Pearl Jam - State Of Love And Trust

Let's Go Seahawks!!! Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls we are officially 2 sleeps away from the insanely over-the-top amazing sporting event of the year. On Sunday, February 2 the Denver Broncos will battle my Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl in New York City for football's biggest prize, the Lombardi trophy. The game pits the record-setting #1 offense in the league Broncos against one of the greatest defenses in years Seahawks. Both teams were the #1 seed in their respective conferences and have numerous big-time playmakers on both sides of the ball. It's gonna be one for the ages so make sure that you have plenty of chilled beverages, delicious and fatty snacks and a prime view of that television set so you can take in all the epic action. 

Some Interesting Points on the Big Game

- The Seattle Seahawks' quarterback Russel Wilson is in his 2nd year in the pros and during that time has NEVER lost a game by more that 7 points

- If he should hoist the Lombardi trophy on Sunday he will become ONLY the second black quarterback to do so (Doug Williams did it first for the Redskins back in 1988)

- If the Broncos are victorious then their quarterback Peyton Manning will cement himself as the greatest quarterback of all time. If he loses, well there's always next year but a debate will always exist and he likely will be on the outside looking in

- This will be the first Super Bowl in quite a while to be played outdoors in a cold climate. Earlier in the week the forecast looked terrible and some even suggested that the game be moved. But since then the forecast has improved and it looks like the weather really shouldn't be much of an issue, even though it will be cold

- Seahawks' injury ridden wide receiver Percy Harvin only participated in 33 snaps ALL SEASON but he will suit up on Sunday. The offseason acquisition has the ability to be a game-changer with his big-play potential as a receiver and kick returner and will be a key factor in the hawks' success

The Top 5 Bands/Artists from each City/State:

Seattle

1) Jimi Hendrix

2) Nirvana

3) Pearl Jam

4) Foo Fighters

5) Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Honourable mentions: Soundgarden, Heart, Alice In Chains, Modest Mouse, Death Cab for Cutie, Fleet Foxes, Band of Horses, The Cave Singers

Denver

1) Earth, Wind & Fire

2) John Denver

3) OneRepublic

4) The Lumineers

5) The Fray

Honourable mentions: Pretty Lights, DeVotchka, Dead Kennedys, India.Arie, Yonder Mountain String Band

I dunno about the rest of you but I certainly know which city's soundtrack I'll be listening to all weekend!

Pearl Jam are one of my favourite bands. They are also one of the best bands I've seen live (twice). The first time I saw them in 2005 they had been playing for 3 hours when the union lighting guys left, leaving just the house lights on as the band continued to perform 3 more songs. I'll always remember Mike McCready playing the final "Yellow Ledbetter" guitar solo while crouched on his knees at centre stage while the rest of the band lay around him, exhausted. A brilliant end to a brilliant show.

"State Of Love And Trust" is my favourite pump-up song by Pearl Jam. It was released as a single when they put out their first greatest hits 2-disc compilation Rearviewmirror. The band plays at a wicked fast pace as lead singer Eddie Vedder howls and screams over them. I plan on playing this at full volume Sunday afternoon for the mandatory pre-game shotgun and I hope you do too! Time for the Seahawks to claim their first Super Bowl title!

Bold Predictions:

- Seahawks win 23-20

- I called it last game and was right so I'll do it again for this game: Jermaine Kearse will come up with a HUGE play for the Seahawks

- Knowshon Moreno (Denver running back) WILL cry during the National Anthem

- Chili Peppers and Bruno Mars will be awesome and they'll play some classic rock covers (Zeppelin???)

- Richard Sherman will NOT have an interception but will make some key plays

- Julius Thomas (Broncos tight end) will NOT have a big game but Demaryius Thomas WILL (Broncos wide receiver) 

- Beast Mode scores TD #1

Enjoy the game and the greatest Holiday that technically isn't a Holiday!!!

