Foreigner - Oct. 4

Garrett's mom won Foreigner tickets on the radio. Twice. That means that she got a pair for her and her husband and a pair for me and Garrett, and it was awesome.

We thought it was pretty hilarious that we were seeing Foreigner in the first place. I mean, they have some pretty big hits, but how is "Hot Blooded" not funny? How can you not giggle a little with "I Want to Know What Love Is" even if it is emotional? Also, it's kind of funny that lead guitar Mick Jones is the only original member left in the band. You can tell who he is, too, because he's the only one with gray hair. The replacements are all young musicians, and there's a long list of former members.

All silliness aside, it was a really good show there at the Warner Theater in Torrington. We couldn't believe how many Foreigner songs we knew. They played them all - "Cold As Ice," "Feels Like the First Time," "Juke Box Hero," "Double Vision" and "Head Games."

Garrett made a good point - we knew more songs at this Foreigner show than a lot of other concerts we go to.

The crowd was really into it. I'm sure for some people there, it was their favorite band. "I Want to Know What Love Is" was probably some couple's song. The audience's enthusiasm also made the show.

In the end, we had a lot of fun. And it was free.

"Where the Wild Things Are" Soundtrack

Karen O's "Where the Wild Things Are" Soundtrack dropped yesterday, and I cannot stop listening to it. It's SO GOOD! It's happy, funky, a little grungey, hip, and most importantly, it takes me back to the best parts of childhood and captures the vision of the "Where the Wild Things Are" story.

As my friends already know, Karen O is my favorite. I was totally stoked when I found out she was doing the soundtrack for this movie that I was already excited about. I love the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, which she fronts, and when I saw them at APW this year, I put it in my all-time top three concerts. I think she's absolutely incredible, and even though she already has a following, I think even more people will see that when they see "Where the Wild Things Are" and listen to her music. The soundtrack lists "Karen O and The Kids" as the artist for each song, and members of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Deerhunter and the Raconteurs, among other bands, are featured. You can listen to it here on Spin.

The songs have sick drum beats, shouting in the background provided by Karen O and a children's choir, clapping (like in "Capsize"), and it's all just fun. Even "Animal," which has a darker, more tribal feel to it as Karen O screams in the background, is adventurous, and if I asked the 6-year-old version of me what I thought of it, I would say it was "cooool." I guess not much has changed.

"All is Love" is definitely my favorite song with a cheerful guitar riff and kids shouting in the background. At the end, Karen O keeps saying "is love, is love, is love," with the kids' choir coming in and ending with just the kids. It's brilliant.

The best part is that listening to this soundtrack feels like a real adventure, like the best pretend adventures you had as a kid. I'm sure the movie will have this effect, too, and I cannot wait for Oct. 16 when it's released. This soundtrack is a great way to tide us over. Perfect, actually.

Sweet Free Show: Deerhoof, The Drums, Free Energy 9/12

Das Racist pulled a Screech and bailed from this show, so we didn't go to the combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, but it's all good because now we know they're lame, and we got to see more of The Drums.

They kind of sounded like Editors or Depeche Mode, and they were young, and there were a lot of people in their band. They rocked it.

Before them, we saw Free Energy, and the guys in that band looked the part with their long hair and non-matching, I-don't-care-what-I-wear-but-really-I-do-and-this-outfit-is-awesome outfits. They had a raw, fun rock feel, kind of like a Mark Mulcahy band. Though, I might have thought this because Mark Mulcahy is on our minds with that tribute album for him coming up. I have to pick that up.


And Deerhoof was awesome as always. Satomi was adorable. Greg rocked out on the drums and had sick shoes. This was our third time seeing them, and we were excited as usual. Everyone around us was dancing like crazy. That's just what Deerhoof does. They play loud, kind of weird, but ridiculously catchy music. Best free show ever? Maybe. Again, with Mark Mulcahy on the mind, and having seen him for free with the Animals at the Daffodil Festival, it's a tough call. Still, a phenomenal deal.

Late Weezer/Blink-182 Post

I guess I have a lot less free time now that I'm working. It's been weeks since this show, but I still think it was one of the best concerts I've ever been to.

Blink-182, Weezer and Taking Back Sunday played to a sold-out crowd at the Meadows on Sat., Sept. 29, and at least Weezer and Blink rocked it. Also, I got a press pass from the Bristol Press, so I got to take some sweet photos. The entire show was 15-year-old Freesia's dream come true.

