Tuesday's Tunes Review (Mat Kearney)

Well, about two months ago, Beth, Mike, Sarah, her mother and I went to check out Mat at one of the great venues in Charlotte, the Fillmore. He kicked off for Owl City (Beth, Mike and I didn't stay for that, we hit VBGB for a pint) and while it was a short set, he did a great job of running through some great songs from his first two albums. And his greatest hits album aside (I'm sorry, you can't put out two albums and then have a "greatest" hits) this is his new album, released on Aug 2nd, called Young Love. Like Wertz, I have no idea what Mat is doing with this album cover. Doesn't he know this will be out there for eternity?

His only song from the latest album he played during his set was "Hey Mama" which, while peppy and upbeat, isn't my favorite. Likewise, the return of "sprap" to the album was moderately disappointing. (Check out my post from 2007 for more info on sprap - http://thelerveswerve.blogspot.com/2007/04/undeniable-sprap.html) "Ships in the Night" and "Down" are perfect Kearney, good rhythm, words flow freely, hits his voice right.

He does some interesting beats with this album, "Count on Me" certainly is different sounding although when he sings the title in the song, I keep thinking of another song that eludes me at the moment, the notes sound identical. "Sooner or Later" has a very powerful chorus and some good beats behind it, although he does his higher voice too much at times in the song. The big thing for Mat is that when he starts "speaking" lyrics, I tune out. I mean, you're not Shawn Mullins, right?

The most annoying song that I'll end up liking the most is "She Got the Honey" which has the weirdest bridge music and some pretty random lyrics tied into the song. I don't recommend listening to the song, but that chorus for some reason gets me going. However, I think it's great to have clapping in songs, but as a rule of thumb, I'd only do it for one song per album. I can see us at the next concert being told before every song to clap it up.

I always look for that one soft, acoustic song that Mat has on an album. "What's a Boy to Do" and "City of Black & White" both had those great moments in each song that made me enjoy the rest of the album that much more. I think "Rochester" could be that, but I think it'll be a distant 3rd.

I won't tell you this is his best album. I think his 2009 "City" album is better at this point. And over time, that may change, as I think that while his singing is good, the track rhythms, varying sounds have been causing me to get more into the songs. I remember getting his sophomore album and instantly playing the hell out of it. It certainly wasn't a letdown and this one isn't either, but I don't think it's on the same level. I think I'll like him performing this album in person the best though, definitely a concert album. And if you like Mat, even a little bit, go out and grab the album. It was only $8 on iTunes...

Don'tcha know North Dakota

Well, if you don't, you can ask me as I took the grand tour of the state recently for my family vacation. It started in hot and windy Kansas City as Kelly, Matthew and Dad picked me up for the long drive to Lake Metigoshe. Pretty uneventful drive, as long as you don't count the two massive detours we had to take due to Interstate 29 having flooding. That and a no hotel room availability in Fargo due to...a wrestling tournament. Still shocks me that we couldn't find a room, but hey, Grand Forks welcomed us to the, and I'm quoting this, the "Settle Inn." Who said there isn't humor in North Dakota?!?!

We got there mid-afternoon Wednesday and immediately headed to the lake to meet up with Uncle Jim and take a pontoon tour of the lake. Yup, we even snuck into Canada for a brief moment. Shockingly, that's the only other country I've been to besides the U.S. I really need to get my travel more turned to international. We got a hotel room at the lake, after spending some time with family, called it a night.

Ended up heading out with my cousin Jill's husband Pat to golf the tourney site, Bottineau Country Club, in preparation for the tournament that weekend. Course was actually in great shape, it's just a 9 hole course, but it brought back some memories for sure. It had probably been 15 years since I had been there and wow, it just felt different. As a kid, I remember playing 72 holes of golf there one day. just me, a golf cart, and no one else on the course. Things like the tee box on hole 1 with this daunting downhill drive turned into a small mound as an adult. But the greens still rolled towards the city and everything was as I remembered it, just a bit smaller.

Flash forward to the tournament and I got paired with my father, Kelly, my aunt Sherry and my cousin Carrie's boyfriend Craig. I thought we had a really good shot and let me tell you (because it's a blog and that's what I do, tell you things) I was on fire. Crushing drives, keeping us alive, making some great shots. We bogey the par 3, which was my fault, but I birdied 9, the tough hole on the course, all alone and we're 2 under after 9. Back 9 is going well, sans the 15 minute rainstorm we had to weather, and as we get to the last hole, we're at -4. And I proceed to melt down. Hit the biggest banana slice of my life and we end up with a bogey. Come to find out, we're one shot back from my cousin Bob for the championship. Once again, so close, but no victory for me still in the Lervik Classic. Good news though, 2013 will be in Colorado, which will be awesome! Can't wait for a change of venue and some fun in a new part of the country. Here's a shot of sis and I afterwards at the awards ceremony. Hey, they had Boulevard Wheat at the store, so I was happy. Not a "smile with my teeth showing" happy, but close enough.

