Top 5 Songs Of The Week ( Can't Believe it is nearly Labor Day Edition)

Today we are heading to Michigan for a wedding of a family friend. But, next Saturday are going to hit up the 10,000 Visions of Cleveland event. There is going to be food, bands, tours of Apartments and big block party on west 6th.

Hopefully tomorrow we are going to meet up with our friend Elizabeth in Ann Arbor, She is going to grad school there and we have not seen her in a while. Hopefully we will have the chance to catch up over many blood mary's mmmm. I know that some of you might be like ewww Michigan and to top it off Ann Arbor that is like going into the den of the beast. I am an avid fan of Ohio State but that does not mean I can't appreciate UofM for it's, outstanding academic programs and it's beautiful campus. I had two sisters who went there so that changed my opinion about the place for forever.

Tonight however if you are not going to see the awesome dose of 90's rock with Seven Mary Three/Sponge @ The Roc Bar. Then you should definitely head to The Grog for the White Williams, J.J. Magazine and Uno Lady show.



5. (mp3) Beck - Modern Guilt title track from his latest album which we have found to be a real grower. On this track We both agree it really sounds vocally and musically like Spoon's front man Britt Daniels. I also tend to hear some Bowie there too as I get older I hear Bowie in more and more things. Check out this great interview with Beck from this week's
Morning Edition on NPR.

4. (mp3) EPMD - Run In (Sinden Remix) This DJ/producer is supremely talented he has remixed Santogold, Lady Sovereign so many others and his cut with Kid Sister "Beeper" (B-Side on 9/17 and the opening set will be our boy Good Life Mike

3. (mp3) Airborne Toxic Event - Gasoline On Monday this band rolls into town opening for The Fratellis @ The HOB (remember their catchy song "flathead" from the ipod commercial right?) This song by Airborne Toxic Event is in the video game FIFA 09. Their songs are super catchy slices of guitar driven deliciousness they way Franz Ferdindad used to make. Their song "Does this Mean were moving on" is one of my favorites from last year. check out this cool video for this song, it will get stuck in your head




2. (mp3) Motel Motel - Coffee This morning as I write this post it is actually being powered not by coffee but by beer. I am drinking this delicious and very hoppy IPA from Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee they don't f*ck around with beer in Wisconsin. As far as this band they are from Brooklyn (go figure who isn't?) regardless they make some damn fine what I like to call "garage rock Americana"

1. (mp3) White Williams - Route To Palm Rocky River's own comes back home again. He has been on tour recently with Vampire Weekend. He will be opening for NIN in Louisville tomorrow. He is really talented and only 24 years old. He makes great slices of lap top pop. He has toured with Girl Talk twice .We missed the last two times he has come thru, but he is not to be missed.

P.S. On a side note this one time about a year and a half ago, we were at the Grog and while were were waiting thru the opening bands and having some beers. We were talking about how much we don't like J.J. Magazine and then this woman in front of us over heard us and turned around and gave us a very dirty look. Shortly there after we saw her go on stage and start to sound check. She was the leader singer. Needless to say we felt foolish but it still gave us a good laugh

A Different Kind Of Ménage à Trois

You can guiltlessly enjoy a great ménage à trois at Heinen's, in fact you can have several. . .

We tried all three Ménage à Trois wines (normally $12.99, now only $9.99) today, all of which are blends of three different varietals: the White (Chardonnay, Muscat, and Chenin Blanc), Rosé (Merlot, Syrah, Gewürztraminer), and Red (Zinfandel, Merlot, and Cabernet).

From all the sparkling wine and champagne we have consumed, we instantly recognized the Muscato in the White wine. It's dry, but at the same time slightly sweet -- José says it is a "great chick wine."

As for the Rosé, it has a unique bouquet and finish due to it containing Gewürztraminer. A blend of three wines that we have never tasted together. Although interesting, not necessarilly a fave.

