25 Deep Cuts from the Golden Age of Alternative Rock

Earlier this week I posted my list of the 100 Greatest Songs from the Golden Age of Alternative Rock. The mid nineties was a time when the music business was so prosperous that even minimal effort could result in a Gold record. I doubt anyone outside of the Deal family could name a second song by The Breeders yet Last Splash still went platinum. I contributed to many of those RIAA certifications (R.I.P. BMG 10 albums for a penny deals that they kept letting you quit and renew for a new batch of albums).

1. Anna Begins – Counting Crows: Not only one of my favorite deep cuts from the era, but one of my favorite songs ever in the history of the world. “Every time she sneezes I believe it is love” meant everything to me in my youth. Still does.

2. The World Has Turned and Left Me Here – Weezer: The Blue Album had the most songs of any album on my list as every song is great. This is my favorite of the rest, just another great teenage anthem.

3. Where Did You Sleep Last Night – Nirvana: Quite possibly the greatest performance ever to air on MTV Unplugged.

4. Warehouse – Dave Matthew Band: Record companies are usually good at releasing singles, but for some reasons the singles off of Dave Matthews Band albums are never my favorites. Ants Marching may be my fifth favorite song off their major label debut. The best is Warehouse which only get more epic when you hear it live. And thanks for the band’s penchant for releasing live albums, which will be easy to find because even though they always switch up set lists, there is always a good chance that this song will be represented.

5. Bad Habit – The Offspring: The ultimate road rage song. I probably listened to it way too much while learning to drive.

6. Immortality – Pearl Jam: No list is perfect and my own personal eyeballing of mine is there could have been a lot more Pearl Jam. It is probably after the success of the first album, they decided to step back from the spotlight not making music video or releasing proper singles leaving individual radio station to play their own favorites. Immortality is just the kind of mood I am in right now, but anything on those next two albums is worth checking out.

7. Let Me In – R.E.M.: Those first three R.E.M. albums from the nineties are worth checking out, this is probably the best track on their most fuzzed out album of the trio.

8. Happy Endings – Better than Ezra: I recently read an article where the lead singer suggested that they may have had Goo Goo Doll’s career had they been on a better record label and not one that went under. As a owner of all their albums sans their last I would have to agree as they made some of the best adult contemporary music of the past decade. You can hear them go down that root on songs like this.

9. Sad Songs and Waltzes – Cake: The band had a minor hit with their I Will Survive cover, another stand out on the same album was this Willie Nelson classic. The irony of course was during the alt-rock era, depressing songs were all the rage.

10. I'm the Ocean – Neil Young: The godfather of grunge hooked up with Pearl Jam and made an album which sounded exactly like you expected. This seven minute epic without a chorus is the highlight of the Mirror Ball album.

11. I Love You Mary Jane – Sonic Youth and Cypress Hill: When I first started working on my list I considered some more “alternative” rap song like Insane in the Brain. Instead I will include Cypress Hill’s awesomely weird collaboration with Sonic Youth for the Judgment Night Soundtrack where the two bonded over their love of the sticky icky. The song worked a lot better than their track with Pearl Jam.

12. Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness – Smashing Pumpkins: In the of the alt-rock heyday, who would have expected the Smashing Pumpkins to start their double album with a sweet, well, melon collie, piano-based instrumental.

13. Sir Psycho Sexy – Red Hot Chili Peppers: The Peppers are weird to begin with, but this was easily their most bizarre track from Blood Sugar Sex Magic. The teenage version of myself loved the lady cop verse.

14. Slide Away – Oasis: That first album was brit-pop gold, this was definitely my favorite non-single.

15. The Wanderer – U2: Nirvana gets a lot of credit for the start of the alt-rock era, but with Achtung Baby, U2 was getting weird at the same time. They got even weirder on Zoorepa which ended with a country euro-trash song featuring Johnny Cash on vocals, a year before his carreer got resurrected with the American Recordings series.

16. Swing On This - Alice In Chains: Who would have guessed Alice in Chain would ever release a song that was actually danceable?

17. Pillar of Davidson – Live: There were plenty of epic songs on Throwing Copper, this song may have actually been the most epic.

