take a look

Today like all other days as of late we are quite busy. Kelly today has her sister erin's shower which is ongoing right now and then later tonight her batchelorette party downtown. Tonight I have my parents 30th anniversary party to attend which means I cannot see Bears opening for Camera Obscura @ The Grog Shop tonight. I feel bad we have missed two straight Bears shows now, I hope we can make it to the next one. Since we cannot go you all should go out to the grog tonight and cheer on our indie poppers Bears open for the great Scottish indie pop band Camera Obscura. Be sure to check out Bradley's Almanac where you can download a recent Camera Obscura performance in Boston.

Camera Obscura - Lloyd I'm ready to be heart broken

A reason to smile

As you can see we have been quite busy as of late. We have been meaning to post but just have not had the time. We have been busy spending alot of time with my sister (Becky) and my brother in law Paul who are in town from Dublin, Ireland. They will be leaving next week which is too bad becuase they are going to miss Phoenix with The French Kicks On Tuesday @ The Beachland Ballroom. We were lucky enough to score some free tickets from the band. We are really excited to have the opportunity to see them, thanks so much to Phoenix for hooking us up. If you are unable to get into the Phoenix show on Tuesday you might want to check out the bill @ The Grog Shop that night because D.C.'s very own Exit Clov will be opening for Craig Broadhead and headliner Pnuma trio.




You may recall that Exit Clov were just here last month as part of CMJ they played a show in the cambridge room @ the HOB C during that festival. We also happend to feature their song "MK Ultra" on our weekly top 5 back on April 8th of this year. While we have yet to see them yet we hear this band is great live and we really enjoy the sound of their catchy indie pop that blends various styles of music together.

(MP3) MK Ultra - Exit Clov

check out the great video for the Phoenix song "Consolation Prizes"

Puffy AmiYumi: The sounds of tv coming to you

Tonight, performing @ The House of Blues here in Cleveland are Puffy AmiYumi, who will be playing with openers Tally Hall. If you don't know anything about these bands I will tell you.

First off, the opener Tally Hall are five guys from Ann Arbor, Michigan. They play catchy and thoughtful pop music in the vein of The Beatles, Queen, and Phantom Planet. If you watch The O.C. you would recognize them from the episode called The Day After Tommorow. Apparently, in that episode you first hear their song "Good Day" when Seth and Summer are trying on winter clothes in preparation for attending college at Brown and then it is heard later in the episode as they get their college acceptance letters.

(mp3) Good Day - Tally Hall

Puffy AmiYumi aka Puffy (but for legal reasons they can't go by that name in the states) are a duo who hail from Japan. In Japan they have sold over 14 million album and are huge. Not only do they make music, they have had a weekly interview talk show, a cartoon series and their own gameboy, playstation and gamecube video games. Back in 2004, The Cartoon Network tried a version of their cartoon series here in the states. I first learned about this band back in '99 when I was in college, where I received not for sale compilations that Sony Japan used to do -- that series also featured the Polysics and DJ Krush, along with many others. Puffy's music in Japan is called J-Pop or Shibuya-kei which means it take elements of jazz, fusion and other styles and combines it with traditional Japanese music. Regardless of what it is called it is hard not to like. The show starts @ 7:45pm for more info go here.

Video: Puffy Ami Yumi - Boogie Woogie Number 5

The Cleveland Browns: The Team and The Band

I know that for some of us, July 26th is a day we have circled our calendars. That day marks the opening day of training camp for our beloved Cleveland Browns which means the highly anticipated 2006-'07 season is right around the corner.

Speaking of which, while I was searching a new music blog recently (which you all should check out: I'm Just Saying is All...), I discovered a group that Kyle had posted about called The Cleveland Browns. Although this group does not hail from Cleveland nor has anything to do with football, they do hail from Madison, Wisconsin -- and, since I lived there for a year I know what a kick-ass town Madison is, so it is ok with me that use that name.

According to the Cleveland Browns, "If Prince was wearing a tracksuit at a bar, then [we] the Cleveland Browns would be on his ipod." They are a glitchy bedroom band-pop with a dancy edge that is highly energetic, fun, and will get stuck in your head.

(mp3) Secrets - The Cleveland Browns

(mp3) I heart Kylie - The Cleveland Browns Check out their remix

Would you like something to drink?

