Days Change, Seasons Change, People Don't Change

Nothing says it’s going to be a poor movie week at the McGavin house than seeing Bruce Willis’ (Moonlighting) mug on the DVD. For the last couple years, Willis has just been collecting paycheck while new action heroes half his age not only steal the roles he used to be offered but they even started to steal his women. But in this movie, 16 Block, Willis ironically plays a worn down detective for the NYPD who gave up a while ago and years of hard living has wrecked havoc on his life and left him with a limp and a massively receding hairline. Maybe because of tenure, or out of sympathy, he has been able to keep his job even though everyone know he keeps liquor bottles in his desk. He is also routinely assigned to jobs so easy, it’s an insult to give to an able-bodied colleague like watching a dead body until other authorities come to dispose of it.

Another seamlessly inane chore is to deliver a witness from lockup to the courthouse sixteen blocks away. Needless to say things don’t go as planned or this would have been the most boring movie since Napoleon Dynamite. Nope, instead we have another story of cops gone bad but luckily, this is revealed early on because crooked cop as the big plot twist has become a tired plot point (keep in mind the actual plot twist isn’t hard to guess). And in what could be a nod to 24, the movie seems to happen in real time aside from a brief prologue as Willis only has about 140 minutes to get the felon to the courthouse as the jury gets dismissed at 10:00.

The felon turned state’s evidence is portrayed by rapper Mos Def (Black Head of CIA on Chappelle’s Show) is captivating once you get past his "Mike Tyson trying to imitate an Italian" lisp. Added to the great performance is how Mos Def’s character never stops talking, but Def is able to keep him from getting extremely annoying. You also have to give it up to Willis and Def, along with director Richard Donner (Superman), who keep the unlikely duo from becoming a cinema buddy flick cliché like for instance 48 Hours Donner’s Lethal Weapon franchise. And with any movie like this you need a bad guy and David Morse plays this one perfectly as he never goes over the top most likely because he never seems as if he thinks Willis will ever make it to the courthouse. There are a few plot holes (like why is one of the cops Def fingered still on the force, shouldn’t he be in jail or at least suspended until the result of the trial?) but as long as you let these minor hiccups go, you should be thoroughly entertained.

After you watch the movie, make sure you checkout the bonus features on the DVD. There are a few deleted scenes that are commented on by Donner and screenwriter Richard Wenk that are worth watching even though they were left on the cutting room floor. Then there is an alternative ending that is actually better from a storytelling point of view, although the original ending is more satisfying. You can watch the alternative ending by itself or within the context of the movie.

16 Blocks gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.

I Hear Them Screaming on the Radio

Starsailor broke out in England and had massive success earlier this decade right around the same time as another melodic band from that country, Coldplay. But unlike Chris Martin and the boys, Starsailor’s debut single stateside, Good Souls, failed to get as much play as Yellow and their follow up Silence Is Easy wise widely ignored here two years ago as another similar band Keane gain notoriety with Somewhere Only We Know. Now Starsailor is back to see if the third time is truly the charm with the release of On the Outside.

On the new album the band takes a decided harder sound, but instead of the crunching guitars or piano that Coldplay in known for, Starsailor instead assaults you with a wall of noise. Not coincidentally the inventor of the Wall of Sound, Phil Spector helmed their previous two albums, but wasn’t around for this one. Instead the disk was produced by Rob Schnaph who has worked with the like of Beck and Elliot Smith. The one-two punch of In the Crossfire and Counterfeit Life come out you full force while lead singer James Welsh is found screaming at times which only builds the effect even more and isn’t afraid to reach for notes throughout the album. The emotion in the music and the singing never lets down on the whole album which could be attributed to the record being record live in the studio.

But it’s not all a melodic wall of noise, I Don’t Know is a straight ahead rocker filtered through American blues that is reminiscent to mid-eighties U2. Get out While You Can goes from a haunting acoustic guitar and piano verse to a more melodic chorus and back again. Jeremiah is a slow moving acoustic song with a lyric, “And every time I see the sun go down I think of you,” that can easily get stick in your head and is a great way to cap off the album (bonus track excluded). Speaking of the bonus track, Empty Streets, it is the closest song on the album that has the same melodic feel as previous works such as Good Souls.

There is anger in the lyrics that coincide with the harder sound whether it’s love, “See that poor girl with the glint in her eye, she could turn you that way” (I Don’t Know), political, “I don't see myself when I look at the flag. Thank God for that” (In the Crossfire), globalization, “A war for corporate glory re-told as a fairy story” (Counterfeit Life), and life itself, “Tired of living in this modern land, too many ideals to meet with its demands” (Faith Love Hope). On the Outside may be a step backwards in trying to get commercial success stateside, but it is a step in making better music.

Song to Download - In the Crossfire

On the Outside gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.

