KYLE SIMON: KEEP THE MUSTACHE
Posted: July 7, 2013 Filed under: Baseball, MiLB, Phillies | Tags: Kyle Simon, Reading Phillies not Fightins Leave a commentThanks to the “gentlemen” at @PhoulBallz for the news on Kyle Simon:
I’d like to see this nutty guy in the majors at some point.
DEAR GHOSTFACE, BE MY FRIEND
Posted: July 7, 2013 Filed under: Music | Tags: Ghostface, I'm skipping the rest of the tags because I'm not worried about my brand Leave a comment
Thanks to a certain hip-hop warrior from Staten Island, I’ve been woken from my blogging slumber. Our good friend Ghostface Killah posted his 2nd Annual “Top 10 Softest Rappers in the Game.” And it’s as genius as basically every album he’s ever dropped.
This list is a little old, but it’s spot on. Here are some of the highlights:
10. Lupe Fiasco: “This nigga makin will.i.am. seem like DMX yo.”
8. T.I.: “No Mercy was audio nyquil son. If you listen close you could actually hear snoring in the background through all those songs n shit b.”
7. B.O.B.: “The nigga probably serenades birds n squirrels namsayin.”
6. Puffy: “Thanks for Biggie son…..but please get the fuck outta here. Puff is like the nigga at the party that wont go home.”
5. Swizz Beat: “Aka the McRib of hip hop.”
4. Chris Brown: “…aka Young Ike Turner aka the most emotional nigga alive aka FUCK THIS NIGGAS LIFE.”
3. Mac Miller: “Somebody needs to pour this milk dud midget muthafucka back into his Aveeno bottle n throw that shit into the ocean.”
2. Yung Berg: “If you cant remember the punchline to a joke all you gotta say is ‘Yung Berg’ n you gon get the same laughs anyway nahmean.”
1. Wheelchair Jimmy aka Aubrey aka Drake Snack Cakes: “This niggas moms n pops basically got Rick Rolled when the doctor said ‘Its a boy!'”
NFL DRAFT LIVE BLOG: NIGHT 1!
Posted: April 25, 2013 Filed under: Football Leave a comment9:13 This is boring and I want to shoot myself. Changing the channel.
9:07: Jon Gruden likes someone.
9:06: Smart guy, must have been taking lessons from Ben Revere.
9:04: The entire time watching this draft, all I can think about this what would Adam Aron do?
8:52: The Eagles are fucked
8:51: Brother Mouzone chosen by the Lions. What a story! He came from another country to play in the NFL! No one has ever done that before.
8:46: Building a football team is like a Lego set with many different pieces. Chris Berman is very deep.
8:45: No one likes the Lane Johnson pick, which means he’ll be successful in Philly.
8:43: EAGLES SELECT LANE MEYERS
8:42: OR-A-GON
8:38: EAGLES ON THE CLOCK, EAGLES ON THE CLOCK. ::PULLS HAIR OUT::
8:37: “great competitor” drink
8:35: BREAKING: Jon Gruden likes him.
8:34: The Doplphins jumped into the third spot. They picked Dion Jordan. Chris Berman describes it as a “curveball”
8:33: Oh shit, a trade. High drama.
8:28: This is starting late because I only thought about doing this two minutes ago. I urge you to pause your TVs right now and stare at Mel Kiper’s hair. Closely. Intently.
BEST OF 2012: SUPPLEMENTAL
Posted: February 3, 2013 Filed under: Music, Top Music of 2012 | Tags: Andrew Bynum, Chad Durbin, Demon Young, Jrue Holiday Leave a commentSchool, work, and real life has been a bit of a drag so far in 2013. Not a drag in a bad way or anything, it’s just that things are busy and time for fun is at an extreme minimum. But I did want to clear a bit of dust from the SOP blog and roll out some tunes from last year that I missed highlighting.
And maybe I’ll get to sports some time soon because there’s so much to talk about. Chip Kelly! (??) The Flyers are back…and I think I’m excited. Bynum and his knees may be playing in some games soon, and Jrue Holiday has been going off. And big thumbs down to Delmon Young joining the Phillies, but it’s real cool that Chad Durbin is back.
But here’s the music. And I promise, the next music post will talk about this year.
The second album from Kendrick Lamar, good kid, m.A.A.d city, was never at the top of my list to check out. When I decided to buy it, I saw that Drake was on a track, so I thought it was best to put it back and just forget about it. But I came back to the record (minus the Wheelchair Jimmy spot) and loved it. It’s not often that I dig hip-hop from Los Angeles, but Lamar has made one hell of an album.
Also, KL looked good on SNL, including this bit with the Lonely Island.
