Indian Identity and Jesse "Cab" Renick, Captain of the 1948 U.S. Olympic Basketball Team in London

In London the scoreboard read 65-21 as the final gong mercifully rang out. Thirteen Frenchmen stood in a line opposite fourteen Americans watching the Stars and Stripes unfurl and listening to the band play the Star Spangled Banner. The final notes lingered as the United States’ players rushed forward and carried a six-foot two-inch slightly balding 30-year-old named Jesse Renick off the court on their shoulders, bringing an end to the 1948 London Olympic basketball tourney, an event which brought the United States their second basketball gold medal and cemented Renick’s unique place in history.

Renick (55) shakes hands with a member of the Red Cross.
Or a random Olympic basketball player from 1948. I can't tell. 

Best of 2012 Music (So Far)

I wear too many hats nowadays to also don the hat of amateur music critic. So I present this list with the caveat that I don't have the time, desire, will, and/or sense of self-importance to listen to all the new and notable albums that have come out this year. Of what I have listened to, these four albums stand out for the same reason: they are the only four which I consistently listen to from beginning to end. There are plenty of great individual songs that have been released this year. But only these four hold my attention for an entire album.

London Olympic Basketball, circa 1948

The 1948 U.S. Olympic men's basketball team played in London 64 years ago, winning the gold. This year's U.S. team will be trying to follow in their footsteps. I wrote an article over at Yahoo about that team, and why they deserve to be remembered (besides winning the gold, of course).

The 1948 U.S. men's basketball team. Key players: Bob Kurland (90), Jesse Renick (55),
Ralph Beard (12), Alex Groza (15), Don Barksdale (33).

Rap Year in Review: Top 5 Albums

In my previous post, I went through my thoughts on rap albums from this year that did not make it into my top 5.  All artists included in the previous post were devastated, I'm told.  Now is the time, however, to talk about my five favorite albums.  Note that the operative term here is "favorite."  My music listening is more or less restricted to the mainstream and its peripheries these days.  I don't have the time or desire to get into the myriad underground artists, rap or otherwise, who are making creative waves.  Sure, there might be some crazy wild indie stuff out there that blows these five out of the water.  But like they say...if an indie artist records a song in his mom's basement, and no one is there to hear it, did he really record a song?

Also, I'm not doing the whole "rank the albums from 1-5 thing."  There isn't one album that stands out as my favorite this year (last year, the Roots How I Got Over was far and away my favorite).  Thus the albums below, in no particular order, are simply the five that I liked and listened to the most.

Favorite music in 2010

Innovative, soulful hip hop with deep, intelligent lyrics.  The Roots are the best thing going in hip hop right now.

Epic. Passionate.  Wistful.  Hopeful.  Reflective.  Insightful.  Music reviewer Josh Hurst described it perfectly as "anthemic indie rock" 

Rugged punk-folk.  Lead singer Matt Vazquez carries the music along with raw intensity.

Brilliant songwriting.  Mostly mellow americana folk tunes.

Exactly what you would expect from a Shins-Danger Mouse match-up.  Whimsical folk-pop with an extra oomph from Danger Mouse's electronic drum kit.

Blue-collar rock music, like a modern punk-tinged version of Bruce Springsteen

Passionate folk that somehow makes a banjo and cello sound intense. Rousing, sing-a-long choruses replete with spiritual imagery.