Sound Out Loud

Charlie's Feburary Ambient Roundup

2011-01-30T14:47:00.000-08:00

What is Ambient Music? (Ambient Music will henceforth be referred to as AS, for Ambient Sound) Is it music without a beat? Is it just a really long song without any words? I do not plan on answering any of these questions.

I had plans today. I was going to record my Helen Keller album—an aural interpretation of Helen Keller’s thoughts—but my producer bailed on me. I’m not mad or anything, usually these projects don’t get far off the ground unless someone’s throwing some money at someone else, and I haven’t thrown a penny.

So instead of contributing sound to the canon of AS I’ll contribute to it with a written blast of hot air.

(Speaking of which, while I was doing some rough prelims for this article I came across a pretty terrible Pitchfork review. http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/190-here-comes-the-indian/ Were I a responsible editor I’d rewrite the entire article thusly: Good album sober. Great album tripping. Excuse me; I am going to go buy some drugs with all the money I just saved from firing a writer.)

Usually I put on some AS when I try to be productive, when I decide to use my free time wisely. When I am hurried and chasing after a fast moving deadline the application of AS is usually an afterthought. I put this kind of music on like a bathrobe. I drink from the sacred chalice to get drunk.

In my studies of Chinese philosophy I’ve become infected with a pretty nasty case of chronic doublespeak. I say something is good, and then I say that something is bad. (I am willing to concede that the nuanced nature of 无，为，无为，and the less popular 无无为 probably went over my head, but for the sake of this article’s observation I’ll let my understanding stand.) So please consider the attached playlist when I say that AS is meant to be heard and not heard at all.

If one is engaged in writing or reading or sleeping or studying it is easy to forget the music is there. It fades away like a broken sentence in a short parag

Brian Eno is attached to the Ambient genre like someone’s hand onto someone else’s hand after a hand-graft. I think Eno is associated with AS in the same way Mozart is associated with classical music. In composing the playlist below it was really hard not to put in more than one Eno track. In composing this playlist I had a good time going over music that I consider AS that I had not considered AS before. I always regarded Zone and The Diamond Sea as pretty loud-volume tracks—something to be blasted out of a car or an empty house. I really tried to put some of Yo La Tengo’s longer hits into this list, but my YLT collection—or so I’ve just learned—is entirely M4A, which is cool, I like the boost in sound quality, but it is a bitch to get into playlist form. Instead of placing them into the list I’d like to suggest to the reader that The Story of Yo La Tango and The Glitter is Gone should be wedged in there somewhere if you have them already.

Sincerely,

Charles Harper

Newweatherorder.blogspot.com

Click here to download the playlist.

Tracklist

1) The Sinking of the Titanic --Gavin Bryars
2) Pastoral Symphony_ I. Dominoes II. Infinity Room --ARP
3) He Loved Him Madly --Miles Davis
4) The Colour of Three --Fennesz
5) Fullness of Wind (Variation on the 'Canon In D Major' By Johann Pachelbel) --Brian Eno
6) Wind Coda --Lou Reed
7) Bend Beyond --Woods
8) Two Sails on a Sound --Animal Collective
9) Zone --Lightning Bolt
10) The Diamond Sea --Sonic Youth

Sounding Out Loud: A resolution and winter tunes

2011-01-02T18:18:00.000-08:00

Happy new year! Whoa that was slow, I thought that one was gonna take forever!! An oil spill, an annoying little internet gremlin airing our dirty laundry, North Korea actin' a fool, and the European financial system resting on the head of a pin this year was one for the books. And as all this was going on I had the gall, no the nerve, I had the nerve to not update this blog regularly. I know the only joy in your fickle hopeless days of endless labor, rests on the insight and aesthetic principles dependably dosed to you by yours truly. Yes, the impact of SoundOutLoud on its vast readership in incalculable, and being aware of the needs of my followers, I somehow did not think it kind to update you. In addition to the infrequency of my posts I feel as though the quality has suffered as well. Single link Youtube videos and not a recipe in sight, the sincerity was seriously lacking. Is this what the dedicated followers of SoundOutLoud deserve?? I think not.

I have been cooking many interesting new dishes and picking up some great music from a few new spots. Between backyard barbecues (thought most certainly not in this weather) and a new cast iron skillet I have many adventures and tips to share with you. I no longer scour the blogs as much as I used to but I have been finding some vinyl gold in my new Chicago diggs. The Maxwell Street Market every Sunday has been quite prosperous. I've picked up some Teddy Pendergrass, Chic, James Brown, Kool and the Gang, Tyrone Davis, The Impressions, Smokey Robinson, Michael Jackson, and others. Chicago is a funky funky town indeed...

So be sharp and stay light on your feet young readers! I hope that this third year of blogging will be just as good as the first and better than the second, maybe even better than the first two entirely. Who knows?I certainly don't, but I do have a feeling about it... Exciting things. So to cap off this apology and I guess what is now a resolution, I will leave you with a mix of winter jazz. Some cool music to fit the wintery scene and provide a relaxing backdrop for nights quietly reading at the homestead, for fear of some horrible blizzard outside. Jazz fits the scene so well. The dark windy nights, that tumbler of whisky sitting next to your computer, and that copy of War and Peace that has been taking you FOREVER to read. So enjoy. If you are inside you might as well surround yourself with great music.

Cheers, Happy Holidays, Happy New Year, Peace, and Goodwill Towards Men/Women, Etc..

SoundOutLoud

Click Here -->Winter 'o Jazz Mix 2010-2011

Tracklist:

01-Black Narcissus   4:52   Joe Henderson   Power to the People
02-07.Black Beauty   3:25   Ahmad Jamal   The Legendary Okeh & Epic Sessions
03-Smoke Gets in Your Eyes   5:01   Bobby Broom   Bobby Broom Plays for Monk
04-Negro   2:35   Geraldo Vespar   Samba Nova Geracao
05-06 If I Should Lose You   5:13   Hank Mobley   Soul Station
06-C.T.A.   5:07   Lee Morgan   Candy
07-02 Love for Sale   7:05   Cannonball Adderly   Somthin' Else
08-Deception   2:48   Miles Davis   Birth Of The Cool
09-Dance Cadaverous   6:46   Wayne Shorter   Speak no Evil
10-Star Dust   10:16   Donald Byrd And Pepper Adams   Motor City Scene
11-Mack The Knife (German - Lotte Lenya)   3:07   Weill, Kurt   Three Penny Opera

Bad City: Wildlife

2010-09-04T14:23:00.001-07:00

From Chicago, now touring w/ The Pumpkin's, and pretty bad ass...

Watermelon Seed: A Poem

2010-08-26T20:36:00.000-07:00

Here is a poem about a watermelon seed I found on the ground of my brother's room. I thought the find was quite evocative, but I wasn't sure of what, so I made a poem to help me figure out.

Enjoy!
SoundOutLoud

Watermelon Seed

I found you, lying,
on the floor, spit and forgotten,
from some sweet moment, gone and forgotten

I could put you in the soil,
but I know I never will.
Watch you grow, lush and ripe
entangled vines brushed with dirt,
basking in sun.

Summer of Soul... Spotted!!: Baden Powell or Tony Clifton?

2010-07-22T11:12:00.000-07:00

I love Baden Powell, but the similarity is a little uncanny.

?

Summer of Soul: Socialist Healthcare Jammin'

2010-07-10T13:46:00.000-07:00

So here it is. Finally. The moment that I've deluded myself into thinking you've all been waiting for, my official Summer of Soul mix, coyly declaring this third funky summer as the summer of "Socialist Healthcare Jammin'". The title implicates some of the political aspects of the mix, but more so I think it really just captures the feeling of this past year-- the fear, the tragedies, the neuroses, and the challenges that beg for some uplifting jams as well as compassion. Much of it gleaned from the Blog-o-Sphere, Summer of Soul may be steeped in nostalgia (for summers past and such) but this and the S.O.S. Electric Boogaloo mix are both a product of the present. Present tastes in soul music are themselves current interpretations of the past, and in their collection and presentation I have always tried to capture the feeling of the year for me as well as the world at large. This mix is dedicated to all the wonderful friends in New York I have had in the past four years, and will be leaving shortly. A reminder of the time we shared, and the strange history that has framed that time. That being said I will leave you with a poem by Wallace Stevens.... cause I've been jamming on that of late too.

-Josh

Jasmine's Beautiful Thoughts Underneath The Willow -Wallace Stevens

My titillations have no foot-notes

And their memorials are the phrases

Of idiosyncratic music.

The love that will not be transported

In an old, frizzled, flambeaud manner,

But muses on its eccentricity,

Is like a vivid apprehension

Of bliss beyond the mutes of plaster,

Or paper souvenirs of rapture,

Of bliss submerged beneath appearance,

In an interior ocean's rocking

Of long, capricious fugues and chorals

FOR THE GOODS, CLICK HERE!!!

01-Intimate Friends 5:48 Eddie Kendricks

02-Earthquake Shake 3:04 Undisputed Truth Comic Truth

03-Back in the U.S.S.R. 2:56 Ramsey Lewis Mojo Club - Dancefloor Jazz Vol 08

04-Could it be I'm Falling in Love 4:10 The Spinners Smash Hits

05-Good Old Music 3:17 The Parliaments

06-California Soul 3:01 Marlena Shaw The Spice of Life

07-beggin' (pilooski edit) 5:34 Franki Valli and the Four Seasons

08-Plenty Action 2:52 SOFT TOUCH Bay Area Funk

09-Lady Day and John Coltrane 3:31 Gil Scott Heron Mastercuts Bar Social: The Early Hours 10-Tightrope (Feat. Big Boi) 4:23 Janelle Monáe The ArchAndroid

11-Who is He? (And What is He to You) 3:10 Bill Withers

12-Mercy Mercy Me 3:16 Marvin Gaye What's Going On

13-I'm Controlled by Your Love 3:07 Helene Smith Eccentric Soul: The Deep City Label 14-Call Me 3:05 Al Green Call Me

15-That's the Way it is 2:26 Eddie Bo Eddie Bo's Funky Funky New Orleans

16-Donde 3:27 Bronx River Parkway An Introduction to Truth & Soul Records

17-Up Against Tha Wall (Getaway Car Mix) 4:34 Group Home Livin' Proof

18-What You Won't Do For Love 3:25 Bobby Caldwell

19-Come in Out of the Rain 2:45 Parliament Osmium

Summer of Soul: Some Like it Hot, Others think it's too Hot.

2010-07-08T11:03:00.001-07:00

I think its too damn hot...

Reflection Eternal: Black Gold

2010-07-08T09:30:00.000-07:00

This is the first video off of the new Reflection Eternal album Revolutions Per Minute. This is Talib Kweli and DJ Hi-Teks first venture since their eminent 2000 album Train of Thought. This video is a timely release done by director Sam Ellison. I really like the way it is done, mixing stock footage with images of everyday people draped in oil. I think the message the video has is especially important now with the current BP fiasco. The visuals only serve to bring the post home. I love the shots of the shots of the smoking drum, a speaker spewing oil, Mobutu, the stock exchange; just great. Black Gold is one of my favorite off of the album and I am really happy to see the video done so well. Great job Sam!

p.s. If you pause it at 4:17 at just the right moment you get a surprise on the right side of the screen ;-)...

Reflection Eternal "Ballad of the Black Gold" from Sam Ellison on Vimeo.

Egberto Gismonti: Guitarist/Pianist/Composer Extraordinaire

2010-07-07T20:12:00.000-07:00

If you waste a half hour watching these videos, I doubt you actually wasted it. Knuff said...

Summer of Soul: Funky Funky Independence Day.

2010-07-04T12:42:00.000-07:00

2 great U.S. folk standards, done by two of the funkiest voices alive...

Summer of Soul: Summer Slaps

2010-06-23T09:29:00.000-07:00

In honor of the summer sun I have put together a mix of my favorite summer slaps. From the Bay Area down to Long Beach and Inglewood, and all the way out to Bed-Stuy, this mix has everything you need for beach going, beer drinking and barbecuing. There should be plenty to keep you entertained until Josh finally comes through with his latest Summer of Soul mix. Enjoy!

In The PJ's 4:06 Big Daddy Kane Daddy's Home
Young thugs 4:24 Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
Sunshine in the "O" 5:12 3 X Krazy Sick-O
Father Dom Story 5:25 Father Dom Bust The Facts
Baby Bubba 4:13 Dru Down Can You Feel Me
Let's Ride 4:35 Richie Rich Seasoned Veteran
West Coast Shit 4:19 3X Krazy Stackin Chips
Spur Of The Moment (Feat. Ludacris) 4:20 DJ Quik Balance And Options
We'll Never Stop 4:20 Rakim The Master
Players Holliday 5:02   TWDY Derty Work
Jump Ta This 2:54 The Twinz Conversation
I'll Be Around 5:48 Rappin' 4-Tay Don't Fight The Feelin'
Getto Jam 4:18 Domino Domino
Hot Sunny Day 4:57 Celly Cell
Indo Smoke 5:24      Mista Grimm
What The FAM Like 3:55 The Done Deal Fam Runs In The Family
The Mack Hand 4:16 JT The Bigga Figga Dwellin' In Tha Labb
Hittin' Corners   4:43    K-Dee Ass, Gas, or Cash (No One Rides for Free)
You Know How We Do It 3:53 Ice Cube Lethal Injection
Hittin' Switches 3:34 Mack 10 Presents Da Hood
Playah's Mode 4:25   Young Lay Black 'N Dangerous
Another Summer 4:13 213 The Hard Way
This D.J. 3:23 Warren G Regulate...G Funk Era
All for the Money 4:06 Mc Eiht When We Wuz Bangin' 1989-1999: The Hitz
Playaz Do What'cha Like 3:36 Da Dangla Straight Maxin'
The Love Of Money 3:46 Scarface Presents The Product One Hunid
Last Nite 5:01 Ray Luv Forever Hustlin'
Summertime In The LBC (Rap) 3:56 The Dove Shack This Is The Shack
Cool 5:11 Tha Eastsidaz Duces 'n Trayz: The Old Fashioned Way
Dippin' (Remix) 4:10 King Tee IV Life
Geto Highlites 5:00 Coolio Gangsta's Paradise
Garcia Vegas 3:02 11/5 Fiendin 4 Tha Funk
Real Soon 4:31 Snoop Dogg

Summer of Soul: Summer Slaps (Full)

-Boots

P.S.
This is a great mix of by my good friend Boots to kick off the Summer of Soul. This time around we here are extending our offerings with more than a single mix. I got a fresh one coming up so watch out!!!
Yours Truly,
SoundOutLoud

The Creator's Project

2010-06-03T23:45:00.000-07:00

The history of electricity and music is a fascinating one. Beyond analog vs. digital, there is also the debate of how synthesizers and other devices inhibit or enhance the control of a musician. Lending fear to the hearts of many purists, silicon chips forged their way further and further into music production. Today, however, we can breathe. Though some personal touch may be lost on some sides of the equation, the expanse of our listening environment has become ever wider. Besides enabling technology. Today, musical trends are broad and far reaching. The internet has enabled us to have as much access to rare soul 45's as the latest digitally chopped remixes.

On the side of performance technology, in particular technology has heightened the ability to produce ever more complicated music. Take Mario Davidovsky's Synchronisms no. 6, a piece that creates the illusion of a piano making sounds never thought possible. The seamless conversation between tape and piano brings new challenges to the performer as well but the results are out of this world.

This trend has certainly not subsided and historically speaking made a quick transition from academic theory and esoteric technology into an essential piece of the modern music industry. Today from the synth laden indie pop anthems to Akon and Kanye's vocoder I don't have to tell you that it's is true. The most recent development is the way, with the advent of super powerful personal computers, technology has enabled the armchair musician to use advanced technology to enhance their creative experience. Loads of commercial and open source digital audio editing programs allow anyone to clip, reverse, copy, overlay, filter, or even synthesize what we hear. In suburban basements kids all across the country are recording their shitty first bands and the children of the iPod generation are using Serato or Ableton to mix their favorite mp3's, which for proponents of the creative process is cause for celebration even despite the shittyness of their bands. Or take Kutiman and his efforts in making original compositions based on amateur Youtube videos. Here a person is using the computer to share their craft with others, and in their attempt and further computerized mumbo-jumbo unwittingly become part of collaboration on a massive scale. I love his work for many reasons but I most like how he takes everyday people's work and makes it into something undeniably virtuosic.

Such trends, however, have become so commonplace and prevalent that when I first heard of the Creator's Project from my friend Kaley, a collaboration between Vice Magazine and Intel, I thought little of it. But after thinking about it more the event as a whole has become more interesting. Bringing together Mark Ronson, Phoenix, Interpol, Spike Jonze and other artists from a variety of backrounds this world wide venture features panels, concerts, screenings, and exhibits with the artists. The event lends both new high brow exposure to Vice's dogged hipster veneer as well adds new vitality and direction to Intel's chip deeply established microchip empire.

