This morning LeBron James awoke, took four steps to his kitchen (when three would suffice), and started assembling his breakfast. He sat down, looked at his picture on the back of the milk carton, and sighed. He emptied a box of Lucky Charms into a bowl painted to look like a basketball. Out came the oat cereal pieces, the yellow stars, the green clovers, the red balloons, the purple horseshoes, and the blue diamonds, then that fine mist of cereal crumbs one would find at the bottom of a box of cereal.

LeBron weakly slammed his fist on the table. Even his cereal lacked heart.

–

The Florida sun shone through Dwyane Wade’s kitchen much like any morning. He poured his customary Gatorade into his Wheaties, the secret to his success all these years. But this morning would be like no other morning. Wade picked up his cereal bowl, and promptly fumbled it away. Glumly, Wade tightened his Hermes necktie, and decided to take his talents to IHOP.

–

Chris Bosh awoke from a glorious sleep, comfortable in the knowledge that he had acquitted himself well in the NBA Finals. Bosh sauntered into his kitchen, prepared himself a soft-boiled egg, spread cream cheese onto an English muffin, and sipped from a mug of thin coffee. He took his breakfast into his media room, plopped onto his favorite soft chair, and turned on his favorite movie – The Third Man, starring Orson Welles.

–

Erik Spoelstra had another of his sleepless nights in his office at American Airlines Arena, constantly clicking on Google search results, desperately searching for LeBron James’ game. Pat Riley came in and dropped a box of Dunkin Donuts on his desk. The two men shared a gallows’ laugh. “Donuts. No center.” Riley straightened up, and started to talk, “Erik, I’m putting an ad on Monster.com…” Spoelstra’s eyes widened, then narrowed, wondering if the rumors of his dismissal would come to fruition. But Riley continued, “…an ad, for a point guard.”

–

LeBron James, to hear him exhort his teammates, is all about maximum effort. And so he gave maximum effort on this morning after. He took his clean laundry, folded his J. Press pocket squares, folded his Zegna slacks, folded his Gold Toe socks, and finally folded his Turnbull & Asser bespoke shirts. And folded, and folded, and folded. His shirts are his pride and joy. They are fresh and clean. The collars are perfect. The collars have no rings around them.

Having completed his folding, James looked down at his cell phone. It didn’t ring, but a text message from Wade was waiting for him. James nodded, then posted on Twitter: @DWADEOFFICIAL taking my talents 2 ihop 2 c u there. He went to his garage, looked over his options, then selected his Aston Martin and its TouchTronic “no clutch” transmission. The engine started with a roar, then gradually quieted into a low hum, and then was barely audible. He drove off, daydreaming about waffles.

–

Elsewhere, Dirk Nowitzki, with championship and MVP trophies in hand, boarded a plane for Dallas, and said to no one in particular, “I’m going to Euro Disney!”

My father-in-law.

100th post!

I have a long list of well-regarded albums that I have not given a proper listen, or haven’t listened to in a very long time. So in the spirit of a New Year’s Resolution, I’m going to knock out 30 of them. I’ll do one a day like a vitamin for 30 days. Suggestions are welcome.

Here we go!

1/19/10: GZA, Liquid Swords (1995)
1/20/10: The Replacements, Let It Be (1984)
1/21/10: Harvey Danger, Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone? (1997)
1/22/10: Billy Bragg & Wilco, Mermaid Avenue (1998)
1/23/10: The Flaming Lips, The Soft Bulletin (1999)
1/24/10: Misfits, Walk Among Us (1982)
1/25/10: Bruce Springsteen, Nebraska (1982)
1/26/10: Public Enemy, It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988)
1/27/10: The Supremes, Meet the Supremes (1962)
1/28/10: Willie Nelson, Red Headed Stranger (1975)

1/29/10: The Smashing Pumpkins, Gish (1991)
1/30/10: Belle and Sebastian, Tigermilk (1996)
1/31/10: Modest Mouse, This Is a Long Drive For Someone with Nothing to Think About (1996)
2/1/10: Pavement, Wowee Zowee (1995)
2/2/10: The Sugarcubes, Life’s Too Good (1988)
2/3/10: Frank Zappa, We’re Only In It For The Money (1968)
2/4/10: Liz Phair, Exile in Guyville (1993)
2/5/10: Judas Priest, Sad Wings of Destiny (1976)
2/6/10: The Jesus and Mary Chain, Psychocandy (1985)
2/7/10: The Who, The Who Sell Out (1967)

