Matt's Mayhem

America! Fuck Yeah!

2006-07-23T19:12:00.000-05:00

Tiger Woods wins the British Open and Floyd Landis wins the Tour de France on the same day. Beautiful.

What?!?

2006-05-01T18:25:00.001-05:00

Ok, I know it's been a while since I updated this thing. I'll try to do better.

What?!?

2006-05-01T18:25:00.000-05:00

Ok, I know it's been a while since I updated this thing. I'll try to do better.

Longhorns Destroy Red Raiders

2005-10-24T23:53:00.000-05:00

Well, the Longhorns got over the last hurdle of the middle part of their season. The next few weeks should be an easier stretch of games. This team needs to just take one game at a time, like the cliche says, and they will find themselves in the Rose Bowl again.

At left, we have the boys from ESPN's Gameday making, in the words of the fake Harry Carey, a wise choice my friend!

Hook 'Em Horns!

2005-10-09T18:45:00.000-05:00

OU Fan

2005-10-02T19:04:00.000-05:00

Austin City Limits Music Festival 2005: Saturday

2005-09-29T19:43:00.000-05:00

This is a band-by-band review of this year's ACL Music Festival (http://www.aclfest.com/), which took place Sept. 23-25 at Zilker Park in Austin, Texas. I saw all or part of this with Will Mitchell, Jeff Sears, Craig Nelson, Ryan Hayden and many others. Because we could not get to Austin until Friday night, we missed all of Friday's shows. We did, however, get to see Blues Traveler's John Popper sit in with a funk/soul band at Ceder Street Bar on 4th street that night. First, Saturday's shows:

-South Austin Jug Band

We saw this local band play one song on the Singers and Songwriters Stage as soon as we walked through the gate, mainly because their bass player, Will Dupey, went to good ‘ol HP. Very country-folk. Whatever.

-Corey Morrow

I saw the last few songs of this Texas country staple’s set at the large SBC stage. Not bad, not great. Again, it is what it is and I’m not going to rag on it because he’s good at what he does. Plus, we crashed at his house one night during last year’s ACL Fest when he wasn’t even home. We drank his booze, checked out his Ducatti motorcycles and I even slept in his bed. I'd prefer to see him at a smaller venue.

-Buddy Guy

This guy is a pimp and was probably the surprise hit of my weekend. He and his blues/funk band shredded through standards, getting the entire crowd at the SBC stage into their music, even though I would wager most of the audience had not heard them before. Guy loves his music and his guitar and it showed. At one point, he took his guitar and his wireless setup down the gated walkway to the soundstage to be closer the adoring fans. Pretty cool for a geriatric. Just kidding. The guy had serious chops and soul to spare.

-The Frames

After eating some Best Wurst, we went over to the AMD stage and saw the second half of this Irish Band’s set. Although I missed them play the only song of theirs that I know, “Fake,” I really enjoyed what I saw. Their use of electric violin and electric guitar over Irish rock/folk was pretty cool. They even cut into a little bit Snow Patrol’s “Run” in the middle of one of their songs, which was a nice shoutout.

-The Doves

The first time I wrote this, I realized that I had completely left out The Doves. So, obviously they made a great impression on me... No, they were fine, but I just can't remember too much about their show. I like them, but I don't love them, and that's about it.

-Death Cab for Cutie

This band is fine, I guess, but they just don’t get my blood going. They got to play at the larger Cingular stage in front of an immense crowd, but I don’t feel they took advantage of it all. After I got over the high of hearing the voice from The Postal Service, I sat down to rest my weary feet and zoned in and out of the rest of their show.

-The Walkmen

Sort of underwhelming set from this New York band, mainly because they didn’t play my favorite song of theirs, “We’ve Been Had.” This group is not big enough to ignore any of their hits. I’m willing to give them a pass this time because they arrived at the festival after a 27 hour bus ride from Beaumont, Texas due to Hurricane Rita. Also, as Jeff said, their lead singer is fratastic. In my opinion, he needs to not over-sing as much.

-Widespread Panic

We saw the beginning of this jam band's first set and the end of their second set at the large SBC stage (they were the only band to garner such an opportunity, probably because they stretch their songs into 30 minute piles of crap). No, but seriously, they were fun to listen to, and they even had this Widespread novice dancing around. Props go to Jeff and Craig for their hilarious dance moves, which got our surrounding concert-goers laughing along with us.

-Bloc Party

I saw this British band a few months ago at the Gypsy Ballroom in Dallas and they were great then, but what they did under the night sky at the AMD stage was incredible. They flat out rocked, and their performance of “Like Eating Glass” was my favorite performance of a song all weekend. They playing in front of what they said was their largest crowd to date and they took advantage of the exposure. With people crowded together all the way to the top of the hill, they hit the ball out of the park. God Bless Bloc Party, as the T-shirt says.

