Lock It Down - Week 4 Retroactive

I didn't have time to post these before Saturday morning, but I did send Wood a text with my picks. Here's a brief recap heading into Week 5 (as always, these are game time lines):

Toledo (+2.5) over SYRACUSE - Toledo burned me in Week 2, and I loved them receiving points against an Orange squad that was coming off a couple of shaky performances. Unfortunately, the Big East officials called an obvious extra point miss good for Syracuse late in the 4th and they prevailed in overtime 33-30, covering by the skin of their teeth. The lesson: avoid favoring teams that burned you just for the sake of it.

Eastern Michigan (+29) over PENN STATE - As always, Penn State consistently gets overvalued by Vegas to take advantage of their overzealous fan base. Despite playing one of the least successful programs in the FBS, betting against the Nits still pays huge dividends, as it did here with a 34-6 result. The lesson here: ride betting against Penn State for the remainder of the Paterno era.

Louisiana State University (-5.5) over WEST VIRGINIA - I LOVE LSU this year. In fact, I think they're a team destined to play for a National Championship. They had the balls to schedule two tough out of conference games in addition to their packed SEC slate and look all the better for doing so. Their defense rivals the 2003 Ohio State and 2009 Alabama defenses as the best I've ever witnessed. It came as no surprise to me that they easily dealt with the one dimensional Dana Holgerson Mountaineer offense. The lesson: the decisively better team should win road games.

Week 3: 1-2
Week 4: 2-1
Season: 8-4

Lock It Down - Week 3

Welcome back to Week 3 of my college pick column. Every week I select three teams against the spread that I think are complete locks. I really thought about doing this yesterday afternoon ahead of the LSU/Mississippi State game, but pussed out at the last minute. Sometimes it's best to trust your very first instinct with the lines, but at any rate here are my three locks (lines from 5dimes.com as of 9/16/2011 11:52 pm):

Tennessee (+9.5) over FLORIDA - This opened at 8.5 and moved an entire point rather quickly. Florida hasn't played anybody (Florida Atlantic and UAB) and this match up is the first conference game for new coach Will Muschamp. While I like Florida to win outright, anything over a touchdown seems like a good value the other way. Tennessee looked impressive last week against Cincinnati, a much tougher team than either opponent of the Gators thus far. Furthermore, sophomore quarterback Tyler Bray took over as the leader of the program in that game by going 31 for 45 with 405 yards and 4 touchdowns. Playing in the Swamp no doubt brings its challenges, but lock it down, Tennessee plays a competitive game and covers.

Miami Ohio (+5.0) over MINNESOTA - The Golden Gophers nearly started the season with a road victory over USC, but fell in the end 19-17. The following week they lost at home to New Mexico State and their coach suffered from chronic seizures on the sideline. Coach Kill may be back this week, but the program still seems in dire shape and sometimes near upsets get overrated by the public, which I think is the case here. The Red Hawks nearly upset #21 Missouri on the road to open their season and had two weeks to prepare for the hapless Gophers. Vegas had it right when this line opened at 3, but the public drove it too high to ever consider Minnesota. Lock it down, not only does Miami OH cover the spread, the MAC conference scores a win over the Big Ten as the Red Hawks travel to TCF Bank Stadium and topple the Gophers.

Stanford (-8.5) over ARIZONA As with the previous game, I think Vegas had it right when they originally set the line at 10. A touchdown and a field goal seems like the logical disparity between these two teams, especially considering Arizona already lost to top ten competition last week, 37-14 against #9 Oklahoma State. On the other sideline, Andrew Luck has continued to look like a Heisman trophy candidate. Last week they stumbled a bit in the first half on the road against Duke, only to turn the ship around and smoke the Blue Devils 44-14. I believe the public moved this line because of that bad performance, yet they neglect the fact that football games last 60 minutes. Lock it down, after 60 minutes the Stanford Cardinal will defeat the Wildcats by two touchdowns.

There you have it. I hope everyone enjoys reading this column at least a quarter as much as I do writing it. Talk to you next week.

Last week: 2-1
Season: 5-1

Air Hearn Bad QB League - Week 1

For info on what this is, go here.

We did our draft yesterday via email, and our league is shaping up to be competitive. A few differences in our league:

- We are going rotisserie style instead of head-to-head. We're a 6 team league, no point for H2H.

- In week 16, the top two compete for the prize.

- Our minimum and maximum number of starts are 4 and 12.

So down to the drafting:

House 1. Cincinnati Bengals
Rick 2. Carolina Panthers
Scott 3. Seahawks
Jason 4. Redskins
Boy 5. Jacksonvilke
Joe 6. Bills
Joe 7. Dolphins
Boy 8. Niners
Jason 9. Raiders
Scott 10. Colts
Rick 11. Browns
House 12. Titans
House 13. Chiefs
Rick 14. Lions
Jason 15. Vikings
Scott 16. Cardinals
Boy 17. Broncos
Joe 18. Cowboys
Joe 19, Giants
Boy 20. Bears
Jason 21. Jets
Scott 22. Baltimore
Rick 23. Eagles
House 24. Buccaneers

Here's how each team looks.  This will be updated with starters (in italics), team names, and any notes from the manager. Each week, there will be a new post with scoring updates. Prize for the year yet to be determined:

Team House
Bengals
Chiefs
Titans
Buccaneers

Made More Money in College (Team Rick)
Panthers
Browns
Lions
Eagles

The Buddy Garrities (Team Scott)
Seahawks
Colts
Cardinals
Ravens

Team Jason
Redskins
Raiders
Vikings
Jets

Team Boy
Jags
Niners
Broncos
Bears

Team Wood
Bills
Dolphins
Cowboys
Giants

Lock It Down - Week 2

Every Friday night during the college football season I send my brother three picks against the spread that I think are complete locks. Unlike the NFL, the college lines aren't exactly a science with the high turnover of players, academic/off the field suspensions and larger rosters. Also, plenty of teams have enormous alumni bases that induce heavy one-sided betting for that team which drives the line in a bad direction (Texas and Penn State for example). For that and a few other reasons, sometimes it's easy to identify horribly skewed lines. I plan on running this segment every week and then again during bowl season. Without further ado, my three locks for Week 2 of the college football season (home team in caps).

MICHIGAN (+3) over Notre Dame - Every year Notre Dame garners more hype than any other team in the country, and every year they disappoint and typically miss making a bowl game. No team in the history of college football has started a season in the top 25 and finished unranked more than the Fighting Irish. This program hasn't been a serious contender since the Lou Holtz era, nearly two decades ago. Furthermore, their fan base is delusional and flush with cash, which always causes them to be vastly overvalued. Couple that with Michigan finally canning Rich Rodriguez, hiring a "Michigan man," hosting this game at night in front of a national televised audience and Notre Dame coming off an embarrassing home loss to South Florida, I love the Wolverines getting 3 here. Lock it down, Michigan covers.