As you might be able to tell by the lack of posting, we have been super busy -- so here is a re-cap of what we have been up to as of late. . .

On Friday we (Kelly, Ryan, Lauren and I) were supposed to go see Elvis Costello @ Blossom. Although, unfortunately Mother Nature had other ideas (lots of rain) so instead we held it down @ Lauren's house. The evening consisted of great conversation (see Ryan's post for more on that), lots of spirits (caipirinhas and wine), a rousing game of Trivial Pursuit pop culture dvd edition and lastly some amazing Drumsticks. Yes, I know that is just a simple desert but the drumsticks we had were the new ones called Simple Dipped without the nuts. We had the Mint Chocolate ones which were amazing, as well as the Vanilla Fudge ones which were quite good too.


Saturday we (Kelly, Jennifer and I) went to "The Globe in Glass" wine tasting event @ The IdeaCenter. Now, I have never been to The World Series of Wine, but my understanding was that this event is that but on a slightly smaller scale. If that is the case then I cannot wait for The World Series of Wine, which will be held in November. The Globe in Glass was a blast and we had the opportunity to try a lot of wines we ordinarily would not have tried. The food was great too, with all different kinds of cheese. I wish we had some pictures, although I am sure someone else does. . .

After the event we headed down to The Warehouse District to check out two new bar's: Synergy and Jac's. Both are great additions to bar scene downtown. Synergy is not so much my style but a very cool bar that is mostly all completely white -- very sleek, modern and has a very sexy feel to it. While Jac's is a pretty chill martini bar complete with lots of dark wood and couches, I really enjoyed my mango martini there, you can read more about Jac's here.



Tomorrow evening I have to unfortunately work otherwise I would be enjoying some Belgian Bier. But you can go in my place to a Belgian Beer tasting @ McNultly's Beer Market which starts @ 7pm and the cost is only $22 for more info go here.

La Science des rêves

You may recall a few weeks ago when we posted a youtube clip from the soon to be released stateside Michel Gondry flick " The Science of Sleep" giving us all a nice tease. Well now we can all get a better look at the flick because the trailer is up. If you are interested you can check it out below. It looks like it is going to be a very unique film can't wait till it is released to limited theatres (hopefully to The Cedar Lee) here in United States in late September.




This is completely unrelated but this song I have been digging as of late. I have enjoyed listening to it on repeat while zoning out. I will say that the guitars remind me of Interpol but not the drums definitely makes me think of the drumming done by Matt Berick of The Walkmen. Thanks to Jax for sharing the wealth.

Love as Scarlett - In Waves (demo)

Evenings and Weekends

Decisions, decisions, decisions. . .

So much going on this weekend in Cleveland, take your pick:

THURSDAY thru SUNDAY - Ingenuity Festival

Music, Art, and Technology. The best of all worlds!


FRIDAY

1. Elvis Costello at Blossom Enjoy Costello's music outdoors, in a beautiful and scenic venue

2. Tremont Art Walk Be inspired by Tremont's budding neighborhood full of creativity, culture, and positive energy

3. 1300 Gallery Opening - Four+Art+Design Expose yourself to talented female artists while supporting the local scene


SATURDAY - Globe in a Glass Sample wine from over 27 regions of the world!!

Pants-Off Dance-Off??

Is anybody else watching this crazy yet highly entertaining show?? We just discovered Pants-Off Dance-Off this very evening -- first we were in utter disbelief of how disturbing it was was, but at the same time we couldn't stop watching, now matter how badly we wanted to. . .

If you have not been exposed to this oddly provocative show, tune in to Fuse's Pants-Off Dance-Off Marathon starting Friday at 10pm.

Enjoy the sample below:

Cat Power is Free

The below pictures were taken throughout last night's phenomenal performance given by Cat Power at Pittsburgh's Hartwood Park:

Tonight: Cat Power & The Memphis Rhythm Band

In the past, I was a little apprehensive about attending a Cat Power show. . . For years I have been so in love with her soulful, haunting melodies -- so much in fact, that I wanted my image of her to remain pure in its essence. This might sound a little dramatic, but basically I was afraid that her infamous erratic onstage behavior would potentially ruin my ability to enjoy her music forever.

