Newest Industry Presents: Flatbasset Radio - Episode #12

A special holiday only for me...

Hello again, music fans! Welcome to Episode #12 of our Flatbasset Radio podcast!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the podcast, here's the scoop. Each week TCDroogsma participates in our Songs Of The Week column in which he reviews The Current's Song Of The Day tracks. Since he's usually pretty negative we ask him to record a podcast each week to show us that he does indeed enjoy music and is worthy of the position we've given him here at the blog. The podcast is always free to listen to here on the blog and free to download for on-the-go listening.

This week TCDroogsma discusses which Radiohead album hold up the best, explains the benefit of being a Minnesotan who lived in New York, laments a dead Minneapolis band, celebrates an underrated British band, gets very skeptical about Killa Cam's upcoming concert, tells us what makes Bob Stinson's ghost happy, revisits a mid-90's classic, and keeps the flame of optimism burning for Morrissey.

Flatbasset Radio – Episode #12

1. Beastie Boys – Super Disco Breakin'
2. H20 – Everready
3. Child Actor – Want It All
4. Radiohead – Where I End And You Begin
5. The Verve – I See Houses
6. Cam'ron (w/Kanye West) – Down & Out
7. Nallo – Different
8. Mel Gibson & The Pants – Reagan's Dead
9. Butthole Surfers – Pepper
10. Morrissey – I Know It's Gonna Happen Someday
11. J Dilla – Two Can Win
12. The Vandals – Happy Birthday To Me
13. Aimee Mann – 31 Today 
    
    

For more TCDroogsma, be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma) or over on his personal blog Flatbasset.

For more Newest Industry, be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors. More importantly, we also have a Facebook page here. Trivial as it seems, stopping by and giving us a “Like” is a free & legitimate way to support the blog.

Songs Of The Week #25: TCDroogsma

Parquet Courts, Dan Deacon, Indians, Nightlands, & The Ericksons...

Well hello again, MP3 junkies!  Welcome to Songs Of The Week #25!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Songs Of The Week, here's the story.  Each week we ask two of our regular contributors to download the songs given away each week via The Current's Song Of The Day podcast.  They listen to them and give them a review of 1-5.  As always, we highly suggest that you the reader click here and subscribe to the podcast.  It's free music, people!

As you can see, we always post a poll on the right hand side of the page.  Be sure to vote for your favorite song of the week.  The winner receives the self-validation that comes with winning an anonymous internet poll.

Sadly, we have some bad news this week.  As you can see, we were only able to have one of our contributors (TCDroogsma) review the songs.  Unfortunately, MinneSarah has resigned her post as a Songs Of The Week reviewer.  We know, bad times.

So, until we find somebody else to review songs each week, it'll be TCDroogsma flying solo.  Sorry in advance.

Now that all of that's out of the way, on to the songs!  Droogsy, thoughts?

01. Parquet Courts - Borrowed Time (from the album Light Up Gold)

TCDroogsma:

     Much like any white guy in his 30's, the words "Parquet Courts" conjure up one image: The Boston Garden floor.  Much like any white guy in his 30's who inherently dislikes basketball, the Boston Celtics will always be associated with their mid-80's heydays of Bird, McHale, & Parish.

     Why am I bringing up a basketball team from the 80's?  Because "Borrowed Time" sounds like it came straight out of 1985.  Parquet Courts manages to work up a sweet, no-wave type of groove (complete with noodley guitars and halting stop/start action).  The first band that came to mind when I heard this song was The Minutemen.  Don't be put off by the wretched Brooklyn-ites in the video above.  This song will make you want to pogo around your room until you're a sweaty mess.

Final Score: 4/5

02. Dan Deacon - Guilford Avenue Bridge (Live at The Current)

 
TCDroogsma:    

     It seems like Dan Deacon is maturing at exactly the same rate I am.  I was 25 when I first heard Spiderman Of The Rings and it's "everything all the time" aesthetic appealed to me.

     As I've gotten older, I've become a much bigger fan of Deacon's work since Spiderman.  Rather than the hyperactivity of those early works, he's begun to let songs breathe a little bit.  "Guilford Avenue Bridge" is still a busy song, but the song is best in its first and final third when the percussion is thinned and the song becomes infected with a deep, fuzzed out bass groove.  Sometimes it's best to just slow things down.  Life moves pretty fast, if you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.


Final Score:  3.5/5

03. Indians - I Am Haunted (from the album Somewhere Else)

TCDroogsma:

     We're now living in a post-Vernon world.  It's a strange, atmospheric place inhabited by acoustic guitars, reverb, and falsetto vocals.  The inhabitants of this world walk a very, very fine line between enjoyable & insufferable.

     Fortunately for us, Indians falls on the enjoyable side of the line.  "I Am Haunted" is not the most original thing you'll hear all year, but they manage to borrow all the right elements of Bon Iver & Ariel Pink to create a sneakily catchy acoustic jam.  Under normal circumstances I'm vehemently opposed to warbly vocals lingering in the background, but somehow they manage to make that work.  Throw in a chorus that is beautifully anti-climactic and you've got a song that takes a lot of high-risk pieces and turns out a high-reward product.

Final Score: 4/5

04. Nightlands - So Far So Long (from the album Oak Island)

 

TCDroogsma:

     Boy, you know it's been a solid week of songs when I can get behind two songs that rely on atmosphere & reverb for a big chunk of their appeal.  Much like Indians, however, Nightlands makes some moves that could easily backfire and manages to make them work.

