Jason Boucher

Sustenance: Grand Unified Theory of Nutrition?

2012-01-10T19:48:00.000-05:00

Sustenance: Grand Unified Theory of Nutrition?: Dogma is never a good idea in science. In fact, dogma and good science are philosophically incompatible. My husband, a science teacher, hate...

Top 75 Songs of 2010

2010-12-14T14:17:00.000-05:00

Another year has almost passed by and with it, at least seventy-five songs worth mentioning. This is my list and my opinion. I hope you can find a few songs of interest here... I could have kept going, but felt the list is pretty much complete. Songs are listed in alphabetical order.

Song	Artist	Album
All to All	Broken Social Scene	Forgiveness Rock Record
Anyone’s Ghost	The National	High Violet
The Back of My Mind	Teenage Fanclub	Shadows
Beg Steal Or Borrow	Ray LaMontagne & The Pariah Dogs	God Willin’ & The Creek Don’t Rise
Black Venom	The Budos Band	The Budos Band III
Brian Boru’s March	Loreena McKennitt	The Wind That Shakes The Barley
Buried By the Blues	Black Mountain	Wilderness Heart
Celestica	Crystal Castles	Crystal Castles II
City With No Children	Arcade Fire	The Suburbs
Closet Astrologer	The Ruby Suns	Fight Softly
Cold Woman	Dusty 45s	Fortunate Man
Coming Down The Road	John Mellencamp	No Better Than This
Conscience Killer	Black Rebel Motorcycle Club	Beat The Devil’s Tattoo
Coyote	Jacob & the House of Fire	Frontier
Do What the Man With the Gun Says	Martin England	Razed & Reconstructed
Doubt	Delphic	Alcolyte
Everything at Once	Superchunk	Majesty Shredding
Fallin’ & Flyin’	Jeff Bridges	Crazy Heart – Soundtrack
Falling From the Sun	The Album Leaf	A Chorus of Storytellers
Glitter	No Age	Everything In Between
Glitter Freeze (w/ Mark E. Smith)	Gorillaz	Plastic Beach
The Go Getter	The Black Keys	Brothers
Gonna Get Along Without You Now	She & Him	Volume Two
Good For Great	Matt & Kim	Sidewalks
Goodbye, Dear Friend	Deer Tick	The Black Dirt Sessions
hahahaha jk?	Das Racist	Sit Down, Man
Head Full of Doubt / Road Full of Promise	The Avett Brothers	I And Love and You
The High Road	Broken Bells	Broken Bells
I Can Change	LCD Soundsystem	This is Happening
I L U	School of Seven Bells	Disconnect From Desire
I Learned The Hard Way	Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings	I Learned The Hard Way
I Want the World to Stop	Belle & Sebastian	Write About Love
Jamie, My Intentions Are Bass	!!!	Strange Weather, Isn’t It?
King of Snakes	Suckers	Wild Smile
Kolnidur	Jonsi	Go
Laredo	Band of Horses	Infinite Arms
Laughing Lover	Blitzen Trapper	Destroyer of the Void
A Lion’s Heart	The Tallest Man On Earth	The WIld Hunt
Living Decorations	Maps & Atlases	Perch Patchwork
Long Haul	Martin Sexton	Sugarcoating
Lost Where I Belong	Andreya Triana	Sugarcoating
Mondegreen	Yeasayer	Odd Blood
Mouthful of Diamonds	Phantogram	Eyelid Movies
My Heart Skips A Beat	Secret Sisters	Secret Sisters
Neckbrace	Ratatat	LP4
Needn’t Say A Thing	Ben Sollee & Daniel Martin Moore	Dear Companion
Nothing Like You	Frightened Rabbit	The Winter of Mixed Drinks
Odessa	Caribou	Swim
Oh You, Old Thing	Wolf Parade	Expo 86
The Orchard	Ra Ra Riot	The Orchard
Penny In the Sun	The Molenes	Good Times Comin’
Power	Kanye West	My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
The Prettiest Sea Slug	Blockhead	The Music Scene
Revival	Deerhunter	Halcyon Digest
Rio	Hey Marseilles	To Travels & Trunks
Roll Away Your Stone	Mumford and Sons	Sigh No More
Rolling/Nectarine	Hooray For Earth	Momo
Round and Round	Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti	Before Today
Scissor Runner	Jenny and Johnny	I’m Having Fun Now
The Season	Matt Costa	Mobile Chateau
Shape Shifter	Local Natives	Gorilla Manor
Sleepless in Silverlake	Les Savy Fav	Root For Ruin
Snake Song	Isobel Campell & Mark Lanegan	Hawk
Some Other Way	The Extra Lens	Undercard
Story To Be Told	M.I.A.	Maya
Sunday Afternoon	The Black Angels	Phosphene Dream
Trouble Comes Running	Spoon	Transference
Troublesome Houses	Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy	The Wonder Show of the World
Turn the Dirt Over	Sea Wolf	Turn the Dirt Over (7″)
Twenty Miles	Deer Tick	The Black Dirt Sessions
Vallee de Larmes (Loko Remix)	Jean-Claude Ades	Music of Yourself
Velcro Shoes	Pete Yorn	PY
Whispers	Unbunny	Moon Food
You Must Be Out Of Your Mind	Magnetic Fields	Realism
You Woke Me Up!	Andrew Bird	Useless Creatures

Portsmouth Revaluation

2010-09-27T16:05:00.000-04:00

The following was sent to The Portsmouth Herald on Monday, September 27, 2010.

To The Editor:

I was born in Portsmouth, NH and I attended school here for 11 years, graduating from Portsmouth High School in 1991. I’ve called Portsmouth home all my life. As a recent homeowner in the city, I feel like Portsmouth no longer wants me to stay… and from reading Sunday’s Portsmouth Herald (See: Revaluation sparks anger and outrage) it seems the city feels the same way about many other homeowners.

The recent revaluation of properties and skyrocketing values for homeowners in the Little Harbor School district and South End has angered many, with some already planning for the worst – moving out of Portsmouth.

How can some neighborhoods, including those in the vicinity of FW Hartford Drive, Tuckers Cove, and Buckminster Way see large decreases in their value, but much smaller, older homes like mine, see a massive increase in value? Just who is making these decisions and based on what criteria? I don’t mind paying my fair share of taxes, but shouldn’t everyone be included in this game? It reminds me of the battle now facing our federal government: tax cuts for the wealthy. Why does the burden continuously fall on the middle and lower class to pay more than their share of taxes? I love Portsmouth and I don’t want to move away from my home.

Implementing these new values, especially in this economy and housing market seems very selfish and inappropriate. The new property values will only push more and more locals out, making Portsmouth unaffordable to anyone other than the wealthy. Is that what the city government wants to see happen? I thought the city’s masterplan wanted a thriving art, music, and business community? I thought we wanted affordable housing? None of this can be attained if not all are welcome to live within the city limits.

Jason Boucher
Portsmouth, NH

Social Media: Rural Edition

2010-08-10T08:28:00.002-04:00

Rural communities in the United States have notoriously lacked Broadband infrastructure. Information & Communication Technology in these less populated areas could be better, which is why places like Clarksville, New Hampshire; Sherman Mills, Maine; and Enosburgh, Vermont may be behind in the Information Age because of their geographic location and available means of communication. This does not necessarily mean all are purposefully living "off-the-grid."

Social Media and smartphones are just two examples of how new technology is being embraced by rural areas to help broaden communication. Farmers are now using Twitter to communicate and market their brand. They use smartphones to check the weather forecast, send photos, check the market, or socially connect their farms to the eaters of America. We need to continually help farmers spread information and use Web 2.0 technology to their benefit.

Even corporate America is joining the cause, as evidenced by Frito-Lay's recent use of social media to strut the power of the company's potato farmer's and help providing them with greenhouses. A big tip of the cowboy hat to this big brand for raising awareness of social media within the farming community by bringing farmers, consumers, and social media together. Frito-Lay has hired multiple agencies to spread their message, which only helps farmers, but also intelligently advertises their family of products. Many farms and rural businesses simply cannot afford to produce the same message...

The tech-savvy generation is an important factor and can help by mobilizing and donating its collective digital talents to create so-called cooperative websites with built-in social networking tools. For example, Becky McCray, located in Oklahoma, helps share the wonders of social media with farm communities, small businesses and rural causes throughout the country and entire world.

