Callin' Baton Rouge

Though much of our attention has been on Tate lately, things haven't slowed down with the other two terrors. Paige just had her second dance recital. This time, things got a little bit country.

For those with 1:45 on their hands, here's a clip from the big performance.

Beautiful Boy

More photos from Tate's first fashion shoot (and second day on Earth).

Pick Your Poison

For 20 years, I have struggled with a question for the ages. Which "Poison" is better? Alice Cooper's ode to the evil woman, or the Bel Biv Devoe tune that gives the best advice ever put to music ("Never trust a big butt and a smile")?





On an unrelated Alice Cooper note, if you type "Alice Cooper" into the Google toolbar, it wants to auto-fill with "Alice Cooper Mormon." That takes you to Celebrities Rumored to be Mormon.

About Cooper:

His father's name was Ether Moroni Furnier. Jay Evenson, who is the Deseret News' editorial page editor and teaches an opinion writing class at BYU, interviewed him once. His family belonged to an offshoot of the LDS Church, but his father was later ordained a minister in the Baptist church.

(The site also reveals the genesis of "Steve Martin is a Mormon.")

When a Blockbuster Video Dies

A weird blanket and socks store is born. Everyday as I drive by, I see
all of the blankets that would perfectly complement our decor. But
which should I choose? The N.W.A. or the Dr. Dre?  What am I saying? I
need something the whole family can enjoy. I'll go with the Tupac.
That'll keep us warm at night.

Drie Jaar Oud

Three years of this kid. We still [mostly] like him. Happy birthday to the kid born on 4/20 (also Hitler's birthday).

Invoking Snoopy power

Feels like I'm looking at a picture of Tate

This Week's Music: Yellowcard, The Strokes, Smoking Popes

Yellowcard
When You're Through Thinking, Say Yes

Of all the Blink-182-inspired acts of the early 2000s, Yellowcard made the biggest splash. In less than a decade, the band has experienced both huge commercial success and the stresses that led to a two-year hiatus. On their fifth full-length, Yellowcard sounds renewed. They've ratcheted up the tempo and pushed Sean Mackin's violin back into the forefront. Though this is a clearly a nod to the band's early sound (it's hard not to think that Ryan Key is singing to longtime fans when he says, "Let me back in/Love me again" on the opening track), it doesn't feel like they're pandering to the past. Instead, "Say Yes" shows the band is continuing to hone its craft without losing track of its strengths.

For fans of: Blink-182, Fall Out Boy
Rating: 3 of 4

The Strokes
Angles

Before making "Angles," The Strokes had been broken up almost as long as they had been together. With the band members each filling the past five years with different projects, it's not surprising that "Angles" is all over the musical map. "Machu Picchu" dips into reggae, "You're So Right" is cold and robotic, and "Games" is filled with dreamy synths. Everything here is delivered with precision, from the live drums that sound like a drum machine to the guitars that sound like keyboards; only Julian Casablanca's sleepy and often-distorted vocals eschew the glossy production. Despite the strong execution, the tunes lack the emotional pull of the band's early records. The parts are all there, but somehow the whole is missing.  

For fans of: Arctic Monkeys, Interpol
Rating: 3 of 4

Smoking Popes
Wish We Were

Not many 40-year-old singers can deliver lines like "I don't want to go college/I don't wanna be another puppet of the man" without sounding like an idiot. But Josh Caterer is no average singer. Since the early '90s, he's found a way to mix punk rock with Sinantra-style crooning. He uses "Wish We Were" to relive his teenage years--chasing unrequited love ("Wish You Were"), mortgaging his future ("College"), and sleeping on stranger's floors ("Punk Band"). Even though the record is a tongue-in-cheek look at high school drama (the vocals on "Diary of a Teen Tragedy" are straight out of "The Wonder Years"), the songs are seriously catchy. I can't stop singing "I want to come out to the show with you tonight/But I've got mono, I've got mono."

For fans of: Green Day, The Ramones
Rating: 3 of 4

Radio Flyer

I pulled Curtis around the neighborhood in the wagon yesterday. Paige decided to stay home. I couldn't believe how quiet it was without her. Just the day before, I had to have this conversation with her in the wagon--completely unprovoked.

PAIGE: I don't ever want to live on Neptune. It's waaay too cold there. I would freeze to death!

ME: Why do you know that? Where did you learn about Neptune?

PAIGE: And I don't want to live on Mercury because it's too hot and I would boil up.

ME: Who teaches you these things? [It's clearly not me, because I do not know these things.]

PAIGE: I only want to live on Earth. My favorite country is Australia because kangaroos live there and so do The Wiggles.

Curtis just sat quietly in the wagon. Wonderfully quiet.

Naming Convention

As usual, we went to the hospital without a name for this kid. We had a shortlist, but while we were in the delivery room, we quickly realized that we didn't have them ranked in the same order.

It drives hospital folk crazy when you don't have a name. The nurses want to write the name on the whiteboard and on the tag on the bassinet. The doctor wants to call the kid by name to coax him out of the womb. And the person that's most worried about it is the lady who hassles you every five seconds to fill out the birth certificate forms.

We officially decided to call him Tate the night before we left the hospital. So that everyone could the announcement at once, I sent a text to all of our family members. Because I know that the entire concept of text messages enrages my mother, I called her directly as well.

My dad answered the phone. Before I could even ask if they had seen the text, he told me that he and Paige had decided on a name. Max. This didn't surprise me, as Paige had been calling the kid Max for months.

"Well, about that. I'm calling to see if you got my text. His name is going to be Tate."

"Tate? Paige, your little brother is going to be called Tate."

Through the phone, I could hear her disappointment.

When I picked the kids up from my parents', we had a have a long talk about it.

"He's not Tate, he's Max," Paige began.

"What if we called him Max as a nickname?" I countered.

"No, let's call him Max and Tate can be his nickname." I could already tell I was losing.

