Thrashers Update A-Roo

It's like the calm before the storm, really. There was a flurry of activity in June, with the draft taking place and then the free agency wackiness of early July. Now, it appears as if things have settled down a bit. Sure, the Thrashers signed some players (we all know this) and these players weren't the ones we had in mind initially (likewise), but the roster was finally taking shape for the upcoming season.

With the hiring of Coach Anderson, and the departure of Associate/Assistant Coach McCrimmon, many wondered who would help out the Coach behind the bench and try to rally with the team. The answer to this question revealed itself last week as it was stated that Randy Cunneyworth and Todd Nelson will now play the roles of assisting to the Coach. It was an interesting move simply because Cunneyworth's name has been tossed about with NHL head coaching vacancies lately and he's now secured an assistant spot with the Atlanta Thrashers. Nelson arrives because of his ties to Anderson in Chicago, which is a bit reassuring. Anderson knows Cunneyworth through his time in the AHL and he directly worked with Nelson on the Wolves' staff. It's good to know that there aren't three question marks that will be coaching the Thrashers next season (and beyond!).

Also, take this as you will, it was noted on the highly reputable (hmm...) hockey rumors website Hockey Buzz (OMG MATS HASN'T SIGNED WITH THE HABS YET, OMG) that there are plans for more jerseys, league-wide, for the upcoming season. This blurb fortunately isn't deemed an E3 or anything, so that's nice. The source of this is actually from Howard Berger, a top-notch radio persona and writer for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Apparently, he has seen a number of new third-jersey designs for some teams, including our Atlanta Thrashers. Here's what he had to say about these new "sweaters":

ATLANTA: The club will introduce a dark red jersey with the word “THRASHERS” on the front, just above the player’s uniform number, which will appear on both sides of the design. A broad white stripe will adorn each arm of the jersey with a dark red number in the stripe. A broad white-and-dark blue stripe will run down the sides of the jersey.

For more on this (as well as descriptions of a few other teams), the link is here.

As I said, it's getting slow, news-wise! Hopefully we'll hear of a trade in the coming weeks that will simultaneously bowl us over and bring some temporary disappointment (in that one of our favorites is sure to leave).

McCrimmon Out, Bodily Functions Back To Normal

Wouldn't you prefer to bleed red? And cry "blue" tears? How realistic is it to even bleed blue anyways? Brad McCrimmon apparently feels the same way. Either that or he noticed the chance of a lifetime at his doorstep and decided to take advantage of it.

A favorite of many of the Atlanta Thrashers, last year's associate coach Brad McCrimmon is officially out of the South and making the move from Blueland to Hockeytown USA. He's joining the Detroit Red Wings as their Assistant Coach, replacing Todd McClellan, who left for greener (or tealer?) pastures in San Jose to seize their head coaching position. This is a nice move for "Beast" and is most certainly a promotion. While he retains nearly the same title as he had in Atlanta, becoming an assistant is a bigger deal than it is here in Atlanta. I mean, let's be serious here.

Good job for Coach McCrimmon for landing a possible dream job (that's not a head coaching position) and we wish him the best of luck in Detroit!

Blogrolls Updated

Take note, followers! (If there are any, that is!) I've updated the list of preferred and followed blogs.

While I do feel a slight need to revamp the site for the upcoming season, I'm unsure if I'm feeling that creative just yet. We'll see what happens.

Welcome to the bloggerati, Blueland Chronicle, Thrashers 411 and Mr. Ice Man!

Obligatory Thrashers Updates That You Were Already Familiar With

I'll start with what's already been written about and I'll finish with something of personal relevance and, possibly convenience, mmmkay? Let's go!

The Atlanta Thrashers announced their schedule for the '08-'09 season. Yahoo! Now it's time to pinch pennies so that I can make my annual purchase next month for the home opener and the season closer.

The Atlanta Thrashers also signed the following players to contracts for the immediate future: Joey Crabb, Nathan Oystrick, Kari Lehtonen (yay?), Marty Reasoner, Brett Sterling, and Angelo Esposito. I question the Kari signing because I hope it's not a prelude to him getting dealt. It's no secret that I enjoy Kari's presence between the pipes for the Thrash, so I'd hate to see him shipped away. The Thrashers are lookin' good in goal for the short-run, though, with the re-signing of Da Moose and Ondrej Pavelec waiting in the wings. Just like everyone else, I'd hate to see my one of my favorite players shipped away. My favorite Thrasher was (and possibly still is) Marc Savard, so while I didn't like the idea of him moving north to Boston, I understood it because he was a UFA at the time and he controlled his destiny. Kari, not so much. Let's hope he sticks around Blueland for this season and that everything works out swimmingly well.

Former 99x DJ and Thrashers announcer Steve Craig will leave Atlanta for a new radio job in New York in the coming weeks, meaning that the voice of Blueland will be replaced come October. Steve's one of those guys who had a fantastic voice and had genuine passion and knowledge of hockey as opposed to some random filler guy who could possibly butcher last names at the drop of the hat and not know the difference between a power play and off-sides. Steve's presence in Blueland will be missed and we hope he does well in all of his ventures in New York!

Lastly, something that was tossed around lately is the idea of a practice facility moving down south... south like Peachtree City. Considering I'm a resident of a neighboring town, this is cool news. While I don't expect there to be a full move from Duluth to PTC, the prospect of a rink on the southside of Atlanta is awesome. I wasn't around when there was a rink in Newnan (and it's now an aquatic center, I think), but I visited the IceForum in Morrow back in '01, right before it closed. If there's one thing I really hate about living on the south side of town is that the closest rink is in Duluth, which is about 90 minutes north of me (roughly).

