We wholeheartedly concur...

...with Matt Berninger of the National. We don't normally like to steal too much material from other bloggers, but Six Eyes is one of my favorites, and he's got a good interview with Berninger up now. I was reading it and stumbled across something that made me smile:

Six Eyes: Any fascinating books, movies, TV shows,
websites, records, etc., that you could point our readers in the direction
of?
Matt Berninger: I still think BBC’s The Office is
one of the greatest works of art of the century.

TRS Takes a Road Trip

As I Guess I'm Floating so ably pointed out earlier this week, one rite of Spring for many native Kentuckians is spending your Saturdays betting on horses and swilling bourbon at Keeneland.

It's an event/tradition I didn't appreciate enough while I was out there, but there's no sense in gushing over the thick green grass, ivy-covered walls, and incredible racing. I've never met anyone who didn't have a good time there, and it just so happens the entire Rockist Society attended last year's Bluegrass Stakes. And this year -- look out, here we come again, and we're bringing our friends. Ok, alright, ok, alright...

But more than just racing and bourbon, it's a chance to hit the open road, see some beautiful country, and give a little more attention to some music we've had on pile for a while. For instance, Sloan's Never Hear the End of It is slated for play, as are a number of others.

We've also got two iPods full of Rob and G.L.'s stuff (this classicist still deals in compact discs), which should make for an interesting ride, given that we all have virtually the exact same taste in music. Here are a few tunes that seem custom-made for the our road trip. Let us know if you all have anything to add.

Grand Funk Railroad - "I'm Your Captain / Closer to Home"

Arcade Fire - "Keep The Car Running"

(particularly apt as the Buick Le Sabre we will be driving died two days ago)

Lifter Puller - "Let's Get Incredible"

Windsor for the Derby - "Melody of the Fallen Tree"

The Flying Burrito Brothers - "Wild Horses"

*oh, and we'll be out of the office half of Thursday and all of Friday. See you all next week.

The Hold Steady: America's Pastime

Try and find a more American band than the Hold Steady. Go on, just try. I'll wait. Yeah, that's right, you can't - wanna know why? Cuz one doesn't exist. Their barroom-rock is an equal mix of Thin Lizzy style riffs, Springstensian themes and delivery, and a whole lot of 'Mats atitude. Not enough? They drink Budweiser and Beam like it's their job. And 4/5 of their members are from the Midwest. More American than apple pie.

So, it's fitting that they've recorded a very special version of "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" for the Minnesota Twins. If you've heard Craig Finn and Co. before, then you'll pretty much know exactly how it sounds, but it's still kinda fun.

Video: The Hold Steady "Take Me Out To The Ballgame"

*photo courtesy of MTV News