Please remember me
At Halloween,
Making fools of all the neighbors.
Our faces painted white,
By midnight we'd forgotten one another.

...

Only now it seems so silly,
That season left the world.

....................................................

Anyone who knows me knows I am absolutely OBSESSED with jack-o-lanterns! So much so, as a matter of fact, that I told Sarah I would give her a million dollars if she found some pumpkin pajama bottoms for me. (Though, she did text me back and said she would be happy with $1,000. lol)

Whatever, man. I figure I need something to wear to chemotherapy on Wednesday & Thursday and it might as well be one of my favorite things.
Also, I am thinking I am going to get some halloween candy in a trick or treat pumpkin on the inside of my right arm. You know, to go with my headless horseman? Parry, if you read this, can you draw something up? kthanxbai.

...

New development!!!:
Before writing this up, I phoned my mommy to check in and happened to mention my futile search for halloween pajama bottoms for chemo (she was at work). She just phoned me back from Old Navy and found three different styles with t-shirts! She'll be sending them my way soon! I AM SUPERFUCKING EXCITED!

Thanks, Mommy!

xoxoxo

Ok, my running's been OK. I ran in Dallas a few weeks ago and ran a 5k in 24:50 which is lame... but it's right about the 8:03/mile mark I have been stuck at for some time. I got second place overall for women and first in my age group with that bad time though. Not many 23 year old chick runners around White Rock these days...?

A good thing about running is all the stuff I find while I run. Behold, in the last month alone I have found:
1. Perfectly good cell phone
2. One Goosebumps book - "Monster Blood III" - good condition
3. One (1) Black Sharpie Marker.

So why do I run? With all this stuff laying around, how could I not. ...? More later

It's something I have done the past couple times I rent a car: I leave the CD in the player for the next person to enjoy. (OK, OK, I know ... the company checks the radio for stray CDs before renting the car out again, but allow me my fantasy.)

Now, making a mix CD always reminds me of "High Fidelity," one of my top five favorite movies. In it, Rob Gordon (John Cusack, the greatest American living actor) delivers this soliloquy:

"The making of a great compilation tape, like breaking up, is hard to do and takes ages longer than it might seem. You gotta kick it off with a killer to grab attention. Then you gotta take it up a notch, but you don't want to blow your wad, so then you gotta cool it off a notch. There are a lot of rules."

Mind you, this project has two distinct purposes:

1. It has to entertain me as I tool around some strange town for a couple days.
2. And possibly, more importantly, this music I leave behind is a statement of who I am to the next person, a kind of tutorial on things that I think others should be listening to.

With that in mind, what should I put on it? Who is worthy of such a statement? Bob Dylan? U2? Hanson? (OK, maybe not Hanson ... I just don't know you well enough to drop some MMmm-Bop) ... Should I put some Johnny Cash or stuff more obscure, like The Pigeon Detectives or Iron & Wine? Should I try for some street cred with early Public Enemy AND some Clash? Should I be totally androgynous and record 80 minutes of Morrissey?

Sometimes I put the Britsound radio show on. Maybe I'll be loyal to the family and put the Pomegranates.

What would you put on a mix tape left for someone anonymous?

Iron & Wine Official Site

Hursomhelst, bjuder på de två versionerna av samma låt. Så olika och så underbara.

Iron & Wine

The Postal Service

06/10/08
Fuente: iProfesional.com | Juan Diego Wasilevsky

Desde cero, un emprendedor creó la marca Iron Wine y ya está presente en destinos clásicos y en mercados exóticos como Lituana, Estonia y Aruba. Cuál fue su estrategia de marketing, qué desafíos presentó el envase y cómo fue la reacción de los consumidores alrededor del mundo...

En los últimos años, alrededor del acto de tomar un buen vino se desarrolló un complejo ritual, calculado, y sumamente detallista, que busca desentrañar el máximo potencial posible de cada botella.
El descorche, la oxigenación, la temperatura y el tipo de copa, son algunas de las variables que no están libradas al azar. Por el contrario, son elementos que la cultura enóloga de hoy tiene perfectamente estudiados. Y a medida que más consumidores se suman y más bodegas elevan su estándar de calidad, más masivos se tornan estos rituales.

Sin embargo, la vitivinicultura, que aparenta ser un terreno poco propicio para la innovación, a medida que gana en masividad, también se presta a explorar nuevos nichos de negocios.

Algunos se desarrollan con éxito, mientras que otros permanecen a la espera de la sentencia por parte de la gran corte de consumidores.

En esta carrera por la diferenciación, un emprendedor argentino, Jaime Travers, desafío las leyes del casi religioso acto de beber, y salió a la conquista del mercado mundial con un producto tan innovador como desafiante para las clásicas costumbres:
el primer vino en lata de producción nacional.