Vice being the essential culture magazine for card carrying hipsterati and Intel the inventor of the world's first microprocessor the two coming together says something larger about the direction music and technologies relationship has taken in the past decade. No longer is it a statement on a conservative present or a deep exploration into uncharted territory. The future is now as they say, and more than ever technology in music is part of our daily life. A reason to come together, to learn a new program, to write a new program, to cut and mix as we please. The Creator's Project shows in glaring detail how multinational corporations and counterculture have co-existed in the past decade, giving and taking from one another. Computers have seemingly provided a bridge between the two, bringing creative and social possibility beyond our wildest imagination. I am excited to see what Vice and Intel have in store for New York when they launch on June 26th in lower Manhattan, then the world thereafter. Hopefully the Creators Project will be more than just a fashionable technological exposition, with the excitement of progress, innovation, and the new social world it creates. The same biting amazement of symbiosis between man and machine a la Davidovsky or man... I hope.

A nice little vid. by "Creator" Mark Ronson...

Reed's Bass Drum

2010-05-08T16:57:00.000-07:00

Based in Brooklyn, Reed's Bass Drum is a dynamic trio beginning to lay their imprint on the city. Despite their youth, this relative newcomer to the scene has appeared with rare force. Having rereleased their debut album, Which is Which, this past January at Lou Reed and John Zorn's The Stone, the band is again booked to take on another New York jazz establishment with an upcoming performance at the Blue Note on May 20th. Comprised of baritone sax player Jonah Parzen-Johnson, bassist Noah Garabedian, and drummer Aaron Ewing the band is a delicate grouping of young talent. Whether its a smooth roll of the drums, sly fill on the bass, or sultry remark from the baritone sax their teamwork does good work to drive even the heaviest lines steadily home. Taking influence from mentors like Bryan Lynch, Joe Lavano, and Tower of Power's Lenny Picket as Parzen-Johnson's lyrical talent sets the band apart with their hard hitting baritone driven arrangements. They occupy a certain space close to the jutting groove of Medeski, Martin, and Wood but with a classic trio warmth, lending to an innovative style with palpable sincerity. With the low register of the bari sax and the band's attentive rhythm there is a certain resonating charm that fill's each room Bass Drum plays. Their rich timbre lends to a mellow sound swirling with space for innovative co-operation, working to set them apart from other sax-drum-bass trios such as New York's Fly. Their new album is filled with thoughtful and hard hitting original tunes sure to excite at their upcoming Blue Note performance. Coming with a strong endorsement from Sound Out Loud you can buy their cd or download the albumWhich is Which at cd baby.

Reed's Bass Drum performs 5/20 6:30 p.m. at Blue Note

Tickets: $15 bar/$25 table

131 West 3rd St.

New York, NY 10012

212-475-8592

Reed's Bass Drum - After the Almond's Fell (Which is Which, 2010)

Reed's Bass Drum - When You Listen (Which is Which, 2010)

Loisaida Burger: Royale in Alphabet City

2010-04-18T16:01:00.000-07:00

   Making claim to the best burger in New York City is controversial in its nature. In Manhattan popular lore rumors swell between Shake Shack, Burger Joint, Corner Bistro (though not as frequently these days), Red Head, or some extravagant $50 burger of the moment. Yet hidden away on Ave. C Royale manages to escape the gaze of all except for the most dedicated appreciators of NYC burger artistry. With a table always free, standards always high, and a $6.50 for a burger (pictured here as the $8.50 bacon/cheese) it serves as the perfect little joint to have down the street.
   What makes these burgers so special is the quality of their meat. A special blend of grass-fed beef ground/delivered daily by the oldest meat purveyor in the meat packing district (further details are shrouded in secrecy, as my waitress made me aware) this patty can even be ordered rare if you like. Its rich juicy flavor is further complimented by the meticulous attention to it construction. The boston bibb lettuce, the new pickles, the crisp bacon, the perfectly "sesamied" challah bun, its the small things I think that really get me. In addition the compliment of lightly battered onion rings or thin and crisp fries make this one of only a few meals where I reach near spiritual enlightenment upon completion.
   Countless visits following rave reviews at its opening four years ago I can say these burgers have only gotten better through time. A bit off the beaten track, this is one great New York burger experience, well worth the trip off. If you can find a more homey better tasting burger joint in Manhattan I'd love to hear about it. Somehow I doubt I will for a while to come, plus where else in America can you order a Royale with Cheese?

R.I.P. Alex Chilton

2010-03-17T19:29:00.000-07:00

So I was pretty sad to hear about the passing of Alex Chilton this afternoon. A great song writing talent from the Box Tops (see The Letter, you've heard it before) to Big Star (who penned the original version of the theme for That Seventies Show, also making an appearance on my Senior Year Mix) and beyond. Funky16Corners wrote a great obituary on Soul Strut which I will pass along to you because I don't think I could do him the same justice. Instead I will leave you with the song by Big Star and a tribute by the Replacements, aptly titled Alex Chilton. And we sing "I'm in love, What's That Song?"...

The Replacements Alex Chilton
Uploaded by Celtiemama. - Watch more music videos, in HD!

p.s. My apologies for not keeping up with posting of late. For some reason sitting down to write is seeming like more of a chore these days. I predict that will change, I need some time to build up the creative juices. In better news I never announced that Sound Out Loud is now over a year old far surpassing my own expectations of not going past a month.

Garfunkel & Oates

2010-03-03T19:09:00.000-08:00

So a while ago I was asked if I wanted to write some things about music (and or food... I believe) on this blog. Being interested in both those things I said sure. And I did. Once. But, I was a bit toasty and incoherent (probably mostly because I'm not a very good writer... but I there was a point in time where I thought I was) so to make it up I'll make a legit post here.

I just stumbled across Garfunkel & Oates, whom apparently get some press (and tv time on scrubs) but have seem to eluded me to now. Garfunkel & Oates are a quirky folksy musical comedy duo of Kate Micucci and Riki Lindhome. Now don't get me wrong. Normally I detest comedy music because it's usually ...well... not funny, but these two seem to have something with their genuinely humorous songs. So check em out, let me know what you think and how late I am to the game.

Pregnant Women are Smug

I Would Never (Have Sex With You)

Me, You, and Steve

Fuck You

Slavic Soul Party in Coney Island

2010-02-14T13:39:00.000-08:00

So in my last semester I at NYU I am trying to do all those New York things that I've never done, see all the places I've never been, eat all the foods I've been meaning to eat, and so on and so forth. Last weekend was one of those firsts for me because, believe it or not in my three and a half years living in New York, I have never been to Coney Island. This atypical trip in the dead of winter to Coney Island was spurred by a free show sponsored by the Carnegie Hall neighborhood series and the company of my good friend Elena, taking place at the Coney Island branch of the Brooklyn Public Library. The band I was trying to check out was Slavic Soul Party. Touting a frankenstein combination of slavic feel and soulful groove, the result is surprisingly jazzy with an eerie down to the ground funk that is hard to deny. The show was a reserved yet celebratory affair, as to be expected in the upstairs of a library.

Coney Island is home to many people of slavic origin, as was highlighted by the audience's questions (also an untraditional, yet welcome performance practice owed to the library setting) on their knowledge of slavic music. These questions led to an interesting discussion of why they don't play in Manhattan anymore. There response is, there aren't any intimate places. Having residency every Tuesday at Barbes in Park Slope probably helps them to say this, but I thought it was an interesting comment despite its perhaps contrarian nature. They mentioned they used to play in Lower East Side establishments Mehenatta, but I doubt they would fit in anywhere like like the Rockwood Music Hall, the Mercury Lounge, or Arlene's Grocery for the fact that they have already earned their keep in the New York music scene. Where would they play in Manhattan is a pretty good question? Besides places that specialize in jazz or prototypical types of dance music, it seems most places either specialize in low paying, not well promoted shows or hosting some of the biggest acts in the country. This weird aspect of the island is one I have never really thought about, that the sheer competition often squeezes the middle sized man out, leaving me to make an excursion to a Coney Island public library....

Here is a video of them from the great music show Soundcheck on public radio WNYC. Enjoy!

Where I'm From, It's Called "Pop"...

2010-02-01T19:00:00.000-08:00

The dedication of people to the simplest of pleasures is something I always enjoy seeing. John Nese, the owner of Galco Soda Pop Stop loves the simple pleasures of drinking pop. Now, I don't really drink it much myself. Nor do I recommend others to. However this video is a pretty interesting portrait of a man's passion for the sweetness of a bygone era.

The Heavy: Can We Do That Again?

2010-01-20T10:54:00.001-08:00

And yes, that is the Dap King's horn section behind them...

Beyond the Aughts: This Time a Little Somethin' Soulful

2010-01-18T19:14:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking of what I want from the year to come, and for lack of good insight have been hesitant to write about it. Right now, however I feel perfectly fine that I did not impart to you my greeting card sentiments in proper haste. This is because in time for Martin Luther King Day, from my own library and some of the blog-o-sphere's best offerings of the year, I whipped up one steaming hot extra concentrated dose of funk. This mix I hope will impart to readers and passerby alike the smooth grooves and great performances to bring out the vinyl junkie, soul sister, rare groover, and funk soul brother in all of us for the year to come. My fascination with funk and soul began with my band Marajo Funk, but if I had this mix I would have started a lot earliear. Hopefully this will bring loyal readers and passerby alike will make you think about clicking around a bit more on the blogroll to the right of your screen and impart to you the impulse to lead your own funky journey in this coming decade. Enjoy!

Samplin' the Soul:

Lee Fields and the Expressions - Love Comes and Goes

Controller 7 - Get Ready for the Young Folks

Bobby Reed - Time is Right for Love

Nina Simone - To Love Somebody

Funkadelic - Hit it and Quit It

The Whole Damn Thing:

The Mix - Beyond the Aughts.zip

01-Love Comes And Goes 3:11 Lee Fields & The Expressions My World
02-Beverly 2:53 Eldridge Holmes Deep Southern Soul
03-Ecstasy 2:23 Ohio Players Ecstasy
04-Good Times 2:10 Aretha Franklin I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
05-Holdin' On To My Baby's Love 2:24 Bobby Womack Anthology: Bobby Womack [Disc 2]
06-Get Ready For the Young Folks 4:02 Controller 7 12"
07-Horsin' Up 3:51 Orchestra Harlow Presenta A Ismael Miranda Latin Soul/Boogaloo
08-Time Is Right For Love 2:04 Bobby Reed Soul Sides - Nov. 3rd
09-I Love You Still (comp version) 3:32 Zilla Mayes matthewafrica.blogspot.com/
10-Move Over 2:57 Soul Children
11-To Love Somebody 2:40 Nina Simone Anthology
12-Hey You! Don't Fight It! 2:29 Montclairs Soulful Thangs Vol. 3 R&B/Soul
13-I Don't Want To Loose You 2:24 Carolyn Franklin Baby Dynamite
14-I Want To Hold Your Hand 2:20 Al Green 7"
15-Piece Of My Heart 2:43 Erma Franklin Soul Sides: Volume One
16-Your Time Is Gonna Come 3:12 The Highlighters 7"
17-We're Almost There 3:45 Michael Jackson The Motown Years 50
18-(I Wanna) Testify 3:04 The Parliaments Testify! The Best of the Early Years
19-I'm In Love 2:47 Bobby Womack Fly Me To The Moon
20-Your Easy Lovin' Ain't Pleasin' Nothin' 3:03 Mayer Hawthorne A Strange Arrangement
21-Baby Baby Baby 2:55 Aretha Franklin I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
22-Across 110th Street 3:51 Bobby Womack Anthology: Bobby Womack [Disc 2]
23-What If We Stopped Paying Taxes? - Sharon Jones and the Dap King 5:01 Impeach the Precedent
24-Hit It And Quit It 3:50 Funkadelic Maggot Brain

Sounding Out Loud...

2010-01-13T13:15:00.000-08:00

So I think it is worth mentioning that some of my blog posts are now being used on a new music review web site called Review Posse. CHECK IT OUT!!!

How to Make a Jewish Brisket...

2010-01-12T12:57:00.000-08:00

So a few weeks ago I made my first brisket. Brisket is a delicious, cheap, and impressive way to feed a large crowd, or feed yourself to the point of considering vegetarianism. On top of all that it is incredibly difficult to screw up. A lot of people barbecue brisket but for a jewish brisket the basic principle is to braze the meat in enough liquid for long enough to get an incredibly flavorful sauce with a delectably tender cut of meat of course infused with the aforementioned incredible flavor of the sauce. The sauce is usually more like a stew, filled with soft pieces of vegetables and infused with the flavor of the meat. For the type of brisket I like the basic flavor platform for the brisket should be sweet, dark, rich, and highly aromatic. In the brisket I made I did this with mushrooms, a little ground coffee (which was in a rub for the meat), worcestershire and wine for richness, coke and brown sugar for sweetness (also in the rub), carrots, onions, bay leaves, and celery as the aromatics. In addition to this I used some homemade pizza sauce to add to the liquid as well as impart more sweetness and tartness to the sauce. None of these ingredients are essential but the idea of their collective flavor I think is. Here is a list of some common ingredients including the ones I just mentioned

Vegetables: Liquid: Spices:

Celery Simple Tomato Sauce Any of your favorite barbecue rub

Carrots Red Wine Salt (you don't need too much maybe 1 or 2 tsp)

Potato Coca-Cola (one can or so) Pepper

Onion Ketchup Bay Leaves (I love this flavor in my brisket)

Mushrooms Chili Sauce Thyme

Tomatoes Coffee

Any combinations of those flavors and a bit of creative discretion should yield a rich and very flavorful brisket, but the preparation is important too. For this brisket I used a crock pot to keep the juices in the pot and ensure the tenderness of the brisket, but a baking pan covered in aluminum foil should get the trick done.

To cook the meat, if you have chosen to use a spice rub, cover the meat with your rub. Whether or not you have a rub I recommend browning the meat in your crock pot or a large pan on each side. Some people think that this seals in the juices of the meat, this is debatable. However what this does is create a chemical reaction on the outside of the meat that yields the deep flavor of seared meat without burning or drying out the meat. After this preheat oven to around 300 F and chop vegetables how you want and put them in the pot with brisket. Add liquid and spices, cover, and bake till fork tender (should be around four hours or more).

Here comes the tough part, waiting. After your brisket is done, you can sample and enjoy but 99% of that brisket (after it has cooled) should go into the fridge overnight to let the connective tissue that has now converted into gelatin solidify because after gelatin has solidified, it is much harder to revert to a liquid state thus making your meat tender yet able stay together when you slice the brisket. After waiting jewish brisket is not pulled like many bbq recipes, it is sliced ACCROSS THE GRAIN of the meat into strips. Serve strips with sauce on the side or ladled on top, make sure you've got some challah around and enjoy. Soooo Gooood...

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Homer: Happy 20th Anniversary Simpsons!

2010-01-10T20:03:00.000-08:00

So the the list of my major childhood development goes as follows. At about age one I ate my first real food when I broke down at the dinner table demanding I had the same pizza the rest of my family was eating. Five years later, I had my first piano lesson. And finally in fourth grade, I first watched and fell in love with the Simpsons. From then on out I can safely say, any place I've been to anything I have done, if not being directly related to one of the three has probably been vaguely (sometimes not so vaguely) influenced by my perspective on them.
This realization is not new to me or those who know me well (another important developmental landmark worth mentioning perhaps was my journey into manhood at age thirteen with my Simpsons themed "Bart-Mitzvah"), but tonight I was reminded how special the Simpsons truly are in my heart. While watching the Simpsons 20th anniversary special this evening, I could hardly keep the grin off of my face hearing all the producers, actors, and writers talk about the show. Though my dedication has waned (I have gone from watching it three times a day, to about once if that) nothing makes me happier than hearing Mr. Burn beckoning for his hounds to be released, or seeing America's favorite family plop down on that same old couch at the beginning of every episode.
One of my favorite things about the Simpsons though, is its music. Along with its theme essentially now firmly placed among the American popular musical canon, all episodes are completely scored by Alf Clausen, and scored well to boot! Before my CD case was stolen/lost in 8th grade I would listen religiously to Songs in the Key of Springfield, enjoying both the tunes and the memories of their respective episodes.
Though the Simpsons mean a lot to me one thing I easily recognized watching the special tonight was that I am by no means the only one. So today, to represent this point I am going to share with you some of the best Simpsons songs sung by random everyday fanatics like myself, plus a real version of Flaming Moes (cause that one's, I think, my fave). Some are pretty good, some are others just goofing around, though each to me represents the same curious power the Simpsons had on me at the young age of ten years old, that has brought it into history and to the far reaches of the globe.