"How 'bout you call him Max and mom and I will call him Tate."

"Daaad, grown-ups don't get to choose the name. The oldest kid gets to choose the name because kids love the baby the most."

We finally found a compromise. She could call him Max and even make him a Mii avatar named Max. (Everyone in Paige's life has a Mii--from her cousins to Alvin and the Chipmunks. We just found out that the Wii can only hold 100 Miis. Paige reached the limit.) We immediately went in the house and created the Max Mii.

Apparently, all she needed was to sleep on it. The first thing she said to me in the morning was, "Dad, I think I'm going to call little brother Tate, too."

And that was that. He's Tate.

The Process of Belief

As I've said before, when I started writing for IN, I had a short list of bands I wanted to interview. Bad Religion was near the top. My first chance to talk to them came in advance of  the Warped Tour in 2009. Of course, I had hoped to get singer (and book writer) Greg Graffin. Instead, I got the only guy in the band I didn't want to talk to, drummer Brooks Wackerman. Not only is he the new guy (he joined the band back in 2000), but his former side project, Hot Potty, was possibly the worst band I'd ever seen live. 

As it turned out, Brooks was great to talk to. So good, in fact, that I take back all the bad things I have said about him in the past. 

Goodwill aside, I was pretty excited when I heard that was going to get to talk to founding member, bassist Jay Bentley this time around. Jay is the big, smiling face of the band. On the phone, he was just as charismatic and full of laughter as I had hoped. 

I asked him the usual questions about band longevity, influences, etc. But I really wanted to ask him about faith.

Bad Religion was formed by a bunch of high school kids in the Reagan era. They chose the band name (and the "cross busters" logo) as a response to the televangelism of the '80s, and of course, to piss people off. It would seem, though, that as they grew up, their black and white anti-religion sentiment would become more gray. Alas, nay. It is is still a constant lyrical topic for Graffin and the whole thesis of his book hinges on the lack of God. 

I wanted to see if that stance was shared by the rest of the guys. I didn't get a real straight answer but I did enjoy these two responses: 

It’s been a long time since you guys decided to call yourselves Bad Religion. What would happen if you walked into the room today and said, “Hey guys, I’m a born again Christian! I converted last night.”

[Big laugh] There is no hard/fast rule about anything. I’m sure if [guitarist] Brian [Baker] came in and said, ‘Guys, I’ve never told you, but I’m a Republican,’ we’d all have a laugh, point fingers, giggle, and get back to work.

There’s one thing about this band that I can honestly say that we’ve learned--each and every member has their own individual ideas and purposes. We’re not a team, not a unit, not a gang. We don’t all wear the same clothes and we don’t fly a flag. We are all separate people who have learned to make room for all of our ideologies.

There is more faith in this band than you might know. It has never been a problem. It is something we always talk about--how can you have this type of belief--those are the long discussions we have on 10 hour drives. There’s room for everybody here.

Are there a lot of religious Bad Religion fans out there?

I’ve met more people than you can imagine--whether they are parents or kids--who have a faith or an organized religion that they belong to. One of the things that we’ve always said is, ‘There’s nothing wrong with religion, it’s what people do with it.’ When it seems selfish or egocentric, that’s when there’s a problem.

Everyone deserves to be happy. And whatever makes people happy is completely awesome. But there seems to be people in the world who can’t leave well enough alone, [and say] ”I’m happy, but I need more. I want others to believe what I believe and if they don’t, they’re automatically considered an enemy.” I can’t agree with philosophy ever.

Good conversation, good interview. I'm bummed I wasn't able to make the show.

Read the full article here.

Happy to be Home

Despite the constant chaos, Tate seems pretty content with his home.

So You Were Born, and That Was a Good Day

It's already been a week since Tate came home from the hospital. Having a new little one in the house doesn't exactly create tons of free time, so I excuse myself for not having written before now (though I still feel a bit guilty). So let's start with the most important part. The pictures.

Fresh out of the oven

Shirt fits like a glove

The eyes eventually opened

First day home, rockin' the guitar jammies

Hooligans

Behind that megaphone is a pretty cute girl

Paige and I went to the Real Salt Lake game tonight. She was a total super fan, cheering into her RSL megaphone for all 90 minutes.

At one point she was shouting, "Defense! Defense!" and then she turned to me and asked, "What's defense?"

Brotherly Love

The kids' first interaction with Tate went about as we had expected. Paige was super excited. She could hardly wait to give Traci the letter she made us:

"Congrations to Our New Baby. Love Paige." (She had also printed off and included the picture of Tate that I had texted to our parents. I guess that was to remind us what he looks like.)

She ran right over to look and him and gasped, "Oh, he's so cuuuute."

Curtis was indifferent to his new brother, but excited to find that he could see the train tracks from our window.

I took the kids from the hospital to Paige's preschool. On the way to the car she kept saying, "This is a special day because baby brother has joined our family. This is our special day."

Curtis was just happy that we were leaving so we could go home and play Rampage on the Wii.

Welcome to the Family

Traci wasn't due until April 17. But this little guy decided to come early. Traci came home from work at 9:00, with that look in her eye.

Spencer: Are you alright?

Traci: Um, yeah. I think I'm having contractions. I'm going to get in the shower. Maybe that will make them stop.

Spencer: I don' think it works that way.

And it didn't. After the shower, we decided it was time to go. We transported Paige from her bed to the minivan (no sleep disruption for party-guy Curtis, who of course was still awake). We dropped the kids off at Traci's parents and arrived at the hospital at about 10:30 p.m.

Once at the hospital, things moved pretty quickly. At 2:00 a.m. the doctor and her posse of nurses gave Traci the green light and granted permission for me to lie on the couch in silence and concentrate on not passing out. At 2:45 a.m. we were greeted by a screaming ball of hair and red skin.(From what I could hear with my eyes closed, Traci was a champion child-birther.)

