Showing posts with label euro. Show all posts
Showing posts with label euro. Show all posts

Friday, July 4, 2008

Euro: WTF?!

News has just gotten in that among all the managers that shat bad football on us, it turns out that the one that should have bloody gotten the sack, did not. Raymond Domenech ushered out a heard of French buffalos for three matches, virtuously displayed to us how painful it is to watch aging defenders being torn apart by young hot shot wingers and ended the tournament with a sublime move to play Eric Abidal as a central-defender against Italy (if you have no idea what that means, it is equivalent to getting Britney Spears to do a cover of The Smiths' 'I Know It's Over') which resulted in him being sent off before the crowd was even properly seated.

And I am not even counting the rumors that he is an Astrology flurry, so he won't allow Leos into his backline and that no Scorpios are allowed to set foot in the Frence dressing room. Except that Thierry Henry is a Scorpio so his desire all went to shit with that one. Or how about the fact that he decided, right at the moment that the final whistle was blown, signaling France's elimination from the tournament, to propose to his girlfriend instead of mourning a little with the squad. I mean, who the heck does that. This girl better be hotter than fresh pancakes. I mean just look at him, how could she possibly any more appealing than a pile of week-old ectoplasm? Show me a picture of her now to me. Show me.

Oh, well. My. Pardon me then Raymond. Is that Ray for 'Ray of Kick-Assness'? Anyway, may thee rock on until 2010 (try not to break any beds though). Ha ha beds. Get it? Get it? I best be off to eat a chicken buffet and be the fat-ass that I am. You go do what you do best.

Moonbabies - I'm Insane But So Are You (from June and Novas) [BUY]

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Word for the Week: Shorty

Because...

Spain did it. Ummhmm. Mr 177cm, while being stalked by Mr 189cm, passed to Mr 170cm, who slid a nominal through ball that zipped past Mr 198cm and Mr 193cm and into the path of Mr 186cm (how un-Spanish, the tall fart), who accelerated and dinked one over a turf-munching Mr 190cm. And just like that, the dudes who never ate their veggies are now champions of Europe. Who needs calcium when you've got paella?

The Get Up Kids - Shorty (from Live @ the Granada Theater) [BUY]
Philipp Lahm musta had this bopping his head every time the German national anthem played and he had to stand next to Per Mertesacker.

Rod Stewart - Cut Across Shorty (from Complete Anthology) [BUY]
Torres musta had this bopping in his head the moment he saw Lahm.

Laurissa Feat.A-Alikes - Shorty (from Baby J Presents F.T.P) [BUY]
Come to think of it, Lahm is 170cm. Maybe his grandpa was a Spanish migrant who grew fond of schnitzels.

Count Basie - Shorty George (from The Best of Basie, Vol. 2) [BUY]
Bring on South Africa.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Euro 2008: The White Stripes rule the Euros

There can be no worse time to be Enrique Iglesias. Never mind that he has just released a greatest hits album that debuted at #1 on Billboard's Latin Album Charts. Or that he's about to headline a MTV-sponsored fest in Malta with 40,000 bikinibods in attendance. Or that he's dating Anna Kournikova.

No, there can be no worse time to be Enrique Iglesias because his theme song for the Euros is getting bitch-slapped into anonymity by 'Seven Nation Army'. Every game is being preceded by that White Stripes rump rocker. Every fan, and particularly the Russians, has taken to chanting the "dum-dum-dum-dum-dum-dummm-dummmm" riff before, during and after entire games. And as the Dutch can testify, there are fewer things more intimidating than watching your ocean of orange orangs get trumped by a choir of atonal bolsheviks.

And so, in the fine tradition of impeccable pirates predictions, I declare that Luis Aragones and Co will be utterly overwhelmed by that Jack and Meg anthem, and will spend tomorrow morning organising their finals viewing parties. Spanish grief counsellors will be flown in to help David Villa accept the fact that he isn't half as talented as he tried to be. And about that self-styled singing Spanish sexpot? As I said, there can be no worse time to be Enrique Iglesias.

To read about the great White hype, click here.

The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army (from Elephant) [BUY]

Monday, June 23, 2008

Arty Album Art: The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow

Design by Jesse LeDoux

On a normal day, pulling out a gatefolded CD sleeve is about as exciting as watching Italy and Spain play for 120 minutes, then decide to forgo the penalty shootout and play for another 120 minutes more while telling David Villa to go refill the Gatorade bucket so they can insert 10 more Andrés Iniestas who promise to dish out an endless stream of awry passes so the Austrian ballboys have something to do besides gawk at Spanish female fans.

So what does that make Chutes Too Narrow? A bit like...