The importance of social media needs to continue to be promoted, especially in rural America, on farms, in community centers, shelters, soup kitchens and food banks. Doing so enables each cause to reach hundreds of thousands of people instantly, opens communication and helps spread a message, whether that message is that of a large corporation or an underrepresented community.

Get involved! Make Social Media happen! Is there a rural area that you recently visited or read about that could benefit from social media? How about a charity right in your ‘hood? Think about it, each of us has the power to help.

Social Media Day!

2010-06-27T08:46:00.001-04:00

Social Media Day is this Wednesday, June 30th, 2010. The day was originally organized by Mashable.com and now there are over 525 Meetups nationwide, including our own right here in Portsmouth, NH at The Press Room located at 77 Daniel Street. Social Media Day Portsmouth also includes an enormous benefit to help raise money for Team Mountain, as they race to support The Greater New England Chapter of the National MS Society and the Molly Rowlee Foundation.

The Portsmouth Herald describes the event...

Independence! features live music performances from two generations of NH Seacoast singer songwriters and a brilliant selection of visual art and photography from the region's artists. Enjoy the company of Portsmouth's colorful business and arts community and sample fine foods from some of the area's best restaurants and cafes.

Live music performances by Martin England and the Tan Vampires (featuring Jake Mehrmann). Local artists Jess Scott, Colin James, and Jocelyn Toffic will also be on hand with their latest work on display...

The event begins sharply at 6:00 PM and admission is only five bucks, so meet me at The Press Room and help make a great cause even greater through the power of Social Media and Community Networking...

Check in on FourSquare, Yelp, and Twitter. Facebook your friends and make our local community shine!

Social Media Policy within Higher Education

2010-06-17T08:52:00.003-04:00

Many thanks to Yong C. Lee and the folks at Social Media Club for starting the discussion of Social Media Policy within Higher Education. The conversation on Twitter and Ning have been both lively and constructive and now there's a Google Wave, which is open to anyone with ideas for best practices and social media guidelines. It's all about collaboration. Get involved!

The Mobile Web

2010-06-07T08:54:00.001-04:00

Michael Fienen wrote a superb article about Mobile Web Applications within a Higher Education environment. Fienen includes links to some of the top mobile apps available by universities and colleges, such as MIT and West Virgina University. Remember, by 2015, the mobile web will overtake desktop computing. Are you on board with the Mobile Web yet?

Social Music

2010-05-30T08:55:00.002-04:00

There are many social music websites to choose from, but what's the best choice? Does it matter? Which service has the best, deepest selection of interesting sounds? Which one is the easiest to share? Which one has the best layout? If you're not familiar with social music networks, here's a five of the leading candidates:

iLike is a partnership with MySpace. Remember them? It's still a very popular home for musicians, as it's a way to promote their music free of charge. iLike also let's users create a profile, share music with friends, search concerts, music charts, and create playlists. There are many independent artists found and you can listen or buy songs with just a few clicks. iLike also lets you build your own radio station.

LaLa is no more. From their website, "The Lala service has been discontinued as of May 31st, 2010." This is soon to be replaced by an Apple iTunes streaming website. Apple purchased LaLa this past winter and rumor has it that this is their plan. Watch the WWDC on June 7th for more information.

Blip.fm offers search results for audio and video. It does a pretty good job finding independent artists, too. When you 'blip' a song, there is an option to echo your selection using Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Friendfeed, LiveJournal, and Ping.fm. Visitors to Blip.fm can create a playlist to save for later or share with friends. Users will also see links to Amazon and iTunes for purchasing each blipped song.

Pandora is probably the most known social music website. Just like iLike, you can create a profile and you can create a station, which is saved within your account. Pandora recommends songs based on what you like and dislike - hopefully never replaying songs given the thumbs down. Users can share songs via Facebook and Twitter, or create a gift radio station for a friend. Pandora also offers a link to iTunes and Amazon to purchase each song played. Pandora has a mobile application for various smart-phone models including the iPhone. Google Chrome has given me problems with Pandora, try using FireFox 3 for better functionality.

Last.fm is very similar to Pandora, but if you're an independent artist than Last.fm is better for you. Last.fm allows artists to create pages full of bios, songs for streaming or downloading, upcoming shows, and links to purchase each track via iTunes, Amazon, or 7Digital. If you're just a fan of music, then Last.fm also has in depth searches of national and international artists, allowing users to save songs and create playlists. Last.fm also has the Scrobble. Check it out!

Which one do you use? And if you use something else, let us know.

Looking for Ning Alternatives?

2010-05-07T09:02:00.003-04:00

Are you one of the thousands of NING users frustrated that all free services are about to end? There are some alternatives out there offering both free and paid services if you're hunting for yet another social platform to use. Create and discover with one of these three platforms listed below. And yes, NING users can migrate their data...

If you're a teacher or student looking for a NING-like replacement, check out edmodo.com. It includes privacy control, SMS, Calendaring, Mobile applications, file storing, file sharing, and many more collaborating tools - all for free. If you have other suggestions, please let me know.

Record Store Day 2010

2010-04-17T09:06:00.002-04:00

Welcome to International Record Store Day! Support your local music store and see what special vinyl or CDs are available this day only... I've heard there are some great re-releases on limited edition vinyl, like older R.E.M. albums, from the IRS days, many special releases in all genres, and of course raffles - Go!, Go!, Go!

International FourSquare Day

2010-04-14T09:09:00.001-04:00

April 16th is International FourSquare Day and my little city of Portsmouth, NH is a participant. What is FourSquare Day you might ask? Well, first you need to know what FourSquare is, then you will know that many local businesses in each participating city will be offering specials, discounts, and raffles to anyone "checking in" on FourSquare. It's the latest social media blitz! So grab your iPhone, Droid, Blackberry, or Palm and hit the town this coming Friday! For more on FourSquare and the complete story, follow this link.

Wilco (The Show)

2010-04-09T09:10:00.001-04:00

Wilco, Capitol Center for the Arts

Concord, NH

April 07, 2010

Wilco played over 3 hours straight through on Wednesday evening in warm downtown Concord, NH. I heard every song I wanted to hear, including a nice stripped down acoustic-style middle set that started with "Spiders" and ended with "Passenger Side." The light show was brilliantly displayed with lamps, glowing rhythmic candle sticks, and a back drop that looked like essays stapled to a large poster board, standing enormously behind America's favorite live band. This was the first time I have seen Wilco with Nels Cline, who stole the show. I knew how talented he was, but seeing him perform live just proves to me that he's one of the top guitarists in all genres of music today. Here's the set list...

Wilco (The Song)
I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
Ashes of American Flags
Bull Black Nova
You Are My Face
One Wing
A Shot in the Arm
At Least That's What You Said
Radio Cure
Handshake Drugs
Impossible Germany (my favorite Nels Cline solo)
I'll Fight
California Stars
Poor Places
Spiders (Kidsmoke)
You and I
Why Would You Wanna Live
Cars Can't Escape
Hesitating Beauty
War on War
Laminated Cat
Passenger Side
Airline to Heaven
Summerteeth
Misunderstood
Can't Stand It
Jesus, Etc.
You Never Know
Heavy Metal Drummer
Hate It Here
Walkin'
I'm the Man Who Loves You
In The Street

Encore: Hoodoo Voodoo, I'm a wheel

Sharing Files with Microsoft Office 2010

2010-04-08T09:12:00.001-04:00

New files created in Word, Excel, or Powerpoint can be saved to SkyDrive, SharePoint, or published as a blog post. It’s Microsoft’s answer to Google Docs and Apple’s iWork. Sharing and it arrives this summer inside the new Microsoft Office 2010.