Seasongs Greetings From Sound Out Loud... (feat. a Beatles Christmas)

2009-12-24T13:58:00.000-08:00

Just because I'm jewish doesn't mean I cant celebrate the birth of our true lord and savior. Well at least thats what my this guy yelling on the street told me. I am tempted to believe him, I mean why shouldn't I? Should the opportunity Christmas provides be that exclusive? Shouldn't succumbing to the pressures of social obligation and consumerism in order to shamelessly curry favor among our closest friends and family be a global right? An opportunity, a time of renewal when we can admit our wrongs with the veil of sincerity that only the "Holiday Spirit"could provide to even our most proud and childish actions of self preservation. Like that time you made fun of your Aunt Gladys's goiter at Thanksgiving in order to ensure that the whole family knew that YOU, had the best joke about the abnormal protuberance on her neck. Now only a month later one has the perfect opportunity for a most appropriate apology, while maintaining your untouchable reputation, and without the worry of having to sound like you mean it. In fact it may be the perfect opportunity to include an inconspicuous slight, referring to her unusually large jowls or perhaps her gluten allergy. A sample apology for this situation could go:

"Hey Aunt Gladys, I am so glad I could see you this year for Christmas. I think the goiter is looking much better now actually, and that necklace makes it almost unnoticeable. I really hope that we can forget about the comment I made over Thanksgiving. I would hate it if the memory of my immaturity was to ruin this years Christmas, I even made special effort to find gluten free flour, so as not to repeat last years bloating incident. "

Yes, let the season do the talking. No one wants to be blamed for "ruining the holidays" by holding grudges because of something frivolous or especially something they are told is frivolous. This is the lesson that people of all races, religions, and ethnicities from the whole world take to heart at Christmas time: forgetting all wrong doing in order to come together and exalt mighty Jesus, despite the heinous problems of accuracy still plaguing current editions of his biography. So while we go forth through this holiday season keep my advice in mind. Go repair some burnt bridges, so as to burn them again. This season, is a veritable playground for all the malevolent self-interested games you know you love to play. But why should you create a scene in the middle of dinner and deal with everyones immediate scorn, when you can assert your unreasonable sense of entitlement not on but through Christmas, to New Years, and well into easter by learning some false sincerity, all while behaving in accordance to your obvious superior standing.

-Sound Out Loud

Seasons Greetings From The Beatles - The Beatles (1964)

Happy X-Mas(War is Over) - John Lennon

(For all Beatles Christmas Recordings Click Here!!)

Gourmet's Best Cookies: A sweet goodbye.

2009-12-19T17:51:00.000-08:00

Watch Cookie Monster Muppets Sesame Street Letter C in Entertainment | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com
Since this last November, Gourmet magazine has shut its presses. This tragedy in the world of food journalism is both a telling sign of the times and a chilling reminder of Bon Appetite's monolithic presence as the cold indifferent journalistic face of big-agro and big-food-services(well....maybe not so much). Anyways, to relive this magazines historic journey and explore the ever evolving American palate, they have posted a journey through the best cookies of the past 70 years. Because of my particular geography, I am deciding to single out the black and white cookie as a recipe to post.

MAKESABOUT 5 DOZEN COOKIES

ACTIVE TIME:1 HR
START TO FINISH:1 1/2 HR

DECEMBER 2005

The unofficial cookie of New York City is shrunken down to dainty proportions just right for the holiday dessert tray. Using a pastry bag with a 1/2-inch tip, pipe rounds 2 inches apart.

This is just one of Gourmet’s Favorite Cookies: 1941-2008. Although we’ve retested the recipes, in the interest of authenticity we’ve left them unchanged: The instructions below are still exactly as they were originally printed.

FOR COOKIES

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg

FOR ICINGS

2 3/4 cup confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
4 to 6 tablespoons water
1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
a small offset spatula

MAKE COOKIES:

Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 2 large baking sheets.
Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Stir together buttermilk and vanilla in a cup.
Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes, then add egg, beating until combined well. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture, and mixing just until smooth.
Drop rounded teaspoons of batter 1 inch apart onto baking sheets. Bake, switching positions of sheets halfway through baking, until tops are puffed, edges are pale golden, and cookies spring back when touched, 6 to 8 minutes total. Transfer to a rack to cool.

MAKE ICING WHILE COOKIES COOL:

Stir together confectioners sugar, corn syrup, lemon juice, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl until smooth. If icing is not easily spreadable, add more water, 1/2 teaspoon at a time. Transfer half of icing to another bowl and stir in cocoa, adding more water, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, to thin to same consistency as vanilla icing. Cover surface with a dampened paper towel, then cover bowl with plastic wrap.

ICE COOKIES:

With offset spatula, spread white icing over half of flat side of each cookie. Starting with cookies you iced first, spread chocolate icing over other half.

COOKS’ NOTE: Once icing is dry, cookies keep, layered between sheets of wax paper or parchment, in an airtight container at room temperature 4 days.

An Audio Representation:

Black and White World - Elvis Costello

Avante Undergrad: the Undergraduate Composers Concert

2009-12-08T13:45:00.000-08:00

So last night we had the undergraduate composers' concert in the Silver Building at NYU. This is the highly anticipated recording of our concert that I made. If anyone else in the class has recordings let me know if/where you post them online.
To those of you who weren't in attendance this recording is the culmination of my principals of composition course that I took this past semester. It was a great night with a great array of different sounds and insights into the compositional process. Thanks a lot to prof. Kampela for being such a dedicated instructor and everyone in the class for providing your insight. It was great seeing what we all did this semester, I wish you all the best with your music in the future!

Introduction

A Display of Mackerel - Adam Waller

To Whom it May Concern...

(or: To the Customer Service Dept. at Shoe Mania in Union Square) - Joshua Cahan

Fluid Foliage - Nana Kaneko

Sunrise Blinding - Melisa Magrath

But you have a song - Christine Malvasi

Flutequartet Paralysis - Chris Shim

A Transfigured Home - David Aragona

This is what I wrote about my piece:

First and foremost I would like to thank prof. Kampela for guiding us all along our way with our pieces. Without his direction, insight and gentle critical hand my piece, to its detriment, would not have taken the form it did. To Whom it May Concern... is about ideas and memory. About the places we go in our mind that excite and intrigue us. Whether writing a letter or composing a piece of music, turning conception into representation at any level requires fluency, logic, and the common decency of art. But what occurs between an idea and its eventual representation; the carving, the molding, the frustration, inspiration, and resultant feelings involved are all part of the creative process.

The mysticism with which the creative process is represented, as being ascribed to genius or the result of an opportunity, I feel dilutes the emotional journey involved in art, science, or even something as mundane as writing a letter. Roland Barthes speaks of Einstein as being popularly characterized by his simultaneously magical and mechanical brain. This places the realm of creativity relegated to a gifted few at one end and tediously manufactured by drones. at the other. Neither is true in my mind. My conception of conception, so to speak, is closer to that of a feeling grounded by experience, delving into the essence of ones intuition. That making and recognizing beauty is an act of involving oneself in ones undertakings speaks to the very impulse of art, thought, and science. Which is what I attempt to represent and present with To Whom it May Concern... .

As a mind begins putting idea to paper, knowledge from all areas are drawn upon, compared, related, and prioritized. Often we prepare, but if we are ruminating over the years or days we meander through our momentary recollections. If, through our efforts, we are lucky enough to land upon something exciting or intriguing (regardless of intellectual weight, revolutionary implication, or even individualism), pride bubbles through in that we can now hold on to a new facet that may have never appeared weren't it for the chance encounter of mind, effort, and experience within ourselves. Confusion, anxiety, rays of hope, and (in the case of this piece) triumphant conclusion are all part of the story of art, science, faith, relationships, and study. Day in day out. Sense, common sense, and uncommon sense are all manifested through passion and insight - always producing, jotting down, remembering, reconciling, relating and often times relenting, walking through a world with ones head blissfully above the clouds, but only if we listen...

piano m.26

Phish: Madison Square Garden 12/03/09

2009-12-05T13:13:00.000-08:00

I know what you are saying to yourself... And I don't care.

After some d-bag sketched out on my from Craigslist I was about to not go, was it really worth waiting outside hoping to get "miracled in" for some band I was obsessed with six years ago? But that morning my friend Tommy called and told me he may know of an extra ticket. At about three in the afternoon I was sure I was going and... wow, what an amazing night. I often find myself defending my position as a Phish fan but more often, and especially the other night, I realize I don't even have to defend it either you get it or you don't, and everybody at MSG got it.
Part flash mob, part spiritual quest, celebration of life and liberty, and one hell of a show seeing Phish is like nothing else. Getting off at Penn station and walking towards the Garden, you could barely tell that one of the most popular and influential bands of our generation was playing. However as you got within a few blocks, the energy, the excitement, the dreadlocks, were all palpable. Phans hugging phans, ticket-less hopefuls waiting to miraculously gain entrance with someone's "headie extra", running into people you haven't seen in years, it was the kind of night everyone knew was going to be magic. Before anything started people were ruminating about how Phish has been at the top of their game this tour and now at MSG, many having witnessed the night before, we were at a golden moment of opportunity in their triumphant return. The band leading us musically and virtuosically lock and step with their playing through a journey that only one east coast jam band ever could.

I actually missed the opening of Punch You in the Eye, but I walked into the arena as they were playing Backwards Down the Number Line and it just seemed so easy going so laid back, it was perfect. Seeing my heroes play my entrance to a great night in New York was the best feeling in the world and when they went into Axilla, I went nuts. It was like they were doing just what they wanted to be doing, and so was I except I wasn't chilling in my living room with three other guys and neither were they. We were in Madison Square Garden with 30,000 people, being played to by Phish, it felt a little bit like a family reunion really. This was an amazing show with great versions of Fluffhead (which I had wanted to hear, since they opened Hampton with it) and Cities and I rushed to check out the set-list the next day and get a recording of the show so here it is, its great one, enjoy...

The Show:
Phish 12/03/09 MSG

Setlist:
Set 1: Punch You In the Eye, Backwards Down the Number Line, Axilla > Taste, Boogie On Reggae Woman, Stash, Lawn Boy, Time Turns Elastic, Back on the Train > Julius

Set 2: Down with Disease > Piper > Fluffhead, Cities > Free, Halley's Comet > Also Sprach Zarathustra > David Bowie

Encore: Character Zero

A Taste:
Backwards Down the Number Line
Cities
Fluffhead
Halley's Comet

Cookin' W/ Sharon' : Sharon and her Dap Kings on IFC's Cooking with the Band

2009-11-26T01:12:00.000-08:00

So being related to both food, one of my very first blog posts, and one of my favorite bands I was super excited to hear that Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings would be making an appearance on IFC's new show with LES tattooed hipster chef Sam Mason called "Cooking with the Band". Food and music, together? Like that would ever be interesting... What type of twisted individual would ever think of syndicating a show focusing on two such disparate topics? Well the Village Voice didn't much care for the new show, calling it "the end of reality cooking shows or the death of indie rock or both". Really Village Voice? I mean really? Frankly I would expect more from the Voice. Indie rock has clearly been dead for at least a year. And who ever said they had enough of Padma Lakshmi?

Well anyway, being a fan of the band (I know admittedly little about the guy they are cooking with, besides that I always go running past his restaurant, W-50, on Clinton St.), I certainly enjoyed the episode although I would have preferred that Sharon or some other members of the band had shared their own recipes instead of just kinda awkwardly standing around. I learned a few things too from the show. For starters I never knew that drummer Homer Steinweiss has a food blog and I am definitely going to use my food processor to make a marinade out of cilantro at some point in the near future. Anyways, my business is not in TV reviews, so my advice is to check out the article and video preview on the New York Times website.

For your enjoyment I am going to put up the song that got me hooked on Sharon Jones oh about two and a half years ago. This song is, in my opinion the best protest song I have ever heard from this past (understatement) tumultuous decade entitled What if We Stopped Paying Taxes? Also coincidentally I ran into my friend Evelyn who works at Human Rights Watch and gave me their new fundraising cd entitled Causes 2 produced by the record company Waxploitation (of Danger Mouse and Gnarls Barkley fame) which includes a new track by Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, covering Bob Marley's tune It Hurts to Be Alone. This is a great new little number. I don't think that Sharon has the best vocal performance on this one but there is most definitely something about those horns. The thing about the Dap Kings, being a great band, is that they always pull through. Yes, something about those horns indeed...

The Momofuku : David Chang

2009-11-18T21:20:00.000-08:00

Meet David Chang. I mentioned one of his many east village establishments not too long ago, Momofuku Milk Bar, with their very delicious pastries and cereal milk soft serve. A new "it" chef, of sorts, in New York City, Chang is quite the character. This is a great video of him getting drunk, eating korean fried chicken, and then cooking up some munchies... its as good as it sounds. If only they could find someone. in addition to Anthony Bourdain, to do this on T.V.

David Changs Pork Recipe (From video)

"A couple teaspoons of salt

Some black pepper

And a couple hours of don't fuckin' worry about it."

Roasted Pumpkin and Fingerling Potatoes with Thyme and Black Mission Figs

2009-11-18T10:49:00.000-08:00

So this is a riff on a recipe I got from my old Harmony and Counterpoint professor Jairo Moreno, who you may remember from my roasted chicken post. He mentioned the original pumpkin free recipe in class last fall and I have been trying to make it for some time, but I must admit finding all the proper ingredients all in one trip to the grocery store is a little tricky. Even the humongous Whole Foods on Houston St. has fingerling potatoes only sporadically, and happening upon a pumpkin, especially small enough to not be eating pumpkin for the next two weeks, forget about it... Luckily if you want to whip this up in a flash you could use any gourd or small baking potato you prefer though I have to say that the fingerling potatoes have a suppleness and a certain bite size elegance hard to find in other varieties.

The original recipe I heard from Jairo didn't have the pumpkin but a few weeks ago I was invited to a pumpkin food party, and with the right pantry items on hand, I couldn't resist myself. This is a perfect fall meal. Hearty, rustic, and elegant this dish would be sure to impress next to your favorite roasted pheasant or quail recipe. Come on, you know you are tempted...

Fingerling potatoes
Dried mission figs
Oolong Tea
Thyme
Olive Oil
Salt

Boil and prepare the tea in enough water to cover all the figs. Cover the figs with hot tea and keep submerged till enough tea has been absorbed and the figs are turgid such that they will stay moist during cooking, this should take an hour or two. Preheat oven to 400. Put figs in baking pan w/ potatoes (cut lengthwise in half if you prefer) and drizzle with olive oil. Add salt and thyme, then mix till seasoned evenly. Bake at 400 till potatoes are for tender (around 45, probably more)

Bulgarian Choral Singing

2009-11-15T15:05:00.000-08:00

So I apologize about not posting much this semester. Ever since I lost my big desk, started guitar lessons, and cancelled my Facebook (I highly recommend it, but if you don't care to thats cool too) I haven't been spending much of my free time on the computer. Needless to say I still have been accumulating sonic and culinary goodies to share with you, my digital friends. Now procrastinating on a Celtic music paper, I feel inspired to make a quick post.
This friday I met with my thesis advisor to talk about my project on the Old Town School and my plan for next semester. When I got there I heard some really intriguing and entrancing music coming out of his office. Being a scholar of post Soviet Russian and Eastern European music, Martin was just showing a fellow music major some Bulgarian choral music, and invited me in to listen. He explained that the classically composed music I was hearing is based off of their traditional musical language but has been gaining larger recognition in the folk and art music world of late. So I thought it would be nice to share some with you.
The singers that you hear are all trained to sing in the traditional Bulgarian style in a conservatory setting, as opposed to the classical conservatory one would find in "the west" . You can tell that their tone is brighter, sharper, and pure. I am no expert on Bulgarian singing but this sound is most likely achieved maintaining their tongue much more forward in their mouths when they sing and using more of their "head voice" (though I would imagine, sufficient support from the diaphragm is needed to not ruin ones voice, head singing as its called can be quite tough on the vocal chords). The music is marked Also what is strange about the music, as mentioned before is the meter, this first song is in 7/16. This means that there are 1 + 3/4 quarter notes per measure, which means in short pretty weird. See if you can tap it out on your foot, its difficult. I think it should go "One, two, three; one, two, three, four" with the emphasis on both ones. The second one sounds much more classically western, I don't really like it as much but its still good.

Bobby Womack: Fly Me to the Moon

2009-10-22T19:32:00.000-07:00

The name Bobby Womack never really had great associations in my mind, for one reason or another. The other day however I was really taken by his version of the standard Fly Me to the Moon and decided to check him out. Now I think he is one cool chameleon, if I may say so myself.

I have two selections today. Fly Me to the Moon, is the first song off of his 1969 album of the same title and is a very clever reinterpretation of a classic but, in my opinion, oft tired song. Luckily in this version there is really something to the swing of the band and the way the instrumentation and feeling progresses. The opening guitar riff is warm and natural; and an instant hook. You can hardly recognize the song the weren't it for the horns along with the heavy two's and four's.

Opening with yet another great (though this time shorter, thus one can follow sweeter too) guitar intro is the next song on the album. Baby you Oughta Think it Over, is a textbook example of a great vocal performance. Listen to the saxophones as they emphasize Womack's entrances, each of which he is more than up for the challenge. Really, trust me, listen to it! One of my favorite things about soul music is how the different artists play can around with the many layers of their songs, simply and to such effect. The way that Womack's epic performance is framed by his band makes it that much more valuable, I think. Having a song that fully engages ten to fifteen musicians at all time is a rare thing, and with great soul you can feel the band as a single entity pushing the song forward. This is no exception, but the way that his voice rises above the band is what soul I guess is really about: getting yourself lost in pure unfettered celebration of emotion and then-some...

