In a Room Full of Crackers

shows in Paris!

2009-01-11T09:38:00.002-05:00

We have three good options for attending concerts in Paris when we're there in February--three bands I've read much about, but have never listened to:

Ra Ra Riot @ Fleche D'or
Gang Gang Dance @ Point Ephemere
Crystal Antlers @ Fleche D'or

My vote's for Ra Ra Riot.

Bon Iver's "Babies"

2008-12-15T08:44:00.002-05:00

This was the song that made me cry last night at the Bon Iver concert. It's on their new EP.

more shows

2008-11-24T17:34:00.003-05:00

WAY too many shows in the last few weeks:

The Sea and Cake: wrote a review here. I was kind. They were awful. Opener Death Vessel was great, though. This was the third show I've been to with Elizabeth, who still kindly goes to shows with me despite duds like this. Previously, I took her to see the Acorn (we were the only fans there) and Pale Young Gentlemen (we were the only fans there). Oh well!

Wheat: wrote a review here. This show was so much fun, despite the fact that E was in a horrible mood with a head cold. At least he was happy for Wheat's set (how could you not be?). What also made E happy was the guy in the above photo. I don't even remember who opened for Wheat, but E liked that dude in the band.

The Acorn / Calexico: wrote a review here. I totally overplayed the Acorn's album last Spring, so I hadn't listened to them in ages. It was nice to remember why I like them so much. They were awesome at the Somerville Theatre. It was also my first real exposure to Calexico. They were great.

M83: wrote a review here. This was the first show I went to with Luke and Laura, so that was really fun. The show was great, though taking photos was nearly impossible, since they played in the dark.

Lots and lots of concerts

2008-11-15T12:21:00.002-05:00

I've clearly neglected this blog (no posts in over a month!). Long ago, I stopped writing anything intelligent and instead focused solely on music. And music's not really inspiring me much these days. I'll probably keep updating periodically until January, so I have a full year of posts.

That being said, I've gone to a lot of shows, so for the sake of consistency, I'll list them here. In addition to the ones on the sidebar, I've seen:

- Fleet Foxes (wrote a review here)
- Radiohead
- Wilco + Andrew Bird
- Wakey Wakey (where we ran into Ben Kelley)
- Matt Pryor (wrote a review here)
- Walkmen (wrote a review here)
- Low (wrote a review here)
- Dr. Dog + Delta Spirit (E wrote a review here. I thought the show was boring.)
- Elephant 6 Holiday Surprise (wrote a review here)
- Throw Me the Statue + Jukebox the Ghost (wrote a review here)
- Pale Young Gentlemen (wrote a review here)

Tonight, I'm going to see Wheat! Oh, I love Wheat. I'm pretty proud of this interview I did with them here.

I'm also going to see two more shows in the next week, so expect some more links to reviews soon.

Heir 2 tha Streetz

2008-09-27T19:01:00.004-04:00

I can't tell you how many times E and I have spent Saturday night at home watching this local access hip-hop tv show. We even know all the lyrics to the intro. I'm afraid it might happen tonight, too. And somehow we still maintain a reputation for going out a lot. You have no idea.

P.S. E thinks Mosley needs to get a role in the opening credits, playing the part of "bad ass pit bull #2."

The Singing Saw at Christmastime

2008-09-27T18:39:00.004-04:00

Anyone who knows me well knows my unhealthy obsession with Sufjan Stevens' Christmas box set. Even in the middle of summer, not a week goes by without me thinking, "Boy, I'd really like to hear "Get Behind me Santa" right now." Due to this intense love and my tendency to over play music, I limit myself to listening to it December 1st--January 1st. It takes discipline. I occasionally make the exception for "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing," because it's probably my favorite song (and favorite recording of it), and technically, it's not a Christmas song.

This year, I'm excited to have a new obsession (though not a replacement, of course). Julian Koster's putting out an album of all singing saw Christmas music. Here's Koster is in all his singing saw Christmas glory:

On a related note, I hear that Low is putting out a Christmas 7" on SubPop. When I saw them at the MFA last week, they played one of the tracks, and it was rather terrifying. To quote my review:

A new Christmas song started off innocently (“Tapping on the rooftop…”), but quickly turned menacing as Sparhawk yelled “Santa Claus is coming!” The words were not so much a gleeful declaration as they were a command to get the hell out of the house.

On a final note, for those of you who don't know, I finally bought a piano! And I'm in desperate need of good Christmas music. I have one book that I grew up playing, but the music's a little too basic. Let me know if you have any good sheet music I can borrow. Thanks!

last night's concert: low

2008-09-25T17:25:00.003-04:00

E and I saw Low last night at the MFA. A review will be forthcoming. I wholeheartedly loved it. E? Not so much. One of the few music related things we disagree on. "Breaker" is my favorite song from their last album. And today I discovered the video (a year and a half after its release). So. disgusting. Naturally, that's why I'm posting it here.

Last night's concert: Matt Pryor

2008-09-10T20:17:00.004-04:00

If your name is Jill and you sang "Campfire Kansas" on stage with Matt Pryor at Harpers Ferry in Allston, I have some cute photos. Write me a comment with your e-mail.

Here's my review of the show. It was good, nostalgic fun.

Mitch Hedberg

2008-09-04T09:57:00.004-04:00

I'm dangerously close (one day!) to not posting for a whole month, so here goes. Today The New York Times informed me that my favorite comedian Mitch Hedberg died of a drug overdose, uh, three years ago (obviously, I don't follow comedy very closely). I watched some YouTube videos today to confirm that he was as funny as I remember. He was, indeed.

This was the first joke I ever heard from him, which gratefully someone put on YouTube:

This was Mitch on Letterman:

Airborne Toxic Event's "Does This Mean You're Moving On"

2008-08-05T08:48:00.002-04:00

My new favorite song / video:

My Brightest Diamond's "The Gentlest Gentleman"

2008-08-01T13:46:00.002-04:00

An absolutely stunning version of Shara Worden performing "The Gentlest Gentleman" is over here. Better than the one I posted here. I need to learn the ukulele fast!

I'm so desperate to play music lately that I've been playing my Philip Glass piano sheet music on the dining room table for lack of a piano. And today I looked up all the guitar chords to Neutral Milk Hotel's songs from In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. At least I have a guitar at home, but I stink big time. I'm thinking of trading my epiphone for a cheaper model whose action will make it easier to play.

Partisan Cookies Shack

2008-07-31T10:45:00.003-04:00

This probably means nothing to you, but means everything to me. From Merge Records' blog:

While you're there, check out the new Music Tapes album Music for Clouds and Tornadoes. I've already pre-ordered the LP, because I'm obsessed.

The Walkmen's You and Me

2008-07-31T09:57:00.002-04:00

I love the new album from The Walkmen so much. I'd try to write something intelligent about it, but that would take some effort. And no one reads this blog anyway. You can stream the whole album here.

a Roxbury sunset

2008-07-27T22:32:00.001-04:00

Tonight's sunset from the roof. See all the photos here.

E turns 30

2008-07-27T21:50:00.002-04:00

Photos from E's 30th birthday party are here. We had a lovely weekend with E's brother and his wife.

Weekend run down:

- Friday we did a highly recommended pub crawl: River Gods -- Miracle of Science -- T.C.'s -- our roof deck. On the way, we picked up some random musician, who crashed at our place.

- Saturday, we hit Carson Beach before the party (yeah, Boston beaches!).

- Sunday we walked the whole city, and E accidentally ordered $80 worth of crabs at the Barking Crab. His response to the mistake? "If I knew I was going to order an $80 entree, I would have worn pants."

And now I'm about to pass out from exhaustion.

Video: Psychedelic Furs, live in Spain (June 2008)

2008-07-25T11:33:00.003-04:00

How awesome is this? And who knew the Psychedelic Furs did a bunch of shows in Spain last month? And they played some Love Spit Love covers! Here's "Am I Wrong:"

and "Ghost In You:"

And on a related note, Tim Butler's myspace page is one of my favorites--for really no good reason.

Doves to play first show in 3 (long) years

2008-07-24T08:40:00.002-04:00

From Heavenly Records:

"Doves first gig in nearly 3 years, their first since recording their hugely anticipated 4th album (due out 2009):"

Friday 12th September
Royal Festival Hall - Doves / Very Special Guests / Cherry Ghost

LoRox BBQ

2008-07-21T22:25:00.004-04:00

This past Saturday, we had our first bbq / jazz concert of the season at Frederick Douglass Peace Garden. See all the photos here.

Mark Knopfler's "Last Exit to Brooklyn"

2008-07-21T17:19:00.000-04:00

Mark Knopfler was in town this past weekend, which inspired me to listen to the Last Exit to Brooklyn soundtrack--moving stuff. Here's "Finale:"

Finale - Last Exit to Brooklyn (Last Exit to Brooklyn) - mark knopfler

I still haven't finished the novel on which the film's based (haven't seen the film either). It dives so deeply into the depravity of man, that I can only read about ten pages at a time before I feel sick.

Speaking of morally thought-provoking and troubling works of art, The Dark Knight is incredible. We talked about it for an hour after the film ended. I'm still thinking about it. If you haven't seen it, be on the look out for John Ringhofer's father as an extra. And if you don't know who John Ringhofer is, well... you're missing out.

From Half-handed Cloud's myspace page:

I haven't told many of you but my father (also named John Ringhofer) acted as an extra in the brand-new Batman film "The Dark Knight." I haven't seen it yet, so I'm not sure that they used his shots (there's a chance they didn't). I don't think he has a speaking part, but he describes his scene this way:

"I'm the Captain of the tug boats evacuating people from Gotham City. I'm wearing a bright yellow/green plastic jacket and a black police type hat talking with three or four other guys about what to do with civilians and prisoners."

He once told me to look for his scene near one with a crowd of people pulling rolling-suitcases towards a ferry boat. Anyways, if any of you are going to the film, let me know if you find him? I'll probably try to go in the next week or so to see for myself. Pretty neat.

Thanks,
john

Fleet Foxes show review

2008-07-21T16:50:00.002-04:00

Reviewed last week's Fleet Foxes show over here. Don't miss an opportunity to see them live.