Basically, I'm not too sure about this idea simply because it will be in Peachtree City. I honestly don't think the residents of the bubble town would approve of it because of the failures of the previously mentioned rinks. While I'm overwhelmingly in favor of it, it will be hard to convince the casual golf cart riders of the world to approve of something that doesn't look promising... and to fund it with tax money for years and years. I remember when the tennis center was sparkling new and how there was talk about hosting some local and possibly national tournaments there. When I worked in that part of town at that time, I only remember one, maybe two, tournaments occurring there. As of right now, it's simply a members only club without any prospect of anything more becoming of it.

Unfortunately, I could see the same thing happening with this new ice rink/fitness facility. There's hints that it could provide revenue to the residents of Peachtree City and Fayette County and prospective tournaments held there, but who's to say that will actually happen? I'm sure that the rink would create interest and that all of the transplants (myself included) would flock there early on, but what about in the long run? I know of the existence of a roller hockey league in PTC, but is there enough interest for an ice hockey league to sustain such a place? I like the argument that this new PTC facility is closer to the airport than the rink in Duluth, and I think that even a place like PTC's Falcon Field could be used in a similar argument. And it's common knowledge that transportation is a little smoother on the southside as opposed to the tightly-congested northside of town. We'll see. It proves exciting for me, but probably not so much for PTC residents and Delta families.

Coming up next week - an unforeseen trade that has everyone scratching their heads, ticket prices are reduced and somehow revenue increases, Kovy gets the captaincy, Don Waddell steps down, the Atlanta Spirit Group gets bought out by members of the Nasty Nest, and the proclaiming of "KNIGHTS!" during the National Anthem is deemed illegal with jail-time for repeat offenders. Oh, who am I kidding here?!

Thrashers Snag Williams (and I Wax Skeptic)

Last nite, the Thrashers added another piece to their team, signing forward Jason Williams to a one-year deal.

I was mildly surprised to see not that Atlanta inked Williams, just that Atlanta acquired anyone period. We've been conditioned (up to this point) to think that significant moves may not be a reality. Of course, that's really not the case. Just because the Thrashers signed (or overpaid?) d-man Ron Hainsey, added a few kids, and signed Eric Boulton for another two years doesn't rule out anything. It just seems like this is the off-season from hell, something that certainly wasn't considered on June 30.

I'd lie if I said that I wasn't disappointed with the lack of players flocking to Atlanta's hockey hotbed.

Er, mask your sarcasm!

I think this summer really brought things into perspective for Thrashers fans. Last season, we were so misguided (just like the rest of the team) and had no idea what lay ahead. A superstar in Marian Hossa departed because winning wasn't a number one priority to the Atlanta Spirit Group. Who knows how much truth there was to that, but Hossa was probably on to something with that kind of gesture. Having a select bunch of individuals own a hockey team (few with hockey expertise?) and simultaneously involved in a battle over ownership with a cast-out figurehead really takes the energy away from the product that matters - our Atlanta Thrashers (and those Atlanta Hawks, and our Philips Arena...). However, isn't the ownership group in Tampa Bay similar (involving a handful of guys, sans courtroom battles)? Look what they accomplished in the past two weeks. (Some could argue that they haven't achieved much as they've signed forward after forward and let their number one defenseman out to dry... and their head coach is a Mullet.)

Truth be told, I'm skeptical. I'm a skeptic by nature. When life hands me lemons, I wonder why I was handed them in the first place and who handed them to me and what the condition of the lemons was, etc. You bet I was disappointed by the lack of signings on July 1st, and then July 2nd, and so on. Sure, the Hainsey signing has a lot of potential and it could be a great move. But there's just too much hanging on that for me though and, like everyone else, I wanted an instant "YES!" moment. I wanted the marquee name at a decent price that expressed an overwhelming desire to sport the Thrashers crest and proudly call Blueland home for the coming seasons.

That never really came. And it wasn't even a realistic notion. To say that Brian Campbell was modestly rewarded for his time spent in the league, his talents, and his recently highlighted skill sets is an understatement. I'm thrilled that Atlanta didn't sign him for the compensation he received from Chicago.

When it comes to free agency and a team's needs, the best team needs to win. This past off season, no team won anything; it was a player's field day. Does Brian Campbell really think that Chicago can get into the playoffs and be a serious contender this season (or the next)? Perhaps, but when a player of his caliber signs an eight-million dollar a season contract, I'm sure he wasn't completely motivated by winning. Who even knows if someone like Brian Campbell feels like he rightfully deserves that kind of money? I mean, I think he's making even more than Ilya Kovalchuk at this point. How much does that make sense? And if that's the case, how ridiculous is that?

Now that it's realized that the Thrashers are in a bind with signings, I'm grateful for anyone that comes their way now. With two weeks into the free agency period and a decent sample size of suitable players remaining, the act of overpaying someone to play here reduces. Players simply want to play hockey in the NHL come October and they'll dress for anyone who has an interest in their skills. When the Thrashers target their next free agent, I'm positive that they aren't planning on getting the paycheck of their lives. They just want to play and they will be thrilled at the opportunity. But are these kinds of players the difference-makers?

We'll see. It's all about chemistry. Coach Anderson is all about that. (And what hockey coach isn't, really? Except Don Waddell.) There's something about Coach Anderson that says that this kind of chemistry isn't unrealistic. Players come together and play as a unit, not individuals. Wins matter, not running up the scores. When one guy gets knocked down, another reciprocates. And it's all in the name of sport and fun. Or so it seems.

Long story short, I'm just glad to see a player come this way. I'm hoping that Jason Williams gets a fair shot in Atlanta and that he also gives Atlanta an opportunity to wow him. Atlanta isn't as terrible as you might think, Dan Boyle. Given our set of circumstances that we're currently caught up in, anyone new is welcome.

Either I'm just apathetic at this point or I'm really bleeding blue. I'm really hoping it's the latter. Regardless, I'm ready for the puck to drop in October!

