The Sports Ramble is the weekly sports blog of Erik Ritland. The St. Paul, Minnesota journalist and musician is the founder of Rambling On. Learn more about us on Reddit, Twitter, Facebook, or our website.


For our Sports Ramble this week we resurrect a popular bit from our lengthy Weekday Ramble series: Quote/Picture/Video. The topic is a game that is huge in England but practically ignored in the states, billiard-esque snooker.

Now THAT’S dedication
I think it’s a great idea to talk during sex, as long as it’s about snooker.
– Steve Davis

I was introduced to snooker through the top-notch acting of its biggest proponent, Steve Davis (see below). He holds every record in the sport and is easily its most popular player.
He also has a pretty good sense of humor, as this quote indicates. And an unparalleled dedication to his craft.

Settle down, Davis

Our snooker legend is so popular, in fact, that he secured a place on the semi-hit TV show I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! He was witty and obviously having a good time.

Davis gets Cross

First off, although this post is largely throwaway, “Davis gets Cross” may be my best headline ever.

Of the myriad shows David Cross has starred in that have been ignored, The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret may be the best. Its absurd, over-the-top humor is led by Cross’ uncanny ability to play a believable fool. A salesman for a mysterious new energy drink, Thunder Muscle, his poor decision making (that gets worse and worse as the story unfolds) gets him into increasingly terrible situations.

At one point his assistant Dave, who usually causes all sorts of trouble for him, sets him up with Davis as a big time sponsor for Thunder Muscle. As expected, it’s hilarious. I’d suggest watching the entire episode.

Erik Ritland is a writer and musician from St. Paul, Minnesota. His blog and podcast Rambling On features commentary on music, sports, culture, and more. He was also Lead Staff Writer for Minnesota culture blog Curious North. Support Erik's music via his Patreon account, reach him via email, or find him on Facebook and Twitter.

The Sports Ramble is the weekly sports blog of Erik Ritland. The St. Paul, Minnesota journalist and musician is the founder of Rambling On. Learn more about us on Reddit, Twitter, Facebook, or our website.
 

In today’s Sports Ramble the Vikings recover and the ever controversial Ndomukong Suh.

Let’s play!
Unlike last week against the 49ers the Vikings actually came to play. The beleaguered Lions team that they defeated look less and less likely to make the playoffs (as only I predicted) every week.

Impressively, the Vikings won the game by clearly playing like the better team. Sure, the Lions made some crucial mistakes that cost them, but there were no weak spots on the Vikings. Their defensive line and linebackers assaulted Matthew Stafford and stopped the run, their defensive backs played to their expectations, Teddy was cool and in control, Adrian was Adrian, and the offensive line even looked okay.

They’ll still only win 7 or 8 games this year, but glimmers of hope like Sunday are a good indication that they’re on the right track.

Why is everybody always picking on me?
Ndomukong Suh always seems to get himself into trouble. In week one he was accused of kicking off Redskins running back Alfred Morris’ helmet (although slowed down you can see that he’s trying to step over it). Now this week he’s in trouble for ignoring play calls and just doing his own thing, causing confusion and chaos for the Dolphins defensive line.

With these troubles and numbers that are abysmal, I wonder if Miami is regretting signing the controversy prone Suh to such a large contract. I’m sure his play will rebound but the headaches he cause may just not be worth it. Call it the Dolphins curse or something. They always seem to have locker room issues.

Erik Ritland is a writer and musician from St. Paul, Minnesota. His blog and podcast Rambling On features commentary on music, sports, culture, and more. He was also Lead Staff Writer for Minnesota culture blog Curious North. Support Erik's music via his Patreon account, reach him via email, or find him on Facebook and Twitter.

 
The Music Ramble is the weekly sports blog of Erik Ritland. The St. Paul, Minnesota journalist and musician is the founder of Rambling On. Learn more about us on Reddit, Twitter, Facebook, or our website. 
 