We on Award Tour: 2006 VMA Predictions

We are a week away from the 2006 MTV Music Awards and I have to say that I’m actually excited. Yeah the last two installments suck and many of the performers are frontrunners for my “Worst of 2006” list, but I still have a sense of optimism. First is that the show was routinely panned by everyone the last two years while exiled in Miami, you know something big will go down as the show goes back home to New York City, hopefully that surprise isn’t as big of a let down as the Guns n’ Roses comeback three years ago. Second is that the first time since the last time Chris Rock, MTV has tapped a host that will actually be entertaining in Jack Black who did a great job co-hosting the Movie Awards a couple years back and hopefully this year’s monologue is Tenacious D heavy.

When I first reported the nominees to the VMA’s oddly enough the only category you couldn’t vote on was the Viewer’s Choice Award, but that is now up including a cool game where you can get extra points for the video of your choosing, so hear over to MTV for that. I also wonder in that post what happened to the MTV2 Award. Apparently that are indeed doing that again and you can go over to MTV2 to cast your vote, but a look at the nominees, you may just want to abstain. Personally, I voted for the award much like I’ve voted for president lately going with the one that sucked the least (for those keeping track at home, that would be Taking Back Sunday) but here are the nominees:

Stay Fly - Three 6 Mafia
The Kill - 30 Seconds to Mars
Fireman - Lil’ Wayne
MakeDamnSure - Taking Back Sunday
It's Goin' Down - Yung Joc


Also since my original post, the performers and presenters list have grown. Set to hand out the Moonmen are Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey (hopefully together so they can just get that out of the way), Jennifer Lopez (crap, she’s still around), Chris Brown and Ne-Yo (aren’t these the same person, I can’t tell them apart), Missy Elliott, Fall Out Boy, Rihanna, Busta Rhymes (well unless he’s in jail at the time), Lil Jon, Amy Lee of Evanescence, Jared Leto of 30 Seconds to Mars (actually I think people would more recognize the name is they said “of My So Called Life” instead), the cast of Jackass: Number Two (crap, their still around, who would have though out of all of them, Don Vito would be the only one currently in jail) and Shaun White. Joining this group is these artist jjust announced today including 50 Cent, Kanye West, Diddy, Snoop Dogg, Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton (again hopefully together, seeing them catfight may be the only why I can stomach them), LL Cool J, The Pussycat Dolls and Axl Rose (seriously?). Then there are performers who I’ll predict what they will be performing (I am under the impression that The Raconteurs are the house band as that is what they were originally booked as, but recently they have been listed under performers so who knows):


Beyoncé: This should be interesting because, as my sources tell me, she already debut her new single on the BET Awards so I’m betting she shows off her new all-female band with a medley of songs of her yet to be released album while everyone is at home is bored because they don’t recognize the song. It may be saved as the performance screams surprise guest, and I’m not talking Jay-Z.

Justin Timberlake: Speaking of yet to be released album, it’s a lock that JT will lip-syncing the cheesily named SexyBack with Big Head Timbaland doing his part. Much like when he debut the uer-horrible Like I Love You a couple years back no guest appearance can save this stinkfest, even a dude on dude kiss from Lance Bass.

Christina Aguilera: Since no other man was performed at the Movie Awards, the safe bet is that she will perform the new single Candyman next week. With the 50’s feel (in fact it blatantly steals from a song from that era I’m too lazy to look up) I wouldn’t be surprised if the turn the screen to black and white throughout the performance.

Panic! at the Disco: Since I’m not a fourteen year old white girl, I could care less but most likely will be the song that got all the nominations.

T.I.: Since I’m not a fourteen year old white girl, I could care less but will most likely be the song where he steals a line from A Tribe Called Quest (didn’t he make his career stealing a line from Jay-Z?).

The Killers: With there album not out yet, the new single, When You Were Young will get the nod. With Brandon Flowers talking about all the Bruce Springsteen influences on the new album, will The Boss pull another Wallflowers?

Ludacris with Pharrell: Yet another performer whose album has yet to be released, but since the Neptunes produced his new song, it will be that.

The All-American Rejects: Odd choice here as they really don’t have the stature of the other bands something big maybe brewing here with a guest coming onstage with them. I believe the guitarist has tattoos all of his body of band logos from various inspirations and they did do the VH1 Rock Honors performing Def Leppard’s Photograph. I don’t understand how lead nominees Red Hot Chili Peppers aren’t on the performers list, maybe they will jump onstage here and recreate their Give it Away performance from the early nineties.

Shakira: Not only will they be battling for Video of the Year crown, Shakira will most likely try to have more weird performers than P!@TD (is that the right shorthand for the band, and by asking, I just defeated the purpose of the shorthand, but anyway) as she tries to recreate the Carnival theme of Hips Don’t Lie.

