It's a Merseyside vs West London Sunday

Everton vs Chelsea is followed by QPR vs Liverpool . COME ON YOU TOFFEES.I hope both teams lose the second match

The Last Round of 2012

The last round of matches of the old year starts this morning. Who will keep their strong run going... Sunderland or Spurs?
The 3 o'clockers have United take on the decent West Brom on ESPN while Norwich and Citeh will be on FSC. Arsenal vs Newcastle is the late match

Join me

UWS

All Songs Considered Winter Preview

We've barely got beyond picking our favorite music of 2012 and 2013 is barreling down the track. This week, the nabobs at All Songs Considered consider the upcoming releases for the beginning of the new year. The late winter and early spring is traditionally the time that big labels dump their dodgiest fare on an unsuspecting public, but if you go off the beaten track, there are plenty of tasty items coming along. I'm particularly excited about the jazz and r 'n' b singer Jose James' upcoming release, which will feature trumpeter Roy Hargrove and pianist Robert Glasper. Those of us who enjoyed Glasper's disc last year and are impatient about the wait for D'Angelo's long-delayed masterwork will likely enjoy it. Download All Songs from iTunes and the other usual places.

Premiership Plus Predictions Game - Boxing Day Update

Boxing Day is traditionally the half-way point of the English domestic season, a time to take stock of the fortunes of your favorite sides. If you're a ManYoo fan, you may not be terribly happy with your side's form (and David DeGea certainly won't be on your New Year's Honors list), but there's no shrugging aside that you're seven points clear at the top and into the knock-out stages of the Champions League. You'll also be happy that RVP is back level with Michu with 13 goals apiece. Alternately, if you're a Reading or QPR fan, you'll already be booking your train tickets to Nottingham, Blackpool and Huddersfield for next season. Here are the current standings:

1. Man Utd Rules - 29 points
- Thomas - 29 pts
3. United We Stand - 28 pts
4. Matthew - 24 pts
5. West Ham Rising - 19 pts
6. Someone Said - 13 pts
7. AZ Kicker - 11 pts
- Blue Devil - 11 pts
9. Chelskilad - 10 pts
- Gooner71 - 10 pts
11. The Red Devil FCK1 - 6 pts
12. Simon Burke - 5 pts

We All Love Boxing Day!

Jingle bells, Cardiff smells, Palace ran away. Oh what joy it is to see Leeds win on Boxing Day, eh?

Join me as the Mighty Whites travel to Nottingham for another early one this morning. Oh - and there are a few other inconsequential matches going on as well. Happy Boxing Day, chaps!

Joyeux Noël du Roi et le Gooner!

Who will go top of the GB chart?

Will either of these players get on the score sheet to add to their totals.... We all hope the bloke in red will!
Swansea vs Man United starts at 8:30. Following that match, Chelsea take on the surging Villa

Join me boys

UWS

Snowed In Footer

We had our first serious snow storm in about a year and a half here in WNY last night, so there's nothing else for it - time to relax, sit back and enjoy a full weekend of the good stuff. First up, Wigan v. Arsenal. Then there are the usual 3pm GMT kickoffs including Citeh v. Reading. Finally, we wrap up our soccer Saturday with the late one - Liverpool v. Fulham. So - why not kick back, relax and enjoy the camaraderie here on the LOB.

2013 Inductees to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

The 2013 Rock and Roll Hame of Fame inductees were announced this week and there was plenty to chew over. Among them were bands that were important to our adolescence. Happily, I've got tracks by all of the following artists in my iPod. Here's the full list of inductees:

* Lou Adler (songwriter - lifetime achievement)
* Quincy Jones (producer - lifetime achievement)
* Heart
* Albert King
* Randy Newman
* Public Enemy
* Rush
* Donna Summer

As we're mulling over the best music of 2012 this week, I'll look forward to your comments.

European Footie Draws

Just a quick check on the momentous European footie draws that occurred at the crack of dawn this morning:

Champions League Round of 16:

Galatasaray v. Shalke
Celtic v. Juventus
Arsenal v. Bayern Munich
Real Madrid v. Manchester United
Shakhtar Donetsk v. Borussia Dortmund
AC Milan v. Barcelona
Valencia v. Paris St. Germain
Porto v. Malaga

Europa League Round of 32:

1 FC BATE Borisov v Fenerbahçe SK
2 FC Internazionale Milano v CFR 1907 Cluj
3 Levante UD v Olympiacos FC
4 FC Zenit St Petersburg v Liverpool FC
5 FC Dynamo Kyiv v FC Girondins de Bordeaux
6 Bayer 04 Leverkusen v SL Benfica
7 Newcastle United FC v FC Metalist Kharkiv
8 VfB Stuttgart v KRC Genk
9 Club Atlético de Madrid v FC Rubin Kazan
10 AFC Ajax v FC Steaua Bucureşti
11 FC Basel 1893 v FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk
12 FC Anji Makhachkala v Hannover 96
13 AC Sparta Praha v Chelsea FC
14 VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach v S.S. Lazio
15 Tottenham Hotspur FC v Olympique Lyonnais
16 SSC Napoli v FC Viktoria Plzeň

Your thoughts, gents?

