Levon Helm

The Puddles of Myself tribute to the late, and undeniably great, Levon Helm.

Free Forest City Redemption Project Day 15: The Full Monty/Download

Well, my Puddlers, we have finally reached the end of the Free Forest City Redemption Project. It is unfortunate that this final day coincides with this terrifying tsunami that is taking place in the Pacific, but we have to press on with this post.

I have had a lot of fun posting up all these tracks and I truly hope you all have enjoyed listening to them.  This whole project may have seemed like an overly enthusiastic and sanctimonious undertaking solely directed at a close friend of mine (which in fact it was) and his band, but I hope that you were all able to look past that to enjoy the music, perhaps draw up some curiosity in yourself towards country music and to think about yourself, your own friends and your own creative undertakings and how they should not be taken for granted—how they should be regarded and understood like any other strange object that crosses our path in this world.

I'll be back next week with more posts and more updates.  However, today, pay attention to the tsunami, remember to enjoy your own weekends and listen to Forest City in its entirety (I even dragged the cover art into the iTunes slot for cover art for each track; this is official.)

Forest City in its entirety (including bonus tracks).

Free Forest City Redemption Project Day 14: Mendocino (Live) *Bonus Track

We have come to the end, my Puddlers.  All that's left is the crying (and by that I mean tomorrow's post where I let you download the full ZIP file of the album Forest City). Today's track closes out the bonus track section of this release with a cover of the classic song "Mendocino," which was written by Douglas Sahm and originally recorded by the Sir Douglas Quintet in 1969.  This version of "Mendocino" recorded by Forest City was taken from a live show somewhere in Brooklyn at some point in 2009 or 2010 (I think this reflects the actual haziness of this period for anyone).  Again, it features a legendary player by the name of "Jeff" on pedal steel guitar (above left). If anyone sees this man, hire him on the spot.

We'll be back for the wrap up tomorrow and then next week will be back to longer posts.

Enjoy, "Mendocino (live)."

Free Forest City Redemption Project Day 13: Little Runner (Live) *Bonus Track

We are on Day 13 of the Free Forest City Redemption Project, my Puddlers.  There is a lot of stuff I am getting anxious to write about and update you all on, but we will get to that next week.  Today, your Forest City bonus jackpot continues with a live cut of "Little Runner" recorded sometime in 2009 or 2010 in Brooklyn, New York.  This track features some fine pedal steel guitar work from a fifty-something year old man named "Jeff." If anyone has his contact information, well then you should hire him right away.

Today, please enjoy "Little Runner (live)."

Free Forest City Redemption Project Day 12: Run Rivers (Alternate Take) *Bonus Track

We have now reached the bonus rounds of the Free Forest City Redemption Project.  Today's entry is an alternate take of "Run Rivers," which was originally posted on Day 5.  This track comes courtesy of Andras Pokorny. The weather is absolutely spring-crisp and beautiful out today so why don't you take a stroll (ditch the boss and the paycheck why don't you?) and enjoy this excellent bonus track.

Enjoy, "Run Rivers (Alternate Take)"



(Photo courtesy of B. Haus)

Free Forest City Redemption Project Day 11: Whiter Than A Ghost

Welcome back from the weekend, my Puddlers.  I imagine those of you in the New York area were splashing in Puddles of Yourself all day long yesterday, much like I was.

Today we continue on with the Free Forest City Redemption Project.  We are on Day 11, which is the track entitled "Whiter Than A Ghost."  This track closes out the album proper on what some would say is a poignant but warm and intimate note.  You should take a listen and see for yourself.

The next three days will feature bonus tracks (some of which are live) and then on Friday, I will post a link to download the entire album in a zip file. I still encourage you to download tracks from the Band Camp site, but please do what thou wilt.

Enjoy, "Whiter Than A Ghost."


(Today's photo credit of T. Mencia)

Free Forest City Redemption Project Day 10: Help Me, Help You

We are now on Day 10 of the Free Forest City Redemption Project.  Next week, I will be posting the last track of the actual album proper on Monday and then post three bonus tracks on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday before finally posting a ZIP file of the entire album on Friday so that you can download it all in once piece if you like. You may think the track at a time delivery is pointless, but I think there is something communal about it.  I also think there is something communal about today's track "Help Me, Help You." It also seems to be a fitting track to take us into the weekend because, god knows some weekends that's all you want to scream at somebody.

So, enjoy "Help Me, Help You" and I'll see you next week for the last stretch of the Free Forest City Redemption Project.

Free Forest City Redemption Project Day 9: Two Marbles

We are on Day 9 of the Free Forest Redemption Project.  Today's track marks the beginning of the stretch run for the actual album itself, which is eleven tracks long. I will also be posting three bonus tracks for you to download and enjoy as well. Today's track is "Two Marbles." It has nothing to do with the Japanese baseball player (Isuro Tanaka from Major League II fame due to his quote "You ain't got no marbles!") that you see above, but I thought we could diversity some of the headline pictures. In any case, this song revs us up for the end of the album and features some Byrds/Beatles '65-era guitar work from Ted Robinson towards the end of the track.  See for yourself.

