It always rains like hell on the Loser's Day parade

If you scroll down a bit, you'll see the fancy new plugin that Lala has set up. Feel free to browse through my record collection. I can take it.

The problem with Lala is it's there to take advantage of all your moments of weakness. A couple months ago I was thinking that I didn't have any Goo Goo Dolls music. There's good reason. Like Fastball, they're a radio band. I won't change the station when they come on, but I've never felt compelled to buy an album. But then I decided that for less than two bucks, I might be compelled to get a Goo Goo Dolls album. I added it to my Lala want list and Dizzy Up The Girl was on its way to me before I had a chance to change my mind.

So now I'm sitting here listening to the aforementioned tome and it's not bad. It's not good either, though. I still like songs like "Slide" and "Black Balloon" but I'm not sure I really needed to own them. That could get me into a larger issue about how mp3's have made music a disposable commodity to be collected and discarded easily. When you can download an mp3 for free or get a CD for $1.75, something gets lost along the way.

I don't think teenagers sit around anguishing over which CD they should buy anymore. I used to hold my $15 bucks tightly and pray that the album I was about to buy was actually good. If you knew a cool record store you might actually get to hear more than the one song they were playing on the radio, but it was still a crapshoot. Now, you just have a friend burn you a copy. It's not the same, but that's what makes me old. Kids these days . . .

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I saw The Whigs the other night at a club with about ten other people. They were excellent and turned out to be really sweet guys. If you're near one of their upcoming shows, I suggest you go check them out so you can say I knew them when. Also tell them Eileen from Cincinnati says hi. They won't remember me but they'll be nice about it. So if I perhaps lived near Milwaukee and was free next Friday, I might go to Rave Bar and see a cool band (ahem, Shawn, ahem).

So True

Somebody at work this forwarded this to me and now I must share it with you. I'm off to The Whigs' show later tonight so that's all you're getting for now. If you'd like to read this directly off the Philadelphia Inquirer's website or want to email it to somebody, go here.


Read it here! It's hot outside!

By Tom Ferrick Jr.

Inquirer Columnist

I don't get this weather. It's crazy.

Have you noticed it keeps getting hotter and hotter?

It seems to happen this way every year, especially in July and August.

I can't understand it.

Here at the paper, we are trying to understand it, too.

We sent out a team of reporters yesterday, who fanned across the region.

When they came back, they reported: It is hot everywhere! Very hot!

The city editor said: You mean everywhere?!

They said: Yes, everywhere!

He said: This is front-page news!

And so it was done.

Ditto television.

Counting overtime, the stations probably spent $250,000 yesterday to tell you that it is summer and that it is hot.

They had people standing in South Philadelphia, Center City, as far as Bucks County, and they reported back live that it was hot, everywhere.

Of course, they were wearing business suits and ties, so no wonder they were hot.

They should have followed some of the helpful hints we gave readers the other day about what to do when it gets hot:

For one thing, wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothes.

You should also drink lots of liquids, preferably water. Beer will make you sweat and give you a headache.

Stay cool

I have other helpful hints:

1. Don't wear wool clothing. It itches and will make you really hot.

2. Try to stay cool. Don't sit in a room with all the windows closed. Use a fan to circulate the air or, preferably, an air conditioner.

3. Don't run out to buy an air conditioner today. Everyone else who just read No. 2 is trying to do the same thing. The managers of the stores tell us the air conditioners are flying off the shelves. That's what they always say when we ask them. Of course, we never ask them until it is really hot.

4. Whatever you do, don't sit in a room with the windows closed, wearing wool clothing and drinking beer. It is a recipe for disaster. At the very least, wear something that is light and loose fitting. A bedsheet will do.

For those of us in the news biz, there is only one thing more exciting than heat. It is record heat.

For record heat, we will remake the front page and use Pearl Harbor-sized type and write headlines that say:

Record Heat Scorches Region!

We will then proceed to tell you that it was hot yesterday.

Television has us beat. It can tell you that it was hot today.

Here are some more helpful hints:

5. Don't watch television. Watching those TV reporters standing in front of the cameras will only make you hotter.

6. Buy two newspapers. Read one and use the other to fan yourself. It will help alleviate the heat. This is especially true if you insist on sitting in a closed room, wearing a bedsheet and drinking beer.

