Morning Glory - Damn it Feels Good to be a Gangster

Just a taste of my morning walk from my parking garage to my office…Dead Prez - Hip Hop

There’s really nothing quite like walking through a crowded office building with your iPod on, blaring insanely angry rap music through your headphones. I highly recommend it.

You feel like Tyler Durden; sizing up every suit you pass in the hallway.

New Tunes Alert!

Sam Amidon - All is Well



Think Nick Drake meets Sufjan. Obviously...this is going to be the next cd I buy.

MP3: Sam Amidon - Saro

Wanted: Feedback - Best First Track Ever???

So this morning I was gushing over the greatness the Consoler of the Lonely, the first track of the new Raconteurs album, with a loyal Italian SL36 reader (okay lets be honest…the only Italian SL36 reader), and an he posed a question I thought I’d share.

Is Consoler a better first track than My Name is Jonas?

Brilliant question because as everyone in our generation knows: My Name is Jonas is the standard that every other first track of a cd is measure up to. Jonas starts off the Blue Album with the perfect tone. Bouncy little intro that slams you face first into a wall of distorted power chord greatness, and for the next 3:24 continues to rock your nerdy ass off. If Weezer didn’t have you converted into a lifelong fan by the end of Jonas, you have no soul.

The question inspired me to think in the larger scale though. What is the best first track to an album ever? Jonas probably sits on the top of my list, but here are just a few others that keep it company…

Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana, Nevermind
Black Dog – Led Zep, IV
Where the Streets Have No Name – U2, Joshua Tree
Get Innocuous! – LCD Soundsystem, Sound of Silver
Sgt Peppers – Beatles, Sgt Peppers
Marching Bands of Manhattan – DCFC, Plans
London Calling – The Clash, London Calling
Hells Bells – AC/DC, Back in Black
G Funk Intro – Snoop Dogg, Doggystyle
(okay, technically Bathtub is first track, but it’s a skit so it doesn’t count)

This is just a few off the top of my head…let me know what else deserves to be on list!

Record Review - MGMT

MGMT – Oracular Spectacular


MGMT sits in this kinda in-between area where indie-rock and electronic music meet. I guess this was bound to happen when band nerds started to be raised with a computer in the house.

Who should give this disc a listen??? Fans of LCD Soundsystem, Yeasayer, Animal Collective, ELO, Postal Service, Imogen Heap

Standout tracks:

• MP3: MGMT - Time to Pretend – great first track that sets the tone for the album
• MP3: MGMT - Electric Feel – This is the most fun track of the disc and one of Team Robertson’s favs
• MP3: MGMT - Kids – reminds me of a song they’d play in an 80’s movie montage where the kids realize that there the only ones that can save the town from the onslaught of monsters so they have to melt their mom’s silverware to make silver bullets and make wooden stakes out of broom stick in their jr. high shop class…uhh…Monster Squad…hello?
  

I gotta share the lyrics of Time to Pretend…simply brilliant…

I'm feeling rough, I'm feeling raw, I'm in the prime of my life.
Let's make some music, make some money, find some models for wives.
I'll move to Paris, shoot some heroin, and fuck with the stars.
You man the island and the cocaine and the elegant cars.

This is our decision, to live fast and die young.
We've got the vision, now let's have some fun.
Yeah, it's overwhelming, but what else can we do.
Get jobs in offices, and wake up for the morning commute.

Forget about our mothers and our friends
We're fated to pretend
To pretend

Morning Glory

MP3: A.A. Bondy - American Hearts
This is one hell of a folk song. I think that AA Bondy read Writing Folk Songs for Dummies, because American Hearts is almost too perfect. He talks about wolves, America, says “Don’t Tread on Me,” and plays acoustic guitar and a harmonica at the same time. I guess if the formula works, why mess with it. This song is great.

MP3: Adele - Hometown
Think Amy Winehouse but minus the cutting, facial lesions, ratty hair, coked out nose, powdery crack lips, bad tats, and big band. Hometown is probably one of the only tracks I really dig from Adele, and I think it’s because its got a more shoegazer feel to it. Where this track really stands out though is despite the meloncholly arrangement, the lyrics speak of strength, power, and rebellion. The more I listen to this song the more I like it.

MP3: The Tings Tings - Great DJ
I figure since I’ve given you two mellow tracks, I should end the post with a fun, upbeat, and dancy number. There’s really not much more to say about this track…it’s just fun. If you fall in love with this track word to the wise, the band sucks live. Linds and I saw these guys live (via DirecTV 101) at SXSW, and they were terrible.

NEW TUNES ALERT! - Lots of new stuff...

Its been a long week ,so I thought I'd share some of the tracks that have helped to keep me sane. Seriously though...5 'o clock can not come soon enough...