Tate Spencer Sutherland weighed in at 7 lbs. 2 oz. and 20 inches. After his bath, Tate's hair was less dark brown and more strawberry blond. Yes, we may finally have a redhead.

Newest member of the family. He's not happy about being here.

This Week's Music: Avril, Rise Against, Aquabats

One of these things is better than the others. (Hint: the answer is Rise Against.)

Rise Against - Endgame So much rage against the machine. Love it.

Aquabats  - High-Five Soup! Souds more like Yo Gabba Gabba and less like the Aquabats. I realize this is a subtle difference, but noticeable nevertheless. I've never been a big fan of the Aquabats, and even spent a few years being a hater. But I actually really liked their last album Charge! quite a bit, so I was bummed out about being bummed out by this one.

Avril Lavigne - Goodbye Lullaby I like the Hot-Topic-angsty Avril, not the divorced-lady-ballad Avril. Not good. (Still the hottest of the three bands.)

Feels Like Spring Time

At the start of the winter, I was this close to writing the following:

In continuation of the Utah-based guilt that got us hiking this summer, I am going to try to enjoy winter for once. 

But I didn't write it. And thus, I had no obligation to acknowledge the season. With yesterday's 70 degree weather, I thought I had successfully bested winter.

When it came roaring back this morning with four inches of powder, I figured fate was telling me something--namely, to get out and play in the snow with my kids.

Here's some pics of our adventures:

Curtis is up to no good

Paige is rocking the monkey hat I bought her in NYC and her gangsta attitude

Yes, this pose is still in her repertoire

Now we're officially ready for winter to depart.

At the Bon Jovi Concert

...On the very top row.

TV Guide

Am I the only one who has this type of conversations with their five-year-old?

"Dad, I put a note for you on the fridge."

"Great. What does this mean? '56C?'"

"It's so you don't forget to record the Imagination Movers concert.
It's on tonight at 5:00/6:00 Central."

We watch too much television.

Oh, The Humanity

In Sunday School today:

"Brothers and sisters, welcome to Sunday School. I am glad to see that you have all survived the calamities of the weekend."

I assumed that the class president was referring to the earthquakes in Japan.

I was wrong.

"BYU lost the tournament. But there is still hope."

The Sutherland boys are spending Friday night at Lowes, testing toilets.

Latter-Day Sutherlands

With Paige always worried that Heavenly Father is trying to steal her stuff, it's a bit tough to get her excited about having Family Home Evening.

This is the conversation I had with her last Monday night after dinner.

PAIGE: Dad, what does canceled mean?

ME: It's when something doesn't happen. Like when your dance class got canceled because your teacher was sick.

PAIGE: So, like, when someone has a cold something might be canceled?

ME: Yeah.

Then here's what happened after we all sat down for family night. And by all, I mean our family, plus all of Paige's Tinkerbell dolls and Curtis' monster trucks.

PAIGE: Wait, wait, wait. I forgot something. We can't start family night yet.

[She comes back with her toy microphone.]

PAIGE: [Into her microphone] I have an announcement. Tinkerbell is sick. [Pause for emphasis] So family night is CANCELED!

What an awful little genius.

Dancing Queen

Paige has taken Swimming Level I twice. She's yet to pass it because she refuses to put her face in the water. Nevertheless, she loves to go to class. (Mostly because the kids get to play on the slides at the end.)

Traci signed Paige up for her first dance class a few weeks ago. We thought she might like it, but even if she didn't, we figured it would be good to get her some exposure to different activities. Because she's such a worrier, I don't think Traci even told her about the class until they were in the car and on their way. Paige met the news with trepidation.

"How 'bout we go to swimming class instead."

"Oh come on," Traci said. "You'll like it."

And she did.

Paige has now completed her first five session course and already had her first dance recital.

Watching a bunch of five-year-old girls dance was certainly entertaining.

TEACHER: "When you do your roll, you all need to roll in the same direction or you'll roll over each other."

They certainly did.

I was a very proud dad when I saw Paige up on the stage doing her performance of "It's a Hard Knock Life." Unfortunately, I also realized I am not properly equipped to be a good stage dad. I need a video camera with a better zoom and I also need to get more aggressive and become that guy who brings a tripod and sets it up right in front of everyone.

Despite the poor quality, here's a little montage of the first session of dancing.

Review: Iron & Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean

Iron & Wine
Kiss Each Other Clean

If you fell asleep in 2002 to the whispery folk strumming of Iron & Wine’s “The Creek Drank the Cradle” and woke up to 2011’s “Kiss Each Other Clean,” it would be a very confusing morning. Sam Beam is no longer a solo artist, but rather the leader of his wildest musical dreams. “Clean” is the next step in the progression of grandeur he’s explored over his past few releases. The record pulls from an endless supply of instruments ranging from xylophones to Stevie Wonder-esque synthesizers. There are brief moments when too much is too much (the saxophone solo on “Me & Lazarus”), but overall, the added instrumentation makes a good thing better--“Monkeys Uptown” gets spookier; “Walking Far From Home” gets more poetic; and “Big Burned Hand” gets funkier (yes, Beam is now getting funky, though it’s not his strong suit). There’s no guessing where Iron & Wine will go next, but it’s sure to be an interesting ride.

For fans of: Bon Iver, Sufjan Stevens    
Rating: 3.5 of 4
Check out this track: Monkeys Uptown

David Archuleta Fans Are Way Tougher than Eminem's

Remember when Eminem's fans hated me so much? (P.S. that article has now gathered more than 13,000 views.)  Well, that's nothing compared to the wrath I'm suffering from the hardcore David Archuleta fans.

A few days ago, I posted this quick little post about Archie being dropped from his label. I'm now expecting a full-on attack by an army of 13-year-old girls.

My favorite of all the comments was "If you look at David's Twitter account after midnight..." I was hoping the sentence was going to end there. My mind quickly filled in the blanks about what was going down at an after-hours Archie party.

