Top 50 Songs Of 2011

Top 50 songs of 2011, pretty simple released this year and only one song per artist. Anyway here it is...

1. Tyler, The Creator - Yonkers (Goblin)

2. Black Lips - Family Tree (Arabia Mountain)

3. Girls - Vomit (Father, Son, Holy Ghost)

4. M83 - Midnight City (Hurry Up, We're Dreaming)

5. TV On The Radio - Will Do (Nine Types Of Light)

6. Joy Formidable - Whirring (The Big Roar)

7. Mastodon - Stargasm (The Hunter)

8. Atlas Sound - Mona Lisa (Parallax)

9. The Weeknd - Loft Music (House Of Balloons)

10. Yuck - Shook Down (Yuck)

11. The Horrors - Still Life (Skying)

12. Cut Copy - Where I'm Going (Zonoscope)

13. The Strokes - Under The Cover Of Darkness (Angles)

14. Fergus & Geronimo - Wanna Know What I Would Do? (Unlearn)

15. ...And You Will Know Us BY The Trail Of The Dead - Weight Of The Sun (Tao Of The Dead)

16. Fleet Foxes - Sim Sala Bim (Helplessness Blues)

17. The Kills - DNA (Blood Pressures)

18. EMA - Milkman (Past Lyfe Martyred Saints)

19. Radiohead - Lotus Flower (King Of Limbs)

20. Liturgy - Harmonia (Aesthetica)

21. TV Ghost - Cancor (Mass Dream)

22. Wilco - One Sunday Morning (The Whole Love)

23. Today Is The Day - Death Curse (Pain Is A Warning)

24. PJ Harvey - Words That Maketh Murder (Let England Shake)

25. Shabazz Palaces - An Echo From The Hosts That Profess Infinitum (Black Up)

26.Fucked Up - Queen Of Hearts (David Comes To Life)

27. Active Child - Hanging On (You Are All I See)

28. Toro Y Moi - Go With You (Underneath The Pine)

29. Manchester Orchestra - Virgin (Simple Math)

30. Kurt Vile - Baby's Arms (Smoke Ring For My Halo)

31. Okkervil River - The Valley (I Am Very Far)

32. Battles - Ice Cream (Gloss Drop)

33. Florence And The Machine - No Light, No Light (Ceremonials)

34. Beirut - Santa Fe (Rip Tide)

35. The Roots - Make My (Undun)

36. Frank Turner - I Am Disappeared (England Can Have My Bones)

37. Wooden Shjips - Flight (West)

38. Veronica Falls - Found Love In A Graveyard (Veronica Falls)

39. Beastwars - Damn The Sky (Beastwars)

40. Bright Eyes - Shell Games (Peoples Key)

41. Elbow - Lippy Kids (Build A Rocket Boy)

42. Kimbra - Settle Down (Vows)

43. Washed Out - Amor Fati (Within And Without)

44.The Wax Museums - Sunburn (Eye Times)

45. Raveonettes - Evil Seeds (Raven In The Grave)

46. Death Grips - Guillotine (Exmilitary)

47. Cults - Abducted (Cults)

48. James Pants - Clouds Over The Pacific (James Pants)

49. Jahn Maus - Cop Killer (We Must Become The Pitiless Censors Of Ourselves)

50. Cat's Eyes - The Lull (Cat's Eyes)

Top 50 Albums of 2011

Finally 2011 is over and with that my top 50 albums, a lot of nice stuff this year including an album thats stuck as number one for a long time. I don't want to do the "this year is better than last" cause it probably had just as much great music as last year but just different genres having a stronger or weaker year.

1. Nicolas Jaar - Space Is Only Noise

2. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

3. Mastodon - The Hunter

4. Atlas Sound - Parallax

5. Wilco - The Whole Love

6. Black Lips - Arabia Mountain

7. Radiohead - King Of Limbs

8. M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming

 9. The Horrors - Skying

10. Tim Hecker - Ravedeath, 1972

11. Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost
12. ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of The Dead - Tao Of The Dead
13. The Kills - Blood Pressures
14. Shabazz Palaces - Black Up
15. Cut Copy - Zonoscope
16. Yuck - Yuck
17. Fucked Up - David Comes To Life
18. Fergus & Geronimo - Unlearn
19. TV Ghost - Mass Dream
20. PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
21. Wooden Shjips - West
22. Toro Y Moi - Underneath The Pine
23. Today Is The Day - Pain Is A Warning
24. Okkervil River - I Am Very Far
25. Florence And The Machine - Ceremonials

26. Septic Flesh - The Great Mass 
27. Washed Out - Within And Without
28.TV On The Radio - Nine Types Of Light
29. The Weeknd - House Of Balloons
30. Liturgy - Aesthetica
31. Manchester Orchestra - Simple Math
32. Bright Eyes - Peoples Key
33. Tyler, The Creator - Goblin
34. Beirut - The Rip Tide
35. EMA - Past Life Martyred Saints
36. The Psychic Paramount - ll
37. The Roots - Undun
38. Battles - Gloss Drop
39. Kurt Vile - Smoke Ring For My Halo
40. Kendrick Lamar - Section.80
41. Dodos - No Color
42. Kimbra - Vows
43. Beastwars - Beastwars
44. Julianna Barwick - The Magic Place
45. Raveonettes - Raven In The Grave
46. Antlers - Burst Apart
47. Cats Eyes - Cat's Eyes
48.Thurston Moore - Demolished Thoughts
49. Wu Lyf - Go Tell Fire To The Mountain
50. Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - Belong

The 12 Months Of Music: February

February was another busy month for me gig wise with a couple of absolutely phenomenal shows. Not only that but we got the first of the really hyped albums come through, as well as some surprisingly good releases that I myself wasn't expecting. What we ended up with was arguable the best month of album releases this year and my current favourite album of 2011.

Live Shows

The first of the two live shows I'm talking about is Sufjan Stevens at Wellington Opera House. It was a phenomenal show more for the visual aspect of it all (though songs were still great), something I had never seen before. A review of it I did here

A great moment was the closing song which was this one

The other gig which really excited me was the Melvins/High On Fire show, having been a fan of Melvins for a bit I was massively keen to see this show as I could only assume it would be a quality show. It was and being two from the front of Buzz made it easy to take some poor quality it was also a chance to see his overall ability. A review of it here

Albums

One of the most highly anticipated albums of 2011 was released in February and that is the self titled release by electronic musician James Blake. Originally I liked it, then quickly thought it was only decent and until I revisited it months later I truly dug the sound of the album. The marquee song on the album is one that took a while to really enjoy but I guess I like it a lot more now.

