Am I a trendsetter or do I just think Zuckerberg is a douche?

Well that's yet to be discovered, but regardless I have done what I never thought I would do. I'm not ashamed, I'm not regretful....but alas, I have deactivated my FB account. GASP!!

I've just had enough...and would rather spend my time blogging about all of the awesome things I've discovered, annoyances, or just stuff that I find interesting...than reading about how awful of a day you've had, what you've had for lunch and accepting friend requests. Instead, if you want to know what Brandie Kay's been doing....you can come back to the L-cubed!

One month till Michigan...this could get interesting!!

Houston Live Music Calendar

Thurs 1/28: Yo La Tengo @ Warehouse Live
Sat 1/30: Bill Maher @ Cullen Performance Hall

Tues 2/16: Cowboy Mouth @ HOB
Thurs 2/18: Soul Rebels Brass Band @ Continental Club
Sat 2/20: Gov't Mule @ HOB
Mon 2/22: Jay-Z @ Toyota Center
Tues 2/23: Akron/Family @ Walter's
Sat 2/27: Tegan & Sara @ Warehouse Live

Tues 3/02: Dropkick Murphy's @ Warehouse Live
Sat 3/06: John Mayer & Michael Franti @ Toyota Center
Thurs 3/11: David Gray @ Verizon Wireless
Tues 3/16: Rogue Wave @ Warehouse Live
Tues 3/16: Cymbals Eat Guitars @ Mango's
Fri 3/19: The Beach Boys @ Jones Hall
Sat 3/20: Miike Snow @ Meridian
Sat 3/20: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club @ HOB
Mon 3/22: Vivian Girls @ The Mink

Wed 4/07: The Big Pink & A Place To Bury Strangers @ Warehouse Live
Fri 4/09: Yeasayer @ HOB
Sun 4/11: Camera Obscura @ Warehouse Live
Fri 4/16: Owl City @ Verizon Wireless
Fri 4/23: Beach House @ Walter's

Sun 5/02: Dr. Dog & Deer Tick @ Warehouse Live
Wed 5/05: Norah Jones @ Verizon Wireless

They Ain't No Dodo's

I cannot stop listening to The Dodo's...after listening to their first album, "Visiter", I was hooked....but then when their sophomore LP, "Time To Die", was released, I knew two songs in that it was going to be on constant replay. The vocals are similar to those of Beirut, but without the symphonic flair....the lone guitar is powerful...the kiddie piano (just like the one I had when I was little) adds a unique sound that is familiar...and the creative use of other instruments makes you want to hear two more minutes of a song that's already six!

The Dodo's will be stopping by Houston's Orange Show on Saturday, October 3rd...and I cannot wait!

Check out their track "Fools" from the first album...

New Los Campesinos!!!!

Los Campesinos! were in Houston a month ago and sadly I missed their performance. Sunday night shows the night before starting a new position are just tough to pull off.

Here's the new track from their upcoming album, to be released in 2010. It's much darker than their previous tracks, which they pull off with ease. The strings are just beautiful...check it!

The Sea Is A Good Place To Think Of The Future from Los Campesinos! on Vimeo.

Speeding Up the Slow Food Movement

For years now I've been pondering over why it's so easy in America to obtain cheap & unhealthy food? And why we're obsessed with thinking that this IS what good food is. I know, I'm guilty of the gluttony too...which is how I found out about Slow Food International. It's a movement which focuses on using food close to the source to create a variety of cuisines and flavors that are healthy, delicious and fresh. They organize farmers markets, dinners and events worldwide....but I think we need more.

Sure it's fun to getogether with others who understand why you want to eat wholesome food that actually tastes good, but why can't we start a healthy fast food movement with no excuses?

Just follow me here through some scenarios that takes today's transfatty-saturated-preseravative options and replaces them with those of a healthy culture:

Unhealthy: "I was sooooo hungover, that I NEEDED those Rally's chili cheese fries."
Solution: What's so wrong with having some baked potato fries and topping it with a fresh low-part skim cheese and a fresh black bean and turkey chili? It's just as comforting, maybe a little more time to prepare but not much, and will absolutely save your life in your post-party state.

Unhealthy: "I had to rush to a meeting, so I grabbed a Taco Bell Cheesy Gordita Crunch"
Solution: First of all, I wouldn't want to be meeting with you after your run to the border....but I've had mexican fare that tastes much better than Taco Bell and most Mexican fare is simple to prep and definitely won't break the bank.

There are restaurants that have made some progress after Jared started eatin' fresh at Subway...

