Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - Sunday At Dirt Devil (2008)
Friday, May 30, 2008
Back in 2006 an unlikely duet surfaced between Isobel Campbell (formally Belle & Sebastian) and Mark Lanegan. It took everyone by surprise and expanded both musician's musical repertoire.
Isobel and Mark are back again this time taking their duets to a new level. The cd starts off very soft with both barely singing over an acoustic guitar and strings. By track 2 "The Raven" the tempo picks up as well as the arrangement. Mark's voice is much stronger and takes on a storytelling tone, very similar to that of Nick Cave. On track 5 "Come On Over (Turn Me On)" Mark and Isobel let loose and indulge in a late nite romp in the sack. Sex and blues drip from this song and is one of the best on the cd.
The cd blends folk, blues, southern gothic and storytelling and is reminiscent of Mark's cover cd I'll Take Care Of You. It is much better than their debut and I can see this relationship continuing on for years to come. If you were a fan of Mark's previous solo work before Bubblegum you will enjoy this cd. It revisits the blues and gospel influenced side of his previous work.
I have thought about it but I can't really compare this to the Gutter Twins cd, both are completely different styles and if I had to pick a favorite, I would be hard pressed.
On a side note, The Gutter Twins are playing Detroit August 1st and I can't wait. Its been years since I have seen Mark Lanegan live, the last time he was supposed to tour he was in a car accident and cancelled the remaining shows and never rescheduled.
So far no R.E.M or The Cure this year but I do have The National, Stereolab and now the Gutter Twins so I am quite happy.
Posted by mardenhill 5/30/2008 08:56:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Music
Detroit Red Wings Jersey
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Since the 90s when the Wings won the Stanley Cup in '97 and '98 the city of Detroit has used the Spirit Of Detroit as the model for team jerseys. Over the years the Spirit has hosted the Pistons, Shock and Tigers, sorry no Lions as of yet. Anyways the Spirit statue is undergoing some renovations so the jersey was moved to the large Tiger statue outside of Comerica Park. After work I headed down Woodward to the stadium and snapped a few photos of the jersey for my livingroom wall. I am torn as to what statue I like better, the Spirit was the original choice but this one is pretty cool. If you get a chance head downtown to grab some photos, who knows how long it will be up.........
Posted by mardenhill 5/28/2008 08:43:00 AM 0 comments
Garden 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
Yesterday we planted our garden and for now we done. We have a wide range of hot peppers, bell peppers, tomato's (8 varieties), green beans (2 kinds), edamame and herbs. We have basil, cilantro, parsley, rosemary, tarragon, oregano, thyme, sage and our newest curry. Some of the herbs are perennials and are back in a full force (the sage has been pruned 3x this year so far) while others were just added yesterday. We will probably add some carrots and a few other root vegetables to the other side of the yard and that will probably be next weekend.
Hot Peppers:
banana
jalapeno
ancho
cayanne
serreno
super chili
habanero
caribbean red habanero
I usually give away most of the hot peppers, there are just too many to eat and some are beyond my ability but I have fun growing them. I decided that I will dry some this year and make my own pepper flakes in different heat levels.
I still have a bit of grass to remove at the end of the walkway but we need to remove the lightpost before we can put anything there so I am not in a big rush. Its hard to tell from this photo but I have a border on the right side of the walkway that has annuals planted. Once things start to grow I will post more photos. If my plans work out the way I am hoping, both sides of the walkway should have blooming annuals as you walk up to the house.
Posted by mardenhill 5/26/2008 02:29:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Garden
St Stans Festival
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Yesterday we headed down to Wyandotte for the annual St Stans Polish Festival for some cheap beer and perogies. All summer long there are Polish Church festivals full of food, polka music, games and gambling scattered through downriver (area south of Detroit). Usually we will pick up a bag of frozen perogies to take back with us but this year the perogies were off a bit. They were not as good as previous years and I am not sure if it was just the batch we had ours from or if all were suffering the same fate.
In a few minutes I will be heading outside to start the roto-tilling and planting of the garden and annual flowerbeds. I will post some photos once we are done.