The Red has an earthy and balanced flavor. The finish is very clean, containing little to no tannins. If you didn't know better, you'd think it was a Pinot Noir.

We both agreed that the Red was our favorite, but given the heat we chose the White*

[Mp3] Cold War Kids - Red Wine Success

Random Retro Wednesday Song: Euro Trash Girl

This morning our neighbor's f*cktard boyfriend decided to rev his motorcycle for a good 10 minutes around 5:45am, this was much more unsettling than being woken by a rooster. We were none too pleased to have this sound start our day. Now I am trying to enjoy my coffee and relax.

A song that always helps me get on the chill tip is Cracker's "Eurotrash girl". This leads into something we are going to try and do now on Wednesday's and that is "A Random Retro Wednesday Song". We always have lots of songs we want to post about our flashes from our past and be able to tell a personal anecdote. I have nothing profound about to say about this song. It is my favorite Cracker song and I used to love hearing it on the Buzzard or The End back in the day. It was originally a hidden track off their awesome album "Kerosene Hat". It is has some great Texas sounding slide guitar in it, I have soft place in my heart for that sound. Not to mention David Lowery is amazing front man and lyricist. Coming in at over 8 minutes it is a great song to play on repeat and take up an hour of your time easily.

[Mp3] Cracker - Euro Trash Girl

Sundays are for Bloody Mary's

In honor of Sunday being our favorite day to drink Bloody Mary's. . .

A few weeks ago, I was in San Francisco visiting my lovely friend, Sarah. While soaking in the afternoon sun, we decided what could possibly be better than a Bloody Mary??

And, we were in the perfect neighborhood to do so: The Mission. Not to mention, José was nice enough to let me borrow his GQ magazine (the one with Seth Rogan gracing the cover) to read on my long flight -- my favorite article being The 20 Best Cocktails In America where an intriguing little San Francisco bar, Elixir's, Bloody Mary (aka "The Bloody Elixir") placed #3.

So, of course, we make our way over to The Elixir Saloon to see what all the fuss is about. And, we cannot even express the joy we were overcome with upon learning that there was a "make your own" Bloody Mary Buffet of sorts. . .

The guy below clearly was enjoying himself (perhaps because he had one too many Bloody Mary's) and convinced me to take this photo of him:

"Drink More Think Less"

Immediately, we dove into the Bloody Mary buffet, following the recipe provided for The Bloody Elixir, which of course I added (at least) three times more Tabasco sauce to. One word: AMAZING.

The Bloody Buffet

Sarah was like, "okay, these Bloody Mary's are pretty much amazing but we NEED to go right down the street to Zeitgeist for a little comparison." So that we did :) Zeitgeist kind of reminded me of Garage Bar but with more of a hipster vibe -- we hung out on the patio, where the people watching was just incredible. And, I must say that their Bloody Mary was absolutely fantastic (the green olives and lemon were a very nice touch), yet ultimately the Elixir vs. Zeitgeist drink-off was a complete draw*

Miss Sarah and Miss Mary

For now, we hope you are enjoying your Sunday and perhaps a Bloody Mary or two :)

Top 5 Songs Of The Week (We Didn't Get Caught by The Fuzz Edition)

Last night we never ended up making it to the show (our apologies, Sabrina and Matt). Admittedly, we were concerned about the sobriety check points throughout Cuyahoga County and left undeniably exhausted from our work week. See, we live out in the burbs in A-town (aka Aurora, we know that might seem far to some, but that is where we hold it down) and neither of us have the most stellar driving records. We can ill afford to lose anymore points on our respective licenses. . .

So we stayed in and cooked, which was really nice. Below was an especially simple (and healthy) recipe we made for our dessert.

Minted Blackberries:

Makes about 3 cups

* Active time:10 min
* Start to finish:40 min

Gourmet Magazine
August 2008

Sugar and lemon are an old trick for playing up berries' sweet and tart qualities, as well as for bringing out their natural juices. Some fresh summer mint makes a brilliant addition.

