CPS Consolidated

Tumblr if Anything At All

2011-04-23T08:54:00.002-04:00

Pretty much been off line for the last couple months. Not sure what that means, but just in case anyone stops here and wonders what is up, I direct you to CPSLAND over at Tumblr.

Who Needs Banks?

2011-03-23T14:08:00.003-04:00

Conversation upon arriving home last night and finding five dollar bills and singles drying on paper towels in the kitchen.

Me: What’s up with the money?

Neats: It’s The Engineer’s.

Me: OK. Why is it on paper towels?

Neats: It was wet.

Me: How did it get wet?

Neats: You really want to know?

Me: (preparing to hear about how he dropped his wallet in the fish tank): Yes

Neats: I told them that if they want to pitch in some of their money, I would take the boys to Game Stop.

Me: Uh-huh.

Neats: The Engineer immediately said “just a minute,” put on his shoes and ran outside.

Me: Why?

Neats: (barely able to finish through the impending laughter) To dig up the money he buried in a plastic crayon box out in the backyard.

Neats: Obviously it wasn’t waterproof.

Obviously.

BLOG (aka: Banal Litany Of Goings-ons)

2011-02-21T16:07:00.003-05:00

Well, it has been days, nay, weeks since I posted last and let me be the first to say that you are welcome. I mean really, there just has not been all that much to say, and most of which there is, would be whiny drivel for the most part.

I could have told you about how long the grungy illness I had lingered (in fact, I am quite sure it is just lying dormant but still very much ready to spring back into action at the littlest provocation--like, say, Spring).

I could recount that I have been so busy at work that I hardly seem family or make it to any events and when I do my mind is still swimming in what has not been done. Or I could have pointed out that while I am so busy I am not out in field fighting one of the many, many crazy right-wing politicians who are out to gut any semblance of a government that benefits the people as a whole, because ~~I need to take care of the petty, bureaucratic details of our operation~~ my tallents are too valuable. Okay, that isn't fair, I do get to at least try to figure out how to reason with the crazy right-wing politicians led by the Great Orange One in the federal government. So there is that.

I could note that as a result of said illness and said work, I haven't bought any new music or, as a result, listened to any. Nor have I made any interesting new dishes to tell you about.

I could take the high road and talk about anticipating baseball, gardening and light--but really, haven't you heard enough about that?

Or, I could get quit being lazy and actually try to write about what is happening in this country and why it seems overwhelmingly depressing, but that would take so much work and who really comes here for substance anyway?

No, you wouldn't really want any of that now would you? I didn't think so.

Hell in a Handbasket

2011-02-11T19:18:00.009-05:00

Look peeps, I would post more, but right now the world sucks. Yeah, yeah I know--what about Egypt? Whatever, out with the old in with the oh-slightly-less-but-not-all-that-different new. And here at home we have a whole bunch of bat-s*#t crazies in the states trying to take advantage of the economy to do (more) real damage to the working class. And don't get me started on higher ed--get ready for severe drops in financial aid, more people fawning over for-profit colleges who are fleecing students, and people who have never even been in a classroom telling us how to educate students. I could go on, but let's just say I have been too busy (and pissed) to post.

Is it baseball season yet?

Confessions

2011-02-05T17:50:00.006-05:00

Dear Blogger:

I have a confession. I have been playing around with another platform. I know. I know. I said that after the last time I flirted with another platform--and I came back with my blogger-tail between my legs--that I wouldn't ever leave. But this time it's different.

What? No, of course I am not talking about Facebook! Don't get me started on all the reasons I don't want to invest time and share information in that stinkin' space.

No, it is not Twitter. You know I actually love the Twitter, but I have never hid my affection for the bird and I have also told you I would never leave you for 140 characters. I mean c'mon, the Twitter feed is right there on our site!

Well, it is just that this platform is kind of a nice cross between all those status driven sites and you. And, well, it does all this arranging and organizing and resizing and stuff--oh and the templates, they are so many and interesting. Oh sorry, too much information, right?

Okay. Okay. It's Tumblr! That is what I have been goofing around with! I'm sorry. It just started out as a little exploration and the next thing I knew I was hooked. Yeah, I know that no one is following me, but it is fun.

There. I said it. Are you happy?

I am.

Willing Spring

2011-02-04T17:47:00.005-05:00

Yes, we still have the rest of February to get through and even some of March probably, but then, then dear friends we will be planting and soon our salads and what not will come straight from the good earth. In fact, we will be planting sooner to get all those little seeds popping in the toastiness of our house.

Now, upon doing a seed inventory it became clear that we had a pretty good stock, which is good news. Unfortunately I had been rifling through my Seed Savers catalog of a couple weeks salivating over what new varieties to try. Ultimately, we just picked out a few items--greens, a couple new tomato varieties and some cold weather root veggies--just enough to satiate my ordering desire. How could I not?

You Go Back in There and You Get Me a Generator Hi!

2011-01-30T16:03:00.006-05:00

They were heading into their third day of no power thanks to Commutagedon which had arrived in the DC area a couple days prior. Sleep had been cold and fitful that night and the three boys looked like even school would be preferable. There were a number of things that needed done that Saurday morning, but the first item on the agenda was to deal with the fact that the woodpile was getting very low--too low to make it another 24 hours. So the husband prepared to go find fuel.

"The Home Depot for a generator perhaps?" suggested the lovely but tired wife.

"Come now, we just need to make it a little longer--the power has to come on soon" responds the stubborn and not-so-straight-thinking husband.

The husband heads out and returns with a load of wood that should carry the family through another day. "Didn't you go to Home Depot?" asks the wife. "Yes, but generators are really expensive and I talked with a friend who made me realize it would be quite a bit of work to get it hooked up to run the furnace. And did I mention they are expensive?" replies the husband.

After a few minutes had passed. "Let me ask this" the wife asserts more than asks. "If we had the generator could we at least run a space heater or two and couple appliances to get by so we don't have to sit by this fireplace and breath smoke* for another day and then when it is warmer get it set up so the next time the power goes out we are ready? Could we do that? Could we?"

"Get your coat son" says the husband to his eldest boy. "Why? Where are we going Papa?" he asks.

"To buy a generator, son . . . to buy a generator."

"But I thought you said they were expensive and by the time we got it working . . . "

"Get your coat son."

And the family lived happily ever after as the generator was purchased, hooked up (with friend's help) and the heat began to flow.

The power was restored three hours later. The husband smiled.

So did the wife.

___________________________

* This is not to case aspersions on our fireplace, which is beautiful and efficient and kept us toasty through most of this ordeal.

Happy Sixth Birthday to The Captain!

2011-01-25T19:09:00.001-05:00

Friday Haiku

2011-01-21T00:00:00.000-05:00

Corners not yet seen
Work. Winter. Persists. Baseball . . .
Propels me forward

3 Dids / 3 Didn'ts

2011-01-15T20:34:00.001-05:00

So while I did write about a bunch of music I loved (or at least recommended) as part of my year end extravaganza, I did not write about any albums that I listened to but was not necessarily impressed with or was ambivalent (since you know, I try to be positive here). However, there were a few.

For example, I was excited about the the new Jose Gonzalez trio, Junip, but their summer release ultimately didn't move me. I was hoping for a bit more richness from the accompanying musicians--particularly percussion. That happens on a track or two, but in the end, I would just as soon have heard a Gonzalez solo album since the added musicians really didn't change the feel of the songs and it took away from the solo acoustic guitar feeling.

Another album that didn't meet expectations (although I kind of saw this coming) was Jenny Lewis' new effort, Jenny and Johnny. Just too much self-indulgent psychoanalysis without music that could compensate. Anyone else besides me hoping for a Rilo Kiley reunion?

And then there was Josh Ritter's latest effort, So Runs the World Away. Now I had intended to write about Josh Ritter at more length since he as an artist I have been catching up with, but never got around to it. I had become quite taken with The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter thanks to Nelson and moved on to So Runs. Now this album is not necessarily a disappointment and I keep coming back to it so it has the best chance to be a turnaround album for me, but it is just not immediately an album I took to. There are some wonderful songs and I appreciate the darkness of the album, but we will have to see.

Now at the same time, a host of albums came out in 2010 that I did not get to, but still hope to. Some are just obvious that I will, but haven't. For instance, I didn't pick up the latest Spoon effort which I will-but that was in part because I was still diggin' all the older Spoon I had recently discovered. But stepping past the obvious--here are three artists I am planning to check out who are all relatively new.

First up is Mumford and Sons who were all over the year end lists and topped Paste's Best New Bands list of 2010.

Next up is young Sarah Jaffe from Texas who many are watching for both her voice and her songwriting.

And finally, The Head and the Heart who NPR picked as one of five bands you should have known in 2010.

Who else should I have listened to that I didn't and who can I not worry about?

On Being Sick

2011-01-11T19:01:00.005-05:00

So there was a time in my life that getting sick, even getting the flu, had a kind of pleasure (I know, you want to talk about my real illness now). Seriously, I have semi-fond memories of being a kid, curled up on the couch, watching bad TV, mom taking care of me, funky fitful fever dreams as you doze in and out of sleep all day and night and, of course, missing school wasn't all that bad of a thing (although that changed as I got older). And even when I got older I didn't mind that feeling of your body telling you it is time to shut down for a little while as work and other responsibilities passed you by for a while. But this week, as I have fought some gunk, it just isn't the same anymore.*

First off, there are children which means that I am absolutely no help on that front (luckily Neats hasn't gone down yet). This of course is not helpful for someone who easily succumbs to guilt which of course makes me stressed which is no help at all.

Secondly, and speaking of stress, work has simply changed and there is just too

much of it. Add to that the fact that our office is small enough that everyone has a full plate of their individual stuff and when one person goes down, the others get slammed. Again, guilt, stress, and the cycle continues.

Third, technology is just no help here. I basically have my office at home and am not the kind of person who can just ignore what is sitting there in front of me. For instance, while I did take two 2-hour naps today I still managed to read the nearly 100 emails I received today and send nearly 70 of my own. Of course, the relationship of how sick I am to how much work I do requires some sort of pretty graph that I am too tired to create--suffice it to say it would most likely look like a roller coaster in which as soon as I start to feel better, productivity goes up resulting in starting to feel worse.

Finally, of course, being sick just makes me feel old and out of shape--guilt, stress, yada, yada. So off to another 12 hours of fitful, feverish sleep where I hope to dream of warmer weather, less work, baseball and gardens.

* Have to say that as I woke from a fitful nap on the couch and smelled dinner cooking including cornbread and homemade applesauce and heard the boys running about, I was actually back in that moment for just a second.

A Clever Boy

2011-01-06T17:24:00.004-05:00

So The Artist had been reminding us fairly frequently before the holidays that we had the Lemony Snicket A Series of Unfortunate Events DVD from Netflix waiting to be watched--and he was ready to do so. The hold up was due to our totally unfair parental rules of not wanting The Captain to watch the movie with the two older boys as we thought it was a bit dark for The Captain's young and good mind. As a result, we had yet to find the time when the older boys could watch it. But alas that finally happened on New Years Day.

After they finished watching it, I asked The Artist what he thought and he gave me an unconvincing "okay." When I pushed a bit about whether there was something he didn't like, or did he like the books better, or what, he said:

"Well, the books are called A Series of Unfortunate Events and so nothing really good happens--and it is just that the movie changed it around so there were happy endings and that would have never happened in the books."

Clever boy. Apparently only young children who read books can handle this reality.

Red-line or Polar Express?

2011-01-03T20:29:00.005-05:00

So we still have Christmas trees in our house given our lazy/rock-band day after Christmas before the scheduled-to-the-max Cleveland friends and family tour, but I am hoping that is to my benefit. See, tonight I got on the Metro at Union Station tonight as always, but alas when I got off at Silver Spring I couldn't find my Metro fare-card. More accurately, I reached in my coat pocket--a coat I have had for about 15 years--and found a hole.

Now I knew there was a hole, but what I didn't realize was that "said hole" had grown large enough that a Metro card would slip through it. So there I was reaching in my pocket like the boy in the Polar Express looking overwhelmingly sad at losing the first gift of Christmas (not to mention how would I get out of the Metro?)!

Of course, life is not as interesting as a classic children's tale. The Metro station dude barely let me begin to spill my tale of woe when he gruffly told me to go out the emergency gate (I actually believe you could ride Metro for free if you wanted, but that is another post). And I won't need Santa Claus to return my lost card because Metro actually has an effective phone-based help line and they solved the problem immediately (so that is where the money goes!).

Still, I am hoping for a note from Mr. C tomorrow morning under one of our trees. I promise to fix the hole in my pocket!

Hope You Had a Rockin' Christmas!

2010-12-26T10:47:00.006-05:00

Hope your day was lovely, safe and warm. Ours involved:

early rising
wonderful and thoughtful presents given from and to brothers
a wonderful lazy flurry of snow in the morning
tasty French toast with buttery, spiced pears and apples
a toasty day-long fire
the usual putting together of stuff that took longer than expected
leftovers for lunch (see the putting together part)
a trip to the urgent care to confirm (sort of) second case of strep in the house this week and then finding a pharmacy that was open
A big ole standing rib roast with a garlic/horseradish/herb paste along with roasted potatoes, mushrooms, garlic and onions, haricort verts and red peppers and a salad topped with pomegranates and pine nuts.
And of course, there was still plenty of rocking going on!

The Hustle and Bustle

2010-12-23T13:58:00.004-05:00

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am sentimental sap when it comes to Christmas. More specifically when it comes to the whole holiday season beginning with Thanksgiving, running through Christmas with the lazy winding down to the new year. I love everything about it (just about). I love all of our family traditions from our tree raising traditions, to cookie making, to train and light watching, to the music and cooking, to the actual day of Christmas itself. And then all the little things seem to be all the better during this season.

A fresh dusting of snow is somehow a bit more magical in December. The slanting low light in the late afternoon as the sun settles in and the lights emerge for the long dark night. Fires somehow seem a bit more romantic. And clementines--I love clementines in December after a warm meal, but before the cookies! Okay, so I really am a sap.

Now that said, I realize that lately the I don't enjoy the season as much as I used to and have wondered why. But this past week as The Captain struggled with a bout of bronchitis, I realized what the answer was (and how obvious and predictable it was). See, he came down with it the night before we got a few inches of snow last week--the first of the year. And as we all headed out to work and school, I was cheering him up saying that he got to hang out at home, cuddled on the couch by the tree and watch the snow come down and it reminded me of a Christmas my sister and I were both sick the week before Christmas and how much fun we had in the long run being home that week--yes even illness is better at Christmas.

The point was that I realized I used to spend a good deal of time basking in the things I love about the season and now I spend most time running from one moment to the next. That is, of course, the natural reality of working and having a family who all have activities as well, but it gave me pause and made me realize that even with all that happens in our busy lives, there is time to be had. Now that time comes at the expense of other things--namely not trying to get everything done and done perfectly--but that is really worth it particularly when it comes to slowing down and focusing on what is important.

I don't mean avoiding all the hustle and bustle--that is in some way very much a part of the charm of the season--but rather setting some things aside for the time being and recognizing that often, less is more.

Terribly obvious and trite, I know, but I thought I would write that down to help me remember. Now will someone kindly send me this post next year just before Thanksgiving next year?!

Hope you all are finding some time and space to bask in the season with your loved ones!

The End of the Year Music Review / Holiday Shopping Recommendations Extravaganza

2010-12-14T21:13:00.005-05:00

I know that some of you have been seeing all the year-end best of lists that are piling up out there and saying sure I can see Paste’s list or NPR’s or Spin’s, but when, when will we get a list from cpsland? (Actually some of you are probably just wondering if there was ever going to be a post that is about anything other than why I never seem to get around to posting anymore.)

Others are probably thinking that I am cutting it pretty close as you wait for the list so you can do your Christmas music shopping for your loved ones—you are waiting on me, right?

Others are thinking—I guess I could wade back though his blog and find each music review and decide what to buy (after all given how infrequently he posts it shouldn’t take that long), but damn, it would be nice if someone would just remind me of which ones he liked all in one place.

Others are wondering if there aren’t some discs out there that perhaps I have been secretly listening to, but not blogging about (surely this must be the case given his blogging rate as of late).

Others probably just Googled “extravaganza” and randomly ended up here. Welcome.

Okay, so here we go—my short list of albums I would recommend. Some I discussed early this year. Some I have not found time to write about. And there is even a hangover from last year that I never got around to. Bottom line, these are all “albums” that hold together all the way through.

First up, because I don’t think you will see this one on any of the big name lists and I really just love these guys, is Frontier Ruckus with Deadmalls and Nightfalls. I like this album even more now than when I first reviewed it. This is a great gift for most because it is one of those bands that is just getting discovered by more and more folks so you can look like you are on the edge (well, sort of).
Leaving Michigan and heading over to Brooklyn we find two other albums that ate up huge amounts of my listening time this year: The National’s High Violet and The Walkmen’s Lisbon. Both got my attention and admiration earlier this year—here and here--along with everyone else in the universe. But don’t let the success of these albums scare you away, they are both solid from start to finish and will surely be pointed to when people look back and talk about the Brooklyn sound from the early 2000s.
Now in a similar vein as these slacker-esque-indie-singer-song-writer-rock bands (that is a compliment), comes the new album by Deerhunter which I have yet to write about. As you can tell from the reviews over at the big board, Halcyon Digest is a solid album that delivers on its name. As Pitchfork notes, this “is a record about the joy of music discovery, the thrill of listening for the first time to a potential future favorite, and that sense of boundless possibility when you're still innocent of indie-mainstream politics and your personal canon is far from set.”
Speaking of critically acclaimed albums that I have yet to write about, let us not skip over the new Arcade Fire album, Suburbs. I almost didn’t put this on the list, because even though this is clearly their best album to date . . . and in many ways it eliminates some of my ambivalence about this talented group . . . and the angst over everything the suburbs stands for is more in line with my own angst . . . I somehow still feel something holding me back. Perhaps all the praise and first place finishes this album is receiving? Not sure. But the bottom line is that one way or another, this album is worth a listen and no one should be disappointed to find it in their stocking.
Shifting gears to the alt-country side of the world, Justin Townes Earle’s new album, Harlem River Blues, is wonderful. I am not convinced it is good as Midnight at the Movies which I loved, but the focus on New York and really the first three songs are just about as good an opening as you could ask for. As PopMatters not so subtly puts it:

It takes balls of steel to write country blues about the Harlem River, living in Brooklyn, and working on the Manhattan subway line as if one were singing about rural life in the Appalachian hollows. Justin Townes Earle confidently writes and performs these 10+ songs as if he’s singing about life back in Tennessee instead of the Big Apple, and does this so damn convincingly that you believe him. It’s a neat trick, and a tribute to Earle’s artistry that he does this so well.

So for you honky-tonkers out there, this is a definite pick-up.

