Somewhere Between Waking and Sleeping

Golden Cage - The Whitest Boy Alive

2008-05-09T08:41:00.002-05:00

Here are two videos for the same song. The song is "Golden Cage" by The Whitest Boy Alive. TWBA is a band whose lead vocalist is probably my favorite singer of the 21st century. His name is Erlend Oye. He's part of the duo Kings of Convenience, and he's also a DJ and solo performer. He does guest vocals on dozens of tracks and his style ranges from acoustic guitar to electronic dance music to his work with TWBA, which is more of a traditional band setting. The vocals are fragile and beautiful on this song, which is almost 2 yrs old now, but is just being released as a single in the UK. I like the mellow laid back vibe of this. The first video is the official one. I thought it was kinda cheesy for the first 30 seconds or so, but then I fell into the spirit of it. It's fun. The second video is an animation done by the artist who did the artwork for the band's album. Same great song, two very different videos.

Gnarls Barkley - Run (video)

2008-05-08T11:19:00.002-05:00

I love this song so much. I love the energy of the music and the timbre of Cee-Lo's vocals. This should be a smash hit. Why isn't this getting radio play? (this is a rhetorical question)

Michael Cera & Ellen Page - Anyone Else But You (video from Juno)

2008-05-07T09:05:00.000-05:00

This is the first song to make me cry since one of those diamond commercials got to me around Christmas time. It's just so damn beautiful. The lyrics are pretty great. Ellen Page has a nice voice. Michael Cera, not so much, but it is his performance that makes this song special for me. He just sings so .... tenderly. I've always preferred hushed, fragile vocals like his and others (see Kings of Convenience , Hope Sandoval, etc.) over BIG (or maybe LOUD) singers. Maybe that's why I'll never enjoy American Idol. Pity. Or not.

Santogold - L.E.S Artistes (video)

2008-05-06T11:30:00.001-05:00

Often, when I put new songs on my Ipod and press shuffle, I hear a song and don't really know much about who it was or the name. So when I kept hearing this song in my shuffle, I was pretty sure it was Tegan and Sara. The voice sounds similar, I think. Someone at work thought she sounded a lot like Cyndi Lauper. Santogold is Santi White, a girl who dabbles in New Wave, Reggae, and Indian influences to make a really interesting fun mix of sounds.I think I like her better than the artist she's being compared to most. I got the CD this weekend...really good all the way through. Here is her myspace page, in case you want to hear more : Santogold

Tell Me (video) - Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings

2008-05-05T00:09:00.006-05:00

I'm going to try and post something every day this week about some of my favorite music of the moment. I love current music that sounds like it belongs in another time. Recent favorites that fall in this category include Richard Hawley (50s crooner), Camera Obscura (60s country/pop), The Raveonettes (50s rockabilly or 70s Suicide), Zoot Woman (80s synth pop), and Glass Candy (70s/80s druggy disco). This song is a catchy Motown style soul jam. The video reminds me of something you would have seen if Sharon Jones (2007) was a special guest on the Glenn Campbell Show (1969). Her record label is Daptone Records, which is based in Brooklyn and seems to have cornered a market on new funk-soul that sounds like classic style funk-soul. I got the CD yesterday because I couldn't get the Robyn CD that I so wanted (urgh...had to order it), but I think I did ok after all. Love the horns.

Saturday in the Country

2008-05-04T11:08:00.003-05:00

My boss threw a crawfish boil this weekend in the country outside of the metropolis of Youngsville. The crawfish were pretty good. Expectations for the margaritas were very high due to the fact that last year his wife accidentally used too much tequila. Unfortunately, they didn't live up to the hype. The karaoke was lots of fun though (my spotlight song was the quiet storm favorite Always and Forever). I took photos and a couple of ridiculous videos, but I'm constantly reminded that my 4 yr old Sony Cybershot camera performs quite poorly in low light. Even still, I snapped this photo just as the sun was going down and thought it came out nicely....ghostly.

