Gaslight Anthem Videos

Quite honestly, the only cover version of this song that I can stomach.

CD Review: Gaslight Anthem's American Slang

I have to admit that I had never heard of the band Gaslight Anthem until I read Dave's review of it over at his blog Oklahoma Lefty, CD Review: American Slang. He even listed the album as one of his favorite albums of 2010 at Top 5 Albums of 2010.

In his review he said "do yourself a favor and pick up American Slang." So I did about a week ago and for the life of me I can not stop listening to it. It has been on in my car stereo ever since I picked it up.

This album by the New Jersey quartet is just great rock 'n' roll through and through. They are a great working-class rock and soul band. You can honestly just hear the heart and soul of this band from this album. That is, you can really tell that they put their hearts and souls into this music. And you can feel the influence of fellow Jersey-ite Bruce Springsteen in this bands music. In fact, they remind me of a band that would result from throwing Bruce Springsteen and a post-Replacements Paul Westerberg into a blender with just a dash of Social Distortion.

I'm really kind of surprised that these guys are not more popular than they are. Then again, maybe they are really popular and I'm just not up on the current music scene anymore or something. Could be a mixture of the two probably.

The album was released on June 15, 2010 by SideOneDummy Records. They recorded it between February 1 and March 1, 2010 at the New York Magic Shop studio in New York City.

It debuted on the Billboard 200 at #16 but strangely enough, that is as high as it got on the chart. It did, however, hit #1 on Billboard's Independent albums chart.

Highlights on this album include "American Slang" "Stay Lucky" "Bring It On" "The Diamond Church Street Choir" "Old Haunts" "The Spirit of Jazz".......oh forget it, let's face it, this whole album is great.

In conclusion, I will echo Dave's words. Do yourself a favor and pick up this album. Right now. Don't wait. Get down to your local record store (preferably but you can also pick it up at Best Buy) and buy this album today!

Haste The Day Disbanding?!?

Haste The Day To Disband - in Metal News ( Metal Underground.com )

Back in November 2010, the Christian metal core band from Indianapolis announced that they were disbanding after a final tour. The tour ends in March 2011.

I have to say it was quite a shock to hear this. Even more so that I am just NOW hearing about it!!

I really like this band and it will be sad to see them go. I wish them the best in whatever future endeavors life holds for these guys.

Quotes of the Day (Jan 31)

"If you believe what you like in the gospels, and reject what you don't like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself."

"Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you."

- - St. Augustine of Hippo

Monday Morning Shuffle

1. Down in a Hole - Alice in Chains (from the album Dirt)
2. Fightstarter Karaoke - Dropkick Murphys (from The Singles Collection)
3. Book of the Road - The Staggers (from One Heartbeat Away from Hell)
4. Give Me Your Eyes - Brandon Heath (from What If We)
5. Suburban Home - Descendents (from Milo Goes to College)
6. Already Gone - Kelly Clarkson (from All I Ever Wanted)
7. Curbside Goodbye - Emery (from In Shallow Seas We Sail)
8. 2000 Light Years Away - Green Day (from Kerplunk!)
9. Dorothy - Alkaline Trio (from This Addiction)
10. Captain Kellys Kitchen - Dropkick Murphys (from Live at Lansdowne)
11. Dirge - John Moreland (from Hope Springs Ephemeral)

Top 3 Films: Minnie Driver

Happy 41st Minnie!

Minnie is a British actress that got her start in films in a 1990 TV movie called God on the Rocks.

Here are my Top 3 Minnie Driver movies.

Sleepers (1996)
This is one of my favorite films. Based on a novel of the same name by Lorenzo Carcaterra, this film was directed by Barry Levinson (Good Morning Vietnam, Rain Man, The Natural..).
Minnie stars alongside an amazing cast of Jason Patric, Brad Renfro, Brad Pitt, Robert De Niro, Kevin Bacon, and Dustin Hoffman.

Grosse Point Blank (1997)
Another favorite movie. Minnie co-stars with John Cusack as the girl he (Cusack's character) left behind 10 years ago and now shows up for their high school reunion.
Besides Driver and Cusack, it also stars Dan Akroyd, Alan Arkin, Jeremy Piven, Joan Cusack, and Hank Azaria.
The soundtrack is amazing. The motion picture score itself was composed by Joe Strummer which is pretty cool but it contains some pretty cool tracks from artists such as Violent Femmes, The Clash, Faith No More, The Specials, Pete Townshend, Echo & the Bunnymen, Pixies, The Pogues, and Siouxie & the Banshees.

Good Will Hunting (1997)

Here is a film that was nominated for 9 Academy Awards and 4 Golden Globe Awards. It won 2 Oscars (Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor - Robin Williams) and the Golden Globe for Best Screenplay. Minnie herself was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar but lost to Kim Basinger for her role in LA Confidential. The film itself was nominated for Best Picture but lost to that god awful movie Titantic.
Besides Driver and Williams, it starred Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Stellan Skarsgard, and Casey Affleck.
The screenplay was written by Affleck and Damon.

Top 3 Films: Christian Bale

Happy 37th! Christian!

Reign of Fire (2002)
In this futuristic film, Christian stars alongside Matthew McGonaughey and Gerard Butler as dragon slayers in a world that has been taken over by them.

Batman Begins (2005)
I picked this one over The Dark Knight because this is the one that started it all and personally, I prefer this one over The Dark Knight (even though TDK was an freaking amazing film as well). Christian, of course, stars as Bruce Wayne/Batman alongside Michael Caine (as Alfred), Liam Neeson (as Ra's Al Ghul), Katie Holmes, Gary Oldman (as James Gordon), Cillian Murphy (as Dr Crane aka Scarecrow), and Morgan Freeman (as Lucius Fox).

The Fighter (2010)
In this biopic about boxer Micky Ward, Christian co-stars with Mark Wahlberg (as Ward) as Micky's older brother Dicky. This film was nominated for several Academy Awards for this year including Best Picture, Best Director. Bale even got a nomination himself for Best Supporting Actor.

Honorable Mentions:

American Psycho (2000)

3:10 to Yuma (2007)

The Dark Knight (2008)

Terminator Salvation (2009)

Quote(s) of the Day (Jan 29)

"All that is true, by whomsoever it has been said has its origin in the Spirit."

"Faith has to do with things that are not seen and hope with things that are not at hand."

"How can we live in harmony? First we need to know we are all madly in love with the same God."

"To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible."

- - St. Thomas Aquinas

NHL Roundup (Jan 27)

This post was formerly known as Hockey Roundup. Not sure why I called it hockey roundup when all I really covered was NHL.

Anyway........

