Quote of the Day (Dec 31)

"America should have minded her own business and stayed out of the World War. If you hadn't entered the war the Allies would have made peace with Germany in the Spring of 1917. Had we made peace then there would have been no collapse in Russia followed by Communism, no breakdown in Italy followed by Fascism, and Germany would not have signed the Versailles Treaty, which has enthroned Nazism in Germany. If America had stayed out of the war, all these 'isms' wouldn't today be sweeping the continent of Europe and breaking down parliamentary government - and if England had made peace early in 1917, it would have saved over one million British, French, American, and other lives."

- - Winston Churchill (1936)

Thursday Evening Shuffle (12.29.11)

1. I Wanna Be Sedated - The Ramones (from the album Road to Ruin)
2. The Star Spangled Banner - U2 (from the album Rattle and Hum)
3. Rte. 66 - Project 86 (from The Kane Mutiny EP)
4. Nothing Left to Say But Goodbye - Audioslave (from Revelations)
5. Politics - All (from Breaking Things)
6. Undone - Season to Risk (from Season to Risk)
7. Not Afraid - Acceptance (from Not Afraid)
8. Centuries Deep - Ryan Harvey (from Ordinary Heroes)
9. Holding Out For a Hero - Emery (from Punk Goes 80s)
10. Why Good People Suffer - Stavesacre (from Stavz'a'ker)
11. Mass Nerder - Descendents (from Cool To Be You)

Presidential Election Poll

The poll I propose today is...

If the Presidential election were held today, which candidate would you vote for?

Your choices are........

Barack Obama

Ron Paul

Newt Gingrich

Mitt Romney

Gary Johnson

I thought about including an "Other" choice but nobody that chooses "Other" ever posts a comment on who that "Other" choice is so it does not help me tally the results much at all.

Happy voting!!!

NFL Roundup 2011 (Week 16)

Week 16 Scores

Colts 19, Texans 16
Bills 40, Broncos 14
Bengals 23, Cardinals 16
Titans 23, Jaguars 17
Raiders 16, Chiefs 13
Patriots 27, Dolphins 24
Giants 29, Jets 14
Steelers 27, Rams 0
Vikings 33, Redskins 26
Panthers 48, Buccaneers 16
Ravens 20, Browns 14
Lions 38, Chargers 10
Eagles 20, Cowboys 7
49ers 19, Seahawks 17 :(
Packers 35, Bears 21
Saints 45, Falcons 16

NFC STANDINGS

East
Giants
Cowboys
Eagles
Redskins

North
Packers
Lions
Bears
Vikings

South
Saints
Falcons
Panthers
Buccaneers

West
49ers
Seahawks
Cardinals
Rams

AFC STANDINGS

East
Patriots
Jets
Bills
Dolphins

North
Ravens
Steelers
Bengals
Browns

South
Texans
Titans
Jaguars
Colts

West
Broncos
Raiders
Chargers
Chiefs

STATS

Passing Leaders (QB Rating)
Aaron Rodgers (Packers) - 122.5
Drew Brees (Saints) - 108.4
Tom Brady (Patriots) - 105.1

Passing Leaders (Yards)
Drew Brees - 5087
Tom Brady - 4897
Aaron Rodgers - 4643

Passing Leaders (TDs)
Aaron Rodgers - 45
Drew Brees - 41
Tom Brady - 36

Rushing Leaders (Yards)
Maurice Jones-Drew (Jaguars) - 1437
LeSean McCoy (Eagles) - 1309
Arian Foster (Texans) - 1224

Rushing Leaders (TDs)
LeSean McCoy - 17
Cam Newton (Panthers) - 14
Adrian Peterson (Vikings) - 12

Receiving Leaders (Yards)
Wes Welker (Patriots) - 1518
Calvin Johnson (Lions) - 1437
Victor Cruz (Giants) - 1358

Receiving Leaders (TDs)
Calvin Johnson - 15
Rob Gronkowski (Patriots) - 15
Jordy Nelson (Packers) - 12

ESPN Power Rankings (Top 10)
Green Bay Packers
New Orleans Saints
San Francisco 49ers
New England Patriots
Baltimore Ravens
Pittsburgh Steelers
Detroit Lions
Atlanta Falcons
Houston Texans
Cincinnati Bengals

Wednesday Morning Shuffle (12.28.11)

1. Perfect Situation - Weezer (from the album Make Believe)
2. Churches are Serial Killers - Emery (from In Shallow Seas We Sail)
3. Create the Slum - Ryan Harvey (from The New Enclosures)
4. Dorothy - Alkaline Trio (from This Addiction)
5. Reclusion - Anberlin (from Cities)
6. Drinking Yourself Into the Future - Red City Radio (from The Dangers of Standing Still)
7. Alright, Lets Go - John Moreland (from Thing I Can't Control)
8. Goodbye California - Otisburg (from Born Yesterday)
9. The Dirty Glass - Dropkick Murphys (from Live on Lansdowne)
10. Stefanie - Smoking Popes (from Stay Down)
11. Damage Inside My Head - Kill the Reflection (from Together...Apart)

