All You Need Is Hops

All You Need Is Hops Episode 39: Spaghetti Westerns

2011-05-08T17:32:00.007-04:00

The near year long hiatus is over. Time for a new Hopscast!

Episode 39: Spaghetti Westerns is an exploration of the music from spaghetti western movies. This cinematic episode is heavily inspired by Ennio Morricone and is perfect for a night of heavy drinking. Pair with tequila.

Download the show by right clicking here or use the links on the side of the screen. View the set list on the Hopscasts page.

All You Need Is Hops Episode 39: Spaghetti Westerns by Hops

The Hiatus Is Over!

2011-05-08T17:31:00.002-04:00

Ladies and Gentlemden. All You Need Is Hops is BACK!

All You Need Is Hops Episode 38: Sun / Burnt

2010-08-06T19:02:00.002-04:00

Episode 38: Sun / Burnt is a chill episode inspired by the 100 degree weather we're having this summer.
Instructions for listening:
1) Go to beach or pool
2) Drink booze
3) Start listening to episode
4) Take a nap

Alternate Title: Sun King Acid Trip.

Download the show by right clicking here or use the links on the side of the screen. View the set list on the Hopscasts page though I always prefer you listen first.

All You Need Is Hops Episode 37: The Breakup

2010-04-05T18:32:00.004-04:00

Episode 37: The Breakup aka the 2010 anti-Valentine's Day show is a bit late... but still appropriate I'm sure. Instead of angry songs the episode focus on (mostly) songs of regret, heartache and country breakup songs.

Download the show by right clicking here or use the links on the side of the screen. View the set list on the Hopscasts page though I always prefer you listen first

PS this episode has nothing to do with Mrs. Hops!!!

Best of the Decade: Other List

2010-01-31T17:02:00.003-05:00

Best Songs:
"Fake Empire" by The National off of Boxer
"One Big Holiday" by My Morning Jacket off of It Still Moves
"Reckoner" by Radiohead off of In Rainbows

Best Live Shows:
Nine Inch Nails - Many to choose from but I'd pick the show at the House Of Blues in Atlantic City
Radiohead - Any Radiohead show is amazing, but my first in August 2001 at Liberty State Park in NJ was special. With the Statue of Liberty behind the stage and the World Trade Center and NYC skyline to the left.
The National - At the Black Cat in DC
Arcade Fire - At the 9:30 club in DC
Audioslave -Seriously. They destroyed the 9:30 club. Go ahead and judge.

Most Underrated Artist:
Matthew Ryan

Best Year:
2007: In Rainbows, Boxer, Neon Bible, Cassadaga, Year Zero etc.

Favorite Album Cover:
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco

Hops' Top 5 Albums of 2010

2010-01-31T16:48:00.005-05:00

Best Albums of 2010

1) "Veckatimest" by Grizzly Bear

2) "Salvation Is A Deep Dark Well " by The Builders & The Butchers

3) "Hopsice" by The Antlers

#4) "Dear Lover" by Matthew Ryan

#5) "Street Sweeper Social CLub" by Street Sweeper Social Club

The Best Of The Decade: Hops' Top 30 Albums of the 2000's

2010-01-31T16:45:00.005-05:00

30) “The Moon & Antarctica” by Modest Mouse (2000)

29) “Turn On The Bright Lights” by Interpol (2001)

28) “Cassadaga” by Bright Eyes (2007)

27) “Builders & The Butchers” by The Builders & The Butchers (2007)

26) “@#%&*! Smilers” by Aimee Mann (2008)

25) “Concussion” by Matthew Ryan (2001)

24) “The Clarence Greenwood Recordings” by Citizen Cope (2004)

23) “Ghosts I-IV” by Nine Inch Nails (2008)

22) “At Dawn” by My Morning Jacket (2001)

21) “Veckatimist” by Gizzly Bear (2009): 2009’s best album is a fantastical journey. Lots of layers of sound, lots to hear. It’s not for everyone but it is a great album for those who like to really lose themselves in an album

20) “The Forgotten Arm” by Aimee Mann (2005): I love any music that tells stories and Aimee Mann is the master of that. A fully conceptual album “The Forgotten Arm” tells the story of a hard-on-his-luck Vietnam vet and boxer from Virginia and his dysfunctional relationship with the love of his life.

19) “I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning” by Bright Eyes (2005): Though I love Cassadega (2007) almost equally this album really shot Bright Eyes up to the top of the indie-folk ladder. Songs like “Lua”, “Road To Joy” and “Landlocked Blues” still sound poignant and important 5 years after its release.

18) “Sea Change” by Beck (2002): Beck took all his hipster moves and threw them away in this album. It’s a stripped down melancholy album dealing with a breakup. It made me realize how good of an artist he really is.

17) “From A Basement On A Hill” by Elliott Smith (2004): Released posthumously after his suicide this album can almost be difficult to listen to given his tragic death. The songs hit right to the bone and come from a man dealing with some serious demons. Still, I can’t ever stop listening to it. It’s the “Virgin Suicides” of music. Most will point to “Figure 8” as his best work of the decade, but this album has always hit me on a more emotional level

16) “It Still Moves” by My Morning Jacket (2003): While I have some issues with the sequencing on this album it really shows everything MMJ can be as a band. Soaring highs from “One Big Holiday” (one of the best songs of the decade) to brilliant moments of introspection “Golden”.

15) “The Mirror Conspiracy” by Thievery Corporation (2000): Taking elements from electronic, trip-hop and bassanova Thievery made an album that completely creates a fantastic mood. I can’t tell you how often I hear their music at restaurants, lounges and in movies. For me, they completely awoke my ears to entire genre of music I previously had ignored.

14) “Is This It?” by The Strokes (2001): Rock and Roll! Tracks like "Hard to Explain", "Last Nite", and "Someday" still sound good almost 10 years later.

13) “Year Zero” by Nine Inch Nails (2007): A conceptual album deal with the government and freedom. While Radiohead scored all their press for their business innovation they aren’t even in the same league as NIN who launched an entire alternative reality to promote the record. It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen in music.

12) “American IV: The Man Comes Around” by Johnny Cash (2002): This album introduced an entire generation of hipsters (and me) to the brilliance and honesty of Johnny Cash. Most famous for the cover of the Nine Inch Nails song “Hurt” it also boast several other outstanding tracks. RIP Johnny.

11) “Heartbreaker” by Ryan Adams (2000): His first post-Whiskeytown album is still my favorite. Its filled with honesty and emotion and paints fantastic scnese of youth and lost love. "To Be Young (Is to Be Sad, Is to Be High)" and "Come Pick Me Up" are epic tracks. Some will point to 2001’s follow up album (Gold) but for me this is tops.

10) “Give Up” by The Postal Service (2003): Side project from Ben Gibbard (of Death Cab For Cutie) this album mixes new wave beats and Gibbard’s unique storytelling. Some may hate it, but I love it. It takes me to a wonderful time and place every time I listen to it…and I still do listen to it quite a bit.

9) “Return To Cookie Mountain” by TV On The Radio (2006): There are so many layers of rock, electronic, hip-hop and funk on this album its hard to know where to begin. It has tons of sonic depth but still makes you think. In the oddest of ways I can only compare them to Pink Floyd, despite the fact they have almost no musical overlap.

8) “Neon Bible” by Arcade Fire (2007): After such an amazing debut it was hard to really top themselves. They didn’t quite do that with this album but it was stunner. Eveyrthing from their debut was there: soaring harmonies, dark themes and amazing weirdness. Amazing stuff.

7) “In Rainbows” by Radiohead (2007): Too much attention was paid to the fact this album was digitally released and not enough was focused on the brilliance of the songs. When it came out I thought it might get better over time. Indeed it has. I still find pockets of eupohoria and pain in these songs I never heard. They’re the best band on the planet for a reason people.

6) “Alligator” (2005) by The National: This exploded onto my radar in 2005. It sounded immense. Not from a volume or wall of sound perspective, just from a thematic one. Songs talking about the boss stopping you in the hallway to tell you they’ve been hearing good things, standing tall with high beams shining on your back to the secret meeting in the basement of my brain. I have daydreams of writing a screenplay which would be completely sound tracked by this album.

5) “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” by Wilco (2001): Ah where to begin. This album helped me a lot after 9/11. It introduced me to the concept of noise as a form of art. The pinnacle of everything that Wilco is and was as a band. Pretty close to perfection.

4) “Z” by My Morning Jacket (2005): This was the apex of a fantastic run of three straight dynamite albums (At Dawn and It Still Moves being the others). It saw MMJ take their sound to another level, add in a layer that was mysterious and dark without losing any of the things that made them so much fun to listen to in the first place. There are many layers to this album and all of them are wonderful.

3) “Boxer” (2007) by The National: I went back and forth and back and forth on this one. I had Alligator at 3 and boxer at 6. For me Alligator meant a bit more since it came out first. But after insistence by Mrs. Hops and my buddy Jordan “Hung Like A” Haas I realized that in fact Boxer is the better album. Both are amazing, but Boxer in particular speaks to my generation and my life more directly. I can only compare it to the way Bruce Springsteen (used to) speak to the working class. In addition to crafting a perfect album, they crafted the perfect song on that album. “Fake Empire”. Brilliant.

2) “Funeral” (2004) by Arcade Fire: I said on the very first Hopscast that one day I’d brag to my kids (or someone else’s) that I got to see this band when they were just coming out. The harmonies, wall of sound and general darkness of their music is both uplifting and sad at the same time. Emotional without any touch of sappiness or cheesiness. I don’t understand how anyone can listen to it an not be moved.

1) “Kid A” (2000) by Radiohead: Radiohead are creeping up to Beatles category for me as far as all-time bands are concerned. Yes, I understand the gravity of such a statement and feel absolutely no sense of shame saying it. They are simply amazing. True artists. Kid A was an album I didn’t immediately accept. It was difficult for me to understand what they were trying to achieve and how the music was meant to be digested. Then one day it clicked. The album whacked me on the upside of the head and reconfigured the way I hear music. No other album in my life, with the exceptions of “Sgt. Pepper’s” has ever really done that for me. I’ve loved others more perhaps and treasure them more, but Kid A had a lasting impact on me that still is there a decade later. It’s the standard by which all other albums in the last 10 years have to be judged, and that is why it’s an easy choice for #1.

All You Need Is Hops Episode 36: Costume Party '09 (The Unbroken Chain)

2009-11-17T13:02:00.002-05:00

Episode 36: Costume Party ’09 (The Unbroken Chain) aka the 2009 covers show is my most ambitious episode yet. There is only one set, no set breaks at all. The format is an unbroken chain of covers where Artist A covers Artist B. Then Artist B Covers Artist c, and C cover D and so on and so on. The episode ends with the last artist covering the first one to complete the chain!

Download the show by right clicking here or use the links on the side of the screen. View the set list on the Hopscasts page though I always prefer you listen first.

All You Need Is Hops Episode 35: Vampires

2009-10-07T17:26:00.004-04:00

Episode 35 of All You Need Is Hops is the first of the annual two-part Halloween shows. There really isn't much mystery as to the theme, its about Vampires, which are oh so trendy these days.

Download the show by right clicking here or use the links on the side of the screen. View the set list on the Hopscasts page though I always prefer you listen first.

All You Need Is Hops Episode 34: Road Trip

2009-08-07T10:18:00.005-04:00

Episode 34 of All You Need Is Hops is the perfect companion for your road trip. If there was ever a time to listen to a Hopscast a road trip is the time to do it. An hour of solid rock music, starting off with lots of classic rock and then moving onto new tracks. This episode will get you where you're going....or at least an hour closer.

Download the show by right clicking here or use the links on the side of the screen. View the set list on the Hopscasts page though I always prefer you listen first.

