Top Songs Of The Week (It is *still* freaking cold edition!)

We got absolutely nothing on the slate for this evening, but we thought you might enjoy the below picture created by Cleveland's mixed media artist Matt Dibble -- check out more of his great art work [here].

So anyway, if you want to do something Tonight......

The Beachland Balloom: Radio Dystopia presents The First Annual Festival 71 with a whole slew of bands from C-town and C-bus (including C-bus's own purveyors of beautiful low-fi rock, Times New Viking, who have an that just came out on Matador Records).
There seriously has been an overabundance of awesome music as of late, so it was super easy to pick out the following Top Five Songs of the Week:

5. (mp3) The Evangelicals - Party Crashin' Hailing from Norman, Oklahoma this band recalls the best elements of their fellow psychedelic/space rockin' Oklahoman brethren The Flaming Lips albeit taking that sound and combining it with b-movie horror feel. They will be touring with The Headlights, where they will be making a stop in Cleveland @ The Beachland on March 3rd.

4. (mp3) We Barbarians - In The Doldrums This Long Beach band has not made much noise yet, but they will be doing so for sure in 2008. They've toured with Cold War Kids, while drawing comparisons to them, which we also hear along with bits of older Radiohead. Their music draws you in with its mix of heavy drums, guitars that echo a with jagged yet beautiful reverb and driving bass lines leaving you wanting more.

3. (mp3) Treasure Fingers - Cross The Dancefloor Hailing from the ATL, this DJ brings some great bangers to the floor with a healthy mix of funk, electro and R&B. His music is a guilty pleasure you can't ignore and is spinning @ the FOTP party on Feb 1st.

2. (mp3) The Silent Years - No Secrets This Detroit band, who rock energetic indie music with a pop twist and some British flair, are playing two shows in C-town next week -- first on Wednesday January 30th they play w/ The Robbers on High Street @ The Spot@ Case and second on Thursday January 31st where they are headlining @ The Beachland in the Tavern with locals user sets mode (Ex-racermason) and The Twilight opening. Check out their new album here so you can see for yourself*

1. (mp3) Thao Nguyen & The Get Down Stay Down - Travel A fabulous singer-songwriter, with a voice reminiscent of Eddie Brickell, has a new album full of beautiful indie folk songs (this time with a backing band). We are both really excited about this new record, We Brave Bee Stings and All, which has become a fast favorite, officially coming out this Tuesday January 29th.

New Year. New Resolution for New Art.

This evening, we highly recommend that you head over to MOCA and celebrate the Opening of their Winter/Spring Season:

5:30pm Meet the Artist: Sam Taylor Wood (see her work above)

Sam Taylor Wood is one of the most acclaimed artists today and will discuss her work of the last decade. Her exhibition at MOCA Cleveland is the artist’s first one-person museum show in the United States.

7pm - 10pm Opening Party with UK DJ Marc Cotterell

10pm After Party at B-Side Liquor Lounge

Enjoy*

Tonight: Movie Night

Who: YOU!

What: Movie Night -- Double Feature of Kill Bill Vol. 1 and 2

Where: The Grog Shop

When: This evening at 9pm

Why: Drink Specials and No Cover!

Stars are coming back... to Cleveland no less

In case you had not heard, the lovely Canadian band, Stars are planning on coming back to our fair city in the near future. As part of their recently announced 2008 tour, they will be gracing us with their presence @ The Beachland Ballroom on March 31st. We just had the privilege of seeing them @ The Osheaga Festival in Montreal this past fall but also were lucky enough to see them a couple summers ago in the intimate setting of The Grog Shop. Very few people were at this particular show at The Grog and we figured that Stars would never return to our neck of the woods, however we are pleasantly surprised that we were wrong.

Speaking of "stars". . .