2/8/10: The Hold Steady, Almost Killed Me (2004)
2/9/10: Ween, The Mollusk (1997)
2/10/10: The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Take It From The Man! (1996)
2/11/10: Queensrÿche, Operation: Mindcrime (1988)
2/12/10: Ministry, The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste (1989)
2/13/10: Portishead, Dummy (1994)
2/14/10: M.I.A., Arular (2005)
2/15/10: David Bowie, Hunky Dory (1971)
2/16/10: R.E.M., Murmur (1983)
2/17/10: The Roots, Do You Want More?!!!??! (1995)

UPDATE, 2/17/10: What have we learned?

Liquid Swords is a great, great album. Frank Zappa was fearless. Murmur is fantastic from start to finish, not one dud song on the whole album. Arular is a deft combination of sounds and styles, a party album with a conscience. I miss the Gish-era Smashing Pumpkins. Nebraska is a classic, in all its lo-fi, bedroom-recorded glory. The Flaming Lips can do no wrong. I probably should re-listen to Mermaid Avenue; it was good, but I didn’t quiiiiite get it. I really enjoyed both Sad Wings of Destiny and Meet the Supremes, they both got a lot of replays. All in all, 30 excellent albums.

This was so much fun that I’m going to continue rediscovering a classic album every day. Give it a try!

Final Thoughts: Great game, even though the Flyers got the short end of it. At least they were able to get a point in the standings for it. Now they’re only one point out of eighth place and playoffs in the East. Every point counts, especially the outdoor extravaganza ones.

4:27: They gave Tim Thomas an American battlefield flag, a nice touch. The gift bag, not so much.

4:23: Team USA announcement, Boston fans boo Phil Kessel kid stand-in. Hardy har har! Poor kid, I hope somebody warned him about that.

4:18: Final score, Boston 2-1 Philadelphia in OT. Giant novelty check to Ronald McDonald House, that’s good stuff.

4:16: Center ice hand shakes. Marco Sturm snuck behind Braydon Coburn and tipped one past Leighton. Gotta feel for Leighton, he played great and deserved to win.

4:15: Boston goal! Ugh! Booooo!

4:14: PHI scoring chances! Nothing to show for it!

4:11: 4-on-3 to start OT. Flyers iron three: Betts, Pronger, Timonen

4:09: Overrrrtime. Flyers survived a scare but still need to kill the rest of the BOS PP in overtime.

4:08: Flyers delayed penalty…damn. Ultra critical penalty kill here.

4:07: SO CLOSE!!! Puck squirted through the crease past Thomas.

4:05: Bruins score…Mark Recchi breaks through on the PP. Damn.

4:03: Critical penalty kill here. 3:40 left to go.

4:01: Close call there. Leighton the save. Other way, Jeff Carter shoots wide! Ugh!

3:58: A note on the fashions of the day: Superb. Coaches’ varsity jackets, Bruins coaches’ chapeaus, retro jerseys, all superb.

3:56: Barry “Two Goal Lead Is The Worst Lead In Hockey” Melrose be damned, Flyers need another goal here.

3:55: Eight minutes to go.

3:54: Denis Leary and “Sweet Caroline” at a Fenway hockey game…nothing says “Boston gimmick” than that.

3:51: Bruins sustaining more pressure than Philadelphia. Flyers need to take the game back this last half of the period.

3:49: Hockey players wearing eye black. It’s a good look.

3:45: Flyers almost got one there with that quick flurry. A TV timeout is most welcome here, the Flyers’ D was scrambling there.

3:43: Flyers survived the penalty kill and post-PK heavy pressure. A PHI goal here to blunt the BOS momentum would be great here.

3:39: Delayed penalty on Carcillo. C’mon PK!

3:35: OOOOOOOOH, that was so close! Have to be lucky and good sometimes, Leighton was lucky there. That puck kissed the post.

3:34: More checking line oh-fense, way to draw that penalty, Asham!

3:32: Game on, 3rd period!