Now at this point, I feel like I am writing an awful lot about albums I love, but haven’t bothered to write about—isn’t that helpful. So let’s jump back to a summer favorite that I have also been recently revisiting and still really enjoy (and isn’t it time for a woman lead in this list any way?). I am speaking, of course, about The Mynabirds, otherwise known as Laura Burhenn and her band. As I noted this summer, this is a wonderful country-gospel-blues Stax-like album with Burhenn imitating just about every female vocalist out there while still holding her own identity. Neat trick—you should check it out.
And really, this can’t be a full list without some jazz, right? So, for absolute sure, anyone who has not picked up Ten by Jason Moran and his trio should. Right now. It may not be as hard in its boppin as Black Stars or as mixed media as Artist in Residence. It may not be as thoughtful or as stride as Modernistic. And it isn’t live. But it is all of those things in a wondrous mix of modern jazz set in a long tradition of jazz that celebrates the bands 10 years of work together.

And speaking of the traditions of jazz, I never wrote about Vijay Iyer’s critically acclaimed album Historicity last year—despite the fact that it topped many a list for the year and is well worth it. This is a complicated and dense album—you will be amazed at the sound a trio can produce, but the point is, you will be amazed. So for any jazz lovers who happened to miss these two great albums—take care of that lack right now.

Okay, so that is definitely enough—I mean really, the staff here is pretty small. There are a bunch of albums I have listened to this year that didn’t make the list—but really it isn’t very holiday-like to write about things not to buy, right? I mean, artists need to earn their keep too.

Here is hoping you all have a great holiday season—even are already having one given how late I am here. Let me know which albums I should have checked out that I didn't--I already have a list going, but would love to hear your thoughts. I will save my resolving to blog more for the new year!

Tis the Season

2010-11-26T09:55:00.002-05:00

We here in cpsland hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and are enjoying the beginning of the crazy, fun holiday season. We are in the midst of our traditional holiday launch leaving me considerably off-line although there is some activity over at the Brothers K for family and friends.

Hope all are safe and warm--back soon with some recommendations for musical gifts from this year!

12 Stages of Conference Speaking

2010-11-24T16:21:00.007-05:00

The Sales Job: This is where someone tells you about this session at a conference and how they need someone who has the knowledge and expertise on this ever so complex topic and the only person they could think of was you. “It has to be you. Will you present at our conference?”

“Aw, thanks, I mean, okay, sure” (blush, foot shuffle).

Denial: Stage two immediately ensues and you forget that you have agreed to present.

Mild Irritation: Stage three involves suddenly realizing that a dark cloud has been forming over you and you realize you have been touchy and mildly irritated and you are not sure why until you remember that you have agreed to present at this conference which is only a week a way and you have not done anything to prepare.

Deep Denial: Despite the conference only being a week away you manage to suppress thinking about it under the rationalization that you have far too many pressing things that must get done first.

A Bout of Professionalism: The presentation is only three days a way now and really, it is time to act like the professional you are. So you begin to pull together your notes, check on information, look for new data, but really you have three days yet.

Panic: One day out and it is definitely go time. The reality that you will be in front of folks the next day drives you to get finally it together (kind of).

The Mirror Stage: You present in the next few hours and while you have lots on paper, you really have not said a word out loud and it feels like you are about to deliver the most boring lecture in the world. Yes, it is embarrassing, but you realize that if you don’t practice this thing, you are never going to figure out how to say what you want to say and not be a rambling idiot. So you close the door and give that bad boy a run through which of course leads to frantic revision.

The Jumanji Stage: As you head to the presentation, you begin to invent possible scenarios by which you still will not have to present: A blackout perhaps? Or maybe all conference attendees got food poisoning at lunch? Or perhaps someone was playing Jumanji in the building and the room you are presenting in was overrun by wild animals and no one dares return!

Acceptance: You arrive, no natural catastrophe of fantasy stampede has occurred and there are, in fact, people there to hear what you have to say. You are introduced and now there is nothing to do but accept what you have done and must do.

Schizophrenia: You begin and realize that this is not actually anything that is really all that challenging. You are surprised that people have, in fact, chuckled at the jokes and seem engaged in what you are saying. Then, suddenly, you realize that you are thinking about the fact that you are presenting at the same time that you are presenting which then makes you worried that you are not saying what you think you are and now there is a third layer of meta going on . . . breathe, present.

Relief and Resale: Presentation over and, suddenly, all is better with the world. “That was a great talk, I can’t thank you enough. We could really use you at our conference, do you think you could present for us in a couple of months?”

“Aw, thanks, I mean, okay, sure” (blush, foot shuffle).

The Walkmen Getting it (Really) Together

2010-11-13T09:05:00.005-05:00

For the last several weeks, while this blog has been silent on the matter of music, several discs have been receiving significant listening time here in cpsland, but none has been listened to as much as the latest effort by The Walkmen. Lisbon, which actually came out earlier this fall, is, in this writer’s humble opinion, the best album this band has released to date.

Now some will disagree on the grounds that this album has continued down a path the band has been taking toward slower, sparser, and quieter tunes. True, this album is no Bows and Arrows in terms of rock intensity, but many of the same qualities are still present, just toned down and more nuanced. The songs have more variation and textures, more space and ultimately are more lyrical.

When I first wrote about The Walkmen, I explained that I simply did not get them at first, in part because lead singer Hamilton Leithauser’s approach seemed to always be slightly off—off tune, off tempo—unconnected with the driving music underneath. It was accepting that tension between vocals and music that was key to coming to appreciate what the band was doing.

That tension is still there to a certain extent on Lisbon, but it only in your face here and there on rockers like the opening song “Angela Surf City”—which Pitchfork reviewer Tom Breihan puts on the top of the heap of Walkmen songs with “The Rat” and “In the New Year”. More often, that tension is resolving as many of the songs on Lisbon are crafted with the vocals wholly integrated into the song and Leithauser’s singing is simply beautiful (all the while maintaining his edgy, flat. slacker sound).

That is most clear on the back end of the album which slows down with each song. Who would have ever thought these guys would have a song called “Torch Song” (which is actually sung at the pace of a torch song)? They do—and, in fact, they seem to be getting comfortable in this new skin. As Leithauser’s sings in “While I Shovel the Snow,”

For now I’ll take my time
For now, I can’t be bothered . . .
There is no life like the snow life

That can only mean one thing. There next album is going to be a blazin’ rocker.

Until then, I highly recommend this album with it mix of mid-tempo rockers and slow burners—I predict it will be one that you come back to repeatedly. For samples, I was tempted to give you the closing title track which is a great reflection on the everyday and then that wonderful opening rocker (allowing you to enjoy that wonderful disc-replay- rollover), but decided on two others.

First up is a “Blue as Your Blood” which perhaps reflects best all the band’s talk about the album being influenced by early Sun Record recordings, but more importantly is a great example of the sparseness of many of these songs which also maintain their unique mix of guitar, drums and vocals. And then, I couldn’t help but share that “Torch Song” in which the band seeks a song to slow down all the madness. Leithauser moans that he doesn’t know that song, but, of course we are listening to it.

Blues As Your Blood
Torch Song

Go buy the album.

Someone Is Trying to Tell Me Something

2010-11-08T22:44:00.004-05:00

I have written before about my experiences with movies on planes and the not so subtle messages they seem to send to parents who travel for work. So, today as I left my family to fly to the west coast (again) for work I thought someone was trying to protect me when it became apparent that the headsets in our row didn't work so we would not be able to listen and therefore watch the in-flight movie. Just as well, I was deep into reading Spooner by Pete Dexter. But then I started running into passages like these:

Spooner delivered the town's morning newspapers, beginning two hours before school and in the winter it was often still dark when he finished. Once in a while a garage door would open as he walked past, and he would stop and watch as the car slowly emerged, the wife behind the wheel . . . driving the breadwinner off to the train station. Most everybody worked in Chicago, twenty-odd miles to the northeast. The husbands . . . stared poker-faced out the car windows as their wives backed out of the driveway, expressions deadened into some joyless exhaustion . . . as if the world had been drained of taste and color and even the notion of escape.

Out on the [baseball] field, a boy with an enormous head was laying a fresh chalk line . . .Calmer [the father] thought it wouldn't be such a bad thing to lay chalk lines. He was catching himself at this all the time lately, picturing himself trading jobs, usually for some kind of work that would be finished for the day when it was finished for the day, that would leave him time to rest and read. Other jobs, other lives. It was strange how often it came up.

Perhaps I will try the movie on the way back.

Friday Haiku

2010-11-05T08:58:00.003-04:00

Chilled and damp, the leaves
drift down toward fall's end--shiver
What will winter bring

Happy Autumn!

2010-10-31T16:46:00.005-04:00

Hip!

Hooray!

There Was Maine

2010-10-28T17:58:00.010-04:00

I thought I might not ever get back to this crazy blog thing, but the reasons aren't all bad. One great reason for being absent is that Neats and I actually stole away for three days in Maine to belatedly celebrate her putting up with me for 20 years of marriage (and a few before that). There was much eating and lazing about, but also some wonderful hiking in the woods up along the coast--and of course, plenty of colors to peep.

It is amazing how even three days seems like such a huge amount of time when you aren't responding to work and kids' schedules and all of life which seems to make the day fly by. It allowed us time to actually have long conversations and talk through life and our kids and the future in a way we felt we hadn't done for years it seemed.

And there was food and wine to slowly enjoy as we talked. If ever in Portland, which was our base, may I recommend:

And at some point, stop in for breakfast at Bantliff's Cafe (and yes order the Lobster Benedict). All of which is why you need to go for long walks during the day which feed your other senses. See.

Haiku Observations from a Friend

2010-10-25T16:45:00.005-04:00

You know you haven't posted in a while, when you receive text messages like this one:

The blog languishes
Colored leaves let loose and fly
Shadows lengthen nows

All true.

Food Tyrant or Responsible Parent?

2010-10-08T20:55:00.004-04:00

So anyone who reads this blog knows that I have some particular opinions on food. Some might say that I am even a bit of a snob about food--I like to think it is more about having a semi-refined palate. This most often gets played out in our household when I refuse to stop at fast-food joints when time is tight. The boys all know that I really, really prefer that we don't eat prepared, institutional food and have no problem sharing my opinions on this matter with others.

Now that said, I know that given schedules, it is sometimes almost unavoidable that there are times when fast-food is the answer, but the boys still relish the chance to point out that they got to indulge. As evidence, I offer up two exchanges from this week.

1. At a school event this week:

School Principal to the Engineer: Hey, there is that new Wendy's nearby. I stopped there and had those new spicy chicken nuggets. They were pretty good. Do you like those?

Engineer: My dad doesn't like us to eat fast food.

Nice. The eight-year old giving the school principal some nutritional education.

2. A Wednesday night (note that Wednesday's at our house are crazy as the boys go straight from school to piano lessons and then have to go straight to baseball practice--including a uniform change in the van and I race from work to practice):

The Captain to me after getting home at 8:30 pm after baseball practice (in a gleeful 5-year old voice): Hey Papa, guess where we ate dinner tonight? You're going to be angry! McDonald's!

Win some, lose some!

I Should . . .

2010-10-03T07:44:00.005-04:00

Well it is autumn--best season of the year. Where the last of the harvest arrives and the colors change and thoughts turn to piles of leaves, stews, fires, jazz and red wine. Oh and all the $#%@# I have to get done. I have one day left of this weekend, here are all the things I should do.

Harvest those last big basil plants, clean, dry and freeze pack it with parsley and oil for winter pesto.
Move two smaller trees from backyard to front in place of the two saplings the deer have already eaten.
Stake all (then) four smaller trees and net them to protect from the stupid deer (perhaps venison stew?).
Change the header on this blog--I mean, c'mon it is really not summer now is it?
Post something, anything, over on the family blog.
Listen to that pile of new discs that just arrived--perhaps while getting the pile of uncased discs people have given me organized into cases with some art work.
Mow the lawn (yeah, right).
Continue to work on list of minor home repairs that need done--Spackle, touch up paint, order new front door hardware, etc.
Call a variety of people back--all about the various upcoming visits that are scheduled.
Try to ignore work.
Review field assignments from The Engineer's baseball game yesterday (he and they rocked!) and put new assignments together for next two games.
Watch final Tigers game of the season.
Attend first play of the season at Imagination Stage with the family (pretty sure that will get done).
Figure out a bit more about what Neats and I are going to do in Maine for our upcoming little get away (besides sleep).
Oh, and of course obsess about the future!

Phew--better get another cup of coffee.

Cats and Dogs

2010-09-24T19:16:00.006-04:00

So as you are all aware Dear Readers, there are three boys in this household--ages 10, 8 and almost 6. And really, shouldn't three boys of this age have a dog (or two)? Of course they should. But here is the problem--or more accurately, the two problems.

OK, they aren't problems, they are our cats who we love (of course). That would be Allsop on the left and Dexter on the right. These guys have been with us a loooong time. Allsop is going on 17 and Dex on 19--but both seem to be hanging in there just fine (well, Alls is going blind, but since she sleeps all day it isn't that big of a handicap). We have had them for going on 17 years now since we picked them up at the Humane Society in Salt Lake City and we can't imagine subjecting them to a dog--seems like we would be determining their fate right there.

Now when it comes time for a dog, we will of course be taking a trip to our local Humane Society or equivalent. First, cuz we just really aren't pure bread type of folks. And second, because it is the right thing to do. If you don't believe me, the let OK Go convince you.

Hat tip to Linzo (aka Imp0526)

To Diva or Too Diva?

2010-09-20T20:17:00.001-04:00

So good friend Lisa B. who runs the most awesome hightouchmegastore (HTMS) has been trying to get me to listen to--no, revel in--the music of Rufus Wainwright. So I finally picked up a couple albums, but I just couldn’t make up my mind. So why not go to the expert, right?

CPS: So I finally have a couple Rufus Wainwright album's now: Poses and All Days Are Night: Songs for Lulu. Would you say that these are fairly representative--that is, if someone likes, loves, or dislikes these two albums, can they count on feeling similar about others? Or are these exceptional in any way in your mind?

HTMS: OKAY.

Whoops, didn't mean to do that caps lock thing, but here we go: I would say that Poses is representative of Rufus W.'s songcraft and insouciant lyricism. I would say that Songs for Lulu is more of a departure--it feels like an album of art songs more than pop songs, even though his pop sensibility is there too. I think both are splendid recordings and I really am loving Songs for Lulu.

But Poses is more of a piece with Want One and Want Two, and Release the Stars, I'd say. A song like "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk," for instance, is perhaps the ur-Rufus song--maybe one of his best--and it's on Poses, a recording that can be listened to with pleasure from start to finish (that sentence is just about content free, I think. Sorry about that).

So what are you thinking about Rufus at this point?

CPS: First of all, who said this blog requires content?

Okay, so here is the deal--I am pretty ambivalent, but feeling like that must be due to some deficiency on my part--like I just don't quite get the whole Rufus thing. That said, your first answer here clarifies some things as I much prefer Poses for starters and "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk" is a great tune (when I heard it the first time, I thought I was going to love that album). But before we get into any particular album, a few general reactions about my ambivalence.

First, he has a very unique sounding voice that is all laid-back, piano bar-like, but it masks some very good lyrics--which is not to say that the voice and lyrics don't go together. But I find myself feeling like there is a certain sameness to the sound and I long for a bit more variation between songs. Now, I know that there are plenty of artists who have a pretty repetitive sound, but for some reason this one tends to make me tune out after a while. When I really listen closely to Poses for instance, I find each song independently to be really strong and well crafted, but I have never really felt like I have enjoyed the whole album together as a whole.

Perhaps this is a seasonal -setting thing? Somehow, I feel like I should be listening to these albums late at night as embers die in a fireplace with a glass of red wine and not in a car or on headphones, or at the beach or even in summer? Is that true for you or does his music actual transcend that type of categorization for you?

HTMS: It might be, of course, that he's just not your style of artist. One thing I think is great about RW is the instrumentation on his songs--so to me, they don't really all sound the same. That said, having just revisited the tracks on Poses, I can see why you'd actually feel that way. It's interesting how you sort of construct the artist in your mind, conveniently leaving out the parts that are less interesting (I have, for instance, constructed a great acting career for Sean Connery entirely out of The Man Who Would Be King, The Russia House, and The Untouchables).

So, on Poses, I find some variety, with the stellar tracks being "Cigarettes" (which we've already mentioned), "California," and "Rebel Prince." On the eponymous Rufus Wainwright, there's"Barcelona," "Beauty Mark," and "Matinée Idol." But once you get to Want One, there's all kinds of goodness--maybe it's there that the promise of the earlier songs really unfolds and becomes quite brilliant.

The voice, for me, took some warming up to. It's strong, and has a great range, and it's unique, and it's good. But there was a quality to it--a lassitude, dragged out a little, and paradoxically a little brassy--that made me think, Dude, you must shape your embouchure so that your tone is more rounded! But now, I love the quality of the voice, and I love the diva in it--the Ethel Merman of it all. No accident that he did the iconic Liza Minnelli concert, practically note for note. He *is* a diva.

So what I'm saying is, just buy the whole oeuvre, for crying out loud. Because there are riches awaiting you. One: "What a World" (on Want One). Two: "I Don't Know What It Is" (also Want One). Really, pretty much all of Want One, and on Want Two, there is "Little Sister," "Art Teacher," and "Waiting for a Dream." All pretty much amazing. Bonus: "Going to a Town," on Release the Stars.

CPS: Funny how these exchanges crystallize stuff. See I was just saying that perhaps my problem with RW is that it is all too Broadway-diva like for me. Any hope that I had of being a big fan of that genre has been driven from me by a certain Broadway-obsessive culture I have found myself in the last years. It makes me knee-jerk, I know, but, really, how does one stop that?! You don't. You account for it--although it probably means that I might not ever really find myself listening to Songs for Lulu.

So, I am going to keep Poses in the mix--and I really agree with the songs you have picked out here as highlights, particularly "California." And we shall see if that moves me to move back to Want One or Want Two. Fair enough?

HTMS: Tragic. Alas and woe. Is what I have to say about your stance vis a vis the theatrical elements of RW. I get it, you can't really do anything about that. But do you find Lulu to fit the description? I was thinking of them as more in the line of classical art songs. I need to listen to that again, clearly. I find Lulu to be a departure for RW, a beautiful one.

Okay, I'm going to suggest some tracks to listen to (I know I did in a previous installment in this exchange, but just for good measure), because maybe that's where you'll find the RW you like or even love--track by track, one good song at a time:

"Going to a Town" (on Release the Stars)--really, you just must hear this. It is passionate and gorgeous. "Do I Disappoint You" and "Tulsa" (also on Release the Stars) "Oh What a World," "I Don't Know What it Is," and "Vibrate" (on Want One--this whole recording is splendid, in my opinion) "Little Sister" and "Art Teacher" (on Want Two)

There are also terrific tracks, such as "Barcelona," on Rufus Wainwright.

For an interesting cross reference, I also suggest you listen to Martha Wainwright's eponymous recording and/or I Know You're Married But I've Got Feelings Too.

Well, I'm sorry you didn't get converted to the Rufus Wainwright Church of the Insouciant Diva. I really do hope you'll listen to the songs above--at least to "Going to a Town." It's part of my daughter in Scotland's "heartbreaking songs about America trilogy" (other tunes: "I'm Not Ready to Make Nice" [Dixie Chicks] and "Jesusland," [Ben Folds]). That's an endlessly expandable list, by the way. Speaking of Ben Folds: what is your view?