Not really a whole lot of changes in the standings since last roundup.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Atlantic
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
NY Rangers
NY Islanders
New Jersey

Northeast
Boston
Montreal
Buffalo
Toronto
Ottawa

Southeast
Tampa Bay
Washington
Atlanta
Carolina
Florida

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Central
Detroit
Nashville
Chicago
Columbus
St Louis

Northwest
Vancouver
Colorado
Minnesota
Calgary
Edmonton

Pacific
Dallas
Anaheim
Phoenix
San Jose
Los Angeles


Points Leaders
Stamkos (Lightning) - 67
Crosby (Penguins) - 66
D. Sedin (Canucks) - 64
H. Sedin (Canucks) - 61

Goals Leaders
Stamkos (Lightning) - 38
Crosby (Penguins) - 32
D. Sedin (Canucks) - 27
Kesler (Canucks) - 27

Assists Leaders
H. Sedin (Canucks) - 50
St. Louis (Lightning) - 40
D. Sedin (Canucks) - 37
Richards (Stars) - 37
Zetterberg (Red Wings) - 37

Wins Leaders
Hiller (Ducks) - 25
Price (Canadiens) - 24
Howard (Red Wings) - 24
Thomas (Bruins) - 24

Save % Leaders
Thomas (Bruins) - .945
Rinne (Predators) - .929
Pavalec (Thrashers) - .927
Varlamov (Capitals) - .927

ESPN Power Rankings (first 13)
Philadelphia Flyers
Dallas Stars
Vancouver Canucks
Tampa Bay Lightning
Pittsburgh Penguins
Detroit Red Wings
Nashville Predators
Washington Capitals
Boston Bruins
Montreal Canadiens
Anaheim Ducks
New York Rangers
Chicago Blackhawks

Currently Reading: Pope Benedict XVI

TITLE: Pope Benedict XVI: A Biography of Joseph Ratzinger

AUTHOR: John L Allen Jr.

YEAR PUBLISHED: 2005

PUBLISHER: Continuum

I have read some of Pope Benedict's own writings but I have to admit I have not gotten around to reading any biographies of his. I have read plenty of Pope John Paul IIs.

I have to admit, Pope Benedict does not have it easy. He takes a lot of slack for some of his views and some of the things he says but I think I have figured something out about him. No matter what he does or says, he is not going to have it easy. Look at who he has to follow as pope!

In any case, I hope to learn more about him from this book.

Like I said, I have read some of his own writings and what I was able to read (his writing style is pretty..uhm..intellectual (for lack of a better word)..but the stuff I was able to understand I really liked.

Top 4 Albums of 2001

2001 was an interesting year.

It was the year the Time Warner and America Online merged.
It was the year that Wikipedia launched.
It was the year that George W. Bush became the President of the United States.
It was the year that on that tragic day in September, thousands were killed at the World Trade Center in the 9/11 attacks.

A few days ago, I did a post on the Top 8 Albums of 1991 so today I was thinking why not do a Top Albums post for 2001 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of that year.

So here they are, the top 4 albums of 2001, in chronological order by release date:

Sing Loud, Sing Proud
Released in February by Dropkick Murphys on Hellcat Records.
Produced by Ken Casey.
Highlights of this album include "The Gauntlet" and "Forever."

From Here to Infirmary
Released in April by Alkaline Trio on Vagrant Records.
Produced by Matt Allison and Alkaline Trio.
Personally, I think this is one of their weaker albums but it made this list primarily due to the inclusion of the song "Private Eye."
This is also the last album that former Smoking Popes drummer Mike Felumlee played on with them.

Weezer
Released in May by Weezer on Geffen Records.
It was produced by Cars vocalist Ric Ocasek.
This is the album also known as the Green album due to the color of its cover.
This album reached #4 on the Billboard 200 and has sold over a million copies in the United States.
It was listed as #9 in Spin magazine's Best Albums of 2001.
Highlights on this album include "Don't Let Go" "Simple Pages" and "Photograph" but quite honestly the entire album is great.

Satellite
Released in September by P.O.D. on Atlantic Records.
Produced by Howard Benson and P.O.D.
This album was actually released on September 11 and debuted at #6 on the Billboard 200. It did not go any higher than that on the Billboard chart but did reach #1 on the Christian Albums chart.
It won several MTV Video Music Awards such as Best Video, Best Group Video, and Viewers Choice.
Usually I don't like this type of music, that is, the whole nu-metal thing but something about these guys I liked. Maybe it was their outlook on the world (due to the fact that they are a "Christian" band), I dunno. Highlights on this album were "Alive" "Youth of the Nation" and "Satellite."

Top 3 Films: Ernest Borgnine

Happy 94th Birthday Ernest!!

The Dirty Dozen (1967)
This classic war film was about a group of military prisoners that get trained for a secret mission during World War 2.
It had an amazing cast. Ernest starred as General Worden. Also starring was Lee Marvin, Charles Bronson, Jim Brown, George Kennedy, Trini Lopez, Telly Savalas, Donald Sutherland, and John Cassavetes.
This film was the highest grossing film of 1967.

Escape from New York (1981)
This film, directed by John Carpenter, turns the island of Manhattan into a maximum security prison where the President of the United States is taken captive and a criminal is given the task of rescuing him.
Ernest stars as Cabbie. Kurt Russell stars as the main character, Snake Plissken. It also stars Harry Dean Stanton and Donald Pleasence (as the President).

McHale's Navy (1997)

This military comedy is based on a 1960s television series by the same name, which Ernest starred in as Lt. Commander Quinton McHale. He reprises his role in this film, having been promoted by this time to Admiral.
His son, Lt. Commander Quinton McHale Jr, is played by Tom Arnold.
It also stars Dean Stockwell, Debra Messing, David Alan Grier, Tim Curry and Bruce Campbell.

Quote of the Day (January 24)

"Do not wish to be anything but what you are, and try to be that perfectly."

- - St. Francis de Sales

Early Monday Morning Shuffle

1. My Name is Jonas - Weezer (from the Weezer album)
2. In So Many Ways - Bad Religion (from the album No Substance)
3. Curse of a Fallen Soul - Dropkick Murphys (from the album Live on St Patricks Day)
4. Back to Hell - Alkaline Trio (from Crimson)
5. Show Me Your Glory - Third Day (from Come Together)
6. Allison Road - Gin Blossoms (from New Miserable Experience)
7. All His Suits are Torn - NOFX (from So Long and Thanks for All the Shoes)
8. Rose of Sharyn - Killswitch Engage (from The End of Heartache)
9. In My Darkest Hour - Megadeth (from So Far So Good So What)
10. 86 - Green Day (from Insomniac)
11. The Moon Looks Like a Tomato - Duvall (from Standing At the Door)

Top 4 Films of 1991

So I just finished up the Top 8 Albums of 1991 so I figured...why not follow it up with a best of movies list as well?

So here it is, the Top 4 movies released in 1991, in order of my own preference:

JFK
Of course leave it to the history nerd to pick the biopic (well, sort of a biopic) out of all of the movies released in 1991 as his favorite.
Released in December 1991 by Warner Brothers Pictures, this film was just plain great!
Great cast: Kevin Costner, Tommy Lee Jones, Gary Oldman, Joe Pesci, Kevin Bacon, Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Ed Asner, Sissy Spacek, Donald Sutherland, Wayne Knight...the list goes on.
It was nominated for 8 Academy Awards, including Best Picture (which is lost to the #2 film on this list). It won the Awards for Best Film Editing and Best Cinematography.
The film was directed by Oliver Stone and based on 2 novels: On the Trail of the Assassins by Jim Garrison (whom is the main character in the film) and Crossfire: The Plot That Killed Kennedy by Jim Marrs.
Personally, I have read Crossfire and I made a very honest effort at finishing the Garrison book but it was a very hard read and I never made it all the way through.
It was #6 on the list of Top Grossing Films in 1991.