NIN 2009 Part 6 - Merriweather

2009-06-16T19:34:00.018-04:00

Well all of you Hopsfans...this is Mrs Hops' sixth and final post. So unless Trent Reznor changes his mind and decides this tour isn't his last, I don't expect to be posting again here any time soon. I hope you all have been entertained!

If you haven't already, please check out parts 1-5 below for our backstage experience at Camden and our terrific show at Holmdel - Hops' home town amphitheater.

After the Holmdel show we hit the beach. As most of you know, we Hops folks are pale and fragile, so needless to say every inch of my body that wasn't covered in SPF 1000 was burned afterwards. Very, badly burned (like Will Ferrell in Austin Powers style).

Monday night we took a night off from NIN to go see TV on the Radio at the 9:30 Club. This is by far our favorite venue in DC and an awesome spot to catch show. While we waited in line to get into the venue, we saw Clarence Greenwood, aka Citizen Cope getting into his car. He is a local celebrity and musician we love. So the night was off to a good start. We watched the show with a couple we are close friends with, which is always fun. Afterwards, we hit the iconic DC restaurant Ben's Chili Bowl for a snack. And you thought Taco Bell was a bad idea before bed!

On Tuesday evening we headed up to Maryland for the final NIN show for us this tour, and since this is NIN's last tour, my final show ever! Again we had presale tickets. As we left for the show the sun was shining and all was well. However, as we approached the venue the skies suddenly darkened. As we parked in the lot we could hear NIN doing their soundcheck in the venue - they were playing Metal. As the skies quickly grew darker Hops joked that Trent Reznor had angered the weather gods. So we decided to wait out the weather in the car. It was a wise choice, as about a half an hour of major rain, lightening, hail and storms followed. In the pictures you can see the clouds rolling in, the rain through the skylight in the car (that lamppost had a "The Fray" flag attached to it, which we thought was hilarious), and Hops not looking to happy about the situation.

So once the rains rolled past, we decided to head to pick up our tickets and quickly got into the venue, skipping the normal line again and going through the presale line. Merriweather is a nice venue in a park-like setting. The whole design of the amphitheater is meant to assimilate with the surrounding natural scenery. The venue was actually designed back in the 60s by Frank Gehry who is better known now for his sculptural titanium facades (Rock and Roll Museum in Seattle, Bilbao Guggenheim to name a couple). Anyway, if you ever go there to see a show it is worth a walk around. There are several interesting sculptures throughout the grounds and most of the food and beer is way above typical amphitheater fare. In fact, I was able to find one vendor selling Stout! I attribute this to the fact that the venue is managed by a local company rather than Live Nation. In fact the management company is the same as the one that runs the 9:30 Club, where we saw TVOTR the night before. We learned this during the backstsage tour we had back in Camden, as they said it would be a different crew doing the Merriweather show since it isn't a Live Nation venue. We even saw our favorite pierced and inked 9:30 club stage guard working at the front of the pit, who we affectionately nicknamed "Mr. Brownstone" (a nickname he earned when we saw Velvet Revolver at the 9:30 Club a few years back). As we went to our seats I was very excited because we were in the first row, dead center, behind the pit. When standing, our feet were about at the same level of the shoulders of the people standing in the pit, which was about 20 feet deep. It was almost as if we were at the same level of the stage standing 20 feet away with no one in between us and the microphone. To pass the time before SSSC took the stage, Hops texted a message to some number that posts your texts on the big screens at the venue. It had something for Trent and something for me. Does this mean we get to have another wedding???

So SSSC took the stage and rocked it out as expected. This time we got a great video clip of their song Somewhere in the World Its Midnight. I would actually consider this to be one of their tamer songs. Unfortunately the audio is horrible, but you get the idea. Be sure to watch the end where Boots talks to the crowd. He is awesome. Have I mentioned before that you really must check them out?

After yet another great SSSC opener, we were ready for the main event. Which in my mind was NIN. Don't get me wrong, Jane's was great and I'm glad we watched their whole show in Holmdel, but we had already concluded that we would watch NIN tonight and leave afterwards. There were a couple of reasons for this: 1) I really wanted the last thing I saw at my last NIN show to be NIN, and 2) we both had work the next day. So needless to say from where we were sitting it really felt like a small, small club show. I often felt Trent was singing directly at me just because we were the first people in the row directly across from him above the pit (don't worry - I'm not delusional and don't actually think he was singing to me). It was just very cool to have such a unique perspective directly in front of and on the same level as the band. Plus Hops and I were dancing and jumping around like crazy people and not everyone in the front row was as animated as us. So I know they must have at least noticed us! Trent was very intense during the show - there was no talking and no band intro. It was a great mix of hard and slow songs and both some of mine and Hops' favorites were included. The highlight for me was seeing The Becoming live. Trent hadn't been playing this since the 90s before this tour and it was my first and only time getting to hear it live.

Here is a partial video of The Becoming. Yes, that is me screaming at the first note (Hops says that I am to NIN what his buddy Boaz is to Phish). And Hops was kind enough to pan over to me towards the end so you can see what I call "dancing" to NIN's music looks like. Unfortunately the camera was zoomed out at this point and it looks a lot further away than it actually was - the SSSC video and pictures are a little more accurate in that regard.

After the show, we were exhausted from the 5 day concert trek. But how can you pass up late night chili? We finished the night off with some jalapeno poppers and chili mac at Hard Times down the street from our house in Old Town before calling it a night.

Overall it was a great experience. Hops was a great sport to go to all the shows with me and I'm fortunate to get to see my favorite band several times on their last big tour - not to mention having gotten to meet them and go backstage. Thanks to all of you for reading these posts and sharing the experience with us!

Mrs - Hops - out.

NIN 2009 Part 5 - Holmdel

2009-06-14T14:40:00.024-04:00

See the below posts for Parts 1-4 of this NIN series, which detail our amazing backstage experience at the show in Camden.

But now for the promised and I'm sure eagerly anticipated summation of our night in Holmdel NJ. But first, I must provide some road trip background.

After crashing at a hotel in Philly after the Camden show on Friday night, we woke early to drive out to Holmdel, which was about a 2 hour drive. We were exhausted from the prior night, but ready to enjoy the show from the front as pure spectators. Plus Hops was excited about returning to a venue that he frequented for shows when he was in highschool. Our only tactical error here was that we failed to reserve a hotel room in the Holmdel area until just a few days before the show. We ended up at a Best Western about 20 minutes south of the venue. In retrospect it was probably not as bad as we thought it was - it was fairly clean, convenient and inexpensive. However, we were both a little disturbed to find that the shower/whirlpool was located in the bedroom rather than the bath. Needless to say, we wore flipflops when we showered.

So once we checked into the hotel, we embarked upon the search for a liquor store to buy some beer. Two funny things about Jersey: 1) they won't let you pump your own gas & 2) you have to go to a liquor store to buy beer. So after driving around for about a half hour and with a little help from Hop's Google app on his BlackBerry we located a store and snagged some nice local microbrews for the lot from a brewery called River Horse - a stout for me and a wit for Hops. Then it was off to the venue. Upon arriving we had no problems parking and picking up our presale tickets. Unlike in Camden, the weather was gorgeous so we set up a couple of camper chairs in the shade under some trees by our car and ate some sandwiches we had picked up before leaving Philly that morning (from DeBruno bros. specialty foods market - which you should check out next time you are in Philly if you like good food). The venue is unique because its a very park-like setting and was a perfect spot to enjoy a few cold ones before the show. The crowd was an interesting mix - most were blasting NIN, with a few Jane's and, not shockingly given we were in NJ, some Bruce. Hops was happy. Around 6:30 we decided to go into the venue. The picture to the right best describes the luxury that is being a presale ticket holder - you get to go in a separate entrance without the big line. The picture is from inside the venue looking back at all of the non-presale people waiting to get in. Ha-ha (simpson's style).

So once inside we checked out the merch again. I got a T-shirt, patch and a sticker. Then we headed for the seats. Holmdel is a nice venue for us because they have permanent seats where the pit would normally be. Since we are way too old and rickety to go into the pit, this is just about as close to the stage as we can get these days. With our presale tickets were were in the fourth row, on Justin's side. The other cool part about Holmdel is that the the actual structure is really sculptural. You can see this from the picture, it is looking back towards the lawn from our seats as the crowd is starting to roll in. Also pictured is Hops himself, doing some pose that apparently all his friends from his NJ days will get and find hilarious...

So SSSC was first up, and boy are they amazing. I mean really people, if you like Tom Morello's guitar (and how could you not?) then you really, really must check these guys out. That means you Phoofy! We struggled to get a good picture of these guys because Boots is always running around and Morello never stops moving. This is the best we could muster. This is a picture of me after their set - that is how good they are!

Next up was NIN. All I can say was that it was an amazing set. Probably the best of the three we saw this tour, although all have their highlights. I liked this set because it was pretty hard, very little slowing down. I actually got a stitch in my side from jumping around and dancing so much (I know, I'm old and out of shape!). But seriously, by the end of the set I was soaked with sweat and completely exhausted. I was particularly happy because we were on Justin's side and after meeting him the day before and being behind him backstage it was really nice to get to admire his showmanship. As much as I enjoyed Jeordie when he was touring with NIN, I just don't think he holds a candle to Justin. Justin is animated and really into the show - he is also great at feeding off the crowd's energy and giving it right back. Its nice when you feel like the guys on the stage can see how much you are enjoying the show and can give that back to you. I mean, we are working hard out there! Unfortunately we don't have many great pics of Justin, but I must say that he was a big highlight for me at this show. We do, however, have some really great pics of Trent. This one is one of my favorites from during Reptile, but you can find some of the other best ones at the link to the Flickr pics at the end of the post.

Here is a video that Hops took during the song Echoplex.

The other highlight of this show was catching Trent's water bottle. For those of you who haven't been to a NIN show, throughout the show the guys will throw plastic water bottles out to people in the pit area. Usually these are open so that the crowd gets sprayed with the water as it flys through the air. Aside from catching Trent's tambourine, getting a water bottle is a pretty cool souvenir. So when I saw Trent was getting ready to throw one I was jumping up and down. I must have looked exhausted (I was!) and he sent it our way. It was still half full and I proceeded to drink every last drop! Here is a picture of me with the bottle after the show. Hops keeps saying he might accidentally throw it away, which I keep explaining would clearly be grounds for divorce (no worries - I have it safely hidden away).

Jane's was up next. Although I'm not a huge fan, I really enjoyed the show. Perry Farrell is a great front man - very charismatic. And watching Dave Nevarro pick out which nasty chicks from the audience was pretty funny. Seriously, these girls would fight their way up to the front of the aisle to our left and start dancing and doing other things that I will not mention here because this blog is PG, all in efforts to get Dave's attention. He would point and nod at the ones he liked. Towards the end of the show when Perry went to introduce the rest of the band, Dave was almost too busy consulting with his guitar tech on which girls he liked to actually do his wave to the rest of the crowd when his name was called out. It was hilarious. After the show, all those girls stayed at the front of our section waiting for that guitar tech to come back out and let them know which ones were getting backstage. I felt bad for the guitar tech. The following is a picture of the look that Dave gives the lucky ladies in the running to be selected. Please do me a personal favor and double click on this one so you can really see it up close and personal. its priceless.

After the show we hit Taco Bell (why does that always sound like such a good idea after midnight?) and crashed at the hotel after showering in flip flops. The next morning we headed east to the beach for a few hours of R&R and a quick lunch before hitting the road for the 4 hour drive back to DC. I wore my new shirt from the tour:

Next post -the last show of the tour. We almost get washed away in a ugly storm preshow, then get to have the best seats in the house....