Caetano Veloso: Sweetness in Song

2009-10-14T17:47:00.000-07:00

So this Monday I began guitar lessons with composer/guitarist Arthur Kampela (sweet video included) learning all the ins and outs of the Bossa-Nova style, well... at some point that will be the case but now we are only working on the rudiments of technique. Anyways he gave me some names to check out. Names like Getz, Gilberto, and the so called "Bob Dylan of Brazil" Caetano Veloso (follow link for out of print albums legal for download). Looking up this last name I stumbled upon this little diddy Voce e Linda, and haven't been able to get it out of my head since. The song drips with sweetness, in the smoothness of the voice, the bounce of the guitar, it is everything that makes you want to forget about your work (like now, for both you when you read this and I as I write) and everything attached just to spend your time lost in a world suspended on the six strings of a guitar and the rapidly undulating membranes of Veloso's voice box. Voce e linda, voce e linda, ahh sweetness...

Also highly recommended:

La Flor de La Canela - Caetano Veloso

For No One - Caetano Veloso (Beatles Cover)

Green Papaya Salad

2009-10-04T18:03:00.000-07:00

So last weekend I attended a Thai cooking class with my parents at the Institute of Culinary Education, who were visiting New York for the weekend. Armed with a veritable bevy of pungent fish sauce off we went to cook many authentic thai dishes from green curry to steamed fish with a tamarind sauce, and of course the ubiquitous pad thai... with all the fish sauce you ever wanted. Here is what I thought to be the most interesting recipe from the class. It is a recipe for a green papaya (aka unripened) salad. It has a sweet and savory flavor with all the spectrum of flavors that you would expect from a thai dish. Both exotic and refreshing this salad is something definitely worth going out of your way to make, just to try it. And once you do try it, I am sure you will want to make it for company or whoever seems to be around at the time.

For the Dressing:

2 large cloves garlic, pressed/minced

6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

3 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons palm sugar

1 red bird's eye chili pepper, seeded and minced finely (wear gloves)

Non-Dressing Items:

1 pound green papaya, peeled seeded and coarsely shredded/grated or julienne

2 carrots, shredded/grated

2/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves, washed well and dried

Up to 4 tablespoons peanuts, crushed

1. Make the dressing by whisking together pressed garlic, lime juice, fish sauce, palm sugar, and chili pepper until sugar is dissolved.

2. Add the papaya, carrots, and cilantro to dressing, tossing well. Salad may be made 2 hours ahead and chilled, covered. Bring salad to room temperature before serving.

3. Sprinkle with peanuts and serve.

Summer of Soul Update: Mayer Hawthorne's "Maybe So Maybe No"

2009-09-14T07:25:00.000-07:00

This artist was brought to my attention by Soul-Sides the other day with the track

"Your Easy Lovin' Ain't Pleasin' Nothin'"

Soul-Sides' originator Oscar Wang called his most recent album too derivative, as if that was bad thing. Though most people think that being derivative is a mark against ones creativity, I think it is beneficial to the creative process as a whole. Commercial music has been obsessed with standing out and sounding impeccable, often times to great result. But the way music is made today is not how it will always be made, this process creates, in my opinion what is an unrealistic expectation placed on artists, to be completely original. Let me remind you we only have 12 different notes in western music. And especially when we recognize that what most of us consider to be a "good" pop song, follows a I-IV-V-I pattern (maybe with a deceptive cadence here, and a quick key change there). Really with most pop songs the key difference is a guitar riff or two and how angry the lead singer tends to be, speaking plainly of course.

I happen to be of the opinion the music is music, and soul is soul, and that I like soul a lot. With most music regardless of genre as long as the song doesn't bore me to death or hurt my ears, I will listen to it. Soul as a musical form, has an uplifting sound that is both easy to identify with and easy to dance to. In addition it also has a pretty well defined sound which makes it easy to copy for the reason that any listener need not know the theory (beyond basic instrumental or vocal competency) because chances are they already are more than familiar with the feeling. And therefore, if one wished, or if millions of people wished, they could all have soul cover bands and have a good time doing it. This is not the case with a form like American Idol style pop because it is largely based on vocal virtuosity and complicated studio polished arrangements for its effectiveness. Rock and Roll on the other hand seems to be too fragmented these days (between emo, indie-pop, indie-rock, pop rock, garage rock, punk rock, pop punk, etc...) to have a sound to be so recognizable. In my nebulous unprovable opinion I think that this drive for originality drove rock and roll away from its initial instinct in terms of feel, and has not found its way back on course since the late seventies, except for maybe a brief period relegated to the the first two Strokes albums (Room on Fire of course originally being chastised for its sameness with respect to Is This It, while six years later both remain among the top rock albums of the last decade). So my advice, find a sound or a band you love, copy the hell out of it/them with a few friends, and see what you get from there. No one thinks you are going to be the next pop superstar, so why even bull shit yourself into thinking to get the best result by "doing your own thing". Imitation is the purest form of flattery, so just give what you love the respect it deserves.

Here is Mayer Hawthorne's cover of Maybe So Maybe No - By the New Holidays which you of course remember from the Summer of Soul: Electric Boogaloo '09 playlist I posted a while back. Its still warm out I guess, and we haven't had the autumnal equinox, so keep that soul kickin'.

Momofuku's Milk Bar and Bill Withers

2009-09-09T16:45:00.001-07:00

So the other night I was having dinner at the Redhead, a great restaurant on 13th St. btwn 1st and 2nd with my Sister her boyfriend and a friend of theirs from law school, a foodie and brooklyn native. I had a great burger there and my sisters fried Chicken was excellent as well (maybe, just maybe better than Harold's in Chicago). I didn't taste the tenderloin or the beet green ravioli, but all reports were positive as well. Also the complimentary cookie they provided at the end of the most excellent repast, was superb. A chocolate fudge cookie devilishly garnished with coarse salt on top. After a chance encounter with an old freind of my sister's on the street we continued down 13th to Momo Fuku's Milk Bar, the home of the famed Cereal Milk Soft Serve. I tried a sample of this frozen, sweetened cornflake milk and was pleasantly surprised by the delicacy and non-grossness of its nostalgic corn-flake essence (though I have lately been into weird ice cream flavors. To wit, be on the look out for an avocado ice cream recipe). We also tried their blueberry pie, and compost cookie which was made with everything from pretzels to coffee. My favorite treat however was their so called "Crack Pie", which is kinda like a pecan pie without the pecan's, so needless to say it is pretty rich. This carmely pie with an oat cookie crust I describe "as almost as good as crack, but not really as good as crack". Overall Momo Fuku's was full of delicious surprises with a nice village vibe that helps to keep the place packed on most nights. I don't normally do restaurant reviews, though I have been told I should (and may do more), the reason I am writing about this particular night was because of the music I heard when I first walked in to Momo Fuku's. Though I didn't know it at the time the familiar voice accompanying my funky funky entrance music was that of Bill Withers, the man behind the ubiquitous singles Lean on Me and Ain't No Sunshine. The song instantly hit me, so much so I had to ask my server what we were listening to so I could share it with you, my loyal reader. So here it is a Bill Withers Remix (though it is not too different from the original) of Lovely Day to go with your crack, or your crack pie, or maybe just some old cereal milk you had lying around.

The Big # 4...

2009-08-31T20:35:00.000-07:00

So here I am presenting a pretty rock and rollin' mix to commemorate the beginning of my (and perhaps yours too) senior year of college. Now with most playlists I put up, at this time I would wax poetic about what the mix means to me but in all truth I don't have much to say, but I will try. It is a playlist about excitement and trepidation, certainly something anybody about to enter a new stage in their life feels. It has been a fun and strange three years. The places I've seen, the people that have come and gone, and the times that have been shared. I am happy to be reunited with old friends after a long summer in Chicago, don't know what I want to do after this year, and am pissed as all hell about taking hebrew again... That pretty much sums it up

Here are some key tracks:
Destroy The Heart - House of Love
Knuckles - The Hold Steady
We're Almost There - Michael Jackson
Paris (Aeroplane Remix feat. Au Revoir Simone) - Friendly Fires

THE MIX

Destroy The Heart 2:40 House of Love 12" A side
What Ever Happened? 2:50 The Strokes Room On Fire
What Am I Fighting For? (LA Priest Remix) 3:39 Unklejam What Am I Fighting For? CDS
Dont change your plans 5:11 Ben Folds Five The unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner
September Gurls 2:48 Big Star #1 Record / Radio City
In The Fade 4:26 Queens of the Stone Age Rated R
Rock And Roll Remedy 4:09 Alpha Blondy Revolution
Range Life 4:55 Pavement Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
Waterlooville 2:19 The Minders Cul-de-Sacs & Dead Ends
We're Almost There 3:45 Michael Jackson The Motown Years
Ashes To Ashes 4:22 David Bowie The Singles Collection CD 2
03 - Mr. HUDSON & THE LIBRARY - Too Late, Too Late 3:08 Mr. Hudson & the Library
Brian and Robert 3:03 Phish The Story of the Ghost
Fake Empire 3:25 The National Boxer
Gimmie Panic 3:13 Perspects The Third and Final Report-EP
Knuckles 3:46 The Hold Steady Almost Killed Me
Paris (Aeroplane Remix Feat. Au Revoir Simone) 7:43 Friendly Fires discodust.blogspot.com

-MC Sauce

Peach-Tomato Salsa

2009-08-27T18:09:00.000-07:00

So I have been absent from this site for a while. I was out of town for a bit, then took a conscious break to build up the creative juices so to speak. But this week I have been cooking a bit, I made a red mole sauce for grilled Chicken two nights ago that was very good and I may share it with you one day. Also tonight I prepared a peach tomato salsa for some grilled halibut, and because that particular recipe is fresher in my mind and fresher for the season. If you were unaware we are now at the peak of the few but glorious weeks of peach season. There is no fruit more succulent or flavor as divine as a perfectly ripe peach. Whether you like to eat them refrigerated or at room temperature a word to the unwise you best bring a paper towel during this season, the wise already knew this. Luckily for us the bounty of juice and supple flesh provides the perfect foundation for a salsa of the decidedly sweeter, but equally as savory variety. This salsa is perfect on any chicken, fish, or even the dark charry flavor of grilled mushrooms. This is a good recipe to practice knife skills because there is a lot of dicing involved.

2 peaches finely diced

2 plum tomatoes finely diced

1 small red onion finely chopped

chopped mint or basil

1 finely chopped jalapeno pepper (seeded, or not if you are VERY adventurous, or partially seeded as I plan to do next time)

juice of 1 lime

salt

pepper

sugar

Just combine the above ingredients in a bowl and let sit for a bit so the flavors combine.

P.S. Congrats to my longtime favorite chef, Rick Bayless on his recent triumph on Top Chef Masters!! I can't wait to see what the am's will be doing this season.

Old Town School at the Dakhla Festival 2009: Folk Diplomacy in Morroco

2009-08-08T10:18:00.000-07:00

So these are some very cool videos by my friend Nashma Carrera formerly of the Old Town School of Folk Music

featuring Chris Walz (also from the Old Town) on the banjo. This is from a trip to the Dakhla Festival in Morroco

funded by the MacArthur Foundation to build a relationship between the Old Town and the Casablanca Music

Conservatory along with finding new groups to bring to the school for their ongoing world music series. This is a

French/Morrocan band, I cant really tell you the name, but they are really cool. If you like these Nashma has a lot more really awsome

that I didn't post here but you should definitely check out.

OMFG...

2009-08-01T18:58:00.000-07:00

I thought I would share this awesome blog with you. With this post the summer of soul has perhaps reached its precipice. Now if there is anyone who reads sound out loud and says they don't listen to much soul music you will be dutifully flaggellated by the almighty god of funk (who if you are not in the know goes by the name of Afro-Buddha).

This site is whole soul discographys of the biggest soul names out there from James Brown, to Al Green, to the Ohio Players, to Grant Green... OMFG.

Here is also a really really good world, jazz, and roots blog with whole albums that linked me to this amazing site.

More 45's: The Small Faces

2009-08-01T07:59:00.000-07:00

So as promised here is another 45 that I ripped on to my computer. This is the Itchycoo Park single from the band The Small Faces. Despite their current relative anonymity they were an important and influential band in both the mod and britpop scene, going on to join up with Rod Stewart to form the seminal band the Faces. The B-side, I'm Only Dreaming, is a little interesting. As the song starts off you first get the impression that this is going to be some mushy, written in a half hour, love song b-side but once the bridge comes the song moves somewhere good. If you can wait forty seconds (which sadly asks a lot of people) you get an idea of the motion of the song, and it moves somewhere good, so when the second equally gushing verse comes in everything is hunky dory. As far as the a-side goes, standard upbeat pop. It is complete with a frolicking verse, catchy chorus and psychedelic flange in the bridge. I think it is actually pretty goofy to tell you the truth, mainly due to how it is sung (just listen to how he sings the words "Itchycoo Park"), but fun nonetheless.

Itchycoo Park - The Small Faces

I'm Only Dreaming - The Small Faces

Fate the Seductive Mistress of Destiny: A Tale of The Minders

2009-07-27T14:48:00.000-07:00

Re: goto Albums

(I have been wanting to post on this one for a while, and I thought that DJ Boff presented me with an opportunity to share the fateful story of how I happened upon one of my favorite albums)

I was paroozing a record store in Lincoln Circle, somewhere on Lincoln Ave. south of the Potbelly's spring of or summer after senior year of high-school following an investigation of some Hofner and Eastman guitars in the Different Strummer (a pretty good selection of new hollow bodied guitars by the way) when I happened upon the album Cul-de-Sacs and Dead Ends by the Minders used for 2 dollars. It was initially (I was looking in the 2 dollar used CD section so the cheapness had little relative bearing) the cover art that got me, which I admit a bit sheepishly, but for two dollars it was worth it. I guess you could say that I was looking for something out of the ordinary or something that I could attach myself to either through fixating on its thrift or the possibility of finding a good track or two or just finding something weird to share with friends. What I did not expect, I can safely say, would be to pick up what would become one of my favorite albums.

Listening to it on the drive back from the suburbs, I was listening to the album while talking with my dad and sister, I wasn't listening to hard but periodically I would catch bits and think "hey this ain't that bad." I listened through and realized that it was pretty good because I couldn't really even remember a part that put me off. Though I try to be open minded about what I listen too, like with all things I can't necessarily control how music makes me feel from the onset, and if it puts me off I am pretty aware of it. Usually with a mediocre album, if you believe in such things, you can tell the marked difference between how some of the songs are written or the difference in song structure (usually tending towards the more cliche or simplistic) showing lack of inspiration, care, or worse yet consistency (though most often due to a combination of those factors). This goes beyond music as cheesy or saccharine, both can be thought of as positive attributes with the right perspective. I am not talking about a bad show, or a bad solo, or even bad music I am talking about a clear divergence shown in songs like Ebony and Ivory by Paul McCartney and sung by McCartney and Stevie Wonder that despite whatever intrinsic talent after any initial radio honeymoon has ended, it is clear the song just doesn't cut it, lacks something, that inchoate quality known as feeling or ethos or style or relevancy or whatever that signals the presence of passion in music.

As mentioned about three sentences before, not only does Cul-de-Sacs and Dead Ends not lack that whatever which bestows intrigue upon recordings (meaning that it is good) as does Ebony and Ivory, that feeling is present in every single song. So much so that I am almost at a loss of which ones to show you today. Though I doubt any members of the Minders are as good of musicians or as influential as McCartney or Wonder, they have managed to write enough good songs to make Cul-de-Sacs and Dead Ends as good or worthy as any other album I've heard, especially for this generation. I don't know much about the Minders, except for the fact that they were an early part of the Seattle based Elephant Six collective that has brought such artists as Neutral Milk Hotel, Of Montreal, and Apples In Stereo (who share a few members with the Minders); and were on and off until they officially broke up in 2008 after a long period of relative dormancy.

Cul-de-Sac's and Dead Ends is a compilation of singles and B-sides, which by its consistency proves to be impressive in its own right. Its sound harkens to early Pink Floyd (circa Sid Barret/Piper at the Gates of Dawn) mixed with the pop sensibilities of the Beach Boys and the lo-fi sound that Elephant Six and the Seattle grunge scene helped to popularize throughout the nineties. Though indie lo-fi isn't quite my thing, I have been continually fixed upon this album ever since I picked it up, in part for its obscurity and its chance aquisition but more so because it sounds so good. You don't have to be in the mood for the Minders, the Minders put you in their own little world. It neither relies on overly dramatic or overly fluffy tunes like other bands that have followed in their sonic footsteps (Of Montreal, New Pornographers, and Apples in Stereo most notably). Instead the songs of the Minders seem to exist in a quixotic nether world of upbeat agitated self awareness and dreamy sonic playgrounds. Its the type of music made by late to mid 20 somethings who wish they were nineteen, who sing of longing, despair, youth, and adventure all put through an irresistible uplifting Brian Wilson lens. This dichotomy (between youth/adventure with longing/despair) is mainly drawn between the lyrics and the music, but the more I listen to it the more I find an aspect of darkness buried in the music itself. Maybe I've just gone crazy, maybe not, but Cul-de-Sacs and Dead End's through and through consistency where within its simple contradictions is what makes it an album I love. Maybe its in the blissfully sharp denial captured in the lyrics "Now I Can Smile" or hidden in the haunt of the satirical la la la's of "Chatty Patty" or the albums hopeless title but its there and it represents a large part of what I like about music. The seemingly endless depth at which you can take it, if you want, the rest of the time you just enjoy it.