Silence of the Lambs
This film, which was released in February 1991 by Orion Pictures,
tore it up at the Oscars. It won for Best Picture, Best Director (Jonathan Demme), Best Actor (Anthony Hopkins), Best Actress (Jodie Foster), and Best Adapted Screenplay. It was also nominated for Best Sound Mixing (but lost to the #3 film on this list) and Best Film Editing (lost to JFK).
Besides Hopkins and Foster, also starring in this film were Scott Glenn and Ted Levine.
It was #5 on the list of Top Grossing Films in 1991.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Released in July 1991 by TriStar Pictures and directed by James Cameron, this album was the #1 Top Grossing Film in 1991.
Not surprising either!
In my own personal opinion, I actually think this film was better than its predecessor.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton reprised their roles from 1984 film. Ed Furlong starred as John Connor and Robert Patrick starred as the T-1000 Terminator.
It was nominated for 6 Academy Awards and won 4 of them: Best Sound, Best Make Up, Best Visual Effects, and Best Sound Editing. It also won Best Movie at the MTV Movie Awards, as well as Best Male Performance (Arnold), Best Female Performance (Linda), Best Breakthrough Performance (Furlong), and Best Action Sequence.

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Released in June 1991, this is another film that starred Kevin Costner; another film released by Warner Brothers and another one that was ranked on the Top grossing films of 1991, #2 in this case.
It was directed by Kevin Reynolds.
Kevin Costner stars as the main character who is based on English folklore.
It also stars Morgan Freeman, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as Marian, Christian Slater, Micheal McShane as Friar Tuck, Michael Wincott, Nick Brimble as Little John, Alan Rickman as the Sheriff and Sean Connery as King Richard the Lionhearted.
This film did not win any Oscars but was nominated for Best Original Song for the song "Everything I Do I Do It For You." Personally, I could have done without the song but the film was really fun to watch and I really liked this adaptation of the English folk hero.

Top 8 Albums of 1991

This post was Dave's idea. Good thinking Dave!

It's been exactly 20 years since 1991 and here are a list of the 8 Best Albums that were released that year. This list is organized by order of release date (earliest to latest).

Out of Time
Released by R.E.M. in March 1991 by Warner Brothers Records.
It was produced by Scott Litt and R.E.M. and recorded between September and October 1990 at various studios.
It won 3 Grammy Awards: Best Alternative Music Album, Best Music Video ("Losing My Religion") and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group ("Losing My Religion").
It had some really great songs on it although the mere inclusion of the song "Shiny Happy People" nearly knocked this one off of my list entirely.
Singles from the album included "Losing My Religion" "Shiny Happy People" "Near Wild Heaven" and "Radio Song" although my personal favorite on the album is "Texarkana."
It hit #1 on the Billboard 200 and the UK Album Charts and has sold over 4 million copies in the United States alone.

Why Do Birds Sing?
Released by the Violent Femmes in April 1991 by Reprise Records.
It was produced by Violent Femmes and Michael Beinhorn and recorded in 1990.
It included tracks such as "American Music" "Out the Window" and a really good cover of Culture Club's "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?"
"American Music" was the only single from the album and my favorite track from the album.
The album reached #141 on the Billboard 200.

Ten
Released by Pearl Jam in August 1991 by Epic Records.
It was recorded between March and April 1991 at London Bridge Studios in Seattle, WA and produced by Rick Parashar and Pearl Jam.
Singles from the included "Alive" "Even Flow" "Jeremy" and "Oceans."
My personal favorite on the album is the song "Black."
It reached #2 on the Billboard 200 and has showed up on several best of lists such as:
#15 on Guitar World's 100 Greatest Guitar Albums of All Time.
#207 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
#33 on Spin Magazine's Top 90 Albums of the 90s.
#83 on VH1's 100 Greatest Albums of Rock & Roll.

Trompe Le Monde
Released by the Pixies in September 1991 by 4AD Records.
It was produced by Gil Norton and recorded in 1991 at several studios.
It reached #92 on the Billboard 200 and #7 on the UK Albums Chart.
It produced 2 singles, "Letter to Memphis" and "Head On."
I don't have 1 personal favorite but the highlights of the album in my opinion are "Planet of Sound" "Alec Eiffel" "Letter to Memphis" "Subbacultcha" and "Bird Dream of the Olympus Mons."

Nevermind
Released by Nirvana in September 1991 by DGC Records.
It was produced by Butch Vig and recorded between May and June 1991 at several studios (none of which were in the Seattle area just in case you were wondering).
Honestly, this album barely made this list. Out of all of the albums that Nirvana released, this is probably their weakest one. Quite frankly, the only reason this album really made this list was because of its impact on the music industry when it was released.
Singles that this album produced were "Smells Like Teen Spirit" "Come As You Are" "Lithium" and "In Bloom."
It reached #1 on the Billboard 200, #7 on the UK Albums Chart,
If I was going to pick a favorite on the album it would either be "Something in the Way" or "Breed."
It has also shown up on several best of lists including:
#1 on Spin's 90 Greatest Albums of the 90s (although I would probably disagree with this ranking).
#1 on Entertainment Weekly's Top 10 Albums of the 90s.
#2 on VH1's Top 100 Albums.
#3 on Spin's 100 Greatest Albums.
#17 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Badmotorfinger
Released by Soundgarden in October 1991 by A&M Records.
It was produced by Terry Date and Soundgarden and recorded in 1991 mostly at Bear Creek Studios in Woodinville, WA (just outside Seattle). Some of the recorded was also done at a couple of studios in Los Angeles.
Singles from this album include "Room a Thousand Years Wide" "Jesus Christ Pose" "Outshined" and "Rusty Cage."
My favorites on the album (because I honestly can't pick one favorite) are "Rusty Cage" "Jesus Christ Pose" "Somewhere" and "Holy Water."
Probably not my favorite Soundgarden album but definitely a great album. Personally, I think out of all of the "Seattle" bands, Soundgarden was the best one.
This album reached #39 on the Billboard 200 and #39 on the UK Albums Chart.
Just like Pearl Jam's Ten and Nirvana's Nevermind, this album also showed up on a few best of lists:
#45 on Guitar World's 100 Greatest Guitar Albums of All Time.
#25 on Kerrang's 100 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Achtung Baby
Released by U2 in November 1991 by Island Records.
It was produced by Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno and recorded primarily at Windmill Studios in Dublin along with a few other studios between October 1990 and Septmber 1991.
Singles from the album were "The Fly" "Mysterious Ways" "One" "Even Better Than the Real Thing" and "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses."
My personal favorites on the album are "Even Better Than the Real Thing" and "Mysterious Ways."
It reached #1 on the Billboard 200 but only #2 on the UK Albums Chart (weird).