Top 160 Albums of the 1990s

2010-01-05T09:47:00.001-05:00

1.    Slowdive – Souvlaki (1993)
2.    Magnetic Fields – The Wayward Bus (1991)
3.    Magnetic Fields – Holiday (1994)
4.    Magnetic Fields – 69 Love Songs, Part I (1999)
5.    Magnetic Fields – 69 Love Songs, Part II (1999)
6.    Magnetic Fields – 69 Love Songs, Part III (1999)
7.    Tortoise – Tortoise (1994)
8.    Tortoise – Millions Now Living Will Never Die (1996)
9.    Pavement – Slanted & Enchanted (1992)
10.    Pavement – Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (1994)

11.    Pavement – Wowee Zowee (1995)

12.    Phish – A Picture of Nectar (1991)

13.    Current 93 – Thunder Perfect Mind (1992)

14.    Current 93 – All The Pretty Little Horses (1997)

15.    Depeche Mode – Violator (1990)

16.    Aphex Twin – Richard D. James Album (1996)

17.    Portastatic – The Nature of Sap (1997)

18.    Palace Brothers – Days in the Wake (1994)

19.    Palace Music – Viva Last Blues (1995)

20.    Will Oldham – Western Music (1998)

21.    Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy - I See a Darkness (1999)

22.    R.E.M. – Automatic for the People (1992)

23.    U2 – Achtung Baby (1991)

24.    Helmet – Meantime (1992)

25.    Pixies – Bossanova (1990)

26.    Pixies – Trompe Le Monde (1991)

27.    Rachel’s – Music for Egon Schiele (1996)

28.    Slint – Spiderland (1991)

29.    Gastr Del Sol – Upgrade & Afterlife (1996)

30.    Stereolab – Emperor Tomato Ketchup (1996)

31.    Yo La Tengo – I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One (1997)

32.    Radiohead – The Bends (1995)

33.    Radiohead – OK Computer (1997)

34.    Think Tree – Eight / Thirteen (1990)

35.    Guns N’ Roses – Use Your Illusion I (1991)

36.    Guns N’ Roses – Use Your Illusion II (1991)

37.    Nirvana – Nevermind (1991)

38.    Sonic Youth – Goo (1990)

39.    Sonic Youth – Washing Machine (1995)

40.    Big Head Todd & the Monsters – Midnight Radio (1991)

41.    Underworld – Beaucoup Fish (1999)

42.    Tom Waits – Mule Variations (1999)

43.    Sigur Ros – Agaetis Byrjun (1999)

44.    Ol’ Dirty Bastard – Nigga Please (1999)

45.    Belle & Sebastian – If You’re Feeling Sinister (1996)

46.    Beastie Boys – Check Your Head (1992)

47.    Blur – Parklife (1994)

48.    Blur – Blur (1997)

49.    Pulp – Different Class (1995)

50.    Verve – A Northern Soul (1995)

51.    Verve – Urban Hymns (1997)

52.    Built To Spill – Perfect From Now On (1997)

53.    Air – Moon Safari (1998)

54.    Windy & Carl – Drawing of Sound (1996)

55.    UNKLE – Psyence Fiction (1998)

56.    Richard Buckner – Since (1998)

57.    Portishead – Dummy (1994)

58.    Portishead – Portishead (1997)

59.    Nick Cave – The Boatman’s Call (1997)

60.    Dirty Three – Horse Stories (1996)

61.    Promise Ring – 30 Degrees Everywhere (1996)

62.    The American Analog Set – The Fun of Watching Fireworks (1996)

63.    The American Analog Set – The Golden Band (1999)

64.    Tindersticks – Tindersticks (1993)

65.    Tindersticks – Tindersticks II (1995)

66.    Massive Attack – Mezzanine (1998)

67.    Trembling Blue Stars – Her Handwriting (1996)

68.    The Sea and Cake – The Fawn (1997)

69.    Throwing Muses – The Real Ramona (1991)

70.    Belly – Star (1993)

71.    GusGus – Polydistortion (1997)

72.    Bjork – Post (1995)

73.    Bjork – Homogenic (1997)

74.    Archers of Loaf – All the Nation’s Airports (1996)

75.    Smashing Pumpkins – Gish (1991)

76.    Oasis – (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? (1995)

77.    Spiritualized – Ladies & Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space (1997)

78.    Scala – Beauty Nowhere (1997)

79.    Smog – Wild Love (1995)

80.    Smog – Red Apple Falls (1997)

81.    Guided By Voices – Bee Thousand (1994)

82.    Guided By Voices – Alien Lanes (1996)

83.    Guided By Voices – Mag Earwhig! (1997)

84.    Chemical Brothers – Exit Planet Dust (1995)

85.    Silver Jews – Starlite Walker (1994)

86.    The Roots – Illadelph Halflife (1996)

87.    A Tribe Called Quest – The Low End Theory (1991)

88.    A Tribe Called Quest – Midnight Marauders (1993)

89.    Public Enemy – Fear of a Black Planet (1990)

90.    Jeru the Damaja – Wrath of the Math (1996)

91.    Orbital – In Sides (1996)

92.    DJ Shadow – Entroducing… (1996)

93.    The Jayhawks – Tomorrow the Green Grass (1995)

94.    Wu Tang Clan – Enter the Wu Tang (36 Chambers) (1993)

95.    Liz Phair – Whip Smart (1994)

96.    Th’ Faith Healers – Imaginary Friend (1994)

97.    The Moon Seven Times – The Moon Seven Times (1993)

98.    James – Seven (1992)

99.    Tom Waits – Bone Machine (1992)

100.    Ride – Nowhere (1990)

101.    Ride – Going Blank Again (1992)

102.    Cul de Sac – China Gate (1996)

103.    The Charlatans UK – Some Friendly (1990)

104.    Cocteau Twins – Heaven or Las Vegas (1990)

105.    Danzig – Danzig II: Lucifuge (1990)

106.    My Bloody Valentine – Loveless (1991)

107.    Happy Mondays – Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches (1990)

108.    Morrissey – Your Arsenal (1991)

109.    Chapterhouse – Whirlpool (1991)

110.    Ned’s Atomic Dustbin – God Fodder (1991)

111.    Thurston Moore – Psychic Hearts (1995)

112.    Richard Thompson – Rumor and Sigh (1991)

113.    Teenage Fanclub – Bandwagonesque (1991)

114.    Bleach – Killing Time (1992)

115.    The Boo Radleys – Everything’s Alright Forever (1992)

116.    Dead Can Dance – Into the Labyrinth (1993)

117.    PJ Harvey – To Bring You My Love (1995)

118.    From Good Homes – Open Up the Sky (1995)

119.    Neutral Milk Hotel – In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (1998)

120.    Dinosaur Jr. – Without a Sound (1994)

121.    Social Distortion – Social Distortion (1990)

122.    Tesla – Five Man Acoustical Jam (1990)

123.    Big Audio Dynamite (BAD II) – The Globe (1991)

124.    Mad Season – Above (1995)

125.    Pearl Jam – Ten (1991)

126.    Neil Young – Harvest Moon (1992)

127.    The Lune – On the Cutting Room Floor (1998)

128.    Psychic TV – Trip Reset (1996)

129.    Legendary Pink Dots – The Shadow Weaver, Part 2: Malachai (1993)

130.    Coil – Music to Play in the Dark (1999)

131.    Johnny Cash – Unchained (1996)

132.    Calexico – Spoke (1997)

133.    Fuxa – Very Well Organized (1996)

134.    Bright – Bright (1996)

135.    Bright – Bliss Out, Vol. 12: Blue Christian (1999)

136.    Bowery Electric – Beat (1996)

137.    Shellac – At Action Park (1994)

138.    5ive Style – 5ive Style (1995)

139.    June of 44 – Anatomy of Sharks (1997)

140.    The Make Up – Destination: Love – Live at Cold Rice (1996)

141.    Brokeback – Field Recordings from the Cook County Water Table (1999)

142.    Friends of Dean Martinez – Shadow of Your Smile (1995)

143.    Trans Am – Trans Am (1996)

144.    Rex – C (1996)

145.    Directions in Music – Echoes (12”) (1997)

146.    Freakwater – Feels Like the Third Time (1995)

147.    Evolution Control Committee – Whipped Cream Mixes (7”) (1998)

148.    Delta 72 – The R&B of Membership (1996)

149.    Flying Saucer Attack – Flying Saucer Attack (1994)

150.    Flying Saucer Attack – Further (1995)

151.    Jim O’Rourke – Halfway to a Threeway (1999)

152.    UI – Lifelike (1998)

153.    The Ecstasy of Saint Theresa – Astrala la Vista (1994)

154.    Bark Psychosis – Hex (1994)

155.    Labradford – Prazision (1994)

156.    Oval – Systemiche (1996)

157.    The Notwist – Shrink (1998)

158.    Unbunny – Analog (1996)

159.    Bob Dylan – Time Out of Mind (1997)

160.    Grant Lee Buffalo – Fuzzy (1993)

Best Music for 2009

2010-01-01T09:49:00.001-05:00

My list for Best Music of 2009 is not set in stone and it will not stir up many new sales for the artists mentioned. I sat at my desk, decinding which one made the cut - my simple list is not based on any reviews, recommendations - and no artists is listed because of any favors. It's good music - pure and simple. It's just like, my opinion, man. I love all genres of music and this year, I believe these to be the best songs released within the last calendar year. There are many new artists that made the list, but a few oldies that perhaps show my bias, but you can never go wrong with artists like Yo La Tengo, My Morning Jacket, or Tortoise - can you? Just check out the list, will ya?

