The Drink Menu: Blow Off Some Steam

It's that time of the week again.  Who's thirsty?  Well, after last weekend's evening spent with ol' Jimbo Beam, I'd say, "Yes, I'm thirsty, however I drank a little too much whiskey last time, so I'm going to have a brewski, please."  Additionally, despite tomorrow being Saturday, the alarm is going to be set for 7am, just in time to catch the North London Derby.  Let's go Gooners!

Not quite native to the Midwest, this week's featured libation is from San Francisco.  And when I say San Francisco, I mean like across the bay from Oakland in the northern half of California (in case you weren't sure).  If you're looking for a nice respite from that watered down Bud Light or, perhaps, something a little less destined for a hangover, crushing a sixer of Anchor Steam should do the trick (or help you blow off a little steam, pun most definitely intended).

Anchor Steam Brewing is a tradition created in 1896.  Needless to say, 113 years tends to speak to a level of experience and quality that you can only assume is held in the highest regard.  With an amber hue and a creamy head (don't laugh) this is the beer to give your tastebuds a little ride on the roller coaster of life....wait, sorry, that's something different.  Anyway, I've already had two little steamers today (don't laugh) and I'm now going to go class it up with some Colt 45.

Googlebrain! Schnooglebrain!

I accidentally came across this today.  It is pretty odd to think this is possible.  I mean like, E.T. being real (wait, he's not real?) or like your mom's breasts being real (dude, they are totally real, believe me). 

Googlebrain.

Identifying a Douche - Do You Know One?

Douchebags are becoming very identifiable as a certain group of males in America. The following video does a great job of pinning down a portion of the Douche populous very well. If you find yourself relating to these characters in behavior and dress, then yes, you probably are a giant doucher. You can accept the fact and move on, or, you can get rid of your shell necklace, your Ed Hardy shirt, your spray tan, your bluetooth and your chinstrap beard and move the hell on in life. Let those things go, and find yourself becoming a better you by tomorrow. This has been a public service announcement brought to you by the good folks at Duh Moines.

We Are Douchebags - watch more funny videos

Best New Release of The Day - Wolfmother - Cosmic Egg

This is a must for fans of genuine rock music.  One of the most exciting releases of the fall is upon us.  Wolfmother is releasing their new album today, called Cosmic Egg.  Get a taste below with a video that samples all of the new songs on the album.  Best listened to at a loud volume, duh.

Inspiration and Ideas - IDEO

Check out the video below, in which Tim Brown of Ideo discusses some really brain stimulating ideas about how work and play go hand in hand.  We use a lot of these theories around the Duh Moines office.

Musonday - Music Monday

Today on Musonday we have some long awaited track releases.  The most anticipated of the bunch is Them Crooked Vultures song "New Fang."  Them Crooked Vultures is a supergroup featuring Dave Grohl(Nirvana, Foo Fighters) , Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age) and John Paul Jones (Led Zep).  The new song sounds a lot like a Queens of the Stone Age song with all of its awesome twists and turns.  Vampire Weekend drops a decent new song off of the upcoming "Contra" album.  Big Boi and Clipse both deliver solidly in the hip hop realm.  I would have included the new 3Oh3 single, except they fucking suck.

Them Crooked Vultures - "New Fang"



Vampire Weekend - "Cousins"



Big Boi Ft. Gucci Mane - Shine Blockas



Clipse ft. Cam'Ron - Popular Demand

The Drink Menu: Jim Beam - Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

It's Friday.  It's been raining for nearly 48 hours.  Straight.  Duh, that means I might need to pull a little R. Kelly on and make it fucking rain (if you're a little slow, check out the video at the end of this post).

So it's been awhile since we updated the Drink Menu, meaning today is a more than appropriate re-introduction to one of our finest topics: booooooze. 