Prospect Camp, 2008/07/10 (in words)

As you can see through my previous post, I went to Duluth to take in the yearly prospect camp that the Atlanta Thrashers host. What's so awesome about these events is that you're seeing into the future. At last year's prospect camp, Toby Enstrom, Bryan Little, and Ondrej Pavalec were featured and we all know how their run-ins with the NHL were. Toby was a serious contender for the Calder Memorial Trophy (rookie of the year), Little started the season in the bigs (but couldn't quite fit into the system, or whatever you could call it as there was no "real" coach, more-or-less, all season long), and Pavalec stepped up big time while Kari was out with injuries early on. So you know that the players you're watching at these camps have great potential to be the real thing.

This year, tons of focus was given to the Thrashers' most recent draft pick, Zach Bogosian, who was drafted third overall. There is a lot of talk that he's soon-to-be the eventual savior of the Thrashers' blueline. For a kid who isn't even 18 yet, he has a lot of weight on his shoulders. But after watching him skate, like everyone else, I was impressed with how he was on the ice and how the ice seemingly belonged to him. His skating was smooth, his passes were money, and his shots would result in a lot of ducking and cowering. He's clearly a defenseman with an offensive edge to him, someone the Thrashers needed for a long time now. As soon as he was drafted, Blueland should've just rolled out the red carpet for this guy because he's getting that kind of fan-fare. It's insane. People to the left and right of me were talking him up and down and it was crazy. Naturally, that's all I wanted to watch was Bogy. But with other highly qualified skaters on the ice, it was hard to just cast them aside for the wunderkind.

My focus eventually strayed from Bogy (who was sporting number 44 for the camp) and just tried to absorb the big picture, paying more attention to guys who were standing out in their own ways. Angelo Esposito was a highly-touted draft pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins and I wanted to pay attention to him because of that and because of how he was talked-down up until the the 2007 draft. Riley Holzapfel's abilities warranted some discussion at last year's camp and I tried to keep an eye on him for a while. Defensive favorites of mine include Grant Lewis and Chad Denny, both of whom I watched last year.

So while I had my list of highlighted names to look out for, and my actual list to match numbers with names, it was damned near impossible to keep track of these relative unknowns. Because I'm exposed to these types of players once a year, it's hard to leave a lasting impression with me, especially when I only see them one day of camp (and the camp runs about a week). I'd try focus on Holzapfel's passing, but while I'd do that, I'd miss some insane skating from someone who I never heard of. Then I started watching the new guy, and then I'd realize that I'd miss what's going on in the corner over there (like a Bogosian hit or something).

With that said, I sadly cannot provide great objective descriptions of these players that other sites have recently. What was interesting was that I was fortunate enough to watch the teams scrimmage and attempt a few shootout maneuvers. The scrimmage ended up in a rout, something like 6-2, in favor of the blue team (that featured Bogosian and Holzapfel). Lucky for me, most of the scoring was by my end of the rink, so I witnessed most of the goals as they happened, instead of trying to figure out what happened across the rink. Esposito's passing set up at least one of the goals, and two guys managed to score twice each. One of the players who scored twice was recent draft pick Zach Redmond, another defenseman. One of his goals was a result of a ridiculous move through several members from the white team.

It's players like Redmond that make the prospect camps so worthwhile. You start paying attention to the bigger names, the higher profiled guys, and the kids who really end up standing out are the lesser-known ones, like Zach Redmond.

Something that I never noticed in the past was the presence of the head coach at the prospect camp. Granted, Coach Anderson is very familiar with the youth and some of the players that were at the camp. I'm unsure if this played any role into his appearance at this. But it was refreshing to see the new head coach of the Atlanta Thrashers directly getting involved with the younger members of the organization, something Bob Hartley seldom did.

Also, while Bogosian simply dominated the day I went (and I've heard similar reports from other days of camp), I'm still skeptical about him. The kid's 18 in a matter of days and people are already penciling him on the opening day roster. I don't question his abilities at all, but I'm just wondering how he'll perform with guys that have played hockey as a career. How will Bogosian fit onto a team that features players like Kovalchuk, Kozlov, Hedberg, etc.? More importantly, how will he play against ridiculously-skilled players like Lecavalier, Ovechkin, Crosby, Malkin, etc.? To make comments about his play that suggested otherwise, that would be cause for concern. Bogosian is supposed to dominate these other prospects, apparently (according to the hype), and he's achieved that. But is he really ready to be a full-time NHL player? Time will tell. I'm sure that after his performance with this past week's camp, however, he earned an invite to training camp in September.

Prospect Camp, 2008/07/10 (clicky)

Here are some pics from Thursday's prospect camp in Duluth. More are on the flickr.

Up Next - Thrashers Prospect Camp!

While this off-season isn't that satisfying to some Thrashers fans, the next best thing is actual hockey, which is going on up in Duluth this week for the annual prospect camp. I have yet to make the trip there, but I fully intend to jet out of work and make my way to the Ice Forum.

Ben at the Blueland Blog is writing every single day about the happenings over there, and provides a great, well, introduction to how prospect camps work. Typically, I'm not big on researching the young'uns prior to these kinds of happenings, so, needless to say, it's very confusing to find out who's who and by the time you might have things figured out, it's time to pack up the pucks and resurface the ice. What I basically do is hang out in the same spot and try to pick up on what others are saying about the kids on the ice. Now that we're a couple of days into the camp, I'm sure the regulars in the crowd can differentiate between the Zach Bogosians from the, er, Scott Bartletts.

I'll do my best to report what I could make out and I'm going to do what I usually do and attempt to get some decent pics (at the very least). As hockey season starts back up, expect more updates - and that's a promise!