Enjoy "Two Marbles."

Free Forest City Redemption Project Day 8: I'm The Little Man

It's Day 7 of the Free Forest City Redemption Project and its another early taste of spring outside.  The best thing to do would be to download all of the Forest City tracks that have been posted so far and take yourself and your iPod for a walk somewhere. It'll do you good to listen to these tracks, especially today's entry, "I'm The Little Man."  This track was written solely by guitarist Ted Robinson and may be the best melody under one minute that Paul McCartney never wrote.  Well maybe the best melody under one minute that Ween never wrote. In either case you can't lose.

On a side note, my roommate's band, Motel Motel, will be breaking up after about five years existence.  They are going on a nationwide farewell tour starting this week, so please check them out whether I know you in New York or don't know you somewhere else in California, Minnesota or New Mexico. This was a great band (Especially live. To my knowledge, no other band of their level, in the Brooklyn geographic, in the demographic of 20-28 years old, played tighter or better live), whose second album The Big Island was under-appreciated. Their fans will miss them.

There's a lot of other great stuff going on in music, sports, culture, stupid ideas and personal epiphany that I'm anxious to tackle when I'm back to regular posting; including a new contest that involves a reward, beer and blog comments.  However, until then keep enjoying the Free Forest City Redemption Project.

And today, enjoy "I'm The Little Man."

Free Forest City Redemption Project Day 7: Living is Hard

We are now on Day 7 of the the Free Forest City Redemption Project, my Puddlers. I hope everyone has been enjoying the tracks so far.  Today's track is called "Living is Hard" and is off the album Forest City. This track was actually written by Tony Wain of Tony Wain and the Payne, who is also a Puddles of My Podcast alumnus.

I think this shadowy photo (taken by T. Mencia, as was yesterday's live performance photo) does the track and the legend of Tony Wain some sort of justice.  What do you think?

Anyway, I hope you will enjoy "Living is Hard."

Free Forest City Redemption Project Day 6: Six Sad Oceans

Welcome back from the weekend, my Puddlers. We got some terrific weather this weekend, some great basketball games on Sunday as well as the Oscars.  Now, a lot of people will be talking about the Oscars today, but I just want to make it clear that James Franco's hosting duties at the Oscars were basically what I would have done if I were asked to host any kind of event that was deemed important (i.e. smirking like a smart ass and stiffly acting/reacting to things that happen in front of you).  Franco's performance was frankly Stellaesque, as mainstream as Stella will ever get, so I call it a huge victory for the world of comedy. Long live the 2011 Oscars! Free copies of The Kings Speech on Blu-Ray for everybody!

Back to business. We are now on Day 6 of the Free Forest City Redemption Project, which gives us the track "Six Sad Oceans" from the album Forest City. It seems like we are continuing on a sort of water theme here, hmmm.  Anyway, the stats for people listening to the album have been great, but I do encourage all of you to download the tracks and enjoy them on your iPod or whatever other apparatus you like to carry around—remember, the tracks are all FREE unless you decide to donate.

So, please enjoy "Six Sad Oceans."

Free Forest City Redemption Project Day 5: Run Rivers

It's Friday, my Puddlers, and we are on Day 5 of the Free Forest City Redemption Project.  We'll keep moving along with track five of the album Forest City, which is the song "Run Rivers." For some reason I think it fits Friday and this rainy day. Not really sure why.  In any case, I've put an image of Thomas Wolfe's novel Of Time and the River up as an image to represent the track.  You can dissect it or downplay it as much as you like.

In other news, this time off has me thinking of a lot of good little posts. I came up with an especially good idea for a review of McCartney when I was walking around in the mist last night and then in the rain this morning, stepping in Puddles of Myself all the while.

Enjoy, "Run Rivers."

Free Forest City Redemption Project Day 4: The Beginning

Day 4 of the Free Forest City Redemption Project.  Today brings the fourth track on the album Forest City, which is entitled "The Beginning."  You can download it here.

I just want to give a mention to Mike McCaffrey who recorded a bunch of these tracks. I don't have his website or any of his other recording archives so if someone wants to send a link my way, I would be glad to let the world know.

I also wand to give due to Andras Pokorny, who recorded and did mixing work on these tracks as well. Andras does a lot of cool stuff and you can get access to it by going to Dark Comedy Hour. I highly recommend browsing around on there.

Again, these live images at the Brooklyn Rod and Gun Club are from B. Haus.

Enjoy, "The Beginning."

Free Forest City Redemption Project Day 3: Long Haulers

Good morning, my Puddlers. We are in Day 3 of the Free Forest City Redemption Project.  Today I am giving you the track "Long Haulers" from the album Forest City.  This happens to be one of my particular favorites based on my perception of the lyrics.  Take a listen and decide for yourself.

