Monthly Archives: June 2007

Best Late-Night Burrito EVER.

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On Ashland, just south of Division (less than a block), there are THREE places called La Pasadita. Apparently they are owned by three different brothers. They all have a very similar dive-y look.

You want the side of the street with two (the west side) and you want to go to the one that’s further south, and you want to order the steak burrito (and then if you’re me you want to have someone with you to split it with because it is GINORMOUS and you’ve already had way too many calories of beer before you got there anyway) and then you are ready to die and go to heaven because you’ve just had the best burrito of your life.

p.s. this was the second time this burrito has blown my mind. I had to make sure the first time wasn’t just a drunken fantasy before I recommended it. oh my buddha, it was even better the second time.

In concert: The Fray.

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Huh, I guess I never told you about this one and I forgot to put it on the list too. I’ll have to fix that tonight.

Not sure why I bought these tickets. If you only have two decent songs, even if they are REALLY good (which I do think those two songs are, and you know them if you watched Grey’s Anatomy), you’re really a fairly middle of the road band. No shame in that, maybe your album/tours shouldn’t have happened until a bunch of better songs on down the road. I realize the industry is not run for long-term success, it’s their fault more than the band’s I’m sure. Years from now, they could be a good band. Right now, not so much.

Opener: OK Go. Third time I’ve seen them. Technically they are the better band but I guess they haven’t made as much money. A much calmer set than their usual. No dancing. But sounded good.

Banterwise for both bands: Dudes. What is up with constantly telling the audience about how they are different/better/worse than the previous night’s audience? a) who fucking cares about the idiots who came to last night’s show? and b) to us, this is the ONLY concert. Tonight. You/Us. That’s it. You should pretend that too.

À la Super Eggplant, currently, I am…

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Making: I’m doing the quilting on Mariko’s quilt. And pretty much nothing else.

Reading: Finally breaking into my Mark Helprin stash with “Freddy and Fredericka.” It’s got a good dose of irreverence and I am quite enjoying it.

Watching: I finished Buffy and Angel…and then I started all over again, but much slower this time (only one a day!). Also just rewatched season 1 of Bones: the Emily Deschanel/David Boreanaz commentary on disc 3 is a LOT of fun. I don’t usually listen to those on movies, but I got into them on Buffy (although on Buffy, they give away MAJOR MAJOR plot points from future seasons. You’ve been warned. My dad, sadly, was caught unawares by a couple of doozies).

Listening: I bought a boatload of new music in the past couple of days and am just slowly making my way through it. So far the White Stripes “Icky Thump” is really rockin’ out.

Lonely lyrics, with a bit of hope.

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I just want to feel / something more than this;
I just want to have / all the things i miss(ed?);
I just want to learn / all there is to know;
I just want to hold on to / all that I let go.
I don’t want to let you down.
I don’t want to let you down.
I don’t want to let you down, let you down again.
I just want to sing / every single song;
I just want to fix / everything that’s wrong;
I just want to be / safe inside the love;
I just want to give and give and give / enough to fill you up.
I don’t want to let you down.
I don’t want to let you down.
I don’t want to let you down, let you down again.
And I’ve been walking the universe and waiting for worlds to align;
Until I heard your exit wounds were healing better than mine.

–“Exit Wounds” Shane Nicholson

Album: Shane Nicholson “Faith & Science”

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If you were a boy singer, would you be insulted if I told you your album was super super pretty? I mean it in a good way!

I saw Nicholson open for Kasey Chambers last year(?or the year before?) and really liked him. He’s often compared to Crowded House/Neil Finn. I really didn’t hear the similarities that much on the previous album, but on this one there are indeed a few songs that I have to stop and think “Wait, who am I listening to?”

If you need music to ROCK you, this might be too soft for you. But if you generally don’t like the quiet boys, it’s more upbeat than that (i.e., not as melancholy as, say, Damien Rice).

