Ten & Six With Mike Otto - Week 4 (Thursday Bonus!)

Hmmmmm... Hot shit?

Well hello again, football fans!  Welcome to Ten & Six's Week 4 kickoff!

This Vikings season may be in the early stages of a brutal, season-long shame spiral, but that doesn't mean we can't still enjoy a little football.  Week 4 is upon us and Mikey was kind enough to take a break from cursing AJ Jefferson long enough to give us his pick for tonight's NFC West battle between the San Francisco 49ers & the St. Louis Rams.

Who do ya like, Michael?

San Francisco (1-2) at St. Louis (1-2)

The Niners are reeling. A loss in St. Louis will put them in uncharted waters of the Colin Kaepernick Era. Kaepernick has looked like a fish out of water in the pocket the last 2 weeks. He looks like a beached carp desperately flopping around for water- or a completion.

Don't lose to Sam Bradford, Kaepernick. That's the universal sign of complete failure for an NFL QB. Wait... maybe that's losing to the Browns third string QB. Fuck. Niners bounce back with a win.

Final Score:

San Francisco: 24

St. Louis: 20

There you have it, football fans! A big win for the Niners to jump start Week 4!

The Vikings are in London, England this week looking to jump start their own season against the Pittsburgh Steelers.  As always, be sure to stop right back here on Saturday for Mikey's breakdown of that game plus his picks for the rest of the league's slate of games.

For more Mike Otto be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@SwervinTaters).  He can also be found right here on Newest Industry contributing to our Trendsetting column.

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 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. 

Newest Industry Presents: Flatbasset Radio - Episode #19

Feelin' good, feelin' great... feelin' great, feelin' good, how are you?

  
Hello again, free music fans! Welcome to Flatbasset Radio: Episode #19!

For those of you who are unaware of the Flatbasset Radio format, here's what you're looking at: TCDroogsma is our resident MP3 junkie. As you've probably noticed in his Songs Of The Week column, he's not always the most positive music fan. In an effort to prove that he is, in fact, a fan of music, we give him an hour each week to play the songs he's digging and talk a little bit about them. Once he's recorded his podcast we put it right here on the website for free to stream!

In this week's episode TCDroogsma celebrates the anniversary of a couple landmark records, speculates as to which album released this week will join them as a classic, pays homage to his hometown, claims he "can't wait for things to go all Twilight Zone," gets angry about indie kids, says goodbye to his favorite footwear, and explains just why the hell it's taken so long to record a new podcast.

You can download the podcast for free by clicking on the episode's title or stream the show by clicking on the Mixcloud player below.

Flatbasset Radio: Episode #19 by Tcdroogsma on Mixcloud

Flatbasset Radio - Episode #19

01. Hockey Night - Get Real
02. Desdamona & Big Jess - Hopesick
03. David Lynch - Star Dream Girl
04. Busdriver - Take This Step With Me And Never Look Back
05. Nirvana - Serve The Servants
06. Tricky - Nothing's Changed (w/Francesca Belmonte)
07. Outkast - GhettoMusick
08. Sparta - Air
09. Medium Zach - See Today
10. The Suicide Machines - Vans Song
11. T.I. - Popped Off (w/Dr. Dre)
12. Bruce Springsteen - Prove It All Night

There you have it, music fans! Enjoy!

For more TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma).  He can also be found right here on Newest Industry reviewing singles in our Songs Of The Week column. Previous episodes of Flatbasset Radio are archived on his Mixcloud page.

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 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 #58: TCDroogsma & MinneSarah

J. Roddy Walston & The Business, No Age, White Denim, San Fermin, & BBGun...

Well hello again, MP3 junkies!  Welcome to Songs Of The Week #58!

For those of you who are new to the SOTW column, here's the story:  TCDroogsma and MinneSarah are both fans of The Current's Song Of The Day podcast.  They're also both opinionated and have access to computers.  Seeing an opportunity to let them indulge in their MP3 habit and put them to work writing reviews we created the Songs Of The Week column.  Over a year later later and here we are.

As always, we strongly suggest that you follow this link and subscribe to the podcast yourself.  It's free and it's fun for the whole family!

To that end, once you've given each song a spin or two, feel free to cast a vote for your favorite song of the week in the poll to the right side of the page.  The artist who accrues the most votes wins the validation that comes from winning an anonymous internet poll, arguably the loftiest height to which a modern musician can aspire.

As per tradition TCDroogsma and MinneSarah have not read each other's reviews prior to posting

So... Droogsy, Sarah... thoughts?

01. J. Roddy Walston & The Business - Heavy Bells (from the album Essential Tremors)

TCDroogsma:

     Much like all of those Candian synth-pop bands suffer from the context of The Current Song Of The Day podcast, J. Roddy Walston & The Business benefit from it.  I mean, when was the last time I reviewed a song here that contained pounding electric guitars and actual, honest to god yelling?

