So Much Good in Every Word: 2011 Best Album(s) #10

Here is the heart of the matter.

I decided to do one/or a few at a time.... keep coming back!
I  '  m     g  o  i  n  g     t  o   s  t  r  e  t  c  h i  t   o  u  t.

Much like "encouraging" my man to take down the Christmas lights, this post had to happen before it is February. Please see last week's post to see some of my other top contenders.

If you haven't seen it - do. swoon. He even raises pigeons.

Sidenote: One time I was buying a postcard of Marlon from Street Car Named Desire and the girl at the register was all "swoon" and I was like "yeah - no kidding." Then she said she was in love with Marlon and qualified it with "Well - back then, not now. Wait, I mean, I know he is dead now, but you know, before.... when he was... well you know..." and I was like, "no, I don't know" because I was messing with her, I totally knew! And she was just like "nevermind." 

I'm pretty sure she was referring to this:

Poor guy - sometimes it's better to burn out than to fade away. And, yes, I am making a sarcastic reference here as well, because I don't like Neil Young. There, I said it. 

 Hmmm

 ~And~
~Without further ado~
My pics of the BEST of 2011 Album releases:
#10 (TIE)
Wilco - The Whole Love 
It's kind of hard for me to not get excited about Wilco. We went to the "release" party at our local record store for this album and dropped the $20+ on the vinyl. It's a quality album. I like it better than Wilco the Album, but not as much as, oh say, all the other Wilco albums. But here's something I do like:


AND, I won the signed Wilco poster! Here is what Tweedy's sig looks like.

But it was still exciting. Plus they were giving out free Pabst!
We are going to see Wilco in one week. The first Wilco show I saw they ran out of beer. I hope that happens again! Because, I can't drink it, see?
What do you think my chances are of an A.M. tune? Slim to none? oh well, I would settle for some YHF - and I know that I'll get it! Actually, She's a Jar would be a dream come true. 
How about making a request in my honor? She's a Jar She's a Jar She's a Jar
Seriously, how cool is this - click me! - the band takes requests..... you could even mention that this could be my LAST show before the baby bird arrives. And look what they tell you after you submit: Thanks, Wilco loves YOU! 
White Denim is opening (and I have to say... D was another contender for a spot on this list... great album).

#10 (TIE)
The Alabama Shakes - Self-Titled EP 
I hope there are no sticklers who have problems with EPs being on this list. I did it last year, so, what you gonna do? The full length comes out in April, so maybe they'll be back here again next year.
So I first heard of this band from Paste, but it was reconfirmed when David Byrne recommended it to me. Personally. Do you think that he found Lissie's Pursuit of Happiness through this blog? I sure like to think so.
This isn't my absolute favorite song on the EP, but seeing as there are only 4 to pick from it's right up there. I wanted to include this one because the filming is great. I can't wait to hear about 8 more on the full length.
I went to high school in Chattanooga which means that I know a sizable number of people in their early 30's who are starting to run things around there. The club (?) where this was filmed owners are about a 1/2 degree separation from me... or is it a degree and 1/2? Anyway, the place is called Track29.

If you can't wait til April, you can download the EP on their facebook. It's throwback and Motown feel (obvs) but there is some real soul in there IMO (see Hold On: "Bless my heart, bless my soul, didn't think I'd make it to 22 years old - Saying come on Brittany - ya got ta come on UP!"). These guys are pretty awesome and seem to totally be enjoying their rapid success... They sold out the Doug Fir!
Mark my words, they gonna be big! 

