Josh's blog

Sumo Update: January 2012 Tournament, Day 8

Hisashiburi desu. It's been a while. But here goes -- here are all the big stories as of the midway point of the first Sumo tournament of the year.

HAKUHO  8-0

What a shock. The Yokozuna hasn't lost yet and until today's match vs. Takayasu, he hadn't even shown any vulnerability at all. This is the 6th tournament in a row that Hakuho has rolled to 8 wins without a loss -- the guy just doesn't lose the ones he's supposed to win. He won his 21st championship in November and his goal for this year is to win at least 4 out of 6 tournaments, to tie Asashoryu with 25 championships for his career.

 

BARUTO  8-0

Ozeki Baruto has had his best tournament in a long time. He's won every match and looked very good doing it. He's finally 100% healthy and looks strong.

KISENOSATO  7-1

This is Kisenosato's first tournament since being promoted to Ozeki. The promotion was a bit of a surprise in November, but Kisenosato's lived up to it so far. He's doing much better than the other new Ozeki, Kotoshogiku, who's only 4-4 after 8 days in his second tournament as Ozeki.

Here's the best match of the tournament so far -- Kisenosato vs. Kakuryu on Day 5:

 

KOTO'OSHU 7-1, HARUMAFUJI 6-2

Even the older Ozeki's who've been hanging around being less than great for a year or 2 now are having strong tournaments. Koto'oshu has looked better than he had for many tournaments. It will be interesting to see if he can keep it up when he starts facing the other Ozeki's and Yokozuna (which starts tomorrow with a match vs. Harumafuji).

With 5 Ozkei's in the rankings, that's the most ever, but there may be another coming before too long.  KAKURYU (5-3) has showed signs of greatness, though he had a horrible loss today against winless wrestler Wakakoyu, and has lost 3 of his last 4. Wakakoyu is in his first tournament at one of the top 'sanyaku' ranks, but it looks like it'll be a short stop there, since he's now 1-7 for the tournament.

There are 4 new rookies in the top level of Sumo this time:

CHIYONOKUNI -- 6-2.  Chiyonokuni is only 21 years old and looks like he has some real skill. He made it to the majors after only 3 tournaments in the minors.

TENKAIHO -- 6-2. Tenkaiho is older but also made it to the majors after only 3 tournaments in the minors. He wins by being huge -- the 2nd heaviest wrestler at 427 pounds.

KYOKUSHUHO -- 2-6. Kyokushuho is another Mongolian wrestler (16th so far) and only had 2 tournaments in the minors but it looks like he'll be heading back there after a tough first tournament in the majors.

NIONOUMI -- 2-6. I enjoyed Nionoumi's interview after his first win in the majors and I've been rooting for him, but unfortunately, he hasn't done so well, and will probably be heading back for a 3rd stint in the minors.

Other wrestlers having good tournaments so far include two of the smaller wrestlers who win with great technique, Tochiozan and Asasekiryu (both 6-2). Also, at 5-3 are the oldest wrestler, Kyokutenho, at 37 years old, and up-and-coming 23-year old Tochinowaka. And shrimpy (211-pound) Czech wrestler Takanoyama has won 4 of 5 to even his record at 4-4 in his return to the majors.

In the minors, there are a couple new wrestlers looking good. Chiyotairyu is so new to Sumo his hair still isn't long enough to make a top-knot, but he's 8-0 and leading the tournament in his first time in the Juryo division. And Amuru is a Russian wrestler who's 7-1 in his debut in the Juryo division.

Meanwhile, in the lower minors (Makushita division), there's a wrestler named Sakumayama (a name that sounds obscene and hilarious in the Japanese pronunciation) who as of today has won his first 25 bouts as a professional Sumo wrestler without a single loss. One more win and he'll have the all-time record for best start in Sumo. He should move up to the minors in March and maybe the majors by July if he keeps it up.

And in the Sumo pool, Kunitachi has reached his highest ranking (Makushita #15) after 3 straight winning tournaments and is looking for another, at 5-3 for the current tournament. My goal is to reach the Juryo by July.

Top 20 Albums of 2011

My favorite albums of 2011:

1. Wye Oak -- Civilian

Most of my top albums are lighthearted pop records. Not this one. Serious, heavy, dark and mysterious, but also beautiful and rich.  Gets better with every listen. Jenn Wasner's voice is mesmerizing and her guitar kicks ass. 

05 - Civilian

 

 

2. The Decemberists -- The King is Dead

The Decemberists went back to a simpler song-oriented style with a focus on melody and this was the soundtrack of the summer (and probably many summers to come). A happier Colin Meloy, backed by Gillian Welch on several songs, made for the most listenable record of the year.

3. Eulogies -- Tear the Fences Down

Born of the death of a child, emotionally wrought, but eminently danceable. That's weird, but Peter Walker just writes great songs.

 

05 - Tear The Fences Down

 

 

4. Low Roar -- Low Roar

Sorry King of Limbs, but the best Radiohead album this year was by this guy, Low Roar, not Radiohead. This has the moodiness, the atmosphere, the brooding, and the whiny indy vocals. Not necessarily any standout tracks here, but the album in full is perfect (if you're in the right mood).