Well, lucky for all of us there has recently been an outpouring of positive reviews, raving about a fresh-faced and sober Chan Marshall (all seeming to start with her adorable David Letterman appearance). For example, read Village Voice's feature titled Cat Power: Not Crazy Anymore! or The Independent's Happy to be Back in the Ring, where she admits to her new vice: tea :)

So, this evening Jose and I have the privilege to see the new Cat Power, where she will be backed by The Memphis Rhythm Band. They will be playing a free outdoor concert at Pittsburgh's Hartwood Park, starting at 7:30pm. I just called the Hartwood Parks Department and they said blankets, beverages, and food are encouraged -- I couldn't help smiling and thinking that this is exactly how I had always hoped to enjoy her live performance.

[Mp3] Cat Power - Evolution

Updates

Here are few updates on recent things that we have posted about it. First unfortunately Travis Hafner was not voted by the vans to the final spot for the American League for 2006 MLB All Star- Game. Despite this fact Pronk keeps on hitting. On Friday he hit his 5th grand slam of the season. This now sets a record for the most grand slams in the first half of a season and puts him in a position to tie and or then later break the record of 6 in a season which was set by Don Mattingly back in 1987. The other day I was unable to find the "Vote Pronk" add on youtube but it is up now so enjoy.



Our next update would be that of the announcement of Lebron James agreeing to re-up his contract with the cavs next week. On July 1st the Cavs offered lebron a 5 year 80 million dollar extension while he can't sign till the 12th he still had not said if he was going to re-sign. This moment was the moment that lots of fans in Cleveland and through the league had been looking fwd to and our dreading. Obviously Cleveland fans were hoping he would re-sign while people in other cities through the league were hoping they could entice him to not-resign at a chance at stealing him next summer when his current contract expired. All I can say is I told you so. All these negative people this time make me really sad I know we have been burned many times but it is just different with this kid, hence why he is the chosen one. See what Marc Stein of espn.com has to say about the signing here and what Brian Windhorst cavs beat writer for the Akron Beacon Journal has to say here.


Lastly The Hourly Radio's debut record "History will never hold me" is out now on iTunes. You can preview the whole record here with this is ecard. Also we never got to see them when they were scheduled to play Cleveland last month due to a booking error by the venue, we hope to finally get to see them in the future.

Weekly Top 5 songs

5. [Mp3] Butterfly Nets - Bishop Allen Showing their versitility with this peaceful lullaby, happy they are stopping by C-town next month

4. [Mp3] Lemons from Lemonade - The Celebrity Pilots Cleveland's own experimental space rock

3. [Mp3] Hay una piscina en la nube - Balún Dreamy electronic music from Puerto Rico in the vain of Múm

2. [Mp3] I love you me either (Je t'aime moi non plus) - Cat Power & Karen Elson Soo excited to see Cat Power tomorrow!!

1. [Mp3] Young Folks - Peter Bjorn And John This song just freaking owns

Tomorrow: Extended 4th of July

Tomorrow at 9pm is the 17th Annual Cleveland Orchestra Concert on Public Square. It's FREE (rapid included!) and will be followed by fireworks. It should be a great night, so you should head on down :) Here are a couple pictures that Ryan took on the 4th to inspire you to check this fabulous event out.

BONUS:

[Mp3] Cleveland Orchestra - Symphony No.3 In E Flat Major, Op.97 'Rhenish'

and

Program:

J.S. SMITH The Star-Spangled Banner
WAGNER Prelude to Act III of Lohengrin
WAGNER “Dich, teure Halle” from Tannhäuser
BERNSTEIN Overture to Candide
ANDERSON The Syncopated Clock
ANDERSON Blue Tango
ANDERSON Bugler’s Holiday
GERSHWIN “Summertime” and “My Man’s Gone Now” from Porgy and Bess
BRAHMS Hungarian Dances Nos. 3 and 1
TCHAIKOVSKY “1812” Overture
WARD America, the Beautiful
SOUSA March, “The Stars and Stripes Forever”

What is a Schmap?

A Schmap is a travel program that is like "Google Earth meets Frommer's meets Mapquest". It is very cool interactive guide, that allows you do things like : play a virtual location of hot spots within a city, plan a custom guide and print it out as well thus allowing you to explore a city in ways that were not possible via maps before . It requires a download that is free and easy to set up. I plan on using this to help us plan our upcoming trip to Dublin, Ireland in September. Schmap has maps for over 70 cities throughout The United States and Europe. Here is a great article about the program from The Washington Post (thanks mom for sharing this with me).