18. Bogusflow – Beck: DGC Rarities vol. 1 was a must own by any alt-rock fan with plenty of rare gems. At the time, Beck was heading for one hit wonderdom and this drunken Bob Dylan type song was not going to help him out of that label but was awesome nonetheless. I am still waiting for vol. 2.

19. Mad Dog 20 / 20 – Teenage Fanclub: Fun fact: The first legal drink I ever bought was Mad Dog 20/20. I cannot confirm nor deny it is because of this song.

20. April 29, 1992 (Miami) – Sublime: Humorously the band actually got the date wrong in the actual lyrics song (April 26), legend has it that the take with the mistake was the best so they kept it.

21. Steven's Last Night In Town – Ben Folds Five: There were not many New Orleans inspired tracks during the alt rock era, but this one was really good.

22. Brother – Toad the Wet Sprocket: This was off their “rarities” album which was one of the few albums that was just as good as the “proper” albums in an artist discography.

23. Price to Pay – Blues Traveler: Just great storytelling in this song and of course plenty of harmonica.

24. Carrion – Fiona Apple: The big hits of this album were song of Fiona’s more angry songs; I also appreciate her more subtle songs like this one.

25. Nada – The Refreshments: In the introduction I mentioned how easy it was to get a Gold album, this is one of the few bands from the time that did not manage one and I am not sure why, I really enjoyed both of their albums. Maybe too southern and not enough alternative in their rock. And then too weird for the country crowd. Nada was a great way to end that first album.


Honorable Mentions

Shamrocks and Shenanigans (Butch Vig Mix) – House of Pain: Another rap song I considered for this list, but the Butch Vig version. Vig was fresh from producing Nevermind and a few years away from becoming a founding member of Garbage and gave an alt-rock bent to the song.

Iron Man – The Cardigans: I considered a couple songs by the band for this list but Lovefool was a bit too poppy and Been It just missed the cut (had I expanded the end date by a year, My Favorite Mistake would definitely made the list). But the album was much more weird and darker than you would expect from the group that brought you Lovefool, case in point this trippy cover of the Black Sabbath song.

The 100 Greatest Songs From the Golden Age of Alternative Rock

1. Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana

2. Sabotage - Beastie Boys

3. Would? - Alice in Chains

4. Creep - Radiohead

5. Loser - Beck

6. Undone - The Sweater Song - Weezer

7. Closer - Nine Inch Nails

8. Give It Away - Red Hot Chili Peppers

9. What I Got - Sublime

10. Mr. Jones - Counting Crows

11. Interstate Love Song - Stone Temple Pilots

12. Come Out and Play - Offspring

13. No Rain - Blind Melon

14. What's the Frequency, Kenneth? - R.E.M.

15. Santa Monica - Everclear

16. Bullet With Butterfly Wings - The Smashing Pumpkins

17. Bitter Sweet Symphony - The Verve

18. Run-Around - Blues Traveler

19. Are You Gonna Go My Way - Lenny Kravitz

20. Killing In the Name - Rage Against the Machine

21. I Alone - Live

22. Alive - Pearl Jam

23. Only Happy When It Rains - Garbage

24. Bound for the Floor - Local H

25. Peaches - The Presidents of the United States of America

26. Low - Cracker

27. Mysterious Ways - U2

28. Hey Man, Nice Shot - Filter

29. Liar - Rollins Band

30. All Mixed Up - 311

31. Song for the Dumped - Ben Folds Five

32. Pepper - Butthole Surfers

33. Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth With Money In My Hand - Primitive Radio Gods

