Welcome back to another week here at Veritas Lux Mea. Hope you enjoyed your extended post-Thanksgiving weekend as much as I was able to.
Monday Morning Quarterback
If I had to pick who will play for the AFC championship right now, I'd put my money on the Patriots and the Ravens. The Patriots were mistake prone and still managed to handle the "best" team in the NFC yesterday afternoon. In all honesty, the Bears probably can't claim that anymore. Tony Romo has rejuvenated the Dallas Cowboys who will make a run at the Super Bowl, and Drew Brees and the Saints are looking to outgun whoever they play. I think the Bears will probably end up in the hunt if they can get their offense together. If not, then I'm guessing Dallas.
But back to Baltimore, who made the Steelers look like a Div-1AA team on Sunday. I don't think I ever saw a defense play faster or more aggressive than the Ravens did at home against Big Ben and crew. I remember thinking to myself, "My God, they look unstoppable." Of course, we all know they aren't, but Billick and company have been riding the newly reincarnated Steve McNair...will he hold up? Only time will tell. In the AFC, I like Baltimore to face the Pats. Indy will dissapoint in the playoffs as always, and San Diego, as good as they are, has their weaknesses that a veteran team like the Pats will exploit.
SI.com breaks down Sunday's action.
MUSIC NEWS
Jay-Z in Brooklyn
“Jay-Z Has Sold Out.” That was the message taped to box office windows at the Howard Gilman Opera House at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on Saturday night. As a statement of fact, this was plain and clear. But it didn’t take much interpretive effort to catch an unintended double meaning in the phrase.
Figuring out what a Jay-Z sellout would entail is a trickier business. He’s the high-rolling president of Def Jam Recordings, but also, he insists, still a hustler at his core. He treated his concert as a Brooklyn homecoming, and a no-nonsense crowd reinforced the feeling. So did the setup, which had him backed only by a D.J., Green Lantern, and a lyrical partner, Memphis Bleek, along with basic stage lighting and a video screen.
But before the first of many roof-raising shout-outs to the borough of his origin, Jay-Z opened with the title track from his new album, “Kingdom Come” (Roc-a-Fella/Island Def Jam). The song is a marvel of messianic conviction — “Not only N.Y.C., I’m hip-hop’s savior,” Jay-Z boasts in the chorus — that lays claim not just to hip-hop’s throne but its soul. More literally it heralds a successful return to the game, after a less-than-successful departure from it.
“Just when they thought it was all over, I put the whole world on my back and broad shoulders,” Jay-Z barked at one point in the tune, overstating both the impact of his so-called retirement and the weight of his burden. Because most of the people in the crowd knew “Kingdom Come” by heart, they pitched in, making the sentiment feel more jubilant. During one of several superhero metaphors, Jay-Z pointedly dropped out and they managed to finish his line, “Superman is alive.” [READ THE FULL STORY]
Federline: 'I'm America's Most Hated'
Kevin Federline claims he is "America's most hated man" following his split from pop princess Britney Spears.
Federline made the statement during a performance at Hollywood's House of Blues Wednesday night.
Since the pair separated earlier this month, the 28-year-old has been vilified in the press as a gold-digging freeloader, capitalizing on his wife's success and wealth.
But a packed house turned out to see a resilient Federline perform tracks from his debut album, Playing with Fire.
After lashing out at his detractors -- shouting from the stage, "[Bleep] the haters, [bleep] the media, [bleep] the paparazzi" -- Federline adapted lyrics to one of his songs. When a member of his entourage asked onstage, "Why does America hate you?" he replied, "Maybe because I took their queen. I am America's most hated." [SF Gate]
MUSIC
Featured Artist: The Gossip
My buddy Chris, a long-suffering Eagles fan now having to deal with a McNabb-less season, recently emailed me and some other friends to express his love for Gossip. I first featured Gossip back in March, but it's always good to revisit a great band.
Here's what the Onion AV Club had to say about Gossip's latest release, Standing in the Way of Control:
In the indie-rock and punk worlds, bands often treat vocals as an afterthought, and it usually shows in their flat or limited singing. The anyone-can-be-the-singer precept is part of the charm, though, and listeners just get used to it. That makes it more powerful when the rare, legitimately talented singer shows up, and it helps explain why The Gossip remains a powerful force three albums into its career.
Gossip singer Beth Ditto has long been the band's not-so-secret weapon, filling the vast space left open by Brace Paine's guitar and Hannah Blilie's drumming. Ditto can wail like a gospel singer with bugs under her skin, or quietly sing with an almost palpable vulnerability, and her range suits The Gossip's jagged, bluesy post-punk well. On Standing In The Way Of Control, she's once again in fine form.
The album's dance-y, soulful rock songs mostly stick to the band's established style, but Standing also exudes a newfound restraint. It's most apparent on "Coal To Diamonds" and "Dark Lines," where Ditto's haunting voice sings over sparse accompaniment. Although The Gossip has always known when to slow it down and let Ditto show off her chops, even the more intense tracks burn slowly and feel controlled when they let loose. The opening song, "Fire With Fire," simmers during its verses, which explode in choruses punctuated by Blilie's busy beats.
But "Coal To Diamonds" and "Dark Lines" (which ends the album) are the real standout tracks, mournful torch songs that show an impressive dexterity. "Dark Lines," in particular, proves the band can be at its most powerful when it explores an altogether different sound. Where The Gossip goes from here could be the most exciting part of Standing In The Way Of Control.
Gossip - "Fire with Fire"
Gossip - "Standing in the Way of Control"
Gossip - "Holy Water"
Gossip - "Dark Lines"
Gossip - "Jealous Girls"
Gossip website