...Torres finishing off a knife-edge through ball from Alonso following some one-touch interplay with Fabregas (because Xavi and Iniesta caught syphilis) in the 18th minute...

...and in response, De Rossi unloads a 40-metre thunderbolt in the 33rd minute that melts the goalposts on its way to goal-of-the-tourney utopia...

...and then Alfredo Di Stefano and Gianni Rivera reincarnate, and Roberto Baggio re-hips the ponytail and Raul rewinds to 21 years old...

...and then I wake up. Oh wait, I was already awake. Donadoni you ditz, you so totally owe me two hours.

The Shins - Turn A Square (from Chutes Too Narrow) [BUY]

Friday, June 20, 2008

Euro 2008: The Ultimate Shit XI of the Group Phase

The quarters are here. Portugal has bit the grimier side of a German's bung hole but there are three more quarter-final fixtures to be played. So in the spirit of absolute bone-breaking uselessness, us three Pirates sat down and thought about the shittiest 11 players we've seen so far in the group phase. I mean seriously, who really cares that Wesley Sneijder is looking like best damn midfielder in the world at the moment for the Netherlands, it's better to think about the bloody bastards who wasted our precious hours of sleep by being complete bungling idiots with a ball.

We qualify this post by saying that we seriously don't give a koala's arse if Mario Gomez goes on to score a hat-full of goals between now and the final because to us, he will always be shit in the group phase.

Note: It's important to point out that the two forwards leading our shit XI frontline also happens to be the same two forwards who were leading our predicted All-Star XI before the tournament started, which among other things proves that Pirates, above being experts at looting, are also experts at talking through the crack that's decorating our butthole.

Antonios Nikopolidis (GK) - Greece
Ah dear Antonios, flying out against the Russians but catching Austrian air instead.
Franz Ferdinand - Missing You (from Michael single) [BUY]

Gianluca Zambrotta (D) - Italy
For a moment against Romania, Gianluca must've been thinking about sex. Why? Because there was no other thing that could've caused the lapse of concentration that led to that awful backpass that in turn led to Mutu's goal. In fact, we're thinking sex with at least three women.
The Most Serene Republic - Why So Looking Back (from Population) [BUY]

Marcell Jansen (D) - Germany
Was so awful against Croatia that coach Joachim Loew nearly had to change around the entire Germany to fix that tactical mistake. About as German as Bruce Springsteen this one.
The Clientele - Somebody Changed (from God Save the Clientele) [BUY]

Eric Abidal (D) - France
An ambitious start at the centre of a dodgy-looking French defence. Was red-carded before everyone was properly seated. And sure, his possibly hot wife/girlfriend may console him by saying that it wasn't his fault that the French were knocked out but it is. Yep, no two ways about it, the bastard did them in.
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Red Eyes and Tears (from B.R.M.C.) [BUY]

Andrea Barzagali (D) - Italy
Was bitch-slapped, cuffed to a pink bath tub and forced to make chicken sounds by the Dutch. Has not seen much sunlight since.
Starflyer 59 - You Don't Miss Me (from Americana) [BUY]

Torsten Frings (M) - Germany
Made plenty of top class passes - to the Croatians that is. Spent 33% of his time on the field arguing or scowling at someone. Probably has not gotten laid for awhile now. Germany looked about 77% better against Portugal with him absent.
The Smiths - Bigmouth Strikes Again (from The Queen is Dead) [BUY]

Xavi (M) - Spain
Has been about as influential as a mahagony dinner table. Why he keeps starting and not Xabi Alonso or Cesc Fabregas remains quite a mystery to us three. And by 'mystery' we mean 'rippingAragones'throatout'.
The Twilight Sad - That Summer, At Home I Had Become The Invisible Boy (from Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters) [BUY]

Patrick Vieira (M) - France
Vieira hogged the bench like an idiot despite being two bruises short of a set of crutches, which resulted in the rather brilliant Flamini being sent home. Never mind that he played a grand total of 'no' minutes. Probably spent more time farting on the bench than thinking about football.
Grandaddy - Broken Household Appliance National Forest (from The Sophtware Slump) [BUY]

Simao Sambrosa (M) - Portugal
Pulled rank on Cristiano Ronaldo against Turkey over a freekick. Sent his effort to that hunk of dust between Saturn and Jupiter. Has since been the laughing stock of an otherwise fairly brilliant Portugal side.
Beachwood Sparks - Yer Selfish Ways (from Once We Were Trees) [BUY]

Mario Gomez (F) - Germany
Missed a chance against Austria that frankly, a Smurf could've scored. Has not scored a single goal so far. Quite likely the biggest misfiring baboon of the tournament so far followed closely by ...
The Smashing Pumpkins - Zero (from Melon Collie and the Infinite Sadness) [BUY]

