Lunar Boulevard

If there's one thing Franz Ferdinand does well, it's finding an insatiable groove and riding it like nobody's business. After four successful studio albums we now have the band's first live record, Live 2014 at the London Roundhouse,  which was recorded in London earlier this year. This 23-song set is a blistering and energetic sprint through the band's biggest hits and album cuts, resulting in a thrilling expanse of post-punk rock that finds the band as tight as ever. The band's enthusiasm is clear immediately as the blistering opener "Bullet" kicks things off. From here it's a non-stop riding, from the hits "Do You Want To" and "Take Me Out" to fan favorites and deep cuts like "Evil and a Heathen", "Michael" and "Lucid Dreams". Plenty of cuts from their latest record are here as well and they fit perfectly among the rest of the group's discography. As is typical for a live recording...

Foo Fighters are set to release their currently untitled new album this fall. Recorded in various cities including Nashville, Austin, Los Angeles, and Seattle.  Not only was the record recorded in eight different famous studios but local legends were asked to sit in on the sessions and Dave Grohl himself has directed a series that explores these sessions, which will debut on HBO sometime this year. No official date has yet been given but it's at least something to look forward to and it will be interesting to see where this new experience takes them.

Did you know the Russians were the first to land a spacecraft on Venus? It's true. The Soviet Union's Venera 3 was the first man-made spacecraft to land on the surface of Venus. It happened in 1966, after their first probe lost contact with the base five years earlier. The U.S. managed to get a probe to Venus for measurements but the Russians made it to the surface first.  I guess even the communists loved exploring space.

Today I was in a craft store with my wife. We were killing a bit of time before having dinner and these stores are always an interesting experience. I can't do crafting to save my life but my wife is quite good at it and she always seems to find inspiration from a wide variety of sources.  What was unexpected was that I too was inspired but in a different way. Whenever I go into these places I always encounter the inevitable decorations and items that are broken or have something wrong with them: the rabbit with a missing ear, the cracked picture frame, the the statue that's lopsided, etc. Whether through bad shipping, careless customers, or simply the ravages of time it's a humble reminder that we live on borrowed time in a fallen world. Things brake and eventually fade away. I often find my heart heavy when I see things like this. I'm not sure why but there is usually a twinge of sadness that pricks my soul when I see these broken crafts. T...

Regardless of what you think about Coldplay it's hard to deny the cultural phenomenon they've become. With each release their popularity grows and they manage to expand upon their sound bit by bit. With Ghost Stories the band proves they're in it to win, taking the most acoustic template of their early records and mixing it with gentle electronic elements to create a dreamlike soundscape that is both fascinating and a bit underwhelming.  "Always in My Head" is a great opener, an ethereal number that's both gentle and driving at the same time. Most have probably hear "Magic" by now and have doubtless formed an opinion. I'll admit to being underwhelmed by this track initially but within the context of the album it opens itself up and feels much more natural. Chris Martin's vocals are in great shape and he uses his wide range quite tastefully. Guy Berryman's bass riff also deserves credit for building a solid foundation for this tra...

The 20th anniversary of this album completely snuck up on me. I confess to being far too young when this album was first released, so perhaps writing about it after all this time is a foolish since I couldn't fully appreciate the impact this record had back in 1994. Despite being a latecomer to Weezer's debut it still manages to take me back to my childhood and those ever so awkward teenage years.  That youthful exuberance is perfectly captured in "Surf Wax America" and "In the Garage", with their carefree attitude and defiant statement about individuality and self expression. "Holiday" is as joyful and catchy as they come, while hits like "Buddy Holly" and "Undone-The Sweater Song" have lost none of their charm. Somehow Rivers Cuomo was able to conjure up images and stories that feel just as relevant now as they did all those years ago. While Weezer (commonly referred to as The Blue Album) feels young there's al...

Ever thought it would be neat to live on Saturn? If so then be prepared for a surface temperature of -139˚C (-218˚F). At least it has pretty rings.

"Everything is meaningless/I want more than simple cash can buy" Jon Foreman has never been one to shy away from the tough issues, even the dark corners of the human condition and the occasional doubts that come even in the midst of faith. Nothing Is Sound is not only the sound of a band getting heavier musically but also lyrically, resulting in one of their most unique works to date. It's an album that I loved when it first came out but over time it began to slip in my rankings. It's time to find out how it stands nearly nine years later. Jon must have been reading the book of Ecclesiastes because this record is full of acknowledging the meaningless things we attach ourselves to. "Lonely Nation" examines a nation consumed by materialism and marketing that is never satisfied. "Easier Than Love" scolds our sex-crazed culture and the ease with which we seek pleasure while failing to actually love and commit to one another. "The Blues"...

What better way to begin my 300th post than with another crazy space encounter? No, it has nothing to do with Battlefield Earth (nothing is quite that frightening) but it does look like we missed out on quite a show. Asteroid 2014 HL129 passed within 186,000 miles of earth, closer than the distance from the earth to the moon. The asteroid wast the size of a school bus and researchers say it would have impacted earth with roughly half the fury of the nuclear bombed dropped on Hiroshima in 1945. These passes are not uncommon but it's still a sobering reminder that we are not in control of nature or the universe and require the Creator of it all to sustain us. Thanks for reading!

Saturday evening I hopped in the car and began the brief drive to our local Neighborhood Market (a nicer and less-ghetto Wal-Mart spinoff, for those of you who haven't been to one before) in order to find sinus medicine for my wife. Over the weekend she developed a painful sinus infection that simple aspirin and rest just weren't able to kick. That was when I realized that it was time to go heavy duty and load up on as many drugs as the checkout lady would allow without being suspicious that I was pulling off my own version of Breaking Bad. $75 later I walked out with a bag full of random stuff and a humidifier. It was time for desperate measures.  While driving I plugged my iPod into the car and the first song that popped up was U2's "Ordinary Love"; you know, the one that was nominated for an Oscar and lost to that over-played, awful song from that movie that shall not be named. It's a song that I've always liked but it's ...