Oh, Jesusssss

- Cat Power was a good time. Chan behaved for the most part, the band sounded great, and she even did some stuff solo, which was a little unexpected. Although my pictures turned out terrible, I got a copy of the setlist... which did not include the off-the-cuff cover of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy". Sounded weird, but quite stirring.



- Thrashers training camp opened on Friday, the 15th, and I was there in all of my glory. For the first time since April, I got to be feet away from the working Thrash, including Ilya Kovalchuk, Marian Hossa, and Kari Lehtonen. I also got my sneak peek at new members of the squad and some of the kids in the lower ranks of the organization, including recent draft picks. Overall, it was awesome. It's not everyday that you have the opportunity to be this close to the players as they are playing... and to be able to do that, for free, is so amazing. There are more sessions of camp that go until the beginning of the season. For more info, check this out at the Thrashers' website.

- The Atlanta Spirit promo caravan came to town (i.e. Peachtree City) last nite and, needless to say, it was totally lame. Other events included appearances with head coach Bob Hartley, broadcaster Dan Kamal, and n00b Michael Garnett. I guess the caravan lost some members as there was NO ONE there last nite. Well, a bunch of PTC kids were there; Thrash was there; a few inflatables were set up. Unfortunately, that was the turn out. Now, granted, I can understand that the players/coaching staff are tied up with the start of the season, but at least have someone present from the team. Oh, and may I add that there was almost zero representation from the Atlanta Hawks? Yeah... well, I guess it's good to know that the priorities with the Atlanta Spirit in this part of town are with hockey. But the event as a whole was quite the letdown.

- Tonite marks the return of hockey to the Atlanta area as the Thrashers take to the ice, pre-season style, against the Florida Panthers at Phillips Arena. The lineup for the evening can be found here. It's reassuring that I'm also hearing that the student ticket prices are returning this season. I'll have my fingers crossed until we arrive at the box office that this deal still stands. The puck drops a little after 7PM.

- Project Runway is getting dicier and dicier. And I love it. How I love it. Kayne's obsessively bitchy character is finally removed from the show... and now we're left with four. And it seems that everything is gonna change... HOW SURPRISING. But, once again, how I love it. What I don't love is how there is not a new episode airing tonite. What I'm hesitant about loving are the clips/stills from all four designers' Bryant Park appearances... found elsewhere on the web. I have yet to involve myself in such things and I'm wondering how long I'll continue holding out. What I do love is a fourfour sum-up. Oh, Jesus!

Things going on this weekend:

- JapanFest at Stone Mountain Park. For what seems like the ump-teenth year, I'm missing out on it. Apparently it's a celebration of Japanese culture, which I am quite fond of, and I'm assuming that it's probably a great time of the year to make it out to Stone Mountain as well. Both excuses work for me, quite honestly.

- Paste Rock-n-Reel Festival at venues all over Atlanta. While it's been going on since Saturday, there are still some pretty noteworthy artists still performing, including the French Kicks (Sunday @ the Earl), Jose Gonzalez (Saturday @ the Earl), and The Wrens (Saturday @ the Variety).

- 80s revivalists Ladytron make their stop at the Variety Friday nite. Light and magic commence at 8PM.

- Big City Burlesque stops at the Punchline Comedy Club Saturday nite at 11PM. Granted, I found out about this yesterday and cannot do anything about it because my girlfriend and I are already going to see The Wrens that evening. But considering how we were looking forward to catching something burlesque during our summer trip to New Orleans, I guess this could work, too. Something about these kind of shows curiously appeals to me. It's not quite as goth or depressing as the Suicide Girls, so I guess that's a plus? It's good to know that there is a local burlesque troop though... for future reference.

- For the historians in the audience (myself included), there's a regrettable moment in Atlanta history being acknowledged this weekend. The 1906 Atlanta Race Riot set this city back what seemed like decades in its race relations department. Completely perpetuated by the local news media, several innocent African Americans were murdered due to local newspapers printing outrageous and wildly inaccurate stories about black men attacking, kissing, or even acknowledging white women. This weekend marks 100 years since that terrible stretch of days and there are numerous events around town that are remembering such a blight on the history of a seemingly progressive city in the Southern U.S. For more background on the events from 100 years ago and further info about what's going on, consult atlantaraceriot1906.org.