Habib Koite at Festival International de Louisiane - Friday April 25,2008

2008-04-30T17:00:00.004-05:00

3 Nephews On 2 Bikes

2008-04-29T23:57:00.000-05:00

Alex McCord - Real Houswewife of Cobble Hill

2008-04-11T00:20:00.006-05:00

One of my least favorite of the Real Housewives of New York is Alex. She and her inseparable husband Simon are trying oh so hard to fit into the Manhattan society world. Their home is a shambles. He's clearly an airtime whore. Her mouth irritates me. Where does their money come from? Between trips to St Bart's, the tickets for opening night at the Metropolitan Opera, the couture gowns, the birthday jewelery, and private school for Francois, there can't be much left on the salaries of a boutique hotel manager and a visual merchandiser (whatever that is). I'm thinking trust funds, but not sure. Anyway, maybe photos like this will help them gain the foothold they need to skyrocket to the upper echelon of Manhattan social circles. The more risque photos can be found here, here, here, here (at her most annoying), and here.

Real Housewives of New York City

2008-04-09T01:09:00.002-05:00

I watch too much TV. If you know me, you know this already. It's a sickness. I really thought I was over the whole reality-tv thing (except for Real World Road Rules Challenges) but something happened with this one. I've never seen the previous seasons of "Real Housewives" (Orange County), but I am obsessed with this season. The main reason I started watching it was because it is set in New York City. Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed with the first episode I watched...they were busy cavorting and dueling on tennis courts and mansions in the Hamptons (what? no tennis courts in Harlem?). But the women were interesting. My favorites are LuAnn (aka The Countess) and Jill (socialite) who live on the Upper East Side. I'm kind of curious about their ages. Something tells me that I'm older than both of them. But they seem so mature. And sophisticated. And classy (watch this week's episode for the debate on the definition of "classy"). They are sure of themselves and their place in Manhattan society. I love these two. I feel a little inferior, but it is fascinating to watch society women deal with the problems that afflict everyday housewives (lice problems, bitchy "friends", absent husbands, children with weight issues, being forced to sit in the second row (not first) during fashion week,forcing your children into an acting career that they don't want, hoping to make the style page of the NY Times, etc). The other girls range from whiny(Bethenny) to unlikable(Alex) to annoying(Ramona). The season finale is next Tuesday night. Catch it if you can.

In her real life, LuAnn is the hostess of a what appears to be a cable access program in the Hamptons. Here she is as a commentator for the Hampton's Potato Festival (love the "P"'s on her shirt). She's not quite as refined on this show as she seems on the Bravo show, but still engaging :

Over the Hills

2008-04-04T20:20:00.003-05:00

So you know the show "The Hills" on MTV ? Have you ever wished that instead of fresh faced teens, that the stars were maybe just a bit more mature? If so, your wish has been granted.

More videos from the "Over The Hills" channel at Heavy.com

A Day Off in Lafayette

2008-03-31T21:57:00.004-05:00

So this is how one (meaning me) spends one's day off in Lafayette, Louisiana. I started the day off by sleeping late (9:30). Wandered outside to put some Round-Up on a persistent vining problem at the rear of my property. Decided that there were too many students walking out there and I'd rather just take a photo of the yard.

Next, I called James to see what he was doing. We decided on lunch at a new restaurant in town, Zoe's Kitchen. It just opened up in River Ranch, Lafayette's newest hotspot for the rich and wannabe's. This place is a Greek-leaning chain from Alabama (I think). I've been here a few times and have had very good healthy-ish meals.

This is the Grilled Chicken Plate with a Greek Salad and Potato Salad. The food is fresh and they make their own vinegarette dressing which is yummy. The generous helpings of feta are nice too. Personally, I could do without the onions, but to each his own. As for the potato salad, don't do it. Get the pasta salad or the rice pilaf. Both are excellent. BUT...the real reason to go to Zoe's is....