Fave songs: “All the Time in the World,” “Always Be on Your Side,” “Watch Her Go” and “Exit Wounds.”

Paste 31 Sampler, a girl (song-by-song) reaction.

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Overall feeling: The Hold Steady book-ends label this one more “rock” than anything else but there is a bit of variation.

Track by track:

  • “Massive Nights” The Hold Steady: This isn’t my favorite Hold Steady song (or album). But you can never go wrong starting off a mix with a Craig Finn rant (which is how I think of their songs).
  • “Been There All the Time” Dinosaur Jr: I love the plaintive, pleading tone of the vocals, not what you expect in a rock song. Can I be a part of you? … Can I be there all the time?
  • “Killing Him” Amy LaVere: Total change in musical mood. Quiet, speakeasy feelin’.
  • “Die Die Die” The Avett Brothers: Crystal clear lyrics/vocals, the music is very much in the background. The harmonies here crack me up.
  • “Get It On” Grinderman: Back to (heavier) rock. Demanding, insistent.
  • “Diamond Ring” Joseph Arthur: Love this song. Love him. Is he single? I’ll be his diamond ring.
  • “Lay Your Head Down” Keren Ann: Pretty enough. But not really doing it for me.
  • “Gor Det Nu” Dungen: Headbanger’s ball mixed with old Rolling Stones.
  • “Baby’s Romance” Chris Garneau: Ooooo, I like this. Very soft and tender.
  • “It Must Have Happened” Mary Chapin Carpenter: How long has it been since I listened to MCC? Her voice isn’t how I remember it (deeper? gruffer?). Not really doing it for me here.
  • “Big Drag” Limbeck: Very thinly layered verses. Sparse.
  • “Passenger Song” Great Lake Swimmers: I love everything they do. Thick, dense, low sounds. Lovely.
  • “I’ll Be Rested” Mavis Staples: Very goofy xylophone-ish sounding beginning. Her voice is amazing.
  • “Don’t Let Go” Pacha Massive: Dance beat. Shake that ass. But the vocals are not living up to the music’s promise of liveliness.
  • “Man Overboard” Kristoffer Ragnstam: Another goofy beginning. Spoken word/rappish feel. Think “The Streets” or “Just Jack.”
  • “Rest Your Weary Mind” Elizabeth Cook (with Bobby Bare Jr): Lil bit of country. The male vocal is very Johnny Cash (yum) but the female is too contrasty for me / almost operatic.
  • “Life Is Beautiful” Vega4: Knew this song from a TV show. Slowing things down. Sad and melancholy. Sounds a lot like Snow Patrol (which is a good thing in my book).
  • “V Neck Sweater” The Greyboy Allstars: Jazzy feel. Nice beat! Groovin’.
  • “If I Were You” Chris Knight: Quiet and contemplative. Twangy, yet kinda sweet.
  • “Kite Song” Rosie Thomas: Slowing things waaaaay down. I like her stuff sometimes, but not consistently, and this one is kinda makin’ me sleepy. Doesn’t seem to belong here.
  • “Stuck Between Stations” (acoustic) The Hold Steady: And we’re back to Craig Finn. I love the lyrics of this song. But the speed with which they are ranted totally(!) makes me think of REM and back, back, back in the day…

Snip: Explained. (a.k.a. “How. To.”)

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You can sort by category (listed in the right column on both the main snip AND category pages but not on individual entry archives or at least not until I get around to fixing that):

“Best of” is a monthly (and will be yearly) report mostly on what I liked, with random personal high & low lights for my own (lack of) memory’s sake.

“Currently” is what I’m reading/watching/listening to currently, whether I like it or not.

“Recommending” means something in that post is recommended, although not necessarily the subject piece.

” ” ” of the Day” could be ANYTHING.

If you only want to read movie (and a few TV) reviews, and not every mention of movies, pick category “Watchin.” (For any/every mention, pick “Flicks.”) (For any/every TV mention, pick “TVTVTV.”)