Stay tuned for #9 coming soon....
HINT:

So Much Good in Every Word: Part I

Because I am still a *little* bit bitter about last year's Best Albums of 2010 blog post's lack of accolades, new fans and excitement, I was hesitant to do this years... but.. I couldn't resist!
I'd love to know if you like the list, discovered something new, or just listened to any of the tunes! Please communicate with me - that's what the comments are for - or do it over on the old social network whichever.
First of all, I tried to think about the shows we went to this year to name a Best Live act, and I think that we may have topped our record for last year.  My mantra since, oh, about August, has been
"Babe, this could be the last chance we have to see (FILL IN THE BLANK WITH RANDOM BAND)!"
Ween (x2)
Head and the Heart (x2)
Iron and Wine
Thao and the Get Down Stay Down
Cold War Kids (wait, was that this year?)
Ryan Bingham and Dead Horse (with Silent Comedy who were awesome)
We Were Promised Jetpacks
Bear Hands
Bon Iver
Megafaun
Blitzen Trapper (with Dawes)
Warpaint
Langhorne Slim (I just told you about that one!)
Ryan Adams
Cotton Jones (x2)
Devil Makes Three

Lest this just seems like bragging, I am sharing that my top live act of 2011 was...
A tie between Cotton Jones and Megafaun! Does this have to do with that both were at Doug Fir? Perhaps! But the Cotton Jones show at Sam Bonds was pretty special too.
And Ween wins for biggest BLAST (both). Probably part of that is that I wasn't pregnant yet then.

Now for the major releases
Drumroll please.

Honorable mentions:
If I had twelve spots I would have given the last two to Yacht and Bon Iver.


Love these two.
Bon Iver, Bon Iver, Bon Iver. Now, I know I am going to get some serious pushback here. But I really liked the album LESS after the show we went to at Edgefield. Super venue though by the way. I think maybe my hopes were too high? People were telling me it was going to BLOW MY MIND. And it didn't. It may have had something to do with the fact that right before he walked off stage at the very end of the show, he said, and I quote, "Thanks for the support and shit." AND SHIT. Just. no.
But the album still is a piece of quality work. Since it's been all over everyone's lists like a CHEAP FUNNY SUIT (get the Can't Buy Me Love ref there?), I'm not going to bother posting a video. Just watch the Grammys.

Late comers - meaning that if I had more time with them, they would be creepin up the list, I'm pretty sure.
Destroyer - Kaputt. Even though this came out in January, I didn't listen to it until December. I have no idea how this happened. I love New Pornographers and I love Myriad Harbor the most of all, which means I (unknowingly until the other day) love Dan Bejar, who I have very briefly met, incidentally. If you like SAX SOLOs (and who doesn't) you need to hear this album!

 

And he loves Screamadelica! YEAH.

 Charles Bradley: No Time For Dreaming. The "Screaming Eagle of Soul"? I heard Heartaches and Pain on KWVA the other day and just like a good little listener I went right to Spinitron and discovered a new love.

Sidenote: Charles is having a contest where he will call the winner's sweetheart on Valentine's Day and "serenade" them. My man is VERY emphatic that I should NOT enter. At first he thought Charles was going to make a housecall. I really hope F enters though - how cool would that be? It would be even better than that time 50 Cent called me and told me to drink more Vitamin Water!
Black Keys: El Camino. Haven't listened to the whole album yet. This is due to the fact that it is languishing un-reviewed in the KWVA mgmt office, I'm too cheap to buy the MP3 and the vinyl is "sold out." I am on the list, but seeing as my local store got a measly 12 copies that sold the first day, I may be waiting awhile.
The opening riff on Lonely Boy (not to mention the dancing) is enough to be sure it earned a spot on this list, I am just not sure where....
 


My man just got home from work and I am going to do the REAL list later.

Stay tuned.......... for the main event!

All I Wanted Was a Good Song and a Fair Friend

Happy New Year Friends.
I really hope everyone had a wonderful celebration and end/beginning.
Here's what me and my man where up to

 

I can only say I love Portland. I love Hawthorne. And I love Langhorne. 

The show was exuberant. My man deemed it "one of" the best of the year for him. 

For your opinion...

While nosing around at the merch table in between the opener and the main act, I had the pleasure of literally bumping into my new, close friend Langhorne. What a nice and genuine guy. He says they'd like to come back to Eugene soon - I told him we'd promote it on the show, so guys, pressure's on.

It was a great show, but there is nothing like being dead sober on the (second?) biggest drinking holiday of the year. It's been more years than I care to declare in the name of self-incrimination that I haven't done some boozing myself on this eve. 