Artist	Song

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart	Young Adult Friction
Band of Skulls	I Know What I Am
Ryan Bingham	Roadhouse Blues
Kasabian	Underdog
Sunset Rubdown	Paper Lace
Monsters of Folk	The Sandman, Brakeman & Me
The Gossip	Heavy Cross
The Raveonettes	Suicide
The Flaming Lips	I Can Be a Frog
Sea Wolf	Wicked Blood
Islands	Switched On
The xx	Heart Skipped a Beat
Muse	Uprising
The Cave Singers	Leap
Deer Tick	Easy
The Dodos	Acorn Factory
Yo La Tengo	Avalon Or Someone Very Similar
Yeah Yeah Yeahs	Zero
The Wooden Birds	Choke
Wilco	Bull Black Nova
Vetiver	Sister
Tortoise	Minors
These United States	Good Night Wish
Steve Earle	Loretta
Sonic Youth	Massage The History
Son Volt	Dust of Daylight
Silversun Pickups	Draining
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings	Inspiration Information
Robert Cray Band	Trouble & Pain
Passion Pit	Sleepyhead
Neko Case	Don't Forget Me
The National	So Far Around The Bend
My Morning Jacket	El Caporal
M. Ward	Rave On
David Bazan	Bearing Witness
Lotus Plaza	Sunday Night
Julian Casablancas	Ludlow St.
Florence + the Machine	You've Got the Love (XX remix)
DOOM	Angelz (feat. Tony Starks)
Dan Auerbach	Keep It Hid
Conor Oberst + Gillian Welch	Lua
Conor Oberst & Mystic Valley Band	Nikorette
Camera Obscura	French Navy
Built To Spill	Things Fall Apart
Bonnie "Prince" Billy	I Am Goodbye
Bon Iver	Blood Bank
Bibio	Lovers' Carvings
Beirut	My Night With A Prostitute…
The Avett Brothers	I And Love And You
Antony & The Johnsons	Kiss My Name
Allie Moss	Corner
Nite Jewel	Bottom Rung
The Big Pink	Dominos
St. Vincent	Marrow
Bat for Lashes	Daniel
Cold Cave	Love Comes Close

Windows 7 upgrade may include Invalid Product Key

2009-10-30T09:52:00.001-04:00

I finally received my pre-ordered copy of Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium and promptly unwrapped the late-arriving package, which included both the 32 and 64 bit versions on DVD. Earlier in the evening, I installed VM Ware Fusion 3.0 to become compatible with Windows 7 as a virtual machine. I was eager to see how Windows 7 compared to Vista, XP, and of course Apple’s Snow Leopard. The Windows 7 installation was the easiest installation of a Windows O/S I’ve ever done - the process was almost flawless.... except the Product Key kept popping up - “Invalid Product Key, Please Try Again.” Could I have entered it wrong? I tried once more, making sure to enter the code exactly as displayed inside my plastic Windows 7 case, but the same result occurred. I had to call Microsoft Windows Technical Support.
Here is a summary of the key points of the service request:

Action: Tried installing Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
Result: The product key was coming up as, “Invalid Product Key.”
Cause: The registry settings had to be changed for the upgrade version of Windows 7.
Resolution: Changed the registry settings and re-entered the Product Key, which allowed for Windows 7 to activate successfully.

The entire process took 3 times as long as the installation of Microsoft Windows 7, but my problem was resolved with a helpful support staff probably located in India. I still have one question: Will everyone upgrading to Windows 7 need to change their Registry Key and re-enter the Product Key?

How many people does this effect? Thousands, I bet... Here's a related article from PC World.

U2

2009-09-21T09:53:00.004-04:00

U2 - Gillette Stadium

U2 played a long set full of songs from every decade they've been together. Personally, I like everything up to Zooropa, but each fan has their own U2 favorites and opinions. The stage presence was immense, the electricity used must've cost more for 4 hours than the rest of the town of Foxborough, MA for that evening. The band looked good, performed well, but the sound was atrocious. I was sitting in the 300 level and it was just awful. Every note, every word that Bono said, echoed, ricocheted, and bounced into each other, some getting lost in the concrete walls and sky-boxes. Toward the end, I moved down to the warmer 100 level where the sound was clearer, the vocals more crisp, and that unique guitar sound of The Edge was much more coherent. People from all walks of life were sneaking their way to better seats and singing, but also joyfully dancing to "Where the Streets Have No Name.'' I was pleased to hear tunes like, "MLK," "Sunday Bloody Sunday," "With Or Without You," and "Mysterious Ways." Bono brought great attention to the election problems and Human Rights violations in Iran and Burma, but I'm sure some of that message was lost on the inebriated patrons scattered all over the ad-ridden coliseum. It was a great experience inside the stadium and beforehand, tail-gaiting across Route 1. I just wish the sound was better from atop Mt. Gillette.

Portland's Best Restaurants

2009-09-18T09:56:00.006-04:00

Green Elephant - Creative Vegetarian Cuisine
The Pepper Club - All local ingredients, both carnivore and vegetarian
Hugo's - Elegant, Gourmet dishes in a quiet setting
Duck Fat - Homemade Belgian Fries & Soda, Yummy Panini, Local beers on tap
Sapporo - Fresh, Local Sushi, Sashimi - Great Ginger Ice Cream.
The Great Lost Bear - Over 60 unique beers on tap, many regional microbrews

Blogging Redux

2009-06-07T10:02:00.000-04:00

The New York Times reports that blogs have a higher failure rate than restaurants. Here is an interesting quote from the article that quickly grabbed my attention:

“I was always hoping more people would read it, and it would get a lot of comments,” Mrs. Nichols said recently by telephone, sounding a little betrayed. “Every once in a while I would see this thing on TV about some mommy blogger making $4,000 a month, and thought, ‘I would like that.’ ”

We would all like that. But it takes work. A lot of work. You cannot simply create a blog, write each day and expect an instant return or instant fame. 5 Steps to make yourself known:

1. Make sure you have content. Write, produce, and design your blog or web site.

2. Publicize yourself. Get on Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Blog directories, Search Engines, and more... The more the better, just make sure you stay active and interesting. Don't tweet about vacuuming your floor. No one cares.

3. Inbound Links. Comment often and create discussions about subjects your passionate about. Leave feedback for others - Constructive criticism via commenting / discussing issues. It really works!

4. Purchase a URL and hosting service that offers free tools for SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and make sure you purchase the URL address for at least 2 years at the start.Use Google Analytics for your blog or StatPress if using WordPress. You will see a difference.

5. Word of Mouth. This relates to step 2, but take it to that next step - promote yourself by visiting other blogs, more Twitter users, and subscribing to others' feeds and reading more blogs. Simply make yourself known within the blogosphere. It also can't hurt to attend Tweet-Ups or Hi-Tech meet and greets to promote yourself.

An Evening with Neko Case

2009-04-13T10:18:00.000-04:00

Before attending the Neko Case concert at The Berklee Performance Center, I had an affordable little meal at Chili Duck, located on Boylston Street in Boston's Back-bay. The Thai restaurant is ducked underneath some retail shops, next to the new Apple store and across from the giant Prudential tower. After dinner, I enjoyed a few pints at Bukowski's Tavern on Dalton Street before swiftly heading out into the drizzle to witness some intelligent live music. My seats were center orchestra, balcony - not a bad view, despite being as far back as I've ever been in this auditorium. Crooked Fingers played about 8 songs, all of which received large applause and rightfully so, because singer Eric Bachmann is so humble, despite being one of the best songwriters in music. His lyrics are grown-up, sung with heart, and his voice is not as rough as it once was in earlier recordings (see Archers of Loaf) With only a little wait between sets, Neko Case arrived on the stage with her full band in tow - featuring five members. The entire band was in a good mood, joking around, and involving the crowd on some level. Neko and her band played all the songs I wanted to hear and did a great version of Nilsson's Don't Forget Me, which brought me on the edge of my seat, visibly emotional. Each song was executed well, never getting old or making me glance at my mobile phone, which can be a bit rare for me near the end of certain live shows... This concert kept me seated until the live performance was completely over (4 song encore included) and the house lights came on. Her band was tight, played brilliantly, and the Berklee staff made sure Neko's unique sound was beyond satisfactory. No earplugs needed.

