And Jesus cried, "THIS IS SPARTA!"

Last week I applied for the marathon. Not the DeGrassi Sunday afternoon marathon, of which I’ve completed plenty, but rather the 2009 ING NYC Marathon. You pay $11 for a 30% chance to get in – a lottery of sorts (or, by definition). The winners get to pay more and then suffer for months and months and months. There might be a free t-shirt along with the additional $138 fee. All in all it’s a good deal. People have all sorts of reasons why they run them. I’m in it for the free rubdowns at the finish line.

My goal has always been to make an attempt at the marathon before I reached 30, a round number, and the age at which Jesus was baptized by John (the Baptist) thus starting his ministry. Jesus traveled to Marathon to fight along 300 Spartans, or close enough. For a while I didn’t think I would be ready, but after years of music blogging and growing fat (correlation or causation - only SCIENCE! can tell), I surprised myself by losing 20 pounds in 2008. (As much as one can be surprised by working diligently at something for 10 months.)

For my New Year’s resolution (I'm 1 for 2) I reactivated my NYRR membership so I’d be eligible for guarantee 2010 entry if I don’t make it in 2009. Unfortunately I’m obsessive and I worry that my new obsession/motivation won’t last for 20 months. Eight months – surely, but 20 is a long time to motivate and train. Hell, I can train, get fat again, and retrain in that time.

In the meantime, I’m building my weekly mileage up to 20 if I do get accepted. I extended my long runs to 8 miles on Saturday, rested Sunday, and did another 4 on Monday. I’d like to have a couple more runs before an 8K race on Saturday -the dramatic mileage, of course, being in Canadian metrics. Then rest again on Sunday while I watch some DeGrassi, the highest metric of Canadian dramas.

Yeti's Top Albums of 2008!

Ummmm. I liked the Dodos album quite a lot.

(I supposed I could have just twittered this.)

Legion of Rock Stars

Legion of Rock Stars is the cover band that I would probably be like if my Rock Band buddies and I started a real band.

Danzig's "Mother"


Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart"


Speaking of cover bands. Thermals are playing their karaoke set this week.

Not sure if this is final post of this blog for 2007. I might try tumblr for a while. Maybe cross post in both places. Who knows.

X-mas mix

Instead of posting a Indie Rock Christmas mix which tend to generally suck, I'll once again link to DJ Riko's Christmas mix from 2005. The only songs I skip are Bright Eyes (blehck!) and the "Snowflakes" song (yawn). But other than that it's really spectacular and much more solid than the one he made last year (although that too has some gems). I haven't yet sampled the other ones he made from 2002-2004, but I'll get right on that and report back here.

Rapidshare link to DJ Riko's Merry Mixmas 2005.


Here's the track list:

Intro
Singers Unlimited - Caroling Caroling
DJ Riko featuring Marcie - My Chimney
Luscious Jackson - Let it Show
The Free Design - Now Sound of Christmas
Lou Monte - Dominick the Donkey
Louis Armstrong - Cool Yule
Mr Hanky - Santa Claus is on His Way
The Ventures - Silver Bells
George W. Bush - Twas the Night Before Christmas (Jima edit)
Kids of Widney High - Christmas is the Time
Ringo Starr - Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
Madness - Insanity Over Christmas
Augie Rios - Donde Esta Santa Claus
Disney - Santa's Rap
Pizzicato Five - Snowflakes
Chet Baker - Winter Wonderland
Neil Diamond - Santa Claus is Coming to Town
Big Ben Banjo Band - Christmas Medley 2
Alvin and the Chipmunks - Chimpunk Song (Slow Version)
Bright Eyes - Little Drummer Boy
Tenchi Muyo vs. The Singing Dogs - Jingle Bells
Wayne Newton - Jingle Bell Hustle
Buchanan & Goodman - Santa and the Satellite
Esquivel! - Frosty the Snowman
Huey Piano Smith and the Clowns - All I Want for Christmas
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles - Santa Claus is Coming to Town
Santa Claus - A Visit From Santa Claus
Little Bobby Rey - Corrido de Auld Lang Syne
Santa Outro

It Only Encourages Them

I shouldn't be doing this, but I'm posting a band that someone actually sent me. I'm sick of reading emails from bands. Not that I read them. But they still take up space in my inbox. I have to read who sent them before I delete them.

