Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Gift Guide for the Indie Music Nerd
I usually leave the music blogging to my husband and band-mate Tyler (see: dispatches from the panda room @ http://shalloboi.blogspot.com/), but from time to time I'll write about the bands that excite me most on my knitting blog. I'm thrilled to be guest blogging today for Kala at Vegancraftastic!
2011 has seen far too many fantastic albums come out in the indie world, so I've rounded up the ones that are in the heaviest rotation on my iPod and turntable for your listening pleasure:
If you aren't familiar with this gothy girl-rock band from California, you're in for a treat. Deedee's precise song arrangements, spot-on vocals and harmonies, and well-written lyrics have been perfected for this latest release. Fans of the Vivian Girls (http://www.insound.com/Vivian-Girls/A/37493/ another favorite of mine) will enjoy their back catalog as well as Only in Dreams, which is comprised of polished pop gems and some truly passionate songs ("Coming Down" and "Hold Your Hand" spring to mind). Expect reverb-drenched guitar-driven tunes to get your blood moving - and for those of you who have had a tough year (who among us hasn't), you'll really be able to relate to the thematic elements of this record as well.
Ok, fine - this album came out in 2010! However, if you've missed it, it's worth a listen. I myself was a little slow to the Deerhunter party (so many bands with "deer" in the name!), but this record is the perfect '60's-tinged indie-pop album. For some reason, I always want to play it when I'm cooking, I'm not sure why! "Don't Cry," "Desire Lines," and "He Would Have Laughed" are the standout tracks, but that's not saying much here, considering the consistent quality of this album. Bradford Cox has a gift for crafting truly interesting song structures with unexpected elements - for example, I was convinced that the main riff of "He Would Have Laughed" was a keyboard sample til we saw them live at Pitchfork earlier this year - which was totally worth the heatstroke, by the way (and if you're wondering, that is indeed a guitar!). Also worth checking out: Bradford Cox's side project, Atlas Sound (which released the excellent Parallax this year.)
Speaking of bands I was slow to jump on the proverbial wagon for, here's another one I initially overlooked. If I had to distill their entire sound into one word, it would be: drone. Wooden Shjips are the masters of droney fuzzed-out guitar riffs. Most of their songs clock in at well over five minutes, and they're great for letting your mind wander, perhaps even slipping into a trance-like state. This album feels like an extention of Moon Duo's Mazes (released earlier this year) which is the lead singer Ripley Johnson's side project with Sanae Yamada. In fact, Ripley recently said in an interview that he makes no distinction between bands when writing songs - the difference is in the instrumentation and execution. Both records have been in heavy rotation for me, needless to say.
One of my favorite Brooklyn bands, the Crystal Stilts' recent release has finally surpassed their self-titled album, against which I have been judging all other releases. The opener, "Sycamore Tree" sets the tone with its simple guitar riff that won't leave your head anytime soon (consider this your warning). "Silver Sun" and "Shake the Shackles" are also tracks of note, but this album is best listened to as a whole. Reverb-drenched vocals & memorable melodic hooks will have your head bopping - and if you get a chance to see them live, don't pass it up!
Let's begin with: The Oh Sees are incapable of making a crappy record. Ok, good, we've got that established. Driving force John Dwyer is quirky and talented beyond belief - his hyperactive brand of garage rock can make even the most mellow person bouncy beyond their control. Their latest record is wild and full of psychedelic jams (and trust me, "jams" is not a term I typically like to use - but there's just no way around it). "Contraption/Soul Desert" is a particular favorite track of mine, surpassed only by its live version, which is played even faster at about 100 MPH. Honestly, though, you could blindly select any Oh Sees album from their extensive catalog and not be disappointed. Besides this latest effort, my favorites include Thee Hounds of Foggy Notion and Help.
I stumbled upon Mikal Cronin when a friend posted his video on my husband's Facebook profile. It was infectious, and then we found out he was on tour with another garage-y favorite of ours, Ty Segall . I was fortunate to catch a free in-store at a local record shop, and for weeks afterwards, listened to his self-titled album non-stop. It's full of driving guitar riffs and catchy lyrics - several songs start with a few simple elements, then explode into a thick, fuzzy arrangement of guitars, harmonies and the occasional flute freak-out. Cronin also uses the loud/soft dynamic to great effect. Standout tracks include "Is it Alright," "Apathy" and "Gone."
Again, this record came out in 2010, but who knows when or if they'll put out another one? Besides, I can't stop listening to this one - incredible rock songs that surpass expectations and perhaps have even replaced my favorite album of theirs, Foolish. This album is a true return to form, except in a way that feels totally fresh and not at all lame. Great pop songs with signature Mac riffs and solos (man, that guy can solo!) and interesting lyrics that are clever, but not in an annoying way. One of this year's highlights was getting to see them play at Pitchfork, and despite the crippling heat, it was impossible to stand still during pogo-worthy songs such as "Digging for Something," "My Gap Feels Weird" and "Crossed Wires."
