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Jarvis In The US
Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Jarvis Cocker announces North American tour
Pulp frontman hits the States solo


Jarvis Cocker has announced that he will play a string of shows in North America surrounding the release of his solo debut album.The Pulp frontman will play dates on both coasts, bookending his appearance at California's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 27.As previously announced, 'Jarvis' will see a Stateside release on April 3.


The dates are:

New York Webster Hall (April 23)
Indio California Coachella Festival (27)
San Francisco Fillmore (28)
Seattle Showbox (30)
Vancouver Commodore (May 1)
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First the Kooks now Jarvis. Detroit is really getting the shaft when it comes to UK bands touring the states. At least Jarvis isn't screwing us and playing Columbus, even Chicago is getting passed over.

Posted by mardenhill 1/31/2007 04:52:00 PM 5 comments  

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New iPods!!!!!!
Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Well not really, just new colors for the shuffle. Its still $79 but now you can mix and match with your daily wardrobe. I guess Apple figures everyone has a disposible income to pick up a handful of these. They are cool but too small and no screen. If you are working out then this is the way to go.

Posted by mardenhill 1/30/2007 12:41:00 PM 0 comments  

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Jens Buchart - My Heaven

http://www.therecordroom.blogspot.com/

I just wrote a review of the new Jen Buchart cd, you can check it out at the link above...

Posted by mardenhill 1/30/2007 10:41:00 AM 1 comments  

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Remember Him?
Monday, January 29, 2007

If you don't remember this face, it is none other than Ari Fleischer the 1st Press Secretary for the Bush Administration. Ari exited stage left right as the Valerie Plame investigation broke and all of us wondered his involvement. Well good ole Ari testified today in the Libby trial and dropped a bomb.

"Ambassador Wilson was sent by his wife," Fleischer recalled Libby saying. "His wife works for the CIA."

Fleischer said Libby also used the woman's name, Valerie Plame' and told him it was "hush hush."

"My sense is that Mr. Libby was telling me this was kind of newsy," Fleischer said.
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Ari was given immunity from the proscuter but that doesn't mean he can go up there and lie to the jury, he can still perjur himself. Ari screwed up at the beginning, he was used as a pawn to peddle information to the press and I bet plans were to make him the scapegoat. Instead Fitz caught Libby in a number of lies and nailed him. Would I like to see Rove also go down, hell yeah but that time will come. I am interested to see how the defense will treat Ari's testimony, they will no doubt try and discount it but I don't think that will work. Libby is screwed and I am very happy to see it happen.

Posted by mardenhill 1/29/2007 02:27:00 PM 0 comments  

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Wine Flight
Sunday, January 28, 2007


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In an online charity auction, Erika won a case of Austrian wine which we just received last week. Its an amazing case, there are 3 dessert wines, 6 whites and 3 reds. The reds are grapes I have never heard of and there are a couple Rieslings, Gruner Veltliners, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris finishing out the whites. The desserts look great since one is an ice wine and the other is a Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA). You may be wondering what the uber long "T" words means, well its the highest level of dessert wines from Austria and Germany. The grapes are left on the vine until they shrivel up and are handpicked. The juice produced is very thick and sweet. The sugar level is also very high which gives the wine a heavy nector flavor. Some TBA wines also succumb to the "noble rot" the botrytis fungus that will take over when grapes are not harvested on time. Picking and making wine during the noble rot takes a great deal of skill hence the higher prices. If you are familiar with Sauternes from France, the TBA wines are essentially the same thing just from another country. Same goes with Tokaji from Hungary.

You can read more about them at the website below.

http://www.winemonger.com/catalog/index.php

Posted by mardenhill 1/28/2007 12:06:00 PM 0 comments  

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Um, Who In The Hell Is Fall Out Boy?
Friday, January 26, 2007

Fall Out Boy speak out about leak

Pete Wentz: 'This could be the worst leak in the history of music'

Fall Out Boy has spoken out about the leaking of their new album 'Infinity On High'. As previously reported, 'Infinity On High' was leaked on the internet weeks before its February 5 release date. Speaking to NME.COM, bassist Pete Wentz declared: "This could be the worst leak in the history in music." This could potentially be one of the biggest leaks there is. If you think that every year computers, iPod, internet music grows exponentially and we're probably one of the biggest bands in rock music on the internet."
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I'm sorry, I have no idea who Fall Out Boy is, I have heard the name but could never name a song. For them to claim that their precious cd could be the biggest leak ever is a bit presumptuous. Fall Out Boy is nowhere near the status of someone like U2. To think they are some global superstars just cracks me up. When your music is listened to by a bunch of kids and no one else, I guess your warped view of the world makes you delusional....