Desde cero
“La idea se me ocurrió como consumidor. Yo no vengo de la industria del vino, pero siempre, como consumidor, me preguntaba por qué no había vino en lata, me parecía un formato realmente cómodo”, explicó Travers, socio gerente de la empresa, en diálogo con iProfesional.com.

Para hacer realidad su proyecto, dejó su puesto en el área de marketing de Massalin en 2004 y se puso en contacto con el Instituto Nacional de Vitivinicultura (INV), organismo que regula la actividad en el país.

“Para comenzar y ver si mi idea era viable o era una locura teníamos que comprobar si técnicamente se podía comercializar vino en este formato. Hace 30 años en la Argentina había habido un primer intento, pero como la industria del packaging no estaba tan desarrollada y habían usado envases de hojalata, de menor calidad, la vida útil del vino era muy corta y esa prueba no funcionó”, comentó.

Pero una vez que las pruebas con nuevos materiales fueron exitosas, “junté un grupo de inversores para hacer posible el proyecto y en 2005 sacamos las primera latas para vender al exterior”.

Con un capital inicial de u$s400.000 y luego de tres años de experiencia,
Iron Wine hoy tiene una producción anual de 360.000 latas anuales y destina más del 90% a los mercados externos.

Al respecto, Travers aseguró que “abrirnos camino en la exportación fue bastante complejo porque no teníamos casos en los que basarnos”.

Sin embargo, sus dos variedades y formatos (un Malbec/Cabernet y un Chenin Blanc en latas de 250 cm3 y 350 cm3, envasados por la bodega mendocina Jean Rivier) hoy ya están presentes en un amplio abanico de 20 mercados.

Los tres destinos más importantes son España, Holanda y Colombia. Sin embargo, también tienen clientes en mercados tan disímiles como Estonia, Lituana, Latvia, Guatemala, Trinidad y Tobago, Aruba y Barbados.

Creando nuevas tendencias
Ahora. ¿cómo fue la experiencia de trabajar con un producto regido por costumbres estrictas y tentar a consumidores cada vez más exigentes?

“La industria del vino en sí es super tradicional -reconoció Travers-, pero en los últimos años hubo innovaciones que fueron aceptadas, como la tapa a rosca o el tetra pack, que es un buen muy buen envase pero en general el vino que contienen no es de buena calidad”.

Al respecto, explicó que “nuestra idea, para diferenciarnos del tetra pack, que fue una de las mayores innovaciones en la industria en los últimos 30 años, y posicionarnos en un segmento alto fue sacar vinos jóvenes, que no tienen paso por madera, pero de buena calidad”.

“La idea de que el producto sea muy bueno es lo que hizo funcionar el proyecto”, recalcó Travers, para luego agregar que “si no, sería muy difícil escapar de la commoditización y pasaríamos a competir solo por precio".

En este sentido, desde Iron Wine explicaron que si bien “para el consumidor suena rarísimo que el vino esté en contacto con el metal, hoy es algo común, casi todas las bodegas fermentan vino en tanques de acero inoxidable. Lo que hicimos simplemente fue llevar una técnica usual en la industria a la palma de la mano de los clientes. No es algo que esté reñido con las prácticas de producción”.

El secreto del producto está en que, por dentro, las latas están recubiertas por un barniz especial que evita que el aluminio transmita sabores extraños al vino.

Analizando en detalle, desde la compañía destacaron que las latas no están pensadas para guarda porque son vinos jóvenes.

“No tiene fecha de vencimiento, pero recomendamos tomar el blanco dentro del año de producido y el tinto dentro de los dos años. Pasado ese período los vinos pierden algunas propiedades pero no por el hecho del formato sino por el tipo de vino”, explicaron.

Tipo de consumidores
En definitiva, Iron Wine apuesta a un nicho de consumidores que cada vez atrae a más marcas: el de los hogares unipersonales, sobre todo los de alto poder adquisitivo.

Se trata de una tendencia que se da a nivel mundial y que se observa con mucha claridad en la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. De hecho, según GFK Kleiman Sygnos, este modelo ya representa el 26% del total de hogares.

“Nuestro target son personas grandes que, en su mayoría viven solos y que en la semana quieren tomar un vino con la comida y no quieren abrir una botella. Entonces, este formato permite abrir sólo lo que se quiere consumir en ese momento”.

Además, apuesta a seducir de la mano de la flexibilidad que ofrece para el maridaje, sobre todo con la lata más chica, de 250 cm3, que “permite tomar un primer plato con vino blanco y un segundo blanco con un tinto, por ejemplo. Son variantes que con una botella es más complicado de hacer o que exigiría cuatro comensales”.

Pero también es un producto pensado para los nuevos consumidores, los más jóvenes, segmento donde el desafío de la industria es competir con bebidas más arraigadas, como la cerveza o el vodka.

Al respecto, Travers aseguró que el vino en lata comienza a correr con más ventaja que el formato tradicional porque el tipo de envase es más atractivo y “permite que lo encuentren en boliches y en lugares donde usualmente no se venden vinos porque necesitan alta rotación”.