Luca Toni (F) - Italy
... this huge lumbering bufoon. If he had taken all the chances he has had so far, he could have Platini shitting into his suit already. Instead, has scored a grand total of, yep, 'no' goals.
Toad the Wet Sprocket - Little Man Big Man (from Coil) [BUY]

Raymond Domenech (Coach) - France
All this talk about him being such an avid astrologer that he wouldn't allow some people of a certain star sign start in his defence or even get into his squad is so sensationally stupid that it must be true. Already deserves to be here simple for starting Abidal as a centreback against Italy. And because he followed up the heart-wrenching loss against Italy with a proposal to his girlfriend when the whole squad was mourning, he deserves to coach this whole lot of losers.
Paris Hilton - Stars Are Blind (from Paris) [BUY]

Word for the Week: Serious

Because...

The Euro Championships enter the quarter finals stage. And playing in the quarter finals is serious business. No seriously, it's serious. Refs have been ordered to issue straight reds to anyone who so much as twitches any of the 17 facial muscles required to shape out a smile. Giggles get an automatic three-match suspension, hearty chortles a one year ban, and full-blown ROTFLs will be met with Kazakhstan's entire naval fleet ripping 19-inch holes into the offender's spine while the Hulk doles out 2,000 Hulk Smashes as the player lies paralysed on the hospital bed. Yeah, it's dead serious.

Four Tet - As Serious As Your Life (from Rounds) [BUY]
If life were truly "serious" as Kieran Hebden postulates it to be here, we'd all be happier than hi-hats.

Mika Miko - Take It Serious (from C.Y.S.L.A.B.F.) [BUY]
Noise punk spat right from the tonsils of LA's creme de la femmes.

Think About Life - Serious Chords (from Think About Life) [BUY]
Montreal's disco punk denizens insist some chords are more serious than others; I think they were talking about Ab7#5#9#13. That one never smiles.

Richard Hawley - Serious (from Lady's Bridge) [BUY]
Uncle Pulp would like to take you on a spin down the seaside route while he doles out some elderly advice on choosing love over loneliness.

Electric Light Orchestra - So Serious (from Balance of Power) [BUY]
And to think we're only halfway through the tourney. Awesome blossom.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Euro 2008/Fad of the Land: Castrol Performance Index

So the first round of games are officially over. And as is standard practice for football nerds globally, the debate begins as to who has been the star performers of the championships so far.

I would like to nominate Tranquillo Barnetta.

Yes, him. It's not because I'm a obsessive Swiss fan who watched every minute of their snipped campaign. Nor is it because I have a closet fetish for footballers with exotic names (though Jerko Leko also got me going for a couple'a moments).

It's because Castrol Performance Index says so. Yep, some even-more-nerdy football dudes have been compiling all the most inane stats known to man, gecko and alfalfa alike, and translating all them digits into an overall score that bellows, "You can't argue with the numbers, bitch!" Thanks to these nerdier-than-Pedros, we now know that Cesc Fabregas ran 12.44km last night,and that Andreas Isaksson has made more saves than anyone except Petr Cech, and that Ivica Olic ran a top speed of 31.76km/h. They must also count trips to the ladies.

And so, we come back to the base question: Who's been the man? Based on the numbers, David Villa. The undisputed, indefatiguable man. Edwin Van de Sar comes at a distant second, and in third place is... Tranquillo Barnetta.

Ummhmm. It's official. So, need a playmaker? Tranquillo Barnetta. Holding midfielder? Tranquillo Barnetta. Leaky faucet? Tranquillo Barnetta. Someone to assasinate your uncle? Tranquillo Barnetta. Dude's gonna have a bronze statue soon. Maybe even next to mine.

Link: euro2008.castrolindex.com

The Dismemberment Plan - Superpowers (from Change) [BUY]

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Euro 2008: Dutcho Destructo

There are some things in life, you just can't imagine happening.

The 3-0 mauling the Dutch gave the Italians last night at Euro 2008 ranks second in a list of things I couldn't have imagined happening. I would've sooner imagined Dutch coach Marco Van Basten doing a Swan Lake routine, complete with twirls with a Timmy Thomas track blaring in the background than this. Or Italy coach Roberto Donadoni breaking out the karaoke machines for some Carpenters loving at half time. Or me bedding six catwalk models with Starflyer 59 serenading us in the background. Oh, wait, already done that.

Ah, what's the first you say? This. So much so that I just leaped off the roof of a 39-floor building just to prove that it isn't real. Yep, I'm still talking. Thank God, it wasn't real. Hey, is that blood I see. Oh, why is everything turning dark? I wonder what is ... (silence).