Posted by mardenhill 5/25/2008 09:51:00 AM 2 comments
Labels: Misc
Busy Week II
Friday, May 23, 2008
OK, I lied the other day when I said I would do better with posting and then went 5 days without anything. To my defense I was very sick 3 of them and the last thing on my mind was posting anything to the blog. I have a few things that I will write about this weekend to make up for it and will try to be much better next week.
Posted by mardenhill 5/23/2008 06:18:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Misc
New Forms II
Monday, May 19, 2008
Back in 1997, Roni Size & Reprazent released New Forms a Drum & Bass cd that featured some of the greatest beats in the genre. This cd even won the convented UK Mercury Prize and beat out DJs such as Chemical Brothers and Fatboy Slim. What separated Roni Size from most Jungle/Drum & Bass DJs was the inclusion of Jazz and Hip Hop into the beats. The layers are easy to listen to and you don't have that Aphex Twin avant-garde sound that can become quite boring. Roni Size includes many female vocals on the tracks which were very common in the Trip Hop scene. These vocals mixed with the pulsating beats created a warm and organic feel uncommon to Electronic music.
10 years later Roni Size & Reprazent have re-edited and added 4 new tracks to this masterpiece. They have entitled the cd New Forms II and is a must have for any fan old and new. Its easy to write off Electronic music 10 years later since much of it can sound dated. This is the exception tho, if you were hearing for the 1st time most would think its brand new. The cd flows seamlessly between tracks giving you a continuous play feel. Some of the highlights are "Brown Paper Bag", "New Forms", "Hero's" and new track "Don't Hold Back". The styles range from atmospheric to hard hitting Drum & Bass and feature both rap and sultry torch singers.
Roni Size & Reprazent came out of the Bristol music scene which was made famous by Tricky, Portishead and Massive Attack. They expanded the Trip Hop sound but borrowed heavily from some of the arrangements and vocal styles. I can't get enough of this cd and I am torn as to the legality of including it in my top 2008 list. It's a reissue with new tracks but it's not really new. Anyways, I highly recommend anyone who has never heard this cd to pick it up.
Posted by mardenhill 5/19/2008 09:11:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Music
Update: Busy Week
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Sorry for the lack of posts this week, I spent 3 4hr nites at school and went out of town for the weekend. I decided to switch my College Algebra class from the accelerated 7 week class 2x a week to the 15 week 1x a week due to the overwhelming brain explosion I was on track for. I have been out of school for 12 years and it has almost 15 years since my last math class, jumping right in probably wasn't the best idea. This puts off the MBA for a semester but at least I will be able to get thru the pre reqs and Calc in one piece. This weekend we went to an Amish quilt auction and flea market, I will post a photo and a bit more later tonight. Its off to Costco and a BBQ now.
Update: Well here is a photo of the Amish quilt auction up in Claire, MI. Besides the auction there was a flea market full of dollar store merchandise and other misc junk. Erika and her mom spent most of the day bidding on quilts and I witnessed about an hour and a half of it. At the end, I was finally able to understand the auctioneer and how the bidding worked. I do feel sorry for the ladies that made the quilts since the price of them were very low this year. In previous years they would go for $300 to $1500 and this year you could pick one up for about $100. I saw a few Amish men walking around with cell phones and eating hot dogs, not what I was expecting to see at all.
Posted by mardenhill 5/18/2008 01:25:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: Grad School, Misc
Cleveland Weekend
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
This past weekend Erika and I went to Cleveland for a quick getaway and had a great time. The 1st photo is from the Cleveland Indians baseball game where they beat the Toronto Blue Jays 12-0. We had a couple Toronto fans a few rows in front of us and they were pretty embarrassed. The stadium is nice, it holds about 40K but feels smaller than that. The basketball stadium is right next door and with the Cav's in the playoffs and playing this past Saturday, the city and that area was booming.
The 2nd photo is of Lola's an excellent restaurant we went to Friday night. We called about a week before and were able to get a reservation. The owner Michael Symon is now the newest Iron Chef and since then, business at the restaurant has picked up big time. The food is heavy on the meat side with a few fish choices. The style is a bit of midwestern, home cooking prepared in an upscale manner. I had duck which was very good and we split a key lime dessert which was amazing. The wine list was pretty extensive and we had a bottle of Peter Franus Napa Valley Zinfandel which I highly recommend. The wine comes in at 16.2% and sneaks up on you.
