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As our nation scrambles to find alternative fuel sources, we still have to continue to depend on our existing natural resources to meet current needs. So it’s fascinating to watch truTV’s Black Gold as the crew of roughnecks try to find the ever elusive Texas Tea. With the electric car industry still in its infancy, we are still a nation full of gas guzzlers. When are we going to turn the tide and curb our dependency on oil, I don’t know. But until then, we need to root for all those Texas roughnecks in hopes that they’ll end up finding an ample supply of the sweet crude.

Can you even imagine being one of those roughnecks working those long hours on the oil rig? From what I’ve seen, on-the-job-training is basically plopping a newbie on the rig and letting him loose. It’s a bit scary to see that since there seems to be a lot of hazards involved with the heavy machinery. But all the dangerous situations make for some riveting TV, that’s for sure. I can’t even begin to imagine what it would be like out on the rig. I’d probably be the bumbling idiot that’s constantly being yelled at by the crew chief. Since I’m no where near the blue-collar type, my employee review would probably be filled with expletives just like in this youtube clip.

Not only is this reality show addictive to watch but it also opens people’s eyes to what it really takes to drill for oil. People tend to take for granted the enormous amount of resources it takes to get the fuel to the gas pump. Hopefully Black Gold will enlighten viewers in that regard.
Plus, the creators of “Deadliest Catch” are the ones behind this show so you know you are in for a hell of a ride. The new season of Black Gold premieres August 19th at 10pm on TruTV. and then catch new episodes every wednesday after that. In the meantime check out truTV’s Black Gold trailer on youtube to get a glimpse of what the series is all about.

After speaking with some friends about Bill Champlin leaving Chicago, I realized that casual fans may not really be aware of how much their vocals are “doctored” in post-production. I tried to explain that Jason Scheff in particular has a tough time covering those Peter Cetera parts when performing those old Chicago classics. With protools plugins like “autotune”, producers/engineers can correct pitch-problems on vocal tracks on recordings and even at live shows, nowadays.

For some reason the producers of the A&E show “Private Sessions” chose not to do any post-production “sweetening” on Chicago’s performance. So this is an eye-opening (and ear-splitting) example of what the band can sound like without any processing done on their vocals – a ton of bum notes. Yes, one could argue that this was just an “off day” for the guys but I’ve seen Chicago several times live and I can attest to frequently hearing Scheff’s off-key vocals. His way of shouting/yodeling through a song can really put a strain on one’s ears. Watch this youtube video of them performing “Hard Habit to Break” to see what I mean.

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Have you ever wondered what your laptop is thinking as you use it day-in and day-out? Our laptops are silent warriors continually performing complex tasks for our benefit on a daily basis. We depend on these little hi-tech wonders and would be terribly lost if we had to face the day without them. Indulge me for a minute as I try to listen in on what my little HP Pavilion HDX 16t is saying about me.

My laptop: Boy, does this music blogger really run me through my paces. He’s got my hard drive filled with music and videos and is continually burning or ripping CDs, viewing videos on youtube and not to mention, blabbing away here on his blog. I’ve been with this guy for over a year now and he seems to always have something to do either on the ‘net or working on some other multimedia project. He has also amassed a huge collection of family photos on my hard drive and so he’s always fiddling with photoshop or creating pan and scan slideshows to share with family and friends. As you may know, editing photos or creating slideshows use a good portion of my memory but since I’ve got 4GB of DDR2 memory, I don’t choke or freeze up like some of my lesser rivals. I’m so glad he didn’t order me as a smaller netbook. I would have had a tougher time keeping up with all the multimedia work he does. The only thing I wish my music loving owner did back when he ordered me was to have specified the larger 18.4″ screen which is the HDX 18t model. Watching DVDs on the larger HD widescreen is always a plus in my book. But even so, I still look good in my titanium liquid metallic design.

Anyway, I’m glad to learn that my laptop doesn’t think of me as some sort of idiot and I hope he knows how much I appreciate him. I’ve owned several HP computers over the years and I’ve had nothing but great experiences with the brand. If you’re in the market for a new computer check out HP.com for some great deals. As a matter of fact – Get $500 off instantly when you purchase an HP HDX 16t with $300 coupon code NBN3248 + $200 Instant Rebate. Valid through 8/23 or while supplies last. Restrictions and exclusions apply.