En síntesis, lo que buscaron desde la empresa fue tratar de balancear estos dos grandes grupos tan distintos entre sí: que fuera fácil de tomar y poco agresivo para quien no está acostumbrado y, a la vez, agradable para el consumidor habitual.

Los paladares del mundo
“¿Hubo muchos prejuicios que detuvieran el avance de la marca?”, quiso saber iProfesional.com.

Al respecto, Travers explicó que “en algunos mercados más que nada encontramos diferencias en cuanto a que prefieren vinos más dulces. Pero en relación al envase nos encontramos con una gran sorpresa: España, que es un país tradicional y ya de por sí es difícil venderles vino en botella, es nuestro principal cliente”.

Sin embargo, reconoció que “es más fácil entrar en países caribeños, donde están acostumbrados a tomar bebidas de mucha más concentración alcohólica, y empiezan a sumarse al mundo del vino sin todo el preconcepto en cuanto a la botella y el corcho”.

Cuidar la marca, estrategia número uno
Que este vino sea más fácil conseguir en Aruba o en Guatemala que en la Argentina responde a una estrategia pero también a las características del mercado local.

“Acá lo tratamos como un producto bastante exclusivo. El principal problema es que es muy difícil que acá te respeten el precio de venta. Muchas veces, en supermercados deciden aplicar descuentos del 30% por promociones y nosotros no podemos permitir que un cliente pueda llegar a comprar más barato en un supermercado que si nos compraran a nosotros”, explicó Travers.

“Para evitar ese ruido y que la política de precios sea seria es que no entramos a supermercados. También tenemos problemas con restaurantes que regalan y nosotros no estamos de acuerdo con eso”, agregó.

Brasil y EE.UU., el gran objetivo
Los próximos pasos de Iron Wine consisten en desembarcar a principios de 2009 en Hong Kong, el mercado más cosmopolita de Asia. El business plan contempla hacer todas las pruebas allí y elegir a un importador que ingrese el producto en China, un país complejo donde la marca deberá enfrentar problemas, como la piratería.

Sin embargo, el mayor desafío para Iron Wine es abrir los mercados de Brasil y Estados Unidos, países que aplican numerosas trabas a las importaciones.

“En el caso de Brasil estuvimos en San Pablo haciendo degustaciones, pero es complicado, es un mercado muy proteccionista. Y EE.UU. es el mercado perfecto para nosotros. Estuvimos trabajando durante años porque hay muchas regulaciones para los productos novedosos, como el nuestro”, explicó el emprendedor.

El tsunami también afecta al vino
Sin embargo, cuando todo parecía cerrado para desembarcar en ese mercado estratégico, el tsunami financiero acabó con la planificación.

“Entrar en EE.UU. significaba duplicar la producción de 30.000 latas mensuales. Por eso comenzamos a buscar inversores para expandir nuestra capacidad, pero ahora dejamos todo stand by por la crisis”, explicó un resignado Travers.

Pero la crisis global no sólo impactó en el mercado estadounidense, sino que alteró el normal funcionamiento de la empresa: “En 2007 logramos duplicar las exportaciones y para este año teníamos previsto volver a duplicar las ventas al exterior. Sin embargo, con la crisis internacional, está todo un poco estancado y estamos reviendo las proyecciones. 2008 es una incertidumbre”.

“Las colocaciones que teníamos listas están a la espera de lo que pasa con el mundo”, agregó.

Por último, para agregar un ingrediente extra a la difícil situación, Iron Wine debió enfrentar una inflación local que llegó a triplicar al promedio mundial.

“Este año se sintió mucho la inflación, en mano de obra e insumos, lo que impactó en el tipo de cambio, que se deterioró considerablemente. Fue un año duro. Lo que hicimos fue resignar rentabilidad y no subir los precios porque el importador no lo entiende cuando tiene una variación de apenas 7 u 8%”, concluyó.

We are excited that we've been given the exclusive track list announcement for the Twilight soundtrack (in stores November 4th). We can also confirm that every song listed below will also be featured IN the Twilight movie. The soundtrack has exclusive songs written specifically for the movie from Paramore and Perry Ferrell. The Twilight soundtrack also features two songs from Robert Pattinson—this is the first time Rob has recorded or released music. And, of course, no Twilight project would be complete without Muse.

1. Muse — Supermassive Black Hole
2. Paramore — Decode
3. The Black Ghosts — Full Moon
4. Linkin Park — Leave Out All The Rest
5. MuteMath — Spotlight (Twilight Mix)
6. Perry Farrell — Going All The Way (Into The Twilight)
7. Collective Soul — Tremble For My Beloved
8. Paramore — I Caught Myself
9. Blue Foundation — Eyes On Fire
10. Rob Pattinson — Never Think
11. Iron & Wine — Flightless Bird, American Mouth
12. Carter Burwell — Bella's Lullaby

Click HERE to see the listing on SM's site. [This just might be the best soundtrack to ever be in existence. For real. I definitely am gonna buy this one. ROB WROTE 2 SONGS!!!!!]