                                                                                                                                                        Hello boys and girls, and welcome to our first monthly music ramble. We've been writing about music for years, of course, but now it'll be more regularly every month.

What's more, we'll be focusing on reviewing new music from an eclectic mix of genres, covering many shades of pop, rock, country, folk, blues, indie, and more.

This week it's the deep blues of James Leg, song-driven punk of the Wollen Men, and Fleetwood Mac/Maroon 5 inspired pop of Family of the Year.

      *Best New Music*


James Leg
Below the Belt (Alive Naturalsound 9/4/2015)
Essential tracks: "Dirty South," "Casa de Fuego," "Can't Stop Thinking About It," "What More?"



Although rooted in heavy, dirty blues ("Dirty South," "Glass Jaw," "Can't Stop Thinking About It"), James Leg proves that he is different from his deep blues counterparts on Below the Belt. He has a gospel spirit, a religious zeal, even though the album deals with classic secular blues themes. The only exception is an energetic cover of Sister Rosetta Tharpe's "Up Above My Head." As the blues has proven for over 100 years, the Spirit isn't solely consigned to the religious realm.
 
Gritty guitars, Leg's gravelly voice (think Howlin' Wolf), and layers of distorted keyboards are at the forefront of Below the Belt. It's cohesive in sound and spirit, even as it includes every imaginable blues form. "Up Above My Head" is pure gospel, "Casa de Fuego" a fun mariachi stomper, "Drink it Away" conjures Louis Armstrong, and "October 3rd" is tough soul with dizzying layers of keyboards.   
 
In 2012 Leg teamed up with labelmates Left Lane Cruiser for rowdy covers album Painkillers. Together on Below the Belt they tear through the Dirtbombs "Can't Stop Thinking About It," which includes the scathing skateboard slide guitar of LLC's Joe Bent. If you haven't heard Painkillers, or Left Lane Cruiser's recent Dirty Spliff Blues, you're missing out.  
 
The last three songs on Below the Belt are softer and more affecting: Leg filters the Cure's "A Forest" through his dirty blues lens, soulful  “Disappearing” could have fit on Neil Young’s Are You Passionate?, and darkly poppy album closer “What More” is atmospheric and melodic. Very different from the songs surrounding it, "What More" is easily Leg’s most mature songwriting.  
 
Perfectly balanced and contradictory, Below the Belt contains the multitudes of rock n' roll: sweet and rough, subtle and candid, traditional and modern, Saturday night and Sunday morning. 

Wollen Men
Temporary Monument (Woodsist 9/4/2015)
Essential tracks: "Clean Dreams," "After the Flood," "Temporary Monument"



Portland trio The Wollen Men are part garage rock, part old school punk, and part indie. Although indebted to Oregon punk pioneers Dead Moon and the Wipers, their music is a bit more raw and minimalistic.  
 
Most of Temporary Monument is direct and punky. Energetic opening track and lead single "Clean Dreams" sets up the the album with a jangly melody, primitive and visceral clean tone guitars, and simple bass and drums. "Life in Hell," "Alien City," "The Desert," "Dissolving Man," and "The Wheel" are each reckless without quite falling off the tracks.  
 
Although raw and mid-fi, Monument is also memorable and melodic (see especially "University" and "On Cowardice"). The title track, which channels the New Wave side of the Wipers, is surprisingly poppy and straightforward. The band branches out on brooding, emotive, organ heavy "After the Flood," the best song on the album. 



Family of the Year
Family of the Year (Nettwerk 9/4/2015)
Essential tracks: "The Dance," "Make You Mine," "Facepaint."



The sunny, 70s-tinged pop of Family of the Year is sometimes reminiscent of Buckingham/Nicks era Fleetwood Mac. Unfortunately, just as often they sound like a slightly less saccharine Maroon 5. 

