A few weeks ago, I finished Meet Me in the Bathroom: Rebirth and Rock and Roll in New York City 2001-2011 by Lizzy Goodman, which is an oral history about how rock was rejuvenated in NYC in the first decade of this century by bands like The Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Interpol, LCD Soundsystem, TV on the Radio, and many others -- as well as how non-NYC bands, like The White Strips, the Hives, and Franz Ferdinand, were all involved in the rock revolution that was necessitated by post-grunge, nu metal, and late '90s pop. It was really good, especially for those (like me) who are fans of early 2000s rock. The book was heavy on The Strokes, which was fine with me, since they were kind of the leading force of the movement. I only wish they had released more albums.
Since then, I have started Everything's Eventual: 14 Dark Tales by Stephen King. As you may know, I'm a huge Stephen King fan. Everything's Eventual is another collection of King's short stories, and I have read several of his others (Night Shift and Bazaar of Bad Dreams), which have been great. This one isn't all horror, and so far it's been good.
Assuming the world survives, this Saturday will be the 20th anniversary of Beck's release of his seventh studio album, Midnite Vultures. It was the follow-up to his iconic Odelay album, which is kind of an unfair hamstring for Midnite Vultures because it will always be compared to Odelay. Nonetheless, Midnite Vultures is fantastic in its own right, and it's probably my second-favorite Beck album (behind Odelay, of course). Beck was proving he was Gen X's version of David Bowie -- a rock and roll chameleon who could put out great music while not sticking to one genre or sound. Midnite Vultures has elements of funk, soul, R&B, rock, pop, and electronic music -- all with Beck's brand of irreverent hipster humor. While my favorite chorus on the album is from "Debra" -- "oooh, I wanna get with you, aaawwww / And you sister / I think her name is Debra" -- my favorite track off the album is "Nicotine & Gravy," which has my second-favorite chorus on the album: "I think we're going crazy / Her left eye is lazy / She looks so Israeli / Nicotine and gravy." It's a funky little ditty that lyrically makes little to no sense to me (like many of his songs), and the video does nothing to clear that up. But with Thanksgiving coming up next week, I know that can be stressful for some, so perhaps there isn't a more appropriate song than "Nicotine & Gravy" to describe what you're going to need to make things all right.
As you may have heard by now, yesterday, Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe, and Poison announced that they will be doing a stadium tour together next year. It certainly promises to be one of the funnest and most raucous tours of the year, and I can't wait until the dates are announced, as you can sure as shit believe I will be at the Chicago date. While one fascinating aspect of this tour is the fact that all three bands essentially have the same lineups they have had for the last 30+ years (RIP, Steve Clark, of course) -- which is a feat in this day and age -- what's most surprising about the tour is that, in 2014, the members of Mötley Crüe signed a contract indicating they would never tour again. Of course, there was a clause that said they could scrap the agreement if all four members agreed. That appears to have happened, much to the delight of rock fans across the country. Mötley Crüe is just the latest in a list of many rock acts that have announced their retirement from touring, only to change their minds a few years later. Hell, I think I've seen Scorpions on two separate "final" tours. While I was toying with doing a Tuesday Top Ten on faux "farewell" tours, yesterday, I came across a Rolling Stone article entitled "13 'Farewell' Tours That Didn't Stick — From Mötley Crüe to Kiss" that beat me to the punch. So, click on the link and read a more-detailed and better-researched version of what I would have given you. And dammit, get tickets for this tour once they go on sale because it maybe your last chance to see these bands!
