Leaping to My Death from the Sky Ride

We listen to MUZAK satellite at my work. The screen stopped working a few weeks ago and we couldn't see which station it was on. That was not too big of a deal because we could still change the station with the remote. Now the remote is not working and we're really in trouble. My boss just put it on a station that makes me feel like I am riding on the Sky Ride at Lagoon. It's that horrible, horrible eleveator music. The soft, instrumental guitar crap. I thought the country music we're often forced to listen to was bad, but I think this might be worse. As I type I am hearing one of the few songs with words, "The Glory of Love." Please, go back to the awful instrumental songs!

Cake - Pressure Chief

Cake
Pressure Chief

Finally, a new album from an established band that doesn't disappoint. Pressure Chief offers all that you would expect from Cake--a mixture of country, rock, alternative, lone trumpeter and the signature talk/sing style of John McCrea. This album also adds a heavier dose of electronic and deeper melodies than the band's previous works.

As usual, Cake serves up a great radio hit with the keyboard driven "No Phone." This single is ably backed by a nice blend of great tunes and background yelps and hahs. That's not to say the album is perfect. "Baskets" and "Waiting" are a bit dull.

Pressure Chief is one of those records that you listen to and just feel good. The upbeat, disco tune "Carbon Monoxide" may cause you to get out of your chair and shake your money maker. My choice for best song, however, is "The End of the Movie" a quiet little banjo number. The accordion solo makes me sit back and happily sigh. Pop music needs more accordion.

Crappy Vacation for Daniel-san

I watched Karate Kid II with my brother-in-law last night. I was pretty excited because I hadn't seen it in at least 10 years. (It's been 20 years since I stood outside of the Murray Theatre doing the crane kick after being inspired by Karate Kid I.) Now that I am a bit older, the movie forces me to ask the question, what did Daniel-san tell his friends about his summer vacation to Japan when he got home?

Here's what I think he said:

1. I went to Japan with my best friend--a 60-year-old Japanesese man.
2. I got to see Mr.Myagi's dad die.
3. Mr. Myagi was challenged to a fight to the death by a man who spoke in a very scary voice
4. I got a little bit of "yellow fever" and fell in love with a Japanese girl named Yukie
5. I got beat up at a club
6. A big stormed almost destroyed the whole village
7. I fought a battle to the death, and it was pretty sweet because I didn't die

What a great movie!

 
Though Yukie was cute, she was not nearly as hot as "Ali...with an 'i.'"

Sorry, No Chuck For You

I guess my dad is done with me. With the exception of my mission, I have gone to priesthood session with my dad every six months for the past 12 years. After the meeting we always go to Chuck-a-Rama. It's the only time I ever get to go to the Chuck because Traci refuses to eat there.

This past weekend my dad threw me a curveball. He said he was going to go out of town with my mom. What was I supposed to do? Who was I supposed to go to the conference with, and more importantly, what about the Chuck?!

I ended up going with Traci's dad and little brother. There was no Chuck after. We went to the drive-thru at Arby's. I don't know how I am going to deal with all of this.

Raves: De Afdeing

Dutch People Really Work? A New Dramedy Series Says Yes

I love watching Dutch TV. Unfortunately, it’s a bit hard to find here in the Promised Land. However, if you feel like watching Dutch public TV, you can find it online here.

While I am often stuck watching really lame group-of-people-talking-about-stupid-issues programs, every once in a while I will find a decent sitcom or drama. Enter: De Afdeling.

It’s okay that it’s a blatant rip-off of the BBC series, The Office –“afdeling” is even the Dutch word for office—because even British humor is a step up from incredibly unfunny Dutch humor.

In the office you’ve got the geeky IT guy, the guy who thinks he’s a chick magnet, the possibly gay guy, the hard-nose woman boss, a few other men and of course the hot chick that everyone wants to go out with.

The highlights for me are always the inevitable Dutchisms, like the office workers all riding home from work on their granny bikes. Like all TV shows you have to be able to handle a little bit of make believe. The most overwhelming is believing that Dutch people really ever go to work and they’re not all living off of social security.

The episodes air Sunday nights (Dutch time) and can be seen online up until the next Sunday night. 

Girls! Girls! Girls!

Last night's episode of the Apprentice again proved how mean girls can be when they are forced to work together. I get stressed out just watching all of the confrontation.

I was happy that Jenn got fired. I actually wish almost all of these girls would get fired. Ivana already should have been gone when Bradford got the raw deal, and Maria should have got sent home last week when she went $5000 over budget. If the girls would less time pointing fingers at each other and more time working, they would probably win the tasks. Fight, fight, fight all the time.

                                                                             
Am I the only one who has noticed that Carolyn is so much meaner this season? Can you imagine how she must talk to her kids? "You lost your soccer game? No, you FAILED at your soccer game. There are no excuses!"

Maybe Next Time

Jonny & Virginia Wicks

The Wixes journeyed up to our residence last night. Traci and Virginia--feeling they had gotten a raw deal when they were beaten by Jonny and me in a boys vs. girls game of Trivial Pursuit Pop Culture Edition a few months back--were willing to try their luck again at Trivial Pursuit '90s edition. Big mistake! While it came right down to the wire, the ladies were unprepared for Jonny's secret knowledge of '90s trends and fads. Who would've figured?