If anybody is confused by the Band Camp site, you can download the tracks without purchasing them.  Just enter in "$0.00" for the amount when the site prompts you.  You can donate money if you want to, but certainly download them so you can carry them around and feel invincible amongst the losers on the subway.

Oh, and all of these live photos are courtesy of B. Haus.

Enjoy, "Long Haulers."

Free Forest City Redemption Project Day 2: Bright Lights

Good morning, my Puddlers.  I got some good responses about "Little Runner," which was posted yesterday as well as the liner notes/introduction that accompanied that post.  So, thanks for the initial remarks.

We roll along today (in what will be known as St. Carmelo Anthony Day for years to come), with "Bright Lights," the second track on the album Forest City. You can take a listen to the track here. Remember to download the tracks as they go along so you can add them to your iPod experience.  The whole thing plays well from start to finish when all the tracks are together—trust me, I know things.

Enjoy "Bright Lights."

The Forest, After Mark

In preparation of the Free Forest City Redemption Project, which kicks off next week.  Mr. Mark Jack (bassist from the band) had decided to use his regular Friday space in order to bring you some initial thoughts on the band he was a member of.  You can view this post as sort of an amuse-bouche, to tantalize you for the tracks you'll be hearing over the next few weeks. That's all I'm going to say.  So, my Puddlers, enjoy the warm weather today, enjoy the weekend and we'll see you next week when this blog becomes a shrine to the music of Forest City for a few weeks.

Take it away, Mark Jack.

Forest City Believers

Mark Jack

…and why not? Why shouldn’t I just sit there on that low slung metal rail, staring first at the strange Monitor Monument in McGolrick Park, then at absolutely anything else, and think nothing of it, and know that the jogger now passing thinks no more of me than he must think of the low slung metal rail upon which I wearily rest my lazy ass, and I think equally little of him? Would I rather be understood or misunderstood? Maybe I should not force my “I” onto the scene at all? No! Maybe…

It’s like this:

A redheaded boy in misunderstood pants, talking on a misunderstanding phone speaks into the metal and plastic tonelessly, saying, “Where are you? What are you doing? Why? … Hello?” Then he looks at the phone, puts it in his pocket, sits on a bench, but sort of floats above the greenish painted wood planks with the force of his uncertainty.

 Or:

In the back seat of the police car that moves with grace and contentment, the presumed criminal stares closely out the window like a child, devouring the passing wonder of the world with the full appetite of young pupils.

Or:

I’m standing in front of a crowd of half drunk people. They are staring at my friends and me on the stage. They are seeing me, sure, but they are staring at me as one stares at a computer’s screen as it turns on, not caring about the blank screen, or those little markers of work, colored bars moving left to right, spinning circles and such; one stares at the computer and appreciates it as conduit. Similarly I stare at my self, through these people in front and slightly below me, waiting for the music to be produced through me.

Performance…well.

Forest City was a band that demanded proximity. It was a band that was loose as hell and performed Glenn Gould variations of country earnestness with absolutely no discipline. Forest City was not disciplined. The songs were performed as anyone might dance in their room as a child to their favorite pop song. Forest City made music because music is sustenance, and a food can look as good as it wants, but does not confirm itself until eaten. Forest City was a band that demanded the whole experience, demanded to lick the spoon at all stages. Nick and Ted created songs that I wanted to hear so much that I needed to get closer and closer until I was actually playing. I needed the music to be so close that it passed through my fingers.

Forest City allowed me to present my self to others as almost ego-less, to dance within the song. It was a band that existed for the drunken sing-along.

“If you wanna sing along…don’t, no do!”

Mark

Puddles of Myself 2010 Year End Awards

Well, my Puddlers, the year of 2010 as we know it is coming to an end.  I’ve really enjoyed 2010 as a year.  I switched jobs, improved my life, enjoyed the summer and generally had a fantastic time overall.  This was a big year for the blog as far as I’m concerned.  The Puddles of My Podcast episodes were cranked out a fairly consistent rate and the response was positive.  We are going to be back with more podcasts in the next year.  I believe that the written content on the blog, not only from myself but from the guest columnists improved as the year went along.  Next year we will have some new regular guest columnists joining the fold as well as less frequent guest columnists. I am leaving the door open for anyone who wants to contribute, so please contact me about that if you are interested. I will start more more aggressive solicitations in the new year.  This year also saw the first ever Puddles of Myself Fiction reading.  I am hoping to put on a few more of these events next year as well so that we can bring the blog to the real world as well. 

This will be the last post of this year and during the next week or so, all of the content at the current PuddlesofMyself.blogspot address will be shifted over to an official PuddlesofMyself.com address.  That is the first step in the next phase of this enterprise.  Later in the spring and summer, the site will be redesigned and we will be taking steps forward to incorporate more fiction onto the site, which was my original intent.  Over the past year, in the interest of  providing entertaining essays and posts to you readers (and my own enjoyment in writing them), I have continued to put my focus on the cultural ramblings, sports analysis, musical musings and human soul dissections.  All of those posts and columns have come to represent the general idea of “Puddles of Oneself,” which is writing with passion, humor and seriousness about the things that moves one to express themselves.  However, the largest “Puddle of Myself,” that of the fiction realm, has been largely left out of the loop.  We will be getting there, my Puddlers, so just stay with me as always.