* 3 cups blackberries (3/4 lb)
[Note: We substituted blueberries for blackberries]
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* 1 tablespoon finely chopped mint
* 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

*Stir together all ingredients in a bowl or airtight container and let macerate at room temperature 30 minutes.

Cooks’ note:
Blackberries can be chilled (after macerating) up to 2 hours.

As far as today, we might go check out Elegy -- although, we really wanted to see the film, Tell No One, but it already left the freaking Cedar Lee Update: we were too early announcing that it was no longer in theatres b/c we found out that it is just now debuting at Cedar Lee this Friday (August 29th).

Tonight @ The Grog, our favorite local band BEARS are having a CD Release Party for their new record, Simple Machinery, with Afternoon Naps (always good) and Trouble Books also on the bill. After listening to the new Bears songs on their myspace for the last couple of weeks, we really like the musical direction the band is going. Our friend, Charlie (Bears' lead singer) is moving to Chicago for grad school, so this is probably the last time to see them in Cleveland for a while.

[Mp3] Bears - Wait and See
[Article] Spin: Catch The Buzz

Speaking of excellent music, be sure to check out our Top Five Songs of the Week:

5. [Mp3] Rihanna - Disturbia (Anthony Lago vs Flashlight Creeping Club Remix) A crazy catchy song remixed to be even better -- guaranteed to be your next guilty pleasure of a jam.

4. [Mp3] The New Up - Top Of The Stairs This San Francisco quintet make psychedelic pop/trippy new wave music that we were instantly drawn to. Their lead singer, ES Pitcher, has been called "the bastard love child of Karen O and Sousie Souxie" -- they're coming to the Hi-Fi on September 19th.

3. [Mp3] Kat Burns - Waiting By The Fence A great song that came up on shuffle while we were cooking. Burns is a Toronto based singer/song writer that reminds us of Jay May and Mirah. She is also a member of the band, Forest City Lovers.

2. [Mp3] Monsters Are Waiting - I Wanna Be Adored (Stone Roses cover) Fantastic cover from this L.A. band -- just listen to their memorizing interpretation of this classic Stone Roses jam. Makes us think of Asobi Seksu when we hear the layering of sultry vocals on top of guitar lines filled with feedback and lush effects.

1. [Mp3] School Of Seven Bells - Connjur This band is a lovely hybrid effect, where Ben Curtis (formerly of Secret Machines) joins forces with the twin Deheza sisters (from On! Air! Library!). Their music is beautiful all around -- the vocals, the beats, and melodies. Try and catch them opening for M83 this fall if you can.

Tonight: The Silent Years [and Hot Cha Cha]

Who: The Silent Years with Cleveland's Hot Cha Cha

What: Catchy Indie Pop Melodies of TSY's complimented by Hot Cha Cha's All-Girl Rock Songs à la The Sounds and Metric

Where: Cleveland's new(ish) venue, The Matinee

When: TONIGHT! / doors open at 8pm

Why: Did we mention the show is FREE?? ;) Actually, *all* shows at The Matinee are -- although, of course donations are accepted/appreciated.

[Stream] The Silent Years - Black Hole

TSY's new Album, The Globe, now available on iTunes / Official Release: August 26th

[MySpace] The Silent Years

Definitely looking forward to checking out each of these bands, both of which we've only heard excellent things*

Vicky Cristina Barcelona!

Vicky Cristina Barcelona is a fun jaunt. Beautiful people, beautiful background. Characters that challenged the definition of what love is (and is not). Really made us want a glass (or three) of wine. Best Woody Allen film since Match Point.

Penelope Cruz has been praised for her role as Javier's Bardem's OUT OF CONTROL ex-wife, and for good reason -- we completely feel that she is well deserved of an Oscar nod. She has previously been nominated for Volver (a performance and film that we absolutely *loved*) but was beat out by The Queen's Helen Mirren -- admittedly, she was pretty awesome at being an old bitch. Basically, Penelope radiated with energy and insanity in all of her VCB scenes, stealing the show.

