2006 - Fun Times With The HOchies List

The trickery I do so love to lay down on you guys! This isn't exactly the Fun Times with the HOchies 2006 list. I already did a photo post of that to you guys. No, this is really the Or 2's Best of 2006 Music, Concert and Broadway List.

Joke's on me because some of you are going to skip over this, yeah? Asshats. That's right, HOchie 1! I called you an asshat!

Anyway, of the albums I got this year and mind you, some of them weren't released this year but they were new to me, here they are and the songs that were best from them:

Death Cab for Cutie

We Got the facts and We're Voting Yes - so far disappointing and I can't even pick a song from here yet but I will listen again in the near future

Something About Airplanes - "Bend to Squares" is a fantastic song. Other than that, this album is another I'll need to listen to because so far it's boring as heck. Sorry TD5.

Transatlanticism - "Tiny Vessels", "Title and Registration"

Audioslave

Revelations - "Shape of Things To Come", "Moth", Wide Awake

With no tour planned for the year after the album came out, I don't know what's going with Audioslave. They had one of the worst songs this year, "Original Fire". I cringe everytime I hear it. This album, other than those three songs, is mostly forgettable and that is painful for me to say. Sweet D., you can keep him even though I still love you, T.M.

The Streets

The Hardest Way to Make An Easy Living - "Can't Con an Honest John", "The Hardest Way To Make an Easy Living", "When You Wasn't Famous". This is another not-so-great album after the golden greatness of Mike Skinner's first two.

Tool

10,000 Days - "The Pot", "Vicarious". "The Pot" is one of the greatest songs this year but Tool, why are you making me add you to the list of not-so-great overall?! Maybe if you stopped your bullshit pretentiousness, then you'd make an album that wasn't one long boring song and an extension from your last! Geez.

OK Go

OK Go - "Get Over It" (Hilarious video and amazing song), "Hello My Treacherous Friends" (I like the bit about the spider children. I don't understand it but I like it as long as they're not Hobo Spiders, that is. Right X?), "1000 Miles Per Hour"

Oh No - "Oh Lately It's So Quiet", "It's a Disaster", "Maybe This Time". I took a chance on this band this year starting with this album and loved it so much that I forced them upon SF (but you know you should be thanking me, right, SF?), made enemies with Hinder and went out and bought OK Go's first. This is a really fun album and they seem to be a fun bunch of guys who are really about their fans and that's always a plus.

Thom Yorke

The Eraser - "Analyse" (One of the best songs this year!), "The Clock", "Harrowdown Hill". Thom Yorke, that loveable freak. I liked this album well enough. Oh and "The Drunk Machine" from the Harrowdown Hill EP is pretty good too.

Arctic Monkeys

Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not - "Dancing Shoes", "Perhaps Vampires is a Bit Strong But...", "Mardy Bum", "You Probably Couldn't See For The Lights But You Were Staring Straight At Me".

Okay, so I stayed away from this band realizing how hyped up they were as soon as they came out until of course, a 7 hour flight to London and a broken pair of Ipod headphones forced me to make use of Virgin Atlantic's In-Flight Entertainment Service. So, I listened and actually liked it. It's not to be taken seriously, the whole thing's about how to hook up on the dancefloor (yeah, let's say the Arctic Monkeys can write only as well as, well, Arctic Monkeys. But ah, the lyrics and music are fun so whatever) and wow, do they like long titles.

Mindless Self Indulgence

Another Mindless Rip Off - (it truly is but at $8.99 and my undying love for this band, I had to get it. They know we're idiot fans who will buy anything but we know it too so it doesn't make it better but it makes it something) "Born to be Beheaded", "Frying Pan", "What Do They Know?" remix by MSI VS. Julien-K. & Chester Bennington

Shut Me Up: The Remixes + 3

This was truly disappointing! I mean, I rushed out to buy it for MSI's cover of "Big Poppa" because if you've heard their covers of "Tom Sawyer" and "Bring The Pain", you'll agree with me that MSI can cover a song like nobody's business but ugh, I was so sad and unimpressed by "Big Poppa". It wasn't horrible but it wasn't A+ material either. It was rather boring.

Despierto Los Ninos - "Alienating my Audience", "Joke", "Wack". And these songs are examples of why I love them because they're self-loathing, fan-hating, fun time bitches.

The Legend of Zelda

From The Oracle of Ages Sdtk - "Tower of Black", "Ralph's Theme" and no, Ralph is NOT my BFF!!!!!!!