Link to other pictures from this show on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/39240928@N08/sets/72157619736842436/

NIN 2009 Part 4 - Backstage @ Camden

2009-06-09T13:59:00.014-04:00

Now for the fourth and final installment for the Camden show (for Parts 1-3 see the posts below). This is the part where things really get crazy. After dinner, we were divided into two groups - one group that would get to watch the first half of NIN's set on stage and one group that would watch the second half. We really wanted to be in the first group so that we wouldn't have to miss much of the show, as the second group had to report backstage when they heard a certain song play so they were definitely going to miss a few songs. We made sure we were at the front of the line and got assigned to the first group so we were happy. We then went to our seats watch SSSC do their set. Our seats were good - fourth row behind the pit on Justin's side. Although we missed the first couple of songs but got to see most of it. They were awesome. Due to the cold temperatures and the rain you could actually see steam coming off of Tom Morello's head when he played. I tried to get some pics of this, but they really didn't come out too well.

After SSSC was finished we reported back to the room where we met the band and had dinner to get escorted to the stage. We were instructed not to touch anything as we could mess up the power or sound. We were also told that we were to stay in areas marked by orange tape on the ground. Our group was divided into people that would be on the left and those that would be on the right of the stage (we were on the right, Justin's side). This is where we got really lucky. I was first in the line for the people going to the right side of the stage, and we ended up being the first group to get escorted out there. This is key, as you will see in a minute. So there was a crew member who led us from the room through the venue, which was crowded, then through a "authorized personnel only" door, then down a hall. At the end of the hall was another door, and when we went through it we are on the back of the stage. It was totally pitch black and my eyes were having a really hard time adjusting to the sudden change. I just kept walking forward. Hops snapped a photo at this point which gives you a pretty good idea of what it was like - basically walking into darkness. If you look really hard, you can see the silhouette of Bill (the production guy who did the push-ups in Post 1) to the left of my head.

So I kept walking until all of a sudden in front of me I saw Robin. Justin was next to him and the were doing something to his guitar with a blue light. I just smiled really big and said "hi". They said "hi" back. Clearly we weren't supposed to back there yet until they were out on stage, but there we were. Then, out of the darkness comes Trent. He comes up to me and says "What you are witnessing is the beginning of a show". I could have died. I said something like "thanks", then Hops snapped a photo - with flash. Trent gave him a look like - why are you trying to blind me before I go on stage? Hops immediately apologized. Other people had at this point realized Trent was there and a couple of them tried to talk to him, but obviously he needed to get on the stage. So disappeared into the darkness. Then reappeared and said to me "Feel free to push up". So I followed he and the other guys out to the stage and stopped at the orange tape of the floor.

Here is the photo - a nice shot of Trent's elbow. You can see Justin behind Trent and Robin right in front. I was just off camera to the right.

So at this point, I really didn't have much of a view because a lot of the other people in our group were aggressively pushing up for the best spots and I'm really short. I was thinking this was going to stink if I couldn't see anything. Then there was a voice behind me - it was Keelie the nin.com rep - saying "no not here - go to your right, to you right!". I then realized we were supposed to actually walk behind the lights on the stage to get over to the right side where we were supposed to stand. I guess I was the first person to figure this out, so I just ran over to the other side and got the perfect position. It was awesome. I was still reeling from having that mini-conversation with Trent, and they were out there playing. Insanity.

The rest of the experience was basically watching the first 8 songs of the set. We were directly behind Justin, and also had good views of the guitar techs and drum tech so it was cool to see what they are up to during a show. We could see the entire crowd. We also saw all of the technical mishaps - a big one at the beginning of Burn which Trent was none too happy about. It was pretty cool. During one song Justin actually came back to us to ask us if we were having a good time. Duh! Of course - it was awesome! Its funny because I think some of the people were either too distracted by wanting to get pictures or felt like they couldn't move enough to really get into it, but I was jumping all over the place. The sound back stage is also weird - you can hear drums but not much guitar or vocals. Now I understand why they all have those packs with earpieces to hear themselves with. Hops took a ton of photos and a partial video too:

Eventually Keelie came back to tell us it was time to take off so the next group could get their chance. Leaving the stage was really disorienting because again it was really dark, you couldn't hear anyone very well, and there was smoke everywhere. I was so afraid I would trip over a wire and unplug something important. Afterwards, we made our way back to our seats where some crazy hippie fans of Jane's Addiction had decided to park themselves. After kicking them out of our seats, we enjoyed the rest of the set from there. Afterwards, one of the fans we had chatted with while waiting in line came over to say goodbye. He told me that he could see me on stage and that I was going crazy during the Big Come Down - which is absolutely true since it is one of my favorites. I thought that was a great way to end the night. Really, a remarkable experience that Hops and I will never forget!

My next post will be a quick summary of the show we went to the next night in Holmdel. We have some great pics to share as we had 4th row for that show. Plus, if you've ever wondered how Dave Nevarro decides which lovely young ladies from the audience he wants to hang out with after the show you'll want to read my next post...

For more pics of the backstage experience follow this link:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39240928@N08/sets/72157619450927786/

NIN 2009 Part 3 - Soundcheck @ Camden

2009-06-09T13:28:00.011-04:00

So after the meet and greet, we were sent over the pit in front of the stage where we waited for the other groups to do their meet and greets so that the band could come out for the sound check. While we waited we chatted with some of the other fans and showed each other our pictures with the band. I almost accidentally deleted ours, after which I decided not to play with the camera anymore! This was the third time we got to see a NIN sound check (during the days of the Spiral fan club occasionally you would get in for a sound check before the show as one of the perks of membership). Still, every time it seems surreal to be in an arena or amphitheater when it is basically empty. Hops and I had a couple of pictures taken of the two of us – this one shows the empty venue behind us.

The first member of the band out for sound check was Justin. We were standing on the rail right in front of him. He came over and said something like “I hope you guys like the soundcheck…its actually pretty boring”. I think that is true for a normal soundcheck, but this was really more like a mini private show. Trent, Robin, and Ilan came out next and Trent said that since they were running behind (the soundcheck was supposed to start at 5:30 but by this time it was more like 6:00) and so they would only play a couple of songs. We got to hear The Good Soldier first, then Dead Souls. Dead Souls was particularly cool for Hops and I because the very first soundcheck we went to for NIN back in 2005 they also played that song. It is a favorite of mine - its a cover of the Joy Division song and was released with The Crow soundtrack. Here are a few pics from the soundcheck:

After soundcheck we were all hearded to another waiting area where we could finally sit down and take a load off while they opended the venue up to the presale ticket holders. We checked out the merchandise stand and chatted with some of the other fans. Once the presale folks were in the venue, we were escorted back to the room where we had met the band. There they had set up a catered dinner for the 60 of us. There were tables to sit at and of course the living room style seating with the shag rugs. The speakers were playing NIN's All that Could Have Been. Dinner was actually really tasty. In honor of Philly they had brought in cheesesteaks. There was also soda, chips, and salad. Here is a really fantastic photo of me eating a cheesesteak.

Next up, watching the show from backstage...

NIN 2009 Part 2 - Meeting the band @ Camden

2009-06-09T12:04:00.013-04:00

Alright, now for the really fun stuff. So as I mentioned before, I had a ton of things with me to sign, which I had to narrow down to two items - one for me and one for Hops. I had ticket stubs, cd booklets, my original NIN Spiral (fanclub) membership card, and some special lithographs that were issued to Spiral members back in 2006. The lithos are the size of album covers, and were from various releases. I ended up choosing to go with two lithos - one for The Fragile, and one for Broken. I chose Broken because this was next major release after Pretty Hate Machine and represented a departure from syth style electronic music to more industrial and harder sound. The Fragile is probably my favorite NIN album (if I was forced to choose). Its really tight, impressive because it is a two disc release, and has a broad range including some of Trent's best instrumental stuff (at least prior to the release of Ghosts I-IV in 2008).

Once the band had arrived and was set up, we were led back to a large room where they had a table set up, which the band was sitting behind. There was music playing - but I didn't recognize it. One thing I did recognize...those white shag rugs! Across from the table they had these little sitting areas set up like in a living room. With the rugs and all the gray leather furniture. So at the table the order of the band was Robin, Justin, Trent, then Ilan. There was one couple ahead of me in line so I was the third person at the table. This was good because they were talkative and I think it forced me to stay at each band member's station longer than I would have otherwise. Not that I said much - I was way too nervous. In fact, Hops did most of the talking. Basically I would go to each guy, introduce myself and shake their hand. But Hops was all talkative with each guy. He asked Robin how he was feeling (he had been sick earlier in the tour) and advised him to get hand sanitizer. He talked to Justin about the traffic in NJ, which Justin described as "thick". Hops said that they like everything "thick" in Jersey...I'm not sure if Justin got the joke or not.

Then came Trent. I had planned on telling him how I had been listening to his music since I was in my early teens and how it has grown with me and how he is the one band that I have consistently admired. Instead I just introduced myself and just stood there while he signed my lithograph. To break the silence Trent said "So I want to thank you for donating to this cause" or something like that. So I said "Well I want to thank you for giving us this opportunity". He smiled and gave me back my lithograph. As I moved down the line to Illan, Hops said "What she is trying to say, but is too nervous, is that she has been listening to your music since before she could drive". This got a big laugh. Then Hops said "Its been with her from awkward adolescence..." and I finished his sentence with "...to an equally awkward adulthood". So I guess my original intent was in there somewhere. At least we got a laugh out of it.

Ilan was nice and I introduced myself and got his signature too. Then Hops decided to chime in with a comment about Pink Floyd being superior to Zepplin - "Floyd by day and Zepplin by night". I guess Ilan had been Twittering with Mariqueen (Trent's fiancee) debating which band was better and Hops felt he had to get his two cents in. Well of course Ilan, being a drummer, was favoring Zepplin in the debate. So he and Hops discussed this at length as the rest of the autograph line started to back up behind him. Eventually Leo, one of the crew members, tapped Hops and let him know he needed to move along!

After getting the signatures, we waited for the rest of the people in our group to go through the line. Then it was time for each person to get their photo with the band. Again, we had just one couple in front of us. I gave our camera to Leo, who was going to take the picture for us. When it was our turn I walked up and stood next to Robin, thinking that Hops and I would each go on one side of Trent. I told Robin that he was going to really make me look short. Then I looked to my left and Trent was over there with his arms out like - what you don't want to stand next to me? - so I asked him for a hug. He was kind enough to oblige me. So Hops ended up next to Robin - I think he made a joke that Robin was getting stuck with him. Here is the picture.

After that I thanked Trent again and Trent actually went out of his way to go over to Hops and shake his hand. Although I was a little disappointed that I hadn't handled myself better when we were at the autograph table I though the picture and hug were great, and I was on cloud nine.

Now, off to the soundcheck!

NIN 2009 Part 1- Preshow backstage @ Camden

2009-06-08T16:29:00.016-04:00

Hello all you Hops fans. Mrs. Hops here. I'm commandeering the blog for the sake of documenting our NIN backstage experience for posterity. For the record - it was amazing. The band was thoughtful and everyone, including the crew and staff, really wanted us to have a unique and genuine experience.

So we are seeing 3 shows this tour - the first of which was in Camden and is the one for which we had backstage passes. We were told to be at the venue on Friday at 2:30. We we woke up bright and early for the drive up from DC. It was raining the whole time and we were fully prepared to have to spend hours in the wetness waiting to get into the venue. In order to provide some pre-show nourishment, we stopped at a Nathan's when we arrived in Camden. Can you imagine a better meal to start out your afternoon - especially when the nerves of meeting your long-time idol are already making your stomach churn? In any case, the poster did not disappoint.