Opening “Make You Mine” sets the tone for the album. The production is warm and the chorus is big and memorable but it comes off as a bit workmanlike. It’s fun, though. “Facepaint” is more of the same, although some spacey synths give it a little more character. 

Synths also add to “May I Miss You.” Its arrangement is interesting, with Lindsey Buckingham influenced acoustic fingerpicking giving way to a gutsier Mumford and Sons sort of thing. “Carry Me” is similar, only cheesier and with a catchier chorus. The coda is the best part but it’s up to you to decide whether it’s worth getting there or not. I can’t make those sorts of decisions for you. 

The rest of the album walks the thin line between well-crafted pop and plastic Maroon 5 cheesiness. “Blue Jean Girl” is a perfect example: the huge wall of sound production is interesting, the darkly melodic chorus is slightly edgy, but the verses are forced and have terrible lyrics (“she was born in the back of a pickup truck/hairspray queen with a ton of bad luck/we grew up then we grew apart/I guess I had to break her heart/we held each other in the dark”).  

Although it’s still a bit show-y, lilting pop waltz “The Dance” is the unique high point of the album. Its ethereal feel sets it apart, even if the lyrics (“boys will be boys/girls will be girls/make me a part of your world”) are again a bit forced. 

There’s no denying that Family of the Year is a great summer album. It’s filled with hooks, big choruses, and has a fun, breezy sound. It could just use a little more substance.

Erik Ritland is a writer and musician from St. Paul, Minnesota. His blog and podcast Rambling On features commentary on music, sports, culture, and more. He was also Lead Staff Writer for Minnesota culture blog Curious North. Support Erik's music via his Patreon account, reach him via email, or find him on Facebook and Twitter. 

The Sports Ramble is the weekly sports blog of Erik Ritland. The St. Paul, Minnesota journalist and musician is the founder of Rambling On. Learn more about us on Reddit, Twitter, Facebook, or our website.


Hello boys and girls and welcome to the inaugural edition of the new Sports Ramble series! I’ve done these in the past but now it’ll be the main focus of my weekly sports coverage.  

This week: the NFL sets a record and a double Twins milestone.

Fantasy and reality
The NFL is more popular than ever and the ratings prove it. A record setting audience watched games kickoff weekend, the average viewership per game coming in at around 20 million. For perspective, that's the same as last year's World Series and NBA Finals.

The folks at NFL headquarters should thank whoever invented Fantasy Football. Although crazy fandom is at an all-time high, almost every person I know is invested in football because of their fantasy teams. Additionally, football is more "wham bam rock 'em sock 'em BOOM in your face" than any other sport, so it's the only one that can keep most people's attention.

Sure, football is riding high, but anything popular eventually falls. The NFL is at its peak but people will get as bored with it as I am eventually. I also still hold out hope that Americans will come around to appreciating the relaxed pace and subtlety of baseball again but I'm not holding my breath.

St. Paul, represent
On this date, in 1993 and 1996 respectively, Minnesota Twins and future Hall of Famers Dave Winfield and Paul Molitor got their 3,000 hit. That they both did it on the same date, and for their hometown team, is sort of extraordinary. Although the former was in his twilight (my dad called him "Wiffield" because he couldn't lay off outside sliders) Molitor had a solid season in '96, collecting over 200 hits and batting over .300.

Erik Ritland is a writer and musician from St. Paul, Minnesota. His blog and podcast Rambling On features commentary on music, sports, culture, and more. He was also Lead Staff Writer for Minnesota culture blog Curious North. Support Erik's music via his Patreon account, reach him via email, or find him on Facebook and Twitter

by Erik Ritland



Rambling On is a seriously fun blog and podcast covering sports, music, culture, and more. Check us out on Reddit, Twitter, Facebook, or at our website.

It’s finally here: the push to the baseball playoffs! The NFL begins this week too, so here are the predictions of a great football mind. Mine.