I can't believe Robin Pecknold is only 21--makes me feel extremely unaccomplished at 28. And, yes, I did buy the vinyl.

Blonde Acid Cult's "Shake It Loose"

2008-07-18T16:57:00.001-04:00

Just because it's Friday, and we all need a little pick-me-up.

a plethora of XANADU related news

2008-07-11T20:55:00.002-04:00

In case you don't know what I'm talking about (for shame!), this clip pretty much says it all:

Xanada is on hulu!!!

And a special edition widescreen edition dvd was just released.

And the good folks who brought us the Buffy sing-along (yes, I've attended this, if you're wondering) will soon bring us a Xanadu sing-along.

I also heard that Olivia Newton-John just got married.

Wow, this has been quite the exciting week for Xanadu enthusiasts.

ESD#51: shahhhks

2008-07-10T17:11:00.000-04:00

On a rather tedious road trip, I once read aloud to E Michael Crichton's short piece of non-fiction "Sharks" from the book Travels. Just to annoy E, each time I read the word "shark" I pronounced it with a thick Boston accent: "shahhhk."

I realize we do this kind of thing a lot, often when we're a little punchy from, say, a long road trip. Like this past weekend, while driving through Maine, E insisted that his favorite song on the ipod was Band of Horses' "No One's Gonna Love You," only because I think the song's stupid. He played it on repeat, sincerely closed his eyes while singing, did his dumb dance, hummed it in the parking lot of Market Basket. What a punk.

No Ones Gonna Love You - Band Of Horses

Low's coming to Boston!!!

2008-07-10T15:31:00.002-04:00

via Brooklyn Vegan:

Low's playing the MFA in September! Yeehaw! Plus Sigur Ros the week before and the Dodos the week after that.

The Fall will be good for music, indeed.

ESD#50: blade runner

2008-07-09T08:21:00.005-04:00

E and I saw Blade Runner last night at the Brattle. I had never seen it. Now I'm inspired to finally read a Philip Dick novel (since I aspire to be Jonathan Lethem). Afterwards we went to Shay's for a beer on the patio and were freaked out to see a little dove hanging from the tree next to us. It was as though Roy's soul had followed us from the theater to the bar. So I made E take a photo:

Roy and his dove / soul:

E and his dove / soul:

ESD#49: maine

2008-07-09T08:01:00.001-04:00

E and I spent July 4th in Boothbay Harbor, Maine with my folks. Boothbay footbridge:

The town is a total tourist trap, but has cute things list rock skipping contests (note the benefits of participating include trophies, candy and FAME)...

...and bears...

...and community bands! Check out the kick ass percussion section:

Oh, you want video, too?

E dancing to the hot beats:

Finally got to use my camera's fireworks setting:

We stopped by Marshall Point, one of my favorite places in the world.

I took some glamor shots of E:

Then we managed to find a sandy beach in Pemaquid. Cute place!

See all my photos here.

Last Night's Concert: Frightened Rabbit

2008-07-07T06:47:00.003-04:00

E and I went to another show, and I reviewed it here: Frightened Rabbit and Oxford Collapse at TT the Bear's. It was our first time at TT's. I thought the space was good, but the sound was pretty bad. E missed the entire Frightened Rabbit set, because he was picking up a friend from the airport.

I kind of hate it when people say you'll never be able to see so-and-so band at [insert small concert venue] again, because it sounds like they just want bragging rights. But I'm gonna say it. Frightened Rabbit's gonna blow up. Their new album's awesome.

I put one song from each band on my muxtape, too.

I made you a mix-tape #7

2008-07-03T10:23:00.003-04:00

Anticipating some upcoming roof deck parties, I've made some summer mixes. I updated my muxtape with some of my favorite tracks from the mixes. I tried to keep it all new stuff from the past few months, but there are a couple 2007 tracks. Here's the track list:

The Dodos - Fools
Mobius Band - Friends Like These
Evangelicals - Skeleton Man
Frightened Rabbit - Head Rolls Off
Santogold - Creator
LCD Soundsystem - All My Friends
Oxford Collapse - Please Visit Your National Parks
Pomegranates - Thunder Meadow
Sigur Ros - Gobbledigook
Lykke Li - Dance Dance Dance
The Acorn - Low Gravity
Wheat - What Everyone Keeps Telling Me

Eddie Veddar solo show in Boston

2008-07-01T20:28:00.005-04:00

The only time in my life that I've been star struck was when I saw Eddie Vedder perform solo at a 2000 Nader Rally (why does this story keep popping up on my blog)? Well, he's playing a solo show at the Opera House in Boston with Liam Finn. This is ridiculous. I can't wait.

P.S. If you google image search "eddie vedder msg nader rally" my face shows up from this blog. Hilarious and oh so meta.

Menomena's muxtape of b-sides

2008-07-01T15:57:00.003-04:00

Just discovered that Menomena posted a muxtape with various b-sides and rarities. It's pretty awesome. That is, if you like Menomena.

Philip Glass

2008-06-30T19:19:00.003-04:00

I've developed an inexplicable obsession with Philip Glass. Today I bought the sheet music to Metamorphosis I-V and Madrush. Now all I need is a piano. I'm dying to play. I think I may be getting over this whole indie rock phase and moving on to strictly classical.

This piece kills me:

Low: You May Need a Murderer

2008-06-25T16:37:00.005-04:00

I rarely read Pitchfork, as I find it all way too pedantic, patronizing, pejorative, [insert disparaging p-word here], but I occasionally do so for album reviews. Their My Brightest Diamond review is quite p-pitiful, further p-prompting my p-proclivity to read elsewhere. However, I'm glad I read it, because they linked to a live performance of the ukulele piece "The Gentlest Gentleman" I mentioned in my review of their Berklee show. This particular video was in New York and sung with Clare from Clare and the Reasons. The song starts around 2 minutes. How beautiful is Shara Worden, might I add?

The other reason I'm thrilled I went over there is that I saw an ad for a DVD about Low (!) called "Low: You May Need a Murderer." You can see a clip on Pitchfork TV. I'd love to check it out, but I guess I should watch "A Skin, A Night" about the National first. Though this looks far more interesting. How beautiful is Alan Sparhawk, might I add?

time capsule!

2008-06-25T14:32:00.003-04:00

[Photo from Boston Globe]

This is so awesome. Fortunately there was nothing culturally offensive in there, as E and I had feared. Yeah, Roxbury!

buy your Sigur Ros album today!

2008-06-24T08:26:00.004-04:00

Sigur Ros' Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust comes out today, so I'll be at Newbury Comics during my lunch hour making some purchases. It's been streaming at their website for awhile now, but you can now also stream it at AOL Spinner.

Since this blog used to be about Wu-Tang (sort of), I should mention that RZA's new album is streaming over there, too.

Regarding other new releases, My Brightest Diamond's A Thousand Shark's Teeth is phenomenal. We saw them play at Berklee last Friday, and I wrote a review. Shara Worden's music is even better live.

things I love: music and life edition

2008-06-22T21:14:00.004-04:00

This past week was A+ for many, many reasons, but most importantly, because the Celtics won the mutha flippin' NBA championship! I'd like to dedicate a whole post to the long history of my basketball fandom, but I'll save that for another day. Here are some ridiculous photos of E and I celebrating on our roof deck after watching Game 6 at Drew and Jes' house. Word of warning: do not drink mystery green Celtics punch, like we did (witness the green tongues). We were a mess the next morning. I missed the parade, which went right by my office, because I was on a conference call. I'm still bitter.

In music news, most importantly, I HAVE PRE-SALE SIGUR ROS TIX FOR SEPTEMBER!!! I'm so excited, I'm bursting at the seams. They went on sale at 9am the day after the parade disappointment, and I was a nervous wreck as I couldn't get through and had another flippin' meeting at 9:30. Sure enough, 9:30 came and I still hadn't gotten through. I led the fastest, most efficient meeting of all time, tried again at 10am, when I finally did get through despite the sold out claim on the website.

Last week, I bought three albums at Newbury Comics. They're all fantastic (but I knew that before buying them).

1. The Dodos - Visiter
[website] [myspace]

2. Evangelicals - The Evening Descends (missed their Middle East show Friday, as I was at another show)
[myspace]
exemplary mp3: "Skeleton Man"

3. Chris Garneau - Music for Tourists
[website] [myspace]

Overheard at Newbury Comics:

Cashier: My friend told me I'd like Chris Garneau.
Chick with 3 cds in hand: Yeah, it's kind of sleepy, breathy... like Sufjan Stevens, but not as... BIG?

And that, my friends, is why I should not try to write about music. Yet, I continue to do so, as I wrote a review for the My Brightest Diamond show at Berklee (should be up soon [Ed-here it is.]). The show was awesome. Two Asthmatic Kitty shows in two weeks (Cryptacize before)! Like I said, it was a great week.

Josh Joplin's "Camera One"

2008-06-20T16:29:00.003-04:00

Do you remember this song? I keep on finding music I used to listen to around 2000-2001, but haven't since. This was one such artist. Here's Josh Joplin's "Camera One." Joplin's playing at Club Passim this Sunday.

Track 01 - Josh Joplin

Doves to finish new album by end of summer

2008-06-19T10:00:00.002-04:00

From the Doves' website:

Hi all,
Sorry not been any word from us for a while, but there's been no real news here apart from our usual writing / recording. Rest assured we are working all the time and not just in the pub or hoovering the garage!
We aim to have this record finished by the end of summer, songs are already starting to be mixed.
STOP PRESS!! news just in
We might be treading those boards again this Sept with a couple of UK gigs, nothings confirmed yet and we cant give you details, but you'll be the first to know when things are going to happen (we are gonna try and work out some free tickets for the faithfull on doves.net) it'll be great to step out into the outside world again and play some of these new songs live.
As ever thanks for you're patience and hopefully see you soon
Andy, Jez and Jimi
x

Which makes my Doves' countdown (over there ----->) even more stupid, but I'm keeping it up anyway! Can't wait!