    "So Far So Long" doesn't change tempo at all.  In fact, the drums and bass rarely drop out at all.  Somehow Nightlands still manages to give the song a distinctly different feel at each turn with an added guitar strum and a flute (?) turning up during the chorus.  There's something enjoyably hypnotic about "So Far So Long."  I can't quite put my finger on what makes this song so enjoyable, and that's a good thing.

Final Score:  3.5/5

05. The Ericksons - Gone Blind (from the album The Wild)

TCDroogsma:

     Picked guitar lines, assertive female vocals, reflective yet resolved lyrics.  The Ericksons stand poised to be Minnesota's answer to... Tracy Chapman?  I guess that's something.

     "Gone Blind" is not a bad song, merely a dull one.  I'm certainly happy that this woman has been able to make her peace with whatever was troubling her and look forward, but a chorus of "I count the seconds in the days..." leaves a lot to be desired.  This is more Facebook status post than pop song (though the piano that comes in at the end was a nice touch).

Final Score: 2.5/5

There you have it, folks!  Another week's worth of songs downloaded, reviewed, and filed away.

As always, please note that neither Newest Industry nor its contributors are in any way affiliated with these artists, The Current, or MPR.  We're just music fans with keyboards and too much time on our hands.

For more TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma).  He can also be found right here on Newest Industry hosting our Flatbasset Radio podcast.

Newest Industry also has a home on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) which you can follow to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  We also have a home on Facebook.  Trivial as it seems, stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free & legitimate way to support the blog.

Trendsetting #1: Mike Otto & TCDroogsma

Bitches!

Well hello, everybody!  Welcome to a brand spankin' new segment here on Newest Industry!

Trendsetting shares a similar DNA with our Songs Of The Week column.  Each week we'll ask two of our contributors to give us their takes on some of the trending stories around Minnesota & the rest of the world!

For the inaugural edition (and because he needs something to do with football season nearly over), we asked Mike Otto to participate.  We also asked TCDroogsma to participate because, frankly, we knew he wouldn't be busy on a Saturday night.

Much like Songs Of The Week, Mike & TCDroogsma have not seen each other's comments prior to posting.

So, gentlemen, welcome!  What do you think of the week that was?

1. Uptown restaurant French Meadow Bakery purchases the iconic CC Club.

Mike:

      This is terrible. Doesn't matter what ANYONE tries to tell me, this is just plain blasphemy. We are talking about the most historic dive bar in South Minneapolis being bought by an "all organic" restaurant/wine bar/douchebag compendium. Nothing good will come of this.

     I have heard plenty of "well, some improvements could be made to the CC through this", I've heard it from friends, acquaintances, and even a few random assholes. French Meadow promises nothing will change at The CC. Sure, I believe you! National corporations spend millions of dollars all the time just to "keep things the same". Only time will tell on French Meadow's promise, but the skeptic in me smells bullshit.

TCDroogsma:

     I can't tell you how many times I've been sitting at The CC, turned to one of my friends, and said, "Y'know, this bar is really pretty great! Now if I could just get them to turn down the music, replace the lightbulbs, fix these benches, clean up this disturbingly sticky floor, replace my Premium with a craft microbrew, hire some sexy-yet-completely-unattainable servers, and take down the Christmas lights I would totally spend more time here!  Also, a $5.00 buttermilk scone would be fucking perfect right now."  Good move, French Meadow!

2. Notre Dame football player Manti Te'o tells Katie Couric that he's, "Not gay.  Faarrrr from it." during interview regarding his fake girlfriend.

Mike:

     Stupid question Katie Couric. Manti Te'o was tricked by a fake internet GIRLFRIEND, not BOYFRIEND. Quit making this something it isn't. The dude may be dumb as fuck, but he's dumb as fuck for women.

TCDroogsma:

     Because really, what could be more embarrassing than being gay?

3. After a three month lockout, the Minnesota Wild finally take to the ice in St. Paul to start the 2013 season.

Mike:

     What's a "Wild" and why was it locked out of its season house for 3 months? Just kidding, Travis. This is the state of hockey after all, and we should all celebrate the beginning of The Wild's season because, Jesus Christ, the Timberwolves are garbage, and The Wild are our only hope for professional sports success this year.

TCDroogsma:

     About damn time!  I could not be happier that the NHL season has stated!  Only the smell of sweaty hockey players can overpower the... er...  "musk" that's been lingering in the Xcel Energy Center since Madonna was in town.


4. Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio is caught on video yelling at interim coach Terry Porter after being benched in the 4th quarter

Mike:

     Microphones picked up Rubio screaming at Porter from the Wolves bench. Unfortunately, Porter didn't understand Ricky when he yelled "TERRY PORTER, LETS TIME TO PUT ME INNNNN"

TCDroogsma:

     Porter was seen responding to Rubio by reminding the young point guard, "You know I don't speak Spanish."  Rubio then devoured an entire wheel of cheese and pooped in the fridge.  It was impressive.

5. A 47 year old St. Paul man reportedly pulls an AK-47 on his daughter when she brings home an unsatisfactory report card.

Mike:

     JENNY WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!? A FUCKING B IN EUROPEAN HISTORY?? YOU'RE A FUCKING DISGRACE!!! The man in question, Kirill Bartashevich has since claimed the gun wasn't loaded, to which the rest of the world said, "Oh shit Kirill, our bad, you're one fucking great dad."