Looking for drone-y krautrock a la Neu!? Chicago's own Cave deliver the goods. I'm not sure how they do it, either - by all rights, this should feel like a tired rehashing of the past. Somehow they manage to put their own particular spin on synth-y, guitar-centric instrumental rock. When listening to the album, prepare to often be surprised - they have a way of shifting a song in such a subtle way, you don't notice til you're suddenly overtaken by a wave of sonic noise. Needless to say, the results are interesting and worth checking out, as are their videos: "W U J" features hand-made puppets and this video features highlights from a full set which was filmed live while the band played on a back of a flatbed truck as it drove throughout Chicago.
Thanks so much for the great post Stefanie! Be sure to keep up with Stefanie on her blog, as well as on Twitter and Facebook.
I hope you guys find some awesome new music from this guide, either as a gift or for yourself, let me know if you discover something you love!
-kala
Monday, November 28, 2011
Gifts for the Science Nerd
Science Ink: Tattoos of the Science Obsessed
by Carl Zimmer. This hardback book is a collection of tattoos "that pay tribute to various scientific disciplines, from evolutionary biology and neuroscience to mathematics and astrophysics and reveals the stories of the individuals who chose to inscribe their obsessions in their skin."
by Carl Zimmer. This hardback book is a collection of tattoos "that pay tribute to various scientific disciplines, from evolutionary biology and neuroscience to mathematics and astrophysics and reveals the stories of the individuals who chose to inscribe their obsessions in their skin." 
So what's your favorite from this gift guide?
-kala
Friday, November 25, 2011
Black Friday Sale in my Etsy Shop!
Here are just a few things you could snag:
Holiday Owl Pin:
Lucky Cat Pin:
If you get a chance, sharing this post or just the coupon code on twitter, facebook, or anywhere else would be awesome and I'd really appreciate it!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Vegancraftastic
-kala
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Vegan Cuts Holiday Gift Guide!
Vegan Cuts, the online deal website that caters to the vegan community, has just launched their Vegan Holiday Shopping Guide. You can view it here: http://vegancuts.com/vegan-gift-ideas. I was honored when the folks at Vegan Cuts asked me to contribute some of my picks for gifts from small vegan businesses. It was really hard choosing only five shops, but I'm really happy with my choices (check out page 24 of the guide for my picks.)
So if you're shopping for someone awesome this year (or want to pick up a gift for yourself) check out the Vegan Cuts Holiday Guide. The guide also includes yummy vegan recipes!
Please share the link for this post so we can help get the work out about this awesome resource for vegan gifts! An easy way is to hit the tweet button on the bottom of this post, or you can share it on Facebook or Google + too. Thanks guys!
-kala
Friday, November 18, 2011
Finished Knit: Pinwheel Blanket!
Isn't he a sweetie? The pattern I used was Round or Pinwheel Blanket, a free pattern available here. It was a super easy knit since it's all stockinette in the round with some increases thrown in, perfect tv or movie knitting. The purple is Cotton Ease from Lion Brand (50% cotton/50% acrylic) and the blue is Simply Cotton Worsted from Knit Picks (100% organic cotton.) I think I'll be using this pattern again in the future, in case Ritz needs another blanket or if there's a baby out there that needs a quick gift.
have you ever knit for a kitty or other animal?
-kala
Monday, November 14, 2011
Still Here!
I hope to have some crafting to share soon, but it's that tricky time of year when I'm making gifts so sharing isn't always an option!
-kala
Tuesday, November 08, 2011
New Kitty!
Isn't he a cutie? My husband and I have gotten to know Ritz over the weeks that we've been volunteering at the cat shelter we adopted him from. Ritz is the name he came with, and we decided to keep it, he seems like a Ritz!
Ritz is doing pretty well so far, he's a little nervous and retreats under furniture for a while, but then he'll come out to cuddle so I think he's just adjusting and getting cozy in his new home. I'm thinking you'll be seeing a lot more of Ritz here on the blog, he seems to love the camera!
-kala
Friday, November 04, 2011
Vegan Rice Krispies Treats
And believe it or not, this is the first time I've ever made classic Rice Krispies Treats! I've made a peanut butter version that didn't involve marshmallows, but this was my first go at the classic. I think it's because I'm not a huge marshmallow fan, unlike my husband. But these treats are really yummy, I have to admit! Although I think I'd like them better if they were topped with chocolate....anyway, here's what I did:
1 bag Dandies vegan marshmallows
3 TBs Earth Balance whipped non-hydrogenated margarine
4 1/2 cups puffed rice cereal
Place the cereal in a large bowl and set aside. In a large pot, melt the margarine and then add in the marshmallows. Stir constantly until the marshmallows melt down into a sticky goo. Carefully pour the goo over the cereal and stir (I used two wooden spoons) until everything is nice and combined. Once it's cool enough to handle, press the mixture into a 8X8 or so brownie pan and let set. Enjoy!
-kala
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