When I first heard this track – the first single off the third album from Foals (out on Feb. 11th), I thought it was Filter or some ’90s band. Most of the mathy-tension is gone and it really doesn’t seem like the same band. Is this artistic growth? I guess so. Either way, it’s an awesome song.
Philly rapper Swiper put out this awesome mixtape called Stupid Genius that totally flew under my radar last year. It’s reminds me of some of the fun (yet not too goofy) stuff from the ’90s.
Download the mixtape for free here.
I missed this single when it came out, which is a shame because AlunaGeorge has already established a remarkable reputation for quality. Their debut album is out in June.
Another Philly guy. GrandeMarshall was just signed to Fool’s Gold and released the awesome 800 mixtape last year. Expect an album this year…and if you’re looking to throw him some support, get the new Fool’s Gold sampler off of iTunes (featuring the track “Kelly Green,” which is in honor of @cranekicker’s petition to Jeff Lurie).
TOP 20 ALBUMS OF 2012: better late than never
Posted: January 4, 2013 Filed under: Music | Tags: Alt-J, Blood Red Shoes, Django Django, FOE, Jessie Ware, Saint Etienne, The Crookes Leave a commentBeing that it’s already January and I’m about to start another semester at grad school, I had better pump this list out now. It was originally intended as a two-part deal with full reviews for each record…but now it’s going to be a list with some random words thrown in here and there.
Honorable mentions: Jessie Ware, St. Gregory Orange, Tigercats, Clock Opera, Sinkane, Shrag, The Maccabees, Maribel, Exlovers, Egyptian Hip Hop
And the top 20…
20. Lone Wolf / The Lovers
19. The Megaphonic Thrift / The Megaphonic Thrift
18. Django Django / Django Django
17. Cheers Elephant/ Like Wind Blows Fire
16. The Evens / The Odds
TOP SONGS OF 2012: THE TOP 10, FINALLY
Posted: December 19, 2012 Filed under: Music, Top Music of 2012 | Tags: Alt-J, Blood Red Shoes, Everything Everything, FOE, Runaround Kids, The Crookes Leave a commentAfter a week+ of putting this list together, I’ve finally reached the end. Not surprisingly, I’ve come across a few songs that should probably be included, but it’s impossible to be 100% thorough with these things. If you want to see the rest:
Next week I’ll work on the albums and my 2013 list, and maybe get around to some of the stuff I missed (but probably not).
Either way, this will be a good way to not think about how bad the Sixers are without Bynum and Jrue.
10. Everything Everything “Cough Cough”
At times when this quartet do the whole “art for art’s sake,” it can hinder the music, but on their debut you heard the potential for something great. Tunes like “MY KZ YR BF” and “Suffragette Suffragette” hinted at this, and with “Cough Cough” – the first single from their sophomore album, that potential has been fully realized. It’s an anthemic, percussion-heavy romp that shows the band at their darkest, but also most triumphant.
9. Runaround Kids “Blush”
There’s nothing minor about my obsession with this band any longer – it’s a full blown love that’s absolutely craving the next album. The smattering of singles and comp appearances from the band this year showed that the massive growth on Linked Arms was no joke – they were still looking above and beyond their current subject matter of “GIRLS DON’T LIKE ME DRINKING DRINKING DRINKING BAND BAND WAKEFIELD WAKEFIELD GIRLS.” With “Blush” – the sole new add-on to the Teeth Blue, Lips Red EP, we’re getting a potential sneak peak of 2013, a year that could very well feature this trio running things in West Yorkshire, London, and beyond.
8. Pulled Apart By Horses “Everything Dipped in Gold”
I gave up on most “heavy” music years ago – it just really wasn’t my thing any longer, but Pulled Apart By Horses are one of those rare, once-in-a-decade bands who are truly next level. What’s most important is that they know how to write songs – catchy as all fuck songs – that rarely leave your head and make their gigs truly memorable events. “Everything Dipped in Gold” is one of those moments that remind you that anyone can write a timeless song.
7. Pins “LuvU4Lyf”
Some bands are downright annoying with their marketing – like WU LYF, but others take a more understated approached, like Pins. And in reality all the band did was remain under the radar, release minimal information, and play utterly brilliant gigs – or at least that’s what I heard from scores of locals. The band’s first single stoked the flames a bit, but the release of their first EP, of which “LuvU4Lyf” is drawn from – lit a massive fire. Clocking in at just 2:30, it’s pulsating bass-led rhythm section and explosive chorus are accented by lead singer Faith Holgate’s proclamation, “I would die for you, and I love you for life.”
This is the type of song that makes a career.
BOBBY HOYING?
Posted: December 17, 2012 Filed under: Eagles, Football, NFL | Tags: Bobby Hoying Leave a commentI really hope this is the real Bobby Hoying on Twitter. But it probably isn’t.
Can’t be…can it?