Well that was a hell of an action-packed weekend of college football. We had two battles of unbeaten teams, with the underdog winning both. #2 LSU laid 46 on #3 Alabama in Tuscaloosa, winning 46-41 in what was the biggest win for the Bayou Bengals probably since they beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa in 2011 in a 1-2 match-up (and then subsequently lost in a rematch in the BCS Championship Game). In the other unbeaten match-up, #17 Minnesota proved that it's not a fluke, knocking off #4 Penn State, 31-26, in what was certainly the Golden Gophers' biggest win of the PJ Fleck era, their first win over a Top 5 team since beating #2 Penn State in 1999, and arguably the program's most important win since the 1962 Rose Bowl. But before we go any further, let's talk about my Hoosiers, who are ranked for the first time since 1994 (#24 AP, #25 Coaches), ending the longest unranked streak of Power Five teams. Their reward? A trip to Happy Valley to face a Penn State team that just lost its first game and will likely be angry. It was fun while it lasted. Anyway, in last night's release of the College Football Playoff rankings, and, of course, there was a lot of movement. LSU rightfully moved from #2 to #1. Despite beating Maryland 73-14, Ohio State slipped from #1 to #2. Clemson jumped from #5 to #3 after a 55-10 win at NC State. Georgia climbed from #6 to #4 after a 27-0 beating of Missouri. #3 Alabama dropped to #5, and #4 Penn State fell to #9. This leaves five undefeated teams left in the FBS: #1 LSU, #2 OSU, #3 Clemson, #8 Minnesota, and #13 Baylor. LSU and OSU have cakewalks this weekend, with games against Ole Miss and Rutgers, respectively. However, the other three teams all face tough opponents this Saturday. Clemson's game against Wake Forest looked sexier last week when the Demon Deacons were 7-1 and ranked #19, but a 36-17 loss to Va Tech squelched some of the luster. Nonetheless, this is Clemson's only real test until the ACC Championship Game. Minnesota travels to Kinnick Stadium to face #20 Iowa, in a battle for the Floyd of Rosedale. And Baylor -- whose win at TCU was rewarded by the CFP Committee with a drop in the rankings from #12 to #13 -- is a home dog against #10 Oklahoma. Here are the top 4 teams in the CFP ranking, along with each team's best win and worst loss, where applicable: 1. LSU (9-0) Best win: at #5 Alabama (11/9; 46-41) Worst loss: N/A 2. Ohio State (9-0) Best win: #14 Wisconsin (10/26; 38-7) Worst loss: N/A 3. Clemson (10-0) Best win: at Texas A&M (9/7; 24-10) Worst loss: N/A 4. Georgia (8-1) Best win: #11 Florida (11/2; 24-17) Worst loss: South Carolina (10/12; 20-17) Here is a breakdown of the remaining undefeated teams and each team's remaining games (rankings are CFP rankings): #1 LSU (9-0) 11/16 – at Ole Miss (4-6) 11/23 - Arkansas (2-8) 11/30 - at Texas A&M (6-3) 12/7 – SEC championship game (Atlanta) - TBD Remaining opponents' combined record: 12-17 (.414) Best win: at #5 Alabama (11/9; 46-41)
#2 Ohio State (9-0) 11/16 - at Rutgers (2-7) 11/23 - #9 Penn State (8-1) 11/30 – at #15 Michigan (7-2) 12/7 – Big Ten championship game (Indianapolis) - TBD Remaining opponents' combined record: 17-10 (.630) Best win: #14 Wisconsin (10/26; 38-7) #3 Clemson (10-0) 11/16 - Wake Forest (7-2) 11/30 – at South Carolina (4-6) 12/7 – ACC championship game (Charlotte) - TBD Remaining opponents' combined record: 11-8 (.579) Best win: Texas A&M (9/7; 24-10) #8 Minnesota (9-0) 11/16 - at #20 Iowa (6-3) 11/23 - at Northwestern (1-8) 11/30 – #14 Wisconsin (7-2) 12/7 – Big Ten championship game (Indianapolis) - TBD Remaining opponents' combined record: 14-13 (.519) Best win: #9 Penn State (11/9; 31-26) #13 Baylor (9-0) 11/16 - #10 Oklahoma (8-1) 11/23 - #19 Texas (6-3) 11/30 – at Kansas (3-6) 12/7 – Big 12 championship game (Dallas) - TBD Remaining opponents' combined record: 17-10 (.630) Best win: at #22 Oklahoma State (10/19; 45-27)
A mere 35 years ago yesterday, Madonna released her blockbuster album Like a Virgin, vaulting her into superstardom and making her the queen of '80s pop to Michael Jackson's king. Mostly produced by Chic's Nile Rodgers, the album had a slew -- though not a slough or a slue -- of songs that would become iconic Madonna songs, like the title track, "Material Girl," "Angel," "Into the Groove," and "Dress You Up." The album has been certified Diamond by the RIAA, and it went to #1 on the Billboard album charts for three straight weeks in early 1985 and was the #3 album on the Billboard year-end charts for that year. It also hit #1 on the album charts in five other countries and the top ten in another nine. Other than "Into the Groove" -- which was not released as a single in the U.S. and not included on the U.S. version of the album and was, therefore, ineligible for the Billboard Hot 100, but did hit #1 on the Billboard Dance charts -- the aforementioned songs all cracked the Top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100, with the title track becoming Madonna's first #1 song, "Material Girl" going to #2, and "Angel" and "Dress You Up" both going to #5. I am going with "Material Girl" because I think it so perfectly represents the materiality and superficiality of the '80s -- and it's just a fantastic pop song. Of course, the video is iconic as well. Also, as we head into the holiday season, it's a firm reminder of what's really important.