Air Traffic
Big fan of this track. It’s like the Arctic Monkeys and The Kooks had a bastard child.
MP3: Air Traffic – Charlotte (highly rec’d)

The Whigs
If this track were a person, it would be the cousin that you only see on holidays. You like him okay, but then again it’s not like you’re dying to hang out with him every day. It’s like this…small doses of this song are okay but if I hear it more than a couple of times a day I get really bored with it. Ya, I have a weird relationship with this song.
MP3: The Whigs - Right Hand On My Heart

Cassettes Wont Listen
After reading Sach’s glowing review of their SXSW performance, I had to give these guys a listen. Good stuff. I’m really digging the indie-electro scene right now, so I’m very inclined to give these guys a serious listen.
MP3: Cassettes Wont Listen - Fcuk and Run (Liz Phair)
MP3: Cassettes Won't Listen - Paper Floats

Los Campesinos!
The track name pretty much sums it up. Word to the wise: Skip the intro (1:42), because it is utterly horrible and stupid. Once you get to the guitar, there’s absolutely nothing not to like about this song. Odd thing about this song…the band has released every year since 2006 but changes it up some how. Too bad they continue to make the crappy intro longer and longer.
MP3: Los Campesinos! – You! Me! Dancing! (2008)

Afternoon Dee-Lite!

MP3: Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Gardenia
I love songs like this. It’s a fun, pop gem that is guaranteed to make you smile.

MP3: Dynamite Hack - Boyz in the The Hood
There’s nothing wrong with kickin’ it ‘ol school every now and then. This track was in high rotation in our dorm room Sophomore year at A&M whilst we desperately tried to get Freshman girls drunk with cheap beer in hopes of hooking up…looks like Linds was the big winner!

It's a celebration, bitches!

Jasper’s – The Review

It’s been a while since Team Robertson has spent a ri-GD- diculous amount of money on a fine meal, so celebrating a great friend getting engaged seemed like a good enough excuse. And a celebration it was! The group started off the evening by toasting the newly engaged with a very fine bottle of Moet’s Nectar Imperial, which made all of us dream of being uber-rich and installing champagne rivers that run throughout our homes. Seriously, who wouldn’t want to stick their face in a river of champagne and drink it up?

APPETIZERS
Aps at Jasper’s were an incredibly easy decision…Maytag Blue Cheese Potato Chips ($10), Prosciutto Wrapped Shrimp and Grilled Corn Grits ($16), and Crispy Calamari with Toasted Orange Soy and Cilantro ($14). All of them were spot on.

The chips are drizzled with a Blue Cheese sauce that is unbelievably good…and I don’t even really like Blue Cheese. The one thing I thought they lacked was a little bit of heat…like a Sriracha drizzle would’ve really set it off for my tastes. The Shrimp and Grits were good, but I really think the grits were big winner on that plate. You can wrap a shoe in prosciutto and it will be amazing. But Ahhhh…grits, there in lies a challenge. These grits were definitely the best I’ve ever had. Fluffy and roasted creamy corn goodness…I could eat a pound of them, easy. The Calamari was Linds’ favorite…I thought it good, but nothing I’d rush back to order again. The wide cuts of calamari were great, because it gave you an opportunity to taste the squid, not just the batter…definitely not the Olive Garden rings you grew up on.

ENTREEES:
I opted for the Texas Peach Barbecued Pork Tenderloin with Bourbon Creamed Corn and Scallion Twice-Baked Potato ($26), which was perfect for what I was in the mood for. Pork was tender and full of smoky barbecue flavor, but I have to say that I was hoping for a sweater glaze because of the Peach. The creamed corn was great, though not really that creamy. It was basically kernels of roasted corn that had been soaking in a creamy sauce. It may have not been traditional, but it was still rather tasty. The only loser of the entire night was the dry and boring twice-baked potato. I had about two bites and called it quits on the potato.

Linds rocked the Crispy Seared Sea Scallops with Butternut Squash Wild Rice ($30). Seriously, they were probably the best scallops I’ve ever had. Tender, juicy, and smoky; prepared just perfectly. I really liked the wild rice medley, too. If scallops are your thing, you’ve to get these.

Jasper’s also has a selection of cast iron sides, and you know Team Robertson had to get the Aged Gouda Mac and Cheese ($9). Dude…this stuff is really, really good. Mmmm, creamy melted gouda…mmmmm. 2nd best Mac and Cheese in town…Bread Winners Green Chili Mac is hard to beat in my book.

As for other entrees I tried Brad’s, 16 oz. Delmonico Ribeye ($36) and it was just as you would expect…awesome. Huge chunk of good meat, “grilled” to bloody rare perfection. What else could you want?

DESSERTS
I thought that the dessert menu had a lot of good variety and nothing really looked that ordinary or bad. My dessert choice was made when Mike, our waiter, said his favorite was the Vanilla Dessert Toast ($6), which consisted of slices of Challah dipped in crème brulee custard, then fried up like French toast, and drizzled with a maple syrup reduction. Yes.