OK, the long-awaited Hall and Oates career-spanning box set is finally scheduled for release on October 6, 2009. Sony/Legacy will be releasing the 4 CD set which will include a total of 74 songs, 16 of which are previously unreleased. Also note that the title of the set has been changed from “Straight From Philadelphia” to Do What You Want, Be What You Are: The Music of Daryl Hall & John Oates. Fans have been waiting anxiously to find out what will be included in the set after it was initially announced back in March. Several unexplained delays pushed the box set back from a June release to the recently announced October date.

Anyway, here’s the official tracklist provided by Sony/Legacy. I get the feeling that long-time fans were hoping for a lot more rarities than what’s showing here on the list but what can you do…
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Disc: 1
1. Girl I Love You – The Temptones
2. I Need Your Love – The Masters
3. Say These Words Of Love – The Temptones
4. Perkiomen
5. I’m Sorry
6. Fall In Philadelphia
7. Waterwheel
8. Lilly (Are You Happy)
9. Had I Known You Better Then
10. Las Vegas Turnaround
11. She’s Gone
12. You’re Much Too Soon
13. Is It A Star
14. It’s Uncanny
15. Love You Like A Brother
16. Lady Rain (Live at the New Victoria Theatre, London, October 3, 1975, Previously Unreleased)
17. Beanie G. And The Rose Tattoo (Live at the New Victoria Theatre, London, October 3, 1975, Previously Unreleased)
18. Better Watch Your Back (Live at the New Victoria Theatre, London, October 3, 1975, Previously Unreleased)
19. Abandoned Luncheonette (Live at the New Victoria Theatre, London, October 3, 1975, Previously Unreleased)
20. When The Morning Comes (Live at the New Victoria Theatre, London, October 3, 1975, Previously Unreleased)

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webhosting service is a bit like insurance, in my mind. We tend not to think about them until there’s a problem. But just like insurance, it’s always good to regularly review your options and make sure you’re getting the best service possible. Reliable webhosting is the cornerstone of a good website. It doesn’t matter if you’ve got the world’s best content when no one can get to it because your site is always down. The best web hosting is a good balance of reliability, helpful customer service and cost. But it’s tough comparing services when you don’t know where to look. Thankfully there are sites like Web Hosting Geeks that offer reviews and head-to-head comparisons of a good cross-section of popular hosts. The site also features “Best of” awards which helps in identifying the top hosts in different categories. I’m a regular reader of their blog which helps webmasters keep abreast of the latest happenings and trends in the industry. They also post helpful tips and advice on the blog like this recent post about the 7 basic ingredients of Unix hosting. It’s essential reading for those interested in the Unix platform which, as a matter of fact, is the platform I’m currently using to host Retroblog.

I absolutely love Israel Houghton’s Power of One album. His last live release “A Deeper Level” was a bit of a disappointment to me (except for the song “If Not For Your Grace” which is absolutely phenomenal). It felt like Houghton was coasting creatively. But with the new studio album, it seems like he was allowed to stretch beyond the confines of the praise & worship format. Check out the track “You Found Me”. It’s a bit of a departure for him since it’s a bit of nu-metal ala “Linkin Park”. Houghton normally works within the R&B/gospel/pop framework so to hear him do nu-metal is a bit of a novelty. But even so it’s a great song and a highlight on the album. It’s today’s song of the day.

You found me. You found me. Once I was lost but now I’m found.
You loved me You loved me. You broke the chains that held me down.
You healed me You healed me. Once I was blind but now I see.
You freed me You freed me. With what You did at Calvary.
Thank You for the cross.

No more chains holding me. I am free indeed.
No more chains holding me I have been delivered.
No more chains holding me. I am free indeed.
-You Found Me written by Israel Houghton, Meleasa Houghton, Aaron Lindsey and Toby MacKeehan

Be sure to listen to the complex rhythm pattern in the middle section of the song. simply amazing!