Anyhoo, this is the last you'll see of me as I'm entering the music critic relocation program tomorrow.

Mark My Words

When Traci isn't looking, I WILL be naming this kid Axl.

More from the Name Game

 
The Royal Tenenbaums was on TV last weekend. Not only may this be one of the best movies ever made, but it also comes with a bevy of great name ideas--Eli, Cash, Uzi, Ari, Henry, Sherman, Raleigh St. Clair, and of course, Royal. Traci refused all of these genius ideas. Especially Royal, a name which could be combined with another one of my top-favs, Ace. Royal Ace. Royal Ace Sutherland. It has a nice ring to it.

The Name Game (Cont'd)

In the list of -er ending names (from the oh-so-valuable Beyond Ava & Aiden: The Enlightened Guide to Naming Your Baby), there are such hits as:

ARCHER professional bowman
BRIDGER builder of bridges
DECKER roof maker
KIEFER barrel maker

and even

SPENCER a dispenser of provisions

Makes me feel like drug dealer. Maybe I missed my calling.

I used to take the kids to Petsmart when I needed to kill time. Apparently I should have been taking them to Lowes. Curtis thought the riding lawnmowers were the best thing ever.

Monster Madness

Curtis and I are patiently waiting for the mayhem to begin.

It Begins

I am taking Curtis to the monster truck show tomorrow. It will be the first for both the 3-year-old and the 30-year-old.

Best. Valentines. Ever.

I awoke this morning to a very enthusiastic Paige, frantically reminding that it was Valentine's Day. She couldn't wait to give me all SEVEN of the Valentine's cards she had made me. Sweetest girl in the world.

It almost killed her to wait for Curtis to wake up so she could give him his cards. When grumpy Curtis finally decided to open the cards, nearly an hour later, he was overjoyed with the card she had made him--surrounded by hand-drawn hearts on one side and monster trucks on the other.

Hi, My Name Is

We're less than two months away from the arrival of Kid #3 and we're still not making any progress in the naming department. We've looked through all sorts of crappy name books, with no luck. I'm now taking matters into my own hands. I'm just going to pick one from The Hills cast list:

Spencer (hey, that's convenient)
Brody
Jason
Justin Bobby
Charlie
Frankie
Sleazy T (clearly my favorite)

If that doesn't work, we're going to have to go deeper in the back catalog, possibly all the way back to Season One of Laguna Beach. I can't wait for a Talan or Trey to burst forth out of Traci's loins.

We are now the proud owners of our very own ballerina.

Monday Morning Playlist

Here's what I used to get through the Monday morning blues. Click to enlarge.

The Return of Hunter

I thought things with Hunter were over. It's been month since Paige has made any reference to her little preschool boyfriend. But this is how it went down on the drive home the other day.

PAIGE [with huge dramatics]: Dad, I have some bad news.

ME: Oh, no. Bad news? What is it?

PAIGE: Hunter doesn't like learning.

ME: He doesn't like learning? How come?

PAIGE: He just wants to play with toys.

'Hmm,' I thought. 'Even at five-years-old, girls are attracted to the bad boy. And what's more bad that not liking learning?'

ME: Well, that's no good. Hunter should like learning, huh?

PAIGE: I think he'll like learning when he turns five.

And there's the next eternal truth--ladies are always trying to change a man.

This Week's Music: Get Up Kids, Cake, Social D, Peter Wolf Crier

In case you were wondering, The Get Up Kids got back together. I haven't reviewed the new record yet (it's very different from anything they've done before), but here's my interview with the band. They're playing in Salt Lake this weekend.

Here are some records I have reviewed:

Social Distortion - Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes. If you like Social D, you'll like it. If you don't (or don't yet), I'm not really sure that you need start now.

Cake - Showroom of Compassion. I've been a fan of Cake for, what, 15 years now? As I look through the back catalog, there is a steady decline with each new album. This one goes at the bottom of the list. (Though I do love the track Long Time.)

Peter Wolf Crier - Inter-Be. The high-falsetto-ed indie sounds of the Midwest. I was listening to the CD in the front room and, all the way from the basement, Traci said, "I give that song an 11 on a 10 star scale of annoying-ness." I thought the song was pretty good.

Paddlin' the school canoe? Better believe that's a paddlin'

Sometimes you just need a little Simpsons to get you through the day. I started with this classic clip of Jasper Beardly teaching Lisa's class:



Which lead me to his best line:



Which made me think about Moleman:



Which ended like everything ends. With a football to the groin:

Father Knows Best

I'm in the men's restroom when I hear this exchange between a dad about my age and his five-year-old son.

"Dad, do I need to wash my hands?"

"No, just don't touch anything."

"I didn't. I only touched myself."

(If I was giving a really dramatic church talk, this story would end with "And that boy was me." But it's not, so it doesn't.)

Let's Get This Party Started

Before Traci left for work on Monday night she suggested to the rest of us have a pajama party and watch a movie. The kids were quick to get into costume. Right before we started the movie, however, Paige had a different idea."Let's have a dance party, instead."

Curtis, without hesitating even a second, pulled his down pants and, in diapered booty, declared, "Let's dance."

Where did this kid come from?

For the Record

Let it be written that on this, the twenty-eighth day of January in the year two thousand eleven, that I, Spencer Sutherland, came to the realization that the lyrics of the 1989 dance hit "Pump Up the Jam" do not say:

"I want a place to play
Get your booty on the bus tonight."

Thanks to the lyrics scrawling along the bottom of the Just Dance screen on the Wii, I now know that the words are actually:

"I want a place to say
Get your booty on the floor tonight."

That makes so much more sense. I can remember all the way back to 1991, doing the running man to that song in James Diamant's bedroom, and thinking "get your booty on the bus tonight" was so weird.