La Tracklist Ufficiale!

1. Supermassive Black Hole - Muse (Testo | Traduzione)
   
2. Decode - Paramore (Testo e traduzione)
   
3. Full Moon - The Black Ghosts
4. Leave Out All The Rest - Linkin Park (Testo | Traduzione)
   
5. Spotlight (Twilight Mix) - MuteMath
6. Going All The Way (Into the Twilight) - Perry Farrel
7. Tremble For My Beloved - Collective Soul
8. I Caught Myself - Paramore
9. Eyes On Fire - Blue Foundation
10. Never Think - Robert Pattinson
11. Flightless Bird, American Mouth - Iron & Wine
12. Bella's Lullaby - Carter Burwel

La colonna sonora è già prenotabile su Amazon e uscirà nei negozi il 04 novembre 2008!

Parliamo di Decode dei Paramore.

La cantante Hayley Williams è una grande fan di Twilight; ecco cosa a detto di recente:

Twilight è la prima saga letteraria che ho letto. Non mi sono mai addentrata nella serie di Harry Potter invece, anche se mi piacciono i film. Twilight ha catturato subito la mia attenzione e mi ha preso. E' eccitante vedere il libro trasformato in un film ed è grandioso che la nostra band abbia la possibilità di far parte di questo fenomeno. Ho scelto "Decode" come titolo perchè la canzone parla della tensione crescente, dell'imbarazzo, della confusione e della rabbia tra Bella ed Edward. Bella è l'unica di cui Edward non può leggere la mente e io credo che questa sia una parte importante del primo libro e un ostacolo che loro devono superare. E' una tensione ulteriore che rende la storia ancora più affascinante.

Stephenie parla dei Muse con Rolling Stones (intervista):

... Meyer è anche felicissima che la soundtrack del film includerà “Super Massive Black Hole” del suo gruppo preferito, i Muse ("Se non ci fossero i Muse, questo film non mi sembrerebbe legato a qualcosa che ho fatto") e dice che è stata consultata anche per il resto della colonna sonora.

[credits: La Gazzetta di Forks - Stephenie Meyer]

White Tooth Man

Said the plain clothes cop to the beauty queen
“I’ve seen nothing but a spoke in a wheel”
So she gave up her crown to a kid with a crutch
And they both felt cheated after closing the deal
And the white tooth man I ran with him
Got all cut up from pissin out in the weeds
And a fight upstate with a broken blade
And a wife whose finger never wanted a ring

Said the plain clothes cop to the Indian chief
“I’ve made nothing but an honest mistake”
The postman cried while reading the mail
And we all got trampled in the Christmas parade
And the white tooth man who sold me a gun
A map of Canaan and a government bond
Said “I love this town, but it ain’t the same”
The ski mask ripped as he was putting it on

Said the plain clothes cop to the holy ghost
“I’ve heard nothing yet that wasn’t the wind”
And we all got sick on a strip club meal
While the statehouse pardoned all the witches again
So the white tooth man with his kids in the car
And a wad of money that was already spent
Said “I love my dog but she just ran away,
She’ll keep running like the world never ends”
-Samuel Beam (aka Iron and Wine)

Artist: Calexico
Album: Carried To Dust
Label: City Slang
Link: www.myspace.com/casadecalexico

Maybe it's the fact that in a month or so i'll be heading into that crazy place we call Mexico but this album really speaks to me and it really shouldn't. It's not that I don't like the band, the split they did with Iron & Wine was pretty good but on the whole I find them a bit hit & miss. Plus thefact this album is very much a worlds album it's not surprsing I wasn't expecting the best from them.

As always I was very, very wrong!

It's not perfect by any stretch of the imagination but their ability to create this kind of music and without sounding like a poor mans version of the respective genre is applaudable. Personal highlight is the opener to the album 'Victor Jara's Hands' which makes me want to down a few tequila shots and watch a bull fight! They also collaborated again with Sam Bean on 'House of Valparaiso' which is another treat!

I'm a sucker for a good trumpet.

Rating: 7/10

Here's my picks for the Sunday edition of the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass music festival at San Francisco's beautiful Golden Gate Park. It's all free and there will be a lot of people there but it's worth it. My wish is that this will help you decide where you want to be when.  Remember, the crowds a each stage will be huge, so give yourself time to get to the next stage and be willing to either stand or lay your blanket pretty far away. The sound systems are powerful but you may want to bring binoculars to see the performers. The weather may warm up midday, but expect the fog to come in around 5 and get windy and cold.  I'll be blogging pics and highlights all next weekend.

