to our hearts we swagger and sway

Howdy! It is a lazy saturday morning, I should have gone to work but I overslept and just called off..I just have needed a break from there as of late. This weekend Kelly is gone she is in Chi-town holdin it down. Last night I did not make a post I was too tired and felt uninspired. This morning I do not feel the same, I feel inclined to share what I just discovered. I just stumbled upon this artist, Thao Nguyen, She is the perfect music for a lazy saturday.

She has an acoustic, folk, bluesy thing going on. Her myspace page says she was once described as "if edie brickell and cat power had a baby, and you woke it up, and it was still sleepy, and you got it to sing." I would have to agree, I thought of Eddie Brickell as soon as i heard her voice and alittle bit of Fiona Apple. Her voice it is very soothing and yet draws you in at the same time. She sights her influences as Lucinda Williams,Beth Orton and Cowboy Junkies and you can hear them in her songs.

(MP3) - Hills

(MP3) - We

MySpace Page

buy her record - Like the linen

God Bless Bloc Party

So, Jose received the Bloc Party dvd, God Bless Bloc Party for his v-day gift. We are watching it right now, enjoying its awkward interviews and great live performances. Unfortunatley, we don't know what it is like to see them live, cuz they have no love for C-town. Although, we hope they play Lollapalooza 2006 -- speaking of which, their line-up should be announced fairly soon. In addition to viewing this dvd, we feel that it would provide an excellent soundtrack to a party. Some people might have had some negative responses to this dvd, most likely because it is not truly a documentary. However, it does provide some insight into who Bloc Party really is.

[Trailer]

[Mp3] Bloc Party - Banquet (The Streets Mix, from Two More Years Single)
[Mp3] Bloc Party - Tulips (Club Mix, from Tulips 12")

Amina

After seeing Amina open for Sigur Ros this past Sunday, we both felt compelled to spread the word. This Quartet is best described by Billboard as "the string section and supporting group for post-rock act Sigur Rós, that draws from an arsenal including table harps, bells, glockenspiels, vibraphone, music box, glassophone (which is, in essence, wine glass-playing), harmonium and Iceland's native skranjolin during live performances."

We would have liked to link to their myspace page, but unfortunately they don't have one yet -- although, hopefully they'll get on the ball soon. It was very impressive to see Amina perform, delicately playing a variety of instruments -- Jose particularly liked their use of the saw. We each have a permanent vision of them in their mod red dresses. If you are lucky enough to see Sigur Ros on this tour, be sure to get there early enough to see them.

Check out this interview and song:

[Mp3] Amina - Hemipode Highly Recommended

Buy Amina's EP, Animamina

and/or

Download from RegnYouth

Fire!!

Tuesday night was spent at Fire, a superb restaurant located in Shaker Square, where we had the privilege to participate in their special Valentine's Day "Comparative Tasting." Both of us were, without a doubt, the youngest people there but met some highly entertaining characters nonetheless. The wine and food were absolutely phenomenal -- especially the first glass, which was a California Sparkling Wine: Schramsberg mirabelle and the last course: a Meringue and Custard Pavlova. The most memorable part of the evening was a spirited discussion about preference of screw cap vs. cork -- please feel free to voice your opinion (we know there have to be at least a few wine lovers reading!).

[Mp3] Jason Collett - Fire

[Mp3] Longwave - There's a Fire

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hope that everyone enjoys their Valentine's Day -- whether or not you have an actual valentine, this "holiday" is always a good excuse to pamper yourself and indulge on all kinds of candy.

[mp3] Ash - Candy A catchy, old-school sounding favorite by an always fabulous Brit-pop band

[mp3] My Bloody Valentine - Sometimes A haunting song that never fails to give chills

Tonight!

This evening we have the pleasure of seeing Sigur Ros perform at the Allen Theatre located within the Playhouse Square Center in downtown Cleveland. Playhouse Square is known for being the largest group of theaters outside of Broadway in the US. We found the above picture from Sigur Ros's Flickr account, where you can check out more for yourself here.

[mp3] Thursday - Ny Batteri (Sigur Ros Cover) We hope to hear the original tonight, but think the cover is great

Speaking of Thursday, apparently they are leaving their cocoon and going on tour with Minus the Bear (new album out May 2nd). Check out this cool animated video of one of our favorite MTB songs: Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Warehouse.