An album that hasn't left my top 10 since I have listened is that of Tim Hecker's Ravedeath 1972, the heavy drone and ambient sounds has made it a real gem of 2011.

While it might be forgotten by some, the new Radiohead album King of Limbs is another great release by the band and easily one of the best albums of 2011. The electronic influence on this album is incredible and allows to show a band that continues to move and create trends while never sounding stale and old.

Finally another album which will probably be on a bunch of peoples top 10 is that of the new PJ Harvey album Let England Shake. This album is great and was rewarded with a Mercury award (eat shit Adele), my favourite on the album is Words That Maketh Murder.

Last but not least my current favourite album of this year Nicolas Jaar's Space Is Only Noise, which is still an amazing piece of music. Flows beautifully, the minimalism is superb and it gets me everytime.

Other albums worth a mention was the debut album from Indie rock band Yuck and the new release from Bright Eyes which was one of my favs from early this year not so much now).

The 12 Months Of Music: January

January had many great moments for me musically, for the most part it was seeing great bands some that will never grace these shores again. With that being said there were some pretty solid albums that early on, some that are seen as some of the best this year.

Live Shows

First off was Big Day Out which had so many great musical moments, particularly that of LCD Soundsystem a band I love and now aren't together. I wrote a review of my Big Day Out experience here.

The moment that still defines the greatness of Big Day Out this year was when LCD played this song.

Another gig I was at during this time was that of Joe Cocker/George Thorogood, I'm definitely not what you would call a Cocker fan instead went purely for Thorogood. It was a nice show Thorogood was fun, hes a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine the cheesiness of his songs are great so to see him play some of his classic tracks was fun.

I also got the chance to see some of the bands that made my top 50 of 2010 at Laneway Festival at the end of January. It was great seeing such bands as Ariel Pinks Haunted Graffitti, Deerhunter, Foals, Beach House, Warpaint and a few others. Review of it here 

Albums

One that seems to be way over with the faggots at Pitchfork is the new album Kaputt by Destroyer an album I just see as pretty good. His songs sound beautiful and while I like them its not as if I'm ever really interested in listening to his stuff.

A band that will be here January of 2012 who I'm almost certainly going to catch is Deerhoof which released Deerhoof vs. Evil an album which just screams consistent Deerhoof, its not anything different in sound but I fan of these guys will definitely dig it.

Cut Copy released Zonoscope which has been one of my favourites this year, after the massively loved In Ghost Colours there was pressure for them to keep up the good work and they have. This was my favourite on that album

Noteworthy bands that released an album were The Decemberists (oh the disappointment), The Go Team (still fun), Ulcerate (NZ Metal reprazint)

The Things Crowds Do

Going to a lot of gigs like I do, you start to notice quirks that some in the crowd do, sometimes it can almost ruin a show for you. Then when I show is either boring or just a shitty support act, the stupidity of those around you can be the only thing that can get you through the the boring 30-40 minute set.

With this in mind I'm going to talk about the shit I've noticed a lot recently at gigs. One, those that really makes me laugh is when someone is leaving their spot during a performance, its bad enough your moving and annoying all those around you. But the real funny part is how people think that if they head bang furiously out of time with the music while staring at you with the "yeah this is awesome" look makes it alright to inconveniently get in the way as you watch the gig.

The amount of times I've seen it is enough for me to laugh at them now cause I really don't care enough that are trying to be cool about it. Another one which is annoying but much more stupid is couples at gigs, this really is only a problem for certain reasons. The major problem I have is the guy always feels like no one is allowed touch them, I don't mean guys going in for the grope (I guess theres a case that he should beat them down) but when people accidentally bump into them. I've seen this more and more at metal gigs, couple take prime position three from the front, band starts and the surge forward does as well, boyfriend gets angry and tries to pick fights with people around him. It usually ends with them going down the back and cuddling while errbody else gets to have fun.

It seems like "awkward" is a popular word to use these days much like all the "the awkward moment when..." lines that popped up recently. Well when I saw Doomriders at San Francisco Bath House the opening act I Exist from Australia were playing, they were more a Hardcore, core in general type of band as opposed to the more hard rock tendencies that the headliner were. Anyway during I Exists set this guy started doing weird windmill kicks and shit, I believe it was hardcore dancing although I'm not totally sure, all I remember is that this dude looked like he wanted to beat everyone up with karate kicks and spinning but he didn't actually touch anyone, more and more we just stared. It did make the band much more tolerable so thank you "dancer".

Finally the last crowd thing  has basically kept me away from the festival cause its certain to be true and that is "bros". No not people of Maori descent, but those singlet wearing, sunglasses frosted tip fags that congregate at New Years festivals such as Rhythm and Vines. I don't think I could take it (even drunk) them saying "bro that was phat, meeeeean bass" for multiple days. I guess the only positive is usually the bands there blow so they deserve each other really.

Back and Forth

On Saturday TV3 showed the Foo Fighters documentary, now I didn't watch it cause its Saturday night but I had seen it only a few days earlier. This isn't the first time its been shown on free to air television with TV3 also showing it just after the new album Wasting Light came out (review of it here). I admit that I'm not the biggest of fans of this band but at the same time I'm a sucker for a documentary on any band whether I like them or not.

It's weird, I've been pretty critical about this band, not cause I think they suck but because the progression of the band into a far too radio friendly act disappoints me. Dave Grohl seems like a nice enough guy and this again is presented well in Back and Forth, he takes you through everything from the early beginnings of how they got together all the way up until the completion of the latest album.

I really enjoyed the first two Foo Fighters albums, I really enjoyed the raw edge to the music in the early days the production wasn't nearly as squeaky clean as it has become. Everlong to me is one of the greatest rock songs of all time, definitely up there so to think I'm merely a hater then you are mistaken.

A moment that really sticks into my mind was when bassist Nate Mendel decided he was going to leave the Foo Fighters and re join a reformed Sunny Day Real Estate. At this stage the only two from the original were himself and Dave, he made the phone call to which Dave told him to tell the rest of them he was leaving cause he was going to get drunk. Nate rung back the next morning to tell Dave he wasn't leaving anymore and I get the impression the way the band was going it would've ended there. After all when Dave went on tour with Queens Of The Stone Age he later admitted he almost ended the band.

At the end of it I found myself realise that this band had many more ups and downs than I realised.The fact they had this all play out in the public because of the fame Grohl had already garnered made this an even more intriguing watch.

Finally here's a cool documentary on the warm up tour the band did playing in peoples garages, very cool idea!

What To Choose: New Order or Bon Iver?

