Taken By Trees - My Boys

If you like Animal Collective's My Girls, check out the cover by Swedish band Taken By Trees (and name changed to My Boys):

My Top 2009 Albums - Part Deux

Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca

It really came down to this album versus either Animal Collective or Grizzly Bear. While all three albums are great, I gave the edge to Bitte Orca because I found it the most innovative. Animal Collective also have a unique sound but Dirty Projectors are doing things I've never heard any band do before.

Some background: The band has been around since 2002 (but they are new to me) and has had several band configurations over the years, with Dave Longstreth the only permanent member. Longstreth is a Yale musical-composition graduate and an absolute genius. Wait a minute - I've already talked about this. Here, including a couple of samples.

Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest

This is an album that improved with every listen. When I wrote about it after having had it for about a month (in June) I knew I liked it but it kept getting better throughout the year. It's hard to explain what makes the album so great - it sounds like pretty typical indie rock and probably won't immediately grab you, but keep at it and hopefully you'll get it.

Love this video (Two Weeks):

Interesting live-version of one of my favorite songs on the album (All We Ask):


Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion

This came out right at the beginning of the year and while it was my first Animal Collective album, I was familiar with the solo work of one of the founding members: Panda Bear. (Not a joke.) His Comfy In Nautica from 2007 was an uneven, but sometimes brilliant, record. So, when I heard that Merriweather was getting a lot of buzz I jumped right on it.

This is also an album that rewards repeated listening, and will not give you everything the first or second time around. For example, the best song on the album (My Girls) doesn't do much until 1:40 into the song:

Not sure what else to say, other than show you another song (Summertime Clothes):

Ok, that's all for today. Antlers, Neko Case and Heartless Bastards to follow...

My Top 2009 Albums

Last year I created a list of my Top 10 albums of 2008. This year I had a really hard time deciding who to include after the first five or so - close to fifteen contenders for the remaining spots. So, I'm only doing a Top 5 this time, and a large Honorable Mention group, all deserving of recognition.

1. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca

2. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest

3. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion

4. The Antlers - Hospice

5. (tie) Neko Case - Middle Cyclone

5. (tie) Heartless Bastards - The Mountain

Ok, so I cheated again with a tie for fifth place. Well, these six albums clearly stood out from the pack, and who does a Top 6 list? So deal with it!

Honorable Mention:

• Tori Amos - Abnormally Attracted To Sin
• Theresa Andersson - Hummingbird, Go!
• Bat For Lashes - Two Suns
• The Decemberists - The Hazards Of Love
• Doves - Kingdom Of Rust
• Fever Ray - Fever Ray
• The Fiery Furnaces - I'm Going Away
• Florence And The Machine - Lungs
• Miss Li - Dancing The Whole Way Home
• PJ Harvey & John Parish - A Woman A Man Walked By
• Röyksopp - Junior
• Regina Spektor - Far
• St. Vincent - Actor
• Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz

I'll write up my motivation behind the Top 5 (well, six) albums another day...

New Old Town restaurants

I had lunch at two new places this week:

5th And Wine.

The people who run Humble Pie pizza took over Fine's Cellar. They removed the retail section and converted it to a pure restaurant. New furniture but otherwise the look is similar to before. I was there for lunch with people from work so didn't look at the actual wine list, but noticed that they had a fairly broad selection by the glass and that all glasses are $5 until 6 pm (otherwise ranging from $5-$11).

They serve mostly sandwiches, salads and bruschetta. I ordered a Prosciutto and Brie panini. It was ok - too much figs for my taste and I could barely taste the Brie. One of my co-workers ordered another panini and gave it "two thumbs up" and another co-worker ordered the burger and said it was good, but not extraordinary.

Touch Of Thai

This restaurant replaced Medizona (4th Ave, just east of Scottsdale Rd), which was only open for dinner and I never made it there. Anyway, this is apparently Touch of Thai's second location (the first one at 35th Ave and Bell). Pretty typical Thai fare. Lunch special for $8.95 includes soup, salad, main course, spring roll and a crab wonton.

I had the Pad Thai (my go-to dish when I try a new Thai place) and thought it was good, but not exceptional. The most impressive part of my meal may actually have been the wonton, which was filled with real crab meat. My co-workers were also happy with their food. I'll go back, but I'm a big fan of Malee's on Main St so Touch of Thai may lose out to them in the end.

Other places:

Here are a few other Old Town places that have opened within the last year or so. Daily Dose(on Scottsdale Rd, just south of Indian School, between Starbucks and Grimaldi's) has become one of my favorite brunch spots, but is also very good for lunch. Same owners as the now-defunct Fusion which was driven out of business when the W opened up. The gladiator burger is very good.

Chef James Porter, previously at Tapino, opened Petite Maison (on Shoeman Ln, just east of Scottsdale Rd, before Myst and all the night clubs). Advertised as French Country Bistro, but I think it's more fancy than that. Have only been here once so far, but enjoyed my meal. It's a tiny place with a patio in front, which would be very nice except that the location is less than inspiring: parking garage across the street and construction nearby.

The Mission (previously Union Bar & Grill, on Brown, across from the Farmer's Market, which has become quite a success on Saturday mornings) opened late last year by Chef Matt Carter (Zinc Bistro). A modern take on Latin American food; I've only made it once here too, but enjoyed both the food (fish tacos) and atmosphere.

Modern Burger is the takeout window for the new Modern Steak by Fox Restaurant Concepts in the remodeled wing of the Fashion Square Mall (near Barney's.) I haven't tried the real restaurant yet - pricy and has received mixed reviews - but have had the takeout sliders a few times now. The menu couldn't be simpler: they serve sliders (2), fries, one salad option, soda and ice cream sandwiches. The sliders are quite good - well seasoned with fried onions and thousand island dressing. If you like your In-N-Out burgers animal style, you'll like these.

