Blogcritics Author: Travis

Announcement: Short-content feeds

Phillip Winn — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT

Sunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding.

Music Review: Chris and Thomas - Land of Sea

Travis — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 20:16:10 EDT

"If you channel the wind and you put it in a song, it will carry usall." That is the hope of the new album Land of Sea by Chris and Thomas. Those lyrics and others alike paint a stucco canvas where cellos, banjos, a dobra, nylon/steel string guitars and miscellaneous percussion tools are towed through the desert by a couple of guys known as simply Chris and Thomas.The double act that performs harmonies accompanied by a slew ofstringed instruments are anything but ordinary. In the late 90's thetwo created "Cook Au Van," a traveling cooking show. The vehicle forthe show was literally an old gas board utility van that they hadconverted into a five -tar restaurant. Made from exquisite foundobjects, the van boasted water fountains, changing works of art and afully functional wet bar. Inside the van, they hosted dinner partiesfor the Lord Mayor and countless British celebrities. After doing thecircus lifestyle with the traveling restaurant and cooking for thelikes of Jarvis Cocker, Bill Drummond, politicians and fine artists,the two had decided to turn back to their true love of music.Although Chris and Thomas may seem to be just too guys in harmony, theyseem to have a deeper theme. They sing, "Some will win andsome will lose, some will play and some refuse." In "Time to FindOut" they tell us "It takes some patience to get through life; ittakes some time to get it right.” Commenting on some of the life’s cruel heartbreaks they sing "Don't hang your heart on love, things, a place a love."Of course they do sing “If you are looking for a meaning and there isn't one, moveon." Maybe there isn't a deeper metaphysical meaning here, but I thinkthere is. Perhaps, that is Chris and Thomas' coy way of trying to convince us that they are just a couple of ordinary guys. While, the lyrics may get dark, we still hear a sophisticated banjo with a deep smooth cello, and carefully blended harmony at just the right key. Really who could ask for more to endure life's bitter game?The albums second track "Broken Chair" is my favorite because of thelow bass notes coming from Chris and Thomas. Again, we have a lyrical message "youtry to so hard to mend what's bound to fall apart," a simple yetprofound proverb on the transitory life.“Take these thoughts” is a song that accentuates Chris and Thomas' unique ability to sing together. Coupled with the mandolin and guitar, the tempo increases to a crescendo, ending with a Chris and Thomas grand finale duet. "Riversong" is aptly titled in that this is a song that could havebeen played on the river banks of the Mississippi throughout the ages. It couldcross for a southern gospel river standard if it wanted to. If comparisons need to be made, then the final song "Horse in the Sky"is dead on for the original guitar wielding duo Simon & Garfunkel."Horse in the Sky" was co-written with John Debney (composer,including Passion of the Christ original score, which was nominatedfor an Academy Award). "Horse in the Sky” has an amazing balance between voice, percussion, an upright bass and melody.Land of the Sea will take you to a place a little bit dryer where the natural laws governing sound are in full display. Beyond the haze you’ll hear a mandolin, banjo, and dobra being plucked, performance and the elegant agreement of two voices.