Hey, if anyone knows if the kids tomorrow need anything like, say, deodorants, mouthwashes, or aspirin, gimme a holler and I'll do my best to hook up some young Thrashers! I guess that's one upside working retail... ugh.

All's Quiet On the Thrash Front

Wow, has it really been more than five months since I've blogged about the Thrashers? That's mildly depressing, but given how the season ended, I'm not all that surprised, really. I mean, le Thrash handed over Marian Hossa and Pascal Dupuis (PWEE!) to the runner-up Pens, finished in the bottom three teams in the NHL, and pretty much bottomed out.

By the beginning of April (i.e. the end of the season), the Thrashers had zero identity. There was no coach to speak of, with no real hints as to who the replacement would be. One of the league's superstars (Marian Hossa) decided that Atlanta wasn't close to providing the winning environment he wanted dearly and departed. The "captaincy" of Bobby Holik was nonexistent. And no one on the team had anything to play for. Hell, they couldn't even play the role of spoiler because Washington was the real deal after the trading deadline in March and all other Southeast Division "threats" were nowhere to be found. It was terrible.

Needless to say, this off-season left a lot of room for changes. Literally. With the departures of Hossa, Holik, and the recent buyout of defensive pilon Alexei Zhitnik, the Thrashers had tons of money to spend with free agency signings occurring, starting on July 1. To add to that, the salary cap increased yet again for this upcoming season, and with that increase, the Thrashers had to spend a good amount just to reach the salary floor of $40 million.

So when July 1 came and went, nothing was accomplished. Sure, we probably attempted to bring in some of the bigger names that would've provided instant gratification (i.e. Wade Redden or Brian Campbell), but all was quiet. After July 2nd, all that we could muster up was a younger defenseman from Columbus, Ron Hainsey. Gone were the Campbells, the Reddens, the Rozsivals, the Commodores, and the Streits from the defensive pool that could've helped strengthen our blueline. To add insult to injury, we needed a good forward to help out Kovy (something that he's missed since Savard left two seasons ago). Did I mention that the only player we signed as of right now is defenseman Ron Hainsey?

Two areas that hint at promise for next season are the hiring of John Anderson as head coach and the drafting of defenseman Zach Bogosian. Anderson will attempt to coach the youth of the Thrashers, something that wasn't a priority while Bob Hartley was calling the shots. Considering how things have gone in the AHL with his old team, the Chicago Wolves (i.e. the Thrashers' farm team), I think Anderson is in a good position, along with most of the younger guys who attempt to land themselves a roster spot come October. Bogosian appears to be the next Ray Bourque, Scott Stevens, Bobby Orr, and/or Chris Pronger. For a kid who isn't even close to being past his teen years, he has a lot of weight on his shoulders already for this organization. With someone this young, there's absolutely no telling what's next for Bogo. He could bust out of the gates early and validate every bit of hype or he could take a while to mature. But considering that Anderson is the new head coach, I'm positive that the necessary steps will be taken for this kid's development into a full-time NHL defenseman for the Atlanta Thrashers. If Hartley was still in charge, I'd be terrified. I mean, look what happened to Braydon Coburn. Ugh.

So now that a few things are actually shored-up for the team, there are still holes that need to be addressed in order to calm the masses. Before noon on July 1st, there was a TON of promise with this team. While some had their doubts about the prospective dollars that could be handed out to certain free agents, the sky was the limit for the Thrashers. Technically, we could've signed two BIG NAME players on Tuesday and still probably had room for another slot, or maybe two, to fill. The real problem with this is, as The Falconer wisely stated on his blog, no one wants to come to the Thrashers. The ownership is in shambles and hockey isn't viewed as high on their radar. There isn't much respect (hockey-wise) for our General Manager, Don Waddell. And I'm sure that the drawn-out process of getting Hossa to re-sign last season (which led to his departure) didn't help things at all. Atlanta is not perceived as a winning franchise. As a result, no bigger named players want to come here because why play for a team that isn't committed to winning? It's a good point, and this is what makes signing players so difficult for the Thrashers. You then are at the point of baiting players with tons of money and open promises. If the Thrashers made the playoffs in the past few seasons, I'm sure that free agents wouldn't be so hesitant to sign with us because of that winning reputation (or at least hard-working). But with one post-season appearance in the team's history, no post-season wins, and nothing else to really show for it, it's incredibly difficult to persuade elite players to play here. It's a terrible position to be in, but the Thrashers have to make the best of it now and try to bring in the real players, the ones who will instantly make a difference, in the coming seasons.

So we'll see what happens in the coming days and weeks as the fall draws nigh. We still need to address the holes at defense and land a GOOD forward. Who from this list do you think provides the "best fit" for the Thrashers at this time? Personally, I wouldn't mind a Brendan Morrison, Paul Mara, or even trying to go after San Jose RFA Christian Ehrhoff (depending on how their cap situation is).

I don't know what to think anymore. I was definitely one of the people who was checking online constantly on Tuesday to see if we signed anyone notable. Then I was checking sporadically on Wednesday, only to find out about Hainsey. It's still non-stop checking just to see if we added ANYONE.

A bunch of drafted kids from last month (as well as older fellas from previous drafts) will attend the upcoming prospect camp next week in Duluth. I'll do my best to make it up there for a day or two and come back with some pics of the new-uns.

Happy Fourth of July!

Photos: Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun (clicky)

From Saturday's rock fest...

Recap & Photos: The Kills (clicky)

On Wednesday evening, you could've found me at The Earl, checking out the post-punk duo The Kills. Their "thing", you see, is that they consist of only two members and rely on a drum machine to provide the underbelly of their tunes. There's just no way you could conceive of two people with guitars (sometimes just one) and a drum machine sounding so mind-blowing, but somehow The Kills do it. And that's exactly what they accomplished on Wednesday.