The final photo is of the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame. We spent over 3.5 hrs inside and didn't really see everything. Its next to impossible to read every display and watch all the videos but we did a good job at seeing a good chunk of things. They focus on the 60s with large exhibits devoted to Janis Joplin, The Doors, Jimmy Hendrix and touch on the beginnings as well as the 70s, 80s and early 90s. They have outfits from David Bowie as well as Madonna and Michael Jackson. It was amusing to watch some baby boomers stare at the exhibit that focused on Seattle and the grunge era. They were at a loss regarding Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Tad, Mudhoney and Pearl Jam. There were large gaps of the music history that I personally feel should be represented but the museum is only so big. I do hope they broaden their 80s section and expand on more than just the New York scene.
We really enjoyed Cleveland and would definitely go back. Its only a 3 hr drive and the city is pretty easy to get around. We parked our car at the hotel the whole weekend and walked everywhere.
Posted by mardenhill 5/13/2008 09:34:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: Travel
27 Days......
The World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) is scheduled for June 9th next month and the Mac rumors have been flying for weeks now. Its certain that Steve Jobs will announce a new iPhone, when it will come out, what will be on it, possible design changes are all up in the air. I believe its safe to say that this model will be 3G (faster data connectivity) and will feature the newest firmware v 2.0 which contains Active Sync. This is good news for the business community since you will be able to sync your Outlook email via push technology. There are reports that a black model will be available and that the case has been slimmed down. There is also talk of a dual camera which can be used for video conferencing, not sure how true this is or practical.
All the talk about the iPhone is drowning out the Macbook Pro redesign rumors. I plan on buying a new laptop and patiently waiting for an updated pro series. I hope this conference isn't all iPhone and no laptop because I don't know how long I can hold out.
Posted by mardenhill 5/13/2008 10:16:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Technology
Oasis Loses Drummer
NME reports that Zak Starkey (Ringo Starr's son) has left Oasis over a spat with Noel Gallagher. Zak unofficially joined the band during the last tour and did help record the new cd coming out this fall. Although its a blow for the band, this isn't unusual, many drummers have come and gone over the years. The core of the band are still present and will embark on a US tour starting in August. My fingers are crossed for a Detroit date.
Posted by mardenhill 5/13/2008 08:25:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Music
Cleveland Rocks
Friday, May 09, 2008
This afternoon Erika and I are heading to Cleveland for a quick weekend getaway. Tonight we are having dinner at Lola's, a very cool restaurant that was featured on Anthony Bourdain's travel show as well as the home of the newly minted Iron Chef. Tomorrow its off to the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame and a Cleveland Indian's baseball game. Then its back home on Sunday where I will have to work in the yard and study for a math exam. I will post an update on our trip when we return.
Posted by mardenhill 5/09/2008 11:43:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Travel
I Want To Believe
Thursday, May 08, 2008
The title is a familiar phrase for fans of the series that starred David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson as FBI agents chasing after aliens and supernatural happenings. "I Want to Believe" was the slogan on a poster Duchovny's UFO-obsessed agent Fox Mulder had hanging in the cluttered basement office where he and Anderson's Dana Scully worked.
"It's a natural title," Carter said Tuesday during a break from editing the film. "It's a story that involves the difficulties in mediating faith and science. 'I Want to Believe.' It really does suggest Mulder's struggle with his faith."
"I Want to Believe" comes 10 years after the first film and six years after the finale of the series, whose opening credits for much of its nine-year run featured the catch-phrase "the truth is out there."
Due in theaters July 25, the movie will not deal with aliens or the intricate mythology about interaction between humans and extraterrestrials that the show built up over the years, Carter said.
Instead, it casts Mulder and Scully into a standalone, earthbound story aimed at serious "X-Files" fans as well as newcomers, he said.
"It has struck me over the last several years talking to college-age kids that a lot of them really don't know the show or haven't seen it," Carter said. "If you're 20 years old now, the show started when you were 4. It was probably too scary for you, or your parents wouldn't let you watch it. So there's a whole new audience that might have liked the show. This was made to, I would call it, satisfy everyone."
Hardcore fans need not worry that the movie will be going back to square one, though, Carter said. The movie will be true to the spirit of the show and everything Mulder and Scully went through, he said.