Obviously, Wood Allen is beyond obsessed with Scarlett Johansson -- this is the third time he's cast her in his films. We have the utmost respect for Allen but can't help to question his judgment in Johansson's acting abilities. . .

As for Javier Bardem -- his character, Juan, was the epitome of European pimp. Smooth talking without being obnoxiously rico suave. Not to mention, it is pretty awesome seeing him play a character who is a complete 180 from his role in No Country For Old Men.

Anyone else who has seen the film, we definitely welcome the opportunity to compare notes*

Score: 4 out of 5 stars

[stream] Giulia y Los Tellarini - Barcelona An enchanting song played throughout VCB, still stuck in our heads!

Tribe Game Pictorial

Last night was spent at the Indians game and we were fortunate enough to bring home a winner. Just thought we'd share some pictures we took throughout the evening :)

Grady

Vantage Point

Looove the Dessert Cart

Beautiful Sunset

Dollar Dog Night

YUM

A rare sight. . .

Olympic Fever doesn't stop!

SONIC is finally coming to Streetsboro!

This morning I had to go and take my civic to the dealership for an oil change. While on on my way to the dealership I had two thoughts one being what else are they going to find wrong with my car and how much is it going to possibly cost me? and two how much the air smells and feels better on Monday morning when you are not on your way to work It feels almost (not really) the way it does when you are on vacation or during the weekend when the air is ripe with the promise of anything just not work that day.

After leaving the dealership where they thankfully they did not find anything else to gowge me for as they have many times before. I saw that down the street like an oasis in the desert, they are actually finally building the much talked about SONIC in Streetsboro. After announcing last year they were going to build one we were told it would be ready by next summer and then when that never happened we were rather down trodden. But alas the dream is alive and it is really going to happen. (see picture above, not the best but I was trying to drive at the same time) We are finally going to be able to go to a freaking sonic when the Streetsboro finally opens on September 15th. I am super excited that next time I go to the dealership I can go to SONIC afterwards and get a slush.

(mp3) The Dead Boys - Sonic Reducer (A Classic from Cleveland's Own :)

The Wackness = The Dopeness

While everyone raves about The Dark Knight we find ourselves wondering whether we are the only ones that weren't necessarily the biggest fans of the movie? Perhaps we need to just pony up the extra coin and go see it in IMAX. . .

However, a film that we both have been raving about since seeing it Wednesday evening is The Wackness. We feel that it is easily the best movie we've seen in the last three months. We're not saying that The Wackness is better than The Dark Knight per se, we're just saying we enjoyed it much more. We loved how the movie captured the time period so accurately (summer 1994) with the following references: OJ Simpson on the front page of the NY Post, a Forest Gump ad on a bus, conversations about Gulianni arresting the homeless, blowing on a Nintendo game to clean it out which turned out to be Zelda, the Twin Towers still in New York's skyline, and of course rocking the Adidas, walking down the street with a ghetto blaster, and drinking 40's straight out of the brown bag (Jose's getting thirsty for a King Cobra just thinking about it).

It was crazy seeing the kid from Drake & Josh, Josh Peck, do a complete 180 from his Nickelodeon character, breaking out with such a strong performance. And, as far as Ben Kingsley's performance, it can be added to his repertoire of great characters that he has played on the silver screen (ie - Don Logan of Sexy Beast, Bruce Pandolfini of Searching For Bobby Fischer, Itzhak Stern of Schindler's List, and of course Ghandi).

While on the topic of cinema, we are going to head to the movies this afternoon and check out the latest Woody Allen film, Vicky Christina Barcelona. Afterwards, we are looking forward to having some good eats down at the Feast of the Assumption in Little Italy.

Choice jams from our youth on The Wackness Soundtrack:

[Mp3] A Tribe Called Quest - Can I Kick It? This song had Jose's head nodding like he used to back in the day with his headphones on.