Back in 2005 (I think), they played Coachella and upon returning home, I noticed that a lot of people were commenting on their set and saying how awesome it was. I took a minute to get into what I missed out on and got very little out of it. Either I wasn't there mentally or I just didn't get the sound or whatever, but their newest album at the time (No Wow) refused to stick with me. So I kinda brushed 'em aside and that was that. Then they came out with Midnight Boom this year and things changed. Lead-off single "U.R.A. Fever" got stuck in my head for days and refused to leave. What was really odd what that I didn't really think the song was that special after first hearing it. I decided to go back to what I previously cast away and listened to No Wow and I was swept up in it, along with this new record. After hearing that their tour for Midnight Boom was ending in Atlanta, I wanted in and prepared for anything. I just couldn't think that their kind of setup would be as propulsive and explosive as what was hyped.

Damn, was I wrong. They brought it hard and they brought it loud; it was insane! There was a screen playing various videos behind them while they were doing their thing, with videos of seemingly random things to performances of Patti Smith and Tom Petty. Alison Mosshart, who does most of the vocal work, really had my attention most of the night, and she definitely commanded it. Whether it be through her creepy glances to the back of the club or through her odd stage antics (like walking in circles or distinct squares in between songs), I was drawn to her. The other player, Jamie Hince (who provides a vast majority of the guitars), displayed tons of intensity throughout their set, often yelling while playing. You'd think that with their kind of guitar sound (especially how LOUD it is), the guitars would be enough for noise, but apparently not.

At any rate, the show was awesome and a great surprise. Here are some decent pics from the gig and hopefully they'll do the show justice.

Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun - TONITE!

Today's a day I've had circled on my calendar for a long while now, for it is Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun's record release party at Vinyl.

I've known about this band for a little less than a year and I've heard the songs live several times over that period. A few months ago, my wife and I were invited to their studio to listen to some early mixes of songs that were slated to appear on their debut release. While this band is meant to play live, the rough takes sounded awesome and their official release finally sees the light of day, uh, tonight. Weird sentence there.

ANYWAY!

TTMTTS' debut EP, "Hurry Up and Wait", will feature most of the live staples from the past year and I'm sure that they will not disappoint. This band just tears it up in the clubs and I cannot wait for them to rip apart the speakers of my car.

If you're not doing anything this evening, I highly suggest that you take a trip to Vinyl (located in the CW Midtown Music Complex with Center Stage and The Loft). The show starts at 9PM and tickets are only $8. Sure, gas is pricey these days, but when you can get your face melted for only eight dollars, I'd say that's a tremendous deal.

Currently, their myspace is hosting a few songs from their EP. It's only a click away. Get yourself warmed up for tonight!

Also, the Atlanta Rock Blog conducted an informative and insightful interview with all four members of the band. Part one is here, and here's part two.

Gobbledigook

I like Sigur Ros' first album alright.

Then came their second album and I kinda got bored with it.

Saw 'em live after that record and was, at points, in awe, and, at other points, seeing zzz's.

Takk... was released and I got back into the band for a minute.

Was really excited to see them at Coachella in '06 for the sunset. I seriously wasn't impressed.

And, now, it looks like we have a new Ros record on the way, called Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust. Thank goodness for copy and paste, right?! Somehow it translates to With a buzz in our ears we play endlessly. Whatever, guys!

At any rate, the first song is available for download at their website, and that has the childish title of "Gobbledigook". Finally, a Sigur Ros song title that I can actually pronounce! And you know what? I actually like the song a lot! The band claims that this record will be Sigur Ros at their happiest. "Gobbledigook" definitely reinforces that statement. There's a bunch of "lalalalalala"s going on in the intro that are reminiscent of the last Flaming Lips record, and that leads into a propulsive, kinda muted drum beat with nicely melodic vocals. I'm really digging it.

Actually, it gets a little better. The "Hopelandic" stuff is taking a backseat and more Icelandic is prevalent on this new record. But the killer is the last song on the LP. It's called "All alright" and it's apparently sung in English. This could get a little crazy.

There's such a beautiful sense of mystery with the band's music, partly because of these so-called lyrics that no one can understand, except "the band" (and who knows if the lyrics have meaning or are simply sounds to gorgeously accompany the music). Now that the band has been around for close to eight years, we all know what to expect when listening to a Sigur Ros album. You're gonna get swept away in the lush soundscapes and the words/vocals will mean whatever you want them to mean. There's no trying to read between the lines with this band; each person's listening experience will be different. That's what makes Sigur Ros so profound - messages transcend meanings.

So how will this English track be received? Will the magic of the band disappear as they now have an appeal to a whole other audience? Granted, everyone has emotions and their music should have an impact on everyone simply because the sounds they create are so emotive. But now that ONE song is sung in English, does that change the dynamic of the band or their fanbase? Will the band face any kind of backlash because of this decision? It's definitely an interesting move for the group and we'll see how it pans out.

Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust is released to the masses on June 24 (US). Enjoy your Hopelandic/Icelandic Sigur Ros while you still can!

Look what the foocow dragged in...

Exhibit A: Miikka


Exhibit B: Vesa


Welcome to the family, Miikka and Vesa!

State of the Blog Address

When I started this blog, I really didn't know how to start it. For a while, I didn't even have a title. Subject matter spewed all over the place, from favorite TV shows of mine to music that I love to traveling to sports. At that point, it didn't matter what I wrote about as long as I wrote what was true to me.

Then things got a little wild with my favorite hockey team and I jumped on that wagon. It lasted for a while. Actually, it will last forever, but seasons like this past one made the fandom and writing rather difficult. So that explains why the writing came to a halt there. Or does it?