34. Not an Addict - K's Choice

35. Criminal - Fiona Apple

36. Drive - R.E.M.

37. Here and Now - Letters to Cleo

38. Popular - Nada Surf

39. Shine - Collective Soul

40. Girlfriend - Matthew Sweet

41. Bad Reputation - Freedy Johnston

42. Heart-Shaped Box - Nirvana

43. Where It's At - Beck

44. The Distance - Cake

45. Cumbersome - Seven Mary Three

46. Self Esteem - Offspring

47. Supersonic - Oasis

48. Possum Kingdom - Toadies

49. Banditos - Refreshments

50. Good - Better Than Ezra

51. Fade Into You - Mazzy Star

52. Ants Marching - Dave Matthews Band

53. Live Forever - Oasis

54. Walk - Pantera

55. Rooster - Alice in Chains

56. Mockingbirds - Grant Lee Buffalo

57. Sleep to Dream - Fiona Apple

58. Spoonman - Soundgarden

59. Round Here - Counting Crows

60. 1979 - The Smashing Pumpkins

61. Spin the Bottle - Juliana Hatfield Three

62. Fall Down - Toad the Wet Sprocket

63. Possession - Sarah McLachlan

64. Fallín' - Teenage Fanclub and De La Soul

65. Desperately Wanting - Better Than Ezra

66. Santeria - Sublime

67. Bulls On Parade - Rage Against the Machine

68. Hitchhiker Joe - Rugburns

69. Longview - Green Day

70. Fake Plastic Trees - Radiohead

71. Cannonball - Breeders

72. Everlong - Foo Fighters

73. El Scorcho - Weezer

74. What Would You Say - Dave Matthews Band

75. Ruby Soho - Rancid

76. Everything Falls Apart - Dog's Eye View

77. Say It Ain't So - Weezer

78. Flagpole Sitta - Harvey Danger

79. Push - Moist

80. My Name Is Mud - Primus

81. Battle of Who Could Care Less - Ben Folds Five

82. The Impression That I Get - The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

83. Lump - The Presidents of the United States of America

84. Connected - Stereo MC's

85. Naked Eye - Luscious Jackson

86. Lithium - Nirvana

87. Date Rape - Sublime

88. Connection - Elastica

89. Buddy X - Neneh Cherry

90. The Freshmen - The Verve Pipe

91. Einstein On the Beach (For an Eggman) - Counting Crows

92. Buddy Holly - Weezer

93. I Got Id - Pearl Jam

94. Super Bon Bon - Soul Coughing

95. #1 Crush - Garbage

96. All Apologies - Nirvana

97. Big Me - Foo Fighters

98. I Will Survive - Cake

99. Until It Sleeps - Metallica

100. Fell On Black Days - Soundgarden


For the purpose of this list, the Golden Age of Alternative Rock started with the release of Smells Like Teen Spirit and ended when Limp Bizcuit released their first album.

Could You Tell Me the Things You Remember About Me

For their debut album, the Counting Crows created the greatest album any moody teenager could ask for so when the first video off their sophomore outing debuted on MTV, it became appointment television (unlike premieres today that randomly appear on the internets like yesterday when the creepy new Christina Aguilera popped up with little warning) which was also the first time many got a chance to hear something new from the band. For the moody teenagers who wore grooves into August and Everything After, Angel of the Silences was a jolt of musical napalm, much faster and angrier than anything we heard from the band before.

And there plenty of new styles Adam Duritz and the boys tried out for Recovering the Satellites like the country tinged Daylight Fading and the new wave synthesizer on Catapult and continue to amp it up for songs like Children in Bloom and Have You Seen Me Lately. And tacked on near the end is the quirky duo of Monkey and Mercury.

The growth of the band is why it is the second time they have been inducted into the Scooter Hall of Fame. But is still plenty of music for the moody teenager in all of us like Goodnight Elizabeth or Miller’s Angels, foremost A Long December which may be the last song that Duritz wrote about having sex with a castmember of Friends that the general public was able to relate to (or that anyone has written judging from the latest John Mayer album). I still get chills whenever I hear the lyric, “All at once you look across a crowded room to see the way that light attaches to a girl.”

I Want My Music Television vol. XXII

There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I though I’d give them some love since the death of Musical Television left a void for a forum on the art form so here they are courtesy of YouTube. I advise you to watch them before you read my reviews if you don’t want me to spoil things. If you are interested in buying the video through iTunes, click the title link (where available, if not the link goes to YouTube where you can watch the video in full screen). If you are interested in buying the song, look for a link in the analysis.