[Mp3] Notorious BIG - The What It was funny in the movie for Josh Peck and Method Man's characters to talk about Biggie as underground and as the next big thing, b/c for so long he's been known as the greatest. RIP.

[Mp3] Biz Markie - Just a Friend It's a classic. 'Nuff said.

Bonus:

[Mp3] DJ D-Nice - The Wackness Mixtape It's the dopeness

[Interview] Josh Peck and Method Man

Friday I'm In Love

One of our most favorite events of the year is Kaleidoscope Magazine's Black & Brown In All White Affair at The Ritz. This evening we will be in attendance, enjoying various soul and Latin food while listening to everything from salsa to hip hop (in years past, Mick Boogie was always the DJ). The picture above is of us at said event three years ago -- there is always a table with cookies when you walk out that are sooo good :) Not to mention, when the valet drops your car off for you they have a complimentary champagne glass waiting for you!

Also, we wanted to be sure to mention that we are looking forward to going to Chaundra's party afterwards!

Hope everyone has a lovely Friday evening*

[Mp3] The Cure - Friday I'm In Love

We don't drink Mich Ultra (well, Kelly does sometimes)

Admittedly, both of us have come down with severe cases of Olympic Fever. . .

Note: We just observed Michael Phelps win his fourth gold metal, whose height Jose is jealous of (Jose being only 6'4", he doesn't like when anyone is taller)

Okay, so -- we don't watch gymnastics often (or ever) and we're wondering whether the vault being used throughout the Olympics is normal? At the risk of sounding ignorant, perhaps it's the standard Chinese vault?

***

While hanging out at Erin and Todd's Saturday evening, we enjoyed listening to Sirius's Alt Nation Countdown From 21 and after hearing a couple Kooks (a band we had been familiar with but not necessarily in love with) songs on the countdown we were slightly intrigued and made a mental note to check out their latest album, Konk.

So, we downloaded their album this evening and were enjoying what we heard until track nine (Shine On) where at that point we thought, "isn't that the S%^&* song from that Mich Ultra commercial??" And, why yes, it is:



While one might say that we have a tendency to be Indie-Yuppies, we never under any circumstance consider ordering a Mich Ultra after working out (EVER). Instead, we ideally would enjoy *any* of Brooklyn Brewery's or Unibroue's beers.

Just because: [Mp3] The Kooks - Shine On

Blues & Brews Mini-Pictorial

The moment we arrived to Blues & Brews at Stan Hywet Gardens, we were welcomed with cute (yes, they're cute) little Thirsty Dog beer glasses, wasted no time, and marched right on up to the beer tents (one tent all Ohio/Regional breweries and the other tent National/International breweries). It was a little overwhelming at first and we hadn't the slightest idea where to start, there were over 150+ breweries after all.

It turned out that we spent way too much time drinking beer (which isn't necessarily a bad thing, of course) and not enough time taking pictures. However, hopefully the below gives you the general idea of this super fun event:

Already looking forward to next year*

ps - Speaking of Blues & Brews. . .be sure to mark your calenders for September 20th's Blues & Brews OCNW Fundraiser Event at Wendy Park on Whiskey Island presented by Bar Cento and Beir Markt.

Top 5 Songs Of The Week (Blues & Brews Edition)

While Jose is at work, slaving away, I am [guiltlessly] enjoying this absolutely gorgeous early afternoon -- finally, a sunny day that isn't unbearably hot and humid. . .

As soon as his half day ends, we are heading over to Blues & Brews at The Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens (pictured above). And, we seriously could not have asked for better weather.

But, before we get out, I wanted to be sure to post our Top Five Songs of the Week :)

Enjoy*

5. [Mp3] M.I.A., Santogold, Esau Mwamwaya - Get It Up Ahhh, this song is awesome -- the perfect let's get up and dance jam. Just download it, you'll see.