Fred's is the restaurant inside Barney's. I went there for lunch opening weekend in October(?). I sat at the bar and ordered a crab cake which was over-priced ($16) but very good. The clientele is what you'd expect: I sat next to two older women whose entire conversation consisted of what plastic surgery they were planning and helping each other decide between different procedure options.

2009 Music - Albums I listened to the most

Just like last year, I've compiled a list of the which albums I listened to the most during the year. Last year, I only included albums I'd added in 2008. I had no way to determine when I'd played each song, so I simply excluded any albums that I had added prior to 2008. This year, I have last year's baseline (how many times I'd played each song a year ago) so now I can see how many additional times I've played each song in 2009.

Without further ado, my 10 most-listened-to-albums in 2009 (and the year they were released):

1. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest (2009)
2. Ane Brun - Changing Of The Seasons (2008)
3. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009)
4. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca (2009)
5. Laleh - Prinsessor (2006)
6. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes (2008)
7. Martha Wainwright - I Know You're Married But I've Got Feelings Too (2008)
8. Martha Wainwright - Martha Wainwright (2005)
9. Various Artists - Dark Was The Night CD 1 (2009)

10. Ida Maria - Fortress Round My Heart (2008)

Observations:

• Two repeat albums from last year: Martha at #7 (#6 last year) and Fleet Foxes at #6 (#7 last year). I got both of them mid-year 2008 - had either of them fallen more cleanly into a single year they'd been near the top.
• Similarly, Frida Hyvönen's Silence Is Wild and Emiliana Torrini's Me And Armini didn't make it this year either, even though I've listened to both of them a tremendous amount across 2008 and 2009. Just a matter of being split across two calendar years.
• 5 albums with female singers (and one mixed). Down from 8 last year.
• 4 of the artists were new to me (Grizzly Bear, Dirty Projectors, Laleh and Ida Maria). Down from 7 last year.
• If I limit the list to albums I acquired in 2009, three drop out (Fleet Foxes and the two Martha albums) and are replaced by: Röyksopp - Junior, Regina Spektor - Far, and Theresa Andersson - Hummingbird, Go!

Just like last year, this is not my list of the Top 10 Best albums. Stay tuned for that - I will be compiling that list in the upcoming days.

Thought I hated this city, but...

...Gothenburg I came back to you

Portishead: Chase The Tear

New Portishead single out! From the upcoming album, I assume. Have listened to it once so far and I like it.

Video here: http://www.amnesty.org.uk/content.asp?CategoryID=11755

Food is an important part of a balanced diet (part 5)

Ok, here comes the last part of the Vegas trip.

L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon

Since I stayed at The Signature the last night, I decided to eat at the MGM Grand. Joël Robuchon has two restaurants here; Joël Robuchon at The Mansion is one of the finest restaurants in the world, and the only restaurant in Vegas with three Michelin stars. It is most known for its 13-course tasting menu. But, I wasn't ready to spend the $385 (not including wine and tip), so I went to Chef Robuchon's place next door.

View of the kitchen at l'Atelier de Robuchon

L'Atelier has a very modern, trendy feel and is very much a concept restaurant - you sit at a horseshoe-shaped bar looking into the kitchen in the middle, seeing the food prepared right in front of you. I always worry that places like these focus more on the experience than the food (e.g. Benihana), but l'Atelier didn't disappoint in either area.

My 3-course meal

As the trip had been filled with big meals I decided to scale it back a bit (and save a few bucks) and ordered the $39 l'Unique menu: a 3-course meal served at once, designed for the pre-theater crowd to get in-and-out quickly. It consisted of a chestnut-bacon soup, veal sweetbreads and a raspberry dessert. I ordered a glass of J.L. Chave Cotes-du-Rhone to go with the first two courses, and then a 2004 Chateau Rieussec (Sauternes) for the dessert.

Dessert and a glass of Sauternes

Finally, since I had a $100-beverage credit to use in any of the MGM-owned bars or restaurants (l'Atelier is under separate ownership) I decided to try some high-end cognacs. I ordered a $25-glass of Hennessy XO and later another $25-glass of Remy Martin XO. Both very good - I preferred the Hennessy by a slight margin. Next, I planned to try a nice port (1970 Graham's) but they were out of it. So, I ordered a Johnny Walker Blue Label - have never tried that before - but after several minutes they sheepishly admitted they were out of that too! So, they gave me another glass of Remy Martin XO free of charge. They didn't know I had a beverage credit, so while it didn't really help me, I appreciated the gesture. I took it up to my room and finished it on the balcony.

A glass of Hennessy XO

Interlude: Glenlivet Trio

I bought a three-pack of Glenlivets the other day (came in a nice wooden box) and decided to try them side-by-side: 12-year old, 18-year old and 15-year old French Oak cask. I like all three of them (Glenlivet 12 is my usual house scotch) but have to give the nod to the 18-year old.

Food is an important part of a balanced diet (part 4)

Picasso

Picasso at Bellagio is my first experience at a restaurant with two Michelin stars, so I had built up a lot of anticipation beforehand.

I was early for my 8PM reservation so I was asked to have a seat in their lounge, which gave me a view into the dining room and a chance to make a few observations:

First, I was immediately struck by how formal the place was. The wait staff, which was perhaps completely male, was dressed in full suit and tie, and while a lot of other newer fine dining restaurants (especially in Vegas) go for a hip and modern style this was more on the side of classic style, subdued warm lighting and jazz at fairly low volume in the background.

Second, I was overwhelmed by the amount of original Picasso art on the walls. I had at least 10 full-size paintings within view - I don't know if I've even been to a museum that has had as many Picasso paintings in one room.