Now, the end of the year usually brings awards, glances back at the year that was as well as a look ahed forward to the trends and awards that will be given in the upcoming year.  So, in my own twist on this little tradition, I have compiled my own list of awards that I believe fit the personalities, culture, current events and people that I know personally in the past year.  As usual, it is completely biased and probably doesn’t make a ton of sense. 

So, without further ado, here are the Puddles of Myself 2010 Year End Awards presented by Rookie Blue on ABC.

 The James Joyce Best Quote Award – LeBron James

There are some years where the winner for this award is just blatantly clear.  In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. ran away with this award for “I have a dream.”  In 1987, Regan nailed it with “Mr. Gorbachev tear down this wall!”  In 1998, Bill Clinton was a clear-cut winner with “I did not have sexual relations with that woman.” And even last year, Animal Collective pulled away early with “I don’t mean to seem like I care about material things, like a social status. I just want four walls with adobe slabs for my girls.”  This year, we had another rock-solid winner.  All sports fans were anticipating the summer of 2010 because of the impending LeBron free agency.  We imagined how crazy the media coverage would be; what the wooing processes for each city would be like; what the actual decision would be.  However, the reality ended up being much more absurd and ridiculous than anyone could have anticipated.  LeBron and the other free agents toured around different U.S. cities, holding meetings with the executives of each NBA franchise in an attempt to make a decision about where to play for the next six years of their NBA careers.  LeBron held meetings with Jay-Z and Mayor Bloomberg.  Marketing campaigns were unveiled.  However, no one could have imagined that LeBron would hold the city of Cleveland hostage by holding a one-hour special devoted to his decision.  It even sounds crazy only five months after the fact.  During LeBron’s Decision, James uttered the following words that broke every Cleveland sports fan’s heart, “This fall, I’ll be taking my talents to South Beach to join the Miami Heat.” The backlash against LeBron and the ridiculousness of the situation in general have led that phrase to be used in about a million satirical situations.  My favorite being as a veiled innuendo for masturbation.

The Rajon Rondo Annual Assist Award – Nick Mencia

Keeping with a basketball and South Beach theme, this year, the Rajon Rondo Annual Assist Award goes to Nick Mencia.  This award has gone to anyone who has had a stellar recommendation regarding a book, album, movie, restaurant or anything else during a calendar year.  It can also go to the person who has helped the most people (you can make a score joke if you want to) in a given year.  So, past recipients have been: Mother Theresa, Princess Diana, Al Green, the movie Love Story, Jesus Christ, and Prince.  However, this year, my good friend Nick Mencia (now setting up his Mencia Gourmet business down in South Beach) receives the award for gifting me the novel The Last Good Kiss by James Crumley. If you have never read any work by James Crumley, then I highly recommend it.  This novel is filled with all kinds of Vietnam, 1960’s west coast fallout, as well as a country vibe all thrown under the umbrella of potboiler, gumshoe fiction.  It also has perhaps the best dialogue that has ever been written in the history of the world.  With accolades like that, how could Nick Mencia not receive this award in 2010?

The Sal’s Pizzeria Reliability Award – Michael Cunningham

Sal’s Pizzeria on Lorimer Street in Williamsburg is the most reliable pizza place on the planet.  It’s not fancy schmancy or gourmet like Motorino or any other place that New York Magazine does a spread on at least 15 to 20 times per year (next most frequent New York magazine spread: best sandwich).  The pizza is always reliable, always flavorful and always feels like Friday night getting pizza with your family as a kid – that means something.  Michael Cunningham gets this award, because once again he produced another fine novel.  This year brought By Nightfall.  Cunningham never disappoints you, but he never completely dazzles you either—and he does sometimes go overboard on homosexuality as a theme (not homophobia speaking, simply opinion) as well as homoerotic moments and sex scenes (Chabon has been guilty of this as well).  Yet, he always brings home a rewarding and rich novel experience.  His novel Flesh and Blood, which came out in 1996, was a mesmerizing chronicle of one family over the many decades of their lives and even stretched into the future – somewhat predating Six Feet Under in scope and intensity.  By Nightfall is a solid novel about how we appreciate and find beauty in the world.  How sometimes beauty, a beauty that is similar to the aesthetic appreciation we find in a work of art, can be found in another human being; how that appreciation can be held between a man and his wife’s younger brother.  It is not an especially challenging novel, but it raises interesting themes and Cunningham is a master of perspective and character psychology and consciousness – his narrative always successfully matches his characters’ inner workings.  When I know I want pizza, I go to Sal’s.  When a new Michael Cunningham book comes out, I buy it (or get it for free as a promotional gift since I am now in the media), read it and enjoy it.

