Monday, December 24, 2007
Some new bands you should check out!
If you are into breathy/mellow electronica a la Zero 7 check out Chromatics.
I have a hard time trying to describe Jens Lekman to people, so I give you the wikipedia version: "Jens Martin Lekman (born February 6, 1981 in Angered, Sweden) is a Swedish indie pop musician. His music can be described as guitar-based pop with heavy use of samples and strings; the lyrics are often witty, romantic, and melancholic. His work is often compared to that of Stephin Merritt of the Magnetic Fields, Jonathan Richman, and Belle and Sebastian."
The songs on Night Falls Over Kortedala are extremely diverse, going from tropicala to electronic to reggae to crooning. I think people in love on a deserted beach hear this kind of music in their own personal montage.
Panda Bear's Person Pitch record is a collection of sounds and samples over choirs and indie pop songs. It's the side project of one of the dudes from Animal Collective so you can imagine its quite experimental.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Chris Farley died ten years ago.
Matt FoleyThe motivational speaker"living in a van down by the river" debuted on "SNL" in 1993.
Click the picture for a great article highlighting his comedic genius.
Click the picture for a great article highlighting his comedic genius.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
A dream powder forecast for the cascades!!!
QUALITY POWDER DUMPS FOR A WEEK - Tuesday, 11:13AM, Dec. 18th What Snow level will be from 1000-3000ft for the next week, generally around 1000-2000ft for outstanding snow quality. There will be wind with each storm, so consider that in your clothing and what mountain aspect you will favor riding. Click here for a day to day powder report.
Exceptional storm cycle gearing up. Your gonna love this one.
Expect an additional 2-4 feet of snow in the next 7 days as storms continue to line up and parade toward the Cascades. This moist westerly flow persists with snow levels 1000-3000ft , therefore snow quality is excellent. Each storm is modest with its total snowfall, but the consistency will be the key in piling up our bases and improving coverage, while presenting you freshies often. This is the La Nina reliability I have been talking about. It appears we are feeling its influence, so take advantage of this pattern – an early Christmas gift. Timing and strength of these storms may vary from forecast so check updates, but at this point I am confident in the overall pattern will evolve. The main events will be Wednesday/Thur and Sunday/Mon. Best chance for breaks Friday to Saturday, as high pressure moves through. You will capture some memorable powder days, if you pay attention and know your ski resort.
Here is how your powder days will look for the next week.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Ever wonder where people read Kicked It In the Sun?
Here is today's sample of reader locations around the globe:
Sunday, December 16, 2007
The first day up at Snoqulamie Pass!
What a wacky first day. We arrived at Summit West at 8:30 and the lifts were already running. Josh and I took a few runs (mostly powder) while Brian (pictured above) went to get his pass. After three runs the pass lost all power so we decided to make the long hike up Thunderbird. We were rewarded with about 10-12 knee deep turns. We were of course saddened to realize we'd have to hike another half hour to receive the same thrill. Oh well. It's gonna snow every day this week and Rachelle and I will be up there on Friday and Saturday.
Keep an eye on the Alpental status. With the snow levels as low as the have been, and if it snows another 12-18 inches as expected over the next two days, opening Day at Alpental will be epic.
Largehearted Boy is compiling a list of all the 'Best Of' lists out there.
This is a fantastic resource!
Oh yeah, and Kicked It In the Sun is on there too. Which makes it awesome.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Monday, December 10, 2007
Another fantastic wedding dance! A plethera of dance routines!
Thanks to long time reader Anthony of Melbourne, Australia for this one!
Zeppelin 2007 Reunion Concert Reviews.
The Full Stairway to Heaven Video from last nights show.
NY Times Review
New Zealand Review
Jam Showbiz Song by Song Review
Bloomberg.com
Photos
Saturday, December 08, 2007
The Top Five Albums of 2007
Note: Please list your top five in the comments section. Listing 1-5 without any commentary is just fine. There are about 20 different songs you can download within this list and a few other songs you can stream. Enjoy!
Update: Stereogum has published their Top 50.
Update: Stereogum has published their Top 50.
The Year in Music 2007
2007 is just about over and I am still trying to catch up with all the music my ears have been exposed to over the past 11+ months. KEXP continues to be a source of music for me, but less so than in years past. Sirius Radio’s Left of Center and Underground Garage have probably introduced me to more good records than any other source. There were some very informative blogs that also kept me up to date including Stereogum, I Am Fuel You Are Friends, Paste Magazine Blog, The Hype Machine, and Pop Candy.
I took my daughter to Bumbershoot this year to rock out to Kings of Leon and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, both of who had stellar albums come out this year. Kylee says BRMC is her favorite band. 
