PIEBALD

Oh what is this now?  I bet you thought I was gone.  Well I'm back, and I'm ready to set things on fire, NBA Jam style.  Boomshakalaka!

So I came out of my hermitage today to talk about the most rockingest band to ever lace up a pair of PF Flyers.

I first got turned on to Piebald early on in High School.  Their albums are a little bit of an acquired taste (The lyric structure is more or less free verse and a lot of their early stuff is not particularly melodic), but I'd dare you to not be absolutely obsessed if you ever got the chance to see them live.

They had the tenacious double threat of thoughtful angst and sing-a-long power which, when they unleashed live, they deliver with such unforgiving pace that you barely have anytime to recover between songs.  Oh yeah, and they had some pretty rawkus fans to boot (if I do say so myself).

But in a way, this is a eulogy for the boys from Andover.

Sadly, it looks like they have hung up their guitars for good after a farewell show two years ago and only coming together once for a special one-off show last month since (which I was lucky enough to be present for).  The worst part of being a musician is knowing how much amazing music out there will never be heard.  Nothing can last forever, but at least Piebald was heard.  At least we'll always have Grace Kelly.

Piebald, good sirs, you were underrated.

U2 as the Official Soundtrack for the World Cup

Once ever four years, you will hear a U2 song in every other commercial on ESPN.

Bono being white people's ambassador to Africa.

The World Cup is back and so is Bono and is ramblings about world unity and peace through "the beautiful game".  I love the World Cup.  It is always exciting even if you don't really care who wins.  And I like U2.  They sound great live and they're still pretty cool after all these years.

But enough!

I know there is more to music outside of the U.S. than U2.  Who died and made them the representatives for all things international?

Listen, I know we're just a country of a bunch of stupid, soccer (football) hating, xenophobes but you think maybe we can handle it if they played something other than U2 in these commercials, or maybe even (gasp) music from the host country of South Africa?  Just a thought.

U2 I love you, but being up all in every World Cup Commercial on this side of the atlantic is a little overrated.