OK Go: Just announce the internet phenomenon will be taking the VMA stage. Just like the R.Kelly performance from last year, this performance will disturbing and be thoroughly entertainment at the same time. This maybe the only band that can get away with lip-syncing as long as they are doing some silly dancing, but I have a feeling they will be playing while others will be performing their treadmill opera but times ten.

You can check out the whole list of nominees from my original post - We on Award Tour: 2006 MTV Video Music Awards Nominations and you can also check out my list of best VMA performances I did last year which would most likely be unchanged - Best of the VMA Performances. And you can watch the VMA’s August 29 at 8:00, with the pre-show at 6:30.

Musings From the Back 9: Music Edition

There are a few albums that have been released lately but I either didn’t have time to give them their own post or the album didn’t inspire me enough to fill up a whole post. I’ve compiled some of those albums into one review. With the fall television season approaching leading to more posts on that leaving less for album reviews and music companies releasing more and more notable albums in time for the holiday season, this may become a new segment on the 9th Green.


This may shock my fellow fans of old school hip-hop but I never really cared for OutKast. Yeah there a few songs in their decade plus repertoire like Player’s Ball or Ms. Jackson but for the most part, the duo was a little too weird for me and I just never got their beats like on Elevators (Me and You). What’s interesting about their latest album, Idlewild, is how most of the album was recorded with only one of the members present. I though that the solo double album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below was just going to be a one time thing. But anyway. The album itself is basically a soundtrack to a film of the same name which itself is a movie set in prohibition which leads to half of the album having a retro feel heavy on pianos and acoustic guitars which are more entertaining then the other half that feature classic OutKast odd beats that they are known for. Hollywood Divorse combines both to great effect and even features both Andre 3000 and Big Boi as well as a standout verse by Snoop Dogg and a less than stellar one from Lil’ Wayne. The big problem with the album is it is like listening to the soundtrack to a musical you have never seen in that you are left thinking you need to see the movie to full appreciate the album.

Idlewild gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.


One reason why I had no reason to give the self-titled debut of Danity Kane is because it seemed like I just reviewed a couple a weeks ago when Cassie (see my review - It's Not that Deep) released her self-titled debut not so ironically on the same record label Bad Boy. The same over-production over the same paint-by-number lyrics are present. The main different is where Cassie seemed to be on anti-depressants while she sings, the five members of Danity Kane spend the album trying to out Mariah Carey each other. And there in lies the problems of vocal groups since the explosion of the boy bands, they are filled with five lead singers singing melody with no one willing to sing the harmony like in groups from the Motown era. Another thing going against Danity Kane is that they were formed out of a reality show, a cable one at that and with the exclusion of Kelly Clarkson, no reality act has been able sustain a career after the cameras stop rolling. Speaking of the reality show they spanned from, Making the Band 3, like most MTV reality shows I tried to avoid it, but one scene I did catch was when Diddy chastised the girls for acting like black dudes, something I totally agree with because there is nothing more annoying than white chick acting black, but fast forward to their first single Showstopper and the song is all about riding on “22’s” and acting “like big boys do.” I guess it’s okay to act black if it sell records.

Danity Kane gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.


Lyfe Jennings and his half singing half spoken word delivery is the ultimate combination of R&B and rap music. His latest album The Phoenix (named after his son) leaves right off where his debut left off. That album chronicled his release from prison and his assimilation back into society. Now on the new album he goes on to sing about life since the first one’s release including the un-hip-hop anti-groupie stance on S.E.X. Lyfe would be best served to stick to R&B themes because when he goes into rap it just comes off as silly like on Biggie N****a where he suggests he’s the reincarnation of The Notorious B.I.G. or his restyling of 2Pac’s Keep Ya Head Up. What’s cool about this album, as well as his first is that Lyfe gives a running commentary between songs connection each one, although this could get old real quick.

The Phoenix gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.


Anyone with cable could watch Nick Lachey and then wife Jessica Simpson as they started their life together on the MTV reality show Newlyweds. Then anyone with a US Magazine or an internet connection could read about it falling apart. And then could see the couple participate in a “who can hook up the most people” contest. Nick definitely won if you are counting in terms quantity (quality can be debated though). But if his album, What’s Left of Me was any indication, he still wasn’t quite over his reality show co-star. I did give it a listen when it was released and marveled at how sad the dude was. Every song was about how he couldn’t go on and they all just sounded the same blending into one uber-long excruciatingly long song.

What’s Left of Me gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.