Forever sidebars

In addition to telling you it was hot yesterday, we can also tell you many interesting tidbits about the heat. We call these sidebars.

For instance, we sent reporters out the other day to find the places in the region that smelled the worst because of the heat. Get it? That's a sidebar.

Tomorrow, if it stays hot, we will think of other sidebars. Maybe we will go out and ask people how they are coping with the heat. Once the editors put their minds to it, the sidebar possibilities are endless.

Did you know that heat waves are a major cause of back injuries among reporters? It comes from hiding under their desks for hours at a time, trying to avoid sidebars.

I predict this heat wave will end before we run out of ideas for sidebars. Then it will gradually get cooler. Then the leaves will fall from the trees. Then it will get really cold. Then it will snow.

As I told you, this weather is crazy.

I have some helpful hints for snow, too. One is to dress in warm clothing, sit in a room with all the windows closed, and drink beer. It will keep you nice and warm.

Now, if you will excuse me, I must go change my bedsheet.

When they call last call, you look so contagious

Arrgh!

Carrie had a great idea this week and now I can't wait to reap the benefits. Get this - sushi and Pirates of the Caribbean. Yes! So tonight we're going for some raw fish followed by a movie I can't believe I'm so excited to see. Avast ye mateys, it's sure to be awesome!

So here's the thing with suddenly working all the time. I actually still listen to music every day, I just don't get time to write about it. The music benefits, though, because I find myself listening to an album at least a couple times before I get around to blogging. Collective Soul is probably angry that I didn't give them that kind of consideration.

Today's album is another one of Josh's famous mix CDs and actually the first one I ever got from him. I don't know if he made any earlier ones, but for me it all starts with Dirty Beats.

Now I've written before about how I was unfamiliar with the ways of hip-hop until a boy from North Dakota showed me the light. Well, this CD threw me right into the deep end of the pool. The Pharcyde, Tricky, The Roots, The Wu-Tang Clan and Outkast all make appearances and this is back in like 2001 when all those didn't necessarily have hit records.

I consider Dirty Beats the most daring of Josh's mix CDs but not really my favorite. It can be some work to get through as it assaults my delicate sensibilities with crazy rapping and extra sad folk songs. It does include "Macy Day Parade" by Michael Penn and "Dancing Lessons" by Sinead O'Connor (which I would like to point out that I had used in a previous mix) though. Both songs I count as a couple of my favorite tunes in this whole world.

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I was in Seattle last weekend and I promise some photos soon. I'd also like to wish Shawn a belated happy birthday. He's a lady, though, so I won't mention his age.

Also, you've all been warned. Next year (7/3/07) I'm turning 30 and there will be parties in San Francisco. Clear your calendars now.

Winter came to Omaha, it left us looking like a bride

This whole not blogging very often thing is crazy! When I finally get around to sitting down I have so much to get through. Let's begin at the beginning, shall we? My friends and I went to St. Louis this weekend for our friend Sarah's wedding. Road trip! Oh, I have photos, too.

So, after our six hour drive (that we survived with the help of some rockin' tunes from Declan) we headed straight for the arch. I've been up it a few times, but it was especially wobbly this time. That made me giggle and made Carrie nervous. See there's Carrie, Jeff and Jim before our bold adventure to the top!


They also have a Thomas Jefferson statue at the arch. I think my new hobby is going to be getting my picture taken kissing TJ statues all over this land. Just believe me when I tell you this isn't the first time I've been in a photo like this.


Anyway, after the crazy elevator ride, we were rewarded with a lovely view, and a great welcome to the city that never sleeps (except between the hours of 2 a.m. and 8 a.m).


The next day we went on a brewery tour to see where Budweiser comes from. It was really cool because I pretty much like any factory tour but I love them even more when drinks are involved.

But then we had to rush back and get ready for the wedding because that's why we drove all that way in the first place. The wedding itself was lovely. Sarah looked gorgeous and Austin was very cute in his tux. Those two are gonna have cute little kids someday. That's all I'm saying.


The wedding also had that most mythical of creatures, the "open bar." Much like true love itself, it is a gift from god when discovered and something to be cherished. The best thing about an open bar - you end up with photos like this.

Who loves ya, Baby?

The trip back was a quiet event with much napping, but I think we were all happy campers. Now I have a few days to recover before I head out to meet the family in Seattle. Sadly, there will be no open bar there.