Tuesday Morning Shuffle (12.27.11)

1. State of Love and Trust - Pearl Jam (from the Singles soundtrack)
2. Refrain - All (from the album Mass Nerder)
3. The Green Fields of France - Dropkick Murphys (from The Warriors Code)
4. We're Nothing Without You - The Juliana Theory (from Emotion is Dead)
5. Istanbul - They Might Be Giants (from Flood)
6. Resignation - Face to Face (from Face to Face)
7. Stay Lucky - The Gaslight Anthem (from American Slang)
8. Driving Nowhere - Helmet (from Aftertaste)
9. Sink Into Me - Taking Back Sunday (from New Again)
10. Norwegian Wood - The Beatles (from Rubber Soul)
11. Now I Wanna Be a Good Boy - Ramones (from Leave Home)

Monday Afternoon Shuffle (12.26.11)

1. Buddy Holly - Weezer (from the album Weezer)
2. Think the World - All (from the album Mass Nerder)
3. Cindy's on Methadone - Screeching Weasel (from My Brain Hurts)
4. Center of the City - The Roustabouts (from The Only One)
5. Highway 101 - Social Distortion (from Sex, Love and Rock N Roll)
6. I've Got Mono - Smoking Popes (from This Is Only a Test)
7. Dog and Pony Show - Descendents (from Cool To Be You)
8. She's Got Everything - Stephen Egerton w/Milo (from The 7 Degrees of Stephen Egerton)
9. Basket Case - Green Day (from Dookie)
10. Just Like Them - All (from Allroy Saves)
11. Operation Rescue - Bad Religion (from Against The Grain)

My Favorite Xmas Album

My favorite Xmas album is Duvall's O Holy Night.

Duvall is the band that Smoking Pope's Josh Caterer put together after he disbanded the Popes back in 1999 after he decided to devote more of his work and time to his Christian life.

In my opinion, there really wasn't a whole lot of difference between the Popes and Duvall, musically. Lyrically, he dealt with more "Christian" themes, I suppose but at the same time a lot of the songs could easily translate into Smoking Popes songs.

But I digress.....

O Holy Night was released in October 2004 by Asian Man Records.

On this album Duvall plays 10 holiday classics with the same pop punk style in which they play their normal repotoire.

Here is the track listing:

Angels We Have Heard on High

Tell It On the Mountain

Do You Hear What I Hear

Little Drummer Boy

O Holy Night

Joy to the World

Light of the Stable

Away in a Manger

O Come All Ye Faithful

Jesus Christ

You can find this album on iTunes and Amazon MP3. I would highly suggest you check it out to complete for holiday music collection.

Xmas Eve Shuffle (12.24.11)

1. Cute Without the "E" - Taking Back Sunday (from the album Tell All Your Friends)
2. The Party Song - Emery (from I'm Only a Man)
3. Song of Faith - Haste the Day (from Burning Bridges)
4. Ten in 2010 - Bad Religion (from The Grey Race)
5. Congratulations - The Juliana Theory (from Love)
6. Curse of a Fallen Soul - Dropkick Murphys (from The Gang's All Here)
7. Everlong - Foo Fighters (from The Colour and the Shape)
8. 50th and Western - Red City Radio (from The Dangers of Standing Still)
9. In a Little While - U2 (from All That You Can't Leave Behind)
10. Betterman - Pearl Jam (from Vitalogy)
11. My Brain Hurts - Screeching Weasel (from My Brain Hurts)

Coming Soon in 2012!

This is a list of movies scheduled to be released in 2012 that I am looking forward to seeing:

Underworld: Awakening: I'm a big fan of this vampire movie saga. Loved the first 2. The 3rd one was ehhh.....ok. Kate Beckinsale returns in this 4th one.

The Avengers: Iron Man, Thor, Nick Fury, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Captain America and the Hulk all in one movie AND directed by Joss Whedon? Heck yeah!

Men in Black 3: I really liked the first 2 and based on what I've seen in the trailers, this one looks pretty good too.

G.I. Joe Retaliation: I used to read these comics and even though the first one was not the best adaptation (specifically, the way they screwed up the origins of both Snake Eyes and Duke...well ok, they actually screwed up the origins of pretty much everybody), it did have its moments. Based on the teaser trailers I've seen, this one looks like it might be a little better.

The Amazing Spider-Man: I'm not really expecting much out of this reboot but it is a comic book movie so of course I have to see it. Who knows, maybe it will surprise me and be better than it's 3 movie predecessor.

The Dark Knight Rises: This is the movie that I am most looking forward to being released. The worst thing about this movie is waiting until July for the darn thing to be released!

Total Recall: Other than the fact that they have Colin Farrell playing the character that Arnold played in the 1990 version, it might be interesting. I have read that is follows the novelette it is based on (Philip K. Dick's We Can Remember It For You Wholesale) more closely.

The Expendables 2: What the heck. The first one was good enough to see what they do with this franchise again. Chuck Norris and Jean-Claude Van Damme join the cast in this sequel to the 2010 film.