Either way, it's amazing that people still somehow find this blog even though it's been a stagnant place for months now. It seems like there was a period of time when I couldn't tell if anyone was reading anything, but I'd receive the occasional comment. When the writing stopped a few months ago, the comments and emails were building, but about something I wrote well before I started writing about hockey (which was the main focus of this blog).

The post in question was about a friend of mine, musician A.A. Bondy. He's a brilliant guy who has this great album that was re-released just today and he just made an appearance on the Conan O'Brien show in support of it.

It's just weird how things like this work out, know you? The past few months for me have been a whirlwind of adventure, fun, and loving life. In February, I got married and last month we went on our honeymoon to Hawaii. I've been to a few hockey games and been to a few shows. As a matter of fact, a band that I've really appreciated over the past months is a band you'll hear a lot more about, and they're called Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun. But there's time to talk about them in the future.

Basically, to whoever has stumbled across this blog, thanks for reading. I'm not planning on stopping, that's for sure. I'm thankful for the kind words, really. Let's see where else this thing can go.

All Points West - Correction!

In an earlier post, I mentioned the All Points West music festival that's "set" to take place in New Jersey in early August. What I had wrong is the website, apparently. Here's the correct link:

http://www.apwfestival.com/

I signed up for the mailing list when the website was first online and I have yet to receive anything from Goldenvoice about it, so we'll see what actually happens with this website. I'm pretty excited about the prospect of the event though. I mean, I went to the two Radiohead shows there in 2001 and I have to say that the venue for this festival is amazing and the views from Liberty State Park are speechless. Usually, with Coachella, the scenery is a crucial part of the event. Tucked into the San Jacinto Valley, the Empire Polo Fields are surrounded by palm trees and mountains are the backdrop to just about everything. It's ridiculous. So it comes as no surprise to me that the "Eastern" Coachella boasts scenery that includes an amazing view of downtown Manhattan... and the ass of the Statue of Liberty. I mean, if you want scenery for a New York/New Jersey music festival, you just cannot beat this:



Needless to say, I'm hoping that this event does happen and doesn't turn into another Field Day fiasco that occurred in 2003. (Wait, it happened in 2005! Psych.) If Radiohead had two mindblowingly good shows in 2001 without a hitch, why wouldn't a music festival have the same luck, right?

vs. Pens - 2008/01/30

A-ha! It seems as if the Thrashers have returned to their winning ways, collecting two points against the Pittsburgh Penguins last nite at Philips Arena. For the first time in much too long, I was actually able to catch the entire game via the television broadcast. It's been fairly difficult to balance hockey with everything else going on and, needless to say, the girl and I haven't been to a game in, like, forevers. So when we realized that we had a free evening ahead of us to sit down, relax, and pay attention to the game, it was nice to return to normalcy for a change.

Personal things aside, I thought that the Thrashers played a great game. I don't think I can really add any more positive words about Kari's performance last nite. Seriously. It seemed like he was in the right place at the right time for every shot on him. The "no-goal" was a good call with all of the added examination, but I wasn't too happy about the defensive positioning during that play. If that Pens rookie would've made some "stick-and-puck" contact, it definitely would've been a different story. Zhitnik's rear got to see more of the action on that play than Kari, which clearly wasn't beneficial at all. Fortunately we caught a break and an off-ice ruling went in the Thrash's favor.

It's definitely unfortunate about the Kovalchuk injury. Initially, I thought Kovy was hamming it up to influence the severity of the call against Ruutu. I figured that the so-called "knee-on-knee" injury wasn't that much of a big deal and that Kovy would return later on in the period and continue to wreak havoc. Apparently I was incorrect when I made those assumptions... kinda. While Kovy did return later on (something that I expected), it was apparent that the injury he suffered was more of a bigger deal than both he and I envisioned. I'm sure it was more noticeable in the arena, but it was made clear to me when Malkin tried to take advantage of Kovy's lack of speed and attack the net. Kovy wanted to correct the situation and go after Malkin, but he just didn't have the extra "umph" that he normally possesses to continue on with the play. He subsequently left the ice after that play and wasn't to return again.

Don Waddell provided the news to the media this morning that Kovy would be out for the games against Buffalo and Washington this weekend and that he would hopefully return to action next week. This news absolutely affects the Thrashers as Kovy has been the player that has carried the team basically all season long. Early on when the Thrashers would go down four-too-many goals in a game, it was Kovalchuk who rallied the troops and potted a few to start momentum. The power play was looking incredibly weak in the first few games, then Kovalchuk's ridiculous slapper from the point often burned holes into the back of the net and between his goal-scoring and the amazing passing of rookie Toby Enstrom, the power play (before last nite's game) was ranked very close to the top 10 in the league.

When Kovalchuk disappears from the lineup, it's huge. Remember when he was out for that suspension against the Rangers immediately prior to the All-Star break and how the team responded? The score was 2-1, Rangers. Granted, Kovy's goal-scoring was staying a bit in the games leading up to that point, but I'm sure that it's a safe bet to assume that when Kovy is absent from the Thrashers lineup, the offense struggles to either gain control of the puck or create any kind of offense, often both.

Even though the struggling Sabres are in town tomorrow nite, they are nothing to take lightly. Recall when the Sabres didn't have a victory in the New Year... that is, not until they crossed paths with the Thrashers in Buffalo, which regrettably resulted in a 10-1, uh, thrashing of our beloved birds. Since then, Buffalo has still struggled and is nothing close to the team that they were last year. It will be interesting to see how the Thrashers (along with Moose Hedberg, who will get the start tomorrow) respond to such adversity as no Kovy.