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Now here's the best part. I actually listened to an album, too, and it's one of my faves. Digital Ash In A Digital Urn was high on my top ten list of albums last year. It was released on the same day as the other Bright Eyes album I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning and, like children, it's very hard for me to love one more than the other.

I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning got a lot of the press last year, though. It's soft and acoustic and accessible. Digital Ash is noisy and loud and really kind of grating the first time you hear it. If you take some time to get to know it, though, it's very rewarding. "Take It Easy (Love Nothing)" has been my personal theme song for the last year or so and I start all my 5k runs with it. Just for that, I may love Digital Ash a little bit more.

There's a point in the listening when the electronics and noise just start to make sense. Conor Oberst's voice helps hold everything together and lets me know we're going on an interesting trip. Noise can be scary, but he makes it okay.

I've kissed you more than twice and now I'm working on your dad

I really must stop these long absences, but lately it's been more than my schedule that's kept me from blogging, it's the beautiful game. I get up at nine every morning and there it is waiting for me. This morning it was a 0-0 tie between Japan and Croatia. Not the most exciting game, but still a great way to start the day. After hours of World Cup viewing, though, I've reached some conclusions about soccer and why Americans don't like it:

1. The announcers constantly say it's "a man's game" but any game that features dramatic dives and fake injuries can't honestly be "a man's game" unless those men are drama queens, which brings me to my next thought.

2. Soccer players are like thoroughbreds. They're sleek and well groomed, easily scared and prone to silly injuries. It's so strange watching them prance around out on the field only to cry to the ref whenever someone trips them. It feels distinctly un-American.

3. Americans have a hard time liking any sport that doesn't involve constant forward movement. I'm sure it says something about our worldview but, like hockey, soccer often requires that the ball go backwards to get farther forward. It's a concept most Americans just can't get behind. Why would anyone ever give up ground?

Despite these quandaries, I'm a huge fan of the World Cup. I love it because it challenges so many things Americans hold to be true. Counties like Brazil and Portugal suddenly become world powers and we're only left with "girly man" jokes. We can hate soccer all we want. I'm sure that would be just fine with the rest of the world.

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Oh, I also listened to an album today. Perhaps it's fitting that it's a British album that I never quite got. I never feel like I'm hip enough to listen to Different Class by Pulp. It's like cool kids music. It's dark and sexy and full of stories about people who are unlike any of the people I've ever met. Jarvis Cocker is one sad and British guy that I don't love. Mostly, it's because I don't think he's really that sad. It sounds like he's having too much fun.

If you think you might like Pulp, though, you should check out William Shatner's cover of "Common People." Unbeatable!

All my friends keep telling me that you can't drink or get drunk for free

One question keeps running through my head as I listen to today's album. Why is it called DGC Rarities, Vol. 1?

Were they planning on future volumes and just never got around to it? Did grunge go out of style before volume 2? I mean it's a pretty bold move to announce something as "Volume 1." You're pretty much obligated to put out follow-up volumes. Unless, your name is David Geffen, I guess.

So this mysterious volume of rarities was released on July 5, 1994 at the height of grunge. It featured b-sides from the famous (Nirvana) and nearly famous (that dog) artists who were signed to Geffen Records at the time. It's a surprisingly good collection that I've been reluctant to remove from Declan even though things are getting pretty crowded on him nowadays. A concentrated little taste of everything grunge, it would have been a perfect addition to any 1994 time capsule. It's a perfect sample of everything that was musically cool at the time.

There's one band on the album that sticks out like a sore thumb, though. In 1994 (as today) Counting Crows was considered far from grunge. Their endlessly catchy tune "Einstein On The Beach" is set smack dab in the middle of the album to wake everyone from their fuzzy guitar stupor. Hey, it's a great song and, frankly, probably the main reason I bought this album in 1994, but it's like a game of "one of these things is not like the others." If David Geffen doesn't have to pay attention to things like volume 1's, I guess he can rewrite the rules of grunge, too.

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Hey, I just got a bunch of invites to lala.com and if you sign up I get a free t-shirt. There's no cost to you and it fun to check out so email (sadandbritish@gmail.com) me if you want an invite. There are seven different shirts and I want to collect them all. C'mon, help me out!