Dredd: I have not read a whole heck of a lot of stuff about this movie, just bits and pieces here and there. But it's a comic book movie based on a really cool character. Heck, I even liked the 1995 one with Stallone. It can't be much worse than that, right?

Red Dawn: I have been hearing rumors about this remake of the 1984 film for several years and it is about time they finally decide to put it out. In this one, it is the North Koreans invading the country rather than the Russians and Cubans. I wonder if they had to re-write and/or re-shoot some stuff in this due to the recent death of Kim Jong-il? Hmmm....

Currently Reading: Jailbird

TITLE:  Jailbird
AUTHOR:  Kurt Vonnegut
YEAR PUBLISHED:  1979
PUBLISHER:  Dial Press  (Random House)


Borrowed yet another Vonnegut book from the library.  There are very few books of his out there now that I have not read. This one just happens to be one of those.


Here is the blurb on the back of book:


"Jailbird takes us into a fractured and comic, pure Vonnegut world of high crimes and misdemeanors in government—and in the heart. This wry tale follows bumbling bureaucrat Walter F. Starbuck from Harvard to the Nixon White House to the penitentiary as Watergate’s least known co-conspirator. But the humor turns dark when Vonnegut shines his spotlight on the cold hearts and calculated greed of the mighty, giving a razor-sharp edge to an unforgettable portrait of power and politics in our times."

Currently Reading: Pearl Jam Twenty

TITLE: Pearl Jam: Twenty
AUTHOR: Various contributors including members of the band, Peter Buck, Chris Cornell, Dave Grohl, Ian MacKaye, Bruce Springsteen, Pete Townshend, Mike Watt, and Neil Young.
YEAR PUBLISHED: 2001
PUBLISHER: Simon & Schuster

This book chronicles the last twenty years of the band who are celebrating the 20 year anniversary of the release of the album Ten (my Lord, has it been that long?!).  It contains stories about the band from various contributors.

It was released in conjunction with a DVD and a soundtrack album of the same name.

Queens of the Stone Age: Discography of the Moment

Queens of the Stone Age (QOTSA) is a rock band that was formed in 1996 in Palm Desert, California from the ashes of Kyuss (see Kyuss: DoTM).

LINKS
Official Website
QOTSA Wiki article

DISCOGRAPHY

Kyuss/Queens of the Stone Age
Split/compilation EP released in December 1997 by Man's Ruin Records.
Produced by Josh Homme
Band lineup:
Josh Homme - guitar/vocals; Van Conner - bass; Vic Indrizzo - drums
Tracks: 6 (3 by Kyuss and 3 by QOTSA)
Singles:
"If Only Everything"

Queens of the Stone Age
Released in September 1998 by Loosegroove Records; re-released in March 2011 by Domino Records
Produced by QOTSA
Band lineup:
Josh Homme - vocals/guitar/bass; Alfredo Hernandez - drums
Tracks: 11 (14 on the re-issue)
Singles:
"If Only"

Rated R
Released in June 2000 by Interscope Records
Produced by Chris Goss and Josh Homme
Lineup changes:
Nick Oliveri joined on bass; Gene Trautmann replaced Alfredo Hernandez on drums
Tracks: 11
Singles:
"The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret" and "Feel Good Hit of the Summer"

Songs for the Deaf
Released in August 2002
Produced by Josh Homme, Adam Kasper and Eric Valentine
Lineup changes:
Gene Trautman was replaced on drums by Dave Grohl
Tracks: 14
Singles:
"No One Knows" "Go With the Flow" and "First It Giveth"
Charts:
#17 on the Billboard 200

Stone Age Compilcation
Compilation released in October 2004 by Interscope
Produced by QOTSA
No lineup changes
Tracks: 6 (contains B-sides and covers)

Lullabies to Paralyze
Released in March 2005 by Interscrope
Produced by Josh Homme and Joe Barresi
Lineup changes:
Nick Oliveri was replaced on bass by Troy Van Leeuwen; Joey Castillo replaced Dave Grohl on drums
Tracks: 14
Singles:
"Little Sister" "In My Head" and "Burn the Witch"
Charts:
#5 on the Billboard 200

Over the Years and Through the Woods
Live album released in November 2005 by Interscope
Produced by Josh Homme and Randi Wilens
Tracks: 14

Era Vulgaris
Released in June 2007 by Interscope
Produced by Josh Homme and Chris Goss
No lineup changes
Tracks: 11
Singles:
"Sick Sick Sick" "3s and 7s" and "Make It Wit Chu"
Charts:
#14 on the Billboard 200

Kyuss: Discography of the Moment

Kyuss was a rock band that formed in 1988 (originally as Katzenjammer) in Palm Desert, California (near Palm Springs). Their music has been characterized as stoner rock. They disbanded in 1995 and guitar player Josh Homme formed Queens of the Stone Age. In 2010, some of its founding members put together a Kyuss Lives reunion tour.