80-85
Released in November 1991 by Epitaph Records.
It was a compilation album produced by Bad Religion.
This album actually almost did not make the list based on the fact that it is a compilation album and generally I do not include compilation albums on these types of lists but this specific compilation could not be left out. I mean, it was released in 1991 and it was a really great freaking album so why not?
It includes the entirety of the 1982 album How Could Hell Be Any Worse?, the entire Bad Religion ep which was originally released in 1981 and the entire Back to the Known ep which was originally released in 1985.
It also includes some tracks from a 1981 compilation called Public Service.
The best tracks on this album are "We're Only Gonna Die" "F**k Armageddon...This is Hell" "Yesterday" and "Along the Way."
My personal favorite overall on the album is "Along the Way" which was originally released on the Back to the Known ep.

This album should have been on this list. I can't believe I forgot this one. I was reminded after reading Dave's version of this same post. Anyway, this album definitely belongs on a Best of 1991 list so I am replacing Bad Religion's 80-85 with this one.
Released in by Screeching Weasel by Lookout! Records, it was produced by Andy Ernst and Larry Livermore.
What a great album this was! It included some really awesome songs like "Making You Cry" "Guest List" "Vernoica Hates Me" "The Science of Myth" "and "My Brain Hurts." This is probably Screeching Weasel's best selling album. It was re-released in 2009 on vinyl by Recess Records and a version of the album was covered in its entirety by John Cougar Concentration Camp in 2008.

NFL Roundup 2010-2011 (Conference Championships)

Conference Championship Scores

In the NFC Championship Game.....

The Green Bay Packers beat the Chicago Bears at home 21-14.

Interestingly enough, I picked the Packers to win the NFC on this blog way back in Week 3 this year.

And in the AFC Championship Game....

Much to my dismay, the Steelers pulled out a win against the New York Jets.

Mr. Big: DoTM

Mr. Big is a rock band that was formed in Los Angeles, CA in 1988. It was put together by bass player Billy Sheehan, formerly of David Lee Roth's solo band, Eric Martin, formerly of the Eric Martin Band, former Racer-X guitarist Paul Gilbert and Pat Torpey, formerly a session and touring drummer for several well-known acts.

Here is where you can read about them:
Official Mr. Big website
Mr. Big Wiki article

DISCOGRAPHY

Mr. Big
Released in June 1989 by Atlantic Records.
Produced by Kevin Elson.
Band lineup:
Eric Martin - vocals; Paul Gilber - guitar; Billy Sheehan - bass; Pat Torpey - drums.
Tracks: 11
Singles:
"Addicted to that Rush"
Charts: #46 on the Billboard 200.

Raw Like Sushi
Live album released in 1990 by Atlantic.
Tracks: 6

Lean Into It
Released in April 1991 by Atlantic.
Produced by Kevin Alson.
No lineup changs.
Tracks: 12
Singles:
"Green-Tinted Sixties Mind" "To Be With You" and "Just Take My
Heart"
Charts:
#15 on the Billboard 200.

Mr Big Live
Live album released in March 1992 by Atlantic.
Tracks: 12

Raw Like Sushi II
Live album released in 1992 by Atlantic.
Tracks: 7

Bump Ahead
Released in July 1993 by Atlantic.
Produced by Kevin Elson.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 12
Singles:
"Wild World" "Ain't Seen Love Like That"

Japandemonium
Live album released in 1994 by Atlantic.
Tracks: 14

Hey Man
Released in March 1996 by Atlantic.
Produced by Kevin Elson.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 12
Singles:
"Take Cover"

Channel V at the Hard Rock Live
Released in 1996 by Atlantic.
Tracks: 12

Big Bigger Biggest
Compilation album released in 1996 by Atlantic.
Tracks: 17

Take Cover
Live album released in 1996 by East West Records.
Tracks: 5

Live at Budokan
Live album released in 1997 by Atlantic.
Tracks: 16

Get Over It
Released in March 2000 by Atlantic.
Produced by Pat Regan.
Lineup changes:
Paul Gilbert left the band and was replaced by Richie Kotzen.
Tracks: 11
Singles:
"Superfantastic" "Static"

Deep Cuts
Compilation album released in 2000 by Atlantic.
Tracks: 16

Actual Size
Released in August 2001 by Atlantic.
Produced by Richie Zito.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 13
Singles:
"Shine" "Arrow"

In Japan
Live album released in 2002 by Atlantic.
Tracks: 14

Back to Budokan
Live album released in 2009 by Frontiers Records.
Tracks: 33

What If...
Scheduled for released in February 2011 by Frontiers Records.
Produced by Keith Shirley.
Original lineup with Paul Gilber on this one.
Tracks: 11
Singles:
"Undertow"

CD Review: Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes

Social Distortion's new album was released yesterday, November 18, 2011 by Epitaph Records. I can not tell you how eagerly I was awaiting the release of this album. I could not wait to get to the store yesterday morning to rip the wrapping off this CD and pop in my CD player. Social Distortion with a new album AND released by Epitaph Records! What could be more exciting?!?

And then......I listened to it.

Let me start off by saying that this is not a bad album, musically. The songs on it are decent. Well-polished, well-written. Good songs.

However, I do not think they belong on a Social Distortion release.

I think they might have been better off perhaps as another Mike Ness solo album but certainly not a Social Distortion album.

Overall, I am kind of disappointed with the album. It is not the best album that Mike and Co could have released to follow up such great albums as Sex, Love and Rock n Roll and White Light, White Heat, White Trash.

My problem with it is that I don't think the songs really...well...they just didn't really "rock" as much as I was hoping. I think that Mike has probably mellowed out a bit too much for my taste. I guess the fact that he is getting close to 50 might have a little bit to do with it.

In any case, as I said, the songs on it are decent songs. I just don't think this is a good Social Distortion release. As a big Social D fan, I feel like I have been let down. I put my hopes up way too high I suppose.

I dunno. Listen to it for yourself. Maybe you won't be as disappointed in it as I am.

Psychobilly: Genre of the Moment

I have not done one of these since May 2009. My friend Dave requested that I "resurrect" this column.

This installment is about the genre Pyschobilly (duh, as if you couldn't tell by the title of the post).


Psychobilly is a genre of rock music. It is a hybrid of punk rock and rockabilly.

One of the main characteristics of the genre is is lyrical content which ranges from sci-fi and horror to violence and sex.

The genre started in the 70s in England but became popular with the formation of The Cramps, who started in Sacramento, CA.

Some bands other than The Cramps that are considered psychobilly include:

The Creepshow
Devil's Brigade
Graveyard Shift
The Gun Club
Hellbillys
Elvis Hitler
The Matadors
Nekromantix
Mojo Nixon
Reverend Horton Heat (although I might disagree with them being part of this genre)
Switchblade Valentines
Tiger Army
The Young Werewolves

Essential albums of the genre include:
The Cramp's Songs the Lord Taught Us (1980)
Nekromantix's Curse of the Coffin (1991)
Tiger Army's Ghost Tigers Rise (2004)
Horrorpops' Kiss Kiss Kill Kill (2008)

Wikipedia has a really good article about the genre that you can read here.

