Andrew Belle - "The Daylight"

Andrew Belle released some new tunes yesterday in the form of The Daylight EP. Check out the title track below.

- Joel

Andrew Belle - "The Daylight"

Fanfarlo

I don't know much about Fanfarlo besides the fact that they're from the U.K. I really like their sound though - low key but upbeat. Check out a track from their newly released album Rooms Filled With Light below.

- Joel

Fanfarlo - "Replicate"

Photographer of the Day

© Andreas Feninger

Andreas Feninger. Feninger has some great long exposures of Coney Island rides at night. These were taken back in the 1940's.

- Joel

© Andreas Feninger

© Andreas Feninger

Kansas vs. Missouri

If yesterday's basketball game between the Kansas Jayhawks and the Missouri Tigers is the last for awhile, the teams picked a great note to end on. I'm a Jayhawk. I was born in Kansas. My parents are from Kansas. My grandparents are from Kansas. Kansas is in my blood. So naturally, I blame Missouri for wrecking the rivalry and bolting to the SEC. I support Kansas' decision to decline Missouri's invitation to continue to play each year. Still, I would be lying if I said I won't miss the rivalry. The games are great. The gloating when the Jayhawks win is fun. But more than anything, I'll miss what these games mean to my family.

I realized it more than ever as I sat on my couch (more like paced around my living room) in Austin, Texas watching a game being played 700 miles to the north. My dad and I kept a running text conversation as the game progressed. My brother and I, who both suffered as Jayhawk fans attending high school in Missouri, did the same towards the end of the game. I used more "!!!!!!" in texts to him than ever before in my life. I thought of my uncle who was flying back to Kansas City from Orlando and would miss the entire game. I read a tweet from my cousin, studying abroad in Spain, who had watched the game on a pirated feed from a McDonald's in Portugal. I read tweets from my cousin-in-law in Oklahoma City who, though already a Kansas fan before entering the family, has caught the same Jayhawk fever the rest of my family enjoys. Literally, from across the country and around the globe my family was tuned into this game. And that is what I will miss - the connection to my family over a silly basketball game. Watching KU overcome a 19 point deficit to win yesterday, knowing my family was tuned in as well, made the geography that separates us seem not quite so vast. I'm blessed with a tight knit family, but KU-MU makes us tighter. And now that I live in Texas, I'll miss that extra bit of connection more than ever.

- Joel

PS - Here's a good article about the rivalry written by Sports Illustrated's Joe Posnanski.

Ben Rector - "I Want To Dance With Somebody"

My friend Ben did this Whitney Houston cover back in January. The song has taken on a bit more significance in the wake of Houston's death. It's a lot of fun to Ben continue to get better and better. Big things are ahead.

- Joel

Mount Bonnell

© Joel Thomason

We've had some great weather in Austin this week. Mount Bonnell is quickly becoming my favorite place to go on sunny days.

- Joel

David Ramirez - "An Introduction"

I'm a big fan of David Ramirez. I had a chance to see him play this song at a house show last fall. I'm happy to see he's getting around to recording it.

- Joel

Red Bull

Every time this Red Bull commercial comes on I stop and watch. Something deep inside me longs for the thrill of the adventure those athletes must experience. If you like the song in the commercial, it's called "Outro" by M83.

- Joel

Bon Iver

Check out this stripped-down (only pianos and vocals) performance from Bon Iver. Or I should say Grammy award winner Bon Iver.

- Joel

To answer their question, Oklahoma Joe's is the best barbeque in Kansas City...

- Joel

Kansas City - City of Entrepreneurs

Living in Texas, I find myself defending my hometown quite often. Here's another great reason to be proud of Kansas City - the Kauffman Foundation.

- Joel

Photographer of the Day

© Tim Barber

Tim Barber.

© Tim Barber

Tennis - "Origins"

The Denver band Tennis dropped their sophomore album, Young and Old, today. I have yet to listen to a substantial portion of the album, but I do like the song "Origins."

Enjoy.

- Joel

Tennis - "Origins"

Lin-sanity

My dad and I watched the Lakers-Knicks game last night. What we witnessed was the validation of Lin-sanity, aka Jeremy Lin. Lin, an undrafted guard from Harvard, dropped 38 points and dished out 7 assists as led the Knicks to their fourth straight win. Lin's rags-to-riches story, combined with his persistent humility, have made him the toast of New York and the entire NBA.

I read a great article today in the New York Times exploring Lin's newfound fame from the perspective of an Asian-American. Check it out at the link below.

- Joel

Michael Luo - "Lin's Appeal: Faith, Pride, and Points"

Allen Fieldhouse

I came across this video about the "Allen Fieldhouse Experience." As a diehard fan of the Kansas Jayhawks, it got me pretty excited. If you like the music in the video, check out the band Alcove in the widget below.

- Joel

Memoryhouse - "Walk With Me"

Here's a chill new track from Memoryhouse's new album The Slideshow Effect. I think the lead guitar makes the song.

- Joel

Memoryhouse - "Walk With Me"

Frank Fairfield

Here's a fun mini-documentary on folk musician Frank Fairfield. The man can get nasty with a banjo, fiddle, or guitar.

- Joel