Next it was over to the venue. It was around 12:30, and there were already people lined up, but most were there because they had GA seats in the pit and wanted to reserve good spots. We were thrilled that there was an overhang at the entrance so we were able to get reprieve from the pounding rain. We met some very cool fans while in line and generally had a nice time despite the cold and wetness. We also watched a truck unload several white shag rugs and gray leather furniture, which was weird. It will come up again later...
You know it is going to be a good show when the venue posts this sign at the entrances:

At 2:45 we were met by the very nice and perky Keelie (sp?) who was the nin.com representative. She was there to hand out presale tickets and gather the people with backstage passes to let us inside. We checked in with her and anxiously awaited the time when we would get to go in. At this point I was incredibly nervous. I had brought about ten different items that I thought I might like to get signed and still hadn't firmly decided on which to do (both Hops and I could get only one item signed). Not to mention the pressure over not knowing what to say to a man whose music you have admired for over 15 years. Hops was less nervous and was keeping me in good spirits. Here is a picture of him wearing his backstage pass.

So around 3:30 we were lead into the venue. Its unique because much of the vending is actually covered even though it is an amphitheater. So we were finally out of the rain. There were about 60 of us that had passes for backstage, and we were divided into groups of about 20. We were in the first group, so we had the shortest wait before getting the backstage tour. During the tour we got to meet the guys in the production office for NIN, Jane's Addiction, and Street Sweeper Social Club. They guy pictured here is Bill - he does the production for NIN and was there to answer any questions we had. He and the other guys in the office wanted to do push-ups with us, so of course I volunteered. Apparently during long days on the road this is how they keep their energy up. Anyway, I hadn't really thought through the whole push-ups in a short skirt scenario. Thankfully my tights were pretty dark- and Hops was kind enough to cut my backside out of the photo. That's me on the bottom right. Just look at that form! :-)

Next was a long walk down a hall past the dressing rooms for all of the bands. As we passed by the SSSC dressing room we looked in and Boots Riley (lead singer) was hanging out in there. Hops shouted "Boots" and Boots replied with a very chill "Alllright!". It was cool. At the end of the hall we went out the doors to see the loading dock were all the trucks with the equipment are located. At this point, I was pretty nervous because they didn't tell you where you were going before you got there, so each time they would open a door I thought Trent Reznor was going to be there. Very nerve wracking! Anyway, here is a shot of the loading dock truck with a picture of Mr. T on it. After this we returned to a holding area to wait for the band, which was apparently stuck in traffic.

Next post....meeting the band.

The Big Comedown

2009-06-08T11:50:00.004-04:00

Mrs. Hops backstage at the Nine Inch Nails show.

One fan (who we met earlier) came up to us at set break and said "I could see you on the stage going NUTS during The Big Comedown". Here is that moment.

Many many more photos like the one below to come as Mrs. Hops will take over the blog.

All You Need Is Hops Episode 33: Superbad!

2009-05-31T11:38:00.002-04:00

Back in the day I loved to make CD mixes. One of my most successful was called "Funk Soul Hops". Well consider this "Funk Soul Hops, Vol. II". This episode features some funky tracks that will get your funk motor going. Lots of blacksploitation, black power, 70's soul and fabulous funk. It will make you want to grow and afro and discover your innermost rhythm.
Download the show by right clicking here or use the links on the side of the screen. View the set list on the Hopscasts page though I always prefer you listen first.

Wedding Nostalgia

2009-05-31T11:21:00.004-04:00

I was in Chicago Memorial Day weekend to celebrate my friend Brad's wedding. This Bob Dylan line was in my head all weekend:

"I can't help it
If you might think I'm odd,
If I say I'm not loving you for what you are
But for what you're not."

Such a beautiful concept. Bob apparently wrote it for Nico. Listen to her version and his:

I'll Keep It With Mine by Bob Dylan (mp3)
I'll Keep It With Mine by Nico (mp3)

Fortunately this song played no part in the weekend festivities:
The Groom's Still Waiting At The Alter by Bob Dylan (mp3)

Right Again

2009-05-17T14:54:00.003-04:00

The other day my sister was in town and me, Mrs. Hops and my sister were out on a nice stroll through old town when we heard the classic track "Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu" originally written and recorded by Huey "Piano" Smith in 1957.

My sister and Mrs. Hops were singing the song throughout the day but kept getting the lyrics wrong. I heard :
"rocking mamas and the oogy woogy blues"
a few "rocking manana and boogy woogy boos"
and possibly a "rockin harmonica and doogie howser jews"

ok maybe it wasn't that bad but after I insisted that the song was indeed called Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu I got push back. Well I'm just proving a point that I was right. Enjoy:

"Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu" by Huey "Piano" Smith (mp3)

Happy Birthday Mrs. Hops

2009-05-17T14:42:00.002-04:00

This one's for you:

"Thirty One Today" by Aimee Mann from @#%&*! Smilers (mp3)

Also check out a live version of Aimee performing that song and others from the new album for free at Daytrotter.com

All You Need Is Hops Episode 32: Hard Times

2009-04-18T18:46:00.005-04:00

Episode 32 of All You Need Is Hops is the cure to your 401K blues. Economy got you down? Need a job? Looking for a bailout? Well Episode 32 is perfect for you. With a wide range of genres and songs spanning over 150 years this Hopscast has it all.

Download the show by right clicking here or use the links on the side of the screen. View the set list on the Hopscasts page though I always prefer you listen first.

Happy Passover Mix

2009-04-09T11:29:00.005-04:00

Mrs. Hops' and I use a modern Seder plate.

Today is the first day of Passover so I wanted to put together a nice Passover mix for all of you. Then I realized I have WAY too many Passover songs. I should have dedicated an entire Hopscast to this topic, but I'm too lazy. Next year maybe I'll give one song for each of the ten plagues, plus include some Elijah songs as well. Also, I'm on the lookout for some good Golden Calf related tunes. That said you'll enjoy this mix.

Passover 2009 Play List:
1) "Pharaoh" by Richard Thompson from Amnesia (mp3)
"We're all working for the Pharaoh"
Buy here

2) "Go Down, Moses" by Louis Armstrong from Louie and the Good Book (mp3)
"Go down, Moses, way down in Egypt Land"
Buy here

3) "Moses" by Coldplay from Coldplay Live 2003 (mp3)
"Come on now, don't you want to see? This thing that's happening to me. Like Moses has power over sea"
Buy here

4) "Border Song" by Elton John from Elton John (mp3)
"Holy Moses I have been deceived"
Buy here

5) "Flies (The Plague of Flies)" from Brian Eno And Robert Wyatt from Plague Songs (mp3)
This was a collection of songs inspired by the Ten Plagues. Interesting and weird.
Buy here

6) "The Angel Of Death" by Hank Williams from Gold: Hank Williams (mp3)
"The Angel Of Death will come from the sky, and will claim your poor soul when the time comes to die."
Buy here

7) "The Black Angel's Death Song" by The Velvet Underground by The Velvet Underground & Nico (mp3)
"Choose to choose, choose to go"
Buy here

8) "Bloodhounds On My Trail" by The Black Angels from Passover (mp3)
Three Passover references (sorta) in one song. The escaping of the Jews with the Egyptian army hot on their trail, the Black Angel of Death (10th plague) and of course the album title.
Buy here

9) "O Mary Don't You Weep" by Bruce Springsteen from We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (mp3)
"Cheer up, sisters and don't you cry, There'll be good times bye and bye, Didn't Pharaoh's army get drownded? Oh, Mary, don't you weep"
Buy here

10) "Out Of Egypt, Into The Great Laugh Of Mankind, And I Shake The Dirt From My Sandals As I Run" by Sufjan Stevens from Illinoise (mp3)
The instrumental closer from this album.
Buy here

11) "Passover" by Joy Division from Closer (mp3)
"Left with a mark on the door, Is this the gift that I wanted to give?"
Buy here

12) "All The Wine" by The National from Alligator (mp3)
Did you know the Passover Seder requires that you drink four glasses of wine? That's the easiest way to convince people to come over for the dinner!
Buy here

Real Corporate Rock / Schlock

2009-03-30T19:54:00.004-04:00

When I said that U2 is officially corporate rock this was NOT what I meant:

Hops Saves Gomez From Certain Disaster

2009-03-26T14:25:00.005-04:00

If you haven't been following me on Twitter you have missed me saving the band Gomez from a certain mugging in Baltimore:

Gomez Twitter: Open heavy blackout curtains to reveal the roofs of Baltimore still reflecting the night's rain. Should I go back to sleep or investigate?about 4 hours ago from web

Hops: @gomeztheband Note to Gomez: "investigating" Baltimore is never a good idea.

Gomez Twitter: @Hopscast thanks for the heads up.about 1 hour ago from web in reply to Hopscast

Phew.... someone has to look out for these Englishmen when they cross the pond. Of course they are a rock band and might be into more seedy things than I am, but they have never seemed like the type to want to throw down.

Gomez have a new album coming out Tuesday. Buy it here or stream via myspace for the next few days

The Cell Phone Wave

2009-03-25T21:13:00.002-04:00

What will they think of next.

I guess Coldplay posts aren't so rare. I'm loosing my street cred.

Matthew Ryan Side Project

2009-03-24T09:09:00.000-04:00

Phish Summer 2009

2009-03-17T16:49:00.000-04:00

Phish Summer 2009

Of course Phish would announce their tour with puffs of smoke

Dancing In The Dark

2009-03-17T11:22:00.003-04:00

Its not the same without Courtney Cox dancing but this is still a good cover of Dancing In The Dark by Tegan and Sara - originally by Springsteen of course

Sadly Bruce wont let me embed the original but you can see it on You Tube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vx05LgzpDdM

Once in a while I catch myself dancing like Bruce in the video ... trust me its not pretty.

Run Like Hell

2009-03-15T16:15:00.002-04:00

My buddy Long Island Paul sent this my way. He said "Looks like 28 Days Later at the 2:45ish mark. Pretty neat video. Very Bono-ish."

No way Bono can run that far:

Added bonus hearing the announcer describe it as "off the hook" in a thick aussie accent. Say what you want about them - Coldplay put on a good show for their fans.

Aimee Mann Complete Christmas Trilogy

2009-03-11T17:05:00.001-04:00

Apparently Aimee Mann is more popular in Hollywood than anywhere else. Check out her video with Ben Stiller, Will Ferrell and others:

Follow me on Twitter!

2009-03-04T11:07:00.003-05:00

Count me in as the billionth person to type that into their blog. Now you can follow me (and everyone else in the universe) on Twitter. Since I've become lazy with the blog this will allow me to give quick posts in between Hopscasts. I'll still post things, but only when its worth more than a few words (and possibly includes and MP3) link.

My Twitter page can be found at: http://twitter.com/Hopscast

You can also see my Twitter updates on the right side of the screen if you dont want to click away from the blog

All You Need Is Hops Episode 31: Noir

2009-02-15T18:46:00.005-05:00

Episode 31: Noir is full of mysterious songs meant to be played on a dark and stormy night. Inspired by film noir and neo-film noir this episode deals with themes of crime novels, spy thrillers, femme fatales, sexual tension and car crashes.

Download the show by right clicking here or use the links on the side of the screen.

View setlist on the Hopscasts page though I always prefer you listen first.

Subscribe via iTunes

Elijah Drop Your Gun

2009-02-15T18:09:00.003-05:00

Over a year ago I implored my loyal readers to help out Mieka Pauley produce her new album, Elijah Drop Your Gun.

Now through March 10th Mieka is returning the favor by giving away the fruits of her labor FOR FREE.

Download her excellent album, Elijah Drop Your Gun, for free at Amazon.com. Seriously, its free and legal. So really you have no excuse. "Devil's Got My Secret", "Run" and
"Stronger" are standout tracks.

Happy Valentine's Day From Joe Strummer

2009-02-14T14:02:00.004-05:00

Here it is ... another Valentine's Day. Yawn. I already did an entire Hopscast last year dedicated to Anti-Valentine's Day songs. So this year I thought given the state of the world, I'd turn things around and bring you a positive message. And who better to do that than Joe Strummer.

