Live R.E.M.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
October 16th is the date, so mark your calendars.
I'm a sucker for live DVDs and I have a pretty nice collection of live performances. When it comes to movies I can barely watch them more than once but live shows I can see over and over. The footage is from the 2005 tour and recorded in Dublin, Ireland. The show itself was amazing, the Detroit show that is and this would be one I would love to see again. The last 3 R.E.M. studio releases have been on the mellow side, very slow at times but that's fine. When played live, these songs take on a new life. R.E.M. have a new studio release planned for next year which I can't wait for and this is just icing on the cake.
If you are looking for some good live DVDs to pick up, I recommend both Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, all the U2 tours since Achtung Baby, The Cure, Travis and Pearl Jam.
Posted by mardenhill 9/29/2007 10:02:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Music
Vine & Dine
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
http://www.vinendine.com/index.htm
This evening I more or less crashed a charity event and had a great time doing so. I got a call from my friend Ed who is from Simply Wine the local wine shop I freelance at from time to time. He needed some help pouring wine for an event at the Cranbrook Science Center which is part of the Cranbrook Institute, an amazing center located in Bloomfield Hills. He didn't give me much info on the event just said show up at 5:30pm. I went over after work pretty much underdressed and just walked in. I have learned that if you just walk in the back door and look like you belong no one questions you. We spent the next few hours pouring wine, talking about the bottles and the store. For the most part people were very receptive but there were a few pretentious wankers who just turned their noses up to our selection. Overall it seemed to be a very successful nite but unfortunately I had no clue what it was about until I googled the website. Oh well, I guess that's what happens when you get a call 3 hrs beforehand to show up at an event.
Posted by mardenhill 9/26/2007 10:40:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Wine
Free The Files!!!!!
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
The war against DRM (digital rights management) that pesky rule that keeps your iTunes music locked to only you has finally gained some traction. Now I don't want to completely diss Apple here, they currently feature DRM free songs from EMI on their store but they are also .30 cents more a song. You get higher quality but at $1.29 its still pretty expensive.
Your only option was eMusic who rocks but also caters to the indie rock and older crowd replacing old tapes. eMusic doesn't have it all so there needed to be another player. Well that new kid on the block is none other than Amazon. They just launched their music downloading site which features some great deals, full cds for as low as $5.99 at high bit rates. I just finished checking out the site and it did have a few things I have been looking for. Problem tho, most of the cds were $8.99 - $9.99 a piece so not the savings I was hoping for. Out of The Cure, Echo & The Bunnymen, Oasis, U2, R.E.M. and Nick Cave, only Nick and a handful of R.E.M. cds were available for purchase. Maybe Amazon will get the rights to all the major players but for now its a bit of hit and miss.
Posted by mardenhill 9/25/2007 09:20:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Music, Technology
New Headphones
Monday, September 24, 2007
Sennheiser eH350 Open-Aire HiFi Stereo Headphones
Sennheiser are a bunch of bastards but they make some great products. A few weeks ago I emailed customer service a few questions regarding the difference between the EH250 and EH350 models but never heard back. I decided to order the EH350s anyways since Amazon had them at a deep discount. Right now they just went up $18 on Amazon so head over to Buy.com for a great deal.
The headphones don't fold and the cord is about a mile long but they sound great. I currently have a pair of small closed air headphones which are good but still let in a lot of background noise when flying. I didn't want noise cancelling but something that would drown out engine and crying babies. I will take these for a test flight next week and will let you know if they are worth it or not. We plan on getting another pair and will decide if the EH250s are necessary or if these will do the job.
Posted by mardenhill 9/24/2007 10:23:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Technology
Too Many J's
Saturday, September 22, 2007
It's easy to get lost in all the singer songwriters out there, all first and last names and blending sounds. On the surface its just another Starbucks cafe rotation but once you actually take a bit of time to listen, you can hear the differences. I still get confused when rattling off artists and none of these are part of the thousands of John's who occupy the genre.
I decided to do a quick review of a few good cds that everyone should listen to. The first is Josh Rouse, a US based Alt Country/Americana troubador who released his 8th studio recording Country Mouse, City House this summer. Its full of hammond organs, horns, piano, slide guitars, 70s vibe and soft vocals. Not soft and wimpy like a Coldplay just mellow and relaxing.