TCDroogsma:

     Good lord!  Between guns at school and guns in the home, is it possible that the safest place for the youth of America is the streets?  It worked for Jay-Z and he's pretty much the unofficial President Of The United States at this point.

6. Nearly half of Maple Grove's varsity hockey team is reinstated after being suspended for allegedly creating and screening a sex tape.

Mike:

     They may have got suspended from their team and school, but Bang Bros Entertainment has just signed them to a 5 year contract. Their series will be called "Grove Diggers" and it will be sold throughout the smut universe for 29.95 a disc.

TCDroogsma:

     Somewhere a Wisconsin Badgers recruiter is flying down 94W.

7. Neighborhood businesses & residents protest a planned six-story apartment structure in the heart of Dinkytown.

Mike:

     Yet they still have no problem with the 10,000 pieces of shit that inhabit Dinkytown year round...interesting.

     Human shits on the sidewalk? Fine! Loud drunken parties on every corner? That's OK! Racist, overly-aggressive frat boys crowding the streets? Oh well! BUT GODDAMMIT IF YOU DARE TRY AND RUIN MY DINKYTOWN SUNSET WITH YOUR FUCKING HIGH RISE I WILL END YOU. Dinkytown will be dumb no matter what happens.

TCDroogsma:

     But we're still meeting up with A-Train & Mel at Tiff's after the Goph's game, right brah?

8. President Obama names Stillwater native Denis McDonough his new Chief Of Staff

Mike:

     First of all, I don't trust any "Dennis" who spells him name with one "N". Secondly, the only thing I trust a Stillwater-born Irishman for is the best spot to drink on the St. Croix River. I'm calling it now, this man is most likely a crook. 

TCDroogsma:

     That's right, world, a Minnesotan is pulling strings behind the scenes!  No more of aggressive posturing and ultimatums, it's time for "Minnesota Nice" to shine.  Sure, Palestine, we should definitely talk about getting you your own state, what are you doing on Thursday?  Egypt keeps giving us dirty looks, wonder what their problem is.  Hey Canada, why's Columbia being such a jerk?  I mean, all I said was they were maybe being a little too loud.  Forget it, we're never talking to them again.  They were being too loud, right?

9. Subway issues an apology after it's revealed that their "foot long" sandwiches measure just 11 inches long.

Mike:

     Folks, we all know size DOES matter, so this is a seriously crushing blow to America's credibility. For years we've been over here bragging about our affordable foot long, wagging it in the face of all those who dare to try and fuck with it. The day of reckoning has come. Our house of cards has crumbled and I am left wondering if there is any hope for the children...because if you can't trust Subway, who the fuck can you trust?

TCDroogsma:

     Christ, I was promised 12" of food when I purchased this sandwich at a franchised Subway storefront inside of a Wal-Mart on University Ave!  Who's got a link to the class-action suit that is sure to be filed.  I intend to be duly compensated for these missing inches of low, low quality sandwich!

10. Target begins rebranding it's products as it plans to open its first stores in Canada.

Mike:

     It's about time Target thought about our neighbors to the North. Its still questionable whether Canadian Target will be a success, as most Canadians feel threatened by the red bulls-eye Target uses as a logo. One Tornoto based Candian is quoted as saying, "I mean, I dunno, ya know eh? I mean eh, a bulls-eye eh? Kinda seems dangerous eh? Also fuck Montreal eh". That's right, even the rest of Canada hates Montreal.

TCDroogsma:

     Rumor has it that the Target's Canadian expansion plans are on hold as their marketing team tries to find a way to jam a superfluous "u" into the word Target.

Well there you have it, everybody!  The inaugural edition of Trendsetting with Mike Otto & TCDroogsma!  All the news that's fit to be taken down a peg or two.

For more of Mike Otto's unique brand of charm, be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@SwervinTaters).  He's bound to be tweeting like mad during Super Bowl week.

For more of TCDroogsma's unfunny brand of humor, be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma) or here on Newest Industry hosting our Flatbasset Radio podcast.  He's bound to be tweeting like mad because he's no good at actual human interaction.

Of course Newest Industry also has a home on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) which you can follow to stay up on the work being done by all of our regular contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free and legitimate way to support the blog. 
 

Songs Of The Week #24: TCDroogsma

Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside, Low, Yo La Tengo, Bleeding Rainbow, & Thomas Kivi & The Immigrants...

Well hello again, mp3 junkies! Welcome to Songs Of The Week #24!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Songs Of The Week column, here's the deal. Each week we ask two of our regular contributors to download the songs given away via The Current's Song Of The Day podcast. After giving the songs a good listen, we ask them to review the songs and give them a score 1-5.

Unfortunately, MinneSarah's computer went south on her this week, so, much to the chagrin of everybody involved, we're left with TCDroogsma flying solo this week.

For those of you who would like to play along at home, be sure to click here and subscribe to thepodcast yourself. Download the songs (or give them a listen here) and vote in the poll to the right side of the page for which was your favorite. The artist with the most votes wins the credibility of anonymous internet opinions, the most valuable resource this country has to offer.

Now, on to the songs! TCDroogsma, thoughts?

01. Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside – Party Kids (from the album Untamed Beast)

TCDroogsma:

     I've been struggling for three days trying to form and opinion on this song and, I'm sorry, nothing's coming to me.  I mean, the band works up a nice 'Tilly & The Wall' type of groove, I suppose.  The lyrics, as far as I can tell, are an anthem for feminists partying as hard as frat boys?  Is that a fight worth fighting?  It should be noted, it's possible that I'm missing the entire point and that's not what they're about at all.  Seems that Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside set out to write a hip-shaking, good-time-party-time, indie rock jam.  Mission accomplished.  It's all the mindless fun of "Talk Dirty To Me" updated for the indie set.

Final Score: 2.5/5

02. Low – Plastic Cup (from the album The Invisible Way)

TCDroogsma:

     You know the old saying, "It's always the dumbest person in the room that wants to talk politics?"  What's that?  That's not an old saying, it's just something Facebook reminds me of every day? Oh, regardless...

     
     "Plastic Cup" finds my beloved Low taking aim at the widest possible target: privileged, upper-middle class Americans who have no real concept of the struggles going on around the world.  All this set to a pretty straightforward acoustic strum and the lovely Sparhawk/Parker harmonies that we all know and love.  Now, if "Plastic Cup" is meant to be heard as some sort of larger critique on the role of America in 2013, I'm sorry for missing the point.  Based on the condescension in Alan Sparhawk's voice, though, I don't get that sense at all.  Frankly, he comes off like Chan Marshall in that awful "Ruin" single.  "You can always count on your friends to get you high, you could always count on the 'rents to get you by..."  That doesn't sound like a "universal" critique to me at all.

     I wrote about this earlier when I reviewed "Just Make It Stop," but one of Low's best traits is their ability to speak in broad, nearly cliche terms and somehow make them feel both universal and brutally personal.  Evidently that kind of approach works much better when it comes to human emotion and not geopolitics.  My expectations for "The Invisible Way" keep dropping with each new song that's released.  I blame Jeff Tweedy. 

Final Score: 1.5/5

03. Yo La Tengo – I'll Be Around (from the album Fade)

TCDroogsma:

     I should note two things before I start reviewing this song:  First, I'm not a Yo La Tengo fan.  I mean, I'm not anti-Yo La Tengo, I just mean that I don't really know them very well.  They have a pretty good-sized cult following and any one of those people would probably be able to give a better perspective on this song.

     Second, I never totally got over my initial disappointment that this was not a cover of The Spinners.  That would have probably been awesome. (Update: Yup. Awesome.)

     So, what I'm left with a slow burning song whose first half consists of Nick Drake stoner poetry and a second half that builds with some acoustic guitars and keyboards to a climax that is ultimately kind of anti-climactic.  Now, that may sound like I don't like the song.  That's not the case at all.  In the right place and in the right mood it's possible that this is one of the best songs I've heard this year.  When neither of those criteria is in place, however, this is background music.

Final Score: 3/5

04. Bleeding Rainbow – Waking Dream (from the album Yeah Right)

TCDroogsma:

     After somehow resisting my initial inclination to savage a band that calls itself "Bleeding Rainbow," I was able to embrace the awesomeness that is "Walking Dream."  This song drips so much 90's that I wouldn't be surprised if it was written by Juliana Hatfield (note, that is a wholehearted compliment).  It always makes me happy to hear a band write some good hooks, go loud/quite/loud, and let the feedback fill in the blanks.  Somewhere Levar Burton & Courtney Love are smiling (and barely aware of each other's existence).

Final Score: 3.5/5

05. Thomas Kivi & The Immigrants – Cops & Crims (from the EP Thomas Kivi & The Immigrants)

TCDroogsma:

    Thomas Kivi & The Immigrants almost had me.  Despite the fact that we've all heard this song 100 times in some form or another actually made me like it more.  Call it the comfort of familiarity (act like you didn't know exactly how the guitars were going to come out of the chorus.  Or what the vocal melody was going to be 15 seconds into this one).  This would make a great Nada Surf b-side.

     In fact, I was pretty much all in on this one until the same mindless political cliches that sunk Low popped up.  "So you see, ain't nothing new, this whole wide world is red & blue, it was made in China, man, and Afghanistan's drowning in the Bible..."  I cringed more typing it than I did hearing it the first time.  That ham-fisted adding of "man" to make the lines rhyme is even worse than using the term "Crims" to make the chorus work.

Final Score: 2/5

Well there you have it, everybody! Another week's worth of songs downloaded, listened to, reviewed, and filed away never to be heard from again.

As always, we'd like to take a moment to point out that neither this blog nor its contributors is in any way affiliated with the artists above, The Current, or Minnesota Public Radio. We're just music fans with keyboards and little bit too much time on our hands.

For more TCDroogsma, be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma). He can also be found hosting our weekly podcast Flatbasset Radio. Frankly, between those two things, that should be enough TCDroogsma.

Of course Newest Industry also has a Twitter home (@NewestIndustry1). Give us a follow to stay up on the work being done by all of our regular contributors. More importantly, we have a Facebook page here. Stopping by and giving us a “Like” is a free & legitimate way to support the blog. Every little bit helps, ya heard?

Newest Industry Presents: Flatbasset Radio - Episode #11

It's Minnesota, man, your face will freeze fast...