 

02 - Just A Habit

 

 

5. The Submarines -- Love Notes / Letter Bombs

The Submarines are perfecting pop songwriting with every album. This is the best one yet and features some of the best pop songs of the year (Ivaloo, Fire, Shoelaces).

 

02 - Fire

 

 

6. Fool's Gold -- Leave No Trace

They were the best I saw live this year, but their recorded work is great, too. The records bring out the stellar Afro-beat stylings of their guitarist with crisp production. 

 

09 - Bark And Bite

 

 

7. Cults -- Cults

It seems like there are a lot of retro-60's groups getting started these days. Cults are definitely one of the best, and they manage to make the retro sound still seem clearly modernized, which is important.  Go Outside is definitely one of the songs of the year (I think it was in an iPhone ad or something.)

8. The Postelles -- The Postelles

I always seem to find one straight-ahead rock 'n roll album each year that I can listen to when I'm feeling all the twee, hipster, indie music I listen to slowly emasculating me. The Postelles wrote some fantastic guitar-riff-based pop songs that rock and these days, that's rare.

 

01 - White Night

 

 

9. Paul Simon -- So Beautiful or So What

Rather than talking 'comeback' or 'best since' or any of that crap, let's just say that Paul Simon did it again with a new sound, immaculately produced as always, and some fantastic songwriting. National treasure, period.

 

02 - The Afterlife

 

 

10. Givers -- In Light

More great pop music that turns out to be more complex than it's extreme accessiblity makes you think (which is very impressive). Looking forward to seeing what they can do in the future.

 

01 - Up Up Up

 

 

11. Telekinesis -- 12 Desperate Straight Lines

Telekinesis is one of those one-man operations, the one man being drummer Michael Lerner. He's another outstanding songwriter and knows his way around a hook.

12. Vetiver -- The Errant Charm

Indie folksters Vetiver matured and smoothened their sound for this record. It definitely gets categorized under 'for mature listening audiences' (i.e. easy listening) but hey, we old people need music, too. If you want mellow music for a foggy afternoon, this is the one.

 

07 - Wonder Why

 

 

13. Seapony -- Go With Me

OK, this probably isn't one of the 20 best records of the year. But it's one of my 20 favorites. It's got all the elements that can make any album into one of my favorites: jangly guitars, upbeat tunes, clean production, and a soft-voiced girl singer. (See also The Postmarks, Headlights, and Camera Obscura...)

 

07 - Always

 

 

14. Charles Bradley -- No Time for Dreaming

Daptone Records came through with another retro-soul record that can confidently sit side-by-side with the best of the Stax and Atlantic catalogs of the 60's. New (but not young) singer Charles Bradley has a tone like Otis and can do a soul scream like James. Covering Candian whiteboy Neil Young's Heart Of Gold the way he does proves his soul.

 

13 - Heart Of Gold

 

 

15. Bright Eyes -- The People's Key

Not my favorite Bright Eyes album ever, but Conor Oberst at 75% is still the best songwriter in indie-land. I dismissed this album when it first came out, but every time I come back to it, I appreciate it more. I have a feeling I'll still be listening to this one when a lot of my poppy Top 20 are long gone from my mind.

16. Meshell N'Degeocello -- Weather

Ndegeocello can do hardcore funk & soul, but she can also do smoother and more serious songs that lean more on vocals and emotion. And this record is made up of the latter. She uses a sweeter vocal style, and it makes this album one of her most listenable in years.

17. Edie Brickell -- Edie Brickell

Remember Edie Brickell? She still sounds great and she can still write good tunes (and I think her lyric writing has maybe even gotten a little better). This album is a little too random to make it higher on the list -- can't figure out what genre it is -- but it's still great listening and I'm so glad Edie's still making music.

 

03 - Been So Good

 

 

18. Blind Pilot -- We Are the Tide

OK, it's hard to follow up the incredible 3 Rounds And A Sound, but Blind Pilot did admirably well. Doing the usual -- growing the sound with a little more rhythm section, etc. -- unfortunately makes the Blind Pilot sound a little less unique, but it's still good.

 

04 - We Are the Tide

 

 

19. Iron and Wine -- Kiss Each Other Clean

Iron and Wine continued the experimentation with the new album, mostly for the good, sometimes not so good (cough -- sax solos -- cough). But it's still got Sam Beam's awesome voice and melodies.

20. Bon Iver -- Bon Iver

I gave Bon Iver the last spot because when this record is good, it's very very good (when Calgary finally gets going at the end, and the building glory of Perth) but it wasn't as good as most people said. It borders on tedious throughout, and Beth/Rest may be the single worst song of 2011.

* Shout out to the best EP of the year:  New Navy -- Uluwatu.  Featuring one of the best songs of the year, Zimbabwe, this was a very high-quality set of 4 songs. Let's hope they put out a full-length in 2012 and it's this good.