Hand Me Downs - The Minders

Paper Planes - The Minders

Now I Can Smile - The Minders

Chatty Patty - The Minders

goto albums

2009-07-23T23:07:00.000-07:00

i have reservations posting here.. but i''m drunk again so here we go
i want to share with someone the albums that i consider the best i've ever heard

my goto albums.. the albums i can listen to over and over and never get bored
the albums i guess that can define me.

here we go in no particular order (probably alphabetical as i scroll through itunes)

Ill Communication - Beastie Boys

this album is fairly new to the list,

Belle and Sebastian - The Life Pursuit

The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots

Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand

Little Man Tate- About what you know

Michael Franti & Spearhead - Stay Human

Modest Mouse - Good News for People Who Love Bad News

Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over The Sea

The New Pornographers - (Twin Cinema or Electric Version... take your pick)

At the risk of being cliche.... Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon

Ryan Adams - Cold Roses

Sufjan Stevens - Come on Feel the Illinoise

Tea Leaf Green - Rock N' Roll Band

here's the thing... i'll elaborate on why each of these are great albums individually but you should listen to each yourself and try and feel for a connection... but i have to sleep tonight ... so finally

The goto song... which happens to be not on any of these albums is
Best Feeling by Keller WIlliams... here's a good version for you

best feeling - keller williams

Chicago Folk and Roots Fest

2009-07-22T18:41:00.000-07:00

So not last weekend but the weekend before it was the Chicago Folk and Roots Festival, put on every year in Lincoln Circle by the Old Town School of Folk Music. This year was my first time going and only caught a bit of it, but it was a very good time. To start off with the food there was not bad by any means, yes you could get corn dogs and funnel cake but you could also get vegan tacos, African sausage, and some other interesting stuff that caught my eye that currently I cannot remember. The festival was composed of a main stage for larger acts, a stage for the school staff to play at, a gazebo for jam sessions, a dance tent, and a "nuestra musica" tent which was made to display some aspects of the research that the Smithsonian Institute had done on the Latin American community in Chicago with the help of the Old Town School, and its very own instrument petting zoo (no f'n joke).

The music was pretty interesting, I spent a bit of time at the staff tent trying to meet some faculty to interview for my research on the school, but I also witnessed a surprisingly virtuosic Grateful Dead jam at the gazebo, as well as a few shows at the main stage most notably Curley Taylor and the Zydeco Trouble and the Watcha Clan. The Zydeco trouble is, you guessed it a zydeco band from Louisiana. They were quite funky, and definitely down with The Summer of Soul, cause they pulled out some nasty James Brown and Sam Cooke covers.

Also there was this very interesting French-Algerian band fronted by a sephardic Jewish woman. Their music combined North African roots with drum and bass, that painted a pretty cool atmosphere among the setting sun of the festival. I managed to capture a video of part of a song I found interesting, it was a rendition of the famous poem by Israeli poet Hannah Senesh, Aylee Aylee.

Overall the most refreshing aspect of the festival was that, as opposed to the Wells St. Art Fair earlier this summer, I was able to enjoy myself without being elbow to elbow with wasted young professionals. The music was an eclectic mix of folk, rock, roots, soul (they had a jam at the gazebo); Comparable to in talent, but with less choices, which I can deal with, and if I wanted to be dancing or picnic-ing I had my choice without having to sacrifice being able to hear. Which is always a good thing.

אלי, אלי, שלא יגמר לעולם

החול והים

רישרוש של המים

ברק השמים

תפילת האדם

Turn Turn Turn-Table...

2009-07-20T20:29:00.000-07:00

So I recently started ripping some old 45's that my dad picked last year or so at a garage sale. I do not know how much he purchased the set for, though knowing my father it couldn't have been more than ten dollars, maximum. Still for a cheap garage sale find this collection is an eclectic mix of old sixties garage rock, pop, and psychedelia. There are singles from the Kinks, Peter Paul and Mary, Spencer Davis Group, the Who, the Yardbirds all with the hits (some more than others) and their enigmatic B-sides. I am very excited to introduce this collection to sound out loud' repertoire, and see what insight the dusty shadowed side of sixties hits and obscurity can lend in our mutual (writer and reader) blogging experience!

This first selection is from the Byrds ubiquitous 1965 recording of Turn Turn Turn, the song whose melody was written by Pete Seeger and text based on that one verse from ecclesiastes about time going by... oh how it does go by. The B-Side is a surprisingly well written and catchy tune entitled She Dont Care About Time. It sounds a little Beach Boy/CSNY-eque and has aged surprisingly well from a band that these days often gets thrown only into the background of conversations about the sixties. Though the Byrds are often referred to as a folk band, but with their mop top Amero-phillic style this B-side is further evidence that what was going on in the Sixties, folk or not, is something in its own right, but something that certainly still holds merit in music to follow today.

- MC J-Sauce

Turn Turn Turn(Side A) - The Byrds

She Don't Care About Time(side B) - The Byrds

Fuck You Debut

2009-07-16T19:18:00.000-07:00

So here it is, my debut on a blog site. Well not really a debut but I don't count thirteen yearold

attempts at being the greatest blogger in the world (at least I had ambition). So after a few glasses of nectar (J & B scotch) I'll just get on with it. This is good for me, cause I think what

I say is important, even if no one else seems to agree with me, so having somewhere to write my oh so important thoughts may be beneficial (to whom i'm not sure).

This blog (of josh cahan, who i happen to admire greatly) seems to be about music, and from what I'm told food as well, but I'm gonna take this opportunity to rant about music. There is something universal in all music the rythm the melody they all have it in some form or another. So here is my piece of advice... Trust no person that says they do not like a particular genre of music and here's why.

I'm gonna leave alone the fact that all music is related in an enormous music genre tree, and focus on the type of person that could claim they dont like rap or country or classical or electronica... I mean I've heard it all.

Here's the deal.

If you are thinking about music, you don't get it. Its not a thought process, its deeper than that

its subconscious, its instinctual. Why can I get down to some african drum beat from a culture

I don't know (or maybe don't care to)? Its because music is universal, it always has been,

it always will be. Give yourself up to it.

Maybe not thinking about it is too harsh, but all I find thinking does in most people is cause prejudice many would be unhappy to learn that Biggie has a lot to thank of Blondie, but thats just the way it is (as tupac would say)

Certainly the reason I can get down to country (it's fun, the stories are good and the chicks are

hot) is not the same reason I can get down to indie shit (it's got soul and personality and its

interesting) but it doesn't stop me from enjoying both. I mean lets be realistic, some music sucks but it doesnt suck because of its genre, it sucks cause it sucks its unoriginal or bland and uninspiring not because its a bad genre.

So stop saying you don't like pop you dont like bluegrass because to be honest... its just music

so shut up open your mind and enjoy.

Oh, and to cover the food part...

fat people love hot dogs

thanks for reading

oh and listen to this shit

Sincerely,

DJ Boff

walls of jericho -animal liberation orchestra

Dylan Mashed Up

2009-07-14T21:45:00.000-07:00

Here is a sampling of Bob Dylan mashups by French DJ ToToM. The tracks are pretty eclectic ranging from upbeat power-pop mixes to Kanye West samples. The style he takes on this one isn't the Girltalk or Jason Forest style of mashing many different songs together, or even the dangermouse style of heavy beats constructed from one song that are applied to another. ToToM takes a simpler route by combining two songs in near stock form to build a song that is greater or at least stranger than their predecessor (probably greater on the non-Dylan side while stranger on the Dylan side, which isn't necessarily a bad thing at all). The whole album is really interesting though I must admit I find some tracks to fall flat in my view (The Man in Me mixed with Eagles of Death Metal to count one) but others just reach this weird level of apocolyptic sentimental gushing emotive power that only Dylan on steroids could reach (Lay Bittersweet Lady... just guess what that one is a mash up of). You can find the whole album here.

Tambourines are From Barcelona

Lay Bittersweet Lady
Fire Coming Out of Oxford Town

Shuggie Otis = The Man

2009-07-07T17:46:00.000-07:00

So this is another addition to keep your summer of soul rolling, and this is a big one. Shuggie Otis' (who is still alive by the way) classic 1975 album Inspiration Information is one of my favorites. Ebbing between dreamy atmospherics, heroic guitar, and hard funk this album is one of those rare recordings that capture in still frame many musics synthesizing, progressing, and ultimately capturing our imagination (as well as our hearts). From the sprawling triumphant scape of Strawberry Letter 23 to the laid laid back cool of Sparkle City this album goes from track to track through moody overtones and heartfelt melodies in that way that we have come to expect good albums to be (I mean this in the Sgt.Pepper's sense in that there is an effable and subtle connection between tracks , cause anyone can say that any album has more "good songs" or is "better" ). Here are some of my favorite tracks, though I suggest you find a copy of the real thing. Island Letter, I think is my personal favorite. Not because it is catchy or particularly emotive, but perhaps the opposite. It kind of provides this soulfully pensive zone (see if you can find it) but really builds into this short lived but oh so tasteful guitar part that is oh so divine.

Inspiration Information - Shuggie Otis

Strawberry Letter 23- Shuggie Otis

Island Letter - Shuggie Otis

Sparkle City - Shuggie Otis

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa, Otherwise Known as Salsa Verde

2009-07-02T23:00:00.000-07:00

So you know that green kinda tangy salsa that always sits alongside the familiar red stuff at the restaurant? That salsa is referred to as salsa verde which means, you guessed it, green salsa. This variety of salsa, despite common conception is not made from green peppers or even green tomatoes. Salsa verde is made from an husked vegetable called the tomatillo, that is similar to a tomato but with a husk, and can be found at most grocery stores. This serves as the base of the salsa and can be modified with any pepper (preferably green so as to not make brown salsa) for heat or flavor.

I cannot stress how easy it is to make this salsa and how versatile it is. I whipped up a batch of it in about thirty minutes last week and used it on salmon (especially good if mixed with tahini, sounds weird I know, but very very good.) , chicken, chips, and my brother even used it with his eggs. In addition I would imagine that it would go well with about any roasted vegetables, as a compliment to pita and hummus, or whatever your heart desires.

Heres how it goes...

Preheat oven on at about 350-400

Take about 6-7 tomatillos, remove the husks, and rinse.

Place tomatillos on a baking sheet along with 1-2 jalpeno or serano chillies.

Put baking sheet with chillies and tomatillos in oven.

When one sides of the skin of the vegetables is blackened (about 5-10 minutes) flip and blacken the other side.

While this is going on take two whole cloves of garlic with skin on and blacken both sides in a pan till tender.

Take tomatillos and chillies out of the oven and wait till they are able to be handled... or not its your choice

Cut off stems from peppers and remove seeds, by halving them then running your blade perpendicular to the inside scrapeing the seeds away from the flesh. (trust me you want to do this, and wash your hands afterwards)

Put tomatillos, chilles, and whole garlic (de-skinned) in blender or food processor and blend till smooth.

Add water till it reaches the smooth texture and taste of your liking and season with salt, lime, or cilantro to taste if you wish as well.

Enjoy!

-Josh

Menahan Street Band: The Sound of Funky Urban Distopia

2009-06-29T18:51:00.000-07:00

So these guys have been out for a little while, their first and only album debuted last October on Dunahm records (a subsidiary of Daptone) and was a collaberative effort between musicians from Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, The Antibalas, and Budos Band. Since its release it has been sample by the likes of Wale (look at my Fela Kuti post), Jay-Z, and I'm sure others but Jay-Z is enough to know you are ballin'. Menahan Street Band and their related acts specialize in a kind of nuevo-soul sound that essentially sounds like a frankenstein combination of a speakeasy cliche, a Graham Greene mystery, urban despair, and the unarticulated wailings of a thousand crying soul musicians... if that makes any sense, it shouldn't really. I think a more concise less vague, and perhaps more relatable way of putting it is the sound of a "The Funky Urban Distopia" (The Budos Band also falls under this distinction). This sound is a combination of a style that has both a patina of the familiar while incorporating fresh melodies that borrow from a variety of sources. Its main sonic contributors latin jazz, afro-beat, hip-hop, dub all have found themselves in dark smokey basement clubs and their sound tries to capture that. I think it is music like this that highlights the importance of hip-hop in that it is the essential element that bridges the gap between all these vaguely related forms and pulls them together into something that can be adopted into mainstream listening habits. Hip-hop in effects provides the enabling ingredient that begs us to accept this musics repetitive, perhaps by that same token almost abrasive nature and just listen to the music. To dwell in the space that it creates, outside of our daily experience, but not too far. As French spectralist composer Tristan Murail says "Music is the architecture of time", and music like this that is so specific to a style yet decidedly vague in what it actually presents is a good example of this. That is to say that the music has a strong affect but in the absence of lyrics or even a strong improvisational presence, the music makes up for the lack of the human element in its strong atmospheric presence. This presence I imagine to be the expansive hallowed proverbial walls enclosing that seedy funky underbelly of the urban distopia, what the distopia is like and exatly how funky it may be is up to you.

The Traitor - Menahan Street Band

Going the Distance (with hidden track) - Menahan Street Band

The Contender - Menahan Street Band

Michael Jackson and the New Music Paradigm: The Interweb, the Decline of the Major Record Lables, and the Day Pop Music Died.

2009-06-25T15:41:00.000-07:00

The death of Michael Jackson marks the end of an era. The news of his death certainly delivers a blow to the triumphancy (I know its not a word, but it should be) of the Summer of Soul, and to pop music fans around the world. In many ways there is no artist that epitomized the transcendent powers of pop music and the corrupting powers of fame. Born in Gary Indian (a suburb of Chicago, and now one of the poorest cities in the united states) his tremendous talent was utilized at a young age with his involvement in the Jackson 5 (singing on such seminal soul tracks as ABC, I Want You Back, I'll Be There and many others) that elevated him to a permanent status in popular culture around the world that has been achieved by few public entertainment figures (The Beatles and Michael Jordan are really the only two comparisons that I can think of now). His tremendous fame at such a young age certainly took its toll as we all know, leading to strange stories about his personal life, erratic behavior, and drug use.

All this aside though (such a topic is not appropriate for such a post in my opinion) his 1982 album Thriller is far and away the highest selling album of all time selling over 100 million copies, and at its peak selling over a million records a week. Its sound was a mix of funk, soul, rock n' roll, and the burgeoning influence of synthesizers (still incredibly present in music today) that has proved to be one of the most influential records of all time. Listening to Thriller today, it is hard to listen pop music as it sounds today without hearing its overarching presence. But this brings me to an interesting point. With the increasing prevalence of the internet (with such cultural phenoms such as YouTube, illegal downloading, and the blog-o-sphere) and the demise of radio never has the music that we encounter has been more diverse and accessible.

What I am hinting at here is the demise of mass produced music, well at least on Michael Jackson's scale and the fact that Thriller will unlikely be usurped from its standing as the highest selling album of all time in our lifetime or possibly in this century or beyond. With the dying record industry and increased accessibility to homegrown forms (such as the availability of digital recording and myspace) the age of celebrity, at least in music, seems to be on its way out. I experienced this first hand when working at the First Midwest Bank Amphitheater (formerly the Tweeter Center, formerly the World Music Amphitheater) by my house in Tinely Park. One of Chicago's largest music venues, when working I saw not a single sold out show. Not for Nine Inch Nails, not even for Bruce Springstien. The format seemed tired: overpriced tickets, overpriced food, seating about a quarter of a mile from the stage. This is not music. If any one of those people took the time to find a music blog they liked they could have found a show of similar music for a third of the price at a small venue in the city and had a good time to boot. The

Lets be honest, we all have our favorite artists, but everything is relative, especially in music. Familiarity is nice but when it comes down to it, but nowadays with increasing musical accessibility, it is easy to point out that many artists big and small across the world make music that are much like each other and are comparable in quality. The recordings probably aren't as good with smaller artists but with a few beers in you (that are not eight dollars for a budweiser) and an intimate setting, most live performances of small semi-professional bands (forget punk ass emo bullshit highschoolers though) are great. Anyone in the biz will tell you its more about style and who you know, not what you play.