MOT!

It's the biggest game the Mighty Whites have had in years - a League Cup quarter-final clash against Chelski. Elland Road should be rocking tonight. Don't miss it! It'll be shown on BEIN but I'll be on a dodgy link. Join me from 2:45pm onward.

Reading v. Arsenal

Last time these two sides met (in the League Cup) they produced a 5-7 thriller. Here's hoping for 12 more goals tonight. I've got a meeting that should take me out for the first half but I hope to be back by the second to join you. Ta ra for now!

Happy Birthday, MUR!

Please join me in wishing our own Man Utd Rules a very happy birthday today!

My Favorite Music of 2012

BDB posted his books of the year so I'm taking the music of the year post. And like previous years, I find that I am less and less devoted to the long-form record and more attracted to the song. There are fewer and fewer brick-and-mortar outlets for me to browse through and find that record that surprises me. In fact, I find that I'm often surprised to find out that an artist I've been devoted to in the past has released a recording without my noticing. I've had to retrain myself to following music blogs, Spotify, online vendors, and artist and label websites to make sure I don't miss a release. I don't find this method as satisfying as setting aside 30 minutes in a record store, but I don't see that experience returning anytime soon. And yet, I ended up buying more records than I did last year. I enjoyed Donald Fagen's Sunken Condos, Andrew Bird's Break It Yourself, Jack White's Blunderbuss, Nick Waterhouse's Time's All Gone, Spiritualized's Sweet Heart Sweet Light, Michael Kiwanuka's Home Again, Brad Mehldau's Where Do You Start and Curumin's Arrocha. I thought these records held up as suites of songs. It was a good year for going to shows too. The memorable ones included the Robert Glasper Experiment, Nick Lowe, Curumin, T. P. Orchestre Poly-Rythmo (the pic is of me with trumpeter Vital Assaba; he's 65 if he's a day, and still throws outrageous shapes on-stage), and the Bad Plus. I'd also include seeing DC local legend and walking jukebox Olivia Mancini play at a neighborhood haunt, Doug Aiken's Song 1 installation at the Hirschhorn Museum, and two gigs by my son Eric and his band. They tear the hell out of I Predict A Riot and are working on Bang A Gong among others. The songs from this year that made me perk up and notice included: So Long Marianne, by Bill Callahan -- Bill has quickly become my favorite baritone and he does more than justice to this chestnut from Leonard Cohen. What absolutely slays me, however, is the moment that the pedal guitar makes its first entrance. Time To Go, by Wax Tailor -- I know absolutely nothing about this band, except that they have the taste to get Aloe Blacc to sing on this track. He's one of, if not the most soulful singer to come through in year and he knocks this out of the park. The Only Place, by Best Coast -- Bethany Cosentino penned this song about her home state and it's just lovely. I can only guess that the reason that the CA department of Tourism hasn't used this in commercials is that she won't give her consent. But one listen is all you'll need to hop a flight to Cali. California, by Delta Spirit -- I love these guys because their music awakens the 15-16-year old Steve and I can imagine waiting desperately for them to show up at the Corn Palace or Hammersmith Odeon of my youth. They're prolific too and anyone keeping track will notice that they've featured in all 3 of the last 3 years on my list. Gone Tomorrow, by Lambchop -- This is such a warm seductive song and so quietly played. Leyndarmál by Asgeir Trausti -- Asgeir is an Icelandic singer who is making big news in Europe with his pretty songs. He sings in Icelandic which will probably mean that he has limited potential here, but if he ever records in English, he will rule. Tell Me A Tale by Michael Kiwanuka -- Another artist who has already conquered in Europe, his style reminds me of Bill Withers, which is a really good thing. Andrew in Drag by Magnetic Fields -- Probably the best songwriter, lyrics and music both, working today is Stephin Merritt of Magnetic Fields. He's capable of the most delicate and beautiful love song, and also of this, a funny song about how the only girl he ever loved is a man in drag. Afro Blue by Robert Glasper Experiment -- Robert Glasper came to my notice for his combo's cover of Teen Spirit, but this track with Erykah Badu's vocal is just sublime. Say I Wanna Know by Nick Waterhouse -- Unapologetically retro, this guy mines an R&B swagger that sounds really fresh. The horns on this track are infectious! Honorable mentions include Curumin's Selvage, Daughn Gibson's In the Beginning, Beach House's Myth, Toussaint Morrison's Can't Relive the Party, Admiral Fallow's Guest of the Government, Ben Gibbard's Teardrop Windows, Amie Mann's Labrador, Langhorne Slim's The Way We Move, and the Dirty Projectors' Gun Has No Trigger. What were you listening to this year?