Now in theory this is a very easy decision, why would anyone wanna pick Bon Iver over the freshly reunited New Order?  well its more because I already have a ticket to one. Bon Iver is playing two shows in Wellington I have a ticket to the first night on February 27 which happens to be the same night as the New Order show in Auckland. A simple solution to this would be to get a Bon Iver ticket to the show on the 28th but if I'm in Auckland then I'll stay another night to see these guys.

Yeah the Black Lips are playing one show in Auckland, I missed them last here in Wellington and now with one of my favourite albums of this year under their belt in Arabia Mountain its even more enticing. While this post started as a decision, while writing this I've already decided who I'm going to see. Those that go to Bon Iver I hope its great, I hope someone will tell me all about it cause I'm definitely willing to miss it over missing a band I didn't realise were even back together until about a week ago and now  I have essentially one last chance to see.

Sure a case can be made about this not being the real New Order with Peter Hook off doing Joy Division shows without the vocalist, guitarist, drummer, but really at this stage fuck Peter Hook.

I ain't missing shit...don't sell out fast!

Late Album Review: Foster The People - Torches

This album has a weird story attached to it, its pretty hard not to have heard of these guys until now and I had heard but stubbornly I didn't listen. Not cause I was trying to be cool and saying they suck cause everyone likes them but because of how I was told about them. It was 8am on a Friday morning and I got a txt from a friend asking if I had heard the song Pumped Up Kicks by Foster The People, I hadn't but it was 8am and I was planning on getting up at 9. either way I listen but really heard nothing cause I was annoyed about being woken up and essentially boycotted the band on the basis of this...until now.

When I listen to this I feel like its a safe simple sound the band is producing, it reminds me of MGMT but less experimental they aren't trying to push any boundaries with this. On one side that frustrates me that they seem to be a watered down version of them and at times Passion Pit (remember them?). On the other the simplicity of it all works as they are only trying to make a simple and fun indie pop album which they have succeeded in doing.

The album begins with Helena Beat, a nice fun track to start it off and its one of favourites on this album, the beats nice and helps with the simple dance track its built up to be. After this is Pumped Up Kicks a song I was once recommended, I've heard it a few times and I don't know why but I just don't dig it at all. The start reminds me of Gorillaz and the overall track to me is far too much of MGMT for my liking.


Another track I enjoyed was Call It What You Want which I believe is all over the radio now? anyway I do like it's just a little bit weird and isn't quite as safe as Pumped Up Kicks. The biggest mistake you can make with this album is assuming the album revolves around the sound of Pumped Up Kicks I did this to a degree but thankfully for me anyway the album really doesn't sound like it at all. The slower tracks such as I Would Do Anything For You, Miss You and Warrant are still solid in that the songs don't at all change from the overall idea the band is trying to portray.The stand outs for me are Helena Beat, Call It What You Want and Life On The Nickel, the fact they look to be a little different from some of the more safe MGMT/Passion Pit like songs does make it easier.

The album was nice, not too long either but its hard for me to get past the feeling that I've already heard this band before I had even got through half the album. Its safe indie pop with nice synth and definitely some influence from bands who have done something similar over the last few years and that is really the only problem for what is a fairly fun album.

Overall Rating: 7.5/10

Late Album Review: Smith Westerns - Dye It Blonde

This is one of a few albums from this year that has fallen through the cracks and I never got round to listening to which is weird cause it wasn't like I didn't hear it was released. Anyway I only just got round to listening to this a day or so ago so its pretty fresh in my mind, I also don't remember reading anything about the album so I don't have any expectations on what its going to be like.

Dye It Blonde is the second album from Indie rock act Smith Westerns, their debut self titled release was a pretty solid album so I was curious to see if there was any jump in quality. The first song on the album Weekend starts with some nice fuzzy riffs and a nice upbeat tempo, once the sweet vocals of Cullen Omori come in the song is really sounding nice. The second song titled Still New is much softer, with a louder riff popping up and having its moments, without the riff the song is a little plain and boring. Back comes the fuzzy guitar sounds and the song is another cracker, the piano adds a nice touch to the overall sound.



All Die Young isw one of my favourite tracks on the album the simple indie rock piece is built around the beautiful soaring vocals throughout the track. What I love about this album the most is just it sounds like a fun album, the sounds are loud and beautiful and the band seem to really be digging what they are producing. While being fairly simple songs they change things up to avoid it all becoming samey with the fuzzy guitar riffs not being overused and the change of tempo throughout the album.

My favourite song on the album is track seven Only One the guitar sounds really nice on this track, the vocals and lyrics connect really well and the emotion Omori produces is spot on to make this really sweet. The album at 35 minutes keeps the group of 3-4 minute indie rock songs at a nice limit and they never really out stay their welcome.

Overall Rating: 8/10

The Beginning of Summer and Chali 2na

Now that summer is here so is the time to bring out those albums that just scream summer album, stuff like Crazy For You by Best Coast last year. Yesterday was a perfect start to the summer and with it I spent the morning listening to fun summer albums. It started with Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

During this I even went into Rough Peel music to check out the David Dallas pop up store, now regular readers of this know I'm a fan of his music and of how hes going about it. Releasing the album for free was a smart move and this pop up store move has been smart also, its been very popular in Auckland and for one day in Wellington it worked with him being in store all day selling his merchandise.

Next album was Surfer Blood Astrocoast, it had been some time since I had last listened to it, but the first three tracks of the album (particularly Swim) really gets you into the mood for the rest of the album. Following this I listened to a couple of albums I really enjoyed from this year Toro Y Moi Underneath The Pine and Washed Outs Within and Without. Both pretty nice albums Washed Outs chill sound made it nice to enjoy in the sun.

Chali 2na

So I'm not really a fan of Chali not cause I think his music sucks but because I've never bothered to listen to it. I do dig some Jurassic 5 stuff but not nearly a big enough fan to even consider paying money to see this and the only reason I was there was the free ticket I won. Chali came out with a three piece band which was nice performing stuff off his solo albums and the crowd was definitely into it.

He did a lot of talking throughout the show first asking "who likes good music?" then "who likes hip hop?" and finally "who likes the music on the radio?" The first two questions got positive responses while the third fell to silence and lead Chali to proclaim tonight he would be his own radio station playing all the music you wanna hear. It was a nice touch but really it was annoying that he drove it down our throat the whole night about "his" radio station cause really we know it isn't an actually one.

We got some nice Jurassic 5 songs that the crowd really got into and enjoyed and Chali without a doubt looked humbled by the response he was getting at times from the crowd because they were into it from the start till well near the end. This was because he chose to give the backing band a chance to shine with solo's and it was painful to say the least. It wasn't like we didn't want to hear it but the length of the solos were so long and painful the bassist playing a bit of Come Together from The Beatles was nice and then the drummer showed himself off and I really wanted to leave. However once the keyboardist who was easily the most talented of the bunch (very nice Jackson 5 song sung by himself) started his solo it was time to leave as at about 2 hours the gig was essentially over anyway.