Keeping with the 70s groove you have the latest from James Blunt All The Lost Souls. It's quite different than the annoying "You're Beautiful" that bombarded us for way to long. Throughout the cd you feel as if Blunt has channeled Barry Gibb. The underlying feel is subdued yet appealing. Maybe the whole James Morrison and R&B homage is the new style. Gone are the introspective acoustic guitar and moody piano, now its all about getting it on. Don't worry, the "woe is me" and "world is collapsing" coffee house aura does resurface later on in the cd.
Finally we return back to the states where we find Josh Ritter strumming away on his 5 release The Historical Conquests Of Josh Ritter. Part Dylan and Cohen, Ritter carves his way thru some well crafted and knee slapping songs. Its a bit of honky tonk, folk and indie rock crumbed up and squeezed thru a clentched fist. One of my favorite things about this cd would be Josh's vocals, they are up front and articulate which can be hard to find in this genre.
All these releases are different but for some just blend into the background since there are no loud guitars, post punk breaks and screaming. I recommend taking the time to check out each one as well as the back catalogs of the Josh's.
Posted by mardenhill 9/22/2007 11:58:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Music
Ride & Drive
Friday, September 21, 2007
It was another Ride & Drive day at BBDO, for those of you scratching your heads its an opportunity for us to drive Chrysler cars. They bring in about 7 different models and you can take them for a test run. Today we had a number of Dodge vehicles and I was able to drive the Avenger and Nitro. Both cars were very cool and I would actually consider buying the Avenger. The model was a 4 cylinder which suprised me since I automatically assumed it was a 6. It had some get up and go, something that is lacking on my Focus. So yeah, anything that has a bit of power is an improvement over what I have. Unfortunately I would be looking at a lateral move when it comes to mileage so I won't be getting this vehicle. The Nitro is out of the question, its a nice ride but too big for me. I'm not a fan of SUVs and although its not a Suburban or Hummer I don't want a vehicle of this size.
Posted by mardenhill 9/21/2007 02:44:00 PM 2 comments
Labels: Misc
So Many Phones
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Right now AT&T rules the cellular world when it comes to smart phones. At this time they have (or will have within the next few weeks) the following phones. They also have the Treo and another Blackberry but I am not interested in them.
From the top the phones are as followed:
HTC Tilt
Samsung Blackjack
SMT 5700
Motorola Q9H
iPac 910C
iPhone
Blackberry 8310 Curve
Blackberry 8820
All of these phones have some great features and all of them I would love to have, well maybe all but the Tilt, its a little to big. Prices range from $100 to $400 and all but the iPhone can work with corporate email. So I continue to rack my brains as to what device I want. The Moto Q and the Tilt drop next week and the iPac and SMT will be later in October. If we go on coolness factor the iPhone wins hands down but no G3 data connectivity until next year.
Posted by mardenhill 9/19/2007 04:03:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: Technology
New EP Next Month
Ryan Adams has revealed details of a forthcoming EP. The prolific songwriter is set to release 'Follow The Lights' in the US on October 23. The EP will feature seven songs recorded with his band The Cardinals. It includes three new songs and four live studio performances, including a cover of Alice In Chains' 'Down A Hole'. Two of the tracks - 'Follow The Lights' and 'My Love For You Is Real'- will be featured on the ABC television drama 'October Road' in the fall season.
Posted by mardenhill 9/19/2007 09:16:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Music
eMusic AudioBooks
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Our favorite DRM free Indie Rock music source has now moved into the world of Audiobooks. Still the same thing as with the music, DRM free and select titles but enough to make most people happy. eMusic will be charging $9.99 a book which is a lot cheaper than retail and iTunes. If you happen to enjoy listening to books on tape (or ipod) check out eMusic's site for some great deals. I doubt the Oprah book club will be present but who really cares about those anyways.
Besides the new Audiobooks, eMusic has changed their downloading method and now you have a Napster/Rhapsody like interface that links directly to iTunes or Windows Media Player (if you are still using that piece of crap for any reason). First impressions are ok, just seems like another piece of software I don't really need but oh well.
http://www.emusic.com/audiobooks/index.html
Posted by mardenhill 9/18/2007 02:24:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Music, Technology
Rilo Kiley In Detroit
Monday, September 17, 2007
I took the day off to do a bit of running around, I had to renew my license and get a new plate which is always a chore. I think I would rather go to the dentist than the Secretary of State (DMV) for you non Michigan folks. You grab your number and wait and wait and wait. Anyways on my way out I heard that Rilo Kiley was playing the Royal Oak Theatre tonight and that the River (radio station) was sponsoring a free acoustic show at Goodnight Gracies beforehand. I decided since I wasn't going to the show, I would check this out. After standing in line for about an hour which wasn't too bad since I ran into a friend from college, we were able to snag the front row which was against the bar and about 3 feet from the stage. We were told no flashes and being right in front I decided to obey the request. I took about 10 photos which came out ok but a bit underexposed and decided since the person next to me was using her flash I would do the same. I was able to get this photo before they finished.