NFC East
1.       Dallas
2.       Philadelphia
3.       New York
4.       Washington

With the Giants in a transitional period and the Redskins lacking an identity, the NFC East will be a tight race between the Cowboys and Eagles. Because Philadelphia has so many new pieces, specifically at coach and quarterback, the more stable Cowboys will win out in the end. Despite their inferior defense and aging quarterback.

NFC West
1.       Seattle
2.       St. Louis
3.       Arizona
4.       San Francisco

The demise of the Seattle Seahawks has been greatly exaggerated. They have top players at quarterback and running back, their receiving core is above average, and their defense is still elite. St. Louis and Arizona will be in the mix but expect Russell Wilson and company to win a tight race.

NFC South
1.       New Orleans
2.       Atlanta
3.       Carolina
4.       Tampa Bay

The NFC South is the most middle of the road division in the NFL. Each team has a good chance of being mediocre and none of them jump out as being great. Any of the top three teams could win the division and they’ll all have similar records. The Bucs should make a small jump forward but will still be a non-factor.

NFC North
1.       Green Bay
2.       Detroit
3.       Minnesota
4.       Chicago

The Vikings are a trendy pick to do well this year. Some are even picking them to win the division (which I think is a joke). I hope I eat my words and my hometown team proves me wrong, I swear. But with the worst offensive line in the league backing an unproven quarterback, rusty aging running back, and below average receiving group, I don’t see how they’ll improve much over last year.

Although their defense will suffer from the loss of Ndamukong Suh, the Lions potent offense is better than ever on paper and they’ll surprise some people this year. The Bears might be the worst team in the league.

AFC East
1.       New England
2.       Buffalo
3.       Miami
4.       New York

I’ve been an outspoken critic of Tom Shady, Bill Billicheat, and the flagrant disregard for the rules that the Patriots organization has had for over a decade. The biggest part I don’t understand is that they’ve always had a good eye for talent and never needed to cheat in the first place. They’re the Richard Nixon of the NFL: they didn’t have to cheat to win and they’re a bunch of dicks (see what I did there?).

They still have talent, though, and they know what to do with it. Brady is in his twilight, but as we saw last year that’s still pretty impressive. I’m real high on Buffalo and I don’t really know why, it’s just a hunch. They’ve improved all around but will be in a tight race with the dangerous Dolphins for second place.

AFC West
1.       Denver
2.       San Diego
3.       Oakland
4.       Kansas City

Assuming that Peyton Manning has another year left in him the Denver Broncos don’t have any glaring weak spots. Kansas City and San Diego will be competitive, as they were last year, but the biggest leap forward will be from the Raiders. I want to choose them to finish second but don’t quite have the guts.

AFC South
1.       Indianapolis
2.       Jacksonville
3.       Houston
4.       Tennessee

Yikes, this division reeks. Houston will probably be second but the Jags are on the rise and I love teal. The AFC South will be Andy Luck’s division for years to come.

AFC North
1.       Pittsburgh
2.       Cincinnati
3.       Baltimore
4.       Cleveland

Another competitive division. The NFL is filled with quarterbacks at the end of their career, and like the Broncos, Patriots, and Cowboys the Steelers need Ben Roethlisberger to perform well to have a chance. He will. Baltimore and Cincinnati are better defensively, and they’ll be in the mix, but ultimately Pittsburgh has the right combination of veteran and young talent to push their way ahead of them.

Playoffs
NFC
Green Bay, Seattle, Dallas, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Detroit

Wild Card
Dallas over Detroit; Philadelphia over New Orleans

Divisional Round
Green Bay over Philadelphia; Seattle over Dallas

NFC Championship
Green Bay over Seattle

I know, picking the Lions to make the playoffs is a stretch, but I have to pick something that sets me apart from every other 2015 NFL prediction.

Even without Jordy Nelson the Packers are the most dangerous offense in the league. The Seahawks defense is good but won’t be good enough. Barring another fourth quarter collapse from Green Bay of course.