Plant does Hidalgo/Perez

Testing my new TypePad blog, so here's a new video of a song from Robert Plant's new solo album.  I guess this is the first 'single' from the album and it just happens to be a Los Lobos song.  Personally, I like the Los Lobos version better, but I can't speak ill of Robert Plant.

Anyway, enjoy the video.  See if you can spot who the driver & passenger in the car with Plant are... (skip to 1:10 if you don't want to watch the whole thing.)

MUDPOT!!!

I love these things.  Though it's kind of hard to believe it's totally safe walking/driving around a park when this is happening 24 hours / day.

Lassen Mudpot

I'm scared I'm turning hipster

Admittedly, I have often been to concerts with crowds full of hipsters (I judge hipster concentration by the sideburn-to-person ratio.)  But I fear my musical tastes are getting more hipster-ish by the day.

Last week, I ordered the new album from hipster icons Arcade Fire.  I had managed to avoid their previous albums despite the hype, but I have to admit, this new one sounds pretty great.

And now I'm totally into this new album coming from Ra Ra Riot (ugh - so embarrassing to like a band w/ a name like that).

Might have to just accept it, and join all my fellow hipsters at Treasure Island in October to see these guys at the festival.

Ra Ra Riot - Boy (Track 2)

Villagers

Becoming a Jackal

Villagers

I'm actually working (needed to look & see how Vox does the tagging), but while I'm here, I'll post about a new CD I just got.

It's called "Becoming a Jackal" by Villagers.  (But Villagers is really one guy -- an Irish guy named Conor O'Brien, who did all the writing, singing, playing, and producing.)  Great folk music.

Villagers - Becoming A Jackal

A World Cup Poem

I don't mind a loud "Boo! Boo!" yella.

Or a hit on the ol' moo-moo bell-a.

But I'll fight to the death,

to his last blowing breath,

The guy with the #%$*& vuvuzela!

 

 

By Request: Ray LaMontagne's new song

The first song from the new album that's coming out in a couple months.  I like it (even if it's overly clear Ray's been listening to lots of Joni Mitchell).

Ray LaMontagne - Beg Steal or Borrow

Another Great Covers Album

This has been a very good year for covers albums.  First, there were the guys from Supergrass forming a band called Hotrats to do covers of various rock songs, like The Kinks, The Doors, and Elvis Costello.  Then there was the exceptional Hall & Oates tribute album from The Bird and the Bee.

Now comes Crushes, from keyboard-and-drums duo / married couple Mates of State.  The songs they cover are definitely more obscure (I don't know the original versions of half of them) but they all sound good.  Of course, Mates of State definitely put their stamp on them all, though it's a more refined sound than their usual retro-keyboards and wailing-vocals.  They even throw in guitars and horns on one or two songs.

In any case, here's yet another example of good musicians taking a great song and "making it their own".  This time, it's a Tom Waits (& Kathleen Brennan) folk song (awesome lyrics and I absolutely love that chord change on the 4th line of the verse) called "Long Way Home".  Enjoy the Mates of State version and the original:

05 - Long Way Home

Mates Of State

Long Way Home

Tom Waits

 

 

Weekend on the Central Coast

The elephant seals lounging on the beach

California does it again.  I spent last weekend traveling the California coast on Highway 1 and checking out the amazing scenery.  Definitely saw some coves/beaches/cliffs/etc. that rival even Yosemite & Crater Lake for beauty.  Discovered what has to be the most amazing public beach around (unfortunately, after my camera battery died) and saw the classic Monterey marine life (sea lions, sea otters, and giant kelp).

Started out heading across to Half Moon Bay on Saturday morning and down the 1 to Ano Nuevo State Park, home of the Elephant Seals.  The place is supposedly very cool in the winter for new births and then mating season (tours sell out in the fall), but at this time of year it's just a bunch of seals sleeping on the beach while they wait to molt.  I did see a couple young males fighting in the ocean and every so often they made cool elephant seal noises.

From there I headed south, past Santa Cruz and Monterey, down to Point Lobos just south of Carmel.  Incredible scenery: cliffs overlooking rocky coves (with sea lions and sea otters hanging around), unbelievable beaches tucked between the cliffs, and a grove of old Monterey cypress trees at the very end.

One view from Point Lobos

Spent Saturday night in Monterey w/ a brief and uneventful stop at Cannery Row, etc.

On Sunday, I went further south into Big Sur for a couple quick stops before heading home.  First stop was Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, containing what has to be one of the most amazing sites in the whole country.  You walk through a tunnel under Highway 1, to come out at an overlook high above an unbelievable beach cove, where a big waterfall drops straight onto the beach.  The pictures don't really do it justice, but here it is:

Big Sur Idyll

After that, I took a short but steep hike down from the highway to another secluded cove (also accessed by an old tunnel) and an even more secluded rocky beach.

Monterey's Lone Cypress

Then home by way of the 17-mile drive and a stop at Pebble Beach, in the middle of preparation for the US Open next week.  What a beautiful golf course (at least the 18th hole, anyway).

Exhausting weekend, but definitely worth it.  Can't believe I hadn't already been to these places in 10 years here.