Here's a very handy guide created by some folks for the festival.  Viewable on the web, or on an iPhone/mobile.  Lists stages, times, performers, etc., as well as the online buzz around the event. Here's the link...  Here's a link to Joel Selvin's pre-fest interview with Hellman from the SF Chronicle, and here's my tip sheet to start you off...

SUNDAY PICKS (listed by times)

The Wronglers- Porch Stage (11:00am)
This is Promoter/HSB financier Warren Hellman's old-timey band. Look for Heidi Clare on fiddle and perhaps Ron Thomason (Dry Branch Fire Squad), both excellent, to join Warren and friends. Worth checking out at least to give the guy a big round of applause.

Darrell Scott Band - Banjo Stage (11:20am) www.darrellscott.com
Darrell is good taste personified. His new CD of cover tunes is marvelous. Expect to hear a few familiar songs.

Riders in the Sky - Star Stage (12:00pm) www.ridersinthesky.com
Extremely talented act that plays the classic real Western songs from the a bygone era. Great outfits and a must-see if you have kids with you.

Heidi Clare & AtaGallop - Porch Stage (1:10pm) www.heidiclare.com
One of the best old-time fiddle players working today, and a fine singer too.

Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys - Banjo Stage (1:45pm) www.ralphstanley.net
Truly a legend, one of the few first generation Bluegrass artists still alive. Ralph doesn't play much banjo these days but his haunting voice is still amazing. I don't know how many more trips he'll make out west.

The Infamous Stringdusters - Arrow Stage (2:10pm) thestringdusters.com
One of the better young bluegrass bands working today.

Elvis Costello's High Whines & Spirits - Star Stage (2:30pm) www.elviscostello.com
Well, Elvis seems to love playing this festival, and he loves traditional country music. Who knows who he'll have playing with him today. I'm sure it'll be great though.

Earl Scruggs - Banjo Stage (2:55pm) www.earlscruggs.com
Like Ralph Stanley, Earl goes back to the 40's and is a legend, and not getting younger. His sons and other family members play with him.

Iron & Wine -  Rooster Stage (3:25pm) www.ironandwine.com
An intriguing band that's hard to catagorize. They don't really fit in to the Bluegrass/Americana genre but they are quit popular with the college radio crowd.

Pegi Young -  Arrow Stage (4:30pm) www.pegiyoung.com
Wife of Neil...

Justin Townes Earle - Porch Stage (4:40pm) www.bloodshotrecords.com
Son of Steve...

Loudon Wainwright III - Rooster Stage (4:40pm) www.lwiii.com
Father of Rufus...

Emmylou Harris - Banjo Stage (5:45pm) www.emmylou.net
Perhaps the only artist who's played every HSB, and Warren's favorite. She always closes the festival.

Other good choices...

Bill Kirchen - Star Stage (11:00am)

Hazel Dickens -Banjo Stage (12:20pm)

Bonnie "Prince" Billy (Will Oldham) - Rooster Stage (1pm)

Greg Brown - Rooster Stage (2:20pm)

Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder - Banjo Stage (4:15pm)

Maura O'Connell - Porch Stage (5:45pm)

BIll Frater
Freight Train Boogie

Tired. Very Tired. We got a bit of a late start on Saturday which actually worked out pretty well because there wasn't anyone on the schedule in the morning that we really had our hearts set out to see.

Will and I checked out Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings while playing a little game of Hot or Not. Neither of us had ever heard any of their music but really enjoyed how much fun they had interacting with the crowd. After that set we checked out the merch table, I got a fairly cool recycling themed shirt but sadly the posters this year weren't all that appealing.

We then wondered over to the stage where Erykah Badu was going to perform. I haven't listened her since 1998 so I can't exactly say that I'm familiar with much of her music. But she's got a fun sound so we figured we'd check it out. Sadly she started the set 10 minutes late and then decided to spend five minutes telling the crowd a story. I'm all up for artists telling stories during their set, but spending 10% of the set on a story is a bit excessive. We headed out to meed my Dad and Tate at the WaMu stage to see The Nachito Herrera All Stars.

None of us had herd the Nachito Herrera All Stars before but apparenlty a couple of Tate's friends had actually seen them the night before in the Twin Cities and were impressed. Apparently the group had only played together for a few shows which is quite impressive. They didn't have a whole lot of lyrics to their songs but that's pretty understandable. I was just impressed with how well Herrera conducted the group while playing they keys.

By 6:30 the day was really starting to roll. We all checked out John Fogerty (front man for Credence Clearwater Revival). I started listening to CCR when I was in junior high which surprised my Dad at the time, so I'm quite familiar with Fogerty's earlier work. I wasn't sure how much of his older stuff he'd play but happily he had a good mix. It's always interesting to watch someone as legendary as Fogerty.

