Posts Tagged ‘Jeff Vrabel’

Video Game Review: “Run J-Stache Run”

Full disclosure: I don’t know much about J-Stache, because I am 100% straight up Team Daryl Hall till I die, WHUT. Yes yes, I get the whole ironic revisionist John Oates thing and I understand that the jheri-rocking love machine put the “rock” in “Philly-bred rock n’ soul, assuming your definition of rock n’ soul is something enjoyed most by people who sell vehicles or electronics.” But let’s just be real about it, that butterscotch voice, that lion-worthy mane, those smoldering Private Eyes were 100% Original Vintage Weapons Grade Daryl, and you don’t see my man getting his own animated cartoon series, one featuring a cartoon hero with an intimidating codpiece or obligatory anime girl whose voluptuous proportions are such that in the real world it would be a constant struggle to keep herself remotely vertical.

But I am nothing if not a good solider, and when Giles, the fourth-grader-with-a-pituitary-problem who runs this weird Satriani-obsessed day camp, asked me to do a thing on the J-Stache iPhone game, I wasted no time before saying, “Jeff Giles, you listen to me: I don’t have an iPhone.” So I had to wait to get an iPhone, which I did, and then I jerked around with the iPhone for two weeks, and I played Scrabble, and I downloaded the lightsaber, and I found a constellation map for some reason, and then one day it hit me: Wasn’t I supposed to write something for that tinny-voiced nasal spray addict this month? So I looked into the piece, mostly because it let me play with my iPhone more, and not because of Giles, who smells like pepperoni and cries during cartoon movies.

Anyway, Run J-Stache Run is available for your portable computing iPhone machine at the approximate cost of “Kiss On My List,” which is to say, DEAL. Game play involves swiping your finger across your phone to make a mustache escape from a confined space, which was basically exactly what Q-Bert was about, but whatever. You may choose which make and model of mustache you most prefer. The mustache yells when it bumps into stuff, such as walls and coins and record players. If you’re thinking, “Jeff, this sounds basically exactly like Burger Time,” you’re totally right, but let’s not get hung up on intellectual property rights here, Litigious Jackson.

The point of J-Stache, as near as I can discern, is to cause the mustache to go CAREENING WILDLY THROUGH WALLS, which is basically exactly what Zaxxon was about, but whatever. Fewer swipes = higher points. Extra points are collected by picking up rainbow-colored blank cassette tapes, which fill me with tremendous nostalgia. “Your Imagination” is, tragically, never played.

Pleasingly, the whole thing revolves around the same sort of careening/English/bouncing-off-the-walls situation that has powered video games since the glory days of Combat, or Breakout, or Super Breakout, which means it’s a video game that I can play without being hopelessly pathetically instantly lost, which is what happened when I recently attempted a futile game of Halo 3. That shit went badly.

Run J-Stache Run is the single best mustache-themed codpiece-including video game I have ever played in my life, except maybe Super Tecmo Bowl, whose Neal Anderson sported a giant elephant codpiece for some reason. And it will do just fine until someone finally gets off their ass and launches Run Daryl Hall’s Luxuriant Mane Run. Patent pending.

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Whoops!: Run-DMC, “Crown Royal”

Let it first be proclaimed that talking the smack about Run-DMC pains me on a very deep and contemplative level; it feels much like punching my grandfather, or making fun of my son’s hair when he stumbles up in the morning (to be fair, though, he looks totally drunk, and it’s kind of hilarious).

But Raising Hell was the first real cassette I ever high-speed dubbed (though I made sure to awkwardly snip out the super-bad words), and my entry into not only hip-hop but the greater world in general, as at the time I was living in a one-stoplight whistle-stop called Upland, Ind., where it was generally accepted that the music world basically began and ended with Amy Grant. My devotion lasted through for years, too, through Tougher Than Leather, through Down with the King, and through the first seven seconds of Crown Royal, which immediately thereafter turned into a pretty shocking platter of comprehensive suck.