I have to say, I felt like maybe I am ready to do this parenting thing, because I started to feel very concerned about the well being of those drunken slobs around me. "How is she going to get home?" I kept asking my man. "Does he even know that girl?!" and the best was the girl who was literally HEADBANGING as well as the circular hair twirl during the first song. At a show for a band whose music can legitimately be defined as "folk." It was shocking to me that she maintained for at least 30 minutes after that which enabled her to throw multiple drinks into the crowd of people dancing. She was escorted out. I hope she got home ok.

I'm only being nice because no drinks got on me so it was kind of funny.

Here's what it looked like to everyone but me.
ps - thanks to momma bird for the replacement lens. Who knew how critical auto-focus is?


Speaking of being grownups now, we put up some lights on the house for the first time ever!

And when I say "we," I really mean "he."

All I could think about was Clark Griswald and the staples and the sleeves and the falls... (same method "we" used... is there a better way? Is it ok to base your knowledge of how to do stuff from Chevy Chase vacation movies? Anyway. )

What do you think? Did we go overboard?

I'm just kidding of course. But this is a real place here in Eug. 

(BTW that rhymes with Huge).

Ah, that's more like it. I can't tell you the joy those lights brought me. I am going seriously soft over here. I even listened to Christmas music. For the WHOLE month.

and, yeah. Phil Spector was always a freak. Why didn't we see it coming?

Aw. Xmas is fun. 

Even Fdog got a homemade gift.

In the spirit of working backwards, and not totally abandoning my month old promise for a thanksgiving post.

The dog likes to look his best for what he considers Dog Show Day (also known as Thanksgiving). 

I'll skip the obligatory tofurky pictures, but I WILL say that it was delicious. My parents even claim to have enjoyed it on Christmas Eve. Having it twice in a couple weeks was divine. I have another one in the fridge now!

That about wraps up the holidays, readers. Hope 2012 brings you everything your little heart desires. And, remember, be excellent to each other.

Stay tuned... I WILL be attempting a Best of 2011 music post. But it is so time consuming... give me a couple more days. And a couple more listens to Kaputt.

Love, pigeon xo

My Furr Has Turned to Skin [percolator]

...but I still dream of running careless through the snow...
In honor of a fantastic show in Eugene last weekend. Thank you Blitzen Trapper.



And in the animal spirit of a vegan Thanksgiving. Can't wait for our Tofurky. Green bean casserole and chocolate banana cake! Mashed potatoes..... Did I tell you guys that my man asked for Tofurky last year for his birthday dinner? Laugh all you want. It's that good.
Oh, and mom and dad - laugh even harder, but you will be enjoying a Tofurky at our Christmas visit!
I am starting a new "feature" on this blog.
Pigeon's Percolator - my "i'm kind of obsessed with" column was getting long and I was afraid that no one was reading it - oh the shame.
I really want to post one every Tuesday, so it's just going to be something that I came across that I wanted to share (movies, music, products...). And short. For the inaugural percolator, I must highly recommend:

THE LAST CIRCUS 

(Or, as I prefer to translate it: The Ballad of the Sad Clown)

Warning - MOM - don't watch this trailer, but everyone else - check it out! Actually, watching the trailer again just now, it really tones it down compared to the full movie (you have been warned).

I have a friend who for some reason thinks that I like this type of movie... probably because I usually do. Past selections have included Hobo with a Shotgun (just...no),

The Oregonian (meh... kind of a POOR man's David Lynch rip) 

This picture kind of makes it look more interesting than the movie actually is.

Save yourself the 90 minutes. Don't bother.

and next on the agenda is Rubber (will let you know. And yes, it is about a killer tire).
Anyway - I suggested this one and I wish it was still at the Bijou so all you Eugenians could go see it. We saw the last showing.
I decided not to tell my man it was going to be subtitled... mean trick, or just a forgivable slip? After the first 5 minutes and the intro credits he whispered "Is the whole thing going to be in Spanish?"
"Um, I think so..."
"EHRGH" whispered emphatically.
But it was totally worth it. Beautiful cinematography (made for the big screen), love triangles, human hunting dogs, Spanish history and vengeful clowns.
I mean - if you only see one circus movie this year, don't let it be Water For Elephants.
Call to action - I loved The Last Circus. It's streaming on Netflix RIGHT NOW.