Coase's Law and Mass Collaboration

2009-04-07T10:20:00.000-04:00

After reading Wikinomics and being apart of this dire, shaky economy - I found this interesting:

Coase’s law = (Ronald H. Coase) A firm will tend to expand until the costs of organizing an extra transaction within the firm become equal to the costs of carrying out the same transaction on the open market. As long as its cheaper to perform a transaction inside your firm, keep it there – But if its cheaper outside, then go there.

In this economy, it's all about Mass Collaboration to stay afloat and expand your business. Such is the way of Internet companies that cluster together - each company retaining it’s identity, but the companies all function together, creating more wealth than they could ever hope to create individually. With costs skyrocketing and production level dwindling, the pooling of resources together benefits everyone in a Capitalistic form of Internet Socialism.

Two Girls for Five Bucks

2009-03-26T10:21:00.000-04:00

Last weekend I traveled to New York City to witness an incredible comedic performance by two very talented ladies. The show, Two Girls for Five Bucks, starring Cathleen Carr and Daiva Deupree, is more than sketch comedy... The show also includes digital shorts and live music by The Ten Dollar Heartbreakers. The show's tag line, "Exposing Themselves so You Don't Have To," is definitely part of the act, as various segments touch upon the girls' lives growing up - from having a "sexy" mom to having a "mom haircut" in high school. The writing is top notch, the stories unfold quickly, and nothing gets over the audience's head - and that's a good thing! The show lasts about 80 minutes and I was smiling from the opening whistle to long after the performance ended - The show's finale both surprised me and brought me to my feet. The simple use of props and music mixed with the girls' ability to include the audience and their imagination left me speechless and wanting more stories, but that will have to wait... Will there be a sequel down the road? The stage set-up is small, but perfectly crafted with the band sitting off to the left and involved in almost each skit the ladies performed. There was even a cameo in one of the digital shorts by Cathleen's husband and one of my best friends, "Pay-tar."

The show runs from March 11 to March 28 at Ars Nova at 511 West 54th Street in New York City (The Colbert Report is located next door). Shows run Wednesday through Saturday at 8pm. Time is running out if you haven't seen this two girl laugh attack - hurry up - you won't be disappointed.

Discover Providence, Rhode Island

2009-03-15T10:22:00.001-04:00

This past week I spent some time in Providence, RI for work. My project was selected, so I was fortunate enough to present at NERCOMP 2009 for my higher education employer - it was very educational, but also tons of fun. Throughout the week, I met many new people and how they're using Web 2.0 technologies within a higher ed environment. From Twitter to YouTube to Facebook and Wordpress - there are tons of tools and more discovered each new day. In addition to the conference, each evening I discovered a few interesting spots upon downtown Providence.

First up - Trinity Brewhouse. It's conveniently located near the Rhode Island Convention Center and has some great food, but locals say they pour the best hand-crafted beer in the city. Many types of Micro brews were on tap, but I stuck with the RI IPA - very smooth! The next evening, I got together with an old college friend. Whenever we get together, a good time is always at hand - this was no different. My pal, the Providencian, soon to be a Californian, took me to a place called, Local 121. The restaurant and bar are amazing. Why? Besides the dim lighting and stained-glass windows - The cocktail room is long, with a brilliantly placed oak bar and live DJing and interesting patrons - it just gave this historic building a cozy, warm feel - at least in my eyes... As far as the food, everything is organic and most of it comes from the local region, supporting local farmers and businesses. This agriculturally sustainable restaurant also supports it's local artists. If you're ever there, look at the dishes or glasses during your meal, it may be the creation of a Rhode Island artisan! Local 121 used to be a fancy hotel, but now it's a part of the greater Providence art community, also known as AS220. Check it out next time your in the area...

Dark Was the Night

2009-03-02T08:58:00.000-05:00

4AD has just released an exclusive 32-track compilation as a benefit for the Red Hot organization, which helps combat AIDS and HIV around the globe. “Dark Was the Night” features all new tracks from such artists as: The National (who also produced the record), Feist, Ben Gibbard, Bon Iver, David Byrne, Arcade Fire, Sufjan Stevens, Iron & Wine, My Morning Jacket, Grizzly Bear, Spoon, and a lot more… The album is now available in stores and online at places like iTunes or Amazon. Sales of the album should be strong, as these songs are not found on any other album. Each song is strong in it’s own right and I absolutely love each one, but if I had to choose favorites then I’d go with the following: The Books with Jose Gonzalez covering Nick Drake’s “Cello Song,” The National’s “So Far Around the Bend,” Yo La Tengo’s “Gentle Hour,” My Morning Jacket’s “El Caporal,” My Brightest Diamond’s “Feeling Good,” and Beirut’s “Mimizan.”

Download the album here: iTunes - Amazon

Built To Spill - Orpheum Theatre: Boston, MA

2008-09-29T12:47:00.004-04:00

On a wet, dark, Saturday evening, with driving rain and wind by our side, Alexandra and I traveled to Boston, Massachusetts. What brave soldiers we were to park at the Boston Common garage and stomp by foot through the puddles, overflown storm drains and smells of sausages left too long on an open grille made for unresponsive tourists and sightseers. We headed towards Downtown Crossings for dinner and eventually over to The Orpheum to see Built To Spill perform live. When we reached the city streets of Tremont and Winter, my leather boots had turned dark brown and were taking on cold rain water. My feet became soaked and I wanted nothing more than to feel dry and sit down somewhere for healthy food and a warm beverage. Poor Alexandra was soaked and complaining that her purse was not water proof. We dashed into Marshall's looking for cheap shoes on the clearance rack - Drat! Nothing in my size... Payless Shoes was closed - It was DSW that finally had what I was looking for - cheap sneakers that when worn, made me feel like I was 12 years old again. I changed quickly, then scoffed down dinner at Kennedy's Irish Steak House, which if I was to rate for cleanliness, food, and atmosphere - All zeros. The service was okay, but the meal and the restaurant was eerily dark, quiet, and almost empty.... On to the show! We arrived at the Orpheum to sell an extra ticket, but ran into 2 people trying the same thing - after a short wait, we went in and got our tremendous seats - only 10 rows back from center stage. Amazing view until Built To Spill appeared - They brought 2 50+ gentlemen to sit in front of us that smelled like a combination of a wet dog, musty basement, and baby food. There were spots of empty seats throughout the night, but the main act did not disappoint. All but 3 songs were from albums predating 2001, which for me are the best albums that Doug Martsch has ever put together. The Meat Puppets were boring has-beens jamming long and loud, but their music was only a tenth of what it used to sound like during my days in early 90s college radio. Dinosaur Jr. with Lou Barlow on bass was fun, but way too loud - J. Mascis only once lifted his head up to the crowd. "We're from Massachusetts!," screamed Barlow three times during their 50 minute much too long set. Finally, the act that most of us came to see emerged... Built To Spill appeared and performed their own sound check and setup... and without haste, began playing "The Plan" and then right into "Randy Described Eternity," and the rest of Perfect From Now On. They also threw in the opening song from their latest effort, You In Reverse. The band was tight, mellow, and kept the lighting dim all set. It was nice - quite the contrast from the previous two bands. I enjoyed it immensely and each song got better. In fact, I think it's the best performance I've seen by Built To Spill live. The older and more bald Martsch played lead guitar as he sang and bounced around the mic in his signature spazz-like stance... BTS had a cellist perform on certain songs, 2 rhythm guitars to go with Martsch's lead, plus bass and drums. A great show, which was all over by 11:15pm. The encore was a classic, short version of "Car."