Band of Horses released another good record, Cease To Begin, but I am still waiting for the moment they allow me to forget about My Morning Jacket and The Shins. Marry Song is the best Shins song the Shins didn’t release this year. I know the BOH will eventually make a masterpiece of a record that doesn’t necessarily flaunt their indie influence (click here to download some tracks).
Speaking of the Shins, Wincing the Nigh Away was their third straight solid record. They even waded into Beta Band territory on Sea Legs (free download here).
I enjoyed some great folk records this year from Devandra Barnhardt (download the sprawling Seahorse here), Iron and Wine, Jose Gonzales (download Down the Line here), and (surprisingly) Eddie Vedder. I am a huge PJ fan obviously, but I have always preferred the harder stuff as opposed to the crooning from Eddie. From what I am told the music fits nice in the Sean Penn movie Into the Wild.
Bright Eyes and Ryan Adams both released records that showcased some old-school country/western boogie. I seriously think Ryan Adams should just do a Grateful Dead covers tour because the Cardinals do the best Dead homage that I have heard in a while. Oh yeah, if you are a Deadhead tune into Channel 32 on Sirius Radio. You will spin and smile for hours and hours.
I loved the fact that the Boss and John Fogerty both released records within days of each other that felt “classic”. Fogerty finally released an album that embraced his Credence roots (listen to I can’t Take it No More) and Bruce Springsteen revved up the tempo for the first time in a while (download Radio Nowhere for free, it’s a three-minute rock blast).
Admittedly I am biased here, but the new Half Acre Day album stayed in my iPod for many months. 14 Trips Around the Sun is a big improvement from the band’s last release because although you still get the idea there are multiple song writers, all the songs are about the end of the world. Yes, it's a concept album, remember those? Coincidentally they are streaming what I consider to be the best four songs on the album (BIOTA, Brown, Anemones, and Turning Into Stars) on MySpace right now.
Other highlights from 2007:
Best garage rock record? The Black Lips. Easily. What other band could make a sing along about a hurricane (O Katrina)? Need an acoustic Sonic Youth record? Thurston Moore provided that too. Like whistling? Peter, Bjorn, and John made a record you could whistle along to with ease (download Young Folks).
The Beastie Boys released a decent 70’s wah-wah funky instrumental record. Rogue Wave made a record that reminded me of early Death Cab for Cutie (download Lake Michigan).
The 1990’s made a really good disco-rock album, not shockingly since they were “discovered” by Franz Ferdinand. You Made Me Like It, the album’s opening track with an uber-catchy disco riff could make even the most stubborn man put one some dancing shoes.
How can I forget Spoon? Oh how I love these guys. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga was the sixth best record of the year, just missing out on the top five. Has a band ever sounded so big by sounding so small? The Underdog was one of the best songs of the year. The horns rule. Watch them play it on Letterman.
The Top Albums of 2007
5. Arcade Fire Neon Bible
I have to be honest and say I didn’t even think this would be in my top 20 until about three weeks ago. I threw it on my iPod again and have since discovered many new layers I didn’t even know were there. Keep The Car Running is my favorite track, but Intervention also makes me want to sing along. Is it kosher to claim a band as an inspiration, almost as if listening to their music is sermon-like? The lyrics are occasionally dark, but there always seems to be an out clause or a way to escape bad times. Hope.
4. White Stripes Icky Thump
I think I will pretty much reserve a space in my Top Five every time Jack and Meg White release an album. As I wrote earlier this year on the blog, I am pretty much convinced The White Stripes are the best thing to happen to rock since Led Zeppelin. They can do blues, country, bluegrass, lounge, pop, punk, hard rock, and heavy metal as good as anyone while at the same making it all their own. They don’t imitate, they borrow and steal ingredients and always end up sounding like the White Stripes. The best songs on Icky Thump are the boogey-woogie Rag and Bone and the steel guitar filled Catch Hell Blues.
3. Radiohead In Rainbows
Did you download this already? If not, you have two more days at Radiohead’s home page. Did I mention you could pay whatever price you want? Seriously. I paid four lbs and it’s easily worth it. While better musically than Hail to the Thief, In Rainbows does not, as some have suggested, return Radiohead to their Bends or OK Computer days. The songs are still filled with enough sound effects and loops to make any Kid A fan turn their headphones up to 11. In Rainbows does shift gears radically from one song to the next, but at the same time listened to as a whole still feels like one product. Or, as we used to call them, one thematically planned album. Bodysnatchers is the most rockin number and All I Need is, unusual for Radiohead, a straightforward love song. If you like Radiohead you will love this album.