Well, fair readers, we've reached the point in the college football season where the College Football Playoff rankings have been revealed. But before we get to these pretenders, let's talk about my Hoosiers. It's no secret that my alma mater is arguably the least successful Power Five conference football team ever. We have two -- TWO -- nine-win seasons in our history, and the last one was during the Johnson administration (Lyndon, not Andrew, to be clear). But currently, the Hoosiers are 7-2, which guarantees their first winning season since 2007. They're off to their best start since 1993 and have won four Big Ten games in a row for the first time since that same season, a season I fondly remember as the nearest miss the Hoosiers had to going to the Rose Bowl since 1967 -- and a season I also don't so fondly remember because we lost the Independence Bowl to Virginia Tech, 45-20, which represented the downturn of the Bill Mallory era at IU at the same time as the rise of the Frank Beamer era at Va Tech. We were two touchdowns from winning the Big Ten. Clearly, I don't think IU is going to win the Big Ten this year. Hell, here are three more fucking teams in the league than there were in 1993 -- though we have beaten all of them. Bottom line, we are 7-2 (or better) for the 5th time ever (1993, 1987, 1967, 1945, 1905) and have won four Big Ten games in a row for the 5th time ever (1993, 1987, 1967, 1958, 1945). For a program with as much futility as IU, this is all pretty significant. And this weekend, we have a bye, giving us an extra week to prepare for our trip to Happy Valley a week from Saturday. But anyway, unsurprisingly, Ohio State sits at the top of the initial CFP rankings. They have killed pretty much everyone. LSU is #2, Alabama is #3, and Penn State -- a school that sanctioned child rape for decades -- is #4. There are seven undefeated teams left in the FBS: OSU, LSU, Penn State, Alabama, Clemson, Baylor, and Minnesota. Looking at the remaining games, none of these teams has a cakewalk. At least two undefeated teams will lose this weekend, as LSU and Alabama are squaring off, as are Penn State and Minnesota. It's not out of the question that all seven will lose before the end of the regular season. Here's why: -#1 Ohio State has dominated this year, with two 24-point wins being their "closest" games. However, the Buckeyes finish the Big Ten regular season with #4 Penn State at home and then at #14 Michigan. And then if they win those, they will likely face #17 Minnesota, #13 Wisconsin, or #18 Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game. While Buckeyes fans may scoff at any of those teams, keep in mind that in the eight previous Big Ten Championship games, the lower-ranked team has won six times. -#2 LSU plays at #3 Alabama this weekend, likely knocking the other out of contention for an SEC title game berth. LSU has a slightly easier schedule going forward, as Alabama -- who has only played two teams this season that currently have winning records -- has to play at #11 Auburn in the Iron Bowl to finish the regular season. And whichever one of them wins the SEC West will likely have to play #6 Georgia or #10 Florida in the SEC Championship Game. -#4 Penn State has the hardest road to remaining undefeated, as the Nittany Lions play at #17 Minnesota (8-0), Indiana (7-2), and at Ohio State (8-0) over the next three weeks. On November 24, they could just as easily be 8-3 as they could be 11-0. -Defending champ #5 Clemson has played a pretty weak schedule so far (hence being left out of the top four in the first rankings), and their only real challenge on the way to the ACC Championship game is #19 Wake Forest at home next weekend. The Tigers seem primed to take one of the top four CFP spots after all is said and done. -#12 Baylor kind of got the shaft on its ranking, but the Bears still have to play #9 Oklahoma. -Finally, #17 Minnesota got no respect from the CFP Committee, thanks to a pretty weak schedule thus far, but with #4 Penn State, #18 Iowa, and #13 Wisconsin still on the slate, the Golden Gophers have three chances to prove their worth and potentially clinch their first-ever berth in the Big Ten Championship game (and first conference or division title since sharing the Big Ten title with Indiana and Purdue in 1967). Here are the top 4 teams in the CFP ranking, along with each team's best win and worst loss, where applicable: 1. Ohio State (8-0) Best win: #13 Wisconsin (10/26; 38-7) Worst loss: N/A 2. LSU (8-0) Best win: #10 Florida (10/12; 42-28) Worst loss: N/A 3. Alabama (8-0) Best win: at Texas A&M (10/12; 47-28) Worst loss: N/A 4. Penn State (8-0) Best win: #14 Michigan (10/19; 28-21) Worst loss: N/A Here is a breakdown of the remaining undefeated teams and each team's remaining games (rankings are CFP rankings): #1 Ohio State (8-0) 11/9 - Maryland (3-6) 11/16 - at Rutgers (2-7) 11/23 - #4 Penn State (8-0) 11/30 – at #14 Michigan (7-2) 12/7 – Big Ten championship game (Indianapolis) - TBD Remaining opponents' combined record: 20-15 (.571) Best win: #13 Wisconsin (10/26; 38-7) #2 LSU (8-0) 11/9 – at #3 Alabama (8-0) 11/16 – at Ole Miss (3-6) 11/23 - Arkansas (2-7) 11/30 - at Texas A&M (6-3) 12/7 – SEC championship game (Atlanta) - TBD Remaining opponents' combined record: 19-16 (.543) Best win: #10 Florida (10/12; 42-28) #3 Alabama (8-0) 11/9 – #2 LSU (8-0) 11/16 – at Mississippi State (4-5) 11/23 - Western Carolina (FCS) (2-7) 11/30 - at #11 Auburn (7-2) 12/7 – SEC championship game (Atlanta) - TBD Remaining opponents' combined record: 21-14 (.600) Best win: at Texas A&M (10/12; 47-28) #4 Penn State (8-0) 11/9 - at #17 Minnesota (8-0) 11/16 - Indiana (7-2) 11/23 - at #1 Ohio State (8-0) 11/30 – Rutgers (2-7) 12/7 – Big Ten championship game (Indianapolis) - TBD Remaining opponents' combined record: 25-9 (.735) Best win: #14 Michigan (10/19; 28-21) #5 Clemson (9-0) 11/9 - at NC State (4-4) 11/16 - #19 Wake Forest (7-1) 11/30 – at South Carolina (4-5) 12/7 – ACC championship game (Charlotte) - TBD Remaining opponents' combined record: 15-10 (.600) Best win: Texas A&M (9/7; 24-10) #12 Baylor (8-0) 11/9 - at TCU (4-4) 11/16 - #9 Oklahoma (7-1) 11/23 - Texas (5-3) 11/30 – at Kansas (3-6) 12/7 – Big 12 championship game (Dallas) - TBD Remaining opponents' combined record: 19-14 (.576) Best win: at #16 Kansas State (10/5; 31-12) #17 Minnesota (8-0) 11/9 - #4 Penn State (8-0) 11/16 - at #18 Iowa (6-2) 11/23 - at Northwestern (1-7) 11/30 – #13 Wisconsin (6-2) 12/7 – Big Ten championship game (Indianapolis) - TBD Remaining opponents' combined record: 21-11 (.636) Best win: Illinois (10/5; 40-17)
Yesterday marked the 35th anniversary of Canadian rocker Bryan Adams's breakout album, Reckless -- and yesterday was also Adams's 60th birthday. Scorpioooo! Building off of the success of his third studio album, 1983's Cut Like a Knife, Adams took his career into the stratosphere with Reckless. The album hit #1 on the Billboard album charts, as well as #1 on the Canadian album charts and the top ten in five other countries. Reckless has gone platinum five times in the U.S. and three times in the UK, as well as diamond in his native Canada. And check out this impressive stat. All six of the singles from the album released in the U.S. rose to the Top 15 of the Billboard Hot 100: "Run To You" (#6), "Somebody" (#11), "Heaven" (#1), "Summer