Picture to Burn - Taylor Swift



And now it is time for the token Before He Cheats retreat. Nice touch getting men in black to do your dirty work. But much like her previous singles, the latest from Taylor Swift is overly catchy. I wonder if her performing in front of the wall of sparks is an homage to Rihanna (she has been know to perform Umbrella in concert including a recent Live in SoHo set for iTunes).


Birthday Girl - The Roots featuring Patrick Stump




Get Busy - The Roots featuring Dice Raw, Peedi Crakk, and DJ Jazzy Jeff



At this rate The Roots will have a video for every song from their album actually drops, not that I have a problem with that except with ever track, I get more excited for that release date. Birthday Girl sounds like Gym Class Heroes would sound like if they weren’t extremely cheesy while Get Busy is just another instant classic.


1492 - Counting Crows



Yeah, boring video, but if you like the song, you can download it for free, along with another track off their upcoming Saturday Nights, Sunday Morning, over at their website, countingcrows.com.

2007 Fall Music Preview part 2

Yesterday I covered part one of my 2007 Fall Music Preview, and before I get to part two I have to remind you that somewhere in part one you can find a free iTunes download from not one, but two musical legends. And I want to look back at the summer before going into the fall real quickly. I have made it known my displease of Umbrella by Rihanna until I heard the Mandy Moore version (see You’re Part of My Entity) and I didn’t think I could like the song anymore until I heard the DJ Top Cat mash-up with UB40’s Red, Red Wine which you can download over at Mashup Town. Now we at the 9th Green in know way condone illegally download music so if you like either song be sure to use the links below to buy the songs from iTunes.

Rihanna - Umbrella

UB40 - Red, Red Wine


October 16

Chase This Light - Jimmy Eat World: Despite that last album being wrongfully overlooked, Pain is one of the great full out rock songs of this decade. Hopefully this album is as great as their previous ones and gets some success they received for The Middle back in 2001. Preorder Chase This Light on iTunes. If you preorder the album you will get a Ticketmaster code that will allow you to purchase Jimmy Eat World concer tickets before the general audience.

Chrome Dreams II - Neil Young: Some of you might be thinking to yourself, when was Chrome Dreams I released? Well, despite being recorded a couple decades ago, it was never released, but releasing a follow up to an unreleased album still isn’t in the top five strangest things Neil Young has ever done.

Ultimate Victory - Chamillionaire: Okay to be honest, the only reason I am spotlighting thing album is just in case there are any songs worthy of another great “Weird Al” Yankovic parody. And the album features hip-hop legend Slick Rick.


October 23

Carnival Ride - Carrie Underwood: Underwood easily put out the best post karaoke album ever with Some Hearts and unlike other former karaokers, she is smart not to change the formula too much like demanding that she write all her own songs so you can expect some more country pop.

Black Fingernails, Red Wine - Eskimo Joe: I know absolutely nothing about this band or album except their name for some reason gave me a few laughs when they played the Australia venue of Live Earth. Granted I shouldn’t laugh too hard in case they become the next INXS, but then again they could become the next Men at Work.


October 30

The Cool - Lupe Fiasco: In the lead up to his debut, Lupe had been labeled the savior of rap, and himself even said in one of his songs, come in Hip-Hop, we’ve come to resurrect you” yet never quite completely lived to the hype. Hopefully he builds on the last album and finally lives up to the hype on this one.

Long Road out of Eden - Eagles: Someone said this is their first studio in almost three decade, but didn’t they put one out not too long ago with the Hole in the World song on it? When Hell Freezes Over came out I was completely on The Eagles bandwagon, but I can’t say I really care that much anymore.


November 6

I Am Me - Alicia Keys: After Graduation, this is my most anticipated upcoming album. Yeah her first two album were just good, but there is definitely a great to classic album in Alicia Keys and this may be it and my sources tell me that John Mayer may make an appearance. I have been playing the song she debuted at Live Earth constantly since.

