Some Sports & Some Tunes & Some Hilarious Footage

I'm going to be in a basketball league. Games begin May 17. We had a pickup scrimmage type thing on Saturday. Nothing quite as humbling as two hours of basketball. Throws the fact that you're in horrible shape right in your face. Front and center. No hiding. You're a pussy Seamus. I know, I know.

That being said, here's the scouting report on my team:

Kevy Wevy- He's actually pretty good. Once we have some wind (get into decent shape) he'll be really good. He really stays with it on defense. This is something you really can't say about most people. You put him on a guy and you don't have to worry about him needing help.

Tommy- I had met him once before. He's really short and didn't strike me as particularly athletic so I assumed he would be terrible. He is limited defensively but this kid can shoot the lights out. Lights out. His stroke is really nasty. He's really competant off the dribble too.

Andy (Kevy's brother in-law)- I thought he would be terrible. He just doesn't look like much of an athlete. After having played with him, however, it's obvious he was at one time a decent athlete. Once he gets some wind back he'll be pretty good.

Rock- This dude works with Kevy's brother in-law and went to high school with Kev. He's better than Tommy defensively, most likely because he's at least 6'2", and shoots similarly well.

Lil' Marty- He's not so little. He's about 6'2". While he didn't participate in our little scrimmage, I've played with him before. I don't know if he has no jumper just because he doesn't play enough basketball or because, like myself, he just doesn't have a jumper. I'd tend towards the former. He's a good finisher off the dribble and in traffic. He too, could benefit from some suicides.

Me- I really need to know my role/ just try and get a lot of garbage rebounds and set a lot of picks. I have never had a jumpshot and likely never will. When people are mistakenly under the impression I have a jump shot, and they come out to guard me 15 to 20 feet from the basket, I am quick enough off the dribble and athletic enough around the basket to finish; provided the defender is not substantially taller and equally as quick; a distinct possibility unfortunately. Regardless, once opponents figure out I don't have a jumpshot, I'll be relegated to defense and rebounding duties. In order to remain effective on the offensive end, I'll need to get lucky with a couple jumpers early, getting my outside shot a contrived respect that will enable me to drive to the hoop here and there throughout the game. I too, need some more wind. The longer the game, the less effective I become- lazy on defense- and more likely to defer dribbling duties, and moving around in general, to my fitter counterparts.

MUSIC

THE SOUND OF SILVER

LCD Soundsystem's The Sound of Silver is fantastic. I like to compare it to the first album much like I compare Kid A to Amnesiac (reverse the chronology of their releases for the purposes of the analogy). While Amnesiac, a great album, sounds the raw materials (I know they're from the same studio sessions), perhaps even B sides, if you will, for the finished product and masterpeice that is Kid A, LCD Soundsystem set forth a lot of raw ideas, an attitude, and a musical identity with its debut that The Sound of Silver brings to fruition. It's not as rough around the edges vocally. It's cleaner lyrically, and without casting aside any of the tongue in cheek, self-depricating humor of its predecessor, while armed with the hook-laden electronic music one would expect. I can't wait to see, this Friday at The Avalon, the way this comes together on stage.

WILCO

I'll be seeing them in June. Can't wait for that or the release of their upcoming album.

I just read the interview at the link below. I like the way Jeff Tweedy is almost argumentative at times. Maybe that's not the appropriate word. Contrarian maybe? When he disagrees with the direction the interviewer seems to be guiding the Q&A, he's not shy about redirecting or even dismissing. I don't think he does this to be difficult, I think he's being honest. But who knows? Maybe he's as contemptuous of Pitchfork and their pomp as I am.

Also interesting; the way Pitchfork (who prides itself on being THE authority of indie-rock and non-mainstream music in general) is consistently at a loss for words when they try to describe Nels Cline. Have I already mentioned how pompous they are?

It's somewhat of an enigma for a guy like Nels Cline to be in a band like Wilco. As such, the media that covers Wilco really struggles to describe Cline or characterize his role within the band. They just throw words around like, "experimental" and "avante-garde"; words that ultimately don't really say anything.....as Jeff Tweedy points out in the interview.

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/42415-interview-wilco


Also, unrelated, courtesy of some friends of mine who filmed some of their exploits in Europe during the World Cup:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prB-aqK0v6g