SB Nation User Blog: RoyalsFanInMarinerTown

Slugerrrr would never do that.

RoyalsFanInMarinerTown — Sun, 24 May 2009 21:54:49 -0000

Slugerrrr would never do that.

FSKC's Joel Goldberg in reference to an incident with the Saint Louis Cardinals' mascot

Lookout Tommy!!!

RoyalsFanInMarinerTown — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 19:29:07 -0000

Lookout Tommy!!!

Tommy Murphy runs into a 6 foot Cheeseburger while playing CF.

Help with my MBA survey (3-5 min)

RoyalsFanInMarinerTown — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 16:54:46 -0000

Help with my MBA survey (3-5 min)

You guys are always reliable for 20+ responses, and I really appreciate it.

I've been busy as hell with school, so I haven't been around, but let me mention quickly that the newest mailbag made me want to cry, Mike Jacobs is a vortex of OBP suckitude, and I am just flat out discouraged by both my beloved Royals and backup Mariners.

Thanks for helping out with the survey.

OT: The RR Quarterly Music Review - Vol. 2 - The Special 'Let's Break Out of this Streak' Edition

RoyalsFanInMarinerTown — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 20:25:17 -0000

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!

Death Cab for Cutie is a new band for me. I had traditionally ignored them due to what I thought to be an absolutely ridiculous band name, but this proved to be as shallow as it sounds.

Death Cab hails from Bellingham, Washington, 24 miles north of Skagit Valley, and 90 miles north of Seattle. Skagit is quite well known for their Tulip Festivals in late April and early May. Unfortunately, there is not a Royals Radio Affiliate within range of the dial.

These tulips appear to be growing proportionately to the amount of rock music Death Cab for Cutie pumps into the Skagit/Whatcom county air.

The members of Death Cab for Cutie are:

Ben Gibbard (Vocals), Chris Walla (Vocals/Guitar), Nick Harmer (Bass), and Jason McGerr (Drums).

Narrow Stairs, their 6th issuing, is not a classic album, but it certainly provides an in depth look into the melodic and driving talent of the members. Its range and breadth clearly indicate that we have not heard the best of them yet, and should remain tuned in to future offerings as well. Of course, I felt that way about these guys as well.

The album kicks off with the tragic Bixby Canyon Bridge, a tale of woe, heartache, and a lost relationship. Gibbard’s emotions are raw and exposed, honest and refreshing. Melodic chord picking fill out the sound of the song, with gentle bass precision. As the song opens up the bass and drums take over driving forward the agendas as Gibbard comes to the realization of his loss. His own self is a tormentor as he analyzes if he has seriously flawed the outcome of his life.

Bixby Canyon Bridge: The source of Ben Gibbard’s personal torment?

The second track on the album, ‘I Will Possess Your Heart’ is the anti-Bixby Canyon Bridge. Starting off with one of those basslines only written once every few years (e.g. here and here), that sets up the whole song going forward – Gibbard pleas with his subject to spend some time together to prove why he is so smitten with them. Unfortunately, like many songs, we never know the outcome of the song, simply the anxious emotion involved at the moment.

Track 4, ‘Cath…’, is currently garnering much airplay in Seattle on independent station 90.3 KEXP, run by the University of Washington. There is something for everyone’s tastes on KEXP. I recommend you stop by the site if you aren’t familiar. ‘Cath’ is par for the course for this album – very melodic, reflective, and of course it is centered around a supposedly beautiful female who fell off the radar somehow.

Track 6 and 7, in my opinion are paired together. ‘You Can Do Better than Me’ (YCDBTM) and ‘Grapevine Fires’ are entertwined musically and sequentially. One begins before the other ends in a traditional DJ style blending of the outro and intro of each. ‘YCDBTM’ is a sweet song blistering love for a partner, asserting that the author has reached the top by selecting his chosen for his mate, but she obviously took a step down to meet him there. I can self identify with this statement as I always felt I married well out of my ‘personalities’ stock. I’m a child of hippies while my wife was straight laced, so telling her that ‘You can do better than me, but I can’t do better than you’ feels apt and correct. The second portion of this tandem, ‘Grapevine Fires’, is a soulful calling to the discovery of true and eternal during a stressful time due to environment, and the realization of mortality.