Saturday Nights, Sunday Mornings - Counting Crows: The Counting Crows are in the discussion of the best first two albums ever. But you can also argue that they had one of the steepest drop-off in music history. Adam Duritz stated that he has rededicated himself to his craft so maybe this will be a comeback of sorts. The album also may be a double album divided into songs about Saturday Nights and the other surprisingly being about Sunday Mornings

You can also look for a re-release of the inaugural induction into the Scooter Hall of Fame, August and Everything After on September 18. It features six bonus tracks and a bonus live disk recorded on the last date of the tour to support that album.

The Carnival II: Memoirs of an Immigrant - Wyclef Jean: It has been ten years since Clef released the first Carnival. Coincidentally, it has also been a decade since he had a hit (granted Two Wrongs should have been one) aside from when he rode Shakira’s coattails. The album will feature your usual cavalcade of token rap guest spots including Akon, Mary J. Blige, Lil’ Wayne, T.I. and, um, Paul Simon?


November 13

8 Diagrams - Wu-Tang Clan: A wise man once told me that Wu-Tang Clan ain’t nuntin’ to (expletive delegated) wit. Expect an ODB tribute song (who will appear courtesy of previously record material), guest spots from Q-Tip, some dude from System of a Down and John Frusciante who appears on a song based around George Harrison’s While My Guitar Gently Weeps.

Frank - Amy Winehouse: Many of you man not realized that Back to Black was not Winhouse’s first album, instead Frank was her debut, but hasn’t been released stateside until now. Although this album does predate her work with producer Mark Ronson who helped develop the cool retro vibe of some of the best songs on her current album.


November 20

Untitled - Mariah Carey: Some would call The Emancipation of Mimi her comeback album; personally I don’t think anything post-Honey is worth listening to. One of the main reasons she has become unlistenable, Jermaine Dupri, will be back to produce some tracks.


No dates have been confirmed yet, but you may also expect albums from The Roots (Rising Down), Gnarls Barkley, Q-Tip (The Resistance), Mary J. Blige, and Duran Duran (The Red Carpet Massacre). There are also some live albums coming from R.E.M. (their first ever), Daft Punk, and Brian Setzer Orchestra. And being the holiday season, of course there are the prerequisite greatest hits albums from Nas, Santana, The Goo Goo Dolls, Matchbox Twenty, Faith Hill, Spice Girls (seriously?), and Eric Clapton which, despite being called The Complete Clapton, does not include Layla or anything pre-1980.

And for those out there who like horrible music, you can look forward to albums from Ashlee Simpson, Ja Rule, Nelly, JC Chasez, Backstreet Boys, current karaoke queen Jordin Sparks, karaoke loser Jennifer Hudson, The Pussycat Dolls (solo and together), and, oh please God no, Britney Spears.

Rumors abound that there will be albums from Michael Jackson and Eminem (yawn) and a music preview wouldn’t be complete with the obligatory, maybe this is the year Chinese Democracy comes out.

Like I said in part 1, if I left off your favorite upcoming album or just want to say what you are most looking forward to the fall, drop me a comment.

We Know by Now to Say Enough

One of the best shows MTV has ever produced, back when they actually has musical programs, was the iconic Unplugged. Almost the music heavyweights from the eighties and nineties picked up the acoustic guitar for the seminal series. Then MTV switched to a lifestyle network and the show disappeared. It was later picked up by its sister station MTV2 (keep in mine this was also back in a time when MTV2 actually showed videos before it became a second rate Cartoon Network and a place of MTV castoff show). Needless to say I was excited to see the show’s return although one of the bands on the lineup, Dashboard Confessional, I wasn’t really aware of.

What surprised me when I tuned into their performance was how the lead singer didn’t even sing much as the audience took over and more times than not drowned him out when he did sing. The songs were refreshing as teen pop and rap-metal dominated the channel with heart on their sleeve songs. A few years and an album later, the band is back with more of the same for their new album Dusk and Summer.

The album starts off with the bombastic Don’t Wait where Chris Carraba sets the tone early with belting out a soaring intro. That energy keeps up for most of the album which actually is a downside of the album because it sounds as if they are trying to hard to make stadium anthems. But I’m not sure crowds are ready to sing “My capillaries scream” along with Carraba as that phrase gets old soon. And what is that metaphor supposed to mean anyways? I let Screaming Infidelities slide because the phrase sounded cool, but I’m going to need an explanation to how, why capillaries scream.