I enjoyed it to an extent, it was nice to see a hip hop artist play for longer than an hour but at times there was so much filler that it would've been nice to see an hour of him perform without the unnecessary stuff. It was a shame walking out knowing it was still going on and seeing the balcony was full of people, unless they got in for free also I would kind of feel disappointed by it all.

The Return! 11 months of 2011

Now I've obviously been very slack over the last month so much so that I've put off returning with reviews almost every week for some stupid reason. But with the beginning of the last month of 2011 (its been a good year for music) I've decided to bring this back from the dead and try get through some of the great albums I never reviewed over the last month and even the real shit ones too. I'll also try to get through some albums that I completely forgot to check out from earlier in the year cause theres always a few that fall through the cracks.

While this is said theres still some exciting gigs to come for me this year with Explosions in the Sky being at the top of that list. Another I am interested in checking is tonight where I'll be checking out Jurassic 5 MC Chali 2na (thanks for the free ticket).

With the year coming to a close so will my list of  best albums of 2011, best songs of 2011 and worst albums of 2011. I'm hoping to be able to compile all the great moments I've had from music in 2011 and even the less than interesting ones.

So it's back and as good as a collaboration between Metallica and Lou Reed.

Album Review: Magazine - No Thyself

No Thyself is the first album in 30 years by punk/alternative rock band Magazine and the sixth in the discography. The band has obviously changed in terms of personnel since their last album, singer Howard Devoto is there, so are drummer John Doyle and keyboardist Dave Formula. Replacements on guitar and bass are Noko and Jon White.

The task for this album was always going to be whether they could still pull off the Magazine sound and whether people would still give a shit about them. Thankfully for a fan of Magazine (myself) the answer is a definite yes thanks mainly to Devoto. I've always felt Howard Devoto sounded a little like Dracula and the first track on this album titled Do The Meaning solidified this for me further. The darkish atmosphere of the song adds to it while the keys coming in make it down right dark. The album starts off strongly with the track Do The Meaning immediately the riffs produced by new guitarist Noko has at least shown a capable replacement for John McGeoch (the tr00 guitarist).

The band still has the retro feel in it, the organ/keyboard sounds bring it out as well as the sonic the hedgehog sounding backing. (you know the music as you play the game) this is definitely apparent on the track Other Thematic Material which has Howard Devoto's vocals in its evil tones to really continue the dark Dracula like scene he is building. A song to dead singers in Hello Mr Curtis (with apologies) referencing the late Joy Division singer and also Mr Cobain.

The album slows with the track Physics the keys and guitar keep it dark and simple, while the vocals are heartfelt and remind me a little bit of Jason Segel in Forgetting Sarah Marshall (the bit with the puppets at the end). If anything the album continues to show a strong return to the music scene for a band that had made some pretty good music a long time ago.

There really wasn't any bad moments on this album, its just a pretty good album from these guys. Howard Devoto vocally is spot on and hasn't missed a beat since their last album all those years ago. This one certainly fits into the discography very easily and the alt rock sounds at times make it really nice.

Overall Rating: 8/10

Album Review: Megadeth - Th1rt3en

Th1rt3en is unsurprisingly album thirteen by legendary thrash metal band Megadeth and guess what everyone MEGADAVE...IS BACK!!!. One thing you realise quickly is how stupid the title is, its like those kids on Bebo writing about themselves while having a high angle shot as their display pic. Since the last album Endgame was released which I quite enjoyed, the band has played in New Zealand twice (saw them the first time) and we have seen the return of long time bassist Dave Ellefson.

If you were merely looking for more solid Megadeth to listen to then this is great, its nothing really outside of what hes done for his whole career. The riffs haves always been pretty good by Mustaine, when I saw him live he basically put on a guitar clinic on stage so much ability. Its hard to even describe the songs on this album, you can just take the formula he used on Endgame (and others) and hes done essentially that again. I must admit while early on I wasn't feeling it the further I went on thew album the more I enjoyed it, Never Dead and Fast Lane were fairly solid tracks for this album.

Some may think its just boring that hes never tried to do something different, he hasn't had to as hes been able to turn this into Megadeth's signature sound. We get the usual snarling Mustaine vocals the crushing drums to accompany the classic thrash metal sounding guitar riffs. Dave Mustaine and Chris Broderick unsurprisingly excel on this album, they are the focal point of the band throughout and the riffs on this are at the very least a strong point on this album.

Its tough to single out any particular song on this album as a standout for me as I kind of feel this has all been done before, as if the band were going through the motions. Its not that it isn't creative but there's very little room for this band to move in sound when you've made 12 albums before it developing it to sound just like this. Sure the riffs are great and almost every point in the album, but I feel like I've heard them over and over again.

As I said earlier its a Megadeth album so you can only expect so much, if you've only just gotten into this band then you will probably dig this. If you have been listening to these guys for a while this is nothing new, worth checking out but don't expect another classic album and if anything a step down from the last release Endgame.

Overall Rating: 5/10

Sorbos World Cup Blog, Thank Fuck Its Over

 Pretty good final eh? not what everyone had expected (well as my bet proves I did) but it was a close as fuck final. But why should we be surprised it wasn't a blow out? its not that often in a final of any sport one team wins by a large margin. With this in mind I put $10 on New Zealand by 1-10 points at $5.50, thank you TAB.

Stephen Donald
All the sudden dick sucking from his haterz is getting annoying, made a crucial kick and defended well throughout. He didn't have to do that much and as I said when he was announced in the squad he had lead us to victory against Australia in a Bledisloe game he could do it here.

Piri Weepu
Poor game kicking at goals, went down in the warmups with an injury but still played pretty well in the rest of his game.

Thierry Dusautoir
Massive game from their skipper, scored the try and made many big tackles and strong runs. Deserved MOM and player of the year not just off that performance either.

Match Analysis
The French didn't "dominate" us in the second half cause we didn't let them, they for sure had the most possession. But the only real reason for the try was Nonu not picking up the ball from behind the ruck when it was clearly out, France kicked it out caught our defence out of position, try.

The New Zealand forwards didn't dominate like they did against Australia and thus weren't able to have many try scoring opportunities themselves. The French tight five in particular had a massive match, really strong lineup performance and at times looked really good in the scrum.

Smart kicking game and strong defence is what won it from New Zealand, we kept playing smart avoiding any stupid errors in our own half.