Alabama (-10) over PENN STATE - A year ago these two teams met in Tuscaloosa in Week 2 with the Nittany Lions ranked #19 and Alabama at #1 coming off a national championship the previous season. Somehow the Crimson Tide were only a 12 point favorite, even though Penn State was starting a true freshman that missed early spring camp. No surprise that Alabama undressed the Nits 24-3 in a contest that easily could have ended 40ish-3 had it not been for Nick Saban calling off the dogs in the second half. As I mentioned earlier, Penn State is always overvalued and that remains the case here. For a team mired in quarterback controversy and coming off an unimpressive first game against lowly FCS Indiana State (which they failed to cover a 37 point spread, 41-7), I like the proven commodity in Nick Saban, Trent Richardson and an improved defense from last year's unit. Home games for Penn State usually result in them playing above themselves, but barring two scores from the defense and kicking game, I see Alabama wearing out the Lions in a similar fashion to last year. Lock it down, Alabama covers a double digit spread against Penn State for the second year in a row.

OHIO STATE (-18) over Toledo - Those of you who know me understand my intense hatred for the Buckeyes. But my brain tells me this line is simply a product of the off the field drama and not the facts. Ohio State has not lost a match up with an opponent within the state since the 1920's. The program prides itself on tearing up MAC competition in preparation for the conference schedule while other Big Ten schools schedule FCS cream puffs like Indiana State and Eastern Illinois. I don't care how good Toledo might be in their shit conference, the Buckeyes will lay the smack down on them in the Horseshoe. Regardless of the departure of Jim Tressel, Terrell Pryor and the black cloud of NCAA violations, this team should jump out to a big lead early in the second half and never look back. Keep your eyes open for Ohio State this season. While they may lose more games than usual, I think they'll be sneaky good against the spread due to a pubic that undervalues them. Lock it down, Ohio State wins this game by at least three touchdowns.

P.S. Since I didn't post this last week, I'll briefly mention that I went 3-0 last week with Boise State (-3.5) over GEORGIA, LSU (+1) over Oregon and Indiana State (+37) over PENN STATE. If you doubt my honestly, ask my brother and he will tell you.

Air Hearn Podcast - Episode 20

The Innocent Beauty of the Shared Experience

Today, I learned that I can juggle while humping Double Dutch ropes. Such skill inherently lie within the body's abilities, just waiting to be brought out during that special instance you find yourself walking two dogs whom have never walked together before. A Walk in the Park is such an easy, pleasant experience that they named a cliche after it, but today's sojourn was slightly different. One dog wanted to sniff every little piece of litter in South Philly's FDR Park we cam across (to scale, think if a standard garbage can blew up all over a grass tennis court), while the other wanted to go swimming in water only two grades above that which you'd find in a Porta Potty.

Smoke and Weiners

The United States of America exemplifies a consumer-based society in nearly every way: readers dictated that Dan Brown sold millions of copies of his novels, television viewers make it easy for Fox to constantly trot out American Idol in their prime time lineup and Axe body spray succeeds because 17 year old guys believe it will get them laid. Politics does not differ from free market solutions, which is why the Anthony Weiner "scandal" should worry us.

Although I do not wish to downplay his deeds, sending dong shots via Twitter is not exactly on par with anything Woodward & Bernstein reported, despite the implications of adultery committed by a United States Congressman. No, what alarms me MUCH more is the insatiable appetite of both the public to constantly hear about it and the news media to devote endless amounts of airtime to it. Furthermore, it should disturb us even FURTHER that after the shelf life of the story expired everybody moved on to the next inane thing. Bluntly stated, how can we devote so much time to the dirty personal life of one Representative when Congress is a month away from defaulting on already the largest debt ever accumulated in human history, unemployment remains well above full employment (9.1% vs. 5.5%, traditionally) and our Federal government borrows forty cents for every dollar it spends, often lent to us by foreign entities who cause of the most headaches?

The New Information Age has created an interesting dichotomy: while technology opened many avenues of specificity never before experienced (topic specific chat rooms, 24 hour news) it simultaneously consolidated many aspects of cultures into amorphous catches that blur the lines between competing objectives (reporting vs. blogging, advertising vs. reference material). We have given ourselves media-hungry appetites to devour the scandal de jour, only to abandon it in favor of a new one a few days later. I credit this to a cycle that includes a daily bombardment at all hours and in all forms: email forwards, TMZ, Twitter celebs (Twelebs), lunchtime talking head radio personalities etc. I imagine the old water cooler anecdote, only it happens constantly, just a mouse click, finger switch or button push away.

Our political dynamic has seen the best and worst of both of those things. Any search of a Congressional or state assembly website reveals legislation, often in real time, as the measure gets debated, amended and discussed. Voters can view live feeds from the legislative floor or hearings conducted outside of Washington or their respective state capitol. However, many "traditional" news outlets have reorganized themselves as televised tabloids, seizing on stories like Weinergate (trust me, I hate using this term as much as you do reading it) to generate viewership in an increasingly competitive business. No longer news, not quite entertainment - news entertainment.

How can we combat the devolution of the American political news machine? What responsibility does the news media have when stories like Anthony Weiner cock pics appear above the fold of the newspaper and reports of United States solider deaths in Afghanistan get relegated to section C? Should the consumer resist the temptation to follow the trashy exploits of a failed sitcom actor and demand more thorough coverage of meetings between the White House and Congress on passing a Federal Spending bill? We are all to blame, but as with all other products offered in America, the responsibility lies with the consumer to ensure they receive the best possible result. Sadly, asking such a thing may be too hefty of a task.

Liking Soccer Is a Duty of All Americans

Apologies for the extended hiatus from my Air Hearn activity. Although I do not plan to blog with the proficiency as my first few months of this site, it is my intention to add something new to the site every week. The following piece deals with the upcoming 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup final match between the United States and Mexico. Unlike my previous pieces, this post is written from a predominately emoitional first person perspective. As always, thank you for indulging my desire to write about the things I love.

