Death Cab for Cutie – Narrow Stairs (3.5 stars out of 5)

 

via jesusheartsmusic.com

Death Cab for Cutie’s ‘Narrow Stairs’ The perfect album? We think not, but it is good!

 

 

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via upload.wikimedia.org

Advance downloads of The Dandy Warhols  '...Earth to the Dandy Warhols' became available today, to subscription holders ($34.99 a year). The album has not hit store shelves, yet, so this is most likely one of the first reviews available on the web.

For those of you familiar with the Dandy Warhols, this portion may be a bit of review. The Dandy Warhols hail from Portland, Oregon , a beautiful shining city of bridges and water, sitting abreast the Columbia River across from Vancouver, Washington. Started in the mid ninties, the Dandy Warhols are Courtney Taylor-Taylor  (Vocals/Guitar), Pete Holmstom (Guitar), Zia McCabe (Keyboards/Synthesizer), and Brent DeBoer (Percussion).

Previous albums include 'Dandy's Rule, OK?', 'The Dandy Warhols Come Down...', 'Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia', 'Welcome to the Monkey House', 'Odditorium or the Warlords of Mars', and finally the newest release '...Earth to the Dandy Warhols'.

The Dandy Warhols reside somewhere just outside of the mainstream, and have for the past 13 years, in the United States. Easily half the songs on an album are capable of being hits if vibe would just match up with the social ear of Americans at any given moment. Layered with sounds uncommon to more commercialized music, the Dandy Warhols listener may be aided by herbal  or hallucenigenic treats to connect with the music on all levels, depending on personal preference.

'...Earth to the Dandy Warhols' is no different; The 13 track album kicks off with what has become a trademark - a bizarre little diddy/intro that features a Taylor-Taylor falsetto that creams over the top of a driving poppy beat complete with triangles, step-ladder bass beat, and trippin' guitar.

Mission Control represents what I feel to be a return to some roots for the Dandy's with a very heavy pop synthesized sound, complete with deep voiced lyrics for a good time feel of lifting off into the album. The journey truly begins.

Next up is the gem of the album - Welcome to the Third World. Enter an infectious disco inspired track - The Dandy's perform a track that should be in any 70's movie soundtrack, complete with references to the honey, the honey's, and rollin up some big ones. With the track time reaching 5:50 seconds, this has got to be some of the most groovy shit I have heard since I was wearing a powder blue tuxedo (yeah, it looked just like that, but shorter) to my parents wedding in 1979. This is the star track of the album, if you enjoy wide varieties of music.

Wasp In The Lotus/And Then I Drempt of Yes/Talk Radio is quite possibly the best three song combo the band has put out since Godless/Mohammed/Nietsche on 'Thirteen Tales...', with a very laid back rhythym to the entire ensemble, it's the perfect backdrop to roll one up, fire it up, and discuss anything --- The distored under currents, constant simplified drumming, exploration of the guitar and bass scales, and witty banter regarding everything from raw sex to the spinning heads of TV/Radio, these songs definately don't dissapoint.

 Love Song is track 7, sporting the likes of Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits) and Mike Campbell (Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers) contributing their stringed influence on guitars and banjos. A real down southern blend on the Dandy's patented stoner rock sound, and definately a keeper.

Mis Amigos is an interesting track, providing a bit of lyrical content about spending time with your friends and family, having fun, and trying to take things a little less seriously. The backbeat reminds me of an updated surf style song - a modern day 'take it to Zuma Beach and play it on the back of a flatbead truck' tune. Very fun, very experimental, and a fine push from their genre to incorporate the sounds of another.

My personal favorite on the album is 'The Legend of the Outlaw Truckers AKA The Ballad of Sherriff Shorty', which chronicles the adventures of an Outlaw trucker who is just jacked up on more illegal, OTC, and prescription medications than you can possibly imagine --- The sound is gritty, something out of a Johnny Cash tale - upbeat country rhythym, rythymic singing, and the overall feeling that this Outlaw Trucker is a bad dude, cumlminating in the killing of Sherriff Shorty while the Trucker is high on Methamphetamines. Drummer Brent DeBoer gets his voice in here quite prolifically with some background 'Hey! Hey!' action. What a hot song ---

From here, the album very much tones down into the typical Dandy's ending, with some nice intense jams in longer, slower songs, tied up nicely by the 14 minute epic, 'Musee D'Nougat'.

I highly recommend '...Earth to the Dandy Warhols', especially if you have been a fan before this point. Unfortunately, it is not our in stores, yet, but will be within the next month or so, from what I understand. Enjoy the music!

via image.listen.com

Well, first, I'd like to make a series of these music reviews if everyone doesn't mind. There is a poll -- feel free to tell me if you'd like me to keep doing this, or not.

