Several North Side Anecdotes

Toro (2546 N Clark)
Toro is great first and foremost because of awesome sushi. It tastes extremely fresh and the chef has numerous creative arrangements and compositions. This is the baseline for the restaurant's appeal. Without excellent food, nothing else would really matter. That said, Toro is not only great but awesome because of its location and casual atmosphere. Too many other superb sushi places in the city are utterly pretentious and void of heart. Toro has heart. I feel comfortable being there. It is BYOB. Five stars.

Kiki's (900 N Franklin)
This French bistro is another place that I really like because I feel comfortable when I'm eating there. I like feeling laid back and content in a restaurant, not judged. In addition to this, Kiki's has great cuisine. If you're sick of French bistro style, you probably won't like it, though. There's nothing here that hasn't been done before, it is just done very well and with the utmost care. Bonus points for having a custom painted Citroën out front.

Angels & Kings (710 N Clark)
Yes, it's owned by Pete Wentz, but honestly that's a net positive for me. I like the interior. It has a stylish feel without being stupid pretentious. The waitresses are really cute in a very emo way. Just like Pete would have it. The music is also excellent relative to any other bar nearby, which is huge. If I had enough money, I'd probably be up there on the stage sitting on one of the two old-school leather recliners enjoying bottle service. So I'm not going to throw a fit by the fact that it exists. I will throw a fit when confronted by $5 Bud Lights and a clientele that would please me by remaining in the Viagra Triangle. I might go back at some point, but not for a few weeks at least.

Celtic Crossings (751 N Clark)
It feels very much like an actual Irish pub if it weren't for the fact that no Irish pub would be as spacious as this place is. Completely down to earth, nearly to a fault. A humble jukebox and a variety of tables consist the entirety of the bells and whistles for this place. But it does one thing, and does it well. A welcome reprieve from the many obnoxious bars in the area.

Simply It (2269 N Lincoln)
So I got to Simply It and was nearly handed my order by the lady who was operating the cash register when a man who appeared to be maybe in his 40's suddenly barged out of the dining room and yelled very assertively in what I presume to be Vietnamese. I didn't have my contacts in at this point, and so was quite blind, but heard somehow that the Chicken Noodle Soup was in my bag. I decidedly did not order Chicken Noodle Soup. Briefly, another guy who ordered take out walked in. His order was also under the name 'Jason.' A small debacle ensued between the lady and the man. We two Jasons stood by, bemused. In the end, I got my basil beef along with a spring roll, watermelon, and lemonade. It was good. I will return to Simply It.

Muscle Memory

Last night I had a bunch of dreams about Charlottesville, none of which are interesting enough to relay here. The interesting thing, however, was what happened when I woke up. In a sequence of events I can only attribute to thinking a lot about Virginia in my sleep, when I woke up, I reached to my right to grab my cell phone (which I use as an alarm) as opposed to my left. This is kind of crazy because I keep my cell phone on my right in Charlottesville but on my left here in Chicago.

Now that this event is slightly removed, it seems odd to make such a big deal about it, but it was a very odd circumstance at the time.

How do I love Joanne Colan? Let me count the ways.

She's witty!
(Speaking quickly in a coherent manner, even non-spontaneously, is hard work.)

She's techy!
(Just listen to her talk about internet memes. Doubles for being down to earth.)

She's cute!
(Especially her demeanor, which is hell of endearing. It's all about the wry smile.)

She's hip!
(I mean, she lives in New York. She pretty much has to be, right?)

Gregg Gillis is close to transcending the mash-up subgenre

The mash-up subgenre is easily maligned as derivative. Copying is the explicit name of the game. But there's a difference between poorly playing two songs concurrently and the songs on the new Girl Talk album. Like Eric Prydz but more dense by several orders of magnitudes. Gregg Gillis clearly has higher aspirations.

Ok, this album isn't entirely new. Much of its appeal is ultimately derived from the original tracks that compose it. But something more lies within these fourteen tracks. It's a true internet album, quite suitable for In Rainbows-like distribution. It's an effortless and elegant ode to Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V culture. Internet kids are omnivorous, and this album direclty reflects my omnivorous tastes. For Gillis, guitars, drums, and even sequencers are last generation's tools.

