Culture Greyhound

By now you’re hearing “Oh Love” on the local rock station – it debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Rock Songs Chart and currently sits at #7 on the Alternative chart. The video for the official single is complete, and rumors are the group is already working on a new video for the next single “Kill the DJ,” which is supposed to drop August 14th. If “Oh Love” was a little too poppy for you, this one leans toward older, punchier Green Day. The footage comes from the band’s Red 7 show last November.

This is a live recording of a brand new Deftones track, possibly from their upcoming album produced by Nick Raskulinecz, who also helmed Diamond Eyes, the Culture Greyhound Best Album of 2010. The as-yet untitled album is tentatively slated for an October release. Go here to read frontman Chino Moreno’s interview with Billboard wherein he describes the band’s unique mix of aggression and beautiful soundscapes, and how the new album perfectly captures the mix of those two dynamics.

On September 11, the single above, which you can hear at this locale, will be released by my favorite Austin group, the ever-so-loud Ringo Deathstarr. It’s from their second, crowdfunded album Mauve, which is set to drop on September 24th. If you’ll remember, their previous effort Colour Trip was one of my favorites of 2011, as well as several tracks off that debut. And from the sound of this first taste, they’re sure to repeat that two years in a row.

Lonerism, the new album from one of my favorite spaced-out psych rockers, the ever-casual Tame Impala, is set to drop October 9th here in the States. This is the first official single, set for an August release. It’s been a long time since I saw these guys at the old Emo’s outdoor stage (so long ago, in fact, that particular venue doesn’t exist anymore), but hopefully these guys will have a slew of tour dates to announce soon, including a stop here in Austin. Maybe a late lineup addition to Fun Fun Fun?

This new clip of “What You Want” comes from Boys Noize, an electronic name I had almost completely forgotten about. But apparently that’s stupid, because he’s been pretty active since I was spinning him at KTXT back in 2007. He’s a world-renowned producer (Spank Rock, Das Racist, Santigold), touring DJ, and he’s about to drop his third album, Out of the Black, on October 2nd. This is the opening track from the album, a song he says is inspired by old-school Beastie Boys.

Series Preview: Boston Red Sox @ Texas Rangers

Yu Darvish’s Two Curves – An Analysis

Baseball’s MVPs

I just spent the weekend with Dwight Yoakam. Ok, well not really. I actually just saw him perform two nights in a row at ACL Live downtown. And it was incredible, as per usual. I was kind of bummed he didn’t play any new songs, but I’m completely over it, because today Dwight has announced the release date for his first new album in seven years!

3 Pears comes out September 18th on Warner Bros. Records. That’s right, Dwight’s back with his old label. It will be his first album of new material (not including Dwight Sings Buck, a Buck Owens tribute album) since 2005’s Blame the Vain. According to the release:

3 Pears exemplifies Yoakam’s ability to incorporate multiple, competing influences into a piece of cohesive art. It balances his country core with a fiercely independent embrace of rock, Americana, pop and soul and builds on his trademark edginess with a notable, growing positivity. 3 Pears contains heartfelt love songs, which showcase Yoakam’s authentic country vocals while maintaining his unmistakable classic sound.

Sign me up! He recently relaunched DwightYoakam.Com with a funny intro video and a Soundcloud-uploaded snippet of a new song! Go check it out. 2012 is getting better and better, you guys.

Yours Truly and Adidas Originals recently got together for a Songs From Scratch music series, releasing new original tracks from buzzed-about groups. Danny Brown and araabMUZIK got together for the first time ever for such a track, a quick one called “Molly Ringwald,” which you can stream below. It will be released through Yours Truly and Fool’s Gold records via the Love Letters Ink imprint as a 7-inch and part of a Loosies comp, respectively. Here’s hoping we see these two tear this track up together in November at Fun Fun Fun Fest, as both artists are part of the stellar lineup.

I know what I’m typing here isn’t revolutionary, and since the All-Star Game was last week, it’s more than a little past due in Internet terms. But it’s on my mind and I’ve got nothing better to blog about today, unless you guys want to hear the new Green Day song. Here you go. It’s awesome. Listen while you read. It’ll be all over the radio in 24 hours, if it isn’t already.

So anyway, we all know the Pro Bowl sucks. We hate it. It’s pointless, nobody’s playing hard, nobody cares, it means nothing, it’s a dumb exhibition game.

Well, the MLB All-Star Game is dumber. A lot dumber.

Why? Because ten years ago, MLB decided to incentivize the game. You know, to make the ratings go up, to make the players play harder, etc. To make it more than just a dumb game. “It’s not a break!” went the commercials I kept seeing everyday leading up to it this year.

And it’s been working on the ratings front. This year’s ASG was the most watched program of the week, with over 10 million viewers.

So what’s the incentive? Money? Some sponsored gift, akin to the Super Bowl MVP getting a car, but maybe not as nice? Maybe something dealing with the draft? Nope. It’s HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE for the World Series.

That’s right. A game with several players, voted in by the fans (perhaps undeservingly), who the vast majority won’t be in the World Series, some not even close to the postseason, decide the fate of the two final teams standing in October. In the past 9 years, the league that’s won the All-Star game and earned home field advantage has won the big game 6 times.

So that means my beloved Rangers, who have a pretty great shot at going to the World Series for the third straight year, also have a great shot at losing it for the third straight year and essentially becoming the modern-day Buffalo Bills of baseball. Every team is represented at the ASG, not the best of the best, and you can’t tell me these guys are actually out there, playing with good acquaintances and former teammates, and taking the game seriously. It likely never crosses their mind that potential Game 7 doom rests on the outcome of what they perceive as a more casual affair than the game-every-day grind they’re used to. “Not a break”? Give ME a break.

I know what you all are thinking: “Dude, your team had 8 people on the ASG this year. The AL lost 8-0. It’s on you guys more than anybody.” Well, ok, no, it’s on Verlander, who is an amazing pitcher overall, primarily for that game-deciding 1st inning. Harrison played awful, too. And for the record, my opinion is that Napoli, who has been dismal this season, and Darvish, who was up against far better players in the final vote, shouldn’t have even been there, among many, many other players. Do I think all the Rangers are the best players in the MLB? Of course not. Am I loyal and proud of my team? Absolutely. So yeah, I did the whole #VoteYu thing; he didn’t even play, so whatever. I mean, they’re letting us vote, which is stupid, so why not, right? Vote for your team. Duh.

I’m digressing a bit because I’m in soapbox mode, but what I’m trying to say overall is: either make the game best of the best and have it mean something important, or let fans vote in whoever and bring in undeserving reps from every team and have it mean little to nothing. You can’t have it both ways, MLB. The Royals didn’t deserve to have a spot this year, and everyone knows it. Who cares if it’s in Kansas City? If the fans don’t like it, maybe they should blame management.

My vote? Make it a dumb exhibition game, with every team represented, give them a middling incentive, make it fun. Make it meaningless. Make it a break. Make it the Pro Bowl. The ratings battle has ruined this game, and ultimately it may have ruined my World Series. So, sure, let the fans vote in the highly-paid rookie who’s nailing the strike zone decidedly less than the vets, but crowds love him. Let some rep for a well-under-.500 team have his two or three at-bats and come up short in all of them. That way, when the game everyone cares about comes around in October, we won’t already have a pretty good idea of the outcome.  We can enjoy the second half without the beginning of July looming over us.  We can watch the team with the best record garner home field advantage.  And I would be cool with that.

Because that team would be the Rangers.