Feast post to come.

To Be Young (Is to Be Sad)

Hello Friends.
As confusing as I found the recent Ryan Adams concert to be - I still can't help being massively in love with the new album... Here is the title track for your listening pleasure. WARNING - there is an alarm clock sound at the beginning. PLEASE forgive the annoying host and the alarm clock. It's totally worth it.


Ryan Adams - Ashes and Fire

I wish MY eyes were indigo! And I want my man to tell me that my skin smells like black cherries! But, alas, my man "does NOT write happy love songs." He has to remind me of this rule often.

Sidenote: I was talking to (a Canadian) person that I had just met about music and mentioned that I was going to a Ryan Adams concert the next week and he got really excited. Then I realized he thought I said BRYAN ADAMS. Whoa.

ps - you might not want to click that link...

Anyway, I picked this version because he opened the Eugene show with it. And I love his America (or is it Rasta?) guitar and black binder of tunes. He referred often to it during the performance.
The man played solo for THREE FULL HOURS. Just one pee break.
If you listen to our radio show, you have heard enough about the show. But just in case you missed the show last week - for shame - The music and the voice were IMO incredible. Incredible.

But - friends - the audience.

So this was my first time to the Shedd, which I like to think of as the "grown up" venue in Eugene. Not only is there no beer served and the shows start at 7pm, rather than sometime after 10pm whenever the third opener feels like jumping up on stage and starting, and it is "sit down." Meaning - there were assigned seats. And the tickets cost $39 rather than $8 advance, $9 at the door. Also, KWVA doesn't score free tickets. Anyway, this show was announced and promptly sold out when I was in FL visiting the parents this summer.

But I just couldn't pass it up. Have any of you EVER got a ticket on Stub Hub for 50% of face value?! Not double - but half! Friends, it's never happened to me before either - but I didn't ask questions! 

So I'm thinking - Awesome.

Because, as rarely as I imagine myself to be a "grown up," I also often don't enjoy the moshing and the spilled beer and the earaches that come after the "kid" shows. I don't like when people are talking during the shows or singing at full volume along with the songs (I am looking at you, 16 year old girl who RUINED Head and the Heart's encore of Rivers and Roads for me last month. Or you - middle age fat man who ruined AN ENTIRE John Prine show in Missoula a couple years back by singing every word quietly but audibly. Yes, I am still mad about that). What I am saying is that I am cranky and old - without being grown up enough to know better and not actually attend these shows. Never!

So - I'm thinking that people at the Shedd are going to be quiet and respectful. People who paid the big bucks to have a "real" seat. Before the show there were ads running for all kinds of adulty events upcoming like jazz trios and theatrical performances called things like "The Laugh Heard 'Round the World" and "Yule Be Swinging" (I am not kidding).

So - I'm thinking this will be a nice adult evening.

Friends - apparently grown up audiences have their own issues. Especially Ryan Adams fans.
At first it began with about 3~4 minutes of full blown applause when he came out. Then the yelling out "I love you Ryan!" over and over, in between every song. This was seemed to be several different folks each time - and all men - not that there's anything wrong with that - but what possesses you to yell something like that?
This devolved into more creative (?) yells such as "Hi!," "Move to Eugene!," "Can I pick the next song?" and my personal favorite "I want you inside me" (this was a man also), followed by "SHUT THE FUCK UP."

And this behavior really wasn't discouraged by Ryan. He kept saying "what?" And he really did leave to pee at one point. He claimed since "we" were treating him like we were all hanging out at his house, he would treat us that way too. He also talked about death metal and nosepicking. A lot.
He said it was one of the weirdest concert experiences of his life. "No fourth wall!"
Anyway, we went to some other concerts this month and we have a couple coming up - Blitzen Trapper, Dawes, We Were Promised Jetpacks, Bear Hands...