Label Spotlight: Hellcat Records

Hellcat Records is a independent label started in 1997 by Rancid's Tim Armstrong in Los Angeles, CA.

It specializes in ska, punk, oi!, and hardcore bands and was formed as a partnership between Armstrong and Brett Gurewitz, owner of Epitaph Records and guitarist for Bad Religion.

You can read about them at their official website:
Hellcat Records

They have released albums by:

Dropkick Murphys
Do or Die (1998)
The Gangs All Here (1999)
Sing Loud Sing Proud (2001)
Blackout (2003)
The Warriors Code (2005)

Charged GBH
Perfume and Piss (2010)

Nekromantix
Return of the Loving Dead (2002)
Dead Girls Don't Cry (2004)
Life Is a Grave and I Dig It (2007)

Rancid
Rancid (2000)
Indestructible (2003)
Let the Dominoes Fall (2009)

Street Dogs
State of Grace (2008)
Street Dogs (2010)

Tiger Army
Tiger Army (1999)
Power of Moonlite (2001)
Early Years EP (2002)
Ghost Tigers Rise (2004)
Music from Regions Beyond (2007)

The Unseen
State of Discontent (2005)
Internal Salvation (2007)

The Distillers
Sing Sing Death House (2002)

Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards
Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards (2001)
Viking (2004)


The label also released a remastered version of the self-titled Operation Ivy album in 2007.

Every couple of years, the label also issues a compilation album titled Give Em the Boot.

Currently Watching: Dollhouse

I recently started watching this TV series on Netflix based on a friend's recommendation.

It is a series created by Joss Whedon who also created Buffy the Vampire Slayer (both the 1992 film and the TV series), Angel, and Firefly (he also co-wrote the films Waterworld, and Toy Story).

It was broadcast originally on Fox from February 2009 to January 2010.

It is about a corporation that runs an establishment (called The Dollhouse) where people are "programmed" with different personas based on the needs of the company's clients.

The main character is Echo, one of the "dolls" played by Eliza Dushku (who also played in Whedon's Buffy and Angel TV series).

I have watched almost all of the first season. It is pretty hard to drag myself away from the show. It is very interesting. One of those TV shows that you have to follow and can't miss an episode or you will be completely lost.

Anyway, it's a good show. Check it out sometime.

NFL Roundup 2010-2011 (Division Playoffs)

Division Playoff Scores

1. Unfortunately, the Steelers pulled out a win against the Ravens 31-24.

2. Strangely enough, the Packers gave the Falcons a thorough ass whupping 48-21.

3. I don't know how but the Patriots actually lost to the Jets 28-21. :(

4. Although they came back in the 2nd half, the Seahawks lost to the Bears 35-24. :( Very sad

Next week, the conference championships will be:

The Packers vs the Bears
and
The Jets vs the Steelers

Top 3 Films: Kevin Costner

Happy 56th Kevin!

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
This film based on the English folk hero had a really good cast and a really good story but a terrible soundtrack.

Also starring in this film were Morgan Freeman, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio (as the maiden Marian), Alan Rickman (as the Sheriff of Nottingham), Chrisitan Slater, Michael Wincott and Sean Connery as King Richard the Lionhearted.

JFK (1991)

I'm a history geek and used to read a lot of stuff about the assassination so this is one of my favorite films.

Directed by Oliver Stone, this film was based on 2 novels. On the Trail of the Assassins and Jim Garrison and Crossfire: The Plot that Killed Kennedy by Jim Marrs.

This film had an incredible cast! Costner played Jim Garrison, the New Orleans District Attorney, Tommy Lee Jones, Gary Oldman (as Lee Harvey Oswald), Joe Pesci, Kevin Bacon, Jack Lemmon, Sissy Spacek, Walter Matthau, Donald Sutherland, Ed Asner, Brian Doyle-Murray (as Jack Ruby), John Candy, Laurie Metcals, Wayne Knight, Michael Rooker and Vincent D'Onofrio. Jim Garrison himself did a cameo in the film as Chief Justice Earl Warren.

Wyatt Earp (1994

Although as a film based on Wyatt Earp I think some of the casting in Tombstone was better (except for Wyatt Earp himself, Kury Russell did not work for me), I liked this movie more and I think it was a little more historically accurate based on the stuff I have read about Wyatt Earp.

Costner stars as Wyatt. It also stars Dennis Quaid as Doc Holliday (Quaid did a good job but I liked Val Kilmer's portrayal in Tombstone better), Gene Hackman as Wyatt's father Nicholas, Mark Harmon, Jeff Fahey, Michael Madsen, Bill Pullman, Tom Sizemore, Adam Baldwin, Jim Caviezel, Tea Leoni and John Doe, among many, many others.

Interestingly enough, Costner was originally supposed to be in the movie Tombstone but did not like the direction that it was taking so he left the project and used his clout to get this one filmed. Wyatt Earp was released 6 months after Tombstone and did not do as well at the box office.

For Love of the Game (1999)

Another one of my favorite films and probably my favorite baseball film, this film was directed by Sam Raimi and is based on a novel of the same name.

Costner stars as Detroit Tigers pitcher Billy Chapel who is playing the last game of his career. 98% of the movie is flashbacks as he is reflecting on his life during the game.

Also starring in the film are John C Reilly as Tigers catcher Gus Sinski, Kelly Preston, J.K. Simmons, and Brian Cox.

Thirteen Days (2000)

Another great historical film, this film is based on the Cuban Missile Crisis and is based on book The Kennedy Tapes: Inside the White House During the Cuban Missile Crisis written by Ernest May and Philip Zeikow. Interestingly enough, Robert Kennedy himself wrote a book called Thirteen Days about the same subject. Strange that a movie with the same name was based on a different book.

Costner starred as Kenny O'Donnell (one of John F Kennedy's top advisers), Bruce Greenwood as JFK, Steven Culp as Robert Kennedy, Dylan Baker as Robert McNamara (Secretary of Defense), Kevin Conway, Tom Everett, among many others.

New Dropkick Murphys Album!!!

Punknews.org | Dropkick Murphys to release "Going Out In Style"

It's about time! Dropkick Murphys are set to release their new album on March 1 on Bord & Bred Records!!!

Label Spotlight: SideOneDummyRecords

This is a new installment I'm starting here on The Otter Limits. I got the idea from Dave (aka Oklahoma Lefty. Thanks for the idea Dave!

Anyway, so what I am doing is picking out a random record label. It could be an independent label or it could be a major label. It will just depend on what mood I am in I guess. So I will pick this record label and give you some random facts about the label.

For this maiden voyage, I have picked SideOneDummy Records.

SideOneDummy Records was started in 1995 by Joe Sib and Bill Armstrong in Los Angeles.

