Saturday, December 24, 2011
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Machine's 24 Albums of the Year
Mike Marshall of marshallsportsmachine.com recently posted his albums of the year. See how his list compares to mine. It's no surprise that we have common albums, but very uncommon rankings.
http://marshallsportsmachine.com/homepage/2011/12/19/24-albums-worth-ranking-from-2011.html
For reference, here is my list that I posted a few days ago.
http://kevinturnerblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/2011-albums-of-year.html
http://marshallsportsmachine.com/homepage/2011/12/19/24-albums-worth-ranking-from-2011.html
For reference, here is my list that I posted a few days ago.
http://kevinturnerblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/2011-albums-of-year.html
2 Weeks Remaining: The AFC Implication
Here's how the AFC is currently seeded...
AFC
1. New England (11-3)
2. Baltimore (10-4)
3. Houston (10-4)
4. Denver (8-6), Oakland (7-7), San Diego (7-7), Kansas City (6-8)
5. Pittsburgh (10-4)
6. New York (8-6)
New England: Two home games against the Dolphins and Bills, and a win plus a Houston loss secures a first round bye. New England clinches home-field advantage with a win + HOU loss + PIT loss + BAL loss. Smooth sailing.
Baltimore: The Ravens host Cleveland, and this game is huge because in Week 17 they travel to Cincinatti to play what could be a very desperate Bengals team. Baltimore holds the tiebreaker over Pittsburgh if they both happen to win out. They can clinch the AFC North with a win + PIT loss. They clinch a first-round bye with a win + PIT loss + HOU loss.
Houston: At Indy on Thursday night, and at home against the Titans in Week 17. They have clinched the AFC South and a home playoff game, and there's an outside chance that they could get the 2 seed and a first round bye. They'd need to finish with a better record than Baltimore and Pittsburgh.
AFC West: Denver is at Buffalo and then at home against KC. Oakland is at KC and then hosts the Chargers. San Diego is at Detroit, and then at Oakland. Kansas City hosts Oakland and then travels to Denver. Because this is such a mess, i'll show you this from ESPN.com AFC West Blogger, Bill Williamson.
Week 16 AFC WEST playoff-clinching scenarios:
Denver clinches AFC West Division:
1) DEN win + OAK loss or tie 2) DEN tie + OAK loss + SD loss or tie
Denver clinches a wild card spot:
1) DEN win + NYJ loss + CIN loss + TEN loss or tie
AFC West Week 16 playoff elimination scenarios
OAK eliminated from playoff spot with OAK loss + CIN win or tie
OAK eliminated from playoff spot with OAK loss + NYJ win or tie
OAK eliminated from playoff spot with OAK tie + CIN win + DEN win
OAK eliminated from playoff spot with OAK tie + NYJ win + DEN win
SD eliminated from playoff spot with SD loss + CIN win or tie
SD eliminated from playoff spot with SD loss + NYJ win or tie
SD eliminated from playoff spot with SD tie + CIN win + DEN win
SD eliminated from playoff spot with SD tie + NYJ win or tie + CIN win + DEN tie
SD eliminated from playoff spot with SD tie + NYJ win + DEN win
SD eliminated from playoff spot with SD tie + NYJ win + CIN tie + DEN tie
KC eliminated from playoff spot with KC loss or tie
KC eliminated from playoff spot with DEN win or tie
Complete AFC WEST clinching scenarios:
How Broncos Can Win AFC West:
1) DEN wins last 2 games
OR
2) DEN beats KC in Week 17
OR
3) DEN beats BUF in Week 16 AND OAK loses 1 of last 2 games
OR
4) OAK beats KC in Week 16 AND SD loses to DET in Week 16 AND SD beats OAK in Week 17
How Raiders Can Win AFC West:
1) OAK wins last 2 games AND DEN loses to KC in Week 17
How Chargers Can Win AFC West:
1) SD wins last 2 games AND DEN loses last 2 games
How Chiefs Can Win AFC West:
1) KC wins last 2 games AND DEN loses last 2 games AND SD loses 1 of last 2 games
Thanks Mr. Williamson, and good work.
Pittsburgh: Hosting the Rams, and then at Cleveland is all that remains for the Steelers. If they win both of those games like they should, and the Ravens lose one of their last two games, then the Steelers are the 2 seed and get the coveted bye week. Again, Baltimore owns the tiebreaker if they happen to end up with the same record.
New York: Giants and then at Miami for the Jets who do own a tie breaker over Cincinatti for the 6 seed due to common games played. Win both games and they are in, but the Bengals could over take them if the Jets beat the Giants, but lose to the Dolphins. That would give Cincinatti the nod if they beat Baltimore due to conference records. Obviously winning out is the plan, but if they had to get in by only winning one of their reamining games, then they want to for sure beat Miami. However, if the Raiders win out and the Jets lose one game, they would both finish at 9-7 meaning that Oakland gets the tiebreaker because they beat the Jets in Week 3.
SO YOU'RE SAYING THERE'S A CHANCE?