Well hello again, music fans! Welcome to Flatbasset Radio: Episode #11!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with our podcast, here's the idea: Each week TCDroogsma participates in our Songs Of The Week column. Since he's typically pretty negative, sowe put him in charge of producing and recording a podcast each week to play us some jams that he actually likes. Of course the podcast is free to listen to and download.

This week TCDroogsma plays a batch of cold weather jams, explains the virtue of the cold, laments a lost search engine, makes a play for Meg White, puts Canada on blast for excessive punctuation, puts together a Mixed Blood Majority showcase, finds the common ground between Kill The Vultures & Guided By Voices, promises a Songs Of The Week bloodbath, explains a joyous moment when hockey & hip-hop intersected, and explains power-pop's missing link between Big Star & Fountains Of Wayne!

Flatbasset Radio: Episode #11

Click above to download the podcast or click the player below to give it a listen:

 
01. Arcade Fire - Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)
02. Atmosphere - 66th Street
03. The White Stripes - In The Cold Cold Night
04. The Streets - Let's Push Things Forward
05. No Bird Sing - Devil Trombones
06. Lazerbeak - Legend Recognize Legend
07. Kill The Vultures - Vermillion
08. Mixed Blood Majority - The Runaround
09. Low - Just Make It Stop
10. Jay-Z - Interlude (Public Service Announcement)
11. Kate Nash - Death Proof
12. The Growlers - One Million Lovers
13. Gin Blossoms - 'Til I Hear It From You
 

There you have it, folks! Another week of jams & banter! Thanks for listening!

For more of TCDroogsma's banter, be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma) or on his personal Flatbasset blog. If this whole Meg White thing works out we're sure his Twitter will be a hell of a follow.

Newest Industry also has a home on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) which you can follow to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors. More importantly we have a Facebook page here. Giving us a “Like” is a free & legitimate way to support the blog. Plus, the “likes” will make TCDroogsma feel better when Meg White inevitably leaves him.

Ten & Six With Mike Otto: Conference Championship Weekend

If you gon' do it, do it just like this...

Well hello again, football fans!  Welcome to the penultimate week of NFL action!

It's Conference Championship Weekend!  Or, as it's known to Vikings fans, the weekend we get our hearts broken and fall back off the wagon.

This year, however, binge drinking came early for Vikings fans.  Among them, your host and great football mind Mike Otto.  Even though the Vikings season has been over for a couple weeks, Mike is still watching the NFL with a keen eye for the subtle advantages and a broad eye for potential jokes.

As such, Mike has compiled a 2-6 record for this year's playoffs.  That's pretty shabby.  Fortunately, what Mike lacks in postseason performance he makes up for with sheer, stubborn determination.  Aiming to get his record as close to .500 as possible, he's back to tell us how each team could punch their ticket this Sunday and which teams he thinks might actually get the job done.

Mikey, we realize this is traditionally a tough week for you, but we'll get through it together.  Thoughts?

Whew!  That was quite an exciting divisional round!

Pete Carroll's true colors (the color of failure?) finally shown through when he learned that you never ice the kicker.  It's a freaking Matt Bryant!  Always be on a Matt Bryant fucking up.

Russell Wilson is the real deal and, in my opinion, has done enough to take the Rookie Of The Year trophy away from Bob III and little Andy Lucky.

Peyton Manning had the 2nd words QB performance of the weekend, edging only Matt Schaub (who unquestionably regained his title as one of the "Worst Of The Best" NFL quarterbacks).

Matt Ryan may have saved Mike Smith's job with his final minute drive by taking full advantage of a Seahawks defense that, for some inexplicable reason, was blitzing.  Major fail all around for the Seahawks coaching staff in that final minute.

It all reminded me of the early 2000's Vikings play calling ineptitude... so many memories.  I wonder what Ramos McDonald is doing right now?

(Editor's Note: Mike lapses into this sentiment once or twice a week.  Frankly, he should probably just Google Ramos McDonald at some point.)

The "Ray Lewis Farewell Tour" moves on!  Who knows if Ray killed anyone?  Maybe he did, maybe he didn't, the point is he got away with it, and that's all that really matters in America.  It's not illegal unless you get caught!  Good for Ray.  O.J. made the mistake of committing his murders after his playing days, forfeiting the opportunity to run his way back into our hearts.

Ray had 17 tackles in the Ravens big win, so even though he might not be able to get sideline-to-sideline (or state-to-state in a trunk) like he could when he was young, the man still has game.

Colin Kaepernick was the best athlete on the field for any team last weekend.  The Packers had no answer for him and the Niners read-option offense.  Black Irish made the Packers defense look ugly, slow, and stupid for the majority of the game.  If the young QB had two more games like that one in him the Neners are going to be Super Bowl champs.

If you're wondering, former Chiefs coach Romeo Crennel's Divisional weekend highlights included watching Blade Runner and eating at the Taco John's off the interstate.

My picks went 1-3 again last week, leaving me at an ugly 2-6 for the playoffs after my 174-100-1 regular season performance.  Time to right the ship!  Let's make a couple picks!  And, just to change it up, let's make them winners!

(#2) San Francisco at (#1) Atlanta

Why the Niners could win:

They have the best pure athlete left in the playoffs with Captain Kaepernick.  This kid cn kill you with his cannon arm or his gazelle-like stride.

Michael Crabtree's stepped his game up to an All-Pro level ever since Kaepernick took over.

Frank Gore might be getting older, but he's still a bruiser who fights hard for every yard.