- For local Cowetans (ugh, myself included), there's the Coweta County Fair. If you're a fan of funnel cakes, bumper cars, the gravitron, and fair culture, this is the event for you. I know I'm hoping to make an appearance this weekend, if things work out alright.

And to speak frankly on the matter, I'm making a return up north during the first weekend of November. Carry on!

This Just In - Nothing Shocking! And other hockey tidbits...

Upon waking up this morning and trying to fumble my way around the networks, I saw a ticker on ESPN that mentioned that Islanders' fledgling goalie Rick DiPietro agreed to a 15-year contract. You know, considering the off-season that the Islanders had, I wasn't surprised in the slightest. I mean, that 10-year contract for Alexei Yashin has worked out so well for the team and rewarded a player who rightfully deserves each incentive. Riiiiight. And must not anyone forget about Smithgate, or How I Learned to Love My Back-up Goalie and Drop the Respected, er, Reknowned, er, Experienced (!) GM. Everything is getting mixed up in this once-respected franchise and that's a shame. At least all of these goof-ups are making it much easier to find a need to seprate my ties with the team. I can't even begin to imagine if they were my hometown team... oh, wait. Hmm.

--

It's only a few days before training camp opens for the local Atlanta Thrashers and am I getting stoked beyond belief. With things up in the air for this season (namely the a ownership struggles and my own worries of the status of student tickets), I'm unsure as to how much first-hand exposure I will have of my favorite team. In past years, there was never a concern or even the blink of an eye as to whether we would be able to get into a hockey game. Only up until last season was there a legitimate worry about whether weekend games would sell out or games against reputable teams would do the same.

To have the opportunity to observe the Thrash at their rawest moments is pretty awesome, I must admit. The best way to do such is to make a stop at the IceForum in Duluth starting Friday morning, the 15th of September. Attending the training camp sessions will be well-known players like Ilya Kovalchuk and Marian Hossa, recent additions like Steve Rucchin and Johan Hedberg, fan-favorites like Garnet Exelby and Jimmy Slater, and up-and-comers such as Alex Bourret and David Caruso. It's a great opportunity to get a sneak peak at the team and all involved with the decision-making process that is involved when determining the roster for the season opener next month. And for freaks like myself, I love trying to get autographs and great opportunities to take pictures of the guys in action up close and this is also an ideal place to do such. There are a bunch of fanatics (*cough*Nasty Nest*cough*) that go all out when it comes to these kind of happenings in the Thrashers world. It's just a neat time to get acclimated with hockey all over again and witness true professionals in an environment that is rarely found in sports.

--

It's also been quietly mentioned that Thrashers radio personality Billy Jaffe has departed the Thrashers for the more relaxed pastures of Long Island... hmm. Have fun dealing with Mr. Wang in between segments, Billy. It was nice knowing you!

Any word on the replacement? There's nothing but speculation at this point, but I suppose we can rule our OLN's/Versus' Ray Ferraro. He would, however, make an excellent replacement as he does bleed True Blue some. There is a hint that perhaps the Artful Odgers, Jeff Odgers to be exact, could suit the position. I know I'd love to see that 'stache on a regular basis... it'd be a hit for the in between period interviews and such. And I dunno how his english is, but I'd love to see Pasi Nurminen back in the Atlanta saddle with some position... and what better than announcer?! I guess that's a little too much to ask (either that or it's just nonsensical), but I love the Pasi-nator. Can't deny it, for sure.

Fixation Focus - Lily Allen

In case you couldn't discern from the subject from the previous post, I am quite caught up with Lily Allen. Hm, maybe that's not an accurate assessment... or even phraseology. Regardless, she tickles me the right way and for that I am relieved. You see, her album Alright, Still has only been released overseas and it appears that she is a force to be reckoned with in the UK... and rightfully so, if you ask me. This girl has an amazing talent that is captured through her witty and quite hilarious lyrics. The music styles explored on her album are diverse and packed with jams... seriously!

When I initially read up on her earlier this past summer, someone instantly popped in my head and that was Nellie McKay. Being quite the songwriter herself, McKay is actually really nuts when she performs and writes... often misquoting her own lyrics and her songs go from zero to sixty at an alarmingly quick pace. But this isn't the case with Ms. Allen. Not at all. Where McKay tends to stumble up on her theatrics, Allen makes up for it in sheer cuteness. Ok, and there's a bunch of FUN thrown into the mix.

