Weekly Soundtrack

Why didn't anyone tell me the Hellacopters were so friggin' great? Am I the last one to find this out? Where have I been? I downloaded one of their records last weekend and I haven't stopped playing it yet. This isn't like the time when I went from hating the Allman Brothers to loving Dickie Betts in one week. I mean, I had never laid ears on them before, and now...well I have them playing right now.
I think it's crazy that they aren't all over the radio. I would guess that they are a little too straight-ahead rockin' for college radio and not glitzy enough for commercial stations. Whatever, dude. All I know is I keep hearing those crappy new Foo Fighters songs and Velvet Revolver and shit...I think these guys could wipe the floor with those bands.

(Wouldn't it be funny if I randomly got the only decent Hellacopters record and blabbed about how great they were when in fact they really just once-in-a-lifetime lucked out? Hilarious.)

1. "Hopeless Case of a Kid In Denial" by The Hellacopters
2. "Gloria" by Patti Smith

3. "No Song Unheard" by The Hellacopters

Weekly Soundtrack 4

So I missed a week. After spending 10 days in South Carolina be thankful I don't post some Toby Keith bullshit.
And speaking of ol' TK: do you think he ever feels penned in by his jingo-redneck persona? Does he ever feel like expanding his artistic boundaries? After listening to twenty-five "America Will Blow Your Country to Smithereens"-style demos, does he throw on The Queen is Dead and wonder how he could be more like Morrissey?
But I think the same questions could be asked about any artist. Does Jimmy Buffett wish he could be more like Tom Waits? Does Kelly Clarkson want her next album to sound like My Bloody Valentine? Does Adam Sandler yearn to do Shakespeare?
What is it that makes an artist singular? Why can't Toby Keith cover "Suedehead" on his next album? Why do the Stones play "Satisfaction?" Because they want to? Or maybe it's because that's just what they do. Like the scorpion who kills the frog in the middle of the river, maybe it's just their nature.

1. "Doctor Wu" by Steely Dan

2. "One Note Samba" by Antonio Carlos Jobim
3. "Motel Matches" by Elvis Costello

Weekly Soundtrack 3

1. "Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace" by Terry Reid
2. "Prince Valium" by Joe Pernice
3. "Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace" by Cheap Trick

Rules to Live By

Now that the friggin' Steelers have one for the thumb, it's time to move on to more important issues, namely,

Don't Go Out of Your Way to Piss Off Muslims.

Don't publish inflammatory cartoons of Muhammed. Do Muslims seem like the kind of people who take this stuff lightly? Will millions of barely educated Muslims wait until they have all the facts before they blow their stacks? Do they seem like the sort of people who will say, "Of course, in a free society you may freely blaspheme our Prophet!" In short, will they get the joke? No.
I'm not saying that riots are a proper response, but anyone who's been paying attention should have known that publishing irrelegious cartoons is gonna get you in trouble. And as always, there are some who want to fan the flames of this, and get the crowds riled up, because it's good for business. And mocking their religion plays right into their hands.

Super Bowl

I have realized that I can live with the Steelers winning tonight as long as one thing happens: Joey Porter gets seriously jacked-up. He's the kind of loutish big-mouth who's just begging for a beating. He's like Ray Lewis without the murder charge (yet). Unfortunately, as a linebacker he's probably going to be in position to deliver more shots than he takes, unless he gets blindsided. Still I'm sure there are plenty of Seahawks who will be looking to ring his bell.
Go to the Boston Herald website and read Michael Felger's great series of Pittsburgh hatchet jobs. He ripped the team and called Cowher a loser and generally dissed them every chance he got. Plus he touted Seattle all week on his radio show. I'm surprised Joey Porter hasn't pulled a knife on him.