Shanies: Rookie of the Year

Some may argue that after spending the past four months in blogernation (blog-hibernation? Anyone? Too much of a stretch?) that I have no right to dole out awards at my whim and fancy regarding the state of the music industry. I would argue that those people should learn their place and sit down in the corner before I seat them there.

Yes, it's that time of year again. No, not Christmas... no one cares about that. It's time for the 3rd annual installment of the Shanies.  Yes, these much coveted awards are given to the greatest in musical achievement for the past year and are based on a rigorous process of me sifting through my computer, listening to music from 2010 and deciding what I like; bollocks to what everyone else thinks.

The first Shanie to go this year is for the Rookie of the Year.  Apparently a re-occurring theme, this year's Shanie will be given to another supergroup: The Damned Things.  Formed from members of Every Time I die, Anthrax and Fallout Boy, this group sounds precisely what you would envision a fusion between those three bands to sound like... and it's fucking awesome.  Mixing southern blues riffs with metal drumming, catchy hooks, Keith Buckley's monster voice and harmonic backing vocals, TDT are one of the strangest combinations of styles I've heard in a while.

It also helps that these guys are bloody hilarious.  Let's just hope this doesn't end up being an ill-fated supergroup one-off.





-I'm not in the business of keeping you around

I apoligize for very little

In the midst of one of those 'crazier than a bag full of rabid cats' type weeks, I find that I need a bit of a release from the monotony.  I've been listening to a lot of old school tunes this week to get myself in a familiar groove, and sure enough, Sage Francis hit the randomizer.

Half MC, half beat poet... all genius.  You want your motivation for the day?  Here you go, rocky.



PS: While I've been negligent this semester with the insanity of school, I assure you, the 2010 installment of the Shanies will happen. I wouldn't miss my opportunity to pontificate about music over the holidays.

-I'll be slipping you my silver tongue, while I feed you my lover's talk

Is he living?

He is... but this is all you get...for now.



-Please, won't you tell me what to say... or I'm never going to speak again

Near... Far...

Given that Grover has always been my favorite muppet... I think we can safely say that this is the greatest video to ever grace the internet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkd5dJIVjgM

Thanks to Guin for allowing me to creep her facebook profile and find this. :-D

-Crack me open try to love what you find inside

Holla at yo Manitick boys!!

It's been ages since I've been up to any shananigans (you were warned), so I'll break my silence only momentarily because one of my long time loves, Hollerado, has just released a brilliant new video.

Americanarama was actually originally released as a single with a  hilarious video involving Dave Folley (of Kids in the Hall Fame).  While that video was fun, funny and catchy... it doesn't hold a candle to this genius piece of work:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Whv1tLqKZig

Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to do some work and then scream until I pass out from lack of oxygen.

-I'm a decadent man with a halfway crooked walk