My Little Underground

Lakers Are Champs Again!

The title says it all. After seven years and two Finals losses, the Lakers stand atop the NBA once again. This wasn't a dominant playoff run, like in 2001, but I think this team has served notice. They are going to be in the mix for years to come. And Kobe has cemented his place as one of the all-time greats.

The Lakers Are Back

Last year, after the difficult loss to the Celtics, I predicted this group would be back in the Finals. And so they are. They are playing a tough opponent in the Orlando Magic, but no tougher than the Denver team they just defeated. They've got the personnel to defend the Magic's tall 3-point shooters, and they'll at least make Howard work to get his points (without a lot of double-teaming). In the meantime, they will expose the Magic with down-low scoring from Gasol and the best closer in the game (that Kobe fella).

Just as the '85 Lakers rebounded from the previous year's Finals defeat, I think these guys are poised to win a championship. My prediction: Lakers in 6

BMW 335d - An Owners Review

I had been considering the BMW 335d even prior to it's U.S. debut (see this entry). Once the car's actual specs were released (exceeding the pre-release estimates in almost every area), I was seriously interested. After much thought and a couple of great test drives, I decided to get one. Now after 5,000 miles of driving I thought I'd post some pros and cons from the perspective of someone who actually owns the car, and plans to keep it, long-term.

Pros:

- The car is fast. BMW claims a 0-60 mph time of 6.0 seconds, and it seems even faster. The massive torque makes passing at any speed effortless.

- The fuel economy is amazing, especially on the highway. I got 40.5 mpg on a 250 mile, uninterrupted drive while averaging 80 mph! Even in mixed driving I have not seen less than 30 mpg.

- Because of the excellent mileage, the car has a range of over 500 miles. Fewer visits to the gas station!

- As of right now, in my area, diesel is running anywhere from 5-15 cents cheaper than premium gasoline. This is likely to change, but I'm enjoying it right now.

- The clean diesel moniker is accurate. No black smoke, except from the tires when peeling away from a light with the traction control off!

- The handling is up to BMW standard. Which is to say awesome :)

- The interior is nicely appointed, again up to BMW's usual standards.

- The new iDrive is pretty good. Apparently the previous generation model was a pain, but this time they've separated out climate control and added hard buttons, making the current setup quite usable.

- The music options are plentiful (iPod, satellite radio, HD radio), and worth it, especially if you're a music nut like me.

- The navigation system is solid and the Bluetooth integration works smoothly and provides decent voice quality even with ambient road noise.

Cons:

- The car requires very high grade diesel, which is hard to find in the U.S., especially since the law doesn't require labeling of pumps like gasoline. In practice this means you will usually have to use a cetane boosting additive (which ends up costing about $1 or so extra per fill up).

- From the outside, at idle, and especially on cold start, the car is noisier than a gasoline powered car. From the inside, at highway speeds, the noise levels are the same or possibly even less.

- It's expensive. But if you're considering a high end BMW, what's an additional couple grand, right?

In sum, the car is a brilliant blend of performance and economy provided you are willing to deal with the inconvenience of tracking down good quality diesel fuel and/or using cetane boost additives. I, for one, find it a worthy trade off.

Top Ten Albums of 2008

Another year, another list. 2008 was a good year for music -- here's my top ten favorites (in no particular order):

Glasvegas - Glasvegas - While they may have been overhyped by the UK press, Glasvegas deliver the musical goods. They are heavily indebted to the cool, detached sound of the Jesus & Mary Chain, but with their heartfelt songs and widescreen production values, the end result is more epic than insular. James Allan's thick Scottish accent takes some getting used to, and his lyrics are sometimes simplistic, but there's no doubting his passion. And ultimately the album is successful because the majority of the songs are very, very good.

TV On The Radio - Dear Science - TVOTR have always been critics darlings. But this time around, they've nailed the balance between the "art" and "pop", and the result is amazing. By injecting brittle funk grooves into the mix, they've made their music danceable and appealing to both head and heart.

The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound - In a nutshell they're like Bruce Springsteen fronting a muscular punk band (think Social Distortion, not Blink-182). The well-written songs are full of covert and overt references to not only the Boss, but everyone from Tom Petty to The Clash. What makes the album great is that the songs sound genuine, lived-in, and absolutely perfect on the car radio.

The Airborne Toxic Event - The Airborne Toxic Event - Talk about your diverse influences -- 80's alternative, SoCal punk, dance-rock, and garage-rock stylings are all featured within the first half of the album! But many of the songs work so well that watching the band try on different styles is quite entertaining. And when the styles blend into an ace track like "Sometime Around Midnight" you know the album is a keeper.

Black Kids - Partie Traumatic - Hands down, the most fun and danceable indie-pop album of the year. They sound like Robert Smith fronting the B-52s, with frothy, hook-filled songs and touch of wacky soul. It's a heady brew that can still be enjoyed as pure pop.