The best concert of my life was probably Summercase 2007 in Madrid, when I got to see Bloc Party, the Arcade Fire, the Chemical Brothers, the Flaming Lips, Air, the Kaiser Chiefs, Lily Allen, James, etc. all over the course of two nights. However, this summer, I got to see my next top 3 concerts: Blink-182, of course, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Vampire Weekend at All Points West and also a last-minute show from Mates of State at Cafe 9, which was intimate and the best $3 ever spent.

Updates and thoughts on health care

I haven't blogged in nearly two months! Perhaps it's because I'm getting the hang of my new (well, kinda new) job at the Bristol Press, and when I get home after writing all day, I don't want to write any more. Maybe it's because it's the summer, and I have the relaxing mentality. It could also be because the internet at my house is really bad.

Anyway, here's what I've done this summer: worked, hung out, tried to catch movies and shows. I went to All Points West for one day this year - this was a much better decision than going all three days last year. We're getting old. But Friday was the best lineup. Jay-Z was a great last-minute replacement to the Beastie Boys, and I got to see two of my current favorite bands - Vampire Weekend and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs! It was fantastic. Before APW, I also saw Diana Krall, and later, I saw Sugar Ray for $5 - they played only their hits and covers. It was hilarious.

On a different note, I started getting these minor chest pains when I breathe in deeply today, and checking WebMD just makes me a hypochondriac. Also, it tells me to call a doctor, which I can't do until Sept. 1 because my insurance doesn't kick in until then. Central CT Communications, the company that owns the Bristol Press and New Britain Herald, makes employees wait 90 days until they're covered. I've got about three and a half weeks left.

This is the first time in two months I've begun to worry about not having insurance. And it made me think: Even with insurance, you have a ton of problems. The Bristol Press/New Britain Herald just switched insurance providers, and I know some people here are worried about their lack of a card from the new provider. Also, it's not really clear what's covered because we mysteriously lost the coverage book from our new insurance meeting. When I was under my parents' insurance, I always had trouble calling about things. I've been in support of universal health care since I heard about it, but really, recent events - that is, my being a 22-year-old without health insurance and joining the ranks of the many uninsured - I've come to believe that there is an urgent need for health care reform. Even waiting 90 days feels like forever when you're not sure if you're going to have to see a doctor. I can't imagine what it's like to wait indefinitely.

I'm not going into my thoughts on insurance yet. I'll save that for a time when I don't have a meeting in an hour.

Seriously, Cox Media?

I saw the Cox Media smarter advertising commercial for the first time today, and the entire time, all I could think was, Really?

The commercial, if you haven't seen it, is a direct attack at newspapers. It tells advertisers that cable advertising is "better" than newspaper advertising by taking statements like "People read newspapers" or "Newspaper advertising is affordable" and attempting to prove them wrong with statistics and claims that cable advertising is more effective, even if it is more expensive.

Really, Cox? Seriously?

First of all, the only reason why I watched that commercial and didn't change the channel was because I wanted to hear what they had to say about newspapers, and I wanted to see if they would argue against any other forms of advertising. They didn't. It was just about newspapers. Disclaimer: I am a full-time newspaper reporter. This is my first job after several internships at newspapers and working at my college newspaper. I've wanted to be a reporter since I was 5-years-old because I've always had a lot of newspapers in my house. My dad just really likes reading the news - we've always subscribed to our local paper, the Record-Journal, but he regularly picks up the Hartford Courant, USA Today and the New York Daily News for fun. We also subscribe to Newsweek, Time and Spin and pick up tabloids when they're interesting. Print media has been a staple in our household because it's readily available, and it's enjoyable to just sit back and read about what's going on.

Here's the thing. Any medium that uses advertising as a form of income is hurting because the advertising industry is hurting in this economy. When a business needs to cut costs, advertising is one of the first things to go. That being said, it doesn't make sense that Cox Media would target newspapers exclusively like they're a major competitor taking all their advertising. What is this, Pepsi vs. Coke? Also, the commercial even says that advertisers will use newspapers because advertising in them is affordable - that's true because newspapers need advertisements and want to keep prices attractive to buyers. Why doesn't Cox just make their advertising more affordable? And on that point, I don't understand why Cox needs to go after newspapers for more advertisements because they're a cable company. They pretty much have all of Meriden under their services, even if they're pretty bad. I have a ton of Internet connection problems at home, and when I ask around, other people in the area have the same problems at the same time.