Sociologists have reported (the article is blanking me right now, and I think I left it in new york) that during times of increased commercialization of music and un-sated demand communal music forms have taken prevalence (i.e. folk forms based on principals of locality and live performance) over commercial. What we have been experiencing at least since WWII is a dominance of the commercial music market place over local forms. Of course previously in Europe and even America, classical composers, were promoted as national artifacts and symbols of western intellectual dominance due to their theoretical complexity. In general the superiority of western theoretical dominance due its rigorous complexity, western classical music theory was often hailed as irrefutable evidence. This point has since been refuted by many most modern music scholars, in particular in the 1950's with the ethnomusicologists at UCLA citing the complexity of Balinesian Gamillan music used in traditional religious practices. Similar to the pre-conception of western classical music's dominance the advent of the phenomenon of pop music and the modern music industry, have caused many to think that music had been permanently altered towards sound with a highly visceral affect (this is an opinion I hold, being that pop music tends to focus on pumping one up or marking one cry, so to speak) and one model of dispersion.

The other day my friend Spencer and I were talking about how we thought that U.K. dub-step could probably be the "next big thing". It is being played more and more in clubs and raves all around the world, as well as its influence becoming increasingly more prevalent in hip-hop and pop. The model of electronica I think probably serves as one of many new models of musical dispersion in the coming future. For one reason it doesn't rely on radio play or album sales for income, and thus the ability for people to dedicate their lives to their craft. People who want to be pop-stars will be hard pressed to find a network of venues or even the community of dedicated artists to share their craft, hence the lonely desperate souls we see on American Idol giving all their hope to a single shot in the dark. I guess, someone who wants to be a pop singer could enter the world of session recording for commercial music banks, but that pursuit is notoriously unfulfilling. Connoisseurs of electronic music/technology have a pre-established network where they can find gigs as DJ's, trade their tapes with fellow artists, remix and produce other peoples work, or use their knowledge of their local scene to contribute to blogs, magazines, etc... This is the same in any sub-culture, but electronica, as a worldwide form and electronically based (which makes for easy transfer of recordings) is primed to be a refuge for many makers of music.

But what's that you say, all electronica sounds the same? I think people who say this are right, in terms of musical texture, and often musical language, this isn't a bad thing though. My argument, what is wrong with that? The same goes for rock or jazz or folk. When music is similar to itself it allows people to who enjoy that form to subtly modify it to their own taste, maybe, just maybe come up with something new. As is the case with dub-step, or Thriller. The Jackson 5 were a great group that managed to make a number of hits, but listening to the Summer of Soul playlist I think it is easy to see that many people were out there making songs of similar quality, whether they had big names or not. Jackson is of course incredibly talented. It was when Michael Jackson made Thriller that his unique background and life of music had culminated into the greatest selling album of all time and perhaps the most influential pop-recording of the last twenty years, when Jackson created a sound we could no longer return from (thus his incredible stature).

But here is what really got me thinking. The death of Michael Jackson, the king of pop, marks the end of one of the biggest superstars the world has ever seen. With the increasing diversity of music we are exposed to do we really have the capacity to obsess over a single sound or artist the way we did in the eighties? This fact is compounded by the continual decline in record sales that has not been supplemented by digital downloads (in addition to peak oil, global warming, and the increasing chance of nuclear holocaust). This all makes me feel there is potential that Thriller may be the largest selling album of all time... for-ev-errrrr (sandlot reference). The more easily accepted point is that the way we receive music is changing and the passing of Michael Jackson marks a paradigm shift that has been occurring for the last decade or so from the heyday of commercial pop-music to the atmosphere surrounding its current decline.

Will Thriller ever be ucerped? I don't think in my lifetime, I put the odds at one in five.

Here are the songs I chose to commemorate Michael Jackson

Maria - Michael Jackson (I took this one from soul-sides summer section from a few weeks ago, they have some good not oft' heard tracks up now)

P.Y.T. (pretty young thing) - Michael Jackson

I will also take this opportunity to repost the link to The Summer of Soul : Electric Boogaloo mix

Summer of Soul Pt. 2: Electric Boogaloo '09.

and a link that will help you to keep your heart healthy.

A Cultural Icon: King Khan

2009-06-23T14:45:00.000-07:00

One part Iggy Pop, one part James Brown, and two parts awesome is the recipe for one of my favorite new-ish artists. Between the triumphant horn lines, raspy vocals, and upbeat driving bass lines Khan's sound is refreshingly original, while still managing to pay appropriate homage to some great periods of Rock n' Roll. He sings songs about everything from the expensive eating habits of the obese women he has dated to his own personal inadequacies and from living in the fast lane to true love. Often donning nothing but a necklace and some tight briefs, the energy of his and the passion he puts behind his music is hard to miss and would perhaps make you doubt his canadian origins for a perhaps more balls-out country such as the U.S.A. He is so much fun, his music is awesome. He is best known for his work with his backing band The Shrines, but he also collaborates with old music partner Mark Sultan to create a neo-grunge do-wop band called King Kahn and the B.B.Q. show. I would suggest going out and buying "The Supreme Genious of King Khan and the Shrines" right now... so DO IT!!!!

Burning Inside - King Khan and the Shrines

Welfare Bread - King Khan and the Shrines

Got it Made - King Khan and the B.B.Q. Show

Chicago Folk Revival Legend: John Prine

2009-06-18T20:12:00.000-07:00

Often there are times - the rainy afternoons, the frustrated evenings, the end of long stagnant weeks or months- when there is just that honest consoling sound we are drawn to. For people this can be anything from Black Flag to Britney Spears, but I think you could guess neither of those examples do much for me in any situation. For me this musical voice is that of John Prine. Coming from the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago during the urban folk revival of the 1960's historically speaking he sits alongside such historic figures as Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Tom Rush, Phil Ochs and many others.

I remember the first time I heard John Prine. It was on a two disc anthology that is still in my mothers car. The first time I heard it I thought it was a type of cliche Americana. An overly simple old-timey sound that would never really garner too much respect in my ears. It was about sometime last year when I gave him a second chance. By this time I was a more seasoned appreciator of folk and bluegrass, and in my second listening instead of finding pedestrian melodies and typical progressions I found something else.

Though the melodic material is not much that warrants accolades; between the deft guitar picking (see Souvenirs), softhearted lyrics, and honest performances John Prine has become one of my favorite folk voices. I find his sound is both tender yet coarse enough to make the music feel approachable and not lofted in production, pop sentiment, or lyrical abstraction. I love his sound and the songs he writes. I find it funny that I didn't appreciate it at first, but that is one of the mysteries of taste and critical intuition, that as I have gotten older I would say the standards for what I listen to have not been lowered but I find myself asking different things from my music. I think when I was younger I was probably (as often happens in youth) I had preconceived notions of what music I listened to was supposed to sound like or do to me (think of how you as a child thought of vegetables, and if you don't like vegetables these days you better chickity check yo-self before you wreck your self, for real), asking for melodies to take me somewhere exciting and new Now, with Prine at least, I ask for his music to take me to something consoling and familiar. Perhaps its the accumulation of memory, or a newfound appreciation of the past. Either way John Prine is one of those many artists that I have grown to love, and as usual I am glad I looked past my youthful dispersions and gave him another chance.

Donald and Lydia - John Prine

Souvenirs - John Prine

Extra! Extra! Summer of Soul Update:

2009-06-16T18:03:00.000-07:00

This is a response to the very apt suggestion from good friend and renowned funk saxophonist DJ Jose "Big Denmark" Houlihan. Consider it officially part of your boogaloo summer...

Download the Song

Also, the other night I witnessed history as Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings took the main stage for the final show of Chicago's blues fest. Though it was a short set-list (city workers don't really enjoy working overtime, so an encore was out of the question) and the sound system could have been turned up a bit the show made apparent her soulful prowess on stage and for that I was happy.

The important part though is that along with her typical dance repertoire (the funky chicken, among many others) she did.... thats right you guessed it, the boogaloo.

Now it may not have been the electric boogaloo, but considering Sharon was one of the first posts I made on this blog, I think we may have wittnessed a professy on the part of DJ Newmatic... I know, crazy.

Of all the things god hates he may have spared this song, had they sung on key...

2009-06-15T12:17:00.000-07:00

My favorite part is at 4:04 when the men yell "The siege is coming!", it kinda reminds me of a line from a Steven Segal movie.

Here is the original song that the Westboro Baptist Church is trying to copy. It still kinda sucks, but at least its fun.

Summer of Soul Pt. 2 : Electric Boogaloo '09

2009-06-08T19:43:00.000-07:00

Ahh summer. The long days, the barbecues, the beaches and the beer all represent this special time of the year where, even if you don't have any more time on your hands than usual, you certainly act like you do. Summer is when we all attempt to recall those care free days of memories past that may have existed only for a moment, but are forever encapsulated in notions of everything from pool-side days, fleeting summer romance, and grandiose travel plans that were half baked at best. Last summer DJ Marcus Newmatic had a novel idea, "The Summer of Soul". There are many artists and songs that are perfect for those summer moments, but I think DJ Newmatic was on to something in that there is no genre of music that I feel epitomizes summer more than soul.

Soul music like the idea of summer is in many ways is about escape. Coming from Detroit, Chicago, Philadelphia, New York and other Black urban centers soul music in a very real way served as a place to overcome and forget the daily struggles of inner city life while promoting hope, celebrating love, and mourning heartbreak. Summer as previously noted with its mythology of freedom, is steeped in nostalgia. And soul music with each horn hit, each upstroke of the hollow-bodied guitars, and each warm crackled cry of a hopeless romantic on the microphone are drenched in the uplifting thoughts of yesteryear. More importantly perhaps is the lasting sonic power that these songs have. Even with the aspects of "old" among its sound are found tunes that connect deeply to the power of pop music while maintaining the musicality and tact that make these songs transcend their period maintaining accessibility to the ears of todays generation as well. Fitting handily on any standard blank cd and playing in any boombox or car cd player, I say without hesitation, that this is the soundtrack of your summer. So without further ado I give you the playlist for the ....

Summer of Soul Pt. 2: Electric Boogaloo '09.

Highlights:

Together - The Intruders

Ole Man Trouble - Otis Redding

Make it Good to Me - Sharon Jones

Whats on it:

As Long as Ive Got You (Demo) 3:16 the emotions songs of innocence/experience

Misdemeanor 2:41 Foster Sylvers Summer Songs '09

ABC 2:59 Jackson 5

Tell Me 2:46 Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings 100 Days, 100 Nights

In These Very Tender Moments 3:14 Eddie & Ernie Lost Friends

Maybe So, Maybe No 3:04 New Holidays 7" (Soul Hawk)

Make It Good To Me 4:52 Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings Dap-Dippin' With...

Respect 2:28 Aretha Franklin I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You

Seven Years 2:19 The Impressions The Young Mod's Forgotten Story

You're No Good 2:50 Harvey Averne Viva Soul

Cold Game 3:34 Myron & E with The Soul Investigators

Ole Man Trouble 2:36 Otis Redding The Dock Of The Bay

Goodbye Baby (Baby Good Bye) 3:23 Solomon Burke Rock 'n Soul

Many Rivers To Cross 2:42 Jimmy Cliff The Harder They Come-The Definitive Collection

A Change Is Gonna Come 3:13 Sam Cooke Ain't That Good News (Remastered)

Together (Album Version) 2:56 The Intruders The Best Of The Intruders: Cowboys To Girls

I Heard It Through the Grapevine 3:05 The Temptations Clould Nine

(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay 2:45 Otis Redding The Dock Of The Bay

05 - Slip Away 3:02 Hank Ballard Can't keep a good man down - 1969

What Becomes of the Broken Hearted 3:00 Jimmy Ruffin

Woman's Got Soul 2:18 The Impressions Big Sixteen

11 Lost Someone [-] 2:42 James Brown Live at the Appollo

He Ain't Comin' Home No More 3:10 Nina Simone High Priestess Of Soul (Originals)

This Time 3:07 Dj Shadow The Outsider Hip-Hop

Tired Of Fighting 3:32 Menahan Street Band Make The Road By Walking

This Magic Moment 2:34 The Drifters Atlantic Rhythm & Blues (1947-74) - Disc 4 (1957-60)

Happy Listening,

MC J-Sauce

p.s. if any of you readers have your own summer playlist feel free to share it in the comments sections I will surely take a listen.

Patrice Rushen: Pizzazz

2009-05-25T10:20:00.000-07:00

While walking around in Brooklyn, showing my visiting cousin around the city, I stopped at one of the many tables of people selling records. Looking through this guy's collection and thinking his price for a Joe Pass album was more than I wanted to pay I happened upon a copy of Patrice Rushen's 1979 release Pizzazz. Though I am relatively unfamiliar with her catalog, I had heard a few songs by her and knew of her talent as a musician and it was worth five dollars to me to check it out... and I did. Much to my joy this record turned out to be, what I will call, "an uplifting parade of soul". Though trained in jazz, in this album Rushen is able to deftly maneuver a more pop sound. Between the vocal and orchestral arrangements what is found is a sound that blends aspects of everything from Parliament to the Talking Heads to create a sound that is both soulful and oh so utterly retro-fun.

I hope you enjoy.

Let the Music Take Me - Patrice Rushen

Keeping the Faith in Love - Patrice Rushen

Yucatecan Garlic-Spice Marinade by Rick Bayless

2009-05-25T10:16:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite recipes by renowned Chicago chef and Obama favorite Rick Bayless. I have made a few times it to use as a marinade for chicken and served it with steamed squash. This recipe is based off of a common flavor combination, reminiscent of North African flavors, sold in packets or as a seasoning paste in Mexico's Yucatecan markets. This marinade has a complex combination of flavors that can be applied to almost anything you need to marinade. And as Bayless notes in his book Mexican Everyday this marinade can also serve as a killer dressing for tomatoes, green beans, or steamed chayote.

1 head of garlic (about 12 cloves)

1/3 cup vegetable or olive oil

6 tbs vinegar (apple cider is traditional)

A pinch of ground cloves

1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper

1/2 teasponn ground cinnamon, preferably Mexican canela

1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican

1/2 teaspoon sugar

Salt

Cut a slit in the side of each garlic clove. Place them in a microwaveable bowl, cover with plastic and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Cool until handleable, then slip off the papery husks. One by one, drop the cloves into a running blender or food processor, letting each get chopped thoroughly before adding the next. Stop the machine, remove the top and add the oil, vinegar, spices, herb, sugar, and salt. Recover and process until the mixture is as smooth as you can get it. Scrape into a small jar, cover and refrigerate for up to a month or more.

Note: This can be made without a food processor. For that method I would recommend finely mincing the garlic by smashing individual cloves with your knife and giving them a thorough chop while intermittently pressing the garlic with your knife and repeating the chopping process. For extra mixing potential I would recommend a whisk.

John Mayer...huh?

2009-05-09T12:16:00.001-07:00

So I know what you are thinking, "John Mayer? I wonder why I am even friends with this kid, let alone follow his pansy ass food/music blog." And in part you are justified, John Mayer by all definitions is a sell out. Being raised playing blues and eventually studying at Berkley School of Music in Boston, his days playing acoustic love ballads are a pretty unveiled attempt at using his skill for prominence and money. Here is where I stand: at least he has skill, and real talent at that. On the fist lesson I took with Chicago jazz guitarist Bobby Broom among other things he told me that most musicians these days don't write music based on "feel", John Mayer however was a popular musician he noted as having that essential aspect to his music.

This feeling isn't tangible, but most musicians will tell you it is very real. There are studies that show reduced activity in prefrontal cortex of improvising jazz musicians which put their state of mind more akin to that of a child taking in all of their surroundings, and thus supposedly more creative. Indeed this is an important concept across all genres, as Aarron a Fox notes in his book Real Country he speaks of the role of feeling in country music saying, "If you have to ask what "feeling" means, in other words, you'll never know and thats the point. 'Feeling' is an inchoate quality of authenticity". So if we don't have brain scanners on our ipods how are we supposed to know if we "feel" the music we listen to or even with a brain scanner whether the musician we listen to is "feeling" appropriately? You could relate it to music theory, attempting to categorize little riffs into effects, thematic roles, or tonal relations--but the answer I think is really that we can't. It is the foundation of how we create taste I guess.

I knew what Bobby was saying, though even coming from very Jimmy Page and Jerry Garcia roots of guitar, John Mayer and his music had been a fascination in my learning experience. Indeed there was a point two years prior to this encounter where I knew how to play almost every John Mayer song imaginable, not because I felt a deep connection to his style, but rather a connection to how it felt to play the songs... well that and the chicks, but thats another story.

In a vague sense learning to "feel" music that you may not be pre-disposed to is an interesting mental exercise. It takes close attention to formal elements such as development while keeping in mind more abstract qualities the song as a whole is trying to present, and in a very real way teaches one how to keep an open mind. With John Mayer, and what I think my old teacher was trying to get at is that in a very real way Mayer mainly writes and performs music with a precision that is in part innate. What I am trying to say is that John Mayer has his head on pretty tight, and I think is one of those people who just does his craft well, plus he can consistently lay down some pretty sick riffs and that counts for a lot too.