     Unfortunately, I definitely get the sense that "Heavy Bells" only works in this context.  This sort of My-Morning-Jacket-as-garage-band thing isn't really my type of sound.  It's a fine single and a nice change of pace from the usual drudgery of SOTD tracks, but four minutes is about all I can take.

MinneSarah:

     "Country groove band" is the best I can do to sum up this sound.  A little funky, a little twangy, and very cyclical. The vocals are screaming to the point of distortion, and the chorus features vocal reverb akin to a three year old catching his breath from crying too violently.  While the lyrics repeat "You're going to wake up," this song would be superior to my current ear piercing alarm in making me actually get up to turn it off.  Maybe I'm missing some of the soul comforting aspects of Southern Rock, but this song makes me feel on edge.

Final Score: TCDroogsma - 2.5/5
                   MinneSarah - 2/5

02. No Age - An Impression (from the album An Object)

 
TCDroogsma:

     Wikipedia defines No Age as "experimental punk," which seems like an oxymoron to me.  I mean, wasn't the essence of punk rock trimming the fat of more experimental music?

     Well, for what it's worth, if "experimental punk" is a valid term than I suppose "An Impression" sums it up pretty well.  I've listened to plenty of bands over the years who've written an average song decided, "Fuck it, let's just wrap this up in some distortion" and call it a day.  No Age, however, actually sounds like they've carefully thought out just how much reverb & distortion to use to give "An Impression" it's character.  Throw in the fact that they've taken drums out of the equation & added some strings and "An Impression" suddenly occupies a space all its own.

MinneSarah:

     "An Impression" is a strange little song featuring an indie trip-hop beat, low-fi monotone vocals, and a full on violin solo.  While the violin adds a rich texture, it seems out of place with the rest of the song.  This genre is called "experimental" for a reason and isn't for everyone.  That's just my impression. 

Final Score: TCDroogsma - 3.5/5
                   MinneSarah - 1.5/5

03. White Denim - Pretty Green (from the album Corsicana Lemonade)

TCDroogsma:

     When I saw this song waiting in my queue I was really, really hoping White Denim had penned an ode to Liam Gallagher's clothing line.  Considering how nonsensical the lyrics are I suppose it's entirely possible that's what this song about (though it does contain the lyric "I was swinging up and down & hardly in vain..."  trust me, Liam Gallagher is nothing if not vain).

     Taking the meaning of the lyrics out of the equation, "Pretty Green" is a semi-interesting slice of country-boogie.  It's much smoother around the edges than that J. Roddy Walston song from up above, but I'm not totally sure that's a good thing.  "Heavy Bells" is at least defined by it's lo-fi, hard-hitting sound.  "Pretty Green" goes halfway on both counts and ends up sounding like neither.

MinneSarah:

     Let me just say, I like the Black Keys as much as the next gal, and White Denim takes their sound back to the 70's and the 80's in this song.  The vocals are distinctly Southern Rock, and the band gets an A for effort keeping it upbeat and guitar driven.

     However, the lyrics aren't extremely coherent, and the song swings from rock to psychedelic funk as from chorus to verse.  I would say that maybe this is the type of song that makes more sense when you see it live, but it veers a little too Phish for me to seriously consider taking that plunge. 

Final Score: TCDroogsma - 2.5/5
                   MinneSarah - 1.5/5

04. San Fermin - Sonsick (from the album San Fermin)

 
TCDroogsma:

     San Fermin is the project of Brooklyn-based musician (and Yale graduate) Ellis Ludwig-Leone.  To paraphrase the immortal Roger Meyers, Jr., he should have majored in not sucking.

     "Sonsick" is an exercise in overthinking.  Ludwig-Leone takes the blueprint laid by Dave Longstreth's Dirty Projectors and takes all the wrong turns.  Instead of living in a world of subtle risks and rewards San Fermin goes big, bigger, biggest by adding vocals, horns, more vocals, drop outs, build ups.... all in the service of a pretty ridiculous.  I mean, only a hyphenated Brookyn-ite would pen a chorus like, "I'll fall for you soon enough, I resolve to love."  Take all the time you'd like, bud.  And don't hurt yourself.

MinneSarah:

     What is a "son kind of sickness"?  From the lyrics, I surmise it is something you pick up at a t-ball game while you think about what you could do for the rest of your life.

     This song tries to be epic, and it's the premise, not the execution that is a fail.  Since when did every single need to build itself up until completely unrecognizable from it's beginning?  "Sonsick" is from the debut album of an acclaimed young songwriter, so I don't fault him for wanting to make a statement.  However in the context of the rest of these songs of the day that use the same formula, I'm not impressed.