On the Cox Media "Smarter Advertising" Web page, the list of related stories is about declining ratings for local news. What does that mean? Do they not want people to advertise through local newscasts? Are they just making an attack on news in general? It just doesn't make any sense.

So here are my reasons why newspaper advertising is better than cable:

1. You can't change the channel. Yes, you can turn the page, but there's usually a story or something on that page that keeps your attention for some time. The advertisement is right there, and a reader can't help but see it.

2. Your advertisements reach people anywhere. In the car, on the porch, on the beach, people can bring along a newspaper to read. Also, they read them in the bathroom. Commercial breaks are the perfect time to leave and go to the bathroom. While people do spend a lot of time in front of a television, they do have to leave at points, and they're not going to leave during their favorite show.

3. It's more affordable. Especially when businesses are struggling and cutting costs, it makes more sense to advertise in a way that's cost effective.

4. It works. It's cost effective because it's affordable and works. People see advertisements. If they're inserts in the paper, they can't help but look at them.

5. It reaches more people than you think. Take my college newspaper, for instance. We had a circulation of 9,000, but a lot more people read it because it would get left on a dining hall or library table. I always pick up a newspaper and read it when I'm in a waiting room. I don't usually watch TV when waiting for something. Families share newspapers. Also, some classifieds in newspapers transfer to their Web sites. That means there are even more readers.

6. People need their news. People read newspapers because they want to know what's going on. Especially with local papers, it's usually the only place they can go to find out what's going on in their town. If there's a local election coming up, how else will they know about the candidates? And it's their elected local leaders who determine a lot of stuff that actually matters to them. They really don't need to watch another reality TV show.

7. People are attentive when they're reading newspapers. You actually have to read the paper to get the news. That means that they're focused on the page at hand. Can you really say that about someone whose TV is just on while they're making dinner or doing work?

8. People look for things in newspapers. They go through the classifieds to find things or look for jobs. They're looking for coupons. They're actively seeking out these advertisements. With television, it's the opposite. It's just forced on them, and, once again, they can change the channel or get up.

Here's the link to Cox Media's terrible rationale: http://www.coxmedia.com/GainesvilleOcala/advertisingmore.aspx?ID=DA_814852.

And here's the related article that showed up on the side bar when I went on the page: http://www.coxmedia.com/GainesvilleOcala/advertisingmore.aspx?ID=DA_1151368

Final Decision on Tinted Windows

Not worth it. Take a look at this video - it's their performance of "Kind of Girl" on Rock After Dark:

Yeah.
I wanted so badly to like them, I really did. Hanson's been my all-time favorite band since I was 10 years old, and they're a great favorite band for a number of reasons (post on this coming later). So when I heard that Taylor Hanson was doing a side project, the first thing I thought of was that time I waited in line to see them in New Hampshire (yes, I drove from Connecticut) and sat there for about six hours in a misty rain and had usual conversation with the regular Fansons. One mother said that she won a lunch with Tyler Hilton, who opened for Hanson a few years ago, and Tyler said Taylor would be better off doing his own thing. Um, after hearing Tinted Windows, I disagree.
Tinted Windows is a power pop superband that's made up of Taylor Hanson, James Iha from the Smashing Pumpkins and A Perfect Circle, Adam Schlesinger from Fountains of Wayne, and Bun E. Carlos, the drummer of Cheap Trick. It's a weird grouping, as the band admitted in a Spin interview. Because of each member's success in other bands, one would think they would gather some old fans for this new group. They might, but it's going to be hard because this sound is different from all their former groups, except for maybe Fountains of Wayne, which has a little more power pop. However, all the "Whoa-ohs" from Taylor and James sound very strained and just look weird coming from them. Even the song feels superficial, a song about "the kind of girl you can't get enough of ... whoa-oh." There's really not much to it, and it really makes you question the motives of these talented musicians from rather successful bands.
Because Hanson is my favorite band, I do wish Taylor the best of luck. Who knows? Maybe they'll catch on. All those bands do have dedicated fan bases, and there could be a market for shallow attempts at power pop where the drummer is way too good for the rest of the band. But for this Fanson, who does enjoy other music by the way, it's just not good.