2nd Intermission: Flyers need to win this period to take the game and the two points. Their annual February slump came a little early this year, so they need all the points they can get to re-enter the Eastern Conference playoff picture. The Flyers are starting to make Laviolette’s motion hockey work, so that bodes well. They’re only a couple points out with a lot of hockey left in the season.

2nd Intermission: Flyers outhit (13-9) and outshoot (12-6) Bruins in 2nd, with help from that power play, PHI 1 BOS 0 going into the third.

3:10: Strong work by PHI to withstand sustained BOS pressure to end the 2nd. Flyers’ odd-man rush at the end foiled. Need to put those chances away, Flyers! 2nd intermission on.

3:02: Hartnell with a cannon blast wide! The Flyers are starting to get it going.

3:01: Arron Asham on the breakaway…MISSED! Thomas with the save.

2:58: DING! Off the post!

2:57: Power play on!

2:56: Want: Varsity jacket that Coach Peter Laviolette is sporting. Super sharp!

2:54: Another strong PHI rush, couple good chances and a power play coming up.

2:52: Great breakout pass by Mike Richards on that break, Giroux had a bouncing puck. Oh well.

2:51: Giroux on the breakaway…wide left! That’s two he shoulda had!

2:47: Flyers goal scored by number 26, Danny Syvret! His first. The assists, number 19 Scott Hartnell and number 17 Jeff Carter!

2:44: 1-0 Flyers thanks to Thomas losing his cool with a little crease work by Scott Hartnell. Not sure who will be credited, but the result is the important thing.

2:43: Good stop, Leighton, Flyers storm back…SCORE!

2:42: Checking line offense! *groan*

2:40: More ice repair. One of these years, they’re gonna do this on an actual pond.

2:37: Game on! 2nd period, let’s go, Flyers!

1st Intermission: Good action, but Flyers are getting outshot and outhit. Curt Schilling in a #30 Bruins shirt. What, no #38?

2:17: End of 1st period. Carcillo with some smudged eye black, this must be an outdoor game.

2:16: Good flurry of chances against Thomas, good chance going the other way against Leighton.

2:15: Scoring chance, Flyers. Good shot by Gagne.

2:09: GLOVE SAVE AND A BEAUT! Leighton flashing the leather!

2:07: Ice repair.

2:01: Carcillo v. Thornton, Round 1

2:00: Get ‘em Danno! That’s a win for Carcillo!

1:54: Thomas, save on the Wakefield knuckler.

1:47: Stoppage in play. Whew, great action.

1:43: Furious action, old time hockey!

1:41: Aw, c’mon Claude, you had a goal right there.

1:40: Claude Giroux missed a golden opportunity!

1:39: B-2 flyover complete. Wow. Just wow. Okay, let’s go, Flyers!

1:36: James Taylor!

1:35: Daniel Powter? Seriously?

1:31: “Well, we just have to work hard, y’know, and be strong on the puck, eh? We have to play sixty minutes, y’know.” (For you, Scott.)

1:30: Well, that was awkward, Clarke just slashed Orr. A Winter Classic honorary captain first!

1:28: Dropkick Murphys!

1:24: Me, I’m just waiting for the 2018 Summer Classic: Tampa Bay Lightning v. Florida Panthers at Dolphin/Land Shark/Gloria Estefan Stadium

1:22: Ohhh, it’s Bobby Orr. (Not Blaine Lacher.) He just happens to be the 2nd or 3rd greatest player ever, and his career was sadly too short.

1:20: Bobby Clarke on the screen, he was clutch against Boston. Lace ‘em up, Clarkie!

1:19: GEICO Caveman alert! There he is, cleaning the ice. Cue sad trombone.

1:15: Coming up, the greatest Boston Bruin ever. Blaine Lacher?

1:14: Mites on ice! I could watch mites on ice all day.

1:13: My take re: Michael Leighton or Brian Boucher: Leighton’s won four in a row with a shutout in his last game (v. NYR). Go with the hot hand, even if he was just plucked off the waiver wire scrap heap. Make no mistake, this is a big game, so don’t throw out a cold Boucher coming off an injury.

1:06: Weather Channel says it’s 32 degrees, feels like 27, cloudy in Boston. Let’s play some hockey! (Or at least shinny.)