Crown Royal has more problems than South Carolina’s political structure, but the main one is that it is a Run-DMC record like I am Lou Rawls. Because of his highly unfortunate yet crippling vocal issues, and because of the record’s guest-stuffed blueprint, Jam Master Jay’s production is all but absent and DMC doesn’t appear on the record much more than I do. (Indeed, DMC’s vocal problems had exploded by this point, and it was no secret that he’d grown more and more disenchanted leading up to the record’s oft-delayed release.)

So, Run compensated. Sure, in 2001 everyone in the world was using the guest-list thing to launch their comebacks in the wake of the Santana Supernatural behemoth, but this thing sports a cast that looked bad in 2001 and damn near suicidal in 2010: Fred Durst, Everlast, Jagged Edge, Sugar Ray, the guy from Third Eye Jesus Wept Blind. But at least the Supernatural guest stars played to the style of their gracious host, where Crown Royal found Rev. Run scrambling to catch up by trying to cover all genres of The Billboard 200. (more…)

Popdose Contest: Win a Preservation Hall Prize Pack!

A few weeks ago, I wrote about how much I love the new Preservation Hall Jazz Band CD — and although I’m *cough* sure most of you ran right out and bought your own copies after reading my review, if for some reason you’re still Preservation-less, I have good news for you, courtesy of the good people at RED and ‘Stache Media. Yes, folks, it’s contest time!

Here’s what you stand to win: Not only are we giving away a copy of the new Preservation album, our lucky contest winner will also receive the latest releases from some of the many guest artists who make an appearance. Here’s the rest of the prize package:

Andrew Bird, Noble Beast

My Morning Jacket, Evil Urges

Jason Isbell, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

Cory Chisel and The Wandering Sons, Death Won’t Send a Letter

The Del McCoury Band, Family Circle

Buddy and Julie Miller, Written in Chalk

Steve Earle, Townes

How’s that for one hell of a prize? And here’s the best part: You don’t even have to leave the comfort of your computer to win. All you’ve gotta do is send an e-mail to our friend Jeff Vrabel containing at least one YouTube clip from a Burt Reynolds movie. Jeff lives in South Carolina, so it’ll be helpful if the subject line includes a “y’all” or two, but all you really need to do is include a link to a clip. Vrabel loves him some Burt Reynolds, y’all!

Good luck, everyone!

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The Popdose Podcast: Episode 4

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Don’t know what to get your friends and loved ones for the holidays this year? If they’re lovers of merriment, obnoxious humor and immature behavior, we can think of no better gift than The Popdose Podcast, Episode 4! Sure, it doesn’t cost anything to give as a gift, but that just leaves you more money to spend on yourself this season. Because let’s face it — you’re worth it.

In this episode, our illustrious hosts discuss — you guessed it — the holiday season, from gifts to music and everything in between. You’ll also find out exactly how Cabbage Patch Kids are born. We only wish we were making this up. Please leave us your thoughts in the comments, and if you like the show, please leave a review on iTunes. Enjoy!

The Popdose Podcast, Episode 4: Cabbage Section (1:01:45, 70.7 MB), featuring Jeff Giles, Jason Hare, and Dave Lifton.

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You can also subscribe to the podcast’s RSS feed.

Show Notes

0:00 Intro, leading into a varied holiday discussion. We start by discussing the Radio City Christmas Spectacular and Jason’s emotional attachment to the 3-D Santa Claus. We also discuss Jeff’s daughter and her newly-found Christmas spirit (much to Jeff’s dismay), Christmas in NYC, Yule a Go-Go, tonight’s Acoustic ’80s Christmas Show, Bruce Springsteen’s “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” and the In Harmony and In Harmony 2 albums, the Pogues’ “Fairytale of New York,” Jeff Vrabel’s hatred of “Wonderful Christmastime” and everything else except for Jimmy Buffett, Buffett’s Christmas album, Carly Simon’s Christmas album and the Pet Shop Boys’ Christmas album, Carly Simon’s new album and the unfortunate cover, unnecessary covers of “Happy Xmas (War Is Over),” heckling a Five For Fighting concert, Wing’s Christmas album and last year’s Mellowmas finale, and the end of a very, very long sentence. Finally, come join the Facebook group page for the Popdose Podcast!