The Tony Castles Best Late Night Food Award – Grand Morelo’s Bakery

This award is pretty self-explanatory: Gabi Wurzel, the drummer for the Tony Castles is one of the biggest eaters I know and he is never averse to the late night snack.  Grand Morelo’s  actually won this award from 2000-2007. In 2008, it was upset by a new to the late night scene Manna. In 2009, the pizza craze swept the city and Anna Maria on Bedford avenue stole the award.  However, 2010 was a year of glory for Grand Morelo’s as it just had that late night voodoo that lured all kinds of hungry drunkards in through its well-lit front doors.  A burrito (or two) doused in green sauce from this place at three or four in the morning (with a beer and two glasses of water) will cure whatever ails you.

The Henry Jones Sr. Quest for the Holy Grail Award – Mark Jack

Speaking of curing whatever ails you, we now have the Henry Jones Sr. Quest for the Holy Grail Award.  Some fantastic thinkers have won this award in the past: Steve Jobs (2007), James Joyce (1922-1930), Ernest Hemingway (1932), Christopher Lloyd (1985)*, Larry Bird (1986), John Lennon (1968), Winston Churchill (1944), Bill Clinton (1996).  The title may be a bit confusing, but it really is given to a person with the greatest thirst for knowledge and the restlessness to achieve it, and it is that restlessness for knowledge which will always keep us young and adventurous.  For those of you that have read Mr. Mark Jack’s posts on Puddles of Myself the past few months, you obviously know that the man is restless and he will not stop walking until he figures out what it’s all about—sort of like a young Jesus Christ.  He even dissected the phenomenon of merely sitting on a bench. There may have been flashier or more charismatic thinkers out there in 2010, but none of them thought deeper or exhibited that depraved sense of restlessness better than our very own Mark Jack.

*The 1985 award was taken from Christopher Lloyd once it was pointed out that Doc Brown from Back to the Future was actually a fictional character.  The award was vacated and given to the default winner of all awards in 1985 – Bruce Springsteen.

The E Street Band Sweat and Showmanship Award - Vampire Weekend

With all of the popularity and praise that Vampire Weekend have received over the past three years, there have been equal doses of backlash and criticism.  The release of Contra this past year allowed people to either continue to praise the band or to deride them because of their clean or preppy appearance.  However, in September, Vampire Weekend sold out three straight nights at Radio City Music Hall and those performances were some of the most charismatic in recent years.  The crowd that shows up is what one has to imagine a Beatles crowd was like in the early 60’s.  There are thousands of screaming teenage girls who play ringtones and mp3s of the songs on their phones before, during and after the concert. Ezra Koenig is the smirking, sarcastic and witty John Lennon and Chris Tomson is the grinning Paul McCartney (on drums, not bass) that keeps the machine moving at a frenetic but always charming pace.  There is no other band that you could say this about today – period.

Bonus Prediction for 2011 Award Winner:  Elton John.  Listen to Honky Château and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and tell me someone won’t be copping all that wah wah guitar, keyboard and piano at some point in the next year.

The Hank Kingsley Excellence in Arrogance Award – Kanye West

No one did arrogance and humility like Hank Kingsley and, currently, no one does it like Kanye West.  Kanye has killed it with his arrogance in years past (2006), however this year was his masterpiece thus far.  He had his breakdown on the Today show with Matt Lauer.  There were the apologies to Taylor Swift and George W. Bush.  Then there was the strange, symbolic “Power” artwork and later the sprawling 40-minute “Runaway” video.  You also can’t forget about his random performance on a Delta flight.  Even as of a month ago, Kanye put on a strange performance on a float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade where he wore a large gold chain and a throwback 80’s Michael Jackson/Eddie Murphy red, chest-exposing, jump suit while kids rode on the float with him.  He also released his sprawling and epic album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy that featured several different options of cover art.  If there is one man who takes himself too seriously, who wears his heart on his sleeve and who is so fragile that we can expect him to fall apart at any moment just like Hank Kingsley, then it is Kanye West.

The Peggy Olsen Upstart of the Year Award – Das Racist

There has been buzz about these guys for the past two years, but this is the year that they really broke through.  I don’t really know them that well personally (although friends of mine do), nor do I even really like or listen to their music that much.  From what I have heard, it’s funny, somewhat clever and slightly enjoyable.  However, I have to commend young guys like this making their way into the press and attention of the music world whenever I get a chance.  So, this year the award goes to Das Racist. If they actually become big, they seem like they will be due for one of those sprawling messes of an album that I will probably learn to love, so they have that going for them.  Like Peggy Olsen, hopefully they also learn what the money is for.