Last night's 1-0 United States win over Panama in the semi-finals of the Gold Cup should have been expected; they were nearly a 3-1 favorite to advance. Yet somehow the match induced a love for the men's national team I have not felt since their heartbreaking 2-1 extra time exit in last year's World Cup to Ghana. To completely comprehend my feelings after that loss, I flash back a few days prior to the first game of group play against England. A few friends and I traveled to Philadelphia for a party that happened to take place that afternoon. As I donned my Landon Donovan jersey, party-goers peppered me with questions ranging from "why do you care about a team that always sucks anyway?" to "you actually think the offside rule is good?" Despite an early goal from English midfielder Steven Gerrard, the United States took control of the first half and eventually equalized via the now infamous hand of clawd goal by Clint Dempsey. As the game progressed tied at 1-1, those insipid questions morphed slowly into "do you think we can win this game?" and "how far can we go in this tournament?" The judgmental second person turned into first person plural, and I nearly teared up a few times as people gained a respect for our players that day. Fast forward to the Ghana game, and there I was, missing the beginning of an annual river lot get-together to experience all of the things those friends said were true about American soccer.

For the first 65 minutes last night, the Stars and Stripes played an uninspired, listless game dominated by lazy passes among the back four and keeper Tim Howard. The team lacked creavtivity in the midfield, poise on the ball (we made between 20 and 65345 panic passes under very little pressure) and discipline during counterattacks. Ten minutes into the second half, the American-born announcers began mentioning the possibility of extra time and penalities. Close ups of the Panamanian players showed a side brimming with confidence as they had prevailed in a shootout with El Salavador a few nights prior. Searching for something to spark his side, US Coach Bob Bradley subbed out the relatively effective forward Juan Agudelo for the egnima known as Freddy Adu. To the casual soccer fan, Adu has spent time with 5 different clubs over the past 3 years and hasn't played for the national team since the 2009 Gold Cup when Bradley purposely chose a weak side to rest the regulars for the much more important Confederations Cup. As I described to my friend Twigg as the sub happened, "Freddy Adu is a spectacle, NOT a soccer player!" This was easily the riskiest move of the tournament, and possibly the coaching career of Bradley, who surely would have lost his job had the Americans failed to advance from the game.

As with so many other times during his tenure as head coach, the move payed immediate dividends for Bradley as Adu provided the fire needed, culminating in him playing a wonderful pass on the wing to Landon Donovan who expertly picked out Dempsey for the only goal of the game. After watching Dempsey sprint over to Landon and Freddy to point at them, shouting "it's theirs," I thought back to that time when my friends asked me why I cared so much about our little soccer team that could. These guys represent the spirit of an America we now only pontificate about but rarely exemplify. A historical anomolly, comprised of outsiders fighting for recognition yet cognizent of the fact that it will likely never happen. A ragtag bunch gathered together by circumstance for a prize greater than them as individuals. It's with that spirit that I adore them so fondly, and the win last night over Panama fortified that. If the United States wins this Saturday against rival Mexico, it places them into a tie with that country for most regional cups won. Countries around the world such as England, Spain and Brazil already recognize the potential soccer powerhouse the United States continues to become. Hopefully performances like those against England and last night against Panama continues to win them more fans in the home of the brave.

Bill Simmons Stole My Fantasy!

When I first decided to register www.airhearn.com I had a vision. I wanted to have my own website where my friends and I could be creative and (hopefully) entertaining. House and I always kicked the idea of a podcast around, usually after a multi-hour phone conversation we deemed worthy of publication. I've always loved writing, but as the years have worn on, I've found that love to be based in romantic fantasy, not reality. I've had projects, quasi-projects, notes, ideas, lists, clips, brainstorms, brainfarts, dreams, etc., so I figured that the ease and accessibility of a simpler Blogger blog would be a great place to unload it all. I never really intended for much else (sure, I hoped for a possibly secondary income and fantasized about airhearn.com becoming the gateway to my future, but I never really set them as tangible goals) beyond having a fun project to work on with my friends. And while the site drifts back and forth between focus and obscurity (I swear it's about to come back again), all I really wanted in the first place was space to take in the work of my very talented friends.

I think Bill Simmons wanted the same thing. Read the second half of the last sentence of the previous paragraph again. "All I really wanted was space for my talented friends". So he created Grantland.com, which may well be the best thing since the best thing since sliced bread. Seriously. I can't stop reading it. Simmons has drafted a big bullpen of talent to write freely about the NBA, professional wrestling, the history of hockey, pop culture, classic bourbon, and god knows what else (BTW, it's only been two weeks since it launched). It's like my id blew up all over the internet in the form of a daily periodical. You can take any cliche about 'love at first sight', envy, admiration, inspiration, or anything else, and it describes how I feel about Grantland. I love it like it's mine. I wish it was mine. Even though it isn't mine, I feel attached to it. It's already really important to me.

Go read it. Now. They haven't posted anything yet that isn't worth at least a heavy skim. There's even a few articles that are "pull up on your cell phone and take it to the bathroom" good (the successor to Bill Simmons' own "print it out and take it to the bathroom" meme). Bill has been my favorite writer of the last 7 years or so, and it's so nice to see a favorite succeed after early success, instead of blow up. It's still early, but Grantland might be the crowning achievement of his career (even better than the Book of Basketball). Thanks for executing the fantasy of every sports-loving, college-educated male under 40.

Thor review (86/100)

When Marvel Studios was created, their debut film “Iron Man” knocked the worlds collective socks off. Here was a comic book film that wasn’t just about telling it’s own story (which it did) or making a lot of money (which it also did) but also about developing storylines and characters that could be used in upcoming movies in the future. Agent Colson, The Avengers, Tony Stark, Nick Fury, all of these characters first showed up in the first Iron Man film and have all since appeared in several other of Marvel Studios films. Thor not only continues that tradition, but it also brings things just a little bit closer together so fans can get a pretty good idea where The Avengers is going.

But don’t be fooled, Thor isn’t just a prequel story to The Avengers, it’s a pretty great film in it’s own right.

2011 is going to be a big year for Videogames

2011 is going to be a huge year for videogames. I know as gamers we say that every year, but the amount of titles coming out this year that are primed to be smash hits is astounding. Below are the top 5 games I am most interested in this year, and hope they succeed in passing my expectations:

The Comeback Mechanic: why its here to stay

Street Fighter II, the forefather of the fighting game genre, is a brutally difficult game to play. If you were down on health you were at a severe disadvantage. Your opponent doesn't have to worry about pressing the attack, and in many cases can afford to make a mistake without paying a high consequence. The “Super Turbo” (ST) edition of SFII changed the game only slightly. A super meter was added to the game, allowing you to unleash a flashy and damaging super combo when the meter was full. The meter was filled up by using special moves and otherwise attacking your opponent, awarding the aggressor.

This mindset is prevalent in the 90's and early 2000's fighting games. You played offense, filling your super meter and allowing you access to your most powerful techniques. Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 had the aggressor bar. King of Fighters, Marvel vs Capcom 1, 2, and all the other vs games had super meters. They almost all functioned in the same manner: both attacker and defender received meter, with the attacker gaining significantly more.