LINKS

Kyuss Wiki article
Kyuss Lives Website


DISCOGRAPHY

Sons of Kyuss
Released in April 1990 by Smash Productions
Produced by Catherine Enny and Ron Krown
Band lineup:
John Garcia - vocals; Josh Homme - guitar; Chris Cockrell - bass; Brant Bjork - drums
Tracks: 8

Wretch
Released in September 1991 by Dali Records
Produced by Kyuss, Catherine Enny and Ron Krown
Lineup changes:
Nick Oliveri replaced Chris Cockrell on bass
Tracks: 11

Blues for the Red Sun
Released in June 1992 by Dali
Produced by Kyuss and Chris Goss
No lineup changes
Tracks: 14
Singles:
"Thong Song" "Green Machine"

Welcome to Sky Valley
Released in June 1994 by Elektra Records
Produced by Kyuss and Chris Goss
Lineup changes:
Nick Oliveri was replaced on bass by Scott Reeder
Tracks: 11
Singles:
"Demon Cleaner" "Gardenia"

And the Circus Leaves Town
Released in July 1995 by Elektra
Produced by Kyuss and Chris Goss
Lineup changes:
Alfredo Hernandez replaced Brant Bjork on drums
Tracks: 10
Singles:
"One Inch Man"

Kyuss/Queens of the Stone Age
Compilation/split album released in December 1997 by Man's Ruin Records
No lineup changes
Tracks: 6 (1st 3 were performed by Kyuss, last 3 were performed by Queens of the Stone Age)
Singles:
"Into the Void"

Muchas Gracias
Compilation album released in November 2000 by Elektra
Tracks: 15

NFL Roundup 2011 (Week 14)

WEEK 14 SCORES

Steelers 14, Browns 3
Texans 20, Bengals 19
Lions 34, Vikings 28
Saints 22, Titans 17
Eagles 26, Dolphins 10
Jets 37, Chiefs 10
Patriots 34, Redskins 27
Falcons 31, Panthers 23
Jaguars 41, Buccaneers 14
Ravens 24, Colts 10
Broncos 13, Bears 10
Cardinals 21, 49ers 19
Packers 46, Raiders 16
Chargers 37, Bills 10
Giants 37, Cowboys 34
Seahawks 30, Rams 13

NFC STANDINGS

East
Giants
Cowboys
Eagles
Redskins

North
Packers
Lions
Bears
Vikings

South
Saints
Falcons
Panthers
Buccaneers

West
49ers
Seahawks
Cardinals
Rams

AFC STANDINGS

East
Patriots
Jets
Bills
Dolphins

North
Ravens
Steelers
Bengals
Browns

South
Texans
Titans
Jaguars
Colts

West
Broncos
Raiders
Chargers
Chiefs

STATS LEADERS

QB Rating
Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay) - 123.3
Tom Brady (New England) - 106
Drew Brees (New Orleans) - 105.9

Passing Yards
Drew Brees - 4368
Tom Brady - 4273
Aaron Rodgers - 4125

Passing TDs
Aaron Rodgers - 39
Tom Brady - 33
Drew Brees - 32

Rushing Yards
Maurice Jones-Drew (Jacksonville) - 1222
LeSean McCoy (Philadelphia) - 1172
Michael Turner (Atlanta) - 1068

Rushing TDs
LeSean McCoy - 14
Cam Newton (Carolina) - 13
Adrian Peterson (Minnesota) - 11

Receving Yards
Wes Welker (New England) - 1339
Steve Smith (Carolina) - 1217
Victor Cruz (New York Giants) - 1150

Receiving TDs
Rob Gronkowski (New England) - 15
Calvin Johnson (Detroit) - 12
Jordy Nelson (Green Bay) - 10

ESPN Power Rankings (Top 10)

Green Bay Packers
Baltimore Ravens
New Orleans Saints
Pittsburg Steelers
San Francisco 49ers
Houston Texans
Atlanta Falcons
Denver Broncos
New York Jets

Otisburg Now on SoundCloud

You can now listen to (and download) the Born Yesterday re-issue at SoundCloud.

NHL Roundup 2011 (12.8.11)

EASTERN CONFERENCE STANDINGS

Atlantic
Flyers
Penguins
Rangers
Devils
Islanders

Northeast
Bruins
Maple Leafs
Sabres
Senators
Canadiens

Southeast
Panthers
Capitals
Jets
Lightning
Hurricanes

WESTERN CONFERENCE STANDINGS

Central
Blackhawks
Red Wings
Blues
Predators
Blue Jackets

Northwest
Wild
Canucks
Oilers
Avalanche
Flames

Pacific
Coyotes
Stars
Kings
Sharks
Mighty Ducks

STATS

Points Leaders
Claude Giroux (Philadelphia) - 36
Phil Kessel (Toronto) - 35
Daniel Sedin (Vancouver) - 33

Goals Leaders
Phil Kessel - 17
Jonathan Toews (Chicago) - 17
Milan Michalek (Ottawa) - 17