Posted by mardenhill 1/26/2007 09:33:00 AM 2 comments  

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Van Halen Reunion
Thursday, January 25, 2007


Van Halen reunites with David Lee Roth

Rockers set for 40-date tour

Van Halen have reunited with original frontman David Lee Roth for the first time in 20 years. The band are set to announce details of a 40-date tour this summer, reports Billboard. The reunited group will feature Eddie Van Halen's son Wolfgang on bass, replacing original bassist Michael Anthony, plus drummer Alex Van Halen. Speaking last May, when asked about a reunion Roth said: "I see it absolutely as an inevitability. To me, it's not rocket surgery. It's very simple to put together. And as far as hurt feelings and water under the dam, like what's-her-name says to what's-her-name at the end of the movie 'Chicago'- 'So what? It's showbiz!' So I definitely see it happening." The band last toured in 2004 with Sammy Hagar as frontman. However, Hagar refused to collaborate with Eddie Van Halen and Alex Van Halen after the tour's completion. He said: "I don't get along with Eddie anymore, and that's all there is to it." Dates have yet to be confirmed.
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We saw David Lee Roth at the Michigan State Fair a few years ago and it was a disaster, I can just imagine how this one will sound. Van Halen are washed up hasbeens and the idea of a reunion just makes me laugh. No doubt they will sell out, there are plenty of fans but I am afraid that DLR will disappoint.

Posted by mardenhill 1/25/2007 01:27:00 PM 1 comments  

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The Kooks Update

And I was correct, the Kooks are not playing Detroit!!!! I can understand the Chicago and Toronto but why in the hell does Columbus get Detroit's date? That was always our spot on every bands tour. I officially hate Ohio now......
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The Kooks gear up for US tour

Dates include a trip to Coachella

The Kooks are set to return to the US for a spring tour. The Brighton four-piece have lined up ten dates, kicking off with an appearance at this year's Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival on April 29.

The dates will be the band's first since their whirlwind tour of the States last October.

They will play:
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (April 29)
San Francisco Slim's (30)
Portland Doug Fir Lounge (May 2)
Seattle Crocodile Cafe (3)
Chicago Metro (5)
Columbus The Basement (7)
Toronto Lee's Palace (8)
New York Irving Plaza (10)
Washington DC 9:30 Club (12)
Boston Paradise Rock Club (13)

Tickets for the dates will go on sale this week

Posted by mardenhill 1/25/2007 12:26:00 PM 0 comments  

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JAMC To Play Coachella
Monday, January 22, 2007

Coachella rocks, they are able to get most bands that have called it quits to reform for one night only. Remember a few years ago, some band called The Pixies decided to play the festival and now look at them. For almost 2 years they toured the world and refilled their bank accounts. They don't have a 100% success rate, The Smiths turned them down but those are few and far between. This year Coachella was able to get The Jesus and Mary Chain to play which is great news. If it goes down like the Pixies maybe we can expect a tour. I havn't seen them in years and I am ready to seem them live one more time.

Posted by mardenhill 1/22/2007 10:33:00 PM 0 comments  

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The Monster


2004 Zinfandel The Monster

Grape Variety: 100% Zinfandel
Appellation: Paso Robles
Analysis: Alcohol: 16.3%
pH: 3.83TA: .63g/100mlRS: .80%
Harvest Dates: 9/8/04 – 10/31/03 (8 ranches)
Barrel Ageing: 14 months in 78% neutral oak uprights,22% in new and 1-3 year old Fr & Am oak barrels
Cases Produced: 3920
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All I can say is wow, this wine rocks. I was at Papa Joes over the weekend where I was encouraged to try this bottle. The label reminded me of Peachy Canyon which is another great vineyard. What makes this wine so amazing is the region, its from the hottest area in Cali these days Paso Robles. This region is by far the best for Zin, it blows away the Alexander Valley and Lodi regions and constantly gives us great juice.
Being 16.3% is huge for a wine, just a few points higher and it could be considered a port. You can taste alcohol but its not burning, its subtle and hidden underneath all the earth and spice. There is also a great fruit flavor kicking but isn't candy in nature like the previous bottle I reviewed. You can taste some cherry and black currant at the start but it turns dark and becomes bold and zesty. In my opinion, this wine can stand up to any great cab and I highly recommend you try a bottle.

Posted by mardenhill 1/22/2007 09:20:00 PM 0 comments  

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The Kooks Are Coming!!!!

THE KOOKS ARE COMING!

US TOUR DATES ANNOUNCEMENT coming next week!
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I just got an email from Astralwerks stating the Kooks are coming to the US. I am not holding my breath tho, I can see Detroit getting skipped over for Chicago and Toronto. I am not into them enough to make a road trip, they are cool but I am not traveling anywhere for a 45 minute show. Unfortunately 89X has been playing them a bunch so if there is a Detroit show, it will be full of punk kids who don't know crap about music. Oh well, I guess this is what happens when you become old...

Posted by mardenhill 1/22/2007 07:12:00 PM 0 comments  

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The Raunch Hands Bigg Topp - Feel It
Saturday, January 20, 2007

Rather than double dip and reprint this cd review, I will direct you over to Will and Ben's Record Room where I am a guest blogger. I have embedded a few tracks in the posting for your listening pleasure...

http://www.therecordroom.blogspot.com/

Posted by mardenhill 1/20/2007 09:53:00 PM 0 comments  

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Its Official, Hill's In

Well Hillary announced that she is forming an exploratory committee for the 2008 presidential run. So far we have 8 Democrats contending for the prize, a few others are still considering but for practical purposes these are the 8 that have a chance (as of now, it may all change in a few months). The top row are the leaders, you have Hillary, Obama, Edwards and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson. The 2nd tier candidates feature Joe Biden, Wesley Clark, Tom Vilsak and Chris Dodd. With the exception of Biden I like them all, some are a bit boring i.e Vilsak and Dodd but they are good qualified people.