St. Patrick Day - John Mayer

Gravity - John Mayer

America The Playlist

2009-05-07T14:29:00.000-07:00

So I started this blog in part kind of intending it to be an off shoot of a project on Folk music I have been working on for my honors thesis. Semantics and discourse aside, I have been listening to a lot of different types of music native to this here great land and would like to share with you a sweet playlist that I think is representative of the general quality and diversity of music connected to (and some part of) that old American sound that to many sounds just archaic and weird. Those people are clearly wrong. Well, not really, but I do feel that considering the deep impact a lot of those recordings (like the Anthology of American Folk Music) have had on the modern musical landscape, that point is a little moot or so they say. Plus I think it is time to fully admit, these days a lot of new music is just sounds tired to me, too many synthesizers and too impersonal. Like, I get it, your in a band, am I supposed be impressed or something or just accept you playing your instrument like a cold fish? JK JK... As per-usual this playlist is a little of the familiar and a little of the unfamiliar, anyway I hope you enjoy it.

The Playlist

Beams of Heaven 2:43 Rosetta Tharpe

Come Back to Us Barbara Lewis Hare Krishna Beauregard John Prine Prime Prine

The Fugitive 2:58 Merle Haggard The Definitive Collection

this land is your land 4:31 Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings Naturally

Cold Rain & Snow 6:44 Grateful Dead Dick's Picks Volume 5 (Disc 1)

Lonesome and a Long Way From Home 3:56 Delaney & Bonnie & Friends Motel Shot

Sugar Man 3:48 Sixto Rodriguez Cold Fact

You Ain't Goin' Nowhere 2:43 Bob Dylan The Basement Tapes (CD 2) 1

Spike Driver Blues 3:17 Mississippi John Hurt Anthology Of American Folk Music, Vol. 3B:

When You Got A Good Friend 2:40 Robert Johnson King of the Delta Blues Singers Blues

Little Martha 2:07 The Allman Brothers Band Eat A Peach

Drifting Too Far From The Shore 4:54 Jerry Garcia, David Grisman & Tony Rice The Pizza Tapes

The Unwelcome Guest 5:06 Billy Bragg & Wilco Mermaid Avenue

House of the rising sun 5:45 Dave Van Ronk Just Dave Van Ronk

It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry 4:09 Bob Dylan Highway 61 Revisited

Is This Enough 4:48 Roadbirds Live in the Wilde

Georgia Stomp 2:48 Andrew & Jim Baxter Anthology Of American Folk Music, Vol. 2A:

Have you ever wondered where you could listen to whale noises on the internet?

2009-05-06T13:31:00.000-07:00

http://www.iserenity.com/environments.htm

Amadou and Mariam

2009-04-29T12:27:00.000-07:00

Amadou and Mariam are musicians from Mali, who also happen to be blind which I think is kinda interesting(they met at some school for the blind in Mali and are now married, says wikipedia). They are getting bigger these days, as a result of their 2008 release "Welcome to Mali" which has been received with wide critical acclaim. Also west african music is pretty hip in general these days (see fela kuti post, also the new Animal Collective album which also has wide critical acclaim I feel harkens to this trend with similar rhythms and song structures) so naturally their combination of African and elctro sounds are a good introduction to this trend. Anyways, I think this music is really cool music, despite the fact that pitchfork likes it too.

PEACE

MC J-Sauce

La Realite - Amadou and Mariam

Djuru - Amadou and Mariam

p.s. This is my 30th post... WOOOO!!! Don't you love arbitrary reference points.

Chocolate Chip Cookies by Jaques Torres

2009-04-27T13:35:00.000-07:00

I am reprinting the recipe for supposedly the "best" chocolate chip cookie around (according to renowned pastry chef Jacques Torres) . Really there are two things that make these cookies special, one is that the dough is refrigerated for 24 hours to promote some kind of chemical reaction in the dough that I don't know about. The second is that this recipe calls for a special expensive french style of chocolate chip (its really more of a disk) that you can only find at specialty stores, Whole Foods, or the like. I'm not sure what difference it makes but these cookies are undoubtedly the shit, and taste like they came straight from a professional bakery.

Time: 45 minutes (for 1 6-cookie batch), plus at least 24 hours’ chilling

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons

(8 1/2 ounces) cake flour

1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract

1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (see note)

Sea salt.

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies.

Note: Disks are sold at Jacques Torres Chocolate; Valrhona fèves, oval-shaped chocolate pieces, are at Whole Foods.

Taj Mahal: A "Monumental" Musician

2009-04-23T13:37:00.000-07:00

I have been a fan of Taj Mahal ever since hearing him in my dads record collection sometime in highschool. He is a great guitarist which I always appreciate, but generally a great musician all around. Over spring break I saw him perform at The Belly Up in Aspen Colorado where he played the banjo, piano and guitar all very proficiently, as well as put on one hell of a show. He has some great tunes and this first two are tunes I heard for the at The Belly Up and just rediscovered it today, also I included another tune just to show how much of a bad ass he is... enjoy.

Not So Guilty Pleasures Part 1: Phish

2009-04-20T10:26:00.000-07:00

This is a selection from Phish's first night of their recent March reunion at Hampton Colosseum. This song is off of their 1990 album "Lawn Boy". Just for reference I, personally, am partial to their earlier stuff though this is not why I chose this song. I chose to share this song because I think Paige McConnell's piano solo at the end I think sounds really sweet.

If you didn't know this already I used to kinda be a big Phish fan, and with their reunion and the reunion of Led Zeppelin (the other band with a very large and special place in my heart) all in the same year of an economic meltdown and the election of Barack Obama the world feels like it is coming together in a weird way. Compounded with this is the fact that while listening to the new shows Trey's improvisation I get the impression his soloing has changed a little bit to allow in general to for a more reflective and pensive tone due to an increase in the minor character of his phrases.

Trey's solo in this song (at around 4:45) is representative of this fact, in the original their wasn't even a guitar solo and now as a result the song is gaining a new character 18 years later. But Trey's solo is not the highlight for me. For me it is the feeling I get when I listen to Paige McConnell's solo following Trey. This solo is in the original version, but I think that this one is particularly powerful (speaking partly from the perspective of a Phish fan) in part because of Trey's solo and the character of the recording. Listening to the clarity of the sound and the palpable awe and excitement of the crowd just makes me realize that now more than ever, Phish is back and probably really never left.

The Squirming Coil - Phish 3-6-09

Broccoli with Butter and Lemon

2009-04-18T16:07:00.000-07:00

With food, I tend to get the most pleasure out of making and eating simple, delicious dishes. Now, I know what you are saying, "Simple, well thats easy. Delicious, how do you even define delicious? Is there such a thing? And does acknowledgment of the previous question in fact disqualify me from discussing such a definition? And plus wouldn't deliciousness by definition be of the exotic or complex?... or have I just contradicted myself." So let me clarify, something that is delicious does not need to be complex or even interesting. In fact it is not acknowledging this notion that allows us on a daily basis to ignore and abuse the great flavors present in everyday food. Deliciousness can be the simplest of flavors paired in just the right way, or in the case of this recipe three simple ingredients that just go well together no matter what you do.

Broccoli, butter, and lemon. If you were not a broccoli fan before, or one of those "only with cheese" people, I suggest you try this at least once. Not only is broccoli a cheap vegetable easy to always have on hand, it is also filling and highly nutritious, making it among the more practical options for a side or main dish on any given night.

The simple flavors here (broccoli, butter, lemon) represent a fundamental flavor combination that evokes nothing but the basest acknowledgment of nourishment. It is hard to forget you are eating something healthy while eating broccoli, but it is also hard to deny the pleasures of eating anything with a tablespoon of butter melted over it. I think it is the brightness of lemon that puts this combination in context reminding us that this preparation its a little indulgent, probably good for you, but overall it just tastes simply sublime and straight from home. Perfectly pastoral in every bite.

Langston Hughes & Charles Mingus: Weary Blues

2009-04-09T10:19:00.001-07:00

This is an album I picked up from my good friend DJ Joe-sephus, mad mad respect . It is a great recording, and needless to say because of the brilliance and high regard of its collaborators, is an important and interesting American cultural artifact.

Recorded in 1958 this album takes the groundbreaking 1926 work of Langston Hughes' Weary Blues (which includes the famous "A Dream Deffered") and pairs it with compositions written in collaboration by Charles Mingus, Leonard Feather, and Horace Parlan. Mingus has a knack, I feel, for making music that is sometimes rousing, sometimes chilling, always original, and always eloquent music. This combined with Hughes "cool" prose that itself is written with rhythms straight out of harlem makes a perfect pairing. I feel that this album, because of its stirring poetry and pristine music, can be enjoyed by jazz and non-jazz enthusiasts alike.

The effect of this recording I feel exemplifies a lot of what I look for in music; something that is both interesting and moving which in my opinion (as was previously stated) is duly accomplished both on a musical and literary level. Overall though I just love the music and the poetry. Hughes voice is unparalleled in his delivery, and the words have never meant more as a result. This album is hard to find a copy of, I saw it on Amazon with new copy's going for as much as 40 dollars. Luckily DJ Joe-sephus l was so generous, and luckily you read this blog.

Personnel

Langston Hughes -	poetry
Shafi Hadi (Curtis Porter) -	tenor sax
Jimmy Knepper -	trombone
Horace Parlan -	piano, leader
Charles Mingus -	bass
Kenny Dennis -	drums

"I'm a Bad Man"- Langston Hughes & Charles Mingus

A Dream Deffered - Langston Hughes & Charles Mingus

"Democracy Will Not Come Today" - Langston Hughes & Charles Mingus

The Whole Thing:

http://www.zshare.net/download/5838186662489c46/#

Resurrection of a 90's Classic: Boombastic

2009-04-07T19:59:00.001-07:00

So you may know Shaggy for his 2001 hit "It Wasn't Me" or "Angel" but how many of you are familiar with his first break out hit from 1995 "Boombastic"? (Though for some reason I have a feeling my Flossmoor people remember this track more than others) I picked this album up a while ago, pretty excitedly for 2 dollars at a Ukrainian church rummage sale on 2nd street and I don't regret a thing. Why should I? I remember my older sister playing this song all the time when I was seven years old and thinking it was the shit. Now 13 years later I think the same thing and wonder why this song isn't in our collective faux-retro consciousness like other classic 90's bangers such as Tootsie Roll or Jump Around. Maybe its just because it doesn't tell us how we should dance (in my opinion jukeing/grinding is clearly the implicit instruction), or maybe it is just too down beat for these fast paced times. Either way this track deserves a little revisiting and I hope next time you find yourself the unsuspecting DJ somewhere that is in desperate need of just a little more fun music, think of Soundout-Loud, then think of Boombastic... and put it on.

Boombastic - Shaggy (1994)

House Fire: Roy Ayers

2009-04-05T10:45:00.000-07:00

So the other day while meandering around St. Marks I was deciding between an eight dollar copy of Sonny Rollin's Saxophone Colossus or a set of self/co-produced remixes from vibraphonist and funk/soul/jazz composer Roy Ayers. So instead of Rollin's timeless classic I decided to go with the more adventurous purchase and happened upon one pretty interesting album. "Virgin Ubiquity, Remixed" off Rapsterr records (2006), is an exotic mix of house, drum and bass, chopped up funk, and eerie 90's throwback that leads to a deep cutting sound that has a slippery nature overall (if that makes any sense). I get that feeling about a lot of downbeat house music, the slippery part, but I feel that this music manages to parse the questionable impression that I get from that sound- and that I would only really expect to hear in a Spanish jean store. Overall Ayers, I find, stays close to his roots and doesn't let this musics ambitious modern sound loose sight of the type of person to be buying Roy Ayers remixes. This is the type of downbeat easy to feel music that is so synonymous with hip-hop, with beats tastefully unbridled by too much instrumentation or vocals, which allows for a more sophisticated effect. I am not that educated on the issue of dance music but I know that there is some I like and some I don't, I think I like this.

Funk in The Hole - Roy Ayers (Platinum Pied Pipers Remix)

Touch of Class - Roy Ayers (Matthew Herbert's Touch of Ass Mix)

Musical 80's Brat Pack Homage:

2009-04-01T19:14:00.000-07:00

So to counter all the april fools bullshit I see going online today (myself included) here is something I think is pretty cool, it is a song "Lisztomania" (Unofficial Brat Pack Version) by the french band Phoenix, set to dance scenes from our favorite 80's movies. If you like this see Sat. Night Live this weekend, as well as Phoenix making an appearance teen heartthrob (well maybe only my heart is throbbing) Seth Rogen will be hosting.

another taste:

If I Ever Feel Better - Phoenix

a cool link to extract the mp3:

http://www.listentoyoutube.com/

Unhappy March intelligentsia Day... April Fools!

2009-04-01T10:54:00.000-07:00

Fool Like Me - King Kahn and the Shrines

Fool on the Hill - Brazilian Tropical Orchestra (cheesy Beatles cover)

April Fool - Eric Dolphy Quintette

April's Rain - Nick Lache

also Soundout-Loud March 09 radio right here:

>>>PRTY<>MZK<<<<

2009-03-29T10:27:00.000-07:00

So last night we held a party at the east river mansion (aka my apt.) in honor for the birthday of DJ Mend-Madness. It was a gathering filled with good food, good people, plenty of booze and good music. I would like to thank all those of you who stopped on over last night. And as a show of my gratitude I am providing an absolutely killer mix from last nights festivities. It is a collection of the old and the new, the obscure to the ever so familiar, and in general a celebration of all good things groove. Hope you enjoy.

The Whole Thing:

PRTYMZK.zip

****Hot Track Highlights!!!****

Guru - Le Bein Le Mal (feat. MC Solaar)

Erma Franklin - Piece of my Hearts

Uptown Top Ranking - Althea & Donna

Track List:

Could It Be I'm Falling in Love 4:10 The Spinners Smash Hits (Atlantic LP)

Sono Bugiarda 2:48 Benn LOXO DU TACCU BLOG (italian covers)

The Twist 2:38 Hank Ballard & the Midnighters Sexy Ways: The Best of Hank Ballard & the Midnighters

Mas O Menos 3:41 The Budos Band The Budos Band II

Sparkle City 5:56 Shuggie Otis Inspiration Information

Le Bein, Le Mal 3:20 Guru Jazzmatazz Volume 1

If You Want Me To Stay 2:56 Sly & The Family Stone http://greekmp3s.blogspot.com

Respect (Stereo) 2:29 Aretha Franklin I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You

Rome (Wasn't Built In A Day) 2:34 Sam Cooke Ain't That Good News (Remastered)

Nobody's Baby 2:28 Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings 100 Days, 100 Nights

Gimme Gimme Good Lovin' 2:04 Crazy Elephant

September (Radio Edit) 3:38 Earth Wind & Fire The Great Earth, Wind & Fire

Piece Of My Heart 2:43 Erma Franklin Soul Sides: Volume One R&B

Bang Bang 2:47 I Corvi

Hook and Sling 2:37 Eddie Bo 7"

Uptown Top Ranking 3:52 Althea & Donna Trojan Box Set - UK Hits (Disc 3)

Africa Unite 2:54 Bob Marley Natural Mystic- The Legend Liv Reggae

Hwehwe Mu Na Yi Wo Mpena 7:51 K. Frimpong and His Cubano Fiestas Ghana Soundz: Afro Beat, Funk and Fusion in 70's Ghana

Peg 5:29 DJ Ransom

Fela Kuti: The Man, The Myth, The Father of Afro-Beat

2009-03-25T12:18:00.000-07:00

This Nigerian artist has been gaining renewed attention in the last few years. With bands like the Antibalas and the Budos Band copying the funky, layered, horn heavy Afro-Beat sound, as well as a recent musical on his life and an upcoming biopic by one of America's premier production companies (Focus Features), the so called father of afro-beat is finally getting the recognition he deserves for influencing a modern music worldwide. Though I have little empirical evidence of this fact, his sound and his personality (He was also a prominent political activist figure, and at one point was husband to twelve wives) make him, in my opinion, one of the most influential and global musicians to have perhaps ever been. Here is an example of his cross genre influence with a track from rapper Wale (pronounced:Wah-Lay, who also happens to be of Nigerian descent), shown to me by DJ Cal Tek that is heavily influenced by afro-beat. Also I am including one of my favorite Fela songs "Lady" and an older Fela tune (before he fully developed his style) as soon as I get the link to work.