The Fleetwood Mac Memorial Artist Rediscovery Award – Bruce Springsteen

Each year, there is an artist from the past who most people either overlooked or wrote off as too commercial or too over exposed that makes a dramatic comeback among the “hipper” sets.  In 2009 that band was Fleetwood Mac.  For about 7 or 8 years before that it was constantly Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys.  This past year, it was Bruce Springsteen.  The Boss’ comeback with the youth had been gaining steam over the past few years, but a cover of “I’m Going Down” by Vampire Weekend, the release of the expanded Darkness on the Edge of Town box set and the repeated admission of hipsters that The Wild, The Innocent and the E Street Shuffle was a good album truly signaled that he was the Rediscovered Artist of 2010.  I’ve already written about my own newfound appreciation for the Boss, so I won’t go completely in depth. He can certainly be annoying at times (just like Fleetwood Mac and the Beach Boys can in their own ways), but there is a certain merit to albums and songs like “Darkness on the Edge of Town,” “Rosalita,” and “Dancing in the Dark” that you simply can’t deny.

The Abbey Road Album of the Year Award -  The Walkmen, Lisbon

If you read My Top 10 Albums of the Year post then you already knew that this was my favorite album of 2010.  You can also read my actual review of the album to further understand why.  However, the Walkmen are the closest that we have had to a real working band in a long time (Wilco is the only other band that truly rivals them in that sort of American touring band spirit that the Stones actually originated in the 70's. Weird how a British band could start that image.).  It still remains baffling why the National even get any attention while the Walkmen are making music. The National are basically a bankrupt man’s Walkmen.  Every time these guys release an album they seem to figure out the core of their sound just a little more.  They don’t simplify or distill that original murkiness and uneasiness, they allow it to evolve.  So, where stark keyboards and organs were once the most prominent sounds in the mix, now there are horn flourishes.  Where the guitar lines were once extremely cavernous, now they are fluid and becoming warmer and warmer with each album.  Again, for me, Lisbon is an album that represents a place that I want to get to  – it is a place that I am working to get to.  A place where I can allow that perhaps I am a good person despite all my flaws and where all of the simple things I enjoy are OK, because I have gotten to know how to enjoy those things because I have lived my life in my own way.  Any time an album makes you feel that way – allowing the last virtues of your immaturity to slightly slip away while trying to grasp onto what adulthood and acceptance is – then you have to give it the Abbey Road Album of the Year Award.

The Don Draper Award for Excellence in Advertisting – Geico Insurance

When a company has three irritating and insistent ad campaigns running simultaneously (Gecko, Private Eye Question Guy, Cavemen residue), you know that they have a great ad agency.  Maybe Sterling, Cooper, Draper and Pryce can land Geico next season and save the firm that way.

The Doctor Doolittle Philotherian Award – Kevin Arkell

In 2011, one of the first guests I hope to have on Puddles of My Podcast is my great friend Kevin Arkell so that we can discuss the Indiana Jones quadrilogy. At this point, some of you readers may know him, but many of you may not.  Either way, this man and his fiancée just bought two black cats this past year named Charles and Celia.  I have seen people love dogs, lizards, birds, cats and fish in the past, but nothing compares to how much this man loves these two black cats.  He gave them dignified French aristocrat names like Charles and Celia and he even taught them how to actually be funny.  Ask Kevin Arkell about cat videos or pictures at any time and you are sure to get an education in love.

The Michael Jordan Memorial Moustache Award – Jimmy McMillan

This award is given in honor of the inexplicable fact that Michael Jordan sported a Hitler moustache in a Hanes commercial this year.  Obviously, there is only one person that this award could go to in 2010 and that was to Jimmy “The Rent is Too Damn High” McMillan.  Now that this year and this past election are over, thankfully we can say goodbye to this man who will undoubtedly be a cultural reference in “I Love the Teens” (Not a pedophilic website, TV show or movie. Just a spoof on the “I Love the…” TV shows.).

The True Lies Award – The San Francisco Giants

One of the worst teams of all-time won the least watched World Series of all-time.  Enough said.

The Michael Phelps Memorial Award – Lindsey Vonn

In an era when our Olympic heroes need to be larger than life and win a record number of gold medals every time they compete, Lindsey Vonn tried to reach the heights of Michael Phelps, but she came up short.  She competed in five events with a shin injury and won a gold and a bronze medal in two of them, which isn’t terrible.  However, where Lindsey Vonn excelled was in being a sexy Olympic hero.  Who could forget her blonde hair and her somewhat cat like looks? What about the media frenzy that surrounded her and the photos of her in a swimsuit right before the Olympics?  She had all men in their 20’s saying the ultimate catchphrases of early 2010, such as “I’ll make her my Lindsey Vonn,” “That Lindsey Vonn is one piece of ace,” “I Vonnt that,” or “Lemme get some Vonn.”  She had all men worked up in a frenzy, which made the 2010 Winter Olympics the most watched Winter Olympics of all time (not an accurate fact).  Not only that, but she provided Puddles of Myself with some of its funniest and most misleading headlines to post up on Facebook in order to get people to click on the link and look at the site.  Lindsey Vonn is an American hero!