Linds got the Butterfinger Crème Brulee ($6), with homemade butterfingers. The dish was as good but suffered by the growing trend of putting crème brulee in a deep dish. It makes for a nice presentation to bring out the crème in cool little espresso cup and saucer, but lets be honest…all anyone really wants in a crème brulee is a ton of crispy caramel with every bite of custard. The little cup left with you no crust after two bites, and a cup of custard. I’d skip this next time.

The real winner on the dessert menu was the Banana Parfait ($6). It has got tons of banana pudding and moist cookies layered up in an ‘ol fashion milk shake glass. (insert “I drink your milkshake! I drink it up!” quote, HERE .). I loved my Dessert Toast, but I would get the parfait the next time.

OVERALL
From the moment you walk into Jasper’s you know you’re going to get a meal that’s off the charts good. It’s got a hip vibe that never came off as pretentious or uppity. The kitchen is wide open and in the middle of restaurant, which is always fun for food nerds like us. The staff was absolutely perfect. Mike was full of suggestions, knew every bottle on the wine list, and wasn’t afraid to say “Ehh, you could do better.” Service like that is few and far between.

And the food…yikes, there’s a lot of good stuff on the menu.

Even though it’s a bit of drive to North…North…Plano, it’s still worth it for the crazy good meal you’re going to get. I really dig the variety of choices and the different way Kent worked in the “back yard grill” flavors into every single entrée. Jasper’s definitely gets an A+ rating from me, and would rank up there with Salum and Pyles for places to go and drop a weeks pay.

Blerg! - Liam Looping on Letterman

Just in case you needed a reminder of how talentless you really are, watch this video of Liam Finn on Letterman. Stick around for the whole thing (especially 3:15 in), I promise it is worth it. If you've never seen anyone looping tracks live, it's pretty much the coolest effect since the Talk Box.

Dave's, "Oh my gosh?" pretty much somes it up...

Wanted: Feedback - American Idol Edition

Hi, my name is Casey and I watch American Idol. There I’ve said it. It just feels so good to actually say it out loud…I feel so free…

Okay now that I’ve admitted it lets move on to real topic of this post. As Idol fans already know, each night the contestants have to pick a song from that nights required theme and then sing it. Easy enough. Well this season, Linds and I have a developed a little game of trying to decide which song we would choose for that nights given theme, assuming of course we had any singing ability. Your song choice is actually a really interesting insight into your musical influences. I suck at this game, because I can never decide what I’d pick…the Decades are too hard because there are way too many good songs to choose from.

Here’s my song list for this season’s episodes so far:
The 60’s – Nico – These Days clip
The 70’s – Led Zeppelin – Hey Hey What Can I Do clip
The 80’s – The Cure – Close To Me clip
or The Outfield – Your Love clip
or U2 – Sunday Bloody Sunday clip
Lennon/McCartney Song Catalog – The Beatles – Norwegian Wood clip

Let me know what you'd pick...I'm curious...

Afternoon Dee-lite!

Twofer Tuesday…

MP3: Grand Ole Party-Look Out Young Son
Funky little rock track, with a White Stripes vibe. The bouncy guitar riff throughout creates a great playful juxtaposition with the rawness of the vocals. Cool track…

MP3: Jens Lekman-The Opposite Of Hallelujah
He’s Swedish…so you know it’s good. Chill indie-pop vibe. Much like me, you will soon be adding this to your “Hanging Out” playlist.

Mark Your Calendar - DCFC

This week I’ve been reading as much as I can about the new Death Cab album, and I gotta say I am freaking pumped about it. Rolling Stone claims to have heard “Narrow Stairs” in its entirety, and makes a very bold statement by calling it DCFC’s best disc yet. The “Best Album of ‘08” tag has already been stuck on it…and it doesn’t come out for another 2 months. Gotta love overzealous music writers…

The first single, I Will Possess Your Heart, gets released on March 24 - I’ve scoured the Interweb searching for a leak and it doesn’t exist - so until then, enjoy a classic cut from Transalanticisim.

MP3: DCFC - Title & Registration
I could go on for days on reasons why Title & Registration is one of my favorite songs of all time. Instead, I'll just say this: If you don't like this song...it's probably safe to say that we aren't that good of friends. Everything that is good about music is captured in this song.

New Tunes Alert - Snow Sucks Edition

Today’s New Tunes Alert’s theme is Summer Songs. Why??? Because snow…in Dallas…in March…sucks. Here are 2 good songs to remind you of 100 degree weather, drinking beer, and floating the river.

MP3: Drive By Truckers - The Righteous Path
DBT have been around for a long time now, and they continue to crank out some quality Southern Rock. Pop the top on a PBR, sit back, and enjoy…

MP3: Deer Tick - Beautiful Girls (Sean Kingston cover)
I’m a sucker for a good cover…and I don’t know how, but Deer Tick took a horribly crappy Sean Kingston song and made it sound cool. I dig the 50’s vibe and the Stand By Me outro. It just works...