• Ziggy's Healthy Grill in Houston had the idea right, but recently decided to replace their quick counter service with a less-than satisfactory table service. Bad move Ziggys...
• Ruggles Green, also in Houston, cooks up an organic menu with gluten-free options. Some menu items are healthy, but others are just as high calorie as anywhere else...so you have to be cautious of your choices. Great concept with delicious food, but it's slow and overpriced.
• My Fit Foods is definitely on to something with their dietician-approved freshly prepared meals. The prices aren't too bad, the staff is knowledgeable, the food is amazingly flavorful and filling, and the preps are quick.
• New Orleans' own Naked Pizza has received rave reviews on Yelp for their yummy pies. They are use whole grain crust and fresh toppings with no preservatives. Even the skeptics seem to enjoy it. They're looking to franchise nationwide...good luck guys.

I just think it would be so simple to have a drive through healthy fast food option with baked items, healthy sandwiches, veggies and fruits instead of what we are currently harming ourselves with. What is it about knowing that something is so bad for you that makes you want it more? I guess just the feeling of rebellion....but if you could replace it with something that won't put you in a post-meal coma for the same speed and price....would you do it?

Ragin Cajun WIN

Thank you James Carville and Anderson Cooper for exposing just how brainwashed these people really are....





Really?

Snowballs in Houston At Last!!

Mam's House of Ice has finally brought New Orleans flavor to help us survive this heat wave!! Mam's has the normal flavors, some new ones and even snow treats for your pup!!

They're open 1pm-9pm and located in a little trailer on 20th & Rutland in the Heights.

Check out who's yelpin' about it and what they've gotta say!

http://www.yelp.com/biz/mams-house-of-ice-snoballs-houston#hrid:yszvQ4_bFIZ_AcAJlx3B_Q

Upcoming Houston Concerts

Here are some of the shows on my radar...there are lots, so look closely!

July:
Thurs 7/09: Major Lazor @ Escobar

Tues 7/14: Pete Yorn @ Meridian

Mon 7/27: Reel Big Fish @ Warehouse Live (c'mon you know you wanna go back to your ska days)

Wed 7/22: Coldplay @ Woodlands

August:
Sat 8/01: Counting Crows @ Sam Houston Race Track

Sat 8/01: Dr. John @ Discovery Green Park

Sun 8/02: De La Soul @ HOB

Tue 8/04: Atmosphere @ Warehouse Live

Sat & Sun 8/8&9: Free Press Summer Fest @ Tinsley Park (Broken Social Scene, Of Montreal, Explosions in the Sky, What Made Milwaukee Famous, Octopus Project)

Sat 8/08: Green Day/ Franz Ferdinand @ Toyota Center
Fri 8/14: Bowerbirds @ Walter's

Sun 8/16: Los Campesinos! @ Warehouse Live

Fri 8/21: Rebirth Brass Band @ Warehouse Live

Sun 8/30: Peter Bjorn & John w/ Depeche Mode @ Woodlands

September:
Thu 9/03: Fruit Bats @ Walter's

Sat 9/05: Paolo Nutini w/ Anya Marina @ Warehouse Live

Fri 9/25: Ra Ra Riot @ Warehouse Live

The Houston Social Scene is Broken by Explosions in the Sky

What?? That sounds serious....well my friends, it is.

Rewind back to February, when I anxiously awaited seeing the musical mega masterpiece that is Broken Social Scene....I talked about it for months. Only to be taken down by half of a bottle of Sweet Tea Vodka as Kevin Drew took the stage....then woke up at 6 the next morning with a frantic, "What the hell happened???" I've been bummed out since the blackout, because I never do that for a show and also made the man friend bail with me....but really folks, he was the STV enabler.

Yeah...I barely remember this...

A half of a year has passed since the incident, I've become very experienced with the Sweet Tea Vodka, and Broken Social Scene are coming back to Houston on August 8th!!!! It's a two-day festival hosted by Free Press Houston on Buffalo Bayou near downtown...and the ticket prices are 10 measly bucks a day! Accompanying the Canadian supergroup for this weekend of awesomeness will be Of Montreal, The Octopus Project, What Made Milwakee Famous (I did!! ...jokes, jokes), and Austin's own Explosions in the Sky!


I highly recommend that you go, drink your Sweet Tea Vodka cautiously, and party your sweaty lil bayou butt off!



Tickets and info at: http://freepresssummerfest.com/

Did someone say PUB CRAWL??

I'll be Yelpin' it up at my very first Elite event on Friday, but if you're looking for something fun to do on a hot and muggy Houston evening, this could get your weekend started off right! Or it could lead to your Saturday not starting off so well, but that's just the price you pay for being awesome and fun. I have to opt out though, I'm kinda excited about the Yelp thing...many hours were wasted eating and drinking so I could write fun reviews.

Here's the info you need to get ya started with some crawling of the pubs:

http://houstonist.com/2009/03/05/light_rail_pub_crawl_departure_sche.php