Kate the Great

2008-06-26T12:20:00.000-04:00

Last night I had the opportunity to try "Kate the Great," a dark, Russian Imperial Stout created by The Portsmouth Brewery in downtown Portsmouth, NH. Many people around the world have been overwhelmingly excited about this new batch of beer all week...

The beer is over 9% alcohol by volume and is served in a tulip-type glass. It has a strong malt flavor with hints of molasses and caramel. It went down smooth and had a great taste, not overly hoppy. I could have had three more, but due to alcohol content it was best to leave it at only 1 serving. Beer Advocate named it one of the best beers in the world and labeled it, World Class. The brewery bottled about 800 large bottles and sold out within 2 hours. Now, the beer is available on tap only, but it's a very limited engagement.

M83 at The Middle East, Cambridge, MA

2008-06-03T22:21:00.004-04:00

M83 played to a sold out crowd at the lower depths of The Middle East on Monday night. Alex and I arrived in time to see the opening band, The Berg Sans Nipples, which consisted of 2 percussive-heavy lads beating drums over and over for 5 straight songs. It was pleasant-sounding for the first song, but it began to get repetitive, like a wash machine with an unbalanced load, so we talked to the WERS girls and grabbed ourselves a free magnet and chap stick, since they actually sponsored the evening's show.

At 11 o'clock, we finally witnessed M83 appear on the dank and dated main stage to the delight of 300 hot and sweaty people, many below 'see' level. The band consisted of a bass, keyboard, guitar, drums (excellent drummer by the way), and the magic of Anthony Gonzalez's electronic sound effects, guitar, and loud, non-organic fuzz. The French band has drawn some comparison to My Bloody Valentine and the 1990's Shoegazing genre, but it's not entirely the same - There are more electronic parts and melodies within M83 - there isn't much wall of sound guitars, but I can definitely see the connections due to the length of each song and it's instrumental, "jam" structure.

M83 just released a new album, which most of the songs performed call home - I did hear 'Farewell Goodbye' and 'Teen Angst' - my favorites from the last studio album titled, "Before The Dawn Heals Us." They don't tour too often and when they do, the tour is very short, so I felt privileged to see this soul-soothing band originally from Antibes, France.

The music was still playing at 12:02am when Alex and I left the swamp-like room. The temperature downstairs must have been at least 100 degrees - no AC, no windows, no air at all other than what little trickled down the stairs at the back of the room.

Photography of Montreal

2008-05-05T16:31:00.010-04:00

Notre Dame Basilica by J. Boucher

Notre Dame Upright by J. Boucher

St. James Gate by J. Boucher

Hab Dog by J. Boucher

Arms of Lights by J. Couture

HydroQuarters by J. Boucher

Looking Through by J. Boucher

A Day Spent in Portland, Maine

2008-02-21T23:01:00.000-05:00

The Portland Museum of Art is an excellent second-tier city museum, where patrons can easily enjoy all the collections without having to rush or feel crowded. I recently ventured up the coastline to Portland, ME and took a first hand witness to some amazing exhibits.

John Bisbee
Bisbee teaches at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine and is a 20 year veteran of sculpting. He mainly uses industrial spikes and nails in his latest endeavor and makes fascinating art from something so ordinary and ugly on it's own. "His simple nails have become beautiful, intricate, and emblematic." - Portland Museum of Art

Lola Alvarez Bravo

Bravo's extraordinary photography has been on display upon the second level of the Museum and includes great pictures of Frida Kahlo, including a short film in which the two both starred and directed.

After enjoying the museum and brief discussion about children, we headed down towards the Old Port area of the city taking Free Street down to Commercial and Exchange Street. Along the way, we visited an Independent bookstore named after one of Maine's best writers - Longfellow Books and bought some cheese at The Portland Public Market House.

Lastly, we stumbled into Bubble Tea Maineia to try both hot and cold Bubble Tea. A little heavy on the tapioca pearls, but it was still delicious and fun to drink.

As we got into the car on the 3rd level of a nearby parking garage, I looked west from the Atlantic Ocean and was in awe of Mt. Washington...

Happy Birthday, Bethy

2008-02-13T10:16:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday, Bethy.

I still have the incense burner you gave me and I'm doing well. I think about you a lot and sometimes I cry, but I know you wouldn't want me to feel sad. I hope you're in a better place and watching out over your sisters and mom and dad. You may be gone, but you will never be forgotten. Thank you for being apart of my life.

Happy 21st Birthday, Kiddo!

Short Movie Reviews.

2008-02-08T06:22:00.000-05:00

From the director of Velvet Goldmine comes a story about a fictional musician/actor based on the life of Bob Dylan. Cate Blanchette was brilliant, so was Christian Bale... The stories intertwine, yet each stood on it's own legs and the visuals sometimes make you feel like you're on a trip out of this world. Another great film by Todd Haynes.

Give the Best Actor award to Daniel Day Lewis. He earned it with this picture... Fantastic cinematography and superb acting - the score was a little too modern for the time period, but Johnny Greenwood did his best interpretation of an early avant garde orchestra... Beautiful film.

This film is all about redemption. It is sad and depressing to see how Afghanistan once was before the Soviet invasion and the contrast in the Post-Taliban era. Very sad, but a remarkable film nonetheless. Full of inspiration...

Vieux Montreal

2008-02-01T18:35:00.000-05:00

The best European city in North America is only a few hours away from the place I call home.

"There's a European city in North America?"

Montreal, aside from Quebec City, resembles Europe more than any other area in Canada or The United States. It's a popular destination for the under 21 crowd in the northeast due to the drinking age, but don't let that keep you away... Montreal has some great neighborhoods from the Latin Quarter, (mini) Chinese Quarter, and the party streets of Bishop and Crescent off St. Catherine (Montreal's version of Broadway).

The best part of Montreal? The Old City. Full of restaurants, hotels, shops, art galleries, street vendors, musicians, and historic sites like the Notre Dame Basilica, Place d'Armes, Place Jacques-Cartier, and the Saint Lawrence River waterway.

More to come...

Julie and Jay at the ALCS

2007-11-02T21:08:00.000-04:00

My good friend Julie and I enjoyed the Red Sox winning the World Series. We were in attendance for Game 1 of the ALCS at Fenway Park and it was one of the best nights I've had in recent years... I couldn't stop laughing at Julie after the celebration -I think it was the sausage we split, the Boston Red Cups, and the Kansas crew that helped her fall into a big pile of wet garbage on Lansdown Street. Go Sox!

Van Halen

2007-10-16T04:15:00.000-04:00

I know it's ridiculous. When I was 10 years old I got into Van Halen. The year was 1983 and I couldn't get enough of Eddie's guitar or David Lee Roth's high-pitched screams... While my musical taste has drifted so far away from this 80s pop metal band, I wasn't old enough to ever see them in concert - So, combine this with my favorite city and voila! It's the cheesy Van Halen Tour 2007 in Montreal. This will be interesting... Kevin, Are you ready?

Los Feliz

2007-09-25T06:30:00.000-04:00

My sister’s apartment is on the third floor of a small apartment complex. It’s located in Los Feliz, just north of Silverlake and between Vermont Ave and Hillhurst St. The neighborhood is full of great shops, restaurants, and bars. There are plenty of places to eat, shop, and visit including the world famous Dresden (famous from Swingers).

More to come…

2006-12-19T19:42:00.000-05:00

Transatlantic Folk (UK)

Fairport Convention (Sandy Denny, Ashley Hutchings, Dave Swarbrick, Dave Mattacks, Simon Nicol, Richard Thompson)

Sandy Denny left FC to join Fotheringay, then a short solo career before she dies. Richard Thompson left FC for a solo career with and without his wife, Linda Thompson.

Ashley Hutchings left FC to join Steeleye Span (Ashley Hutchings, Tim Hart, Maddy Prior, Terry and Gay Woods). He mentioned his friend Nick Drake to Joe Boyd…. Later, he created an album called, ‘Morris On’ and ‘The Dancing Master’ with Simon Nicol and Richard Thompson.

Terry and Gay Woods left Steeleye Span to form Woods Band. Later on, Terry Woods then starts a new band, The Pogues. Meanwhile, Steeleye Span replaced the Woods with Martin Carthy.

Ashley Hutchings leaves Steeleye Span and forms Albion Country Band with Steve Ashley, Dave Mattacks, Simon Nicol, Sue Draheim, and Royston Wood. Royston Wood had played with The Young Tradition beforehand.