#1. Arcade Fire - Reflektor

Full Album

Arcade Fire - Porno

After much anticipation here it is, the best album of 2013! In fact it is actually a double-album so you're getting great bang for your buck on this one today. After taking the world by storm in 2010 with the Grammy Award-Winning The Suburbs the Montreal indie rockers decided to take a few years off. During that time husband and wife Win Butler, vocals and guitar, and Regine Chassagne, vocals, keyboards, accordion, etc. had a baby and the band decided to not release anything new until Regine was comfortably off maternity leave. In their absence they left many fans waiting for and wondering about a return. The wait was definitely worth it as Arcade Fire stormed back with over 100 minutes of brand new music that completely changed their sound, yet was so obviously still them.

Arcade Fire are quite possibly the coolest band on planet earth and here's why: during recording sessions in New York City the band was hard at work on lead single "Reflektor" when David Motherfuckin' Bowie decided to drop by for some tea. He listened to what they were working on and dug it so much that he asked if he could participate on the track. So just before the 5 minute mark you can hear the backing vocals from a living rock n' roll legend. And, no, he isn't even credited on the song, solidifying the coolness. So something like this, along with the fact that they have updated and improved their sound for each successive album, made numerous award-winning music videos, are one of the best live acts in the world (#4 according to Rolling Stone Magazine), value family, and are Canadian, simply cements them as the coolest band on earth.

Reflektor opens with the title track, a seven minute epic that rumbles along with frantic energy, claiming new instruments at every break until it erupts with an explosion of horns and piano. Immediately the presence of producer James Murphy (frontman of LCD Soundsystem and disco-funk DJ extraordinaire) is apparent as Arcade Fire's anthemic rock sound is upgraded and given a sonic boost of horns and percussion, making it extremely danceable. Up next is "We Exist" in which the bouncy bass line resembles a great 80's movie made in the 21st Century and "Flashbulb Eyes", a bombastic, dark tale of losing part of your soul to the camera flash that reaches a blaring climax before fading to the sounds of party-goers. This begins the centrepiece of the album, "Here Comes The Night Time", a song that begins with a blitzkreig of percussion, guitar and horns that will get even the laziest, soberest person off their ass and into full party mode. It then completely breaks down into full chillout mode as Caribbean beach sounds and percussion take over, reflecting the Haitian background of Chassagne and an inspirational trip she and Win took there last year. The first disc closes with straightforward rockers "Normal Person" and "Joan of Arc" and the bouncy "You Already Know" which I foresee being a hit this year.

The second disc begins with "Here Comes The Night Time II", a quiet, slowed down version of the disc 1 counterpart. Instead of the frantic, party energy it sounds almost as though Butler laments this version of the night time. Other standouts from this side include the heavy guitar beat and dual vocals from Regine and Win on "It's Never Over (Of Orpheus)", the perfect indie-pop melody of second single "The Afterlife" and today's chosen song "Porno" with its very 80's vibe and haunting chorus. A plethora of instruments grace "Porno", from the synth beat to the string breakdown to the epic sax solo near the end. Also the fan made video found above is quite well done and the lyrics are there as an added bonus.

Once again Arcade Fire have stepped up to the plate and knocked a grand slam out of the park; it seems that they can do no wrong. It is true that they did receive some criticism from fans that wanted to hear The Suburbs again but I feel that changing your sound and style is what artists do. Plus had they just made another similar album that would've been too easy and they would've received criticism anyways. I strongly recommend that you catch these guys live if you can. As of right now they are not playing in Vancouver this year, but they are at The Gorge Amphitheater, quite possibly the best venue in the world, in August. Also I have a feeling that they are going to headline Squamish Valley Music Festival this year, which occurs right after the Gorge show, so fingers crossed for that (lineup announced Jan. 29).

So with another year in the books here are some other albums that I have to acknowledge as honourable mentions: Kanye West - Yeezus, Queens of the Stone Age - ...Like Clockwork, Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City (Rolling Stone Magazine's #1), Atoms For Peace - Amok, Jake Bugg - Jake Bugg, Washed Out - Paracosm, Jay-Z - Magna Carta Holy Grail, Shad - Flying Colours, Beyonce - BEYONCE, and Hallow Moon - Hallow Moon. I hope you enjoyed reading and listening to them as much as I did. Cheers!