The highlight of the day for me was Iron & Wine. When I started working at O'Reilly a coworker named Matt introduced me to their music. I listened to the album a bit but sadly didn't spend much time with it. This is a decision that I've regretted after circling back around and hearing their latest album, The Shepherd's Dog. Iron & Wine continues to develop a more complex sound which is especially present in their live performances.

This was the only show that I recorded in its entirety on Saturday and I'll post it if I find out if they are cool with having their shows recorded. As a side note, for all of you in the bay area, Iron & Wine is going to be playing at this years Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival on October 5th. The Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival is a free festival in Golden Gate park and I'd highly recommend checking them out.

We closed out the day with Robert Plant and Alison Krauss and happily walked back to the downtown area feeling a bit more energetic than the night before. Plus, we had the pleasure of being informed that we're sinners by some religious folks outside the park, always a good time.

Day 2 was a little tougher than Day 1.  I swear there were twice as many people there, if that's possible.  The extra bodies made getting to and from stages a little tougher, and getting in close to the stages was out of the question.  This is when the festival scene sorta looses me - when I can't see the musician's faces except for on a big screen.  Call me crazy, but I'm there to SEE these people, not just their super-imposed images on a megatron... Oh man, I am so high maintenance.  :)

The upside was that the heat was still not nearly as bad as last year.  And there were some great shows - my favorite by far was CSS.  That girl - dude... she's just crazy.  A fellow show-goer stopped to chat for a bit and mentioned that she was "Bjork on speed".  I can't think of a better description.  She came out sporting an 80's turquoise & eggplant printed unitard (full uni with legs and all), and a ginormous black octopus boa.  The band is from South America, so she had a bit of an accent - not Icelandic, but definately bears some resemblance to Bjork's sharp & sweet tone.  She be-bopped all over the stage, did front rolls and pushed the mic in front of audience member Jeremy's face during the song "Alcohol" (his favorite drink is a gin and tonic, if you were wondering).  The energy was excellent, and the songs were fun.  Two thumbs up! 

Iron & Wine played a solid set, but I have to admit... I wasn't really paying as much attention as I should have been.  Erykah Badu was probably my second favorite of the day, that woman just has an amazing set of vocal chords!

We caught a bit of Robert Plant & Allison Krause before heading to Pluckers to catch the second half of the Penn State game.  I was so excited!  This was the first time this season that I've been able to see my team play.  They looked great, and beat the Fighting Illini up a good bit.  I'm sad that I wasn't able to join my Penn State LArch friends in Happy Valley... but I'm glad I got to see the end of a good game that ended in a win.  Go Penn State!!!!

Tomorrow is the last day of the festival, and I'm definitely looking forward to the last couple of shows: Heartless Bastards, Band of Horses, and Foo Fighters.  There are also a few unfamiliar bands I'm looking forward to in the early afternoon - Against Me!, Flyleaf & Octopus Project.  I'll be sure to post tomorrow with my wrap-up for the weekend!

The art of the concert poster has experienced a revival in recent years. Contemporary work by the likes of The Small Stakes, Little Jacket, F2 Design and Methane Studios has begun to rival the great gig posters of the psychedelic era, such as the work of Wes Wilson and Rick Griffin.

Andrew Lindstrom, a freelance web designer based in Vancouver, has collected the 50 best contemporary designs. He says, "nowadays, the majority of indie bands have a growing collection of poster art that is just too incredible to simply throw away once the show has ended. Not surprisingly, this has led to the gig poster being something of a collectors item for music fanatics everywhere."

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[audio http://youtube.seeqpod.com/m/08%20Each%20Coming%20Night.mp3?t=712e31830a8e7633baadc1a2844b005728b1039f9d9e0f7017bfcd3843a46fe67511d8da9d704a40&h=89b723384bd4e04fa66a7c2971384e3a7f28b5b4]
Each Coming Night, Iron & Wine

I'm already sad. Just want to drive to the zoo or walk to the capital or sit at the ship. All things go.

Fuck, I really do wish you were in America---despite not being a 19 year old girl.

[audio http://www.dane101.com/files/SufjanStevens-Chicago.mp3] Chicago, Sufjan Stevens


w.park 9/12

Amy Kuney - Bird's Eye View

I would put her in the same sphere as Katie Tunstall and Brandi Carlisle - except her voice is so different, but in a good way.  I dig the lyrics in the songs too.  "Thank You For Last Night" is superb.  The album is great, and so is her version of Coldplay's Viva La Vida:  Click Here!

Iron & Wine - The Creek Drank the Cradle

It's not a new album, but I've been listening to it ever since I saw Iron & Wine at Lollapalooza this year.  What a great sound - I feel like I'm in the South in an old field house watching the sun set over cotton fields every time I listen to this band.

Samantha Crain and the Midnight Shivers - The Confiscation EP

Folk music today just doesn't get any better than this.  I love this girl's voice and sound of the band.  It's amazing how someone can write such deep, disturbing lyrics but also sing the soothing and oddly uplifting melody on songs like "The River."