     The strength of this song is the earnest vocals, but they are soon layered, to form a pseudo chorus.  Midway through the song, the horns add in solemnly, but the sound is like walking past the high school band room.  I've never seen Glee, but I would not be surprised if I gave that show five minutes and what I saw was this song.

Final Score: TCDroogsma - 1/5
                   MinneSarah - 1.5/5

05. BBGun - Heavy (from the album BBGun)

TCDroogsma:

     "Heavy" is just that.  Over some easy-riffing guitars BBGun lives in a world of regret & missed opportunities.  Thankfully, that early-middle-age regret comes coupled with one last blast of youthful idealism:: the power of the electric guitar.

     Over the course of the week I was trying to figure out just what it was about "Heavy" that was so charming and I think it comes down to the fact that, at its core, this song could have been just about the most cliched, acoustic, singer/songwriter crap you could imagine.  Instead, Al Church & Neal Perbix took those , ahem, heavy problems, laughed 'em off, and turned up their amps, coming of like two guys who know that sometimes the only thing you can do is shrug your shoulders and laugh.

MinneSarah:

     While the lyrics proclaim that, "Things are getting heavy," this song keeps the mood light.  The jangly guitars are honest and the lyrics are genuinely delivered.  "Heavy" also features an apology in which the guitars stop to draw full attention to its sincerity.  The end of the song features some vocal aaahhs that sound quite beautiful behind the guitars and add to the mood of the song.

     While the subject matter is heavy - crying over the phone, having to move back with your family, accepting failures and mistakes - the song stays upbeat and adds a glimmer of hope to the situation.  If I walked into Lee's Liquor Lounge and heard this song, I'd certainly tap my toes in solidarity.


Final Score: TCDroogsma - 3/5
                   MinneSarah - 3/5

Well there you have it, MP3 junkies!  Another week's worth of songs downloaded, reviewed, & filed away!

As always, please keep in mind that neither Newest Industry nor our contributors are in any way affiliated with the artists above, The Current, or MPR.  We're just music fans with laptops and a 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 right here on Newest Industry hosting our free weekly podcast Flatbasset Radio

For more MinneSarah be sure to give her a follow on Twitter (@MinneSarah).  She can also be found right here on Newest Industry filing reports out of St. Paul for our Big Day Out column

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 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. 

Ten & Six With Mike Otto: Week 3 - Cleveland Browns at Minnesota Vikings (Plus Picks!)

And ya say Twin Cities!

 

Well hello again, football fans!  Welcome back to Ten & Six With Mike Otto!

Week 3 is upon us and hopefully the tide is turning for The Purple.  After losing in Detroit in Week 1 the Vikings hung tough and got a couple of breaks in Chicago in Week 2.  Alas, it was not to be as the Bears won the game on a last second touchdown because of course they did.  Go fuck yourself, Chicago.

So, this week presents yet another matchup between the Vikings and a team representing a Midwestern town that can't hold a candle to Minneapolis: The Cleveland Browns.

As we do every Saturday, our very own great football mind Mike Otto is here to break down last week's game, give us some keys to this week's game, some matchups to watch, and make his prediction.  But first, league picks!

Mikey, take it away!

"Fuck."

"And of course."

Those were the two partial sentences that left my mouth around 3:30 PM Central time last Sunday. At 3:15, when the Vikings settled for a field goal while leaving 3 minutes on the clock and a timeout in Jay Cutler's pocket, I said to myself, "they are GOING TO lose this game". I was 60-70 percent sure of it at that point.

When Blair Walsh hits a chip shot on the ensuing kick off, just GIVING Cutler the ball at the 35, that percentage went up to a solid 75.

When I realized Cutler had led two 80 yard 4th quarter drives a week earlier on the same field, it was a solid 80.

When I saw the Vikings defense was playing some bastardized form of prevent, I was 90 percent sure the team was going down.

Finally, with 16 seconds left from the 16, when Martellus Bennett slid out of the backfield, lined up slot left and I saw Chris Cook raise his hand and ask for safety help, I was 100 percent certain the Vikings were about to lose that game. Chris Cook followed Earl Bennett on his skinny post route just a bit too long, allowing Martellus to run a route right to the pylon, essentially uncovered. Chris Cook made a mistake, no doubt, (on this particular play, Earl Bennett becomes Harrison Smiths responsibility when he runs that post route) but I don't think he was really put in a position to succeed. Ball game.

Back to the debacle that was the Vikings last trip to the red zone. It was pathetic. It was illogical in more ways than one. The decisions made by the coaching staff lacked conviction, and reeked of indecision. In my opinion, in that situation, 1st and goal from the 6, 4 minutes to go in the game, up by 3, you have 2 options: either go run, run, run, make the Bears use all their time-outs, then make your decision whether to go for it on 4th down or kick the field goal. Personally, I go for it and take a shot at the end zone, I spread out the Bears defense and see what you get. (I also have your best athlete at the WR position in the game for more than 6 freaking plays!) If you fail to get it, the Bears have to go 96 yards to beat you, and in/on that weather/field, they are going to need 65 yards to be in field goal position to tie. The same 65 yards the Bears needed for a win after the pop-fly shit kick, except WITH NO TIME OUTS THIS TIME.