#2. A$AP Rocky - LONG.LIVE.A$AP

Full Album

A$AP Rocky - 1 Train (feat. Kendrick Lamar, Joey Bada$$, Yelawolf, Danny Brown, Action Bronson & Big K.R.I.T.)

The #2 album of the year actually came out almost an entire year ago, on January 4, 2013. Often these early releases are forgotten and I almost missed it myself and had to double check the release date. But there it was at the bottom of my iTunes for the year, and as soon as I saw it I knew it had to be in the top 5.

A$AP Rocky, aka Rakim Mayers, was born in 1988 in Harlem, New York City. He started out as a member of the hip-hop collective A$AP Mob and then released a critically acclaimed mixtape LIVE.LOVE.A$AP in 2011 and then this, LONG.LIVE.A$AP, his debut album in 2013. His debut mixtape is solid and has several amazing tracks including the anthemic "Palace", the xylophonic "Peso" and the bluesy "Trilla" but I feel it loses focus in parts, favoring heavy bass over slick production. But then for LONG.LIVE.A$AP the rapper became much more focused on production, and backed by the major label power from Sony, was able to get A-list guest artists and production help. 

The album opens with the thunderous boom of "Long Live A$AP", where Rocky raps about where he thought he'd end up (prison, on drugs etc.) and then where he actually has (Bentleys, stacks of money, etc.) which is basically the complete opposite. The production is sparse yet glossy and the hook reels you in, providing an excellent snapshot of what this album is going to be about. Up next is the brilliant "Goldie", a track that makes one feel like a total boss/badass at the same time. Beneath the pulsating beat lies a sinister reverberating chant that illuminates the boss/badass mood. Other highlights include the top 40 smash "Fuckin' Problems" which features Kendrick Lamar, Drake, and the ridiculously catchy shout-along hook from 2 Chainz, "Wild For The Night" which features production from EDM Megastar Skrillex and is a song that truly makes you want to go fucking bonkers for the night, and "Fashion Killa", an ode to Rocky's love for stylish clothing with lush production from Rocky himself. 

Today's chosen song "1 Train" features six of the biggest names in the game: Kendrick Lamar, Joey Bada$$, Yelawolf, Danny Brown, Action Bronson, & Big K.R.I.T. It is an American hip-hop summit as these rappers come from all corners of the country, from LA to New York and Detroit to Mississippi. 20 years ago, a time that many would consider to be the artistic peak of rap music, something like this could never exist as the two coasts and various other regions were too busy beefing and fighting with one another to even consider collaborating. I mean 2Pac, from Compton, California, the same city as Kendrick Lamar, and The Notorious B.I.G., from NYC, the same as Joey Bada$$, Action Bronson and A$AP himself, were the two biggest names in the game yet would never ever consider working with each other. In fact their rivalry ended with each man being sent to his grave way too early. But back to "1 Train". This track has a continuous, haunting string beat courtesy of producer Hit-Boy. I love Danny Brown's verse but my favourite has got to be Big K.R.I.T. who closes out the track with some emotional and prophesizing spitting.

I also can't ignore some of the tracks that close the album as well as the bonus tracks. "Phoenix", produced by the one and only Danger Mouse, is almost more indie rock than hip-hop with its laid back vibe and sung chorus. Then there's "Suddenly", a haunting ode to early sixties gospel and soul records. And finally the bonus track "I Come Apart" features Florence Welch (of Florence + The Machine) bringing down the house as usual with a killer hook and Rocky rhyming over the percussion heavy beat that sounds vaguely like Kanye's "Runaway".

Overall this is an awesome album by the young Rocky. I cannot wait to hear what he has in store for us next. This is also the top hip-hop album to grace my list. Yeezus was awesome as a whole but not enough great individual tracks imo. Stay tuned for #1