Your Downturn Is Boring Me

This:
Laurent Garnier "Man With the Red Face"


then this:
Build an Ark "You've Gotta Have Freedom"


A huzzah! for all friends with blogs; please update them so I have something new to read at work.

And So It Goes

"For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace."

Well, the first day was pretty exciting. Godspeed on the next 99.

Nina Simone - "My Sweet Lord/Today is a Killer"

Chaser

Redtree cab sauvignon (05, Sonoma): tastes a bit like grape or raspberry jam, or, more accurately, like a fruity red wine. Not dry in the least, but not sickly sweet, either. Good for a burger, some cornflakes, whatev - a generalist.

Deepside - "III"
(Deepside is Ludovic Navarre, of St. Germain fame)


Underworld - "Born Slippy"
(This is the A Side mix of the original 12"; the lager lager version seems to be a B Side remix.)

A Strong Start

the dB's - "I'm In Love"


"Here's why Daniel Boulud's burger is better than yours: Ordering the original DB Burger...buys you ground sirloin stuffed with succulent braised short ribs, foie gras and preserved black truffle, made to order on a freshly baked Parmesan bun...In what must be a culinary first, the superthick stuffed patty sees the shredded short ribs actually cutting the fattiness of the foie and sirloin. What's more, the short rib stuffing involves numerous steps, the most impressive being pouring three bottles of dry red wine into a saucepan and then setting it aflame. Boulud has taken an essential yet basic piece of Americana and spirited it into a technique-driven masterpiece."

(from Amy Rosen's "Someone's in the Kitchen With Daniel," En Route, whose associated airline I can not endorse)

First.

Massive Attack "False Flags (UNKLE Surrender Sessions 2)


Lost In Trees "Mvt II Sketch"


Best Meals, 08:
1. Guy Savoy, Las Vegas
2. West, Vancouver
3. Ad Hoc, Napa

Albums Downloaded and Actually Listened To and Remembered (no particular order):
1. Erykah Badu, whatever that album was called
2. Portishead, whatever that album was called
3. Cut Copy, whatever that album was called
4. Jamie Lidell, whatever that album was called
5. Hercules & Love Affair, whatever that album was called

Songs that I Could Not Remove From My Mind, for better or for worse:
1. Kanye, the song with the taiko drums
2. MGMT, the electric eel song
3. the Very Best, the song with the steel drums
4. that goddamn Lykke Li song
5. all those iPod commercials

Artists who piqued my interest that I can attest to having listened to (ie. honorable mentions):

1. Air France
2. Tindersticks (the new album, that is)
3. Liam Finn
4. ATrak
5. Flying Lotus

Archivalist material that I am happy to have freeloaded on from downloads:
1. Emitt Rhodes albums that have not been re-released
2. Ahmad Jamal live from Oil Can Harrys
3. Dorothy Ashby, Soul Vibrations
4. older Tindersticks albums
5. the Willie Hutch soundtrack for the Mack

Honorable idea:
1. the US election
2. Kanye, for releasing one of few hip hop break-up albums (for the life of me, I cannot remember any other). Hopelessly flawed, though I believe that was an unintentional point: the autotune has a purpose.

Advice for 2009:
1. Buy low, sell high.

Stand Up, Sit Down to Get Up, Get Down

Pharoahe Monch - "Simon Says"


Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - "Get Down Lover"


BTW: if you're ever stuck in Richmond at night and can't be bothered to travel downtown, or if you're sick of downtown and want a quiet class of wine and charcuterie, head down to Gudrun in Steveston. It's nestled behind the storefronts on the main strip: look for an incredible courtyard with a large banquet table surrounding an old tree. Don't be too thrown off by the pricing: the cheese/charcuterie platters are almost twice the size of Salt's.

Radio Radio

I tuned into college radio for the first time in years. In a span of 20 minutes, an Australian (a constant fixture up and down the dial these days) and his foul-mouthed compadre went from Kung Fu Panda ("hated it!") to rating systems ("1.5 out of 10") to the current price of gas ("it's why gas is below $1.00!") to Rogers Video ("those assholes!") to blank media levies ("they enshrined an approval for piracy!")(they didn't, actually). (All paraphrasing overly generous.)

Rahsaan Roland Kirk - Freaks for the Festival (v1 and 2)

Gas Smiles

Sabu Martinez - "Meapestaculo"


Tim Maia - "Nobody Can Live Forever"

HOLY BEEJEEZUS THANK GOD.

JC Davis - "A New Day (is Here At Last)"


Quincy Jones - "Oh Happy Day"

Minding Arteries

Tindersticks - "Vertrauen III"


Nick Cave - "Good Bye Marilou"