If you only want to read book reviews, and not every mention of books, pick “Readin.” (For any/every mention, pick “Books.”)

For everything music related, pick “Tunes.” For my opinions on (some) music, pick “Listenin’ ” (some sub categories will also appear, such as sounds like, lyrics, and albums, but others will NOT such as concert reviews). For only concert reviews, pick “Live.” Album reactions only pick “Albums” (although that’s fairly new so there isn’t that much there). “…SOUNDS LIKE…” and “Lyrics” are also music categories (self explanatory, no?).

“Rags” is when I go through magazines and make notes to myself on books/movies/tunes to remember, etc.

“Podcasts” don’t really get listened to anymore but maybe they will again.

“Versus” only has one post right now, with four draft posts I’ve never finished. It’s your classic spy vs. spy situation.

“Remember” are really notes to self. As are “Lit quotes” “Movie quotes” and “Food.”

“Letters” are written by me, to people I have a beef with, generally.

“Cha-Ching” reports on non-US change that somehow makes it into my change bucket.

“Too Good to Delete” are a few old posts from when I used to write random personal things on this page. And generally “Lists” tend to be random personal factoids as well (or lists of things I don’t want to forget and can never figure out where I put them so now they stay here).

Anything else should be fairly self explanatory.

Paste 30 Sampler, a girl (song-by-song) reaction.

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Overall feeling: More on the country, folksy side of things than some of their discs. No songs I absolutely can’t stand (woot). Generally diggin’.
Track by track:

  • “We’re from Barcelona” I’m from Barcelona: pop-y and fun.
  • “Can’t Stop” Ozomatli: OK. Kinda weird.
  • “Everyone Gets a Star” Albert Hammond Jr.: Monotone vocals. Cool sound. But not a fave.
  • “Nowhere Warm” Kate Havenick: For the Sarah McLachlan/Beth Orton/Jem lovers out there. Pretty voice.
  • “Four Winds” Bright Eyes: Very country.
  • “Memories of Home” Umphrey McGee: Even more country.
  • “Remember Me” Zach Brooke: Country, but more up, with a real driving beat.
  • “With You” Stars of Track and Field: Synth/electronic. Wistful. Pleading.
  • “Soft Aslyum (No Way Out)” Grant-Lee Phillips: Soft. A little droan-y. I tend to like his stuff, even though I’ve never listened beyond random singles that come my way.
  • “Into Brooklyn, Early in the Morning” The Innocence Mission: Real Suzanne Vega feel to it.
  • “Blue Jeans Pizza” Moe: Jazzy sounds. Very goofy falsetto vocals.
  • “A Good Start” Maria Taylor: Spooky, layered beginning. Nice lyrics!
  • “Gulf of Mexico Fishing Boat Blus” Bruce Hornsby & Ricky Skaggs: Feels like bluegrass.
  • “Trans Am” Nathan: Female vocal? Sweet. But feels a little frantic.
  • “Happy” Martin Sexton: Very sharp, distinctive edge to the lead.
  • “Save Myself” Willy Mason: Lyrics vs. music feels disconnected. Droan-y.
  • “Come Undone” Jackson Water: Can’t tell if the lead vocal is male or female but love the thick, rich tone to it. Anthemic feel.

There ya have it.

In concert: Manu Chao

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Hard to say what was the issue here (the mixing boards? the mikes?), but the sound was the worst of probably any show I’ve been to in the last few years: really really bad, completely distorted, lyrics indecipherable, everything muddled together.

In addition, the Aragon was the fullest I’ve EVER seen it, main floor completely full all the way to the back. Air conditioning on minimally at best, if at all. Everyone covered in sweat, what seemed like over half the males in the audience took their shirts off and some of the female audience came as close as they could without getting thrown out.

Pretty miserable evening. I went home early and listened to the CDs instead. Better sound, better surrounds. Much more enjoyable.