The Larry Sanders No Flipping Award – LeBron James Returns to Cleveland

Immediately after LeBron spurned Cleveland in July and after the NBA schedule came out in August, everyone circled their calendar for December 2, which would be LeBron’s first game back in Cleveland against his former team (also Erik Lilleby’s birthday).  As the day approached, the hype built and you began to think that there was no way that the actual event could ever live up to the hype.  Well it did…sort of.  LeBron’s entrance as well as the Miami Heat introductions were like nothing I have ever seen at a sport event in my life.  The volume and anger of the crowd was unprecedented. During the first and second quarters, the crowd’s chants were so vehemently directed at LeBron that it was even worse than Reggie Miller at the Garden during the 90’s.  When a crowd’s volume comes through the TV at a basketball game, you know it is extraordinarily loud in person.  However, it wasn’t until LeBron went to the line and took his first two free throws that you could actually comprehend the volume.  LeBron was on an island for a moment and the crowd could just completely focus on him as he stood at the free throw line.  And LeBron proceeded to swish both free throws in the face of the crowd.  After that, well, things sort of went downhill for the Cavs as LeBron had his way and all Cleveland fans realized that things were really just going to be sad from December 2, 2010 on.  All of this of course made it MUST SEE TV!

 The Godfather II Best Movie to Watch on Cable Award – The Devil Wears Prada

I know that many of you who know me will be shocked by this pick.  “What about the Indiana Jones quadrilogy movies, Domino?”  “What about You Me and Dupree, Domino?” “No Back to the Future trilogy love?”  All of those things crossed my mind at some point in the past five minutes before I started writing this.  But then I started thinking about what movie was there all year for me on cable.  In the bitter cold of January and February, what movie was playing in that post-work 7:00 PM-9:00 PM slot?  In early spring when life was beginning again and you gently coaxed your hangover away on Saturday afternoons at 1:00 PM, what movie was playing that helped you want to get out on the streets?  When summer was blazing and you had to point two fans at you while you ate dinner and drank beer until midnight, what movie finished up tidily at 12:00?  And what movie was still being played on cable even as recent as two weeks ago?  Well the answer was The Devil Wears Prada.  It’s actually a solid movie and not a total chick flick, and it leaves you with an easy open door to switch to a game that is on at the same time, as well as give you the perfect opportunity to give up on watching it at any sitting.  It also contains the number one virtue of watching a movie on cable—the commercial breaks actually enhance the viewing experience. Above anything else, it has Anne Hathaway.  And God damnit, I love Anne Hathaway.  She is my total dream babe as of this moment.  So what if I work for Conde Nast Magazines and this is drinking the corporate Kool-Aid a little bit?  This movie can win the Godfather II Best Movie to Watch on Cable Award in 2010.

The Tessa Mencia Discerning Taste in the Novel Arena Award – Nicole Krauss, Great House

My friend, Tessa Mencia, has pretty great and discerning taste in everything: clothes, food, people, atmosphere, and books.  I don’t know if she has actually read this book, but I enjoyed this book that I am giving it this award.  If you are someone with highly discerning taste in modern novels, then you can open the doors and let this book in.  Nicole Krauss is a great writer.  Her last novel, The History of Love, was a well-written book with a nice little story.  For me, it was a surprise to read in college while I was busy studying tomes of literature in class.  Great House on the other hand is a fantastic novel.  There are passages of tremendous beauty, tenderness and sadness.  The different threads of the novel are all connected by a piece of furniture that finds its way to different owners.  The stories behind all the owners of the furniture and the people that know them are fantastic.  All of a sudden you will find yourself engrossed in the book.  You will think of how much you know the people in your life and how much you share with them.  How much you have been able to give love and accept love.  It is a truly fantastic new novel.

World’s Coolest Dude 2010 – Louis CK

The World’s Coolest Dude Award has become a bit of an inside joke among my friends.  I gave the award to myself in 2007 and to my good friend Mike Antonio in 2006. Obama won the award in 2008 and my good friend Nick Kozmin won the award in 2009.  So that makes three out of the last four winners Skidmore alumni.  I always wanted to create a list of all the World’s Coolest Dude winners over the past fifty years so that people could see the history.  However, I’ll give you World’s Coolest Dude winners from 2000 going forward:

2000 – Bill Clinton

2001 – Rudy Giuliani

2002 – Julian Casablancas

2003 – Andre 3000

2004 – LeBron James

2005 – Kanye West

2006 – Mike Antonio (barely edging Dwyane Wade)

2007 – Matt Domino

2008 – Barack Obama

2009 – Nick Kozmin

2010 – Louis CK

*The award is obviously only awarded to Americans

If you are a fan of comedy or even just of human nature, then 2010 had to be the year of Louis CK.  His new comedy special Hilarious killed it just as much as his last special Chewed Up did.  His TV show Louie, featured some of the best stand-up bits mixed with some of the most poignant and humanistic television that has ever aired on TV.  Louis CK is an expert for taking a human interaction (between father and daughter, husband and wife) and looking at it from such a removed and objective perspective and then commenting on it so that the most precious things that we hold sacred become ridiculous and absurd, which makes us ask ourselves why we hold them so sacred without really thinking about them and that in turns makes us relearn those interactions and appreciate them even more.  Although, Louie can very often be depressing as a TV show, it is never cynical or pessimistic, it always leaves you cherishing life even if it can be completely terrible.  And I look to my World’s Coolest Dudes to do that year in and year out.