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The Steel Horse Archives: Trixter, “Give It to Me Good”

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TITLE: “Give It To Me Good”
ALBUM: Trixter
RELEASE DATE: May 1990

Why You Remember Them: For one of two reasons: Trixter hails from Paramus, N.J., which makes them one of the most robust Against arguments in the debate about New Jersey’s overall contribution to the American music lexicon. But also, Trixter was famous in the early 1990s for their ridiculous song “Give It to Me Good,” as well as for their very successful line of rabbit-flavored cereal.

Listen, I’m Gonna Be Honest Here: I know metric amounts of jack poop about Trixter, other than they’re my go-to band when making fun of music Bradshaw used to listen to. But on their debut tour they opened for Stryper and Don Dokken. Separately.

Number Of Your Judgmental Hypocrites Who Bought This Record in 1990: Well, the damn thing went gold, and the band was presented with gold albums after a show at the Meadowlands, which was promptly sprayed down with disinfectant before Springsteen came by again. Also the video for “Give It to Me Good” stayed #1 on the Dial MTV top ten video countdown for five weeks straight. Eat that, Gaga. (more…)

The Steel Horse Archives: Firehouse, “Don’t Treat Me Bad”

51-U3xqyAGL._SCLZZZZZZZ_[1]FIREHOUSE
TITLE: “Don’t Treat Me Bad”
ALBUM: Firehouse
RELEASE DATE: Aug. 21, 1990

Why You Remember Them: For one of two reasons: Either for their two-ply, baby-soft semi-rocker “Don’t Treat Me Bad,” in which our protagonist testifies, at some length, about being treated bad (he’s against it), or the power-tool ballad “Love of a Lifetime,” which actually caused spontaneous intestinal combustion in listeners in California in 1990. Oh, of course you didn’t hear about that in your elitist anti-Firehouse mainstream media.

Number Of Your Judgmental Hypocrites Who Bought This Record in 1990:
2 million. I see you, Bradshaw.

Key Tracks: “Don’t Treat Me Bad,” “Love of a Lifetime,” “All She Wrote”

Means by Which Firehouse Served as Unintentional Metaphor for the Uncomfortably Visible Death of a Major Awards Telecast: Legendarily, at the 1992 American Music Awards, Firehouse won for best New Hard Rock/Metal Band over Alice in Chains and Saigon Kick. Wait, I mean Nirvana. Their acceptance speech, in short, went something like this: “Guys, we are so, so sorry.” (more…)

Popdose Contest: Win “The Essential ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic”

51EUrr0U6XL._SCLZZZZZZZ_[1]True fact: Right now, this very minute, in autumn 2009, three decades after he ducked into a college radio-station bathroom to record “My Bologna,” “Weird Al” Yankovic is absolutely more popular than he ever has been in his life, and we can prove it, with math:

2006’s Straight Outta Lynwood, Yankovic’s 12th album, debuted at #10 on the Top 200, making it his first Top 10 album ever. Its first single, the wondrous “White and Nerdy,” reached #9 on the Billboard Hot Singles chart, making it both Yankovic’s first Top 10 single and his highest-charting single ever (besting the personal best set by “Eat It,” which reached #12 on the singles chart back in 1984). The video for “Nerdy” was in iTunes’ top 10 for like a year. More weirdness: “Nerdy” performed a second-week jump on the singles chart from #28-#9, making Yankovic one of a very few artists to have only one top 40 single in three successive decades.