One of few times they do take it down a notch is for So Long, So Long. It’s almost apropos that Adam Duritz helps out with vocals on the song because Counting Crows mastered the heart on the sleeve song long before Dashboard Confession came along. Currents followes the same theme but unfortunately, Duritz didn’t rub off enough to help the rest of the album sound mediocre at best. Then again, Duritz hasn’t had that much of a rub on his own band’s last couple albums.

Song to Download - So Long, So Long

Dusk and Summer gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.

The Illest (Expletive Deleted) in a Cardigan Sweater

As I reported last week, Jamie Kennedy has a hilarious new video, Rollin’ with Saget out from his show Blowin’ Up which I posted thanks to YouTube (see - Am I Throwing You Off?). Unfortunately though, YouTube isn’t really known for its quality video resolution. So for those interested is seeing a better quality version of the video as well as being able to download it so you don’t have to deal with the pesky streaming video, iTunes is currently offering up the video for free. Granted there are some drawbacks to getting this video, the first and foremost being better quality of video means a better view of Tara Reid whose better off looked at in bad lighting. The other major problem being that the video is the censored version. But hey, it’s free. But you can still buy the uncensored song for ninety-nine cents. For some reason I cannot make a direct link to the free video, but just go to the TV page of iTunes and the ad should come up, feel free to use the two previous links to open the program for you to the show or song.

In other music related new, after weeks of very little quality albums to review, I’m currently working on three album reviews of albums coming out tomorrow so those will be coming in the next couple days. For those who want hints as to who that will be, one’s initials are NF, another is trying to avoid one hit wonder status, and that last had an acoustic song included on my last Car Mix. Bonus points to anyone who can guess the artists (and by bonus points, I mean a hearty pat on the back, well a virtual hearty pat on the back). One album I won’t be reviewing, on account that I don’t review live albums or greatest hits, is the new Counting Crows live album, New Amsterdam. But I will say you will be better off getting their previous double live album, Across a Wire which has a much better selection of their songs. The album is worth the price of admission sole for the live version of Anna Begins.

Other posts to look for, after the recent Lost 2.x review, I only have one show left to review, the Scooter Television Award for Best Show winner, Veronica Mars, so expect that in the new future along with the season two long Toss Up between the two previously mentioned show. So if you watch both shows religiously and enjoy my weekly series and would like to help me with a few suggestions on categories the show should battle out for, shoot me an e-mail as I’d like this last one to be as comprehensive as possible. I’m been racking my brain since the shows concluded, so you don’t really need to send along anything obvious or something I’ve mentioned in previous installments of the Toss Up series.

Finally, with summer in full swing, I have been toying with the idea of taking the weekends off. I’ve noticed a sharp decline in viewership to the 9th Green on weekends, since it’s started to warm up. Plus there is less to write about over the summer in the world of entertainment as there is really only one appointment TV show for me (Rescue Me). I did renew my Blockbuster subscription, so I should have more DVD reviews than I done recently, which have been basically none. And on the subject of Blockbuster, and this goes to those who prefer Netflix for some reason, with little worth watching over the summer, may I suggest added Veronica Mars to your queue if you have yet to watch the show. And if you don’t have any DVD subscriptions, you may want to check out your local library to see if they have a copy as a group has raised a lot of money to buy up the show’s DVD’s and donate them to libraries across the country. Veronica Mars is a most see show and if you don’t watch it, you are totally a television snob, not that I’m entirely sure what a musical snob is.

First Impressions - Four Kings

This has been a good year for sitcoms. After a good decade without a new good one, this year has seen three very watchable half hour programs that debuted this year. But then again, with all the great sitcoms this year, there still was the absolutely horrible The War at Home. But one of the better new ones, My Name Is Earl along with The Office, was moved to Thursday this week as NBC tries to resurrect its once unbeatable Must See TV lineup which hasn’t been Must See since Friends started to suck, and for those keeping track at home, that would be circa the mid-nineties.