As of now my first choice is Bill Richardson, he has an extensive resume and a good shot. Ideally I would love to have Al Gore back in the race but I don't see that happening. After Richardson I like Obama then Hillary and Edwards. I am really excited about our candidates and its still early. There will no doubt be a darkhorse peeking its head and I have no idea who it could be.

Very few times in life will we have a primary season like this. No current president or VP running and it being a wide open race on both sides.

Posted by mardenhill 1/20/2007 11:50:00 AM 1 comments  

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New Son Volt
Friday, January 19, 2007

Son Volt announce new album details
'The Search' comes out in March


Son Volt have announced details of their forthcoming album.'The Search' is a reportedly a departure for the alt-country band, which spun off from Uncle Tupelo after frontman Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy parted ways. According to Farrar's website, the album, out on March 6, strays from the band's alt-country roots and employs "an exceptional variety of sounds, melodies, and arrangements". "Instrumentally, the electric guitar was the focus of the last record, 'Okemah', but for 'The Search' we wanted to try something new," said Farrar. "This time, we utilized different instrumentation to fit each song - from guitar pedal loops to various keyboard sounds to horns. "Son Volt will soon announce the dates of a US tour beginning in March.
'The Search' tracklisting is:

'Slow Hearse'
'The Picture'
'Action''Underground Dream'
'Circadian Rhythm''Beacon Soul'
'The Search''Adrenaline and Heresy'
'Satellite'
'Automatic Society'
'Methamphetamine'
'L Train''Highways and Cigarettes'
'Phosphate Skin'
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Ok this is wierd, first new Wilco and now new Son Volt. Jeff Tweedy being the jackass that he is (sorry Kath but its true) tried to scam on Jay's girl back in the day causing tension and the breakup of the band Uncle Tupelo. Jeff formed Wilco and Jay went on to form Son Volt the better of the two bands but never had the fame Jeff has had. Well Son Volt are back with a new cd and it looks like they will be mixing it up a bit. I think their version of "mixing it up" will show us some real creative ideas and not just rehashed feedback and fuzz (like some other release that I won't name). Lets hope its Jay's turn to shine in the spotlight....
I will be doing a comparison of the two cds when they come out and I am putting my money down on Son Volt. Anyone else want to wager?

Posted by mardenhill 1/19/2007 05:08:00 PM 1 comments  

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All I Can Say Is Wow

A new poll has found that the American people dislike President Bush more than they dislike ... Dick Cheney.

The poll -- by Fox News, of all people -- finds that President Bush's unfavorable rating is 58%, while Cheney's unpopularity rating is five points lower at 53%. Bush can, however, still take some small solace from the fact that his approval rating is one point higher than Cheney's; the President's is 38%, while the VP's is 37%.

Meanwhile, here are a couple of other numbers that are striking for a Fox poll: Only 39% of Americans view the GOP favorably, and 49% view them unfavorably. Meanwhile, a majority of respondents -- 51% -- have a favorable view of Dems, compared to only 35% who have an unfavorable view of what Fox likes to call the "Democrat Party."
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Who would have thought that Bush could have a lower approval rating than our favorite VP, the one that shoots friends on hunting trips, operates in secret, lies about WMD for years, and tells other legislators to F*ck Off. And the kicker, the poll came from none other than Fox news. So if Fox has these numbers, just imagine what the real numbers look like.

Posted by mardenhill 1/19/2007 12:29:00 PM 0 comments  

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New Wilco

Wilco confirm new album

'Sky Blue Sky' comes out in May

Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy has disclosed some details of the band's new album. The follow-up to the Chicago quartet's 2004 album 'A Ghost Is Born' is called 'Sky Blue Sky' and will be released on May 14 in the UK, and a day later in the US
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I'm not a Wilco hater but I have been disappointed with their direction in the last few years. They had a good thing going but threw it all away to become the Radiohead of the Alt Country world. Lets hope we get some good twang and toe tapping songs out of this release.

Posted by mardenhill 1/19/2007 10:09:00 AM 0 comments  

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Temptation Zin

Its not Temptation Zin, its Temptation crap. I was in a cool wine store the other day and they had this out on special for $9. I was a bit leary but decided to give it a shot. Never again will I fall for a snazzy promotion, no more display wines for me.

The story behind Temptation Zin is that it comes from a trio of Zins by Alexander Valley Vineyards. They have 3 levels of Zin, the first is the Temptation Zin, a soft and fruitier style to get people interested. The next level is Sin Zin which retails for around $18-$20. This Zin is very good, lots of spice, fruit and flavor. Finally they cap it all of with Redemption Zin, the counterpoint to the Sin Zin. Price wise they are the same but have a few different characteristics. I haven't tried the Redemption but plan on since the Sin Zin is very good.