This isn't a song, just a one minute public service announcement (without guitars):
"Without People, You're Nothing" (mp3) by Joe Strummer from The Future Is Unwritten (purchase album here)

"It's time to the humanity back into the center of the ring"
- Joe Strummer

Landon Donovan Is Stealing My Moves!

2009-02-12T21:14:00.007-05:00

We all know Landon has been trying to copy my receding hairline for years (I've had to go to full blown bald just to distinguish myself) but now he's stealing my moves. Notice the classy 2-0 sign I was sporting while wearing a Sombrero at a Mexican restaurant at my bachelor party. This was posted on this blog almost three years ago:

Now check out Landon Donovan after last night's awesome victory in Columbus, Ohio:

Of course I was doing it backwards, but he's still a copy cat.

Why are we sporting the 2-0 sign? Because the last three times the US has played Mexico in a World Cup Qualifier at home here is how the games turned out:

2001 World Cup Qualifier in Columbus: USA 2 - Mexico 0
2005 World Cup Qualifier in Columbus: USA 2 - Mexico 0
2009 World Cup Qualifier in Columbus: USA 2 - Mexico 0

oh and when the USA played Mexico in the 2006 World Cup can you guess the score? That's right, USA 2 - Mexico 0.

All three of the Qualifiers in the US have been played in Columbus, Ohio in the winter, which is why they have been referred to as La Guerra Fria (The Cold War).

So in honor of another 2-0 Cold War win I bring you:
Welcome To The Occupation (mp3) from Loyalty to Loyalty by Cold War Kids
Buy here

Hoodoo Voodoo?

2009-02-09T16:50:00.006-05:00

On Wednesday night I'll be watching the US Men's National Team defeat dominate Mexico once again in a World Cup Qualifier (7PM ET, ESPN2 HD & Univision). Apparently we're officially inside the heads of the Mexican players - so much so they are giving away Voodoo dolls in Mexico to try to gain an advantage:

Isn't it cute they still have Blockbuster in Mexico? My prediction USA 2 - Mexico 0 of course!

In honor of the match here are some Voodoo tunes:
Under my Voodoo (mp3) by Sublime from Sublime (purchase album here)
Voodoo Child (slight return) (mp3) by Jimi Hendrix from The Ultimate Experience (purchase album here)
Hoodoo Voodoo (mp3) by Billy Bragg & Wilco from Mermaid Avenue (purchase album here)

Bruce Should Be Working Harder On A Dream

2009-02-06T10:12:00.004-05:00

Bruce continues his streak of terrible album covers representing terrible albums

I didn’t write the paragraph below, but I certainly could of (at least I could have evoked the spirit, not so sure I could match the elegance). Andy Whitman from Paste stole these words right out of my mouth in his recent article:

“I've been forcing myself to listen to Bruce Springsteen's latest album, Working on a Dream. I keep hoping that my initial dismay will pass. So far, it's not working. Those of you who know me know that I love Bruce Springsteen. I would hop in the car with him and drive off down Thunder Road, pushing Mary out of the front seat if I had to. I would walk through Jungleland with him, braving the gang warfare. I would go through hell and back for Bruce Springsteen. But I will not listen to this new album another time. It's too painful.”

I agree, it's way too painful. Not just because the album is terrible (and trust me it is), but because its sad when you see one of your all-time favorite artists go down a path that just makes you shake your head. As you may know, I was baffled by the critical acclaim Springsteen received for his last album “Magic”. That was a not a good record. This one is worse. Things have gotten so bad between me and Bruce that I haven’t gone to see him the last two times he’s been in town despite the fact I have friends here who went. This time I decided it was going to be a fun night out and I would just go to the bar and the bathroom when he played the new songs. You know, just like people do when Keith Richards gets his 10 minutes to sing at a Rolling Stones show. (As my Dad says “you can hear the toilets flushing” as soon as Keith gets up to the mic.) Anyway, that all changed when I heard the new album. I was going to skip Springsteen again…. But then he rocked the Super Bowl and I was back in. I was out, then in, then out, then back in.

Unfortunately, we got shut out of tickets to the show thanks to Ticketmaster scamming everyone by redirecting most of the tickets to a legal scalping site… which oh by the way they OWN. Fortunately, Bruce is on the side of the people as always and fighting Ticketbastard Eddie Vedder style. From Bruce via his website:

The abuse of our fans and our trust by Ticketmaster has made us as furious as it has made many of you. We will continue to do our utmost now and in the future to make sure that these practices are permanently curtailed on our tours.

Awesome – you tell ‘em Bruce!

So there you have it, everything I love and hate about Bruce Springsteen.

Arizona vs. Pittsburgh

2009-02-01T12:51:00.005-05:00

It's Super Bowl Sunday here in the United States. While I'm more stoked for the Chelsea Liverpool match today I'll still eat some hot dogs and watch the game (and of course the Springsteen halftime show).

In honor of the game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals being played in Tampa, Florida here are some Superbowl songs. Which song will win? My money is on Kings Of Leon.

ARIZONA CARDINALS:
"Arizona" by Kings of Leon (mp3) from Because of The Times (purchase album here)

vs.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS
"Pittsburgh" by Josh Rouse (mp3) from The Smooth Sounds of Josh Rouse -Rarities
(purchase album here)

and for those of you who don't care who wins but just want to go to the game

TAMPA
"Train to Tampa" by Sam Dees (mp3) from The Birmingham Sound: The Soul Of Neal Hemphill Vol. 1
(purchase album here)

A Decade Ago

2009-01-15T10:55:00.006-05:00

Phish 12/31/98 at Madison Square Garden in New York City

I was talking to my buddies Craig and Phil who accompanied me to this show and we all couldn't believe it was over ten years ago. Its nice to look back on moments like this and remember how much different life is. My date that night is now Mrs. Hops, Craig is a Dad and Phil ... well Phil is pretty much still Phil.

I would still have to rank this as the coolest concert ticket ever. It seemed more like something you would get for the Super Bowl - the "Phish" text is raised and reflective and the ticket itself was fairly large. Unfortunately it got bent a bit in my pocket that night, but its still a great souvenir. I can't believe I saved it for so long.

See the set list here. You had to love them open the New Years 98 show with "1999" by Prince. Obvious but classic. Unfortunatly I haven't found a download of the show yet.

All You Need Is Hops Episode 30: Top of the Hops '09

2009-01-14T09:31:00.003-05:00

It's be the begining of 2009, so it's high time I finally gave you all my 2008 year end special... so here it is. All You Need Is Hops Episode 30: Top Of The Hops '08 is simply a collection from my top 10 albums of the year, plus a few other gems.

Download the show by right clicking here or use the links on the side of the screen.

View setlist on the Hopscasts page here though I always prefer you listen first.

Subscribe via iTunes

Hops vs. The Blogosphere

2009-01-11T17:06:00.008-05:00

I'm happy to say that I was one of 774 music blogs who contributed to a really cool project called "Music Blog Zeitgeist 2008" on the Hype Machine. They took the Top 10 albums from hundreds of blogs across the Web and averaged them together to determine their Top 10 albums of the year. Even cooler is that you can stream all of the 50 of the best albums of the year for free.

So how do my picks compare to the rest of the Blogosphere? Here you go:
I'm not surprised by many of the picks. Of the 774 blogs I'm the only one who had Aimee Mann as the #1 album of the year. In fact, she only showed up on 6 lists in total. A.A. Bondy, appeared on exactly one list, All You Need Is Hops, which is criminal. He's a true talent. Another surprisingly low score went to Nine Inch Nails' The Slip, which not only was given away for free, was a fantastic and well received album. On the positive side I was happy to see Kathleen Edwards crack the Top 100. I wouldn't have guessed that.

Overall, I would venture to guess that the majority of people who have music blogs are younger and hipper than me, which is why more "adult" music like Aimee Mann (#179), Randy Newman (#227) and Matthew Ryan (#172) were not ranked higher. Many of the more popular bands clearly trended towards college radio and blogosphere-only sensations. I doubt many 18 year olds really have a connection to Aimee Mann.

In total only 1585 albums appeared on the lists of all the blogs. Here is how some of my other favorites from this year stacked up:

The most upsetting results: Nine Inch Nails Ghost I-IV at #196 only getting mentioned 6 times. Glad to see somebody else like the Builders and the Butchers and Hayden. You can also download the data used to prepare these lists here: raw data, compiled data.

I ain't ever gonna ride in no used car again

2008-12-23T08:37:00.004-05:00

Everybody loves the joy of pulling out of a car dealership with a brand new car. Unfortunately, as soon as you do that your car just dropped in value by thousands of dollars. This is something that really grinds my gears. Considering that for many people the car you buy is the second largest purchase you'll make, behind your home, it almost seems foolish to do this. That is why I like to buy very nice used cars, which I otherwise could not afford new anyway. This weekend Mrs. Hops and I did just that (you can send me congratulatory emails if you want). This process reminded me of Bruce Springsteen's "Used Cars" and my annual listening of Nebraska and realizing how great Bruce can be.

"Now, the neighbors come from near and far
As we pull up in our brand new used car
I wish he'd just hit the gas and let out a cry and tell 'em all they can kiss our asses goodbye

...Now, mister, the day my numbers comes in I ain't ever gonna ride in no used car again"

Listen to "Used Cars" by Bruce Springsteen (mp3)
Buy Nebraska here

Realize I made the same post two years ago here

Happy (C)Hanukkah!

2008-12-22T16:59:00.003-05:00

Arnold Schwarzenegger ... Not A Jew. But guess who is? Hall of Famer Rod Carew (he converted)

For all my Jewish Brothers and Sisters.... and all of those of you who who just like celebrating Eight Crazy Nights I bring you some of my favorite Chanukah, Hanukah, Hanukkah and Chanukkah songs:

The greatest Hanukkah song ever:
"The Chanukah Song" by Adam Sandler (mp3).
Buy album here

More Traditional:
"Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah" by The Barenaked Ladies (mp3)
Buy album here

Fun:
"Latke Clan" (mp3) and "How Do You Spell Channukkahh?" (mp3) both by The LeeVees (a Guster side project)
Buy album here

And just so you know non-Jews can get into the fun too:
"Hanukkah Dance" by Woody Guthrie (mp3)
Buy album here.
While he wrote "Haukkah Dance" on his own, Woody Guthrie apparentely co-wrote a bunch of Jewish songs with his second wife's (who was Jewish) mother, Aliza Greenblatt. She was a Yiddish poet. Many of those songs, including "Hanukah Tree", "Hanuka Gelt" and "Hanuka's Flame" were later included in an album called Woody Guthrie's Happy Joyous Hanukkah by The Klezmatics. That album can be found here

Don't eat too many latkes.

Hops' Top Ten Albums of 2008

2008-12-15T11:03:00.005-05:00

1) @#%&*! Smilers by Aimee Mann
Buy here
Sample Track: Phoenix (mp3)

2) Dear Science, by TV On The Radio
Buy here
Sample Track: DLZ (mp3)

3) The Midnight Organ Fight by Frightened Rabbit
Buy here
Sample Track: Fast Blood (mp3)

4) American Hearts by A.A. Bondy
Buy here
Sample Track: Rapture (Sweet Rapture) (mp3)

5) Stay Positive by The Hold Steady
Buy here
Sample Track: Stay Positive (mp3)

6) Matthew Ryan vs. The Silver State by Matthew Ryan
Buy here
Sample Track: American Dirt (mp3)

7) The Slip by Nine Inch Nails
Download the entire album for free (legally) here

8) At Mount Zoomer by Wolf Parade
Buy here
Sample Track: Call It A Ritual (mp3)

9) Asking For Flowers by Kathleen Edwards
Buy here
Sample Track: I Make The Dough, You Get The Glory (mp3)

10) Loyalty to Loyalty by Cold War Kids
Buy here
Sample Track: Welcome To The Occupation (mp3)

Oops: This original Top 10 Album was actually released last year. I'm just out of touch I guess:
Fourteen Autumns, Fifteen Winters by The Twilight Sad
Buy here
Sample Track: Cold Days From The Birdhouse (mp3)

I Stand Corrected

2008-12-10T08:47:00.004-05:00

Hopefully you have all been listening to Episode 29: The South and are enjoying it. However, I do have some corrections to make from the last show.