But here we are, 20 years later, and it's all so clear. So much wasted time. 

Pedro the Lion: A Mind of Her Own

I have so many favorite Pedro the Lion/David Bazan songs that I almost forget about this one.



Corruption and Christianity never made such an awesome team. Could the ending of this song be any more intense?

Some Music: Robyn, Rihanna, Say Hi

Robyn - Body Talk I looked into Robyn after several of my Kylie Minogue-loving friends raved about her. For me, she's no Kylie, but there's some pretty enjoyable dancehall diva stuff here. (Check out Dancing on My Own.)

Rihanna - Loud I love Rihanna.I just wish she could put together a full album. There's 3-4 good tracks here. Which is I guess really all that I need for my iPod.

Say Hi - 'Um, Uh Oh' Say Hi has put out a million albums. Generally, I only like about half the songs, but put all those records together, and you've got a great band.  There's stuff I here I really like, but the jury is still out on what I think of it as a whole. Sounds like they've been listening to lots of Arcade Fire. (Check out Dots On Maps.)

I love finding Curtis' little surprises. Like this old cell phone in the dishwasher.

MLK jr

I came home from work last night to the best surprise ever. An invitation, from a very excited 5-year-old girl, to a Martin Luther King, Jr. party. Now I'd never been invited to such a party, so I was curious to see what it would entail. The answer? Pure awesomeness.

First there were heart-shaped princess paper plates. Then there were little paper fish cups, the kind you use to rinse and spit and the dentist's office. And after dinner, there were heart-shaped sugar cookies that Grandma had dropped off for some reason.

Oh, but the party didn't end there.

"Let's play some Martin Luther King party games," Paige recommended.

Well, neither of us could think of a more MLK party-esque game than hide-and-seek.

And there was more.

The grand finale was a Martin Luther King parade. I wasn't the only invited to the party. In addition to Curtis and Traci, Strawberry Shortcake, Minnie Mouse, three My Little Ponies, and about a half dozen other toys were on the guestlist.

Each of these guests were in the parade, sitting on various "floats," made out of tupperware, magazines, or toy baby strollers. Curtis was even allowed to include his backhoe and race cars in the procession (he kept getting in trouble for sitting on the parade, but that's what little brothers do).

Before bed, Paige volunteered to say the prayer--something that she always refuses. "Thank you that we could have such a good Martin Luther King party that I planned and that I was such a good host." Nice. Way to butter up the Big Guy (or make him jealous that he wasn't invited).

Best MLK Jr. Day ever.

Oh Thank Heaven for 7-Eleven

It was a two-fer. After I washed the car, I just had to hop over the little cement barrier and I could return my DVD to the Redbox at the 7-Eleven.

The hopping was easy enough. It was the landing that was problematic. One second I was upright and the next I was in a painful lump on +++the icy parking lot, feeling both stupid and incredibly sore.

Walking back to my family, who was waiting in the van at the car wash, I was happy I was still in one piece. But more than anything, I was grateful that I was able to get back up. I don't know if I could handle the embarrassment of being found crumpled up in the parking lot, clutching a Step Up 3 disc to my chest.

In Music, Recently

Here is what's been in my headphones lately. (Click the links for full reviews)

The Black Pacific, The Black Pacific Former Pennywise singer's new band. Better than anything Pennywise has done in the 2000s. Highly recommended. (I'd also recommend his book Punk Rock Dad.)

Styrofoam, Disco Synthesizers & Daily Tranquilizers I loved Styrofoam's early, lo-fi stuff. This full-band style doesn't work for me.


Good Charlotte, Cardiology I only listened to this because of Chris Wilson. It was as pedestrian as I had expected.  

I also did my first band interview in a long time. Here's my article about Peter Wolf Crier. If you like the somber indie folk (Blind Pilot, AA Bondy, Chris Walla, etc.), it's worth checking out. Check out some videos:

Hard As Nails - http://vimeo.com/12376836

Down Down Down - http://vimeo.com/153404

Sometimes I Miss The OC

When I'm going through my withdrawals, there's only one thing that can cheer me up. This Simpsons parody. (Video starts after advertisement.)

Remember, Knott's Berry Farm can be a dangerous place. 

Five Second Rule

At the grocery store this afternoon. Curtis finds an unidentified fishy cracker on the floor. He quickly picks it up and shoves it in his mouth.

"Curtis!" I shout. "Get that out of your mouth."

He reluctantly takes it out and throws in on the ground.

Paige, never one to let a perfectly good treat go to waste, picks up the discarded cracker and moves to put it into her mouth...

Remember Christmas?

I do. Vaguely.

I took about 20 minutes of video throughout the day. Then I tested out the Flip camera's "magic movie" button that puts all the clips together, taking its own directorial liberties. The result? Four minutes of present after present being opened. Which, I guess, was mostly what happened.

I can't imagine this being incredibly interesting to you, but if you like cute tearing wrapping paper...

Review: Ke$ha Cannibal

Ke-dollarsign-ha is the source of much contention--nay, hatred--at my work. Nevertheless, it is my job as a professional music critic (a job for which I get paid tons of money, believe me) to review even the albums of the most frowned upon artists. Enter Ke$ha.



With “Cannibal,” Ke$ha pulls a page from the Lady GaGa book, tacking a mini-LP onto her mega hit debut album “Animal.” Smart move. Not only does this allow her to strike while the grime is hot, but it also gives her the freedom to pump out more of the same tunes, without having to worry about silly things like growing as an artist or even facing the fears of a sophomore slump.

In a whirlwind 27 minutes, Ke$ha successfully amplifies her trash-to-riches persona. The valley-girl rhymes remain as wrinkled as last night’s clothes (“Me and all my friends, we don’t buy bottles, we bring ‘em/We take the drinks from the tables when you get up and leave ‘em”) and the choruses are bigger than ever.