Your second option is to believe in your quarterback and offense and say, "odds are 4 straight passing plays will get us 6 yards and a TD one way or the other, even with Christian Fucking Ponder". GO FOR THE THROAT! Win the game, right then and there! The last fucking thing you do is get wishy-washy and go run, pass, run, meaningless field goal! What the fuck was that, a courtesy time-out you were leaving the Bears with!? That was nice of you!!!!!!!

My final point I took from last week's game. Everyone is saying, "you can't blame Ponder for this one, he played great after that pick six". At first I agreed with everyone and I now feel dirty for doing so.

I watched back the replays of Tim Jennings pick six, probably about 25 times and I noticed a few things that are entirely too indicative of Christian Ponders time with the Vikings. The Vikings were in a two tight end set with Jennings and Simpson out wide left and right, respectively. The blitz comes from the right, and is beautifully picked up by Adrian Peterson, the rest of the line holds their blocks and a nice pocket is set up for young Mr. Ponder. Jerome Simpson is triple covered, possibly because Ponder never looks away from him. If he looks slightly to his left, away from the sideline and towards the right hash, he sees Jon Carlson 15 yards downfield with no one within 10 yards of him. If he DARES to survey the entire field and look to his left, he sees a streaking Kyle Rudolph down the left hash with a desperate JULIUS PEPPERS 5 yards behind him, frantically trying to catch up because he has no safety help. We had one of the most athletic tight ends in the NFL, running a go-route, covered by an aging defensive end with no safety help, and Ponder never even saw it. His tunnel vision kicked in, he saw imaginary pressure, and he threw a terrible pass. You know the rest. I didn't even see if Greg Jennings was open, I was so disgusted. Kyle Rudolph would still be running.

Final "fun" fact. Since 1942, only 5 NFL teams have lost a game after winning the turnover battle, returning a fumble for a TD, and returning a kick for a TD.

Fuck.

And of course.

On to the picks:

Houston (2-0) at Baltimore (1-1)

The Ravens have fallen off offensively. It's starting to look like they got hot at the right time last year and cashed in in more ways than one. They still have lesser-Harbaugh though, and that's better than most teams. 

The Texans have powered through a semi-shaky first 2 weeks to find themselves at 2-0 and look to be an 11 or 12 win team again. Sorry Baltimore, I know it sucks to be in Baltimore, but this week, you're going to be losers in Baltimore. Redundant? Texans win 27-20

New York Giants (0-2) at Carolina (0-2) 

Fuuuuuuck. These are the hardest games to have an opinion on. Non-descript, inter-conference, with no personal interest on my part.

Cam Newton might be doomed and his curse may have started when he was drafted by Carolina. The Curse Of Chris Weinke does not fade so easily Mwahahahaha!

Eli Manning truly looked like a pouting little brother last week as the Giants were dismantled by the Broncos. 4 INT's isn't going to get it done against Archie's favorite son, sorry Eli (We all know its true). Giants win this one 23-20

Detroit (1-1) at Washington (0-2)

It must be Week 3 in the NFL season, because Reggie Bush is nursing a knee injury.

RG III is winless and he doesn't look like his old self quite yet. I think that starts to change this week against an undisciplined Lions club. He will have opportunities to run against the Lions, if he doesn't take them I think it's proof positive that he isn't 100% comfortable with his knee yet.

The Lions look like pretenders. I can't believe the Vikings fucking lost to them already. Skins win 26-24

San Diego (1-1) at Tennessee (1-1)

All offense vs. all defense. Virtually equal levels of terrible. Two teams that may excite their fan bases at certain points of the season, but aren't going to be playing in January.

Phillip Rivers throws the ball nearly 50 times a game. He's starting to remind me of an un-loveable Kurt Warner. Go bag some groceries, Rivers! Chargers win 27-16

Arizona (1-1) at New Orleans (2-0)

Sean Payton has turned the Saints defense around. I scoffed last year at the idea the only reason the Saints were choking week after week was the lack of their leader on the sidelines, but now I'm starting to think Payton does make all the difference. The Saints would have never won a game last year when scoring only 16 points. In fact they probably would have lost by 3 touchdowns. Its a different year, and the Saints are for real. Saints win 31-21

Tampa Bay (0-2) at New England (2-0)

The Patriots are barely winning games against crummy teams and here's the surprise of the year: Danny Amendola is hurt! Nobody saw that coming. The receivers Tom Brady Is throwing to look like they got picked up from a local high school. If Tom Brady can't make you look good, you're a terrible WR, its that simple. "Gronk Watch" reports Gronk might Gronk it up this weekend and get the Gronk out on the field. 

