Monthly Archives: January 2009

Football, Skitch Hanson

Up the Middle with Skitch Hanson: The Keys to the Keystone State

Scratchbomb hands over the reins to nationally syndicated sports columnist Skitch Hanson, as we’ve done many times before. You may know him as the author of the highly popular syndicated column “Up The Middle.” You may also have read his best-selling book I Liked It Better When Home Run Hitters Drank Like Fish. He’s also a frequent guest on ESPN’s sportswriters panel show 4th and Forever. Without further ado, here’s Skitch.

Within the week, we could witness something truly historic. Something that people have been waiting for, hoping for, some even praying for, for years. Centuries, even. And when that moment happens, I will stand and applaud with my fellow Americans, maybe choke back a tear, and wonder what wonders the future holds for all of us.

Of course, I’m speaking of the possibility of an all-Pennsylvania Super Bowl.

Some people like to think of how far we’ve come, but I wonder why it’s taken us this long. Do you realize that before this weekend, two Pennsylvania teams had never even made the semifinals of any major professional sport at the same time? That is a shame our nation must live with.

Continue reading Up the Middle with Skitch Hanson: The Keys to the Keystone State →

Tuneage

Generals and Majors

While we’re on the subject of Music That Is Good, give Franz Nicolay’s Major General a virtual spin here, while it’s still streaming free o’ charge.

Spin didn’t dig it, but that rag’s deader than disco, baby. I wouldn’t put any more stock in that than a negative review from Collier’s.

Tuneage

Rising from the Dead

A few nights ago, I got a chance to listen to music. Just sit and listen and to music, not doing anything else. If that doesn’t sound remarkable to you, I assume you don’t have the disease I have which forces me to do twelve things at once. You also must not have a 2-year-old stomping around your house. Kids prevent you from doing the darnedest things!

It was a weirdly liberating experience, because I was able to reacquaint myself with music I’d almost forgotten I loved. One track really popped out for me, and made the hair on my neck stand up (which is, sadly, the only hair near my head): “Wolf Boys” by Life Detecting Coffins. That song completely destroys me every time I hear it.

Their album Catatonic Begat Napoleonic is so unbelievable…I won’t even attempt to describe it. I can’t think of any meaningful comparisons that won’t dilute what I mean. I have this very short list of albums that create this atmosphere, this self-contained universe that, when I’m listening to them, I don’t want to leave. Catatonic Begat Napoleonic is one of those albums.*

* Also on that list (though not limited to the following):

Miles Ahead, Miles Davis
Get Happy and Trust, Elvis Costello (I love all of the early albums, but these two kill me; I think because Elvis was so worn out and pained when he wrote them)
Double Nickels on the Dime, The Minutemen
Black Star, Mos Def and Talib Kweli

Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I know the guys in the band. I guess you could say I grew up with some of them (depending on your definition of “grew up”, and if I have, in fact, grown up). But I think I’d feel the same way even if I didn’t know them from Adam. Believe me, if had friends who were in a band that sucked, I’d have no problem politely ignoring their artistic endeavors.*

*Although, if I think about it, I’ve known tons of people who played in bands, and very very extremely very few of those bands were bad. I don’t think it’s because I cut those bands slack–I think I just lucked out. Or I have high standards in friends.

I’m genuinely baffled as to why LDC didn’t become The New Hotness at some point. Not that they should be selling out stadiums and playing on The Tonight Show. But they used to play a lot of shows with spiritually similar bands who were much more popular–Off Minor most often, since Kevin played bass in both bands.

I thought for sure that this exposure would earn them a much deserved wider audience. And yet, they never blew up the way I thought they would. It was especially annoying to watch a crowd politely applaud them, then go nuts for some other band with a fraction of the creativity.*

*Not referring to Off Minor, who I genuinely like. But I saw LDC play with a ton of blah, ordinary hardcore bands that people went nuts for. It was intensely frustrating for me just to watch; I can’t imagine what it was like for them to live.

I don’t think LDC is broken up per se, but its members are not in close geographic proximity to one another anymore. So I fear they may be defunct, for all intents and purposes. But do yourself a favor: point yourself to their MySpace page and give “The Island Song” a spin. If you like what you hear, get Catatonic Begat Napoleonic. I promise good things.