Let's not forget about a crucial divisional tilt against the surging Caps in Blueland on Saturday. AO and Kovy are virtually neck-to-neck in the scoring race and when these two teams pair up against each other, it's a treat to watch two of the best players in the game battle it out because you know they both love the spotlight. This game is an even bigger deal as I just mentioned, they are divisional rivals. The playoff race within the Southeast Division has been quite the tag-team affair lately. Three to four teams all want the top spot because, in reality, it looks like that will be the only Southeast representation in the Eastern Conference when the playoffs arrive. Carolina is barely holding on, with the Thrashers, Caps, and Panthers all wanting to have their say in the battle for number one. Right now, Washington is pushing hard for it and we all know what the Thrashers have dealt with in the past couple of weeks. Everyone knows what's at stake and this game will be a crazy one. It must kill Kovy to be in the position that he's in and to watch such a highly competitive game from the press box as a non-factor.

Let's hope this Thrashers squad gets it in gear and keeps the greater end in focus. While every member of the Thrashers roster will tell you that it's best to concentrate on "one game at a time", they all know what they are aiming for and what is the common goal. Concentrate on the wins against Buffalo and Washington - yes - but collecting four points in those games is essential for gaining any ground in the playoff race.

State of the Thrashers?

A Temporary Remedy?
While the NHL event is long gone (bew!), I somehow found an airing of the AHL All-Star Game on CSS this evening. Initially I figured that the broadcast was live, then I found out that this was merely a taping of the event from last nite. And even though I know the outcome of this so-called "Triple A" exhibition, I still feel compelled to watch. A few Thrashers prospects were involved in the game, including those who received some NHL exposure earlier in the season (Brett Sterling and Joel Kwiatkowski).

After watching the first period (it's in between periods right now), the thing that stands out to me so far is the goaltending. Of course, the tempo of the game is a litte mixed (some lax play because of no consequences and some entertaining moves because of the same), but the goalies in the first played rather well. Toronto prospect Tukka Rask and Carolina journeyman Michael Leighton exhibited some strong play, with Rask actually coming out of the net at one point during the action to take the puck from the right circle while surrounded by a few players to gain control of the puck and clear the zone. Basically, it was like a move that Hedberg would do during a typical game situation. Something like that would garner some criticism because of the goalie coming so far out of the crease during what should be a pretty intense situation. In an All-Star Game setting, however, this is met with comments like, "Oh, what a showman!" It probably wouldn't be that "showy" if he bumbled the puck and that play yielded a goal. Either way, it's clear that the players know that all-star games are for the fans and they play up to that completely.

As the second period gets under way, I'll update some more tomorrow (fingers-crossed!) on how I feel about the rest of this game. It makes for pretty neat watching though.

Returning to the Fold
Tomorrow nite the Thrashers start to unravel the second half of the season. Well, maybe that wasn't the best of words to use. As of late, the Thrashers' play hasn't been the best... or even close. After an incredible win in Detroit a few weeks back, the Thrashers haven't been the same since. Actually, it seems that inconsistency is quite a consistent theme for our birds. They'll play mightily against some of the strongest teams in the league (as shown during matchups against Ottawa, Pittsburgh, and obviously Detroit) and then fold completely against weaker opponents, teams they should either matchup fairly evenly with or teams that they should really dominate (i.e. Columbus, Edmonton, Toronto, etc.). Team chemistry somehow went AWOL a few weeks after Don Waddell assumed the throne behind the bench. Kari Lehtonen was left out to dry in several of these matchups and was actually a good reason why the Thrashers defeats weren't complete washouts and complete massacres. Ilya Kovalchuk's hottness has definitely cooled in the few games prior to the All-Star break and then there's the omnipresent cloud hanging over Marian Hossa's head of "TO RE-SIGN OR NOT TO RE-SIGN?"

It's really not that hard to be a Thrashers fan. I mean, the team has some of the most potent offensive players in the league with Kovalchuk and Hossa. When the goaltending is on, Kari Lehtonen is up there with the league's elite between the pipes. And there's the bright star that is Toby Enstrom on the Thrashers blueline squad. There is always a bunch of promise with this team and when they perform, they are top-notch. However, when the other players appear sometimes during games (or not at all), it's more difficult to rush to put your Thrashers sweater over your head prior to walking into Philips Arena for a game. With the current state of the team, you often wonder which Thrashers team will show - the team that can easily win the Southeast Division or the team that will get crushed by the local Mites.

As the calendar flips to February and there is no re-signing of Marian Hossa, trade talks will certainly escalate as the trade deadline draws nigh. He is probably the most appealing free agent to the league once the season ends and July 1st arrives. But what to do with this sitation? Do we trade Hossa to a contender and hope and pray that we get equal (or greater?!) value for our superstar or do we pick up the play so that re-signing in Atlanta doesn't seem like a chore? Is there even "equal value" in the league to trade with to make something like the possible Hossa trade seem fair?

What is certain is that the Thrashers absolutely need to pick up the caliber of play and make a push for the playoffs. Eric Perrin has proved his worth during shorthanded opportunities, but what about even-strength play or even on the man-advantage? For a while there, Todd White was racking up points like woah. His production has since dropped and it appears as if he has plateaued. And what about Slava Kozlov? These players definitely need to pick up their game in the next two months in order to play a little longer in April. I know they can do it just as much as you do. Do these guys feel the same fire though? We'll see, starting tomorrow nite against Pittsburgh.

Update in Un-Deux-Trois... and Quatre

NHL All-Star Weekend
So this weekend was the All-Star Weekend in Atlanta. While I wasn't able to attend any real events, I did make the trip up for the trading card and memorabilia stuff yesterday. It was just awesome to walk into CNN Center and just know that hockey is all around you... and food, as the event was oddly held in the middle of the CNN Center food court. Regardless, the atmosphere was that of a card collector's convention, something I haven't revisited since my teens. Looking at various rookie cards, the game-worn jersey cards (and quickly realizing how ridiculous that concept is), and other hockey-related goodies brought me back a few years and I was beginning to feel like I wanted to haggle a little bit and get a few bargains. Seeing how I didn't do any of that, really, I did make a few purchases, which Maal over at Fire Wagon Hockey would certainly approve of. This will be a nice treat for the soon-to-be Mrs.!