Two weeks ago MTV hyped that you could listen to the whole Back to Basics album a week before it’s release so I took advantage of that and started to get ready for a review last week when it dropped. Then while watching a special on Christina Aguilera they played some songs I hadn’t heard only to realize they only streamed the first disk of a double CD (unless I’m a complete moron and couldn’t figure out how to stream the second disk). So I scrapped the review, but here are some thoughts of the songs I heard. It’s odd that she started off the first disk (intro excluded) with Pray, featuring Steve Windwood on keyboards, which only conjured up thoughts of the M.C. Hammer song of the same name. But don’t worry, all that praying doesn’t mean she doesn’t still have that nasty in her as she explains on Still Dirrty. Oh, Mother is touching, but nowhere as good as Kanye West’s ode to his mama. I was a little disappointed that most of the songs weren’t as retro as the title would suggest but then again I still prefer my Aguilera to sing about rubbing her the right way.

Since I didn’t hear the whole album, I won’t hand out a rating on the Terror Alert Scale unless I can hunt down the second disk, but since I’m mocked for having her first album, I don’t think that will happen. If you are interested in a review of both disks, check out Neverending Rainbow for a full review.

Since I’m Already Screwed Here’s a Message to You

Nobody can set a bar as low as Paris Hilton not even the thought of Kevin Federline rapping had as low of expectations. Quite a marketing strategy actually because no how bad it is, it’s going to better than expected. And just that happened when her song Stars Are Blind “leaked” (yeah, much like her sex tape leaked) onto the internet. But saying the song was better than expected would be saying after meeting Osama bin Ladin saying, “You know, he was less evil than I thought he’d be.” Just because the song was a two on a scale of a hundred instead of one doesn’t make it a good song. Not to mention if I were Deborah Harry I’d sue and point to every review of the song as proof that it blatantly stole from The Tide Is High.

On the aptly titled Paris (not as catch as One Night in Paris, but anyways) Paris’ singing is very akin to her speech patterns; very little inflection which could explain why her vocals are distorted or layered thought the album and there are time where I’m pretty sure the lead vocal isn’t her especially at the end of Turn it Up. It’s so deliberate and overdone even Ashlee Simpson could make fun of Paris’ singing without anyone mentioning pots and kettles. Paris even tries at spoken word and cooing but and the result is laughable at best. In the chorus of one song she inexplicably turns “fight” into a two syllable word. Most of the songs are about how sexy she is with titles including Fightin’ Over Me, Turn You On (where she disturbingly says she’ll be our “liquid dream,” did she not learn from O-Town how creepy that phrase is) and the apparently ironic Screwed.

Then there is Jealousy which will obviously conjure up thoughts of Nicole Richie until you realize that would me that it was actually Paris who wrote the song. I’m just going to assume that she got writing credits for telling someone else things like, “write me a song about how evil Nicole,” or randomly dropping, “that’s hot,” into a song. I can’t image Paris would write the line in Not Leaving Without You, “Don’t ask me for my number because my number’s undercover,” when anyone with an internet connection can find her, and all her friends numbers there.

And for those who took the under for thirty second on how long it would take for Paris to say “That’s hot,” which also happens to be the most annoying catchphrase ever, on the album, time to call up you bookie because you won by twenty-five seconds. She also gives an early shout-out to her producer, Scott Storch three times in the first two songs, which is the most annoying innovation in music today, even more annoying than rappers who namedrop their label. Wait, I was wrong saying “That’s hot” is the most annoying catchphrase, no that title goes to guest rapper Morbidly Obese Joe (saying he's fat is the understatement of the decade) who for some reason has to say “Crack” every time he starts raping. He shows up on Fightin’ Over Me along with Jadakiss who I think wasn’t actually told that the verse for a Paris Hilton song as he doesn’t mention it or even raps about what the song is about.

Stealing is a big theme of this album. Aside from the previously mentioned Blondie rip-off (not to mention they obviously stole the idea for the Stars Are Blind video from Chris Isaak) there are plenty of other “influences” on the album. Heartbeat starts off just like Love at First Sight by Kylie Minogue and everything in-between sound like what would happen if someone was making an eighties movie but didn’t have enough money to license any songs from the era so they paid someone really cheap and the song is the result. Then there’s Nothing in this World which totally rips off The Veronicas’ 4Ever granted not as blatantly as Pink did with her note for note grand larceny U + Ur Hand but there is something to be said about stealing from a song that someone already did a couple months earlier. Another “influence” you can find on the album is Donna Summer on Not Leaving Without You which has almost the exact same beat as I Need Love. The only legal theft sample is on I Want You which takes from the theme to Grease (which my sources tell me is the word).

The album comes to a conclusion with I believe another reviewer called a sign of the apocalypse, and really I can’t think of a better comparison, when Paris tries sing Rod Stewart’s Do Ya Think I’m Sexy? In a word: No. I have reviewed a bunch of bad albums in the past but Paris is so bad I had to invent a new level to my Terror Alert Scale - TA:Black.

Song to Download - Are You Kidding?

Paris gets a [TA: Black] on my Terror Alert Scale.