Playing the Gears of war 3 Beta

When Gears of War 3 got delayed from April this year to September, Microsoft seemed to be the culprit behind the move. Everything we've seen from the game so far suggested that it was pretty close to being finished. Cliff Blezinski and his crew even played a level of the game on stage at last years Electronic Entertainment Expo, and it looked spectacular back then. While Microsoft would never come out and say they delayed Gears of War because there's no Halo coming out this year, the fact that Gears 3 got delayed to the exact time period that every Halo game prior has released so far seems to suggest that's exactly why.

Mortal Kombat review 84/100

(Open this in a new window before reading further, then start reading)

Ok, full disclosure here, I thought Mortal Kombat was going to suck. I hated on it for quite some time. I played the demo on the ps3 (ya know, back when the PSN wasn't a catastrophe) and it just felt awkward and slow. After sinking a lot of time into it I can safely say I was wrong. The game is good, in fact, it's very good. The depth is a lot better than I had anticipated and the gameplay is very fun.

Radiohead - Supercollider/The Butcher 64/100

On April 18, 2011, every person who purchased the newest Radiohead album through their website up to that date and time received an email titled "Thank You." Upon opening, they thanked their fans for buying the album and directed them to a section on their site where they could download two songs for free, "Supercollider" and "The Butcher." Initially, these songs were planned for a vinyl-only release to coincide with Record Store Day this spring. Their continued generosity remains unmatched by any band of such magnitude. Although neither song will pique interest outside of completists, when viewed as a stand alone single in the classic A-side B-side format Supercollider/The Butcher acts as a token of appreciation to the most loyal fan base in the world.

Interestingly enough, neither song resembles anything on The King of Limbs, although they were recorded either during or directly after the sessions for the album. "Supercollider," easily the better of the two, waivers about for seven minutes. The glitchiness, machinated percussion and augmenting electric piano immediately conjure their Hail To The Thief days with a smidge of the electronics from Yorke's solo effort The Eraser. Yorke shows off his vocal skills throughout the song and Colin Greenwood supplies a great bass line that acts in tandem with the piano. Despite both of those things "Supercollider," feels just a little half-baked, at least for Radiohead.

B-side "The Butcher" fares a touch worse. Phil Selway lays down a great tribal drum beat and complementary shuffles, but the song bumbles about and never establishes anything worthy of memory. Perhaps Yorke would have been better off developing this track as a solo act or with his recently formed Atoms For Peace project. Overall, Radiohead deserves more accolades for the altruism of this release than the music itself. And while that may sound striking for a band of such high regards, no need to worry about a few cast offs presented as gifts. Consider "Supercollider/The Butcher" as such and look forward to their next surprise.

Portal 2 (single player) Review 96/100

Some games are flashy, some games are beautiful. Some are mind-blowing and others are mesmerizing. But very few of them are brilliant, and that is exactly the word needed to describe Valves latest game Portal 2.

The original Portal was a side project that ended up winning game of the year awards and silently became one of Valves biggest franchises. In the game, you play as a silent protagonist who is being used in experiments in the name of science by the results craving AI Glados.

Portal 2 picks up where the original left off, and not only does it live up to the hype of the original, it completely blows it away as well.

Air Hearn Podcast - Episode 19 Part 2

Air Hearn Podcast - Episode 19 Part 1

Extras Review (with South Park rant for no extra charge) (90/100)

Extras was perhaps the perfect follow up to The Office by Ricky Gervasis and his unheralded co-writer Stephen Merchant. Merchant is probably as important to Gervasis as Matt Stone is to Trey Parker. If you review Gervasis’s work throughout his career, you’ll notice Stephen Merchant helps out in someway on almost all of it.

As a fan of Seinfeld, I couldn't help but think of Extras as Ricky Gervasis’s Curb Your Enthusiasm. Both shows are follow-ups to hit sitcoms, based loosely around the actors’ real life experiences. The difference here is that Ricky decided to go the pre-office, up and coming route, while Larry David went rich and successful. Both series work, but for very different reasons.

Childish Gambino - EP - 80/100

Childish Gambino is the brain-child of actor/comedian/rapper Donald Glover best known for his role of Troy on the NBC show Community, his campaign to get an audition to become the next Spider-man, or often being confused with being the son of Danny Glover.  While he may not have succeeded at becoming everyone's favorite web-crawler, Glover has been successful with his music career.  As he references on EP, due to his comedic background most people thought Gambino was a joke but after releasing his album Culdesac Glover quickly gained serious interest for his music.  How does a side project from a comedian named after a Wu-Tang Clan name generator fair?  Does Childish Gambino hold up well being taken as a serious release or just a distraction from Glover's true calling of acting?

Air Hearn Podcast - Episode 18 Part 2

Air Hearn Podcast - Episode 18 Part 1

Retro Reviews: U2 - War 100/100

Politically charged rock music exponentially increases the likelihood of failure. With high stakes subject matter comes zero sum consequences. The success rate is closest to a batting average of a Major League pitcher. Sound trite (Green Day), over-thought (post-1996 R.E.M.), preachy (Neil Young) or vapid (Black Eyed Peas) and the results can be embarrassing. Their creators often must deal with the long-term effects of alienating current/potential fans, pissing off the wrong people or seeming uninspired. All of those reasons signify why it's so damn impressive when somebody actually pulls it off. Making that kind of record for your third, and possibly make-or-break release? U2 laid everything on the line with War and made one of the greatest albums of all time.

Air Hearn Podcast - Episode 17

Download My Morning Jackets new track - Circuital

http://www.mymorningjacket.com/circuital/

Just go to the link above, enter an email and you get the track "Circuital".  Look for their new album to drop May 31st and be sure to check back shortly after to get the Air Hearn review!

Air Hearn Podcast - Episode 16

NES Dungeon Backlog Game Reviews

Resident Evil 5 (Multi-Platform)



ActRaiser (SNES)



MOAR COMIN' FROM THE WOODZ. STAY TUNED.

TV On The Radio - Nine Types Of Light 74/100

The dreaded scenario for any artist: following up a masterpiece. In 2008, TV On The Radio finally scored their long-awaited breakthrough with Dear Science. That release found them not only on the charts (briefly), but near the top of year end lists and even secured them a Saturday Night Live performance. The Brooklyn unit returns with Nine Types of Light, an enjoyable album that finds TVOTR scaling back their sounds and with it, some of the soundscaping that propelled them above many of their peers.