First, DAR Constitution Hall in Washington DC is actually named after the Daughters of the American Revolution, which of course came before the Civil War. Now, I'm sure some Southerners would call the Civil War the real American revolution... but in this case they would be wrong. I mentioned this after playing "Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution" by The Black Crowes. That said I still think the Black Crowes were referring to the group when they wrote the song. It is in my optiono a protest against elitism and old traditions that shouldn't be kept. "Dont you want to see the ship go down with me?". Thanks to loyal listener Jordan for the heads up.

Second, I misspoke when I said that Hattie Carroll, in Bob Dylan's "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" was a slave. The song says she was "a maid in the kitchen" and in fact she was a barmaid. How do I know this? Well it turns out that this is a TRUE story. It has to be, because there is a Wikipedia article on it. Very interesting stuff that can be found here. It turns out that William Zantzinger (Dylan changed it to Zanzinger) is still alive and still haunted by the song. Apparently the incident happened in 1963. In my mind the story was set about a 100 years earlier. Frankly, the fact it was written about a true story in the 60's makes it that much more disturbing and shocking. When Dylan did his comeback Rolling Thunder Review shows in 1975 he played a rocking version of the tune.

"The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" by Bob Dylan from The Bootleg Series Vol. 5 - Live 1975, The Rolling Thunder Review (mp3)

All You Need Is Hops Episode 29: The South

2008-12-07T15:26:00.005-05:00

Southern Heritage Not Southern Hatred

(Photo taken at "The Virginia Store" in Alexandria, Virginia)

Episode 29 explores themes relating to the American South including racism, rednecks, The Civil War and pride. You get everything from Nina Simone to Lynyrd Skynyrd all wrapped up in one Hopscast.

Download the show by right clicking here or use the links on the side of the screen.

View setlist on the Hopscasts page here though I always prefer you listen first.

Subscribe via iTunes

Monthly Poll: What is the best movie about a real rock star?

2008-12-07T15:14:00.002-05:00

Last night I finally saw I'm Not There, the Todd Haynes movie about Bob Dylan starring several different people all portraying one of the many reincarnations of Bob Dylan. Its not a movie for everyone but I thought it was absolutely brilliant. If you're a Dylan fan its a must see. Some of you will just tell me it was weird an dconfusing... but then again you might say the same thing about Bob Dylan.

This inspired this months poll: What is the best movie about a real rock star?

I'm Not There about Bob Dylan

Walk The Line about Johnny Cash

Sid & Nancy about Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols

The Doors about The Doors

Obama Meet Iggy

2008-12-07T14:58:00.002-05:00

Last month's poll results are in and the people have decided that Iggy Pop should be the Secretary of Energy, narrowly beating out Tommy Lee as the Director of Heath and Human Services. Ted Nugent did not get enough votes for the Department of Homeland Security. And sadly, no one wanted Beyonce to run the Treasury Department.

"Search and Destroy" by Iggy & The Stooges from Raw Energy (mp3)

RIP Odetta: 1930-2008

2008-12-03T15:50:00.005-05:00

Paste Magazine online had a nice brief writeup about her life which you can read here. The article had this to say about Odetta: "Her soulful musicianship had a vital strength that inspired further generations of luminaries. Bob Dylan cited her first record as the his initial turn-on to folk singing. And Rosa Parks, when asked after the the Montgomery, Ala. bus boycott what music was important to her, said "all the songs Odetta sings."

If you remember I had a post dedicated to the song "God's Gonna Cut You Down" aka"Run On" back in October 2007, which included this track Odetta's version of the tune: "God's Gonna Cut You Down" by Odetta (mp3). The other versions can be found here.

Dirty Dancing

2008-12-03T09:00:00.006-05:00

What happens when you're at one of your best friend's wedding, the band is on fire and you've drank too much? You get public spanking.

What happens when you combine this with a lack of rhythm? You get public spanking while pointing.

Who is he pointing to? Has he ever smiled that much before in his life? Did he KNOW the camera was on him? These are the questions that will be pondered for many years to come. But for now just enjoy the moment captured.

Hey little boy, this could be you one day (click image to enlarge)

In honor of this glorious image I offer you the following songs:

Discipline by Nine Inch Nails (mp3): Spank you very much
I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor by The Arctic Monkeys (mp3): He doesn't
Bad Boy by The Beatles (mp3): He must be punished

This Month's Poll: Who Should Rock The White House

2008-11-20T08:36:00.005-05:00

With all the news about Obama picking his cabinet I was trying to think about which rock stars I'd want to be part of my government. Obviously Bob Dylan would be there, but that is just as a special adviser. Here are some suggestions for Obama. Which one would you choose? Vote for your favorite on the right side of the screen.

Secretary of Health and Human Services: Tommy Lee - Who better to oversee the Center For Disease Control?

Secretary of Homeland Security: Ted Nugent - He'll personally protect us all with his bow and arrow.

Secretary of The Treasury: Beyonce - She knows how to make money. Just yesterday I saw a commercial on TV singing, dancing and telling me to "upgrade" to DirectTV. She would get us out of this deficit in 3 weeks by renting out ad space to Viagra on the Washington Monument.

Secretary of Energy: Iggy Pop - Tapping Iggy's blood would be like finding the ultimate alternative energy source. We would be able to run the entire country on booze and pills.

A promise I can't keep

2008-11-20T08:30:00.002-05:00

Apparently the masses want me to dress up as Boy George for Halloween next year. 44% of you voted for Boy George as my 2009 Halloween costume, doubling the vote totals for Moby (I already had the wig!) and Slash . Coming in fourth was Willie Nelson (I already have the farmer's tan!). I think everyone can be happy that I dont have to dress as a bald Elvis.

Newspaper Domination

2008-11-20T08:17:00.008-05:00

I'd like to give a shout out to Big Momma Hops and her students that run the Hasbrouck Heights Pilot's Log newspaper. For a record FIFTH time (unofficial Hops stat of course) the newspaper won "Best In Show" at the National Scholastic Press Association's (NSPA) Annual Awards show. That's like a high school Pulitzer.

Congrats to all. Here are few tunes in honor of the occasion:

1) "Heartbreaker" by Led Zeppelin (mp3)
"Hey Fellas Have You Heard The News?"

2) "A Day In The Life" by The Beatles (mp3)
"I read the news today oh boy"

3) "Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street" by Bruce Springsteen (mp3)
"The Daily News asks her for the dope
She says 'Man, the dope's that there's still hope'"

4) "Levon" by Elton John (mp3)
"When the New York Times said 'God Is Dead'"

5) "Such Great Heights" by The Postal Service (mp3)
Congrats to all of Hasbrouck Heights.

Crazy Celebrity Quote Of The Day

2008-11-11T09:35:00.005-05:00

Today's crazy celebrity quote of the day comes from George Clinton:

“Cloning — we got generations of that sh--,” Clinton told the magazine. “The pyramids? They was for cloning. That’s why embalming lasts so long. Get the DNA and pull ‘em back. So somebody been cloned already, but not me. Not yet.”

On the crazy scale I would rank it as an Amy Winehouse crazy statement which of course translates to batshit crazy.

THE CRAZY SCALE:
Out Of His Mind Crazy: Phil Spector
Batshit Crazy: Amy Winehouse
Off The Deep End Crazy: Shaved-head Britney Spears
Crazy Train Crazy: Ozzy Osbourne
No More Crazy Than You Or Me: Prince

Election Day Musical Ad Libs

2008-11-04T08:44:00.005-05:00

I think the election will be won by ___(A)___ over ___(B)___. It is up to you to ___(C)___. Hopefully this means the end of the___(D)___.

My choices:

A) “The Funky President” by James Brown (mp3)
B) “Maverick” Theme by David Buttolph and Paul Francis Webster (mp3)

C) “Vote” by The Submarines (mp3)
D) “Electioneering” by Radiohead (mp3)

Have better ones?

All You Need Is Hops Episode 28: Costume Party '08

2008-10-31T22:34:00.004-04:00

I've Got My Spine I've Got My Orange Crush
-From "Orange Crush" by REM

Happy Halloween everyone!

Episode 28 is the second of a two part Halloween special. One of the most popular episodes of the year the annual costume party consists of all cover tunes.

As always you can download the show via the Hopscast links on the right side of this page, by clicking the title of this post or just clicking here. Right clicking allows you to save the file as an MP3; left clicking lets you stream the show in your browser. The full set list can be found on the Hopscast page though I'd prefer if you listen before peeking. Of course I’d be happy to burn a show onto a CD and mail it to you if you just email me. You can also subscribe to the Hopscast via iTunes. Instructions can be found on the blog here.

Which Musician Should I Dress Up As For Halloween

2008-10-31T17:26:00.003-04:00

I was looking for good photos for this months Hopscast artwork and couldn't find any photos of me or people I know wearing a rock and roll related outfit. Which got me thinking about this month's poll:

Which Musician Should I Dress Up As For Halloween (vote on the right side of the page)?
A) Elvis
B) Willie Nelson
C) Slash
D) Boy George
E) Moby

To inspire you I have included some poor efforts from the past. I (not so) proudly present Slash, Jimi Hendrix and the one-armed drummer from Def Leopard:

Do any of you have some good rock star costumes you've worn in the past? If so please email the pictures to me and I'll be sure to post the best ones.

Bat Breath

2008-10-31T09:15:00.002-04:00

Congrats to Ozzy Osboune who just edged Marilyn Manson (38% vs. 31%) in the All You Need Is Hops "Who Is The Scariest Musician Ever?" poll. I think the fact he actually bit a bat is what set him over the top. Good luck next year Marilyn.

The Jersey Devil

2008-10-31T08:51:00.002-04:00

Bruce Springsteen - "A Night With The Jersey Devil" (Mp3)

Rain Gray Town Known For It's Sound

2008-10-31T08:33:00.006-04:00

I just got back from London and The Byrds' "Eight Miles High" was going through my head the entire flight there. The band wrote it about their plane trip to England in the mid-60's. While many just dismiss it as a drug song the lyrical content really has more to do with the excitement of visiting London for the first time. I can imagine how much of a rush it must have felt to cross the Atlantic to a place they had only imagined in their heads. And they were definitely right about one thing.... it can be a cold and rainy place.

Listen: Eight Miles High - The Byrds (Mp3)
Eight miles high and when you touch down
You’ll find that it’s stranger than known
Signs in the street that say where you’re going
Are somewhere just being their own
Nowhere is there warmth to be found
Among those afraid of losing their ground
Rain gray town known for it’s sound
In places small faces unbound
Round the squares huddled in storms
Some laughing some just shapeless forms
Sidewalk scenes and black limousines
Some living some standing alone

Johnny Cash's America

2008-10-23T14:06:00.002-04:00

For all of those who are interested in hearing what Snoop Dogg has to say about Johnny Cash tune into the Biography Channel tonight to see "Johnny Cash's America". It seems like required viewing:

The Saddest Bar Song

2008-10-22T20:25:00.003-04:00

There are lots of songs out there that people love to sing but don't realize how sad they are. This happened to me over the weekend when I went with a few friends of mine and Mrs. Hops to an Irish bar in Old Town. The bar, which could only be described as a Southern Irish bar with pictures of Ronald Reagan, Military uniforms and shamrocks, was packed and smokey and had two fantastic singers on stage. The crowd was enjoying some traditional Irish tunes as well as some recent sing-along tunes. Then the big hit of the night came, "Piano Man" by Billy Joel, and the singers had everyone feeling alright. But I realized, "Piano Man" has to be one of the saddest sing-along songs ever. Think about some of the characters in the story. They're drunks, has-beens and people with dreams that died a long time ago.

