1. Bands from Sweden
In a current surge of musical acts coming from the cold land of Sweden, it seems as if it’s no longer cool to be a band from Canada anymore. Some of these artists include Suburban Kids With Biblical Names, Refused, The Hives, Loney Dear, I’m From Barcelona and The Knife. In the past month, singer-songwriter Jens Lekman and folk artist José Gonzalez have both released new albums worthy of serious playtime in anyone’s CD changer. Lekman’s “Night Falls Over Kortedala” is a drastic change from his past efforts and includes a production scale the size of Stockholm, including a full orchestra. Gonzalez’s sophomore album, “In Our Nature,” contains some of the most beautiful melodies and classical guitar work in the past decade.
2. Two out of three is two-thirds the battle
Michael Showalter and Michael Ian Black, formerly of the comedy troupe “Stella,” have announced they will be touring together in support of their new comedy albums. The trio of Showalter, Ian Black and David Wain called it quits after their show “Stella” on Comedy Central was not renewed for second season. The three split and focused on their own careers – Ian Black does those Sierra Mist commercials, Wain directed the recent film “The Ten,” and Showalter now has an Internet talk show called “The Michael Showalter Showalter.” Will there be a “Stella” reunion? I’ll keep my fingers crossed.
3. ‘Autumn of the Seraphs’
Pinback’s newest album, “Autumn of the Seraphs,” may have a weird name and album art that looks as if it might have come from a trash metal record, but is yet another successful entry in the duo’s discography. The album has everything a Pinback fan needs: swaying melodies, great vocal work and the occasional barrage of keyboards and synthesizers. Although “Autumn” contains only a few, Pinback’s pop songs are spectacular. In particular, the keyboard melody in “Good to Sea” is frightfully catchy. In its fourth studio album, Pinback has taken an approach to sound more like a real band rather than just two guys tinkering around in a studio. Thankfully, it works.
4. Morrissey crushes my hopes and dreams
Morrissey turned down $75 million dollars to reunite his former band, The Smiths. Undoubtedly the greatest band of the ’80s, The Smiths top my list of bands I’ll never get to see live. The Englishman’s decision not to accept the offer pretty much puts the final nail in the coffin. A Smiths reunion will never happen. Perhaps Morrissey doesn’t want to pull a Led Zeppelin – a reunion that is sure to end in disappointment. Aren’t they all geriatrics now? But then again, who would have thought bands such as The Pixies, Rage Against the Machine and The Jesus and Mary Chain would get back together? Once again, I’ll keep my fingers crossed.
5. ‘FIFA ’08’ – The best soccer game ever
I used to play a couple of video games when I was a kid. Actually, I played a lot of video games. OK, I was a nerd. Nowadays, I own only one game, which I trade out every year for its newest incarnation. Last month, “FIFA ’08” took over American shores and also a good deal of my free time. With 621 teams, 30 leagues and over 15,000 players, this year’s “FIFA” is the best soccer video game of all time. The game looks real, players move realistically and the ball physics are insanely accurate. There’s even this thing called “Be a Pro Mode” where you can control a single player for the entire game. Needless to say, it’s sweet. I just wonder when the Dutch and Japanese international teams will finally make it into the franchise.
6. Thurston Moore
Thurston Moore has had a long career. The Sonic Youth frontman will turn 50 years old in July of this year. He’s released over 15 albums with the band and numerous solo albums. His newest release, “Trees Outside the Academy,” showcases Moore at his best, proving that the soon-to-be senior citizen still has what it takes to play some serious rock music. One might even go as far to say that some of the songs on “Trees Outside the Academy” surpass the brilliance of Sonic Youth’s 2006 release, “Rather Ripped.” One would think that after playing music for 20 years, Moore’s musical prowess would be milked dry. Think again. Moore is married to Sonic Youth bassist Kim Gordon and has a daughter named Coco, making him the coolest dad on the face of the planet.
7. Better Than Brady
The Indianapolis Colts should have beaten the New England Patriots. Peyton Manning is a nice guy and one hell of a quarterback. Tom Brady may know how to throw a pass and move his feet, but he’s pure evil. Manning spends his time helping kids and trying to cure diseases. Brady impregnates models. Manning’s television ads are funny, thoughtful and lighthearted. Brady is the Stetson man. Don’t even get me started on Tony Dungy versus Bill “Belicheat.” Even without Marvin Harrison, the Colts almost defeated what seems like an unstoppable football force. The Colts will face the Patriots again in the AFC Championship game, no doubt. But this time, the cheaters from New England won’t stand a chance.
8. Frank Lampard
Since his disappointing performance in the last World Cup, Frank Lampard has had a lot to prove to soccer fans. The Chelsea midfielder is by far the best midfielder in England, if not one of the best in the world. This season, Lampard has looked better than ever. He’s scored four goals in three games, including a hat trick in the Carling Cup competition a few weeks ago. Lampard has scored 97 goals for Chelsea and will be sure to reach 100 in the next few months. Recently, after the departure of legendary Chelsea manager José Mourinho, Lampard has honed in on his leadership skills, donning the captain’s band while defender John Terry is out with an injury. This year, Chelsea’s season started out slow, but with the hard work and extreme skill exhibited by Lampard, the team is on track to win the league once again. After a 2-0 win against Wigan, Lampard and company face Everton on Saturday morning. Come on, you Blues!
