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The Lebron James Saga…Through Song

9 Jul

The Lebron James free agent saga will be put to rest over the upcoming days…at least until the NBA season nears a beginning and ESPN basketball analysts begin to obsess over the big three in Miami and how they can become an unstoppable ball bandying force. I’m looking at you Adande. It was a long, at times arduous process, ending in an unpleasant result for James’ home city and other Lebron contender’s fan bases. But, Miami took home the ultimate prize after a media spectacle that probably garnered more ratings than any NBA finals will ever succeed in drawing. I would now go into a sports fans useless analysis of the Lebron situation, but, this is a music blog and, by god, I shall keep my objectivity with all sports (except for the Mets and the Jets who I have proved to already be biased towards).

But, I could not avoid the Lebron hoopla and I had to surround a post around it somehow. So, I thought I would display the entire Lebron free agent process through song. That’s right, song.

Preparing his vocal chords

Once upon a time…

Lebron James walked off the court after his Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Boston Celtics in the NBA’s Eastern Conference semifinals. The video of him walking into the player’s tunnel depicted a dejected athlete, anything but a King at that moment of time. But, after much waiting on July 1, 2010, Lebron James officially declared for free agency and the process began. For James, he may have felt some consternation, but overall I’m sure he was…

James was immediately courted (haha Basketball puns) by several NBA teams looking to improve their roster by adding a superstar talent. He set up, or rather his large business entourage set up numerous meetings with these prospective homes for the King. They all presented ways that he could succeed to the true throne by winning championships or making absurd amounts of money. They all showed Lebron a world of…

I feel like Gene Shalit. Lebron heard all of the possibilities and even listened to some fellow ballers, including Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh who urged him to join forces with them in Miami, sparking many pundits to claim that this weird, bad teenage movie-like pact set by Wade, Bosh, and Lebron to play on the same team, had been decided for a while. It seemed perfectly hokey:

Wade and Bosh, who both decided to play together on Miami on Wednesday, lured Lebron with promises of another Queen song. One to the tune of…

Lebron James was hooked. New York would bring bright lights, Chicago, the shadow of Michael Jordan, and Cleveland the comfort of home, but Miami brought together the three musketeers in a red Heat uniform. Lebron decided that instead of announcing his decision quietly, he would instead make a spectacle out of it that would both stroke his ego and keep fans on their toes hoping for a positive decision. Did it make this process a joke? Yes. Was it entertaining? Of course it was. And, last time I checked sports are an overpaid form of grand entertainment.

Russell Crowe aside, Lebron James finally made his decision on an ESPN special and chose to be:

Cleveland Cavaliers fans erupted in loud chants of expletives directed at the former home-grown all-star. It was pure disappointment for Cavs’ fans including Cavs’ owner, Dan Gilbert, who most likely first felt melancholy and cried out:

and then erupted in a fiery diatribe (through words) much to the likes of:

And, Cleveland did not sleep well as the party began in Miami. What can anyone say on the morning after besides:

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World Cup of Glasba (music in Slovenian) Click the Link for your Country!

11 Jun

Let’s just throw out the months of June and the first part of July and instead call it World Cup. The event, which occurs every four years, provides an opportunity for participating nations to unite in support of their soccer team. It’s an exciting tournament and for sports fans in the United States, it is an excuse to watch the true world’s sport, soccer.

Baseball may be America’s past time, but soccer is a universal sport. I, though, am part of the large group of Americans who enjoy the World Cup every four years and then forget about soccer until the Cup rolls around again. Why? Well, I did not grow up a soccer fan. Neither did the majority of Americans. But, the World Cup is different. It is a pride tournament, focusing on Olympic-like sport battles. But, it is only one sport. It is a true battle of specified skill, allowing for an almost war-like concentration on the soccer field. It is a pleasure to watch these athletes defend their countries’ name. And, if our United States team can put on a show, we may see a rise in soccer popularity even after the World Cup is finished.

But, for now, let’s enjoy the buzzing sound of the vuvuzela which provides an annoying, but kind of cool, background to the broadcast. Let’s enjoy the excited fans, the delicacy and patience of soccer, and the passion of the sport. After four years of waiting, the players are giving their complete all. This is what they have trained for. Oh, and let’s also enjoy the South African anthropomorphised World Cup mascot, Zakumi.

While surfing the web for World Cup online material, I came across something I just had to share with you guys. It is called the World Cup Song 2010. The competition is free and for anyone who has an original song about the World Cup 2010 in general, or their specific country. Right now, out of the 367 entries, the USA is represented twice in the top 100 at 67 and 73. England is represented as four of the top five songs. What is going on guys? How will we win on the soccer field if we can’t win in the world of music. I must call for a campaign. I will include the links of the two American contributions below. Click and watch.