The Old Man:
There's an old man sitting next to me
Making love to his tonic and gin

John The Bartender:
He says, 'Bill, I believe this is killing me'
As a smile ran away from his face
'Well, I'm sure that I could be a movie star
If I could get out of this place'

The Crowd:
Yes they're sharing a drink they call loneliness
But it's better than drinking alone

The Piano Player:
And they sit at the bar and put bread in my jar
And say 'Man what are you doing here?'

That last one always kills me.

Apparently Billy Joel wrote the song after his first album did not sell well and he was playing at a local bar under the name "Billy Martin". I wonder if he ever realized that a song about him bottoming out would become a fun bar tune. I wonder if he cares.

Billy Jo-El

Blind Dating My Music

2008-10-16T12:32:00.007-04:00

Today I got an email from an artist I’ve played on the show a few times before, Matthew Ryan. He mentioned how he had just released a song “Some Streets Lead Nowhere” and the proceeds were going to help fund his next album. I got excited and was about to download the new song when I realized I had already bought this song! I paid 99 cents for it on iTunes and listened to had listened to it maybe once (the play count field on iTunes read 0 meaning I never had clicked on it). Why do I mention this? Because it seems to be happening to me more and more these days.

I’m simply overwhelmed by the amount of music I have access to.

This is coming from a guy who started All You Need Is Hops and the Hopscasts in order to help my friends and others filter their choices in music. What older bands have I been missing? What new albums do I need to be downloading? What songs belong on my mp3 player if I’m in a bad mood? In my quest to help figure all of this out I have downloaded more music than I could possibly listen to. According to my iTunes playlist it would take me over 52 days to listen to everything on my hard drive, and that isn’t counting the hundreds of CDs I haven’t uploaded yet. It’s all starting to feel like homework. I get two or three albums or songs by a few new bands and try to listen to them before I get a bunch more in the next few days. I can’t keep up, I don’t even want to.

This made me realize - I don’t want to be set up on a date with my music. I want to meet my music in a bar.

Or in a movie. Or on my iPod while I’m taking the train. Or in my kitchen when Mrs. Hops and I are making dinner. Discovering new music should happen organically. It should be connected to some type of emotional response. Why do you think you fall in love with songs when they’re played in great movies? Especially when you’ve heard them dozens of times before. I’m sick of listening to stuff just because its on my list of things to do.

So what now? I’m going to keep focusing on creating Hopscasts that make you hear music in a different context than you would if you had just downloaded the songs onto your mp3 player randomly. Hopefully it will help both of us remember why we listen in the first place.

Sometimes there might even be a new band that I think you should definitely check out. I’ll pick the bar. I promise you won't regret it.

Download Matthew Ryan's "Some Streets Lead Nowhere" through iTunes

All You Need Is Hops Episode 27: Nightmares

2008-10-05T17:41:00.005-04:00

“This is just a nightmare, Soon I'm gonna wake up”

- From Radiohead's "4 Minute Warning"

Nightmares. Scary. Death. Graves. Last Person On Earth. Hell. The Devil. Evil. Gone.

Episode 27 is the first of a two part Halloween special. Entitled "Nightmares", the episode maintains a creepy vibe, perfect for your next Halloween party. Listen in the dark.

As always you can download the show via the Hopscast links on the right side of this page, by clicking the title of this post or just clicking here. Right clicking allows you to save the file as an MP3; left clicking lets you stream the show in your browser. The full set list can be found on the Hopscast page though I'd prefer if you listen before peeking. Of course I’d be happy to burn a show onto a CD and mail it to you if you just email me. You can also subscribe to the Hopscast via iTunes. Instructions can be found on the blog here.

Who is the scariest musician ever?

2008-10-05T17:36:00.003-04:00

In honor of Halloween this month's poll asks "Who Is The Scariest Musician Ever". Vote on the right.

Charles Manson was not included because he would obviously run away with the title.

The Results Are In

2008-10-05T17:27:00.003-04:00

The results are in - after posing the question "Who Should Bob Dylan Play Pickup Basketball With" you chose Bruce Springsteen (45% of the votes). Just slightly edging out Johnny Cash (36%). Neil Young was only able to garner 18% and sadly no one thought Mick Jagger could throw down.

The Dream Team

Apples and Honey for Rosh Hashana

2008-09-29T14:21:00.006-04:00

Happy Jewish New Year, or Rosh Hashana, to all my fellow Tribesmen out there. Traditionally, Jews serve a plate of apples and honey on Rosh Hashana to help usher in a sweet new year. So in honor of that tradition I offer you up some musical treats for you:

Apples:
"Apple Orchard" by Beach House(mp3)

Honey:
"A Taste Of Honey" by The Beatles (mp3)

Apples and Honey:
"Slow Like Honey" by Fiona Apple (mp3)

One very confused Jew

The Music of Yankee Stadium

2008-09-22T10:30:00.015-04:00

Baseball fans should know that last night was the final game at Yankee Stadium. I watched about 5 minutes of the game, just to say that I did. The Yankees, for the first time in over a decade, aren't going to the playoffs. I think it is just a bitter piece of karma from the rejected old stadium. I didn't go up to New York to catch one final game this season. I had no need to say goodbye to an aging shrine that many people have reminded me this week is "not that great". What made Yankee Stadium special to me was all those trips my buddies and I took. Route 4 to the George Washington Bridge to the Cross Bronx and of course getting off at Jerome Ave. (the insiders way to go). Once in a while I even dragged my dad and sister out there to go with me. We had some great memories and I'm glad we got to spend so much time at THE Stadium when it really mattered most to us. It seems appropriate that a place I connected to so strongly in my youth is going away just as I reach my 30th birthday. In many ways it feels like a new chapter in my life is opening as an old one gets torn town.

Songs on my mind:
"Empty Baseball Park" by Whiskeytown (mp3)
"Stadiums and Shrines II" by Sunset Rubdown (mp3)
"I've Loved These Days" by Billy Joel (mp3)
"Centerfield (Live)" by John Fogerty (mp3)

and for my buddies... and all Yankee Stadium fans in the know:
"Cotton Eyed Joe" by Rednex (mp3) - I don't know why they play it in the Bronx, but its a fan favorite
"Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" by Jimi Hendrix (mp3) - There is this bum that hangs out on Jermone Ave. on the way back to the parking garages after Yankee games. He is always jamming on his electric guitar looking for donations. He's terrible. We affectionately call him Jimi and always dropped some money in his case on the way home.
"This Magic Moment" by The Drifters (mp3) - always played during Yankee flashbacks on the scoreboard. Originally written by Doc Pomus the Drifters version is the most famous. A Bobby Fleisch favorite.

and of course
"New York, New York" by Frank Sinatra (mp3) - Start spreading the news.

RIP Yankee Stadium (1923-2008)

2001 Echoes

2008-09-18T18:50:00.003-04:00

While there has been plenty of discussion in the past about how Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon synchs up with The Wizard of Oz, not many people also know that Pink Floyd's epic 20+ minute song "Echoes" synchs up with the final chapter of Stanley Kubric's epic movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.

The rumor is that Pink Floyd regretted not scoring the soundtrack to 2001 so much that they created their own soundtrack to the ending of the movie entitled "Jupiter and Beyond the Infinite". You can read more about the synching of the song and movie here.

You can watch the entire thing and judge for yourself:

You Know You've Made It When...

2008-09-12T14:21:00.008-04:00

Remember when I tipped you back off to The National WAY back in 2005 (if not go here)? Well they have officially made it big. You know how I know? No, its not the Barrack Obama ad posted using Fake Empire (watch it here if you're into that sort of thing). Frankly I think its a total misuse of the song and not something you should be associated with a Presidential campaign. It reminds me a bit of Springsteen's Born in the U.S.A. and Reagan' s misuse of the song in the 80's. Anyway, that is not why I think The National have made it big.

This is why. Check out this photo I took at the duty free music store at the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv yesterday:

Given the stores limited selection it was impressive. And no Mrs. Hops they didn't have a single Nine Inch Nails albumin the store... I checked. Though my co-worker did remember them coming to Tel Aviv on tour as it was a big deal. They only get about 5 decent concerts a year in Israel. I actually passed on the Deep Purple show at Hanger 11 while I was there. Apparently Israeli's will stay pay near $100 to see a group that had two hits 20 years ago.

That said I did see my second ever concert in Israel: Aerosmith in Tel Aviv way back in 1994. I even bought a concert t-shirt featuring the pierced cow udder. It was probably one of the worst concert purchases of my life. I'm pretty sure that shirt still exists some where in my parents' house - oddly enough Big Mama Hops wears it around the house when no one is around. I can pretty much guarantee she doesn't know one Aerosmith song so I dont know what the appeal could possibly be.

All You Need Is Hops Episode 26: Humidity

2008-09-02T17:31:00.005-04:00

“Look at that slow southern sun, hover and burn over everyone”
- From Matthew Ryan's "Drift"

Humidity. Heaviness. Slow Southern Sun. Rocking Chair. Nice Icy Drinks. Porch. Hot. Thick Air. Hammocks. Sangria In The Park. Lazy Afternoon.

Episode 26 is all about humidity. It has hot and heavy music that feels like the end of summer. Sit on your porch, pop your collar, open a Bartles & James and chill out to this episode.

As always you can download the show via the Hopscast links on the right side of this page, by clicking the title of this post or just clicking here. Right clicking allows you to save the file as an MP3; left clicking lets you stream the show in your browser. The full set list can be found on the Hopscast page though I'd prefer if you listen before peeking. Of course I’d be happy to burn a show onto a CD and mail it to you if you just email me. You can also subscribe to the Hopscast via iTunes. Instructions can be found on the blog here.

Trent Thinks Mrs. Hops Is Hot

2008-09-02T17:15:00.004-04:00

This weekend Mrs. Hops got to see Nine Inch Nails again after a long (very long if you ask Mrs. Hops) hiatus. I don't know what came over him, maybe it was the clean Philly air, but Trent Reznor decided to speak to the crowd more than usual. In one speech he called Mrs. Hops hot. See for yourself here:

A longer version can be found here

The Vibe of the Tribe

2008-08-18T11:08:00.002-04:00

Good Lord this man is a fancy dancer:

This is from my friends Jeff's wedding last night. The band playing played my wedding as well. That was three years ago - clearly Jeff has been working on his moves since then.

The Hold Steady Almost Killed Me

2008-08-15T10:56:00.004-04:00

"In Barlight She Looked All Right, In Daylight She Looked Desperate"
From "Sequestered in Memphis" by The Hold Steady

When I dream about being a rock star I always picture myself fronting a band like the Rolling Stones or acting like Bruce Springsteen. However, after rocking out to The Hold Steady at the 9:30 Club last night I realized that if my friends and I had started a band we'd probably look more like this than The Stones - but then agian I'm totally cool with that.

In other news the show was awesome - a great live band you should check out. I'm pretty sure lead singer Craig Finn was wearing the same shirt he wore in the video above. I'm also pretty sure I own that shirt.

This is my song of the summer by the way:

Who Should Bob Dylan Play Pickup With?

2008-08-06T22:02:00.003-04:00

Read the post below - now in the article it says that Bob Dylan played Cheech AND Chong in a game of pickup. This made me wonder: who played with Bob?