We are also contemplating a Langhorne Slim New Years Eve show in Portland. I think we should do it. Who knows, it could be the last time we get to do something like that...

we have to start being grown ups sometime. soon?

Talk To Me in September

My dad's infamous baseball quote is coming back to bite MY team this year! Yikes, the Sox might go down in flames. Every time some ignorant, casual, fair-weather fan would knock the Sox, my dad would respond "Talk to me in September." No baseball matters until then. Now I hope no one talks to me... about that at least. We are in the break between a double header and the Red Sox dropped the day game to the Orioles. The Baltimore Orioles. The team that is 29 games back, tied for the second worst record in the American League. This is after losing 3 of 4 to the RAYS. Because my parents now live in Florida, they like the Rays. And by association, and the fact that I have probably been to more Rays games than any other professional team, and the fact that the Rays are pretty spunky and defying odds to succeed this year, and the fact that the Dunkin Donuts in Sarasota gives my parents free donuts after a Ray's win, has made me a *kindof* Rays fan. But not when they are playing the Sox.

My man (who is FROM Baltimore) has promised to cheer for the Sox since winning the game matters to them. And to me.



Stepkids. They have an album coming out next week. Streaming at KCRW.
It's pretty funky. Hope you enjoy.

Since we might eat smart dogs tonight to get in the baseball mood, we'll postpone the fresh pesto and tomatoes from the garden-

OMB - I stopped writing to check the game and we are getting NATIONAL LEAGUE COVERAGE, WHAT??? I even tried to get it on my parents' slingbox. Boo. So no game. Pesto is back on. Oregon gardening has not been very kind to me, next year I need to plant Early Girls. But those sweet Toms are worth the wait.

Other produce. These blackberries that have taken over, with no assistance from me (actually in spite of resistance by me. They are thorny!)

Isn't he a beautiful animal? 

In his home habitat.

On vacation at Cannon Beach. Anywhere with his bed is home.

We went to Northern Coast of Oregon for our anniversary. My man got me a beautiful pair of sapphire earrings to match my wedding band. He did good. I got him a mandolin case. We had a wonderful time, but I honestly think Floyd might have enjoyed it even more than we did. 

The escape...

(note the feet aren't even touching the ground)

and the return. 

I also made a beach blanket from Soulemama's (no relation - actually we might be related. She has the same rare last name as I do and lives in Maine... I emailed her once to investigate but apparently she is too busy raising 4 (5?) kids and making her own everything to respond) book, The Handmade Home. I kind of hated to put it in the sandy sand. I wanted to make a little treasure that my man and I could look back, ok  I could look back, and say, I made this for our first anniversary trip to the beach. Here's to many, many more trips and beach blanket usage.

Of course, I complicated her design. Why would you buy bias tape when you can make your own? HAHA. I used all scraps for this project, other than the backing, which was a heavy synthetic quilt I got at Salvation Army. That yellow is from my Grammie's rad 60's pillowcase and the blue is from a sheet set from high school that lost the fitted sheet somehow. Pieces leftover on the trim from too many projects to name. It made me think back on all the baby showers I have been to and all my lovely ladies that hopefully still have some homemade goodness from me.

It was a good day. Good thing F.dog isn't a female (and human) or he might need a chin wax.

The next day we went to Astoria and saw all the Goonies related stuff we could handle. Pics to come? Interested? Wait I might as well while I'm at it, right?

 The unfortunately named Ecola Park held the key to the treasure map! That large one rock in the distance is Haystack rock, right near where we stayed in Cannon Beach.

 Indian Beach, surfing mecca and home to Point Break's Bondi Beach scene.
Can I just say that bragging about being at this venerated location opened some debate whether Point Break "sucked" or not. ARE you kidding? I really thought the person was kidding at first.

 The future is bright with road trippers like these. Wait - maybe they are from the future, almost 20,000 years in the future.

 Mikey's house.