CPS: Okay--Want One will go on the list and I will go another round--I promise. For now though, I’ll drop a couple tunes from Poses on the blog here for other uniformed folks to check out. You have a favorite video to suggest for sharing? As for Ben Folds, well that is a whole new discussion!

Here are the video picks from HTMS:

HTMS: Both of these are live, and solo piano--I think you see the structure of the songs and the melodies, as well as hear the lyrics clearly and beautifully, this way.

Here's "Going to Town"

Here's "Art Teacher":

And for those interested in Poses here are a couple tracks that are both HTMS and CPS approved.

Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk
California

Thanks to HTMS for the insights.

Friends on the Slippery Slope

2010-09-19T09:20:00.003-04:00

I think I made it pretty clear, particularly back when I was running The Tuning Room, that what I have always really wanted to do was take part in a group blog about music. Nothing serious, just a few of my friends who I talk about music with fairly regularly, sharing what they are listening to, why they like it and just music-related nonsense. That, however, has never really come to fruition.

But recently, I have been engaged in an online discussion with one friend about one artist which I will soon be sharing with you. I am hoping this will be something I get to do with other friends as well as a way to bring their voices to the blog. We'll see--or perhaps they will notice that I am just slowly moving them toward the edge of jumping into the group blog pool. After all, what are friends for?!

It's Not That I Don't Have Anything to Say

2010-09-09T17:29:00.005-04:00

It's just that none of it falls into the category of blogging. Here are things I am currently not doing on this here blog:

perpetually mourning over not being back on the big lake;
outlining all the incredibly interesting work I am doing on federal regulations;
moaning over the Tiger's barely holding at .500 or hoping that don't do something stupid like release Brandon Inge;
flailing around about a bunch of music I have listened to, but am not sure what to say about it;
sharing all of the secret plans for the future;
detailing my recent bout of kidney stones; or,
blogging (clearly).

You are welcome.

cps

My (Not NPR's) List

2010-09-02T19:40:00.003-04:00

I have a couple little sticky notes floating around my computer in some form at most points. On those sticky notes are scribbled names of musicians I have heard, read about, or know are coming out with new music that I want to keep in mind for my next purchase. I have one of those hanging from my right speaker at work which is filled mainly with upcoming releases--you know all the hip new tunes I was going to get in on early.

So it was a little embarrassing to return from vacation and see that almost all of the albums on that little note were currently (or recently) available on NPR's First Listen feature. So much for hip.

OK, so NPR has really, really cranked up there already good commitment to music, but what does it say when my list so closely corresponds to theirs. Go ahead, say it. I'm old. That is what is says, and I know it so you don't have to sugar-coat it. When you are getting your hip music from NPR, you are definitely sliding into a certain period of your life. Next thing you know I am going to be getting recommendations for new music from Reader's Digest.

But really, I am okay with it. I am not going to back away from my list--in fact, I am still looking very much forward to what is on it (in all of its predictable-ness). So what is on it already?! Okay, here is what is in the running.

Despite my previous ambivalence, I am pretty sure to be checking out the new Arcade Fire album, The Suburbs, which continues to pull in positive reviews over at the big board.
Defintely going to check out the new album, Fields from Junip, José Gonzáles' group effort, since I really have enjoyed his solo work.
Not sure (but pretty sure) I will check out the new album from Jenny Lewis with her beau/band-mate Jonathon (Johnny) Rice. I am a bit worried that Jenny & Johnny's I'm Having Fun Now will be a bit too poppy, but am counting on Lewis' acid tongue to carry the day.
Surprisingly since it took me so long to figure them out, I am really look forward to The Walkmen's new album, Lisbon. Will they continue to slow down and get more crafty, or will we see a return to "The Rat"? Answering that question is the reason to check it out.
An album I didn't really have on my list but, well, I saw on NPR's First Listen (sigh) is the new album from Justin Townes Earle whose first two albums I thought were really worth attending to.

Beyond those, I am still chewing on some Josh Ritter albums I have picked up and will probably pick up one or two more to see what I finally think. I also have been working through some Rufus Wainwright thanks to Lisa B. and am trying to figure out what I think there. Likewise about a whole bunch of stuff sent to me by College Roomy including The Lilac Time, Lloyd Cole and a bunch of jazz. Speaking of jazz, I have also been listening to the latest Jason Moran and Brad Mehldau, so at some point I might figure out what I think of those and let you know.

So what am I missing and what are you listening to?

Two Weeks Erased by Two Days

2010-08-31T20:28:00.004-04:00

So that week off the grid really turned into two and (don't take this personally, dear readers) but I didn't really miss it. In fact there are a whole bunch of things I didn't miss while gone on vacation, including:

95 degree code orange (or red) days;
taking 20 minutes to go five miles;
too long work days (yes, already) trying to address the fact that we have more work to do than staff to handle it;
standing in a Metro car (after said work day) with a bunch of other tired grumpy DC workers;
stress (and, yes I know all the right things I am supposed to do to address it, but really I would just rather not have it);
realizing that there are multiple trips coming up that will take me away from the family;
mindless nonsense; and, of course,
feeling guilty for having life dominated by work.

In fact, it has seemed to me that it took work a much shorter time to erase vacation than it did for vacation to take hold of my psyche--which then made me wonder what I did miss while on vacation. Certainly their were colleagues and friends it was good to see again. And it is always great to be in your own home, particularly one you have invested a lot of time and sweat in, but we always make a home where we are.

Ultimately the list is pretty short. Hmmmm . . . . .

A Week Blissfully Off the Grid

2010-08-20T09:08:00.011-04:00

The house we are staying at on Lake Michigan is wonderful. The only thing that hasn't worked perfectly is the wireless connection. So the bad news is that The Artist and I have not been able to do our normal blogging. The good news is that we have had plenty of time to focus on these.

Today is the bittersweet final full day, so we might start a little back-posting over at the Brothers K, but more likely we will get back to perfecting beach life.

Let the Wild Rumpus Begin

2010-08-11T14:03:00.006-04:00

Finally. Vacation has arrived. Okay, technically, I still need to do a few things, clean up the house a bit more for our wonderful house sitter, pack, yada, yada . . . but let us be clear. I do not have to commute in the August heat of DC anymore this year (well, one day but by then it will feel like September right?).

So to celebrate we have made a few modifications here. I jumped over to a new template with a bit more breathing room in it. I made a header change which includes a picture from vacation two years ago. You want to be there, don't you? I do. In fact I will be in just a couple days--ahhhh, the big lake.

So, blogging will be even slower than usual here for a while. There may be a picture or two, but any real blogging will be over at The Brothers K where The Artist and I usually listen to the waves in the cool morning hours while we upload photos from the previous day and record our thoughts on food, sand castles and the wave crashing rumpus from the previous day. Let us know if you want an invite to the family blog!

For now--hope all is well in your world. Breathing out . . . .

Friday Haiku for a Monday Night

2010-08-09T20:22:00.003-04:00

The house sighs. Empty. Quiet.

Anticipation . . .

Boys yearn. Sun, waves--the lake calls.

The Mynabirds Sing Songs for the Summer

2010-08-08T18:34:00.002-04:00

With all of the many releases this summer, I didn't see this one coming or know it would get so much of my attention, but as it turns out, The Mynabirds have given us a wonderful album for mid-and late-summer. I ran into this album, What We Lose in the Fire We Gain in the Flood , thanks to All Songs Considered who had Laura Burhenn and her band in for a Tiny Desk Concert. I wasn't sure that the album would turn out to be a keeper (it is), but I could tell instantly that I really liked Burhenn's voice and style.

The album, which you might guess just from the title (or the cover), is rooted in gospel and blues, but in that wonderful way that bleeds into country, R&B, Motown and even a little rock and roll. Now don't think it is all heavy--this is a pop album at its heart with Burhenn holding the various styles together with both her writing and her sultry alto voice which is a wonderfully muscular at times and gentle in other spots. As Pop Matters notes:

Binding together the disparate influences of slow-burning, hot-piping soul; swaying, sassy girl group pop; a gospel-tinged hymnal quality that lends her husky, smoke-burnished voice a ringing, striking command; and the sputtering, exhilarating abandon of garage rock, Burhenn creates a stylistically divergent yet singularly inspired sound that’s at once charmingly reverent and spiritedly self-supportive.

And let's say just a bit more about her voice. Neats and I sat around trying to figure out who she sounds like. This is difficult because she sounds like a lot of people on different songs. Ultimately we couldn't decide on any one singer, which seemed like a compliment in and of itself. But then I read the Pitchfork review and was pleased to read they had a list of comparisons as well.

The material recalls artists such as Dusty Springfield, Laura Nyro, and Linda Rondstadt, but the sound and style come closer to more recent touchstones-- Jenny Lewis' best moments on her own and with Rilo Kiley; Cat Power circa The Greatest and Jukebox; Fiona Apple's collaborations with Jon Brion.

And just to add one last quality that makes this a wonderful summer album is that it comes in at barely over a half an hour long--because really we don't want to get to serious now do we? But if this genre and female vocals are your thing, you should pick this one up as it is definitely worth a listen.

I intended to give you a couple samples to give you a taste, but alas had some probs with the mp3 rip and find myself here writing this post with only one song on my computer and with the actual disc in another state with my family (lucky them). So you are just going to have to do with just one which is a nice R&B piece and still gives you a sense of the album. I had hoped to follow that with the closing track "Good Heart" which is all country (and has the beauty of leading you back to the title track on the disc-replay-rollover). But do check this one out.

Numbers Don't Lie

Enjoy.

Garden-Centric Cooking

2010-08-02T20:55:00.003-04:00

The little storm we weathered put a bit of a hold on this post, but not on the perpetual cooking based on what our garden produces. No, we continue to be grateful for what our garden produces while also feeling a bit subservient to the constant demand of veggies that need to be eaten--a perfectly acceptable set of conditions under which to exist. Of course, we have to listen to The Captain note (with a certain edge in his voice) that this is yet another meal with "only vegetables"!

Here is a brief inventory of what we have been eating over the last month (or you can just skip to the pictures and salivate over the bounty).

Lettuce: It is actually a sad week here because we are eating the last of our lettuce--we haven't bought a leafy green since April and have been grateful for each and every bowl. We will see some this fall for the early picking as the cold melts away next spring.
Chard and spinach: not only have we had lettuces, but also chard (although we need to rethink our planting scheme as we didn't get as much as we should have) and spinach. Let us take a minute on the spinach because this isn't your ordinary spinach. We planted red malabar spinach from Seed Savers which is a heat-loving climbing vine spinach (are you listening Utah peeps?). It is beautiful and tastes wonderful with small tender leaves at the tops of the vine as they climb and big tasty chard-like leaves as it matures. We will arrange differently next year, but as you can see in the pics below--it is quite beautiful. It was particularly good the night we had no power and I threw a sauté pan on the grill, fried up some bacon and shallots, added some peppers from the garden and then wilted the spinach in the mix--a nice side to the black olive past pork loin we grilled! Equally good is to just sauté it up with garlic and olive oil topped with a blanched yellow zucchini with fresh herbs. All kinds of body and taste here.
Cucumbers: Did I mention that "powerless" grill meal? Key was the cucumber salad. See we have more Japanese cucumbers than you know what to do with. Neats made a chilled cucumber soup that was great (although a bit salty thanks to some intervention by the boys), but we kept adding cukes, different herbs and yogurt to it and it was a side that just kept on giving and giving.
Eggplant: For instance, that cucumber mix was a wonderful side to the eggplant and chard curry--so yummy. I apologize for no pictures of that beautiful dish. Then there was the lasagna with eggplant layered into the middle of it.
Peppers: those peppers I added to the grill menu--ours, thank you very much. And recently we picked a whole slew and stuffed them with a wonderful Mediterranean couscous that had black olives, pine nuts, garlic and herbs in it. More to come with the peppers.
Beets: also a bit of a sad day as we are now out of our wonderful golden beets. We sliced them in salads, put the greens in home-made goat-cheese ravioli, roasted them and served them warm with the beet greens on the side with feta. Earlier next year for these guys.
Carrots: We also have a good crop of carrots this year that are tasty as all get out--even if I think of them as a winter veggie. And as you can see, they are beautiful!
Squash: Okay, we have been eating green and golden zucchini almost as much as cucumbers. There is the usual sauté, the cheesecake I noted earlier, bread and let us not forget the chocolate zucchini cake! The real hit has been zucchini fritters and recently I made panko/Parmesan crusted zucchini which is a healthier version of its fried cousins. All wonderful because of course the squash is just out of the garden.
And lastly, but so not leastly, Tomatoes! Yes they are on and we have been slicing them left and right--they are so new we haven't even dare put herbs or cheese with them. We just keep eating them plain--maybe with a little salt. Oh glorious day.

Okay enough--here is a sampling of the veggies/dishes to give you an idea. I am off to slice me a tomato!

Dark and Horizontal (Words You Don't Want to Hear About the Weather)

2010-07-27T19:56:00.009-04:00

It was Sunday afternoon and it was still really hot. We knew the cold, storm-filled front was coming, but I thought it was arriving closer to 5 pm. But just after 3:30 pm the sky went dark--really dark. The boys were just finishing up a bit of Wii-time and Neats was catching a few minutes with a book and I was contemplating the next garden-centric dinner (more in another post) when I realized it went quiet and then went wicked.

The wind erupted and in a manner of minutes was almost horizontal--like something I had not seen since living in the Midwest. I had been tracking the weather on the computer but had not seen anything about the tornado warning we would later learn had been issued. Not that I needed a radio to tell me what we should do. We all hit the basement fast as the front came in. The power was off seconds later and no more than 20 minutes later the front had passed.

When we emerged, our yard was a mess--branches down all over, plants laid low, pots tipped over--but no major damage. We hunkered down to wait out the loss of power, skipped the gourmet meal and had sandwiches and what not from a quickly opened and closed refrigerator. After dinner, a quick walk up the street showed us we had not been overly cautious. Debris was everywhere and whole trees were ripped out of the ground. See for yourself.

These are some of the worst, but the damage all over the neighborhood was significant with branches and wires down on every block. It wasn't a tornado, but bad enough!

We would have reported earlier, but we haven't had power for 48 hours--it is just back on a bit ago. The upside is that the storm wrenched all the humidity out of the air for the time we lost power, so for the first time in weeks we enjoyed the weather. The boys survived without any video game access (and I survived without music) although The Artist at one point called out: "Come back power! I miss you electricity."

Indeed. On the other hand, it wasn't so bad being disconnected. Looking forward to that same feeling due to vacation rather than inclement weather.

Another Fine Adventure with Frontier Ruckus

2010-07-25T09:48:00.010-04:00

As if having just endured a long, grey winter followed by a cold, rainy spring and emerging into the wonders of early summer, Frontier Ruckus sighs and settles in to look back on what they have passed through and forward to what will replace the past. Deadmalls and Nightfalls, the bands second full album, is all about the shedding and sloughing off, abandonment and change, and (as always seems the case with lyricist Matthew Milia) memory and place.

Now, I had some significant angst as the release of this album approached because I love their first album The Orion Songbook so much and my expectations were high. No worries. Just about everything that I liked about that first effort holds true here. Milia's lyrics are as lush and poetic as ever filled with nature and smells, creating landscapes jam packed with imagery--as if Walt Whitman is walking through Michigan with a guitar. The album opens with Milia buzzing and worrying that "all the vegetation in the settled world is stirring" which it will continue to do throughout the album.

Musically, the album is both similar to the first album . . . and not. I thought that the first album got a bit "musical saw" happy (a minor criticism), but that is clearly not an issue here. The songs rely on Milia's guitar and Davey Jones banjo to build songs around with various instruments from fiddle to horn to harmonium providing texture and giving individual songs a different feel. As I noted when the album started streaming I was particularly happy to hear Anna Burch singing harmonies on this album as her steely voice is a perfect counter part to Milia's lead vocals. Overall, the songs are extremely well constructed and the band (and the production of the band) is clearly getting a bit more subtle and sophisticated.

At the same time, I have to say that my first reaction was that I wanted a bit more, um, ruckus. In fact, I was surprised to see PopMatters suggest that the main difference between the first and second albums was the "diversity of pace and rhythm in almost every song." I agree that there is sophisticated constructions on many songs, including "Ontario" as PM notes, but overall this album has a much more even tempo to it than the first. It is also somewhat more laid back, particularly on the back half of the album which is considerably more subdued than the first album which has a number of wonderfully rambunctious songs throughout the album.

On the other hand, as I listen (and listen and listen) to Deadmalls & Nightfalls, each and every song grows on me and this is part of what makes this album such a strong album. It is wonderfully similar and different all at once and, ultimately, at least, an equal to the first album--which is to say, not to be missed!

Now, you can still hear the whole album over on the band's Facebook page, but let me put up a couple samples for you to hear. But let me make a special request here. I don't often get the chance to write about and recommend bands that many of you won't have heard of--but that is the case here. And that means that this is a band that both needs and deserves your support. So after you listen to some of their tunes, go buy this album and while you are at it, get their first one too.

Deciding which songs to share was difficult given how much I am enjoying the whole album. "Silverfishes" was always clearly going to be one I wanted to share as it is simply a classic Frontier Ruckus song. After that it is tempting to put something from the first half of the album which is so strong with the two opening tracks really just setting the stage perfectly. But let me switch gears a bit and share one of the wonderfully slow songs which also includes some nice fiddle work that makes you think that might be a feature we see more of in the future. These two tracks also come in the middle of the disc (tracks 5 and 7) so you get a sense of the shift between the front and back half of the disc.

Silverfishes

Does Me In

Can't wait to listen to this one as we make the long drive up from DC, past Oriontown to the pines and birch of northern Michigan and the big lake.

Glass Half ______ ?

2010-07-22T20:33:00.002-04:00

Listen folks. It is hot. Really hot. Really, really hot. I know I have already complained once this year, but when you start getting not just heat advisories, but excessive heat advisories (cuz it is going to be like 103 friggin' degrees) and folks are talking about two weeks of 90 plus degree days in a row (after a previous 11 day stretch of the same), I claim a little latitude in how much I get to complain. But, hey I am a positive kind of guy, right. So I am trying to focus on the upside.

After all it is only a couple weeks until we head north to the big lake where we will be joined by Little Sis and her kids. And until then, we have the benefit of great shade trees, central air and half a house that is down close to the cool, dirt earth.

Then again, being trapped in the house is a bit less enjoyable when the summer cold grunge is running rampant through the brothers with the Captain down Monday and Tuesday, the Artist picking it up late Tuesday into Wednesday and now the Engineer taking it on today. But hey, they are strong boys who rebound quickly--and they are cute most of the time so their mother probably won't strangle them.

And let's face it, I am lucky enough to have a job and that takes me out of the house, so, perhaps, I will miss the grunge (we all know how mothers are ~~stronger than fathers and fight through mild illness~~ immune to these things anyway). Then again, all of my colleagues seem to think that having sick children isn't enough of a challenge and so have brought their own versions of the grunge into work.

But really, I can't complain. This all shall pass and in the meantime, the garden continues to give and give. Eggplant, peppers, spinach, chard, carrots, squash, cucumbers and tomatoes are just about to turn. Of course, we have to go out everyday to water so as to try and keep these poor plants alive since it is hot--did I mention it is hot? So hot, in fact, you don't want to go out and do anything in the garden. Oh, and by the way, rain is becoming a memory and when it does rain it makes you think Noah's family must be around building something, but then it goes away for another week (it is more like wandering in the desert than 40 days and 40 nights).