Wale - Freestyle (roc boys) (this track is courtesy of DJ Cal Tek)

Fela Kuti - Lady

Fela Kuti & Koola Lobitos - Ololufe Mi

Snapshot of an American Folk Artist: Dan Bern

2009-03-23T12:17:00.000-07:00

The catalog of Dan Bern is not very widely received. His name, as far as my circle of experience goes, is largely preserved through sparse publicity (most recently, this is actually bigger news, he was contracted to write the soundtrack to dewy cox) and the remanence of a single song. "The Jerusalem Song" is curiously well known among Jewish summer camp attendees for just any song by an obscure jewish folk artist. In fact this is how I myself know Dan Bern, from a counselor named Ben Dreyfus when I was in the fourth grade. I suppose the song is played because it is fun, and is kept because of its name as opposed to its subject matter. The song is supposed to be about Dan Bern's (formerly Dan Bernstein) trip to Jerusalem to visit his sister. But little is said about Jerusalem, and still for the aforementioned reasons the song is played throughout jewish establishments. Bern's status among fans is something between obscure jewish folk musician and respected industry type (he does have a professional/artistic associations with Ani DiFranco) but I am not sure he is either. This fact or confusion is compounded by Bern's curious personality. He is also a painter and a writer. He is the type of artist where you begin to realize that he doesn't attempt to focus on writing impressive songs, and rather focuses on the process of writing songs themselves. In short he is a songwriter by trade. Not surprisingly his sound is often compared to that of Bob Dylan, though usually in a derisive manner, but who can honestly pass judgement. I remember a scene from No Direction Home where Joan Baez tells a story about Bob Dylan just sitting down at a type writer typing out words then being at a loss as to how to explain them or just saying something along the lines of "you decide". Bob Dylan gains his strength (along with his catchy tunes) from his musicality, the time from which he came (which was culturally very attentive) and the eloquence with which he portrayed the feeling of a time (both musically and lyrically). Dan Bern, I feel, gains his strength from a much less tangible source that I mentioned earlier but only briefly, his honesty and consistency. His sound can be described as derivative but I feel that would be missing the point. The fact is that Bern has a style that has comes about from pursuing a craft and being prolific. An intangible quality that has something mystical to do with the Edisonian ratio of ten percent inspiration ninety percent perspiration. Bob Dylan was surely a brilliant musician and I love his music but I feel the ethos of his work to be a little scattered, this may be a vague criticism or not even a criticism at all. The recent movie on Bob Dylan, Im Not There , seemed to find fascination in this fact, and I guess so do I. But personally speaking its less erratic nature lends Bern's music to be something more easily relatable, and isn't that one of the many reasons we listen to "folk" music? The fact is that, while Bob Dylan can span generations and genres, Bern is one of the rare artists who finds his niche in a highly stylized form with an honesty and fluency that just sounds refreshing. Im not saying one is better than the other, in fact I want to take this opportunity to make explicitly clear that in not what I mean. I am merely trying to distinguish my appreciation of Bern's approach to his craft that I hold in high regard. Either way its good stuff, enjoy.

Jerusalem Song - Dan Bern

Trudy - Dan Bern

Visit My Dreams - Dan Bern

The Ocarina of Rhyme: A Mash-up of My Childhood

2009-03-18T20:07:00.000-07:00

I am not much of a video game person. In fact I would say I suck at video games, so if there was a game that I ever had the attention span to obsess over it must have been good. This is the case with Zelda: Ocarina of Time, holding claim to the only video game I have actually ever completed. In fact, this game is so fucking good that over winter break two years ago I decided to play it all over again. At the age of ten years old this game was my life, not just me though either. Anyone of my generation who owned a Nintendo 64 knows how much this game rocked. It was the talk of the playground for months on end. Well thanks to some dude (or dudette) named Team Teamwork, we get to relive our childhood through a totally bitching mash-up of songs from Ocarina of Time and the lyrical stylings of such artists as Jay-Z, Clipse, Pimp C, Mike Jones, and many more. I am so giddy I can hardly contain myself.

Clipse - Virginia (Lost Woods)

Edan - Fumbling Over Words (Battle)

Slim Thug & Mike Jones - Still Tippin' (Great Fairy's Fountain)

or find it here...

http://www.sendspace.com/file/45pogy

One For My Friends and Enemies: Roasted Chicken

2009-03-15T21:39:00.001-07:00

Jairo Moreno is a musician, food enthusiast, proud Columbian, and bad-ass. Also I would not discredit him for being a large inspiration for this blog. His harmony and counterpoint lectures would always fluctuate between ruminations on philosophy, food, music theory, and reminding us (through various incarnations) of the long arm of Columbian justice. Almost every morning he would greet our class of about twenty five music students referring to us as "my friends and enemies". He was notorious for pulling out any of our names mid-sentence, sometimes to ask a question and sometimes for no reason at all. Needless to say this man kept us on our toes, all while teaching us lessons on the finer points of criticism, the creative process, and the world at large. I am sure that no one in harmony and counterpoint 1 will ever forget his anecdote on the 6/4 chord and the "butter slut potatoes" (in short both are a one trick pony says Jairo and "you don't call back a 6/4 chord"). Here is a recipe that Jairo gave me after hearing of my moderately successful attempt at a roasted chicken. "This is the best roasted chicken recipe in America" says Jairo. It is a recipe from Zumi Cafe in San Francisco that is nationally renowned for its brick oven roasted chicken.

This preparation is mad legit, I cooked it for my family over winter break to great success. The skin turns out crispy and the bird at large is juicy and flavorful through and through. The 24 hour marinating period im not sure is entirely necessary, the aspect that separates this method from the rest of the pack is the cooking method. 500 degrees F is a pretty formidable cooking temperature and turning the bird mid roast was something new to me as well, but in the end it is all well worth it.

1 Chicken

Garlic

Thyme

Aprox. 1tbs olive oil

salt to taste

Rub the the above mentioned seasonings on and under the skin of the chicken and let sit, loosely covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Take out of refrigerator and let the chicken stand at room temperature for approximately 1 hour. Pre-heat oven to 500 (yes that is right 500 degrees). Roast for 30 min. breast side up. Flip bird. Roast for 15 min. breast side down. Let rest for about 10 min, then carve and enjoy.

A chicken safety reference guide

note: I am not completely sure on the proportions I just minced enough garlic and thyme so that I got decent coverage over the whole chicken. Even the cooking time will probably need some adjustment (for example I made a larger chicken so I extended the cooking time on each side a few minutes). As long as you don't go nuts with the seasoning the recipe will taste great. I will take this moment to remind you an important lesson of cooking: just do it. Cooking is a dynamic process, always different every time. Just like playing music, you can memorize a song or shred all the while, but in the end it is all about building your intuitions and making something that ultimately works for the moment. Oh yeah and failure is always essential, although it hurts a little more when it involves ten dollars worth of chicken.

Al Di Meola

2009-03-13T18:45:00.000-07:00

You may not know the name Al Di Meola like you know the names Jimmy Page or even John Scofield, but despite this he is one of the towering figures of guitar alive in the world today. He is probably most famous for his work with Chick Corea's jazz fusion band from the seventies Return to Forever. Also he is known for his work playing flamenco/jazz in The Guitar Trio with two other of the worlds greatest guitar players, Paco De Lucia (known for his prowess in classical and flamenco guitar) and John McLaughlin (known for his work with Miles Davis and the Mahavishnu Orchestra). Al Di Meola's solo career blends his fusion roots with his interest in spanish music (he himself is an Italian-American from New Jersey) to create a progressive style that pioneered the sound that led to such acts as Yngwie Malmstien and Dream Theater. But more so than Malmstien and Dream Theater, with his unique set of influences and penchant for subtlety, Meola is able to create music that is as interesting melodically and texturally as it is technically speaking. I am posting the a side of his 1978 album Casino, I ripped it off of a turntable and didn't separate the tracks, so my apologies. Hope you loyal readers enjoy. And for you non-loyal readers I hope you enjoy it as well... then choke. Jkjk, but seriously you should follow this blog, more great music and recipes to come I guarantee.

-Josh

Casino (side a) - Al Di Meola (1978)

Best and Worst of DJ New-money's Laptop: Part 1.

2009-03-09T12:06:00.000-07:00

Hello reader, today I am doing something different. I didn't necessarily feel like going to the blog-office today so I am live-blogging direct from my roommates computer and will share with you some classic tracks from his i-tunes library. Here are three very solid selections from DJ Newmoney's music collection. Shot out to DJ O'Anna, for helping me choose the music and an appropriate DJ name, straight up from the 212.

Let's Stay Together - Al Green

C.R.E.A.M. - Wu Tang Clan

Blame it On Cain -Elvis Costello

HOT TUNA!

2009-03-08T15:01:00.000-07:00

No this is not a recipe for making hot tuna, whatever that is. Hot Tuna is a blues-folk spinoff of Jefferson Airplane that was formed in 1969 and still continues to play unto this day. These guys, with their american roots/blues sound kinda remind me of something between Taj Mahal and very early Grateful Dead. The first song "I Know You Rider" is a traditional, and has been played many times over by famous bands such as the Grateful Dead and the Band as well as in the living rooms of many a folk enthusiast. The second song is a really great instrumental song in an "American Primative" vein - the sound associated with such artists as Leo Kottke and John Fahey, as well as being a style of music I am quite partial to.

I Know You Rider - Hot Tuna

Mann's Fate - Hot Tuna

Silvio Rodriguez

2009-03-03T18:07:00.000-08:00

Cuban born Silvio Rodriguez is a musician known the world around for both his music and poetry. He is mainly a figure among the leftist Spanish speaking world, but I think he is pretty cool too, even if I have no clue what he is saying half the time. I fist heard him when I was a sophomore in high-school, but I must admit I forgot about Silvio Rodriguez until a few weeks ago. But coming back to his recordings with fresh ears I am in awe of the both the simplicity and breadth of his music, occurring simultaneously. Silvio Rodriguez, for the most part, is one of those artists where the process of listening can easily become something of a meditative experience, that is to say something to get lost in. The soothing sound of nylon string guitars, long ruminating progressions combined with the constant sound of urgency in Rodriguez's voice only add to this effect (I also think the fact that the music is in spanish has something to do with it as well, but that is a personal thing). Though I have little idea what most of the songs are about, supposedly his poetry is very good. Some of this comes through to the english speaking listener, in that his lyrics have an undeniable musicality and artful execution. His lines and harmonies can, I guess, be considered a little atypical of most popular music, even for cuban/spanish influenced music, but that makes it all the more interesting. But in short this guy sounds like something you've heard before, but never like this, and that is why he is renowned the world around.

Silvio Rodriguez:

Playa Giron (dias y flores 1968)

Sueno Con Serpientes (dias y flores 1968)

La Era Esta Pariendo un Corazon (the Anthology of Silvio Rodriguez)

Yo Digo Que Las Estrellas (dias y flores 1968)

http://rs170.rapidshare.com/files/96350728/Silvio_Rodriguez_-_1978_-_Antologia.rar

Kugel: its your great aunt Sadie bending over to kiss you and accidentally brushing you with her goiter.

2009-03-03T14:24:00.000-08:00

What is Kugle? Well it can be many things, but essentially its is any incarnation of a casserole associated with the vast repertoire of jewish comfort foods. The definition is a little more specific than the one I just mentioned, but if its a casserole rolling out on shabbas and some kind old woman is politely telling you why their mother's old recipe is better, its probably a Kugel. The debate begins with the fact that kugel can be savory or sweet and made with variety of ingredients as its foundation: carrots, potatoes, matzah, and zucchini to name a few. But as my personal preference and tradition would have it, kugle is most often sweet and made from noodles. A sweet kugel is more like a noodle puding and is usually made with cottage cheese and egg to bind the noodles and make it creamy. In addition to make the kugle sweet a fair amount of sugar and some type of fruit (often raisins) are added. The recipe I am sharing with you is my grandmothers recipe. The recipe is pretty standard, as it uses egg noodles as its base and what is now a common kugel sweetener crushed pineapple (I find it hard to believe my eastern european ancestors, or anyones for that matter, had much pineapple around). This recipe also uses less butter than most which is a good thing... maybe. So I encourage everyone to try this very easy recipe out so that now you can tell your jewish friends that not only do you know what kugel is, you can make it too. How cool is that.

Oh and why is kugel like your Great Aunt Sadie's bending over to give you a kiss and accidentally brushing you with her goiter? Its not, but heres why I said it.

And some more Jewish humor: Old Jews Telling Jokes

Grandma's Kugel

Wet Ingredients:

5 tbs. melted butter

1 lg. carton small curd cottage cheese

1 can (aprox. 20 oz.) crushed pineapple

4 eggs

9 tbs. sugar

12 oz. med. egg noodles

1 tbs. sugar and cinnamon to sprinkle on top.

1. Boil water and prepare noodles

2. Beat eggs and in large bowl mix in butter, cottage cheese, pineapple, and sugar.

3. Mix noodles with egg mixture (preferably while noodles are not fresh out of the boiling water so as to prevent curdling of eggs)

4. Pour into casserole dish and sprinkle to with cinnamon and sugar to taste. (Many people like a corn-flake/some type of crunch topping, as pictured above, which can easily be applied to this recipe, probably while slightly extending the cooking time)

5. Bake for 1 hr. at 350.

-let stand 5 min.

Enjoy!

Great Minds Think Alike...I hope.

2009-03-01T12:31:00.000-08:00

So today I was checking out Soul-Sides (a highly recommended music blog) and saw that after I had willfully stolen their from their site, they have decided to steal from mine as well and present a mix by Manhattan MC Cool Calm Pete on the subject of, get this... food and music. Sound Out-Loud is truly ahead of its time with proliferating this excellent combination to the inter-web, or right on it (this site is only about a week old after all), or at least on to something...I hope. Either way i thought it was kinda cool that notable music blogger/scholar Oscar Wang hadn't thought the notion of food and music together to be too farfetched, plus the mix is pretty cool as well.

If you want to check it out, just do yourself a favor and go to Soul-Sides.

And in a similar vain, some more of the woman I love...

Fish in the Dish -Sharon Jones

Sound Out Loud

Charlie's Feburary Ambient Roundup

Sounding Out Loud: A resolution and winter tunes

Bad City: Wildlife

Watermelon Seed: A Poem

Summer of Soul... Spotted!!: Baden Powell or Tony Clifton?

Summer of Soul: Socialist Healthcare Jammin'

Summer of Soul: Some Like it Hot, Others think it's too Hot.

Reflection Eternal: Black Gold

Egberto Gismonti: Guitarist/Pianist/Composer Extraordinaire

Summer of Soul: Funky Funky Independence Day.

Summer of Soul: Summer Slaps

The Creator's Project

Reed's Bass Drum

Loisaida Burger: Royale in Alphabet City

R.I.P. Alex Chilton

Garfunkel & Oates

Slavic Soul Party in Coney Island

Where I'm From, It's Called "Pop"...

The Heavy: Can We Do That Again?

Beyond the Aughts: This Time a Little Somethin' Soulful

Sounding Out Loud...

How to Make a Jewish Brisket...

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Homer: Happy 20th Anniversary Simpsons!

Seasongs Greetings From Sound Out Loud... (feat. a Beatles Christmas)

Gourmet's Best Cookies: A sweet goodbye.

MINI BLACK-AND-WHITE COOKIES

FOR COOKIES

FOR ICINGS

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:

MAKE COOKIES:

MAKE ICING WHILE COOKIES COOL:

ICE COOKIES:

Avante Undergrad: the Undergraduate Composers Concert

Phish: Madison Square Garden 12/03/09

Cookin' W/ Sharon' : Sharon and her Dap Kings on IFC's Cooking with the Band

The Momofuku : David Chang

Roasted Pumpkin and Fingerling Potatoes with Thyme and Black Mission Figs

Bulgarian Choral Singing

Bobby Womack: Fly Me to the Moon

Caetano Veloso: Sweetness in Song

Green Papaya Salad

Summer of Soul Update: Mayer Hawthorne's "Maybe So Maybe No"

Momofuku's Milk Bar and Bill Withers

The Big # 4...

Peach-Tomato Salsa

Old Town School at the Dakhla Festival 2009: Folk Diplomacy in Morroco

OMFG...

More 45's: The Small Faces

Fate the Seductive Mistress of Destiny: A Tale of The Minders

goto albums

Chicago Folk and Roots Fest

Turn Turn Turn-Table...

Fuck You Debut

Dylan Mashed Up

Shuggie Otis = The Man

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa, Otherwise Known as Salsa Verde

Menahan Street Band: The Sound of Funky Urban Distopia

Michael Jackson and the New Music Paradigm: The Interweb, the Decline of the Major Record Lables, and the Day Pop Music Died.

A Cultural Icon: King Khan

Chicago Folk Revival Legend: John Prine

Extra! Extra! Summer of Soul Update:

Of all the things god hates he may have spared this song, had they sung on key...

Summer of Soul Pt. 2 : Electric Boogaloo '09

Patrice Rushen: Pizzazz

Yucatecan Garlic-Spice Marinade by Rick Bayless

John Mayer...huh?

America The Playlist

Have you ever wondered where you could listen to whale noises on the internet?

Amadou and Mariam

Chocolate Chip Cookies by Jaques Torres

Taj Mahal: A "Monumental" Musician

Not So Guilty Pleasures Part 1: Phish

Broccoli with Butter and Lemon

Langston Hughes & Charles Mingus: Weary Blues

Resurrection of a 90's Classic: Boombastic

House Fire: Roy Ayers

Musical 80's Brat Pack Homage:

Unhappy March intelligentsia Day... April Fools!

>>>PRTY<>MZK<<<<