Girl Talk progresses sampling as art. Gillis magically manipulates context - every sample is recognizable but stripped of its temporal and socio-political background. He doesn't give a fuck about meaning, only about de/re-contextualizing the sound and the sound alone. Except of course for Girl Talk's derivation from today's punk rock; sampling culture. The damn label is called Illegal Art, and the album is unflinchingly illegal. But that's the beauty, Girl Talk is both completely aesthetic and completely political. And it's fucking fun.

On a strictly musical basis, Feed the Animals finds Gillis a little more tuneful, melodic, and - dare I say this about such a giddy album - wistful. (See samples of Journey, RHCP, 96 Tears, God Only Knows, Procol Harum, VU, etc.) There are fewer dead moments than Night Ripper, a vast majority of the notes hit home. The album is NOW That's What I Call Music filtered through your average indie kid's music collection. And Rod Stewart. Awesome.

[feed the animals]

[RIYL: top 40 radio, that one dynamic second in that Veruca Salt song, aural puzzles, visceral experiences, preternatural ears]

Crystal Castles Show

We almost ditched this show because of the massive line out the door, around the corner under the Blue Line tracks into an alley. The five of us dealt with the randoms standing around for a free show. Things given away aren't always valued. People know the band they paid $100 to see.

Anyway, in line at about 8:30 and and began judging the first band at 11. An apparently normal guitarist and drummer emitted digitized sounds passed through some modulator, I think. But it's just a guess. Not a fan.

Crystal Castles took a long time to come onto stage. Egregiously and disappointingly long, but I guess an electro group has to maintain a mystique. Couples doing their crazy couples at indie shows dance that you might have seen before. But trust me when I say that at an electro show your typical Wilco-style public humping takes on an entirely different tenor. The club's cramped design led to excessive sweating and the audio board crowded the stage in a totally awkward position. Generally inferior to Black Cat, which might be the most perfect small venue.

The black clothes, black hair, and heavy black eye shadow maintans Crystal Castles' mystique. Alice Glass, vamping and diving from the stage's edge compensated physical energy for vocal energy. Energetically dispassionate, the distance of Ethan Kath (on synth) highlighted his disinterest with crowd interaction, engrossed in the keyboard, lights, and blindfold-like hoodie.

Fun for a free show, but a compelled payment might have changed my impression. A 30 minute show befits this type of band.

One Beat is the perfect combination of fury, melody, nostalgia, charm, and coolness

There are definitely "better" Sleater-Kinney albums.  However, as much as I love the earlier S-K ones (and I love them a lot), One Beat puts it all together. 

Purists decry the pristine production.  (reluctant to make a terrible pun here)  One Beat lacks the rough edges of earlier work, but these girls aren't street punks and they really never were, regardless of the posturing on Dig Me Out.  After all, it took just six months for Carrie to retreat from Berkeley. 

As ever, the original bass-less band, the backbone of (you better wise up) Janet Weiss, the many-headed-hyrda singing technique and mad hooks form the structure, but an unabashed tunefulness pervades the album, where that other tracks merely alluded to it.  Before they went completely into The Woods, they embraced their stealth-metal edge, tempered by a very Puget Sound dash of indie.  

It doesn't hurt that:

• I'm utterly enamored of Carrie Brownstein.
• The album was released at a fun time of my life and is closely associated with good memories.
• S-K was never prone to embarrassment, so even this one, which definitely reaches further than any before it, resonates without being goofy.
• Nobody lingers like your hands on my heart and...
• Sympathy is a killer final track.

Recent Netflix Roundup

Pitch Black/Chronicles of Riddick

Better than they have any right to be, but not quite good enough to be worth going out of your way for.  Sci-fi lite.

Blue Velvet/Mulholland Drive

Even though Blue Velvet is an abbreviated Twin Peaks with boobs, it's still a great watch.  MacLachlan is a master of Lynch-style acting.  The darkness tempers the parody.  Mulholland Drive holds up much, much better than I thought it would (haven't seen it for about five years) and probably deserves a post of its own to discuss the intricacies.  In short, though, this film, and maybe all Lynch, is sleight of hand.  The mystery only exists to trick you into focusing intensely on the texture.  Detractors point out the meaningless, wandering narrative, and that's fair, but they miss the point.  It's truly about the journey, not the destination.