Sorry, I didn't mean to start again, really. Because hey, we are all here and together and someday we will look back on this episode of summer cabin fever fondly--really we will!

The National’s Intoxicating Silver City Angst

2010-07-14T19:53:00.000-04:00

Every once in a while, an artist comes along that manages to break through my self-imposed set of rules regarding the intricate relationship between the seasons and music. Everything about The National’s music tells me that I should be listening to this during late autumn as the light goes low and the days chill and shorten--or in the actual dark days of winter--or at a minimum during a long stretch of rain-soaked grey days in spring. But definitely not in the lush, long days of summer.

There is nothing about The National’s albums—either lyrically or musically that says summer. There is nothing that you could really be described as up-tempo (there is some driving pieces, but nothing that makes you consider getting up to dance). That might be just as much because there is nothing you would really describe as upbeat. Certainly nothing you could describe as light-hearted and carefree. And yet, here we are in July and I cannot stop listening to this band, which I have been for the last several months straight.

My listening started with the band’s fourth album Boxer and was quickly followed with the recently released High Violet—both of which deserve attention. Both albums share certain qualities.

Musically, there is plenty of mid-tempo to slow-paced tunes, many of which build with more and more guitar and keyboard being layered on as the song progresses. Drummer Bryan Devendorf’s work is critical and often adds contrast with a faster-paced, rhythmic phrasing underneath, although most often with a muted tom-tom sound than any in your face rock-drumming—and cymbals are close to nonexistent with the exception of the hi-hat. I am not sure if anyone every gets above the middle-C register on these tunes. Lead singer Matt Berninger’s voice is deep, gravelly and ominous and most songs frame that tone and character. That said, one of the things that make these albums (and they are most definitely albums) so solid is that while there is a certain consistent sound through them, the songs are carefully and complexly built which gives the album a rich variation which is probably why I keep listening.

Lyrically, Berninger is clearly working through a bit of angst in these songs. I don’t mean that in a simple way as these songs aren’t overblown teenage angst (not surprisingly, since these guys aren’t teenagers—as if that stops other songwriters from adolescent obsession). Know this seems more driven by emotional struggles of everyday life in young-but-aging-adulthood—relationships, careers, self-identity and generally trying to figure out navigate life in a material and superficial world toward emotional happiness. But this is also where the albums differ for me.

Boxer seems much more concerned with figuring out one’s place in life, careers and accepting (or not) the long stretch of adulthood and all the responsibilities that entails. Not surprisingly given the career paths of these guys, much of that seems to focus on the grind and rat-race of work life and the status chasing that permeates so much of professional life. The Silver City professionals that run through this album seeming stand in for past lives abandon for a truer calling--although you never quite get the feeling that anything is remotely figured out here. Fitting in is not something that you get a sense that these guys do real well (or at least believe they do). Even the songs that seem more hopeful seem to be more about escape and starting over than anything else.

High Violet is a more personal album in many ways. There is still that sense of running from the professional rat-race, but the songs here seem to have more on an inner-focus than the previous album. Songs look both forward and backward searching for answers in relationships, family and share a general self-reflective assessment. But here again, don’t go looking for a writer that has solved theses questions. The lyrics of these songs are much more about process than answers and The National seems quite happy to live there.

Now, I don’t want to leave with the impression that these albums are just dark and depressing. Not true. They are wonderfully crafted musically and lyrically and leave listeners fully engaged and plenty to chew on--like any good piece of art should.

Mistaken for Strangers / Boxer (Buy Album)
Green Gloves / Boxer
Bloodbuzz Ohio / High Violet (Buy Album)
Conversation 16 / High Violet

The Next Time the Brothers Say They're Bored

2010-07-14T13:10:00.003-04:00

I believe I will show them this to provide some inspiration!

Hat tip to Josh Spear via Mashable Twitter List.

Anxious and Giddy: New Frontier Ruckus Album

2010-07-13T15:57:00.006-04:00

I have been waiting to get a bit closer to July 20th to place my next disc order so I can include the new album from Frontier Ruckus, Deadmalls & Nightfalls. This album will surely get much more attention from this here blog as I totally fell in love with their first album, but I had to note today's wonderful surprise. Mid-afternoon as I trudged through the first day at the office and the second day of jet lag, I got the notification that the new album was streaming over at the band's Facebook BandPage.

I obviously haven't listened closely yet, but let me just say that I was very happy to hear Anna Burch (I assume) singing harmony on the album even though she appears to have left the band--those harmonies were a key component of their sound on the first album. So go check it out and I'll be back to this one for sure after I have it on disc and listen to it a few hundred times.

Seattle: Food, Travel Karma and Parental Guilt

2010-07-12T13:51:00.007-04:00

The Hunger
The noticeable silence here has been due to a week-long work trip up to the great city of Seattle. Not that I saw much of it since most of the time was spent in meeting rooms, both large and small. The highlight was a series of dinners with colleagues at the end of long days of work—almost all which featured seafood. Highlights included the:

red curry thai noodles and sushi at Dragonfish;
tuna tatiki and the spicy poke salad at Red Fin;
crab cakes and kasu marinated black cod at Steelhead Diner (best restaurant of the week); and,
the curried mussels and olive-crusted halibut at BlueAcre.

May we all be so lucky to live in a place where that kind of seafood is found on every corner!

Travel Karma or You Can Never Get Ahead
So my travel to Seattle started at 4:00 am Tuesday morning and looked like a long day which involved a connection through Atlanta (don’t ask). However, upon arriving at the airport gate I found myself being paged and told the direct flight had seats and was leaving now if I wanted to hop on. Uh, yeah. But what about my luggage—on its way to Seattle? Well, we will see once we get there. Alas, first bag off the plane. But now I am in Seattle at 9:30 a.m.—surely I won’t be able to get into my hotel room. Wrong again—straight in I go. Wow, that was some stroke of travel luck.

But of course we all know one fundamental rule—air travel basically bites and you know that for every good turn, two bad ones are on there way. Fortunately, I only had to wait for my return trip. We get to the airport, board the plane, pull away from the gate, stop, only to hear the captain announce that he heard a “funny noise.” Back to the gate—an hour of waiting to discover all was okay and away we go again. Unlike, the earlier experience with baggage, my bag was not first—not that it would have mattered since we had to wait 45 minutes for our bags to be unloaded.

When all was said and done, we got home three hours later than scheduled—exactly the amount of time that I saved on the way out. Hmmm.

That’s OK, It’s Just a Once in a Lifetime Event
Now leaving home always carries a load of sadness and guilt with it, but this one had a extra kick. You see, Emmett starts Kindergarten this Fall and as a result, he gets to go to the summer session which just happened to start the day I left for Seattle. Now technically, his first day at the new school is in August, but still it was a drag to miss his first actual day. Better mark my calendar now for the Fall because who would want to miss this?!

Slave (Cook) to the Garden

2010-07-05T08:54:00.009-04:00

You would think with a four day weekend, I could get a post up here but I tell you dear readers, the pool, baseball and the Wii take a lot of time and work! Of course there has also been cooking--and the more time consuming "planning to cook" activity which these days amounts to looking out at the garden and seeing what we are overrun with and must eat and eat now.

It never fails that when we plant a garden, I tend to think of it all coming on at the same time leading to thoughts like: "we'll have fresh lettuce and tomatoes for salads, sandwiches and what not" or "doesn't a fresh pea and eggplant dish sound good?" Of course the reality is that it comes in waves. First came the lettuce (which is still coming in piles), followed by peas and then cucumbers and now peppers and squash. Really--no complaining here. It is great to buy virtually nothing for dinner and to eat these wonderfully fresh veggies. Here are a few dishes from the last week.

First up is your standard fresh veggie dice with peas, peppers, zucchini and summer squash.

Then you got your quick cesar salad out of our fresh lettuce with garlic crostini.

Lastly here is a zuchinni / summer squash ricotta cheeze cake which is more of a quiche.

This last one might be of interest, so here is the recipe as I did not just breezily whip it up out of thin air--although I did modify to use the many herbs we have growing using primarily oregano and rosemary this time around.

Now I will be gone for a week and when I return expect to thinking about what to do with our giant chard, the malabar spinach, eggplant and maybe, just maybe a tomato--oh let there be tomatoes!

An Open Letter to the Stumps

2010-07-01T17:00:00.003-04:00

Dear Stumps:

I have just recovered from removing you, but that is not your fault. I hold no malice against the three of you. In fact, I never wanted to meet you in the first place (again, I don't mean to offend). Were it not for the wrath of Old Man Winter which laid low two of the leyland cypresses you faithfully supported and peeled a main artery off of the third, we would never have dreamed of the painful extraction process that we have just completed (the pain I refer to is, of course, mine).

No, in fact we loved those trees and wonderful

wall of green they created all year. They scattered the morning sun as it rose--the sun that now blindingly blasts through the kitchen window each morning during breakfast. They served as home a host of birds including the pair of cardinals who sprayed specks of color against your deep background. And they were a fortress under which the boys invented adventures.

And so although your resistance may have caused me to say things about you that were unkind and even hurtful, it was with saddness that we removed you. Do not mistake the names I called you for anything but admiration for the knotted complex of roots that you put down and wrapped tightly around rock and mud and anything else that would provide a secure foundation for each towering conifer. If I lashed out, it was only because it was almost unfathomable that you could push your roots through ground that required repeated blows with a pick axe to break.

But now we must say goodbye old friends. In your place we will place another evergreen who we will urge to stand as tall and strong as those trees that you held erect. Like foes in a battle, I shall never forget you (well, until the dementia sets in), but even then I will look back at this letter and remember.

your friend--

cps

Hook & Resolve: Those New Pornographers

2010-06-29T19:42:00.001-04:00

So it has been a little while since I have written about music and that is mainly because I have been trying to figure out what to say about The New Pornographers, who have recently been in heavy rotation in my music machines. Specifically, I have been listening to Twin Cinema and their most recent release, Together. I am not sure I have anything real coherent to say here, so let's just take a shot at some observations about this over-the-top power pop collaborative.

First, let's talk about their name--I mean c'mon folks, really?! Yeah I know it is a too-smart-for-words reference to a Japanese film, but have a little sympathy for the parents would ya? Like I need to explain pornography to my ten-year old when he wonders who is playing on the car stereo!
Okay, seriously. I like them (a lot) but I don't think either of these efforts really constitutes a top-of-the heap album (for different reasons) although each one is chock-full of stellar singles.
These dudes, particularly A.C. Newman, can write one mean pop tune. The big, amped-up power-pop sound that is The New Pornographers runs through both albums. These core songs are crammed full of sound and have near perfect sonic-hooks that always shift and resolve in the most satisfying of ways.
At the same time their lyrics are interesting and challenging--nothing really straightforward here, but the kind of lyrics that engage and make you contemplate what is driving the song.
That said, Twin Cinema is the stronger of the two outings IMHO because it has more variation in song style and takes more chances--it takes the full-bore power pop tunes to the max, like the opening title track, but also includes more crafted, mix-tempo tunes.
The problem with Twin Cinema in my mind is that it is just too long. And by too long, I don't actually mean the actual length, but rather the quality of songs for as many as there are--this is an album that could use one more walk through by the producers to lose two or three tunes (I have my recommendations). As Slant pointed out in their review, this album "overstays its welcome."
On the other hand, Together does a better job on the length and coherence front, but also isn't quite as adventurous. More mid-tempo power pop, less variation both toward the soft side and the over-the-top side. In fact, I have to disagree with Pitchfork's assessment that "Together's quietest track 'Valkyrie and the Roller Disco' feels like a speed bump in the middle of an album that could have used an extra jolt of energy." That song might be a little sweet, but it offers contrast that the rest of the album would benefit from.
Now, Dan Bejar writes the minority of songs on these albums but they definitely stand apart from Newman's and I have mixed feelings here. On TC I am not real moved by them and given the length issue, they are chopping block material for me. On Together, however, they give perhaps the best contrast on the album (and are just better songs than on TC) and so they seem critical to the album as a whole.
Now there seems some debate about how much Neko Case is used on the new album vs. older albums, but it seems clear to me she is more prominent on Together and that is all for the good. In fact, a heavy dose of her and Kathryn Calder is a recipe for success as far as I can tell.
On one hand, this band seems like it is destined to write great songs, but still have to see what I think about their ability to put together a great album (and I am going to have to decide if it is worth it to explore other efforts to figure this out).
Just not to end on a critical note--I have really enjoyed letting this big, infectious tunes bury me in sound. You should too, particularly as a summer indulgence.

But here is a band that really makes me wish for a wider readership as I would really like to know what others think. I am going to drop four tunes on you, but this is not a band to judge on such a small sample. I think you need to really spend some time to figure out what is going on here. Nevertheless, here are the samples--aimed more at giving those new to these folks a sample, than necessarily my favorites.

From Twin Cinema we have "These Are the Fables," a great Neko Case led tune with wonderful resolution at the end. That is followed by "Sing Me Spanish Techno," a straight forward mid-tempo NP pop-rock piece. From Together I offer up "Crash Years" which again showcases Neko in front of that signature NP sound followed by "Silver Jenny Dollar" which is a Bejar-penned-tune and demonstrates the different sound he works out of the band.

And of course, interested parties should Buy the Albums!

These Are the Fables

Sing Me Spanish Techno

Crash Years

Silver Jenny Dollar

97 Degrees, Feels Like Hell

2010-06-23T15:12:00.007-04:00

Tonight as I left work, the Weather Channel told me it was 97 degrees outside but that it "feels like" 100 degrees. Really?! It is June. Summer just started people.
By the time it really heats up I am going to be cranky as all get out.

How bad is it? How about this? We had not one, but two air quality warnings issued today. And on top of that the National Weather Service issued this general alert.

Issued by The National Weather Service
Baltimore/Washington, MD
10:53 am EDT, Wed., Jun. 23, 2010

... HEAT INDEX VALUES NEAR 100 DEGREES THIS AFTERNOON...

HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS WILL COVER THE MID ATLANTIC REGION TODAY. AFTERNOON HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL RISE INTO THE MID 90S EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE. THE COMBINATION OF HEAT AND HUMIDITY WILL GENERATE HEAT INDEX VALUES NEAR 100 DEGREES DURING THE AFTERNOON.

THESE VALUES CAN BE A CONCERN FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS SUCH AS INFANTS AND THE ELDERLY. THEREFORE... SIMPLE PRECAUTIONS SHOULD BE TAKEN. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER IS TO DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS. WATER IS YOUR BEST CHOICE AS IT PREVENTS DEHYDRATION. CONSIDER TAKING FREQUENT BREAKS IN THE SHADE DURING THE AFTERNOON SUN. SEEK AN AIR CONDITIONED ENVIRONMENT DURING THE HOTTEST PART OF THE DAY. ALSO REMEMBER THAT THE INTERIOR OF YOUR CAR HEATS UP QUICKLY. DO NOT LEAVE CHILDREN OR PETS IN AN ENCLOSED CAR FOR ANY PERIOD OF TIME... NOT EVEN WITH THE WINDOWS CRACKED.

So much for wonderful lazy days of summer.

Happy Birthday to the Engineer!

2010-06-22T07:02:00.007-04:00

Happy Birthday to The Engineer who turns 8-years old today!

Love you SC!

The Best Father's Day Gift

2010-06-20T15:51:00.002-04:00

Any father knows the answer to the question "What is the best Father's Day gift?" It is, of course, being a father and that means the best gift is something you already have: your family. Just as a reminder of that, Neats and the boys gave me a framed picture montage of them with four images they made goofing around on the MacBook.

So here are the four people who make this day special to me.

The Captain

The Engineer

The Artist

The Neats (She Who Makes It All Happen)

Happy Dad's Day to all you fathers out there!

Veggies Gone Wild (or) What Happened to June?

2010-06-14T16:07:00.005-04:00

Since June has apparently been kidnapped by August, we have been living with some high temps and humidity for the last few weeks. While that has not made us happy (and we are gonna be really irked if June shows up in August when we are up on the Big Lake attempting to escape August in DC), there has been one apparent benefit: the garden has taken off like crazy.

We have, of course, already been eating fresh lettuce for a while now and have even put up a few jars of some yummy, nutting arugula pesto (hint: just go with the roasted garlic and use either pine nuts or reduce the walnuts to a 1/3 of a cup)--but it is the summer veggies that are getting ready to burst--peas ready to pick, cucumbers overrunning their trellis, squash and peppers already start to tease us, tomatoes and beans starting their climb up their ladders and cages. Add fresh raspberries for dessert and flowers beginning to show their colors and you know that the solstice is upon us.

Spare & Muscular: Catching Up with Spoon

2010-06-05T23:31:00.001-04:00

I have a swamp of discs piled up that I am listening to, but before getting to those, I need to finish writing about the last batch, all oriented at my effort to fill in some major holes in my listening from the last decade. Now by know, you know I started this project because of Paste's Best of the Decade list, but in the case of the band Spoon, the real imperative came from the fact that they also topped the big board's decade list (although apparently in the twisted world of music criticism, Spoon's consistency can also become a problem--one The National should worry on--um, yeah).

Now, of course, Spoon recently released a new album, but, as is my want, I went back in the catalog and started with the critically acclaimed Kill the Moonlight which made me wonder how it was possible I had not been listening to this band as this is an absolutely solid indie-rock album. That made me drop back one album to Girls Can Tell which is not quite as strong of an overall album for me--although is still very, very good all the way through and has a couple killer tunes. It is also a little more straight forward rock with Kill the Moonlight introducing a bit more techno-synth sound. These albums are both on the short-side (better than on the long-side in my book), but are just packed full. As Pitchfork notes in their review of Kill the Moonlight:

Spoon's latest is their magnum opus to date; it takes a scalpel to the highlight reel of their career, cutting and pasting a 35-minute tour de force that ends too soon.

If I hadn't know so ahead of time, I think I would have assumed these gents hailed from the UK given Britt Daniel's punky drawl which is Joe Strummer like at times. But, of course, Texas is where Spoon calls home which might help explain the Austin-slacker attitude in their songs and the bluesy-rock feel which underpins many songs. Both of these qualities are key to why I find them so appealing--they typically take on very small, discrete everyday objects, events and ideas in their songs. That is not to say that the songs are simple--their may be a larger point to the songs--but ultimately, they don't over-reach. Observation trumps preaching.

But what is most intoxicating to me is the music. It too is simple and straightforward, but not. First of all, there is a whole bunch of space in the music and you really get a sense of the band consciously leaving that space between the instruments, riffs, vocals and melodies. At the same time, the music is very muscular--I can't think of another word to describe it. The bass and drum are not only insistent and solid underneath these songs, you get the feeling that the whole song is built around them--and yet they do all this without tons of notes or fills. The guitar (and on the more tech-oriented Kill, keyboards) do all kinds of wonderful lyrical filling in--but again always in a sorta-punky-rockabilly-chord-rippin' way. It is somehow lyrical and edgy simultaneously. And then there is Brit Daniels vocals which are growly, tense and urgent one minute, laid-back and whatever the next but always a perfect fit.