The Bucs are an NFL punch line and Josh Freeman is proving all my trash talking last year true. He really is the Ford Pinto of NFL Quarterbacks, this week he breaks down on the side of the road and starts on fire. Pats win 28-13

(Editor's Note: To our new Ten & Six readers, note that Mike comparing Josh Freeman to a flaming Ford Pinto is universal sign to bet on Tampa Bay this weekend.  Josh Freeman loves fucking with Mikey.)

Green Bay (1-1) at Cincinnati (1-1)

Jesus Christ, Aaron Rodgers is a football throwing God. It pains me to admit that, but it's the ugly, smelly, cheesy, truthy. The Bengals have a pretty solid defense and a strong front 7 so here's hoping they can get some pressure on Fucky The Cheesehead.

To understand my vitriol for the Packers you have to realize as long as I can remember the Packers have had a franchise QB while my team has started everyone from Jeff George to Kelly freaking Holcomb under center. It hurts. It makes me want to stab things. Fucky and the Cheesers win 24-20

St. Louis (1-1) at Dallas (1-1)

So it was reported this week that on game days, the Cowboys billion dollar stadium uses energy at a faster rate than the entire country of Liberia. America's Team indeed. As in one of the reasons why everyone hates America. Sorry, Liberia, Sundays in Dallas are just more important than you. Maybe if you got a football team we would care about you. All you got right now is drought. Drought don't sell tickets! Sheeeeeeeit.

I feel dirty. This must be what Jerry Jones feels like everyday, that's assuming he still has human emotions. Cowboys win 24-17 and stick it to Liberia, again

Atlanta (1-1) at Miami (2-0)

Could the Dolphins be... good? It's been so long, it just doesn't feel right. Last time the Dolphins went to the playoffs Chad Pennington was still a thing and Ray Lewis didn't need deer byproducts to stay on the field.

The Falcons are going to be fighting for a wild card spot this year with the resurgence of the Saints, and they really need to win tough road games like this if they want to keep pace with the Saints. Going to be a close one throughout but I think the Dirty Birds win by a field goal, 24-21

Buffalo (1-1) at New York Jets (1-1)

This is a big game. Mainly because we will see Geno Smith and EJ Manuel in the same place at the same time, putting to rest the theory that they are the exact same person.

Something that has already been confirmed: Rex Ryan is and idiot, Doug Marrone is a shmuck. Welcome NFL fans, to the Shmuck Bowl! Between Rex Ryan and Doug Marrone there is enough drooping skin to provide skin grafts for an entire burning building of Jets and Bills fans. Are there enough Bills and Jets fans to fill up a building? I guess we'll find out Sunday. Bills win 17-13, I guess

Indianapolis (1-1) at San Francisco (1-1)

Colin Kaepernick looked human against the Seahawks last week. In fact, he looked downright awful. That's the first time I've seen him just picked apart by a defense. He gets a reprieve this week against a pretty average Colts secondary. 

The Colts picked up Trent Richardson this week and he adds another dimension to their offense. I don't know about you, but Andrew Luck and Trent Richardson is a pretty frightening combination for defenses. This is going to be a close game, but the Niners take it in the end, 31-27

Jacksoville (0-2) at Seattle (2-0)

You might as well have The Sisters Of The Poor play the Seahawks in this one. Every week of the NFL season holds a game that makes you say "For Fuck's Sake" and this contest is the most recent installment. The Seahawks might win by 3 touchdowns easy. Maurice Jones Drew might come back this week, to which I say, why do that to yourself MJD? Don't be a martyr. Just wait until the Jags move to LA. Seahawks win 45-9

Chicago (2-0) at Pittsburgh (0-2)

Reports are Jay Cutler told his teammates, "The Vikings are going to give us this one" at the beginning of his game winning drive last week. Score one more point for the biggest asshole in the NFL. He was right, and they did. I hate to break this to him, but beating the Vikings by one point at Soldier Field doesn't make you a Super Bowl champion. You may need to get through an NFC Championship game without totally pussying out before anyone respects you.

Fuck off, Cutler. Enjoy your meaningless September wins. Bears win 26-20

Oakland (0-2) at Denver (2-0)

Here comes a real test for Terrelle Pryor. If he can put up a fight against Peyton Manning I will start to give his NFL ability some credit. Until then he can fuck off. You know what? Peyton manning can fuck off too. In fact I want everyone associated with the Raiders and Broncos to fuck off. I don't care. Peyton will never win a Super Bowl in Denver and that's the bottom line, cuz Stone Cold says so. WHAT!?! Broncos win ONE-FUCKING-MILLION-TO-THREE

There you have it, folks.  A progressively angry set of picks for Week 3.  That's enough snackin', though.  Mikey, take us to the main course.