Maybe next time, ladies!

What's the Deal with the Apprentice?

I'm just not down with this season of the Apprentice. First of all, I've never liked sitting through the clips of Donald Trump talking about how great he is, or showing off his vast wealth of material treasures. I endure it because I think the game is pretty good. However, this season it has been ridiculous. When Trump walks into a room, they play a fanfare. Give me a break!

I thought last night's episode sucked. The team loses because they are $5000 over budget. Only one person was responsible for the $5,000 and hence the only one responsible for the loss. Instead of firing her, Trump makes a spectacle about Stacie J. being crazy. Of course all the other girls are going to say she is insane so she gets fired instead of them. What's the point of firing her, Mr. Trump? Is it just so you can look cool by saying, "Go get all of the girls out the of the suite!" Duh.

I'm hoping it's going to get a bit better as the season progresses. I have no choice but to keep watching, though, because the O.C.'s not going to be on until November 4th. It's rough when TV lets you down.

Death Cab for Cutie

Full Review Coming Soon!

I went to the Death Cab For Cutie show at RedFest over the weekend. Very, very cool. What most impressed me was their ability to recreate the complexity of their studio recordings in a live setting. They rocked the digital drums, samples, the keyboard and even played one song with two bass players.
Highlights of the evening: "The New Year" as an opener, an extended version of "We Looked Like Giants" and "Transatlanticism" as the perfect closer. Loved it.

Where is Izzy Stradlin?

I was listening to "Use Your Illusion II" by Guns 'n Roses tonight. In the short period before the band's inplosion they wrote a ton of good songs. I was looking through the liner notes and Izzy Stradlin wrote most of the music. Where is Izzy now? Does anybody know?

When you think about G 'n R you think about Axl and Slash. Axl has gone nuts and now Slash is rockin' in Velvet Revolver. I checked VR out, but it's not that great. I've just figured out the reason why--Izzy Stradlin. You can't deny Axl Rose is the coolest frontman ever, but really the X factor (I can't believe I just said "X Factor") is definitely Izzy.

Izzy, where are you? Rockers everywhere need you!

MP3 Blogs—The Next Big Thing

As a novice blogger, I am always quite surprised by all of the new things that I am finding exist out there in cyber world. Thanks to the latest issue of Rolling Stone magazine I learned about my new cyber entity--MP3 blogs.

Instead of writing about their personal lives, MP3 bloggers post a song or two every day by usually obscure artists and then write about why it is a good track.

I think it is a wonderful idea. I am always looking for new bands to get excited about. This gives me a way to check out bands that I would otherwise never hear of in a lifetime.

In my limited searching I have found some really cool blogs. Some of the music has been good, and some has been thoroughly uninteresting. The important thing, for me at least, is the search. I get very excited about finding a hidden gem this way.

A few blogs to try:

www.music.for-robots.com

www.newflux.blogspot.com

www.teachingtheindiekidstodanceagain.blogspot.com

Wranglers-a-Plently

The Bellamy Brothers in Action

I went to my first country concert last week at the Utah State Fair. I absolutely hate country music, but I am a nice brother. I went with my sister Jenny (no one else would go with her) to see her favorite country band, The Bellamy Brothers . The Bellamy Brothers had their first hit in 1976 and they rock pretty good for old cowboys. Here's some of the sights and sounds of the evening:

SOUNDS

Hit songs such as:

• "Give Me a Redneck Girl"
• "If I Said You Had a Beautiful Body Would You Hold it Against Me?"
• "Reggae Cowboy"

SITES

• Many Wranglers
• Old, old people dancing together
• Drunk guy absolutely loving it

Because I work at a redneck credit union, we listen to country music on the Muzak about three days a week. Thanks (but no thanks) to that, I knew four songs by the opening act Carolyn Dawn Johnson. How embarrasing.

Green Day -- American Idiot

Green Day
American Idiot

Sometime around 1998 Green Day decided to become adults. Singer Billie Joe Armstrong was now a daddy and went through a phase where he thought maybe you can't be a punk forever. The band then released Warning, a toned-down, grown-up version of themselves.

After four adult years, Green Day has returned with something completely different. American Idiot is a full-on rock opera with tracks separated into movements.

Though the format has changed, the substance of the music has stayed the same. The bulk of the album is sneering, Green Day punk. By combining the punk with Warning-esque song writing and muscianship, Billie Joe and the boys are able to give the tunes a very theatrical feel.

Standout Tunes: Holiday, Boulevard of Broken Dreams, and Wake Me Up When September Ends

THE SKINNY: If you like Green Day and if you like rock operas, this one's for you, my friend. 

Death Cab for Cutie - Red Fest at University of Utah

The University of Utah may not know how to issue a diploma, but they make up for it by throwing a great concert.  Death Cab for Cutie was booked as the headliner for this year's free RedFest event.  The performance was impressive from the opening number "The New Year" through the encore closer, "Transatlanticism."