Also, if you want an album reviewed, please feel free to suggest it --- I'll certainly consider it.

Poll

Would you like to have monthly Album Reviews (2-3 albums per review from a variety of genres)?

53%

Yes

8 votes

46%

No

7 votes

15 votes | Poll has closed

Last season, as the trade deadline loomed ever closer, a sure-fire trade candidate was Octavio Dotel. Dotel was signed by the Royals on December 8, 2006, by Dayton Moore. While Dayton almost certainly had the ‘flip-a-player’ idea rolling in the back of his head, Dotel was officially handed the closer role.

Watch that lip, Octavio!

via mlb.mlb.com

"The back end of our bullpen has been a major focus," general manager Dayton Moore said . "It was a problem in '06. We feel we've made big strides in bringing it an identity."

Dotel had a rough start with the Royals, straining his oblique in spring training. Also newly acquired reliever David Riske was handed the closer job while Dotel was away, but performed very poorly in the role. Desperate to cover his ass, Buddy Bell turned to Rule 5 Draft Pick Joakim Soria. Soria stepped in, and started slamming the doors.

Mexi-tough

via i.a.cnn.net 

...Soria was so dominant in the eighth inning that Buddy Bell sent him out to pitch the ninth with a 6-3 lead; Soria retired the side in order again, striking out the last two hitters. Soria was the de facto closer from that point until Octavio Dotel’s return from the DL, and then returned to the role after Dotel was traded. (Rany)
 

Dotel returned on May 23, 2007, versus the Cleveland Indians. He looked very hittable in that game, giving up 3 hits, including a HR to Travis Hafner, his 9th of the year. He improved greatly over his next

few outings, however, and eventually converted 11/14 opportunities, going 2-1 with a 3.91 ERA and 120 ERA+, and a WHIP of 1.522.  Speculation on his impending trade really started in the June timeframe, with the Mariners, Braves, Red Sox, Dodgers, Indians, and Mets  leading the parade to try and pick him up.

Of considerable interest to the community of royalsreview.com was the young Mariners (Tacoma Rainers AAA) outfielder, Wladimir Balentien . Eventually, the Balentien offer was ignored, and Moore elected to trade Dotel to the Braves for a familiar product (to Moore), Kyle Davies. 

 

Davies likes to eat children when not on the mound.

via mlb.mlb.com

Kyle has had his share of problems in the minors and bigs, most frequently with Homeruns and walks. Now, giving up homeruns and walks with the consistency that Davies does is a very bad thing. No one doubts that he has ‘electric’ stuff, and that he could mature into a starting pitcher that fits well in the #2-#4 positions.

Davies did not impress in his starts with the Royals, or with the Braves, consistently. Currently he resides in the minor leagues, at Omaha, with a lifetime major league line including a 17-28 record over 287 innings, 1.725 WHIP, ERA+ of 70, and an ERA of 6.24.

This is what it looks like when Davies serves up your 500th homer of your career.

via blog.nj.com

There may be hope for Davies, yet. At Omaha in 2008, he currently holds a 4-2 record in 7 starts, going 37 innings. He is still walking too many batters, at a little under .5 /IP, and his K:BB rate is 3:2. His ERA is only 2.43 at the moment, but he has allowed 19 runs, only 10 of which are earned.  With the jury still out on Davies, let’s all just hope for the best, shall we?

On to Wladimir Balentien. Balentien (24) was born July 2, 1984, in Willemstad, Curacao, in the Netherlands Antilles .  On July 9, 2000, at 16 years and 1 week old, Balentien signed with the Mariners to play professional baseball. Balentien reported to the Mariners AZL Rookie team in 2003 for his first taste of professional baseball. He came hungry.

 

'C' is for cookie and that's good enough for me

via seattletimes.nwsource.com

In 2003, in 187 AB’s, Balentien had an OBP of .359, with an OPS of 1.017. In his 6 full seasons in the minors, he has never OPS’d below .772 (San Antonio AA), and only below .832 once. Lifetime OBP/SLG in the minors you ask? .342/.522. In addition he is stealing bases at a 75% clip over that time span, and is capable of playing all 3 OF positions.

Great! So he has had a successful MiLB career! Good job Wladimir! So what? Who cares? Well, even though it is a small sample size (in the MLB), it appears so far that the Mariners were right to trade Adam Jones for Bedard, and keep Balentien from the Royals AND the Orioles.