Third, I noticed that the dining room floor was fairly sparse. Even though it's not easy to see in the picture below, there was quite a lot of separation between tables allowing for the numerous wait staff to move freely and giving each table more privacy than you get in most restaurants.

Dining room, more well-lit than when I was there (image from Bellagio website)

I had walked by earlier in the day and looked at the posted menus outside, and was torn between the 4-course prix fixe and the 5-course tasting menu. For the prix fixe I would have a number of options for each course which would give me more freedom to compose my own menu, but the tasting menu looked very good as it was so I was leaning toward that.

At my table, I was also presented with a seasonal Alba white truffle tasting menu. (Quick truffles primer: the best black truffles are usually from France and are considered to be best around the beginning of the year while the premier white truffles are from Alba in northern Italy and at their peak during late fall.) But, this menu was nearly three times the price of the regular (already pricey) tasting menu, so I quickly put that to the side.

Amuse Bouche to go with the champagne

While deciding I ordered a glass of champagne (Egly-Ouriet) and spent some time looking through the wine list, which literally was as thick as a book. I decided to stick with the tasting menu and the accompanying wine pairing. The sommelier, Robert Smith (not the lead singer from The Cure!), is somewhat famous in wine/dining circles because he is a certified Master Sommelier.

This means he has passed a series of very difficult tests; both theoretical (knowledge of wine, regions and wine making) and practical (tasting and identifying wines, and wine service). There are only a hundred-and-some Master Somms in the world, and only one in Arizona (Greg Tresner at the Phoenician resort), so getting to meet one is a bit of a thrill for a wine geek like me.

Lobster salad and a glass of dry Riesling from Alsace

Robert was working the floor that night, so when I had some questions about the wine pairings (the menu didn't specify what they were) he came over and chatted for a while. They had both a regular wine pairing (about half the price of the tasting menu) and a premium wine pairing (about the same price as the tasting menu.) I went with the premium option.

Scallop on a bed of Potato Mousseline and a glass of white Hermitage

The premium wine pairing was definitely the right choice; each wine was very good and perfectly paired with its dish. Here is the menu:

• Maine Lobster Salad - 2004 Zind Humbrecht Herrenweg de Turckheim Riesling
• Pan Seared U10 Scallop, Potato Mousseline, Jus de Veau - 2004 Betts & Scholl Hermitage Blanc
• Sautéed Foie Gras, Port Figs, Brioche, Crushed Almonds - 1999 Ch. Tirecul Cuvée Madame
• Swordfish - 2004 Henri Bolliot Meursault
• Chocolate Lava Cake - 1961 Albala Pedro Ximenez Sherry

Foie Gras and a sweet wine from Southwest France

The lobster salad was quite good - I'm not big on salads, but it's hard to say no to lobster - and the accompanying Zind Humbrecht Riesling was a perfect match. It started out with a lot of fruit sweetness which was in tune with the natural sweetness of the lobster, but ended on a dry clean finish. I've had a lot of Zind Humbrecht wines and they are a personal favorite of mine. They also make some dessert wines that are to die for: so-called VTs (Vendange Tardive, meaning Late Harvest) or, even better, SGNs (Sélection Grains Nobles, meaning Selection of Noble Berries, grapes affected by Botrytis rot - "the noble rot")

Swordfish and a glass of white Burgundy

The pan seared U10 scallop was my favorite dish and perhaps the best scallop I've ever had. In my experience scallops are usually either sublime or terrible, but even at the top there are differences and this was absolutely superb. This alone made the visit worth it. (What is U10, you ask? It's a grading of the size of the scallop and stands for Under 10, meaning there are less than 10 scallops in a pound. This is the largest size.)

The scallop came with a wine that I've enjoyed several times before - Betts & Scholl's Hermitage Blanc. Richard Betts is another Master Somm, at the famous Little Nell in Aspen, and Dennis Scholl is a wealthy art collector with a strong interest in wine. For the last several years, they have made wines in the California, Australia and France. This wine is from the tiny, fabled Hermitage region in the northern Rhone in France, and is made by grapes from local legend J.L. Chave, whose family has made wine in the area for the last 600 years.

Chocolate Lava dessert, ice cream and a glass of sherry

The next dish was the sautéed foie gras. I'm a big fan of foie, and while this was very good it was not quite up there with some of the best I've had. My top three are at Bourbon Steak (Michael Mina's Arizona restaurant at the Fairmont Princess), Sea Saw (Chef Nobuo Fukuda) and by my friend Chef Rich Hinojosa who now works as the executive chef at the Maui Westin.

The foie was classically paired with a Sauternes-style wine (sweet, botrytis) from Southwest France and that worked well. I've had the Cuvée Madame before from a different vintage(1995) which is supposed to be superior, but I thought the 1999 was on par with it.

Pouring the 1961 PX sherry

The main course was a swordfish and it it was quite a disappointment. I don't know if I've had swordfish before, but it wasn't what I expected. The sauce was wonderful but the actual fish was very dense and thick - almost like a piece of meat. Fortunately the white Burgundy was light and airy which helped a bit, but overall this was the weakest course of the evening.

Then, for dessert I chose the chocolate lava cake: a round chocolate cake filled with rich chocolate sauce that poured out as soon as I cut into it. It was delicious, but very heavy which the ice cream offset nicely. The wine pairings only covered the first four courses so for dessert I was on my own, and I opted for an old sherry which was really good. As you can perhaps see in the picture above, the label on the bottle is actually a piece of the original barrel where it was aged.

All-in-all, a pretty incredible experience. It was quite expensive, but about two thirds of my bill came from the wines so you can certainly get away cheaper if you like. But, at a place like this, splurging is part of the experience. Will I come back? Well, I think I only have so many dinners of this caliber in me and I'd probably rather try a new place than return to a place I've already tried, but if I somehow end up here again I'm not going to be sorry.