The Annual Don Draper Award – Matt Domino

Because really, “Who is Matt Domino?”

Free Forest City Redemption Project Video Bonanza!

Like I told you all, we are emptying the Puddles of Myself video vaults this week for your viewing enjoyment before the holidays.  Tomorrow, I will be posting what could be considered Puddles of Myself "Home Videos" so stay tuned for that. Also, please be sure to follow me on Twitter in order to get the most late breaking news as well as be able to vote on possible future columns and posts for the blog.

Today, the video output is connected with the Puddles of Myself - Free Forest City Redemption Project. I know that we have been slightly quiet on this front for the past few weeks, but the final tracks for the release are receiving a final mix and we will begin releasing the tracks up on the blog in the weeks leading up to Christmas, because nothing says Christmas like a country band that called it quits before their time and should have been heard and appreciated by many more (although, those of us that listened appreciated them to the full extent - I think at least).

The below videos are from the final Forest City show, which took place on October 29, 2010 at the Brooklyn Rod and Gun Club. Please enjoy them at your leisure.



1.  Nick Mencia playing "Cold, Cold Heart" to warm up the crowd:





2. Forest City playing "I'm The Man Who Plays the Music For You":




3. Forest City covering Tony Wain and the Payne's "Country Music Star":

Puddles of My Podcast Episode 25: Forest City 25th Anniversary Podcast

Hello, my Puddlers.  This has been a hectic week for a variety of reasons so I apologize for the lack of posts.  Mr. Alex Ramsdell had some personal matters to attend to this week, but his column will be back up next Tuesday for you all to enjoy.  I was going to substitute a Halloween themed post up, but for a variety of reasons (work related) I wasn't able to get that up (although I may still be able to).  However, we do have a podcast.

As I have mentioned before, one of the ongoing projects I have tried to curate for the blog is the release of all the recorded material for one of my favorite bands in the Brooklyn area - Forest City.  Obviously, all of the members of the band are friends of mine and I thought it would be worthwhile to share their material with the world.  This has become a more pressing issue since my good friend Nick Mencia will be moving to Miami this week in order to start his own sorbet business (more promotion on that as he and his wife give me the go ahead).

This project, titled Puddles of Myself: Free Forest City Redemption, will feature tracks culled from various Forest City recording sessions over the past year.  The tracks will be posted individually for stream and free download.  Once all the tracks have been posted, the entire "album" will be posted for complete download.  There will also be a chance to pay for the album through CD Baby, in case you feel inclined to donate.  The whole project will have a section of the blog devoted to it that you can navigate to using the orange bar at the top of the blog.

The podcast today features Nick Mencia and Ted Robinson who are the primary songwriters in Forest City.  In this, Episode 25 of Puddles of My Podcast, Nick, Ted and I all sit down to discuss the writing process and meaning behind six of the featured Forest City songs, the nature of Forest City as a band, the notion of wanting to fail, birthday parties, how to write a song, what both Nick and Ted learned from playing in Forest City as well as the most rewarding part of listening to a song.  This is a must listen podcast that I highly recommend.

In addition, the band will be playing their final show at the Brooklyn Rod & Gun Club, which is located on Kent Street across from the East River Park - the home of the JellyNYC Pool Parties.

These tracks and this band have meant a lot of different things to a lot of different people and it was a creative effort that I believe, perhaps did not go in vain.

Enjoy.

Puddles of My Podcast - Episode 20

Well, lady Puddlers and gentleman Puddlers of Myself (now that's what I call accidental innuendos), after an insanely hot weekend I am bringing you yet another scorching hot podcast.  This podcast represents the 20th Episode in the Puddles of My Podcast series.  We are slowly making our way to 100 podcasts and I'll get there - any doubters be damned. In this, Episode 20 of Puddles of My Podcast, I welcome an extraordinarily special guest - legendary underground country crooner Tony Wain of Tony Wain and The Payne.  In this installment, Tony and I discuss Buddhist ceremonies, living in Asheville, the North Carolina/Duke rivalry, Thomas Wolfe, what makes a good country song, Tony's favorite country musicians, his history playing music, Dig Shovel Dig and some excellent words of wisdom for the children and adults suffering from arrested development in America today.  This podcast also features Nick Mencia sitting shotgun in case the wheel veers too far off to the shoulder.

As a special bonus, below you will find some streaming acoustic versions of Tony Wain and The Payne songs that were played live. You will also find links to download these songs as well.

Later this week I will have my thoughts on Episode 1 of Season 4 of Mad Men, a column on Ryan Adams titled "The Bird That Couldn't Stop Singing," and some more links because I keep getting good stuff thrown my way.  So, just stick with me and I'm always going to take you to the promised land, whether its judgment day or not.








Twenty More Beers:






Bullets and Beer:




Tony Wain #1: