Results tagged “franksinatra”

Unless you've been hiding under a rock, you're well aware the World Series is scheduled to start today. We're sort of skeptical this rain is ever going to stop, but while we're all waiting for that to happen check out our run-down of why the Yankees suck (and some reasons why the Phillies are better) below:

The last time I saw Cat Power perform was the first and only time I saw the entire Trocadero fall in love at once. Her voice and her persona could only be described as haunting yet powerful. Some people showed in the hopes that she'd fall apart, as she has been wont to do, but a lot happens in a decade. Much more centered by the time The Greatest dropped, Chan Marshall prowled the stage like a sexy animal that was caged no longer.

Wherever you stand on the “Putting Christ Back in Christmas” issue, the simple fact of the matter is that I’m a Jew who loves Christmas. I can easily chalk that up to the fact that I’ve got a [lapsed] Catholic father, but in truth, my mom probably loves Christmas more than my father does. She’s the one who taught me all the Christmas carols.

Every Tuesday and Thursday, we'll be posting events that are going on sale during the current week. This Thursday post only collects the latest announcements, so definitely check the Tuesday post for any you may have missed.

DJ Shadow - who's playing the TLA tonight - is not a band: he's a man. His name is no cutesy moniker, either; he's really a DJ. Thus his latest album, The Outsider (released last month), is not really an album: it's just a set of tracks he's helped compile and spin for us. From track to track, it's often hard to believe you're listening to the same CD; it sounds more like a very odd playlist or mixed tape. There's the fantasy movie epic spoken-word intro track, then the Frank Sinatra-style "This Time (I'm gonna try it my way)." Then all of the sudden we get some straight-up rap tracks featuring appearances by a number of San Francisco Bay Area hip hop musicians. The topics are typical: cruising for women, living the gangsta life. But then there's the catalog of political commentary/conspiracies that is "Seein Thangs," which seems to be leading into more of the same in "Broken Levee Blues," until that becomes more of a traditional blues/rock guitar instrumental, leading into a high-speed, beat-heavy dance rock instrumental ("Artifact"), leading into the incredible fusion of genres that is "Backstage Girl," an amusing story-song about some groupie nookie which drifts from blues to jazz to rock to hip hop to rap. Before you've recovered from that, it's time for a lovely string instrumental ("Triplicate / Something Happened That Day"), and then a handful of quite excellent contemporary pop rock tracks in the style of Radiohead and Coldplay ("The Tiger," "Erase You," "You Made It") with a weird but pleasant fantasy-spoken-word-folk-Enya-Legend-soundtrack kind of thing thrown in for good measure ("What Have I Done"), before finishing up with more rap and hip hop (including the inevitable remix of a previous track).

An open letter to those Philadelphians posting to “Live 8 sucks” message boards: I am not going to Live 8. I am not going to Live 8, but not for the same reasons you’re not going to Live 8. I’m not going to Live 8 because I’m claustrophobic. That doesn’t mean I don’t think you’re an asshole because you’re complaining, though. People, we’re talking about starving kids in Africa! I really don’t see what there is to complain about. Sure, we’d like to see some more socially conscious bands playing. But just because the bands didn’t sport “Vote or Die” t-shirts (I am excepting P. Diddy, of course) or play at Kerry rallies doesn’t mean they don’t care. Again, these are STARVING CHILDREN IN AFRICA. Does anybody actually not care about that? Think of it this way: at least we have a line-up. The official website for Live 8 reports that Moscow still doesn’t have a final line-up. (And we were worried about concert permits!) And another thing, Philadelphians: you’re making us look bad. Here we’ve got this HUGE, international event coming up. We were chosen -– Philadelphia was chosen -– to host the American concert. Not New York. Not LA, or San Francisco, or Chicago, or Miami, or Dallas. And you’re complaining. It makes us seem ungrateful. It makes us look bad. Sure, you might say to yourself, but Philly hosted the original Live Aid concert, so didn’t we deserve it? Perhaps. But they didn’t have to give it to us. And you wonder why Philly usually gets passed over for this stuff. One million people are expected to “descend” on the Parkway for the Live 8 concert this weekend. That means that there are some people out there who want to see this show -– some of them are coming a long way to see this show, too. If you’re not one of the excited million, please, please don’t go. Stay home, listen to Frank Sinatra or Blink-182 or Insane Clown Posse or whoever you’d rather listen to. But don’t be a waste-of-space on the Parkway. And if, for some reason, you find yourself on the Parkway despite your best efforts, try to have fun. And don’t haggle the performers. It’s rude. Besides, we all saw the “Vote or Die” episode of South Park. You don’t want to piss P. Diddy & Co. off. Consider yourselves warned.