The Shat Hit the Fan

There is nothing more entertaining than a good roast basically because it is much more fun making fun of someone to their face then behind their back. A couple years back Comedy Central brought back the long and hollowed tradition but has sunk recently with roasts of non comedians like Hugh Hefner and last years lowest of the low Pamela Anderson-Lee-Rock where they hauled out unknown comic after unknown comic who would have every third word censored and half of the remaining word probable would have been censored also had it not been late night on basic cable. This year they tried to go back to a more dignified roastee with Emmy award winning William Shatner.

It usually not a good sign when the first bit of the night, but Leonard Nimoy’s refusal to appear at the roast was hilarious but I’m surprised only one roaster called Nimoy out for not showing (and with all the Jews onstage there was only two Mel Gibson jabs). But a few of Shatner’s Star Trek brethren showed up including the black chick and the Asian dude who recently came out of the closet. I was going to make a running joke on who received the more gay homosexual jokes between Sulu and Andy Dick but there were so many I lost track before the first commercial break.

The roastmaster for the night was Jason Alexander of Listen Up fame and as one roaster said it was nice to here him being funny again aside from reruns. The roasters were bookend by Greg Geraldo and Lisa Lampanelli, who were both leftovers from the Pam Anderson one last year and both showed why were haven’t heard anything from them in-between. They must have something on a higher up at Comedy Central to keep getting involved even though they have no connection to the roastees. They showed many Star Trek alumni, co-workers from Boston Public, and even the other dude from T.J. Hooker in the crowd. It would have been a lot more entertain had they just gotten a writer to help them out with a roast and had them deliver.

And it was those closest to Shatner who gave the best roast with Sulu and Betty White both suggesting they have recently had sex with the man of the evening although both disturbingly made nut jokes. Plus you could tell Shatner liked (or hated depending how you look at) Sulu’s roast the most as he gave the same token laugh for everyone else to the point the I think he only laughed once and they just showed that again and again, but for Sulu he actually changed his expression for the only time last night.

Another stand out roaster was Patton Owsalt, who even though wasn’t a friend of Billy, his uber-geek made his roast entertaining nonetheless. Then there was the train wreck that is Farrah Fawcett who rightfully got plenty of Courtney Love comparisons who continually fumbled through her roast. It great that even though there were plenty of obvious edits throughout the show that they didn’t chop Farrah as she tried unsuccessfully three times to tell a joke. To add to the creepy, Clint Howard (Ron’s brother) reprised his role as an evil kid from a Star Trek episode. Must be seen for you to believed.

But as always the roastee got the last laugh with Shatner ripping into everyone there and even chided them for not making the easiest joke about him being a cheap Jew for having Scottie wait until after 7:00 to beam him up when charges are lower. Much like the first scene, it isn’t a good sign when the non-comedian roastee gives the best line. Since it is cable, I’m sure you can catch the repeat of the roast of William Shatner throughout the week and you can also catch uncensored bits and red carpet moments on it’s broadband channel Motherload.

In a bit of programming news, I must inform the readers of the 9th Green that tomorrow there will be a review up of the new Paris Hilton album. You have been warned.

It’s Gonna Take a Stick of Dynamite to get Me Out of My Parents House

Not too long ago, there was an article I read in Newsweek about a larger amount of twenty and thirty year olds moving back in with their parents due to growing cost of living, high college payments that they can’t payoff with their entry level job. Holleywood never one not to jump on trends promptly made a movie out of the movement and even named it after the phenomenon, Failure to Launch. But it’s hard as the general public to laugh at someone on the wrong side of thirty when that role goes to Matthew McConaughey (Dazed and Confused) coming off People’s declaration as World’s Sexiest Man.

But unlike the reasons I stated above Matthew’s character instead stays at home because he likes it there; his mom still does his laundry, cooks him breakfast and dinner (and even packs his lunch), and cleans his room. It even seems that he doesn’t even help out with lawn care as dad is the one who cuts the lawn; I’m just hoping dude at least pays some sort of rent. In his spare time he even hangs out with his friends, Bradly Cooper (Alias) and Justin Bartha (Gigli), who also still live at home but unlike Matthew actually make excuses to why. McConaughey is so lazy, he doesn’t even break up with his girlfriend, instead opts to take them home to “bump” into his parents making them bolt.

