Playoffs

Two important steps:

1. Grow a beard.
2. Visit Puck This!, a new hockey blog. Read the amazing EA Sports NHL 2006 tournament liveblogs and sit in awe.
   

Shuffle

Recently played:

Leonard Cohen, "Diamonds In The Mine" from Songs of Love and Hate. Rowdy, rambunctious, loud, everything you don't expect a Leonard Cohen song to be. Totally accessible and fun.

Johnny Cash, "Devil's Right Hand" from Unearthed II: Trouble In Mind. I've had trouble getting into these tunes since I picked up the big box set a couple of years ago. I loved the individual American Recordings albums individually, but five discs seemed somehow impenetrable. Here Johnny accentuates Steve Earle's tune with a crunchy electric guitar. Great tune.

George Harrison, "Brainwashed" from Brainwashed. Fucking brilliant. Harrison's last tune before his death (though rumours of oodles of more material, including what can only be a terribly depressing take on Paul Simon's "Run That Body Down," recorded in George's last sick years have been around for a few years). Straight ahead power chords, direct lyrics, a great line about Bullshit Avenue, a tabla and slide guitar break and a minute and a half of George's mantra. So bittersweet.

Van Morrison, "Glad Tidings" from Moondance. Fucking brilliant too. Immortalized at the end of the last Sopranos season, as Johnny Sack is hauled down by federal agents while Tony runs for cover in the snow. The bassline grabs you and won't let go. And those horns. How come nobody writes decent horn parts anymore?

Rick Moranis, "Nine More Gallons," from The Agoraphobic Cowboy. Great non-rhyme:

Working nights
I'm always tired
I hope my boss
Doesn't get me laid off

Rick, you had me at the title. Who else could write a credible bluegrass song about inadequacy that's utterly convincing?

Mood-killer

Atrios is right. Hopefully Billmon is wrong. Someday someone will ask me what was the news story of my twenties. Instead of America's desire to fuck the whole damned world, I'll mumble something about Scott Pederson, shark attacks and BradJenLina.