The Ledge #74: Argus Leader Sportswriter Matt Zimmer

Snark is rarely found in mainstream newspapers these days, particularly in the sports department. Every team is great; every athlete is wonderful (at least until a drug scandal). Sioux Falls is lucky that the local paper has one reporter who is not afraid to speak his mind.

Besides being sarcastic and cantankerous, Matt Zimmer is also a music fanatic. When I saw a tweet from him a few months ago stating his enthusiasm over a hot woman loading a bar's jukebox with Replacements tunes, I decided he HAD to be a Ledge guest. Zimmer's choices jump from genre to genre, and he's probably the ONLY person who can justify the presence of a  Hootie and the Blowfish track.

Along with the music is discussions on local and national sports, including the Twins, Vikings, and the NBA playoffs. Please note, however, that this show was recorded before the death of Twins legend Harmon Killebrew. Neither of us had any idea that his demise would come so quickly.

To hear the show, you can subscribe via iTunes, stream it on The Ledge iPhone/Android app, or download it here.

Here's Matty's picks:


1. Alejandro Escovedo - Broken Bottle
2. Bob Dylan - Call Letter Blues
3. Henry Clay People - You Can Be Timeless
4. David Bowie - Queen Bitch
5. Jesse Malin - Almost Grown
6. Deer Tick - Houston, TX
7. Elvis Presley - US Male
8. Tommy Keene - Places That Are Gone
9. English Beat - Save It For Later
10. Ike Reilly - Hip Hop Thighs
11. Hootie & The Blowfish - Almost Home (trust me, there's a good reason for it)
12. Matthew Ryan - Guilty
13. Neko Case - Thrice All-American
14. J. Geils Band - Centerfold
15. New York Dolls - Dance Like a Monkey
16. Tom Waits - Come On Up to the House
17. Uncle Tupelo - Still Be Around
18. Paul Westerberg - MPLS
19. John Mellencamp - Small Town (Acoustic version)