The story picks up when mom and pop, Kathy Bates (The Waterboy) and Terry Bradshaw (Pittsburg Steelers), thinks it’s time for their boy to fly the coop so they bring in a professional, Sarah Jessica Parker (Square Pegs), who’s job is it to get cozy with a boy, build up his self esteem to the point where he’s confident to move out. She pulls out all the romantic comedy stops in hopes of getting closer, but once he finds out what she and her parents are up to, even more hilarity is supposed to ensue but instead comes off like disturbingly enough just like McConaughey last foray into the romantic comedy genre, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

And it gets worse than you already think, this may be a spoiler, but it’s something you definitely want to know if you actually decide to see the movie, Bradshaw gets naked. And the scene doesn’t cleverly hide his backside like Austin Powers; you get to see an old dude’s butt. How the movie still got a PG-13 rating after that is beyond me. The lone saving point is Parker’s moody roommate, played by Zooey Deschanel (The New Guy), whose I’m only happy when it rains outlook is the only thing that is worth laughing at in the movie.

Failure to Launch gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.

It’s not that We Don’t Care We Just Know that the Fight Ain’t Fair

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 you are interested in buying the song, look for a link in the analysis.



Waiting On the World to Change - John Mayer



Who would have thought it would be John Mayer that would best sum up Generation X/Y’s thoughts on the current state of the world? But politics aside it’s cool how the blue tint syncs up John’s deeper decent into the blues. Though it is still a little weird looking at the New York skyline from the Brooklyn Bridge and not seeing the Twin Towers. The graffiti in the video but it was kind of cheesy that they put that disclaimer at the end. More on this song when I review his new album Continuum in September



Original Fire - Audioslave



Yeah, the video has been done many times before (but this time with red tint!) the video is cool, not as cool as the simplistic firework themed Cochise, but cool nonetheless. But what’s fun with videos like this is questioning who gets pictured (is that the dude from Quiet Riot near the end) and people who didn’t make the cut (did I miss Bob Marley somewhere). More on this song when I review Audioslave’s new album Revelations in early September.



Far Away - Nickelback



Yeah, Nickelback still sands for everything that’s wrong in rock music today, but this is one of their songs that sucks the least. And music aside, the video is cool and hard not to get rapped up in the story.



Listen!!! - Talib Kweli



After review some extremely boring rappers lately, it looks like quality rap is making a comeback with The Roots coming out with an album soon as well as Ear Drum coming soon from Talib Kweli. Much like the Audioslave video, the graphics are cool, but just as the song title suggests you should just listen. Just shows you how bad rap on the radio has become.



Shelter - Kelly Clarkson



As I mentioned in my review of The Last Kiss Soundtrack (see All These Places Feel Like Home) Ray LaMontagne may most be known for have Kelly Clarkson cover one of his songs at a Katrina Benefit and here is that performance. I’m sure all the phone numbers running across the screen are still active and since New Orleans still looks like Hell even as we come upon the one year anniversary. Which is why I posted this video instead of the one of a drunken alcoholic Clarkson at a Metal Skool concert which is the funniest video I’ve seen in a while (and begs the question who took the bigger credibility hit: the dude from Yellowcard for hanging out with Clarkson, or Clarkson foe hanging out with the dude from Yellowcard). Well maybe not as funny as Denis Leary’s anti-Mel Gibson tirade at a Red Sox game. Or Neil Young on the Colbert Report. Or any interview Samuel L. Jackson has give for Snakes on a Plane. Okay maybe the Clarkson video isn’t that funny except when they rag on Britney Spears.

Obie Trice: Real Name No Gimmicks

Obie Trice is the only rapper worth listening to in Eminem’s camp ever since 50 Cent turned into the very thing that he grew an audience dissing, Ja-Rule. But in a bit of Murphy’s Law, Obie got little cross-over success even with the infectious and humorous Got Some Teeth off his first album Cheers. But a lot has happened in the three years since that album dropped first and foremost was when Obie was shot in the head while driving around his native Detroit last year and then his running buddy at Shady Records, Proof was also shot, but this time was fatal. These two events made Obie’s sophomore effort Second Round’s on Me a more morbid album.

The production, mostly by Eminem and Obie himself, echoes the darker direction of the album. The beats are more sparse and grittier than their predecessors. But a few of the beats get too fast for Obie and just can’t keep up like on Lay Down or Out of State which sounds like a leftover beat from a nineties OutKast album. Obie is at his best when he has beats that bring out his laid back delivery. Aside from the darker themes, Obie even took a different approach to recording this time around as instead of writing his lyrics down he flowed freestyle much of the album and makes his already distinct voice even more distinctive.

As for the actual song, Obie slips into many rap clichés. The most annoying of which is the anti-snitching sentiment behind Snitch although Akon’s chorus does make the song almost interesting. Then he raps about the worst waste of money ever rims on 24’s. Someone really needs to sit these rappers down and have them listen to Chris Rock explain the difference between being rich and being wealthy. And when he avoids the typical rap clichés, the rest of the album is typically mediocre.