Album Review: Mutemath - Odd Soul

Man, remember when Mutemath released their self titled album? yeah that was a cool album, so much energy and just a great rock album. Remember Armistice the second album? yeah we all know that blew but with the release of their third album Odd Soul Mutemath has the chance to get back to what might have been a strong career. I had actually completely forgotten about this band, but after hearing they had a new album out I was very keen to hear what they had made.

This album disappoints me almost instantly, this shit sounds like some faux Black Keys and I ain't a big Black Keys fan. The magic that was on the self titled debut release is non existent at this point and instead we are getting a weak blues alt rock album with little substance at all. The most obvious in this is the album opener Odd Soul which just starts the album off on a massive wtf and this faux blues rock goes on till track five. All or Nothing is when the band bring in a slower track, its more electronic influenced, with more incorporation of keys for the most part it reminds me of Coldplay in a bad way and only the instrumental interlude towards the end of the track is of anything positive.

Its like the fire that was lit under the band during the first album is so far from gone now its like they're trying to find a new sound. Its borderline Maroon Five, commercial bullshit now that's cool if they want to be that but the songs aren't exactly catchy and these guys won't end up all over TV and radio. Then there's the much more prog/jazz inspired track Cavalries which only adds to the confusion when I hear this. Once Cavalries is done I've had enough of this album, it is obvious by this stage I have no interest in what they are choosing to do but I must soldier on and get through this album just in case of a moment of hope.

I almost feel One More is a solid moment as its a reasonably groovy track, quite nice at most points but this isn't anything special. Equals is more soft rock, pretty simple and bland rock song, with the track continuing an ultimately boring album.

It's obvious I dislike this album a lot, if you never heard the self titled release then this might not be as bad. But its a pretty boring album that has nothing resembling a good track on it, maybe the odd riff that's solid but no way is there a full song I think works.

Overall Rating: 1.5/10

Sorbos World Cup Blog, Pundits Don't Actually Think France Will Win

So the final is nearly here and the excitement for many is building, I'm still at the point where I'm not even excited, I will be when it kicks off but until then I have far too much slave labour to go through.

Australia vs Wales
Yeah this has been done after the match but really does anyone care? I know the teams don't so I won't either.

France
Jean-Baptiste Poux, William Servat, Nicolas Mas, Pascal Pape, Lionel Nallet, Thierry Dusautoir (c), Julien Bonnaire, Imanol Harinordoquy, Dimitri Yachvili, Morgan Parra, Alexis Palisson, Maxime Mermoz, Aurelien Rougerie, Vincent Clerc, Maxime Medard.

Unchanged from the side that limped to a one point win against Wales, they'll certainly need to play better then that to even have it close on Sunday night. Dusautoir is again going to have to keep this team together throughout while the backs will have top produce something magic to break through  the strong All Blacks back line. If the French forwards can stand up to the inevitable onslaught by their counterparts then they'll have a shot, if not and it'll be like last Sunday all over again.

Key man for France is Vincent Clerc he is the man that can score tries and he'll have to do it come Sunday.

New Zealand
Israel Dagg, Cory Jane, Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu, Richard Kahui, Aaron Cruden, Piri Weepu, Kieran Read, Richie McCaw (capt), Jerome Kaino, Sam Whitelock, Brad Thorn, Owen Franks, Keven Mealamu, Tony Woodcock. Reserves: Andrew Hore, Ben Franks, Ali Williams, Adam Thomson, Andy Ellis, Stephen Donald, Sonny Bill Williams

They are and rightfully so are heavy favourites for this match because on paper they are easily the better side. Form while this team is playing so well and the focus shown against Australia shows this team will be ready to go Sunday night. Again the forwards will look to build a strong platform so that the backs can try penetrate the French defensive line. Weepu hopefully can have a better kicking day and Cruden keeping composed should help us to victory but again they will do it with a big performance up front.

Key man for New Zealand is Keven Meleamu, if he can get over the advantage line with those runs off the ruck then we should get quick ball for the backs to exploit.

The All Blacks
will win the world cup

Album Review: Florence and The Machine - Ceremonials

Ceremonials is the second album from British singer/songwriter Florence and The Machine. I really dug her debut album Lungs, I found her voice incredible and the music behind it equally as great. I also got the chance to see her live, such a great gig and a moment where she shone as a seriously talented artist. This album was certainly going to show how great she is, one I hoped would be a success.

There is very little that shall be said about the vocals, they are incredible and just so strong that you gravitate towards it instantly. When you hear it on record you realise its strong, but once you hear it live do you truly realise its beauty and strength. The vocals are almost overwhelming as you can't prepare yourself the experience. This album is jam packed full of "epics" the songs are massive in sound, the songs at times are over the top and I kind of feel overwhelmed at many points.

Only If For The Night is the album opener and it brings the HEAT from track one, slow in its beginnings it eventually hits mammoth proportions in sound. Unlike Lungs this album is more piano, string section, drums and not so much guitar which is a slight shame cause songs like Kiss With A Fist had a simple riff that picked the tempo of that song up perfectly. The songs on this are long with only one track under 4 minutes, this really does allow tracks to build up to epic moments nicely.

Lungs at times seemed like it was a bunch of tracks from different influences and while that album stilled flowed reasonably well, this one has a closer resemblance song to song which made things easier when listening. One of my favourite tracks on this album is What The Water Gave Me, the subtle bass and guitar throughout the track is nice the slow builds to the chorus which unleashes the sound is what makes this song and many others on this album.

Another of the songs I really enjoyed was that of No Light No Light the keys so soft to begin the song as Florence starts singing, the harp having its moment before this song explodes out. I really did enjoy a more pronounced harp in this song as opposed to a much more buried sound in other tracks. Seven Devils gives off a little bit of darkm, doom and gloom piece throughout its atmosphere is far sadder to those songs before it. The album doesn't lack variety Spectrum is a much more upbeat, fun track showing Florence has variation and ability to not just be a singer of slow building epics that feature heavily on this album.

This album is fantastic, I really do enjoy it, No Light NO Light and What The Water Gave Me are two of my favourites on this. The album at times overwhelmed me for good and bad, sometimes I wished she was a little more understated after all we all know she has an amazing voice. The music behind her like Lungs is immense and while not that similar to Lungs I have found it interesting a the perfect foil for her voice throughout.

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

Album Review: Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto

Mylo Xyloto is album number five by U2 impersonators and soft rock extraordinaries Coldplay. I've always thought the band peaked with the song Clocks, its one of the very few songs by the band that's worth listening to more than once. The last album Viva La Vida was decent but nothing to get excited by and with the band looking more into a new direction due to the influence of old school American Graffiti.