Sunday Morning at the LOB

I'm back on Sunday morning to follow the day's matches, starting with Spurs hosting Swansea at the old Shite Fart. Both sides have been inconsistent, so something's got to give. Later, we have West Brom and West Ham. Some people have their houses of worship on a Sunday morning -we've got this. Do drop in for a cuppa.

Thank the Stars...It's Soccer Saturday!

Yes! It's the weekend at last and what a feast we have on board today. It all starts with Newcastle attempting to beat off their sagging form at the expense of Citeh. Then the full slate of 3pm GMT kickoffs including Leeds entertaining the Tractor Boys. Join me for the usual LOB coverage, won't you?

Premiership Plus Predictions Game - Week 16 Update

Before we get into the hurly burly of the English footie weekend, it's time to take stock of our PPP game. The major change from my last update is that Swansea schemer Michu is now top of the pops in goalscoring as he added two to his total in midweek and has 12 goals to his name in the Premiership. So four of our players have lost six points due to that change. The Manc boys are still at the top of our charts, though, with a bit of shifting in mid-table. We'll see what happens this weekend. Enjoy it!

1. Man Utd Rules - 24 points
- Matthew - 24 pts
- Thomas - 24 pts
4. United We Stand - 23 pts
5. Blue Devil - 14 pts
6. Someone Said - 13 pts
7. Gooner71 - 10 pts
8. Chelskilad - 9 pts
- Simon Burke - 9 pts
- West Ham Rising - 9 pts
11. The Red Devil FCK1 - 8 pts
12. AZ Kicker - 7 pts

Paul Shaffer Does Cher Singing "O Holy Night"

It's a holiday tradition here at LOB - Paul Shaffer impersonating Cher doing "O Holy Night" from the "Sonny and Cher Christmas Special." Sadly, Paul hasn't done this on the show for several years now, but we always have this excellent YouTube clip. It wouldn't be the holidays without it. Enjoy!

Midweek Footie Round-up

I'm here in the office following the day's footie action again. Condolences to Gooner regarding yesterday's loss to Bradford. But I'd be lying if I didn't own up to the dark wish for a cracking Yorkshire Derby in the semis now. Bring on Chelski! That's for next week - today we've got Swansea led by the white hot Spanish striker Michu against Middlesboro, along with some other bits and pieces in other tournaments. Join me if you're loafing this afternoon.

All Songs Considered Year in Review

One of the things that I love the most about this time of year is catching up on what I've missed terms of cultural artifacts during a busy year. This week's "All Songs Considered" podcast features their annual Year in Review with host Bob Boilen and the gang, and it's the usual eclectic stew, including lots of stuff that I didn't hear and will be in a hurry to listen to. Enjoy it by downloading from iTunes and the usual other outlets.

Books of 2012

Around this time of year, we at the LOB take stock of the things that made things a little more fun and meaningful over the past year - music, movies, footie. By tradition, however, we start with the books that we loved in 2012. Here's my list: 

1. R.J. Palacio – Wonder: Palacio’s miracle of a debut novel features a young boy with a signifiicant facial deformity who has been home-schooled until the 5^th grade. His entry into public school life is both sobering and inspiring.

2. Will Hermes – Love Goes to Buildings on Fire: Will Hermes writes about the history of the 70s  NYC music scene from early garage punk to salsa to new classical with the passion of a fan.

3. Dave Eggers – A Hologram for the King: Eggers’ latest novel gives us a middle-aged broken man on business in Saudi Arabia. His sympathetic treatment of all of the characters is admirable. And as usual for McSweeney’s books, the packaging is incredibly beautiful.

4. Paul Mason – Why it’s Kicking Off Everywhere: Guardian columnist Mason has written the best book so far on the Arab spring and the Occupy movement, focusing is on the ways in which technology has aided these 21^st century revolutionary movements.

5. Tom Rachmann – The Imperfectionists: Rachmann looks at the demise of the newspaper business through the lens of one small English-language paper based in Rome and its weird but engaging group of contributors.

6. Dorothy Wickenden – Nothing Daunted: Wickenden tells the fascinating story of two Rochester society girls who go to teach in the early public schools of the Colorado hills in the 1910s

7. Michael Chabon – Telegraph Avenue: Michael Chabon sprawling, multi-narrative novel centers on the fate of a used record store in Oakland threatened by the arrival of a megatore.

8. Jeffrey Eugenides – The Marriage Plot: Jeffrey Eugenides’ college novel, surrounding a set of English literature students, has a sense of authenticity missing from many similar efforts such as Tom Wolfe's embarrassing I Am Charlotte Simmons. 