So a guy asked me to give Slow Runner a listen, and since he pinned me against the wall and since I wasn't busy at the moment, I did. They are from South Carolina or thereabouts. I like them well enough. Reminds me of Pedro the Lion.

If I had an ftp that worked, I'd post some copywritted material for you guys to gobble up, but for now you'll have to go use friendster myspace facebook myspace.

----------------

Checked out Cadence Weapon and Final Fantasy last night. CW was OK. The crowd wasn't as responsive but given the Sunday night and unique pairing with FF I can understand why. Once again Owen P. was incredible. I wish he'd play here more frequently. The crowd gave rapturous applause almost ever song. That's really the perfect word: rapturous. The rapacious raptors rapturousily raped the Buffalo buffalo.

That's about it for now. Slow week coming up, but Mario Galaxy comes out today and I can devote some of my free time to that.

Rap City in Blue

My CMJ week truly started off a day earlier with a free concert thanks to Rhapsody (of whom which few in attendance actually knew what they did). For those who don't know, they are the Rent-to-Own of the online music world. Without the "Owning" part.

A tight and talented by otherwise boring Brooklyn band name American Babies started the night. It was a trait, I’d experience many times over the week: yeah you sound fine and all, but I’d never chose you play your songs on my own. We all used up our complimentary drink tickets quickly during that set. The Little Ones played next and as no surprise were much better. In their case, I almost prefer their songs on my ipod. I'm still in love with "Cha Cha Cha" They’ll have an LP out shortly sure enough that I’ll be as hesitant to bond with as I was with Voxtrot’s. Pela provided the next hour’s amusement, and while I’ve always been a fan (occasionally a raging fan), I wondered where they were heading now-a-days. I’m still not sure. They have a big sound that made much more sense another hour later when the National brought their own anthems to fill the Highline.

So the National - they weren’t bad. I don't love them, but now I respect them.

Is this Blog Dead? BAH! I say!

I was musing over the status and future of this space yesterday, wondering if it was finally time to head into the ole electrical closet and throw the Big Switch. Like a belly-up goldfish circling in its own urea, this site has become a shameful reminder that I'm just as fallible as my anonymous commentors. I still get some great one's from Fall Out Boy fans from time to time, and that warms my heart.

But give in, I shall not. It's a different world we are living in today. To forsake it now, after 2.5 years, would mean it wouldn't ever be the same. I make no apologies. There's few things more lame than a blogger blogging about not blogging. And yet here we are. Because it's really the only thing that there is to say.

I've outlived Stylus. I don't have to think about *my* year end list for 5 whole weeks. I've also outlived Robert Goulet. This drink's for you Mr. Goulet.

I'll begin with my latest failure: CMJ 2007. The winner of CMJ was Bon Iver. It may have been a close call, but the very first official CMJ set I caught was also the best. This is no statement on the rest of the week’s talent -or maybe it is- but Bon Iver stood out among the rest. I wasn’t alone in my sentiments. Big thanks to Brooklyn Vegan who hosted both and only of his CMJ shows. If you had the misfortune to miss them this time around, he'll be back soon.

Bon Iver – Skinny Love (mp3)
Bon Iver- For Emma (mp3)

You can stream the entire album here. It'll get re-released early next year I think, but it'll still make my list of top albums of 2007. They (or rather "he" since he'll be solo this time) return to open up for the always wonderful Elvis Perkins in Dearland on Friday December 7th. Tickets are available here.

So there's that. It's a start.

Richard Hawley to play Bowery Ballroom 12/1

I'm so happy. Show Info. Richard Hawley: Website / Myspace.