Wiz Khalifa - Rolling Papers - 47/100

Pittsburgh based rapper Wiz Khalifa hit the scenes with his hit single “Black and Yellow”, paying homage to his hometown Steelers. The song quickly became the anthem for the team and was the source of many remixes for other teams around the league for better or worse.... I'll go with much worse. But for Khalifa the fame extended beyond NFL recognition “Black and Yellow” hit #1 on the Billboard top 100 as well as landing him on countless magazine covers and top up and comer lists. So with so much moment going into his first release under his new label Atlantic how did Wiz Khalifa fair with Rolling Papers?

Air Hearn Podcast - Episode 15

Foo Fighters, Wasting Light - 72/100

Even though they've been one of the most consistently successful bands of the last 16 years, the Foo Fighters are a weird band. Most rock bands start out with visceral hunger, surviving on energy and potential before they get the songwriting and hook-writing down. Dave Grohl's platoon have it backwards. The hits, hooks, melodies and pop craftsmanship have been there since the beginning, but it's taken over a decade for them to really show their teeth for more than a moment. That moment is Wasting Light.

Air Hearn Podcast - Episode 14

Your Highness Review 75/100

In 2008, Pineapple Express became an instant stoner classic. Starring Seth Rogan, James Franco and Danny McBride, the movie was about ordinary stoners getting caught up in a huge drug war and literally having to fight their way out. The concept was basically Cheech and Chong in an action flick, and it worked quite well.

Your Highness is a very different movie, however, despite starring McBride and Franco as well as being directed by the same man, David Green. For starters, this is NOT a stoner comedy. (this might be a little more surprising to some than others) There are one or two scenes where marijuana is referenced but never by name and that's about it. This is quite a contrast from Pineapple Express since that movie's humor was entirely based on smoking, selling, distributing, growing and fighting over pot. Your Highness has a much more traditional fantasy plot.

Retro Reviews: The Smiths - The Smiths 91/100

Fans, critics and musicians tag acts of yesteryear with the "genius," "spokesman" and "game changer" titles far too often. One heralded release can garner so much revisionist attention that an outsider would think the creator assisted in the engineering plans for the Saturn V rocket but never received due credit. We end up devaluing our most precious artists by keeping them in the same company as their lesser but still enjoyable peers. Consider UK indie pioneers The Smiths among those deeply effected. Before them, charismatic frontmen were frowned upon by the scene as overindulgent. They belonged in bands that made music for blockheads (Quiet Riot, Motley Crue). Enter Steven Patrick Morrissey as the one to embrace lead singer flamboyance. By bombastically emphasizing contrarian ideals of intellectualism, philosophy and black humor, he made it ok to admire straightforward passion. In that context The Smiths represents the reformation of the underground, the modern indie rock equivalent to the 95 theses. And just like that historical event, The Smiths earns its importance equally as much for what it launched as what it contained.

Air Hearn Podcast - Episode 13

Full House Poker - 81/100

I've always scoffed at the notion of poker as a "sport". It's not. Yet, the World Series of Poker has dominated post-primetime sports television for nearly a decade. Poker websites (both free and paid) have been sponsored countless sporting events. And while secondary sports channels have become notorious for airing non-sport competitive activities (think "The Ocho" in Dodgeball), poker stands head and shoulders about the crowd (sorry billiards, bowling, darts, and dominoes).

Panda Bear - Tomboy 95/100

At some point everyone encounters a slump. Whether that occurs in music, academics or the workplace, humans eventually falter. Panda Bear (Noah Lennox) does not adhere to that notion in the slightest, especially over the last five years. Every eighteen months he seems involved in something that increases the stakes for his contemporaries, whether it be his day job in Animal Collective or his ever-burgeoning solo project. Although it is tough to call Tomboy his masterpiece with 2007's Person Pitch still lurking as the most influential indie pop album of the past decade, it is equally difficult to justify placing it on a much lower podium.

From the Vaults: Old Air Hearn Videos

Ahh, I miss the old days...

At the potential risk of hideous embarrassment, I present some old videos I found floating around on Google that I made with friends years ago. I want to say it was 6 or 7 years ago, but who knows. I laughed my ass off, I hope you do too.

Air Hearn Podcast - Episode 12 Part 2

Air Hearn Podcast - Episode 12 Part 1

Mass Effect 2: The Arrival (DLC) Review

2010's Game of the Year has had a few DLC add-ons released in the past year with Lair of the Shadow Broker being the best of the offerings. Now BioWare has released their final piece of Mass Effect 2 with The Arrival. The Arrival isn't just a piece of DLC however, it's a complete bridge between Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3.

Air Hearn Podcast - Episode 11 Part 2

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Air Hearn Podcast - Episode 11 Part 1

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Craft Spells - Idle Labor 76/100

In recent years indie has leaned heavily on the 1980's for inspiration. Each artist processes their influences from that decade, sets them to music recorded or produced on their laptop and unleashes a pop record from the confines of their bedroom. Whether that music comes in the form of chillwave (Washed Out), beach rock (Beach Fossils) or gothpop (Wild Nothing), some of the most noteworthy progress in rock seems to emanate from such designs. Idle Hands by Craft Spells fits quitely into that growing crowd as a dutiful piece of nostalgia shaped through modern musical mores.

Adventures in Netflix: The Rise and Fall of WCW 6/10

Who doesn't love professional wrestling? Okay, a lot of people, but I'm not one of them. I don't follow it anymore, but pro wrestling was pretty much more important than any current event for the first 15 years of my life. Just like many of my contemporary men, Hulk Hogan and G.I. Joe were heroes that shaped us into better, more patriotic Americans.

Super Street Fighter 3D: The Rick Butler Edition 90/100

For those of you who don't know who Rick Butler is, he's basically the Hearn's version of Justin Wong. If you don't know who Justin Wong is, google him. Ya see, Rick was born with a fightstick in his crib and his first words were "down right fierce". Because of this, he's ok at street fighter (he's awesome) (and a jerk to play against)

Steet Fighter 3D, however, somewhat levels the playing field. To make use of the touch screen on the 3DS, Capcom came up with the idea to allow the player to map 4 different attacks to a button on the touch screen. Can't seem to pull off that double circle ultra with the Gief? Sick of holding back for those charge characters? Well now you can just map Giefs ultra or Guiles flash kick to a button on the touch screen and voila! You're now Rick Butler. Well what if Rick Butler played it and had this ability? Wouldn't that make him even better at the game?