Food is an important part of a balanced diet (part 3)

RM Seafood

For those of you following Top Chef, RM Seafood at Mandalay Bay is where they did the Restaurant Wars episode this season. As you may recall, the restaurant has two floors: upstairs is the more formal dining room and downstairs is more casual and where the bar is. I stopped by for lunch on day 3 (Monday), and knowing that I had plans for a big dinner in the evening I just sat down at the bar and ordered a couple of appetizers.

Clam Chowder and Chimay (iPhone picture)

I started with a bowl of clam chowder and then some quiche. The chowder was quite good but the quiche was only so-so. It didn't really inspire me to come back, but I also didn't quite have a real meal so...

Quiche at RM Seafood (iPhone picture)

Food is an important part of a balanced diet (part 2)

Jasmine

Normally, Jasmine at the Bellagio is a fine dining restaurant with a strong Chinese influence, and they are only open for dinner. On Sundays, they serve their Fountains Brunch - a decadent buffet with a great up-close view of the fountains.

The fountain show as seen from the balcony at Jasmine

My plate after my first food hunting trip

I'm normally not a fan of buffets - most of them serve mass-produced cafeteria quality food that's been sitting under heat-lamps for too long - but this was just sensational. There was a raw-bar, gravlax, cheese plates, fruit plates, pastries, eggs benedict, omelets, and on and on and on, all beautifully prepared and presented. And, to top it off there was a whole room full of chocolate desserts, including marshmallows to dip in a chocolate fondue.

Enjoying my food and champagne

Chocolate dessert plate

Stay tuned for more culinary adventures...

Food is an important part of a balanced diet (part 1)

5 days and 4 nights in Vegas. Done right.

As you may know, I go to Vegas frequently - this is my third visit this year. My last two visits were in June with my parents and sister and in April with a group of friends/coworkers. Both trips were great, but neither allowed me to really do Vegas my way. To me, Vegas is about five things:

1. Gambling
2. Hotels
3. Restaurants
4. Shows
5. The strip

To keep a long story short, for this trip I decided to focus on #1-3, since I'd covered #4-5 well on the last two trips.

Gambling

Not too much to say about the gambling - I mostly played Hold 'Em poker, but also some blackjack. Lost about $25 overall, but more than made up for that in free drinks.

Hotels

I started out by cashing in a free Marriott Rewards night - Saturday nights are expensive in Vegas. Then, I stayed two nights at Bellagio. It's one of my favorite places to visit but I had never stayed there before. I made sure to upgrade to get the Lakeview room overlooking the fountains, and that was certainly worth the premium. I always catch a couple of fountain shows when I'm in Vegas, and they never cease to amaze me. And, watching from above (16th floor) was possibly even better.

View from my hotel window

Bellagio is a great Vegas casino; it's beautiful, centrally located on the strip, has great restaurants, and is full of fascinating and wealthy people. As I walked by the area with the high stakes blackjack tables the first day I caught a guy betting a stack of purple chips ($500 each), probably 8-10 of them, and he placed one of them for the dealer. (If he loses the casino gets it; if he wins the dealer gets the bet and the winnings.) He won the hand and, bam, she pocketed $1,000 without batting an eye.

There's something special about holding one of these

And, this is nothing unusual here. A few years ago, at the same place, I saw that two young blonde women playing, but as soon as I got near them a security guard walked towards me to block my path. At first I was confused and just backed off. Then, I looked closer and realized the two women were Paris Hilton and Anna Kournikova.

I'd originally booked three nights at the Bellagio, but then I received an offer from The Signature at MGM Grand to stay for a good rate and they included a $100 beverage credit to use in any of the MGM Grand bars. So, I re-booked my last night and got a 900 square foot (81 square meters) one-bedroom suite with a balcony overlooking the strip. The layout of the suite was very similar to the one I stayed in last year at THEhotel, and this one was also a corner unit so I got views in two directions. Overall, I think I preferred the interior at THEhotel, but this suite was somewhat bigger and included a full-size bar/kitchen and the balcony, so this one may be better for entertaining.

The living room from behind the bar

I placed one of the living room chairs on the balcony for some afternoon reading

Night-time view from the balcony

Restaurants

I had five noteworthy meals on this trip:

Daniel Boulud Brasserie

The first night I'd made reservations at Daniel Boulud's restaurant at The Wynn. French chef Boulud is best known for his New York restaurant Daniel (which recently received the maximum 3 Michelin stars) and he is a well-known TV-personality (frequent guest judge on Top Chef and the star of After Hours With Daniel.)

I came because I'd heard so much about the DB Burger which is available for $32. As you may guess, at that price, it's not a regular burger. In fact, it's stuffed with truffles, foie gras and short-ribs. That's right, in the middle of the burger there are short-ribs!

Cross-section of the DB Burger (iPhone picture)

The burger was very good and I enjoyed it with a glass of Cotes du Rhone by Chave. The appetizer was very nice too: a Bluefin Tuna and a glass of Bründlmeyer Grüner Veltliner from Austria.

Bluefin tuna, guacamole and a lot of things I can't remember. (iPhone picture)

Ok, that's all I have time for tonight. Still to come: fountain brunch at Jasmine, lunch at RM Seafood (where they did Restaurant Wars on Top Chef this season), a 5-course meal at Picasso and the express menu at l'Atelier de Joël Robuchon. And some damn fine cognac.

Sell the Vatican. Feed the World.

Sarah Silverman on Real Time with Bill Maher last week:

And, for those of you who missed The Great Schlep during election season last year:

The Great Schlep from The Great Schlep on Vimeo.

The Fun Theory (sponsored by Volkswagen)

Using fun to change behaviors...

Hot Waitress Economic Index?

Stumbled across this New York Magazine article...