Trading cards aside, I took a few pictures of the memorabilia show as well as some of the surroundings of Philips Arena, including bunches of All-Star-related garb. As is the norm, they are at the flickr site.

Coachella 2008 - Let's go?
Last week, a bunch of chaos circulated around this year's Coachella Festival lineup. Because of the veteran that I am, I certainly had an interest in how it would shape up even though I wasn't flying across the country this year (at least not for Coachella). Apparently there was some press conference in Mexico City and bit-by-bit the lineup started leaking to the masses. This year's headliners include Jack Johnson, Portishead, and Roger Waters (performing Dark Side of the Moon).

Can I just say that while it's exciting that Portishead is coming to the desert, it's a bummer that they are headline material? They would be a great warmup for an amazing headliner (i.e. how Pixies into Radiohead worked in '04). And the other two are pure throw-aways for me.

With this festival, it's typical that the second-tier acts and anything less than that make due for an amazing event. In past years, Air, the Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene, Bloc Party, etc. often made the biggest impressions on show-goers because of their standing in the music community or because of the strength of their set. This time around, there are definitely some strong acts, but nothing that makes you want to really fly five hours to California. I love some of the bands playing this year (Stars, Metric, the Breeders, Spiritualized, Les Savy Fav), but their presence at Coachella doesn't make me want to get on a plane and jump across three time zones for an abbreviated set in the desert.

I don't know, maybe it's damned maturity or something, but this year doesn't do that much for me. Maybe it's also because there's the completely uneven scale of "Hawaii vs. Coachella"... or, better yet, "HONEYMOON vs. Coachella, Round Five". Thanks for trying, Goldenvoice, but I'll have a little faith in your so-called "All Points West" (website down at the moment) festival that is apparently slated to run in New Jersey's Liberty State Park in August.

Either way, have a look at the Coachella 2008 poster and see what you think of this lineup.



Weddings-r-Us!
With less than a month before the wedding, things have actually calmed down for a change. We're waiting on responses to boomerang back to Georgia and then time to freak out in a couple more weeks and then, just like that, we're hitched! I can't wait. This is something we've worked towards for 4+ years and, while things aren't exactly how we planned them to be by now, the timing couldn't be any better. I'm just glad that this is all happening and I'm with the best girl possible. I really don't know who else would put up with my schtick for this long and, now, a lifetime. Crazy how these things work out, eh?

Fixation Focus?
To a milder extent, the Fixation Focus returns. Since the end of July, I've seen this band start it up and play a few gigs. They're like nothing I've heard from the Atlanta area and they are just great people that are doing this. The band is Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun and you should definitely keep a lookout for them in 2008. Described to me as "indie-guitar-electro-fuzz rock", this band is completely awesome. They've already opened for The Comas, Great Northern, Fiction Plane (Sting's son's band), and IAMX and are poised for more recognition. They are currently putting down tracks for a seven-song EP that will probably get out there in April or May (fingers crossed!). They have a show at the Star Bar in Atlanta on March 1st, so definitely mark that on your calendar and be ready for a complete aural assault!

Practice - 2007/12/10

You know, when the Thrashers usually acquire a new player, us fans are used to the idea that there is always a price to pay. Some feel that after last year's trade for Keith Tkachuk, we traded away everything but the kitchen sink. We didn't stop there and obtained Pascal Dupuis from the Rangers for one of our picks, Alex Bourret. And then there was the "at the time it seemed like a good idea, but..." trade for Alexei Zhitnik, which led to Braydon Coburn's departure. Other than those transactions, the only other "main" trade is the one everyone falls back on when the Thrashers are mentioned - the Hossa/Heatley deal. So as a Thrashers fan (at least in my limited awareness of these kinds of deals), I've grown accustomed to the idea that in order for us to gain anything in terms of players, the team usually gives up a little more than they bargained for.

For once, history did not repeat itself and the upper management team of the Thrashers shocked the NHL world and picked up veteran forward Mark Recchi off of re-entry waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins. Because of this kind of signing, the Thrashers only pay half of his salary, while the Pens pick up the other half.

So you're gonna tell me that we picked up a player who, in his career, averages almost a point per game for only six figures? This is a great move by our GM and it already showed this morning when I attended practice up in Duluth. Rex was all smiles it seemed and got his mouth flowing with his teammates. I often saw him hang around Todd White, but he spent some time with Brad Larsen and (to my knowledge) shared a line with Bryan Little and Eric Perrin. Tom over at Talkin' About Practice (a Thrashers practice blog) has some more information on the types of drills that were run and what other players Recchi teamed up with.

Like what Ben mentioned in this morning blog post, I couldn't help but think of the similarity between Recchi and Brett Sterling. The body type was pretty similar and I feel that some of the facial features were close as well. The whole reason why I made my way up there was because of Recchi, but when I saw him on the ice about 10 minutes early and with the number 8 on the back of his helmet, I kept telling myself that Sterling usually wears number 21 and he's in Chicago... what's going on?! Good thing I was solo and kept my mouth shut there. :)

With regards to the Sterling thing and the pairing with Little, I think it's gonna be great that Recchi will spend some time with the young'uns and I know that the kids will be all ears whenever Recchi has some words in their direction. What will be interesting is the moves that will transpire because of Recchi's spot on the roster. George over at Talking Thrash speculated about what roster moves might occur, but here's to hoping that kids like Little and Haydar aren't affected by the signing of Rex.

For now, take some time to get used to this new face in Blueland:



For more pics from this morning's practice, just check the ol' reliable Flickr.