-Oasis

Saturday was the lead singing Gallagher brother’s birthday, and I’m sure he was drunk, but that is no excuse for how terrible he sounded. In front of a massive crowd at the Cingular stage, the great British band of the 90's not named Radiohead was a huge letdown. His singing was so bad that we all left their show to catch the end of Widespread’s second set. As we were walking away from the park to our cars later that night, we heard them singing “Don’t Look Back In Anger” and everyone around us was singing along. So, here are a bunch of people who are obviously fans of the band and have already paid for their tickets to see them, but would rather walk home singing their songs to themselves instead of listening to the actual band. That’s pathetic, and from now on I don't give a damn about Oasis.

Austin City Limits Music Festival 2005: Sunday

2005-09-29T19:38:00.000-05:00

-Rachael Yamagata

This girl was great. Part Fionna Apple and part Cat Power, her songs were well-written and well-performed. Her band included a cellist and a violinist who went well with her electric guitarist’s playing. In front of a faithful but smallish crowd at the mid-sized AMD stage, Yamagata made an impression on me and was a fine way to start the day.

-Kaiser Chiefs

These British punk rockers were another surprise of the music fest for me. I knew nothing about them aside from one song, “I Predict a Riot,” but I came away a fan. They got the crowd at the Heineken stage really into it with their catchy songs and enthusiasm. When the lead singer climbed to the top of light rigging for the climax of “Oh My God,” the Kaiser Chiefs had officially made their mark. Rock and roll.

-Arcade Fire

This band has fascinated me for months now. Their newest album, “Funeral” is my early pick for album of the year, and I was most appreciative to hear all of my favorite cuts off it at the Cingular stage on Sunday, including “Tunnels,” “Haiti,” “Wake Up” and to cap of their set, “Rebellion (Lies).” With more instruments than a symphony it seems, this group of Canucks somehow keeps it all together on stage. I had very high hopes going in to their show and I wasn’t let down/. I just wish I could have been closer and that they could have played at night.

-Decemberists

After getting some pizza from Brick Oven that was huge let down, I went back over to the AMD stage and saw this crazy band, which also includes a violinist, play out their theatrical tunes, including the wonderful, “We Both Go Down Together.” I was glad they stayed away from politics during their rendition of “16 Military Wives,” a song that has a video that drives me bonkers. All in all, they are a really cool band to see live for their originality.

-Wilco

Unlike Will Mitchell, I do not think that Wilco is one of the top two American bands ever, but I do think they are good. Their set at the Cingular stage included the songs of theirs that I do know, such as “Hummingbird” and “Muzzle of Bees.” It did not include, however, the amazing “California Stars,” which would have been perfect as the sun set behind them. This is a great American band, sure, but let’s tap the brakes a bit, Willy Mitch.

-Coldplay

Good God, what a scene this was. The sun had gone down, all of the stages except for the massive SBC were empty, the dust kicked up from the arid fields of Zilker Park had filled the air and what I estimate to be around 100,000 people clamored for space to see the biggest band in the world complete a weekend of music in the sauna of Austin, Texas. When I say that Coldplay is the biggest band in world, I imply that they are the biggest band in the world that is in their prime. The Stones are long gone, Metallica is a punch line and U2 is over the crest. And in that role Coldplay did not disappoint. With all of the trappings of their world tour to play with, including an amazing arced video screen as a backdrop, the English band played one perfect tune after another. Late in their show, the band set up at the front of the stage for a poignant tribute to Johnny Cash that included the man in black’s “Ring of Fire,” a song even the most musically disinclined in the audience could sing. For their first encore, lead singer Chris Martin climbed to the top of the soundboard setup to sing “In My Place,” a perfect tribute to the sea of fans that had sat in 105 degree heat all day to see the band. Their show concluded with a song I had never heard before, “Fix You,” from their new album X&Y. I cannot remember falling in love so hard with music that was new to my ears in a very long time. Coldplay’s show was a truly excellent performance from a truly great band, and a fitting conclusion to a wonderful weekend (and what happened to be my birthday).

Hook 'Em Horns

2005-09-12T00:08:00.000-05:00

Texas at Ohio State

2005-09-09T12:34:00.000-05:00

Alright folks, it is finally upon us. Texas will go up to Columbus, Ohio tomorrow night to face Ohio State in Ohio Stadium. So much has already been written about this game and so many people have weighed in with their opinions that I'm not going to give you any real analysis. Doing so would probably make my head start spinning until it exploded all over my computer monitor. I have so much minutia stored up in my head about this game right now that I cannot unload it all at once without overloading my system.

So, I'm just going to give you the bottom line: if I were to do a spread on this game, I would have it at Ohio State by four. That's right. I think that they should be more than a field goal favorite. Texas will have to play more than a field goal better than their typical game to come out on top. Ohio State is simply too good and they are playing at home under the lights, where they are undefeated in six tries. Now, that is my line.