AFC
Denver, Indianapolis, New England, Pittsburg, Buffalo, Cincinnati

Wild Card
Buffalo over Pittsburgh; New England over Cincinnati

Divisional Round
Denver over Buffalo; Indianapolis over New England

AFC Championship
Denver over Indianapolis

It’s almost Indianapolis’ time. They’ll have a better part of the next decade, but for now the Broncos will have their last gasp.

Super Bowl 50
Green Bay over Denver

It won’t be as bad as the Broncos loss to the Seahawks, but the Packers will win this shootout of a Super Bowl on the shoulders of Aaron Rodgers.

Erik Ritland is a writer and musician from St. Paul, Minnesota. His blog and podcast Rambling On features commentary on music, sports, culture, and more. He was also Lead Staff Writer for Minnesota culture blog Curious North. Support Erik's music via his Patreon account, reach him via email, or find him on Facebook and Twitter

The Weekday Ramble is a daily dose of sports, music, culture, and more from Rambling On founder Erik Ritland. For more information check us out on Reddit, Twitter, Facebook, or at our website.


Friday September 4, 2015
So this is it – my final daily Weekday Ramble for the foreseeable future. I’ll continue the series on a random Tuesday or Friday (or any other day), and maybe by next summer I’ll be ready to do it every day again, but for now harvest season calls.

Our new schedule: Sports Ramble early in the week, Music Ramble (featuring mostly reviews of new music) late in the week, and hopefully a podcast beginning Fridays in October.

To finish up the Weekday Ramble machine here’s a hodge podge of stuff I want to highlight for no real reason. “Goodbye” is a loose theme that I sometimes stick to.

Thanks for reading the Weekday Rambles, everyone. I love and appreciate all of you.

King Harvest has surely come

The Band are one of the best, most important, and most influential rock groups of all time. They killed psychedelic rock with their backwoods Americana aesthetic. Each member is important: piano player, songwriter, sometimes drummer, and Ray Charles-like singer Richard Manuel; sweet voiced bassist Rick Danko; rustic, beautiful, soulful drummer and vocalist Levon Helm; sound and production genius and organist Garth Hudson; and nuanced lead guitarist and songwriter Robbie Robertson. Most bands would kill for one of them. Each of them together is breathtaking.

I chose “King Harvest” because we’re in harvest season now. It's still an important, meaningful time of change.

Goodbye, my love

Paul McCartney wrote this song (“Goodbye” in case you can’t tell) quickly to capitalize on the popularity of Apple Records signee Cilla Black. That he could dash off songs this fun and catchy like nothing is pretty incredible. It has an India/White Album feel.

Classic

I’ll never skip a chance to bring up Jimmie Rodgers, the Singing Brakeman and inventor of country music. His performances in this short movie shows why he was so popular – he’s putting his whole body into his singing and it’s entrancing. “Waiting for a Train” and “Blue Yodel #1” are two of his best songs. We’re lucky this has been preserved. The movie is cutesy and kitsch-y, too.

Let’s get dark

The Wall is an undisputed classic. It’s a bit overbearing in how dark it is, though. Waters got a lot better with being emotional and meaningful without being as uniformly dark on his opus Amused to Death.

Built around a deceptively simple riff and melody, Gilmour’s warm voice smooths out the rough edges of “Goodbye Blue Sky.”

Nothing like some sloppy wet pizza

I explained my love of comedy trio Stella in a recent post. It’s nice to see that David Wain, Michael Showalter, and Michael Ian Black are still keeping busy, most recently with the re-boot of cult favorite Wet Hot American Summer.