The last couple of songs play out much like the first portion of the album, with very little up-tempo music. ‘Long Division’ uses some driving tempos and very word savvy lyrics, but if you are looking for a dance album, this probably isn’t it. Instead, what you will find is wonderful rich melodies, with well thought out musical and timing integration, an open heart, well crafted and thoughtful lyrics, full of puns and a bit of ‘misdirection’ in meanings, as well as an honest attempt at making a great album. I expect a major breakout album from these guys after listening to this one and two others (Plans [2005] and Transatlanticism [2003]) – It just hasn’t arrived yet.

Fav. Track: Grapevine Fires

Least Fav. Track: Talking Bird

Buy Narrow Stairs from Amazon.com here.

The Mackrosoft – Shirts and Skins ( 4 out of 5 stars)

I think they should play weird heads v. normal heads

Perhaps none of you know of Aja West, Cheeba, or the Mackrosoft. Allow me to bring you up to speed. Aja West and Cheeba are Funk Masters Extraordinaire, band leaders in the extreme, bringing an eclectic blend of Jazz, Funk, Fusion, and even some steel drums to the mix. Aja and Cheeba, real life brothers, maintain a hectic schedule or recording and releasing their well thought blends on to CD.

Straight from the Trophy Room studios on Mercer Island, WA, and the other Mackrosoft studios in LA and Amsterdam, Aja issues this unique disc that will have you bouncing your head and tapping the steering wheel/table you are sitting at like mad. Fender Rhodes, Talk Boxes, precision drumming, and an array of horns, bass riffs, and percussion will keep your mind whirling through bits and pieces of this album for days.

Shirts and Skins features 8 tracks of blistering fusion delight, from the rythymic yet disjoined feel of ‘Two Men Enter’, where the Steel Drums interspersed and the light funk feel flows straight through, to the heavy double bass drum infused into ‘Imaginiums’, it certainly does not leave you wanting for variety. The melodies here are written and placed well for maximum musical enjoyment. After a fresh listen, one can pick out favorite sounds from the album in their mind, but the sound is so susceptible to change that placement with a particular song is sometimes difficult. Luckily, this leads to a certain ‘re-usage’ quality, which allows the listener to listen again and again without the chance of quick assimilation into the mind and the quick familiarity that burns out a song in that mind.

Aja West has the ball the Royals need to win the pennant!

Aja, his brother Cheeba, and the Mackrosoft are all ones to keep your eye on, especially if into the sound of this album.

Fav. Track: Imaginums

Least Fav. Track: Vicoden Reality

Contact Aja for an advance copy of Shirts and Skins here.

The Upsidedown – Human Destination ( 4 out of 5 stars)

Where can I get some of the crap they were on when they made this?

Brand new music from Portland based ‘The Upsidedown’ is an album entitled ‘Human Destination’. Released on the Dandy Warhol’s own ‘Beat the World Records’, and distributed by World’s Fair, The Upsidedown have built a name for themselves in the Pacific Northwest as an emergent alternative/power pop band. Bassist Tristan Evans, drummer Bob Mild, and guitarist Matt Moore all hail from the Kansas/Missouri area – marking that it is ok to pull for these guys – They are like family (well, they are from the KC area at least).

Who doesn’t like chicks in a rock band? Well, then you are just freaky. I dig it.

Human Destination is a 14 track odyssey from the opener ‘Licorice Noir’ (a simple, short, guitar picked ditty) which launches into the track ‘Hell’, which would be at home at the end of any Hollywood movie with a party scene at the end.