Part of this is due to the Interweb machine, which Yankovic has been using masterfully of late, part of it is nostalgia for us dorkwad 30somethings who grew up with this stuff and are gleefully fascinated to see that it’s still funny, and part of it is the UNBRIDLED BARELY CONTAINABLE GENIUS, which is collected this week in a new greatest-hits comp, The Essential ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic, featuring two discs of material picked by the man himself and liner notes from music snob Stephen Thompson. But you don’t care about that. All you want to know is HOW you can get your sticky, slightly orange hands on one of these things without paying for it. This is where Popdose becomes your angel. (more…)

The Steel Horse Archives: Stryper, “Honestly” (1986)

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Title: “Honestly”
Album: To Hell With The Devil
Release Date: Oct. 24, 1986

Why You Remember Them: Because at one point you stood with your fist in the air and shouted “To Hell With the Devil” like a hot banshee on fire. Didn’t you?

Alarming Sales Figures: 2 million moved for To Hell. The damn thing spent three months on Billboard’s album charts. Even the, ahem, poppier follow-up In God We Trust moved half a million, although that was mostly from older fans who mistook it for currency.

Recent News: Well, that’s the thing; evidently these fellas are on a 25th anniversary tour, according to this Press Release I have just received, which is accompanied by a very thoughtful-looking blood-red tinted photo of four guys looking downward in a pose of either deep prayer or a nap. One of them is wearing Archie’s ascot, or maybe five candy-cane ties. Whatever. All I know is, Jesus would hate this tie. (more…)

The Steel Horse Archives: Slaughter, “Fly to the Angels” (1990)

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Title: “Fly To The Angels”
Album: Stick It to Ya
Release Date: January 27, 1990

Why You Remember Them: Credit Slaughter with arriving (late) to the hair-metal party without any even vague designs on rocking it. Slaughter’s tapes, available at Kmart and Venture stores nationwide, were solely prom-theme delivery machines; their attempts at lip-licking lasciviousness, mostly in titles like “Stick It To Ya” and “Up All Night,” were about as dangerous as a Tuesday night episode of Jay-Walking. “Fly to The Angels,” the video for which was made for $49.50, most of which was spent on airplane stock footage and an oscillating fan, is 50 minutes of viscous cheese puncutated by seagull sound effects, in case you were unclear about that whole flying thing. (Sorry – I’m told it’s actually only 4:30. How about that!)

Sales Figures: Stick Moved over 2 million copies, and was nominated for an American Music Award for best metal album in 1991. Yeah, I said it. AMERICAN MUSIC AWARD. Suck on that, haters. (more…)

The Steel Horse Archives: “Jackyl” (1992)

61wShbNdWZL._SCLZZZZZZZ_[1]JACKYL
Title: “The Lumberjack Song”
Album: Jackyl
Release Date: 1992

Why You Remember Them: You cannot imagine how often, in the research of this column, one comes across the phrase “lumped into the hair metal category,” as though being a cornball Southern-rock outfit with a wacky-eyed lead singer and a schlong obsession is better. Jackyl formed in 1990 as a hair meta … ahem, Southern-rock boogie band, but if you’ve read this far you’re probably going, “The jags with the chainsaw, right?” Right.

Total Sales: Jackyl moved 1.35 million units in 1992, making me sad for 1992.

Key Tracks: “Down on Me,” “The Lumberjack Song,” “I Stand Alone”

OK, But I’m Pretty Sure Those Are Dogs on the Cover of This Album: Right, you tell the chainsaw-wielding redneck he’s got his canids misidentified.

GET THE EFF OUT OF HERE, BRENDAN O’BRIEN?: Before resorting to producing hillbilly crap by “Bruce Springsteen” and “Pearl Jam,” O’Brien ran with the big dogs. I am desperately hoping these are people who still keep in touch.

Jesse: “Brendan, it’s Jesse, listen, I have a great idea for a new track that…”
Brendan: “(interrupting) Does it have a chainsaw?”
Jesse: “Yes.”
Brendan: “Christ.” (click)

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