Travis Duncan is a writer for The Indy Sports Blog

Music Review: Silverchair - Young Modern

Travis — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 23:35:40 EDT

Young Modern is the nickname that Van Dyke Parks, the U2 and Beach Boys composer, calls Silverchair lead singer Daniel Johns. Parks and Johns first met in the '90s. Parks composed songs on Silverchair's new album Young Modern. Johns first met band mate Bernard Fanning following Pantera in Newcastle, Australia. Newcastle is where Johns and wife, Australian-born Natalie Imbruglia, call home. There are only a few degrees of separation between Johns and his band and the rest of the world. But isn't Silverchiar just a '90s holdover? The first thing to know in addressing Silverchair is that they are huge in Australia. No one has sold more albums or had more hits in the last decade than the native Australians of Silverchair. But in America, it seems everyone associates them solely with that frog on the cover of their first album, 1995's Frogstop. Before listening to Young Modern, I expected something representative of Bush or Creed some halfway heavy, halfway jilted '90s rock. But then I heard the voice of Johns on Young Modern and it creeped me out. The lighthearted dream sound is not what I expected from Silverchair.Lead singer Daniel Johns' voice ranges from high to low, in between, and back down, and its all fluid, no breakage. So it seems silly to classify Johns and Silverchair as a throaty grunge '90s rock band, have I made that point clear? It doesn't seem to be well known. In fact, billboard.com lists as Silverchair’s "artists-related to" bands such as Live, Better than Ezra, Filter and Sponge. Memo to Billboard: the related bands page needs an update. I like the rock orchestra sound of this album. My favorite song, "Those Thieving Birds (Part 1) / Strange Behaviour / Those Thieving Birds (Part 2)" begins with acoustic guitar, and Johns singing real nice about birds and nests. Then we hear a little beat slowly develop. Eventually the song you're listening to is a clever Sunday driving song, only to be outdone as it finally morphs into total rock orchestration. "Waiting all day" sounds like a song that might be playing if you were waiting all day in eternal bliss. The melody is soft to the ears, and is suitable for any journey through the clouds. However, if you are just looking for one great song off of Young Modern, try "Straight Lines." "Straight Lines" has charted as high as 22 on Billboard's Hot Modern Rock Tracks. The music video version of "Straight Lines" is being featured on VH1. And as far as the Australian Music charts it debuted at #1. Young Modern as an album has ranked as high as sixth on the Billboard Independent Album charts. In the case against popular '90s bands, Silverchair comes back strong with a favorable win for bands that shouldn't have been "genrefied."

Travis Duncan is a writer for The Indy Sports Blog

Music Review: Brian Setzer - 13

Travis — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 09:41:57 EDT

"There's neo-rockabilly, There's Pyscho-rockabillly, There's Starbucks Orange County rockabilly, There's euro ja ja wir machen rockin' rockabilly, There's Western swing traditional blues influenced rockabillly, There's Australian shrimp on the barbie carry your surfboard to sears to buy your rolled up Levis rockabilly. It's all so stupid and it's just plain silly." So says sings Brian Setzer on the song "Really Rockabilly" off his new album 13. He wants us to know he is about one thing -- the electric guitar. In "We are The Marauders," Setzer sings with a pack of rebels, "Cause American Idol is a bunch of Crap" and "I didn't buy this here guitar to be a big television star." In songs like "Drugs and Alcohol" the guitar work on this varies between something right out of the 1960s with solid electric guitar, and quick 80's pop. The subject of the song has to do with meth, getting drunk, and bullet holes all experienced by a 16 year old individual. The song "Take a Chance on Love" sounds like Jets " Are you going to be my girl." Both songs stop for a vocal solo where Jet's "Are you going to be my girl"? is Setzer's "Baby Take a chance on Love" This is not completely a solo effort, Setzer's band mate from the Stray Cats Slim Jim Phantom plays percussion on "Really Rockabilly." And "Don't Say You Love Me" is a lighthearted duet with wife Julie Reitin, a former singer with the Dustbunnies. On "Don't Say You Love Me," the acoustic guitar is used in unison with a unimposing electric guitar. This song will definitely provoke listener head bopping and has to be considered one of the top songs on the album. In Broken Down Piece Of Junk we get Setzer vocals from multiple distances, such as "I've got a broken down car," followed by a Setzer faraway saying "I know" The song "Back Streets of Tokyo" is sung with Tomoyasu Hotei who also co-wrote and produced the song. Setzer is silent save for a Chet Atkins style instrumental song "Mini Bar Blues" perhaps a play on words referring to both an in room bar and a guitar chord progression. The best song on the entire Album is "The Hennepin Avenue Bridge," which is simply Setzer and a Ukulele. The song is cute and fun; he actually mentions the restaurant Bennigans which I think is great. This album is not for anyone looking for Australian shrimp on the barbie carry your surfboard to Sears to buy your rolled up Levis rockabilly. 13 is straight up electric guitar. Setzer and the Stray Cats are currently wrapping up tour with ZZ Top and The Pretenders which will end August 26th.