The Temptation was weak, it had not body, little spice and was too fruity/candy for my taste. For around the same price you can pickup a bottle of Rancho Zabaco, Cline or Ravenswood all great entry level Zins. Maybe I expect more from a Zin than some but my recommendation is to stay away from this one.

http://www.avvwine.com/scripts/display_product.php?product_id=29

Posted by mardenhill 1/19/2007 09:10:00 AM 0 comments  

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Global Dominance
Wednesday, January 17, 2007


Courtesy of www.gizmodo.com

A rumor surfaced on a Beatles fanboy site, claiming that Apple and the Fab Four have come to some sort of agreement to sell Beatles music on the iTunes store. As the story goes, The Beatles brilliant remix, Love, will reportedly be the first album to hit the iTunes site, perhaps as early as Valentine's Day. Fortune magazine fanned the flames, recently claiming that a special Beatles edition iPod might be part of the deal.

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This is big news for Apple and the digital realm, whomever controls the Beatles catalog controls the world. This is the holy grail of music, everyone owns a Beatles cd but not everyone has a digital copy of the Beatles. I know, people can just rip their cds but trust me, they will gobble these songs up. If Apple scores this catalog, Microsoft with Urge, Napster 2.0, Rhapsody and the rest of the loser music stores should close up shop. I also don't see the Beatles catalog making its way to everyone, it will remain exclusive. The iTunes music store has everything a person could want except a subscription service. If the demand grows that will be another Apple announcement.

Posted by mardenhill 1/17/2007 10:48:00 AM 0 comments  

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PETA
Tuesday, January 16, 2007

This is why I love cell phone cameras for moments like this. I couple weeks ago I was in Kalamazoo and walked by a truck with stickers on their back window. Now this is someone who really hates PETA, not just 1 sticker, People Eating Tasty Animals, but an NRA membership and the ultimate, Calvin peeing on PETA. I take it this person loves eating animals and has no problem letting everyone else know it. I do feel bad for the creator of Calvin because his character has been used in everything from pissing on truck competitors, praying at a cross and now PETA.

you can click on the picture for a bigger view.

Posted by mardenhill 1/16/2007 04:25:00 PM 1 comments  

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Pinol Ludovicus 2005
Sunday, January 14, 2007


The region is Terra Alta and the wine is Pinol Ludovicus 2005. It is a blend of Garnacha, Tempranillo, Syrah and Cab. Your usual suspects when it comes to Spanish wines but also a very good one. Right out of the bottle this wine has a great fruity nose and a deep ruby color. Its young so the sweetness is there but its also has an earthiness quality to it. The Garnacha gives it some fruit and the other blends give it a bit more structure with a balanced finish. This wine does finish with a bit of spice but with only 3 months of oak barrels the complexity doesn't exist. For $11 you can't beat it and I highly recommend you to give it a try. I am not too hip to straight Tempranillo, I have had a few duds lately so the blends are much nicer.

http://www.oleimports.com/wines/pinol.htm

Posted by mardenhill 1/14/2007 09:14:00 PM 1 comments  

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GoTo10
Saturday, January 13, 2007

Last nite GoTo10 played their official 1st show at Smalls in Hamtramck and if you were not in attendence you missed a great nite of music. They are an 80s tribute band and some of songs played were from Devo, Missing Persons, Heart, Cheap Trick, The Cure, Europe (one of my favorite songs last nite), Nena (in German even!) and Journey. You can check out a couple songs at their myspace page below. Keep your eyes peeled for upcoming shows, and if you are on myspace add them as a friend.

http://www.myspace.com/goto10detroit

http://goto10.us/joomla/index.php

Posted by mardenhill 1/13/2007 02:38:00 PM 0 comments  

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More Exclusive iTunes


Morrissey to play LA
The star also releases digital EP

Morrissey has announced he will headline three shows in Los Angeles.

The star, a former resident of the city, will play at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium February 1-3. Tickets go on sale tomorrow (January 13).

In addition, the star has just released an EP via US iTunes. The digital version of the single 'I Just Want To See the Boy Happy', from his latest album 'Ringleader Of The Tormentors', contains five extra tracks.

The tracklisting is:

'I Just Want to See the Boy Happy'
'Speedway' (Live)
'I Want the One I Can't Have' (Live at The Royal Albert Hall)
'Late Night, Maudlin Street' (Live at The Royal Albert Hall)
'Sweetie Pie'
'I Want the One I Can't Have' (Live in Paris)
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I am all about exclusive iTunes deals and for $6 this may be worth it.

Posted by mardenhill 1/13/2007 12:52:00 PM 0 comments  

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Update: Le Grand Vallet
Thursday, January 11, 2007

Day 2.

I am happy to report that this wine opened up quite well, it had a great nose and a bit more earthy flavor. You could taste more of the syrah and the rustic qualities were coming out. If you decide to try this wine, decant it and let it sit for a couple hours otherwise you will be disappointed......