Sunday my immediate family headed out to the farm. Now, no running water there, but we've got electricity and a lot of fun times. I ended up hopping on the small lawn mower, popped in the iPod, and just cruised, cutting grass for like two hours around the property. Bordered on the highlight of my trip, just me and open fields, so peaceful. We grilled out, checked out all of the cars and other memories from when my father grew up there, and then played cards for about 5 hours. I ended up hitting it hard, bed at 3 AM, up $50, with an early wake-up and a not so fun visit to the outhouse. I'll spare you the details. But I'll say this, there's something about the farm that brings out what I love most about my father. Here's a shot with him after the tournament on Saturday. Need to make sure we get him up that way as much as he wants. He deserves it.

Big thanks to my cousin Brittany for taking photos, which are what I used in the blog. Here she is with my nephew, who I have to say was perfect during the trip, drive included. You never know with a 5 year old, but I was proud of the kid.

The rest of my trip was spent with my cousin Jill at her house, worked both days and just recovered from the weekend. Mike got to the house Wednesday afternoon for the drive back to Charlotte. Ended up helping him with the parents as they are retiring in North Carolina. Only a couple of events that were memorable (truck gets a flat tire about 50 miles into the journey, Mike's mom forgetting her purse at the hotel south of Indy, causing Mike and I to not have to drive the truck that last day at all) and the rest was very typical for a 1,700 mile trip and unload in Charlotte. The rest of the weekend was a blur, just trying to recover from the vacation.

Lots of fun events upcoming, check out where I am on the left-hand side for more. Thanks to the family for a great visit, looking forward to the next one!

Well, you get three choices...

It's great when a movie is titled in such a manner that you can use one of the words to describe your thoughts on it. So, I'll use each word to give a quick review on the movie and a big thanks to Sarah for treating me to what I think most people know is a rarity, me going to the movies!

Crazy - Steve Carell as a bit of a "sex" figure. It's not that the humorous guys can't get the ladies (ahem) but I think the transformation that tried to occur really wasn't as dramatic as it could have been with another actor. I think his mannerisms work in the movie and there were certainly some humorous moments that he provided. I guess my block with him is that I never became a fan of The Office, so I don't have a pull to watch him in things he does.

Stupid - The plot. The story line. Okay, I'm being harsh. Rent the movie with limited expectations. I think people could be swerved a bit (yeah, I used my blog name) by one of the scenes, and certainly the son had some endearing qualities. But I had higher hopes. And by that, I mean I had a hope.

Love - The song that rolled us into credits. It's called "Blood" by The Middle East. It now appears as a song to check out in the "New to You" section. I checked out a few other songs from their album and EP, wasn't overly impressed, but I'll give it another shot later. Just an interesting voice, upbeat, really tied in the last scene effectively. And kudos to Sarah for knowing the John Legend song as the opener without hearing a lyric, "Save Room" I don't think had airplay, but I could be wrong.

Ultimately, I need to see another movie soon. Because I'm not happy to respond to the question of "so what movies have you seen lately in the theater" with "Crazy Stupid Love" by any stretch.

Tuesday's Tunes Review (Matt Wertz)

First off, straight away, this is the only artist I've seen in person by myself. It was a few years back, at the Evening Muse, and yeah, it was awkward. I may have blogged about it, you can go back and look if it pleases you. The main issue, tons of young women there and then there's single, me. I think people were like "where's your girl?" when they looked at me. Anyways, the album photo cover aside (I mean, what the heck is he doing here?) I bought Weights and Wings after Sarah informed me he had a new album out. So I'm a few months late in purchasing it, sue me.

The opening track "Don't Come Easy" is a great start to the album. Upbeat, good lyrics, shows his vocals. Doesn't feel forced. I think he's at his best when he's doing faster-paced songs. Carolina, Everything's Right, Heartbreaker, all three great songs that have some good tempo to them, to go with what I'd say is an average voice in terms of range, but a talented ability to hit the right note and take it to a good ending with his riffs.