They played 3 songs: Close Call, Dreamworld and Moneymaker which all sounded very good acoustic. I loved the fact that I had my own personal concert and the only thing I had to pay was a dollar in the parking meter.
Posted by mardenhill 9/17/2007 07:49:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Music
The Post Season
It wasn't looking too good a week ago but I think the Tigers may have a shot at making the playoffs this year. We are 2.5 games behind the Yankees for the Wild Card and 4.5 out from 1st place of our division. Trying to top Cleveland may not happen but there is a chance we could get the Wild Card if we can only get the Yankees to lose a few more games. Its an uphill battle but one I think we can pull off. We have 12 games left with a series against Cleveland starting tonight. If we can sweep them and keep the ball rolling its ours. Due to a makeup game, the Yankees have 10 games in a row which could also work in our favor.
Posted by mardenhill 9/17/2007 08:41:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Tigers
Dogfish Head Punkin Ale
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Punkin Ale
Availability: Fall
Release Date: September 1st each year
A full-bodied brown ale with smooth hints of pumpkin and brown sugar. Perfect to warm-up with, as the season cools.
7% abv
24 ibu
Tasting Notes: Malty, pumpkin, caramel, brown sugar.
Food Pairing recommendations: Turkey, roasted duck, lamb, stuffing, dessert dumplings.
Glassware recommendation: Pint
Dogfish Head Punkin Ale has approximately 230 calories per 12-ounce serving..............................
Fall is approaching and its time for one of my favorite beers of all time, Pumpkin Ale. These beers are great ambers with a bit of nutmeg, pumpkin and other flavors. There are many cheap imitations out on the market so beware when purchasing. My all time favorite was from a Kalamazoo brew pub who's name is escaping me at this time. Last year that beer was over-ruled by Bells (my favorite brewery) who put out their own Pumpkin Ale. Unfortunately they did not bottle it so you could only enjoy by the glass while sitting in the brewery itself.
We have a wedding at the end of the month in Kalamazoo where we will be making a stop before the reception to have a pint. I can't wait and hope they changed their mind on the whole no bottling.
Fine enough about Bells, I need to get back to the reason of my post and that is Dogfish Head Punkin Ale. It sells for about $9.50 a 4 pack (I know, pricy but its worth it). This beer is full of flavor and the nutmeg explodes in your mouth with each taste. This beer has become my 2nd favorite Pumpkin Ale and 2nd favorite brewery. I have had about 5 of their beers and have yet to be disappointed. So if you are not in MI and near Kalamazoo the new few months, pick up a bottle of Punkin Ale, its a great alternative and something that can be enjoyed on those chilly fall evenings.
http://www.dogfish.com/brewings/Seasonal_Beers/Punkin_Ale/3/index.htm
Posted by mardenhill 9/13/2007 07:09:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Beer
True North Vodka
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
I am not a premium vodka fan, as long as its not Smirnoff or 5 o'clock then I am usually ok with it. My liquor of choice is gin where I tend to be more particular with my brands. This vodka caught my attention due to its Michigan connection. The distiller is up in Traverse City and the vodka goes by the name True North. Unfortunately no website but you can read about them at the links below. The vodka is a Polish style made with local ingredients and at $30 a bottle better be damn good. Its just one more thing that can be promoted along with Michigan's vineyards which can only help our current economic woes. Due to state regulations you cannot buy directly from the distiller but it should be available in fine liquor stores.
http://forums.detnews.com/wine/columns/silfven/details.cfm?id=412
http://www.countrylines.com/2007/06/14/vodka-maker-cant-bottle-his-enthusiasm/
Posted by mardenhill 9/11/2007 12:32:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: Liquor
Maybe An iPhone?
Monday, September 10, 2007
Pros: its freakin amazing.
Cons: no corporate email support, battery life, only 8 gigs and Edge network.