1:03: Bob Costas told us all that this is the first NHL game played here ever. If Big Bob says so, it is so.

1:01: Highlights of Winter Classics past. Let’s hope for goalies in toques.

12:45: Outdoor hockey is back, people! Let’s hear it for Fenway *Pahk*!

Philadelphia Flyers (19-18-2, 40 points, 4th place Atlantic Division/9th-tied Eastern Conference)

v.

Boston Bruins (20-12-7, 47 points, 2nd place Northeast Division/5th Eastern Conference)

Starting goalies: PHI Michael Leighton v. BOS Tim Thomas

…And You Will Know Us by the Trail Of Dead
The Century of Self (Super Ball Records)

Credit: Conrad Keely (artwork)

Notes: Trail of Dead vocalist/guitarist Conrad Keely illustrated the album cover entirely in blue ballpoint pen. Stunning.

Bibio
Ambivalence Avenue (Warp)

Credit: David Foldvari (illustrations)

Notes: This album cover wins the favorite “pen-and-ink/black-and-white illustration” award for the year, just slightly beating out Fever Ray and The Whitest Boy Alive. Illustrator David Foldvari‘s excellent work can be seen in the Observer and the Guardian.

Eminem
Relapse (Aftermath/Interscope)

Credits: Julian Alexander (art direction/design/photography); Karin Catt (photography)

Notes: Reminiscent of last year‘s Ten Favorite pick of T.I.’s Paper Trail; past Grammy-winner designer Julian Alexander adapts the mosaic portrait theme and adds the familiar medicine bottle information label.

Kid Cudi
Man on the Moon: The End of Day (Dream On/GOOD Music/Universal Motown)

Credit: Bill Sienkiewicz (illustrations), Scott Sandler (art direction, design)

Notes: I knew I liked this album cover for a reason! When researching this album cover, I learned that Sienkiewicz did the cover illustration (for the CD and the DVD deluxe editions), and frankly, it should have been obvious from the jump. One of the true pioneering greats in comics, Sienkiewicz’s long and decorated career spans various media. This album cover is just beautifully illustrated, like other favorites of mine (RZA’s Bobby Digital in Stereo album cover and The Venture Brothers Season 3 DVD/Blu-Ray).

Mos Def
The Ecstatic (Downtown Records)

Credit: Uncredited, see below

Notes: The source of the cover image is Charles Burnett’s 1977 film Killer of Sheep. I wouldn’t describe the image as “ecstasy” but I liked the added red tint and the dynamic of the jump captured in the still. It almost had a “Blue Note Records”-ish feel to it also, which elevated it on my list.

Pet Shop Boys
Yes (Parlophone/Astralwerks)

Credit: Mark Farrow (artwork)

Notes: I liked this album cover for its use of color (11 colors = 11 songs) arranged simply as a “yes” check mark…or tick mark for you Brits. Longtime Pet Shop Boys collaborator Mark Farrow works in his familiar PSB territory, with minimal but effective imagery and color.

The Rakes
Klang (V2)

Credit: Work Associates (artwork)

Notes: I liked the use of the sans serif stencil/Futura Black typography here, evoking the vibrations after a “klang”ing of a bell. Creative Review has a more detailed account of the creation of the sleeve artwork here. This is the Rakes’ final album, having broken up in October this year. With the breakup, the album cover provides a visual, final fade out for the band.

Swan Lake
Enemy Mine (Jagjaguwar)

Credit: Reg Lech (Cover art)

Notes: The band, a Canadian supergroup, claims that this “court painting” is the first time in popular music that such an illustration has been used as an album cover. I liked it right away, it was different and well executed. (And who am I to argue with a Canadian supergroup? And aren’t most Canadian groups super?)

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
The Live Anthology (Warner Bros.)

Credits: Shepard Fairey (art direction, design, cover art); Neil Preston (cover photo)

Notes: Like the Sienkiewicz work for Kid Cudi, the Fairey work here is familiar yet effective. The choice of Fairey reflects the allure of Tom Petty’s music: familiar, classic, straightforward, distinct, and powerful. Petty and Fairey are sort of kindred spirits, both working in the area between homage and innovation, classic yet current, retro yet modern.