Pomegranates, Cryptacize (live), midnight bike ride

2008-06-14T14:53:00.010-04:00

E and I saw Cryptacize at the Middle East Upstairs on Wednesday. We had a great time, though it was kind of a weird night. I'll explain in my review, which will hopefully be up soon. [Ed.-here it is.] Here are some stinky photos.

Ben & Vesper

Spitzer Space Telescope

So what else has been keeping me out until all hours of the night? Oh, how 'bout those Celtics?! That's right, not only am I now a wholehearted Red Sox fan, but I also love the Celtics. This series has been incredible, especially Thursday night. You should hear these Boston sports radio guys go off on L.A. Two things they particularly despise: 1) celebrity fans, and 2) European players--quite reflective of Boston's odd mix of despising pretensions yet harboring latent racism.

What else? How 'bout riding my bike 30 miles in the dark on a Friday night? Yep, it was the second annual Justin birthday bike ride on the Minuteman Trail. This time, there were about 30 of us, including some SCUL friends. We had a nice soundtrack of Vivaldi, Jello Biafra, ~~new wave~~ synth pop [Ed.-I googled it, and we were listening to early Ministry, before they turned into an industrial metal band. And now this is my favorite new (old) album.] and thrasher metal. Good times. Here are some photos.

Birthday couple.

Brett and Ben.

Gratuitous bike shot.

See all the photos here.

Finally, I've been listening to a lot of Pomegranates lately. In theory, you can stream their new album here, but I can't get it to work. I was first introduced to them when they opened for the French Kicks in Boston a couple months ago. The more I think about it, they were the best part of that night.

E published in The Believer (sort of)!!!

2008-06-10T19:42:00.003-04:00

What a lovely surprise to open up The Believer this evening and see none other than my husband in the Letters to the Editor! A woman living in our neighborhood (whom we know) also had a letter published regarding the same article.

E wrote in regards to Eula Biss' "No-Man's-Land," a piece relating Little House on the Prairie and the pioneer concept to quickly gentrifying neighborhoods. Both E and I were quite moved by the piece, as we relate to issues we see in our own neighborhood. I certainly gave the piece a few careful reads. E even wrote a personal e-mail to the author, and they had a very thoughtful exchange. She invited us for coffee if we're ever in Chicago (hmm... maybe that Amtrak trip I've been planning?).

Here's what he wrote:

"It was a delight to read such profound honesty found in "No-Man's-Land." When parsing a piece of classic literature, in this case the pioneer tales of Laura Ingalls Wilder, contemporary readers are in danger of making connections and observations simply for ironic amusement. Yet Biss skillfully used the frontier stories to unmask questions from her daily life. This allows the reader close access to the tensions she experiences as an outsider to her Chicago neighborhood. We should be so bold to follow her example, probing stated and unstated motivations for where we live. What is valued most? Safety, proximity to parks, public transportation, home size? In offering her experiences, Biss lets us consider the pioneer attitude of folks who move into "bad areas" and those who make room for the newcomers. Gentrification may be a four-letter word, but is is a cultural process that has and will continue to shape the American urban landscape."

Mobius Band's "Friends Like These"

2008-06-10T18:52:00.003-04:00

This video makes me giggle. It's also a great song. Mobius Band's "Friends Like These":

Awhile back, I wrote a review of the Cut Copy + Black Kids + Mobius Band concert at the Paradise. It never got posted, so here's what I wrote about Mobius Band.

Mobius Band is three Brooklyn lads with a sound that's heavy on the bass, drums and synthesizer. The lead singer plays the bass, so they're a lot like the Police. OK, that last part was a joke, but I've read such asinine things about this show line-up (like Youngblood of Black Kids sounds like Robert Smith!?), that I thought I'd add fuel to the ass-clown fire. In fact, Mobius Band sounds a lot like fellow-New Yorkers French Kicks with they're drum jams, mix of vocal styles and synth touches. But since I recently saw French Kicks perform, I'd say that live, as compared with the former, Mobius Band is a lot more goofy and lighthearted and a lot less pretentious.

Switching up lead vocals are Peter on bass and Ben on guitar/synthesizer: Peter with a droning, twangy style and Ben with a more melodic, dreamy tone. Live, they serve as nice counterpoints, exhibited in their two most popular singles, the danceable “Friends Like These,” with Peter on lead, and “Hallie,” with Ben on lead. Notably, despite the fact that this seemed to be the crowd's first exposure to Mobius Band, these were the only two songs that inspired dancing (or, frankly, general interest)--and this was a crowd ready to dance, as proven later in the evening. So Mobius Band picked their singles well.

Sigur Ros, G. Love, Cryptacize, post-grunge

2008-06-08T21:03:00.006-04:00

What's not to love about Cryptacize?

After being such crazy rock stars for awhile, E and I haven't been to a show in three weeks! Thus, I'm pumped to see Cryptacize this Wednesday at the Middle East Upstairs. Just in time, Saint Sufjan himself wrote a nice piece on them for the Asthmatic Kitty website. If I could write half as well as that man, I'd be happy.

In other tour news, Sigur Ros is playing the BOA Pavilion on 9/19 (thanks, Brad!)! Bring the tissues for when they play "Ára bátur," my current favorite song off the new album. If you don't tear up when the orchestra swells at the climax, you likely don't have a soul. This show will totally make up for the fact that we're not going to Radiohead (I wouldn't let E buy tickets, and now I'm regretting it).

G. Love and Special Sauce are playing the Pavilion 8/14. Should we go for the sake of high school nostalgia? [Ed.-E just read this and said "no way." So I guess we're too cool for G. Love now. Once you've seen Dirty Projectors, you don't go back.] Man, I have so many good memories of Philly G. Love shows--the best of course being New Year's 2000, when we all awaited the apocalypse by making out on stage. OK, I wasn't making out, but I was there with E, about a year and a half before we started dating. You know, it's kind of embarrassing to admit it, but I've definitely seen G. Love live more than any other artist (probably four times? maybe five?).

Oh, you know what's even more embarrassing? I think I saw The Verve Pipe three times back in the day. Ha! In my defense, of all the shitty post-grunge bands of 1996-2000, Verve Pipe had some good qualities. I did some post-grunge research the other day, and discovered Brian Vander Ark's website (anyone want to book a house show?). My research also produced this sad little fact: Sponge and Marcy's Playground are playing a Carnival Cruise. Remember back then when everyone thought rock was over and Prodigy and Chemical Brothers were going to usher in a new era of electronica music? Wow. Glad we were wrong about that. Though I did buy "The Saint" Soundtrack to prepare myself.

stream Sigur Ros

2008-06-08T15:05:00.001-04:00

Too amazing for words.

ESD#48: BRASILLLLL!!!!!

2008-06-07T09:56:00.007-04:00

And now this space has turned into a photo blog. Why not?

Last night E and I went to the Brazil vs. Venezuela soccer game at Foxboro.

We had a blast, despite some logistical nightmares (like E not realizing the game was Friday until a neighbor on the street asked him, "Aren't you going to the game tonight?"--thanks, Kyle!).

To put it mildly, E was excited about the game.

OK, let's make that ecstatic about the game.

Stinkin' Pats!

The game was preceded by the Revolution vs. Dallas game, of which we caught the last fifteen minutes. Obviously the Revolution would win, because they have the far superior uniforms. Seriously, isn't this jersey crazy hot (well, the font's a little lame, but the cut's great)?

[original source]

We were up 2-0, but Dallas scored exactly at 90 minutes, and the Revolution looked like they were dying, so the following couple of minutes were kind of nail biting--just blow the whistle already! In the end, we won 2-1. Here are the highlights.

The goalie Matt Reis is a total beast. He had a career high 10 saves that night, and we saw some pretty phenomenal ones. He got a standing ovation when he left the field.

Exhibit phenomenal save:

[original source]

As Reis said in the highlight interview, obviously not everyone was there for the Revolution. Major understatement! We went to a game a few years ago, and the stadium was maybe 1/8 full?

We were hard pressed to find any Venezuelan fans. Can you spot one? I can't!

Everyone stood up for the pre-game pump up songs. Due to our love of Gob and "Arrested Development," our favorite was "The Final Countdown." As E said, that song works in any language. I can testify that I've heard it multiple times in Mexico. Check out E dancing on the left of the frame.

And here's the chorus!

I like this video of "We Will Rock You" because the cute little boys in front of us have really bad rhythm.

Brazil takes the field! The crowd goes wild!

Warm-ups.

Brazil national anthem. You can hear E singing the lyrics "pan de queijo," his favorite Brazilian pastry.

The Brazilian fans were awesome. One lady had a Brazilian flag painted on her big pregnant belly-can't believe I didn't get a photo! I've spent a lot of time with Brazilians so I'm always interested in cultural differences. Soccer definitely introduced me to some new ones. For example, some of the crowd's responses were confusing. After Venezuela scored their first goal (at five minutes, ugh), the crowd started a pump up chant, clearly saying, "No problem! We'll get 'em back!" But then at halftime, when we were down 2-0, they booed the team when they went to the locker room, as though to say, "Step it up, losers!" E also pointed out that the Brazilians probably weren't happy with the condiments at the snack bar, because we've never seen a Brazilian eat ketchup. When the game was over, and Brazil lost 2-0, people were surprisingly in great spirits. I chalk it up to a fun night celebrating nationalism, but who knows.

Random field shots (that first one was taken near the end of the night, so it had cleared out a bit).

ESD#47: narcoleptic stripper

2008-06-06T17:30:00.000-04:00

It's nice having a spouse that shares a sick sense of humor. Like at this wedding last weekend, I joked that E would find a particular wedding guest in the bathroom snorting coke. Now, I know that's not funny whatsoever, but in context this guy seemed like the classic 80s coke addict, like Stef of "Pretty in Pink."

E took the joke one step further, saying he expected a dead stripper, too, which is really not funny. However, he was alluding to one of my favorite "Arrested Development" episodes, where Michael throws a bachelor party for Gob, and Gob tries to run the family accountant out of town by setting up a situation with a narcoleptic stripper and gallons of corn syrup and red food coloring. His plans are thwarted because of Buster's addiction to juice. It's so absurd and so sick and so ridiculously funny. Here's the unraveling of the scheme:

Fleet Foxes, take 2

2008-06-05T13:26:00.007-04:00

"White Winter Hymnal" from Fleet Foxes' new album reminds me of Panda Bear.