A quick line on Jones and Balentien, this year:

Name	BA	H	2B	3B	HR	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
Jones, A	.223	29	8	2	2	.271	.362	.633	73
Balentien, W	.239	11	2	0	4	.271	.543	.814	123

Neither’s OBP is even close to stellar, but look at the OPS. Balentien is right on target with his MiLB numbers so far. I have really enjoyed watching him in AAA over the past 2 years and then on TV so far this year. Last night he hit a monster homer off of Joaquin Benoit in Arlington, putting the Mariners back in the contest (They lost 13-12 in 10 innings).

The question is, in retrospect, do you feel we still maximized off of Dotel? Would you rather have Balentien than Davies? If Davies turns the corner, and becomes a dependable starting pitcher, and Balentien becomes a legitimate power threat (25-35 HR’s), which one would you rather have at this point?

Poll

How would you rate Dayton Moore's trade of Dotel to the Braves in return for Kyle Davies, by your own perception, on a scale of 1-10?

0%

10

0 votes

4%

9

2 votes

8%

8

4 votes

15%

7

7 votes

17%

6

8 votes

15%

5

7 votes

13%

4

6 votes

10%

3

5 votes

13%

2

6 votes

2%

1

1 votes

46 votes | Poll has closed

"I don't follow my numbers, because I know when I'm doing good and I'm doing bad," he said.

 

 Click the quote to see the article. I just can't believe this guy is still playing major league baseball. He really isn't that great, defensively, and he sure as hell can't hit.

Most times, if a player is batting in the .200-.220 area, I would say that I am not sure I could do any better at this level. But if he continues on his .048 tear, this year, then I am certain I could perform better than that.

 

On a side note, did anyone hear Split last night when he said David Eckstein has swung at 1150 pitches in the past 2 years, and has only missed 50-some times???

Wow.

Let's take a moment to reflect on our Boys in Blue over the past 15 years or so, by exploring some wonderful Onion articles.

 

Who can forget this timeless classic, which shows the original movement to return to fundamentals from the Buddy Bell era.

Remember the compassion of this story? We can all cry together knowing the lift our boys must have recieved from this event.

Finally, we see the impact of the signings of psuedo-big name free agents such as Guillen and Meche.

 

Truly, I am EXCITED about Royals baseball this year, and I hope this trip down nightmare lane reminds you HOW FAR WE HAVE COME! Long live Dayton Moore.

Story here.

Intro paragraphs for filler:

VERO BEACH, Fla. -- Fittingly, Mr. Marlin will ultimately retire as a Marlin.
According to a source, Jeff Conine, one of the most popular players in Florida history, will sign a one-day contract on March 28, and then retire as a member of the Marlins.

Nicknamed "Mr. Marlin," the 41-year-old was a member of the team's inaugural roster, and he enjoyed two stints with the organization. A versatile performer who mostly played first base and the outfield, he was a vital part of the franchise's World Series titles in 1997 and 2003.

Time to get the party started!

I'm listening to Bob Uecker on MLB.com's gameday audio.

I'm studying for a Managerial Accounting and Data Mining final next week. On Wednesday I start studying for my Negotiations final.

FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR RRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, I know we have already had the conversation about Baseball Simulators in the past couple of weeks, namely the gaming types. I was being a giant nerd playing with the version I favor, Baseball Mogul 2008, today, and came across a Statistic that Baseball Mogul creator Clay Dreslough came up with. It is called DICE (Defense Independent Component ERA). You can read more about it here. It's ok..... Go read it now. It's important if you want to understand the results here.

Continue reading this post »

Check out this East Coast Rivalry article from MLB.com

I just caught this story over at MLB.com, and I thought it was such a ridiculous gesture, highlighting one of the worst things currently happening in baseball, in my opinion. I actually have a few ways to examine it, though --- Business and personal.

First, from the business side:

The Yankees and Red Sox are definately competitors, on and off the field. The front offices compete almost as much as the teams. When Hank Steinbrenner said "Go anywhere in America and you won't see Red Sox hats and jackets, you'll see Yankee hats and jackets," Steinbrenner said. "This is a Yankee country. We're going to put the Yankees back on top and restore the universe to order.", I not sure anyone really knows what the hell he is saying. In one breath, he says that Yankees fans are everywhere, and that there are no Red Sox fans outside the NE --- then in the next breath he insinuates that the Yankees have lost market share and need to be put back on top, to restore the balance of the Universe. Interesting.

Well, from Mr. Hendry's position (I think he is being quite saavy with his response, actually), inducting Hank into Red Sox Nation can only be a positive move for the Red Sox. It further polarizes the Red Sox and Yankee fan bases, and draws more new and young fans into the Red Sox circle with a 'Ha, Ha (imagine Nelson from the Simpsons)' type jab. This, ultimately, helps the bottom line.

Who knows, maybe we will see Steinbrenner in those seats to make a statement.