So that's why I'm a bit bummed with the first half of his album. Too many love ballads, no real catchy sounds, it's pretty bland as of the first listen. I like For the First Time, but I can see that not lasting. I guess it just feels like Sad Songwriting 101 and while I actually enjoy that genre, it's the basic level of lyrics and music sounds that bring me down a bit. He picks it back up with Someone Like You. But it's not good enough for me, I feel like I'd hear this from some sidewalk performer in a downtown district.

His best song (country twang guitar notwithstanding) is Feels So Right. Easy to get into, has a good beat, even if it does have some of that Country sound that I'm not too fond of. He sings the best on this album during this song. Ultimately though, it's a slow, love song album. And while he normally has a few on each album, this one feels too heavy in that arena.

I suspect though, after a few listens (and the right mood) I'll come to appreciate this album more. For now, it's a little too slow-paced for my taste.

Tuesday's Tunes Review (Chris Brown)

In the last of my four recent album purchases, I hit (figuratively, not literally) the Chris Brown first buy with his latest album, F.A.M.E. Heck, he won 4, no 5 BET awards for the album, so it's curious as to why this album was panned by critics. Funny story, Brown thought he only won 4 awards, the Viewers Choice award had an interesting error. The presenter thought Brown had won it via the teleprompter, only to correct herself and share that, yeah, Rihanna won it. After the show, they realized the error and correctly awarded it to Brown.

I love "Yeah 3x" and the video totally works to his strengths as a performer. It's really the only reason I bought the album. Seems like he's a bit bitter though overall in his songs and while I can't blame him for feeling that way, it's also a deserved position. Hopefully he'll realize that he has to atone for his actions and that in the future, people will just judge him on his artistic abilities and not his personal life.

Overall, as an R&B album goes, it's really quite good. There's some catchy tracks with good tempo. Although I'd say Jason Derulo does a better job after listening to a full Chris Brown album.

Tuesday's Tunes Review (Matt Nathanson)

It's been well documented that I'm a fan of Matt. I've seen him a few times and am looking forward to seeing him with Train and Maroon 5 in KC in September. He's absolutely hilarious in concert and I think that's part of why I love his music. Musicians forget sometimes that it's not just about how they sound, but who they are as an artist. And he gets it.

His big release on his new album is "Run" which is done with the Sugarland duo. This song hits me a bit weird though and I like Sugarland (one of the only country artists I own songs by) and I don't know if it's the pace of the song or the lyrics, but each time I listen to it I have a different reaction to it. I enjoy the harmonies, but something about this song doesn't quite work.

Although I'd say he's known for his love ballads, I found myself enjoying his up-tempo songs more. The first track, "Faster" has a great beat and I enjoy the horns in the track. And his title track, "Modern Love" has great instrumental support, although I found at times he sounded more like he was speaking during the verse and not really singing. "Mercy" has a good chorus, but fails a bit in the verses. It's almost like he's trying to do the transition to more of a rocker and away from the niche he's in currently.

"Kept" is probably his best slow song on the album. Great tone, subdued instruments, and some pretty good lyrics. But that's probably the best the album has to offer. "Drop To Hold You" has some promise and may grow on me. Same with "Bottom Of The Sea" but it's almost too cute in what he's trying to do with the song.

When I first listened to this album from start to finish on the flight back from Chicago, I remember getting done with the album and thinking "crap, I didn't go back and play a song over to hear it again." And that's probably a good barometer of the album's talent. I'm still a fan of Nathanson. I just hope he hooks me onto a song when I see him in concert. Right now, I'd rather hear him reprise his "At the Point" album at the show than do any new stuff. But, I can definitely see myself coming back to this album later, giving it a listen, and having a different perspective on it. I just hope it's a better one than the ho-hum view I have of it now.

Tuesday's Tunes Review (Foo Fighters)

So the word is this album was recorded in Grohl's garage on "analog" tape. No audiotuning, computers were not present, it's just them, laying down tracks, like every other band would do trying to get noticed. Only the difference is this group is way more than that.

I think it's easy to say "well if you like their sound, you'll like their album." Seems a very narrow minded statement, in my opinion. I mean, if I hate rock, then why would like this album? I think though that no mater what genre you enjoy, Foo Fighters do a good job of converting you to liking their sound. They've got some great rock songs ("White Limo" has the vintage screams that makes Grohl's sound unique) and do a good job of mixing up the pace of songs. Yeah, there's a song or two that miss the Foo mark ("Back & Forth" for example).