From The Yellow Stereo:

[original source]

The Fleet Foxes' album cover also reminds me of Panda Bear.

Fleet Foxes:
Panda Bear:

These are all good things. Seriously, listen to this album.

Fleet Foxes

2008-06-04T14:26:00.004-04:00

AOL is streaming the Fleet Foxes cd--definitely want to see them at the Middle East this month. Can't wait to listen to My Brightest Diamond, too (playing at Berklee this month).

In other news, Patrick wants to take on more debt to fund bridge maintenance and repair. Kudos for the bridge focus. However, 90% of my transportation class last semester recommended not taking on more debt and instead increasing the gas tax. No one listens.

I forgot to mention in my last post that I finally read Mountains Beyond Mountains, which tells the story of Paul Farmer and Partners in Health. I highly recommend it. It brought back a lot of memories of my own experience with an entrepreneurial, emerging international non-profit. Tough work, my friends.

oh, hi

2008-06-02T23:42:00.013-04:00

I've been busy--thus, no blogging. Not that it really matters, as I think this blog is going to bite the dust pretty soon.

I'll dispense with some quick notes before offering lots of photos, proving that I have indeed been a busy bee.

MUSIC NOTES:
Holy cow! A lot of big things have happened since I last wrote! Quickly... the second half of my interview with The Acorn is up. Mel.opho.be reviewed Beirut in Seattle---ACK! Too. jealous. for. words. High Places will be playing Boston in June... but Fleet Foxes the same night! How to decide? Coco Rosie's been busy! Sigur Ros! Sigur Ros! I can't stop listening to this guy. I'm the only one.

NY TIMES NOTES: (remember when I used to complain about the Times a lot?)
The Times is seriously off their meds. With the exception of this great article on one man bands, the Times has been ridiculous lately. First we had to suffer through a cover feature on blogger Emily Gould. Then the following week, Tyra Banks was on the cover. What?

OTHER RANDOM NOTES: Did you watch Lost? I mean, did you watch it? Crazy times.

Now that that's out of the way, let's recap my life in photos!

Memorial Day weekend, lots of family came to Boston to celebrate this little cutie's 1st birthday (my cousin's first kid).

We had so much fun. My sister flew in from Denver.

And the brother-in-law.

And aunts, uncles and cousins.

And the parents (on the left).

E was being so cute with the baby, so I took lots of photos.

See the rest of the birthday photos here.

After they all left, my sister, brother-in-law and I went to New York for the day. I got to hang out with my old college roommate! Holy cow, did you know the Met had a roof deck? Awesome!

Then E and I headed down to Wilmington, NC for four nights to hit the beach and attend the wedding of an old high school friend. It was such a lovely mini vacation, and we had a great time hanging out with high school friends. We shared a house on the beach with a couple of these clowns.

Right out of the airport, we passed by the studio where "Dawson's Creek" was and "One Tree Hill" is filmed. This totally made my day. Every time we passed a body of water (which was often), I would start singing "I don't wanna wait for my life to be over." Oh, on a related note: I'm pretty sure I walked by Joshua Jackson and Diane Kruger in Soho while on my New York trip.

When I spend time with high school friends, I'm amazed by how important they are to me despite the fact that we live far from one another and have all changed during the past ten years. Though life and our selves are so different, I still feel like they know me and I know them better than many others in my life. Of course, I went to a pretty unique high school (small, private), so friendships were unusually strong. Every time we're together, talk turns to doing some sort of communal, intentional living situation. It's tempting.

We had three full days on the beach--absolutely beautiful. I never wanted to leave the ocean. E loved the surfing, but he gets crazy surf burn. Eek! (One of my friend's photos.)

It was so laid back and nice to hang out with everyone, including the bride and groom, before the wedding. The groom, friends and family even went surfing the day of the wedding.

The wedding itself was really sweet. Bride and groom.

Groom and E (aww, I get so proud seeing my man with old friends).

The groom had a bet with our friend about who would be the first to marry (I think this went down at E and my wedding five years ago). Here's the ceremonial paying of the bet.

I love this photo. We don't always see eye to eye on political stuff with this friend, so looking at E's expression, I like to think he just said something really conservative.

Have you ever seen a more happy mother of the groom?

The groom picked all 80s music for dancing. At first we were kind of snooty about it (no James Brown, really?), but we realized we had to dance before the night ended. Look at the resigned expression on the left! This was when they ended with "Love is a Battlefield" and it was do or die. E, as always, takes one for the team and fully commits (exhibit E dancing with a unicorn at my sister's wedding).

Congrats to the happy couple!

See all the wedding photos here.

music catch up

2008-05-20T21:55:00.005-04:00

Devotchka at the Paradise

Random music notes:

E and I saw DeVotchKa at the Paradise on Sunday--absolutely amazing. The review should be on mel.opho.be soon [Ed.-here it is!]. NPR is streaming their show at the 9:30 club in DC. It's the same exact show as the Boston one. Nick doesn't even change the stage banter between songs.

* * *

Speaking of streaming, here you can listen to ScoJo's Anyway I Lay My Head, the long-awaited Tom Waits cover album. I love ScoJo. I hate this album so much, I want to smash my computer speakers against a wall.

* * *

Part 1 of the The Acorn interview is up.

* * *

Here's stereogum's coverage of the Beirut show in Brooklyn. On a somewhat related note, E and I went to Petit Robert Bistro tonight. The lobster bisque was too salty, but a Hendricks martini can make anything taste better. The maitre 'd looked just like Zach Condon. This totally made my day. During dinner, E and I debated who is better, Beirut or DeVotchKa? Though my recent blog obsession with Beirut would convince you otherwise, I sided with DeVotchKa. I love the polished, masterful performance of DeVotchKa. E likes the drunken, laid back, improv style of Beirut. I like it, too, but sometimes Zach's voice is a little too much for me to take. On the contrary, Nick Urata's voice sounds just like butter.

Stereogum has a video of Beirut's "Nantes" from the Brooklyn show here:

Flight of the Conchords show report

2008-05-17T10:31:00.003-04:00

Word from the sister in Denver is that the Flight of the Conchords show was awesome. To quote her: "they had some mess ups, and brett got a leg cramp, almost fell off his chair, that kind of stuff just makes it funny b/c they roll with it."

She alerted me to this new song, which is pretty funny--all about ex-girlfriends singing in a choir. This video's from my hometown Upper Darby, PA. I haven't been to the Tower since Counting Crows in 1999.

ESD#46: your weekend homework

2008-05-16T16:50:00.003-04:00

I have three questions for you, all of which I have not been able to answer, even with my superb internet research skills:

1. Does the sound that precedes the "Heroes" "previously on" montages come from Love Spit Love's cover of the Smiths' "How Soon is Now?" I believe the answer is yes. If so, I demand they get royalty checks so they can record again--though I believe I might be the only living and breathing Love Spit Love fan. [Ed.-Oh, snap! Hold on, now. Who knew Richard Butler's been doing solo work? Man, I will eat up anything this man produces.] on a related note...

2. Did McDonalds steal the beat behind the "I'm lovin' it" commercials from D'Angelo's "S.D.M.?"

3. Where can I get the 50 Cent Vitamin Water ad where he's reading the Wall Street Journal? The one they had plastered all over the subways?

NKOTB = B+

2008-05-16T13:19:00.004-04:00

I gotta hand it to them. They looked like they were having a lot of fun. And wearing suits was a great balance to the weirdness of singing songs and dancing moves meant for 15-year-olds. Contrary to my prediction, Jordan did not walk off the stage. But I think that's because they put him front and center and let him sing lead for most of the time. Joey only had "Please Don't Go Girl." Here's the clip:

3rd Beirut post in a row

2008-05-15T16:10:00.002-04:00

Here's the latest on Beirut. In the interview, Zach explains the Oaxaca inspired music. But more importantly, he says he's "going back soon."

I've been wanting to take E to Oaxaca forever. In fact, we've been mulling a summer trip to who knows where. I know where! I know where! Oaxaca's a small town, and Zach's a tall, skinny boy, so I think we could find him. The ex-pat arts community kind of sticks together down there, too. Holy cow, we gotta go! From The Stranger:

"I'm working on [a new album] right now as we speak. I went down to Mexico to do that, and I'm going back soon, after this tour—finishing what I've started."

Have you been hearing a lot of mariachi or norteño there?

Actually, it's not mariachi or norteño that I've been listening to. The story is this: I was going to do this soundtrack, but I ended up not doing it because they wanted more of a string quartet kind of feel and I couldn't do that. But the reference material they sent me was all from the far south of Mexico, in Oaxaca. It was all these bands that consisted entirely of Zapotec natives and they were all doing these kind of dirgey funeral marches with 17-piece brass bands. There was something so naive and martial in that music that I really fell in love with. It had nothing to do, actually, with mariachi or norteño. To be honest, it sounded more like what klezmer music is supposed to be or something. The raw exposed nerve of the music really struck a chord with me, maybe that will do it some justice."

Beirut tackling Oaxaca music?

2008-05-15T09:48:00.004-04:00

I think it's safe to say that it'll be another year or so before Beirut tours again. Read this article. And who am I kidding about going to NY this weekend? We're going to the DeVotchKa show on Sunday, and I don't want to miss that, not even for Beirut.

What's crazy about that article is that Zach talks about writing new songs based on some sort of Oaxacan music, though he never defines it by name. This is confusing to me. I've been to Oaxaca--it's one of my favorite places on earth. But I sure don't remember music being the highlight there. In fact, I attended an atrocious jazz concert where the band played (no joke) the Mario Brothers theme song. I did attend a lovely violin recital at the Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca. And I did watch some great music-filled wedding processions outside of Santo Domingo. But I don't remember any kind of unique Oaxacan music.

