My regular readers know that I really like Miniature Tigers. My daughter introduced me to them a few years ago and I’ve really embraced their sound, which has some hints of island sounds and tropical musical highlights.

In between mini tours, they have been hard at work on a new album and have recently released the details. It’s called “Mia Pharaoh” and it comes out on March 6th. Here’s the track listing:

1. Sex On The Regular
2. Female Doctor
3. Cleopatra
4. Afternoons With David Hockney
5. Easy As All That
6. Flower Door
7. Boomerang
8. Ugly Needs
9. Angel Bath
10. Husbands and Wives

Here’s the video to their lastest song “Female Doctor”

Last year, they released the single “Boomerang” which I played quite often and is officially released with this new album. It’s a wonderfully catchy song. And if “Female Doctor” sounds anything like the other 8 tracks on the album, this slightly more pop sound of this indie band will explode them into the mainstream this year.

When we last left you here on Music Monday, we talked about the teaser video that Van Halen tossed out about a new tour and a new album. Well, to announce the dates and give fans proof they are really doing something, they jammed to an invite-only event on Jan 5th at Cafe Wha? in New York. After reading the reviews, seeing some photos and watching the plethora of YouTube footage captured from that night, I can honestly say that they are back [well, not completely since Michael Anthony is not part of this] and look and sound like they are ready to take on 2012 in a big way.

David Lee Roth, Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen and Wolfgang Van Halen are look like they are fit, cleaned up, the same and well trained as a band. The new album titled “A Different Kind Of Truth” drops Feb 7th.

Track Listing

1. Tattoo
2. She’s The Woman
3. You and Your Blues
4. China Town
5. Blood and Fire
6. Bullethead
7. As Is
8. Honeybabysweetiedoll
9. The Trouble With Never
10. Outta Space
11. Stay Frosty
12. Big River
13. Beats Workin’

New song “She’s The Woman”

Somebody Get Me a Doctor

Tour Dates

No Salt Lake date, so I will be traveling for this tour.

February
• 18th – Louisville, KY
• 20th – Auburn Hills, MI
• 22nd – Indianapolis, IN
• 24th – Chicago, IL
• 28th – New York, NY

March

• 1st – New York, NY
• 3rd – Uncasville, CT
• 5th – Philadelphia, PA
• 9th – Buffalo, NY
• 11th – Boston, MA
• 15th – Montreal, QC
• 17th – Toronto, ON
• 21st – Ottawa, ON
• 24th – Atlantic City, NJ
• 28th – Washington, DC

April

• 1st – Rosemont, IL
• 10th – Sunrise, FL
• 12th – Tampa, FL
• 14rh – Orlando, FL
• 16th – Jacksonville, FL
• 19th – Atlanta, GA
• 21st – Greensboro, NC
• 25th – Charlotte, NC
• 27th – Nashville, TN

May

• 1st – Tulsa, OK
• 5th – Tacoma, WA
• 7th – Vancouver, BC
• 9th – Calgary, AB
• 11th – Edmonton, AB
• 17th – Winnipeg, MB
• 19th – St. Paul, MN
• 22nd – Kansas City, MO
• 24th – Denver, CO
• 27th – Las Vegas, NV

June

• 1st – Los Angeles, CA
• 3rd – Oakland, CA
• 5th – San Jose, CA
• 12th – Anaheim, CA
• 14th – San Diego, CA
• 16th – Phoenix, AZ
• 20th – Dallas, TX
• 22nd – San Antonio, TX
• 24th – Houston, TX
• 26th – New Orleans, LA

Reviews

Long Video

And one last video that melds a few songs together

Audio is so-so, but video is nice and up close

So like planking and owling that came before it, coning (or cone-ing) is another stupid and dumb prank that mindless individuals have created to garner a few laughs on YouTube.

It involves ordering an ice cream cone from McDonald’s via the drive through and instead of grabbing it from the cone bottom, it gets grabbed from the top – the ice cream. Which creates a mess for the prankster and is intended to embarrass the employee and others that aren’t in on the prank.

Simply put, it’s just fucking dumb.

Now don’t get me wrong. I’ve done my share of pranks over the years and I’ve laughed when others get played. My favorite was to super glue a quarter to the ground and watch people try to pick it up. That’s classic for a prank.

This prank… not so much. Maybe I have to be younger to understand why it’s so funny. But even still, it seems rather pointless in so many ways. Watch the video above and see if it garners a laugh. Not a single one for this guy.

But it appears that not only is it catching on with other nitwits, those potential victims are being educated. Watch this coning prank get foiled by a smart and up-to-date manager.

PWNED! Ha ha… even the hot blonde gets set back. Eat your damn ice cream cone like everybody else not looking for their fail moment on the interwebs!

It’s time to just say no to these dumb pranks. I’m putting out a call out to bring back the classics… vaseline on door knobs, saran wrap on toilet seats, pennies jammed in doors and the afore mentioned quarter glued to the sidewalk. Let’s show the web newbies how’s it’s done.