The album ends with two great, slower songs that epitomizes why I enjoy their sound. Both tracks have that raw emotion that they bring to the table. Favorite song though is "Walk" at the end, very much the song that I like about this band. I only have this album and the previous one (Echoes...) so I don't know if I'm a huge fan. But every time one of their songs comes on, I tend to let it play. Even if I'm not in that kind of mood. So if you're a big fan, you should already own this album. If these guys aren't normally on your playlist, give this album a try. Or just buy their Greatest Hits album. Everlong done acoustically is brilliant.

The Case For/Against Women's Soccer

With the U.S. beating Brazil in exciting fashion on Sunday, I wanted to take a few moments on the blog to talk about why it doesn't matter if we as a country are watching USA Women's Soccer, or any soccer for that matter.

Viewership is up across the globe for women's soccer, of course, except the United States, and that should be fine. I mean, if you're trying to make the sport more popular, you want more people tuning in, right? I'm thrilled that more people watch soccer in general, but I really couldn't care less if it is state-side or not. I love soccer, but Saturday's games (FRA v. ENG and JAP v. GER) were two of the most painful games to watch, the latter game even more so. Germany attacking, winning every header over the shorter Japan squad. Japan feebly countering but not really testing the German goalie. And of course I missed Japan's goal in the 108th minute to upset the host country. But that's okay, I can and did see the highlight.

And I think that's the problem, soccer only highlights goals or really bad fouls on TV. I'm a fan of soccer, the structure, design, individual talents, possession, all of it, but I do not love the pace of play for the women's game. I just don't. I found myself enjoying the U17 men's tournament that is overlapping the women's World Cup timeframe more. But back to the ladies. It's not normally a possession game, more of a long ball, trap and cross mentality. But the sport has the same wrongs as any out there, officials get criticized, players fake injustices, the big difference is a lack of hardcore scoring. And that's a good thing. I think the agony (which it seems most sports fans possess and thrive upon) makes the good moments even more enjoyable. Listen, lacrosse is a popular sport here, tons of scoring, hits, fast paced. But because I didn't play it growing up, it just looks like people with sticks playing Tag at times to me. I watch soccer because I enjoyed playing it and am fascinated with what they can do on the field.

So I watched the entire USA/Brazil match, even after over 200 minutes of non-scoring in Saturday's games. And I thought it was riddled with errant passes, lack of individual skill sets, and still, there was so much drama to the game. The last minute, errr, second goal by Wambach was amazing live. Perfect cross, header was on target, don't forget, down a woman for the US side after a red card. I hated PK's though as a way to decide the game. I really do. But these players can't run forever.

I checked out Facebook after the game and there were 4 people out of my 400+ friends on there who made a comment about the game. Compare that to probably 50 who posted something online in the first 10 minutes following the Mavericks' NBA title and yes, it's easy to see that we don't watch soccer. But just remember, the US does not define what sports are good. I think because the US has so many choices and lacks the history of soccer as a viable sports option, we tend to gravitate away from it. Soccer is a great sport, which I love to watch. But yes, I'll be honest, the women's game, it's just a step below men's. I do know though that I like the sport, because I never once found myself saying "man, she's hot." I'd rather enjoy their athletic talents than see them in Maxim. Just for fun, I Google'd Hope Solo and found not one "sexy" pose on the first (or subsequent) page of her images. Heck, seldom (now) used sub Heather Mitts was one of the images on the second page.

Final thoughts. If you're a soccer fan, check out the semifinals on Wednesday morning for the US. I'm sure it'll be a great game. However, media, stop trying to push soccer down America's collective throats. Because I think the only way that's going to happen, especially in the male demographic, is if they wear sports bras as uniforms. And that would be when I'd stop watching the game...probably.

The Carolina Experience

So, you've never been to Charlotte. I often kid that Charlotte really doesn't have that one thing that pulls tourists to the town. Name a major city and there's something that people say "I've got to see that while I'm there." Just ask my sister Kristen who recently made a trip to Chicago. You have to get a picture of Cloud Gate, aka "The Bean" in Millenium park. But Charlotte, well, we don't have that one thing. But hopefully during this past extended 4th of July weekend, Nick and Sara got to see how I live and what I love about Charlotte and the area.

The Area - We're so close to a ton of different things to do. I always say we're a couple of hours to the mountains and about 4 hours to the ocean, which really is something I enjoy about the city. Wednesday night upon their arrival, Sara took my car up to Asheville to see her friend there. Of course, Nick had to stay to watch the Carolina CREST end the season as undefeated champions in softball! I batted horribly, but our team pulled it out with an inside the park homer in the bottom of the last inning to secure the championship. Nick spent Thursday at work with the BMW plant in South Carolina which went well. Weather stayed gorgeous all week, little hot here for this time of year, but a few light showers here and there didn't prevent us from having fun. We did a walk down around the Uptown area on Friday just to show them around the city, which I've always enjoyed what that area has in terms of restuarants, bars, the arts, and other attractions.