Martin Carthy joined the Albion Country Band and had been a member of The Watersons.

Ashley Hutchings then formed Etchingham Steam Band with Shirley Collins (she also performed with Dolly). It would later become Albion Dance Band and finally, The Albion Band.

Bert Jansch, Clive Palmer, and Robin Williamson all move to London together…

Anne Briggs and Bert Jansch perform together, while Clive Palmer, Robin Williamson, and Mike Heron form Incredible String Band. Clive Palmer then leaves ISB after first album and starts, Famous Jug Band. Palmer than enjoyed a solo career. Meanwhile, Robin Williamson and Mike Heron continue the Incredible String Band adding Rose Licorice and Malcolm LeMaistre over the next decade. They also provided backup for Vashti Bunyan and became great friends with Al Stewart.

Anne Briggs leaves and joins Ragged Robin before giving up music. Bert Jansch does an album with John Renbourn and then they go on to form Pentangle (Bert Jansch, Jacquie McShee, Terry Cox, Danny Thompson, John Renbourn). After the original line-up disbanded, Bert Jansch and John Renbourn enjoyed solo careers. Jacquie kept different line-ups of Pentangle going, Terry Cox began a long studio career, Danny Thompson performed live with Tim Buckley, and also recorded in studio with Nick Drake.
The Essential Album Releases

The albums are not listed in any particular order.

Donovan – double best of (1965-1973)
Richard and Mimi Farina – both albums (1965)
Bert Jansch – Jack Orion / Troubadour double best of (1965 to 1974)
Incredible String Band – 5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion (1967) or Hangman's Beautiful Daughter (1968)
Pentangle – Sweet Child (1968)
Pearls Before Swine - Balaklava (1968)
Donovan – A Gift From A Flower To A Garden (1968)
Shirley Collins – Power of the True Love Knot (1968)
Eclection – Eclection (1968)
Karen Beth – The Joys of Life (1968)
John Fahey - The Yellow Princess (1968)
Tim Buckley - Tonight In London (double album, not released at the time)
Fairport Convention – Liege and Lief, Unhalfbricking (1969)
Nick Drake – Five Leaves Left / Bryter Later / Pink Moon (1969-1972)
Forest – Forest / Full Circle (1969 / 1970)
Dr Strangely Strange – Kip of the Serenes (1969)
Jan Dukes De Grey – Sorcerers (1969)
Bread, Love and Dreams – Bread, Love and Dreams (1969)
Synanthesia – Synanthesia (1969)
John Renbourn – The Lady & The Unicorn (1970)
Mr Fox – Mr Fox / The Gipsy (compiled onto complete recordings double CD ‘Join Us In Our Game’) (1970)
Mick Softley – Sunrise (1970)
Trees – Garden of Jane Delawney (1970)
Vashti Bunyan – Just Another Diamond Day (1970)
Bread, Love and Dreams – Strange Tale of Captain Shannon and the Hunchback From Gigga (1970)
The Sun Also Rises - The Sun Also Rises (1970)
Tudor Lodge – Tudor Lodge (1970)
Magna Carta – Seasons (1970)
Dando Shaft – double best of (includes all of main three albums) (1970-1972)
Trader Horne – Morning Way (1970)
Meic Stevens – Outlander (1970)
Pearls Before Swine – The Use of Ashes (1970)
Linda Perhacs – Parallelograms (1970)
Oriental Sunshine - Dedicated To The Bird We Love (1970) Norway
Anne Briggs – The Time Has Come (1971)
Broselmaschine - Broselmaschine (1971) Germany
Comus – new double CD complete recordings (includes rare EP) (1971)
Clive’s Original Band – Spirit Of Love (1971)
Dulcimer – And I Turned As I Had Turned As A Boy (1971)
Tir Na Nog – Tir Na Nog (Eire) (1971)
Fuchsia – Fuchsia (1971)
Fresh Maggots – Fresh Maggots (1971)
Extradition - Hush (1971)
Tim Hart and Maddy Prior – Summer Solstice (1971)
Shelagh McDonald – 2 CD complete recordings, includes her best album ‘Stargazer’ (1971)
Shawn Phillips – Collaboration (1971)
Musica Dispersa – s/t (1971)
Haizea – Haizea (Spain)
Pentangle – Solomon’s Seal (1972)
Robin Williamson – Myrrh (1972)
Lal and Mike Waterson – Bright Phoebus (1972)
Mark Fry – Dreaming With Alice (1972)
Mellow Candle – Swaddling Songs (1972)
Clive’s Original Band – Moyshee McStiff and the Tartan Lancers of the Sacred Heart (1972)
Magic Carpet – Magic Carpet (1972)
Tony, Caro & John – All On The First Day (1972)
Amazing Blondel - England (1972)
Algarnas Tradgard - Framtiden Ar Ett Svavande Skepp Forankrat I Forntiden/ The Future is a Hovering Ship Anchored in the Past (1972)
Paul Giovanni / Magnet – The Wicker Man (film soundtrack, unreleased at the time) (1973)
Midwinter – Waters of Sweet Sorrow (1973)
Spirogyra – Bells, Boots and Shambles (1973)
Chris Thompson – Chris Thompson (1973)
Carolanne Pegg – Carolanne Pegg (1973)
Perry Leopold – Christian Lucifer (not issued at time, now on CD) (1973)
These Trails – These Trails (Honolulu) (1973)
Satwa - Satwa (Brazil) (1973)
Gary Higgins – Red Hash (1973)
Steve Ashley – Stroll On (1974)
Stone Angel – Stone Angel (1975)
Hedgehog Pie – Hedgehog Pie (1975)
The Trees – The Christ Tree (1976)
Langsyne - Langsyne (1976) Germany
Mandy Morton and the Spriguns – Magic Lady (1978)
Caedmon – Caedmon (1978)
Book of AM – Dawn and Morning (1978)

The Introductory 30 Releases

The albums are not listed in any particular order.

Donovan – double best of (1965-1973)
Bert Jansch – Jack Orion / Troubadour double best of (1965 to 1974)
Incredible String Band – 5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion (1967) or Hangman's Beautiful Daughter (1968)
Pentangle – Sweet Child (1968)
Pearls Before Swine - Balaklava (1968)
Shirley Collins – Fountain of Snow (1959-1967)
Fairport Convention – Liege and Lief (and ‘A Sailor’s Life’ from Unhalfbricking) (1969)
Nick Drake – Five Leaves Left / Bryter Later / Pink Moon (1969-1972)
Forest – Forest / Full Circle (1969 / 1970)
Tim Buckley – Happy/Sad (1969)
Mr Fox – Mr Fox / The Gipsy (compiled onto complete recordings double CD ‘Join Us In Our Game’) (1970)
Trees – Garden of Jane Delawney (1970)
Vashti Bunyan – Just Another Diamond Day (1970)
Mick Softley - Sunrise (1970)
Dando Shaft – double best of (includes all of main three albums) (1970-1972)
Linda Perhacs – Parallelograms (1970)
Anne Briggs – The Time Has Come (1971)
Comus – new double CD complete recordings (includes rare EP) (1971)
Lal and Mike Waterson – Bright Phoebus (1972)
Mark Fry – Dreaming With Alice (1972)
Mellow Candle – Swaddling Songs (1972)
Clive’s Original Band – Moyshee McStiff and the Tartan Lancers of the Sacred Heart (1972)
Paul Giovanni / Magnet – The Wicker Man (film soundtrack, unreleased at the time) (1973)
Midwinter – Waters of Sweet Sorrow (1973)
Spirogyra – Bells, Boots and Shambles (1973)
Chris Thompson – Chris Thompson (1973)
Satwa - Satwa (Brazil) (1973)
Steve Ashley – Stroll On (1974)
Stone Angel – Stone Angel (1975)
Mandy Morton and the Spriguns – Magic Lady (1978)

* This list contains reprinted material from transatlantic folk web sites and from E-mails I received in 2006.

Great Beast of Scotland!

2006-04-23T15:03:00.000-04:00

Scotland is home to many things…

Bagpipes…

Medieval Castles…

The Loch Ness Monster…

Mogwai.

Close Encounters mp3

Scotland is currently the home of the best rock band in the world.
One could definitely argue that point.