Goondocks

 Fratelli's Jail.
(*Edited to fix - Thanks to a big Goonies fan!)

And Sloth. 

Can I just close by saying I did the worst thing this week? Even though I knew FULL WELL that Missoni had a line at Target coming out and I even KNEW the date so I could go the first day, I forgot. 

I was watching Project Runway on Thursday and saw the ad. I almost had a fit.

I knew it would all be gone - it had been on sale for three days already!!!

The next day I went to all my Targets of course starting with the ghetto one, hoping that people who live in Springfield couldn't possibly understand the signifigance of MISSONI BEING AT TARGET. 

But they did. The customer service woman told me there were almost riots in the store and the parking lot. In Eugene, Oregon. My man said, "Why are you freaking out about this Massorini brand? I have never heard you mention it before." oh beiber. That might be because I can't afford a $900 sweater. But I can afford a $40 MISSONI sweater from Target. Anyway, mine only had underwear left in two sizes too small and a size too big. I happily grabbed the big ones, and sadly, they work just fine.

Then- 

Momma bird to the rescue! And she didn't even try to sell them like this mom!

I almost can't wait for it to rain! 

I can't believe I just wrote that. 

But come on. Look at these boots. 

They are Missoni. 

Kick Drum, High Hat

Happy Summer guys! It's real summer for me now that my class is over, grades were submitted and I only had one student complain! That is easily the least complaining I have ever had. It was a fun class, I think that Marcom might be my favorite class to teach.

So I have already posted a video for this song here in the past. MUCH different version, but still completely radical.



This was my introduction to Lissie, who sadly does not tend to live up to the bad-ass-ness displayed above. It's just such a great summer song I felt like giving you another version. If you like this one and you don't know the original, definitely check it out. Interestingly - I looked at the old blog and the Kid Cudi version had been viewed 9 million times when I first linked it, now it's up to TWENTY NINE million... Are we here at Golden Pigeon at least partially responsible? I like to think so. Nice work guys!

Stay tuned for more music coming soon...
We have one show a month coming up - Bon Iver in Sept (and maybe Pretty Lights if we can swing free tickets. Or is it worth it to pay, what do you guys think? I don't like to go to shows that make me feel at least a decade older than the normal attender), Head and the Heart and Thao and the Get Down Stay Down in October and We Were Promised Jetpacks and Bear Hands in November.

Be happy your freezer is working 'cause mine's not. I think my man really missed me when I was in FL last week because 1) our freezer broke 2) he forgot his dentist appt and 3) he got a ticket for talking on the cell phone while driving (and guess who he was talking to?). Normally, my man does not cook at all while I am away, but this time I encouraged him to try to eat what was in the freezer quickly so he was eating A LOT of vegan meatballs.

Maybe I will do a cooking post soon, yes? This week I will be making baked chimichangas (which I like to refer to as chimi-CHANGE-as from my days working at a Mexican restaurant in Tennessee. The Southern folks strangely do not have a grasp on Spanish pronunciations. I loved when people ordered Tecate - said Ta-KATE. Anyway that is a whole nother post), "chicken" piccata  and "chicken" marsala. Is there any interest in veganized versions of these recipes? My dear parents are doing meatless Mondays and I *think* I convinced them to make it vegan Mondays. I challenge you lovely readers to do the same. The piccata is amazing.

Fdog was happy to see me too. We are taking a anniversary trip to Cannon Beach in a couple weeks. You all know how Floyd loves the beach.

I can't believe it's been a year already since the wedding. I am happy to report that contrary to our fears (due to the fact that we never received a copy of the marriage certificate), we are indeed officially married. I called the city and checked on it this morning. Apparently, they don't send out certificates unless you pay $7 for the "decorative" version. And, as you all know, I am cheap so I did not opt to pay for that when we picked up the license. So it turns out that our friend WAS certified to marry us! And the paperwork did reach the city! It's kind of too bad, because I was thinking about having you all come back out to have another party for us all over again!

Stay tuned and be excellent to each other.
xo Pigeon