Earlier today, The 2008 Oscar Nominations were announced and hopefully they can get their act together in time for the stars of the silver screen to make an appearance unlike The Golden Globe's fiasco a few weeks ago*

As far as the nominations go, we were very excited to see that The Diving Bell and The Butterfly got 4 Oscar nods, which is especially deserving. We had the privilege of viewing this film on Saturday and we found it very beautiful, funny, tragic, and one that you most definitely won't soon forget. Additionally, we both truly enjoyed Juno and were excited to see a film like that get recognized -- however, we are both somewhat surprised that Ellen Page got nominated for an Oscar (specifically, Actress in a Leading Role). Although, Kelly can attest that if you have seen her stirringly memorable performance in Hard Candy, then you can see the true incredible range that this very talented young actress possesses. Lastly, while on the topic of stirring performances -- special props to Javier Bardem for his nomination for best supporting actor in his role for No Country For Old Men. It's quite the statement, however -- Jose believes that he played "one of the best villains of all-time" (hmm, if someone would like to challenge him on this one, please do!). Nonetheless, we hope that No Country For Old Men will lead to The Cohen Brothers winnning Best Picture (fingers crossed).

Bonus:

[Mp3] Stars - One More Night [Apostle Of Hustle Remix]
[Mp3] Stars - This Charming Man [A cover of one of our favorite Smiths songs]

Note: Stunning photo above taken by Fort Photo

New for 2008!

You might have noticed a few changes around here ;) We've been doing things basically the same way since the blog's conception back in October of 2005, so we definitely felt like it was time for a change! Hope you like*

************

It has been unbelievably cold the past week, which has been extremely conducive to staying indoors while sipping on a variety of wines and listening to lots of music. Basically we have been hibernating like small woodland creatures. . .

Cserszegi Fuszeres Woodsman's White

A lovely, crisp and slightly tart Hungarian white wine. Tasting similar to a Sauv Blanc blended with Gewürztraminer, we were very pleased with this "everyday wine" which was especially complimentary to the spicy variety sushi rolls they were consumed with. Available at your local Trader Joe's for $10 or less.






Tuscan Moon's Sangiovese

A balanced red wine exhibiting both dark cherry and floral characteristics. We found this Californian wine to be a fabulous compliment to dessert, specifically Sublime Ice Cream Sandwiches from Trader Joe's. Wine also available from your local Trader Joe's for less than $10. Yum!

History Repeating Itself?

While watching the video for the below song by The Library Is On Fire (former Kent, OH band now holding it down in Brooklyn, NY) it was clear to Jose that this song sounded familiar. . .The video accompanying this song is very indicative of something that would have been on MTV's 120 Minutes. . .With that said, it didn't take long for Jose to be reminded of the off-the-wall "Alt-Rock" hit song by King Missile titled Detachable Penis (circa 1993), which wasn't picked up by my 12 yr-old radar ;) Thankfully. .

Overall, we find The Library Is On Fire intriguing, reminding us of a cross between Guided By Voices and (dare we say) Nirvana? They recently had a CD Release Party at The Grog Shop and we are expecting them to create quite a buzz in 2008.

The Library Is On Fire - Anything But Concrete And Grey


vs

King Missile - Detachable Penis

Top Songs Of The Week (Off The Clock Edition)

Both of us had to work this morning and into part of the afternoon, which isn't any fun. We are looking fwd this evening when we'll see The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (based on the French memoir by Jean-Dominique Bauby) which we're even more excited to see than we were before, knowing that it has won two Golden Globes. Speaking of Golden Globes, we found the whole presentation very anti-climatic and both missed seeing the red carpet and all of that fan fare -- probably the worst part was seeing that douche bag, Billy Bush, for a whole hour. While we get off the the subject of douchedom, here are some songs that certainly are on the opposite of that spectrum:

5. (mp3) The Epochs - Opposite Sides In case you were wondering, this band's name is pronounced "ee-poks". We were listening to them other day when Kelly first thought it was Justin Timberlake and then guessed Michael Jackson vs The Mobius Band in a mash. That should definitely give you a idea how incredibly unique the sound of this band is while also proving to be oh so catchy -- no doubt this song will sneak up on you!

4. (mp3) Chairs In The Arno - Winter Song This band takes their name from an incident in college when they were studying abroad, where they had gotten drunk and thrown chairs in the Arno river (which is located in the Tuscan area of Italy). If you're music tastes are anything like ours, we're sure that you can't help but to be sucked in by their fun and sweet indie keyboard music either.