Though she acknowledges her newfound success (“Now that I’m famous, you’re up my anus”), she has no plans of changing her lifestyle (“Dirt and glitter cover the floor/We’re pretty and sick/We’re young and we’re bored”). And why would she? That’s what made her famous. (“I know I’m the new **** on the block/I’ve been through my sketchy phases/Been broke, been a **** waitress/But I’m not now, guess it worked out.”)

Ke$ha understands her niche in the pop world. She doesn’t have Rihanna’s voice, Lady Gaga’s creativity, or even Katy Perry’s big rack. So she’s got to stick to her strength--being the girl passed out on your floor, who, by the way, just happens to be packing enormous hits.

Her songs may be obnoxious but they are also incredibly catchy. All those memorable hooks, combined with the throbbing beats, basically demand spontaneous, uncontrollable dancing. Combine club anthems like “We R Who We R” and “Blow” with a few I’m-not-always-a-party-girl confessions (“The Harold Song,” “C U Next Tuesday”) and you’ve got an EP that can stand toe to toe with the debut release.

If Ke$ha keeps pounding out these hits, she may have to add a few more dollar signs to the middle of her name.

A Letter of Gratitude

To Whoever Was Responsible for the Songlist of Just Dance For Kids:

Thank you for thinking of 30-year-old dads with a penchant for 1990s Swedish pop when you included "Beautiful Life" by Ace of Base on your video game.

xoxo.

spencer

SMS

Traci: Paige, let's make a card for Great Grandma to tell her thank you for the nice Christmas present that she bought you.

Paige: Can't we just send her a text message?

The Return of the Librarian

Back in the day (after much coercion), Traci would write book reviews for the Manifesto. Though she now withholds her literary opinions from me--and thus you as well--she's sharing them with Murray Library patrons.

Here are a few of her recent reviews on MurrayLibrary.org.

Chains and Forge – Laurie Halse Anderson
Strength in What Remains – Tracy Kidder
29 by Adena Halpern 

Shopping at the pretend grocery store at the West Valley Rec Center.

Best Music of 2010

As is always the case, I find an album that I get excited to put atop my Best Of list, only to discover that it was released the previous year. So, before I start, let me give a little shout out to the 2009's "Weathervanes" by Freelance Whales, the album that I loved the most in 2010.



And now back to the list for this year, though I'm sure I left some things out.

Albums

Best repeat listen 
Tokyo Police Club - Champ
Long a fan of Tokyo Police Club, I was disappointed with the almost childlike feel of their new record. But when I saw them perform the material live, my mind was instantly changed. I have been singing "Favourite Colour" ever since.
Favourite Colour

Best 32 minutes of getting yelled at
The Thermals - Personal Life 
Shouty and brash, the best albums by The Thermals always feel like a pummeling. The band has smoothed out some of the edges over the years but "Personal Life" still operates in verbal attack mode.
Never Listen to Me

Best invitation to the dance floor
Taio Cruz  - Rokstarr
Taio Cruz may need some spelling lessons, but he's teaches the class on getting the party started. "Rokstarr" is textbook good times -- big beats, bigger hits, and an ultra-trashy duet with ultra-trashy Ke-dollarsign-ha.
Dynamite

Best turning of that frown upside down
Rogue Wave - Permalight
Rogue Wave is usually so delightfully melancholy. "Permalight" shows the band is just as impressive when they channel their efforts into upbeat, danceable indie rock. 
Solitary Gun

Best solo album that sounds like a full-band album
Brandon Flowers - Flamingo
It's a bit softer and a bit twangier than a Killers album, but Brandon Flowers brings the same knack for high drama and catchy hooks to his debut solo release. 
Crossfire

Best local band hitting the big time
Neon Trees - Habits
It's great to have known them as a local band, but it's even more exciting to see our very own Neon Trees hit the big time, with huge singles "Animal" and "1983." 
Animal

Best hip-hop crossover
B.o.B. - The Adventures of Bobby Ray
Mr. Ray is just as comfortable gettin' down and dirty with rap heavy hitters like T.I. and Lupe Fiasco as he is singing with Paramore's Hayley Williams or Weezer's Rivers Cuomo. 
Magic (feat. Rivers Cuomo)

Best getting back to basics
Alkaline Trio - This Addiction

This may not be the best record Alkaline Trio has put out in the last few years, but it's nice to hear them strip some of the goth away from their once-raw sound.
American Scream 

Honorable Mentions

Motion City Soundtrack - My Dinosaur Life
Streetlight Manifesto - 99 Songs of a Revolution: Vol. I
The National - High Violet
Matt & Kim - Sidewalks
Jimmy Eat World - Invented
Gaslight Anthem - American Slang
Four Year Strong - Enemy of the World
Deftones - Diamond Eyes
Bad Religion - The Dissent of Man
Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
Apache, The - Apache, The 


Misc.

Best thing to come out of Utah County
Drew Danburry - Goodnight Dannii
The curiously titled "Nirvana, by Kurt Cobain" is not about Nirvana or Kurt Cobain. But both the band and the deceased icon should be pleased to be connected to such a beautifully sad song about giving your love to music and not getting any in return.
Nirvana, by Kurt Cobain

Best use of a Rihanna hook
Eminem Love the Way You Lie
Rihanna is the best part of any song. She's even better when she's teamed up with the only artist in a more dysfunctional relationship than herself. (Second best use of a Rihanna hook; Kanye West, "All of the Lights.")
All the Lights

Ah, the Google Search

Of course, one of the best reasons to have a blog is Google Analytics. What's more fun than seeing reports of where your visitors are coming from and what they're searching for?

For years, the search that brings the most folks to the Manifesto is some variant of "Shauna Thomas Fox 13." (It's usually something like "Shauna Thomas Nude," "Shauna Thomas Softcore," etc.) Clearly there are still a lot of people interested in the former morning reporter's role as "Party Girl #3" in Bikini Hotel. (See the original post here.)

