsh scale, is a damn good discography. This album is more of a 3 or 4 out of 10. Just upon the first couple of listens I'm not seeing much potential for growth like Her Majesty or Crane Wife did.

What are your feelings?

Imagine the blind spot if your driving that thing down the highway. Judging by where the wings are you wouldn't be able to see anything!

http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=523200

Here's a link to the show's recording. It's a matrix so it sounds pretty damn good.

The opener was "Slim Chance."

Honestly I do not remember the title of the opening song, it's one of the ones I was unsure about when making out that list.

Damn can this guy put on a show. This was only my second time seeing him but it was more impressive than the first. He told far less stories but played far more songs. He did, however, manage to tell a story about Tony Bennett stealing $65 from him as well as meeting Slash in a hotel bar with Slash wearing nothing but accessories and "those tight shorts that only seem to be worn by Richard Simmons." He had about a 9-song list he brought on the stage with stuff he wanted to play and then took shout-outs from the audience. There was even a Wilco reference incorporated into one of the songs. During "Talkin' Seattle Grunge Rock Blues" when he's describing his band's epic fall from stardom he ad-libbed a couple lines along the lines of the band moving back to Chicago and lugging Wilco's gear around. Kind of a surprising moment. In no particular order, he played:

The Ballad of The Kingsmen

Easy Money

Alright Guy

Talkin' Seattle Grunge Rock Blues

Tension (ad-libbed in some Michael Phelps-related humor)

DB Cooper

Beer Run

Tillamook County Jail

Play A Train Song

Conservative Christian...

If Tomorrow Never Comes

Just Like Old Times

The Devil You Know

Fortunate Son

There are probably a couple others I can't remember the names of or can't remember him playing. The man knows how to keep an audience tuned in and loving every minute. Great show and I'd recommend anyone to see him even if you have absolutely no idea of any song he sings.

I was hooked on Evil Urges, Touch Me Parts 1 and 2, and I'm Amazed right from the start. A group of great songs up to any MMJ standard. However, the rest of the album is sorely lacking in a way no other MMJ album has. Honestly, outside of occasionally playing the cuts listed above, I have not come back to this album since it leaked a few weeks prior to the album being released. I have no desire to hear it. It is completely unfocused: songs like Highly Suspicious and Librarian make me cringe every time I hear them. As previously mentioned, a steady decline for the past several records. I'm scared of the next one.

come on man. put in a little effort!

Yeah, if I had an mp3 of Jeff doing that tune, I'd expect at least a little fellatio in return for it...

Yep last show I saw there was that ABird and Wilco show. The sound was really off especially for Birds set. I hae no plans to ever go back.

That's the one I attended too. I won't even go back for Wilco, it was seriously that bad. I think even the guys realized it that night. At one point I remember Jeff poking fun at Glenn and Glenn having absolutely no idea what Jeff was saying because the echo was so bad.

YES! I'm very excited about the milwaukee shows and so glad that they're playing the Pabst instead of the Rave

The Rave is probably the worst venue I've ever seen a show at. After seeing Andrew Bird and Wilco there a couple years back and hearing nothing but echos the entire show, I have vowed never to go back there regardless of who's playing.

Worst. Venue. Ever.

Thank god for the Pabst.

I'm gonna also jump in here and say that Radiohead sounded awful. Now, I refused to watch the Grammy's as I knew Radiohead and Macca were the only things I'd be able to stomach. Now I'm REALLY glad I didn't watch. Yorke sounded terrible up there.