Saturday, June 28, 2008
Thursday, June 19, 2008
The Greatest Rock Band Ever Debate
For several months now, whenever there's a lull in conversation between friends over beers, I ask them their opinions about the greatest rock band of all time.
I don't have the answer, but what interests me is the people who think they do (those people always, always — unequivocally and without hesitation — answer The Who). The rest of us have to think about it.
The criteria for this discussion:
1) It has to be a rock band. Derivatives of rock, such as punk, are accepted. Folk is not.
2) The band has to be an actual band, not just one person.
3) Things to take into consideration: how the band stands the test of time, influence on other bands, etc., etc.
4) You will know a valid contender when you hear it. Rush is always the wrong answer.
5) Your favorite band and the best band of all time may not necessarily be the same.
Almost no one has said the Beatles, which I can't figure out. Are they too pop? No one has said the Replacements. Girls vote for Led Zeppelin. No one has considered the Jimi Hendrix Experience or the Stooges or MC5 or Fleetwood Mac or Big Star or the Ramones or the Sex Pistols. Most people choose bands that were defunct long before they were born (the cockroach-like Rolling Stones are the exception).
If I had to pick ... well, I still can't pick definitively. It'll take a few more beers.
I don't have the answer, but what interests me is the people who think they do (those people always, always — unequivocally and without hesitation — answer The Who). The rest of us have to think about it.
The criteria for this discussion:
1) It has to be a rock band. Derivatives of rock, such as punk, are accepted. Folk is not.
2) The band has to be an actual band, not just one person.
3) Things to take into consideration: how the band stands the test of time, influence on other bands, etc., etc.
4) You will know a valid contender when you hear it. Rush is always the wrong answer.
5) Your favorite band and the best band of all time may not necessarily be the same.
Almost no one has said the Beatles, which I can't figure out. Are they too pop? No one has said the Replacements. Girls vote for Led Zeppelin. No one has considered the Jimi Hendrix Experience or the Stooges or MC5 or Fleetwood Mac or Big Star or the Ramones or the Sex Pistols. Most people choose bands that were defunct long before they were born (the cockroach-like Rolling Stones are the exception).
If I had to pick ... well, I still can't pick definitively. It'll take a few more beers.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
That's How I Got to Memphis
We are trying to swing an Avett Brothers/My Morning Jacket weekend. It could be the greatest. Weekend. Ever.
Check out a few new songs from the Avetts.
Check out a few new songs from the Avetts.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Picon Punch
Depending on your drunk, Picon Punch is either the best thing you'll ever have or, in the words of our friend Noble, "ass Coke." It is not for the faint-hearted. It is the raw oyster of drinks, the fastest way to a hangover this side of the Rockies, and it leaves one hell of an aftertaste. It could have only been invented by Basques.
Picons are a rare breed; you will find them in Basque bars in Boise, Nevada, Bakersfield ... and that's about it. Picon is a liqueur made from oranges and some mysterious "flowers." All you really need to know about it is that it is red and tastes a bit like liquid Ricola. Flora Aldazabal at the Basque Center makes the best Picon Punch in Boise, but even she admits that if you want to encounter some serious Picon drinkers you have to venture south to Nevada.
This video is from the Star in Elko, which is where I have had some of the best meals of my life.
Picons used to be made with Amer Picon; depending on whom you talk to, the absence of Amer Picon these days is due to a trade war (you figure that one out) or low profit margins. Picons are now made with the American Torani Picon, but my husband is making his own. It involves steeping orange peels in alcohol for eight months. I don't ask too many questions, but I'll let you know the end result.
Picons are a rare breed; you will find them in Basque bars in Boise, Nevada, Bakersfield ... and that's about it. Picon is a liqueur made from oranges and some mysterious "flowers." All you really need to know about it is that it is red and tastes a bit like liquid Ricola. Flora Aldazabal at the Basque Center makes the best Picon Punch in Boise, but even she admits that if you want to encounter some serious Picon drinkers you have to venture south to Nevada.
This video is from the Star in Elko, which is where I have had some of the best meals of my life.
Picons used to be made with Amer Picon; depending on whom you talk to, the absence of Amer Picon these days is due to a trade war (you figure that one out) or low profit margins. Picons are now made with the American Torani Picon, but my husband is making his own. It involves steeping orange peels in alcohol for eight months. I don't ask too many questions, but I'll let you know the end result.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
The Avett Brothers
I have been reluctant to write about the Avett Brothers. There's that natural worry that comes when you love something so much and decide to share it with other people — kind of like taking a new boyfriend to meet your friends for the first time. Are they going to notice that sparkle in his eye? Are they going to think his jokes are funny? Are they going to get that he is, in fact, the greatest thing in the world at this very moment? You know what I mean.
I finally got a chance to see them — I had missed their now-famous (but dismally attended; it was the opening night of Bronco football) concert in Boise in August — last week at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland. There are currently four guys playing in the band: Scott and Seth Avett, two brothers from North Carolina who play the banjo and acoustic guitar, respectively; Bob Crawford, the stand-up bass player; and Joe Kwon, their sometime cello player. The Crystal Ballroom was sold out, but Parker and I managed to get really close to the stage. I thought the blonde girl to my right was going to faint, as if she were seeing the Beatles at Shea Stadium.
I've been to many, many concerts, but this was really one of the best. They seemed genuinely surprised to see so many people at their show and thanked the crowd profusely. For two hours, Bob twirled his bass and Seth screamed into the microphone; Scott jumped on the amps and Joe hoisted his cello into the air. They came out for two encores. By the end of the last encore it looked like they needed IVs. It was rad. It's amazing how much sound they can coax out of acoustic instruments and their voices, and it's amazing that they can put so much into songs that they have sung over and over and over again (they took about two months off this year. Their fans left messages on their website encouraging them to rest).
It's hard to describe their music, other than that they are anti-irony and emo without being emo. I started listening to them after several years of hearing overly self-aware math rock, and it was nice — and still is nice — to play music made by people who just love music and telling stories.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Jackie and Larry Sing
There is nothing — NOTHING! — on YouTube as awesome as Jackie and Larry. These are two karaoke lovers who joined up to make their own channel to cover country classics, though occasionally they veer into "Rocky Horror Picture Show" territory.
They have 28 videos and it's obvious that they have put a lot of work into these — check out the themed backgrounds! I highly suggest their Dolly Parton/Kenny Rogers offerings.
Check it out
They have 28 videos and it's obvious that they have put a lot of work into these — check out the themed backgrounds! I highly suggest their Dolly Parton/Kenny Rogers offerings.
Check it out
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