If I were a real classy guy, which may also be overrated, I would swing by the old alcohol store and pick up a little spice for the night.  If I were, in fact, Kels and I spent an inordinate amount of time "poppin' bottles" I might not reach for my friend Jim Beam.  However, I do not pee on people and I am not R. Kelly (although if you've never seen Trapped in the Closet, it is recommended).  So Jim Beam it is.  A Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey that can be enjoyed on the rocks or with a mixer of your choice.  If you peruse the Beam web site, you can see that they have an extensive knowledge with regard to bourbon.  This makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside, just like their product.  According to the KSBW (do the math) description, the "taste opens sweet, with light caramel and vanilla flavors and, later, a slightly woody char."  This is obviously why it has been found to be a perfect pair with a ginger ale of your choosing.  Without a doubt, ol' James Beamer also mixes well with a little diet cola or perhaps, a couple ice cubes and a smidge of water, depending on the size of your testicles. 

So, in the words of the famous Dave Chappelle dba Rick James..."Enjoy yourself."

Sub"Merge" Yourself in this Record Label

 

Despite the fact that it is NPR's Fall Pledge Drive, listening to 101.7 FM in Duh Moines is still well worth it.  It is annoying to listen to all of your favorite voices tell you that you should give them money.  However, it is a foregone conclusion that the news and entertainment that is aired by NPR when they aren't peddling their pledge message is quality.  So the good part is that they tend to air their most riveting (as in Eva Amurri's nipples) news and entertainment during this pledge. 

With all the new music that has been posted, something all should be aware of is Merge Records.  The indie label was founded in '89 by a couple members of the band, Superchunk, as a way to distribute their music, as well as that of their friends.  So now, not only do they make a home for all of the great indie bands out there, help them distribute their music, and show constant support, but they also have a totally kick ass website, which is linked above.  They explore all media outlets as a mode of marketing their product and do it very well.  I especially enjoy their "radio" feature, which randomly plays tunes from their extensive archive of great music. 

Give her a listen.  And be careful with that Eva Amurri clip.  It might make your pants bulge slightly.

Boobage Tubeage - Thursday Night Comedy Vs. ALCS Game 5

GAME 5 - ALCS - 6:57 P.M. - Yankees @ Angels - Yankees lead series 3-1
TV: Fox 17 (or 6 if you're fancy, probably some number in the hundreds if you're really fancy)

Tonight will see AJ Burnett and his Yankees trying to clinch a trip to the world series against John Lackey and the Angels in game 5 of the ALCS.  The series up to this point has been phenomenal.  Even for people who don't consider themselves baseball fans, the games have been entertaining and full of drama.  Like me for instance, I looooovveeee musical theater and reading books with Fabio on the cover, and even I was able to sit through the first four games of this series.  If the Yankees win they go to the world series.  You can jump around the living room going "OMG, OMG, OMG (then maybe squeeze in one Heeeyyyyy, just to show off)."  But, tonight's game does have a worthy adversary in NBC comedy night. 

Game 5 Preview Here

Parks and Recreation's Aziz Ansari and Amy Poehler

NBC Comedy Night -
7:00 p.m. - Community
7:30 p.m. - Parks and Recreation
8:00 p.m. - The Office
8:30 p.m. - 30 Rock

NBC comedy night is officially the real deal.  Community is worth watching because they often times bring out a gem of a laugh when you're least expecting it.  However, it is clearly the Bubba Gump of this group of shows.  Likeable, but, yeah, kinda likeable and sort of mentally challenged.

Parks and Recreation has been on fire lately.  Aziz Ansari is reason enough to watch this show.  He is one of comedy's new kings.

The Office - Classic.  One of the best shows ever on television.

30 Rock - Even if you get annoyed by the same old Tina Fey jargon, you can never get sick of Tracy Morgan.  I wonder if he has ever said anything that wasn't hilarious?  Doubt it.

My conclusion.  Flip back and fourth between innings. Duh. Or if you're fancy, use your dvr.

Creative Marketing - Great Ideas - Crispin Porter Bogusky

Burger King just had an online event today, where you could watch Tony Stewart take a lie detector test live. Tony was taking the test to prove that he loves the Whopper. This is just another great example of work that Crispin+Porter+Bogusky has been putting out. Marketing doesn't have to be in a box. It doesn't have to be a certain way. If an idea can get out to the people, it doesn't matter how you do it, as long as it works. Having your spokesman take a lie detector test live is innovative and shows how the upcoming generation thinks. We make things happen that we want to see happen. Next time you approach a client, just think, what do I want to see happen? Recently Alex Bogusky spoke about working in collaboration with the client. See it HERE.