Not being that eclectic in my listening habits, I haven't listened to someone who's been so comfortable with their lyrics as Lily Allen is. And to casually comment that her album is the perfect summer album doesn't even do the stuff justice. As it is September in Georgia, there are days when the temperatures can still get kinda high... but those days are fading fast. Realizing that, it seems like Lily Allen season is taking a backseat to the more cold, more dark, more sharp sounds that will make the winter season more bearable. But, with any good album, you'll find that these tracks still hold up even if there is a threat of cold rain for the next three months. The sun and light, breezy air definately doesn't hinder tracks like my personal favorite "Everything's Just Wonderful" or the what-should've-been summer anthem (had we been in London, this would've taken the cake, easily) "LDN". If you haven't done so already, it's time to familiarize yourself with this dollop of cuteness:

The myspace that started it all: http://www.myspace.com/lilymusic


Candy for the senses - Lily Allen on Top of the Pops 11/06/2006

Yeah, baby, yeah -- you're alright, still!

Tomorrow nite's the super-cool (fingers crossed!) Cat Power show at the Variety. We've gone over this before. Needless to say, I'm still excited and I'm anticipating it greatly. I'm thinking this show will either make or break my relationship with Chan Marshall. We'll see. And hopefully I'll bring in a camera... that's the thing about the Variety - you never know if you're gonna be able to sneak one in there and, if you do, whether you'll catch any flack once it's inside.

Also, Vincent finally got auf'd from last week's Project Runway. About time, I say. Never liked the guy from the get-go. Now that both he and Angela are gone, it's time to let the talent shine and not have to worry about any other weird moments of insanity to conflict with everyone else's skills. But now that I think about it, today's Monday... and we all know what that means - fourfour time!

In Thrashers news, with the signing of Kari Lehtonen (I want to say "yay!" but at the same time I'm quite hesitant to do so, imagining that my outburst will have some sort of effect on his groin, thus taking him out of the first half of the season), comes the quietly-mentioned departure of ECHL goaile juggernaut (hmm, or not) Adam Berkhoel. While I am somewhat sad to see Berkie take the high road to Buffalo, I must admit that I really don't care. Had Atlanta not had so much of a demon hellride in net last season, the average Atlanta fan (well, average in my circle, not average on the Atlanta street) would never know of Mr. Berkhoel. Same goes with Michael Garnett, but he was already higher on the depth chart... so at least he would've had a small 1"x1.5" headshot in the gamenite program.

What I am excited about, though, is the coverage that local prospect David Caruso is getting (recent article, for example). Granted, it's hockey coverage in Atlanta, but at least the guy is getting some press. Seems like the Wayne Chrebet of the Thrashers if you ask me... and, if you're a sports/football/NYJ fan, you know about Mr. Chrebet. We'll see how he pans out, but I completely welcome him with open arms. Could be a great story for Georgia/Atlanta hockey if he even makes a ripple in the organization, let alone a splash.

Oh yeah, let's not forget about fantasy hockey! It's looming on the horizon... and soon!

More to come tomorrow, scouts' honor!

Drum Licks and Hockey Sticks

OMG, gotta appreciate the rhyme scheme. RIIIIIGHT! My lack of wittiness is painful, this I know. At any rate...

Yeah, there's this rumor that there's a fantasy hockey league a-startin' in a few weeks. Well, cast aside the rumor, because this one's so solid that it's an e5, baby! Speaking in relation to the participants, an announcement is coming soon.

--

Lately I've been digging into my back catalogue of tunes from which I listened to years ago. It felt like sophomore year all over again when I pulled out The Breeders' Title TK and The Gloria Record's Start Here, but the record that's really coming into full swing is Unwound's Leaves Turn Inside You.



There's just something special with this album that makes it flow together so seemlessly. The whole project just seems like a test of the listener's palate. Two minutes' worth of a layering of single notes start the double album and that's when you begin to wonder what's about to happen... especially knowing the history of the band. As a more loud, in-your-face group that seemed to nightly kill audiences by their punkish approach, Unwound (hate to say it, but...) matured on their final masterpiece. Maturing ain't that bad, either, as can be figured out by giving this record a listen. Once you get past the bombarding of notes from opener "We Invent You", you begin to get a sense that, "Ok, I'm thinkin' this was worth it now," when "Look A Ghost" takes over and brings you to your knees. It's kinda fortunate that happens because it's less of a distance for your jaw to drop.