Posted by mardenhill 1/11/2007 08:24:00 PM 0 comments  

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Le Grand Vallet
Wednesday, January 10, 2007

I picked up this bottle from Simply Wine today and opened it during the presidental speech. ( I needed something to keep me from throwing things at the tv). I was clueless with this wine since I had never heard of the Ventoux region but after a little research I was able to find out some interesting things.
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Côtes du Ventoux:

Mont Ventoux is one of the most famous mountains in France (2,000 m, 6300ft) and marks the gate between Rhône and Provence. The weather in Côtes du Ventoux is very hot in the summer but cold in the winter and windy with the "mistral" blowing almost all the time! The poor limestone soil of Côtes du Ventoux gives a fruity red wine, easy to drink and to appreciate. A good value wine.
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I found the vineyard's website and discovered the wine was a 50/50 blend of Grenache and Syrah. There wasn't much of a nose even after 30 minutes of being opened. Taste wise, its ok, not great but not awful. The flavor in this wine is a bit disappointing maybe by tomorrow it will have blossomed into something great. I was hoping for some hint of syrah and spice but it was rather flat and the fruit was too simple and little backbone.

http://www.grandvallat.com/gven/gven/accueil.htm

Posted by mardenhill 1/10/2007 09:56:00 PM 0 comments  

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Jackpot

Depeche Mode release download-only 'box set'
The career-spanning collection features 644 tracks


Depeche Mode have announced the release of a massive download-only "box set". The career-spanning retrospective, appropriately titled 'The Complete Depeche Mode', is available now for download on US iTunes. Following on the heels of a more modest 'Best Of' collection released last November, the mega-retrospective contains 644 tracks. The set features all 11 of their studio albums, all of their singles and B-sides, and two live albums, as well as rare and previously unreleased material. In addition to album tracks it features rare and deleted recordings, 19 digital-only remixes, and previously unreleased rehearsal recordings. It comes packaged with a 62-page downloadable booklet featuring images by renowned photographer Anton Corbijn.
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This behemoth collection will set you back $169.99 off of iTunes which really isn't a bad deal considering there are 644 tracks. Now I wouldn't spend the money but there are enough nutballs out there that will. If any of them read this, you are not really a crazed lunatic if you give me a copy of those tracks. If not, then the charge sticks. This is the first of its kind and I think we will see other bands setup a deal with iTunes. If the Cure does this, I think the tracks will be over 1000.
The era of box sets is waning, I still love them but in digital format you can give more and charge less. with Apple selling over 2 billion tracks so far, this trend will only continue.....

Posted by mardenhill 1/10/2007 08:35:00 PM 0 comments  

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Nintendo Wii



Yesterday was tech overload with the Apple announcements and the Nintendo Wii. I didn't get a chance to post this yesterday but still wanted to give you an update. One of my co-workers has a Nintendo Wii and brought it in for us to play. The Wii rocks and I think anyone out there would enjoy playing it. The graphics are not perfect but they are not meant to be either. Some of the characters could use an improvement but that should happen in future games. Where the fun lies is within the controller. When you play sports games you need to make the motion with the controller to play. If you are playing tennis, you need to swing like you are serving, hitting a backhand etc. For baseball, you need to bat and pitch. Bowling was a little more tricky, you have the motion but setting curves kinda happens or you choose the direction before releasing. They make plastic cases in the shape of rackets, golf clubs, bats and steering wheels which would help out a lot. This system is much cheaper than the PS3 and X Box and is just as fun if not more. For someone like me who doesn't have the attention span to play a long, drawn out game, I like the Wii since its quick and easy. If you find yourself at a store with a demo, go over and try it. Yeah you look like an idiot doing so but its worth it.

Posted by mardenhill 1/10/2007 11:19:00 AM 0 comments  

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Here is the Apple iPhone, a slim line touchscreen device.

Its a phone....

Its a web browser...

Its an iPod music player...

Its a portable video player...

Cover Flow navigation....

Wi-Fi connectivity, EDGE network, Bluetooth connectivity

There are a ton of other cool features but this gives you a quick break down. Pricewise you are looking at $499 for the 4 gig model and 2 year contract with Cingular. $599 for the 8 gig model. Its a pda, its a phone, its an ipod, its a portable video/photo device, its a pocket computer. You can have all your email sync with the device, you can browse the internet, you can send SMS text messages, the possibilities are endless. Its still to rich for my blood so I will have to live vicariously thru others and just blog about it.

Posted by mardenhill 1/09/2007 02:46:00 PM 0 comments  

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Apple TV (iTV)




Here are some shots of the new iTV media streamer just announced by Apple. It will connect to your existing mac wirelessly and pull across all your photos, movies, videos and music. You can also copy things to the 40 gig hd to eliminate streaming. This would be good when watching a movie, music and photos are not that big of a deal. Its not a DVR which sucks but that may come later on down the line. This thing rocks but the DVR would make it a must have. Now its just cool and something on the wishlist. At $299 its a bit steep, maybe $199 would be a better price. The iPod/iPhone was released and I will have more on that later. Below are some stats from the keynote speech.
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Apple TV will come with a 40-gigabyte hard drive that stores up to 50 hours of video. It features an Intel Corp. microprocessor and can handle videos, photos and music streamed from up to five computers within the wireless range.