So I am far from done with Spoon. I will probably jump into the 2007 effort Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga next, or perhaps I will even try to start being current and pick up Transference. Any thoughts there? Until then, here are a few from these two wonderful albums. As usual, I am going with the order I experienced the albums, rather than chronology. Also going to try to give you a little mix of tempo and style.

Small Stakes (Kill the Moonlight / Buy Album)

Vittorio E.

Lines in the Suit (Girls Can Tell / Buy Album)

Take a Walk

The Perfect 28-Out Game: A Teachable Moment?

2010-06-03T20:49:00.007-04:00

Last night's "Debacle at Commerica" and the aftermath that kept unfolding today was amazing to watch (the boys will probably remember it forever since we let them get back out of bed to watch the "perfect game" unfold), but it also reminded me of a lesson I used to teach in my first semester business communication course.

My colleagues and I were always struggling to find ways to help our students understand the constructive nature of language--since most saw language as little more than the vehicle to convey meaning. We all had our different methods and content to get at this point. Not surprisingly, I used a baseball analogy to get at this concept.

The basic idea is that there three umpires who are discussing how they call balls and strikes.

The first umpire replies: “Some are balls and some are strikes, and I call them as they are.”
The second umpire replies: “Some are balls and some are strikes, and I call them as I see 'em.”
The third umpire replies: “Some are balls and some are strikes, but they ain’t nothin' ‘til I call 'em.”

Simply replace "balls/strikes" with "safe/out" and last night, while heartbreaking for us Tiger fans, make this point painfully clear. Were I still in the classroom, I might actually have an excuse to show a Tigers game in the classroom under the title of a "teachable moment."

Friday Haiku

2010-05-28T17:17:00.001-04:00

Grandparents arrive

Jubilant children—cloudburst

A spring holiday

Another Bite at an Apple

2010-05-24T20:24:00.006-04:00

So anyone who is a "friend" of mine on Facebook knows that after much input and research, I got Neats a new MacBook Pro for Mother's Day. It was really an excuse to get a better computer in the house for her as our near-decade-old-Gateway laptop is Windows tired--or as I like to say, "slow as all get out!" Neats was resisting dropping the coin for a new computer and kept saying that our computer wasn't really all that bad, but I decided it was time to correct this situation and after my highly scientific polls on Facebook, it was clear that it was worth the investment to jump back to the Apple.

That said, we have been in a PC environment for a very long time, so we are still (re)learning the Mac world. Here are a few comments that have been made during the process of learning about and setting up the new machine.

So, how do I open it?
Whoa, it's talking to me!
Where do I click?
Oh, hey, there I am on the screen . . . um, so it has a built in camera?
Wow, this really is fast (i.e. our old computer really did suck)!
Really, do you think Garage Band is the first application we should explore?
Maybe we should call and see if the Apple Care is already applied . . . Right, it is Sunday . . .no it says they are 24/7 . . . Uh, huh. . . . . Oh hi Jason, yes Jason, sure Jason, thank you Jason. . . .Yup, we are set.
Mama and I took a picture of ourselves as cartoons!

In short, I think we made the right decision. Perhaps there will even be cool graphics and movies here soon--that, of course, would mean that I will actually get on the Mac, which of course means Neats would not be using it. Hmmm . . . think I will go watch me some baseball!

There Will Be Veggies!

2010-05-16T08:54:00.006-04:00

We have always been gardeners to a certain extent. In Salt Lake, we had a serious veggie garden, but only in the last few years have we really got our Maryland garden up to full speed. This year we took the final step of really getting off on the right foot with a large (some might say, too large) order of seeds from Seed Savers (I will wait while you spend the next 30 minutes of your life ogling their stuff on line and wishing you had placed your order earlier this year too).

So we have a whole bunch of plants started that will probably go in the ground next weekend, a whole bunch of early plants already seeded in the garden and coming up, and a bunch of warmer weather starters who will get planted as seeds next weekend too--all contingent on finding enough room and still managing to have a yard in which the boys can play. That said here is what we hope to have by way of veggies this year in no particular order:

Basil: Globe, Sweet Genovese
Parlsey: Italian
Zucchini: Black Beauty and Golden
Peppers: Tolli's Sweet, Garden Sushine, Sweet Chocolate Pepper
Tomatoes: Moonglow, Cherokee Purple, Red Zebra, Redfield Beauty, Hartman's Gooseberry
Eggplant: Listada de Gandia
Cucumber, Japanese Climbing
Chives
Swiss Chard: Fordhook Giant
Spinach: Red Malabar
Beans: Sultan's Green Crescent & Golden Crescent
Melon: Amish
Corn: Stowell's Evergreen
Carrots: St. Valery
Beets: Burpee's Golden
Lettuce: Grandpa Admires, and Mixed
Arugula: Apollo
Peas: Green Arrow
A host of other herbs all over and in pots

We were probably a little late in getting everything going--probably should have seeded at the very beginning of March (except squash and cukes). Regardless we are having fun--and hopefully we will be flush with veggies in the near future.

Spring Goings-Ons (Rationalizations)

2010-05-15T08:38:00.000-04:00

I realize that I often write lists of excuses as to why I haven't blogged lately--which I realize are really journal entries of what is going on in my life right now--which I realize qualify as the very reason people keep blogs. In short, I am not sure what my compulsion is with apologizing for not writing for the two people that read this here blog, but perhaps I am just trying to fit this blog into the Protestant-guilt/rebellion genre where I write about music to rebel, but apologize for my inadequacies as a blogger.

Whatever.

Here are a few of the things that have occupied my time as of late as opposed to blogging.

A week-long series of meetings at work.
The Engineer's baseball team, which has clawed its way back to almost .500 which plays or practices three days a week (resulting in me saying to my work colleagues, "uh yeah, that is critical, but I gotta leave to get to a little league game).
Virtually everyone in The Captain's preschool class being born in the same two months resulting in a weekly (or two) birthday parties.
The Artist's birthday, Neats' birthday, Mothers Day, and our 20th anniversary.
Fantasizing (again) about having a group music blog with Lisa B, College Roomy, North Shore Dave, Wobblie and DR--that would be hip.
Enjoying that fact that because ESPN seems obligated to show every Yankee game I got to watch the Tigers take three of four from them this week.
Speaking of the Tigers, we happen to mention that we are getting tickets to Commerica in August and all 26 members of my family decide that is a good idea and are joining us--so add coordinating that and getting tickets and hotels to the list.
Garden, garden, garden (more on that to come).
Starting to listen to the two package of discs that recently arrived--one ordered and one a nice surprise from College Roomy.
Fretting about not blogging (that takes up a lot of time)!

And now off to a baseball game, take care of the yard and make an anniversary dinner reservation!

Strangely Ambivalent: Catching Up with Arcade Fire

2010-05-05T20:43:00.004-04:00

Another band that folks might find it amazing I did not have any music by (until my quest to catch up with the oughts started) is Arcade Fire, who managed to snag two spots on Paste’s Best of the Decade list (and the band’s first full length album Funeral showed up on a lot of lists). Actually, I first started thinking I should get Funeral when it kept being raised in comparison to Hospice by The Antlers—which I guess right off suggests this isn’t quite what you would describe as happy music. In fact, this post was in danger of not happening until we got some cool, grey weather as Arcade Fire is no spring and summer band in my book.

That said, Funeral, which is the album I started with, doesn’t plow as deeply into the pain of loss as Hospice does and in many ways Arcade Fire seems more focused on healing, escape and catharsis. This is, of course, aided by the fact that there music has a driving sound that give you a sense of propelling forward—although their slower, quieter contemplative pieces on Funeral might be my favorite. The album captured my attention enough that I went ahead and also picked up Neon Bible, the band’s second album.

But here is the catch. After listening to both albums a lot over the last few months, I am surprisingly ambivalent about Arcade Fire.

For starters I do keep listening to them—first a lot, and now off and on. And I am generally engaged with both albums all the way through, although Neon Bible definitely has a couple clunkers on it for me and doesn’t hold up to Funeral overall. The songs are intricately put together with varying and interesting instrumentation, often layering instruments (particularly anything with strings) and melodies. They certainly don’t suffer from redundancy in style and sound, but they do hold together as all of a larger piece and ultimately they are full-blown rock tunes that at their core have a consistent pulsing to them. The lyrics have depth, sometimes looking inwardly in a soul-searching way and at other times looking outwardly in a social commentary way.

But perhaps it is just as College Roomy once said about why he didn’t connect with the Decemberists: “A bit too ornate” -- or perhaps too orchestrated, too cerebral, too well thought-out. Either that or perhaps a bit too much teen-like angst on Funeral and a bit too-much smart grad-school commentary on Neon Bible. Whatever it is, I am just not fully identifying with them.

And just as further evidence, I was listening to the albums again while writing this and feeling that perhaps I was being unfair as I heard songs I really liked and I was trying to figure out which ones to share here. But then it struck me that I could also pick out a few songs that would be evidence of the tracks I am less than moved by—and there you have it.

At the end of the day though, this blog is about sharing music I like, so here are three tunes I think exemplify the best of these album--although I am giving you the second album track first just because I like this order and hey, it’s my blog!

Keep the Car Running
Neighborhood #4 (7 Kettles)
Rebellion (Lies)

If you like these, here is their store where you can pick up these and other Arcade Fire. Now the question is whether or not to buy their upcoming release?

The Way a Speech Should Be Delivered

2010-05-03T20:03:00.004-04:00

I swore that tonight I would get a post up about Arcade Fire I was working on (a rainy day had me back at it) and ultimately, I will. But today I watched this speech by Cecil Roberts, President of the United Mineworkers of America. He was addressing the New York State United Teachers, which happens to be the state affiliate of the union I work for--that would be the American Federation of Teachers for any rare, random stranger who ends up on this blog. Now I don't blog a lot about work stuff here--perhaps I should--but this speech deserves a listen.

What is amazing about this speech to me is Roberts' ability to take the recent mine tragedies and treat them with amazing respect, making the miners' stories and lives as personal as you can and bringing them straight to you in everyday terms so you understand who these men were. But he does more than that. He takes on the sadness of the experience and turns it into an impassioned called to action but without the misusing the memories of the miners or their families.

I could go into all the rhetorical reasons this speech moved me, but ultimately I just wanted to add to the possibility that others would see this speech as I wish more people in this country got to hear this narrative, delivered this way. So here you go--and please, watch both parts and then pass it on.

New Releases Sprouting Like Weeds

2010-04-26T20:39:00.006-04:00

April showers might bring May flowers, but apparently they also bring plenty of new music releases as they are coming fast and furious this Spring and Summer. Here are some of the discs I am either looking forward to or they are making me consider exploring a band I am yet to know. I give them to you in order of their release as I know them.

First up we have Together, the new album from power pop band The New Pornographers due out May 4, 2010. It is streaming over at NPR and worth a listen. This is yet another band I keep reading about and hearing, but don't have in my collection. Thinking I am going to start with Twin Cinema first, but basically all of their albums have really solid reviews.
Follow that with the new, very much anticipated album High Violet from The National which is streaming over at the NY Times until tomorrow along with a great article on this Brooklyn band. I have been digging this stream, but am going to drop back and pick up The Boxer first. The album will be released May 11, 2010.
Sliding into June, we have the second album from Samantha Crain, whose first album was well worth noting. The new album, You (Understood) is due out June 8, 2010, and has a little bonus for me (more below).
Moving into July we have Mark Kozelek releasing Admiral Fell Promises, the fourth album for Sun Kil Moon. I loved the last two from Sun Kil Moon, so will be anxious to hear this one.
Then of course we have an album I am probably looking forward to too much (thereby putting too much pressure on it)--Dead Malls and Nightfalls by Frontier Ruckus which is out July 20, 2010 according to their MySpacey page--dudes, really, get the new website up (and should I worry about the missing woman in that picture whose harmonies are so much apart of the first album?).
And finally, somewhere during this summer (it seems) José Gonzáles is going to release a new album with his band Junip. I have really enjoyed his solo work and look forward to hearing his music with a few more musicians around him.

So there is much to look forward to on the music front, although I am about to make some backward looking purchases first. Until then, though enjoy the new Samantha Crain video that features, wait for it, Frontier Ruckus. Ah, love when that happens.

On Aging

2010-04-22T21:15:00.005-04:00

Here are a few signs I have noticed lately that suggest there is a distinct possibility that I just might be getting older.

I send emails home to Neats during the day as a way to remember to talk about something that night (after all it is hours away).
A single glass of red wine has the power to make getting up in the morning to exercise a near impossibility.
There is an adjustment period for the newspaper type to come into focus at night (but all good the next morning, so no worries).
When we get home from baseball practice at night after a day at work, I am more ready for bed than the boys.
Whereas I used to have students that were from another (younger) generation, I now have co-workers that are.
Neats and I have started to have those conversations about when something happened in the past, but can't quite remember (while the children look on with shear amazement that we cannot get it straight).

And, of course, there is the whole fact that I am making this list which is the surest sign that I am no longer at the age at which I don't even think about it.

Happy Birthday to The Artist

2010-04-20T00:01:00.000-04:00

Who today turns the corner into the world of double-digits!

I love you dear Blue.

Catching Up: The Shins / Broken Bells

2010-04-17T21:38:00.007-04:00

I always chuckle when I get asked how I can keep up with all that music. I chuckle because I know that the reality is that I don’t , can’t and that there are a whole lot of folks who listen to and know a whole bunch more about music than me (actually most of my closest friends all fall in that category). As evidence of that, back when all the best of the decade lists were coming out, I noted how much of Paste’s Best of the Decade List I didn’t have/know and what I might pursue based on that (and got some collective on-line eye rolls from a few of said friends).

So I am going to try to pull off a few quick posts on bands that I have been listening to in an effort to begin catching up with the music of the oughts. No in-depth reviews, just some quick thoughts and then (the real point of these posts) questions about where to go next with each band as in the missing essentials posts I had once initiated at The Room and then didn’t follow thorough on.

First up, is The Shins (see—I am so not on top of things). From Paste’s list came Chutes to Narrow released way back in 2003 which unfortunately for me means that it was around for seven years before I heard it. This is an absolutely great pop album that has so much going on both musically and lyrically. As Pitchfork noted in their review:

Not simply an excellent album, Chutes Too Narrow is also a powerful testament to pop music's capacity for depth, beauty and expressiveness.

For me, the key thing is that you could strip this album down and the songs would make for a great acoustic guitar, singer-songwriter album (most evidenced in their slow songs like “Pink Bullets”) , but then you add in all kinds of wonderful rock-pop production and you get an album with range of sound that is infectious.

So the question was which direction to head in pursuing more James Mercer and Shins music. The obvious answer was probably to go back to their debut album, but it just so happened that there was all this talk about the new Mercer/Brian Burton (aka Danger Mouse) project, Broken Bells, and it sounded interesting--so that ended up where I went next.

It is a perfectly fine album and there are some songs on it that I quite like, but overall it was a bit of a disappointment. Perhaps I really was just seeking a Shins album or something a bit more cutting edge. The songs here benefit from very talented folks both musically and in terms of production, but I doubt you will see this album on anyone’s best of a decade list. As Pop Matters notes:

Broken Bells may not supersede either Mercer’s or Burton’s respective main gigs, but as a side project that felt implausible to hit as markedly as it has in the first place, it’s a minor victory for both parties involved.

So I believe the next stop for me--and there will be one--will be to step back to the Shins’ debut album Oh, Inverted World!

Agree/disagree?

And while you contemplate that, here are a couple from Chutes (from the rockin to the mellow) and the opening track from Broken Bells which in many ways is the highlight.

So Says I (Buy Chutes to Narrow)
Pink Bullets

The High Road (Buy Broken Bells)

Friday Haiku

2010-04-16T17:29:00.002-04:00

First smell of cut grass
Boys--yelling, running—baseball
It is his turn now

Train Music

2010-04-13T16:57:00.004-04:00

Goodness this blog (when I have actually been able to squeeze out a post) has been veering rapidly past depressing toward being irritatingly whiny. On top of that, you would think I haven’t been listening to any music as of late. Sorry about that. Let’s see if we can’t correct that, eh?

This afternoon finds me on my way home from NYC on the ole Amtrak NE Regional and while I should be doing some work, train trips always make me reflective and in the mood to listen to music as the cities and landscape slide by the window. I tend to have a certain kind of music that I prefer on the train—typically, acoustic and contemplative. Think Nick Drake, Gillian Welch, Bon Iver or Sun Kil Moon—and if you happen to sing about trains often like say,Tom Rush, that is a little bonus.

Well let’s add José Gonzáles to that list. Gonzáles comes to me by way of the magical Pandora on my acoustic station. He officially hails from Sweden, but given that he was born to parents who moved there from Argentina, the Latin-influence sound in his guitar makes a bit more sense. While he like so many played in a variety of bands of various types over time, entering into his music as I did (late) with his first full solo album Veneer, it is hard for me to imagine him as anything but a thoughtful singer-songwriter with wonderful lyrical guitar sense.

This 2003 album is slow and haunting with little more than double-tracked guitar and voice. As is always the case with me, I love the song that seems simple but ultimately warrants revisiting over and over. And I love the spaces in the music which leave you anticipating the fill. And the fill is beautifully quiet classical guitar that brings a certain tension to the songs as the lyrics float across the guitar line.

Here are two that I think really capture the album, particularly the way in which the songs can be so similar in some ways and so unique in others. I will be curious to see what I think of his second album, which I will surely pick up.

Crosses (Buy Album)
Hints

Now back to my window.

Lessons from Movies on the Road

2010-04-11T20:42:00.000-04:00

So the travel continues--and it is rapidly moving from the “getting old” category to the “something must change” as I really have had enough of being away from the family. This trip involved missing two baseball practices, a piano recital, and one reportedly hilarious afternoon of slip-and-slide on the hill in the backyard.

The only up side of this latest trip is that it has involved driving and trains rather than airplanes. Now you may have a variety of complaints about air travel including being nickel-and-dimed at every step of the process, having to basically disrobe to get through security (they will be charging for that soon), being crammed into a small-as–conceivable-space-as-possible to sit in for an extended period of time and on and on.

But I want to add another complaint: the airlines clearly have an agenda of making parents who travel feel as guilty as possible about their work travels with the movies that decide to show.

For instance, on a recent trip to California the movie was The Blind Side in which we see the happy family taking in the down-on-his-luck dude, making him feel a part of a family that will never abandon him. The family is tight and always there for this guy—their father would never leave them or miss a key game—no, no, he is always there as if he almost doesn’t have a job! Sure, I know, just a movie just showing the positive moments—not reality, blah, blah, blah. Try to talk that to me and the two businessmen sitting with me in my row who were all not so subtlety dabbing our eyes at the corners during the movie at every emotional moment.

It reminded me of an earlier trip where they showed The Rookie in which Dennis Quaid plays a baseball player in the minors trying to make it in the big leagues. You get all these scenes of him being away from his kids (he is of course a great dad) and is just about to throw it all in because he can’t stand it. C’mon, that just isn’t fair! And then when I talked to two of my colleagues who were also on that trip and saw the same movie on the plane (and who had young children as well), I learned that they too were a mess watching the film for all the same reasons.