To gauge how good this album was I brought in the biggest fan of Coldplay I know, the man known as Buffplay.

Buffplay is of course the Chris Martin lookalike on the left, thus why he has this nickname so it only made sense to have him round while listening.

Now to the album, its scarily the worst album they've ever made, there is nothing that stands out to me as a quality or memorable track. The album opener and album title track is nice in its summery sound but overall is dull as fuck and while Buffplay was starting to get excited by the prospect of 44 minutes of this I was trying to find a way out of this. The first track working as an interlude to the first song is  kind of meh as it would've just as easily been tacked on to the second song to make one.

I found incredibly cheesy moments in this album, the hip hop inspired slow jam song Up In Flames. I guess they're trying to be soft and meaningful instead its just putting me to sleep. The acoustic tracks Major Minus and U.F.O. leave me feeling further tired, they aren't anything special. A weird appearance from Rihanna on the track Princess Of China made this pop track just a little more wtf by the appearance.

This album isn't good, the worse by this band in fact, seriously bring back the piano pieces.

Overall Rating: 1.5/10

Sorbo Wednesday Sports: Oh Was That World Cup On?

Another Wednesdxay and another post purely on sport, not just rugby either cause you know there are other games going on.

Wellington Phoenix
Undefeated (yeah its only two games) this season, solid 2 nil win over Newcastle

A League
3 from 5 this week, solid with the picks, Adelaide definitely showed up after last weeks display and Central Coast are struggaling, def need Amini in the hole.

The All Blacks
Are going to win the World Cup

Minnesota Vikings
I considered watching the Bears game but instead changed my mind, great decision that looks like we were raped.

Christian Ponder
Looks to be getting the start this week, finally

New Zealand League team
lolz

Fantasy Football
lost to an undefeated side, he played one short but I took a risk and brought in Felix Jones who stunk and had 3 players on the bye which cost me.


New Zealand League team
Was anyone actually surprised by this result? they always blow in one off matches that mean very little. If anything I'm just dissappointed they couldn't keep it close like between 7-12 points like I bet on.

Luis Suarez
Racist? true colours coming out perhaps...

Carson Palmer
Now a rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrraider (Berman impression) gave away too much for him, but they are a lot stronger now still a good pick up.

World Cup side from teams that made atleast the quarter finals
3NZ, 3Aus, 2Fra, 2RSA, 2Wales, 1Eng, 1Irl, 1Arg players allowed from each of these nations and this was my side.

15. Beale (Aus)
14. Jane (NZ)
13. Smith (NZ)
12. Roberts (Wales)
11. Ioane (Aus)
10. Steyn (RSA)
9. Phillips (Wales)
8. Reid (NZ)
7. Pocock (Aus)
6. Dusautoir (FRA)
5. Albacete (ARG)
4. Deacon (ENG)
3. Du Plessis (RSA)
2. Best (IRL)
1. Jean Baptiste Poux (FRA)

No one in my side who was a bench warmer (Hooker Du Plessis) or injured after the round robin (Carter).

Faux John Madden
Still the best

Carson Palmer should fit in well with the Raiders as he's played his entire professional career in a black hole.

Even Ace Ventura couldn't save the Dolphins

In 2011.. The St. Louis Cardinals made the World Series before the St. Louis Rams could win a game.

Album Review: Jame Blake - Enough Thunder

Enough Thunder by James Blake is the second release by the English electronic musician following his self titled debut full length album earlier this year. I'm slowly starting to like that album after it being pretty meh after the first couple of listens, hey I even like Wilhelm Scream now. The full length saw James Blake move away from his heavily electronic focus to a sweeter balladry side and with the release of another EP it was interesting to see which direction he chose to take this time.

The album opens up with Once We All Agree, the keys start it before James' voice comes in, his voice is beautiful so he can really suit the ballad numbers. Its slow sombre but a nice slow start to this EP and almost instantly shows the direction this is going to take. We Might Feel Unsound has some similarities in the first track but this one is a little more experimental in its backing, lot more tronic influence fo sur.

The third track on this album includes the vocals of the currently very popular Justin Vernon (Bon Iver). The track titled Fall Creek Boys Choir, has some nice overlapping vocals to go with the simple keys and occasional drum beat. We even get a cover on this album in the form of a Joni Mitchell track A Case Of You  its pretty sweet and it certainly puts his own mark on the track. Not Long now keeps with what has happened before, I guess a little more tronic but not really something of note. The final track on this EP the album title track is a solid closer, soft vocals with the piano guiding the song from start to finish a nice way to end really.

This EP is pretty alright, I prefer his electronic roots so was hoping he would return to what he did on those Ep's. Unfortunately he hasn't and while this is good it definitely isn't a great album and something I will enjoy as much as past efforts.

Overall Rating: 7/10

Album Review: Feist - Metals

 
Metals is Leslie Feist's (known as Feist) fifth album and the first album in four years. The last time this indie pop/folk singer released an album was The Reminder an album I thought was pretty solid. Since this album has been released she has also been announced to be playing at Laneway Festival which I shall be attending. so I really wanted to check out what she has produced this time.

The album starts off with the track The Bad In Each Other, its slow with a strong drum beat leading the track as the vocals of Leslie Feist enter the track. They are unsurprisingly beautiful and as the other instruments enter the song, the sound is so much more full and interesting. Graveyard the second track on this starts off as pretty much a BAS track with again some strong vocals accompanying it. I really enjoyed how the song just over halfway through kind of died down before rising with the horns and again Feist's vocals soar out to end the song.

The beauty of this album is how well her voice mixes with the folk sounds behind it, the acoustic guitar, horns, the subtle drum beat, everything plays its part. The track How Come You Never Go There is weird for me, as I listen to it I feel like I've already heard this, just a little too samey for me. I track I really dug was A Commotion it was frantic at times, full of sound and a an upbeat track with life that isn't seen on this album up to this point. The Circle Married The Line has beauty in its string section all the way in the back of the mix but it adds enough to bring something different to those before it.

For the beauty in this album its almost just a nice folk album, the instruments that follow her voice make this a nice album to check out. The mix between both is stellar and contributes heavily to why I'm a fan of quite a few tracks on this album. If anything I felt at times the album was samey at one stage I thought I had already heard the song before it was even played which was awkward. However with that being said its still really cool.

Overall Rating: 8/10

Sorbos World Cup Blog, I'll Celebrate When We Lift The Cup

The Semi Finals are done, one with a fair amount of controversy and the other a total domination of the opposition. Now it is settled New Zealand vs France in the final, who would've thunk eh?