The band's strength lies in its subtle showmanship and its ability to recreate the intricacies of its studio recordings in a live setting.  Death Cab had a myriad of different instruments on the stage.  Singer Ben Gibbard played not only his guitar, but a pair of electronic drums on "Title and Registration."  When he wasn't using the drumstick to keep rhythm, he was strumming his guitar with it.  Chris Walla alternated between playing guitar and keyboard and even switched bassist Nick Harmer instruments mid-song.  Harmer also added some sampler work on one song.  New drummer Jason McGerr was absolutely rock steady, sounding more like a drum machine than a human at times.

The majority of the setlist came from their latest, and best album, Transatlanticism.  The crowd was treated to "Tiny Vessels," an extended version of "We Looked Like Giants" and even got to "bah bah" along to "The Sound of Settling."

The highlight of the evening was the encore.  Gibbard sat behind  the keyboard pouring out his heart on "Transatlanticism."  By the third verse he had the entire crowd backing him up, singing "Come on, Come on" into the autumn air.  After the last note faded and the band exited, the crowd stood in the dark and exhaled collectively, having all been temporarily lost in a wonderful moment.

Kid Rock

I am pretty sure that I saw Kid Rock at the Utah State Fair. I guess he doesn't have anything better to do these days.

Michael Moore comes to UVSC

Utah Valley State College is shelling out $50,000--the school's entire year-long speaker budget--for Michael Moore to speak at its campus.

First things first. I don't know who I am going to vote for in November. I think George Bush is a liar and kind of a dirtbag. I also pretty sure that John Kerry is a liar and a dirtbag.

Back to Moore. I think a college is the perfect place for Michael Moore to speak. Colleges are where ideas, no matter what they are, should be freely and openly discussed. The one thing that bugs me, though, is the price.

If Michael Moore is such a freedom fighter, why is he charging $50,000? He acts like he is all about getting the truth out there and making sure Bush is not re-elected. I would want to get the "truth" out there, too, if I was making $50,000 for an hour-long speech. If it was really about politics, or saving America, or anything besides money, I think the price tag would be a lot lower.

A big capitalist congrats to Michael Moore for sucking money out of seats of higher learning!

Pretty High on the List of Gross

I just walked in the restroom here at my work to brush my teeth. I could hear somebody talking. There was no standing at the urinals behind me. I glanced toward the stall and realized that was where the voice was coming from. At first I thought this person was talking to himself, but I quickly realized that he was on his cell phone.

I deliberately flushed one of the urinals, figuring it's only fair that if you are on a cell phone in a bathroom that the person you are talking to should also be aware of where you are. I don't think it phased him, though. As he kept talking I could hear him pulling out the toilet paper, taking care of business and flushing the toilet. He didn't miss a beat.

I left before he came out of the stall. I just hope he washed his hands and that no one asks to borrow his phone.

Megadeth The System has Failed

Megadeth
The System has Failed

Does Megadeth resurrect metal with this political rant album? No.

Dave Mustane and the boys rifle through 12 songs with as much fury as ever. Unfortunately, it sounds a bit sludgy. There are few standout tracks other the opener, "Blackmail the Universe," a song about the president's helicopter being shot down and "Die Dead Enough," which offers the album's only song with a memorable hook.

The Skinny: This album still pummels listeners with the metal, and isn't that really all that we're looking for.

The Traci Celebration

Greetings from Seth

Today is the fourth and final day of Traci's "Birthday Extravaganza!" By next year I am sure that she will find a way to stretch it to an entire week.

I took her out to Tucci's for dinner on Friday night. Since it was her birthday I was forced to watch "13 Going on 30" when we got back home. It's the girl version of "Big." The difference between the two movies was that "Big" was good. (Also, I remember being a little guy and thinking that the lady Tom Hanks falls in love with was SO HOT!!)

Saturday wasn't really birthday-related. We went to see my friend Tiffany's new house in Lehi. I don't generally like having to drive further south than 106th, but I was willing to make an exception because Tiffany makes some great Mexican food. The enchilladas were worth the drive.

Traci was treated to the Sutherland family birthday on Sunday night. My mom called at 6:30 wondering where we were. I thought the party started at 6:30, but I guess it was really at 6 p.m. Whoops. Here's the definition of a Sutherland party: Lainee and Jenny's kids running around like crazy, much screaming and lots of Play-doh everywhere. Four-year-old Meagan also laughed hysterically after calling me "Smelly Spencer."

We're going out with Traci's parents tonight. She's sad that after tonight there won't be any more birthday gifts, but she got lots of gift certificates and I'm sure she'll be able to console herself through shopping.

No Progress

My weekend recording plans were dashed. I had this genius idea that I would borrow my father-in-law's laptop while he was out of town for the weekend. That way I could record my music downstairs in my "rock room," rather than having to relocate all of my equipment upstairs to our computer room.

The plan failed. I couldn't get the recording program installed on the laptop. So instead of just taking the time to bring all of my crap upstairs, I sat downstairs fighting with the computer for three hours and accomplished absolutely nothing. This just proves the lengths to which I'll go to procrastinate recording this music. I don't know what it is wrong with me.