They have released albums by:

7 Seconds
Good to Go (1999)
Scream Real Loud (2000)
Split with Kill Your Idols (2004)
Take it Back, Take it On, Take it Over! (2005)

The Casualties
Die Hards (2001)
One the Front Line (2004)
En la Linea del Frent (2005)
Under Attack (2006)
Made in NYC (2007)

We Are All We Have (2009)

Flogging Molly
Swagger (2000)
Drunken Lullabies (2002)
Within a Mile of Home (2004)
Whiskey on a Sunday (2006)
Complete Control Sessions (2007)
Float (2008)
Live at the Greek Theater (2010)

The Gaslight Anthem
The 59 Sound (2008)
Live at Park Ave (2009)
American Slang (2010)

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
A Jackknife to a Swan (2002)

MxPx
Panic (2005)

Slick Shoes
Far from Nowhere (2003)

The Suicide Machines
A Match and Some Gasoline (2003)
War Profiteering Is Killing Us All (2005)

This is of course, not a complete list, they have released albums by other bands as well.

In 1998, SideOneDummy released a Warped Tour compilation album with tracks by Bad Religion, Swingin' Utters, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, NOFX, All, Pennywise, Strung Out, Dance Hall Crashers, No Use for a Name, Descendents, Lagwagon, and Tilt, among others.

In 1999, they released another Warped Tour compilation. Included on this one were tracks by Dropkick Murphys, MxPx, Less Than Jake, 7 Seconds, Unwritten Law, and others.

Every year since then they have released a Warped Tour comp cd.

The 2010 compilation includes songs by Blink 182, Alkaline Trio, The Bouncing Souls, Dropkick Murphys and many many others. Look, I sound like an RCA commercial now. LoL!

Their artist range in styles from punk to ska to hardcore to folk to Celtic punk.

NBA Roundup (Jan 15)

As promised, here is the NBA version.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Atlantic
Boston
New York
Philadelphia
Toronto
New Jersey

Central
Chicago
Indiana
Milwaukee
Detroit
Cleveland

Southeast
Miami
Atlanta
Orlando
Charlotte
Washington

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Northwest
Oklahoma City
Utah
Denver
Portland
Minnesota

Pacific
LA Lakers
Phoenix
Golden State
LA Clippers
Sacramento

Southwest
San Antonio
Dallas
New Orleans
Memphis
Houston

STATS

Points per Game
Durant (Thunder) - 28.5
Stoudemire (Knicks) - 26.1
Ellis (Warriors) - 25.6

Scoring Overall
Durant (Thunder) - 1026
James (Heat) - 1015
Bryant (Lakers) - 1009

Assists Overall
Paul (Hornets) - 382
Nash (Suns) - 376
Williams (Jazz) - 367

Total 3 Pointers
Wright (Warriors) - 103
Ginobili (Spurs) - 94
Richardson (Suns) - 93

Rebounds Overall
Love (Timberwolves) - 627
Howard (Magic) - 496
Griffin (Clippers) - 469

Otter's Picks

I would obviously not take much stock in this information since I am not a huge fan of basketball and don't really follow it all that much but I'll put them up here anyway.

In the Atlantic Division, I'm going with the Boston Celtics. They seem to have a pretty good solid team this year.
In the Central Division, my pick is the Chicago Bulls.
In the Southeast Division, I'm going to have to go with the Miami Heat.

Overall, in the Eastern Conference, my pick goes to the Boston Celtics. Miami might give them a run for their money but in the end, I think the Celtics will overpower them.

In the Northwest Division, I think the Oklahoma City Thunder have the momentum from last season to take out the rest of the division.
In the Pacific Division, unfortunately it will probably end up going to the LA Lakers again.
In the Southwest Division, I think the San Antonio Spurs are going to come out on top.

Overall, in the Western Conference, I think it will come between the Lakers and the Thunder and I think the Thunder really do have a chance of finally beating the Lakers and taking the whole conference.

In the end, if the championship ends up being played between the Celtics and the Thunder, I'm going to have to say it would be too close to call. Either team really have a chance of coming out ahead against the other.

College Basketball Roundup (Jan 15)

I'm actually not really much of a basketball fan but it occurred to me that with doing these roundup things for football, baseball and hockey, I am leaving out the other big sport that a lot of people apparently watch.

So with that in mind, I'm starting with a college version. I'll do an NBA version next.

Keep in mind I won't be doing ALL college basketball, just the two divisions that I give a rip about: Big 12 and Pac 10.

So here you go...enjoy!


BIG 12 STANDINGS
Texas A&M
Baylor
Colorado
Kansas
Texas
Missouri
Nebraska
Oklahoma State
Iowa State
Kansas State
Oklahoma
Texas Tech

So I am taking from this information that our state's college basketball teams kind of...well...suck.

PACIFIC 10 STANDINGS
Washington Way to go Huskies!
Arizona
Stanford
USC
UCLA
California
Washington State
Oregon State
Arizona State
Oregon

Overall Points Leaders
Fredette (Brigham Young Unviersity) - 470
Brooks (Providence) - 417
Thompson (Washington State) - 392

Overall Points per Game
Fredette (BYU) - 26.1
Walker (Connecticut) - 25.3
Oliver (San Jose State) - 24.2

Overall Rankings - AP Top 25
Duke
Ohio State
Kansas
Syracuse
Pittsburgh
San Diego State
Villanova
Purdue
Notre Dame
Connecticut
BYU
Texas
Kentucky
Texas A&M
Missouri
Illinois
Washington
Louisville
Temple
Wisconsin
Kansas State
Georgetown
UCF
George
Cincinnati

Hockey Roundup 2010-2011 (NHL) - Jan 15

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Atlantic
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
NY Rangers
NY Islanders
New Jersey

Northeast
Boston
Montreal
Buffalo
Toronto
Ottawa

Southeast
Tampa Bay
Washington
Atlanta
Carolina
Florida

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Central
Detroit
Nashville
Chicago
St Louis
Columbus

Northwest
Vancouver
Colorado
Minnesota
Calgary
Edmonton

Pacific
Dallas
Phoenix
Anaheim
Los Angeles
San Jose

Points Leaders
Crosby (Penguins) - 66
Stamkos (Lightning) - 57
Sedin (Canucks) - 55

Goals Leaders
Crosby (Penguins) - 32
Stamkos (Lightning) - 31
Sedin (Canucks) - 25
Sharp (Blackhawks) - 25

Assists Leaders
H. Sedin (Canucks) - 46
St Louis (Lightning) - 35
Crosby (Penguins) - 34

Wins Leaders
Howard (Red Wings) - 22
Hiller (Ducks) - 22
Price (Canadiens) - 21

Save % Leaders
Thomas (Bruins) - .943
Pavelec (Thrashers) - .930

Major Penalties
Parros (Ducks) - 17
Konopka (Islanders) - 13
Boll (Blue Jackets) - 12

Penalty Minutes
Konopka (Islanders) - 143
Avery (Rangers) - 127
Boll (Blue Jackets) - 114


ESPN Power Rankings (first 12)
Vancouver Canucks
Detroit Red Wings
Philadelphia Flyers
Tampa Bay Lightning
Washington Capitals
Pittsburgh Penguins
New York Islanders
Dallas Stars
Nashville Predators
Chicago Blackhawks
Anaheim Ducks
Boston Bruins

Gaslight Anthem: DoTM

The Gaslight Anthem is a rock band that formed in 2005 in New Jersey.

I actually have not listened to much of their stuff but the stuff I have heard really isn't bad. Perhaps this is a band that I will get more into once I have fully absorbed their material.

From the little bit that I have heard from them they remind me quite a bit of Bruce Springsteen which now that I think of it shouldn't be too surprising because they hail from a town just a few miles away from where Bruce hails from.

Here are a few websites where you can read about them:

Official GLA site
GLA Facebook page
GLA MySpace page

DISCOGRAPHY

Sink or Swim
Released in May 2007 by XoXo Records.
Produced by The Gaslight Anthem.
Band lineup:
Brian Fallon - vocals, guitar; Alex Rosamilia - guitar, vocals; Alex Levine - bass, vocals; Benny Horowitz - drums.
Tracks: 12

Senor and the Queen
Released in February 2008 by Sabot Productions.
Produced by GLA.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 4

The 59 Sound
Released in August 2008 by SideOneDummy Records.
Produced by Ted Hutt.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 12
Singles:
"The 59 Sound" "Old White Lincoln" "Great Expectations" and "The Backseat"

Live at Park Avenue
Live album released in April 2009 by SideOneDummy.
Tracks: 6
Contains songs recorded live at Thick Indie Store in Orlando, Florida.

American Slang
Released in June 2010 by SideOneDummy.
Produced by Ted Hutt.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 10
Singles:
"American Slang" "The Spirit of Jazz"
My friend Dave did a review of this album on his website Oklahoma Lefty. Be sure and check that out.

Hot Water Music: DoTM

Hot Water Music is a punk band from Gainesville, Florida that formed in 1993.

I was first exposed to HWM as result of a split that they did with Alkaline Trio back in 2002.

Here are some websites where you can read about them:
Official HWM site
Fan site

DISCOGRAPHY

Push for Coin
Released in 1995 by Happy Days Records.
Band lineup:
Chuck Ragan - vocals, guitar; Chris Wollard - vocals, guitar; Jason Black - bass; Geoge Rebelo - drums.
Tracks: 4

Finding the Rhythms
Released in 1996 by Toybox Records.
Band lineup:
Chuck Ragan - vocals, guitar; Chris Wollard - vocals, guitar; Jason Black - bass; Geoge Rebelo - drums.
Tracks: 12
Singles:
"Eating the Filler"

Forever and Counting
Released in October 1997 by Doghouse Records.
Produced by HWM.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 10

Fuel for the Hate Game
Released in October 1998 by Toybox/No Idea Records.
Produced by Hot Water Music.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 11

Live at the Hardback
Live album released in March 1999 by No Idea Records.
Produced by HWM.
Tracks: 12

Moonpies for Misfits
Released in July 1999 by No Idea.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 4

BYO Split Series Volume 1
Released in 1999 by BYO Records.
Tracks: 11 (5 HWM tracks)
This was a split with the band Leatherface.

No Division
Released in August 1999 by Some Records.
Produced by Walter Schreifels.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 11

Never Ender
Compilation album released in March 2001 by No Idea.
Produced by HWM.
Tracks: 25

A Flight and a Crash
Released in June 2001 by Epitaph Records.
Produced by Brian McTernan.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 15

Alkaline Trio/HWM Split
Released in January 2002 by Jade Tree Records.
Tracks: 7 (4 HWM tracks)

Caution
Released in October 2002 by Epitaph.
Produced by Brian McTernan.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 12

The New What Next
Released in September 2004 by Epitaph.
Produced by Brian McTernan.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 12

Till the Wheels Fall Off
Compilation album released in January 2008 by No Idea Records.
Tracks: 23

Bouncing Souls/HWM Split
Scheduled for released on January 11, 2011 by Chunksaah Records.
Tracks: 2 (1 HWM track)

LIST OF SINGLES

Eating the Filler
Released in 1995 by Toybox Records/Kung Fu Zombie Records.

Swivel Stick
Released in 1995 by Tuesday Morning Records.

You Can Take the Boy Out of Bradenton
Released in 1996 by Schematics Records.

Clairmel
Released in 1997 by No Idea Records.

Alachua
Released in 1997 by Allied Recordings.

6 Going On 7
Released in 1998 by Some Records.

Where We Belong
Released in 1999 by No Idea.

Moments Pass
Released in 1999 by No Idea.

Screaming Fat Rat
Released in 1999 by Snuffy Smile.

Remedy
Released in 2003 by Epitaph Europe.

I Was on a Mountain
Released in 2003 by Epitaph Europe.

NFL Roundup 2010-2011 (Playoffs Week 1)

Playoff Scores - Wildcard Round

1. The Seahawks beat the defending champion Saints 41-36! :)
2. The Jets barely took out the Colts 17-16. :)
3. The Ravens demolished the Chiefs 30-7. :( No big surprise. I was rooting for the Chiefs but knew they couldn't take the Ravens.
4. The Packers defeated the Eagles 21-16.

Next week:
The Ravens take on the Steelers. I'm picking the Ravens on this one.
The Jets take on the Patriots. Might be a close one but my pick is the Patriots.
The Packers take on the Falcons. I don't think the Packers can handle the Falcons.
The Seahawks take on the Bears. I'm going with the Seahawks on this one. They have already beaten the Bears once this year and they have some momentum behind them.

Catholicism and Punk

Catholicism and Punk

This is the title of a blog post I just ran across on Ben Weasel's blog.

Interesting read.

Saturday Night Shuffle: Seattle Shuffle

In honor of the Seahawks win in the playoff against the Saints, here is a Seattle music shuffle for you:

1. Studying Politics - Emery (from the album The Question)
2. Permanent - Acceptance (from Black Lines to Battlefields)
3. Rearviewmirror - Pearl Jam (from Vs)
4. Undying - Demon Hunter (from The Triptych)
5. Record Breakers - Fall City Shakedown (from Demos)
6. Goodbye California - Otisburg (from Born Yesterday)
7. I Don't Believe in Love - Queensryche (from Operation Mindcrime)
8. Kickstand - Soundgarden (from Superunknown)
9. Butchers Mouth - Emery (from In Shallow Seas We Sail)
10. Hold On - Acceptance (from Black Lines to Battlefields)
11. Not Ready to Die - Demon Hunter (from Summer of Darkness)

Thursday Night Shuffle

1. Camaro - Kings of Leon (from the album Because of the Times)
2. Miami - Taking Back Sunday (from the album Louder Now)
3. The Room - Season to Risk (from Men Are Monkeys, Robots Win)
4. The American Scream - Alkaline Trio (from This Addiction)
5. Abudance of Fluff - Stephen Egerton (from 7 Degrees of Stephen Egerton)
6. Stand Up - Riot Squad (from Riot Squad)
7. Crush Resistance - Haste the Day (from Attack of the Wolf King)
8. Anchor - Lifehouse (from Stanley Climbfall)
9. Back in Black - AC/DC (from Back in Black)
10. 80 - Green Day (from Kerplunk!)
11. Thoughtlife - Emery (from While Broken Hearts Prevail)