3. (mp3) Hunter's Run - Forgotten Souvenirs of The Modern Age Upon first impression, I said this sounds like your classic 90's "alt rock" while Kelly felt that it reminded her of authentic punk, along the lines of Face to Face. Although we definitely hear a large amount of The Pixies and Elvis Costello throughout their music too.

2. (mp3) Goldfrapp - Little Bird We both haven't listened to Goldfrapp in years, and were pleasantly surprised by the sophisticated melodies of their latest effort, Seventh Tree, which sounds like a work of art (Note: this might seem like a bold statement, but this entire album is truly beautiful)

1. (mp3) Katy Perry - Ur So Gay This song is hilarious without being overtly cheesy. Well, actually -- yes, it is slightly cheesy but in a Kelly Clarkson "Since U Been Gone" kind of way. . .Just see for yourself and get back to us!

Wine/Beer and Music Pairing!

Lately, our pairings consist of wine/beer with music rather than the typical cheeses, fruits, and chocolates ;) Although the new year has only just begun, there are some incredible albums we have discovered that have been complimented perfectly with the following beverages, leaving us very excited for what the rest of 2008 has in store for us:



Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend

[buy]

We recommend:

[Mp3] Mansard Roof

with: Goose Island's 312 ($7 at Giant Eagle)





Magnetic Fields - Distortion

[buy]

We recommend:

[Mp3] Too Drunk To Dream

with: King Shag's Sauvignon Blanc ($10 at Trader Joe's)







The Teenagers - Reality Check

[buy]

We recommend:

[Mp3] Homecoming

with: Samuel Adam's White Ale ($8.49 at Giant Eagle)






Doveman - Vampire Weekend

[buy]

We recommend:

[Mp3] Cities

with: Staccato's Organic Malbec/Cabernet ($9 at Heinen's)

[our prior post] guess we forgot how good it was!!



Bonus: Jose has been listening to the following since a little before Christmas and has shared this crazy addictive album with Kelly. . .



British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music?

[buy]

We recommend:

[Mp3] Atom

with: Abrazo Del Toro's Tempranillo ($8 at Trader Joe's)

Table 45

We have been literally frothing at the mouth to wine and dine at Table 45 ever since the announcement that this modern restaurant was set to open within Cleveland's InterContinental Hotel. So, we figured that what can be a better way to treat ourselves to a cool and romantic dinner than to do so on Valentine's Day?

Yes, it is slightly early to start thinking about where to make reservations for a date a month away, however -- if it's at a nationally recognized place like Lola Bistro, Dante, or Fire, we would definitely suggest that you get moving ;) Less than a year old, Table 45 has already made tremendous strides to join the ranks of these fabulous establishments, being named one of Esquire's Best New Restaurants of 2007 (among much other praise).

To get started on finding your next perfect date night spot, entertain yourself with restaurant ideas on Cleveland Originals while enjoying the excellent songs below:

[Mp3] A.C. Newman - On The Table
[Mp3] Jimmy Eat World - Table For Glasses
[Mp3] Ladytron - International Dateline

Top 5 Songs Of The Week (These Bands Are Coming to C-town!)

There have been some recent concert announcements that you might not have heard about and there are some great acts/bands coming to c-town in the next few months. With that being said, be sure to check out the below Top Five Songs of the Week:

5. (mp3) A Place To Bury Strangers - I Know I'll See You Are coming back to The Beachland Ballroom in the Tavern to blast us with their drenching feedback on Thursday February 14th

4. (mp3) Bon Iver - Skinny love Is coming to The Grog on Thursday March 6th he will be opening for Black Mountain

3. (mp3) British Sea Power - All In It Are coming back to The Grog on Wednesday March 26th in support of their great new album "Do You Like Rock Music?"


2. (mp3) Yeah Yeah Yeah's - Gold Lion (Diplo Mix) Diplo is freaking coming to town with a set @ B-side on Thursday February 7th there will be several others acts opening: Blaqstarr, Fly Union (from C-bus), and C-town's own Muamin Collective

1. (mp3) Radiohead -Jigsaw Falling Into Place They are finally coming back to C-town this summer no date given yet, but we are on the list of the 22 Cities of their upcoming North American tour in support of In Rainbows. They not passed thru our neck of the woods since 2001.