The Hold Steady - Stay Positive - Another in a string of amazing albums. If you haven't warmed to Craig Finn's speak-singing yet, you're missing out on another stunning batch of carefully observed character sketches and short stories masquerading as songs. And the music, informed by punk/alternative, but distilled from classic rock sounds is more powerful than ever. There's so many great songs it's hard to pick standouts, but I've got to mention "Lord, I'm Discouraged" where Finn's matter-of-fact lyrics about watching the woman he's in love with sink into drug addiction are countered by the finest, most emotive guitar solo I've heard in years. It's as if the guitar is expressing all the emotion that Finn's narrator can't.

The Virgins - The Virgins - Ten sharp, punchy, and well-produced tunes that bring to mind the catchiest, classic "new wave" artists (The Cars, Elvis Costello, Talking Heads) as well as their more recent offspring (Strokes, Marvelous 3). I'm still confused as to why they didn't get more promotion. They're as radio-ready as they come. Nearly every song sounds like a top ten hit (in my mind, anyway).

M83 - Saturdays = Youth - Compared to previous albums, the shoegaze-y fuzz has been toned down, but the swirling synths, cinematic feel, and pop hooks are intact. The result comes off as an affectionate tribute to the 80s. To their credit, it never sounds like pastiche and yet several of the songs could fit seamlessly in a John Hughes film.

Santogold - Santogold - She was compared to M.I.A. at first, and while that comparison is somewhat valid (especially on "Creator"), Santogold's sound is a lot more varied. Elements of reggae/dub ("Unstoppable"), R&B ("My Superman"), and straight-ahead pop/rock ("Lights Out") shine through on different tracks. Others, including the brilliant "L.E.S. Artistes", are difficult to categorize. Nearly all are excellent, making this a superb debut.

Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours - Adding a touch of 60s pop melodies to their signature sound yields fantastic results. The strong singles "Hearts On Fire", "Lights & Music", and "So Haunted" are the high points, but the rest of the album is very nearly as good. They've successfully expanded their sound from the 80s-retro fixation of their well-received debut.

Honorable Mention (a.k.a. The Next Ten)
Neon Neon - Stainless Style
The Bell - Make Some Quiet
Killers - Day & Age
Bloc Party - Intimacy
CSS - Donkey
Kooks - Konk
Pride Tiger - The Lucky Ones
Q-Tip - The Renaissance
My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
Gentleman Jesse - Introducing Gentleman Jesse & His Men

Reissues/Live/etc.
Adorable - Footnotes 92-94
The Smiths - The Sound Of The Smiths
Pavement - Brighten The Corners: Nicene Creedence Edition
The Clash - Live At Shea Stadium
Final Solution - Brotherman (soundtrack)
The Replacements - Let It Be/Tim/Pleased To Meet Me
U2 - Boy/October/War/Under A Blood Red Sky

The BMW 335d, a difficult diesel decision

BMW has confirmed that they are planning to release the BMW 335d in November 2008 (as a 2009 model). The 335d features a twin-turbo, diesel engine rated at 265 hp and 425 lb-ft of torque with an automatic transmission. It can do 0-60 mph in 6.2 sec. All this while getting an EPA estimated 23 mpg city / 33 mpg highway. (Ed: these were pre-release numbers, the actual numbers are 23 mpg city / 36 mpg highway, and 0-60 mph in 6.0 seconds)

In comparison, the premium gasoline-powered 335i is rated at 300 hp and 300 lb-ft of torque, and with the automatic transmission does 0-60 mph in 5.6 seconds. However, it is rated by the EPA at only 17 mpg city / 26 mpg highway.

So let's do the math. On the highway (where most of the big mileage is racked up for me, and in the U.S. overall), based on the EPA rating, the 335d gets about 27% better mileage. Right now, diesel fuel is about 15% more expensive than premium gasoline. So it makes financial sense, per-mile. The penalty performance-wise? The diesel is 0.6 seconds (roughly 11%) slower to 60 mph.

Many of the other traditional disadvantages of diesel have been overcome with new technology. AdBlue-injection and the availability of low-sulfur diesel fuel have reduced emissions to meet even strict California standards. Noise and vibration issues have been reduced to the level of typical gasoline engines. With modern engine designs and better glow plugs, cold-weather starts are not a concern unless the winter temperature is regularly below zero degrees Fahrenheit. BMW has a lot of experience manufacturing diesels in Europe, so the 335d should be fairly reliable.

Of course, diesel is only available at one out of four gas stations nationwide. The fuel is "messier" in that it doesn't evaporate if spilled and has a distinct smell. The diesel engines themselves are heavier and more expensive, too.

Taking all this into account, the 335d is hardly a slam dunk, but is worth considering. I know it will be on my car shopping list next year.