Wins (Goalies)
Jimmy Howard (Detroit) - 15
Marc-Andre Fleury (Pittsburgh) - 14
Mike Smith (Phoenix) - 13

Saves Percentage (Goalies)
Brian Elliott (St Louis) - .944
Tim Thomas (Boston) - .940
Jonathan Quick (Los Angeles) - .934

ESPN's NHL Power Rankings (Top 10)

Boston Bruins
New York Rangers
Detroit Red Wings
Pittsburgh Penguins
Minnesota Wild
Chicago Blackhawks
Philadelphia Flyers
Vancouver Canucks
San Jose Sharks
Florida Panthers

NFL Roundup 2011 (Week 13)

Yeah I know, I am super behind on these things (not having my laptop had a severly detrimental effect on my blogging) so I'm going to just start us off with this last week.

WEEK 13 SCORES

Seahawks 31, Eagles 14 :D
Titans 23, Bills 17
Chiefs 10, Bears 3
Dolphins 34, Raiders 14
Broncos 35, Vikings 32
Patriots 31, Colts 24 How did that game end up so close?!?
Steelers 35, Bengals 7
Panthers 38, Buccaneers 19
Jets 34, Redskins 19
Texans 17, Falcons 10
Ravens 24, Browns 10
Packers 38, Giants 35
Cardinals 19, Cowboys 13
49ers 26, Rams 0
Saints 31, Lions 17
Chargers 38, Jaguars 14

NFC STANDINGS

East
Cowboys
Giants
Eagles
Redskins

North
Packers
Bears
Lions
Vikings

South
Saints
Falcons
Panthers
Buccaneers

AFC STANDINGS

East
Patriots
Jets
Bills
Dolphins

North
Ravens
Steelers
Bengals
Browns

South
Texans
Titans
Jaguars
Colts

West
Broncos
Raiders
Chiefs
Chargers

STATS

QB Rating
Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay) - 125.3
Tom Brady (New England) - 105.9
Drew Brees (New Orleans) - 105.5

Passing Yards
Drew Brees - 4031
Tom Brady - 3916
Aaron Rodgers - 3844

TDs
Aaron Rodgers - 37
Tom Brady - 30
Drew Brees - 30

Rushing Yards
Maurice Jones-Drew (Jacksonville) - 1137
LeSean McCoy (Philadelphia) - 1134
Matt Forte (Chicago) - 997

Rushing TDs
Cam Newton (Carolina) - 13
LeSean McCoy - 12
Adrian Peterson (Minnesota) - 11

Receiving Yards
Wes Welker (New England) - 1253
Steve Smith (Carolina) - 1092
Calvin Johnson (Detroit) 1092

Receiving TDs
Rob Gronkowski (New England) - 13
Calvin Johnson - 12
Greg Jennings (Green Bay) - 9

ESPN Power Rankings (Top 10)

Green Bay Packers
Baltimore Ravens
San Francisco 49ers
New Orleans Saints
Pittsburgh Steelers
New England Patriots
Houston Texans
Atlanta Falcons
Dallas Cowboys
Denver Broncos

Honorable Mentions: Albums Released in 2011

Yesterday was The Top 7 Albums Released in 2011. Today, however, I decided to put a list together of other albums that were released this year that were good and worthy of note but just not good enough to make the cut on the final 7. A list of honorable mentions so to speak.

So here they are, listed chronologically, in order of month of release:

Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes
Social Distortion album released in January by Epitaph Records.
Highlights: "Road Zombie" and "Machine Gun Blues"

Live on Ten Legs
Live album released by Pearl Jam in January by Monkeywrench.
Highlights: "Rearviewmirror" and a cover of Public Image Ltd's "Public Image"

Dangers of Standing Still
Red City Radio album released in February by Paper and Plastick.
Highlights: "Spinning in Circles is a Gateway Drug" and "Too Much Whiskey, Not Enough Blankets"

Go Down Under
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes EP released in February by Fat Wreck Chords.
Highlights: "Never Tear Us Apart" and "All Out of Love"

We Do What We Want
Released by Emery in March by Solid State.
Highlights: "The Cheval Glass" and "Scissors"

They Stay Dead
They Stay Dead EP released independently in March.
Highlights: "Transmission"

Live on I-5
Live album released by Soundgarden in March by A&M.
Highlights: "Fell on Black Days" and "Ty Cobb"

Ordinary Heroes
Ryan Harvey album released in June by Riot Folk.
Highlights: "Ordinary Heroes" and "Far Away From Here"

England Keep My Bones
Frank Turner album released in June by Epitaph Records.
Highlights: "I Still Believe"

Worship Music
Anthrax album released in September by Megaforce.
Highlights: "Fight Em Til You Can't" and "The Devil You Know"
This album is noteworthy because is marks the return of vocalist Joey Belladonna and is the first album recorded with him since 1990's Persistence of Time.

Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage
Compilation album released by R.E.M. in November by Warner Brothers.
Highlights: too many to name
The end of an era. The only reason that this album did not make the Top 7 is because I was restricting the list from non-compilation albums.