Careful though, in that video he uses the f-word. In my family, if we cussed, Mom would make us ride a donkey through town while wearing a sombrero and screaming the f-word. To her surprise all the local ladies fell in love with me for doing it. I remember.

Melissa:
"Who is that super hot guy riding the donkey in the sombrero?"
Pam:
"I don't know, but I need to be on the back of that Donkey pronto.

Music - Breaking Artists - 4 Artists On The Rise

Here at Duh Moines were pretty eclectic gentlemen.  If it sounds good, it sounds good.  Today's Artists on the Rise comes in the form of the electronic genre.  The four songs below are all undeniable, unless of  course your body is made of clay and your ears only pick up the sounds of old men chewing corn on the cob with their dentures out (or if you're one of those guys who only listens to THE HAWK 92.suckit or whatever it is.)   If you're ever on the above dock with an insane speaker system attached to the house behind you, I would blast these.  Below is a tasty song from each artist.

Washed Out - "Feel It All Around"

Hudson Mohawke - "Fuse"

Joy Orbison - "Hyph Mngo"

Toro y Moi - "Talamak"

College Humor: Joke is on the Rest of Us

Just when I think my life is absolute shit, I go and read the article on Josh Abramson and Ricky Van Heen and their thriving new business, collegehumor.com.  Certainly you've heard of this web site because of some sort of absurd sexual joke or the most recent viral video (or one that qualifies as both).  Buddies in college, Abramson and Van Heen pulled off what qualifies in my world as a utopia.  That is, hanging out with all your best buddies, drinking your face off, and fucking around....and then they made it into a million dollar business.  Seriously, what's worse than wasting your college days drinking and partying, screwing around with your friends, and not learning a damn thing?  Finding out that some assholes did the exact same thing, but now make big money doing it. 

So basically, life as they know it has continued as it once existed, only better.  Because now they have money and instead of drinking warm Natural Ice while looking to score some shwag off the creepy Jewish kid down the hall, they drink Grey Goose and champagne while smoking the stickiest of the icky (Rick James style).  And, they are continuing to grow their business.  What a bunch of bastards.

Read their article at entrepreneur.com...a web site that is an absolute everyday essential for the everyday entrepreneur. 

Josh Abramson and Ricky Van Heen flip us the bird while we work in cubicles.

Style 101

Credit to The Sartorialist

Style, when it comes to one's overall appearance, is a very tricky thing. It’s almost like a mad scientist’s formula that, with the wrong ingredients or mixtures, can spell disaster. Wrong color pants? Dr. Frankenstein’s beast is biting off your fingers. Fugly shoes? Doc Brown has sent you back in time to make out with your mom. No swagger in your step? Dr. Jekyll and/or Mr. Hyde is violently removing your genitalia. But, if one’s keen eye can put together something respectable, something compelling, a diabolical scheme to take over the world (or at least the DM area) is concocted. Muahaha!

A friend of mine once said that fashion is something anybody can pick up, but style is timeless. Anyone can be into “fashion” if they purchase a Louis Vuitton scarf with the matching duffle or some Gucci loafers, but if they can’t put it together to make a “stylish” look, then what’s the point? Sure that is easy if you got the dough, but looking like utter shite is not what’s poppin’. Now don’t get me wrong, fashion is important, but you can tell when someone has a sense of style from a mile away WITHOUT knowing the label on the inside of their garments. Even if it is something you (i.e. straight males) don’t generally appreciate, there is an underlying understanding when someone has it down pat, like a “bro code”. Whether it’s a well-tailored suit with the perfect complimentary tie and pocket square, semi-casual workwear with a classic pair of Clarks, or just the Sunday uniform of a pair of jeans, a favorite t-shirt or flannel and some Vans, if it is well put together and the person exudes a sense of dignity in their look, it can generate enormous amounts of respect (and admirers). But, at the same time, let’s not lose focus that the overall conception of your style should be done for your own self-gratification. The effervescent and all-knowing Deion Sanders has a motto he lives by and I think everyone should do the same: “You look good, you feel good. You feel good, you play good. You play good, they pay good.” God damnit, Deion Sanders, no words could be wiser.