From "The Oracle of Seasons" Sdtk - "Castle of Despair"

Final Fantasy VII Advent Children

"Battle in the Forgotten City", "Beyond the Wasteland", "Sairin: Kata Tsubata No Tenshi". Yes, "One-Winged Angel" remains bad-assed even after given a rock on opera makeover.

And now for the two greatest albums all year...

Keane

Under the Iron Sea - "Nothing in My Way", "Leaving So Soon?", "A Bad Dream". Thanks to some drugs, Keane released a stellar album this year. The entire thing is amazing save maybe one song I refuse to listen to. They would have made number one on my list and heck knows they're really close to being at that spot but of course...

MUSE

Black Holes & Revelations - "Map of the Problematique", "Hoodoo", "Take A Bow". I'd be a traitor if I didn't have them as the most revered. But in all honesty, had they not made an incredible album, Keane would have taken this one. Every track is great except for that damned "Knights of Cydonia" that I hate but absolutely love in concert. And "Invincible" which grew on me because it's also great in concert.

[Personal Message: Matt, I love you. Please send me tickets and VIP passes to your show at Wembley Stadium on June 16th of next year. No one got tickets for me even though I pleaded that that was the only present I wanted for Christmas. Bitches.]

But talk about another hideous album cover...

For those of you who missed receiving a copy of this c.d. from me or TD5 this year, no worries...as soon as their concert dvd comes out, you're all getting one.

Now for my list of the shows (concerts & broadway) I saw this year starting with the best and ending with the worst:

1. MUSE at Wembley Arena. "Assassin (Grand Omega Bosses Mix)" is the most bad-assed performance in concert I've ever seen and/or heard.

2. Mindless Self Indulgence (tied with below) - oh how I love Jimmy. Within two years, baby, I'll have Urine tattoed to my foot. This was my first real pit. I'm alive. Barely. If not for Beetchie and Jess, I wouldn't be posting right now.

2. Evil Dead The Musical (tied with above) - great because X got roughed up.

4. Spamalot - I like Lancelot; he likes to dancealot. And he was pretty hot.

5. MUSE @ The Hammerstein Ballroom - small venue greatness because I was close to my man and fun because now SF is hooked.

6. Franz Ferdinand @ The Hammerstein Ballroom - as my Budgie would say, "if it's free, it's for me" and then there was the Alex moment.

7. Wicked - There's nothing like a gOOd-lOOkin' flying monkey. Yes, it is possible.

8. Les Miserables - the slo'mo' death scene was hilarious even though I don't think they meant it to be. The flush was just damned lame.

9. (and now for the worst show, please view two blogs before this one) Matisyahu. That's right, MC. Matisdamnedyahu.

And this next bit is for my own purposes -

My Top 25 Most Played Ipod Playlist

At the end of 2006, here's what it looks like:

1. What Do They Know? @ 314 times played
2. Stupid MF
3. Microphone Commander
4. Map of the Problematique
5. Time is Running Out
6. Eternally Missed
7. Hysteria
8. Shut Me Up
9. Tom Sawyer
10. New Born
11. You'll Rebel To Anything (As Long As It's Not Challenging)
12. Talk To Me, Dance With Me
13. Bomb This Track
14. The Small Print
15. Thank God
16. Revenge
17. The Groove
18. 1989
19. Last Gay Song
20. Rip Off
21. Muscle Museum
22. Apocalypse Please
23. Supermassive Black Hole
24. Micro Cuts
25. Sunburn @150 times played

All MSI & MUSE except for the one Hot Hot Heat song in there. Sad. Let's see what the playlist will look like at the end of 2007.

Lucky, Lucky... You're So Lucky

I had every intention of writing a vile blog bashing ticketmaster yet again at the end of this week regarding "the Incident". And that would have been today, well - April 14th (it's now April 15th as I write this). You know, the day I was supposed to be at the Franz Ferdinand/Death Cab for Cutie concert but got screwed out of it... yes. THAT incident.

Wednesday came.

And like all Wednesdays, and any other day for that matter, I checked my e-mail in the morning.

"Oh look...e-mail from Franz Ferdinand. It's probably going to be some bragging about how fantastic touring with DCFC is. Wonderful...this saves me the trouble of googling their website so I can torture myself. 'FF announces secret show'. Oh. Ok, whatever. Let's see the e-mail content here. ...eye twitch... 'secret show in NYC this week, details to come!' ...eye twitch..."