Cursed
They Stay Dead EP released independently in November.
Highlights: "Never Forget"

Thursday Night Shuffle (12.8.11)

1. In Vein - Alkaline Trio (from the album Agony & Irony)
2. Grab Your Heart - Smoking Popes (from Stay Down)
3. Supersonic - Bad Religion (from The Process of Belief)
4. Thin Line - Dag Nasty (from Can I Say)
5. Forever - Dropkick Murphys (from Live on Lansdowne)
6. When the Love is Right - Tourniquet (from Carry the Wounded)
7. I Love Rock n Roll - Joan Jett and the Blackhearts (from I Love Rock n Roll)
8. Be Yourself - Audioslave (from Out of Exile)
9. Iraq - Ryan Harvey (from Iraq - Songs of Life and Death)
10. Walk the Walk - Face to Face (from Face to Face)
11. Your Racist Friend - They Might Be Giants (from Flood)
12. Foreclosure of a Dream - Megadeth (from Countdown to Extinction)

Top Albums of 2011

Well I figured it was about the right time of year to put this list out.

This list is sorted in descending preferential order. That is, the very best album of 2011 is #1 and #7 is the 7th Best Album of 2011. Get it? Good. So here it is without further fanfare...........

The Top 7 Albums Released in 2011:

7...........Born Yesterday - Otisburg

Ok, so putting this one of this one on the list is mostly just a shameless plug but hey, it's my list, bite me. LoL!

Also, this album probably shouldn't be on this list because it was originally released in 2007 but it was re-issued by Suburban Empire Records in December with a couple of extra tracks.

If I had to pick a favorite song of my own on this album, it would really have to be the opening track "Goodbye California." Others have mentioned that the song "Hey Jennifer" is their favorite so I guess that is a good one too.

6...........Carnival of Schadenfreude - Screeching Weasel

Yeah, so the guy is a colossal jerk but he still knows how to write a catchy tune!

This one was released in November. In 2011, Screeching Weasel also released First World Manifesto but it really wasn't as good as Carnival.

My favorite tracks on this album are "Carnival of Schadenfreude" "The Parasite Murders" and "No Reason to Lie"

5...........Going Out in Style - Dropkick Murphys

I remember being very excited that this album was coming out. When it was finally released, I can definitely say that I was not disappointed. It was released in March.

Favorites on this one were the title track, "Peg o My Heart" and "The Irish Rover"

4...........iTunes Sessions with Gaslight Anthem

I'm not really sure if this should really be included on this list either because it was not exactly a traditional release. That is, there was no physical presence of this album. It was digital only and you could only get it on iTunes. But, as I said before, it's my list, get over it.

This one was released by iTunes in October.

2011 was the year that I actually got into Gaslight Anthem. In fact, over the past few months, they have been quickly climbing up my favorite bands list ladder.

My favorites on this release are a cover of The Who's "Baby O Riley," a cover of Tom Petty's "Refugee" (quite honestly, they put the original version to shame), another cover of Pearl Jam's "State of Love and Trust" (very good job by them), and a stripped down version of their own "Boxer" which was originally released on American Slang. There is also an interview with Brian Fallon on here that is pretty cool.

3...........Taking Back Sunday - Taking Back Sunday

This album was released in June and reunites the lineup from their first album, 2002s Tell All Your Friends. I have to say that this album might even be better than 2009s New Again, which I thought was a really good album. I only just recently found out that this album was released and strangely have not been able to absorb all of it but what I have heard definitely earned it a high spot on this list.

My favorites on the album right now are "Faith" "Sad Savior" "Since You're Gone" and "You Got Me"

2...........Wasting Light- Foo Fighters

Wasting Light is the band's first studio release since 2007s Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace. An interesting fact about this album, which was released in April, was recorded in Dave Grohl's garage, as opposed to a fancy studio. The idea behind this was that they wanted to get back to being a rock band. I have to say Dave Grohl is a pretty amazing songwriter and often comes up with some really great gems. Wasting Light is no different. Really good album all around.

My favorites on it are "Walk" "Bridge Burning" and "Back and Forth"

And the pick for #1 Album of 2011 goes to............................................................................................

This Is Only a Test - Smoking Popes

What can I say? Great band. Great album. So glad that this band got back together. Really glad that I got to see them perform at Oklahoma City's Conservatory. I did a review of this album back in July on this blog so you can check it out by clicking here.

This album is packed full of such great material picking my favorites was pretty hard but I would have to say that the main favorites are "Diary of a Teen Tragedy" "This Is Only a Test" "College" and "Punk Band."

Sunday Shuffle (12.4.11)

Been a while since I've done one of these:

1. Nehalem - Everclear (from the album Sparkle and Fade)
2. Temptation Tide - Sebadoh (from Bakesale)
3. Churches are Serial Killers - Emery (from In Shallow Seas We Sail)
4. Pay the Main - The Offspring (from Americana)
5. Brushing of the Wings - Traindodge (from Wolves)
6. It Coulda Been Me - Social Distortion (from Social Distortion)
7. Hands All Over - Soundgarden (from Louder Than Love)
8. Light Legal - Kill the Reflection (from Indie Craft Bizaar)
9. Your Place in Paradise - John Moreland and the Black Gold Band (from Things I Can't Control)
10. Icons - Face to Face (from Reactionary)
11. Smile - Weezer (from Weezer - Green Album

The Re-Issue Lives

As if you have not guessed by the title of the post, the Born Yesterday re-issue WILL happen!