France v Wales

Alain Rolland
It wasn't a red card, reckless and dangerous but not intentional tackle, yellow at the most, end of

France
Well they certainly kept it close, even with the man advantage they looked very average throughout they'll definitely have to step up next weekend.

Alain Rolland
Such a shocking call to give Wales the penalty on halfway when the welsh player was so blatant in not letting go of the ball.

Wales
Its hard for me to feel sorry for them, sure they were unlucky in losing their captain so early on, forcing them to play with 14 for most of the match. But seriously stop dropping the ball.

Stephen Jones
Dropkick of the world cup

James Hook
Dude couldn't kick goals to save himself, terrible performance

Mike Phillips
The only player from Wales who looked dangerous, great try by the way!

France
They were so uninspiring that I really don't have a single player that shone from them, I guess they kicked at goal alright.

New Zealand v Australia

Piri Weepu
He wasn't lights out like last week, but when he came back on he was again cool as the other side of the pillow.

New Zealand Forward Pack
As I said they were the key to victory and they absolutely monstered the Australian pack for 80 minutes, there wasn't one poor performance they were my MOM.

Quade Cooper
I'm not a big fan of the constant jibes people are making post match, I had wished the crowd would boo him every time he got the ball though. Like at Phoenix games when Judas Shane Smeltz would return every touch he got booed.

Cory Jane
Catching high balls fo dayz

The Scrum
Australia were raped

Sonny Bill Williams
What an idiot, although it doesn't surprise me this isn't the first time hes done it in rugby.

Quade Cooper
He really does try too hard sometimes, he doesn't have to do something spectacular every time let the game flow pick your spots, he'll get there.

Aaron Cruden
Unsurprisingly composed as always, didn't try too much and had a strong kicking game. Played smart thats all he'll have to do again and also some strong defensive work.

David Pocock
If Australia had a chance he had to play big, its not that he had a bad day, he just wasn't allowed to (by the New Zealand forwards) to steal the ball.

The All Blacks
Don't start celebrating yet, we ain't won shit

Sorbos World Cup Blog, Is It Game Time Yet?

The world cup semi finals start tomorrow so...who ya got? the teams have been named and the angst over who is playing is over (well nearly).

Matt Todd
Guess you don't need those boots anymore, but you can go back to enjoying the holiday

Kurtley Beale
Bracketed to start at fullback for the game, if he doesn't Ashley-Cooper gets the start..You better be fit Beale.

Australian Lineup
Kurtley Beale/Adam Ashley-Cooper, James O'Connor, Ashley-Cooper/Anthony Faingaa, Pat McCabe, Digby Ioane, Quade Cooper, Will Genia, Radike Samo, David Pocock, Rocky Elsom, James Horwill (capt), Dan Vickerman, Ben Alexander, Stephen Moore, Sekope Kepu. Reserves: Tatafu Polota-Nau, James Slipper, Rob Simmons, Ben McCalman, Luke Burgess, Berrick Barnes, Faingaa/Rob Horne.

With all the players who are obviously important for Australia (Beale, Cooper, Genia, Pocock) my keys to Australia winning this test lay on 3 men. Ben Alexander, Stephen Moore and Sekope Kepu if they can stand up to the onslaught they'll receive from the All Blacks scrum they will go a long way to winning this game. If they can't the All Blacks will dominate.

New Zealand Lineup
Israel Dagg, Cory Jane, Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu, Richard Kahui, Aaron Cruden, Piri Weepu, Kieran Read, Richie McCaw (capt), Jerome Kaino, Sam Whitelock, Brad Thorn, Owen Franks, Keven Mealamu, Tony Woodcock. Reserves: Andrew Hore, Ben Franks, Ali Williams, Victor Vito, Andy Ellis, Stephen Donald, Sonny Bill Williams

I still have no doubt that the All Blacks will win this game, why would I? we're still easily the best side in this competition and if we continue to play smart we'll be fine. Apart from first five it's still our strongest back line, Cruden's kicking will have to be spot on, what doesn't worry me is his composure hes a calm player he'll be fine. Key to this game for the All Blacks is Keiran Reid, the man has been immense at 8 and will have to do a mountain of work with Pocock the form number 7 and McCaw having foot issues.

Wales vs France

No one really has any idea of who will win this one, Wales have to go in favourites but the unpredictable nature of France could mean the result easily going the other way.

Wales lineup
Leigh Halfpenny, George North, Jonathan Davies, Jamie Roberts, Shane Williams, James Hook, Mike Phillips, Toby Faletau, Sam Warburton (c), Dan Lydiate, Alun Wyn Jones, Luke Charteris, Adam Jones, Huw Bennett, Gethin Jenkins. Reserves: Lloyd Burns, Paul James, Bradley Davies, Ryan Jones, Lloyd Williams, Stephen Jones, Scott Williams.

Led by young Warburton who has been great this world cup Wales are one game away from the world cup, the rugby these guys have played has meant they deserve to be here. The front row is playing well and experienced players such as Shane Williams on the wing and Mike Phillips are guiding the back line. Key to them winning for me is James Hook, given the start, the man has so much talent he could turn the game at any moment.

France lineup
Maxime Medard, Vincent Clerc, Aurelien Rougerie, Maxime Mermoz, Alexis Palisson, Morgan Parra, Dimitri Yachvili, Imanol Harinordoquy, Julien Bonnaire, Thierry Dusautoir (capt), Lionel Nallet, Pascal Pape, Nicolas Mas, William Servat, Jean-Baptiste Poux. Reserves: Dimitri Szarzewski, Fabien Barcella, Julien Pierre, Louis Picamoles, Francois Trinh-Duc, David Marty, Cedric Heymans

The hardest team to gauge they could run away with this early or let Wales walk all over them for 80 minutes. One thing is for sure Thierry Dusatoir will have to lead from the front and make sure they are in this mentally for 80 minutes. Key man for me is Dimitri Yachvili while he has lost the kicking job he is still the man to guide this team round the park and if Parra misses his kicks early it wouldn't be surprising if Yachvili is back in the job.

Song Battle, Songs Of The Same Name...PT 3

This is the third installment of the song battle, its simple two songs with the same name battle it out for ownership of the song name.