Aside from Akon, the first half of the album is basically just Obie, but second half of the album is jam packed with other guest appearances. Brick & Lace, who are quickly becoming the go to hook singers when a rapper can’t get a name R&B singer, bring down Jamaican Girl. The always reliable Nate Dogg helps out on All of My Life. Trey Songz has hook duty on two songs one of which (Ghetto) is much better than the other (Mama). And Obie brings out the heavyweights with Eminem, along with Big Herk, on the Detroit anthem There They Go while 50 Cent, who much like his last two albums sounds bored on Everywhere I Go. Speaking of rap clichés, Obie even samples Scareface, the movie not the dude from the Geto Boys, on Kill Me a Mutha, and that is just way too many clichés for one album.

Song to Download - Cry Now

Second Round’s on Me get a on my Terror Alert Scale.

All These Places Feel Like Home

When devising this site, early on I decided there were three types of albums I wouldn’t review, Greatest Hits, Live Albums, or Soundtracks. I put a moratorium on Greatest Hits because everyone knows all the songs anyways and really the only reason to talk about them is to discuss what was left off (think I’m on Fire missing from Bruce Springsteen’s) and Live Albums are pretty much Greatest Hits just, well, played live. Soundtracks are a different beast because they fall into two different categories, a collection of older songs that everyone knows then there are films will lower budgets who just stick nameless bands that record labels pay to put on for promotional purposes. Really there hasn’t been a soundtrack worth listening to in the past decade. Well except for one: the Garden State Soundtrack.

The soundtrack for Grammy winner Zach Braff was so good it turned a decent movie into a much better one. Who new the dude from Men at Work was still making music and good music at that? Yeah, the song that was supposable supposed to change my life didn’t really do so; the soundtrack to his second movie, The Last Kiss is still worth talking about. It does look like since the success of the last album, Braff got a little more money as he has a couple more visible names this time around. Coldplay are back, but Braff dipped into there second album this time for one of the standout tracks from A Rush of Blood to the Head, their best album to date, with Warning Sign. Chocolate off of Snow Patrol’s Final Straw starts off the soundtrack and my favorite Fiona Apple song not named Never Is a Promise, Paper Bag from the album whose name is so long it would double the length of this post also makes an appearance. Also the always solid Aimee Mann makes an appearance.

Coldplay aren’t the only Garden State overlap as Carey Brothers, who’s Blue Eyes was one of the better track, is back with the not as good Ride as he goes in more of a psychedelic way opposed to the more singer-songwriter vibe of Blue Eyes. Other notable tracks include Star Mile by Joshua Radin that could have easily fit on the Garden State Soundtrack. Turin Breaks deliver a great snooty English acoustic song, Pain Killer. El Salvador by Athlete sounds like if the Barenaked Ladies were British. The sadly overlooked Rachel Yamagata gives one of the best performances on the album with the piano driven Reasons Why. But the label of the best goes to Ray LaMontagne, who may be best know for having the original karaoke queen, Kelly Clarkson, sing one of his songs, Shelter, at the televised Katrina benefit ReAct Now: Music and Relief, or his great version of Gnarls Barkley’s Crazy that is making it’s round across the internet and qorth hunting down. LaMontagne’s song here Hold You in My Arms sound’s straight of the singer-songwriters heyday of the sixties but without sounding dated. (Also look for a review of his latest album soon here on the 9th Green.)

Remy Zero is another Garden State holdover, but its nineties alternative rock track Prophesy, even though decent, doesn’t fit on the soundtrack. Amos Lee puts on a stellar performance with the stripped down Arms of a Woman, but it can be easily overlooked with the superior LaMontagne track, which has the same vibe, on the same album. Filling in the virtually unknown actress who also sings role of Bonnie Somerville is Schuylar Fisk, who you should remember as the female lead in Orange Country finishes off the album with a duet with Joshua Radin which is neither memorable nor bad.

But the album is not without its flaws. Imogen Heap delivers a weird acapella song Hide and Seek whose layered vocals just don’t stack together well. Then there Rufus Wainwright, who I can never get into because I can’t get past his lisp/slurred speech singing style, with Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk. But overall the soundtrack makes me earger to see the movie which won’t be out until September 15th. But for those that want a sneek peek, check out the video podcast where Zack Braff talks little about the movie, but some of the segments prominently feature Rachel Bilson, who definitely isn’t Natalie Portman, but is still easy to look at anyway.

Song to Download - Hold You in My Arms

The Last Kiss Soundtrack gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.