Editors - Orange Crush (REM cover) (from Blood single) [BUY]

Friday, June 6, 2008

Euro 2008: The All-Star Stinky Pirates XI

Ahh the stench of football is in the air again, particularly the stench of European footballers, which I have been told smells a lot like Oprah's armpits mixed with a spoon of essence of baboon. Anyways, Euro 2008 is upon us and seeing as football is the other thing, besides checking out chicks at the mall and curing cancer, that us Pirates take a lot of pride in, we thought it would be nice for us to share with you our very own Stinky XI.

1. Jens Lehmann - Germany (GK)

Is it just me or has nobody noticed how much Jens Lekman looks like David Hasselhoff? Which is cool if you're German because if there's one person you want keeping your goal, it's Michael Knight.
Jens Lekman - A Man Walks Into a Bar (from Oh You're So Silent Jens) [BUY]

2. Mario Melchiot - Netherlands (D)
My dad used to say that Mario Melchiot looks and plays like a predator. I used to laugh at my dad for saying that but I am starting to think that is true. Why else would he make the damn squad anyways, if not that. And by predator I don't mean a lion, but the alien that skins people alive.
Mario - How Do I Breathe (from Go) [BUY]

3. Joan Capdevila - Spain (D)
I am a fairly open minded individual, but where I come from (which is somewhere fairly unpronounceable with a lot of swords and chicks in bearskin bikinis) it ain't a guy's name unless it starts with a B and ends with an E, which means we only accept the name Bruce. So if you're not a Bruce, you're automatically a ninny. Unless you have my name, which is Badsarse. That is also okay.
Joan of Arc - Infinite Blessed (from So Much Staying Alive and Lovelessness) [BUY]

4. Johnny Heitinga - Netherlands (D)
The Dutch are sporting a woeful-looking defence for the tournament and at the heart of it, a Johnny. Seriously, all he needs now is a leather jacket, some shades and a hot blond draped over his arms. Ahh here comes the blond, with the leather jacket and shades now. Dang, that's a hot one. (After a good hearty 8-minutes of whistling) Sorry, where were we again?
Johnny Boy - War on Want (from Johnny Boy) [BUY]

5. Christian Panucci (D)
Holy cow it's Christian Panucci. Isn't he like 60-years old by now? So they do give older people a chance at these things. No wonder grandpa was off to training the other day with his walker. He never did return though. I wonder what happened to him.
Christians and Lions - Gimme Diction (from More Songs for Daydreamers and the Very Awake)

6. Miguel Luis Pinto Veloso - Portugal (M)
And sure, most people would call him Miguel Veloso, but we've chosen to highlight his second middle name Pinto. Why? Because if there was a band called Veloso, we would have to shoot the singer in the head, Miguel sounds like the name of a Spanish porn star and Luis is the name of my second-and-a-half uncle who likes dating taller women.
Pinto - This Picture Needs a Frame (from Hook Me Up) [BUY]

7. Ruben de la Red - Spain (M)
Awww ... look at the cute ex-Madrid starlet blushing. He's all red cause he has to go back to Madrid next season to kiss Arjen Robben's left butt cheek. It's either that or Ivan Campo's armpits and spend a summer on loan to Derby County as their water boy. Yeps, pucker up baby.
Vendetta Red - Joyless Euphoria (from Sisters of the Red Death) [BUY]

8. Sebastian Larsson - Sweden (M)
Sebastian deserves a damn starting place, only because his last name is Larsson. And in my book, every damn Swede that is named Larsson is automatically a good footballer, just like how every Gianluigi is supposed to have a moustache and every Optimus is supposed to be a robot.
Belle and Sebastian - Mayfly (from If You're Feeling Sinister) [BUY]

9. Luca Toni - Italy (F)
Luca Toni has apparently been scoring a lot of chicks. He scored 39 chicks this year, making him the top scorer in Germany. What? Goals you say? So that's what they call em these days eh?
Tony! Toni! Tone! - Whatever You Want (from The Revival) [BUY]

10. Mario Gomez - Germany (F)
There's something bloody wrong about the world when you have a Gomez playing for Germany. Why? Cause all Germans should be a Matthias or Adolf or Helga (if you're a hot blond synchronized swimmer).
Gomez - Coltrane (from Detroit Swing ’66/Ping One Down) [BUY]

11. Thierry Henry - France (F)
What's there about Henry that's not already been said? Used to date a few hot chicks. Was married to a hot chick. Yeah, that's all.
Joe Henry - Stop (from Scar) [BUY]
 
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