Lupe Fiasco - Lasers 50/100

In 2006 Lupe Fiasco burst on the scenes with his debut album Food and Liquor and followed up with his sophomore attempt The Cool. Seemingly with a great head of steam including both critical acclaim (Both records earned Grammy nominations for Rap Album of the Year) and fan support alike one could understand why Atlantic wanted to ensure one of their prized artists next release was a strong one. So why did Lupe's 3^rd commercial release Lasers have to wait 3 years, wade through seemingly endless red tape, and deal with nonstop interference from Atlantic? This questions raises an interesting debate in the music industry: how much production is too much? Sadly, the feud between Lupe and Atlantic end up a cautionary tale of why record companies should let the artists create the album, instead of being a stronger release in an already impressive young career.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Belong 87/100

Justifiably, some indie bands receive meager criticism for driving straight when they arrive at a fork in the road. Whether it's the fear of detractors or losing fans, many artists attempt to hedge their ambitions by choosing to superficially fold in new sounds while maintaining a carbon copy of what made them attractive in the first place. Although not a major crime, releases that seem like a balancing act between the old and new often end up sounding timid to a fault. Thankfully, Belong, the second album from The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, manages to successfully forge ahead while retaining all the charm of their prior work.

3DS Review

Before going into the meat and potatoes of this thing one thing needs to be said. It WORKS. Today Nintendo has collectively blown the minds of millions as they've put 3D gaming in the palms of peoples hands across the world. It's a technical achievement that deserves respect an will probably spark an entirely new trend in the gaming industry as a whole. 

The Look

Both the black and aqua colors look great. The 3ds has an incredibly shiny surface however, so it's a finger smudge magnet. Unlike the matte texture of the dsi, the 3ds will need to be constantly wiped to look fresh out of the box again.

Air Hearn Podcast - Episode 10

Cut Copy - Zonoscope 93/100

Remember the first time you did something out of your comfort zone and loved it almost to a fault? Perhaps you jumped off a thirty foot bridge, drunkenly boxed a friend or hooked up with somebody you never considered in such a way. Imagine those feelings and apply them to a band making exotic music that sounds like a failure waiting to happen: electropop meets dancerock with regular guitar appearances by a bunch of dudes from Australia. Put caution to the wind and either jump off the ledge, take a swing or give in to the advances of Zonoscope.

Adventures in Netflix: There Will Be Blood 7/10

Ever watch a movie that you knew was good, but you just didn't like it? That's how I feel with There Will Be Blood. Everything in this movie is expertly done. The acting, the soundtrack, the cinematography, and pacing could be taught to introductory film students as an example of how to pull it all together. So why didn't I love it? Even though Daniel Day Lewis gives a truly genius performance, I guess the story of Daniel Plainview just never really sucked me in. I enjoyed watching what he would do next, but I didn't really care about the outcome of the scene, just the scene itself. There Will Be Blood is the story of one man's descent into madness, but whether or not he pulled it back together never really matters. It's done wonderfully in almost every aspect of filmmaking. It just leaves you unaffected.

Recommendation: If you love films, watch it. This one was made the right way. If you love movies, tread with caution. It's probably not going to grab you. This one's more about appreciation than it is thought and emotion.

Air Hearn Podcast - Episode 9

Adventures in Netflix - Middle Men 6/10

Last night I watched Middle Men, with Luke Wilson, Giovanni Ribisi, and Boris the Blade from Snatch. Overall, I liked the movie, but have no reason to ever watch it again. This confused movie could never really commit to being an ugly drama, a dark comedy, or an over-stylized combination of the two. That's a shame, though, because there's good moments of all three in Middle Men. The acting is pretty high-quality (if not award material) all around. Wilson is likable (for the most part) as the protagonist, and all of the supporting roles do well (if a bit stereotypical). There's no point in owning this one, though. It plays like a bastard child of The Social Network and Blow, but it never comes too close to either of them in the quality department.

Recommendation: The humor, interesting story, quality of acting and gratuitous female nudity make it worth a rental. This one feels like it will end up on Netflix Instant Queue within a couple of months, so I wouldn't even bother going out of your way to watch it. Save it for a boring Wednesday night later in the summer.

Dragon Age 2 (87/100)

Dragon Age II is simply a better game than Origins. PC players are going to call this blasphemous but console owners will probably unanimously agree. Everything from the combat, character roster, graphics, inventory system, and more are improved and make for an altogether better experience than its predecessor.

Dragon Age II stars Hawke, a character who played no part in Origins. The game technically takes place just before the ending of Origins, with Hawke and his family fleeing the Darkspawn that the hero of the first game was currently conquering. From that point the player takes over Hawkes life in the new city of Kirkwall. Since Hawke isn’t a citizen, he is forced to take up the life of a mercenary in order to grant access for him and his family.

Hawkes family consists of his mother and his sister Bethany (or brother Carver if you played as a female. Which doesn’t really make any sense, because even if you’re female, it’d still be your sister…). Bethany (or Carver) is a mage, and is also a party member that you will rely upon in the early going.

If you choose to be a mage class yourself, your sibling will be a warrior instead. The reason it is important that one of you is a mage is because the overall storyline of the game comes down to a growing war between mages and templar’s. If this sounds like a weak plot, it is. While DA2 sports the excellent writing that all BioWare games are known for, its plot simply is not very good. You’ll spend the first part of the game doing side missions in order to raise enough money to pay off your mercenary debt, and you’ll spend the second half of the game doing more side missions that will continue to develop the plot.

That's not to say the story has no compelling or memorable moments because it does. There are a few scenes that will haunt gamers for quite some time as DA2 deals a lot in betrayal, death, love and just about everything in between. The problem is just that the overall plot of the game, Hawke's goal if you will, is almost non-existent.

This may all sound bad, but not when you realize how much fun side questing is.

The battle system has been completely redone for this game. The pause and strategize tactics of the first game are gone (you can still do it, but there’s no need to.) Some will consider this a tragedy as Origins was a great setup for PC players, but BioWare decided to make this game fun for the console players this time around. The combat is real-time in DA2.

As the characters level up, they’re awarded abilities that can be mapped to the X, Y, and B buttons (as well as a second set of attacks for holding RT) just like in Origins but the action is so much faster this time around that you don’t find yourself waiting for the chance to use the same attacks again. This makes for more intense battles that were sorely missing from Origins.

As far as graphics, Dragon Age finally looks like it belongs in this console generation. Origins was an ugly mess, a fact BioWare even jokes about in this game. About an hour or so into the game Hawke is asked if he misses the constant brown of Fereldan, an obvious slight at its predecessor’s lack of environments. DA2 has forests, caves, dungeons, sunlit valleys, and even beach like areas which are much needed upgrades over the constant dark caves of the first game.

The only issue with the environments is the fact that BioWare was clearly forced to reuse them all, over and over again. Every environment has at least four or five different entrances/exits. For instance, in one mission you’ll be sent to a dungeon and you’ll enter from the south entrance and fight your way to the north exit. Then, later on in the game, in a different mission, you’ll be sent back to the same dungeon but this time you’ll enter from the north and work your way south.