Ahh. . .Nostalgia

Lately we have been immersing ourselves in My So-called Life dvds, which has been a nice blast from the past. It has been highly amusing remembering the fashion, slang, music, culture, and just the overall essence of that era. Feel free to let us know your thoughts on this show -- it's definitely worth revisiting.

[mp3] My So-Called Life - Theme

[mp3] Juliana Hatfield - Make it Home

[mp3] Madder Rose - Dropped a Bomb

PS - if somebody happens to have the Buffalo Tom song, "Late at Night", could you please send it to us? (Jose is particularly fond of it) Thanks, Brad!

Mas Vino!

VINum Cellars - Chard-No-Way

Jose stumbled upon this wine a couple weeks ago at Heinen's and was drawn to the uniqueness of the label and title. That particular evening we enjoyed the wine with our take-out sushi from Mr. Teriyaki (yum!). Being a white wine, it complimented the seafood excellently. You know that this wine must be hot because we just did a quick search for it a moment ago and found that it is out of stock everywhere.







Twin Fin - Pinot Grigio

We were introduced to this wine while at a Tasting last year, being told that it should appeal to our demographic (hence the screw cap and snazzy vintage logo). Last weekend we quickly drank this bottle with Erin before going to her engagement party. It was a great first glass because it is so light and crisp. We drank this with a soft brie cheese, crackers, and red grapes. Also, check out Twin Fin's Pinot Noir, which we remember enjoying a few months back.










Dog House - Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet

We have enjoyed a variety of Dog House's wine, our favorite being their Cabernet. Not only do they make excellent wine, they also donate to a great cause -- Guide Dogs for the Blind. These wines are consistantly good and very easy on your wallet (usually priced at $9.99). It is difficult to decide whether we prefer the screw cap to the cork -- there is something to be said for each, what do you think? Either way, if the wine tastes good, we're happy.

Recent Flicks

Within recent weeks we have been taking advantage of our dvd collections, below are just a few (of the many) reasons why we have been so vacant:

The Beat My Heart Skipped

The Classic Tale of a struggling artist forced to choose between Passion and Obligation. Based off the American 70's film, Fingers, (starring Harvey Keitel) retold in a present day Paris. If you can get past subtitles (or you are fluent in French) it is definitely worth a viewing. Unfortunately, Kelly fell asleep within the first 15 minutes, but she was tired so we won't blame it on the movie being boring.


[Trailer]



Match Point

Our favorite movie of this year (although technically of 2005), hands down. A Woody Allen film where, fortunately, he did not cast himself! This film of Allen's makes up for how God awful Melinda and Melinda was, primarily because Match Point incorporated a lot of irony and superb acting (especially the breakout performance by Jonathan Rhys-Meyers). This is a film where things truly are not what they seem.

[Trailer]



Brokeback Mountain

A beautifully directed movie (by the great director, Ang Lee) with a phenomenal score (See Raw Like Sashimi's Post). We recommend seeing this movie for the imagery alone -- not to mention the breathtaking music and performances. It truly is a film that people will not soon forget (we know Jose's dad won't!).




[Trailer]


Three Colors: White

We are in the midst of viewing the Trilogy, titled Three Colors: Blue, White, and Red, starting with the middle film which is often referred to as the most "light hearted." This highly regarded trilogy is directed by the polish visionary, Krzysztof Kieslowski. Julie Delpy (Before Sunset, Killing Zoe) stars as the vindictive ex-wife who has no idea what is in store for her. Karma's a Bitch! Both of us were drawn to these films with high expectations which have already been exceeded by White alone.

JT Leroy

Today Blogger is being an a**hole which is making us a little angsty. . .not to mention that we are feeling taken aback by the recent confirmation that JT Leroy is, in fact a WOMAN. If you do not know who JT Leroy is, you can familiarize yourself with his alleged story in this article (dated fall of last year) and official website. JT Leroy's most notable works include, Sarah: A Novel and The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things, both of which earned tremendous critical acclaim.

JT Leroy is friends with many celebrities, including Stephan Jenkins and Vanessa Carlton, who both were interviewed by "him" in Interview Magazine:

Stephan Jenkins Interview

Vanessa Carlton Interview

[mp3] The All-American Rejects - Dirty Little Secret For Akbar ;)

[mp3] Math and Physics Club - Everybody Lies