I lost my leg like I lost my way

I know, you guys are probably thinking I'm like Josh and have decided I'm too good for a blog. Not true, not true. I'm not too good for anything. OK, well, maybe prostitution. I'd like to think I'm too good for that. Truth is, my work hours have changed and now I'm trying to figure out when I'm actually going to sit down to write. Plus, I'm lazy.

I know you don't want to hear about how my parents came down for Memorial Day and we went to the Maker's Mark distillery. We got to dip our very own bottles into a vat of wax (insert your own off color joke here). The whole place smelled like the barrels at a garden store or my mom's fruitcakes. Sadly, some of you don't know what either of those smell like. Your loss.

What you're dying to hear about is Demon Days by Gorillaz. I guess I should have waited another day to write about this album, considering the title. It would have made a nice 6/6/06 post. Oh well. Anyway, Demon Days is decent. I think I like it more than their first album, but I've pretty much decided that Gorillaz is a singles band for me. I'll be happy to buy all their catchy songs on iTunes from now on and leave the full albums to someone else. I just never like them that much. "Feel Good Inc." though? Song of the year for 2005.

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Everybody should wish my buddy Jeff a happy birthday tomorrow. I won't tell you how old he is (he's a fast runner for his age) but I do have to say he ended up with the coolest birthday in memory. He's having a 666 party to celebrate tomorrow. Aren't you jealous?

There you go, waving your arms like a girl

I'm pretty sure I'd like Ryan Adams more if I could just keep up with him. The guy puts out like an album a week and it's just really too much. Many of his songs are great, but if any musician needed an editor it's this guy. The world doesn't deserve to hear every little tune you pluck out your guitar, Mr. Adams, unless it's "Summer Of '69" that song was great.

Anyway, today's album is Demolition, released just 364 days after his first solo album, Gold. I didn't buy it back in 2002 because, while I was a moderate fan of Gold, I couldn't bring myself to buy another Ryan Adams album so soon. Like Gold, Demolition is a spotty affair that has some really great songs scattered amongst a field of what other musicians might call filler, but I'm sure Mr. Adams calls little pieces of his soul. He can be dramatic like that. You could edit Gold and Demolition down to one amazing album, but alas!

If someone gives you a copy of Demoltion, don't turn it down. I'm sure you'll find a couple things you like. Otherwise, I suggest waiting for the greatest hits.

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I have to tell everybody about my true find of the weekend. After posting it on my Amazon wish list for months with no success, I fianlly purchased The Right Spectacle - The Very Best of Elvis Costello. It's a DVD complilation of every video Elvis has released from This Year's Model through Mighty Like a Rose.

Now, I was happy just to have all the videos but it turns out the DVD also features commentary from the man himself. I spent a lovely evening this Friday listening to Elvis drolly commenting on how drunk he and The Attractions were during almost every video. I guess you have to be a fan, but it was a real treat. I plan to subject many friends and acquaintances to it over the coming months.

Maybe I'll call or write you a letter

Choo, choo! Do you hear that? Yep, it's the nostalgia train pulling in for a nice long stop at the Eileen depot. What album merits a visit from the nostalgia train? It's Deluxe by Better Than Ezra.

Deluxe was released on February 28, 1995, mere months before I was to graduate high school and prime memory making time. Add that to the fact that the first single, "Good" was on the radio every five minutes and it literally became a soundtrack to my life. I've also been a Better Than Ezra fan ever since.

I don't have many really specific memories that go with Deluxe. It just gives me a general feeling of all the excitement and giddiness that goes with graduating. It's funny that I love this album so much because there are some truly horrible songs on here (see "Teenager"). I guess a little nostalgia always helps gloss over imperfections.

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Here's a quick installment of NEW MUSIC MONDAY for you. Go out right now and pick up How We Operate by Gomez. It's a little more acoustic than their other stuff but I really think it may be my album of the summer.

No matter what the fashion, you'll always be my style

I got Deja Vu All Over Again from the library a couple months ago, but I guess I never got past the first half. It starts out so strong that I was all "Oh yeah, John Fogerty's back!" I never made it to the song about SUVs. That's right it's all about how computers and lattes, cell phones and the aforementioned vehicles have made us empty shells of humanity. I get it you old hippie, we're all going to hell. Oh well, more Twinkies for me.