And on that note, I’m going to go watch Jackass.

Looking forward to their new album on September 27, 2011.

To all who celebrate, have a safe and sane day.

I’ve always liked this song by X. The above video not only has the song, but it’s played to a pretty cool light show.

No, not Nyan Cat again

Sorry to have two posts in a row with Nyan Cat, but this one’s patriotic.

Nyan Cat is the latest graphical meme to hit the interwebs. It’s dumb, silly, nonsense fun watching a pop tart cat make the same motion. Then someone decided to pair it up with an equally mindless song and next thing you know, 20 million views on YouTube happens.

The Original Nyan Cat video meme mash up

Now that it’s popular, of course a copyright claim is going to happen. And BAM! Sunday night, it got pulled off YouTube.

As it turns out, Prguitarman didn’t issue the copyright claim. From his blog, he posted about how he was trying to prove to YouTube that the proper rights to use the song and video were valid.

And therein lies the issue here. YouTube, needing proof from the original copyright holder of something that was his, accepted a copyright claim from someone claiming to be this person. It seems things are a bit out of control at the helm of the “all things cats” video site.

While I am all about the person who owns the copyright getting their fare share (and any monetary dues), it seems the be ok that anyone can file a copyright claim and have a video pulled, but when it comes to the actual person who owns the copyright trying to get his/her work restored, they need a mountain of paperwork that needs to be submitted.

As of Tuesday, the original video is back and all seems to be ok for now. But this case just proves that something with online copyright management needs to change, and for the better.

For those of you that do not imbibe, try this link here.

Now for the rest of you, watch and learn.

YouTube version

Vimeo version

Mtn Dew Pitch Black with Vodka from Marty Mankins on Vimeo.

Music related, I honestly didn’t know of any songs that applied to today, but upon searching the vast web, I came across this happy little ditty by Dropkick Murphys. Enjoy and we’ll be back next week for more musical explorations.

The White Limo from the “White Limo” video by the Foo Fighters, from their forthcoming album “Wasting Light” made a visit to Salt Lake City yesterday as part of the White Limo Tour, leading up to the album release [less than 2 weeks before it's available for purchase at your favorite record store]. This visit was at my local Graywhale Record store.

What’s that? You don’t know about the White Limo? Watch and learn…

Ok, now that you know the story, here’s my photo montage of seeing this limo in person.

parked

Hold my drink please

Open Sky

A little FF on the side

Pick your seat

TV party tonight… TV party alright!

I’m no Dave Grohl [and no, he didn't make a surprise appearance], but I can make silly faces like he does.

Count it down….April 12th, bitches!

I’ve been a fan of Radiohead since their inception. Albums like “The Bends” and “OK Computer” have long been a part of any best of list over the years. And when they changed their musical style with “Kid A” and “Amnesiac”, I followed along, even if it did take a few listens to grow on me.

In 2007, they offered up a different method of obtaining their album “In Rainbows” – pay what you want. A lot paid nothing, some paid $5.00 and others paid a bit more [that would be me, paying around $11]. That album took a few listens to grow on me as well, but once it did, it ended up being topping my best of the decade list of albums.

The new album, “The King of Limbs” keeps a similar distribution model, but omits the “pay what you want” price structure. From $9 for an MP3 version of the album all the way to $53 for a “newspaper” version of the album [you get physical vinyl plus a digital copy of the album]. I opted for the cheapest option, getting 320kbs MP3s.

Here’s the track list:

1. Bloom
2. Morning Mr Magpie
3. Little By Little
4. Feral
5. Lotus Flower
6. Codex
7. Give Up The Ghost
8. Separator

The album was released a day early, on Friday Feb 18, 2011. I downloaded it before heading to work that morning, synced all of my iDevices and then proceded to hear it a good six times – from start to finish – over the weekend. My first impressions are that it’s good. A bit on the softer side, when compared to previous albums, but it’s got some good potential so far. On my last listen this morning – the total tracking time is just under 38 minutes – a couple of tracks started to become familiar. “Lotus Flower” is one, with it’s catchy and consistent beats. And the chorus from “Little By Little” has found it’s place in that part of the brain where the words gets randomly repeated.

I’m sure given the more I play this album, it will find it’s way into at least my best of list for 2011. But without jumping ahead, my only real negative so far is that it’s very focused on Thom Yorke. It seems to be missing some of Jonny Greenwood’s guitar work that I’ve noticed more prominently from previous albums. Maybe more listens will bring that out, but it is noticeably missing.

Here’s the official video for “Lotus Flower”

So any other Radiohead fans out there? Any one dislike most of what Radiohead has done? Comment away with your thoughts on this new album.

Frosted Cherry Pop Tarts. Oh, how I love these. But don’t take my word for it. Watch as Dawg and Poppy not only thank me for my suggestion, but also enjoy eating them.

Now go check it out…. NOW!