It’s a very clever solution to the time and budget constraints EA was probably putting on them, but it is unfortunately a sign that EA was pushing them develop this game quickly. Thankfully, since the environments look good this time around, it’s not a game killer and as long as EA doesn’t mess with BioWares flagship franchise Mass Effect, it’s forgivable.

Your party members this time around are far more memorable. None of them seem to whine and complain about having to be a king (Alistair was such a pansy!) or hate everything you do like Morrigan. Their back stories are not nearly as rich or long but it makes for a better experience that way. Hawkes the guy, everyone else is just following him.

As for Hawke, it’s been thrown around that he’s a better character than Shepard from Mass Effect. Time will tell on that front but the nod still has to go to Shepard for now. Hawke provides humor that Shepard lacks, but Shepards motivations and determination still make him a better character in this reviewers opinion.

In conclusion, Dragon Age II is a great game. It’s a 30+ hour adventure that could be infinitely longer depending on the type of gamer you are. It’s worth your money, your time, and your fanhood. For all you PC players out there, quit your bitchin. There’s already tons of dungeon crawler-based games in the fantasy genre, there are virtually no solid action based games.

Air Hearn Podcast - Episode 8 Part 2

Air Hearn Podcast - Episode 8 Part 1

The Strokes - Angles 80/100

During their first ten years of existence The Strokes experienced enough to rival the entire careers of most other bands. Every major and independent label initially rejected their first demo, only to later compete in a bidding war after a few endorsements in the British media sparked the hype machine. Their debut, Is This It, ranks as a distant second to The Velvet Underground & Nico for the title of "Album With More Positive Reviews Than Copies Sold." In the aftermath of their tenure as Hottest Band On Earth, The Strokes released their first critical failure, First Impressions of Earth, took a five year hiatus and ventured into separate and mostly uneven solo efforts. When they announced the deets regarding Angles, it became apparent the album marked a critical point for the band. Will they flame out as another act anointed too soon or solidify their status among rock's elite? Angles indicates the latter, but not in a completely convincing fashion.

Julian Casablancas emphasized to the press that he purposely avoided physical collaboration with the band to allow them proper space to explore their increased roles as creative contributors. Many times that approach works to their advantage. "Two Kinds Of Happiness" sounds like what The Cars might have been with a little more aggression. Albert Hammond Jr. adds a guitar harmony to the outro of "Games" similar to those used so effectively by Metallica in the 80's. Drummer Fabrizio Moretti capitalizes on his opportunity in the shuffling "Taken For A Fool," which recalls Is This It with paranoia replacing that album's insouciant vibe. Hammond and guitarist Nick Valensi trade complementing licks in "Life Is Simple In The Moonlight" while Julian recedes to the shadows during the verses.

Don't get the wrong impression though; Casablancas still knows exactly when to enter the spotlight to maximize the potential of these songs to the best of his ability. He enhances the Depeche Mode-influenced "Games" by sustaining and altering notes during the chorus that blend wonderfully with the layering of snyths. A less ambitious band (Interpol) would rather employ the aforementioned group's use of monotone chants for a predictable outcome. Even though he steps back at times in "Life Is Simple In The Moonlight," Julian completes the freak out breakdowns by providing the necessary energy to keep up with his bandmates. "Gratisfaction" bounces with the effervescence found in better performances by Rivers Cuomo. The smaller role Julian accepts on Angles actually makes his times to shine even brighter than on past records.

As with First Impressions Of Earth, Angles comes with a few miscues, although here they feel minimal. The electric staccato of "Call Me Back" interrupts the nearly flawless flow they build through the first six tracks. Julian provides a decent vocal that keeps the album from meandering into complete oblivion. Although some of the risks they take pay off greatly, "You're So Right" flounders along with a repetitive drone that comes off like a dog unsuccessfully chasing its tail. The Strokes should ignore their impulse for songs like this and continue to develop their growing sense of rhythm found on the morphing opener "Machu Picchu" and first single "Under The Cover Of Darkness."

Unfortunately The Strokes will deal with overreation, counter-reaction, revisionist history and the overrated/underrated argument for as long as Western Civilization exists. Every move they make will come with detractors criticizing them for what they didn't do and naysayers for what they did. Angles brings a spirit sorely lacking from their last album and possibly their most complex work yet in "Life Is Simple In The Moonlight." They deserve a tip of the cap for pursuing new sounds and styles amongst all of the speculation. Angles proves the sum remains much greater than the separate parts, although that sum might have slightly decreased after the first decade.

Adventures in Netflix Archive

March 2011
Middle Men - 3/22/2011
There Will Be Blood - 3/23/2011

The Rise and Fall of WCW - 3/31/2011

Mastodon - Live at the Aragon

As the new release by Mastodon contains a CD and DVD, I will review them separately.

The Concert:

Both the CD and the DVD document the same show from the Aragon Theater in Chicago, so it only makes sense to start here.

Mastodon have long been the metal band that non-metalhead critics heaped praise on in annual Top Albums of the Year features. They're definitely strictly a metal band, but they've been too loud, catchy, and flat-out good to ignore since 2004's Leviathan released. 2009's Crack the Skye took Mastodon's trademark heaviness-meets-technicality formula and married it to better songwriting, melody, and structure than they've ever exhibited (though they've certainly hinted at both). The album is an undisputed classic, a crossover success, and (for my money) the best metal album since ...And Justice For All.

The subsequent tour found the Atlanta, Georgian band playing the album in its entirety. Not really having a concert film under their belt yet, they decided to record this show in the Fall of 2010. What's immediately striking about Live at the Aragon is how close to the studio album the band plays, which is both good and bad. In the good sense, it's incredibly impressive how much pure sound and fury this band produces with just the four of them and a keyboardist. Incredible also is how, instrumentally, they rarely miss their mark, even as 3 of the members sing, harmonize, and shout their fucking lungs out. This comes at the cost of the spontaneity typically associated with a live album. The solos are almost completely the same as the studio album. There are no surprise structure changes. This is the same album you heard in 2009, followed by 4 older songs and a Melvins cover.

The previous paragraph shouldn't discourage you from checking out Live at the Aragon, though. The album is as great as it was when it came out, and the performance is superb. The vocals may shock you a bit at first, as Mastodon is much better with their instruments than their voices, but they quickly become more interesting than irritating. None of these guys can really sing well, but the effort they put in is endearing in a very rock and roll way. Good Heavy Metal is almost always about the overall sound anyway, as opposed to virtuoso performance (Yngwie fans be damned). And, oh, the sound this band makes. Crack the Skye has always been a "headphones" album, and its live counterpart proves this is due to composition and not studio layering. I'm continually amazed at how deep this band sounds with just 2 guitars, a rhythm section, and a keyboard. They thunder through the set, maintaining the intricate delicacies of the source material without ever losing the thump.