*Cincinatti (8-6): Two home games left for the Bengals against the Cardinals and Ravens. The easy way to get in is to win both games and hope the Jets lose one of those games. Should the Bengals and Jets both finish tied at 10-6. The tiebreaker would come down to strength of victory. The current records of the 10 teams each team would have defeated would be 57-83 for the Jets and 51-89 for the Bengals.
*Tennessee (7-7): Jags at home and then at Houston, for the Titans who blew their chance by losing to the Colts last week. They must win both remaining games, and also get some help. If they end up 9-7 with the Jets then the Titans own the tiebreaker. It's a little different and more complicated if they end up 9-7 with the Bengals. If the Bengals beat Arizona and then lose to Baltimore then they are in. If the more unlikely scenario happens, the Bengals losing to Arizona but beating Baltimore, then that means Cincinatti gets in.
OH NO
The Colts are at 1-13 and appear to be headed towards the #1 pick, although the Rams and Vikings are both 2-12 so the Colts better be careful not to win again.
AFC
1. New England (11-3)
2. Baltimore (10-4)
3. Houston (10-4)
4. Denver (8-6), Oakland (7-7), San Diego (7-7), Kansas City (6-8)
5. Pittsburgh (10-4)
6. New York (8-6)
New England: Two home games against the Dolphins and Bills, and a win plus a Houston loss secures a first round bye. New England clinches home-field advantage with a win + HOU loss + PIT loss + BAL loss. Smooth sailing.
Baltimore: The Ravens host Cleveland, and this game is huge because in Week 17 they travel to Cincinatti to play what could be a very desperate Bengals team. Baltimore holds the tiebreaker over Pittsburgh if they both happen to win out. They can clinch the AFC North with a win + PIT loss. They clinch a first-round bye with a win + PIT loss + HOU loss.
Houston: At Indy on Thursday night, and at home against the Titans in Week 17. They have clinched the AFC South and a home playoff game, and there's an outside chance that they could get the 2 seed and a first round bye. They'd need to finish with a better record than Baltimore and Pittsburgh.
AFC West: Denver is at Buffalo and then at home against KC. Oakland is at KC and then hosts the Chargers. San Diego is at Detroit, and then at Oakland. Kansas City hosts Oakland and then travels to Denver. Because this is such a mess, i'll show you this from ESPN.com AFC West Blogger, Bill Williamson.
Week 16 AFC WEST playoff-clinching scenarios:
Denver clinches AFC West Division:
1) DEN win + OAK loss or tie 2) DEN tie + OAK loss + SD loss or tie
Denver clinches a wild card spot:
1) DEN win + NYJ loss + CIN loss + TEN loss or tie
AFC West Week 16 playoff elimination scenarios
OAK eliminated from playoff spot with OAK loss + CIN win or tie
OAK eliminated from playoff spot with OAK loss + NYJ win or tie
OAK eliminated from playoff spot with OAK tie + CIN win + DEN win
OAK eliminated from playoff spot with OAK tie + NYJ win + DEN win
SD eliminated from playoff spot with SD loss + CIN win or tie
SD eliminated from playoff spot with SD loss + NYJ win or tie
SD eliminated from playoff spot with SD tie + CIN win + DEN win
SD eliminated from playoff spot with SD tie + NYJ win or tie + CIN win + DEN tie
SD eliminated from playoff spot with SD tie + NYJ win + DEN win
SD eliminated from playoff spot with SD tie + NYJ win + CIN tie + DEN tie
KC eliminated from playoff spot with KC loss or tie
KC eliminated from playoff spot with DEN win or tie
Complete AFC WEST clinching scenarios:
How Broncos Can Win AFC West:
1) DEN wins last 2 games
OR
2) DEN beats KC in Week 17
OR
3) DEN beats BUF in Week 16 AND OAK loses 1 of last 2 games
OR
4) OAK beats KC in Week 16 AND SD loses to DET in Week 16 AND SD beats OAK in Week 17
How Raiders Can Win AFC West:
1) OAK wins last 2 games AND DEN loses to KC in Week 17
How Chargers Can Win AFC West:
1) SD wins last 2 games AND DEN loses last 2 games
How Chiefs Can Win AFC West:
1) KC wins last 2 games AND DEN loses last 2 games AND SD loses 1 of last 2 games
Thanks Mr. Williamson, and good work.
Pittsburgh: Hosting the Rams, and then at Cleveland is all that remains for the Steelers. If they win both of those games like they should, and the Ravens lose one of their last two games, then the Steelers are the 2 seed and get the coveted bye week. Again, Baltimore owns the tiebreaker if they happen to end up with the same record.
New York: Giants and then at Miami for the Jets who do own a tie breaker over Cincinatti for the 6 seed due to common games played. Win both games and they are in, but the Bengals could over take them if the Jets beat the Giants, but lose to the Dolphins. That would give Cincinatti the nod if they beat Baltimore due to conference records. Obviously winning out is the plan, but if they had to get in by only winning one of their reamining games, then they want to for sure beat Miami. However, if the Raiders win out and the Jets lose one game, they would both finish at 9-7 meaning that Oakland gets the tiebreaker because they beat the Jets in Week 3.
SO YOU'RE SAYING THERE'S A CHANCE?
*Cincinatti (8-6): Two home games left for the Bengals against the Cardinals and Ravens. The easy way to get in is to win both games and hope the Jets lose one of those games. Should the Bengals and Jets both finish tied at 10-6. The tiebreaker would come down to strength of victory. The current records of the 10 teams each team would have defeated would be 57-83 for the Jets and 51-89 for the Bengals.
*Tennessee (7-7): Jags at home and then at Houston, for the Titans who blew their chance by losing to the Colts last week. They must win both remaining games, and also get some help. If they end up 9-7 with the Jets then the Titans own the tiebreaker. It's a little different and more complicated if they end up 9-7 with the Bengals. If the Bengals beat Arizona and then lose to Baltimore then they are in. If the more unlikely scenario happens, the Bengals losing to Arizona but beating Baltimore, then that means Cincinatti gets in.
OH NO
The Colts are at 1-13 and appear to be headed towards the #1 pick, although the Rams and Vikings are both 2-12 so the Colts better be careful not to win again.
2 Weeks Remaining: The NFC Implication
With two weeks left in the NFL regular season, things are pretty much just like they are every year in terms of a big jumbled mess in the race for the wildcard spots. Here's how things are right now after 14 games.
NFC
1. Green Bay (13-1)
2. San Francisco (11-3)
3. New Orleans (11-3)
4. Dallas (8-6), New York (7-7), Philadelphia (6-8)
5. Atlanta (9-5)
6. Detroit (9-5)
Green Bay: The loss to Kansas City last week might be a blessing in disguise. The perfect season was beginning to look very probable, but I contend that the Packers would have had their hands full with a desperate Chicago (12/25) and Detroit in Week 17. The Packers can now cruise into the playoffs, and I say cruise because I don't necessarily see Mike McCarthy "resting" his players. Important guys will definitely see less time, but the Packers are all about rhythm. In 2009 the Packers had already clinched a playoff birth and were guaranteed to play the Arizona Cardinals in the wildcard round. Their Week 17 opponent happened to be those same Arizona Cardinals. The Packers demolished the Cardinals, but the starters all played into the 4th quarter while the Cardinals starters were pulled in the 2nd quarter. It's hard to say if this strategy paid off. The Packers lost the next week 51-45 in overtime of the wild card game, but obviously the offense was in the zone. All that aside, the Packers need one win or one San Francisco loss to gain homefield advantage. The path to the Super Bowl goes through Green Bay.
San Francisco: The 49ers go into Seattle in a very losable game. Seattle is playing well, and they seem to always play well at home. San Fran gets in with 2 wins, or a win and a New Orleans loss. The 49ers own the 2 seed ahead of New Orleans due to having a better conference record (SF: 8-2, NO: 7-3). After this week, SF will take on the Rams in a game that may or may not have meaning depending on what happens with New Orleans.
New Orleans: The Saints host the Falcons on Monday night, after that they'll have the Panthers in Week 17. If the Saints win both games and the 49ers go 1-1, then the Saints are your two seed and get the bye. Who would you rather play if you're a 6 seed, New Orleans or San Francisco? I think it's pretty clear that New Orleans is the more dangerous team by a long shot.
NFC East: I wrote NFC East because that's who will get the four seed no matter what. Dallas is currently the 4 seed. They host Philadelphia on Saturday, and then go to New York to take on the Giants in Week 17. The Giants take on the Jets on Saturday, followed by Dallas in Week 17, and those pesky Eagles are still alive. After Dallas, they host the Redskins in Week 17. Here's how it breaks down.
Dallas: If the Cowboys win out, then they are in. They can also get in with a win, and one Giants loss...remember the Cowboys play the Giants in Week 17.
New York: Just like the Cowboys, the Giants win the division by winning their two remaining games.
Philadelphia: The Eagles need a lot to happen, but it's not exactly crazy to think they could get in. First of all they must win their last two games, but they own the tie breaker against the Giants and Cowboys so if the Giants and Cowboys both finish 8-8, then the Eagles are in. That means they need the Cowboys to lose both games, and they must have the Giants lose to the Jets. If the Giants beat the Jets, the Eagles are eliminated. Complex, but extremely possible. The Giants and Jets are a noon kickoff, so the Eagles will know if they are playing for anything
Atlanta: They still have an outside shot of winning the NFC South. They'd need to beat New Orleans on Monday Night, and then beat Tampa in Week 17 while also needing Carolina to beat New Orleans in Week 17. First thing is first, and the Falcons are in with a win. They could also get in with one loss from DAL+ARI+CHI or NYG+ARI+CHI. Looking further ahead, if Atlanta clinches as they should, they own the head to head tie breaker over Detroit which would give them the 5 seed (meaning they'd play the winner of the NFC East).
Detroit: It's win and your in for the Lions too. They host the red hot Chargers on Saturday, and head out to Lambeau Field in Week 17. Honestly, that's a pretty tough couple of weeks. I wouldn't want to play the Chargers right now, and who knows what kind of effort the Packers will roll out with in Week 17. The Lions can also get in the tournament with one of the following scenarios: 1) CHI loss + ARI loss + SEA loss + DAL loss; 2) CHI loss + ARI loss + SEA loss + NYG loss; 3) CHI loss + ARI loss + SEA loss + ATL win. Last week's dramatic win over the Raiders might have literally saved their season.
SO YOU'RE SAYING THERE'S A CHANCE?:
*Seattle (7-7): Hosting SF, then at Arizona. They'll obviously have to win both games and hope that Detroit and Atlanta lose both of their remaining games. They own the tiebreaker over CHI,NYG, and ARI if it came down to that...which it won't.
*Chicago (7-7): Must win both remaining games. At Green Bay on Christmas Night, and at Minessota in Week 17. They also must have Detroit and Atlanta lose both remaining games, as well as Seattle losing at least one of it's remaining games.
*Arizona (7-7): Too little too late it appears, but this is pretty remarkable that they are even being mentioned here. They'll need to win this week at Cincinatti, and in Week 17 against the Seahawks. They'll also need Detroit and Atlanta to lose both of their remaining games, as well as Seattle, Chicago, and New York losing at least one of their remaining games.
OH NO: In the race for worst record Minessota and St. Louis are both 2-12. From a draft standpoint the Vikings are ahead of the Rams due to their conference record (MIN: 2-8, STL: 1-10). Play it smart guys. Mail it in.
NFC
1. Green Bay (13-1)
2. San Francisco (11-3)
3. New Orleans (11-3)
4. Dallas (8-6), New York (7-7), Philadelphia (6-8)
5. Atlanta (9-5)
6. Detroit (9-5)
Green Bay: The loss to Kansas City last week might be a blessing in disguise. The perfect season was beginning to look very probable, but I contend that the Packers would have had their hands full with a desperate Chicago (12/25) and Detroit in Week 17. The Packers can now cruise into the playoffs, and I say cruise because I don't necessarily see Mike McCarthy "resting" his players. Important guys will definitely see less time, but the Packers are all about rhythm. In 2009 the Packers had already clinched a playoff birth and were guaranteed to play the Arizona Cardinals in the wildcard round. Their Week 17 opponent happened to be those same Arizona Cardinals. The Packers demolished the Cardinals, but the starters all played into the 4th quarter while the Cardinals starters were pulled in the 2nd quarter. It's hard to say if this strategy paid off. The Packers lost the next week 51-45 in overtime of the wild card game, but obviously the offense was in the zone. All that aside, the Packers need one win or one San Francisco loss to gain homefield advantage. The path to the Super Bowl goes through Green Bay.
San Francisco: The 49ers go into Seattle in a very losable game. Seattle is playing well, and they seem to always play well at home. San Fran gets in with 2 wins, or a win and a New Orleans loss. The 49ers own the 2 seed ahead of New Orleans due to having a better conference record (SF: 8-2, NO: 7-3). After this week, SF will take on the Rams in a game that may or may not have meaning depending on what happens with New Orleans.
New Orleans: The Saints host the Falcons on Monday night, after that they'll have the Panthers in Week 17. If the Saints win both games and the 49ers go 1-1, then the Saints are your two seed and get the bye. Who would you rather play if you're a 6 seed, New Orleans or San Francisco? I think it's pretty clear that New Orleans is the more dangerous team by a long shot.
NFC East: I wrote NFC East because that's who will get the four seed no matter what. Dallas is currently the 4 seed. They host Philadelphia on Saturday, and then go to New York to take on the Giants in Week 17. The Giants take on the Jets on Saturday, followed by Dallas in Week 17, and those pesky Eagles are still alive. After Dallas, they host the Redskins in Week 17. Here's how it breaks down.
Dallas: If the Cowboys win out, then they are in. They can also get in with a win, and one Giants loss...remember the Cowboys play the Giants in Week 17.
New York: Just like the Cowboys, the Giants win the division by winning their two remaining games.
Philadelphia: The Eagles need a lot to happen, but it's not exactly crazy to think they could get in. First of all they must win their last two games, but they own the tie breaker against the Giants and Cowboys so if the Giants and Cowboys both finish 8-8, then the Eagles are in. That means they need the Cowboys to lose both games, and they must have the Giants lose to the Jets. If the Giants beat the Jets, the Eagles are eliminated. Complex, but extremely possible. The Giants and Jets are a noon kickoff, so the Eagles will know if they are playing for anything
Atlanta: They still have an outside shot of winning the NFC South. They'd need to beat New Orleans on Monday Night, and then beat Tampa in Week 17 while also needing Carolina to beat New Orleans in Week 17. First thing is first, and the Falcons are in with a win. They could also get in with one loss from DAL+ARI+CHI or NYG+ARI+CHI. Looking further ahead, if Atlanta clinches as they should, they own the head to head tie breaker over Detroit which would give them the 5 seed (meaning they'd play the winner of the NFC East).
Detroit: It's win and your in for the Lions too. They host the red hot Chargers on Saturday, and head out to Lambeau Field in Week 17. Honestly, that's a pretty tough couple of weeks. I wouldn't want to play the Chargers right now, and who knows what kind of effort the Packers will roll out with in Week 17. The Lions can also get in the tournament with one of the following scenarios: 1) CHI loss + ARI loss + SEA loss + DAL loss; 2) CHI loss + ARI loss + SEA loss + NYG loss; 3) CHI loss + ARI loss + SEA loss + ATL win. Last week's dramatic win over the Raiders might have literally saved their season.
SO YOU'RE SAYING THERE'S A CHANCE?:
*Seattle (7-7): Hosting SF, then at Arizona. They'll obviously have to win both games and hope that Detroit and Atlanta lose both of their remaining games. They own the tiebreaker over CHI,NYG, and ARI if it came down to that...which it won't.
*Chicago (7-7): Must win both remaining games. At Green Bay on Christmas Night, and at Minessota in Week 17. They also must have Detroit and Atlanta lose both remaining games, as well as Seattle losing at least one of it's remaining games.
*Arizona (7-7): Too little too late it appears, but this is pretty remarkable that they are even being mentioned here. They'll need to win this week at Cincinatti, and in Week 17 against the Seahawks. They'll also need Detroit and Atlanta to lose both of their remaining games, as well as Seattle, Chicago, and New York losing at least one of their remaining games.
OH NO: In the race for worst record Minessota and St. Louis are both 2-12. From a draft standpoint the Vikings are ahead of the Rams due to their conference record (MIN: 2-8, STL: 1-10). Play it smart guys. Mail it in.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
2011 Albums of the Year
It's that time of year again. You know, the time when everybody thinks they have to make a list in order to form some type of ranking about who is better than who and about what is better than what. I won't lie though. I like lists. I think they are largely unimportant. There are so many different rules and criteria that you can use, and therefore lists basically tell us nothing except our personal opinion about how something ranks against other things. That being said, here's my criteria....this is list is the Top 10 Albums that I enjoyed the most in 2011. I won't write at length about all of them because that'd be a beating for me and because nobody is reading this.
1. Big Talk-Big Talk
The debut album from Big Talk, which is the band led by the drummer of The Killers, Ronnie Vannucci was an album that didn't gain a lot of critical acclaim. Maybe it shouldn't have, I don't know. It does kind of show that 2011 was sort of a weak year of music as far as i'm concerned, because I didn't like this better than "Flamingo" by Brandon Flowers (The Killers' leadsinger). It's not an important album, but I do think it's a great mix of pretty much every style of music that I like besides maybe Jazz. It's a good mix of Indie, Folk, Rock, and New Wave. All I know is I liked it, and it makes me eager for The Killers upcoming album in 2012.
2. Jared Mees & The Grown Children-Only Good Thoughts Can Stay
I knew absolutely nothing about this band until early 2011. Indie Rock with horns is something i'll always have a soft spot for. I'm also in love with chaos and moving parts, but to the point that it isn't noise pollution. This is a harmonic group, and they keep it together nicely even though there's so much going on. Not chaotic like The Polyphonic Spree, but it is still a lot going on. My favorite song from the album, "Hungry Like A Tiger" is posted below. Give it more than one chance, because it definitely took me a little while to warm up to what this band has to offer. Very cool album.
3. The Decemberists-The King is Dead
This album came out so early in 2011 that I almost forgot it was elgible. This is a fantastic rebound to what was a pretty terrible "Hazards of Love" album. This is a more folky side of The Decemberists, although it clearly touches waters that the band has scaled before. It reminded me of Colin Meloy's old project "Tarkio".
4. Death Cab for Cutie-Codes and Keys
A somewhat happy effort from the normally depressant Death Cab for Cutie. A lot of this hinges from most of the songs on this album being written while Ben Gibbard was at the apex of his relationship with Zooey Deschanel. Too bad that's not apparently working out. I had the pleasure of seeing Death Cab for the 2nd time this summer. I saw them back in 2008 after the release of Narrow Stairs and I was quite disapointed. I don't know if it was an atmosphere or vantage point thing, but they were phenomenal this summer. I wonder what is next for them. One might guess that Ben will go back to writing depressing songs due to the big split up with "The New Girl". It's not my favorite song on the album (Doors Unlocked and Opened), but here is a song written by Ben for Zooey called "Monday Morning"
5. The Black Keys-El Camino
I have to admit i'm not the biggest Black Keys fan. I like this album, and that'll probably make the diehard Black Keys fans hate me. I don't think i'm being a poser, but I listened to the album and I liked it. I listened to it a few more times and I still liked it. I know what they do (or did), and I know what their entire catalog is all about, but I wouldn't dare call myself a diehard, or a dedicated fan. I like them, and I liked this album. I also think the video for "Lonely Boy" is absolute genius.
6. Say Hi-Um, Uh Oh
A band that always flys under the radar with me. I can't ever get a grip on how I feel about them. I find myself either really liking or really hating most of their songs even though they don't necessarily produce polarizing content. I liked this album a lot, but anytime a Say Hi album is in my top 10, then you know it was a weak year for music by my music taste.
7. Pete and the Pirates-One Thousand Pictures
I've liked this band since around 2007 or 2008. "Half Moon Street", "United", and "Come to the Bar" which is seen below will all be up in the running for my top 50 tracks of the year. This album is their most serious album to date and definitely their most grown up effort. It's a good listen for anyone that feasts on indie rock.
8. Peter, Bjorn & John-Gimme Some
They scored a big single on this album just as they did in their previous album with "Young Folks". This time it's "Second Chance". I'm not completely sure what they are going for over all. Sometimes I think they want to be The Black Keys, and sometimes I think they want to experiment. I'd have a greater feel if I had seen them live, so screw me. This album is a nice listen, there was only one song on the album that I absolutely don't like. Enjoy the buildup of "Down Like Me".
9. The Head and the Heart-The Head and the Heart
Let's bring it on down a little bit. I feel like they probably get a little more into things live, but for the most part this is a soft album. I compare it to some of the Avett Brother's newer and slower stuff.
10. Cake-Showroom of Compassion
I kind of thought the days of Cake albums making my yearend Top 10 list were over, but they strike back in 2011 with Showroom of Compassion. I put this more on the weak year of music, but i'm sure they'll be glad to take the 10 spot. That's not a shot at them, because seriously I dig the living crap out of this album. A couple duds, but i'm leniant. It was the lead turd of their album, but it is so Cake, I mean seriously this is classic catchy Cake. Yum.
HONORABLE MENTION
Fleet Foxes-Helplessness Blues
The Strokes-Angles
Telekinesis-12 Desperate Straight Lines
Frank Turner-England Keeps My Bones
Portugal The Man-In The Mountain, In The Cloud
Tapes N' Tapes-Outside
Middle Brother-Middle Brother
Man Man-Life Fantastic
Red Hot Chili Peppers-I'm With You
O.A.R.-King
Much to look forward to in 2012. The Killers, The Shins, hopefully a new Modest Mouse! There will be more. There will be fun. Rock!
KT
1. Big Talk-Big Talk
The debut album from Big Talk, which is the band led by the drummer of The Killers, Ronnie Vannucci was an album that didn't gain a lot of critical acclaim. Maybe it shouldn't have, I don't know. It does kind of show that 2011 was sort of a weak year of music as far as i'm concerned, because I didn't like this better than "Flamingo" by Brandon Flowers (The Killers' leadsinger). It's not an important album, but I do think it's a great mix of pretty much every style of music that I like besides maybe Jazz. It's a good mix of Indie, Folk, Rock, and New Wave. All I know is I liked it, and it makes me eager for The Killers upcoming album in 2012.
I knew absolutely nothing about this band until early 2011. Indie Rock with horns is something i'll always have a soft spot for. I'm also in love with chaos and moving parts, but to the point that it isn't noise pollution. This is a harmonic group, and they keep it together nicely even though there's so much going on. Not chaotic like The Polyphonic Spree, but it is still a lot going on. My favorite song from the album, "Hungry Like A Tiger" is posted below. Give it more than one chance, because it definitely took me a little while to warm up to what this band has to offer. Very cool album.
This album came out so early in 2011 that I almost forgot it was elgible. This is a fantastic rebound to what was a pretty terrible "Hazards of Love" album. This is a more folky side of The Decemberists, although it clearly touches waters that the band has scaled before. It reminded me of Colin Meloy's old project "Tarkio".
A somewhat happy effort from the normally depressant Death Cab for Cutie. A lot of this hinges from most of the songs on this album being written while Ben Gibbard was at the apex of his relationship with Zooey Deschanel. Too bad that's not apparently working out. I had the pleasure of seeing Death Cab for the 2nd time this summer. I saw them back in 2008 after the release of Narrow Stairs and I was quite disapointed. I don't know if it was an atmosphere or vantage point thing, but they were phenomenal this summer. I wonder what is next for them. One might guess that Ben will go back to writing depressing songs due to the big split up with "The New Girl". It's not my favorite song on the album (Doors Unlocked and Opened), but here is a song written by Ben for Zooey called "Monday Morning"
I have to admit i'm not the biggest Black Keys fan. I like this album, and that'll probably make the diehard Black Keys fans hate me. I don't think i'm being a poser, but I listened to the album and I liked it. I listened to it a few more times and I still liked it. I know what they do (or did), and I know what their entire catalog is all about, but I wouldn't dare call myself a diehard, or a dedicated fan. I like them, and I liked this album. I also think the video for "Lonely Boy" is absolute genius.
A band that always flys under the radar with me. I can't ever get a grip on how I feel about them. I find myself either really liking or really hating most of their songs even though they don't necessarily produce polarizing content. I liked this album a lot, but anytime a Say Hi album is in my top 10, then you know it was a weak year for music by my music taste.
I've liked this band since around 2007 or 2008. "Half Moon Street", "United", and "Come to the Bar" which is seen below will all be up in the running for my top 50 tracks of the year. This album is their most serious album to date and definitely their most grown up effort. It's a good listen for anyone that feasts on indie rock.
They scored a big single on this album just as they did in their previous album with "Young Folks". This time it's "Second Chance". I'm not completely sure what they are going for over all. Sometimes I think they want to be The Black Keys, and sometimes I think they want to experiment. I'd have a greater feel if I had seen them live, so screw me. This album is a nice listen, there was only one song on the album that I absolutely don't like. Enjoy the buildup of "Down Like Me".
Let's bring it on down a little bit. I feel like they probably get a little more into things live, but for the most part this is a soft album. I compare it to some of the Avett Brother's newer and slower stuff.
I kind of thought the days of Cake albums making my yearend Top 10 list were over, but they strike back in 2011 with Showroom of Compassion. I put this more on the weak year of music, but i'm sure they'll be glad to take the 10 spot. That's not a shot at them, because seriously I dig the living crap out of this album. A couple duds, but i'm leniant. It was the lead turd of their album, but it is so Cake, I mean seriously this is classic catchy Cake. Yum.
HONORABLE MENTION
Fleet Foxes-Helplessness Blues
The Strokes-Angles
Telekinesis-12 Desperate Straight Lines
Frank Turner-England Keeps My Bones
Portugal The Man-In The Mountain, In The Cloud
Tapes N' Tapes-Outside
Middle Brother-Middle Brother
Man Man-Life Fantastic
Red Hot Chili Peppers-I'm With You
O.A.R.-King
Much to look forward to in 2012. The Killers, The Shins, hopefully a new Modest Mouse! There will be more. There will be fun. Rock!
KT
Friday, December 16, 2011
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 7 Review: Part 2
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It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 7 Review Part 1
After a mediocre season 6 that featured Dennis getting married and divorced, Dee being pregnant, and Charlie briefly leaving the gang to be come a janitor, the show needed to prove that it hadn't completely lost it's touch. While Season 6 did have a few really good episodes, ("The Gang Buys a Boat","Who got Dee Pregnant", "The Gang Gets Stranded in The Woods", and "Dee Gives Birth") I was hoping for a substantial performance in Season 7 to affirm my faith in the show going forward. Although Season 7 was not perfect, I found it to hit more than it missed. I've taken a few notes on each episode after rewatching them all, and i've saved an episode by episode review for the season...
S7E1 "Frank's Pretty Woman" 7.5/10
I didn't really know what to expect coming into the season other than looking forward to how they deal with Mac's obesity. There's no real way to put Fat Mac on exhibit other than addressing it head on and that's exactly what they did. My favorite line from the episode was when Mac was taking his insulin shot and calling diabetes as diabettis. *Like Jerome Bettis* The main story line though involved Frank and the prostitute Roxy. Throw in some blood capsules, a shopping trip with Dee and Roxy, and a dead hooker and you have the realization that they started off the season with a bang, and went back to their dark humor roots. Bonus points for playing "Pretty Woman" during the outro.
EPISODE MVP: ROXY
S7E2 "The Gang Goes To The Jersey Shore" 8.5/10
This turned out to be the most shocking episode of the season. Male homosexual hobo sex will kind of take the shock factor up in any light, but nonetheless it still was unexpected and really gross. The gang ends up getting split up. Charlie ends up on the beach with The Waitress, and they share a romantic night together. Frank and Mac end up stranded at sea with RUMHAM, but are rescued by a cruise ship. Dennis and Dee end up looking for a party and get trapped in a drug scandal that makes events on Breaking Bad look innocent. I just liked how everything came together in total different directions. The Waitress reveals that she was on Ecstasy, making her night with Charlie irrelevant, but then there's the montage with Frank and Fat Mac partying on the cruise ship Jersey Shore style and tearing into RUMHAM, all the while Dennis and Dee are with a group of crack addicts in a situation that keeps escalating quickly. I love the Wilson from "Castaway" joke with RUMHAM.
EPISODE MVP: SWEET DEE
S7E3 "Frank Reynolds' Little Beauties" 4/10
This was an episode that was promoted heavily by the gang when they were out making the late night circuit. It didn't pay off, at least for me. I knew they were doing a "Toddlers and Tiaras" type episode, and from what I had seen from the actual show on The Soup, I was expecting an A+ episode. Other than Frank's "Don't Diddle Kids" improv number and his over the top panic of not wanting to be a pedophile, I couldn't find a whole lot of laughs in this episode.
EPISODE MVP: FRANK
S7E4 "Sweet Dee Gets Audited" 6/10
At the end of this episode, Dennis makes a quote that shows that the gang has accepted the fact that they are bad people. "This may be the darkest thing we've ever done." He's referring to a fake dead baby funeral that they conduct in order to get the IRS off of Dee's back. Dee is in tax trouble because of the baby she had for the tranny in Season 6. Apparently Dee has also claimed the baby as her own, which is why she needs Charlie and Mac to get her a "short time baby." Add a crucifix, some type of powder to put into Dee's eyes during the funeral, and another Wolf Cola reference and you have yourself a pretty decent episode.
EPISODE MVP: SWEET DEE
S7E5 "Frank's Brother" 1/10
The worst episode of the series. I only had a slight laugh one time, and it was during the Shadynasty's/Shady Nasty's line. A complete bottle episode, and i'm okay with a bottle episode here and there but this went absolutely nowhere and just wasn't funny. I blame a lot of that on John Polito who was cast to play Frank's brother Gino. This episode was written by David Hornsby (Rickety Cricket), and was the only episode he wrote or co-wrote in Season 7.
EPISODE MVP: FRANK (by default)
S7E6 "The Storm of the Century" 7/10
This turned out to be a really strong rebound episode after the catastrophe that was "Frank's Brother". Dennis is trying to get the news lady with the big jugs down to the bunker, furthermore conceding that he is a rapist. Dee freaking out pretty much the entire episode was hilarious, along with Cricket hanging out in the basement. Let's not bury what was truly the most amazing part of this episode, and possibly season. Dennis basically gets a case of cataplexy, as he turns into a nervous stalker when he fails to entice the juggy news anchor. He's stumbling, gets dry mouth, and is shaking all the while the juggy news anchor calls him a creep. I haven't made a formal list, but that may be my favorite Dennis moment ever, and definitely a top 5 moment of the season for me.
EPISODE MVP: DENNIS
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PART 2 OF THE SEASON 7 REVIEW COMING UP LATER TODAY
KT
S7E1 "Frank's Pretty Woman" 7.5/10
I didn't really know what to expect coming into the season other than looking forward to how they deal with Mac's obesity. There's no real way to put Fat Mac on exhibit other than addressing it head on and that's exactly what they did. My favorite line from the episode was when Mac was taking his insulin shot and calling diabetes as diabettis. *Like Jerome Bettis* The main story line though involved Frank and the prostitute Roxy. Throw in some blood capsules, a shopping trip with Dee and Roxy, and a dead hooker and you have the realization that they started off the season with a bang, and went back to their dark humor roots. Bonus points for playing "Pretty Woman" during the outro.
EPISODE MVP: ROXY
S7E2 "The Gang Goes To The Jersey Shore" 8.5/10
This turned out to be the most shocking episode of the season. Male homosexual hobo sex will kind of take the shock factor up in any light, but nonetheless it still was unexpected and really gross. The gang ends up getting split up. Charlie ends up on the beach with The Waitress, and they share a romantic night together. Frank and Mac end up stranded at sea with RUMHAM, but are rescued by a cruise ship. Dennis and Dee end up looking for a party and get trapped in a drug scandal that makes events on Breaking Bad look innocent. I just liked how everything came together in total different directions. The Waitress reveals that she was on Ecstasy, making her night with Charlie irrelevant, but then there's the montage with Frank and Fat Mac partying on the cruise ship Jersey Shore style and tearing into RUMHAM, all the while Dennis and Dee are with a group of crack addicts in a situation that keeps escalating quickly. I love the Wilson from "Castaway" joke with RUMHAM.
EPISODE MVP: SWEET DEE
S7E3 "Frank Reynolds' Little Beauties" 4/10
This was an episode that was promoted heavily by the gang when they were out making the late night circuit. It didn't pay off, at least for me. I knew they were doing a "Toddlers and Tiaras" type episode, and from what I had seen from the actual show on The Soup, I was expecting an A+ episode. Other than Frank's "Don't Diddle Kids" improv number and his over the top panic of not wanting to be a pedophile, I couldn't find a whole lot of laughs in this episode.
EPISODE MVP: FRANK
S7E4 "Sweet Dee Gets Audited" 6/10
At the end of this episode, Dennis makes a quote that shows that the gang has accepted the fact that they are bad people. "This may be the darkest thing we've ever done." He's referring to a fake dead baby funeral that they conduct in order to get the IRS off of Dee's back. Dee is in tax trouble because of the baby she had for the tranny in Season 6. Apparently Dee has also claimed the baby as her own, which is why she needs Charlie and Mac to get her a "short time baby." Add a crucifix, some type of powder to put into Dee's eyes during the funeral, and another Wolf Cola reference and you have yourself a pretty decent episode.
EPISODE MVP: SWEET DEE
S7E5 "Frank's Brother" 1/10
The worst episode of the series. I only had a slight laugh one time, and it was during the Shadynasty's/Shady Nasty's line. A complete bottle episode, and i'm okay with a bottle episode here and there but this went absolutely nowhere and just wasn't funny. I blame a lot of that on John Polito who was cast to play Frank's brother Gino. This episode was written by David Hornsby (Rickety Cricket), and was the only episode he wrote or co-wrote in Season 7.
EPISODE MVP: FRANK (by default)
S7E6 "The Storm of the Century" 7/10
This turned out to be a really strong rebound episode after the catastrophe that was "Frank's Brother". Dennis is trying to get the news lady with the big jugs down to the bunker, furthermore conceding that he is a rapist. Dee freaking out pretty much the entire episode was hilarious, along with Cricket hanging out in the basement. Let's not bury what was truly the most amazing part of this episode, and possibly season. Dennis basically gets a case of cataplexy, as he turns into a nervous stalker when he fails to entice the juggy news anchor. He's stumbling, gets dry mouth, and is shaking all the while the juggy news anchor calls him a creep. I haven't made a formal list, but that may be my favorite Dennis moment ever, and definitely a top 5 moment of the season for me.
EPISODE MVP: DENNIS
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PART 2 OF THE SEASON 7 REVIEW COMING UP LATER TODAY
KT
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