And don't forget Vernon Davis (whose production drastically dropped after the quarterback change), who I think is due for a big game.

Randy Moss wants a second chance at a Super Bowl win.  Never forget what he can do with the proper motivations.

The Falcons nearly crapped the bed last week and they seem to still have trouble closing teams out.

Why the Falcons could win:

The Dirty Birds have home-field advantage.

Matt Ryan seems to have finally gotten over his annual playoff choke-fest.  When he's playing confident football, watch out.  Matty Ice is easily one of the most cerebral QB's in the game and he's on the short list of guys who could pick apart the Niners secondary.

Doesn't football just kind of owe a Super Bowl trip to Tony Gonzalez?  I think so.

Mike Smith is a football icon, a bastion of knowledge and football intelligence in this league.... OK, just kidding about that last part.

Who I think takes it:

Colin Kaepernick is going to do some more of that bicep kissing in this one.  I just don't see enough speed on the Falcons defense to hang with Captain Kaepernick.

Matt Ryan is good, but he's not a dual threat.  The Falcons run game overall is hit or miss.

Just too much to overcome for the Falcons one week after barely escaping with a win against the Seahawks.  Niners win 31-23.

(#4) Baltimore at (#2) New England

Why the Ravens could win:

I underestimated the emotional boost this squad is getting from Ray Lewis.

The Ravens deserved to win that game against the Broncos last week and actually made Peyton Manning look average at times.  If you can fluster Peyton, you might have a chance at rattling Tom Brady's cage.  Ruffle his feathers!  Steal his Man Uggs!  Do whatever it takes to get that little bitch shakin' in his gender-neutral boots.

The Ravens were one terrible touchdown drop (shout out to Lee Evans!) away from beating the Patriots and punching their ticket to the Super Bowl last year.  There's no reason to think they can't take the final step this year.

Joe Flacco is playing well right now and he is they main reason they beat Peyton.  If he can match Tom Brady's offensive output on Sunday the Ravens will win.

Why the Patriots could win:

It's Tom Brady and Bill Belichick in the playoffs.  They are both attention craving monsters.  They have an insatiable hunger that can only be quelled with Super Bowl championships.  It's just hard to bet against two madmen so obsessed with greatness that they have done (and continue to do) anything to win.

I generally dislike the Patriots, but I think Brady wants this one bad.  He sees it, it's right there for him.  He may be a pussy, but he's the best quarterback in the league.

Who I think takes it:

As excited as I am about the possibility of a Harbaugh Bowl, I just don't see the Ravens pulling this out.  Tom Brady has the Ravens defense's number and that is going to be too much for Joe Flacco and Rice Ray to counter.

(Editor's Note: Yup, "Rice Ray.")

Turn back the clock 5 years on Ed Reed & Ray Lewis and the Ravens win this game.  The boys are going to be a step slow on Sunday and it's going to cost them.

Ravens will keep it close all game, but the Patriots will edge them in the end 34-27

Don't worry, Ravens or Falcons fans.  After all, I am 2-6 in these playoffs, so your squads will probably win this weekend.  Good luck to all!! The Packers are DEAD!!  WOOOOOO!!!!

There you have it, folks, "Wooooo!!!!"  Strong words.  Strong words from a strange man.

For more of Mike Otto's commentary on the NFL and pseudo-upscale Lyndale eateries, be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@SwervinTaters).  We promise, something's always winding him up.

Newest Industry also has a home on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1).  Give us a follow to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free and legitimate way to support the blog.  We can't go state-to-state like we used to either.

Songs Of The Week #23: MinneSarah & TCDroogsma

Free Energy, Kate Nash, The Growlers, The Ruby Suns, Jim Ruiz Set...

Well hello again, mp3 junkies! Welcome to Songs Of The Week #23!

For those of you who don't know the Songs Of The Week format, here's the story. Each week we ask two of our contributors to download and listen to The Current's Song Of The Day podcast. Once they've had time to give the songs a good, thorough listen, give us their thoughts, and score the songs on a 1-5 scale.

As always, we highly suggest you swing by The Current's website and subscribe to the podcast yourself. Playing along at home is fun for the whole family!

Each week we post a poll to the right side of the page. We encourage you to vote for whichever song was your personal favorite for the week. The winner of the poll will receive a prize just as soon as this blog turns a profit.

As usual, we asked our regular contributors MinneSarah & TCDroogsma to have a go at the songs.
 

So, let's get into this week's songs. MinneSarah?  TCDroogsy? thoughts?

01. Free Energy – Hangin' On (from the album Love Sign)

MinneSarah:

     This song is a pretty darn good Third Eye Blind cover.  Wait, it's not? Stephan Jenkins had no part in this?  Well, it sure does sound like it, and I mean that as a true compliment.  If my life were a teen movie, I'd want this to be on my soundtrack.  Although, we all know my life would be a B-list movie, and who am I kidding, this song is a B-list version of a poppy 90's ballad. The lyrics are far more blatantly desperate than any 90's song - but the guitar sure does deliver.  I'll bet Rachel Lee Cook is available to play me - look me up, honey.  Thanks, Free Energy. 

TCDroogsma:

     Quick disclaimer before getting into this song:  I'm always torn about Free Energy.  On the one hand, a few of the band members are from my hometown (Whattup, Red Wing!), so bonus points there.  On the other hand, they used to be Hockey Night, a far, far superior band.  So minus points there.  So I guess we're at square one and I've just wasted your time. Sorry.