Jobs also said Apple has sold more than 2 billion songs on its popular iTunes music download service, catapulting the company into the top ranks of music sellers worldwide. Apple, which sells 58 songs per second, or 5 million songs a day, sells more songs than Amazon.com and ranks behind only Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Target as a music retailer.

Posted by mardenhill 1/09/2007 02:30:00 PM 0 comments  

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Mac News


The Mac Expo Keynote speech with Steve Jobs just started, if you are interested you can follow it at www.macrumors.com . I will post all the good news once its over...

Posted by mardenhill 1/09/2007 12:18:00 PM 0 comments  

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My Day In Kalamazoo
Saturday, January 06, 2007



Erika had a baby shower to attend today in Galesburg which is a city outside of Kalamazoo. Both of us went to college at Western Michigan University which is located in Kalamazoo, one of the best cities in Michigan. I dropped Erika off at her girlfriend's house and got back on the road to head in the Kzoo. 10 minutes later I was at the Kalamazoo Brewing Company (Bells) for a beer. Bells is my favorite beer of all time, it is the best microbrew in the country and I would say the best in the world. Half my college career was spent at the brewery and I still drink their beer to this day. Unfortunately they didn't have wi-fi so I had a beer and took off. The beer I had was their Thumpin Pumpkin, by far the best pumpkin ale I have ever had. I used to think Old Penninsula, a small microbrew/restaurant in Kzoo had the best, but not anymore. Bell just started up a pumpkin ale this November and I loved it. They don't bottle it so its only at the brewery which is disappointing. Bells also has a kitchen but its open and staffed by a bunch of dirty hippies with dreads so I decided i would skip lunch.
I migrated a couple blocks down the street to a bar called Shakespeare's Pub. This is very cool bar owned by my friend Ted from college. I happened to catch him inside and got to hang out for a few. He gave me a very good beer called Corsendonk Christmas Ale which is a Belguim Ale made by monks. The beer was dark but had a bit of spice and holiday flavors. Its not a beer I would have bought on my own but I was impressed and glad that I got to try it. Since Ted runs a cleaner kitchen and has wi-fi, I camped out for a while, watched the Western Michigan Football game and surfed the net. Ok I didn't really watch the game, I hate football and didn't care when I was in school let alone now, but I did blog and catch up on the latest news.
From here I plan on driving around the campus and seeing the city. By then it will be time to pick up Erika and head back home. If you ever find yourself driving down 94 towards Chicago, stop in Kalamazoo and check out these two bars. Bells only have their own beer but Shakespeare's has a huge selection of microbrews and full bar. The food is great and there are pool tables and a shuffle board table. And there is also wi-fi for computer nerds like me who can't be without internet connectivity for more than 15 minutes.
http://www.shakespearespub.com/
http://www.bellsbeer.com/

Posted by mardenhill 1/06/2007 02:25:00 PM 0 comments  

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Huge Air News!!!!


Air - Pocket Symphony

What better way to start 2007 than with some huge news regarding one of our flagship artists..AIR. This week we can reveal that the band's latest, and quite possibly, greatest album is called POCKET SYMPHONY and will be available everywhere on March 6th.

Returning at times to some of the liquid funk and orchestral pop that characterized their very early recordings, the band has also added some far-Eastern flavor and some great guest vocal performances from Jarvis Cocker and Neil Hannon (The Divine Comedy). All in all, it adds up to a career highlight that is sure to seduce the ears of recent and long-time fans alike.

We'll be bringing you plenty of details in the coming weeks regarding retail promotions and special bonus features. In the meantime head over to: www.myspace.com/intairnet where the band has updated their site and posted a preview of the seductive first single "Once Upon A Time".
http://www.pocket-symphony.com/
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I just got this news via the Astralwerks newsletter and it made my day. I guess the work on the Charlotte Gainsbourgh cd wasn't enough and they had to have Jarvis sing some more. Middle eastern vibes and liquid funk beats blended into a a big ole pot of atmospheric soup is what we need for 2007. The cd is still 2 months away but we now have something to look forward to.

Posted by mardenhill 1/06/2007 09:15:00 AM 1 comments  

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WOXY VINTAGE IS BACK!!!!!
Friday, January 05, 2007

I know I talk about Woxy and Woxy Vintage all the time but its the best online radio station in the world. Since Woxy was resurrected (for the 2nd time) the vintage stream was nowhere to be found. Back in December they started Saturdays and Sundays from 9am-3pm but this week its now 24/7. In the last 30 minutes we had The Slits, The Charlatans UK, The Flaming Lips, Morrissey, INXS, Cocteau Twins, The B-52s, The Church and Camper Van Beethoven. Right now Cornershop's "Sleep On The Left Side" is on and you don't get any better than that. If you have never listened to Woxy or the Vintage stream you really need to. I promise this will be the last time I bother you about the coolest station on the planet. For those pretentious indie rockers, its even better than KEXP in Seattle.

www.woxy.com

Posted by mardenhill 1/05/2007 08:41:00 PM 0 comments  

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Reunion?