We worked out some things with the format of the song files and think we have figured out a way to get the songs to work with iTunes.

If everything goes well, the re-issue will be released on December 20th!

You will be able to download the album at iTunes, Amazon mP3, Google Music Store, Napster

Rhapsody, eMusic, Last.fm, Zune, among others.

The Melvins: Discography of the Moment

The Melvins are a rock band that originally formed in 1983 in Montesano, Washington. Their influences include bands such as Black Flag, Flipper, the Wipers, and Kiss. The tempo of their music is somewhat slow and their sound is very heavy.

Here are some links where you can find out information about them:
The Official Melvins website
The Melvins Wiki article
A Melvins fan site (pretty good one actually)
A Melvins Bulletin Board

Here is the discography. It's pretty lengthy.

Six Songs
Released in February 1986 by C/Z Records
Produced by Chris Hanzsek
Band lineup:
Buzz Osbourne - guitar, vocals; Matt Lukin - bass, vocals; Dale Crover - drums
Tracks: 6

Gluey Porch Treatments
Released in 1987 by Alchemy Records; re-issued in 1999 by Ipecac
Produced by Mark Deutron and Carl Herlofsson
No lineup changes
Tracks: 17; 29 on the re-issue

Ozma
Released in 1989 by Boner Records
Produced by Matt Deutron
Lineup changes:
Matt Lukin was replaced on bass by Lori Black (daughter of Shirley Temple)
Tracks: 16

With Yo Heart Not Yo Hands
Released in 1990 by Sympathy for the Record Industry
Produced by Jonathan Burnside and Billy Anderson
No lineup changes
Tracks: 3

Your Choice Live Series Volume 12
Live album released in 1991 by Your Choice Records
Produced by Tobby Hoizinger
No lineup changes
Tracks: 8

Tanx
Released in 1991 by Boner
Produced by John Peel
No lineup changes
Tracks: 3

Bullhead
Released in 1991 by Boner
Produced by Jonathan Burnside
No lineup changes
Tracks: 8

Eggnog
Released in 1991 by Boner
Produced by Jonathan Burnside and Billy Anderson
No lineup changes
Tracks: 4

King Buzzo
"Solo" album released in 1992 by Boner
Produced by Barret Jones, Buzz Osbourne and Dave Grohl
Band lineup:
King Buzzo - vocals, guitar, bass; Dave Grohl - vocals, guitar, bass, drums
Tracks: 4
This and the next 2 albums on the list were a parody of the Kiss solo albums that were released in 1978.

Dale Crover
"Solo" album released in 1992 by Boner
Produced by Greg Freeman and Dale Crover
Band lineup:
Dale Crover - vocals, guitar, drums; Debbi Shane - bass
Tracks: 4

Joe Preston
"Solo" album released in 1992 by Boner
Produced by Jeff Brangley
Band lineup:
Joe Preston - vocals (unsure of other players)
Tracks: 3

Lysol
Released in 1992 by Boner
Produced by Boner
Lineup changes:
Lori Black was replaced on bass by Joe Preston
Tracks: 6

Houdini
Released in September 1993 by Atlantic Records
Produced by Melvins and Kury Cobain
Lineup changes:
Lori Black returned on bass for this album, replacing Joe Preston
Tracks: 13

Prick
Released in August 1994 by Amphetamine Reptile Records
Produced by Melvins
Lineup changes:
Lori Black was replaced (again) on bass by Mark Deutron
Tracks: 11

Stoner Witch
Released in October 1994 by Atlantic
Produced by Melvins and GGGarth
No lineup changes
Tracks: 11

Tora Tora Tora
Released in 1995 by X-Mas Records
Produced by Melvins
No lineup changes
Tracks: 8

Stag
Released in July 1996 by Atlantic
Produced by Melvins, GGGarth and Joe Barresi
No lineup changes
Tracks: 16

Honky
Released in May 1997 by Amphetamine Reptile
Produced by Melvins and Jose Barresi
No lineup changes
Tracks: 10

Singles 1-12
Compilation album released in August 1997 by Amphetamine Reptile
Various producers
Varioius lineups
Tracks: 24

Alive at the F**ker Club
Live album released in 1998 by Amphetamine Reptile
No lineup changes
Tracks: 7

The Maggot
Released in May 1999 by Ipecac Recordings
Produced by Melvins and Tim Green
Lineup changes:
Mark Deutron was replaced on bass by Kevin Rutmanis
Tracks: 8
This is the 1st of the 3-part trilogy that was released by Ipecac