Their fun, irreverent, clever humor is in full display on Internet short Bored. The opening segment, Michael Showalter reading a script, Michael Ian Black’s heartfelt version of “Free to Be You and Me,” the pizza guys line, the trio’s show in the park, and David Wain’s tip are all classic bits. It has to be seen to be believed and is not for the faint of heart…

My boys

It’s somewhat surprising to most people that I really love the My Chemical Romance album The Black Parade. Emo music has never appealed to me (the genre, at least) but this album is more Queen, Sgt. Pepper, and Ziggy Stardust than Dashboard Confessional. “Famous Last Words” ended it on a big, catchy note. One of the best singalong choruses maybe ever.

Sleepy John

Sleepy John Estes’ compilation I Ain’t Going to be Worried No More: 1929-1941 was my introduction to the blues. Estes isn’t as well-known or as creative as more popular counterparts like Robert Johnson, but his laid back style is original.

The man

We’ll end with Jack White’s favorite song, emotive Son House spiritual “Grinnin’ in Your Face.” No words necessary.

Erik Ritland is a writer and musician from St. Paul, Minnesota. His blog and podcast Rambling On features commentary on music, sports, culture, and more. He was also Lead Staff Writer for Minnesota culture blog Curious North. Support Erik's music via his Patreon account, reach him via email, or find him on Facebook and Twitter.

The Weekday Ramble is a daily dose of sports, music, culture, and more from Rambling On founder Erik Ritland. For more information check us out on Reddit, Twitter, Facebook, or at our website.

Thursday September 3, 2015
Continuing these personal last posts for the summer, here are my top three favorite live concert moments.

3. I’m So Afraid – Fleetwood Mac
Honorable mention: Soul Sacrifice – Santana

When you’re 14 in 1998 and you shop for records at the Goodwill you see a lot of Fleetwood Mac. So you buy it. You listen to it, but it’s not like it thrills you that much, because shit, you usually listen to the Beatles. And Fleetwood Mac aren’t the Beatles.

But as you grow older you appreciate them, especially if you listen to their music as if it’s the first time. “Don’t Stop”? Overdone, but what a catchy ass song. All their hits are well written, even if they’re a bit shiny and perfect.

My dad introduced me to slow, dark, emotive “I’m So Afraid” when the Rumors-era Mac re-united in the ‘90s. Lindsey Buckingham proves how underrated he is as a songwriter and especially guitar player on this brooding track. I’ve seen them perform it several times and it never gets old.

2. Helter Skelter – Paul McCartney

McCartney has done a great job keeping his setlist diverse over years and years of touring. He adds and subtracts songs at whim, and with an oeuvre like his you can get away with it.

I never imagined that he’d ever pull out the proto heavy metal “Helter Skelter” but it’s been in his setlist for the last several years. I saw him play it in 2005. He’s aged, sure, but this song loses none of its edge.

1. In the Court of the Crimson King – Greg Lake (with Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band)

Of all the surprises I’ve seen at live shows nothing will compare to Greg Lake performing King Crimson’s underground rock classic “In the Court of the Crimson King” in all its 8+ minute glory. My dad was pretty cool in the late ‘60s evidently, because he loved the song and album of the same name, and it wasn’t exactly popular. I was with my dad and my brother Chris at the show, and to see him play an obscure song that meant so much to all of us was really special. Kudos to Ringo and kudos to Lake for pulling it out, especially considering that he has so many radio hits he could have played instead.

The song is progressive rock before it even existed, sort of. It was the weirdest thing to come out in 1969 and that says a lot. Poetic lyrics, elements of fantasy, and Robert Fripp’s imaginative mind and out of the box arrangements are highlights

Erik Ritland is a writer and musician from St. Paul, Minnesota. His blog and podcast Rambling On features commentary on music, sports, culture, and more. He was also Lead Staff Writer for Minnesota culture blog Curious North. Support Erik's music via his Patreon account, reach him via email, or find him on Facebook and Twitter.

The Weekday Ramble is a daily dose of sports, music, culture, and more from Rambling On founder Erik Ritland. For more information check us out on Reddit, Twitter, Facebook, or at our website.