Police Reunion Buzz Builds
Updated 01:36 PST Fri, Jan 05 2007

The rumor mill is cranked up to full volume on the subject of a long awaited Police reunion for 2007. According to the British tabloid press, the band is planning to reunite for a U.S. and U.K. tour to commemorate their 30th anniversary.

Of course, the tabloids also allege that rehearsal dates have been planned, tour dates are being finalized for May and June, and a formal announcement is looming. Calls by Pollstar to various sources resulted in no new information or even confirmation of the rumors. However, the following nebulous message attributed to a spokesperson at Interscope Geffen A&M Records, the band's label, was posted January 3 on Sting's web site:

"As the 30th anniversary of the first Police single approaches, discussions have been underway as to how this will be commemorated. While we can confirm that there will indeed be something special done to mark the occasion, the depth of the band's involvement still remains undetermined."

http://www.pollstar.com/news/viewnews.pl?NewsID=7557
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Hey everyone else has done a reunion except the Police and Talking Heads, its about time they jump on the bandwagon. If you take the two, I think the Police have a better shot at reforming than the Talking Heads. We will have to wait and see how much of this could be true or if its just more tabloid fodder. I hope it is tho, I would love to see the Police live...

Posted by mardenhill 1/05/2007 12:26:00 PM 1 comments  

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Thorn Clarke 2003 Barossa Shiraz
Thursday, January 04, 2007

I have been anti Australian wines for a while, that whole Yellow Tail turned me off to everything. I had this bottle sitting in the basement and decided to open it. I'm glad I did and have decided that I love Aussie Shiraz's. Its plump and juicy with flavors jumping out of the glass. It also has a nice backbone and smells great. Although the spice is not as much as a Zin its enough to keep me interested. The last Shiraz I had was a '99 that had some age and blew me away. I am now onboard and pledge not to dis the Aussie's anymore. If the bottle has an animal and a stupid name then all bets are off and its open season.

I know I am late to the game on the whole Shiraz scene, I was drinking American and French Syrah's for years but never any of the ones down under. From now on I will be a bit more openminded to my wine choices...

Posted by mardenhill 1/04/2007 09:45:00 PM 0 comments  

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Luscious Jackson Greatest Hits

(From Jill Cunniff's myspace page)

It's now official, the Luscious Jackson Greatest Hits will be available February 20th the same day as City Beach. In addition to fan favorites like "Naked Eye," "Deep Shag" and "Ladyfingers," the collection will feature previously unreleased remixes from the Beastie Boys' Mike D ("Why Do I Lie?"), Thievery Corporation ("Nervous Breakdown"), Kut Master Kurt ("Ladyfingers") and Tony Mangurian ("Naked Eye"). Also featured is "Love Is Here" from the soundtrack to "A Life Less Ordinary" and a cover of Serge Gainsbourg's "69 Annee Erotique" for the 1995 benefit album "Ain't Nuthin' But a She Thing."

Here is the track list for "Greatest Hits"
Naked Eye
Under Your Skin
Citysong
Deep Shag
Ladyfingers
Christine
Let Yourself Get Down
Why Do I Lie?
Nervous Breakdown
Strong Man
Beloved
Friends
Love Is Here
69 Annee Erotique
Here
Ladyfingers (Kut Mastra Kurt remix)
Naked Eye"(Tony Mangurian remix)
Why Do I Lie? (Pants On Fire remix)
Nervous Breakdown (Thievery Corporation remix)
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This rocks, a double whammy from the girls of NYC. Jill will release her solo record along side the greatest hits. I am excited about some of the remixes, I don't think I have heard any of them. Feb 20th is just around the corner and I can't wait.

Posted by mardenhill 1/04/2007 05:02:00 PM 0 comments  

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Welcome To The New Congress

Here are the new Congressional leaders, Sen. Reid, Sen. Schumer, Speaker of the House Pelosi, Rep. Emanuel and Rep. Hoyer. Sen Durbin is not pictured but is #2 behind Senate Majority leader Harry Reid. The official 100 hours in the House does not begin until next week but the big ticket items, ethics reform, prescription drug, minimum wage, stem cell and 9/11 commission will be pushed thru with no committees just floor votes. Repubs are crying foul but this has been a tactic they have used for years and now its being used against them. Pelosi has said after the 100 hours she will go back to bipartisan committees but wants to have some victories under her belt. The times are changing and the administration better watch themselves. Gone is the rubber stamp congress and yes men.

Posted by mardenhill 1/04/2007 10:01:00 AM 0 comments  

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La Face Cachee da la Pomme Neige Apple Ice Wine
Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Very seldom do I like fruit wine, I think most of it is crap and once in a while you will get a good dessert one. Ed at Simply Wine gave me a sample bottle of La Face Cachee da la Pomme Neige Apple Ice Wine which sat in the back of my fridge for months. I just rediscovered it and decided to give it a try. I was blown away at what could be created from apples. The color is a golden amber, just like any great Sauternes from France. Its thick and viscous with a strong apple aroma. It lingers on your tongue and the finish has some amazing hangtime. You also have hints of vanilla and a bit of a nutty flavor. At 12% its a perfect alcohol content and would be amazing with a plate of cheese. I would definitely consider serving this over a traditional dessert wine, the flavors can compete with most late harvests. You do not need a large glass, its sweet enough that just a little goes a long way.