4. [Mp3] Sera Cahoone - Only As The Day Is Long We saw this lovely lady open for Matt Costa on Thursday evening and she was pretty amazing. Not only did we enjoy some great beers prior to the show at The Grovewood and during at The Beachland, but the music (which as why we were there in the first place, of course) was especially outstanding -- we even were lucky enough to witness various forms of hippy-dancing.

3. [Mp3] Emiliana Torrini - Big Jumps I continue to be entranced by Emiliana's mysterious vocals and wispy melodies. Her upcoming album, Me and Armini, is a solid and outstanding effort, much more upbeat than Fisherman's Woman (but just as beautiful), that I've been anticipating for over three years.

2. [Mp3] Ben Folds - You Don't Know Me (ft. Regina Spektor) This song is undeniably catchy, even if you're not the biggest fan of either musicians you will find yourself enjoying this guilty little pleasure. And, well, if you are a fan of Ben and Regina (like myself) then you will simply fall in love.

1. [Mp3] Kid Sister - Damn Girl Since I had A TON of time to kill while flying to/from San Francisco last weekend, it was the perfect opportunity to catch up on my latest Interview and Under The Radar magazines. It was throughout this excessive downtime that I stumbled upon a great Kid Sister interview -- although not an ultra hip hop fan, I was knew I had to check her music out. This Chicago natives debut album, Dream Date, doesn't come out until late September, but there already has been A TON of hype surrounding her -- and for good reason. It sure doesn't hurt that she has Kanye on her side though ;) Definitely check out [this super amusing video] for another great song of hers, Pro Nails (ft. Kanye)

Tonight: Matt Costa

Who: Matt Costa

What: A talented singer-songwriter possessing a diverse collection of sounds that linger and replay in your mind

Where: The Beachland Ballroom

When: TONIGHT, doors open 8pm ($15)

Why: Just listen. . .

[Mp3] Matt Costa - Sunshine off Songs That We Sing
[Mp3] Matt Costa - Unfamiliar Faces off Unfamiliar Faces

Movies We Want To See [Soon]

There are some very intriguing films coming out within the next month or so that we are really looking forward to seeing. Below is a mini wish list:

1. The Wackness [Trailer]

Yeah, it's been out for over a month, and we've been meaning to catch it for just as long -- but, especially after hearing rave reviews from friends (especially Sarah!) and bloggers (CB's review), we most definitely plan on catching it within the week.

2. Pineapple Express [Trailer]

It's very likely that we'll stumble into the theatre this weekend to see this "bromantic" comedy starring the one and only Seth Rogan -- not to mention, we can't deny how perfect the following song is utilized in the trailer:

[Mp3] M.I.A. - Paper Planes

3. Vicky Cristina Barcelona [Trailer]

Not only are we huge Woody Allen fans, but also have much respect/adoration for Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem. We are seriously anticipating this film and fortunately it is coming out a mere week from this Friday.

4. Tropic Thunder [Trailer]

This film features several actors who we love (ie - Jack Black, Steve Coogan, Robert Downey Jr., et al). Although it is highly controversial that Robert Downey Jr.'s character is in "blackface" throughout the entire movie, we appreciate the social commentary, providing an added incentive to see it -- sometimes you simply have to push the envelope for the sake of comedy.

5. Choke [Trailer]

Since reading the dark and F-ed up (!) book by Chuck Palahniuk, we are extremely curious how it will translate into a film/script. Between the trailer luring us in and the overall buzz surrounding this film we are convinced that we mustn't miss this one.

Damnit, we wish we had some vodka tonight!

This evening we are enjoying some yummy blackberry mead, on the rocks no less, because it is so damn humid. We really wish we had some vodka in the house so we could make a nice cocktail (we know! shame on us for not having any in the house. . .we do have tequila in the freezer though, does that count?) One of our favorite cocktails of all time is vodka and chambord and this mead actually reminds us of chambord but not quite as sweet and sticky. It just so happens that one of our most beloved author's, Chuck Klosterman, signature drink (well, one of them at least) is chambord with 7up.

