Off-topic, I bet a friend the Pack would franchise tag Flynn now that Finley signed. Sure there's the off-chance you'll pay your backup 14 million & 6 million more than the reigning MVP, but the lure of those Ted Thompson-beloved draft picks is SO enticing...

Dan Knobler with a nice succinct overview of today's great news

Braun Exonerated

I know, I'm late to the party. I've been trying to process the entire soap opera in between sobs of joy.

Near the end of the Bucks game tonight, they played Jeff Scott Soto "Stand Up And Shout"... phenomenal... just a minor man-crush, nothing to see here.

Van Halen - A Different Kind Of Truth review

So the time has finally arrived. The bow is off the present. The Rapture is here. And let me say if the actual Rapture is this good, I hope I have a front row seat. I've already touched on the lead song & first single "Tattoo", so I won't rehash that. So... here goes.

After "Tattoo" comes a song born in the early VH years, "She's The Woman". Starting off with a groove straight out of Fair Warning, this short tune is quite rollicking. The classic VH groove is very evident, as is the lack of Michael Anthony's high end vocals. Dave is sounding tight & minus the younger screams, shows some good chops.
Up next, is "You And Your Blues", which sound-wise seems to borrow heavily from the Balance era. A moody verse moves into a sing-songy bridge, then into a strong chorus with a little different vocal styling from DLR. Straight-ahead rock & shows some updated VH sounds.
HOLY OPENING!!! Welcome back, Mr. Van Halen. "China Town" is a manic ride in the "I'm The One" or "Atomic Punk" vein. Uptempo, aggressive, yet melodic. And a fantastic Eddie ending to boot.
"Blood And Fire" is my vote for best tune. The clean opening seems quite playful, leading into the verse which plays with the same vibe. The driving beat is classic Halen. It almost ROLLS throughout the song. Another example of Eddie's underappreciated rhythm talents. This may be my new windows-down, summer song. And I rather enjoyed Dave's little aside "Told you I was comin' back". Would've fit on Women & Children First easily.
"Bullethead" returns to the aggressive nature of the opening songs. This one seems almost like it could've come from the Cherone era. Not a favorite, but features some great musicianship.
"As Is"... ain't that the truth. Monstrous drums to begin this song, then breaks into just good-time guitar wanking like only EVH can provide. Another aggressive song. Some heavy Metallica-style tapping in the solo, followed by a classic Dave "a little more volume in the headphones please".
Get past the title of the next song "Honeybabysweetiedoll" and there's a damn good tune in there. Powerful, dirty opening & verse riffs. Heavier than you would expect from such a goofy title. This tune features some sweet stretching in the solo section.
"The Trouble With Never" features two of my favorite lines on the entire disc: "When was the last time you did something for the first time" & the Diamond Dave via Confuscious gem "When you turn on your stereo does it return the favor". Possibly the next single.
"Outta Space" runs with an aggressive riff throughout. Typical Dave simple chorus. Phenomenal EVH solo, deploying all the typical tricks. I could see this tune ending up on VHII.
Next up is my second favorite tune on the disc, "Stay Frosty". Most will compare this to "Ice Cream Man" from the debut, but I think it's more in line with a Women And Children First track. This song displays all the fun of VH: goofy lyrics, rambling guitar riffs, & superb changes... and the denouement guitar jamming is sublime.
Second to last comes "Big River", featuring a simple, yet silky-smooth rhythm groove, which is something EVH is very overlooked for. A nice reflection on what Halen is and always should be. The solo is special because the backing guitar track is dropped, conjuring up thoughts of the debut.
And the big finish, "Beats Workin'"... just a wonderful send off for those fortunate enough to listen to the full disc. Another great groove, consistent with anything from the classic Roth era. The bridge into the chorus is fun as hell when the band drops leaving EVH to emphasize chords over. The breakdown section is everything we've hoped this album would be... groove provided by Alex, rollickin bass line from Wolfie, & tricks galore from Eddie.
I absolutely love this disc... though I think if you dropped "Tattoo" it would be stronger. DLR is spot on vocally, more mature, yet playful as ever. Alex pounds the skins as hard as he pounds the cymbals. Wolfie displays some serious chops (if it is Wolf), and EVH... well EVH is EVH. This guy is in his 50's, right? It's no coincidence that the band has reworked/rerecorded no less than 7 tunes from the classic years. Yet, they hold up so phenomenally, that after listening to it, I can't help but be sad that we haven't heard material like this for 15+ years.
Easily the best disc of '12, and it will take a yeoman's effort to beat it in my ears.

Aaron Rodgers is the NFL MVP

In a 48-2 vote, Aaron Rodgers became the first Green Bay Packer MVP since Brett Favre shared the 1997 award with Barry Sanders.

Single season NFL record 122.5 passer rating, first QB since the merger to have 11 straight games of a 110+ rating, 45/6 TD:INT, 15-1 season without much help on the defensive side or the running game. (click here for a list of all Rodgers' accomplishments)

We were blessed with 17 years of Favre and have seen some special play from his successor since '08. Happy times in WI

I'm absolutely beside myself that liberals would cheat to get what they want...

Fun With Music, the "gimme the gun, Trey" edition

When last I left you, we were immersed in the sea of unknown bands I think you should know. Our journey continues...

First up is W.E.T. comprised of members of Work Of Art, Eclipse, and Talismen. Featuring the phenomenal writing of Eric Martensson of Eclipse and the powerhouse vocals of Jeff Scott Soto. Succulent ear candy & a helluvan album to cruise with the windows down.