To round out the new all comedy lineup is Will & Grace which I didn’t even realized was still on and is followed by the new Four Kings. The show follows four friends who are now living in an apartment left to one of them by his dead grandmother, who just so happened to coined them the Four Kings. The show stars the werewolf from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and three dudes whose IMDB pages look as impressive as mine, well that’s if I had one. For some reason my appearance on Letterman back in 1994 or the numerous times I was on public access don’t warrant my very own page. But anyways.

Last night started off in earnest with a decent theme song in the Counting Crow’s Hangin' Around. Then it was all downhill from there. There were very few jokes that actually made me laugh, but that could be due to the episode focused around the grandmother’s death and proceeding funeral and I’m not the biggest fan of dead grandma jokes. But that’s just me. Plus everything in the show was even easier to telegraph than Reunion. When the show is advertised as four dudes living together, you knew that the grandson would pick to live his buddies over his girlfriend, or as one of the guys put it “Bro’s over ho’s.” I think that was the first time someone used that phrase since Friends started to suck. Had she actually moved in with the Four Kings that may have made for an interesting show. Seriously, these networks really need to hire me as a consultant.

The only bright spot of the whole episode is when Oz went to break up with his girlfriend, even though I wasn’t really sure why all the guys had to break up with their girlfriends, or personal trainer in one of their cases, don’t ask, it wasn’t funny. But Oz’s confrontation with the twin daughters was hilarious. Sadly, since he broke up with their mother that will most likely be the last we see of them.

Verdict: It’s up against Survivor and Smallville, so even if it were remotely good, I still wouldn’t be watching it.

Everytime She Sneezes I Believe it's Love

A new feature at my blog is the Scooter Hall of Fame. SHoF will be a monthly award to one of my favorite form of entertainment. The first inductee into the SHoF is an album that formed my formative years, the Counting Crows' Augest and Everything After.



My first experience with the Counting Crows, like most people, was back in 1993 with the addition of Mr. Jones into the heavy rotation at MTV (yes kiddies, MTV once showed a lot of videos). I was hooked from the first guitar riff and the pseudo-Van Morrison Sha-la-la's. I'm sure everyone at the time thought they were the character singing the song and had their own personal Mr. Jones. Unfortunately, since I was underage at the time, there was no New Amsterdam, but instead I had the Cafeteria and I had to substitute dance team dancers due to the lack of flamingo or Spanish dancers. But I've lost count of the amount of times me and my Mr. Jones said, "She’s looking at you, I don't think so, she's looking at me." At the time, I didn't want to be Bob Dylan, I wanted to be Adam Duritz (and this was before I learned he dated 2/3 of the female cast of Friends). Then you add a video with some dreadlocks. How could this miss? So I rushed out as soon as I could and got the album.

The album starts off with the other song that was a soundtrack to the mid-90's, Round Here. How can you not like a song that references Elvis and a naked woman in the same song? And since hearing this song, for a long time I tried walking the edge where the ocean meets the land whenever at a beach. The one problem with the song is when I leaned that they do not sing "God laughs sometimes" as it was one of my favorite lines in the song. Rather the line, in actuality goes, "got lots of time."

The highlight of the album, and one of my favorite songs of all-time, is Anna Begins. The song includes some lyrics I still quote today. "I am not worried, I am not overly concerned." "Every time she sneezes I believe it's love." I remember at the time, me and my friends were obsessed with then line "Maybe I should snap in a butterfly net, pin her down on a photograph album."

Another song of note is Raining in Baltimore. I always a big fan of the piano, and this is the only song on the album that features the instrument. The song is horribly depressing (but in a good way) that I believe is about being isolated from everyone (or some one in particular) that you love. This is a great song to put on if you are in the same predicament.

The album closer, A Murder of One, gives us an insight into the band's name:


Casting shadows on the winter sky as you stood there counting crows
One for sorrow
Two for joy
Three for the girls and four for the boys
Five for silver
Six for gold
Seven for a secret never to be told

Of course the title does not to homicide rather a murder is a flock of crows. So a murder of one would be a crow.