The CAKE. It is called YaYa's Chocolate Cake. It is perfection. Its just a sheet cake and actually looks like a spice cake or coffee cake of some sort, with a fudge-like icing. So good. And at $2.00, it is the bargain dessert of the decade.

I'm sorry to say that I was a bit less enthusiastic at our next destination. A place where aisle upon aisle of nearly monochromatic ceramics exist in harmony with a multitude of various plastic grapes and artificial green vines. I had to keep reminding myself we were in the 21st Century and not in my mother's china cabinet circa 1983. I don't want to advertise for the place, but the name rhymes with "Knobby Bobby" in case you would be interested in viewing such a spectacle in person.CLICK ON PHOTO to get the full idea.

I picked up the new Raveonettes CD "Lust Lust Lust" at Barnes and Noble. No photo sorry. Next stop, Dollar Tree, where I snatched up a nifty Ipod protector/belt clip for one hundred pennies. It is kinda girly, but it was ONE DOLLAR, and I like it :

We made our way back to my house and I suggested a walk in the park (which is like 2 blocks from my house. On the way to the park, we encountered some very fine Lafayette stencil grafitti.

We made it to the park...walked all the way around the park, and decided we deserved a break so we laid down on this grassy knoll in the middle of the frisbee golf course, where James decided he needed to balance a ball on his nose - or maybe I prompted him a little. I can't recall. It was a delightful end to the day.

Prince on Solid Gold (and more)

2008-03-26T02:08:00.009-05:00

Its way past my bedtime and way past the point where I could write anything coherent.Instead I'll paste a link to one of my favorite music info blogs, Idolator. This link will take you to a place you need to be. A place where a New Yorkish-cool music blog dissects a copy of Spin Magazine from 1990. You will be treated to a list of the most commonly used words in Madonna's lyrics as well as those of Paula Abdul, Tracy Chapman and Guns And Roses. How original Guns and Roses seems compared to the rest!

http://www.idolator.com/371807/project-x-spins-35-rock-lists-compiled-by-spin

(sorry I think you'll have to copy and paste if you want to go here)

The site continually alerts me to things that are missing in my life. Like this clip from "Solid Gold" circa 1983. According to Spin Magazine, on "January 29, 1983 Prince appeared on Solid Gold. Prince brought his entire stage set-up, complete with lights, ramps and backdrop, not to mention eight backing musicians, and then lip-synced '1999.'" Enjoy.

Grapefruit Is The New Lime

2008-03-18T22:55:00.000-05:00

I never ate a grapefruit until about a month ago and since then I've had this craving for them. I just ate a whole one. Thought I'd stop at half of one, but just couldn't do it. So good. Just don't eat any of the peelings. Anyway, grapefruit and I are in the honeymoon phase. We'll see if the affair will last.

New Jarvis Cocker Live Concert Clip

2008-03-17T23:15:00.001-05:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, Jarvis Cocker, Live in Buenos Aires March 13, 2008. He's playing a new song called "Girls Like It Too". Jarvis was formerly the lead singer of one of my favorite bands Pulp (see "Disco 2000" & "Misshapes" for mid-90s Jarvis wonderfulness).

Well Hello....Welcome to My Living Room

2008-03-17T22:49:00.002-05:00

Bloggity blog blog. Here's my blog. I'm Michael. I'm a hardcore nerd living in Lafayette, Louisiana. I love my mother and my Ipod. I suppose that in order to have an interesting blog, one must write about himself. It seems self congratulating. "look at me..look what I did!". So for every one post about "me me me", I'll hopefully have a dozen or so about things I'm interested in writing about - Restaurants. Independent films. Odd music. New York City (circa 1979 preferably). Louisiana's own superstar, Broccoli Spears (that's a joke...I'd never stoop so low). Chocolate Cake and other baked pastries. New Orleans. The 80s. Waiters and waitresses. People who deserve to be more famous than they are (not that fame is all it's cracked up to be). Things that are absurd. Minutiae. Bizarrities. New York City. Swimming. Dancing. The Catholic Church. (I've had to give them all up...)