But the film on the way home on my last trip really took the cake. It was Everybody’s Fine starring Robert De Niro and many others. It is a remake of remake of the Giuseppe Tornatore film Stanno Tutti Bene and if you haven’t seen it the basic plot goes likes this.

De Niro is retired and a recent widower who has four kids. He dreams of getting all the kids back together but they can no longer make it. So he decides to go out and visit them all, but discovers in doing so that he doesn’t know his children at all, they never told him anything although were all close with their mother, they feel he was hard on them when they were young and so were forever worrying about not meeting his expectations and before he discovers this all, one of his children has died. Man oh man—really?

Sure everything ends up great in the end—it is Hollywood after all, but it is hard to see the ending when you are in the midst of a plot that feels like it isn’t going in the direction you want. So, I guess it is either time to stop watching movies on planes or actually doing something to change things so I don’t have to count on a Hollywood ending.

An Open Letter to Life

2010-04-01T20:20:00.001-04:00

Dear Life:

I shall blog. You cannot stop me as hard as you try. I know you are working at it, but it will not stop me. As of late you have:

buried me with work including an eight day trip to California;
greeted me upon my return with family visiting as well as international guests;
unleashed Spring in full force requiring concerted effort to get the yard and garden in shape (and recover from the havoc you let loose in the form of sequential winter storms earlier this year);
chided me for still having a winter-oriented header on my blog;
decided that the California trip wasn't enough so you tacked on an overnight to PA followed by a couple days in NYC;
had various friends and family email and phone me to remind me that I am a horrible correspondent and life is no real excuse; and,
taunted me into trying to see baseball season as another problem rather than the source of happiness.

So here I am life, blogging. And while this blogging may be seen as nothing but filler for real blogging, there is no denying that I am, in fact, blogging and you, busy life, have not stopped me. Furthermore, I have many, many blog ideas that will surely come to fruition in short order--once I get just a few other things done.

Sincerely,

cps

Teamwork: The Movie

2010-03-14T20:44:00.007-04:00

Today, after recovering from my annual irritation with G.V. Hudson and the retail industry, I showed the boys xtranormal which I learned about thanks to a few colleagues. Of course, the boys immediately wanted to make a movie. So here you go.

The script is totally random--has nothing to do with my life or the boys (really)! You can tell for sure that it has nothing to do with the boys because it includes none of the available bodily function sounds that xtranormal provides you with (although early versions did and provided belly-laughing, tear-rendering responses).

And so for now, we give you the short cathartic sketch: "Teamwork."

Sounds of Spring

2010-03-09T22:53:00.003-05:00

Curious to find myself wanting to hear side one of Outlandos d'Amour this morning on the way to work and then side three of Three Sides Live on the way home--okay they were discs but had I been a teenager back in my bedroom acting like I was doing homework with my headphones on, it would have been vinyl and those would have been the sides. But why the sudden urge to hear The Police and Genesis? Could it be just more signs of regression as I head for the fetal position searching for some lost happy time?

Possibly. But more likely it is the fact that the weather for the last few days has actually felt like spring. The sun has been out and the days extend. The air is decidedly warm by afternoon and evening. People are outdoors, working, eating, enjoying the luxurious warmth. And that has us all believing that at long last, winter might (knock, knock) be done.

For me that means that certain music starts to call to me. Music that reminds me of springs past like that first Police album and how "Roxanne" mysteriously came on over the loudspeaker when our tennis coach in high school was giving us our pep talk. Music that hints at summer and so you put it on urging the sun and summer to arrive (but not really, because spring and the promise and the anticipation are so wonderful). Music that is jangly and a cacophony of sounds like spring. Music that celebrates the end of another academic year--a cycle that I still cannot shake after ten years out of the classroom. But mostly, music that makes you want to put the window down and let the warm spring wind with its hint of summer (and the music) brush over your skin and awaken your senses.

So here are just a few bands and albums that make me think of spring. Some are from many years ago and some more recent. They aren't only "spring bands" but many are. And no apologies here for the sappy or overly popular as these are all bands that hit me at a certain time in my life and still stay with me.

Steve Winwood: Arc of a Diver and Back in the High Life
English Beat: I Just Can't Stop It and Special Beat Service
Dire Straits: Communique
Los Lobos: The Neighborhood
Ani Difranco: Living in Clip
Soul Coughing: El Oso
Van Morrison: Moondance
Rickie Lee Jones: The Magazine
Wilco: Sky Blue Sky
Flaming Lips: The Soft Bulletin
Rilo Kiley: Take Offs and Landings

Then there is all that acoustic music that comes out when the long rains and lush spring green comes out in full ranging from Celtic music to Nick Drake to Fleet Foxes. But for now, we enjoy the anticipation.

Friday Haiku

2010-03-05T08:40:00.004-05:00

Unexpected package

Japanese death poems - small things,

Friends renew like Spring

Educating EMI (and others): Pass It On

2010-03-02T20:03:00.005-05:00

NPR's All Songs blog has a great post up about OK Go's new video which they fought with their record label over around the issue of whether or not to allow the You Tube version of the video to be embedded. As All Songs reports, OK Go's lead singer Damien Kulash took to the NY Times to make his case, writing:

"In these tight times, it's no surprise that EMI is trying to wring revenue out of everything we make, including our videos. But it needs to recognize the basic mechanics of the Internet. Curbing the viral spread of videos isn't benefiting the company's bottom line, or the music it's there to support. The sooner record companies realize this, the better -- though I fear it may already be too late."

Amen--and when I saw this on All Song's Twitter feed I was just going to retweet it and be done, since really, All Songs really covered the story. But then I thought a bit more about it. Given all the discussion around Google take-downs of music blogs, and the increasing move toward a splinter-net, I thought, anyone who tries to promote music via blogs, social media and the web in general really ought to support OK Go's basic position, which is to let the Internets do their job.

So here is the fabulous new Rube Goldberg inspired OK Go video and I am asking any blogger or person with a Facebook page or Twitter or Buzz account who wants to promote music to also embed this video so we might teach EMI and any other label that there is value in what we do here on these crazy linkable viral pages.

In addition to all of that, this is a fabuluous video for getting kids interested in physics, engineering, etc. (says the father who showed it to his boys, once, twice, three times--no really you need to go to bed now). And for the real curious, as All Songs notes, you can get links to the "Musicians and Nerds" series of videos about the making of this video over at Monkey See.

Now, embed it and viralize it people!

Some Soaring Rocketboys

2010-02-26T22:17:00.003-05:00

I'm going to work at throwing up some shorter posts to talk about the music that has been getting a good deal of play time around here in the last couple months. If I wait to try to write something longer, they will never appear. And this is a perfect example.

The Rocketboys are a band that I first heard thanks to the ever-giving Daytrotter (who continues to refuse to understand that paragraphs are important for readers). A five piece band out of Austin, Texas, their first full release, 20,000 Ghosts, is a beautifully constructed piece of folk-infused indie-rock that shows that these boys have been working together for some time.

Their sound and lyrics feel as if they were born out of a church experience with rich soaring choral harmonies and introspective wanderings that are filled (not surprisingly given the album title) with many spirits, floating memories, hopeful endings and a general sense of searching. Don't get me wrong, the songs are definitely rock pieces at their heart with some wonderful guitar playing and very tight drums and bass that drive the pieces. But fundamentally these are beautifully written and arranged acoustic pieces. You can see that here as they play the opening tune on the album--which is a great wall of layered sound and vocals--in an acoustic setting at the Paste studios. You almost feel like it is a Fleet Foxes set and that is saying something.

But the album is plugged-in acoustic. Everything is bigger, but not in a power-chord way, more like a church organ of searching guitars, wonderful piano/keyboard and voices.

They are going to have to figure out how they are going to move forward as this album is a little bit too much the same throughout (just a tad)--perhaps a bit more acoustic and some slower rather than mid-tempo pieces would help. I don't think going heavier and faster is in the cards or would be smart for these guys from listening to this album. That said, this is a wonderful album for folks who love well-constructed, layered songs (and don't mind turning it up a bit).

I must confess that I was listening to this a lot during the snowy, snowy winter we have had and it has a certain snow-dazed feel to it for me (despite the band being from Texas) and that may have colored my sense of it all (in a good way). It also has a couple qualities I love which is a great opening track (as you have already heard) and a slower, meditative final piece which then pulls back the theme from the opening track in a not heavy-handed way. Nice. Overall, these guys deserve more than regional attention as they make some beautiful music.

Here are two of my favorites from the album. The first up is the second track on the album which I think has wonderful lyrics and rhythm (and great drum work). The second shows how their vocals really shine on the slower pieces.

So enjoy, and then go download this album (not available on disc as far as I can tell).

All the Western Winds

Nineteen Twenty Nine

Okay, that wasn't as short as I thought it was going to be, but that tells you something as well.

Irony

2010-02-26T06:12:00.001-05:00

If it were warmer and lighter out then when the cat wakes me up at 5:00 a.m. to go out, I could at least throw on the Supernovas and head out for a run and reduce some stress rather freaking out about all that needs to get done at work on the current annual project that drives me crazy this time of year and extending the already long work day into the wee-hours of the morning.

If it were warmer and lighter out at 5:00 in the morning so that I could go out for a run, the cat would already be outside--having slept outside all night--and I would be done with said crazy, annual project and not as stressed out and therefore would require an alarm to rouse me from my restful early spring slumber.

Theory vs. Practice

2010-02-24T19:30:00.002-05:00

When I used to teach college courses--so long ago now it seems hard to remember when--I used to pride myself on facilitating really well-structured and productive group projects. Specifically, in the capstone course I taught on business and organizational communications, I helped students get over their loathing of the group project and see the strengths of collaborative work, not to mention the need for those skills in most workplaces. By the time I was done I had working strategies for all the personalities:

The Neurotic type-A control freak who blamed everyone else for not working as hard or as well as him or her.
The character-disorder-slacker who just blamed everyone else, but didn't do anything.
The "delegater" who seemed to be engaged, but was really just about getting everyone else to do the work.
The mouse who had many (good) ideas, but only did minutiae handed to him or her and never took a leadership role (and often ended up writing the final report).
The blow-hard who had lots of (bad) ideas, but didn't have any ability to discern the good from the bad, but who cared at least he (usually he) got to hear himself speak.
And even the well-balanced, smart collaborative types who helped everyone be better but had not idea they had that skill.

And so I now find it ironic to be in a group-type setting that is just about as dysfunctional as many a student group and, even worse, recognizing that I am playing a leading role! The real problem is that time has become an enemy and unlike a class where the learning process is just as important as the product, here it is all about the product.

Alas, I am left dreaming about the next time--no, no, let there never be another next time! But there will be. Consequently, I have been returning to my teaching days and trying to remember all the things I tried to help my students learn.

The need for clear expectations up front for all group members. An agreement as to what happens when those expectations are not met.
A recognition that there is more than one way to get to the end and that everyone has different skills in helping get there (but that it is also important to diversify those skills in the long run--it isn't all about the short run).
That groups more often fail because of the interplay of personalities than because of the failure of an individual and so ongoing group and individual assessment are both critical.
That groups can fail because of individuals and there needs to be a mechanism to let the group go on without the individual and not be penalized for that (the group that is).
And ultimately, that failure and success are always both real possibilities and there is an ethical obligation for all to work toward success even if you aren't ultimately as successful as all wanted to be.

But for now, we press forward also knowing that you can get to the end even in a dysfunctional system--it just isn't fun (for everyone) despite the fact that it happens more often than not. Hence, the loathing of group projects and three-quarters of the books in the business management section at the local bookstore.

All of which is to say ~~pity me~~ forgive me if the music and more thoughtful (or at least semi-thoughtful) posting is thin and infrequent for the next month or so. I hope to be getting to a bunch of music and other stuff, but if not, please understand that you would really rather not know what I am thinking, because it might involve you being listed as an accessory in some official proceeding.

Not the Dining Experience We Were Hoping For

2010-02-21T12:08:00.008-05:00

Neats and I decided to try to grab a little together-alone time and so met up for dinner this past Friday night in downtown Silver Spring, which I am happy to say continues to develop and more restaurant options keep popping up. We decided to try one we had not yet sampled (which shall remain nameless). It has the look of a chic little modern bistro and while reports were that it could be a little noisy, it had a very solid Zagat rating--particularly for the food quality, so we decided it was time.

Now I have not completely written off this restaurant but there are things that were said and happened that made the experience less than desirable. Here are a few observations.

There is a difference between prompt and responsive service and hovering. Granted we had an early reservation (6:30) and the dinner rush was not really on, but the wait staff should not take out their impatience on a few customers by hanging around those early tables as if we have nothing better to do than to entertain you.
If you have a wine list, you should, well, have it. When we asked, we were told they have one, but they keep losing it. Huh?
If you have a wine list, you should have most of what is on it. We were told that while the wine lists keep disappearing, there was plenty of wine and if we wanted a bottle they had--lists off three or four incredibly middling, cheap reds. Question: how does one get a high Zagat rating without comparable wine selection. Answer: Beats me.
If you finally find the wine list after the customer decides to order cocktails, you should know what wine you do have so you don't go to the bar twice when we order a glass with dinner only to find out you don't have it.
When your menu has an appetizer with the word "bites" in it, like "catfish bites," it shouldn't turn out to be three 6 oz. fillets on a board that would have been enough for a whole meal (or, the server might want to indicate that it has generous portions).
In fact, while there is no need to buy into the artfully presented, but barely enough food to satisfy a mouse approach to portions, it is equally unnecessary to provide serving sizes that are so outlandishly large that they are unreasonable--I for instance did not need 4-5 cups of vegetables with my meal, er, covering my meal, nor did Neats need a pound of pasta covered in another pound of jambalaya.
I don't care how busy or not you are, meals should not appear before the customer is ready and that means done with their previous course. If they are not, please do not stand over us with the plates looking sadly at us and wondering if we can move the plates still on the table (because you didn't wait for us to be done and clear the table first).
When a server is asked what a certain item on a menu is, the answer should not start with the words "I think it is . . . "
Please, never, ever take away plates from one person while the other is still eating.
There is a difference between prompt and responsive service and ignoring us once the dinner rush starts.

I suppose we might try it again another time, knowing what we know now, but as for that meal, they should be very grateful we weren't restaurant critics.

Getting on the Jason Moran Bandwagon, Part III

2010-02-20T06:24:00.000-05:00

So just about the time that I was really diggin' Modernistic, all of the best of the year and decade lists were coming out. Included in NPR's All Songs Considered 50 most influential albums of the decade list was Moran's 2001 effort, Black Stars. As one of the few jazz albums to make that list--and given that I was ready for more--it went on the pick-up list immediately. But not long after that list came out, Walter Ray Watson, producer at NPR, suggested that Moran's 2006 Artist in Residence is a "stronger portrait of the artist as a leading voice of the 'oughts.'"

Result--two albums got ordered.

Now the reviews linked to above are more articulate about these albums than I ever will be, but here are a few thoughts, and more importantly, a taste of each.

I am going to start with Artist in Residence because that is the one I listened to first--randomly. However, it is also because this is by far my favorite of his albums and since I was so engaged by it, I took a long time getting to Black Stars. What is so engaging?

First and mainly, it is the absolute wonderful mixed media aspect of the album. Moran samples Adrian Piper's voice (and ideas) on more than one track in different ways, incorporates the sounds of pen(cil?) writing on paper almost as percussion in a contemplative piece, incorporates operatic vocals, uses eclectic percussion sounds and drives all of this with a wonderful jazz sound underneath and at times out front. The trio is as tight and funky as ever on the upbeat pieces with Waits and Mateen driving the rhythm section, joined here and there by Marvin Sewell on guitar, but also sparse and beautiful on the slower pieces. The album runs the gamut of the genre from stride, to ballad, to funk-infused bop, to western swing, to pure open-form jazz--but as seems to be the case with Moran--all wonderfully arranged. There is no doubt that if I had to put one of his albums up for a "decade list" I would agree with Watson that it would be this one.

So many options to offer up to give you a sense, but here is the opening track with Adrian Piper samples, which grabs you from the first and never let's you go, followed by one of those wonderful left-hand driving open-bop pieces and then the contemplative "Cradle Song" employing writing as an instrument.

Break Down (Buy Album)

Refraction 2

Cradle Song

So I finally extracted myself from that album and started listening to Black Stars. Perhaps it was that I had high expectations given both it being the album selected as his best in someway and/or my own exuberance, but I confess my first reactions to this one was a bit of disappointment. However, I think most of it had to do with the fact that this seemed to be the least experimental and most straight-forward jazz album of those I had listened to--within the framework of Moran's music.

Now I have listened quite a bit more and have really come to appreciate the album--particularly the way it moves through different moods and forms, but I suspect it will not receive anywhere the air time of the others I have. For starters, most tracks include either sax or flute, played by legendary Sam Rivers who I don't mean to criticize here--his playing is amazing. It is just that I love the sound the trio generates (or Moran generates on his own) and the quartet piece here don't quite have that feel--they aren't as gutsy. In fact, probably my favorite piece on the album is a trio piece. I am also, I confess, not a huge flute in jazz fan--although "Summit" on this album, with its far east sound, is a lovely piece in the middle of the album.

That said, Moran here again demonstrates he has his feet firmly spread across the whole spectrum of jazz. So here are a couple samples--whose titles I think tell you just about as much as you need to know.

Kinda Dukish (Buy Album)

Skitter In

And so ends this series of posts--until the next album!

Friday Haiku

2010-02-19T09:01:00.002-05:00

Ever unending winter

Chilled bones and aspirations;

Dirt and dogwood dreams

Is it us?

2010-02-15T19:54:00.009-05:00

I know, you are thinking, okay already, we get that you had a lot of snow (and didn't I note with the latest header that winter might be a good thing?). Well, yes, and there will be ongoing, detailed documentation of that over at the family blog since it appears that the Artist, Engineer, and Captain may never return to the cozy confines of a classroom. However, you would be wrong to assume that this is just another post about how much snow we have received here in the DC metro area. No, this is more of a metaphysical/snow-fall oriented post.

You see, that picture above is outside of college roomy's house an hour or so outside of Atlanta, GA. Yup, that is right Atlanta, GA. We managed to get ourselves extracted from somewhere close to four feet of snow in four days to catch a plane to Atlanta, only to arrive in what constituted as a blizzard for the peach-city. The result was a touch-and-go two and a half hour trip to college roomy's house compliments of his lovely and talented wife. We then proceeded to have a wonderful weekend with college roomy, his wife and two daughters (and the dogs and a cat) only to catch a flight back home to be greeted by, you guessed it, more snow!

Not only have we had a ton of snow this year here at home where we are not supposed to have this much snow, but it seems that everywhere we go, we are blasted. The whole week in Cleveland at Christmas was one storm after another. Oh sure, you say, they are supposed to have snow; but, in fact, we have had more of the fluffy white stuff than they have seen this year (except that week when we were in Cleveland which fell conveniently between our big December storm and our two small January storms).

And so we must wonder, dear readers, what have we done to deserve this snow treatment?