As a fan of other Unwound records (namely Repetition), this record caught everyone off guard. And rightfully so. Something like this just doesn't happen as if it were supposed to. A bunch of their previous song arrangements tend to start and stop on the dime and are dramatically punctuated. Leaves' tunes are more elegant, graceful, flowing ("Radio Gra" instantly comes to mind), but that doesn't mean that there is a lack of tension felt on the record either.

It's hard to believe that I missed this band before I could truly appreciate them. I'm sure we can all say that about something.

--

I also downloaded a copy of the latest Emily Haines solo effort, Knives Don't Have Your Back. Throughout my first few listens of the record, I really feel like that the problem here is that these "knives" won't have "your" (i.e. Ms. Haines') back.

Confession time, kids. I'm a pretty big fan of Metric. Shocker, right? Even though my girlfriend played the crap outta their first record, Old World Underground Where Are You Now?, I still find myself coming back to it every month or so because of its freshness and vivacity. And even though initially their last one appeared to be a "sweep-under-the-rug" effort, hearing Live It Out's stronger material live did the trick and makes the album more memorable than its predecessor. So when I heard that Emily was drinking from the same water that other influential "bandheads" were (i.e. Corgan, Amy Millan, Thom Yorke, Jenny Lewis, etc.), I genuinely got excited, just as I had about all the mentioned performers. Turns out I was bummed out with the end product... just like all of the other mentioned performers.

All I hope for from a true "solo" record is a beautifully crafted album that features great songwriting, dominating lyrics about something involving LIFE, and acoustic guitars... really. Nothing technological, nothing gimmicky, and absolutely nothing sleep-inducing. And this is where Emily falls into, unfortunately. With her, I didn't necessarily expect what I had just mentioned, but something along the lines of, "Hey, I put a bunch of thought into these older, crappy songs and then I put them in a rock tumbler and I came out with these gems... you know why? BECAUSE I CARE!"



Initially hearing "Our Hell" on her website, I got a little antsy. It was enough of a tease to form assumptions, but enough of a tease to really start chomping down at the bit and drool a little bit. The rest of the album just doesn't pan out like that as it often doesn't get off the ground. Which is a shame because she is a true character in Metric and that kind of personality doesn't even appear to touch the record. And maybe that's the entire point of releasing Knives. Desperate-for-attention piano tracks just doesn't do it for me for 10 tracks.

Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton (featuring members of Metric, Broken Social Scene, and Stars) /// Knives Don't Have Your Back /// To be released 26 September, 2006

Your mom is SMALL MARKET

OK, so the league has been established and I'm looking for victims... err... players... for the league. I have room for 11 other managers to participate, and the live draft is on Wednesday, September 27, 2006 @ 11AM. If you won't be able to take part in such a thing, simply pre-rank the players who are the most "important" to you and see how the auto-picker works out for ya. I figured a mid-week draft right before lunchtime would work for most people. It shouldn't take any longer than 45 minutes, I believe. The only "catch" with the draft is that there needs to be an even amount of managers in the league. If I only have people, total, participating, the draft won't work and we'll need to hunt out for another recruit. But yeah, it's a head-to-head league and it'll be very straightforward once everything is all settled. Needless to say, I'm effing stoked. Here's the info for you addicts... er... the curious:

- Go to http://hockey.fantasysports.yahoo.com/hockey/ and sign up to participate in my league, appropriately titled "Is This Small Market Hockey?".
- Join an Existing Custom or Public League (which you'll want to choose "Custom League").
- Enter League ID # 30210 and password dellacamera (because, as we all know, he is the best-named announcer for the Thrashers).
- From there, I'm assuming (because I created the friggin' league) that you'll be able to come up with some witty team name (like mine, "Polska Kielbasa"), choose your avatar, and then probably play around with Yahoo!'s fantasy stuff and become comfortable with it. Please do, by the way, because this will consume your life until April... no lie.

Oh yeah! In case you haven't figured this out by now, you're gonna need a Yahoo! ID in order to sign up for the league! And you can do that here (assuming the link is correct).


Sign up for the league now, you gap-toothed fools!