“The Surface” – 2010 World Cup Song – Team USA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gmzw2-va-dM&feature=player_embedded#!

US SOCCER SONG ANTHEM VIDEO by Frank Morrison (World Cup 2010)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LmodV7HlSs&feature=player_embedded

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Meet the Mets

4 Jun

I am heading out to Citi field tonight to welcome the “only can win at home” New York Mets back from another unfortunate road trip. Stay tuned later for the official Friday post. But, for now here is the true Mets fight song below. It does not matter how old I get or how much the Mets stink; whenever I know I am going to watch the Mets play I get weirdly giddy. Enjoy and Lets Go Mets!

Upcoming Releases: The Weepies and Blitzen Trapper

3 Jun

I love the Internet. The fact that I can post on this blog and be linked to various other sites, searches and people in a matter of seconds is something extraordinary. Yesterday, directly after Armando Galarraga’s perfect game was taken away by a missed call at first base by umpire Jim Joyce, numerous videos, pictures and reactions spread like the bubonic plague throughout Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and several blogs. A black mark for baseball turned into an Internet wildfire resulting in over 5,000 people joining an anti-Joyce Facebook group by this morning. 

Musicians have also learned to take advantage of this age where a mere Google search can reveal up to the second information about a particular subject. Yes, the unfortunate prevalence of torrents and stealing music has not made life easy for the musician. But, since this topic seems to be as inevitable as Chipper Jones (the third basemen for the Atlanta Braves) injuring himself, musicians have had to learn new ways to get people interested in buying their albums. What is one way they are doing it?

http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=127035190&m=127200669

By releasing the entire album several days before it goes on sale. Blitzen Trapper, the experimental folk/rock/pop sextet based in Portland, Oregon, has released the entirety of their fifth studio album Destroyer of the Void as an exclusive preview on NPR’s website.

Credit: Todd Roeth

 This is an interesting release strategy. It seems similar to going to Borders and reading an entire book before you choose whether or not to buy it. The question can be raised, does this help with sales. I think it’s smart. Blitzen Trapper is just taking advantage of a quick-paced Internet age by allowing fans to get a real bite out of the album. And, if they think it is tasty, they may be more willing to buy either the entire album, or specific songs they like, from Itunes.

After chewing on the album for several minutes, I have tasted something a little wacky, but certainly delectable. Blitzen Trapper’s last release, Furr, ranked #13 on Billboard’s Best Albums of 2008 and the title track “Furr” hit #4 on Billboard’s Best Singles of 2008. This major success lifted Blitzen Trapper to a level of recognition, and I predict that their new release Destroyer of the Void may propel them to an even higher level. Trapper singer/songwriter/composer Eric Earley, with his bands skilled touch, has found a way to organize a true hugger-mugger of genres and styles into a harmoniously neat album that is even more experimental and dramatic than their last album. They have convinced me to buy the album when it officially goes on sale on June 8.

Another idea is simply releasing the album’s first single several months before the entire album is released. The Weepies, the married folk/rock duo from California, have taken this route. Their highly anticipated Be My Thrill will be released on August 31, but, until then, you can listen to the album’s single “I Was Made For Sunny Days” over and over again on their website…or buy it on Itunes. And, if the song is any indication of what the rest of the album will be like, Weepies’ fans can rejoice.

Listen here: http://www.theweepies.com/

“Alejandro” and Miranda Lambert

2 Jun

Hey guys,

Just got back from an amazing trip halfway around the world and I’m ready to re-enter the gates of Blogland!

So Lady Gaga just released a teaser for her newest single Alejandro…judging from the 20 second clip the vid looks just as over-the-top and dramatic as the rest.

The black and white is certainly an interesting departure from the usual vivid pop Gaga fantasy. The single is perfectly timed for summer too-there’s no question that the tropical sound was geared for a summertime release date.

Gaga is also performing on ABC’s Good Morning America summer concert series on July 9th at 7 am. If you are a diehard fan and are lucky enough to be in the NYC area at that time, you should join the madness. If you are like the rest of us, you can fish for the performance on YouTube when you are awake.

Currently Gaga is on a worldwide tour and in the process of creating a new album.

Additionally, country singer Miranda Lambert (26) recently announced her engagement. I’m not one for country, but I’ve been listening to Lambert and I really dig her stuff. Probably because a lot of her music deals with burning or shooting at conniving ex-boyfriends.

If you are ever super p/o-ed, I suggest singles Kerosene and Gunpowder and Lead. I really like the angry woman vibe she puts forward in her songs. Whether she talks of hard liquor, loaded pistols, or pure rage, Lambert injects her personality into every lyric. Hopefully an engagement and wedding will fail to pacify Lambert’s musical fury. In spite of her recent happiness, I doubt that she will turn into a Stepford Wife anytime soon.

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