If you had to pick Bobs partner who would it be? See the poll at the right side of the screen. Would it be:

Neil Young: Big guy who works well one-on-one and with other players. Could be a monster rebounder but is probably pretty slow.
Johnny Cash: Strong and REALLY tough but strong headed. He definitely would play hard but would he lose his head?
Mick Jagger: Tall, athletic and full of energy... but do Brits really know how to play basketball?
Bruce Springsteen: A work horse who will leave it all out on the court. Strong and and athletic but not very tall.

Schooling Bob Dylan While Stoned

2008-08-06T21:43:00.006-04:00

Bob Dylan practicing his bounce pass

This just CAN'T be true.... can it? Hilarious either way. According to ContactMusic.com:

Veteran singer Bob Dylan was once challenged to a basketball game by CHEECH AND CHONG - and lost to the comedy duo.

In Tommy Chong's forthcoming book, Cheech + Chong: The Unauthorized Autobiography, the funnyman recalls how he and the songwriter faced off on the basketball court - while Chong was high after smoking marijuana. He writes: "Talk about legends! Bob Dylan wrote and recorded so many meaningful, historic songs.

"Bob had a good jump shot and some pretty good moves - but when he tried driving past me for a lay-up, the Canadian ice hockey player in me came out... I dumped him on his ass with a ticky-tack foul."

This raises an interesting question for me to ponder: If I was offered a chance to play Bob Dylan in a game of basketball - and I'm talking Bobby D in the late 60's not 2008 Bobby D (the thought of present Day Bob Dylan posting up kind of makes me sick to be honest) - how hard would I play? Now I know he's not much bigger than me and frankly I am pretty confident I'm a better athlete. I mean if we were talking about competition of wits he MAY have me... slightly...barely... but if we're talking sport I know I could throw down like Tommy Chong. So the big question is would I? Would you? Would you seriously attempt to block a shot by Bob Dylan? Would you then start talking trash? I've thought about this for a while. Longer that I should have and my answer is clear.

Yes.

Yes. I would talk trash to Bob Dylan himself. I mean he's my favorite artist of all time - and I'm talking artist: Rembrandt, Picasso, Lennon, Shakespeare... you get the point - but that is what makes it so appealing. No one should be that idolized - held to that high of a standard, especially a guy as weird as Bob Dylan.

But mostly I'd do it for one simple reason: I can guarantee no one talks more trash, and the type of trash that actually gets to you, than Bob Dylan. I mean he's fucking BOB DYLAN.

August and Everything After

2008-08-05T18:51:00.002-04:00

What happened? Did I completely miss the month of July? Why did no one tell me it was happening? I know I was awake at some point ... but really the last thing I remember was June. Its amazing and sad how life does that to you sometimes. Luckily perspective has told me to enjoy August and everything that comes after.

What the hell happened to Counting Crows? It is also amazing and sad. They used to mean so much to me; now they're just another face in the crowd of my overflowing music folder. Listening to them gives me the same feeling as when I look back at old photos. I see friends I used to think I'd know forever and wonder where they are and what they're up to. I am a bit embarrassed I thought we were so close at one time and sad because that is now lost. However, that is life. I've moved on from Counting Crows and hopefully they've moved on as well.

An explanation for something that doesn't need explanation

2008-07-30T21:33:00.006-04:00

If you've gone to the Hops landing page (http://www.allyouneedishops.com/) you will see three links. One for this blog, one for the Hopscast site and one for my album covers project. What? You've never seen the album covers project? That's because its been "coming soon" for about 5 months now. If I did get around to picking my favorite album covers and putting them into a gallery I'd probably let you know that I think Dark Side of The Moon might be the greatest album cover ever made. Its simple, memorable and visually stunning but also completely represents the album and the band. I also love how there is nothing on the cover identifying the name of the band or the album yet most people know exactly what the image refers to.

The reason I am bringing this up is because NME just posted a 15 image slide show of Pink Floyd album covers with explanations by the man who designed them, Storm Thorgeson. You can check it out by clicking here.

Here is what Storm had to say about Dark Side "The concept of this cover, according the artist Storm Thorgerson, was to try and connect with Pink Floyd's live shows; "famous for their lighting, ambition and madness... hence the prism, the triangle and the pyramids. It all connects, somehow, somewhere."

Mmmmm .... Elton

2008-07-16T20:48:00.003-04:00

Bruce Fights Commies, Rocks The People

2008-07-16T20:30:00.004-04:00

I saw an interesting piece today on MSBC.com about Bruce Springsteen (click here to read the article). Apparently in 1988 after Bruce got special permission he made this statement:

“I want to tell you I’m not here for or against any government,” Springsteen said, as he pointedly introduced his rendition of the Bob Dylan ballad “Chimes of Freedom.”

“I came to play rock ’n’ roll for you East Berliners in the hope that one day all the barriers will be torn down.”

The concern apparently signaled a shift that the Government was caving in to the people's thirst for freedom and the basic human rights they were owed. I didn't realize Bruce had that type of influence on people outside of Jersey! The article goes on to state that "He [Cherno Jobatey, now a well-known German TV anchorman] said the concert probably affected East Germany more thoroughly than the 1969 Woodstock Festival did America."

That is pretty amazing. Read the rest here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25696021/page/2/

Also check out the new tour highlights EP Springsteen put out. There is a fantastic track (you could also buy the video) of him and Tom Morello (aka The Nightwatchman) doing "Ghost of Tom Joad". I'd post it here for you since its so fantastic, but the proceeds from the sales go to the Danny Federici Melanoma Fund so you're just going to have to take my word for it and buy it.

And for those who have never heard Bruce's version of "Chimes of Freedom" here you go:

Happy Birthday Ringo!

2008-07-07T19:20:00.002-04:00

I was driving in my fancy rental car from Logan airport to my fancy Hampton Inn hotel room today when they mentioned it was Ringo Starr's 68th birthday. Apparnetly Ringo wanted everyone to wish the world peace and love or something like that on his special day. I flashed the peace sign out of respect and and kept on driving. Then the DJ in honor of Ringo's birthday decided to play a Beatles song. "Oh goodie" I thought. What Ringo song were they going to play? The Ringo play list rattled through my head quite quickly. Maybe "Don't Pass Me By", maybe "When We Was Fab" or even "It Don't Come Easy". Then they played ... "Revolution"... a John Lennon track. Huh? Its Ringo's birthday! At least play a song he sung or rocked the drums out on.

So in honor of the funny man himself here are the top five Beatles tracks featuring the man who coined the phrase "Hard Day's Night", Mr. Ringo Starr:

5) "Octopus's Garden" From Abbey Road - When I was little I remember Mr. Sworko (RIP), my 3rd grade music teacher, having us sing this song in class and because of that it will always hold a spot in my heart. "We would sing around and dance around because we know we can't be found". Played on Episode 16 of All You Need Is Hops: Noah and The Great Flood. A personal favorite of mine (if I'm allowed to have a favorite).

4) "The End" From Abbey Road - As the Beatles career grew Ringo was not allowed to sing as much. However, on one of their later songs Ringo got to really shine with his drumming. A rarity for the Beatles. This track was included as part of the wonderful "Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight / The End" suite featured on Episode 24: The Dark Side of the Woods - another favorite show of mine.

3) "Good Night" From The Beatles (White Album) - It's fitting that on an album that drew from so many different places and styles that a track sung by the man who was the group's backbone was its closer.

2) "Yellow Submarine" From Yellow Submarine - When the Beatles wanted to be a bit silly they called on Ringo. His sense of humor kept them together for years despite the fact they had difficulty working together. "Yellow Submarine" is a perfect example of the bands creativity and sense of humor. In fact it was written specifically for Ringo. When Sir George Martin agreed to work with the Beatles what he was really struck with was their sense of humor not their musical ability. This was fitting given that Martin was a comedy record producer not a music producer. As the band grew and because more focused on music and more serious about political causes it seemed only Ringo kept alive that humorous spirit that made them so appealing in the first place. And that is why this song ranks #2 on the Ringo countdown.

1) "With A Little Help From My Friends" from Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - "And I'll try not to sing out of key" sings Ringo in the open verses. A little tongue in cheek given that Ringo is obviously not the world's greatest singer. Too bad this song is better remembered as being the theme song to The Wonder Years. And that isn't supposed to be a slight toJoe Cocker who delivered one of the all time great covers... its just that Ringo's version is so wonderful on its own.

Happy Birthday Ringo!

Hops Solves The Mortgage "Crisis"

2008-06-23T13:20:00.005-04:00

For those of you who have been wondering where I've been the last few weeks I have a good excuse. Mrs. Hops and I are in the process of trying to move. Now buying a house in this market is pretty easy. However, selling a house is another story. People are taking all types of desperate measures to sell their property like dropping the pricing, nice staging and throwing in closing costs. These are all good ways to go... if you're Ed McMahon. However, if you REALLY want to draw in the buyers what you need is a good mix.

I put together 3 hours of music to last an entire 1-4PM open house. As you can see it relies on a lot of instrumentals in order to appeal to wide range of buyers. Like snake charming music this is guaranteed to work. Here is a sample for you to download for your own open house. Best of luck.

Hops' Open House Mix:

No. 40 Swineherd’s Dance: Allegro Vivace by Bela Bartok (MP3) – A gorgeous instrumental piece to set the tone for the open house.
Penny Lane by The Beatles (MP3)– A perfect house on a perfect street.
Hardest Geometry Problem In The World by Mark Mothersbaugh (MP3) – You’ll recognize this instrumental piece from the movie Rushmore. The title is appropriate when considering mortgage options.
Good Vibrations by The Beach Boys (MP3) – “I’m picking up good vibrations”. A not so subtle message.
Love Theme From The Godfather by Nino Rota (MP3) – This will inspire people to cook in their new kitchen
The Inlaw Josie Wales by Phish (MP3) – A classy way to appeal to hippies. It’s actually a beautiful instrumental piece.
Theme From The Last Waltz by The Band (MP3) – A nice waltz to inspire your buyers and help them feel your house’s charm.
Two of Us by The Beatles (MP3) – “On Our Way Back Home, We’re On Our Way Home”
Family Conference by Britta Phillips & Dean Wareham (MP3) – Sure this instrumental piece was written for a movie about divorce. But it’s a pretty song and you need to send the message that this house is so beautiful its worth fighting for. Trade the kids for the house. Trust me.
Our House by Crosby Still, Nash & Young (MP3) – Because you kind of have to put this one on the list. By this time the deal will be sealed.

Wow, People Are Still Pissed At Metallica

2008-05-28T17:53:00.006-04:00

Lars: Still hated after all of these years

There is an article entitled "Metallica Repents, Sort Of" on Wired.com talking about their plan to release music in the style of Radiohead/Trent Reznor - aka DRM free online. However, the article correctly pointed out that Metallica was the same band who really were on the forefront of the anti-Napster movement and even went so far as to release a list of people who shared Metallica songs online. So as you can imagine some people find a bit of irony in this new approach. What I loved about the article, however, was the comments at the bottom. Some choice ones include:

"I have been around as long as Metallica...you all lost all my respect when you f___ed off all your fans for $$$$. As if you didn't have enough!! 2 little 2 late" "They killed Napster, now fans will let them die a slow death of their own. Rot in HELL Metallica! You guys are OLD news!" "Haha, F U Metallica. Oh I get it, now that your careers are in the shitter, you finally wanna open up to this "new & hip" digital world only NOW in 2008 after years of alienating thousands of your fans by suing the pants off them & treating them like criminals for spreading your music. Too little too late. You & your scum bag lawyers can all go fuck yourselves, you greedy corporate bastards."

... and my personal favorite
"I'd rather watch old Testament videos on YouTube than give Metallica another dime ever again!"

Hilarious. I don't know what that last one means but I'm guessing that the person who wrote it doesn't regularly attend Church.