Wednesday September 2, 2015
I went to my first two concerts when I was in 7th grade. It was at a free Rib Fest (of all things) in 1997 or so. The first night: Foreigner (with Lou Gramm) and Kansas (with Steve Walsh and other original members). The second: Loverboy. Funny how bands like this were having trouble finding work at this time and are now playing arenas again.

Below are some songs and memories from the shows.

Foreigner – Starrider
from the 1977 LP Foreigner

Foreigner and Kansas together were a memorable show, if only because the city councilman who introduced Foreigner called them “The Foreigners.” I remember I was sitting and eating corn bread, beans, and ribs as they started. Their first song was “Feels Like the First Time.”

“Starrider” was the song that stuck out to me the most. I remember Lou Gramm saying that it sounded better if the sun was setting. I’m sure it would have but the strong album cut from their first album still came off well. The brain child of Foreigner co-founder and former King Crimson member Mick Jones, he brings the otherworldly quality of his former band to the track.

Cheyenne Anthem – Kansas
from the 1976 LP Leftoverture

In the summer of 1997 Kansas were working on Always Never the Same, an album of mostly covers recorded at Abbey Road studios. Recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra, it includes a ferocious cover of “Eleanor Rigby.” At the Rib Fest show they even had a small orchestra.

Unlike “Starrider,” “Cheyenne Anthem” was performed as the sun went down. The emotional multi-part ode to American Indians was even more stunning for it. It comes from their quintessential Leftoverture (the album with “Carry On Wayward Son”).

The Kid is Hot Tonite
from the 1981 LP Loverboy

As a kid I hated Loverboy. It was one band my brother Mike would play in his old white Mustang (that I discovered a lot of great music in) that I really didn’t like. I think it was because their hooks were too catchy.

My distaste for them turned around completely when, the night after the Foreigner/Kansas show, I saw them at the same Rib Fest. Mike Reno was a big guy at the time but had the charisma of his ‘80s heyday. Every song was a hit, every song rocked, and I finally understood that you can’t have a hook that’s too catchy. At least in ‘80s pop.

Erik Ritland is a writer and musician from St. Paul, Minnesota. His blog and podcast Rambling On features commentary on music, sports, culture, and more. He was also Lead Staff Writer for Minnesota culture blog Curious North. Support Erik's music via his Patreon account, reach him via email, or find him on Facebook and Twitter.

The Weekday Ramble is a daily dose of sports, music, culture, and more from Rambling On founder Erik Ritland. For more information check us out on Reddit, Twitter, Facebook, or at our website.

Tuesday September 1, 2015
Another round of Forgotten Vinyl with three obscure ‘70s bands.

Hocus Pocus – Focus
from the 1971 LP Moving Waves

Perhaps the most bizarre classic rock song, mostly instrumental “Hocus Pocus” is endlessly entertaining. The musicianship is top drawer too. The riff is as infectious as the crazy “vocal” part. A journey worth going on.

Mirror Star – The Fabulous Poodles
from the 1978 LP Mirror Stars

Pre-New Wave British band the Fabulous Poodles had a refreshing old school sound. This anthem for nerds is melodic and has subtle verses that build to the big chorus. And who hasn’t dreamed of being a rock star while looking in the mirror?

Hold Out – Trillion
from the 1978 LP Trillion

Trillion is the progressive rock band that even progressive rock fans don’t know. Their songs were punchier than most prog rock bombast and they’re better off for it. “Hold Out” is drenched in swirling synths and organs, crunchy guitar, and majestic backing vocals. The resolution from the pre-chorus into the chorus is alone worth the price of admission. Especially if you’re listening to it for free on YouTube.

Erik Ritland is a writer and musician from St. Paul, Minnesota. His blog and podcast Rambling On features commentary on music, sports, culture, and more. He was also Lead Staff Writer for Minnesota culture blog Curious North. Support Erik's music via his Patreon account, reach him via email, or find him on Facebook and Twitter.