Travis Duncan is a writer for The Indy Sports Blog

Music Review: Trey Anastasio - The Horseshoe Curve

Travis — Thu, 9 Aug 2007 01:32:14 EDT

The photo on the cover of Trey Anastasio's new album The Horseshoe Curve shows a train coming around the side of a mountain in a mystical land. The Train looks as though it were about to gall into the overlooking ocean, but the steam coming from the train seems to give assurance otherwise.That mystical land perhaps represents the inner workings of Trey Anastasio's mind, a mind which has produced a truly funky album. Each song is a journey, whose notes narrowly making it inside the staffs. Repetitive beats continue on in one direction only to be rescued with something more melodic elements such as saxophone, bass and keyboard solos. As in the song "The Streets of San Francisco," where quick blues riffs, coupled with saxophone lead up to an Organ solo. Once the organ solo reaches a crescendo, the rest all follow suit and join in on the funk. The Horseshoe Curve is completely instrumental, with only the track "Burlap Sack & Pump" lending to short vocals at the end of each solo. With the absence of lyrics, Anastasio is better able to showcase his blues and funk musical ability. He is, of course, assisted by some of the finest musicians, such as bassist Tony Markellis. Markellis plays on "Sidewalks of San Francisco," "Burlap Sack & Pumps" and the title track "The Horseshoe Curve." The base gives this album its backbone, and its blues cred.At lot on this album will be enjoyed by the music master, which I am not. The lay man may not pick up everything, but for those into advanced musical composition gut tells me there a lot in this album. Anastasio recorded this album, at "The Barn," Anastasio's personal studio complex in Vermont, as well as Trout Recording in Brooklyn, N.Y. The Horseshoe Curve, is not a musical composition which has a beginning middle and end. If you listen to Olivia before you'll know it you'll be into the next track "Burlap Sack and Pump," a song which is six minutes and 55 seconds long. It's different from "Jam Band" music in that many parts of this album need to be dissected and awaited for. Saxophone Solos mean that the albums Jazz merits can't be ignored such as an intricate alto/baritone saxophone solos by Dave Grippo. You may not hear this collection on radio, but I doubt that was Anastasio's intention. I believe Anastasio process of tedious musical craftsmanship is used to create a unique raw, improvised sound. Anastasio probably will never lose that improvised feel. In fact he included two live tracks "The 5th Round" and "The Horseshoe Curve." The latter recorded at a 2002 show amphitheater at Station Square in Pittsburgh, if you listen close you can hear Trey and his band playing in unison with the echoes of a near by train.