But I just ran across another search tonight that's waaaay on the other end of the spectrum - "law of chastity gospel principles lesson." I'd forgotten about this post called "Gettin' Down with the Law of Chastity." I hope the poor Googler didn't go then on to read my next post called "Stickin' It to Chastity" where I offered up this gem:

"You could always put a piece of candy in your mouth and then spit it on the ground and say 'Who wants it now?!'"

I don't think the lesson would have gone over real well.

Though I am flattered that my post shows up on the same page as links to LDS.org, LDS Living, and the School of Abraham, it's kind of a buyer beware situation. Sorry, internet.

In Order: Nirvana Albums

At age 12, my musical world was forever shaped by Mr. Cobain. Though I don't spend a lot of time listening to Nirvana these days (though I did recently commission Ty to get me a bunch of the Outcesticide bootlegs--thanks, Ty), I still happily get sucked in to reading every Kurt Cobain book that gets published.

As an aside, if you haven't checked it out, I'd highly recommend the documentary About a Son. After watching it, I finally let go of my Courtney-killed-Kurt beliefs. And it made me incredibly sad. ["An intimate and moving meditation on the late musician and artist Kurt Cobain, based on more than 25 hours of previously unheard audiotaped interviews conducted with Cobain by noted music journalist Michael Azerrad for his book Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana."]

At any rate, here's how I would rank Nirvana's proper releases:

In Utero
Nevermind
Incesticide
Bleach

I would rank the live stuff thusly:

MTV Unplugged in New York
From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah
Live at Reading

So What? I'm Still I'm Rockstar.

Paige used to tell me that she wanted to be an astronaut when she grew up. Now she says she wants to be a singer. Women. Always changing their minds.

Seeing that she refuses to let me even take her picture, I had to be super sneaky with the video camera to capture this performance of her reworking of "So What?" by Pink.




I must admit, she's not kidding when she declares, "I've got my rock moves."

Reviews: Kanye West, Kid Cudi

I was very much looking forward to Kanye's Beautiful, Dark, Twisted Fantasy, thinking it would be his greatest masterpiece (though it would be hard to beat 808s, which I found amazing). Alas, it was not nearly as dark or twisted as I had hoped for. For all of the work he put into it, much of the record falls flat for me. (Read my full review here). Nevertheless, there are definitely some moments of awesomeness.

Make sure to check out All of the Lights (feat. Rihanna) and Runaway.

I also gave a listen to the new record by Kanye's protege Kid Cudi. After a great debut, Man on the Moon II is a real drag. There was very little that I loved here (see full review) but I do like the moody title track Mr. Rager.

Weezer - Jamie

I was more interested in watching the Weezer show than recording it, but when they busted out Jamie (one of three b-sides including You Gave Your Love to Me Softly and Susanne) and Rivers came into the crowd right in front of us, I figured I best get out my Flip camera. Here's a few seconds of the song.

Sometimes your bathroom sink is filled with monster trucks.

In Order: Weezer

I've obvs. been thinking a lot about Weezer lately. Here's how I'd rank their albums (best on top):

Pinkerton (1996)
Blue Album (1994)
Green Album (2001)
Raditude (2009)
Make Believe (2005)
Red Album (2008)
Hurley (2010)
Maladroit (2002)

The Best Part of Coming Home from Vacation

I tucked Paige into bed my first night back from New York. I heard her softly say, "This is best day ever."

"Why is this such a good day?" I asked.

"Because you're home from your vacation."

Melts a dad's heart (not unlike a blue sucker).

In Order: Television Comedy

Of shows I currently watch on TV, I would rank them thusly, in terms of funniness:

1. Modern Family
2. 30 Rock
3. The Office

Keep in mind, we're talking this very moment, not historically or collectively.

Strangely, the order changes when I rate on the order in which I enjoy the shows:

1. Modern Family
2. The Office
3. 30 Rock

Comedies (excluding The Simpsons) have a short life-span. Generally, by the third season, most of the good stuff has already been squeezed out. Hence, the perfectness of Arrested Development.

*As an aside, I really tried to like Community, giving it a shot for almost the entire first season. Just can't get into it. I love The Soup. I loved the episode with Vaughan, the boyfriend with small nipples. I even like the girl who plays Annie (mostly because I like her as Trudy on Mad Men). But all the parts just don't form a whole for me. There, I said it.

In Order: Cake

If I were to rank Cake album's in order of how much I like them (favs on top), I'd have to say:

Fashion Nugget (1996)
Motorcade of Generosity (1994)
Comfort Eagle (2001)
Prolonging the Magic (1998)
Pressure Chief (2004)

Cake is a band I like, but not one I spend a ton of time thinking about. As I look over their discography, I'm reminded that other than the solid-throughout Fashion Nugget, the makeup of most Cake albums is half great songs, half so-so songs.

Nevertheless, I anxiously await the arrival of Showroom of Compassion next month.

Ice, Ice Baby

I think I overestimated how good of an ice skater I was 8 years ago--the last time I wore a pair of skates, or 20 years ago when I took lessons at Murray Park.

I struggled just to stay upright at Central Park, but it was still a great time. And talk about a magical afternoon. I witnessed both a marriage proposal and an 8-year-old's birthday party.

I have no photos of these events, due the no-cameras-on-the-ice policy. Ty may have some. He got busted not once but twice for exposing his contraband picture machine. It's a miracle he didn't get us kicked out of the rink (or New York City itself).

Memories Make Me Want to Go Back There

The Weezer show was everything I could have hoped for. Sooo good. They started off with a "time machine" set--rockin' hits from each of their albums, starting with "Memories" and working their way back chronologically. (Standouts were the three b-sides You Gave You Love to Me Softly, Susanne, Jamie.)

Pt. I was high energy and fun--Rivers running around in the crowd, etc.--followed by an intermission, where long-time manager Karl showed a slideshow of band memories (awesome).