"The reason we're even making the movie is for the rabid fans, so we don't want to insult them by having to take them back through the concept again," Carter said.
.............................................
Now I have to give my friend Rick credit for this, he emailed me today to let me know the movie was out this summer and I had no idea it was anywhere close to being done. I remember reading about a 2nd movie a while ago but nothing ever came from it so I just accepted the fact that there would be no more Moulder & Scully. After a few minutes of searching I came across the treasure trove of info above regarding the movie. We have a wedding the nite the movie comes out but that's ok I can wait til Saturday and I really don't care for packed theatres.
For those of you who may not know, I am a huge X-Files fan and throughout college we couldn't head out to the bars until after the show was over even though I was taping it. And yes, for years I had the "I Want To Believe" poster hanging up in my room. Its somewhere in the basement and I should try to find a space for it once again.
I have yet to find a show written as well as the X-Files and I doubt I ever will. Criminal Minds is up there but they don't really tell a story that is built upon throughout the season. Bones tries to but the whole secret society of cannibals does not compete with aliens among us plotting to take over the world with an underground resistance made up of a 2nd race of aliens and a shadow govt.
Posted by mardenhill 5/08/2008 07:06:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Misc
School
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Monday I went back to school for the first time in 11 years and let me tell ya, it was quite a shock. Besides all the kids with their cell phones texting away, they were all dressed in shorts and looked like highschoolers. I know I'm old, but it was an interesting experience compared to the last time I took classes. Since I head straight to class from work, it was me one other guy and the prof in dress clothes. Besides that, the class is College Algebra and is 4 hrs long, two days a week. Nothing like diving in head first into a shallow pool full of rocks. We briefly covered the basics of algebra and it was off to complex this and linear that. The last time I had a math class was back in '95 and if it were not for GMAT study guides, I would be lost. I am still feeling a bit overwhelmed but I think I can pull it off. This class is 8 weeks long and the next semester is Trig followed by Calculus in the fall. Well if I survive.....
Posted by mardenhill 5/07/2008 08:32:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Grad School
Detroit Zoo
Sunday, May 04, 2008
Yesterday we went to the Detroit Zoo which is just 2 miles from our house. The city of Huntington Woods borders the zoo and there is only a road that separates a number of homes from the fence. I couldn't imagine the noise day in and day out living so close. I think it would be fun for a few weeks but I could see it getting old fast. The forcast was cloudy all day with breaks of sun here and there. As luck would have it, we made it to the back of the zoo only to be caught in a rain storm. We took shelter in the kangaroo exhibit for about 10 minutes while the rain passed.
One of my favorite exhibits are the tigers and I was able to get a few shots of this one walking around. The lion in the next photo woke up and starting roaring which was cool to see. There are a number of peacocks in the zoo and they seem to have free range and go wherever they want. They are not afraid of people and just walk up and down the pathways. The final photo is of the polar bear exhibit the zoo created about 7 years ago. They have a large area to wander around and a tube was built under the water where you can see the bears and seals swim over.
For being so close, I need to do better about going since the last time was probably 4 or 5 years ago.
Posted by mardenhill 5/04/2008 08:44:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Detroit
Detroit Advances
Friday, May 02, 2008
Both the Pistons and Wings have advanced to the next round of playoffs in their respective sports. The Wings swept the Colorado Avalanche while on the road with an amazing 8-2 win led by Johan Franzen who had a hat trick last nite and leads the team with goals scored in the playoffs at 11. I have to admit I didn't watch either game last nite but just reading the highlights I can tell that both would have been fun to see. In Colorado's defense, a good chunk of their team have been on the disabled list and Forsberg had just a few shifts in game 3 before going out again. Either way, the Wings dominated a team that in the past have been very difficult to take on. Moving onto the Pistons, they finished up the series with a 100-77 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. This Saturday the Pistons start round 2 against the Orlando Magic.
Not to be outdone, the Tigers swept the New York Yankees in a 3 game series while on the road. Now that Granderson is back in the lineup, the Tigers are ready to go and have done a great job climbing out of the funk they started the year off in.
Posted by mardenhill 5/02/2008 08:17:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Detroit, Pistons, Red Wings, Tigers