Song name one: Jack The Ripper

Deja Voodoo

vs

The Horrors

Verdict: One song is hilarious and a complete piss take, the other sounds raw as fuck and partially crazy. I'm going with crazy Winner: The Horrors

Song battle two: Machine Gun

Portishead

vs

Noisia

Verdict:Arguably the best Portishead song ever made versus a strong opener to a pretty baller drum n bass album. Winner: Portishead

Song battle three: Movement

LCD Soundsystem

vs

Katy B

Verdict:When I saw LCD live they played movement and it was great one of my favourite tracks by them. The Katy B track is one of my least favourite on what is an album I quite enjoyed.
Winner: LCD Soundsystem

Song battle four: No Fun

The Stooges

vs

Vitalic

Verdict: It's the fuckin Stooges, although the Vitalic track is krieg and rave as fuck I can't deny the Stooges. Winner: Stooges

Sorbos World Cup Blog, No Matt Todd Sightings

So I've decided now that we up to the only part of the tournament that truly matters (sorry France, Argentina, England and Ireland) that I'm going to attempt a daily blog on whats going on and how I feel about them.

Matt Todd Sighting
So hes training "against" the All Blacks does that mean hes in or out?

Where The Backup 7 At?
I remember when talk of who should be picked for the All Blacks squad for this World Cup was going on I said no to Matt Todd. Why? because hes untried, I have no idea why we were giving Liam Messam chance 1089230487230485 when we all knew he was once again proving he isn't up to international level. The Tri Nations/Bledisloe Cup tests were the time to see if hes up to it and if he was he would atleast ease fans fears if Mccaw were to go down injured.

Adam Thomson
Would probably get a start if Mccaw was to go down, I don't like my number 7 spending more time on the wing then the wingers.

Kurtley Beale
If we don't put him under pressure early, whether it be up and unders or forcing him into pressure situations with this injury (hes going to play no doubt) then we're idiots.

Hook Starts
With Hook starting for the Welsh I'd imagine we'll see a far more attacking Wales side, this could be the real exciting match as Australia Vs NZ will probably be a hard fought close battle in the forwards/kicking gane.

The French
It's kind of like this, if the French show up to play then Wales will be behind very quickly, the problem is whether that actually happens.

Upcoming Gigs To End 2011 And Begin 2012

While we are closing in to the end of this year (and possibly world) theres still plenty of gigs to check out before then. Plus with main summer festival announcements out of the way we already have a bunch of great gigs for next year.

November the month of the nun

Flying Nun records is turning 30 and with that a bunch of great gigs have been announced and the bands I definitely am going to check out are.

Sat Nov 5: WELLINGTON, SFBH
featuring Popstrangers, Grayson Gilmour, T54, Surf Friends and Badd Energy.
Now I don't remember seeing any of these bands before (Gilmour as Siamese only) but the new breed of Flying Nun shall be interesting to check out.

The Clean w/The Subliminals
Fri 25 Nov – Wellington, SFBH
The Clean are probably my favourite New AZealand band of all time and seeing as I haven't yet seen them live I'm all over this gig, should be fun times.

While these two are probably my only definite gigs from the Nun shows I'm interested in checking out HDU w/ Glass Vaults (great band) Nov 11 and Ghost Club Nov 16.

Fucked Up play Wellington
Not really but I live in hope, someone make it happen.

Explosions In The Sky
SFBH December 15
This should be great, never seen them and been a fan for a while haven't heard the latest album but will get round to that at some stage.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra
SFBH December 16
I'm still kind of indifferent about the debut album by these guys, I mean its alright but I just don't know how much I like it. With that in mind I'm still interested in checking out the live show incase of a clash at BDO.

Deerhoof
Bodega Jan 8
I missed them last year, not this time

Fleet Foxes
Hunter Lounge Jan 13
Helplessness is one of my favourite albums of this year and I'm already a big fan of theres (Mykonos fo lyfe) so it makes sense to see them when its a 2 minute walk to the venue.

Beirut
SFBH Jan 14
Again two gigs in two days and mo folk, I really enjoyed The Rip Tide and am also a fan of Flying Club Cup and this shall be another great show after missing their last one hear.

Big Day Out
Auckland Jan 20
My thoughts here

Laneway Festival
Auckland Jan 30
My thoughts here

Sorbo Wednesday Sports: A Groin Injury Free Zone

Another Wednesday and another attempt by me to combine some wit with the goings on of the recent week of sports. Again its been a busy week that rugby world cup is still chugging along and the A League has just begun its season.

Piri Weepu
Cool as the other side of the pillow

The All Blacks
Are going to win the world cup

Wellington Phoenix
Solid start with the draw and so so close to opening the season with a win, now they need to kick on and beat the Jets this weekend at home.

Colin Slade
The man seriously is made of glass

Cory Jane
He went out drinking, isn't he supposed to score four tries in his next game?

Chris Greenacre
3 seasons with the Phoenix and has opened the scoring for us in each season, who says we need some fancy striker when we Greenacre my lord, Greenacre.

Piri Weepu Again
Now I'll freely admit I'm bias when it comes to Weepu (Wainui reprezent) but  are those people who have followed his career really that surprised? I mean the dude is mentally as strong as anyone out there, most would've quit in the same position he was put in when dropped before the last world cup. But he toiled away and deservedly is getting the plaudits from all of New Zealand after an almost perfect kicking performance on Sunday night.

Just put them on your back

Wellington Hurricanes
This years back line is starting to turn into the All Blacks back line

Aaron Cruden
Hey..uh.. we're short...wanna play first five?

Came on and showed himself to be better in attack for the All Blacks than Slade, but this weekend his kicking will have to be spot on. Thankfully hes surrounded with players he knows, a shitload of experience and the fact when you have a kicking halfback he has less pressure on him.

Minnesota Vikings
1-4 sounds pretty good right now, Adrian Peterson continues to show why hes still the best running back in the league. But still its time for Ponder

Hyundai A League
So I only got one result correct in my predictions, but its all good people I'll get them all right this week.
nix v jets - nix
Adelaide v melbin - melbin
ccm v no fans united - ccm
sidknee v roar - roar
heart v perf - perf

Fantasy Football
Another victory for me taking me to 3-2 on the season, going into Monday night football I had one player left to his none and was 19 points behind and got it.

Jahvid Best
fo lyfe

Stephen Donald
Now I understand people are angry hes in the All Blacks..no actually I have no idea why people are angry because who else do you pick? Brett? pass Delaney? pass Sopoaga? pass. Hes the best of whats left so stfu about the moaning and having a fourth string first five come in who has lead an All Blacks team to victory over Australia isn't the worst case I've ever seen.

World Cup prediction
All Blacks v Wales final

FauxJohnMadden
How could I forget the funniest man on twitter

FauxJohnMaddenNBA cancels first two weeks of regular season games. Not to be outdone, the Miami Dolphins plan to cancel the next 3 months.

FauxJohnMadden Aaron Rodgers makes being a professional quarterback look so easy. Not Kardashian sister "easy", but easy.

FauxJohnMadden Oklahoma leads Texas by so much, even Tony Romo couldn't blow this lead.