Over my next couple of posts, I will go into different styles and where you can look to accomplish them. I will be including everything from the classics like J. Crew, Clarks, and Ralph Lauren, to some more obscure brands (to Des Moines, at least), like Japanese powerhouse, Visvim, UK contemporary giant Garbstore, or NY skate/streetwear scene regulators, Supreme. Until then, get a headstart and learn up with a few of my favorite sites that give you the ABC’s and 123’s on fashion AND style, along with those common correlations to the industry (i.e. music, movies, designer’s backstories, etc.) because, let’s face it, style ain’t just about what you WEAR. It’s what you know, hear, see, etc…

http://www.hypebeast.com/ (everything about fashion and everything surrounding it)
http://www.inventorymagazine.com/ (good guys in Canada that know their shit)
http://www.streetetiquette.com/ (Two fashion & style-forward Yankees with great incite on what to buy without breaking the bank)
http://www.realmangojuice.com/ (D.C. stylings with a great mix of music and fashion)
http://www.thesartorialist.blogspot.com/ (the existential lookbook for style)

Duh Tid Bit - The Positivity Blog

I recently discovered The Positivity Blog.  The PB is a great place to assess your daily value and find out tips for improving daily life.  I usually hate these kind of sites, with the kinds of bullshit lists that mens magazines often contain.  BUT, this one is worth your time.  My favorite part of the blog is The Mistakes People Make In Conversation.  I often feel like the victim of odd conversationalists.  For instance, when I got done taking the above photo I said, "Don, how you doing."  Don got real nervous and said, "Not much."  He then got quiet and kept staring at his horse.  We had an awkard moment and then I left.  When I was walking away I turned around and the horse looked at me like, "Get me the hell out of here, dude."

Fall Music - Upcoming Album Releases - Solid Tracks

This fall is looking a little bit more promising than last year for tunes.  Last year we suffered through late fall and the entire winter, sitting on the sideline while electronic music took dominance in new releases.  Not that there is a problem with electronic music, a lot of it was great, but geesh, how about a little old fashioned (or modern/retro) rock and frickin roll.  Well here is a rundown of what to keep an eye out for in the near future.  Some quality hard rockin albums are coming out, which means your dad finally has music to listen to while racing his horse, Suckatit Butwin, out at Prairie Meadows.

Albums to Look For This Fall (and a taste of each album):

Julian Casablancas - Phrazes For the Young - Nov. 2



Wolfmother - Cosmic Egg - Oct. 27



Devendra Banhart - What Will Be - Oct. 27



Clipse - Til The Casket Drops - Sometime November



Norah Jones - The Fall - Nov. 17



Them Crooked Vultures - Never Deserved The Future - Nov. 23



For a complete list of this falls upcoming albums click HERE.

Pigskin Rundown - Huge Game In Madison

Iowa @ Wisconsin
11 a.m.
Madison, Wisconsin
Iowa remains undefeated going into Madison


Baylor @ ISU
6 p.m.
Ames, Iowa
Iowa State Homecoming

It's Grizzly MAN! Not Grizzly Woman!

This isn't exactly new, so while I will partially apologize if this is something you were aware of becuase it is "old news" then, like my good friend Maradonna would say, "Suck it and keep on sucking it."  I was home last night - and by home I mean my father-in-law's ranch-style house - and I was watching a big screen TV where I rarely wear the "In Charge of the Remote" hat.  Cable isn't something I've been used to over the past few years, so I was understandably thrilled when Grizzly Man was on the boob tube. 

Grizzly Man is the documentary style portrait of the late Timothy Treadwell, who was ironically and literally eaten by one of the bears he studied and protected for some obscene number of years.  In this film by Werner Herzog you will be confused whether to laugh hysterically, cry sympathetically, or stare in utter disbelief.  Same as with my said living arrangement.  And now I'm comparing my life to a man who lived in Alaska until he and his girlfriend got eaten.  Apparently, the camera was rolling during the carnage despite being knocked over and was able to catch some distrubing audio.  Perhaps I'm being hard on myself. 