CLEVELAND BROWNS (0-2) at MINNESOTA VIKINGS (0-2)

 
Well, if you can't win this one you can't win any of them.

Last week the Vikings lost a heartbreaker to the Bears in Chicago and they can't afford to have any kind of hangover. They also can't afford to look past a hapless, desperate Browns team. I already gave my thoughts on just what went wrong last week so lets just look at some quick positive(s) and negatives from the loss.

Positive(s):

-Matt Kalil   He shook off a bumpy Week 1 to dominate Julius Peppers, protecting Christian Ponder's blind side and keeping him upright in the process. The only way the Vikings have a chance this year is to keep that dufus on his feet. Kudos to Kalil for shaking off the rust and getting back to his All-Pro form.

Negatives:

-Christian Ponder  Put all the lipstick you want on a pig, it's still a fucking pig. Put all the positive spin on his performance last week you want, he's still a bad quarterback. I'm just about ready to give up on Ponder. He needs a dominant performance against the Browns to give me any hope.

-The Secondary  They got torched for a second week in a row. The veteran leadership provided by Antoine Winfield is gone and it is apparent after two weeks of opposing quarterbacks doing pretty much whatever they want. If Brian Hoyer goes for 300 yards (which is a distinct possibility) I might cry.

-The Linebackers  Running backs have gouged the Vikings for nearly 500 all purpose yards through two weeks of the season. I can't remember any of the linebackers making a tackle in the backfield yet. Troubling. They actually looked better last year with Jasper Brinkley. Erin Henderson needs to figure it out and figure it out fast.

Three Keys To A Vikings Victory:

Key #1: Get An Early Lead

The Browns just lost their best young player in Trent Richardson. That has to be demoralizing, not only to the fan base, but to the players as well. Get up on them early and they may just completely roll over.

Key #2: Finish Drives With Touchdowns

I'm sick of seeing trips to the red zone end in field goals. You can't let teams stay in the game whether they're good or whether they're the Browns. Scoring 3 points instead of 7 will keep the Browns in it until the 4th, and anything can happen with close games in the final quarter.

Key #3: For Fuck's Sake, Just Play Smart

The only way the Browns win this game is if the Vikings give it to them. Avoid turnovers, hand the ball to AP 30 times and you're looking at an easy "W". Don't get too fancy, and for the love of Pete, get Cordarrelle Patterson involved in the offense!

Two Matchups To Watch:

Matchup #1: Barkevious Mingo vs. The Vikings Offensive Line

The strongest part of the Browns entire team is there defensive Front 7 and considerable pressure on Christian Ponder is the only way the Browns can stay in the game. Barkevious Mingo is a very talented outside LB and truly a young sideline to sideline defender. If he is putting Ponder on his back regularly things could get ugly quickly for the Vikings.

Matchup #2: The Vikings Coaching Staff vs. Their Own Stupid Brains

Leslie Frazier and Co. coached their way out of a road victory in Chicago last week. Inexplicably, through two weeks of the season Cordarrelle Patterson has only seen 11 offensive snaps. He has been thrown a few bubble screens, but I want to see him go over the middle of the field. He is a freak athlete with incredible potential, but he's not gonna score any touchdowns from the sideline.

Hey Leslie, this week, if you're inside the 10 yard line with a chance to ice the game in the 4th quarter, do me a favor and ICE THE FUCKING GAME!

Mike's All-Purpose Flour Lock Of The Week:

Harrison Smith, Safety, YOUR Minnesota Vikings

An inexperienced Brian Hoyer at QB for the Browns should lead to a big game for the ball hawking second year safety. Really fun to watch him play. 9 tackles/2 INT 

Final Takes

I'd like to say I felt like the Vikings were going to win this in a route, but I know my Vikings all too well to predict that. This team plays up or down to the talent level of their opponent, which is not a good thing but its the reality of the situation.

If they lose this one it's time to bench Ponder. Hate to say that, but it's true. I see a game that is kept all too close by Vikings miscues and shoddy tackling, but our guys in purple win it by a field goal.

Final Score:
Cleveland Browns: 17
Minnesota Vikings: 20

On to London!

There you have it, football fans!  Mikey predicts victory at the Metrodome! An unnecessarily close victory, but a victory nonetheless!

For more Mike Otto be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@SwervinTaters).  Be sure to follow him this Sunday during the game as he breaks down the Vikings home opener.  He can also be found right here on Newest Industry contributing to our Trendsetting column.

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 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.   

Ten & Six With Mike Otto - Week 3 (Thursday Bonus!)

Goo, goo, g'joob...

