I'm Happy But You Don't Like Me

So, back in '03 I was unemployed and during that time I discovered mp3 blogs because let's face it -- I had alot of time on my hands. The first such blog I happened upon was largheartedboy. The way I discovered that blog was by doing a google search for the Ben Gibbard cover of "Complicated" by you know who. As a result of that blog, it led me to all the New York music blogs and that is how I learned of Asobi Seksu. A few weeks ago we saw that their spring tour was not coming to Clevleand (imagine that?) but luckily they are coming to Detroit on April 8th opening for their local Pas/Cal at the Magic Stick. At first I was somewhat reluctant to go (Detroit is only 3 hours away if that, but it can be a pain sometimes) but Kelly talked me into it. So now I am getting pretty excited to finally have the opportunity to see them.

(mp3) Asobi Seksu - Walk on the Moon (acoustic)

If you like this, find more mp3's to download on Asobi Seksu's website here

Asobi Seksu's Myspace page

Lines of Parallel Minds...

The other day I was at work trying to kill some time and I discovered the group The 303's. The band consits of the duo of Ingrid Dahl and Parixit Davé who hail from New Jersey. Their influences which range from: The Cure to Blonde Redhead to The Album Leaf are evident in the diversity in their sound. Kelly said that they remind her of Sing-Sing while at the same time they remind us of Ladytron, Le Tigre and Chicks on Speed. This quote from their myspace page sums them up pretty well "Fighting and incognizant, erratic and blasé, the music of The 303s creates something new: a balance of collaboration, of sincerity, and experimentation."

Their debut album drops on April 11th on cult-hero records: Pre Order Here

(mp3) The 303s - Beyond The Lines

The 303's myspace page

a little early

Hi. Kelly left a few hours ago to go to Naples, Florida for a weeklong but well deserved vacation. So I will be manning the ship by myself, hence you will notice the grammatical errors in her abscence. On this coming Tuesday I was planning on going to see The Subways but I found out today that the show was sold out (damn OC Fans). It really is not a big deal though because a week from today Ladytron is going to be doing their DJ set @ The B-side. We are both really looking foward to that and hope to see many of you there. Another show I am super excited for is The Walkmen. They just announced their U.S. tour dates and May 30th they are coming to c-town to the beachland ballroom. I actually just bought our tickets today. We last saw them @ Lollapalooza in Chi-town and they ripped it up despite the heat.

Check out this Ladytron DJ set from November 12th, 2005 in Toronto, Canada (real audio required)

(I hate real audio just as much as you, but this is a nice set)

Scotch 101

**Update: We were happy to see us pictured in the Union Club's newsletter, taken during the Scotch Tasting

As mentioned in a previous post, we attended a Scotch Tasting last week and ended up learning a thing or two.

Kelly's notes [above] on Scotches tasted with helpful descriptions [below]

The menu of "courses" paired with each Scotch

TONIGHT!!

Between the Lines

If The Jesus and Mary Chain could be combined with Belle & Sebastian, and actually work -- Sambassadeur would be the result. This fabulous Swedish band with a lo-fi energy is signed to a favorite label of ours, Labrador Records -- where some other great bands on their roster include: The Radio Dept, Acid House Kings, and Douglas Heart. Sambassadeur hasn't had an official US tour as of yet, but hopefully will set one up soon.

For now you can download these standout tracks from their self-titled debut and a couple others on their official website:

[Mp3] Sambassadeur - Sense of Sound
[Mp3] Sambassadeur - If Rain

Befriend them on their myspace

Starts Off with a Bang!

Recently, I have expressed to several friends how excited I am that Mobius Band has been added to the Stellastarr* /Editors tour and somehow they haven't seemed to share in my excitement. This is mostly due to the fact that a lot of people are still not familiar with Mobius Band's work. Unfortunately, the last two times they came to Cleveland Kelly and I misssed them. The most recent time they came (supporting Tom Vek), happened to be the night we went to Pittsburgh to see American Analog Set (check out our post on the show here). This time around, Kelly will once again be unable to attend this show because she will be visiting her sister and friends at Miami and attending a Wine Gala. In her place, Erin will be attending the show with me.

The Mobius Band, for those of you that do not know, provides the backgound music in the most recent New Balance commerical -- go here to check out the running: track add. This advertisement features the song "Starts Off with a Bang" which you can check out the rest of, along with several other tracks, on their myspace page.

Bonus:

[Mp3] Mobius Band - City vs. Country

Annual Ice Wine Festival of the Grand River Valley

Today we will be attending this Ice Wine Festival and be sure to post about it later on this week. . .should be interesting!

Logic will Break your Heart

It seems that whenever you think a band has dropped off the face of the earth, they somehow resurface shortly after you ask someone "whatever happend to [insert band here]?" The most recent example of this would be the The Stills. Kelly and I last saw them back in May '04, where Metric and Sea Ray (rip) opened. Sadly, we missed Sea Ray's set and then they brokeup shortly thereafter. Interestingly enough -- the drummer from Sea Ray, Colin Brooks, is now the new drummer for The Stills.

To read about all the lineup changes and some other info regarding The Stills' new album go here

Which brings us to our dilemma: Do we go see The Stills with Jason Collett on April 9th or do we go see Mates of State with Maria Taylor instead? The biggest surprise is that two quality shows will be happening on the same Sunday Night (in Cleveland no less!). . .which, I guess, is a good problem to have.

Check out their new track:

[Mp3] The Stills - The New Beginning

Which is definitely very different than their prior material:

[Mp3] The Stills - Still in Love Song (remix)

Scotch on the Rocks

This evening we will be attending a Scotch Tasting at the Union Club downtown. Both of us are looking forward to the event, although slightly apprehensive about the strength of the scotch, mainly because some of the scotches are as high as 120 proof! Plus, we are really unsure as to what kind of food will be served -- as far as we know, there will only be a selection of Hors D' Oeuvres made available throughout the tasting. Although, we will fortunately have the opportunity to sober up during the Cavs game, which we will be heading to later on in the evening.

Wish us luck!

[Mp3] Stereolab - Bop Scotch

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