Article excerpt:

The indicator I prefer is the Hot Waitress Index: The hotter the waitresses, the weaker the economy. In flush times, there is a robust market for hotness. Selling everything from condos to premium vodka is enhanced by proximity to pretty young people (of both sexes) who get paid for providing this service. That leaves more-punishing work, like waiting tables, to those with less striking genetic gifts. But not anymore.

A waitress at one Lower East Side club described to me what happened there: “They slowly let the boys go, then the less attractive girls, and then these hot girls appeared out of nowhere. All in the hope of bringing in more business. The managers even admitted it. These hot girls that once thrived on the generosity of their friends in the scene for hookups—hosting events, marketing brands, modeling—are now hunting for work.”

http://nymag.com/news/intelligencer/58195/

New Michelin Star Ratings for New York

http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2009/10/2010-michelin-guide-to-new-york-the-stars-rea.html

I've not been to any of these restaurants - wasn't enough of a foodie when I lived on the East Coast - but the one I'd most like to visit on the list is Eleven Madison. I've only heard great things about it for several years now. I'm also interested in Momofuku Ko - they only have 12 seats so I imagine you need to get your reservations well ahead of time.

Also nice to see Daniel Bouloud get a third star at Daniel - I've only seen him cook on TV but his food looks delicious and he seems like the nicest man in the world. I think I just decided that I'll go to Daniel Bouloud Brasserie at The Wynn when I'm in Vegas next month. I've meant to go there several times - gotta try the $32 DB Burger! - but have always ended up somewhere else. This time it's time.

This Party Took A Turn For The Douche

Gotta love Garfunkel and Oates...

Like most people, I discovered Kate Micucci in her role on Scrubs as The Gooch...lawyer Ted's ukulele playing girlfriend. She and Riki Lindhome are the musical comedy-duo Garfunkel and Oates and they have several funny videos on youtube. Here's a recent one.

Speaking of douches...rings pretty true of the Scottsdale scene... Here's a classic in case you haven't seen it:

Negative interest rates in Sweden?

Well, kinda, sorta, but not really...

The daily overnight rate is still positive (0.15%) but the one-week deposits yield -0.25%. Not sure why anyone would use that (better to just hold onto the money.) Seems like most banks agree: there are 12 million SEK in the weekly deposits, and 90 billion in the overnights.

http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/01/negative-interest-rates-in-sweden/

Kill Bill: Vol. 3 Tarantino's next movie?

Quentin Tarantino said in an interview on Italian TV that his next movie may be Kill Bill Vol. 3. But, he wants 10 year to pass from the first one, to let Uma's character age and raise her daughter in peace.

I'm assuming this will center around the daughter of Viveca A. Fox's character seeking revenge on Beatrix Kiddo for killing her mom in Kill Bill: Vol. 1.

I'd rather see him do something other than revisit old characters, but I'd obviously watch it.

http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Tarantino-Promises-Kill-Bill-Vol-3-15004.html

Welcome October, Fall Weather

Ah - the heat of the desert summer appears to have subsided for the season. As I left for work this morning it was decidedly cool outside. Now we can look forward to eight months of wonderful weather. Here's the forecast for the next few days:

And in Celsius:

Skinny Love in Mesa

I went to see indie rock band Bon Iver last night at the Mesa Arts Center. I'd never been there before and it's pretty impressive: a post-modern $98 million, 3-building complex currently in its fifth season since its opening. I enjoyed the architecture; very sleek and angular, yet airy and inviting.

For those of you not familiar with Mesa, it's a sleepy bedroom community in the Eastern part of the valley. Like many of the Phoenix suburbs it's fast-growing and quickly closing in on half a million people. Although it is the third-largest city in the state it's hardly a destination for anything, and Forbes named it one of America's Top 10 Boring Cities last year (along with neighboring Chandler and Gilbert, AZ.)

When I drove to the concert and entered Mesa I passed an endless series of interchangeable intersections completely devoid of individuality: strip malls, gas stations and chain restaurants as far as the eye can see. I bet even locals would be lost if you dropped them in a random intersection and removed the street signs.

As I reached Main St the cityscape changed a bit for the better - shops, restaurants, street parking and walkable sidewalks - almost resembling a traditional town. This will only make sense to some of you, but it reminded me of Hallsberg in Sweden with its one long main street. The problem is, Hallsberg has about 7,000 inhabitants and mainly exists because it's the intersection of two of Sweden's major railway lines - not exactly what a city with more people than Miami and St. Louis should be striving for.

However, you would certainly not find an art center like this one in Hallsberg! The Bon Iver show was inside the largest of the four theaters: the beautiful 1,600 seat Ikeda Theater, which was, if not sold out, close to full. I had a great seat in the 7th row with a perfect view of the stage.

View from the stage

The opening band, Megafaun, was surprisingly good until they decided to go into a 10-minute long self-indulgent instrumental, experimental noise fest. Apparently, they're childhood friends with Justin Vernon, and I'd recommend them as long as they stick to their more normal songs.

The Bon Iver show was quite good. I found both their album (For Emma, Forever Ago) and their EP (Blood Bank) to be uneven, and so was the show, but the highs more than made up for it. The album title track was very good live, as was Skinny Love, performed nearly identically to their performance on Letterman:

During the encore they covered the Loudon Wainwright III (Martha and Rufus' father) song The Swimming Song - probably best known to my fellow Swedes as the tune being hummed at the beginning of the TV-show Boktipset. For the last song they brought out Megafaun and jointly performed an all-acoustic song called Worried Mind, which got the whole audience to sing along even though I'm pretty sure nobody had heard it before. A nice finishing moment.

Lastly, I leave you with one more version of Skinny Love, which must have been an incredible experience for the lucky few who were there:

Going Rogue?

Oh great...Sarah Palin's ghost writer has finished the memoir, and the title is Going Rogue: An American Life.

