Who ya got?

The Celtics were 31-10 on the road in the regular season, 0-6 in the playoffs. Will they get the trend back in their favor in Detroit? I'm not betting on it.

It's in the match-ups. Wallace has to shoot effectively from the outside to neutralize KG in the middle; he'll do it at home but not on the road. Tayshaun has to stop Pierce; he'll do it at home but not on the road. Billups can outscore Rondo even with a gimpy leg but at home Rondo will get the calls and that first step might be all he'll need to be successful. The benches are suspect, each bringing an uninspiring mix of re-treads and greenhorns. Bench players always play better at home though its hard to see either bench making too much of a difference (unless Billups ends up hurt and the Pistons have to go to Rodney Stuckey but I don't see that happening).

The X-factor is Ray Allen. He's been virtually invisible so far but matching up with Rip Hamilton will bring out the best in him. In the first round Joe Johnson ran him ragged and in the next Wally Sczerbiak gave him no inspiration. He's ready to bust out and now is the time.

I'm taking the Celtics in 7. Home team wins every game? Yup, I'm sticking with the Celtics even though they've given me no reason for my faith. By game 7 the Celtics will be mentally and spiritually wrecked but I think at their lowest point is when they'll finally get over the nerves and just play some ball. This game 7 will be a classic.

Spurs 91-84 Hornets (game 7)

The Hornets came out tight and even though they made it close with a flurry of points in the last few minutes, this was classic San Antonio. West was such a star throughout the series but he disappeared in this game, just never got into the flow. Chris Paul, too, was short-arming his shots in the lane, not crisp on his passes. Jannero Pargo filled it up in the 4th but he took every shot instead of getting the team into a scoring groove, so rather than lifting his team he kept them stuck in place.

The Spurs are badasses. They grind away, year after year and even though I thought this year they looked lackadaisical this regular season, here they are agan. As much as everyone loved the Paul and Hornets, doesn't Lakers-Spurs seem like the match-up we wanted all along?

A love like that won’t last

I dig Sade. Her voice makes my spine shiver--I said it! She's got a spine-shivering voice! How can you not dig that? She's a cutie, she puts a solid band behind her and the visual design of her live show is intriguing. The sound is excellent and the visual is obviously home video quality.

Sade -- 'No Ordinary Love'

Watch your world burn

Prong was a guilty pleasure for me back in the day. Their sound is…I don't know…mook punk? Mook thrash? I saw them years ago, probably the emptiest show I've ever been to. Dude, the guy stage-diving into a crowd of 5 or so people cracked me up! But, Prong showed up and rocked the hizzy just the same, a good show by unfazed professionals. 'You guys got that Southern mentality!' Who knew they had so many videos? (Or any at all)

Prong -- 'Whose Fist Is This Anyway?'
Prong -- 'Unconditional'
Prong -- 'Looking for Them'

Bonus -- Tommy Victor talks about life on the road
Good to see they've jettisoned the keyboards and gone back to the pure hard rock trio sound. And clearly they're into that stage where they're only playing because they still love it and have nothing better to do. I can dig that. Love the dude who jumps up on stage and starts wailing. 'Prong's the shit, dude!' (hiccup)

Now your look has changed

This is a homemade short film called 'Necktie Fighters' that uses a Trail of Dead tune over footage from Head and SLC Punk. Looks entirely illegal but its You Tube, man, what are you gonna do?

And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead -- 'Intelligence'

Flick your Bix

Why are solo piano compositions so idiosyncratic? This feels more like 20th century classical piece rather than a Bix Biederbecke tune. It feels like the work of a well-trained composer in a ramshackle world, everything is more complicated than it needs to be. Before it veers into John Cage-like nihilism it settles into a number of melodic asides that make for a lovely piece almost in spite of itself. McPartland is a fine interpreter, she clearly enjoys the challenge.

Marian McPartland -- 'In a Mist'

Walks like a woman, feeds duck just like a little girl

The performance is impressive but the video is cheesy as all get out! Swirling crane shots, atmospheric lighting, bizarre shadowplay, smoke so thick it makes the room look dusty and, of course, why the hell is she rocking out solo in a barn? Ah, artsy TV channels! So precious. Meanwhile, St. John plays with great dexterity and marvelous technique and the composition is gripping and it all rocks very well. And apparently she loves birds.

Lara St. John -- Czardas Caprice

'He was a rather melodramatic teenager'

I saw this live once many years ago and was blown away. They put on a helluva show but this was the bit that stayed with me the longest. I remember the ending a bit different: here he wipes his bloody hand on the backdrop but as I recall he cut his finger and the shadow behind him began to bleed. I don't know if he's changed it or if I just remember it wrong. This is a cool bit and live it was eye-opening.

Penn & Teller -- 'Shadows'

I got a 427 that'll make you die

Couldn't find any footage of my two favorite EH tunes, 'Green Haze' or 'Supersadomasochisticexpialodocious'. But this one will suffice as a worthy nugget of psycho-billy.

Elvis Hitler -- 'Hot Rod to Hell'

I'm not gonna get too sentimental

This video claims to be Costello's 1st TV appearance--perhaps the only one in existence! This is why God invented the internet. He's green, a little stiff even. But it’s a great song and he plays with style and confidence. You can tell he's gonna be a badass, one of the great songwriters of his era.

Elvis Costello -- 'Alison'