9. Anthony Clavane – Promised Land: Clavane’s book covers the usual Leeds United history but from a supporter’s point of view, especially the element of the Jewish community and it support for the team.

10. Zadie Smith – NW: Zadie’s scabrous new novel is about North London, an area that I know well, and the struggle of a motley group of characters to make life in the crazy mosaic of Willesdon work.

Notable Others:

• Rachel Dratch – Girl Walks into Bar…

• Thomas Franks – Pity the Billionaire

• Chuck Klosterman – The Visible Man

• Kevin Kumashiro – Bad Teacher!

• Stacie McMillan – The American Way of Eating

• Sylvie Simmons – I’m Your Man

Disappointments:

• Hanna Rosin – The End of Men: In this much-buzzed about book, Rosin argues that the so-called battle of the sexes is over and that women have won. Make that – white, professional women that Rosin knows in Georgetown – have won. I’m not convinced by her premise or the evidence she provides.

• Gary Shteyngart – Super Sad True Love Story: Shteyngart’s much buzzed about novel provides another dystopic view of our near future, centering on a sad sack guy who is hung up on a Korean American princess. I found it depressing.

As usual, I encourage you to post your favorites here, mainly so that I can start building my "To Read" list for 2013. Cheers!

Battle for the Top

So... will Citeh dominate their neighbors this season as they did last year? Those two results decided the league in Citeh's favor. Will Sir Alex let it happen again? Can he get United to START PLAYING THE UNITED WAY!!

Join me

UWS

Up Early for the Whites!

Another weekend, another early match for the Leeds boys, as per police recommendation. This morning we travel to Derby County for a mid-table Championship clash. Oh - and there are a load of other matches at 10am, too. Join me for the usual cracking LOB coverage.

RIP Dave Brubeck (1920-2012)

I'd be remiss is I didn't acknowledge the death yesterday of one of the jazz great, pianist Dave Brubeck, who I had the great fortune to see on the occasion of his 85th birthday down in Florida. Brubeck took the inspiration from Miles Davis' "Birth of the Cool" sessions and created a West Coast sound that combined classical and jazz musics into a breezy third stream, with help from alto saxophonist Paul Desmond. His "Time Out" LP is one of my Top Ten favorite albums. Enjoy this taste of his biggest hit, "Take Five."

The CL Group Stage Comes to its Conclusion

Yesterday was a particularly dismal day for the English sides in the Champions League, with Arsenal limping into the Knock-out stages in second place and current English champions Citeh knocked out of Europe entirely. Today, Chelski will fight for their CL lives against tiny Nordsjaelland from Denmark. United are already through top of their group but will want to finish strong as well. Join me for all of the action this afternoon, won't you?

Premiership Plus Predictions - Midweek Update

While we're in the midst of the final Champions League gameday, let's take a breath for another peek at our PPP game. Some slight changes at the top, with Spurs edging into the final CL spot on the basis of Ballhog Defoe's recent spate of goals. A lot of us are losing valuable points while those pesky overachievers such as Everton, WBA and Swansea are taking up spaces usually reserved for the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle - all languishing in mid-table spots now. And it was a right old bloodbath in Europe this week, with Blue Devil, Gooner, Matthew, The Red Devil, Thomas, and UWS all knocked out of the Europa League, merely because their picks gained berths in the knock-out rounds of the Champions League. Still - lots of goals (and points) around the Golden Boot stakes, with a four way tie between Ba, Michu, RVP and Suarez - all on 10 goals now. So - congratulations to Matthew, who now sits atop our competition:

1. Matthew - 32 points
2. Man Utd Rules - 31 pts
3. UWS - 26 pts
4. Thomas 20 pts
5. West Ham Rising - 16 pts
6. Blue Devil - 13 pts
7. Someone Said - 12 pts
8. AZ Kicker - 7 pts
-  Chelskilad - 7 pts
- The Red Devil FCK1 - 7 pts
11. Goonery 71 - 6 pts
12. Simon Burke - 5 pts

Zeppelin on Letterman Tonight!

Heads-up, Zep-heads out there! The boys will be making a rare, rare appearance tonight on David Letterman's Late Show. They may not look (or sound) like they did in this classic 1970 clip from the Royal Albert Hall, but it's still a must-see. Enjoy!

Fake Dons vs Real Dons

We start the day with possibly the biggest grudge match in the history of the FA Cup as the Fake Dons host the Real Dons. Come join us if you can for this bitterly contested cup tie

Early Morning Yorkshire Derby

I'm losing some precious weekend sleep again because those weak kneed among the British constabulary have decided that the fan support for the Mighty LUFC are a wee bit too difficult for them to handle at 3 in the afternoon. It's Huddersfield v. Leeds and it's the bleeding crack of dawn here in Blue Devil HQ. Join me for this one and the rest of the Saturday schedule, won't you?