Our work arounds. You can always forward your corporate email account to your gmail and down to your phone. You won't have the syncing ability but at least you have email. Battery, if the applecare covers a new battery when it dies then its worth it. 8 gigs, no one else has a problem with the limited space except me so maybe I need to figure this one out. Edge network, slow Internet browsing but find a WiFi hotspot and you are good to go. Plus 3G is just around the corner and maybe, just maybe the antenna is already built into the phone and can be turned on with a firmware upgrade. This one is just wishful thinking with lots of Internet rumors backing it up.
So in the end all the things the iPhone can't do can be remedied. This leaves me in an interesting position. I desparately need a new cell phone and my ipod is on its last leg. I could get the 8 gig iPhone and be out $400 but have both devices. I can always get a nano if I feel the need for extra storage or even a classic if I happen to fall into a pile of money.
Or I get a Samsung Blackjack for $100 and get an iPod 16 gig touch for $400 putting my total at $500 and 2 devices. The data plan on the iPhone would only be an extra $20 a month whereas it would be $40 on the Blackjack. I would have 3G support and corporate email on the Blackjack but it wouldn't be the iPhone.
I have decided that the Motorola Q is out of the running. I know I have blogged about it being the coolest thing ever but its coming in at $300 and that is too much when you factor in a new iPod.
The touch has some features missing that people are not too happy about so it might be worth it to combine the 2 devices. I knew the minute Apple dropped the price of the iPhone I would talk myself into getting one and it pisses me off. Damn you Steve Jobs!!!!!!
Posted by mardenhill 9/10/2007 05:22:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: Technology
Volvo C30 Concept
Friday, September 07, 2007
Volvo unveiled an amazing concept car at the Frankfurt Auto Show this week and I would love to see it go into production. Based off the C30, this electric hybrid would give you up to 62 miles before the engine switches over. Below is some more info on the car.
..........................
Juice for the motors will come from a lithium polymer battery pack mounted in the trunk with sufficient capacity for 62 miles of electric driving. Once the battery state of charge dips to thirty percent, a 1.6L four cylinder flex-fuel engine bolted to a generator starts up to re-charge the battery. The ReCharge can also be plugged in to replenish the battery energy.
Posted by mardenhill 9/07/2007 11:24:00 AM 1 comments
Labels: Technology
Zingerman's Spring Fling Coffeecake
Thursday, September 06, 2007
I like to give my friend Kim shit for her role as a baker at Zingerman's in Ann Arbor but I do have to give the bakery a shout out for their Spring Fling Coffeecake. Kim brought one over before we left for our trip out west and we didn't have time to eat any (she had brought cinnamon rolls and brownies as well). This coffeecake is the best treat ever. It has both coconut and lime going on and is full of moisty goodness. I could eat this everyday and never grow tired of it. Hell, I am having some as I type this. Even though Zingerman's makes a bunch of hippy bread that sucks for French Toast, their pastry dept rocks the house. You can read about it at the site and take a moment to check out their other selections. They also have a mail order catalog for those of you out of town. Before I get some dirty Ann Arbor hippy posting hate comments, I am not bashing Zingerman's I love their products and eat their bread whenever I get a chance. This would just be a boring posting if I praised them and acted as if they were better than Whole Foods. Whoops did I just say that?
http://www.zingermansbakehouse.com/content/pages/products.php?category=coffeecakes
Posted by mardenhill 9/06/2007 09:20:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Misc
VIN’O Tscheppe Czamillonberg Sauvignon Blanc 2003
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
This is another bottle from our Austrian Flight and one that suprised me. Its a Sauvignon Blanc from the southern Styrian region of Austria. It possesses excellent colour, not too light and just enough of a straw hue to glisten in the light. Flavorwise it was tight on first taste but opened within the next 15 minutes. It had hints of green apple with plenty of mineral and acidity. It comes in at 13% but tasted much hotter. Its very clean and my only complaint would be the alcohol level. I am interested to see how this holds up and will take another tasting tomorrow.
http://www.winemonger.com/catalog/product_more_info.php?products_id=445
Posted by mardenhill 9/05/2007 09:08:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Wine
New iPods
New iPods today and let me tell ya, there is some really good news.
iPod Shuffle: $79 and 1 gig
iPod Nano: $149/8 gig, $199/16 gig. New colors, bigger screen, cover flow and new menus.
iPod Classic: $249/80 gig, $349/160 gig. 2 colors, same screen, cover flow and new menus.
iPod Touch: $299/8 gig, $399/16 gig. Touch screen and all the features of the iPhone without the phone portion. Built in Wi Fi for internet connectivity in a local hotspot. New Wi Fi iTunes music store where songs can be purchased.
iPhone: $399/8 gig. They are dropping the price and the 4 gig model. Still on Edge network so slow data speeds and no corporate email support.