It will go on sale on Nov 17, perfectly timed as a Christmas gift for people who like to read the first chapter and then put it away because:

• they are not wired to operate under the same old book reading practices as usual
• only dead book readers go with the flow
• they want to free up more time for not reading newspapers
• Putin reared his head and scared them
• they thought Tina Fey would play the part of Sarah

New Release Announced: Portishead

Geoff Barrow of Portishead just announced that they are working on another album, probably due "in a year's time."

http://pitchfork.com/news/36621-portishead-working-on-new-album/

In related news, Pitchfork reported last month that Geoff Barrow has formed another band named Beak> (yes, the ">" is part of the name) and will release their first album on Oct 17. This had me worried that Portishead might be done, but apparently this is just a side project.

http://pitchfork.com/news/36273-portisheads-geoff-barrow-forms-new-band/

Is there such a thing as "gentle caning"?

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/09/28/world/AP-AS-Malaysia-Caning-for-Beer.html

A woman is Malaysia is set to be caned for drinking beer. Malaysia imposes sharia laws for Muslims, including a ban on drinking alcohol, but non-Muslims are free to drink. Here's more info on Malaysian Caning and the distinction between "criminal caning" and "sharia caning". For criminal caning the object is to administer pain and suffering, and with sharia caning it is to administer humiliation and shame.

Frightening and surreal that this is still going on in the 21st century, especially in a country that we generally consider a success story.

I've always been intrigued by Stockholm Syndrome...

Speaking of Zach Galifianakis - he's also in the new HBO show Bored To Death, which premiered last Sunday. I just caught the first episode...too early to really tell but I thought it was pretty funny at times.

The best line of the the night, by Jason Schwarzman: "I've always been intrigued by Stockholm Syndrome. Makes me think of my childhood." Ouch.

Kanye, Zach Galifianakis and Bonnie 'Prince' Billy

Apparently Kanye does have a sense of humor:

If you're familiar w/ Zach Galiafinakis it's probably from the movie The Hangover, but he's done a lot of other funny stuff, including a bizarre series of Absolut Vodka commercials and a number of Between Two Ferns sketches on Funny Or Die. Here are a couple of samples...

Absolut Vodka:

Between Two Ferns:

Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis from Between Two Ferns

What's Spinning Now (September Edition - Part 2)

This Month

The Antlers - Hospice

This is a serious undertaking from a Brooklyn-based indie rock trio: the ten songs on the album tell the story of a man losing his girl to bone cancer. Some pretty heavy stuff. So far I'm very impressed with the lyrics. From Atrophy: "with the bite of the teeth of that ring on my finger / I'm bound to your bedside, your eulogy singer".

Girls - Album

I just got this based on a Pitchfork review. Listening to it now for the first time, seems very promising so far.

Jay-Z - The Blueprint 3

I've largely stayed away from the hip hop scene over the years, so we'll see how this goes. So far, I'm enjoying D.O.A (Death Of Autotune) and Run This Town (Feat Kanye West & Rihanna).

jj - jj n° 2

Swedish indie pop group with defined electronic influences. I've had this for about six weeks now and like it quite a bit. Very accessible but still interesting.

Monsters Of Folk - Monsters Of Folk

This indie supergroup has been playing together for about five years, but just released their first album together. Consisting of Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes), Jim James (My Morning Jacket), M. Ward and Mike Mogis (also Bright Eyes and producer of Rilo Kiley and The Faint), the band sure brings a lot of talent to the table. We'll see how I like it - only got it a few days ago.

The Sounds - Crossing The Rubicon

The Sounds are a Swedish pop band with some impressive female vocals. I enjoyed a few songs on their previous album Dying To Say This To You, but found it too spotty to really recommend.

Volcano Choir - Unmap

Just got this - also based on a Pitchfork review. Justin Vernon from Bon Iver has a new project - should be interesting.

Wild Beasts - Two Dancers

This is going to be one of those love-it-or-hate-it bands - the singer's yelping falsetto will certainly detract its fair share of listeners, but I'm enjoying it so far.

The xx - xx

This London-based indie rock debut has been well received in the press across the board, and I think I like it.

YACHT - See Mystery Lights

I like this album quite a bit so far. Electronic beats, complex arrangements and interesting male and female vocals. And, their website is worth a visit: they have a mission statement!

What else is spinning?

I've recently returned to and rediscovered a number of albums I haven't listened to in a while:

• Cat Power - The Greatest
• Eddie Vedder - Into The Wild
• Mazzy Star - She Hangs Brightly
• Nellie McKay - Obligatory Villagers
• The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses
• The Streets - A Grand Don't Come For Free
• Thievery Corporation - The Richest Man In Babylon
• Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever To Tell

I'll leave you with a song from the Cat Power album - Lived In Bars. Great song, and it gets me every time:

What's Spinning Now (September Edition - Part 1)

Last Month Revisited

The Avett Brothers - The Gleam II
Hm...apparently they've been described as Newgrass, which I suppose is the Bluegrass equivalent of Folk Rock. Ok, I'll buy that. But, this album didn't do much for me - it mostly seemed bland and straightforward. I also generally don't get very excited over Dave Matthews Band, so there you have it. (4/10)

Cold War Kids - Robbers & Cowards
If you like The White Stripes, definitely check out this album. Similar enough that nobody will fail to see the stylistic connection, but different enough to make it its own thing. My favorite track: Saint John. (7/10)

Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
Hello genius! This is truly some next-level stuff. This album requires (and rewards) repeated listening. Bear with me on this one...remember how Seinfeld seemed to have twice as many storylines going in each episode compared to most other sitcoms at the time. They didn't follow the traditional episode arcs and it was like they had enough material for several episodes squeezed into each one. That's what many of the Dirty Projectors songs are like. What would have become the chorus and repeated 3-4 times by another band is played once and then quickly left behind for another equally compelling but completely different piece.