Travis Duncan is a writer for The Indy Sports Blog

A Very Scottish Weekend Indeed

Travis — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 18:55:47 EDT

2007 British Open - TNT, ABC - Thursday July 19-Sunday July 22 The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews will host the Open 2007 "a.k.a the British Open." This can be seen stateside on TNT beginning at 7 a.m. on Thursday as well as every early morning until Sunday. The Carnoustie is deemed by some to be the toughest golf course in the world. Remember this guy? His name is Jean Van de Velde and he provided one of the biggest meltdowns in recent sports memories. In 1999 when the Open was last held at "Car Nasty" VDV had a three shot laid on Hole 18, he needed a six to win, when he laid down a triple bogey, a seven shot for the hole. He eventually lost in a three-way playoff with some dude named Justin Leonard and some other dude named Paul Lawrie. Speaking of Lawrie, he is paired with Woods and Justin Rose. Their group begins at 9:09 a.m. on Thursday and 2:20 p.m. on Friday. According to the players and the scribes, this won't be the same Carnoustie as '99. The R&A (Royal and Ancient Golf Club) widened the fairways and the sun is planning on making an appearance all weekend in Angus, Scotland. All you Tiger haters will be praying that the winds off the North Sea show up too. MLS All Stars vs. Celtic Football Club - ESPN2 - Thursday, July 19th, 9 P.M. EST The Celtic Football club is an old world and very famous club. Here is a chance for the MLS to show what it is made of. No David Beckham won't be there, either will Freddy Adu. Somewhat known Landon Donovan will be there. We will get to see some of the up-and-comers that will be stars of the up-and-coming league. Eddie Johnson, Ricardo Clark, Juan Toja, Jonathan Bornstein, and Michael Parkhurst are all 23 or younger. New York Mets @ Los Angeles Dodgers - FOX - Saturday, July 21, 3:30 EST The Dodgers are in first place in the west and the Mets are likewise in the East. Brad Penny vs. Jorge Sosa. But the question is do we really think either one of these teams can win a playoff series?Los Angles Galaxy vs. Chelsea - ESPN - Saturday, July 21st, 8:30 PMThe MLS will attempt to show the world it can compete against clubs from Europe. At the time of this article, David Beckham's status is questionable and unknown [UPDATE: He'll play.]. Originally this was the David Beckham opening act. In fact, ESPN will air a one hour pre-game David Beckham hype session. However, Beckham may not play in the game later that night. FIFA Under-20 World Cup Championship - ESPN - Sunday, July 22nd, 3:15 ESTBig game for the hardcore soccer people, but it seems they have a World Cup every month now.

Travis Duncan is a writer for The Indy Sports Blog

Something Unique In Athletics

Travis — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 11:03:13 EDT

He threw for more yards in his high school career than notable Hoosiers Jeff George, Rex Grossman, and Rick Mirer. Bob Cira’s name can be found in archived newspaper articles from all across the state of Indiana. After all, he led his football team, The Concord Rough Riders of Elkhart, Indiana to the state championship game in 2006. That being said, with Bob Cira you won’t find the normal hype that surrounds most outstanding high school athletes today. Bob Cira has clearly achieved more in high school football than most of his peers. Especially in 2006, his senior year, he threw for 3,931 passing yards, fifth all time in the state of Indiana. He threw for 8,464 yards in his career, seventh all time in the state of Indiana. While Cira was starting quarterback, Concord’s win loss record was 30-8. They nearly won the state championship 2006, but lost in a heartbreaker in the final game to Cathedral. Bob was voted to play in the Indiana High School Coaches Association North versus South All star game. He was a captain for his team. This was his last high school game, before college. Bob Cira looks fluid when he passes. His body remains perfectly stable as he generates force through his shoulder. His spirals are as tight as any passer you’ll see and they get to his receivers quickly. This is not to say that Bob is stationary when quarterbacking; he’ll avoid the rush by agilely zipping up the field. In Bob’s final high school game, (the July All-Star exhibition) he was the starting quarterback. When it was time for the coins to be tossed, he didn’t push his way to the front in view of the camera men. He hesitated and then quietly went to the middle of the field crowded out by eager players. He started three of his four years at Concord high school, where they designed a shotgun offense just for his unique skill set. One lifetime Elkhartian said that Concord had never used a shotgun formation before Cira, as long as he could remember. In the game, he dodged some of Indiana’s biggest football player’s like 6'5" Max Demond and 6'3", 280-pound linebacker Jeff Boyd. He shared quarterbacking duties with an athlete named Eric Watt. When Watt passed for a touchdown, Cira smiled and cheered on with the rest of his teammates. He wasn’t yelling out clichés, but his manner was uniquely dignified for a star high school quarterback. His team, the North squad, was down 7-0 at halftime. I asked him if he was frustrated in the first half, and he said, "No, I actually thought I did pretty good, I completed most of my passes.” It’s not that Bob lacks confidence; he seems to be proud of his accomplishments. “I believe that pressure is what you make it,” he said. However, being a star quarterback hasn’t gone to his head. He’s just an ordinary guy. When a reporter asked him if he had a lot of options from colleges, he said he didn't. But he wasn’t embarrassed but simply stating what was. He isn’t unsure of his abilities, though, Bob says, “I believe that pressure is what you make it.” His twin brother James has very similar mannerisms, according to a local. One difference is that his twin brother James is a receiver. They both will be attending Olivet Nazarene in Illinois, a Christian liberal arts school 50 minutes south of Chicago. ONU Football is highly competitive in the NIAA, with several national playoff appearances. When deciding his next move in life, he said he really liked Olivet Nazarene University as a school, as well as the coaching staff. His college coach, Gary Newsome, likes Bob as a quarterback. “Bob is mobile, quick on his feet, quick thinking, and has a very good arm. I believe the offense that he is coming from will be very beneficial to us.” He is genuinely excited about his future. He’s interested in majoring in business, and spends time at his church. When asked about playing football with his brother at Olivet Nazarene, he was truly excited. His team did ultimately win the All Star game, and he looked pleased. Cira’s stat line was 6-12 completions for 50 yards. Watt had 5-10 completions for 41 yards with one interception, one touchdown and two sacks taken. The other quarterback, Eric Watt, was named Most Valuable player. Bob Cira and Eric Watt showed no rivalry and consulted each other about strategy and who coach said was going in next. Finding young people who not completely filled with enamor for themselves is difficult. But then again it’s hard to find a high school quarterback in the state of Indiana who is like Bob Cira. Some feel that he’ll get a chance to play at Division I. All that seems irrelevant ultimately, it seems as though Bob represents more than just his accomplishments in football.

