Kate McGarrigle (1946 - 2010)

I got to see her sing last month in London. Over breakfast the next morning, Sloan told me that Kate McGarrigle was dying. This revelation put my memory of the show in a completely different context, still beautiful, as you can see below, but painful and sad.

The Nifty Fifteen (songs from 2009)

1) Don't Haunt This Place - The Rural Alberta Advantage (Hometowns)

Why did you bastards not tell me about the RAA sooner? The guy who introduced me to the band said they came to Seattle last year and got a full 40 people to show up. Criminal!
Buy. This. Album.

Don't Haunt This Place - The R...

2) VCR - The xx (xx)

Apparently these kids are over a decade younger than me. On the other hand, I bet their fantasy football team didn't place in the top 4 in two separate leagues this year. "We live in half in the daytime and we -- we live half at night." Not sure what's going on here... something about a relationship changing over time, with both parties still clinging to the old comfort. Keep reading, there are happier songs somewhere.

VCR - The xx

3) Kettering - The Antlers (Hospice)

...this isn't one of those happier songs. Goddam, this is the saddest album I've ever heard. Oh, look at that, it's called HOSPICE. You indie kids get me every time... hang on, got something in my eye.

Kettering - The Antlers

4) Something Hiding For Us In The Night - Wooden Sky (If I Don't Come Home You'll Know I'm Gone)

Metacritic didn't even have a page for these guys! W the F? Lead singer Gavin Gardiner's voice couldn't get any gravellier and that guitar couldn't get much more distortionier... and ... are they singing in an old, dry, empty barn? Gorgeous.

Something Hiding For Us In The...

5) Lust for Life - Girls (Album)

This is the only song on the list that comes from an album I haven't listened to. I tried to listen to a few other tracks, but this song overshadowed everything else I heard from the band. If you don't know English, I bet this sounds like a jaunty little ditty. But for the rest of us... whew, enough to make you finally try heroin, except that's probably what got these guys singing like this.

Lust For Life - Girls

6) - Funny Little Frog - God Help the Girl (God Help the Girl)

This song feels like an outlier to me. It's all smooth and jazzy and about frogs. I sang it for about two days straight this past fall. One of my favorite albums this year (yeah, Belle & Sebastian).

Funny Little Frog - God Help T...

7) Friday XIII - Deer Tick (Born on Flag Day)

If there's a commonality that crosses this list, it's pensive guy-girl duets pining for lost love. I heard the band first on KEXP one morning, and on first listening to the album, this song grabbed me. The twang, the unsteady warbling of the female vocals, the driving, Southern-gothic-ghost-story-gonna-break-out-any-second guitar riffs.

Friday XIII - Deer Tick

8) Soft Shock - Yeah Yeah Yeahs (It's Blitz!)

I was way late to the party on this album and haven't really followed the YYYs since songs like Y Control and Maps and Cold Light. Man, those were good songs. Reminds me of grad school, back when I stole all my music, which is why, for music that came out between 1999 and 2005, I can only refer to individual tracks, rather than full albums.

Soft Shock - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

9) Waiting on the Sun to Rise - Lightning Dust (Infinite Light)

This album reminded me so much of Phosphorescent. Man, go listen to that dude too. Wolves almost made this list, despite coming out two years ago.

Waiting On The Sun To Rise - L...

10) My Girls - Animal Collective (Merriweather Post Pavilion)

I admit I don't 'get' much of their music, but I have to smile at the rare combination of epic arrangements and Walden-esque lyrics. I also admit that I was almost embarrassed to have this album represented on this list, given the obscene amount of love it got this year. I bet MPP could get the government option pushed through the Senate. But anyway, eff that. This song is the tits.

My Girls - Animal Collective

11) I and Love and You - The Avett Brothers (I and Love and You)

Cannot believe I saw these guys on Conan (or Letterman?). Good for them, and great starter to the new album. BEARDS!

I And Love And You - The Avett...

12) When I Go - Slow Club (Yeah So)

Hmm, another one that Metacritic missed. The song sounds like it's about 10 years too late; I guess it's retro post-retro. If this hasn't played in the background of a Michael Cera movie yet, it will soon. Why does it sound like I'm bagging on this track -- listen to it, it's wonderful!

When I Go - Slow Club

13) Auditorium - Mos Def (The Ecstatic)

Hey, music that might actually not show up on the Stuff White People Like blog! The list if officially eclectic! (lulz white people love Mos Def... he played Ford Prefect for godssake.) This was another one where I just blindly chose from one of 5-7 fantastic tracks from the album. They're all good.

Auditorium - Mos Def

14) Daylight - Matt & Kim (Grand)

I'm pretty sure this song has been on Miller Lite and Chrysler minivan commercials, but only because it's the catchiest song of the year. It's not selling out if you already drink that lime-flavored beer.