Good News: New products, true video iPod and Wi Fi.
Bad News: The iPod Touch is only flash based and under 20 gigs in size. Yeah this is better for the battery but I want more storage.
I am torn as to what I want now. I want the touch but I would be giving up hard drive space for cool features. I could go with the iPod Classic but then I don't get the cool new device. There is always the phone but its still on the slow data network. Decisions, Decisions.....
Posted by mardenhill 9/05/2007 03:42:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Technology
Finetune.com
http://www.finetune.com/
http://www.finetune.com/user/mardenhill
I was reading Wired mag and came across this website. Its very cool and yet another in the latest to blend social networking and music together. This one is called Finetune and what I really like about it is the ability to create playlists. Currently I have one with about 158 songs and it will continue to grow or I may break out and create ones based on genres or other factors. Its all free and can be streamed from my blog or from the 2nd website. I am having a few issues with it actually working correctly from my blog. I don't know if I have to be logged into the site or not so if you are unable to play it from there feel free to use the web address.
You may be asking, why would I want to listen to Randy's music selection. Well its simple, I create the best playlists, I mix up new stuff with some amazing classics and each and every song is handpicked by me. Feel free to check out my selection, you can skip past songs if you choose but I doubt you will. As for the order songs are played I have no control, Finetune will randomly select them. If it were up to me I would not pair some of the choices but its a free site so I'm not complaining. So far this site is much better than LastFM, Slacker, Pandora, Fuzz etc and one I plan on using (until something better comes along). Check back for future playlists and other musical selections.
Posted by mardenhill 9/05/2007 12:39:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: Music, Technology
I'd Rather Go To Hell Than Texas
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
This shirt sums up our last 24 hours and I am thinking of ordering one. Our trip was great except for our return home. Our plane left late out of Portland putting us a behind. The storms in Houston our connecting hub were so bad the airport was closed. We finally land and were stuck out on the runway waiting for a gate to open. Mind you, we are already behind schedule and had to catch a connecting flight back to Detroit. By the time we made it off the plane and down to the other end of the terminal we missed our plane by 5 minutes. Our luggage made it but not us. So it was off to the Continental service desk where the unfriendly people told us there wasn't a flight until tomorrow and due to weather they wouldn't give us any food vouchers or hotel. Even though we were late coming in with repairs in Portland, they decided it wasn't their responsibility. They did give us a number to call for a discounted rate which we did. We made it over to the seedy Econo Lodge where we hung out for a total of 8 hrs. We had to make a run to Walgreens to grab a few things since the only things we had on us were our carry ons. After dinner at the local IHOP and about 2.5 hrs of sleep (the beds were awful) we were back to the George Bush International airport for our 7am flight. Luckily we made it ontime (the driver from the Econo Lodge showed up 30 minutes late to work) and onto our plane. So our travels started out at 7am Monday with a 2 hr drive to Portland, a long flight and overnite stay in Houston with a final return time of 12pm today. Had to call into work and spend extra money all because the bastards at Continental screwed us over. Houston is their hub and the majority of people on our plane had to catch flights but that didn't bother them.
So I hate Houston, TX, Continental Airlines and George Bush International Airport.
Posted by mardenhill 9/04/2007 08:37:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Travel
Our Trip To Oregon
We had a great time this past weekend out in Oregon, went to Powells where we bought some great books and checked out US Outdoors. I love this store, it has all the camping, hiking, skiing, surfing etc gear and all at a discounted price. Tack on the no sales tax in Oregon and you have yourself a great deal. I have been wanting the new North Face Red Point jacket and saved over $30 by getting it out there. We also picked up some Sigg water bottles which are much better than Nalgene. You don't get that plastic water taste with these and they are lightweight and sturdy. I ended up with 3 pounds of coffee beans and 1 bottle of wine as well. So all and all, a very good trip.
Getting back to the reason we were out there, my friends Tonya and Karl were getting married. The ceremony was great, it was outdoor at the Eugene rose garden and the reception was at a park where they had a bluegrass band playing. And to throw tradition to the wind, Tonya and Karl had a bicycle precession with all their friends riding the bike path along the Williamette River.
It was great to see all our friends out west and spend some time catching up with ones we hadn't seen in years.
http://www.usoutdoorstore.com/
Posted by mardenhill 9/04/2007 08:16:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Travel