Pt. II was all business.

They played Pinkerton in it's entirety, without saying a word. It was straight-forward, note-for-note, and perfect. Every song was amazing and, just like the record, got even better at the end.

When they reached Butterfly, I still wanted more but knew there was nothing left. Rivers apologized. In song. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorrr-er-y."

And then to walk out of the club after an amazing show and into the lights of Time Square? Pretty amazing.

(Best. Christmas present. Ever. Thank you, dear wife.)

I just paid for a coat check for the first time in my life. This concert better be good.

I'm on my way to 1996. I hope it's as good as I remember.

I am about to pay 21 dollars to ice skate in Central Park.

The Office...Live

After Tim and I spent the afternoon shopping, Ty arrived from PA. We met up with Ty's buddy and Noah for dinner and then went to a comedy show at the Upright Citizens Brigade. We were pleased to see that Gabe from The Office was part of the improv team. He's a lot funnier and swearier in person.

Let's Hear It For New York

We were on the subway from the airport and of course the first song we heard was "Empire State of Mind."

The second subway train we rode had some sort of vomit on the floor.

Let's hear for New York, New York.

No Sleep Til Brooklyn

I cannot sleep on airplanes. It is 2 in the morning, I have watched two hours of Mad Men and still nothing. Oh, so tired.

Feels Like Christmas Eve

Traci bought me the best Christmas gift of all time - tickets to see Weezer in New York. And this isn't any just any Weezer show. They are playing Pinkerton in it's entirety. Could I ask for anything more? I don't believe so.

Hey Josh McDaniels, I Feel Ya

Much like the ailing Denver Broncos, I was not able turn the season around this week. I am now 1-13.

Q&A with Santa Claus

Old Saint Nick made a guest appearance again this year at the Primary Christmas party. In the past, Paige has wanted nothing to do with the guy (other than freely accepting his gifts, of course).

This is the first year that Paige has gone to the party unattended, so when I picked her up, I was curious to see how it went. I was able to gather that she did, in fact, sit on Santa's lap and that she asked for a Tinkerbell doll. But I didn't get this part of the story, which was delivered to Traci by one of the other moms.

Apparently, when she got on his lap, she put Santa on the hot seat.

"I just have one question," she said. "Why are elves invisible?"

Santa didn't address the why as much as the how.

"They wear invisibility belts."

Paige was content with the answer.

Song of the Day: The Kooks - Sway

Generally, not a fan of whiny British voices. But the Kooks have got everything I need. Seriously, so good.

Music Reviews: Matt & Kim, Weezer

Matt Kim - Sidewalks

Matt & Kim, aka the happiest couple in rock ’n’ roll, have always loved to get down. At the end of each show, they ditch their punk rock keyboards and drums, turn on the drum machine, and come out in the crowd to get the dance party started. “Sidewalks” is like the soundtrack for the afterparty. The record, the duo’s third, was made for the club. The hooks are as catchy as ever, but this time around, the usual bare-bones arrangements have been injected with a heavy dose of production — most notably huge hip-hop beats. There a bunch of great songs here (“Block After Block,” “Cameras,” “Red Paint,” “Wires”), but the record’s glossy sheen smooths out many of the wrinkles that make this band so fun to listen to. These songs will likely play better live, when they’re stripped down to the simple keyboards and drums that have induced booty-shaking for the past half decade.


Rating: 3 of 4




Weezer - Death to False Metal

You best watch your step or you’ll trip over a new Weezer album —the band has put out four in the past three years. “Death to False Metal” is a collection of newly recorded, old material. With any b-sides disc, you expect a few things: One or two good songs, some OK stuff, and a few weird ones. Probably the biggest disappointment with “False Metal” is the lack of the last category. The record begins with two catchy toe-tappers (“Turning Up the Radio,” “I Don’t Want Your Loving”) before falling into the formulaic mediocrity that has plagued each of Weezer’s past few records. It would be nice to hear some grand gestures, even if they were great disasters —just to know the band is still trying. Unfortunately, the only deviations from the norm are the slightly nu metal “Everyone,” the trudging cover of Toni Braxton’s “Unbreak My Heart” and the spacey “Autopilot.” Still, there are a few rough gems (check out the moody “Trampoline”) and, for a b-sides album, that’s all you can really ask for.

Rating: 2.5 of 4

"You're Just Not Good at Fake Sports"

That's what my friend (and Fantasy Football league commissioner) Kaleb told me when I when I dropped to 0-8 this season. I thought the ninth week would be my week. It wasn't. Or maybe week 10 or 11. They weren't.

13 was, in fact, my lucky number. I am now 1-12-0.

What a turnaround! And I made it without having to fire my coach mid-season (though I hope it works for my beloved Broncos).

Internet Counseling

There's not a whole lot of sibling love at the Sutherland home right now. It's to the point where I was just thinking I should look to the internet for help--maybe Google something like "fighting kids help." But then I was wondering if I'd get a bunch of pages helping me fight kids. (A skill I may need, if I can't get things worked out between Paige and Curtis. Curtis can already take me down, if I'm not watching.)

The Triumphant Return of Max Power

Baby number 3.
I tried to convince Traci not to find out if it was another Paige or another Curtis.
She agreed to the plan.
But I knew she's never go through with it.
Ultra sound.
"Yes, of course, we'd like to know what kind it is."
Another Max Power.

Letter to the Big Man

Dear Santa,


Here is what I want for Christmas. I want a new DS because we don’t have a DS yet. Some paper because we don’t have any paper to use. I want the Sorry game. And for Christmas I want a Tangled movie. You are good at giving presents to every kid who is good. Giving presents to the kids who are good is your job.

Love,

Paige

Do I Love America? Do I Love Barack Obama? Do I Love Chia Pets? You Betcha.

I do love America. And this may be the best commercial in the history of liberty and justice.