Give the trailer a little looksie if you're curious. 

I Wanna Go To Hike School Billy

Today on Seth Godin's blog he talks about high school. Seth tends to have some pretty impressive ideas on a daily basis. Today he is talking about social media and how the people who do the best have goals but don't take it too seriously. If you haven't watched his Ted talk yet, I suggest it.

I remember in high school when I had to take the crying doll home for health class. I took that thing over to my baby mama's house and it kept waking up my real kids. My baby mama was like "I'm going to prairie meadows with my 40 year old boyfriend, that doll better not wake my baby again." Then I was like, "damn." High school was great.

Must Have Music - The Black Keys And Their Side Projects

The Black Keys are a blues rock duo from Akron, Ohio.  They have risen to a level of fame where most people who call themselves music fans probably know who they are.  The lead singer Dan Auerbach has an amazing voice/ great scuzz guitar licks and the drummer Pat Carney beats the hell out of the skins.   This year the two guys from the Black Keys decided to release side projects, both of which are tasty albums.  Auerbach released Keep It Hid, and Carney released an album with a group called Drummer, consisting of all drummers playing different instruments, except of course the drummer, who plays drums.  Below is a taste of the Keys, and each of their side projects.

In unrelated news I tamed a wild dingo, finally.  Thanks, thanks.

The Black Keys - Thickfreakness



Dan Auerbach - I Want Some More

Drummer - Feel Good Together

Diego Maradonna Tells Press to "Suck It"

In all the awesome news one can come across on the internet, this is easily the best thing I've seen in ages. First of all, you all should know Diego Maradonna. The Argentine is widely considered the greatest footballer to grace the pitch, most commonly known for single-handedly leading a no-name Argentina squad to the 1986 World Cup Championship. The goal below is one of the greatest ever scored, especially considering the fact that it was against England (favorites to win the tournament) in the quarter-finals of that tournament. Just prior to this, he scored the famous "Hand of God" goal.

After retiring from the game, he has been known for his drug habits and outspoken nature, once commenting that Pele' (the other "best player ever") had lost his virginity to a "lad." I mean, this guy is absurd to the Nth degree. There is a clip of him on the internet where a fight breaks out after a match and he is seen running around the field directing flying karate kicks towards the opposing team. We're talking pure magic.

Now, after managing the current Argentina team and, last night, qualifying them for the World Cup against the odds, this is what the man had to say: SUCK IT.

Boobage Tubeage - Aziz Ansari - Funniest Guy On TV

This is a great clip of Aziz Ansari on Jimmy Kimmel. Aziz is the best thing to hit TV in a long time. You can see him in Parks and Recreation on Thursday nights, along with several new movies in 2009. Keep an eye on this guy.

Brand Spankin New - Wolfmother - New Moon Rising

Wolfmother is back baby!  They went away for a while after releasing their amazing debut album back in 2005. The self titled debut was an ass kicking, riff packed LP that had at least 3 viable singles. Their live show is superb and with a little luck we will see them in Duh Moines in the next year. First Fleet Concerts of Duh Moines (see under friends over ----->) does a pretty good job of bringing bands to the area, compared to what we have had for shows in the past. I remember just two years ago I used to come to your moms house and watch her play recorder by the fireplace. Not because I had a crush on your mom, but because I love recorder solos. It wasn't your mom, and that thing she does. Sorry I'm going on and on here.

Anyway here is the new song from Wolfmother from their upcoming fall release entitled, "Cosmic Egg." The song is called "New Moon Rising"


Wolfmother - New Moon Rising

Marketing Scared Shitless

I'm not sure of my relationship with scary movies.  When I was younger, I disliked them, mostly because they freaked me out obviously.  Then as I grew older, I began to find them funny (The Ring, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Pet Cemetery).  But every once in awhile, I have seen something that really freaks me out because it could be real.  And that, definitely, is what makes a scary movie kick ass.  Enter: Paranormal Activity.  This film is interesting for a number of reasons, but the reason it is pointed out today is due to their marketing strategy.  You can read a little bit about it here.