Well hello again, football fans! Welcome to Ten & Six's Week 3 Kickoff!

For those of us who are fans of The Purple these first couple weeks of the season haven't gone particularly well, but Mike will have more on that come Saturday.  Right now we're going to jump into Week 3 of the season by having Mike make his pick for tonight's Chiefs & Eagles game in Philadelphia.

Who's taking the W, Mikey?

Kansas City (2-0) at Philadelphia (1-1)

Free Andy 2: The Walrus Travels Home! Sounds like a nice spin on the Free Willy series, doesn't it? I can just see Andy Reid launching out of the water, soaring majestically over those rocks, as a young Jason James Richter's fingers delicately graze his belly.

Ehh, its not realistic though. We all know the only reason Andy Reid would "soar" over anything was if there was a bucket of chicken on the other side. This is going to be an interesting game, terrible Hollywood spin-offs aside.

I don't think the Chiefs have the firepower to hang with the Eagles. Unless Andy Reid can find a way to slow the game down, (entering the game as a linebacker isn't allowed) the Eagles will run away with this one.

DeSean Jackson is back to his best water-bugging self out there and Michael Vick throws a damn pretty ball when he is on. However, I am respectfully requesting that Chip Kelly wipe that fucking look off his face.

Final Score:

Kansas City: 21

Philadelphia: 34

There you have it, football fans!  The Eagles ruin Andy Reid's homecoming by taking the W, making Eagles fans everywhere temporarily forget all the sadness that comes with being an Eagles fan.

Be sure to swing right back here to Newest Industry on Saturday for Mike's full Week 3 breakdown.  He'll make his picks for the week, look at some positives & negatives from the Vikings Week 2 loss in Chicago, and break down their Week 3 home opener as the Browns visit Minneapolis.

For more Mike Otto be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@SwervinTaters).  He can also be found right here on Newest Industry contributing to our Trendsetting column

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 have a Facebook page here.  Trivial as it seems, stopping by & giving us a "Like" is a free & legitimate way to support the blog.

Songs Of The Week #57: TCDroogsma & MinneSarah

Black Joe Lewis, King Khan & The Shrines, The Happy Hollows, & The Cloak Ox...

Well hello again, MP3 junkies!  Welcome to Songs Of The Week #57!

For those of you who are new to the SOTW column, here's the story:  TCDroogsma and MinneSarah are both fans of The Current's Song Of The Day podcast.  They're also both opinionated and have access to computers.  Seeing an opportunity to let them indulge in their MP3 habit and put them to work writing reviews we created the Songs Of The Week column.  Over a year later later and here we are.

As always, we strongly suggest that you follow this link and subscribe to the podcast yourself.  It's free and it's fun for the whole family!

To that end, once you've given each song a spin or two, feel free to cast a vote for your favorite song of the week in the poll to the right side of the page.  The artist who accrues the most votes wins the validation that comes from winning an anonymous internet poll, arguably the loftiest height to which a modern musician can aspire.

As per tradition TCDroogsma and MinneSarah have not read each other's reviews prior to posting

So... Droogsy, Sarah... thoughts?

01. Black Joe Lewis - Come To My Party (from the album Electric Slave)

TCDroogsma:

     When I saw that I would be reviewing a song called "Come To My Party" by somebody called Black Joe Lewis I immediately had flashbacks to those Secret Stash Records songs (Sonny Knight, The Valdons) we've reviewed here before.  Turns out I wasn't off by much.

     "Come To My Party" comes on with a quick little backwards horn bit before launching into the type of horns-funk-chicka-chicka-shouting that's been populating funk/soul tracks since James Browns day.  Joe Lewis and his group certainly bring the energy, but with the exception of one horn break, you've heard this before.

MinneSarah:

     Send a link to this song as an e-vite to your next shindig!  "Come to My Party" is upbeat, soulful, and toe-tappingly catchy.  What if James Brown and Andrew W.K. had a child?  Well, as far as I can tell from this song, it'd be Black Joe Lewis.  The lyrics are pretty straight forward - party party party, but the sentiment is sweet - they'll move the furniture so that you can bring your loved ones.  The horns keep it interesting and although sax solos can go so very wrong, this song's sax is the life of the party.


Final Score: TCDroogsma - 2/5
                    MinneSarah - 4/5

02. King Khan & The Shrines - Born To Die (from the album Idle No More)

TCDroogsma:

     I have friends who have been telling me for years that I absolutely need to see King Khan & The Shrines live to have a full appreciation for what they do.  Listening to "Born To Die" (and their previous SOTD entry "Torture" from 2008), I can see their point.  Much like Black Joe Lewis up above, Khan & The Shrines have no interest in reinventing the wheel.