Did we wish for it too hard when we were younger for snow days and so now have been given them, only to find out it means being trapped inside with three boys for what feels like an entire season?
Is this some karma thing telling us that somehow we have not treated someone fairly and so we must shovel to atone?
Could it be that we are getting old and already starting the slow, slide toward the south to warm out bones?
Perhaps, those crackpot global warming folks are correct and it has nothing to do with our behavior?
Or perhaps Mother Nature is trying to teach us something about the pace of life?
Then again, maybe it is just pure coincidence that we happen to end up where the snow is?

Whatever is the case, all I know is that I am ready for daffodils, dogwoods, dirt, and diving into a lake--and to finally be done with digging out of deep snow.

For the Record: I Am Out Shoveling

2010-02-09T20:42:00.005-05:00

Lest anyone think I have been slacking in my blog maintenance--particularly those of you who might be thinking that the whole Washington, DC metro area has been shut down for snow so what else does a guy have to do other than write blog posts--let me set the record straight. Since I managed to arrive home from an insane trip to California an hour before the snow started, life has basically been about one thing: shoveling.

It started late Friday afternoon with the idea that I would shovel early and often to stay ahead and so I shoveled off the first wet inch of snow. I followed up with a little post-dinner shoveling which was followed by plopping on the couch exhausted from only 10 hours of sleep in 48 hours (4 in a plane seat) ready to listen to some music and chill. That was interrupted by some fine neighbors who thought they could drive their little sports car up the hills in our neighborhood and me donning my gear and going out to dig them out, er, back into their driveway. While I was out there, decided to shovel again.

Went to bed mistakenly feeling ahead of the game. Arose to find trees down, snow coming down in buckets and fresh foot of wet, heavy snow on the recently shoveled areas--and everywhere else. Out we went for a couple hours of shoveling and tree maintenance. Here I decided it is better to take a break given that it is going to be a long day--probably a mistake given how much snow came down during that break, but then again I am alive!

Back out for another few or five hours to reach the end of the driveway, dig a pathway around the back of the house to the side gate, clear more trees--looks like we lost at least two--and watch the boys try to walk around in three feet of freshly fallen snow. Arrive back in the house late afternoon to rest bones and eat good food--but that is a whole other post. Then sleep the sleep of the dead.

Next day--it is only Sunday at this point, but feels like a month has past--we get the big sun! We also get the report that our little neck of the woods had 40 inches! Oh my achin' bones. Head out to dig out the cars and shovel all the periphery snow around them (sounds simple, but when you are dealing with this much snow, figure another couple hours of shoveling). Get to watch the boys frolic in the snow and create trail system throughout the yard. Back in for more good food and reports that another major snow storm is on the way. You. Have. Got. To. Be. Joking!

Next morning everything, and I mean everything, is closed. Finally see a snow plow mid-Monday morning which means it is time to go out and shovel all the snow just deposited at the end of the driveway. Shoulders and back are now about to completely rebel and stage a coup to take over control of my body and force all other parts to accept their terms and conditions--laying down, anywhere, for a long time. Brain takes back over thinking about next storm.

Head out to the store to restock food and other supplies and upon return realize the roof really needs attention or that snow is going to be in our bedroom. Up on the ladder, on the roof, another couple hours of shoveling off the roof (just to make a dent) and clearing the eaves which are backing up with ice. Head back in for more good food--really, I need to write a post about that. Check the wires and nets--everything closed again on Tuesday because next storm set to begin midday.

Today--finally--get up and finally have some time to do a little work, but then back out for a few more hours of roof and eave maintenance--easily an inch and a half of ice build up under the snow pack on the roof. Get back in clean up and begin to--yes, cook more good food--and the snow begins. Just got back in from taking off the first three inches and probably need to go back out before sleep as the projections are for another 12-20 inches of snow by tomorrow night.

So good people, know that it is all my weary bones can do to type this post. Okay, there was also a bunch of fun family cabin fever activity including the cooking that I might get to between shoveling shifts tomorrow. And for those who do not believe, I provide you with some photos taken this weekend from the family blog.

The Glamorous Life of Travel

2010-02-04T18:45:00.015-05:00

The last 24-or-so hours of my life on the road.

Wednesday 12:00 pm: Take all reasonable drugs to help with head cold before boarding cross-country flight.

Wednesday 12:30 pm: Pick up colleague at Metro station (she notes hearing upcoming weekend storm is growing).

Wednesday 1:30 pm: Arrive at Dulles airport ridiculously early for 3:00 flight but glad when discover security line will take equally ridiculously long time (given that each person has to basically disrobe to gain access to the gates).

Wednesday 3:00 pm: Still haven't boarded as flight is delayed.

Wednesday 3:30 pm: Storm updates coming in--DC going to be buried Friday afternoon to Saturday in a couple feet of snow. Let the fretting about how we are going to get back begin.

Wednesday 4:00 pm: Finally airborne with the bonus of having the seat next to me empty.

Wednesday 4:15 pm: Wishing someone was sitting in seat next to me to buffer me from the elderly gentleman in the aisle seat who is clearly going to engage me in conversation all the way to California. ALL. THE. WAY.

Wednesday 8:30 pm: Ring flight attendant to see if she has seen any sinuses laying around because I am quite sure someone just ripped mine out through my ears.

Wednesday 10:00 pm: Body starting to shut down, end of day . . . oops, arrival in California--time to go to work.

Wednesday 7:00 pm: Turn on Blackberry to discover multiple emails announcing just how massive the storm heading into DC is going to be. Sigh.

Wednesday 7:10 pm: Plane to train to rental car, head south from San Fran to San Jose.

Wednesday 8:00 pm: Tour San Jose on foot with colleague while trying to figure out how to change schedule to get back before snow storm--conclusion: we are screwed.

Wednesday 9:00 pm: Dinner and more plotting and fretting--plotting and fretting better with drinks and food.

Wednesday 11:00 pm: Crashing into bed as if I am sick and it is 2:00 am

Thursday 3:00 am: Wake up, ready to go to work.

Thursday 6:00 am: Wake up (again) with crushing guilt that I will be stuck on west coast leaving Neats and boys on their own through snow storm and resolving to find new, well-paying and engaging job close to home that doesn't require travel.

Thursday 7:00 am: Meetings start while simultaneously plotting for real to speed up LA portion of trip and get early flight home Friday.

Thursday 7:30-9:30 am: LA team can accommodate, the good folks back at headquarters moving heaven and earth to rebook us, trying to get on 9:00 am flight Friday. Cancelled. What about red-eye? Nothing else in morning? 8:00 am flight? Yes. No. Cancelled. Book red-eye, book red eye! Call LA. Red-eye sold out. No wait, one on Virgin America. Book it--I get on, colleague doesn't. Wait, earlier flight, colleague on. Need to hurry to get back to San Fran. LA cancelled.

Thursday, 9:30 am-12:30 pm: Tear around San Jose with very understanding and great team of folks (who because of that and the weather probably just scored a big contract).

Thursday 1:00 pm: Haul ass up to SFO to get colleague on flight. Score!

Thursday 2:30 pm: Car returned, train taken to terminal and then back to the other terminal where Virgin America is--check in reidiculously early, but as a result get window seat in exit row. Touchdown!

Thursday present: Hanging in airport wondering how long all of my batteries will live and waiting to board plane which will deliver me to IAD at 6:00 am in the morning just in time to get on DC highways with crazy commuters and panic shoppers!

Two things I know for sure based on these last 24 hours. One, I have amazing colleagues who stayed cool and got us booked on flights and hopefully home. Two, I am less and less interested in leaving home in the first place.

Going to California

2010-02-02T20:17:00.007-05:00

Heading out to California for a whirlwind tour of hotels in San Jose and LA. I never really imagined that my life would involve "site-visits" of "properties" for potential conferences. I get to travel with a couple great colleagues which is the upside, but somehow having to go to two cities on the west coast and back to DC in about 60 hours isn't as romantic as the song that keeps popping into my mind when I think about "Going to California." It probably also doesn't include this much hair--nor do I imagine anyone will be holding up banners announcing our arrival. I could be wrong.

Getting on the Jason Moran Bandwagon, Part II

2010-01-31T21:59:00.001-05:00

So just about the time I was really getting into Jason Moran's Bandwagon, another friend noted in a post I wrote on jazz resources that she had run into Moran's Modernistic via the New Yorker and it was beautiful. Coincidence? I think not. So that was the next album to try out and it was a great next step as we moved from the more aggressive live sound to a more intimate solo album which contains a number of the pieces off Bandwagon, although in a very different form.

Now to take a slight detour, David Alder (who is someone to follow if you don't) recently started a bit of a debate with his post on Covers vs. Standards when he argued that we shouldn't dismiss jazz players who focus on "covers" which are an important component of both keeping the form alive and of mastering the form. Alder suggests that currently the pendulum of tradition vs. innovation might be swinging too far toward the modern, experimental music--at least in terms of who is getting recognized. It was funny as I read the post because I was thinking how well Moran keeps a foot in each camp and that Modernistic was a perfect example of this.

I am not disagreeing with Alder (although the discussion about artists like Moran not playing standards seemed a miss, at least in Moran's case) but rather to say that his post highlighted something I love about Moran--and noted in the first part: his breadth. But not just that he ranges across genre and style, but that he is so clearly grounded in jazz and plays with both beautiful technique and skill.

Modernistic opens with a wonderful arrangement of Jame P. Johnson's "You've Got to be Modernistic" which shows of Moran's wonderful stride piano work, followed by a beautiful rendering of "Body and Soul"--hello! We then shift into the more funky part of the album, starting with a brilliant version of the 80's Afrika Bambaata's rap tune "Planet Rock." and then back into an introspective section, and so it continues. Originals mixed with "covers," stride to funk, standards to classical, but all tied together in an absolutely beautiful album all laid out on just piano and mini piano.

To give you a sense of the album, which you can pick up straight from Blue Note, here are three tracks. First the opening title track if you will--just because I love when he does the stride thing and this is such a fabulous opening track. Then we skip to later in the album for a pair of tunes that show the other two main styles on the disc. First in "Gangsterism on a Lunchtable" you get an spacey, funky exploration--with the help of some interesting instrumentation that someone will have to explain to me--that is Copeland-esque in both tune and phrasing, but all jazz. This is followed by a beautiful take on Robert Schumann's "Auf Einer Burg/In A Fortress" that makes you realize Moran could be a wholly different type of piano player if he chose to be. In short, it is all good.

You've Got To Be Modernistic

Gangsterism On A Lunchtable

Einer Burg/In A Fortress

This is an album that should be in everyone's collection and made me wonder if Jason Moran might not be the best young pianist and composer out there right now. A question I leave to those with more knowledge and awareness of all that is out there, but it is hard to not see him up there near the top of the list.

Friday Haiku

2010-01-29T08:27:00.004-05:00

Winter weekend comes

Luxurious anticipation . . .

Friday, coffee, bliss

Fantasy SOTU

2010-01-28T06:55:00.002-05:00

It really is less about last night's speech and more about the whole enterprise that is the state of the union address colored by my current attitude about where we are at as a country and what is being done about that. With that caveat, here are a few things I would have liked to have heard as part of the address.

Dear members of congress: Sit down and shut up. If you haven't noticed, things are pretty shitty out there for a lot of Americans and we continue to not be able to do enough to help them, so I don't think we have a lot to be applauding--especially not every 30 seconds.
Oh, and can we all take the smug looks off our faces. We had enough of that for the last eight years and besides it just makes people think we're assholes--I'm talking to you mister curiously tan minority leader.
This is supposed to be a report on the state of the union, not the potential state of the union, so I am not going to announce a whole set of new ideas implying that just because I said them here they are going to ever happen given how long it takes us to do anything. Instead I am going to focus on what is at hand and what needs done. Did I mention things are pretty shitty out there right now?
Hey ladies, what did you think of that new Apple iPad? Nice name, huh?
Speaking of ladies, I am going to give a nod to the first lady tonight without cracking flirty little jokes that frame her as a high schooler who can't handle the spotlight like her man can.
Also thought it might be interesting to acknowledge the need for a strong union movement in this country since the work of their members is what led to my administration and this Congress and as far as I can tell we haven't really acknowledged that or done anything legislatively to improve the right to organize.
Wow, there really is a lot of red and purple going on tonight--did we change our colors and nobody told me?
To my colleagues in the Senate. Since most of you are millionaires already--would you mind sharing a little of the wealth so at least a few folks could eat and see a doctor? Mighty white of ya.
Oh and yo, white people, I am now going to drop a little dialect on you so Chris Matthews remembers I am an African-American.

Enough for now. Perhaps more later.

Getting on the Jason Moran Bandwagon, Part I

2010-01-27T18:04:00.002-05:00

Somewhere about a year ago, a friend from college days noted that he had been listening to Jason Moran and, in fact, had seen him in concert. He said "not to be corny, but it was more like a journey than a concert." Now, this is a person who is a musician, was a composition major in college and, most importantly, was the guy who once gave me a similar description of Keith Jarrett before he dropped The Köln Concert on me. Yeah, so given that track record, who isn't going to go buy a Jason Moran album? But what album I asked. "Well," says musical friend, it "was a piece called Intermezzo off his album Bandwagon" that got him interested.

And so, that is where I began--although I have subsequently picked up several others, so I am going to write about these in the order I experienced them rather than in the order in which they were released.

When I first got the disc and put it in and the intro played followed by the first track "Another One" which is a pretty raucous affair, I had my doubts. Then comes "Intermezzo" which is actually a piece by Brahms--which is beautiful--followed by a whole host of tunes nothing like it. Now granted, I wasn't really attending to the disc as I should have been the first time thourgh, but I was left with the impression that the Brahms piece was the exception and reminded of the fact that my musical friend also loves the modern, dissonant stuff and I feared this was just not going to be my cup o' jazz.

But, I let it sit a couple weeks and then started playing it in places and at times when I could listen more carefully and a very different impression emerged. Here was someone who could range from Brahms to hip-hop oriented tunes, to beautiful delicate jazz ballads, to straight up bop, to swinging jazz standards. And the range and variation somehow manages to work in a way that produces an album that manages to not only hang together but also create, yes, a journey.

This is someone who uses voice and recordings in a way that makes the music rich and textured not gimicky. Moran is someone who not only has wonderful articulation on the right hand as skips across the keys, but who has wonderful left hand work that almost always has a stride feel to it or on more lyrical pieces big deep chords that resonate throughout the whole piece. That left hand rhythm work is aided by two talented musicians, Tarus Mateen on bass and Nasheet Waits on drums, both who drive the upbeat tunes primarily on the low ends of their respective instruments and delicately float through the softer pieces.

Bandwagon is a live affair so it has more pieces that are boppin' than chilled, but the balance is still wonderful. Just to give you a sense of that, here are two samples. I have to give you the Intermezzo, right, which speaks for itself. That is followed (here and on the record) by "Ringing My Telephone (Straight Outta Istanbul)" which exemplifies Moran's great use of voice.

Intermezzo, Op. 18, No. 2

Ringing My Telephone (Straight Outta Istanbul)

There is a whole lot more to say, but since, as I noted above, my experience with this album led to several other Moran albums, I will save some commentary for my discussion of those. If you like this one, you can buy the album here, or an autographed copy here.

Happy 5th Birthday Captain!

2010-01-24T20:19:00.008-05:00

Tomorrow the Captain has a birthday that we have been celebrating all weekend and I didn't want to miss it here in the mess that will be tomorrow (otherwise known as Monday). Captain, how old did you say you were going to be?

Oh right, 5.

A high five!

Say goodbye.

Friends and family know where to get the details.

What Is My Body Telling Me?

2010-01-21T09:23:00.004-05:00

It started yesterday morning--a hint of a sore throat, feeling a little tired, but there was still hope that having committed to getting back on a running schedule after metaphorically falling of the treadmill for a few months, my body was just saying slow down a bit, your old and out of shape.

But it got worse by mid-day. Again, perhaps just needed a bit more fuel and some hot tea. That lasted for about a nano-second and by late afternoon I was pretty miserable--tired, constricted throat, etc. I tried to to blame it on another dreadful planning meeting for an upcoming conference, but even after limping home, seeing the family, watching a few Hitler movies (that usually does the trick), nursing myself with a little of the usual and getting some dinner, nothing had improved. I was toast. My body was simply saying, your sick dude.

Great.

Then again perhaps my body knew that this news was coming out today and it just was trying to keep me off the roads for the sake of my mental health since really sleeping of a sickness really is in some ways preferable to commuting to attend irritating meetings, right?

Nap time.

Special Delivery: Prefab Sprout Exposed

2010-01-17T10:24:00.003-05:00

So back during the holidays, College Roomy delivered, not 1, not 2, not 3, but 10 discs to my mailbox. This wasn't just a delivery of a lot of music, but a lot of music that is right in my listening wheel-house (I guess no real surprise given how well CR knows me). The delivery included classic jazz artists like Thad Jones, Eddie Harris and Steve Kuhn (amazingly three artists I had nothing by); Joe Henry's jazz infused Scar which I might have mistakenly chosen to not go back and get (it is a wonderful effort); a couple great solo piano albums, one by Richie Beirach at Maybeck the other Gabriela Montero's Piano Recital; and a few others including Van Morrison's wonderful Live Astral Weeks at the Hollywood Bowl.

But the album that took me by most surprise in someway, probably because I thought I knew (even owned) the album, was a classic 80's disc, Steve McQueen by Prefab Sprout. The original, which was released in the U.S. as Two Wheels Good, came out at a time that might not be thought of as the height of good music. Prefab's style, in some ways, fits into that less-than-memorable era of smooth-wave, British techno-pop, but this album stands out despite the musical tendencies of that era. That said, this disc might have been relegated to the shelves along with many fine memories of college music were it not for CR's special delivery.

The key here is that in 2007, Prefab re-masters and re-releases McQueen, but this time with a bonus disc of frontman Paddy McAloon, playing and singing most of the songs accousticly. The originals are all wonderfully jazzy tunes that are better than most pop (aided by Thomas Dolby's production of the original album), but these acoustic versions drive that point home. As Pitchfork points out:

One thing the new versions do highlight is the astonishing maturity of the songs. Coincidentally, almost all of Dolby choices dated from 1979, when Paddy was 22. Yet they sound all the more appropriate sung by a man of 50.

The point here is that this was a very good album in the 80's, still is, and these bonuses brought me back to the album as more than just an album from college days. And the reissue is well worth your while if you don't already have this one.

Here are a couple originals paired with the acoustic versions. The opening track of the album Faron Young isn't my favorite, but it is a great first track and gives you a sense of one type of song on the album. Appetite is the more common type song on the album and shows off what I believe are the strengths of the album. Enjoy!

Steve McQueen: Legacy Edition / Prefab Sprout: Buy the Album

Faron Young

Appetite

Faron Young (acoustic version)

Appetite (acoustic version)

Avett Brothers Backwards, Part II (long overdue)

2010-01-13T20:00:00.002-05:00

To say that I have a backlog of potential posts on music in my mind would be quite the understatement. When I re-formulated the blog to include more than just music, I thought this would allow me to post more regularly with music mixed in, but somehow music posts always take longer and I don't seem to get to them. But I will not give in! Post even shorter, even less-insightful posts about music? Sure. Give in? Never!