Lyrics Quiz: Wussiest Songs Ever

A couple weeks ago I brought to you a list of Blender’s 25 Biggest Wusses and now another publication has gone even further by listing the 111 Wussiest Songs Ever. I’m not sure what it says about me, but of the 111, forty of them could be found on my iPod (one of which I can even play on the piano, two bonus points to anyone who guesses that correctly), although I don’t have number one, Shiny Happy People even though I do have that REM album.. So I whittled those down to twenty-five for this month’s lyrics quiz. Now I won’t give you a link to that list as it would make things easier (but once all the songs have been guessed I will) and if you have come across this list, please don’t reference it to help yourself. Also please don’t use search engines as you don’t actually win anything, just pick your own brain (or a brain of a friend if you want). As always, put both the song title and artist in the comment section and if you are right, I will un-bold the song and give you credit. Be sure to come back later if you want the link to see the complete 111 song. Now onto the quiz:

As I mentioned in the paragraph above, the songs were compiled from a list, well here's the list and you are more than welcome to look at it to help you in answering the remaining songs, 111 Wussiest Songs of All Time.


1. But I wonder does he know, has he ever felt like this and I know that you’d be here right now if I could have let you know somehow. (Every Rose Has its Thorn - Poison; guessed by Dane Bramage)
2. I’ll bring fire in the winters; you’ll send showers in the spring. (Longer - Dan Folelburg; guessed by Dane Bramage)
3. If its love you want from me, then take it away. Everything’s not what you see, it’s over today. (Do You Really Want to Hurt Me - Culture Club; guessed by Katy)
4. You know just what to say and you know just what to do, and I want to tell you so much, I love you. (Hello - Lionel Richie; guessed by Monique)
5. No matter the distance I want you to know that deep down inside of me you are my fire. (I Want it That Way - Backstreet Boys; guessed by Mel)
6. See I was on the verge of breaking down sometime silence can seem so loud. (I Believe I Can Fly - R. Kelly; guessed by MC)
7. I wonder how we can survive this moment but in the end if I’m with you I’ll take the chance. (Right Here Waiting - Richard Marx; guessed by Mel who also got the bonus question correct)
8. There’s something about the way the hair falls in your face, I love the shape you take while crawling towards the pillowcase. (Your Body Is a Wonderland - John Mayer; guessed by MC)
9. I wish I could carry your smile in my heart for times when my life seems so low, you make me believe what tomorrow could bring when today doesn’t really know. (All Out of Love - Air Supply; guessed by Monique)
10. Only a man in a phony red sheet looking for special things inside of me. (Superman (It Ain't Easy) - Five for Fighting; fuessed by MC)
11. What would you say if I took those words away, then you couldn’t make things new just by saying “I love you.” (More than Words - Extreme; guessed by MC)
12. I used to think maybe you loved me now baby I’m sure. (Walking on Sunshine - Katrina nd the Waves; guessed by Dane Bramage)
13. Love can touch us one time and last for a lifetime and never let go until we’re gone. (My Heart Will Go On - Celine Dion; guessed by Dane Bramage)
14. I still can’t believe you’re gone, give anything to hear half you’re breath I know you’re still living you’re life after death. (I'll Be Missing You - Puff Daddy; guessed by MB)
15. I’m trying hard to figure out just how I ever did without the warmth of your smile, the heart of a child that’s deep inside, it keeps me purified. (God Must Have Spent a Little More Time On You - *NSYNC; guessed by Dane Bramage)
16. People can be so cold. They’ll hurt you and desert you, they’ll take your soul if you let them, but don’t you let them. (You Got a Friend - James Taylor; guessed by Dane Bramage)
17. I had to settle down, now I’m playing it real straight and yes I cut my hair. (Hip to be Square - Huey Lewis and the News; guessed by Natsthename)
18. Need to know that you will always be the same old someone that I knew. What will it take for you to believe in me the way I believe in you. (Just the Way You Are - Billy Joel; guessed by RHCP)
19. There’s no love like your love, and no other could give more love, there’s nowhere unless you’re there, all the time, all the way. ((Everything I Do) I Do it For You - Bryan Adams; guessed by MC)
20. You sing a sad song just to turn it around. (Bad Day - Daniel Powder; guessed by Lisa)
21. Sweet Freedom whispered in my ear, “You’re a butterfly and butterflies are free to fly; fly away, high away, bye-bye.” (Someone Saved My Soul Tonight - Elton John; guessed by Dane Bramage)
22. Hold on little girl, show me he’s done to you, stand up little girl, a broken heart can’t be that bad. (To Be with You - Mr. Big; guessed by Lisa)
23. She was there through my incarceration; I wanna show the world my appreciation. (Angel - Shaggy; guessed by RHCP)
24. I’m standing on the edge of time; I’ve walked away when love was mine. Caught up in a world of uphill climbing, tears are in my eyes and nothing is rhyming. (Mandy - Barry Manilow; guessed by Dane Bramage)
25. Would you run and never look back? Would you cry if you saw me crying? Would you save my soul tonight? (Hero - Enrique Iglesias; guessed by Mel)



Also for those who are interested, my sister site, Scooter McGavin Takes Pictures has a press release on the latest season of America's Next Top Model, so check that out to see the names of this year's girls and a group picture.