Paranormal Activity used viral marketing and the internet to help spread the movie like wild fire.  Part of getting the movie to expand to different cities was getting individuals to write their local theaters encouraging them to bring the movie to town.  They just recently surpassed the 1,000,000 letters mark.  The real kicker is that the producer spent about $15,000 making this movie and it is going to make millions.  Pure genius. 

My wife is going to be out of town this weekend, meaning I might go check it out myself since I know she wouldn't be able to sleep for a week afterwards.  Century 20 Jordan Creek Theaters is running it.  Check out the trailer.

Smash - Great Store, Even Better Owner

If you haven't heard of it, Smash is a great store located in the East Village of Des Moines.  The store has a variety of great clothes, and they have become fairly well known around the country for their t-shirts.  The owner of the store is Mike Draper.  Mike is an innovative and forward thinking person who is both business savvy and generally great to talk to.  When you go into Smash you will find that the store supports local music, art and growth amongst the young adult community of Des Moines.  I highly suggest a trip to the store in the near future.

Check out the Smash website Here.

Chek out the Smash Blog Here.

Below is a recent interview with owner Mike Draper, featured on Silicon Priaire.

Wolfgang's Vault

As a young person without lots of extra funds lying around for the purchase of compact discs.  But as a lover of music, you must find a way around that.  It's like fighting "the man" circa the 1960s or the movie School of Rock (partially kidding there).  Many people know who Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is.  If not, you should go back to your mother's womb and put the headphones on her bulging belly and listen to a little classical spice. 

That aside, someone brilliant found that some of the best live music that exists has long since disappeared and/or has found itself in the nether regions of "unlistened to" music.  The brilliance can be found in the form of http://www.wolfgangsvault.com/.  Go ahead and set up a free account and stream live recordings of some of the best rock 'n' roll out there.  A personal favorite is The Band live at the Carter Barron Amphitheater on July 17, 1976.  I mean, give it a listen and let me know what you think.  What is so neat about this entire database is that not only is there fantastic music, but also a short write-up helping you envision the time period and how a show fits into the big picture.  It even goes through who is playing what instrument and taking the vocals.  Even better, we're not talking about just the Stones and Bob Marley, we're talking extensive database.  Check it out.

While you're on the site, check out the iphone app.  If you're an iphone user, its a superb app to own.

You Know You Are a Billionaire When...

As has been stated prior, I am a full-time supporter of the Arsenal Football Club.  They are my everything.  So our cross-town rivals (we're talking London Derby, baby!) Chelsea Football Club obviously are not on the top of my list.  Yes, they have the one and only John Terry (who I love).  I will also admit that I thoroughly enjoyed Jose Murinho when he was their manager.  But now, they are shite and they have an Italian manager. 

So, you may ask, where is this going?  Well what you might not know is that the reason Chelsea is even decent is because of the massive amount of money that has been pumped into the club by their Russian owner Roman Abramovich.  He is known for his absurd comments and quick temper, not to mention buying players for huge sums of money and firing managers if his vodka glass gets hidden. 

He has now risen (or sunk, no pun intended) to new levels.  I mean, this is something else.  Check it out.

Creative Marketing - Sony - Soundvillle

Sony's new soundville ads is one of the most innovative approaches to marketing in recent times.  The ad is beautiful, vibrant and most of all progressive in style.  Featuring a small town in Iceland, Sony created something that seems surreal, yet is very real.  The cinematic look of the ad, along with the occasional bits of humor and the steady pace are perfect for what they are trying to communicate.  Below is the explanation for how this came together and the brilliant creativity behind it.  The ad is audacious and ahead of its time, kind of like that fat girl you sat behind in class who always dressed like an alien and made negative comments about everything, except not really at all.


Via: Creativiy Magazine


According to Fallon's Juan Cabral, in March 2009, a small town in Iceland "was turned into an extraordinary sound-system for a week."

The agency filled the village of Seydisfjordur, Iceland with speakers and sounds by Richard Fearless ( Death in Vegas ), Mum, Bob Dylan, Toumani Diabate, Roberto Goyeneche, Murcof, Federico Cabral, Guillemots, and others.