Other tracks of note are ‘Human Destination’, ‘Umbrella’, and ‘Light’, although the whole album is worth numerous listens from start to finish. The blending on the album is well done, and although The Upsidedown has a much defined sound of their own, the tracks do a great job of both lending and separating one from another. Another great thing about this album is the fact that sometimes it just plain rocks, sometimes it makes you want to dance, and sometimes it is so soft and mellow feels like perhaps we should kick back, relax, and let the brain work its magic of audio-visual depiction inside our minds.

If you enjoy ‘Human Destination’, you should also check out their 2004 debut album ‘Trust Electricity’ met with critical acclaim, and certainly some regional recognition in the Pacific Northwest.

Free download of ‘Silver Wind’ from ‘Human Destination’

brett kron: guitars, piano, vocals, synth
matt moore: guitars, vocals, harmonica, toy accordian
tristan evans: bass, vocals
sarah jane: tamborine, vocals, keys
bob graham mild: drums, vocals
jsun atoms: guitar, vocals

Fav. Track: Hell

Least Fav. Track: Ambient 32

Purchase The Upsidedown's 'Human Destination' at iTunes or at eMusic.

OT: Sim Baseball League -- Baseball Mogul -- Needs owners -- Free

RoyalsFanInMarinerTown — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 03:25:48 -0000

OT: Sim Baseball League -- Baseball Mogul -- Needs owners -- Free

Hi all,

I've been playing Baseball Mogul for 9 years or so now, and about 7 of that online with a group of friends. We have a league file, website, and sim two weeks of a season twice a week. There is contract negotiation, strategy, free agency bidding, trading, and articles on the league, especially when there are good and active owners.

CML is the Classic Mogul League. The league started in 1955, and has been having historical drafts since then. The current year in the league is 1993.

The game is free on the website (released into public domain by the publisher), and I would love it if any of you had the time to join us. I spend less than an hour a week on avergae tending to thought about my team, and while I have never brought home the statue for my team, we have been in the playoffs consistently. Oh, by the way, Milwaukee just drafted A-Rod, and that team is open. The following teams are open:

CLE
MIL
SF
SEA
PIT

Normally, we don't hurt for owners, but we are currently down 5 out of 30. Again, I would love it if you considered joining. If you are interested, please email our league commisioner, Steve Sparks (cmlcommish@cox.net). Most communication between owners is done via IM, email, or our forums.

I look forward to seeing you at winter meetings!

OT: Sim Baseball League -- Baseball Mogul -- Needs owners -- Free

RoyalsFanInMarinerTown — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 18:20:05 -0000

OT: Sim Baseball League -- Baseball Mogul -- Needs owners -- Free

Hi all,

CML is the Classic Mogul League. The league started in 1955, and has been having historical drafts since then. The current year in the league is 1993.

CLE
MIL
SF
SEA
PIT

Normally, we don't hurt for owners, but we are currently down 5 out of 30. Again, I would love it if you considered joining. If you are interested, please email our league commisioner, Steve Sparks (stevesparks_2001@yahoo.com). Most communication between owners is done via IM, email, or our forums.

I look forward to seeing you at winter meetings!

Yasuhiko Yabuta DFA'd

RoyalsFanInMarinerTown — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 20:04:40 -0000

Yasuhiko Yabuta DFA'd

Reliever Yasuhiko Yabuta, whom the White Sox unsuccessfully tried to sign last winter, was designated for assignment Saturday by Kansas City.

From the mind of a Baseball Game Programmer - Thoughts on Bud Selig and the All Star Game

RoyalsFanInMarinerTown — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 02:49:50 -0000

From the mind of a Baseball Game Programmer - Thoughts on Bud Selig and the All Star Game

SportsMogul.com founder, President, and developer Clay Dreslough has an interesting outlook on baseball.

I really think this race will come down to veteran leadership and i still think on that note the...

RoyalsFanInMarinerTown — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 21:50:37 -0000

I really think this race will come down to veteran leadership and i still think on that note the White Sox have the upper hand in that department.

Southside Pride

Wellemeyer NL Pitcher of the Month - May

RoyalsFanInMarinerTown — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 01:00:18 -0000

Wellemeyer NL Pitcher of the Month - May

Are you kidding me?