After the Crack the Sky performance, the band plays a quick set of favorites. The 4 songs are a somewhat curious choice, but they rip through them very well. I would have liked to see them play a few more of their hits ("Blood and Thunder" and "Colony of Birchmen" would have been awesome), but they're a metal band, not Bon fucking Jovi. What is here are songs that tend to breathe more than their studio counterparts do. Somehow, they take a song each off of Leviathan and Blood Mountain, plus two off of Remission and make them even more savage. The end the set with the Melvins "The Bit", which seems to be an odd choice at first, but quickly sounds right at home.

The CD: 69/100

It sounds like a live album. The sound won't blow you away, but it's impressive that the dynamics of the band weren't lost live. As stated before, I would have altered the set list a bit (especially as this is their first live release), but this was a great show. Live at the Aragon probably won't win you over if you're not already a fan. If you're not, I urge you to give Crack the Skye a go. Live at the Aragon is a good companion piece to that landmark album, but it's not essential to anyone but big fans.

The DVD: 82/100

Even though they're not a showy, jump-around-in-the-crowd band, watching these guys work is a treat. They play their asses off, and it really translates well on DVD. They have a cool light show, but the real star is the movie that plays behind them. They had a movie filmed based off of the (crazy) concept of the album (time travel, Czarist Russia, etc.), and it's pretty cool to watch. Even better, though, the film is included on the DVD, accompanied by the studio version of the album playing. It's not Oscar-worthy by any means, but it should appeal to anyone interested in independent or slightly avant-garde film.

I would have prefered to see Live at the Aragon marketed as a DVD with an accompanying CD, and not the other way around. That way, they could include some other features and extras and really have brought the DVD to the forefront. The DVD is a good deal more impressive than the CD is. Both are worth owning if you're a fan. If you're not, go check out the last three albums first, and we'll see you here later.

Air Hearn Podcast - Episode 5

Beady Eye - Different Gear, Still Speeding 39/100

Everybody has owned a pair of shoes at some point in their life that appeared dressy, but upon further review look like absolute shit. No doubt that large amounts of polish, clothing from Gap or Banana Republic and a nice belt can counteract their awful presence. Eventually your mother or girlfriend gathers the gusto to criticize them at Thanksgiving dinner. At some point in time you just admit their repugnance and toss them away with all the other refuse. Why waste your time with cheap knock-offs trying so desperately to be the real thing?

Many influences have been tossed around leading up to the release of Different Gear, Still Speeding but the band failed to mention their most important one: Dr. Seuss. Typical missed swings such as "I'm hiding out in the sun/I'm getting everyone done/Just me hating no one/Here I come, here I come, here I come" from "The Roller" seem more fitting for a junior high Facebook status update or Gavin DeGraw album. "Wigwam" follows the same blueprint with its empty take on romance: "You're taking off in the night/You're coming in when it's light/You make it up to the wife/You say you're wrong when you're right." Perhaps they saved Sesame Street for the introspective sophomore release.

This album suffers immensely from the absence of former Oasis bandleader Noel Gallagher. Every song drifts into a forgettable mash of boring without his keen sense of melody, ability to produce a guitar riff and knack for slight, but effective tempo changes. The surviving members attempt to slug through 60's pop rock and arena balladry for uninteresting results. Only the distinct sneer of singer Liam Gallagher saves "Kill For A Dream" from being mistaken with the gutless, overproduced movie-rock of 3 Doors Down. The aptly titled "Standing On The Edge Of Noise" pulsates relentlessly and the lo-fi vocal effects serve as a detriment to an otherwise sturdy frontman.

The biggest offender of the lot is the dreadful "Beatles & Stones." Only a band with a complete lack of dignity would pass this tune off while simultaneously claiming "I'm gonna stand the test of time like Beatles & Stones." Irony often gets overused in modern rock, but a dose of some would have made this boastful clunker land with less of a thud. The previously mentioned "Wigwam" parallels its dreadful lyrics with music similar to any Bread AM rock radio hit from the mid-70's. Yet somehow Beady Eye outdo themselves on "The Beat Goes On," shamelessly pillaging The Beatles' "All You Need Is Love" for a melody and leaving all substance behind with the carnage.

Undoubtedly this album will find its niche among pub dwellers more interested in punching each other during halftimes of rugby matches than the legacy of rock music. Maybe certain tracks will even temporarily find their way onto college frathouse playlists alongside "Wonderwall" and "Live Forever." So be it. But for those desiring a little more out of their music than guys dressed in designer leather jackets and sunglasses on the back cover of an album, spend your time elsewhere and avoid Beady Eye. Match those duds with a great pair of shoes instead.

ESPN Tournament Challenge - AH Bracket

Here's the link, feel free to join!

http://games.espn.go.com/tcmen/en/group?groupID=83550&entryID=1541065

Cap's Corner - The One About the Podcast

Hello World,

We've just published our 7th podcast, and so far, everything is going very well. The show is gaining fluidity, people are listening by the half-dozens, and the crew is legitimately excited to keep on keeping on with it all. After a crappy week with very, very limited power (and no internet to boot), I'm coming back with a vengeance! We just did our first successful two-parter, I finally finished up the Lost Podcast (as in, we lost it, not the show...yet), and we have some great ideas moving forward. The gang is ever so enthusiastic about the direction of the podcast, and we're only getting better with each episode. Sure, the sound quality needs renovation, but we realize this and are working towards it.

The most fulfilling aspect of the podcast continues to be re-listening to it after we record it. At first, it's nerve-racking, but you quickly realize how much better it comes off than you originally feared. We've had 5 guests on the podcast now (I'm not counting House or myself), and I tell each of them the same thing. It always takes 30 seconds to warm up a bit once we go live, but each of them come away glowing after we hang up. I typically call each of them for feedback and thoughts, and everyone is always smiling.

I like to think we have really good chemistry on the podcast. That comes with being friends for so long. Whether or not it's magic isn't really for me to decide. All I know about it is that I'm going to continue to do it, Houser is always in, and my friends are always game to join up. And even if it's only ever a few of us that listen to it, it's worth it. It brings us closer as friends, gives us some fun things to talk about later, and provides us with something to look forward to. If you're new to listening, thank you so much. We do this because we love it. And if you've already been on the podcast, thank you for doing so. It's been a ton of fun, and it's only just begun. Rhyming not intended, but appreciated.