of '69" (#5), "One Night Love Affair" (#13), and "It's Only Love" (with Tina Turner) (#15). At that point in time, the only other albums that could make that claim were Michael Jackson's Thriller and Bruce Springsteen's Born in the USA. Not too shabby, eh? I remember hearing "Summer of '69" for the first time at some point in 1985 at a friend's house. He had Reckless on cassette tape, as was the style at the time. I thought the song was great the first time I heard it, and I still think it's great. The first stanza -- now instantly recognizable -- grabs your attention: "Got my first real six string / Bought at the five-and-dime / Played until my fingers bled / Was the summer of '69." The song then goes on to tell the story of forming a band, the band breaking up, falling in love, and the narrator's relationship with his lady falling apart. But those were the best days of his life. Even more impressive is that all of this happened in the summer of '69, when Bryan Adams was nine years old.
Last Thursday was the final Halloween of the teens. As usual, I had a party the Saturday before, and this year, we decided to go with a '90s theme, which brought out some great costumes. And, of course, on Halloween proper, I went with a creepy costume, thanks to a delightfully terrifying mask my kids picked out for me on a trip to Party City. It kind of made up for the fact that we got three inches of snow on Halloween.
But enough about me. Here are my ten favorite costumes from this year's Halloween, whether I saw them in person, on Facebook, or elsewhere on the interwebs. These are in no particular order. 1. Whatever the hell this is Heidi Klum outdid herself this year, transforming herself from her normally gorgeous self into this alien-looking thing that apparently took her 13 hours to transform into. Bravo.
2. Me One of my friends dressed up as me. This is apparently what I look like to the outside world.
3. Link Lollipop decided to go as one of the most beloved Nintendo icons of the '80s and '90s.
4. Maude Lebowski Many years ago when my wife was seven months pregnant with our first child, she was supposed to go to Lebowski Fest with me. I begged her to dress up as a pregnant Maude Lebowski. She declined. She tried to make it up to me ten years later. Her art has been commended as strongly vaginal.
5. Mia Wallace and Vincent Vega Vincent's bolo was good enough, but Mia's adrenaline shot in the chest was the kind of detail I truly respect.
6. Kurt Cobain Not as bloody as I would have liked, but he even had the same t-shirt Cobain wore during the Unplugged show. Well done. And notice Happy Gilmore lounging on the couch.
7. Brian Fantana and Sex Panther Sixty percent of the time, it works every time.
8. Lloyd, Harry, and Sea Bass Son and his best friend went as Lloyd and Harry from Dumb and Dumber, which is more fitting than you know. It took a lot of convincing, but once we told them they would get "swords" (i.e., canes) and unlimited bowls of loudmouth soup, they came around. Playing off of their costumes, I went as Sea Bass. It's the only time you'll ever hear me ask for a Boilermaker. And needless to say, things got awkward at 2:15 a.m. sharp in the bathroom.
9. Roach and Bodhi from Point Break It got weird when we went surfing at the end of the night.
10. Baumer and Margot Tenenbaum I saw this one on Facebook, from a woman I went to college with and her husband. I'm a sucker for any Royal Tenenbaums-based costume. No word if she chopped off a finger or if he shaved his head 80% of the way through the night and slit his wrists to make it authentic.
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