The Counting Crows followed up August and Everything After with a potential SHoF-er, Recovering the Satellites featuring yet another instant classic, A Long December. Unfortunately, it has gone downhill for the Counting Crows since then. One would assume that dating actresses and models does not help with the depressing lyrics that populated the earlier albums. Thus leaving us with an ill-advised cover of Big Yellow Taxi and upbeat songs Hanginaround, American Girls, and Accidentaly in Love. So a message to all the models and actresses out there, please stop dating Adam Duritz so we can get the classic Counting Crows back.

Best. Oscars. Ever.

O.K. I don't have basis for making that statement due to this was the first time I have watched more than five minutes of the award show. Chris Rock was on point for most of the night though not as good as his Video Music Awards appearances. I guess it’s easier to come up with Brittney Spears jokes that it is to make jokes about Cate Blanchett or Scarlett Johansson. Best joke of the night goes to the upcoming Catwoman II. Although I found it interesting that Rock said he wasn't going to make Bush jokes then proceeded to compare his presidency to the Gap. Here are some other random thoughts on the night's festivities:

- Morgan Freeman wins the obligatory "You should have won for another film (Shawshank Redemption) so we will give you one now" annual award.

- Beyoncé performs with a boy's choir. T.I. still remains the softest artist she's performed with.

- Even when playing a stripper, Natalie Portman exudes more class than her all of the girls her age.

- Did I miss Leonardo DiCaprio having a stroke? It looked like the right side of his mouth wasn't moving as if he has a stroke.

- I not sure what was more entertaining, having all the nominees on stage or awarding the people at their seats. And who decided which awards were awarded how? The Cinematography people got the award the old fashion way. Really? Did the draw the shortest straw or something? And some of the awards on stage were not able to fit all the nominees.

- I wonder if Michael Moore would have stood on stage with the other documentary nominees.

- What with a happy Counting Crows song? Please bring back 'Round Here, A Long December Counting Crows.

- Jake Gyllenhaal gets introduced as the star of The Day After Tomorrow. Isn't there a better intro for him? Wait a minute, a look at imdb.com there really isn't much to pick from. Bubble Boy anyone? They might as well introduced him as the guy who dated Kirsten Dunst.

- Was that Vin Diesel with hair in the Sidney Lament tribute?

- Beyoncé is singing a song written for a guy. Interesting pick

id anyone else notice the director of the Oscar's orchestra giving an obscene gesture?

- Best non-Rock moment of the night - someone waking up one of the Best Short Film nominees.

- Interesting that one of the awards given at the seats was given to the only nominee without an isle seat. I would have taken that as a sign that I wasn't going to win.

- During my Grammy blog I wondered about the thing on the back of Jamie Foxx's head and I'm pretty sure that it is a tattoo. I think it may be a lighting bolt. I really need a better look at that thing.

-On another Foxx note I have not seen Ray (like every other nominated film) nor plan on ever seeing it for two reason. Number one being that I boycott all bio flicks. Why would anyone want to see Will Smith in Ali when you can see When We Were Kings instead. The real thing is always better than a Hollywood film that over exaggerates the story. Secondly I will never see another Jamie Foxx film until I get the hour and a half of my life back that I lost watching Booty Call.

- It is out that they would have Penelope Cruz and Salma Hayek to present the sound awards considering I couldn't understand a word they said. But when it comes down to it, who really cares what they say.

- Beyoncé performs with some dude named Josh Grobin. T.I. still the softest artist Beyoncé has performed with. This being her third performance of the night begs the question why? I can't believe the Black Eyed Peas were not available to do the Phantom of the Opera song, and then proceed to combine it with Let's Get Retarded it Started.

Is it just me or is Melanie Griffith looking more and more like the cat woman every year?

- The Academy really needs to stop giving Hilary Swank awards before she become to big to do "Karate Kid Part IV, Hilary vs. Daniel Son".

- They introduce Samuel Jackson as Coach Carter. Now I now there is a better introduction for him, Jules, Frozone, Officer Tenpenny, even Mace Windu would be a better introduction.

- In the end, Million Dollar Baby win the Best Picture. I still would have voted for Dodge Ball.