Finest Worksong

If the first three weeks of 2007 are any indication of how the rest of the year will be, then it’s going to be a hell of a great year. So far I’ve managed to accumulate a mix CD, a cassette tape featuring a band called The Hoyts, and a case of Yeungling Black and Tan....all courtesy of my friends in Blogosphere. Keep reading and I'll explain how all of this came about.


- I’d mentioned elsewhere that I had never listened to the Counting Crows. A buddy thought I was doing myself a major disservice so he made a mix of some of their songs and mailed it to me. So when I was...okay, when Mrs. Lantern started to put up shelves in the basement a few weekends back I listened to the CD. First off, I didn’t dislike it. The songs are way too good and the band delivers them way too competently for me to say I didn’t like it. The songs are really mellow, which is how I remember a few folks from back in the day describing them, which is why I made the initial decision to avoid listening to them.
But hell, I’m pretty mellow myself these days, and I think I just need to hear it a few more times to really form an opinion one way or another. Since we’ll be working on the kitchen floor for at least a few more weeks, I’ll have plenty of time to play this CD and decide if I like the Counting Crows or not. Oh, what the hell, I liked it alright...there I said it!



- What do the following bands have in common; The White Stripes, Flat Duo Jets, Black Keys, and...The Hoyts? If you said bands consisting of two members that I’m a huge fan of then you’re right. Or if you said bands that rock harder than most other bands with four or five members then you’re right about that too. I was nosing around in one of my favorite Bloggers archives a while back and discovered he had been in a band a few years ago. I proceeded to hound him for a recording of said band and a few weeks ago he mailed me a copy of their self-titled album The Hoyts.
I threw The Hoyts into my truck stereo and to be honest I wasn’t sure what to expect. The first song came on and the guitar sounded great and the vocals, organic and very distinctive, complimented the stripped down approach of the two band members. The lyrics were original, heartfelt and funny. I liked it...alot. Each song alternately reminded me of The Violent Femmes or The Dead Milkmen, bands who were original, clever, and had the knack for writing great rock-n-roll songs. I’ve only listened to The Hoyts two or three times, but it’s heavy rotation-worthy for sure. Even Mrs. Lantern loved it, and she hates pretty much everything I listen to.



- Tired of my incessant whining about the lack of Yeungling within the borders of our fair state, a local Blogger (who runs a Blog about corn dogs or something) decided to do something about it. As you can see, he was far more generous than I could have ever expected and because of this, I vow not to mention the lack of Yeungling in West Virginia on this Blog ever again…..that is until I run out of Black and Tans. Then it’s back to my usual ranting and complaining.

Cheers fellas!