[Ed.-I realize that last paragraph was pretty ignorant. Like I don't know how to google? This article claims a "distinctive baroque cathedral music," which is sort of what I alluded to in my wedding processions comment and is certainly up Zach's alley.]

Well, my interest is piqued. Can't wait to see what Zach Condon comes up with next--though it looks like I might be waiting a long time.

BEIRUT! BEIRUT! BEIRUT!

2008-05-14T15:36:00.002-04:00

AAAAAHHHHH!!!!!

Beirut just scheduled a last minute show in Brooklyn.

I was planning a trip to NYC the following weekend, but I might have to reschedule to this weekend.

BEIRUT!

[from Brooklyn Vegan]

Montreal road trip - who's with me?

2008-05-14T12:36:00.005-04:00

It's settled. We have to go to the Montreal Jazz Fest to see Leonard Cohen. I don't even care if there are cheesy saxophones backing him. Who's with me?

Video from a recent show in New Brunswick via stereogum:

concert round-up

2008-05-14T12:18:00.003-04:00

Our week of being crazy rock stars has come to a close. I really hope to never see four shows in six nights again. Unless it's a full-time job. Quick synopses:

The Acorn
I interviewed The Acorn and reviewed their show at the Great Scott (the interview's not posted yet). Their latest album, which I've mentioned a couple times here, is fantastic. You haven't bought it yet? Buy it: Glory Hope Mountain.

After the show, I realized that early Acorn sounds a lot like Wheat (later stuff, not at all). Yes, the similarities do not end at their hard to google names. After further investigating my theory, I found out that Wheat is recording a new album! Kyle, you still read this blog? Hook a sister up with a mel.opho.be exclusive! They're your friends, no? Wheat recording gives me hope that the little indie bands you're afraid will quit ~~if they don't see much commercial success~~ actually do stick around after many, many years [Ed.-I said this all wrong. Wheat is actually pretty commercially successful. What I meant is that you don't expect indie bands to be able to support themselves after many years. OK, maybe I just said the same thing, but whatever].

Here's the comparison:

The Acorn - Blankets [from Kelp Records]
Wheat - Girl Singer [from Wheat's music archive, where you can download all their music for free (crazy, no?)]

El Perro del Mar, Lykke Li and Anna Ternheim
Word of advice: before seeing waif-like Swedish songstresses, do not eat at Redbones. As you find bits of crusted bbq sauce in the corners of your mouth while viewing tall, blonde Nordic goddesses, you will feel like a disgusting, American slob. But damn if those ribs weren't tasty!

E reviewed the show here, so now we're concert reviewing partners in crime. Awesome.

Death Cab for Cutie
I like Death Cab as much as the next person, but, man. It was boring as all get out. Honestly, isn't straight up rock 'n roll so boring? I wish Gibbard had played some Postal Service songs-then at least there would've been some quirky synthesizer/drum machine action.

Cut Copy + Black Kids
We had tons of fun at this show, despite it being a Monday night. It was kind of funny taking the T home with folks who left the Cure concert a block down the street at Agganis Arena. Fans of 80's legends and new New Wave all in one subway car. I'll let you know when my review is up at mel.opho.be.

4 more days...

2008-05-12T17:08:00.001-04:00

Four more days until New Kids on the Block perform on the Today Show. Can you stand it?! This video of them rehearsing with "Step by Step" as the soundtrack is absolutely hysterical. Jordan looks so miserable, like he might just walk out of the studio (which I predict he'll do on stage). At one point you can see two of them (I assume Donny and Danny) dancing with their pants below their white boxer shorts. It's so awesomely bad, guys. I can't wait.

ESD#45: tales from shopping

2008-05-12T13:16:00.003-04:00

On my lunch break today, I went to the Eddie Bauer Outlet to buy a nalgene bottle. I didn't find a bottle, but I was surprised by how much I liked the clothes. Paul Simon's Rhythm of the Saints was playing, and I thought how it's so odd that Vampire Weekend et.al. name drop Graceland, but don't acknowledge Rhythm of the Saints, which is one of my all-time favorite albums. As I stood there contemplating cargo pants and Paul Simon, I realized that I might be the most boring person on the planet. So I ran out of the store like I had diamonds on the soles of my shoes.

I went instead to the Army Navy surplus store, which made my inner 15-year-old shriek with glee. Memories of Ocean City New Jersey boardwalk shopping came flooding back to me. Snow Patrol was playing, so I guess Army Navy patrons are approximately 10% cooler than Eddie Bauer patrons. I found my bottle and debated whether buying E a Carhatt skull cap to match Luke's would be creepy or funny.

I hate shopping.

Nat Baldwin album review: Most Valuable Player

2008-05-06T21:12:00.000-04:00

I wrote a review of Nat Baldwin's latest album Most Valuable Player over here at mel.opho.be. But if you head over there, what you should really read is this review of Jimmy Cliff playing on a flippin' mountain in Switzerland! What?! And I thought it was cool when someone sang "The Harder They Come" at karaoke Saturday night. By the way, E and I stumbled upon the best Saturday night karaoke in town: Flann O'Brien's in Mission Hill.

taking a break from blogging

2008-05-05T08:28:00.002-04:00

I'm taking a week or two off from blogging, mostly because I'm attending and reviewing four concerts this week (I'll let you know when they're posted on mel.opho.be). Since I've heard that some of my friends (shockingly) heed my music advice, I'll leave you with a few thoughts to hold you over.

First, (Boston friends) come to these shows with me!

- The Acorn @ Great Scott, 5/7
This indie Ottawa band recently released a simply lovely album based on the life of the singer's mother. Through the vivid imagery of the lyrics and the integration of world sounds, Glory Hope Mountain creates a beautiful and touching narrative. And I hear they're great live, to boot!

- El Perro del Mar, Lykke Li @ Middle East Upstairs, 5/9
These Scandinavian songstresses have been hyped up everywhere else, and there's nothing more for me to add. Good opportunity to see some talented artists in a small space before they get more popular.

- Death Cab for Cutie, Bob Mould, P.O.T.U.S.A., et.al. @ Bank of America Pavilion 5/10
This is the Phoenix's/WFNX's big concert at the BOA Pavilion. I don't care too much about this show, but E scored us some free tix, so yea!? I do love Death Cab, though.

- Cut Copy, Black Kids, Mobius Band @ The Paradise, 5/12
This is sold out, but good luck on craigslist! I like all three bands, so I'm psyched. Sounds like Black Kids have finally outlived their grace period in the blog hype machine, but all will be forgiven when then play "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You." Cut Copy is awesome new wave dance music coming from Australia.

and then the following week.... Devotchka! Vaudeville fun! Can't wait! As of today, tickets are still available, which is kind of surprising. This show should be bananas. They had acrobats at Coachella. Acrobats!

Second, I started writing an involved essay about art folk and how artists use different stylistic techniques to create mood. I think I'm getting somewhere, but it'll take me awhile to finish it. The summary of it is:

- Some artists use vocals, but not necessarily lyrics, to create mood of place (place as a state of mind or emotion). I put Bon Iver, DM Stith and Timothy Dick in this category.
- Others use vocals and rhythm to create mood of physical place (think how certain music evokes images of mountains and open spaces). In this case, natural elements are often the characters or the storytellers. I put Great Lake Swimmers in this category.
- Other artists emphasize narrative, i.e., one subject's interaction with place. Rhythm and imagery-filled lyrics show this. The Acorn's Glory Hope Mountain falls under this category.
- And finally, some artists find meaning and create mood through storytelling, often through small interactions between subjects in the lyrics ala Hemingway. This is, of course, the great prophet Sufjan Stevens.

What I find interesting in trying to categorize these styles is thinking about why particular artists excel with their techniques. For example, members of The Acorn are visual artists, and likely are drawn to lyrics with vivid imagery. Likewise, Sufjan Stevens is a studied writer, thus excels at storytelling (witness his "Christmas Tube Socks" essay from the Christmas box set).

All this to say, hit up the links, and send me insight if you have it: pezbeth [at] hotmail [dot] com.

Finally, if you still can't think of a way to waste you time waiting for me to return, watch this video where crazy musical genius Devendra Banhart (whom I've never mentioned on this blog, but I discovered a few months ago) displays and comments on his vinyl collection. Thanks to popserious for the link, which is also a good time waster. From my understanding, it's a bunch of NY friends contributing theme-based columns to a collaborative blog, post- hipster salad days of 2004-2006 (AKA the Misshapes era), when many of them wrote popular individual blogs. My favorite post is this one, which serves as anecdotal proof to my theory that the graduation rate of Berklee is 0% (sorry, Berklee friends!).

ESD#44: wanted: harpsichord player

2008-05-03T16:25:00.004-04:00

Last night I dreamed that the Dirty Projectors hired me as a harpsichord player. I woke up thinking, "What's a harpsichord?" E played me some recordings, so now I know.

Sir Thomas Beecham was quoted describing the sound of the harpsichord as "two skeletons copulating on a tin roof." Seems a little harsh, no?

Timothy Dick's "Florence"

2008-05-02T15:22:00.005-04:00

By researching DM Stith as I mentioned here, I've hit a goldmine of beautiful art folk. Looking at his Myspace musician friends, one after another, I'm discovering absolutely stunning music.

Check out Timothy Dick and Dave Deporis, for example.

I can't last 10 seconds watching Dick's video for "Florence" without tearing up. The video is created by Timmy Gallogly, who edits public domain movies into a touching, haunting and captivating video.

Funny thing is, I recognize the bit between 2:00 and 3:00 from a Mystery Science 3000 episode I saw probably ten years ago. It was from a 1950s era commercial for either appliances or cars. The MST3000 guys watched it before a movie I can't recall.

ESD#43: fire!

2008-05-02T12:08:00.001-04:00

Oh, man! How awesome are boston.com's photos of these manhole fires in Harvard Square? Makes me sad I don't work there / live there anymore.

ESD#42: Happy May Day!

2008-05-01T18:36:00.005-04:00

It's International Workers' Day today. For most of the world, this is one of the most important holidays of the year. For Boston, one of the U.S.' largest metropolitan areas, we have this embarassingly small rally with some of the crappiest Guatemalan folk music I've ever heard (and I've heard a lot of crappy Guatemalan folk music).