So let's start with the fact that it has been since last Halloween (as in two and a half months, several blizzards, and a host of holidays ago) that I posted Part I of this supposed two part post on the Avett Brothers. (As The Engineer would say: sheesh!) If you can recall that far back, I noted that I had not owned any music by these fine musicians and was in the process of exploring them startng with their most recent album first and working backwards. Payton commented (back on the dreaded WordPress blog) that he hoped the next album I was listening to was Emotionalism as every song on it was a gem.

It was, and he is right.

I know this sounds silly, but part of the beauty of this album is that it is so, well, emotional. And not just any emotions, but a lot of different ones--love, shame, anger, anticipation, remorse, sadness and on and on. Many of them are connected with growing up, learning and self-reflection, which anyone who has read anything I have written about music knows is one of my favorite themes. Here for instance is a favorite verse from "The Weight of Lies":

I once heard the worse thing
A man could do is draw a hungry crowd
Tell everyone his name, pride, and confidence
But leaving out his doubt
I’m not sure I bought those words
When I was young I knew most everything
These words have never met so much to anyone
As they now mean to me

Verses such as that are made all the more powerful by great song construction and singing with beautiful harmonies. The songs invite you in, envelop you and take you for their own individual rides. They make you ache, but leave you hopeful.

The album is also put together really well in terms of song order and theme. It moves nimbly from ballad to blues to upbeat bluegrass. Even the "Pretty Girl from Chile" which moves from country-flamenco (is that a genre? or redundant in some way?) to a minute and a half of rocking metal falls just right in the midst of the other songs. And as usual with albums that I find so compelling as albums it is hard to know what to sample to really reflect the effort as a whole. It is also a bit difficult because many of these songs speak directly to me and so it is not hard to get all personal about them.

So here are three from later in the album to give you a sense. Suffice it to say that I wish I had written "All My Mistakes" (on a regular basis). Following that "Living of Love" is perfectly time and beautifully crafted and "Pretty Girl from SD" gives you a sense of the fun side of this album.

All My Mistakes

Living Of Love

Pretty Girl From San Diego

The bottom line here is that if there happens to be anyone else out there who managed to not notice this album when it came out a couple years back, just pick it up already.

And for those who are already AB connoisseurs, what is the next album I should sample?

May This Always Be The Case

2010-01-11T20:41:00.005-05:00

Tonight, as I watched the Artist and Engineer read books to their little bro, The Captain (and loving, as best as I can, all the chaos of that), I was thinking about all the talk about parent/children relationships. And while I hope we will always have a great relationship with our boys (or perhaps continue to cultivate one would be a better description), what I most hope is that these three are inseparable. Play, fight, whatever, I simply hope that these guys will always have each other's back.

Technology and Friends: A Final Note

2010-01-10T09:05:00.001-05:00

I seem to find myself in numerous conversations with friends about how much technology is in our lives and to what extent we use technology, particularly social media, to communicate and put ourselves "out there" in the e-world. I have friends who are pretty ready to share just about anything on their blog or Facebook of Twitter and I have other friends who see the whole social media scene as anything from mindless to the near end of privacy. I am somewhere in between, perhaps leaning toward the willing to share a fair amount side, but about to move a bit back to the more private side of the scale in practice--and this after considerable deliberation (and you wondered what I was doing while I wasn't blogging).

I don't have any coherent thesis here, just some random thoughts from where I sit.

I know some feel like online communications is impersonal, but I actually find the ongoing discussion over time online to be quite personal and often in our busy lives allows for connections to be maintained in a more than occasional way. One of Neats' friends once wrote (on Facebook, I note) that she is a better communicator on email than by phone and I thought that was a simple but very good observation that I connected with. There are relationships that I maintain now via email, blog, social media that simply would not happen via phone or in person due to time and space. Does that make them less important than other relationships--perhaps, but I don't tend to think so. I think of them as merely different both in type and in how they are attended to. Bottom line is that I am both happy to have those relationships and with maintaining them primarily on-line--although, I admit, that these are all relationships formed in person and that friendships that evolve only online are just not workable for me (more below).
It seems that everyone has some sort of technology stop-point. For instance, I know a lot of friends and colleagues who use the web and email is a normal part of life, but the jump to social media like Facebook or Twitter is literally a mystery. I feel like I am about to or am hitting that point for me. I am way more happy spending significant time blogging than surfing around Facebook or Twitter (or even on an RSS reader) despite the fact that blogging takes more time and effort--at least for me--both in terms of writing and reading. Stop-point or not, I am going to start trying to spend more time on blogging and less time distracted by other platforms--not that it seems that I have that much time to do any of it.
From a technology standpoint, I have over the last two years done things to centralize my on-line presence and also to syndicate posts on music. The result of that though is that people who would never visit my blog, say, see what I am writing either on my Facebook page or through an aggregater site like Elbows or HypeMachine. Interesting sure (and it seemed efficient), but I don't really write a blog post thinking of the general public or even a casual acquaintance--it is a way to share what I am thinking with those interested enough (read: friends). Consequently, I have not connected the new site to the big music aggreagators and as of this post, I am disconnecting the blog and Facebook (rather than purging my Facebook friend and Twitter followers list--well maybe a little). In other words, this will be my final FB Note.

Bottom line here is that just as in teaching the medium impacts the interaction, but the players and their attitudes toward communication and relationships impact how they will use the media and how effective it will be for those involved. For me I am just not someone who really likes walking into a big room of mainly strangers and chit-chatting with folks I haven't seen before or are likely to see again (or haven't seen in forever and probably won't see in forever again). I am much more of a close-circle of friends and colleague person and someone who prefers that circle to expand slowly and deliberately--and I am quite sure that generally applies to my technology mediated relationships as well.

Lessons from the Road

2009-12-29T19:33:00.005-05:00

We have once again made the trek up to the north shore to visit family and friends in Cleveland for the holidays and, as is always the case, I learned a few things in the car (and before) on the way up (some of which you think I would have learned already).

If you get your children a Wii for Christmas, it is best to not stay up the night before until midnight playing Super Mario Brothers instead of getting the packing and prep done for the trip (but it sure was fun).
We know far too many of the employees at the Bob Evans in Breezewood.
It appears that he who rides in the back--in this case, The Captain--seems to be the best traveler of the bunch.
I would really like to hang out with They Might Be Giants when they write a song for one of their kid's albums.
Even though it seems like a good time to plan some things (like say, life, for instance), we never really manage to do it.
If it is slanting-southern-sunny day, create some sun-blocking device for the Engineer's window since he sits on the side facing south and he is going to be HOT!
Tunnels are endlessly fascinating.
Thinking that a long road trip is the perfect time to listen to that stack of discs College Roomy sent earlier this month is based on the faulty premise that you can hear the music well enough to attend to it.
The Artist has thought of a lot of alternative (and faster, much faster) means of transportation.
Arriving just as a nice winter storm starts is perfect timing.

We shall see what the return trip has to offer.

Merry Christmas to All and to All a Good Night

2009-12-24T20:36:00.008-05:00

Hey all--

Life is too busy and fun for much more than to say Merry Christmas to all and may you have a wonderful holiday and a happy new year. Here is Wynton wishing you the same.

Peace all.

Twas the Night Before Christmas

Holiday Music 09 Installment Two: For the Kids

2009-12-23T17:13:00.001-05:00

Yes I said I would be posting about holiday music and yes I said I imagined it was going to mostly focus on jazz as that seems to be the mood I am in, but see we had this little snow blizzard thingy that changed things. First it resulted in a lot more time hanging inside with the boys (who basically had their holiday break extended to two full weeks by the snow) and that meant more holiday music oriented toward their tastes. And that means, you get to hear about one of my favorite kid holiday discs.

Now the Veggie Tales cartoons are not for everyone I realize, but I do find the humor to be of that special kind that makes both kids and adults giggle alike and that is true on A Very Veggie Christmas. The basic premise of the disc is that the various characters (yes they are all vegetables) are all gathering at Bob the Tomato's place for a sing off with each character singing a holiday song in a different style (kinda). This is complicated by the fact that (stay with me here) Larry the Cucumber was in charge of food and has ordered it from the Oscar the Polish caterer who runs notoriously late and so the food jokes run throughout the disc until Oscar finally arrives--with various wrapped meats.

I won't go on here--you will get the gist from the music and banter below featuring Pa Grape and Family, the French Peas (my personal favorite--anyone have a good French Christmas music recommendation BTW?), and the whole cast singing along with Oscar. It really is a good one for the kids--trust me that it has been well tested and approved by the boys in this household.

Veggies Talking

Go Tell It On the Mountain

More Veggies Talking

He is Born, The Holy Child

Still More Veggies Talking

The 8 Polish Foods of Christmas

And in case you aren't keeping track, it is almost time for Santa to take off!

All Parts of the Pig Weekend

2009-12-21T20:56:00.004-05:00

It has been a while since we bought our house, but the last time we did, all the rage was to have chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven when you entered an open house so you felt welcome and "at home" (and didn't smell the pets that lived there for the last decade). A fine strategy if you are in love with chocolate chip cookies. But if you want to sell me a house, here is the correct recipe:

Heat up a small amount of olive oil in a frying pan, add some thick cut bacon or pancetta, let simmer for a few minutes--then when you see me pulling up to look at your house, throw in some garlic. Result? I walk in and offer to buy your house on the spot, because I want to live in this house with your bacon and garlic.

That, in fact, is one of the smells that you would have experienced in our house this weekend during the great Christmas blizzard of 2009 as we were buried in two feet of snow in 36 hours. But only one, as there was much cooking (and shoveling, and sledding, and other snow activities--not to mention cookie making) at our house. And much involved pork as Neats responded to the oncoming storm by reverting to her German heritage and bought pork in as many forms as she could imagine using during the storm--a ham, bacon, and sausage (two kinds). That resulted in the following:

Saturday Dinner: Risotto with ham, mushrooms, green beans and cheese (with a base of garlic and onions of course).
Sunday Breakfast: French toast and sausage.
Sunday Dinner: Bacon, garlic, tuna and spinach tossed with spaghetti (a killer recipe that is an easy and quick fall back on any well stocked pantry when you are in a pinch).
Monday (snow day!) Dinner: Slow cooked red sauce with Italian sausage over penne along with a spinach salad with a warm bacon dressing and apples and pine nuts.

Lest you worry that we only eat pork, there were other items in our diet this week . . . like cookies--five kinds in fact, all fresh made for the holidays! And suddenly, I feel the need to sleep.

Name that tune. Not that one. The one this one reminds you of.

2009-12-17T21:46:00.001-05:00

Do you ever hear a song and the minute you hear it you think it sounds like some other song you know, but you can't figure what that other song is? You play the former over and over thinking that the other tune is going to pop into your mind, but it just won't? Perhaps you play the former for just a short while and then turn it off so it doesn't distract you from rummaging around in the mental pile of thousands of songs you have heard and stored and clear them away one by one until you extract the one you know is there in the folds of your memory? But more often than not, you can't?

Well, I am here to tell you I have overcome! My memory and recall functions are not completely dulled by age, children and certain distilled liquids.

This week one of the only non-Christmas albums being played is Arcade Fire's Funerals (I have been catching up with them since they made so many decade lists--more later). And one of the many great tunes on the album is call "Haiti." Here you go. I will wait while you listen if you don't already know it.

Haiti Arcade Fire

Done? Nice song, right? But are you sitting there with a funny feeling that you have heard that song kinda, sorta somewhere else? Of course you are. It is not that the opening guitar style and chord progression are exact matches, but there is something that is so familiar that makes you want to start singing something else, right? But what? Don't worry, I am here to spare you the angst and sense of failure and defeat.

For I have listened to this song again and again and each time I could feel it getting closer. Then it would slip away. And then come back, even closer until finally . . . I knew it. The Clash! I could just hear Joe Strummer's voice coming in over that guitar--but what song? Must be on London Calling with that poppy sound. Side one? No. Two? No. C'mon think! Alas I was in the car so I finally gave in to the fact that I was going to have to wait to get home and look at the album and others because clearly I was forgetting a song or had the wrong album, but I was sure it was a Clash tune--aren't you?

But just as I arrived home, so did the answer. It was Joe Strummer--just not The Clash. In fact it is this song.

Johnny Appleseed Joe Stummer and the Mescalaros

OK--it isn't some total rip-off, but you do hear why I was making the connection right? Right? And it is impressive that of all the songs out there, I was able to retrieve this particular one from memory right? And you, too, now feel victorioius don't you? Of course you do.

Okay, now back to the holidays--more Christmas music to come, I promise, as soon as the cookies are done and the piano recitals completed.

Working the Christmas Countdown

2009-12-15T19:24:00.006-05:00

Conversation this morning with The Captain upon seeing new presents under the tree:

Captain: Can we open them after breakfast?

Me: Not until Christmas.

Captain: There are only nine days until Christmas?

Me: Um, today is the 15th, so (counting on my fingers) 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25--that is eleven days.

Captain: No. It is nine.

Me: Okay, no fair counting Christmas since it basically starts at the crack of dawn, but since it is the crack of dawn now, today should count, so it is at least 10.

Captain: No. It is nine.

At which point I realize that:

I am debating Christmas with a four- (almost five-) year old and, really, do I think I am going to win that one?
It doesn't matter to me (other than I am short on days to get everything done that needs to get done by Christmas) . . . but it really does to him.
Perhaps he will grow up to be a state budget officer who realizes that you control what counts as the fiscal calendar and if you just adjust the calendar by a day, you can argue that your budget is balanced (at least until next year).

And, so my life continues to be a weird combination of family and work.

Chillin' but Grateful

2009-12-13T10:20:00.008-05:00

Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful. And thank goodness since two nights ago (Friday) our furnace died. We had actually had Furnace Guy here that day and he said the motor was dying (prescient that one), that he would order part and be back Monday. So Saturday morning we sighed and called Furnace Guy, expecting to hear that they would be out, but only in exchange for next year's salary or one of the boys. Nope. Apparently the Lennox heating supply stores are closed on the weekend and no one could get that part. What?

It is like some small crack in capitalism--an error in the program. How could it be that someone had not taken advantage of a perfect opportunity to extract exaggerated profit out of the situation? Wasn't this a perfect example of limited elasticity in the demand/supply equation favoring the supplier?

Whatever, it is all to our advantage from where I sit (in front of the fire). Yes, we are a bit chilly here and there, but we also have so much to be grateful for--here is my list:

Friends who immediately offered up space heaters and offered (nay, insisted) we sleep at their house.
An adventuresome crew of a family who didn't bat an eye about how to make it work in the house without the furnace.
The fact that we worked hard to finish the family room so we have access to the fireplace which has been cranking it out virtually all weekend.
That we took the time to insulate the basement and family room to the hilt.
The fact that we still have electricity and the water heater.
The bacon and rosemary-wrapped pork roast we slow cooked all afternoon using said electricity, both warming the kitchen and our bellies.
The fact that while chilly, it isn't colder out (low around 30/high around 40).
The beautiful southerly slant of the sun yesterday.
The Engineer's total willingness, even this morning in the icy rain, to head out back with me to split and stack wood.
Games, music and movies.

Ultimately, life is still pretty darn luxurious even without a furnace, but we will also be grateful for getting it back.

Cory Chisel: Suprised, Not Surprised

2009-12-11T19:40:00.003-05:00

I know, I know--I should be doing Christmas-y things. But see I have all this music I have been listening to and then College Roomy sent me ten new discs--ten!!! So I am in danger of drowning in new music, which is fine except that what gets lost is any sense of what I wanted to say about different discs/artists, so I have got to get some of it out. So let's talk Cory Chisel & the Wandering Sons for a little bit, shall we?

The new album, Death Won't Send a Letter which came out earlier this fall is the band's first major label release which follows the well-received EP release Cabin Ghosts, which we discussed back in The Room. Chisel is new enough on the scene, but I was surprised not to see more reaction, if not attention to this effort--not because it is earth-shattering, but it is a very solid album and Chisel seems like one of those dudes who might just be around a while (although it is hard to see).

However, when I did read through other reviews such as this one over at Consequence of Sound, I wasn't surprised to see discussion of Dylan, Springsteen and Petty--all names that came to mind as I listened to this disc. Not because he is any of one these guys (calm down ya'll), but because the influences seem to resonate through the disc at different moments--and that was, well, a surprise. After Cabin Ghosts, I was expecting a bit more of an acoustic album and here we have more of a rocker album--I'm not talking metallic, but rocking nonetheless (due, in part to some help from various Raconteurs). That isn't to say there aren't some acoustic-oriented or quieter songs--there are. But the album as a whole is really a blues-based rock album with folk and pop tendencies. And Chisel's voice--which really is the highlight--is very well suited.

It isn't beautiful and he isn't showing off some amazing range--but it is sincere and straightforward--gravelly and growly at times, soft and sweet others. I surely said this before but he really reminds me of Marc Cohn vocally. All of which makes me wish that we had caught their show when they were in town this week, but alas, that just was not to be this week.

Okay, so I really have to get back to the holidays, so here are the samples. First up is the video for "Born Again" which opens up the album, followed by two bluesy tunes that appear back to back in the middle of the album--and by the way can I say that I really like discs that have a strong set of songs in the middle of the disc and this one does.

My Heart Would Be There

Curious Thing

And if you are digging it, you should go Buy the Album!

Busy, Busy, Busy!

2009-12-09T19:40:00.000-05:00

Do you have anyone in your life who around this time of year notes that they had all their holiday planning done in July? And their shopping in August? And probably baked their cookies and sweets ahead and froze them in the sleepy days of September? Yeah, me too. And yes, I scoff at there sad, empty lives that leave them so much time to think about the holidays that far in advance and are unable to enjoy those things which are meant to enjoyed at the appropriate seasonal moments as indicated by the calendar. I mean really shopping for Christmas presents in August--haven't you heard of fresh tomatoes and corn?!

And are you not aware of the rule? You know the one: no singing Christmas songs or engaging in December holiday activities until after Thanksgiving! And really it is totally doable. See, here is all we have left to do:

Send out Christmas letters and cards with appropriate personal touches added to various letters (or, more likely, we will just stuff them and send them so they go out before January).
Finish shopping for the boys--luckily the "jolly old elf" takes care of the stockings so we don't need to worry about those (wink, wink).
Deal with gifts for parents--struggle for idea with one set, and with how a digital frame works for the others (and then fall back on digital frame for both).
Attend boys' recitals and holiday concerts.
Go replenish the two pounds of butter we used up on Thanksgiving, get a few pounds of sugar and nuts for cookies--so many cookies--to be made and boxes stuffed and transported and delivered.
Figure out presents for new nephew Nicolas and his big sister Ella.
Make sure to find time to hang by fire and finishing reading The Christmas Carol to elder boys and other assorted holiday favorites to all as well as watch all the favorite holiday kid shows.
Plan out all scrumptious-ness that will be prepared and eaten over days around Christmas.
Try not to think too much about having to take it all down right after Christmas so we can get in the car and travel and focus on knowing we will be happy to be with our family once we get there.
Gussy up this blog a bit with some holiday feel and make sure we post a lot on the Brothers K or The Artist will be disappointed that we posted less this year than last--it is all about progress and achievements for that one!

Totally manageable right? And really who wouldn't want to be busy this time of year--what are those other people doing now anyway? Spring cleaning?!