    "Hangin' On" is not, I suppose, a bad song.  It's certainly catchy.  Sadly, it's only catchy.  It's also disturbingly bland and it's clear that Free Energy came up with the hook and then scribbled out a song around it.  I mean, there's nothing inherently wrong with mindless, bubble-gum pop-rock, it's just that there's nothing inherently interesting about it either.  At least with bands like Weezer or Electric-Light Orchestra you got the sense that, to some extent, they were in on the joke.  It seems like Free Energy can't remember if they're being ironic or not.

Final Score:  MinneSarah - 3/5

                     TCDroogsma - 1.5/5

02. Kate Nash – Death Proof (from the EP Death Proof)

MinneSarah:

     The bass is pretty bad ass in this song - it makes you think, this is going to be a badass chick song.  But, I can't really take Kate Nash seriously after her big hit about how much her boyfriend sucked.  Yes, MinneSarah is a feminist, but Kate Nash is not among my favorite British nor British-sounding artists.  I'm impressed by her relatively deadpan delivery and the retro surfer rock vibe.

     The refrain of "I don't have time to die," reminds me of one of my favorite Kids in the Hall skits, where Kevin McDonald doesn't have time to get kidnapped - but that good memory aside, I'm not sure I really follow the lyrics.  Unless death is a metaphor for a shitty boyfriend, in which case - Oh Kate. 

TCDroogsma:

     Even though I love all things British and am certainly partial to women, this is my first knowing exposure to the work of Kate Nash.  I'm sure instantly discredits my opinion to some people, but honestly, for a column like this, maybe it's a good thing.

     Anyway, to the best of my knowledge this song has nothing to do with the actual film Death Proof.  Regardless, it's obvious that it was inspired by the film, as Kate Nash rides a dark, surf rock riff while cooing, "burn, burn, burn my heart, baby.... take a piece, 'cause I don't need all of it" in a mildly menacing, oppressively sexy British accent.  Sold.  I'm sure I've never seen the film Death Proof, but I guarantee this song is better.

Final Score:  MinneSarah - 3/5

                     TCDroogsma - 4/5

03. The Growlers – One Million Lovers (from the album Hung At Heart)

MinneSarah:

     My mom and I could agree on how much we'd like this song.  It has the funky true old school country vibe that she loves, with all the modern keyboard movement that makes me swoon.  I hear The Growlers play a mean live show, and I'd love to see them float through several genres seamlessly as they do in this song.  The whole vibe is upbeat with a dose of nostalgic guitar.  All in all, it is a fun song and gets better the more listens you give it. 

TCDroogsma:

    Maybe it's just a product of listening to the songs one after the other all week, but I can't help but hear this song as a companion piece to the Kate Nash song.  I realize that's a connection I've constructed in my head, but that's not really the point.  In fact, for The Growlers' sake, it may be a good break.

     Listening to the lead singer of The Growlers pine over a lost lover, it seems like he's lamenting the loss of a woman like the character played by Nash.  "One million lovers to choose from, but none of them like her..." is a sentiment we've all felt (fuck that "plenty more fish in the sea" shit... Mike Skinner).  The song has a nice upbeat melody that implies that having called this woman "lover" and then losing her is better than never loving at all.  And that having he takes more joy in telling (singing) the story than he feels heartbreak for having lived it.  You can almost hear him grinning through the track.

     Now, if you'll excuse me, I just threw up in my mouth a little bit over that last sentence.  Solid jam, though.

Final Score:  MinneSarah - 4/5

                     TCDroogsma - 4/5

04. The Ruby Suns – Kingfisher Call Me (from the album Christopher)

MinneSarah:

     I like anything with prominent electronics and a pressing tempo.  When I lived in Vancouver, I felt like the whole city was a J-Pop meets Eurotrash village.  That wasn't a bad thing at all! The cascading keyboards would have fit in well with my experience of the city.  As it stands, this is more of Hot Chip lite with a Steely Dan influence. Plus, the lyrics are inspirational and expound the virtues of self reliance! 

TCDroogsma:

     I just heard the term "PBR & B" the other day.  Is this that?  Or am I just old and losing it?

     Regardless, this is a nice enough jam in the sense that most Yeasayer b-sides are nice enough jams.  It's got some white boy soul, an "everything's going to be OK if you just believe in yourself" message, and some sythy noodling that definitely makes it sound like it was created in 2012.  Personally, I think it would just be more fun to play Yeasayer's "Ambling Alp" and R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly" at the same time, but I kind of always feel that way.

Final Score:  MinneSarah - 3.5/5

                     TCDroogsma - 2/5

05. Jim Ruiz Set – Allison (from the album Mount Curve Avenue)

MinneSarah:

     Mellow jazzy resort sounding music ain't half bad.  Do you remember Beck's contribution to the Life Less Ordinary soundtrack, "Deadweight?"

     “Allison” seems like a lounge-y duet, with a little punch.  I like it enough to ask, where are my white pants and big sunglasses?  I want to roll down to the cabana and wax optimistic with the guys from Jim Ruiz Set.  While I'm sure it would get old fast, it's novel enough and different from the run of the mill singer songwriter songs that are usually featured by The Current's Song of the Day.

