Shuffleitis

I've been running into a problem with my iPod lately. It's a problem that I have created a brand new word for - Shuffleitis. Shuffleitis occurs when you run into a string of songs on your iPod where you continually have to fast forward to the next song. I can probably blame this predicament on myself, since I was the one who loaded all the music on the dang thing. I have come to the conclusion that there are 3 cures for this condition:

1. Trim the unnecessary fat from the library. While this method would prove to be extremely time consuming, it would result in remedying the frustrating symptoms that are brought on by Shuffleitis.

2. Create custom playlists. This solution basically takes the randomness out of the equation, as the user is in complete control of what songs come up, as well as the order in which they are played. This takes any surprise element out of the listening experience, but you are left with a group of songs you know you'll be satisfied with.

3. Target in on specific albums/artists. There's nothing wrong with admitting that you are in love with the entire Kenny Chesney catalog. For those of you that have that artist that can do no wrong, just cue them up and select "All". This can also apply to those albums that you can play from front to back without skipping a song. While these types of albums tend to be few and far between these days, they are still out there.

In closing, I hope I've been able to reveal the best ways to overcome this evil condition. If any of you out there happen to have any insight to cures for Shuffleitis, I encourage you to leave your feedback here.

I feel old

I hope you all got to enjoy the beautiful weather we had in MN this weekend. I got to take part in the Lion's softball tournament in Victoria on Saturday. Actually the tournament goes all weekend, but we only got to play Saturday, because we don't really gel as a team. Anyways, I hit pretty well, but my body is paying for it today. I'm not sure if it was all the playing, or the mass quantities of fluid that went down my beerhole, but I feel pretty beat up. Probably not as bad as my compadre, Mike D:
That's his knee. It happened when he fell down in the outfield, flailing after a ball. He's gonna be fine, but he might have to sit out for a few weeks, which blows.

Here are some other items of interest that I've stumbled upon over the past few days:

• I went to college with this guy.
• Want to make some paper sculptures for your desk? Check this out.
• The last Harry Potter book is out...I've never read a one, but I'm thinking about just reading the last one to find out what happens. Should be a good time saver.
  

Superdrag reunion

The original Superdrag lineup is reuniting for 6 shows this fall. Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend the Chicago show, but here's hoping that more dates are added. Here are the tour dates:

October 05 - Nashville, TN @ City Hall
October 13 - Chicago, IL @ Metro
October 20 - Knoxville, TN @ Barley's Taproom
November 02 - New York, NY @ The Fillmore
November 03 - Boston, MA @ Paradise
November 08 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club

And, in case you have no idea who this band is, check out this little ditty and see if it jogs your memory. This was their only real "radio hit", but they have a great catalog of just good ol' power pop/rock tunes. I strongly encourage any fans of good music to check them out.

Happy hump day

We've reached the hump of the week, and things are looking allright. The weather has been nice and cool, just like the gals in my life. And have you been in a music store lately? Holy crap, has this been an awesome week for new albums. New Pumpkins, Interpol, and a re-release of the Foos' classic second album, The Colour and the Shape, have been the highlights for me.

Mtv.com has posted a cool article detailing the "Pinkerton effect" (albums that were crapped on when they were initially released, but after time were recognized for how kickass they truly are). Give it a read here.

And finally, it looks like someone found another way to throw $600 down the toilet.

New Foo album info

Billboard story on the new Foo album is right here. Tentative title of the album is "Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace", and look for it in stores around September 25th. Here's the tracklisting:

The Pretender
Let It Die
Erase Replace
Long Road to Ruin
Come Alive
Stranger Things Have Happened
Cheer Up Boys, Your Makeup Is Running
Summer's End
The Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners
Statues
But Honestly
Home

Woo hoo!

Don't quit yer day job

You are about to experience some rare ass tunes up in this piece. There may be a total of 23 people in the world who own this album. Released on cassette in the spring of '98, limbo's "the basement tracks" launched the career of my solo musical endeavor. It lead to an opening spot at that summer's block party in St. Joseph, as well as....oh, who am I kidding? It lead to nothing. It was my first endeavor into 4-track recording with a cheap ass tape recorder, 1 Radio Shack mic, and even cheaper instruments. But as I look back on the 2 week recording process, I can't help but smile. Granted, the majority of this album is all filler (no killer), but there are a couple tunes that stand out for me. And 2 of these are below. The first is a pretty straight forward, pop/rock song that I wish the whole album could have been. The second track is a noisy song about smelt. So sit back, relax, and experience the sweet sounds of limbo.