July and the Points

COLORADO SPORTS:

-The Rox roll back into town for a 10 game homestand on the heels of a frustrating 1-0 loss to the Dodgers. Jason Hammel took the hard luck complete game loss and the Purp wind powered most of Southern California with the strikeouts throughout the series. Governor Schwarzenegger thanked the team for helping: "The Rockies are certainly not girlie men. They kept the lights on at our local DMVs for three days."

-Notice to anyone in Colorado sporting a number 7 jersey, regardless of sport: that's Elway's number, and you best not forget it. Chauncey Billups apparently woke up with Miles' head in his bed and quickly discarded the #7 for his old #1 in a strange bow down to Johnny Boy. Little Leaguer Justin Donovan, who wears #7 while playing center field and playing with the sprinkler head in Golden Rec Center's 7 year old division, reportedly saw an Elway-like figure following him on his way home from Buy Back Games. Message to Colorado: don't fuck with Elway.

HIP HOP:

-Aint no party like an Alkaholik party; that rang true throughout the 90s and late into this decade as Tash releases his first solo album in nearly 10 years, Control Freek. The formula for Tash hasn't really varied much: party rhymes, metaphors galore, weed, drink, and West Coast beats. In comparison to full-fledged Lik albums, this joint falls horribly short of the vibe from Coast II Coast or even Firewater, but does have some memorable moments. Guest verses from West Coast vets B-Real, Del, and Lik fam King Tee and J-Ro stand out. Peep the Barack Obama skit (much in the same vein as Rap Life's Bill Clinton skit) where a impersonator says he'd like some Limbaugh weed because "he'd like to smoke the fuck outta it."

-When an album drops called Sunday Drive, you think of mellow, calming music just made for lazy cruising. That's exactly what LoveJones and Phys Edison's latest offering dishes out. Imagery not unlike that of the album cover of cruising the Chi-town area streets with no place to go but no cares lend to the intimate coupling of Phys beats and Jones lyrics. While the majority of the tracks are on the laid back vibe, the albums latter cuts offer up some head nodders. Check "Sucka MCs" reworking of Tribe's classic. And when I say check it, you can, right here for free.

-Tame One of Artifacts fame (but who has been ever-present since their salad days) comes with his best solo offering to date with Acid Tab Vocab. The name isn't a play on words, Tame One drops the mad drug references throughout the entire piece, including some hilarious sound bites and movie drops. Guest spots, mainly Aesop Rock on "Molly" and Del on "Ooops", really shine. But Tame also adds some personal introspection on his past and future on tracks like "Suede Adidas" and goes after Hip Hop fakeness on "Hip Hop Action Figure." Check the video "Anxiety Attacks."

BEER

-Grand corporate eatery/fun time emporium/tourist trap ESPN Zone is pulling out of Downtown Denver due to the economy. So the heads in Bristol say, but the SG thinks different. ESPN Zone wasn't exactly cheaply priced, did little advertising, and never seemed to offer up any special events. A UFC fight, 2 for 1s, alumni watch parties, radio tie-ins, bus rides to and from Bronco games? The crowd was mainly tourists from the nearby hotels, not the beer guzzling diehards from around the metro who make the LoDo bars their destination. So what will move into the empty space? The Tilted Kilt, basically the Irish Hooters. Just what Denver needs- another force fed, manufactured "Irish" bar. I can remember my kinfolk extolling our Irish heritage and telling stories of yesteryear of sporting Britney Spears-like school girl outfits and slanging over-priced brew to leering 20 somethings. Erin go brahhhhhhhhhh.