2. The National Boxer
I did not discover The National until this year so to me Boxer is like their debut album. They combine the simplicity of a quiet Interpol with the importance of Bruce Springsteen to create a folk/rock sound that is undeniably unique. The slower Fake Empire and Start a War prove the band has something to say, while Apartment Story proves they can rock out. You can download an entire concert here (thanks to I Am Fuel You Are Friends) and listen for yourself. Such a pleasant surprise!
1. LCD Soundsystem Sound of Silver
I listened to Sound of Silver probably more than twice as much as any record this year, partly because the free remix album is almost as good as the original. All of My Friends was my favorite song of the year. (The Franz Ferdinand cover is pretty damn good too). North American Scum is another one you should download if you don’t have the album already.
It’s not often an artist can combine punk, funk, disco, and rock (sometimes within the same song) and still create something both listenable and danceable. But that’s exactly what James Murphey has done on his second full length record. This album sounds great in the car, great in a club, great in the gym, and it’s especially good for running Greenlake in Seattle. Best. Album. Of. 2007. Ever.
Friday, December 07, 2007
Worst Reunion Ideas
Thanks to Scott of Snoqualmie Ridge... --MTV News has compiled a list of the Top 10 Unmemorable Reunions of 2007. KRIS KROSS . . . those two rapping kids who wore their clothes backwards . . . got top honors. --Here are the Top 10: #10.) Squirrel Nut Zippers (--Remember when swing was hot for, like, an hour back in the '90s??? Good times.) (--They've been touring again . . . and plan to record a new album next year.) #9.) Finch (--Reformed after splitting in 2006.) (--Who are these guys again???) #8.) The Mighty Mighty Bosstones (--Back together for the first time in four years. They've recorded a few new tracks for an upcoming rarities CD.) #7.) AquA (--Next year, they'll be performing their "Barbie Girl" song . . . and whatever else it is that they do . . . on a summer tour and a possible "best of" CD.) #6.) Crazy Town (--You know their song "Butterfly" . . . "Come my lady, come come my lady, you're my butterfly. Sugar, baby." A new album is in the works.) #5.) White Lion (--reformed, again, for Mullet-Stock (a.k.a. Rocklahoma), among other gigs. They're working on a new album called "Return of the Pride".) #4.) Eve 6 (--They had been broken up for three years . . . not that you noticed.) #3.) (The British dance group) EMF (--For now, they're just playing a few shows.) #2.) Extreme (--They'll be playing "More Than Words" all over the world during a tour this spring. A new album is also on its way, at some point.) #1.) Kris Kross (--These guys are closing in on 30 years old now, but they're apparently working on some sort of a "comeback" album.) (--They were that teenage rap duo that wore their clothes backwards. It was amusing at the time.)
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Seven Shoreline teachers receive National Board Certifications
“National Board Certification is the most prestigious credential a teacher can earn. Like board-certified doctors and accountants, teachers who achieve National Board Certification have met rigorous standards through intensive study, expert evaluation, self-assessment and peer review,” said NBPTS President and CEO Joseph A. Aguerrebere.
Hey I hear this guy Trent Mitchell is on the list. Sweet.
National Press Release
Shoreline Family Album
12-05-2007
Shorecrest National Board Certified Teachers
Eighteen current Shoreline teachers have earned this prestigious certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. National Board Certification is administered by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). Since its creation by educators and policymakers in 1987, more than 55,000 teachers have attained National Board Certification. For more information, visit the NBPTS Web site at www.nbpts.org.
A pop-up video website!
Pop Up Video for Duran Duran's Rio Video. One of my favorites. Bonus points if you can tell me what Duran Duran took their name from.
Google launches new Web app for iPhone users
Do you have an iPhone? Do you you use Gmail?
If so, you might like this:
Google launches new Web app for iPhone users
Did Morgan Spurlock find Osama bin Laden?
Morgan Spurlock (of Super Size Me fame) has finished his new movie, Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?, in which he sets out to do what the United States government has apparently failed to do: Find Osama Bin Laden. The Weinstein Company bought the thing after seeing only 15 minutes of it at the Berlin Film Festival, and here’s where it gets really interesting. Rumor has it that Spurlock actually found Osama Bin Laden.
The film’s director of photography told SlashFilm that Morgan “definitely got the holy grail.” Since the movie is about him hunting Osama, that would make him the holy grail… wouldn’t it? For now though, everyone around the production is keeping things locked down. The film is supposed to debut in at the Sundance Film Festival.
Imagine if he had footage of him meeting with Osama???
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22115291
http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Morgan-Spurlock-Hunts-For-Osama-5391.html
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Monday, December 03, 2007
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