     Rather, they seem more than content to essentially recreate the garage rock they grew up with.  If that's the goal, than "Born To Die" does an admirable job.  The song rattles around on a catchy guitar riff & Khan's sing-shouting while gradually building via the addition of horns and keys.  It's nice on headphones, but I'll bet it makes a lot more sense with Khan preaching from the stage.

MinneSarah:

    Tambourine, wah-wah pedal, and garagey sounding vocals...yes, it's psychedelic garage rock revival!  On it's own merits, "Born To Die" is an upbeat song that moves quickly and makes you feel instantly California while listening to it.  Since I can't book a trip to the Sunset Strip circa 1969, this is as close as I'm getting.

     The intro bit is very grand with some orchestral grandeur, but the meat of the song is down to earth.  Horns build up with strings for the outro, and the song rises above expectations.  These conflicting elements work in harmony, but the most enjoyable part for me was the low key vocals that truly harken back to at least BRMC, possibly even the 60's.

Final Score: TCDroogsma - 2.5/5
                    MinneSarah - 3.5/5

03. The Happy Hollows - Endless (from the album Amethyst)

TCDroogsma:

     If somebody told you to try to imagine an L.A.-based, kind of jangly indie-pop band The Happy Hollows is probably exactly what you'd imagine (especially if you're prone to imagining bands with female singers).

     "Endless" keeps pretty much the same pace for the duration of the song.  As the beat marches ever forward we're treated to some quirk-tastic vocals from Sarah Negahdari about... something, I'd imagine.  Sometimes she's joined by a group of voices for some almost punkish "Whooaaahhh's," other times her voice is replaces by chiming guitars that imply a working knowledge of post-punk.  And all the while the song marches along, leaving every moment filled with something yet leaving nothing memorable behind.

MinneSarah:

     While this song's guitars and drums seem to be kept on a loop, it just makes the singer's vocals stand out even more distinctly.  Singer, Sarah Negahdari's vocals are truly unique.  She has a wide vocal range, and a passionate delivery.  While I couldn't really make out the lyrics of this song, at least enough to tell definitively what it was about, this shows how the vocals are used another instrument - focusing instead on emotionally charged oohs and ahhs.

     While I wouldn't wish another Florence and the Machine on anyone, "Endless" diverges enough to still sound new and fresh in an indie scene tripping over each other's ankles trying to stand on top of each other.


Final Score: TCDroogsma - 2/5
                    MinneSarah - 3.5/5

04. The Cloak Ox - King Rope (from the album Shoot The Dog)

TCDroogsma:

     I'd be lying if I said I wasn't already all in on this new Shoot The Dog album from The Cloak Ox.  Andrw Broder's great, Martin Dosh is great, & a band that isn't afraid to get weird in the subtle ways that could only be done by truly professional musicians is just what the Twin Cities needs.  They should fit in brilliantly alongside TGNP labelmates like Marijuana Deathsquads & Moonstone Continuum.

     However, even a week on I have no idea what to make of "King Rope."  The Cloak Ox set the bar in an odd place early this year on the new TGNP sampler with "Josephine," which came on like Ted Leo fronting Fountains Of Wayne.  "King Rope" definitely keeps the Ted Leo singing style, but rather than razor guitars & hooks we're treated to vaguely atmospheric reggae, bongos, string swells, and plenty of other sounds that were probably meticulously arranged.  I'll bet it would be interesting to sit down with these guys and ask them to deconstruct everything floating around throughout "King Rope.:

      Going back to my initial statement, that's why I'm excited about their album.  The refuses to give in and reveal itself.  I don't think a whole album of this stuff would work too well, but spending 5 minutes with "King Rope" is an intriguing investment.

MinneSarah:

     "King Rope" is a time investment, which is broken up by a few different transitions.  If you aren't paying attention, at times you may think you've skipped to the next song.

     The more I listened to this track, the more I began to think it was actually Thom York's jam band project.  The guitars and bongos add a funky bass line, while there are certainly some experimental electrical components.  The singer doesn't necessary sound like Thom (except during the chorus), but the delivery coupled with the slow to fast electronics are blatant enough for comparison.  The last minute brings in the strings, and amid an epic violin send out, which sounds organic, although how often do you hear a song where jam band bongos and epic orchestral ending make sense? 

Final Score: TCDroogsma - 3.5/5
                    MinneSarah - 3.5/5

Well there you have it, MP3 junkies!  Another week's worth of songs downloaded, reviewed, & filed away!

As always, please keep in mind that neither Newest Industry nor our contributors are in any way affiliated with the artists above, The Current, or MPR.  We're just music fans with laptops and a 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 right here on Newest Industry hosting our free weekly podcast Flatbasset Radio

For more MinneSarah be sure to give her a follow on Twitter (@MinneSarah).  She can also be found right here on Newest Industry filing reports out of St. Paul for our Big Day Out column

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 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.