Next up is within the previous lineage, as we hit Jeff Scott Soto. Those in the know may remember him as the voice of the original Steel Dragon singer in "Rockstar". Others may know him as the singer on Yngwie Malmsteen's first two discs. Or on tour with Trans-Siberian, or a couple years with Journey, or self-professed Prince & Queen fan, or... you get the point. As versatile a singer as there is around and one of this author's favorite artists ever.

Well, since we're on the W.E.T. train, let's touch on Work Of Art, hailing from Sweden and sounding out some serious AOR tunes.

We'll go back a little into the 90's for Pretty Maids, doing a helluva rendition of the Lynott/Sykes composition "Please Don't Leave Me".

Let's go a little new breed with Big Cock... ya, goofy name, but monstrous tunes. Incidentally, the singer, Robert Mason, is now featured in Warrant.

Breaking tradition on the melodic train, here's Cavo, a band I was turned on to by my buddy Dale & his wife Kelly. Drivin' groove on this tune.

That's about all I have for this session. Please feel free to sample many of the options from this list & the previous... expand your musical knowledge. It's fun, therapuetic, & awesome to clean the house to.

Playing bachelor this weekend while the wife is off on a birding expedition near Eagle River. I'm torn between going out for a steak dinner Friday, or just staying home & cooking up my own. I'm leaning toward making some steak concoction with the help of a nice bottle of Merlot.
Saturday I'm thinking something chicken, with a Sauvignon Blanc. Maybe lemon/pepper...
Then it's the entertainment question: do I go with the extended Lord of the Rings, successive Harry Potter's, seasons of Entourage, or Criminal Minds?

I, for one, am SHOCKED, just shocked. And another reason they didn't want public records made public.

If you need to cheat to win the recall, you were already beat before you started...

GAB finally agrees to post signatures, as per public record laws. I suppose when everyone can see that Mickey Mouse & Adolf Hitler apparently hold a residence in WI, it might put a little damper on your recall.
As for the concern about domestic abuse victims names being released, they should've been informed of the public record aspect when they signed... which I doubt was explained to anyone as the signature was the all-important goal.

10-year Old Shoots 800

I was still deciding which GI Joe was my favorite at age 10. This little guy just reached the pinnacle of his sport.

I'll vote for my goldfish before I vote for another four years from an administration that backs these Occupy fools. Get off the streets & try & occupy a job. The lack of denouncement from Obama is telling...

Fun with Music, part deux

This list differs from the last in that this is my top 20 bands you should give a chance, in no particular order. Now they'll be outside the realm of what radio tells you is popular & if you don't like melodic guitar & soaring vocals, you may just need to look elsewhere. Click on the band name for a tune of my choosing. At any rate, it'll be interesting. Enjoy.

Harem Scarem - This Canadian band I will champion till I'm dead. Too awesome to have not been more popular. This is what melodic rock should always sound like.

Khymera - Italian band. I couldn't find it here, but if you get the chance listen to "The Damage Is Done". Massive vocals on that one. Here is "Beautiful Life", which begins with a wonderful guitar line & driving groove.

Eclipse - Awesome band from Sweden. And as you'll see, they don't sit still. Features the many talents of Erik Martensson, who isn't making his last appearance on this list.

Pink Cream 69 - Get past the goofy name and you'll be amazed by the vocals of David Readman & the production of Dennis Ward. Some bad-ass German shit here.

Evergrey - Another German powerhouse. Sometimes reminds me of Fate's Warning.

EndeverafteR - Is a little band out of Sacramento. Think Poison, but good at their instruments. They run the gamet from the power pop of "Gotta Get Out", to soaring ballads like "Next Best Thing", to my sample "From The Ashes Of Sin", which borrows many NWOBHM tricks.

Gotthard - Another Swiss band, featuring the vocals of the late Steve Lee. Driving rhythyms, HUGE choruses. Good stuff.

We'll end tonights session with a fun one. A band called Bad City that I stumbled across on MelodicRock.com. A little ditty named "Call Paul Stanley".

I'll see you soon with another batch of discoveries.

"I feel proud of the opportunity we were able to give him here, and he capitalized on it... What else can you ask? The guy plays every day, every inning, and he brought a lot of great emotion to this franchise" - Doug Melvin, Brewers GM

Compare that to the LeBron/Cavs fiasco. That's why Doug is so respected within MLB.

Godspeed, Young Fielder

Good for Princey... I have nothing but good things to say about Prince Fielder: he played hard, he played often, & he loved the game. He helped turn the Brewer franchise around & for that, he'll always be remembered warmly by me.

Dan Patrick hearing that RB8 will be exonerated soon... take it for what it's worth, but at least it's good news for once.

EDIT: More comments, with a link to the podcast

Good story from Joe Lemire over at SI.com on Braun's speech last night. One of the very few that doesn't have him hung in effigy before the process is done.

“Sometimes in life we all deal with challenges we never expected to endure. We have an opportunity to look at those challenges and view them either as obstacles or opportunities. I’ve chosen to view every challenge I’ve ever faced as an opportunity and this will be no different. I’ve always believed that a person’s character is revealed through the way they deal through those moments of adversity.
“I’ve always loved and had so much respect for the game of baseball. Everything I’ve done in my career has been done with that respect and appreciation in mind. That is why I’m so grateful and humbled to accept this award tonight.”
- Ryan Braun accepting the NL MVP award tonight.

He's a stand-up young man, regardless of the upcoming verdict. The Crew had a contingent on hand, including Doug, Gord, & Mark A. And while I'm sure they're proud of his on-field accomplishments, Braun's continued well-spoken nature & general character should make them feel alright that he's the future face of the franchise.

I understand your anger, Duff, but you're seriously going to wonder why the "music fans" aren't against internet piracy of music?
I know you have a finance degree, but this is relatively easy ... because they get it for free.