Hockey Roundup 2011 (NHL) - Jan 5

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Atlantic
Pittsburgh
Philadelphia
NY Rangers
NY Islanders
New Jersey

Northeast
Boston
Montreal
Buffalo
Ottawa
Toronto

Southeast
Tampa Bay
Washington
Atlanta
Carolina
Florida

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Central
Detroit
Nashville
St Louis
Chicago
Columbus

Northwest
Vancouver
Colorado
Minnesota
Calgary
Edmonton

Pacific
Dallas
San Jose
Anaheim
Los Angeles
Phoenix

Points Leaders
Crosby (Penguins) - 65
Stamkos (Lightning) - 56
St Louis (Lightning) - 51

Goals Leaders
Crosby (Penguins) - 32
Stamkos (Lightning) - 31
Sharp (Blackhawks) - 23

Assists Leaders
H. Sedin (Canucks) - 41
St Louis (Lightning) - 34
Crosby (Penguins) - 33

Wins Leaders
Howard (Red Wings) - 20
Hiller (Ducks) - 19
Price (Canadiens) - 19

Save % Leaders
Thomas (Bruins) - .945
Pavelec (Thrashers) - .936
Varlamov (Capitals) - .928

ESPN Power Rankings (first 12)
Vancouver Canucks
Philadelphia Flyers
Detroit Red Wings
Pittsburgh Penguins
Washington Capitals
Tampa Bay Lightning
San Jose Sharks
Dallas Stars
Los Angeles Kings
Chicago Blackhawks
St Louis Blues
Boston Bruins

And here are my picks for winners this season:

Atlantic Division - Pittsburgh Penguins

Northeast Division - Boston Bruins

Southeast Division - Tampa Bay

My pick for the winner overall of the Eastern Conference is Pittsburgh.

Central Division - Chicago (I think the Blackhawks will get out of this slump they are in and get in a position where they can take the Red Wings out of the top spot in this division)

Northwest Division - Vancouver

Pacific - Los Angeles

My pick for the winner overall of the Western Conference is Vancouver.

Top 3 Films: Robert Duvall

Happy 80th Robert! (wait, 80! dang, he's getting old!)

The Godfather Part 2 (1974)

This gangster film was directed by Francis Ford Coppola and both a sequel and prequel to the original Godfather film.

It also stars Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Robert De Niro, and Talia Shire).

Duvall stars as Tom Hagen. Duvall also starred as Tom Hagen in the original Godfather but I listed this one instead of that one because I consider this one to be the better film of the 2.

This film won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Apocalypse Now (1979)

This film, also directed by Coppola, is (as if you've never seen this film, c'mon, seriously?!?) a Vietnam-era war film.

Duvall stars as Lt. Col. William Kilgore, the commander of a calvary unit. He says the famous line "I love the smell of napalm in the morning."

This film also stars Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, Laurence Fishburne, Dennis Hopper, Harrison Ford, Scott Glenn, and R Lee Ermy, among many others.

This film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1979 but somehow lost to Kramer vs Kramer (really?!? something is just not right there).

The Apostle (1997)

Not only did he star in this film (as the main character Apostle Sonny Dewey) but he directed it as well.

Also starring in this film were Billy Bob Thornton and Farrah Fawcett.

For his role, Duvall was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor but lost to Jack Nicholson for his role in As Good As It Gets. I would have chosen Duvall over Nicholson based on their roles personally.

Top Films of the Decade

This is a list of the best movies released between 2000 and 2010.

I have picked out 3 films from each year for this list. Enjoy!

2000:

High Fidelity (starring John Cusack and Jack Black)
Unbreakable (starring Bruce Willis and Samuel L Jackson)
The Boondock Saints (cult hit starring Sean Patrick Flannery, Norman Reedus and William Dafoe)

The Academy Award for Best Picture in 2000 went to Gladiator (which almost made this list).

2001:

Enemy at the Gates (starring Jude Law and Ed Harris)
A Knights Tale (starring Heath Ledger)
The Last Castle (starring Robert Redford and James Gandolfini)

The Oscar for Best Picture in 2001 went to A Beautiful Mind (which, also, almost made this list).

2002:

The Bourne Identity (starring Matt Damon)
Reign of Fire (starring Christian Bale and Matthew McConaughey)
Men in Black 2 (starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones)

The Oscar in 2002 went to Chicago (which never would have made this list).

2003:

Head of State (starring Chris Rock and Bernie Mac)
Mystic River (starring Sean Penn, Kevin Bacon and Tim Robbins)
School of Rock (starring Jack Black)

The Oscar in 2003 went to The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

2004:

Hotel Rwanda (starring Don Cheadle)
The Incredibles (Pixar animation films with the voices of Craig T Nelson, Holly Hunter and Jason Lee)
National Treasure (starring Nicholas Cage and Harvey Keitel)

The Oscar in 2004 went to Million Dollar Baby (Almost made the list).

2005:

Cinderella Man (starring Russell Crowe)
Batman Begins (starring Christian Bale, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine)
Walk the Line (starring Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon)

The Oscar in 2005 went to Crash (Never saw it).

2006:

The Departed (starring Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, and Leonardo DiCaprio)
Cars (Pixar film with the voices of Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, Larry the Cable Guy, Michael Keaton and George Carlin...among many others)
Superman Returns (starring Kevin Spacey and Brandon Roth)

The Oscar in 2006 for Best Picture went to The Departed.

2007:

Transformers (starring Shia Lebouf)
3:10 to Yuma (starring Russell Crowe and Christian Bale)
Alvin and the Chipmunks (starring Jason Lee)

The Oscar in 2007 went to No Country for Old Men (haven't gotten around to seeing that one either).

2008:

Iron Man (starring Robert Downey Jr and Terrence Howard)
The Incredible Hulk (starring Edward Norton, Tim Roth, William Hurt and Liv Tyler)
The Dark Knight (starring Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine)

The Oscar in 2008 went to Slumdog Millionaire (nope, haven't seen that one either).

2009:

The Boondock Saints 2: All Saints Day (starring Sean Patrick Flannery and Norman Reedus)
Star Trek (starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Eric Bana, Bruce Greenwood and Leonard Nimoy)
Sherlock Holmes (starring Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law)

The 2009 winner of the Best Picture Oscar was The Hurt Locker (haven't seen it and don't plan on it).

2010:

The Book of Eli (starring Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman)
The Fighter (starring Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale)
Iron Man 2 (starring Robert Downey Jr, Don Cheadle and Mickey Rourke)

The nominees have not been announced for this years Academy Awards but it is rumored that The Fighter might be nominated. Others rumored to be nominated are Toy Story 3, Inception, and Hereafter.

And here is the sub-list. The Top 9 Movies overall of the decade....yes, in order of preference:

1. Batman Begins
2. The Dark Knight
3. High Fidelity
4. The Boondock Saints
5. The Departed
6. Unbreakable
7. The Book of Eli
8. Walk the Line
9. The Fighter