(mp3) I Left My Wallet In El Segundo (Vampire Mix) - A Tribe Called Quest

Vote Pronk!

As of late, as far as the tribe, we Indians fans have not had much to cheer about. Although, that was fortunately not the case last night because we were witness to a 5-2 win over the hated Yankees. This win was especially enjoyable due to the fact that Jacob's Field was actually sold out (which never happens anymore) and the winning pitcher for the tribe (jeremy sowers) was making only his 2nd major league start ever. Lastly, to top it off we were treated to some great pre-4th of July fireworks after the game and the Indians extened their current winning streak to 3 games in a row.

While were at the game they kept on having all these ads for people to "Vote Pronk" that were pretty entertaining. I am going to urge you all to Vote Pronk as well. The Indians are trying to get their designated hitter Travis Hafner aka PRONK voted by the fans for the last spot of the American League All-Star team. If you compare the stats of the players he is against it is no contest. So do you're duty and VOTE PRONK!

P.S. Happy Birthday America!


(mp3) America The Beautiful - Ray Charles

Bears News

Tonight our friends, Bears, play their 2nd ever show @ The Beachland Ballroom in the tavern @ 9pm. This time they will be playing with The Very Knees, New Granada and Heartwarmer (tickets are only $5). If you have not been keeping track of Bears lately then you are missing out because they are starting to make some noise. You can now buy their album on iTunes and on Insound. There is even a promo you can use thru July 20th @ Insound (where Bears reached #31 on their sales chart) to get a discount on their record: use "bearsdiscount" @ checkout. Their record is even being worked and played on college radio, thanks to the reputable promo company AAM. Speaking of underground radio, Ohio's own woxy.com has recently added them to their playlist.

Locally you can purchase their record at the awesome Music Saves (conveniently located next door to The Beachland Ballroom) and at the equally as great Square Records in Akron. If you want to know more about Bears, check out our previous posts here and here and be sure to check out the Bears' site which has a great new feature complete with band bios.

Most importantly, please come check out Bears tonight so you can say you saw them first!!

(mp3) How to live - Bears

Bonus: If you still need convincing, be sure to view Ryan's excellent pictures and feeback from Bears' first show here!

Weekly Top 5 songs

It is absolutely gorgeous outside, so we are going to be spending our afternoon poolside getting some sun :) Have a wonderful day and enjoy these solid Top 5 Songs of the Week:

5. [Mp3] Springboard - Saturna these portland guys are on the same train with BMRC, Ride, Brian Jonestown, etc.

4. [Mp3] In my head - The Ballet hailing from new york, they bring to mind the sounds of the magnetic fields, voxtrot, and the smiths

3. [Mp3] Bounce That - Girl Talk aka Greg Gillis, who is back with another amazing group of mashes that will make your head spin and help you get your freak on

2. [Mp3] The Operator - Barbara Morgenstern a chilling electronica single that builds into something beautiful

1. [Mp3] Fidelity - Regina Spektor an amazing way to start off her fresh new album, Begin to Hope

Georgia on my mind...

Tonight on my drive home I was tuning into my local NPR affiliate (WCPN) where they were featuring Ray Charles via the American Routes program. Now, I am somewhat familiar with his work well the hits ( Hit the road jack, What I'd Say, I got a woman etc) but I had no idea he covered "Elenor Rigby" ,"Ring of Fire" and "Your Cheating Heart" amoungst many others. If you are like me and have not heard these covers here you go. Mr. Ray Charles is a true genius. I am in awe of his talent it is too bad he has left us, but at the same time he has left such lasting impact on music, he will not soon be forgotten.

(mp3) Eleanor Rigby - Ray Charles (Beattles cover)

(mp3) Ring of Fire - Ray Charles (Johnny Cash cover)

(mp3) Your Cheating Heart- Ray Charles (Hank Williams Sr. cover)

I also wanted to share with you a cover of a song he did that used to be a favorite of mine. Back in my youth I used to go to see the Ted Daffan back in 1942.

(mp3) Born to Lose - Ray Charles (Ted Daffan cover)

I wanted to post the Bouncing Souls cover but I can't find mine, anyone get else got it?