I also want to highlight the interesting idea of "hocketing" used in several songs. It's an old technique originating in 13th century European music, and Wiki describes it this way: "a single melody is shared between two (or occasionally more) voices such that alternately one voice sounds while another rests." Clear as mud.

Instead, check it out for yourself starting at 2:08 (the two guitars) and then around 2:35 (the two female voices):

Also, check out the video below for one of their more accessible songs:

Oh yeah, I should rate the album too. (9/10)

The Fiery Furnaces - I'm Going Away
The passionate and involving singing style draws me in and I generally like the album, but I don't have much to say about it. (6/10)

Florence And The Machine - Lungs
What can I say, I'm a sucker for her accent. But, there's so much more to it than that - this is a solid album overall with a few great songs on it. The standout tracks are, Kiss With A Fist, Girl With One Eye and Rabbit Heart [Raise It Up]. And remember, a kiss with a fist is better than none. (7/10)

Laleh - Prinsessor
Partially in Swedish and partially in English, this album won't appeal to everybody, and that's too bad, because it is very good. The stronger tracks tend to be the Swedish-language songs, but I still recommend checking it out even if you don't speak the language. (8/10)

Maia Hirasawa - Though, I'm Just Me
Last month I described this as "poppy but promising", and yes it is more pop-chart friendly than I generally like, but this album is too strong to dismiss. Mostly catchy, happy tunes but I've listen to most of them 10+ times and am not sick of them yet. (7/10)

Melanie - Best Of
A few great tracks, Brand New Key and What Have They Done To My Song, Ma being my favorites. A bit too uneven and too many covers (Bob Dylan, Rolling Stones...) to warrant a high rating. (6/10)

Miss Li - Dancing The Whole Way Home
Ok - I'll admit it. I've got a bit of crush on this girl. But who could blame me? She's just so full of life! This is her fourth studio album in as many years, and this one is as good as the others. Somewhat uneven, which holds my rating down, but enough great songs to make it worth getting. (7/10)

Check her out...Dancing The Whole Way Home:

And, here are a couple of sample from previous albums. Gotta Leave My Troubles Behind:

And, Oh Boy:

Moby - Wait For Me

This seemed very promising at first, but ended up a bit too uneven. (5/10)

Movits! - Äppelknyckarjazz
This is actually a very good album, but I still found myself often hitting 'skip' when the songs came on. I think it's just a kind of music I'm rarely in the mood for. Just like I rarely listen to the Squirrel Nut Zippers any more. (6/10)

Regina Spektor - Far

I was a big fan of her previous album Begin To Hope and this one is very good as well. My favorite track is Genius Next Door but there are a lot of great songs on here. (8/10)

Tiny Vipers - Life On Earth

Wow - this is some subtle stuff. I keep listening and listening, waiting for a revelation, but it's just not coming. I like a few tracks (Eyes Like Ours, Dreamer...) but overall this isn't doing much for me. (5/10)

To Be Pleased With One's Limits Is A Wretched State

I think this speaks for itself...

Wake Me Up When September Ends

Well, it seems like we've reached the point when it's become clear that this month (or last week, really) will be remembered for public rudeness and lack of civility.

First, last Wednesday, Joe Wilson (the South Carolina douchebag, not Valerie Plame's husband) shouted "You lie"during Obama's speech to the joint session of Congress.

Then, Saturday, the increasingly ill-named Serena Williams screamed at a lineswoman that she would "fucking shove this fucking ball down your throat."

Finally, Kanye decided it was a good idea to get on stage and interrupt 19-year-old Taylor Swift's acceptance speech for Best Female Video and proclaim that the nominated video by Beyoncé was "one of the best videos of all time."

In fairness, this didn't come out of nowhere. It's just continuing a long summer of crazy teabaggers and town hall screamers, so perhaps I shouldn't be surprised. I don't think there's any need to comment any further on any of the events - it's all already been said in the media - except maybe to wonder who will be next? Ellen Degeneres flipping off Simon? A leaked YouTube clip of Tom Brady furiously berating Gisele "You told me you were on the pill! I can't have a baby during playoffs!!!"

The Academy Awards Best Picture Project - 1932

Cimarron (winner in 1932, made in 1931)

This western epic follows one family over the course of 40 years, beginning with the 1889 Oklahoma Land Rush and ending in the oil fields in 1929. The film is based on the 1929 novel of the same name by Edna Ferber (Show Boat), and like the previous two Oscar winners it has several nice qualities, but it is also very much a product of its era.

There is quite a bit of overt racism in the movie, some of it intentional to portray the progress of the treatment of Native Americans during the four decades the movie spans, but also several elements that probably were acceptable at the time but that are fairly offensive with today's standards.

The main character, the flawed hero, Yancey Cravat, repeatedly defends Native American customs while his wife, Sabra, describes them as "dirty, filthy savages." He also has no problem with his son (Cimarron) wanting to marry an Indian woman, and fights for Native American's right to become U.S. citizens. At the same time, the movie depicts their African-American servant boy in very sterotypical fashion as comic relief, who for most of the movie runs around making a fool of himself and saying "yes, masser" and "please, masser".

On the other hand, the movie is suprisingly modern in its potrayal of Sabra as a strong, independent woman. Yancey's tragic fault is his unquenchable thirst for adventure, and only a few years after having settled in the frontier town and started the town newspaper, he grows restless and deserts his wife and children for a second land rush. He is not heard from for years, and in the meantime, Sabra successfully runs the newspaper and becomes a leading town character. When Yancey returns to town, his larger-than-life persona temporarily takes over, but when after he leaves again a few years later, Sabra makes a life for herself again and eventually becomes the first woman from Oklahoma elected to Congress, only a decade or so after women gained the right to vote.