This wine is a product of Quebec, Canada and retails for about $30 a bottle (375ml).

http://www.appleicewine.com/index_en.html

Posted by mardenhill 1/03/2007 09:39:00 PM 1 comments  

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Cingular Owns 2007

Last summer it was looking very bleak for Cingular in the smartphone division. Verizon just launched the Motorola Q and Treo 700W and ruled the world. Well a few months later Cingular dropped their 1st good smart phone with the Nokia E62 and the hits kept coming. Shortly after the E62, the Treo 680 and the Samsung Blackjack made their way onto the scene with all 3 phones under the $200 mark (promotional rate). Now Cingular will get the Treo 750 which sports the slimmed down look, no external entenna and windows mobile. No word if phone quality has been improved but it does give Cingular a very tough lineup for any other cell phone company to compete against. I know all of this can change in a matter of weeks but for now, its all Cingular.

I have been raving about the Nokia E62 for a while now, I have almost committed myself the the phone (well next version if there is a camera) but the Samsung Blackjack may sway me. I have had to setup a number of these over the last couple weeks at work and by far they blow away the Motorola Q and come close to the E62. The saving grace about the Nokia is the size of the screen but it is a bit bigger than the Blackjack. With Apple rumored to enter the cell phone game, expect Cingular to score that model and with their 3G (3rd generation network) and world phone capabilities, they will keep all of us happy.

BTW, I got to play with a Blackberry Pearl but its not worth it. The phone may be small and sleek but its buttons are way to small to actually use and well its a Blackberry....

Posted by mardenhill 1/03/2007 10:01:00 AM 0 comments  

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Reissue and New Stuff
Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Stereophonics to reissue debut album

Plus their new LP is on the way
Stereophonics are set to reissue their debut album 'Word Gets Around' on its' ten year anniversary. The double disc set will contain with original album plus a bonus disc of B-sides and a "punk" version of the track 'She Takes Her Clothes Off'.
Jones said of the record, due out later this year: "In a nutshell - people love this new record. The word is - it's probably our best yet, and I have to admit I fuckin agree ha ha - it's having it!!
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I have been following the Stereophonics since their inception and for the most part like everything they do. They did follow the typical musical progression by putting out a great 1st cd, following it up with a 2nd that was very similar and putting out a melodic 3rd one. After slowing down and getting lip from the critics, its time to change gears and show that you have grown as a musician and release your 4th cd as one that is genre bending. If this fails and fans don't respond, follow up with a balls out heavy record to get their attention. This was the Stereophonics musical journey and one taken by many bands. Each cd has its moments and some great songs but I was a bit disappointed with the last one. I felt that they were out of ideas and the only thing left to do was turn up the amps. The songs are great to sing along to but lyrically they are basic and too American sounding. I really hope they give up on being a US rock band and do what they do best. I have faith that Jones will pull thru and it will be in my top 20 for 2007. Please don't prove me wrong......

Posted by mardenhill 1/02/2007 10:49:00 PM 1 comments  

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The "Surge"

Well Commander Cuckoo-Bananas and the other 4 morons in this country (Cheney, Condi, McCain and Lieberman) want to press on with the "Surge" even against the wishes of his Generals on the ground. Bush continued to tell all of us, he only listens to his commanders but when they disagree with him and his bizarro world, they are swiftboated and removed from office. Yep, General Casey will be leaving Iraq and it had to do with not carrying Bush's water. At what point does saving your legacy trump what the majority of the US population, congress and the military all agree on? This is what Bush is doing, he doesn't care about anything else but his proposed $500 million Presidental library and showing up his daddy. Killing Saddam hasn't changed things there is still sectarian violence and a civil war in Iraq. Lets hope we have a bipartisan clampdown by congress on this and a real plan to bring our troops home. Its nice to see that we have real adults in congress now, finally things will get done.

Posted by mardenhill 1/02/2007 10:28:00 PM 0 comments  

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Yzerman's Number Retired


Shot From The Game Tonight
Tonight Steve Yzerman's number 19 was retired at Joe Louis Arena and a banner was raised to commemorate our hometown hero. Yzerman joined the Detroit Red Wings in 1983 and by '86 was the youngest franchise captain. 20 years later, Steve retired as a player and served as the longest running captain in NHL history. Within those 23 years (22 if you count the lockout), Steve lead the Wings to 3 Stanley Cup championships in 1997, 1998 and once again in 2002. He also did something else unheard of these days, started and finished his career with just one team. Steve is now working the front offices and will remain with the team in whatever fashion for as long as he desires.

I would like to thank my friend Jen who is at the game tonight for emailing me the picture of the number being raised. You gotta love technology, within minutes I had shots of the action from someone in attendence.

Posted by mardenhill 1/02/2007 08:17:00 PM 0 comments  

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