Tonight: The 1900's (w/ Nicholas Megalis)

Who: The 1900's and local openers, Nicholas Megalis and The Muttering Retreats

What: A lovely show for a Sunday evening

Where: The Grog Shop

When: Doors open at 9pm ($7)

Why: Because what else have you got going on besides sitting at home, crying about The Browns and the fact that Entourage is still in re-runs?

Top 5 Songs Of The Week (Post Juno Edition)

We just got back from seeing Juno on this rainy Saturday afternoon. Although we both enjoyed it, we did not enjoy a lot of the people in attendance at the theatre. You can call us elitists (and we are not going to say that isn't the case. . .) because the truth is we honestly *hate* going out to see particular films where everyone has seen all the humorous scenes in the trailer, coming prepared to laugh at those scenes and nothing else!
We call this the Napoleon Dynamite effect.

Anyhow, back to the movie. . .Kelly thought it was especially interesting to compare Ellen Page's performance to that of the absolutely incredible one she gave in, Hard Candy -- these two very polar-opposite roles are a true testament of her exceptional talent. Of course we were also huge fans of Michael Cera's performance -- he is just plain awesome :)

Okay, for now we just hope you enjoy these Top Five Songs of Our First Official Week of 2008*

5. [mp3] Team Robespierre - 88th Precinct This Brooklyn band is bringing their Punk/House ready for you to use while spazzing out act to the O-H the next couple of days tomorrow night in Akron @ The Matinee and on Monday in Cleveland @ Tower 2012, Akron's Goodbye, Ohio are playing on both bills.

4. [mp3] The Pixies - Something Against you This song can most recently be heard in the trailer for the new film, In Bruges, from their classic album Surfer Rosa. Big Thanks to Joey from the blog How's The Pie, for letting us know which song was featured in the trailer.

3. [mp3] Glas Vegas - Daddy's Gone These blokes hail from Glasglow, Scotland. They make do-wop music combined with a wall of distortion a la fellow countrymen, Jesus & Mary Chain. This demo does not even do their sound justice, so check out their myspace page for an even better version. Many thanks to A Certain Romance for turning us onto this awesome band.

2. [myspace] Nicholas Megalis - Drunk With Glory This local wunder kid is playing at The Grog Shop tomorrow night with one of our favorite artists of 2007, Chicago's The 1900's. Come out and check out this very talented pianist/singer-songwriter and of course stay for The 1900's who have been called "The Fleetwood Mac Of Indie Rock."

1. [mp3] Kimya Dawsom - Tire Swing From the Juno's OST -- at first we were not completely sold on it, however a few hours later we found that multiple songs were replaying non-stop in our subconsciousness, including this one. . .

**This post was "sponsored" by two lovely bottles of vino: Miguel Torres's Sauvignon Blanc and Marchesi di Montecristo's red cuvee.

Bonus: This is an excellent interview with Juno's writer, Diablo Cody, who just happens to be a former stripper, [click here].

The Bane of My Existance...

This evening, while talking about upcoming films that we want to see, we watched the trailer for "In Bruges" which is scheduled as the opening film @ The 2008 Sundance Film Festival.

Anyways, it looks like a fun ride of a film: predictable yet enjoyable. We, however, are at a loss and unable to determine what song is being played throughout the background of the trailer. . .And, of course, Jose, being his typical know-it-all self, is surprised (and extremely frustrated) that he can't figure out what song this is. This being said, we have spent the last 10 minutes googling (in every imaginable combination of key search words), while recieving nothing in return.

So, if anyone has a clue, please let us know while hopefully being somewhat amused by the following trailer for the aforementioned movie.

Happy New Year : Rabbit Rabbit To You

Hope you guys all had a Happy New Year and hopefully are enjoying the time off from work and getting ready to start your new year's resolutions. It is a snowy day here in North East Ohio but it is very calming at the same end. If you have not done so yet, be sure to tell someone "rabbit rabbit" today to bring them luck. This a superstition that is practiced in England dates back to at least 1420.

(mp3) Ballboy - Welcome To The New Year

(mp3) Frank Sinatra - Let's Start The New Year Right

(mp3) The Go Find - New Year

(mp3) Jawbreaker - Jinx Removing ("Rabbit, Rabbit" On The First, I hold my breath..)