Overall, I liked the film. It is certainly an epic, but the characters are complex and full of life, and while I've mostly focused on the blatancy above, there is room for subtlety as well. One example is the unspoken romantic interest in Sabra from the Jewish character Sol, which only manifests itself in an intense loyalty to her cause while Yancey is gone. If you plan to see the movie, be ready to forgive it its faults as there is more to it than that. (7/10)

Ode to Train Travel

Sitting on an Acela train between Philadelphia and Boston. To be more specific, and current, somewhere between New York and Stamford, CT. Realizing for the umpteenth time how superior train travel is to flying for short-to-medium distance trips.

While it is not quicker it is certainly more civilized. I did not need to arrive an hour before departure and I did not need to stand in line to take my shoes off and go through a metal detector. I did not need to separate my liquids from my carry-on and put them in a plastic bag. My seat is similar to a domesic first class airline seat and I have a table that actually fits my laptop. I have a big window with a view of the landscape flying by. I have dual power outlets for my computer and my iPhone. I don't need to turn off all electronic equipment for take off and landing. I can use wireless Internet and be logged as much as I want on the trip (got some work done, now relaxing writing this). I can make phone calls. I can get up and walk to the cafe whenever I like. It's quiet and there's never turbulence. I don't need to listen to announcements telling me what to do "in the unexpected event of a water landing." No credit card commercials blasted through the speaker system. I arrive downtown. And, it's better for the environment.

I wish I could travel like this all the time.

Oh, looks like I''ve passed Stamford and am approaching Bridgeport now. Gotta love the GPS on the phone...

The Academy Awards Best Picture Project - 1930-31

So, I've had the long-standing idea that I should watch all of the films that have won an Oscar for Best Picture, starting from oldest to newest. I finally got around to it.

Well, the first thing I learned was that the oldest Best Picture winner (Wings, winner in 1929) hasn't been released on DVD in the US. I don't know if that's the case for any others... Anyway, I watched the following two winners this week:

The Broadway Melody (winner in 1930, made in 1929)

A musical centered around a male Broadway star and a two-sister vaudeville act just arrived in New York. I did not care much for the musical aspect but thought the storyline and acting were quite good. A love triangle, some ulterior motives, etc. Since the setting is a Broadway revue, several of the music numbers don't feel too forced but there are also a couple of occasions of people bursting into song in apartments, which always seems contrived. I'm probably grading this a bit on a curve, given its age, but I'll give it a 7/10.

All Quiet On The Western Front (winner in 1931, made in 1930)

I have to admit I didn't know much about the actual story here, even though it's based on such a famous book. The movie begins in Germany during the early stages of World War I, and we see a college professor giving a firebrand speech (duty, honor, etc.) encouraging the students to join the war effort. We then follow a group of new German recruits through basic training and then onto the trenches on the western front.

The overarching message of the film (war is hell, and the soldiers who return are forever changed) is familiar, but the movie never feels preachy. The characters are compelling and the war scenes are impressive (they used over 2,000 extras) and seem realistic. (8/10)

Speaking of war movies and how soldiers are changed by the experience, if you haven't seen The Hurt Locker (in movie theaters still, I think) I highly recommend it. I don't want to give the movie away, other than that it follows a US bomb squad in Iraq in 2004 whose primary job it is to disarm or detonate roadside bombs, and that the movie opens with a quote by Chris Hedges: "The rush of battle is a potent and often lethal addiction, for war is a drug." The quote makes a lot of sense after you've seen the movie.

Hedges was a foreign correspondent for the New York Times for 15 years, and spent much of them in warzones. A number of years ago I read his book War Is A Force That Gives Us Meaning (also recommended) and I still remember the interview that made me go out and get the book: he talked about the seductive nature of war, even as a reporter, and how regular life seems insignificant when life-and-death no longer is on the line. After many years in the field he realized that he had to choose between going back and living a normal life or continuing until he was killed. So, he returned home and started writing books.

Finally, if you want to listen to a guy who truly understands the situation in Iraq, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, etc. listen to Michael Ware (also foreign correspondent; now CNN, previously Time Magazine) who has lived in Iraq since before the invasion. While I'm doing shoutouts, also listen to Reza Aslan who often appears on talk shows. His book No god but God from a few years ago is an excellent lesson in the history of islam with a surprisingly optimisitic view on its future. And, a reminder to follow Fareed Zakaria and his excellent show GPS.

Road Trip! (Day 1 of 12)

As I've mentioned in a couple of posts, my sister and parents came to visit for three weeks in late June and early July. Because we like to go see things (and it's really hot here!) we went on a 12-day road trip - see the route below:


View California Road trip: mom and dad in a larger map

The green houses indicate where we stayed the night (going counter-clockwise from Phoenix):

• Vegas (2 nights)
• Mono Lake / Lee Vining (1 night)
• Fairfield / Napa Valley (2 nights)
• San Francisco (2 nights)
• Carmel (2 nights)
• Santa Maria (1 night)
• Palm Desert (1 night)

In order to keep this bearable, I'm dividing up the trip into about one post per day, and I'm including a handful of pictures in each post. So, here goes...

Day 1 - Tuesday, June 23

We left Phoenix in the morning and headed north for Sedona. Our first activity: Pink Jeep Tour!

Here are a couple of links for those not familiar with Sedona or the Pink Jeep Tours. Both highly recommended. Our next stop was lunch at l'Auberge: good food in a great setting down by the creek!

After leaving Sedona, we drove across the Hoover Dam and into Las Vegas and checked in at THEhotel at Mandalay Bay. We had a nice evening at the bar at Charlie Palmer's Aureole. Great food and wine list, and always fun to watch the "wine angels" do their high-wire act and ascend the 4-story wine tower to fetch the wine (see the virtual tour on the web site.)