Vitalic
Flashmob (Play It Again Sam/Different)

Credit:(Video: DIY/Brillantine, co-directors; Art.10, DP)

Notes: I wasn’t able to locate much specific information on the album cover creation, but I liked the coloration of the smoke trails and the “V” shape for Vitalic. More information was found for the video for the opening track “See The Sea (Red)”, which uses the same fluid dynamics imagery. Vitalic (Pascal Arbez-Nicolas) explains the concept as a homage to French scientist Étienne-Jules Marey. Any homage to fluid dynamic science is a winner in my book.

Honorable Mentions:

Muse
The Resistance (Warner Bros.)

Credits: La Boca (artwork), Danny Clinch (photography)
Notes: Really liked the illustration and the rainbow color palette.

Richmond Fontaine
We Used to Think the Freeway Sounded Like a River (Arena Rock Recording Company)

Credits: Draplin Design Co. (art direction, design)
Notes: I’m a big fan of Aaron Draplin and his Draplin Design Company, and I love the look of his simple and direct work in general, and on the Richmond Fontaine album.

The Leisure Society
The Sleeper (Wilkommen)

Credit: The Matt Lloyd Project (sleeve art)
Notes: The art for The Sleeper has a “Venture Brothers”-feel to it (along with A Product of the Ego Drain), so it was an instant like.

Dishonorable Mentions:

Let’s Wrestle
In the Court of the Wrestling Let’s (Stolen Recordings)

Credit: Uncredited
Notes: Least Favorite of the Year. I don’t like anything in this cover: the name, the title, the illustration. Sorry, lads. But I did like “In Dreams”, that’s a nice song.

Mike Jones
Swagg Through Da Roof (single) (Asylum)

Credits: (The Voice album) Florian Schneider (photography); Carolyn Tracey (package production)
Notes: Technically not an album, but this was bad enough to rate a dishonorable mention. Over to you, PhotoshopDisasters!

Wild Beasts
Two Dancers (Domino)

Credit: Uncredited
Notes: I don’t get it. I don’t know what it’s supposed to be, but I just don’t get it.

Final thoughts:

My non-Living Colour album of the year was Neko Case’s Middle Cyclone (Anti). I wasn’t sure if I could call it my favorite or even an honorable mention album cover, but I found it very compelling. She described it as something an eight-year old boy would put on an album cover: a muscle car and a sword. I didn’t put it on my Ten Favorite list because I couldn’t quite reconcile this concept with the contents of the album. But it got me thinking about it over and over, which is more than I could say for some album covers this year.

Human anatomy was a common theme in album covers this year. Witness: Alice in Chains Black Gives Way to Blue; Bat For Lashes Two Suns; Dalek, Gutter Tactics; Emmy the Great, First Love; Florence and the Machine, Lungs; and The Veils, Sun Gangs all play on the heart/chest theme. AIC and the Veils use anatomically-close hearts directly.

Lots of good album covers this year. Don’t sleep on Espers, Behemoth, Regina Spektor, Mumford & Sons, Mika, Mastodon, Isis, the Decemberists, Grant-Lee Phillips, Every Time I Die, Diablo Swing Orchestra, The Clientele (nice classical music/retro touch), Anti-Pop Consortium, Adrian Younge, The Boy Least Likely To and Soulsavers.

And then there’s the Flaming Lips album cover for Embryonic. Weirdest Album Cover of the Year! (Second place: Moderat’s self-titled album)

Previously:
Ten Favorite Album Covers of 2008 and 2007 (still my most popular post ever).

Philadelphia Half Marathon
11/22/09

Warmup:
Death Cab For Cutie, “Long Division”
The Stooges, “Search and Destroy”
Rush, “Marathon”