Yes, many musicians have come from the land of Caledonia, but not until recent years were so many diverse artists within the global proverbial public eye. By now, we’ve heard the sounds of Primal Scream, Cocteau Twins, The Jesus & Mary Chain, and who can forget Rod Stewart? Even Teenage Fanclub, Belle & Sebastian, and Franz Ferdinand are names that most people are familiar with by now. They’re all great Scottish bands that make extraordinary music - but there are many more Scottish artists flying under the radar these days…

For example, how about Mogwai? They’ve grown up listening to many of the aforementioned Scottish bands, but they’ve got a little something more peculiar to share - not only to Scotland, but to the entire world.

Mogwai has returned with a significant and highly praised new album titled, Mr. Beast. It’s available now through Matador Records all over North America and offered through PIAS in Europe. Mr. Beast is the fifth full-length studio album from Glasgow’s most underrated band, but there’s plenty more music available. Along the way, they’ve also released a studio EP, as well as an assortment of live BBC Sessions, a tremendous double remix album, and an early collection of singles and other works. The band’s current 5 piece line up is incredibly excited about the new album, as it follows an earlier formula that fans of Mogwai should be familiar with – it’s loud! The band’s sound may be thunderous, but it still holds on to that crisp, edgy, post-rock formula that many have come to love. It’s not noisy, just melodic and loud. There is a difference, let Mogwai prove it to you. The entire album is incredible, but I do have a favorite track. Acid Food. It’s the third track. Turn it up and just listen to the endless layers of sound – from the quasi-country western guitar riffs to the minimal drums and retro-programming from Mogwai’s own version of Radiohead’s Johnny Greenwood, known as Barry Burns. The track and the album have become so addictive – I can’t seem to get enough Mogwai right now. Whether you like the last record or the first record - It’s all covered here – psych, gentle gloominess, post-rock, and beyond. Fans of Tortoise, Acid Mothers Temple, My Bloody Valentine, and The Jesus & Mary Chain will find comfort in Mr. Beast.

Mogwai are hard to put into one genre, so why bother?

Mogwai are on tour now!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wed 05/10/06 : Washington DC - 9:30 Club
Thu 05/11/06 : Philadelphia - Starlight
Fri 05/12/06 : New York, NY - Webster Hall
Sat 05/13/06 : New York, NY - Webster Hall
Sun 05/14/06 : Boston, MA - Avalon
Mon 05/15/06 : Montreal, QC - Spectrum
Tue 05/16/06 : Toronto, ON - Phoenix Theatre
Thu 05/18/06 : Detroit, MI - St. Andrews Hall
Fri 05/19/06 : Chicago, IL - Metro / Smart Bar
Sat 05/20/06 : Minneapolis - First Avenue
Tue 05/23/06 : Seattle, WA - Showbox
Wed 05/24/06 : Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom
Thu 05/25/06 : Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom
Sat 05/27/06 : San Francisco - The Fillmore

DC Travel, Part 2

2006-03-26T16:31:00.001-05:00

Thursday morning started at 9am when my friend Jeff and I left his place in Alexandria, VA for the Foggy Bottom Metro stop. Along the way we stopped for coffee and Jeff handed the young woman four packets of Splenda and smiled -– She came back with a large coffee in no time... Transaction complete. I didn’t say a word, just knew this odd behavior probably occurred each morning. The journey continued through traffic and various freeways into the DC Beltway through Arlington, VA past the Pentagon, over the Potomac River, and into DC. It was the National Mall straight ahead, but after a few bumps, we changed direction and headed towards K Street and over to Foggy Bottom on the campus of George Washington University. I rode the red line down four stops to the Smithsonian in anticipation of the Dada and Cezanne exhibits both at the National Gallery of Art. After having a suitcase fall on my foot and a half-hearted apology, I made my way above ground to a clear blue sky to hear children laughing and the Parks and Recreation staff hard at work.

I thought I was entering the National Gallery, but it was in fact the next one down, The Museum of Natural History where Animals, Dinosaurs, and other creatures come to life. At first, I was going to just turn around, but then a T Rex skeleton popped into view, so I decided to jaunt through exhibit. Did you know the Neanderthal had a burial ritual? They also believed in an afterlife and had a Shaman, or holy man perform at each burial.

I then fled to the National Gallery Sculpture Garden next door and saw the Roy Lichtenstein house. The Cezanne exhibit was crowded, bright, and positive - The paintings all had to do with Provence, Southern France. I didn’t take my time through the parade of tourists going in and out like ants - I just didn't have the patients to keep on moving... Besides, I was still looking forward to seeing Dada. I know it was waiting for me, so I split the West building and skipped on over to modernity. It was there that I enjoyed a short 1 O'Clock concert for Ballet Mécanique in the lobby. Dada was everything I thought it would be, but more - The collages, paintings, and murals were not as avant-garde as you might believe. The readymades, posters, and sculptures were simple, but their stories were thought-provoking to say the least.

After seeing Dada, I made my way to the gift shop and cafe in the basement. I ate in the cafeteria alone and in the back corner, near a waterfall. I felt relaxed and eager to enjoy my 8 dollar salad and 3 dollar bottle of filtered tap water. I soon carried my tired feet on back to the Metro stop outside.

After a few observations and a brief walk, I rode the Metro north to the Green line and fell out at The National Zoo. I saw no lions, no tigers – but I did see bears. Yes, the much talked about Panda family - all 3 Chinese bears made an appearance on this bright, warm afternoon. What else? I saw a Giraffe, Baby Cheetah, 20-year-old gray Kangaroo, Zebra, Elephants, Hippopotamus, a Sea Lion doing the backstroke, and a few giant Bald Eagles. Zoos depress me – I hate seeing animals in cages, I only went to see the Pandas, but I felt like the others were calling me… “Please help us!” And so I had to pay my respects, say hello, and apologize. I then headed back to Dupont Circle for a large coffee.

I met an old college friend later on and we shared a coffee and talked for a few hours. We met at this neat cafe on U and 15th called Love Cafe, right across the street from Cake Love. I guess it's a Food Network place? At the Love Cafe' there were some great pictures on wall:

WC Handy - Father of the Blues, Mose Allison - jazz piano and trumpet player, and a portrait of Stevie Wonder… They also had great looking baked goods, but I didn’t get one. I hadn't seen Melissa for almost 8 years! It was nice to reminisce and catch up on each other. She looks good and quite content - I hope to stay in touch with my former WUNH colleague down the road.

DC is full of places to explore - there are many Embassies on New Hampshire Avenue. As I walked back down NH Ave, I overheard a young father tell his son he likes Spring the best "...because Summer is way too hot."

I'm hooked on these sugar free skim vanilla lattes at Starbucks.

DC Travel

2006-03-23T11:05:00.001-05:00

I'm in Washington DC for a few days. I think I'll create a DC playlist when I get back home - but I wanted to let you in on the trip so far...

My flight took off on time from the easiest, most laid back airport I've ever been to - Manchester Airport.

The flight was full as we were headed to DC and Las Vegas. It was full of gamblers and political types, which almost is one in the same isn't it? The flight dropped me off at BWI (Baltimore Washington International) and it took me a few minutes to adjust - between the roller coaster ride in the sky, it appears that our airports are also shopping malls. Need your nails done? Looking for some make-up? A book? Clothing? or maybe you just want to sit down and eat dinner at PF Changs?

I strolled down the endless hallway of capitalism towards an old fellow sitting on a stool who welcomes me and then goes back to reading his colorful USA Today newspaper. Life is purple, Orange is sports, green is business, and the front section is all the latest news.

The weather in Maryland is almost identical to home. 46 degrees, windy and brisk. The sun is shining, but it's damn cold. After waiting 20 minutes for the shuttle bus to take me to the Commuter Rail station, I walk into the road only to see the proper bus approaching me - it's magic.

I catch the train to DC and get out at beautiful Union Station where I proceed to the cab station. In my 14 minute cab ride I learned the following from my cab driver:

1. He hates Bush
2. He loves Stevie Wonder
3. He used to be a Trucker
4. Doesn't care for March Madness but it's good to see Georgetown and GW play
6. He loves his mom
7. He hates when people don't look before crossing the street
8. He wonders what the 2006 elections will do and if the country will get better
9. He watches American Idol
10. He's a big fan of Barack Obama
11. He told me only tourists and white people attend the museums and the National Mall, but told me not to take it the wrong way.

More to come.