Our main event of the trip was a 2 hour drive down to Bishopville, SC where a man has turned his house (and the street he lives on) into a topiary garden. Had no idea what topiary meant, but it's the art of clipping and shaving trees/shrubs into designs. And this guy, Pearl, who owns the place, had some pretty amazing designs at his house. Nick and Sara had heard of him via a documentary they watched, so we drove down to check it out.

It's inspiring what this guy can do with a chain saw and a really interesting story. So if you're interested in this kind of stuff, know that it's only two hours away from me and I'm more than happy to ... loan you my car to drive down there. Because I got my fill of this place the first time. Here's a shot of Nick and I on the edge of his property, and there's a few other photos in this post as well. For more, head out to my Facebook page to see some of the cool shapes and designs from the garden.

The Drinks - Had to take Nick around a couple of my favorite stomping grounds here in the city. We had a beer at Brazwells and on the way back hit Thomas St. Tavern.

The best night of drinks happened Friday night when the crew met up with us at Corkscrew in Birkdale. We ended up sitting inside for the evening, but really enjoyed getting a chance for new friends to meet old and of course the fun game of "Do I call you Thomas or T.J.?" that occurs.

The Eats - Man, I love the restaurants in Charlotte. Hopefully, nah, I know Nick and Sara did too. Staples like Cabo Fish Taco, The Liberty, Eastfield B&G, and Cantina 1511 (twice in fact) were of course on the list. And we ended up at Carolina Ale House for lunch after the topiary trip. Enjoyed the food, but it makes me realize I need to go explore Columbia, SC a bit more for some restaurant choices. I really don't know my way around that town at all. Maybe I'll hit up a football game down there or something.

The Driving - I only bring this up because we had about a half dozen moments where we almost got into wrecks. From merging traffic into an occupied lane, tons of flat tires, and the closest I've ever been to a high speed accident, drivers in this area just sometimes don't get it. We had a car on the highway trying to get into a lane from the shoulder going about 15 mph. Fortunately, Nick's rental and my car avoided any accidents and a guy did a 180 over 4 lanes of highway in the process, but thankfully, no damage or injuries by anyone.

The Highlight - Sorry Sara, but Sunday night on the back patio, having a cigar and a few drinks with Nick was the best part of their visit. We shared a bunch of good stories, had some great laughs, and just really enjoyed the nice evening. I haven't had that much laughter in a while (probably the last time was watching my buddy Ed swing a golf club at the driving range...) and it's always a solid night when you spend it with a great friend.

So thanks to Nick and Sara for taking a work trip for Nick and turning it into an extended weekend. You definitely got to experience the Carolinas!

Tuesday's Tunes Review (Adele)

So I'm over 4 months late in getting her album and as most of you know, I'm not a huge fan of female singers. Sure, I like the sound of a woman's voice, but never on a consistent basis. I'm talking about singing, so lady blog readers, take no offense. I love hearing a woman's voice. It's more about "can I sing along to it" and it's easier doing that with a guy's voice for me. Shocking, right?

And yes, we all remember her first album and Chasing Pavements, the overplayed, but well sung track off her first album, 19. So what made me buy this album? Simple. Rescue Me. No, I'm not speaking in code, the Denis Leary-starred FX show which is coming to an end this season. (Side note: This would be close to the top on my list of shows I've never really watched but would rent the entire series to watch) One of their promos for their final season had this song "Set Fire To The Rain" and it's an amazing track. When she hits the first note in the line "...watched it pour as I touched your face" I got hooked. So I had to check out the rest of the album.

I am not a fan of "Rolling In The Deep" for some reason. I know it's her big hit on this album, but I just don't like the way it's set up. I really like "Turning Tables" and how she changes the rhythm of the song. It's not that typical beat and she really does a great job of emphasizing the right notes and putting strength into the words that bring out a bigger run on the song.

Other songs to check out include "He Won't Go" and "Someone Like You" with the last song probably my favorite overall on this solid album. If you enjoy her sound, I'd recommend picking up the album. Even though it gets a little too "gospel" for me later in her album, she has a very unique sound and has a very fluent ability to bring you along emotionally with her songs in how she hits notes and the raspy sounds she brings out at the right moments. Hard to believe she's only 23 years old...