When around the world there are major protests and even riots, Boston depends on these two police officers and their horses to keep the peace.

I'm certainly not the first to suggest this, but why doesn't the U.S. eliminate Labor Day, move Memorial Day to the first Monday in September, and make May 1st a national holiday? There must be a petition for this somewhere, but I'm too lazy to look. Just like I was too lazy to stop and participate in this rally.

DM Stith

2008-05-01T16:37:00.006-04:00

DM Stith's music sounds exactly like his photo looks. Ghostly, threatening, enthralling.

As they announce here, Asthmatic Kitty just signed seven new artists and are promoting their work through an AK muxtape along with a free download of the mix. Not surprisingly, I love it all, especially Ermasse Zopoula from Burkina Faso (then again, what West African music don't I like? [Ed.-Akon]), and DM Stith.

Regarding DM Stith, YOU MUST DOWNLOAD AK'S FREE MP3s. That ominous piano, those haunting vocals, that threatening violin--awesomely scary! Here they are:

DM Stith - Be My Baby
DM Stith - Thanksgiving Moon

There's a lot more to stream at DM Stith's MySpace page.

Santogold's "Creator"

2008-04-29T13:29:00.005-04:00

All the cool kids are drooling over Santogold's self-titled album, released today. I've heard four tracks, and I'm not really into it. Like the McCain daughters listening to the Dandy Warhols, I feel like I'm forcin' it when I try to be a fan ("it" being my presumed hipness). But I have to admit, the single "Creator" is awesome-impossible to listen to without dancing. Listen here:

[original source]

P.S. I read that she attended Germantown Friends School, which probably means I played her in field hockey - ha!

ESD#41: Mos for sale

2008-04-29T08:00:00.000-04:00

An evil, evil man offered E $800 for Mosley yesterday. I'll spare you all the creepy details.

Due to this disturbing experience, E was super playful and affectionate with Mos all night. So, it was no surprise when I found both of my pups curled up on the floor together sleeping.

Of course, now Mos owes us $800. Time to start acting in those Smoke Bulga videos!

Prince covers Radiohead's "Creep" (video)

2008-04-27T23:29:00.003-04:00

Everyone and their mom has posted this video of Prince covering Radiohead's "Creep" at Coachella. I'm posting this for my man and my sister, who, unlike me, don't read a million music blogs.

This is pretty amazing.

If I were Prince, I think I would've chosen "Airbag." I'm not really sure why; it just seems to suit him.

P.S. Is anyone still a little bitter that he didn't perform "Kiss" at the Super Bowl a couple years back?

Howard Zinn, take 2

2008-04-27T11:36:00.005-04:00

Thursday night, E and I saw Howard Zinn speak, as I promised here. Zinn and Mike Konopacki discussed their new graphic adaptation, A People's History of American Empire and included a screening of a short film (narrated by Viggo Mortensen) with images from the book. You can watch it here:

Of my many ideas for blogs far more entertaining and informative than this one, one of my favorites is a blog that reviews book readings either in the style of a rock concert or in the style of the author in question. I asked E to write a short one for Zinn, but I don't think he's going to do it. The rock concert style is easy, because look at the folks lined up to see this legend (round the block!).

Parodying Zinn's writing style is a bit more challenging, but I'm sure I could create some narrative around the class tensions of the audience. Of course, in reality, the entire audience consisted of wealthy, well-educated Cantabridgians. The Q&A, usually the time when self-aggrandizing audience members plug their latest venture or their own intelligence was surprisingly good.

New York friends, you should see Zinn on May 3rd at Cooper Union Great Hall at 1pm.

The National's "Start a War" (video)

2008-04-24T09:48:00.004-04:00

I know this is super old, but I'm just so darn excited about Vincent Moon's documentary of The National A Skin, A Night that I thought I'd throw this on the blog.

#40.3 - The National - Start a war
by lablogotheque

Dirty Projectors' "Rise Above" (video from MFA concert)

2008-04-24T09:00:00.005-04:00

Awesome! The Boston Phoenix has video of "Rise Above" from the Dirty Projectors concert at the MFA I went to back in March. So good. Congrats to these guys for being signed to Domino. They absolutely deserve all the praise being thrown at them right now.

Doves

2008-04-23T16:58:00.004-04:00

Instead of documenting new music I’ve been listening to, I thought I’d give a shout out to an old favorite.

Doves!*

Doves is allegedly coming out with a new album on 6/24. I say allegedly, because only a few people claim this, none of which are the Doves nor their label. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it’s true. It’s been three way too long years since Some Cities.

In February, Andy (the drummer) blogged, saying they’ve already recorded 5 tracks. He also posted adorable photos of his new baby. You know how all babies kind of look alike? His baby looks decidedly British.

Here are some of my favorite Doves tracks.

I thought to be super cheesy I’d add a countdown to the right column. Ha! Love it! Thanks to Matt for helping me with the code.

*! added by me. Considering how many bands these days add ! in the middle of their names, I thought it was necessary to explain. I kind of like the idea of a band name that includes an animal plus "!". Lemurs! Meerkats! Ants!

ESD#40: more political junk

2008-04-23T12:36:00.005-04:00

As many have pointed out (including me), the NY Times has been phoning it in lately. But they really hit the nail on the head today with this editorial that basically takes back their early endorsement of Hillary.

"The Pennsylvania campaign, which produced yet another inconclusive result on Tuesday, was even meaner, more vacuous, more desperate, and more filled with pandering than the mean, vacuous, desperate, pander-filled contests that preceded it.

Voters are getting tired of it; it is demeaning the political process; and it does not work. It is past time for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton to acknowledge that the negativity, for which she is mostly responsible, does nothing but harm to her, her opponent, her party and the 2008 election." more...

Baracky

2008-04-23T11:47:00.002-04:00

It may be tearing apart the Democratic Party, but at least this highly contested race is good for humor.

Patriot's Day

2008-04-21T22:54:00.004-04:00

With one hour of Patriot's Day to go, I just found these photos of some of my favorite patriots. At the time, I think we were going for "high school graduation photos," but I think the patriot theme works just as well. Here's my man and my cousins.

El Perro del Mar, A.A. Bondy

2008-04-21T10:08:00.003-04:00

And here continues my promotion of new albums streaming on AOL's Spinner. El Perro del Mar (come see her at the Middle East with me in May!*) and A.A. Bondy. Good stuff, friends.

*All the cool kids are hyping up her upcoming tour with Lykke Li--it should be awesome.

Eddie Vedder's "I am a Patriot"

2008-04-21T08:34:00.004-04:00

It's Patriot's Day AKA Boston Marathon Day. For those of you non-Boston folk, you should know that it's a holiday here. So in honor of this day, and with apologies to my British father, let's listen to Eddie Vedder's "I Am a Patriot," the version performed at the Nader rally at Madison Square Garden, which I attended in a more naive period in my life, as I wrote about here.

[original source]

The Acorn's "Low Gravity"

2008-04-20T10:04:00.004-04:00

To put it mildly, I'm a wee bit obsessed with Glory Hope Mountain, the latest album from The Acorn. It honestly makes me a little weepy when I listen to it.

I just can't believe this Ottawa-based band hasn't been hyped up like crazy since SXSW. If ever there were a hype worthy band, it's The Acorn. We'll see what happens when they hit NYC in a couple of weeks. Can't wait to see them in Boston on 5/7!

Here's my favorite track "Low Gravity."

[original source]

Robert Reich, take 2

2008-04-18T07:03:00.004-04:00

If I was being serious when I claimed that Robert Reich is my president (which I kind of was), then it's settled. I'm rooting for Obama. Reich is endorsing him today on his blog. It's kind of shocking. See the report here.

"30 Rock": Alec or Billy?

2008-04-18T06:43:00.005-04:00

On "30 Rock" last night, Tracy electrocutes himself while listening to "We Didn't Start the Fire." As Billy Joel repeats "Nixon, Nixon, Nixon..." Tracy dreams that Richard Nixon is convincing him to join the Republican Party.

It was a really fun scene, but....

Did anyone else think that when Alec Baldwin's character became Richard Nixon, he just looked like Billy Baldwin? Anyone?!

Gnarls Barkley's "Elpuoc Ddo"

2008-04-17T18:48:00.002-04:00

To quote my friend Luke: "Wait, wait, listen, guys! He's singing backwards! Backwards! It's genius!" He says this every time we listen to ODB's "Shimmy Shimmy Ya" (which surprisingly is quite often).

Gnarls Barkley is likewise offering their album Odd Couple backwards for free download here. And like ODB, it's genius.

Beirut's "Gulag Orkestar"

2008-04-17T15:46:00.004-04:00

Shhh... don't tell E, but I just bought Beirut's Gulag Orkestar (an album we already own) on vinyl. This is probably one of the most pretentious things I've done all week, up there with suggesting we see !!! when they come to Boston next month (oh, yes; that's not a typo, but their name, usually pronounced "chk chk chk"). [Ed.--I also forgot to mention criticizing a good non-profit. That was pretty pretentious, too.]

So now E and I are even after he paid a ridiculous amount for the Radiohead's In Rainbows download.

I made you a mix-tape #6

2008-04-17T11:02:00.003-04:00

My second muxtape. Listen here. Listen to my first muxtape here. Artists includes:

Andrew Bird
Your Vegas
Lupe Fiasco
Jack Penate
LCD Soundsystem
Islands
The Black Lips
DeVotchKa
Mobius Band
Sigur Ros

Enjoy!

ESD#39: Robert Reich is my president

2008-04-16T17:36:00.003-04:00

Boston is a small town--so small that I recognize certain strangers I see on a regular basis. Not exactly a stranger, but about weekly I walk by a young guy who was a guest speaker for my Transportation Policy class. I think he’s an aide in the Patrick Administration or something.

Every time I see him, I’m sort of overcome by a feeling of bitterness, because he’s just one of those guys. Those guys. He’s maybe 6’4” with broad shoulders and dark hair. He has a deep voice and is always impeccably dressed. And my bitter, bitter heart assumes that life has served him everything on a silver platter, because he just looks so damn presidential.