Travis Duncan is a writer for The Indy Sports Blog

Leaving the NBA for Dead

Travis — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 22:09:34 EDT

Indiana Pacers fan Sean Shepard laments, "I miss the guys from the '90s, Tank Thompson, the Davis boys, Haywood Workman, Sam Mitchell and many others. Heck even Rik Smits. Those were good guys who worked hard and were worth rooting for."Shepard could be any NBA fan, in any city. The complaint about the quality of play and quality of players is universal. David Stern knows about it. He knows that the NBA as a whole is underachieving as a marketable sports entity. The once strong must see NBA is now bleeding.Sports are a reflection of society. Are people today naturally lazier than those in successive generations? I don't think so. However the incentives aren't clear cut anymore. Extrinsic rewards are at an all time high. We will gladly hype, tout, and promote any kid who dominates on the AAU or summer camp level. Fans, media and pro basketball management don't expect players to help their teams win basketball games, we just expect them to be highly touted coming out of college. How do you become highly touted out of AAU? Size, good hands, and the most ridiculous phrase, "great upside."How did it get this way? Universities have exploited players for a long time. Now the prospect guys are exploiting talent by latching themselves onto so-called hot players. They invite them to their super camp, their AAU team. It's shoe contracts and letters of intent, and not the peach basket ten feet up.How can those associated with basketball change the direction of the game? We must eliminate or reduce the extrinsic rewards. For example, create less hype before a player has a chance to show over time his/her true ability and contribution to the game of basketball. Also as basketball fans, we only talk and spread news about players we have actually seen play. The athletes themselves have a right to earn money and promote themselves in order to obtain better offers from universities and teams. But only if that choice is in reality self-made or based largely on his or her own desire. We must also blame the parents who condition student athletes as young as five or six years old for the scholarship. After the scholarship, the pro draft. The pressure creates incentives based on rewards that aren't easily attainable, and reduces intrinsic motivation and increases reliance on outside praise or hype from others.We no longer know if an athlete as young as two years old is playing a particular sport for enjoyment or because of vicarious visions of Dad and Mum. In fact, we no longer know that even with athletes who have reached plateaus such as the NCAA level. "His first love was baseball, but with his hands we thought he would have a better shot at getting a scholarship in Football," says Dad from suburb of X, Middle State, U.S.A.In order to keep the cycle from spinning out of control, professional sports organizations must re-brand themselves. I suggest the key lies in the fans ability to identify with the athletes on the field. If pro sporting events and its participants no longer represent the collective positive values of society (hard work, reasonableness, and desire), the fans continue the revolt. They want to see the athlete struggle, work, overcome and then achieve.

Travis Duncan is a writer for The Indy Sports Blog