Jeff Hanson - Madam Owl

Great songs.  Great voice.  Great sound.  I still can't belive that it's a guy singing the songs.  Weird, but great music.

Wall-E Soundtrack - Thomas Newman and Others

Wasn't a HUGE fan of the movie.  But I've been listening to the soundtrack just because it's something different.  And it's great. 

Black Keys - Attack and Release

Along with Iron and Wine, I also got to see this duo at Lollapalooza.  They were probably the best act I saw.  The guitarist is incredible.  I've been enjoying this latest album of theirs.  It's full of blue-eyed blues, classic rock riffs, and garage band grunge.

Imogen Heap - Speak For Yourself

Her real name is Imogen Jennifer Jane Heap.  What were here parents thinking?  Luckily she became a pop singer.  You might recognize her voice from her prior band, Frou Frou.  They had a hit song, "Let Go," on the movie Garden State.  Anyway, I came across her solo stuff from a Saturday Night Live skit.  They parodied a clip from the O.C. that used the song "Hide and Seek."  Check out the skit:  Click Here!  As for this album, I can't get enough of her voice and the beats she uses.

The Walkmen - You And Me

Yes!  A perfect album from a great, versatile band.  They channel the Strokes, Bob Dylan, and Cold War Kids on this sparse but flawless creation.

Honorable Mentions:

Even though I didn't like the entire album, there are four AMAZING songs I have to mention from two artists:

Teitur (from "Stay Under The Stars"): Don't Want to Wake You Up, Louis Louis

Ane Brun (from "A Temporary Dive"): Song No. 6, Rubber & Soul

I cannot stop listening to this album.  It is definitely one of my favourites of this year so far.

Justin Vernon is the leader of this remarkable trio who ventured to a remote cabin in Wisconsin to record this debut masterpiece.  The only artist I can compare their work to is Iron & Wine who I think is absolutely fantastic.

The album's sound is that of one that was made in a cabin indeed.  It's beautiful melodies coupled with the peaceful guitar sounds reverberating against the wooden walls.  The harmonies performed as well are extraordinary.  They remind me of The Beatle's 'Because' and even The Beach Boys.

This is my favourite song from them called, "The Wolves (Act I & II)"

They are also appearing in Dublin's Tripod on 07 October 2008.  Try getting your hands on tickets for that one, I can't. They have added an extra gig in the National Stadium on December 3rd 2008:  See article here.  Tickets are €27.50. I'm not quite sure when they go on sale just yet.  There is a bit of ambiguity about the release date.

Ticketmaster Link for Tripod Gig (none for NS gig yet): http://www.ticketmaster.ie/event/180040C6A80C2DAE?artistid=967032&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=1

Ticketmaster link for NS gig: http://www.ticketmaster.ie/event/1800412DED0748B6?artistid=967032&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=1

Artist's Website: http://www.boniver.org/

Para este proyecto ha tenido la colaboración de Amparo (que ya no es Amparanoia) y de Calexico. Nunca fue santa de mi devoción la primera, mientras que Calexico me quita el sentido. Feast of wire o su disco con Iron & Wine, In the reins, son extraordinarios. Y no espero menos del nuevo trabajo, Carried to Dust. Aquí su myspace. Música fronteriza que no sabe de fronteras. En este sentido, la música tiene mucho que enseñarnos en otros ámbitos de la vida.

Tampoco conoce fronteras las aportaciones para la difusión de la música. Hace poco os hablaba de la Reactable y sus prodigios. Pues este invento ha recibido el premio Golden Nika del Ars Electronica de Linz (Austria), uno de los más prestigiosos galardones del arte electrónico. Enhorabuena.

Y seguimos hablando de música. Nos enteramos  hace poco de que alguien ha pagado por un estudio de relaciones personales y aficiones musicales. La conclusión: si escuchas música alternativa tienes poca autoestima y eres introvertido. Al menos es lo que afirma el profesor Adrian North, de la Universidad Heriot-Watt. La investigación, que ha analizado el gusto y el carácter de 36.000 individuos, señala que los amantes del rock y del rap son rebeldes y los aficiondos al bel canto, adinerados. A los que les gusta el jazz y la clásica, creativos y con mucha autoestima. Los que prefieren el country, trabajadores y tímidos. Por último, es estudio apunta que los oyentes de soul tienen mucha autoestima, son dulces, creativos y extrovertidos. Allá cada uno...

Más cositas: todos hemos visto y nos hemos reído del empujón a Liam Gallagher (Oasis). Me ha recordado a esos vídeos caseros de tortazos, de vaquillas que se resbalan en encierros de pueblos o concursantes de Humor Amarillo que se dan el zamburguesazo frente al castillo de Takeshi. Tocando Champagne Supernova, un asistente al concierto que daban en Toronto saltó por sorpresa al escenario y embistió a Liam.