My prediction (I did graduate from Texas, of course, and will never pick against the Horns), on the other hand is this:

Texas 21
Ohio State 20

Vince Young and/or Ramonce Taylor are going to do something extraordinary and to put Texas on top as time winds down, negating a similarly spectacular effort by Ohio State superfreak Ted Ginn, Jr.

Jill Hennesy

2005-09-07T13:13:00.000-05:00

Two Recent War Films, Plus One More

2005-08-22T23:55:00.000-05:00

Two movies I recently saw on DVD that are definitely worth renting are "Gunner Palace" and "Downfall." "Gunner Palace" is a documentary that follows a regiment of U.S. Army soldiers living in the difficult world of modern Baghdad. It's a very good look into the tense day-to-day lives of typical soldiers in this ongoing struggle to rebuild and secure Iraq.

"Downfall" is an incredible view into the final days of the Third Reich, seen through the eyes of several people who were actually there until the end. From what I understand, the film is extremely historically accurate, which is very important when telling such a devastating story. The film is in German, but don't let that scare you away. The language adds greatly to the mood and resonance of the picture. I would put "Downfall" up there with "Conspiracy," the HBO film starring Kenneth Brannaugh, as an important yet underrated film about World War II. The importance of these films lies in the clarity with which they depict both the insanity and inhumanities of the Nazis from their perspective while not using any cheap dramatic tricks to do so. Essentially there is no bullshit with these films. So, if you are expecting "Pearl Harbor," or even historical fiction such as "Saving Private Ryan," you will be dissapointed.

Note: It helps immensely to have a knowledge of the structure of Nazi Germany when watching "Downfall," as well as "Conspiracy," because neither film does much to inform you of the various Nazis they depict and their place in the Nazi hierarchy. Check out Wikipedia (link to the right) for a basic historical description of these people. Start with Hitler and move down.

Roy Williams is a God

2005-08-21T21:33:00.000-05:00

So there I was, at UNC's beautiful football stadium getting expletives screamed at me because I'm decked out in burnt orange and sitting in the heart of the student section. Texas was starting to pull away, and then this happened right in front of me. The entire stadium gasped. Even though the ball was caught out of bounds, it was one of the greatest catches I've ever seen.

http://www.jcdenton41.com/UTvUNC02-RoyWilliams-TheCatch.mpg

Songs That I Can't Stop Listening To:

2005-08-01T22:33:00.000-05:00

Decemberists - We Both Go Down Together
Arcade Fire - Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)
Killers - Andy, You're a Star
Audioslave - I Am the Highway
Bright Eyes - Lover I Don't Have to Love
Flaming Lips - Do You Realize??
Stone Roses - Fool's Gold
The - This Is the Day
Air - Talisman
Bloc Party - Like Eating Glass

Brown's Big Three

2005-07-31T18:21:00.000-05:00

I wrote a post on http://www.orangebloods.com once last December about Mack Brown's status as the head coach of the University of Texas football team and how it was reaching a pivotal juncture.

My point was this: Brown was about to face a stretch of six games that included three enormous challenges in the form of Michigan, Ohio State and UT's nemesis Oklahoma. Depending on how UT fared in those three games, Brown's future would be determined. In my opinion, if UT lost all three, Brown could possibly lose his job. If UT won only one of the games, particularly one of the first two, very little would change in the eyes of Mack's critics as well as his supporters. He would remain a pretty good coach who rarely won big games. Win two of the three, and Brown improves his stature. Win all three, and Brown becomes one of the most notable coaches in the country, despite the fact that he hasn't won a national championship or even a conference championship (although, it is very unlikely that would continue to be the case should that happen).

Well, UT beat Michigan in the Rose Bowl in one of the best bowl games in years and Brown has gained some respect for the win. But, with the 2005 season right around the corner, he faces two even greater challenges. Should he lose both, most of the respect he has gained by winning the Rose Bowl will be lost. UT will play on September 10 against what will be a very highly ranked Ohio State team playing under the ever-rare lights of the horseshoe in front of 105,000 fans and a national primetime TV audience on ABC. One word: huge. There is much on the line in this game for Brown, but not even this test compares to the next one when it comes to the Mack Brown era at UT.

Only one month later, UT returns to the Cotton Bowl in Dallas to face OU, a team that has beaten them five straight times. OU lost so many valuable assets after last season when compared to the very strong group of UT returners, that for the first time in years I believe UT should win the Red River Shootout. Win, and the monkey is off of Brown's back and UT is on the fast track to win the Big 12 Conference. Lose, and the season immediately becomes a failure in many ways. And, after what is considered by some to be a trend of underachievement, Brown cannot afford another failure of a season.

One opponent is down, but two remain. Let the season begin.

Here We Go...

2005-07-31T11:52:00.000-05:00

I have started a blog. It will probably take me a little bit of time to figure out how to organize it and write on it in and effective way, so bare with me. What the hell should I write about? Everything, I guess.