Wednesday afternoon - no details on the show. "Damn, I know once I get home they're going to announce a 9 p.m. show!" I got home and quickly checked e-mail - nothing.

Thursday came.

Frantically checked e-mail at 7.26 a.m. and lo and behold, details! "'Free show at the Hammerstein on April 14th!' YES!!!!!!!!!!!! 'Must go to Tower Records in the Village to get wristband. And get there early to ensure success due to limited quantities!' FUDGE!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Thursday morning at work, penned e-mail to supervisor and boss:
Please be advised I have an appointment this afternoon and will be leaving at 1.15

1.45 p.m. - is the time I actually left office to meet Beetchie down on 8th.
There were no problems getting the wristband except some shadiness went down that involved our profile printouts from MySpace being taken away from us...
And I picked up some cream puffs for the peeps at work because you know, if I didn't get through with the FF deal, I could at least get the best goddamned cream puffs eva' out of the whole deal.

Friday:
Hammerstein @ 2p.m.
in the line 2 p.m. - 3.25 p.m.
herded into Hammerstein - 3.25 p.m.
FREE (take that ticketmaster bitches) Franz Ferdinand Concert from the second row from the stage on the dancefloor - 3.45

The 50 minute setlist:

Michael
Auf Ausche
I'm Your Villain (IT ROCKED!!!!!)
Tell Her Tonight (Because we all wanted to hear Nick sing. I think Nick wanted to slug Alex for putting him on the spot. Truthfully, I think FF duped us into thinking that's what we wanted to hear.)
Van Tango (this after deliberation and suggestions from the crowd as to what song they should play. Someone wanted the Gwen Stefani cover but Alex didn't know the words since he had them in front of him the last time he did. Yeah, I've no clue what the hell these people were talking about. Then "All For You, Sophia" was suggested but they didn't remember how to play their own song so that idea was shot)
Do You Want To
L.Wells (new song! or at least one that we have not gotten in the U.S.)
Walk Away (This song was for Bob and everyone who loved him)
Evil and a Heathen
Darts of Pleasure (some kids got to go up on stage for this one. I couldn't jump the barrier to join them 'cause my ass would have fallen and been broken)
Outsiders (it was the one song I wanted to see them perform and it was superfantastisch)

My boys have great personalities. The show was extremely intimate. It was more of a jam session/private concert. With the guys chatting with us and each other, it felt as though we had all known each other and been old high school friends from good old days back in Scotland. All of us except for the 10 year old in front - she would not have been born yet. Perhaps she could best be described in this scenario as someone's bastard child? Whose? Meh.

And as if all that wasn't enough to make up for "the Incident"... I got to wrap my arm around Alex Kapranos, gaze lovingly up at him as he posed for a picture (yeah, he's hot and I was temporarily insane but only for a micro second I swear!!!!) and got my free poster signed by him. And thank you to Beetchie for making Alex take pity on me. "Awww". Don't 'aww' me just because Beetchie told you I was shy! ...Apparently there's truth in her saying that she cannot take me anywhere. How embarrassing. And now to quickly distract from my last statement - how cool was it that he came out to chat with the fans after the show especially since he had another one to do not long after?

Had I been thinking clearly (remember people, micro second of extreme insanity or what I like to call stupidity) I would have had him sign my arm and gotten it tattooed forever. I know I always said I'd reserve that for someone I really love if I ever met them but hey, I wouldn't mind having "ALEX" engraved into my arm. And so what if 20 years later I wouldn't have a clue who "ALEX" is...

So I didn't get to see Death Cab but that's okay. I was always in it for the FF though it would have been nice to hear DCFC play "Title and Registration" and hence reason 40 that Ticketmaster is evil.

The only downer about this whole adventure is that HOchie 1 was not with me.

I know this blog makes no sense. This is what we call, "I wanted to be in bed 4 hours ago".

Currently listening to: What else but "Outsiders" - Franz Ferdinand

I love you guys...

Yet Another Reason to be an Angry Elf

Ticketmaster.
On April 14th, instead of being on the dance floor at the Franz Ferdinand concert - I will probably be on the train all angried up.
If anyone can give me a logical reason as to why it's okay that a concert sells out at a pre-sale, please feel free to pass it along.

Currently listening to: anything but Franz Ferdinand or Death Cab for Cutie.