Daylight - Matt & Kim

15) Island, IS - Volcano Choir (Unmap)

Jagjaguwar, represent. The label never lets me down. (That's all I have to say about this song. It's the end of the list and I'm tired.)

Island, IS - Volcano Choir

For when you can't sleep but Assassin's Creed II is just pissing you right off...

You're now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi!
You: howdy ho!
Stranger: hey there!
You: you sound upbeat!
You: a real go-getter!
Stranger: you do to!
Stranger: you sound like you're full of ambition!
You: let's go make things AWESOME!
Stranger: YEAH!
You: HUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
Stranger: Here's my three step plan!
Stranger: 1. BUILD A SPACESHIP
You: DONE
Stranger: 2. FLY IN SPACESHIP
You: BAM
Stranger: 3. EAT A SANDWICH
You: WINNAR!
Stranger: YEAH!
You: so, um... you wanna cyber?
You: totally kidding...
You: sorry couldn't resist

courtesy Omegle

Nature mocks me again

As someone who has a basic understanding of aerodynamic lift yet who has tried and failed to make working paper airplanes for the past 20+ years, I am completely floored by this.

Thanksgiving 2009

Bacon + Turkey, real talk. Plus, the return of the Turkey Bowl, which you'll recall from T-giving 2006. 'Shh... it' just got real (trying to keep the blog family friendly these days, with Liv being all Berners-Lee junior these days).



For the turkey, I put on the full-court press corner blitz defensive shift and basically turned 'Turkey' into 'Tur-KAAAAAY!' I made an awesome brine with a bunch of onion, garlic, and celery, plus peppercorns, all-spice and some herbs. And a whole bag of brown sugar and a box of salt. It was syrupy and overpoweringly aromatic, and I'd be crazy like a fox to put something I was going to eat anywhere near it. I dumped the brine into a 5g bucket with a bunch of ice and the turkey and set it out on the deck overnight.



In the morning, shh... it got realer. That means I WRAPPED BACON ALL OVER THE DAMN BIRD. Read that again. I'm tearing up just from typing it. Notice the intricate weave. BACON WEAVE.



I popped some herbs and vegetables in the middle, turned on the cookin' fan, and snapped a couple pictures over the next 2 hours.









Last thing -- I know I promised you hot Turkey Bowl action. Behold the Turkey Bowl, 2009 GIF edition:

Who laughs this way?

I've been singing this all day!

Not a game, not a game, not a game...

Omg... dying over here. Maybe it's because it's almost 11pm, maybe it's because I'm sitting in a dark lab because the building lights just turned off, maybe it's because I'm actually dying. None of that matters. What matters is this hilarious and wonderful video. (Don't turn it off until you hear Broadway Joe.)



(bonus)

The Deck Project

So we got a new house. I'll post pictures of that soon, but the important bit right now is that I've started work on a 'project.' Network television sitcoms would have us believe that whenever the man of the house declares that he is beginning a house 'project,' comical injuries (to both body and pride) and spousal mockery will surely ensue. This is silly of course and a form of sexism. Aren't we more likely to be thoughtful, skilled craftsmen than lovable buffoons constantly on the receiving end of bowling balls to the groin? Aren't we capable of wielding heavy tools, planning out a successful home project?



In my case, no. I'm pretty sure my project will fail. I have no idea if I'm doing something really stupid, and I'm quite sure this will end up being far more work than I expected. It will probably even cost more than I expect. And to be clear, I don't think this even qualifies as a legitimate project. It's pretty simple.



Basically, my deck was built right up against the slope of the backyard. It looks nice I suppose, but this means that wood-boring insects have a direct path into the wood, damp earth is always touching the wood, and the thing will probably rot to pieces within a year. It's already rotting in at least one spot.



So my big idea is to dig a trench around the deck, give it about 8-12" of space, and then fortify said trench with some sort of attractive garden brick. Sounds simple. It's freaking NOT. Holy damn it's not. The earth against the deck is a mixture of small stone, decaying fir needles and dirt. There's like a bazillion evil roots running all through this impenetrable concoction. I've given it about 3 hours so far and gotten about 3 feet. And I've got probably 500 more feet to go.



By my math, I will be dead by the time I'm finished. Death by broken back. Oh, and because I live in the northwest, it gets dark by 4pm and is always raining. And cold. Feels great to be a homeowner.

Hoptober -- awesomely named and delicious

This is better than the season premiere of your favorite show, better than smoking inside the pub, better than the free rental upgrade, better than Bridgeport's IPA (which Ben said tastes like flowery dish soap, but it's actually awesome). Anyway, I've never liked Fat Tire, but this awesomely-named beer is awesome. Go buy some Hoptober and drink it ... HARD.

Canadian celebrity, Steve Nash