My theme for the 2012 DK-palooza is simply to program stuff I like that's been released this year. So we'll see how this goes. To ease into the mood, here's one from Beach House's recent album, Bloom.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DP0n8paq6vc
(3 votes, average: 8.00 out of 10)
Loading... Price! Lewis!
Verlander! Sabathia!
Twins record: 61-98
Fangraphs
MLB Game Wrap
I didn't watch a bit of this game today. I barely paid attention to it online. But, I was glad to see they won it in the extra frame. Obviously, my ideas and enthusiasm for recapping games this season were tapped out by the end of July. I would apologize to the WGOM Nation for that, but I don't think the Twins are going to be apologizing to me any time soon, so we'll all just have to live with it.
Without going into too many specific points or breakdowns, I will say that I am not at this time particularly optimistic about this organization's chances for success in the near-term going forward. I was on record (privately, but I know I told this to at least one Citizen) before the season as believing the Twins would definitely not win the division or make the playoffs. I didn't foresee a collapse this large, but I didn't foresee the injury disasters of this season, either. However, I don't believe the injuries alone account for the weaknesses of this roster's construction. I believed in March, and I still do, that this roster, even at full strength, was not as good as last year's team and not good enough to make the playoffs. I hope the organization takes some major steps this offseason to address turning the team back around. I'm not sure I have much faith in the current regime's ability to do that meaningfully and successfully, though. I hope they prove me wrong.
Since this is the last Sunday recap of the season, I tallied up my non-joke Hitter and Pitcher of the Week awards. I now present you with the Second Annual DK Hitters and Pitcher of the Season.
Co-Hitters: Jim Thome and Jason Kubel each were awarded weekly honors five times. It's hard to remember (for me, anyway), but for a couple of months before he got hurt and the Team MVP took over, Kubel basically was the Twins' entire offense. I think all but one of his awards came in April or May. Thome, meanwhile, is the sentimental and very deserving pick for reaching a career milestone in a Twins uniform.
Pitcher: Scott Baker was also named five times this season. This, too, may be hard to remember, since he was shelved by injury for almost the entire second half, but Light Rail was by far the best starting pitcher the Twins had, showing, I hope, those who doubt him that he really can be a very valuable piece of the rotation puzzle when he's healthy.
Twins record: 59-92
Fangraphs
MLB Game Wrap
I think Alex Burnett is the werewolf.
Hitters of the Week: Joe Benson and Chris Parmelee
Pitcher of the Week: Jim Hoey
I was thinking about playing something really weird to end it here, with lots of cheesy synths, because if we've learned anything this week, I think it's that I have a healthy appetite for cheesy synths. But I decided to just give you some Spoon instead, for MPR's own 89.3 The Current. Thanks to the VJs for giving me the reins this week, and to everyone for indulging my tastes, past and present.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mO8kRCwPJQk
(7 votes, average: 8.86 out of 10)Loading... Alright, let's get back to what we're here for. Here's Deerhunter performing this song from their 2010 album Halcyon Digest on Conan.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsmSIyUDQeM
(and more...)
Continue reading Deerhunter – Helicopter
(5 votes, average: 6.00 out of 10)Loading... I figured I'd do a Friday post using last week's Stuff I Listened to in High School theme, with the band Guster. Their big gimmick used to be that they used only percussion played by hands - no sticks - but they don't do that exclusively any more since hand percussion is pretty hard on your hands after a while. I think I first heard of them opening for Barenaked Ladies at a show I went to in high school; yeah, when the other dudes I knew were listening to your post-grunge, your pop-punk, and your nü-metal, I was pretty solidly in what seems to me now like the adult-alternative arena. Anyway, they were pretty funny and I still like some of their harmonies. Ryan Miller sings the lead on the verses in this one, at Bonnaroo in 2004.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjJF3SYe57M
(There's another one down here...)
Continue reading Guster – Fa Fa
(3 votes, average: 6.00 out of 10)Loading... Here's one of my favorite songs from my favorite album of 2010, High Violet, on Letterman in May of that year. They only have one lead singer, so this is all you get today.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5C2WVCruPM
(9 votes, average: 8.44 out of 10)Loading... Some time last year, I asked Bootsy and everyone else to give me some direction on where to go with expanding my knowledge of Sonic Youth. He responded with a music post packed with several fine videos, which is now lost to the aether of the internets (the post, not the videos, I'm sure there'll all still up on the Tube, and one of them, I think, will be here by the end of this post.) In order to prove I learned something from his tutelage, and to show I do listen to something from before 2000, here's several more videos. (Although this first one isn't pre-2000, it's from their 2004 album Sonic Nurse - probably my favorite post-2000 SY album. Except for maybe Murray Street.)
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XszqgxBt5WE
Continue reading Sonic Youth – Unmade Bed
(6 votes, average: 8.17 out of 10)Loading... Here's the Canadian group performing a song from their 2010 album Expo 86 on the CBC's Q TV show in November, 2010.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYp2GrPceWU
(But wait, there's more!)
Continue reading Wolf Parade – Ghost Pressure
(4 votes, average: 8.00 out of 10)Loading...