New Kevin Smith Teaser (NSFW)

Jesus todays like X-mas in late May.

First the awesome looking Coen brother trailer and now this teaser for the new Kevin Smith flick "Zack and Miri Make A Porno"

I am geeking out at an unhealthy rate.

RIP Harvey Korman 1927 - 2008

We lost one of the funniest guys ever yesterday.

And "Blazing Saddles" is one of the funniest movies ever made.

Everybody have a drink for Harvey tonight

New Coen Brother's Red Band Trailer- Burn After Reading

I think I just completed in my pants!

This movie looks absolutely fantastic. Granted, my undying love for the Coen's may have something to do with my huge nerd boner right now.

Album Review: Jason Mraz

Jason Mraz- We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things

The sketch of Jason Mraz on the cover of the album We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things is a proper metaphor for the music inside.

Gone is the askew trucker’s cap that had become a bit of a trademark, replaced now by a Sinatra style fedora. The image speaks to the general maturity shown in the music and songwriting on the album.

The sleek soul sound of the opening track “Make it Mine” makes the listener quickly realize they are about to get some different things from Mr. A-Z.

There have always been a myriad of genres blended together in Mraz’s music, but those different styles are much more definitive now. The single “I’m Yours” is most definitely a Reggae song while “The Dynamo of Volition” taps into the hip-hop world rather specifically.

We Sing… is also highlighted by a couple guest spots, Colbie Caillat on the cutesy “Lucky” and James Morrison on the poignant “Details in the Fabric”.

All in all, the record shows a great step forward for Mraz as a songwriter and an artist

MY GRADE: B

Album Review: Duffy

Duffy- Rockferry

Trends and comparisons are dangerous monsters in the music business, and Duffy is either a victim or a product of both on her debut Rockferry.

Almost immediately after hitting the scene the Welsh singer was being hailed by the British press as one of the “New Amys” drawing comparisons to troubled retro-popster Amy Winehouse.

That comparison is unfair in many ways but a couple stand out.

First, Duffy’s voice is considerably stronger than that of Winehouse, but there is also considerably less attitude.

Rockferry starts out with the title track, a wall of sound ballad that evokes the great Female Brit singers of the mid-sixties; the problem is that the power of the opening song doesn’t continue.

The album continues with a number of sweet and subtle ballads that are good, but not unlike anything you’ve heard before, and by the time you get to “Mercy” (the current single and the albums only up-tempo track) it almost sounds out of place.

The album finishes up with “Distant Dreamer” another throwback with a big big sound that ends the album on a full and beautiful note.

I can’t decide if all these comparisons are good or bad thing for artists and/or listeners (I’m leaning toward bad), but if I must compare then I will say this.

The retro sound is there, the vocal power is most certainly there, the attitude just isn’t.

MY GRADE: C+

Concert Review: deSol

You have to respect any hard-working road band, but more respect altogether goes to a road band that never seems to stop having fun at the same time.

deSol is most certainly one of those bands.

The New Jersey band Latin rockers have barely left the road since they were last in Portland for KINK Live Ten way back in September, but the word tired just doesn’t seem to be in their vocabulary.

The band seemed a little out of place on the Dante’s stage, sandwiched between two harder rock bands, but they certainly had the sparse attendance on their feet early and often during a solid 45 minute set.

It seemed like most of the few in attendance were there to see them, and even those who weren’t could help but clap along during the latest single “On My Way”.

The gang of 6, including a couple new members since we saw them last, were all smiles from start to finish and, as always, brought the party atmosphere they are known for.

And with that they were off, into the night on what seems like a never ending ride.

YEEEEEESSS!!!!

Yes folks it the trailer for Choke, the latest Chuck Pahliniuk based movie.

The anticipation is killing me.

Unfortunately it doesn't come out until late September.

Concert Review: Modest Mouse

“It is not Fucking Summer Time Yet”

This joking statement by Modest Mouse front-man Isaac Brock pierced through the cold Bend air as the band took the stage of the Les Schwab Amphitheater. A bit of a sly joke at the idea of having an outdoor concert so early in the season.

However, with the first notes of the band’s opener, the banjo-laden folk-stomper “Satin in a Coffin”, the temperature quickly began to rise.

The large gathering quickly learned a small science lesson, is hard to stay cold when you can’t stand still.

This show was a bit of redemption for me, as I foolishly didn’t go to a show they played at the Washington State Student Union in Pullman when I was in college nearly 10 years ago. (A decision I still regret). But what made the evening even more fulfilling was the wide scope of the selected set-list.

The band played an equal selection of their more recent tunes that gained them international fame as well as older tracks to keep more seasoned MM supporters satisfied.

One criticism of the band over the last few years is that with more recent and more “radio-friendly” tracks like “Dashboard” the band had sold-out. I would say that those nay-sayers were not listening close enough, or just haven’t seen them live lately. The bands catalogue is seamless when spread out on a wider canvas.

Older tracks like “Doin the Cockroach” blend together so well with newer faire like the mega-hit “Float On” they may as well have been on the same album.

The three song encore was a testament to the band’s more recent success featuring “Bury Me With it” (from 2004’s Good News for People Who Love Bad News) and new single “Fly Trapped in a Jar” before closing it down with the B-Side “King Rat”.

With that the Memorial weekend in Bend was finished. Even though it might not be summer yet. The summer concert season has kicked off in grand fashion.

The Japanese are Crazy yet Hilarious

I think my soul hurts a little after watching this.

In case you were wondering, I am fairly sure the Cindy Lauper wasn't an impersonater but the real deal.

Good to see she's gettin a paycheck.

A Proud Moment For All Spokanites

My hometown Spokane Chiefs won the Memorial Cup over the weekend.

The Memorial Cup is the biggest prize you can win in Junior Hockey and it is thier second one they have earned.

How did they celebrate? By smashing the thing and getting booed off the ice!

Rabble Rabble Spokane Represent!

Fergie is a Dumb Untalented Whore

Seriously, why do people still entertain the notion that this moron has any talent whatsoever.

By the way the horrified looks of the children as she rolls around on the stage are just priceless.

Way to feign oral sex and shake your ass in front of toddlers you absolute waste of space.

Italian Announcer Goes ApeShit!

Milan 2-1 Inter commentaire Italien
Video sent by t_m

Watch this guy lose it as Inter Milan beat hated rival AC Milan.

This is absolutely fantastic.

The Monday Rant: A View To A Shill

There was an episode of the great Aaron Sorkin show SportsNight that really stuck with me.

The fictional and titular sports show was given the opportunity to interview Michael Jordan, only to later find out he will not be talking basketball, but rather his new cologne, and nothing else.

The SportsNight crew comes to their senses by the end of the episode and turns down the supposed pimpfest.

Unfortunately no such integrity exists in today’s media.

Now don’t get me wrong, I understand that in today’s radio and/or TV world no one is going to call or come on your local station for an interview unless they are promoting something, I have come to terms with that, and don't really mind.

It’s when they are using their name to pimp something completely unrelated to them that really burns my hide.

This brings me to my new biggest pet peeve in the world of radio:

THE POLITI-SHILL!

For the past few months, basically ever since Oregon’s Presidential Primary looked like it would actually matter, we have been inundated with offers of interviews with big name stars, the only catch being their purpose is not to talk about their new movie, TV show, album or what not, but rather to talk up their candidate of choice.

So basically, if you’re scoring at home, they are using their name to score a free political ad for their fav candidate.

This comes off as unbelievably fraudulent to me, but everyone else seems to drink the kool-aid.

I won’t name the names of said celebrities, but there have even been a couple offered to me, folks I am a big fan of, that I couldn’t bring myself to be privy to.

The worst by far was the one we had today.

Unnamed popular actress from unnamed popular TV show called in to show her support for Hillary Clinton.

She rattled off her bullet points for a few minutes and when our afternoon host tried to reel her in at the end and asked about the upcoming season finale of said show her answer was:

“Yep, it’s Thursday night”

Wow, how profound.

Not surprisingly, we have received no such offers from the McCain campaign, but that is most likely for three reasons: a) He already has his nomination sewed up, b) our particular listenership is particularly left-leaning and c) most of the celebrities that would support McCain are already dead (Sorry couldn’t help myself).

Now, the candidates aren’t the only folks guilty of this. For instance, sports radio is damn near unlistenable during Super Bowl week from all the pimping going down on press row.

But for some reason, it seems all the dirtier when it involves decisions that will greatly affect our nation’s future.

All I can say is thank god the primary is tomorrow and some of the whoring will ease back a little.

Now celebrities can go back to shamelessly plugging things they…you know…actually had a hand in creating!

The Great Condom Connundrum

I came across an interesting bit of news today and it got me to thinking.

A football player at Purdue has been suspended indefinitely after getting busted for shoplifting, now I know that bit of news in itself is not out of the ordinary, however we was busted for stealing…

A BOX OF CONDOMS!

HA HA HA HA HA HA

That makes the story instantly hilarious, perhaps the lad was so nervous at purchasing said box of jimmy’s that we opted to try and pilfer them instead.

I got me to thinking about the concept of getting nervous when laying down some green for the box of rubbers.

I will admit that at times in my life, the act of shopping for prophylactics was a nerve racking experience.

In fact, the first time I ever bought condoms, I grabbed them and tried to leave so fast that I forgot got my change. This of course caused the nice clerk to call after me, completely destroying my supposed subterfuge.

That said, it didn’t take long to come to terms with the act, and there were two major points of realization that helped the process. (Both would be great advice for the downtrodden young man at Purdue):

1. 1. THEY KEEP YOU FROM GETTING THE GIRL PREGNANT (MOST OF THE TIME):

When I was in college the student health department would give out free condoms. It was truly fantastic, they would have a grand selection of any kind of condom you wanted, in little zip-loc bags for the choosing.

One day I was at said health department picking up a little bag o magic when the woman behind the counter said to me and my two friends: “As a mother of a teenage daughter I really am thankful to see you boys using protection.”

It was such a brilliant statement that I never forgot it, and really drove home point one home, especially since it could have been me nailing her teenage daughter (THESE ARE JOKES FOLKS, JUUUUUST JOKES).

But seriously folks, I am not sure at this point if I am ever going to be a father. I don’t even have a pet for fear I would feed it beer and teach it to smoke for my own enjoyment, so I don’t need a little doppelganger running around anytime soon.

2. 2. IT’S PROOF YOU ARE GETTING LAID!

This concept is better driven home when your checker du jour is a man, but I guess it works when it’s a woman helping you out too. (Granted I find myself timing the women I buy them from just to see how fast they shove said raincoats into a bag.)

My best experience with this was a few months back.

A girl I was seeing was coming over for dinner that evening so I hit the grocery store to get fixins, including a box of love just in case…ya know…shit got smooooth.

Anywho, later on, said girl and I realized we had forgotten something and returned to the same store.

When we grabbed what we needed and turned for the checkout I saw that the same checker-dude was still at his post. I couldn’t help myself.

There was a look of approval and we again went through his line that I’m sure only Men can share. (Yeah I know I’m a pig, sue me)

Once I matured and came to these terms it opened up a whole new world for me. Now buying condoms has become a fantastic sociological experiment.

Like the aforementioned bag race, I love watching and gauging the reactions of the store clerks when I come through the line.

It’s possibly one of the more fun things you can do at a store.

Hell I go buy them when I don’t even need them because it’s fun to indirectly screw with people.

(Who am I kidding? I never DON’T NEED THEM! Ooowwww….right?...right?...ok I’m just pathetic)

So where am I going with all of this?

Let us not look down upon this unfortunate young man; his heart was in the right place. It’s just that the execution was waaaaay off.

Man up son! Thrown those little helpers down on the counter and pull your wallet out like a man, give that knowing glance to the clerk and walk out with pride.

It’s better than needing to come back for pampers, or god forbid, topical cremes from the pharmacy!

And in this guys case, it's a helluva lot better than jail, suspension and nationwide humiliation!

Todd Snider- America's Favorite Pastime

I have told some of you about this song.

It's one of the greatest stories ever. The story of Doc Ellis throwing a no-hitter on LSD.

One of my all-time favorite songwriters, Todd Snider, wrote about it and here is the song.

As far as I know this is the only recording of the song just yet, he's playing it for famed producer Don Was in a hotel room.

My Conversation with Harland Williams