Riff

So Mraz recently came out with Selections for Friends. It's a live album. The first track of the live album is 6 songs in a row, no breaks. Mraz plays his first EP all the way through. To bridge the gap between one song and the next, he plays this riff.

Here is the riff: click me.

Upon hearing this riff, I said "I've heard this before" and sought out a song by this hippie I came across once named Scott Huckabay.

Here's the beginning of his song Sea Gypsy off his album Alchemy: click me.

WTF, right?

Luke's Top 12 Albums of 2006

Ok, here's my top 10 albums of 2006. The caveat is that these albums are not necessarily released in 2006, but added to my iPod library in 2006.

We'll start with my top 4 ...

1. Phoenix - It's Never Been Like That

Probably the most solid album of 2006 from beginning to end. Each tune is chock full of poppy goodness (except for North which is its own unique kind of gold).

2. Mates of State - Bring It Back

Maybe the top band I was introduced to this year. Who knew I liked married piano rock?

3. Dear and the Headlights - Both Demos

This is a band out of Phx that has its first non-demo coming out in just a few weeks. Be on the lookout for "Small Steps Heavy Hooves" by Dear and the Headlights.

4. The Whitest Boy Alive - Dreams

Another of Erlend Oye's creations ( Kings of Convenience) . Burning (Track 1) might be the song of the year.

And now for the rest in no particular order ...

-Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

Pure gold. Except for the first track. I even came to love the song where he says "child star" 27 times in a row.

-Guster - Ganging Up On The Sun

Another solid solid relase from these boys. Just buy whatever they put out. They haven't missed yet.

-John Mayer - The Village Sessions

He basically took all my favs from his big album (Continuum) and acousticized them ... and not so suprisingly I can't get enough.

-Josh Rouse - Subtitulo

This guy also puts out very very solid albums. This one is probably his best all around album.

-Mates of State - Team Boo

Refer to the previous album as more proof that this is the top band I came across this year. This is their earlier release and, while not as polished, still has some real hits.

-The Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers

Jack Black. Ironically, his middle name is GOLD!

-The Spinto Band - Nice and Nicely Done

I was introduced to these guys by Audiocrush. 7 very young guys put out some great songs. Don't miss Mandy, one of the songs of the year for me.

-The Strokes - First Impressions of Earth

I recently learned that people didn't like their 2nd album. I really didn't know. I think this 3rd album puts them at 3 for 3.

Treehouse - Nobody's Monkey

Here's what's great about this post. I really might end up getting the number 1 spot on Google. Check back later to find out.

ANYWAY, I'm in the middle of my second consescutve run through of this album:

Nobody's Monkey by Treehouse


This is a band that I learned about probably around 1996 when they opened for Edwin McCain. I wanted to reco them since I stumbled across them today, remembered digging them a lot and then realized they're nearly impossible to find info on. Even finding their album on Amazon was sorta difficult. For example, see the picture for the band here (link), I just put that up myself.

Treehouse isn't doing anything even close to groundbreaking, but Pete Reilly (the lead singer who you may have heard sing back up for Edwin McCain in the more recent years) writes himself some decent choruses on an album that is listenable all the way through. If you're looking to be intrigued, look to TV on the Radio or Radiohead, but if you'd like to hear some very enjoyable 4-chord mid 90s brit pop (and who isn't?! Am I right!?), these guys do it pretty well.

Laughing

so my buddy Lubs and I have been known to do so IM chatting. we happen to work together and when we're on calls talking to clients, we often try to make each other laugh because it's embarrassing to suddenly start laughing while having a serious phone conversation with a client.

recently lubs was sitting in a class at the u of a and started chatting with me. i saw this as a great opportunity. bear witness:

(1:25:07 PM) Lubs: 465 is about Quality Control
(1:31:52 PM) Lubs: a guy in this class just used an example that he thought was from real life, but in reality it was from the movie Fight Club
(1:32:22 PM) lukecns@gmail.com/Gaim: i kinda want an explanation, but i kinda don't
(1:32:27 PM) lukecns@gmail.com/Gaim: i think it might be funnier without one
(1:32:40 PM) Lubs: he referenced Ed Norton's character's job...calculating the cost of lawsuits for defective auto parts vs. the cost of paying lawsuits
(1:33:00 PM) lukecns@gmail.com/Gaim: if a + b + c > x, then we issue a recall
(1:33:08 PM) Lubs: exactly!
(1:33:11 PM) lukecns@gmail.com/Gaim: "so you want me to deprioritize my primary action items?"
(1:33:28 PM) Lubs: i'm going to laugh
(1:33:29 PM) Lubs: fuck
(1:33:45 PM) lukecns@gmail.com/Gaim: "now comes the all important question, do i give him the ass or the crotch?"

Culmination

Ok, so I just found myself realizing that the Kings of Convenience write some kick ass outtros. And then I started thinking about all the different parts of a song and certain bands came to mind for each part. Here it is.

Intro - Bloc Party
Verse - Rockwell Church
Chorus - Rolling Stones
Bridge - Matt Nathanson
Outtro - Kings of Convenience

I guess if I could somehow get all these guys to get together and decide on a genre and each write their own part, it's safe to say I'd really like it.

It's certainly possible I'll revisit this later.

Random

Where do i find double- or triple-malt scotch?

When you're in line at Subway, do you ever pay close attention to what the people in front of and behind you in line are ordering just in case you end up with their sandwich due to some mis-hap during checkout? Me neither.

When someone says "I'm not pressuring you", what ARE they saying?

There's a new truth in the world. You can verify that two people are dating by examining each person's top-left friend on MySpace. "Are they each other's top-left friend? They are? Yeah, they're a couple."

Is anyone surprised when someone crosses the street on TV or in a movie and doesn't get run over?

Don't say something like "It's gonna take me at least 6 - 10 weeks to get that for you." When you say "at least", everything after 6 weeks is understood.

My new favorite thing is watching people run in place while waiting for the walk signal. I can't contain myself while watching them in my car. I just start laughing and offering up encouraging words like I'm their fitness coach. "Keep that heart rate up. There ya go. Let me see those knees."

local news

it's that time again. thanks to tivo, this is a word for word quote from a promo for the channel 9 news in tucson on 11/8/06.

"and if you're a woman who is afraid that one day you'll be pennyless, you are a not alone. a look at what's called bag lady syndrome tonight on kgun on your side at 10."

i'll provide a full report tomorrow.