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I just got back from our usual saturday morning shopping excursion and I have to say that there were some great Kmart Bluelight specials today. It’s always a treat to encounter some unexpected money saving deals while out shopping but Kmart seems to be making a habit of marking things at hard-to-resist prices. Just in time for school, we were able to get my kids some new backpacks which were regularly priced at $20 for just $8 each!! They also had a buy 2 get 1 free deal on 70-count spiral notebooks by Mead. Most parents that have kids enrolled in school know that you can never have enough notebook paper! And I was pleasantly surprised to find that all patio furniture in the store was on sale at 70% off. And if you’re there during the bluelight special, you can take an additional 20% off the sale price. that’s simply awesome.
There definitely are some great deals to be had. In fact they have over 40 Bluelight Specials scheduled throughout the day today. But in order to take advantage of the deals, you have to get to your local Kmart store since the special sale prices are for today only (8/15).
Whether you’re looking for patio furniture, grills or jewelry, you have to admit that Kmart’s got it all. And to keep up with the latest deals and specials, simply follow Kmart on Twitter.

Legendary guitarist/inventor Les Paul died at the age of 94 today. He revolutionized the music world by being the first to utilize multi-track recording as well as by creating the solid-body electric guitar. I can’t even imagine what popular music (especially rock music) would be like if it wasn’t for him. He is a true icon and will very much be missed. Rest in peace, Les.

Here’s a clip of Les Paul performing “I Can’t Get Started” in NYC back in 2006

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There’s a bit of controversy brewing in regards to Bill Champlin’s decision to leave the group Chicago. Even though the official press release seems to indicate that Champlin quit the band to pursue a solo career, some fans believe Champlin was simply forced to leave. Whatever the case may be, Chicago has a huge hole to fill now that Champlin is gone. I can’t imagine Robert Lamm and Jason Scheff being able to take over Champlin’s vocal parts. Lamm simply doesn’t have the vocal range and Scheff’s voice is pretty much shot as it is and hasn’t been singing “in-tune” for years.

My two-cents is that Champlin should have left a long time ago. In my opinion, Chicago, as a band, has been running on fumes for the last decade. They’ve been touring every summer as a nostalgia act and their setlist has been pretty stagnant over the years with no new material to support. The last time I saw Chicago live, Champlin looked absolutely bored out of his mind, playing the same old songs night after night. Yes, I’m sure it’s hard to leave the steady paycheck but still I think it’s a good move on his part. Hopefully he’ll be able to find some success with his new album No Place Left to Fall.

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I think the best kind of TV is the kind that elicits a strong reaction from the viewer. Watching TV doesn’t necessarily have to a passive experience. I don’t know about you but I don’t want to be lulled into a zombie-like state by some dull TV show. I can easily zone out just by viewing my fish aquarium or sit outside and watch grass grow. No, a true sign of a good show is when you react to it in some way. It could be laughter, sobbing or even anger. When you react to a show, whether it’s emotional or a physical reaction, the show has obviously connected with you. My wife, for example, is a “wacker”. When watching a close basketball game, she would get pretty worked-up and start involuntarily wacking the person next to her (which usually is me). I’m not sure how that helps her while watching the game but I DO know that it doesn’t help me any!! Another example is my youngest son who’s a “hider”. Whenever his older brothers are watching something a bit “scary” on the TV, my youngest gets up out of his seat and hides behind the couch. Now that’s what I call “interactive” television.

You know, a cable network that never fails to get a reaction out of me is truTV. I’m not alone in feeling this way about the network and it’s actually known as the truTV effect. The network even tries to caution their viewers by explaining that when the stories are real, the effect is actual. I absolutely love watching the truTV series “Most Shocking” especially when they feature police car chases. When you see the high speed chases endangering innocent bystanders with the criminals swerving recklessly in and out of traffic, your adrenaline starts pumping and your heart starts racing as you watch the near misses and the idiotic decisions made my the fleeing fugitives. I’m what you’d call a “grabber” that grabs at the person nearby when a shocking collision or surprising twist happens during the chase. It’s sort of a variation on my wife’s “wacking” technique but not as physically harmful, in my opinion. The network has recently featured another classification of viewer in a truTV video called the “Yeller”. Take a look.

How do you react when TV gets good?