Run:
Iron Maiden, “Run to the Hills”
AC/DC, “Thunderstruck”
Iron Maiden, “Invaders”
Midnight Oil, “Hercules” (live)
Metallica, “Hit the Lights”
James Brown, “I Don’t Want Nobody to Give Me Nothing (Open Up the Door I’ll Get It Myself)
Minor Threat, “12XU”
Iron Maiden, “Where Eagles Dare”
Rush, “Freewill”
Midnight Oil, “Read About It” (live)
Metallica, “Seek & Destroy”
Jimi Hendrix Experience, “Highway Chile”
Death Angel, “Road Mutants”
Ozzy Osbourne, “Steal Away (The Night)”
Blur, “Chinese Bombs”
Mastodon, “Capillarian Crest”
Rush, “One Little Victory”
Rush, “Ceiling Unlimited”
Rush, “Ghost Rider”
Rollins Band, “Grip”
James Brown, “Super Bad”
Kiss, “She” (live)
Kreator, “Hordes of Chaos”
Living Colour, “Funny Vibe” (live)
Photon Band, “Ka-Blammo”
The Primitives, “Crash”
The Prodigy, “Breathe”
Radiohead, “The National Anthem” (live)
Rage Against the Machine, “Bulls on Parade” (live)
Redman, “I’ll Bee Dat!”
Slayer, “Criminally Insane”
Tom Vek, “I Ain’t Saying My Goodbyes”
Dethklok, “Bloodtrocuted”
Dead Kennedys, “In-Sight”
Anthrax, “Got the Time”
Craig Mack, “Flava In Ya Ear”
The Count Five, “Psychotic Reaction”

Finish/Cool down:
Graham Coxon, “Freakin’ Out”
Genesis, “Turn It On Again”
Gary Lewis & the Playboys, “Count Me In”
Bad Religion, “Kerosene”
Asian Dub Foundation, “Naxalite”
Asian Dub Foundation, “Culture Move”
Asian Dub Foundation, “Buzzing”
Subhumans, “Time Flies…”
Benny Benassi & the Biz, “Satisfaction”

Dear Harry Kalas,

The Fightins battled. They fought tooth and nail, even to the bitter end. Did you see that final at-bat? Shane Victorino didn’t have a great World Series at all, but that last at-bat epitomized this entire team and this entire season. He fought like a true Fightin’ Phil. I really thought he was going to will his way onto first base, bruised finger and all. No questions asked, this team still has the heart of a champion.

Pedro Martinez battled too. The Old Goat battled hard, but those Yankees were darn tough. Even though he was only here a few months, he’s already earned my complete respect. I don’t expect him to stick around for next year, but he can stay a Phillie all he wants. (It would have been a lot of fun if you were here to broadcast his starts!)

Boy, they fought. Even Ryan Howard was coming around. He hit that home run to the opposite field, and you know that means he saw the ball well right there. Maybe the best he had all Series. If they got him to the plate in the 9th, there might have been that Game 7 we all wished for. They just didn’t get the clutch hits that they got last year in the playoffs. The Yankees pitched them tough every single at-bat. Cap tip to them.

I’m really looking forward to next year, Harry. I really like Kyle Drabek to get to The Show sometime in 2010. We get Cliff Lee for a full year, and he could get himself a Cy Young Award in the National League. Wouldn’t that be something to pair his American League Cy Young with that? And an off-season for Cole Hamels to clear his head, get his sweat on, and develop a cut fastball?  And an off-season for Brad Lidge to get healthy in both body and mind? I can’t wait for April.

They didn’t end up 2009 World Champions of Baseball, but I truly believe they are just beginning to enter their prime. Jesus Rollins, The Legendary Ryan Howard, and Cadillac Chase will police the Citizens Bank Park infield for a long time. And you know this outfield is pretty darn good too, Harry. This 2009 World Series experience can only help. They already had the heart of a champion, now they got the bad taste in their mouths, and they will have a new hunger in their bellies. “Pitchers and catchers” can’t get here fast enough, Harry!

Sorry they didn’t get it done for you, and Whitey, and Whitey’s Whiz Kids. I really wanted to see some Champagne sprayed on your sport coat in the dugout. We all did. We’ll get them damn Yankees next year, Harry!

Let’s Go Phillies!

Dyn-O-Wright

And stay tuned for another Scott Colan/Wright Seneres collaborative design project, coming soon to this Interweb area.

UPDATE: Accompanying text added.

Stay tuned for a new design project from Scott Colan and Wright Seneres. Thanks for stopping by Your New Band Name!

Previously:

Your New Band Name #39, #38, #37, #36, #35, #34, #33, #32, #31, #30, #29, #28, #27, #26, #25, #24, #23, #22, #21, #20, #19, #18, #17, #16, #15, #14, #13, #12, #11, #10, #9, #8, #7, #6, #5, #4, #3, #2, #1