The Bootlicker
Released in August 1999 by Ipecac
Produced by Melvins and Tim Green
No lineup changes
Tracks: 9

The Crybaby
Released in February 2000 by Ipecac
Produced by Melvins, Tim Green, Tool, Ryeland Allison and Vince DeFranco
No lineup changes
Tracks: 11

Live at Slim's 8-Track Tape
Live album released in 1999 by Life is Abuse Records
Produced by the Melvins
No lineup changes
Tracks: 14

The Trilogy Vinyl
Compilation album released in February 2000
Tracks: 28

Electroretard
Released in February 2001 by Mans' Ruin Records
Produced by Tim Green and Joe Barresi
No lineup changes
Tracks: 8

Colossus of Destiny
Live album released in April 2001 by Ipecac
Produced by Randy Hawkins and Kurt Schlegle
No lineup changes
Tracks: 2

Millennium Monsterwork 2000
Live album released in April 2002 by Ipecac
Produced by Vince DeFranco
No lineup changes [additional personnel included Mike Patton on vocals, Dave Lombardo on additional drums, and Trevor Dunn on additional bass]
Tracks: 19
This was a recording of a live show where the Melvins and Buzzo's side project, Fantomas, shared the same stage.

Hostile Ambient Takeover
Released in April 2002 by Ipecac
Produced by Toshi Kasai
No lineup changes
Tracks: 8

26 Songs
Compilation album released in March 2003 by Ipecac
Various producers
Tracks: 26

Melvinmania: Best of the Atlantic Years
Compilation album released in September 2003 by Atlantic
Produced by Carlos Anaia
Various lineups
Tracks: 15

Neither Here Nor There
Compilation album released in March 2004 by Ipecac
Various producers
Various lineups
Tracks: 18

Pigs of the Roman Empire
Released in August 2004 by Ipecac
Producer by B. Lustmord
No lineup changes [additional personnel included B. Lustmord, Adam Jones and Sir David Scott Stone]
Tracks: 9
This is an album comprised of 2 bands: the Melvins and Lustmord

Never Breathe What You Can't See
Released in October 2004 by Alternative Tentacles
Produced by Ali North and Marshall Lawless
No lineup changes [additional personnel included Adam Jones and Jello Biafra)
Tracks: 8

The End
Live album released in January 2005 by Enturruption
Produced by the Melvins
No lineup changes
Tracks: 10

Mangled Demos from 1983
Compilation album released in May 2005 by Ipecac
Produced by the Melvins
This was recorded by the original 1983 lineup of Buzz, Matt Lukin on bass and Mike Dillard on drums.
Tracks: 23

Sieg Howdy!
Released in September 2005 by Alternative Tentacles
Produced by Ali North and Marshall Lawless
No lineup changes [additional personnel included Adam Jones, Jello Biafra and Mike Scaccia]
Tracks: 10

A Live History of Gluttony and Lust
Live album released in May 2006 by Ipecac
Produced by the Melvins
Lineup changes:
Kevin Rutmanis was replaced on bass by Trevor Dunn
Tracks: 13

A Senile Animal
Released in October 2006 by Ipecac
Produced by the Melvins
Lineup changes:
Trevor Dunn was replaced on bass by Jared Warren and Coady Willis joined as a 2nd drummer
Tracks: 10

Smash the State
Compilation album released in August 2007 by Amphetamine Reptile
No lineup changes
Tracks: 13

Manchild 3: The Making Love Demos
Compilation album released in October 2007 by Bifocal Media
Produced by the Melvins
Recorded by the 1986 lineup of Buzz, Matt Lukin and Dale Crover
Tracks: 8

Nude With Boots
Released in July 2008 by Ipecac
Produced by Toshi Kasai and the Melvins
No lineup changes
Tracks: 11

Melvins vs Minneapolis
Live album released in August 2008 by Amphetamine Reptile
Produced by the Melvins
Various lineups
Tracks: 108

Pick Your Battles
Live album released in 2009 by Bifocal Media
Produced by the Melvins and Toshi Kasai
No lineup changes
Tracks: 15

Chicken Switch
Re-mix album released in September 2009 by Ipecac
Various producers
Various lineups
Tracks: 16
This was an album of Melvins songs re-mixed by experimental artists

Sludge Glamorous
Released in January 2010 by From the Nursery Records
Produced by the Melvins
No lineup changes
Tracks: 3

The Bride Screamed Murder
Released in June 2010 by Ipecac
Produced by the Melvins
No lineup changes
Tracks: 9

Hurray For Me, Fuk You
Released in September 2010 by Amphetamine Reptile
Produced by Toshi Kasai
No lineup changes
Tracks: 1

Endless Residency
Live box set released in May 2011 by Amphetamine Reptile
Various producers
Various lineups
Tracks: a bunch

Sugar Daddy
Live album released in May 2011 by Ipecac
Produced by the Melvins
No lineup changes
Tracks: 13

Up and Running Again

You might have noticed that I have not blogged for a while.

This is because my laptop has been out of commission for quite some time.

Well, the ole girl is back up and running and so the blog continues!