TCDroogsma:

    Holy shit!  What am I listening to here?!?  A Minnesota artist who's not drenched in synthesizers or distortion?  Who's not straining against his own better judgement to sing with some ridiculous hipster affectation?  A lyricist who's not trying to construct some sort of mythology around being a cabin-bound folky or a rapping iconoclast or coke-sniffing, dancefloor vampire?  It's just a guy singing a bouncy, horn-inflected song that's rich on hooks, genuine lyrics, singing in his natural singing voice?  Delivering plain-spoken lyrics on happiness and peace of mind and banking on his personal feelings somehow transcending bullshit posturing and connecting with the listener? 

     Who would want to listen to that?

Final Score:  MinneSarah - 3.5/5

                     TCDroogsma - 4.5/5

There you have it, everybody! Another week's worth of songs downloaded, ranked, and filed away.

As always, we'd like to remind anybody reading that neither Newest Industry nor its contributors are in any way affiliated with any of the artists reviewed, The Current, or Minnesota Public Radio. We're just music fans with keyboards and too much time on our hands.

For more of the always charming MinneSarah, be sure to give her a follow on Twitter (@MinneSarah).  She doesn't tweet often, so when she does, it seems especially profound and/or charming.

For more of the occasionally entertaining TCDroogsma, be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma). He can also be found right here on Newest Industry hosting our weekly podcast Flatbasset Radio.

Newest Industry also has a home on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1). Give us a follow to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors. More importantly, we have a Facebook page here. Stopping by and giving us a “Like” is a free and legitimate way to support the blog. We swear to god, we'll turn a profit someday.

Singles Mixer #5: "Just Make It Stop" by Low

You see I'm close to the edge, I'm at the end of my rope...

Hello again, music fans!  Welcome to Singles Mixer #5!

For those of you unfamiliar with the Singles Mixer columns, here's the scoop.  Whenever we find new singles from Minnesota bands we task one of our regular contributors with reviewing them.  As is Newest Industry policy, all singles are given a score of 1-5 (whereas albums are rated 1-10).

This time around we asked TCDroogsma to give us his thoughts on Low's new single "Just Make It Stop" from their upcoming album The Invisible Way.

TCDroogsy, thoughts?

How you feel about “Just Make It Stop” likely depends on how you feel about the recipe that Low has perfected over 20 years.

There are typically three things that define Low:

01. Instrumentation that makes as much use of the empty space as it does of the instruments.

02. Alan Sparhawk's distinctive, fragile vocals (often times complimented by Mimi Parker).

03. Lyrics that are somehow universal & personal, allowing the listener to find themselves in nearly every song.

“Just Make It Stop” only hits on one of these three ingredients. Lyrically, this song fits nicely into the Sparhawk/Parker canon. The lyrics are vague enough, with many of the couplets addressed to the “you” that always seems to be saying and doing things to fuck with people. Hell, even the titular “it” is never really addressed. The world? Time? The omnipotent, overbearing “you” (or, maybe, “them?”).

Regardless, when you sign up for the music of Low you sign up for that sort of lyrical content. There's something to be said for a band that can write songs that everybody can relate to in their own way.

Now, on to those other two ingredients.

I fully realize that Alan Sparhawk is not the “lead singer” of Low in the traditional sense. Still, when releasing the first single from a new album, it's a bold move to shelve the singer who is, to the casual fan, the voice of the band. I'm not complaining here, it's just a surprising left turn. I think Parker has a great voice and absolutely carries the song. Whether it's years of sharing the microphone with Sparhawk or my inability to separate new Low songs from my expectations, Parker manages the same aggressive fragility as her sometimes co-singer.

Which brings us to the instrumentation.

What's the one thing that casual indie rock fans know about Low? That they're slow and quiet. Obviously “Just Make It Stop” is neither of those things. It's actually a pretty rollicking affair considering who's playing the instruments.

Much has been made about the fact that The Invisible Way was produced by Jeff Tweedy. Admittedly, I didn't put a whole lot of stock into his involvement (though, as a Wilco & Low fan it did breed some curiosity). I was hoping that the lessons learned about spacing and silence during A Ghost Is Born and Summer Teeth would translate to “Low with a Wilco twist.” Rather, if this single is any example, we're being treated to “Low plays Wilco.” Rather than an experiment in organic, live silence (I feel so pretentious just typing that), “Just Make It Stop” has much more in common with the country-tinged feel of Being There.

I realize that this all makes me sound like a curmudgeon who wants his Low to sound like Low. There's a grain of truth to that, as I really do love the band's work. More accurately, I'm a bit disappointed that rather than pushing toward the sound explored on Drums & Guns (a masterpiece in my book), Low seems to be pushing toward sounding like everybody else. For a band that spent twenty years carving out a niche that was theirs and theirs alone, “Just Make It Stop” sounds more like compromise than evolution.

Final Score – 2.5/5

There you have it, folks!  TCDroogsma puts Low's new single "Just Make It Stop" square in the middle of the rankings.

For more information on Low's new album The Invisible Way and their upcoming tour, be sure to visit their website here.  They can also be found on Twitter (@LowTheBand).

For more TCDroogsma, be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma). He can also be found here on Newest Industry hosting our weekly podcast Flatbasset Radio.  Be sure to tune in each week, as winter's slowly causing him to lose his mind.

Of course Newest Industry also has a home on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1).  Give us a follow to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free and highly effective way to support the blog.