And as crazy as this sounds, I think this perspective affects my view of the current election (though I recognize that heart almost always trumps reason in people’s voting patterns). I believe that far more radical than electing a woman or a black man is electing someone who looks like Robert Reich (and, yes, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention his height). And the fact that Hillary Clinton dated Reich in college totally endears her to me. Of course, she did end up marrying the far more presidential looking man.

ESD#38: it is as it was

2008-04-16T17:20:00.003-04:00

With the risk of being overly generous, I thought the Boston Globe's top headline today was absolutely brilliant. In regards to the Pope's U.S. visit, the headline read:

A hearty welcome, a contrite tone

It pithily sums up both the event and the underlying motivation for it.

If the editors had slightly reworded it to "A gracious welcome, a contrite spirit," it would have neatly summed up all of Christian theology, too.

WuChess

2008-04-16T17:06:00.005-04:00

So who wants to write the screenplay for the inevitable inspirational teacher / inner city students film version of RZA's latest endeavor?

From WuChess:

"WuChess is a new online chess + hip-hop community that will offer live game play, chat rooms, tournaments, lessons and exhibitions featuring RZA and special guests.

WuChess will donate a large part of revenue to the Hip-Hop Chess Federation to fund scholarships."

Sigur Ros' "Hoppipolla"

2008-04-16T12:22:00.006-04:00

As I mentioned way back when, our friend Ivan sent us an awesome mix, which among many things, introduced us to Andrew Bird and got M.I.A. stuck in our heads for days. i-tunes didn't recognize any details for the last track, so for weeks I've been listening to this song thinking, "What is this beautiful craziness?"

So today I had the wisdom to google "band made up language" (I'm totally serious) and immediately figured out it was Sigur Ros.

So now Sigur Ros is tied with Dirty Projectors for music I find most mesmerizing. I'm kind of obsessed.

Here's Hoppipolla:

On a related subject, I think shoegazing is my new favorite ridiculous music genre name. Cocteau Twins was a trailblazer in the genre, and they share a producer with M83, so Cocteau Twins is my new artist to investigate.

CocoRosie

2008-04-16T10:15:00.004-04:00

Over the past couple days, I've been listening to a lot of ambient, electronica stuff. I'm really diggin' the new M83 album and hope to see them in a few weeks at the Middle East. I even listened to Tangerine Dream, getting a little nostalgic for my high school art class days (can't beat the Legend Soundtrack!).

My new favorite is CocoRosie. Here's a playlist:

Busta Rhymes, take three (last one, I promise!)

2008-04-15T12:51:00.003-04:00

Here's our final confirmation that we all need to collectively agree to stop listening to Busta Rhymes. I promise this is the last Busta post. Unless the guy kills someone or cries on The Oprah Winfrey Show or something.

One caveat, though: "Woo-Hah" will still remain in my top three start up songs when I play for the big leagues. Oh what was that you asked? The other two? That would be Beatnuts' "Watch Out Now" and Shyne's "Bad Boys." And if all those fail, I'll take Black Rob's "Woah," which is really the poor man's "Bad Boys."

Via Vibe Magazine via Nah Right:

"After signing with Dr. Dre’s Aftermath Entertainment in 2004—this after selling more than four million records during a 10-year run at Elektra and a brief stint with J Records—Busta shed his dreads, shaving them in a ceremonious video clip.

“It was time to get fresh and new,” he said at the time. But when he lost his hair, he lost something else, too— his vibrant, playful persona. He was also bulking up, prompting speculation that he might be on steroids. Busta was going gangsta, at least according to his lyrics and the headlines.

Ramirez’s murder seemed to complete Busta’s transformation. Even the threat of a grand jury subpoena couldn’t get him to talk. He was defiant, but the cops stayed on his case, and he seemed to be cracking under the stress."

Last Night's Concert: Rogue Wave

2008-04-14T23:22:00.007-04:00

Crappy photo. The good ones are at mel.opho.be.

E and I saw Rogue Wave at the Paradise on Friday. I wrote a review and took photos for my new favorite Boston-based music site mel.opho.be. Read it here.

A personal anecdote not included in the review? I know 28 is not that old. But it sure feels old when you're standing behind a bunch of 18-year-olds and the club plays Chemical Brothers' "Setting Sun" and Portishead's "Sour Times." Because when E and I started singing while the young folk looked on incredulously, we realized that those songs were popular when we were 18. And these whippersnappers don't even know them. Aaack!

More thoughts from the weekend....

I had a personal breakthrough Saturday night while attending a fundraiser for a certain non-profit popular with the hipster crowd. After seven years of working for non-profits, I sort of over analyze how non-profits market their work and wrestle with my own involvement with it. Despite the fact that this event was helping a wonderful organization and there was a really fun vibe to it, certain things about it rubbed me the wrong way.

After they completed the program part of the night and the event turned into a (no joke) hipster dance party, I was borderline anxiety-attack and was like, "we need to get the hell out of here."

But here's where the breakthrough comes in. I suddenly realized, hey, I'm in a room with lots of fun people, good music, dancing, and free beer, and (most of) the people are here to celebrate the great work this organization is doing in my community. So why don't I just get over myself and have fun? And I did. So, yea, personal breakthrough!

P.S. I've written about 90% of a Wu-Tang essay touching on this theme, but I can't bring myself to finish it. There are about four other 90% completed Wu-Tang essays. Does anyone really care about these essays? How has this blog become all about music and random personal anecdotes? I really intended for this blog to motivate me to write essays. Ugh.

I'll probably stop blogging soon or change styles. Though, my sister asked me not to stop, since it's the most up-to-date we've been on each other's lives in years.* Maybe I'll just change the blog to "notes to my sister."

*Though, um, sis, I don't think I've told you I decided not to enroll in my grad program. Woops. More on that later.

The Kooks' "Konk"

2008-04-14T13:21:00.007-04:00

As is my habit, I'm directing you over to AOL's Spinner to ~~stream~~ [all expired] a new release. This time it's The Kooks. Super fun, British poppy goodness.

I'm sad (for me) that their Paradise show sold out so quickly (also, I REALLY want to see opener The Morning Benders).

The Tristan Prettyman album is good, too, but at the moment, I find folk music to be excrutiatingly boring. If you feel otherwise, you should ~~check it out~~ [Ed.-Woah, that was fast. Prettyman is already gone. But they added Phantom Planet (so good!) and The Duke Spirit (so good!)].

[Ed.-Sorry, can I just promote one more album that's on Spinner right now? M83. Melodic, ambient, French electronica. Pretty, pretty stuff. They're playing the Middle East in a couple of weeks. Hmmm...]

Beirut moment of the day

2008-04-14T08:32:00.000-04:00

Beirut is the Soundtrack of My Life Moment of the Day*: a crazy lady on the street was dramatically marching in place perfectly in time to "Nantes" as it played on my ipod. Awesome!

In honor of this moment, let's watch one of my favorite Takeaway shows, "Nantes".

*In case anyone was dying to know what happened with my plan to get Beirut played during the Vancouver Winter Olympics, they shut down ice skating on the Frog Pond a couple days after I wrote that post. Oh well.

And while we're on the subject of post updates, the movie being filmed in Boston is "The Proposal" with Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock. Totally boring, except the fact that Ryan Reynolds is dating ScoJo, and she's been visiting him while he films. ScoJo!!!

A.A. Bondy's "There's a Reason"

2008-04-12T08:51:00.005-04:00

I'm really lovin' A.A. Bondy, who performed on Conan O'Brien last night. Great folksy, rootsy stuff for people who don't normally love folksy, rootsy stuff, e.g., me.

Here's "There's a Reason":

[original source]

Busta Rhymes, take two

2008-04-11T12:48:00.003-04:00

In a very odd coincidence, Busta Rhymes gave his first full interview regarding the death of his bodyguard the day I wrote this rant about it. Hmm… I didn’t know I was so influential in the hip-hop community.

For reasons I can’t explain, I listened to all ten minutes of this interview. And for further reasons I can’t explain, I transcribed some of it:

"It’s not about me not cooperating with the police. I can’t talk about things I didn’t see… I don’t know if people want me to make up a lie…

The no snitch thing… people get the concept of snitchin and not snitchin confused… snitchin is when you’re involved with a crime and you tell on somebody else who was with you to save your own ass. If you’re a victim of a situation and you tell, that don’t make you a snitch.

So just for the record, I have no reason not to tell if I knew the truth, because I wasn’t involved with that crime… If I knew who did that to my man, I would gratefully tell.

If you did something to someone I love… if I told the police or not… I would find you and you would be dealt with accordingly… That’s not snitching. That’s dealing with shit accordingly… Do something to me, I’m going to do it back."

OK, Busta. We understand what snitching is. There’s no confusion. Snitching is what Shyne should have done to get P. Diddy’s ass thrown in jail instead of his own. But then he would have lost his recording career, and would have gotten himself killed the second he was a free man. Good thing he converted to Judaism and is now part of the royal Belize family.

No one is accusing you of not snitching in that sense.

What we take issue with is the idea that you weren’t “involved with the crime.” Sure you didn’t physically witness the crime with your own eyes. However, it’s safe to assume that if someone killed your bodyguard outside of a studio that contained your entire crew, that someone had a problem with YOU. And you know who that someone is. And you should have gone to the police with that information.

You asked what the people want from you. That’s what we want. Plain and simple.

What we don’t want? Eye for an eye. This goes directly against what you claim in this video--that Izzy didn't die in vain, because the video is about unity. Unity is ending the cycle of violence, which you're clearly not willing to do.

ESD#37: return of the tub-ohs!

2008-04-10T13:48:00.006-04:00

It's 70 degrees in Boston right now. And that means...

RETURN OF THE TUB-OH CHAIRS!

E and I bought four of these things at IKEA, and after realizing they were the greatest invention of our time, bought four more.

Time to drag these mother-uckers up on the roof for the first impromptu roof deck party of the season.

Here's a collection of photos of the tub-ohs at their finest (a bbq / jazz concert from last year).

Hon, have you seen all of Anna's photos? There are some hilarious ones of the kids on the mic. I can't remember... what was the song they performed? Man, these photos are making me excited for the summer. I love my neighborhood so much.

Busta Rhymes' "Touch It (remix)"

2008-04-09T21:26:00.007-04:00

There are so many things I need to say about this video.

First and foremost, how is it possible that I've never heard this remix? It's no secret, that I love, love, LOVE this song despite the fact that I vowed to stop listening to Busta Rhymes after he refused to cooperate with the police after his bodyguard was shot and killed. Which brings me to...

Second, this is the video that was being filmed when Busta's bodyguard Israel Ramirez was killed outside the studio. Busta takes the first 40 seconds to dedicate the video to Ramirez. I am in no way questioning Busta's sincerity in his deep sorrow related to the death of his friend, a father of three young children. However, it's despicable--DESPICABLE--that he claims that Israel did not die in vain, because this video is about unity in the hip-hop community. Putting Mary J. Blige, Missy Elliot, Rah Digga, Papoose, Lloyd Banks and DMX in a room together is not unity.

You know what unity is, Busta? It's admitting to your contribution to needless violence, committing to making amends for your actions, and cooperating with the police when you're a witness to a murder.

Phew. OK, let's get superficial.

- This song is GENIUS! and begging for a remix. Why did it not get more airplay?

- It is also no secret that I'm obsessed with stepping. Little known fact about E? He coached the step squad at his last school. Thus, the intro to this video is awesome.

- Mary J. Blige is freakin' amazing in this.

- I love Missy, but I hate it when she compares herself to more typically beautiful women. "Like I have Beyonce Hips." "Like I could be like Nia Long." Ugh. You do this in EVERY. SONG.

- I love it when Lloyd Banks "turns it up." This is the most energy Lloyd Banks has ever shown in a song.

- Who the hell is Papoose? Am I really this out of touch with music? [Ed.--explained in the comments.]

- DMX? Really? REALLY?

- Why is Sean Paul in this video if he doesn't perform? [Ed.--I think he's there, because there's a ten minute version of this song with even more artists. I can't get my hands on it, though.]

Black Kids' "Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover"

2008-04-09T20:46:00.003-04:00

Ridiculous. Can't wait to see these guys in a couple weeks. Ignore the poor grammar, and cue memories of Dylan and Kelly kissing on the beach while Brenda was in Paris.

P.S. Do you think anyone will watch the new 90210? Isn't Gossip Girl enough?

From Pardon My Memory:

[original source]

good vs. bad live hip-hop

2008-04-09T14:00:00.004-04:00

RZA’s a producer, not a rapper. Not to get all controversial here, but I’m not the first to say it.

Nevertheless, I’m kind of intrigued about his upcoming tour. He’s skipping Boston, so I’d have to road trip. This is further tempting, because the Trocadero in Philly would be perfect for RZA’s crazy shit. Then again, I haven’t been to the Troc in probably, uh, 12 years? It may have changed.

To make a huge generalization here, it’s difficult for hip-hop to be good live. So I’ve come up with guidelines for good and bad live hip-hop.

Three ways to make live hip-hop good:

1. Live band. Think: The Roots. You can’t deny the supporting beats of ?uestlove and the diverse group of back-up vocals. Due to their collective musical genius, they get a little too experimental live (honestly, I think I once suffered through a 20 minute bass solo in “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”, but that’s when you go use the bathroom). However, they balance it with crowd-pleasing medleys of old-school hip-hop classics. I saw The Roots (or 80% of the Roots) back up Jay-Z, and the live band had a similar enhancing effect.

2. One mic freestylin’ + simple back beat. Think: Akrobatik. No pretensions here. Just showcasing the artist’s undeniable rhyming ability and love of the craft.

3. Insanely huge production that makes you forget what clowns the artists are. Think: this P-Diddy / Usher / Busta Rhymes / Pharrell performance from MTV’s 2002 Video Music Awards (note: "Pass the Courvoisier" starts at 2.45):

Two ways to make live hip-hop bad:

1. One guy + DJ pretending to mix it up, but really he just pressed play on the artist’s last album. Think: Common and Lupe Fiasco. Much, much love to you guys, but really now. Step it up. Q-Tip might be the exception to this. He’s just so damn charming and full of energy, and his beats are classic.

2. Huge ensemble who have never practiced as a group and have smoked enough weed to kill a horse. Do I have to tell you? I’ve only seen them live in videos, but man. Wu-Tang is incredibly painful to watch.

ESD#36: what's in a name?

2008-04-08T21:30:00.009-04:00

The border of Lower Roxbury, a Boston neighborhood of questionable existence, and which neither the South End nor Roxbury has completely claimed as its own.

E requested this post. Hopefully I'll do justice to what I assume he wanted me to say.

There was a shooting last night a couple blocks from our house. As usual, the Boston Globe and Boston Herald reported it differently.

The Globe reported that a black man was shot in Roxbury at a public housing development.

The Herald reported that a man (no mention of race) was "gunned down" in an "ambush" in the South End (no mention of the type of residence).

The cynical interpretation of this difference is quite simple. The Globe's readers, who are upper middle class, want to hear that violence is contained within the black community of Roxbury, a neighborhood where most readers would not consider moving to. The Herald, which is far more sensational, wants to report that violence occurs in a wealthy neighborhood; also, there's particular resentment of the South End considering a long history of racial strife and aggressive gentrification.

In all fairness, I don't know how the papers received their information or their policies on reporting victims' identities. But a likely scenario is that they received a Boston Police Department notice with the address in D4: South End/Roxbury, and they made their own choice of how to report it.

The question of whether our neighborhood is South End or Roxbury is a complicated one for many historical, social and political reasons. So I've decided to take inventory of various views. Here's the quick summary, with explanations to follow.

Where is 2 Lattimore Ct. (scene of the crime)? According to...

City of Boston, Dept. of Neighborhood Development: SOUTH END

City of Boston, Redevelopment Authority: SOUTH END (but... read below)

City of Boston, Housing Authority: ROXBURY (but... read below)

U.S. Post Office: unclear

Google Maps: SOUTH END

The People: mixed opinion

Further explanation...

Boston, DND: SOUTH END. The address falls under the DND South End profile and map. The historical context of this is that during urban renewal in the 1950s and 1960s, the State planned to put I-95 through Boston and prepared the way by clearing the majority of my neighborhood of houses and businesses. What was then known as "Lower Roxbury" was intended to be erased from the map. After years of aggressive community protest, the plan was canceled and what remains are some small clusters of single family row homes (where I live) and subsidized housing. With the urban renewal plan, the DND South End map's southern boundary was Melnea Cass Blvd., encompassing all of Lower Roxbury, because the latter would no longer exist. The DND hasn't updated the map since the plan was canceled.

BRA: SOUTH END. The census, a publication of the BRA, includes our neighborhood in the South End. However, The Roxbury Strategic Master Plan includes our neighborhood, with the historically accurate label of Lower Roxbury.

Boston Housing Authority: ROXBURY (kind of). The shooting occurred at Lenox / Camden, whose address, according to the BHA, is in Roxbury. However, their map shows it within the border of the South End.

U.S. Post Office: unclear. The address of the crime falls under 02118; about 90% of 02118 is unquestionably part of the South End. All of what once is / was called Lower Roxbury falls under 02118 except the small cluster of single family homes where I live. This is why I have to walk two miles to the post office in Mission Hill and why technically my address is "Roxbury Crossing", which is actually not a perceived neighborhood at all. The Roxbury Crossing zip code is Mission Hill plus a small group of homes behind Roxbury Community College. With the USPS zip code finder, searching for the address with "Boston" returns Boston, 02118; but searching with "Roxbury" returns Roxbury, 02118.

Google Maps: SOUTH END. The search returns "Boston". If you search for the address with Roxbury, it returns "Boston (near Roxbury)."

The People: divided. The most simplistic summary of opinions is that those who feel a historical connection to Lower Roxbury (very few) consider it as such. Those who are concerned with neighborhood perception related to real estate values prefer the South End label. This came to a head recently when some neighbors pushed for getting permit parking in our neighborhood, presumably knowing that the City would put up South End signs. We expected to hear more protest from the old school folks, but in the end, some of them liked the idea of having South End parking stickers, because parking in the South End is so difficult. In the end, we did get permit parking, and they do say South End.

And then there are people like E and I who are just trying not to be part of the problem, but because of our income level, are inevitably part of the problem.

Like I said, it's complicated.

ESD#35: Boston movies

2008-04-08T12:08:00.004-04:00

Best. Philip. Seymour. Hoffman. Cameo. Ever.

Someone is filming a movie today on the Common--or at least, that's where the trailers and catering are. I'm excited, because if they're filming on the Common, that likely means that Boston is prominently featured.

On the other hand, I walked by a trailer with a sign that read "Buster's in here. Don't open the door." Hmmm. This smells of a romantic comedy featuring a cute little cockapoo. Maybe I should open the door a crack, come back in a few hours with Mosley, and be like, "Hey guys, casting for a pit bull mix that likes to sigh a lot?" [Ed.--Who am I kidding? Mos' only chance to be in film is auditioning for a Smoke Bulga video.]

As much as I love movies featuring Boston, it's a bit distracting to watch. Here are some geographical inaccuracies from my two favorite Boston based movies "Gone Baby Gone" and "Next Stop Wonderland".

Gone Baby Gone (from the scene filmed down the street from me):

- Haitian druglords do not operate on Shawmut Ave. There's plenty of other unsavory operations here, but ~~Blue Hill~~ Hyde Park Ave. is more popular with the Haitian community. To be fair, I don't think they explicitly mentioned the neighborhood.

Next Stop Wonderland

- No one goes on a date along the East Boston waterfront. And if they did, they wouldn't then walk home to the Back Bay. What did you do, walk through the tunnel? Swim?

- If you work in the medical district, The Burren in Davis Square is not your after work watering hole. So you all hopped on the 47 and transferred to the red line? I doubt it. You'd all be at Boston Beer Works.