On a personal level, I think this is part of what is wrong with baseball. The information age has brought about a new level of fan awareness - as well as options for supporting their team. Globalization has driven MLB revenue through the roof. Teams are competing for media coverage while small market teams like Pittsburgh, Kansas City, and Milwaukee.

What ever happened to good business, good relationships, and watching out for the position of your enterprise, and not just your own bottom line.

I'd love to hear everyone else's thoughts on this, although I think we, as Royals fans, all share a majority mindset on this issue.

There are many more deepseated issues that we could discuss from this article, as well. Does anyone have any thoughts that stick out in their minds?

Hello Royals Fans,

Just a quick survey, for my data mining class, which will help me profile Royals fans for targeted advertisements on freeway video boards, after the game.

This is completely fictitious, we aren't going to do this - It is for a data mining class.

I appreciate all of your help, and will share results if you would like, when we are complete with the project in a few weeks.

Survey: (ANSWER ONLY YES OR NO)

When leaving a game, do you get on the I-35 North at all?

Do you drink alcohol at the game?

Would you be more likely to buy Royals Team Gear from the website if there was a 3 digit coupon code advertised to you your way home from the Stadium?

Do you set out to support official sponsers of mlb or the Royals?

Assuming terms met your specifications, would you like to have a Visa card with a Royals home jersey on it?

Would George Brett's image/reputation help market to you?

Do you hate roadside signs/video boards?

Do you pay attention to roadside signs/video boards?

Do you like roadside signs/video boards?

Do you go straight home after a game?

Thanks,
Kevin

I had to throw this up here, knowing how much we all loved Buddy.... Don't get me wrong, I think we ahve made a very positive move with Hillman, but statements like these make me wince, then laugh hysterically.

Regarding Ross Gload (1B/LF/RF/Gritty Vet/Grinder):

"He's a grinder, too, and I'm a liking-grinder-kind of guy," Hillman said.

Full story here.

KANSAS CITY -- Infielder Jason Smith was designated for assignment on Friday by the Royals, clearing room on the 40-man roster for catcher Miguel Olivo.

Smith, who was claimed off waivers on July 11 from the Arizona Diamondbacks, hit .188 in 40 games for the Royals. He played every infield position, including 20 games at shortstop.

Eligible for salary arbitration, Smith agreed to terms with the Royals last month. It's possible he could wind up on their Triple-A Omaha roster.

I copied the whole article here, but it is at this link.

I'd really just like to disassociate the Royals from that guy.

Great news for me today! I have moved out of the MBA program (currently 1/2 way done) and into the joint JD/MBA program at Seattle University.

The good part of that is someday, I may grow up and be a lawyer. 18 of my MBA credits will apply to my law degree, so that is a bonus as well.

The bad part is that I just mired myself in $90k more debt and stuck myself in 3 more years of school, followed by a test that I will have to quit any job to study for!

The two thing I vow not to do while in Law/MBA school --- Ignore my family, or ignore the Royals.

Are there any lawyers on the board with any pointers for law school? :)

Original Diary on 3/27/07




I think I can safely say that Gathright is better than Thurman now. Currently, Gathrights season numbers are .320/.383/.356, giving him an OPS of .739 which I will take from a speedy CF any day of the week.

His Royals stats career are as follows:

141 Games
423 ABs
122 Hits
59 Runs
13 Doubles
3 Triples
1 HR
44 RBIs
39 BBs
74 Ks
***ONLY HIT INTO 4 DPs
.288 Lifetime BA as a Royal
.348 Lifetime OBP as a Royal
.340 Lifetome SLG as a Royal
.688 Lifetime OPS as a Royal

The one area of concern for me is how often he is caught stealing. I think he needs to work on his jump on the pitcher, as he is only 19 for 32 since he came to the Royals. Some of you might think he strikes out too much for a leadoff/CF, but I would argue that Willie Wilson struck out a lot more and walked less. His OBP was much lower in many seasons.

Questions? Comments? Concerns?

Poll

Where do you want Gathright next year?

35%

Bench

20 votes

19%

CF, leading off

11 votes

3%

Minors

2 votes

8%

CF, batting last

5 votes

8%

Another Team

5 votes

8%

LF, leading off

5 votes

14%

LF, batting last

8 votes

56 votes | Poll has closed

Click Here to Read


Well, I just got through reading this, and I think I am quite encouraged. NYRoyal and someone else said to me a few days ago that they are tinkering, getting it right, not to rush him.

After reading this article, I think we are seeing how ready he is. They haven't put him at a level where his stuff can't compete --- They have put him at a level where he CAN compete with his stuff, and tinker with his mechanics at a higher level of scrutiny from the parent club.

Well, that is my opinion anyway. Regardless, I like the things in the article that they say they have been accomplishing.