Lo triste es que por la broma, Liam tuvo que ser ingresado en un hospital y el parte médico nos deja una costilla rota y una rotura de ligamentos. Y la cancelación de alguna fecha en su gira por EE UU y Canadá.

Pero el cafrerío no acaba ahí. A REM le mangan una guitarra. No una guitarra cualquiera, la Rickenbacker que Peter Buck poseía desde hace 1982. Menuda faena. Ojalá que la recuperen.

Y para los que se acuerden de KLF, les dejo un interesante artículo sobre las andanzas de Bill Drummond y su visión del mundo de la música.

Y hasta aquí lo que se daba. La próxima actualización: el concierto en el Palacio de los Deportes de Madrid de Coldplay.

OFFICIAL WHITE WIDOW SITE

Austin City Limits is coming up this month. Beck, Foo Fighters, Iron & Wine, Jakob Dylan, Robert Plant & Allison Krauss, Tegan & Sara, Neko Case, Band of Horses, The Swell Season, Gillian Welch. Stay posted.... I'll have lots to write about!

ALBUMS I AM OBSESSING OVER:

Beck - Mellow Gold

Lindsey Buckingham - Under The Skin

Lucky Dube - Respect

XOXOXO,
White Widow

Lately I've been saving blogs about feelings, people and what's going on in my life in a separate blog so I was kind of divided on whether to post this an obscure one that I believe about two people read or this one. Past MP3 blogs have been downloaded numerous times (By who, I'm not sure) so I feel if I can get these two songs out then why not?

The purpose of posting these songs is to share two songs that without a doubt helped me through probably one of the toughest and unenjoyable summers of my life. When you're stuck in an empty apartment for a few weeks with few resources and no friends close by, you do what you can. These are the two songs that were on constant repeat as they provided a sense of cathartic relief I couldn't find elsewhere. Maybe somebody will stumble upon this and the same sense of support or maybe it won't do anything and move on to the next post (that's fine too). I'm hoping more former than the latter, but I'm just sharing so take it or throw it away, at least I have it out there.

Both songs can be saved by right clicking on the title of each. Also, this will be a reoccurring blog post highlighting different songs, though I promise they won't be as personal or all feeling-y like this one. It will be fun.

Not many people remember or hold any value to the movie In Good Company, though I found it to be one of the more enjoyable romantic comedies released in the past ten or so years. I watched it shortly after a bad breakup. Ehhh, that's not such a good move. Watching a movie with a not-so-happy ending is no way to try and get back on the rip foot, it's more trying to do a race on the broken one. Regardless, it did help me discover this nine minute lyrical masterpiece by ambient acoustic maestro Sam Beam, otherwise known as Iron & Wine.

If there's any song I want played at my funeral, this would be it. Granted, you'd have to cut it down, take out the "fuck the man" lyric and probably just skip over the part where he sings about touching a girl inappropriately in the back of a car - but the general gist of the song is what gets me. It's all about being remembered in certain dates that stick out in the singer's mind: As children when they planned to run away, on Halloween when they both acted like fools, falling asleep together and sharing the moment when everything ended. In a sense, it's a love letter to everyone the singer met, but either doesn't remember him or doesn't think too fondly of him.

There were more than a few lonely nights where I (and I assume anyone else that's alone) wondered if, or how, I would be remembered once I left, not in the sense of death but rather not being around. After hours of listening to angry music, it was refreshing to hear a song that didn't view one's departure as necessarily a goodbye, but just a short absence.

As previous posts have proven, I tend to gush a lot about John Mayer. I still think it's justified, so I'll continue to do it. He just seems to be able to bottle the problems, questions and struggles of an average person's life and turn it into pop-rock gold. It's something everyone can relate to and it's catchy.

"In Your Atmosphere" was something more though. I believe a large part of it involved said tumultuous breakup that I've written about more than I've hinted at more than once, but something about this song really hit me. As said before, I listened to a lot of breakup music, even at one point almost being a recreation of the scene in Forgetting Sarah Marshall where Jason Segel is in his messed up apartment wallowing away to Sinead O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U." But there's something about this song that's so honest and abrasive.

It's without a doubt a breakup song, but it's not angry. It's about being stuck on the memories and trying to run away from them, even if that means not going back to familiar surroundings. Yet it's also the realization that this has happened before and it's something that will pass. In a lyrical sense it parallels with "The Trapeze Swinger" since both are rooted in fond memories. So I guess in most lonesome times, memories really are all you have to get by. I'm still realizing that now.

Just as a disclaimer, when I say these two songs saved me, I mean that they really, really helped me during dark times (during, of all times, the sunniest time in the Midwest). There's no suicidal tone behind the post's title, so please don't take it that way. Also, neither of these songs are ones that I own the rights to. If you are the copyright owner and would like me to take these down, I will gladly do so.

But I would like to share just in case they might help someone like they helped me.