Speaking of Mr. Klosterman, if you were waiting and wondering when his next great book might be coming out it, well it would be this September: a piece of fiction titled Downtown Owl. He most recently visited in Leipzeg, Germany (Jose has actually has been to this city where a special thanks to our friend, Wray, is due) as the picador guest professor of literature of american studies -- additionally, definitely check out this recent and especially excellent interview [here].

While we are on the topic of people who used to work for the Akron Beacon Journal (you surely knew Chuck wrote for them) and libations, we are both heading over to Akron this coming Saturday for Blues & Brews at The Stan Hywet Gardens where over 80 craft beers will be available for sampling [for the list: click here]. Just curious -- has anyone ever gone to this event?? Because we heard it is a good time and we are definitely looking fwd to it.

[mp3] NOFX - The Brews

Please Note: Since we're going to Blues & Brews, hence the title of this classic NOFX song, makes us recall when the Warped Tour was good. . .when we were young

Top 5 Songs Of The Week ( It is really already friggin August?..Edition)

If you have no plans today you should head over to Collinwood for the 6th annual Waterloo Arts Festival it runs from 1-8pm. Come support a great neighborhood with great places like the amazing Music Saves, The Beachland (where they are having their rock n roll flea market from 11-4pm), Shoparooni, Cafe Marika and others hopefully the weather will cooperate.



5. (mp3) Tiger Tiger - Premarin This Italian duo play cute indie pop complete with handclaps and keyboards in the vein of all the twee pop bands you love except they are rather fouled mouthed which makes me smile :)

4. (mp3) The Photo Atlas - Merit When I hear this song I always think at first what a great driving song this and that maybe it is Les Savy Fav or maybe an obscure At The Drive In (damn I miss them) track. While I don't listen to newer bands like this anymore because I think the ones that did this style before like Fugazi are the best, I make an exception for this song.

3. (mp3) Say Anything - Baby I've Got Your Money (O.D.B. Cover... R.I.P.) It is so hard to resist whenever you have a non hip hop band covering a hip hop jam and they do it so matter of fact. This makes me recall when Dynamite Hack covered "Boys N The Hood"

2. (mp3) The Zombies - Summertime George Gershwin was so gifted for composing so many f*cking great songs. I continued to be amazed no matter who covers or samples this song from Sublime to John Coltrane to The Twilight Singers and a broad array of other artists how it always works. However I happen to think The Zombies cover is one of the best.

1. (mp3) Walter Meego - Forever You might Recognize this song from a recent Heineken Commercial (see below). They came last year to The Grog, and did an awesome job opening for VHS or Beta. They are coming back to C-town on September 10th to play @ The Spot on the campus of CASE with the always great RaRaRiot

She's A Lady?

With the 2008 summer Olympics fastly approaching (the opening ceremonies are awake from today) it seems like everyday in the news there is a yet another story talking about human rights issues in China or what they are doing to stop reduce pollution during the games. Normally I turn somewhat of a deaf ear to these types of reports but the other day when I listening to All Things Considered (on our local NPR affiliate WCPN) they had a report about how some female athletes will have to undergo testing to determine they are the appropriate sex for competing. This in of itself is rather humorous and when I was talking to my dad about this he said did you know there was a polish woman from Cleveland who was in the Olympics who was later found to be a man (insert bad joke here).


This I did not know, so I had to do some research and then I discovered how Stanislawa Walasiewiczowna (a.k.a. Stella Walsh) who was born in Poland and later emigrated to Cleveland won a gold medal @ the 1932 Olympics in the 100 meter dash and a silver medal @ 1936 Olympics. She was elected to the track and field hall of fame in 1975. She was murdered in 1980 during a robbery it was then discovered during her autopsy that she had male genitals and female hormones. Seeing as how the local media loves to find a tie they can to any national or international story I am surprised I have not seen this mentioned locally.