The Savages

Indie dramedy (heavy on the "dram") about getting old and dying.  Not exactly topics that I think about a lot, nor do I really want to.  I can't quite sympathize with what's going on in this film, which makes its flaws (poor pacing, drab color palette) even more annoying.

Hannah Takes the Stairs

This is kind of funny.  A movie about post-collegiate types in Chicago.  Going out, doing things that I could be doing, in real life.  Heh.  Beyond the irony, Swanberg's style probably only works if you're charmed by the precocious type of people he casts.  Luckily I am.

Highlander

I was not prepared to hate this movie as much as I did.  Awful from the not-really-Scottish accents to the sleepwalking that passes for acting to the painful Queen soundtrack - and I do like me some Queen.  How did this movie get so famous?  Pass, with extreme prejudice.

Dexter Season 1 & 2

Another work probably worthy of talking about in depth.  I might return to it someday, maybe right before Season 3 starts this fall.  Obviously, it's excellent, but the inconsistency perturbs me.  Season 1 was very solid on the whole, while Season 2 had higher highs and lower lows.  The last episode of Season 2 was almost completely unnecessary and seemed totally tacked on.  Oh well.  Can't wait for new eps.

Bonus: Venture Brothers Season 3, Episode 1

So the two year wait is over, and the first episode was awesome.  The first two seasons paid the dues necessary to justify the bold backstory episodes that I expect in this season.  It isn't strictly about parody anymore.  The animation and stunning sound design transcend that alone.  This is a show that simply must be seen, and is operating on an entirely other level than any other show of its kind.

A recent David Lynch

Eight - count 'em - eight classic Lynch motifs to be had.

HINT: Red Drapes.

A forgotten great

Commemorating my trip to East Lakeview - an ode to the Pet Shop Boys

I've got a short story about this one which I won't share now, but on a purely aesthetic level, I love the totalitarian imagery.

A total fucking classic by any standard and Pet Shop Boys build on the brilliance of the song instead of being just a parasite.

Honestly haven't heard this one until just a few moments ago, but it is probably better than the original.

The most anthemic and the best Pet Shop Boys song.  Don't let the horrible audio of this video trick you.

Another classic which really needs no introduction - the bridge alone makes the song worthwhile.

Maybe the most famous Pet Shop Boys song in America... despite that, it's still pretty good.  Give me one more trip to east Lakeview... I'll be preparing my Kylie Minogue tribute.

Billy Corgan made me who I am

In fact, I think there's a very straight line to be drawn between my mild Smashing Pumpkins obsession in middle school to my quite total emo persona during high school to my overly-sensitive Wes Anderson and literature-preoccupied college years.  In all honesty, the impact of the Smashing Pumpkins in my life deserves a much larger blog post.  And it all started with one guy who comes from... Chicago.  The influence continues even today. 

Song of the Moment

Reviewing Liquids of Varying Viscosity

Goose Island Beer

This beer is omnipresent in the Chicago area.  It is middle in the hierarchy of generally available beers, above the dreck and below Fat Tire.  The types I've had have been aggressively mediocre.  On the whole, these beers simply lack flavor.  The regular ale and IPA are sub-par and while the 312 wheat beer is crisp, it tastes like sparkling water.  The current summer seasonal is probably the best of the bunch.

Virgil's Bavarian Nutmeg Root Beer

Yes, the price of this beverage is completely outlandish.  However, it is quite excellent.  I don't think that the marginal utility of such an expensive root beer equals a solid choice like an IBC, but if you're throwing thrift out the window, this is the most balanced root beer I've ever drank.  It just sweet enough and has a nice spice without going over the line on bite.  

Cultural Revolution 5% Yogurt

The first thing I noticed about this yogurt was its somewhat watery texture.  The carton of Stonyfield I ate before this was quite thick and this is very much a change.  I don't know if it's because 5% has slightly more fat than your regular lowfat yogurt, but this yogurt has considerable taste and tangyness, almost equivalent to cheese.  Really good overall, but I would like a slightly thicker texture.

Gerolsteiner

It's German, so maybe it isn't a surprise that it's a little more aggressive than the Italian sparkling water.  I usually prefer Pelligrino but would be willing to try different things every now and then.  I had Gerolsteiner once a long time ago and wasn't disappointed drinking it this time around.