BBD in the 713?

I just saw this in the Houston Press:

"MLK Day and Obama Pre-Inauguration Concert" with Bell Biv Devoe, Keith Sweat

Bell Biv DeVoe were pioneers of a style of music called new jack swing, which combined smooth rapping over sweet R&B beats. But the genre was more than just a type of music; it was part of a late '80s/early '90s zeitgeist. Largely ignoring the cultural turmoil of the time (the Rodney King incident, the AIDS epidemic), new jack swing was a feel-good movement, incorporating music, television (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, In Living Color) and fresh new street styles (ill-fitting parachute pants, flat-top hair). (Yes, kids, that was the golden age.) Relive this - and your past fashion mis-steps - with Bell Biv DeVoe this Sunday at the Arena Theater, when Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins and Ronnie DeVoe perform hits like "Poison," "Do Me!" and "She's Dope!"Arena Theatre7326 S. West Fwy Houston, TX

If Kid & Play and/or Boyz II Men would be there, I would sport my "Heights for Obama" shirt and represent regardless of the fact that I would stick out like sore thumb. It's all about Change right??

Things I've recently discovered...

Here's a list of some things I've recently discovered and wanted to share:

• School of Seven Bells : The track "Connjur" had me at the first 30 seconds.
• Explosions in the Sky has an 8 track EP that was recorded in 2005 which can only be purchased at their shows. It was recorded over two weeks as an experiment and you can listen online. There is also a link to what went into every track...very interesting.
• While riding around New Orleans, there's a place that you can "Lawyer Up". Say dawg, I'm lawyered up yo! I wish I had taken a picture.
• On Richmond Avenue in Houston, you can have your business cards made at one of the Adult Book and Toy stores....another Kodak moment that I missed.
• Seven months of hard work and sacrifice cannot prevent you from an injury popping up during the week of your marathon. For me, the thought of possibly not being able to run it has made me much more motivated and appreciative of what I've accomplished thus far. Here's hopin' that I'm not hoppin'!
• The pecan praline king cake from Marrero's own "Coffee &" can be consumed as breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, post-run snack, and midnight snack...but it could cause you to experience king cake coma.
• Good things come to those who wait.
• Guitar Hero addiction is real and should never be treated.
• Even though I voted for him twice, George Bush has said some crazy stuff.

Music Report

I've been listening to WAY too much terrific music lately. It spans many different indie sub-genres...many of which probably just have made up names, but never fail to make you look like a connoisseur. So feel free to use them to impress your friends, family and frienemies.


I have to start at the top though...I cannot stop listening to this album, and I find myself slightly sad that the songs have to end....so then I just hit repeat. If you haven't been introduced to Bon Iver, you're welcome. This would fall under the indie folk group and the story behind the album "For Emma, Forever Ago" is almost as intriguing as the nine tracks it consists of. When pronounced correctly, bohn eevair, means "good winter" in French...probably due to the fact that most of the album was recorded in a secluded cabin in Wisconsin where Justin Vernon spent three months after a breakup with his girlfriend. The entire album is amazing, but my two favs are "Skinny Love" and "Re: Stacks". Check out their live stuff: http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/download/47132-video-bon-iver-skinny-love-live-in-minneapolis

• Fleet Foxes also fall into the indie folk group and they describe their music as "baroque harmonic pop jams"....and as conflicting as the description may be, it works. The harmonies are amazing and this Seattle group's self-titled LP is at the top of all of the 2008 Best Of charts. "White Winter Hymnal" started my addiction....
• Snow Patrol...we all know about my Gary Lightbody obsession and how I've raved about him since 2004. No one wanted to listen to me though...not until they were featured on Grey's Anatomy. Which had me worried and not so excited about "A Hundred Million Suns" being released last year. I had this awful feeling that they were going to sell out to make the cash money, but they didn't. This album is magnificent and I reminiscent of their earlier days, which I thoroughly enjoyed! The whole thing is stellar and it's refreshing to hear more upbeat tracks...because Gary does deserve to be happy. But with the last track "The Lightening Strike", they are definitely not going to thaw out any time soon!
• M83 is a French electronic group belonging to the shoegazing genre...wiki dat. I stumbled upon M83 during 2005...it was a Pontiac commercial and in the background was this music that I needed to hear more of. So of course I had to go straight to trusty Google for "Song in Pontiac Commerical"...there it was..."Don't Save Us from the Flames". Great track! Their newest release "Saturdays = Youth" is also receiving lots of great reviews and they are touring with The Killers throughout the US. Fingers crossed that I'll catch them in Austin next month!!
• Deerhunter is a group from the ATL and is the masterpiece of frontman Bradford Cox. I was fortunate to see them perform in New Orleans at One Eyed Jacks in December...and it was a religious experience....well except for the stupid kids who decided to mosh at the show. Really? Who moshes outside of a 311 concert? Regardless if they fall under the oxymoron of a genre, ambient punk (huh?)....don't mosh, it'll only get you made fun of by the band...and that's never a good thing. I digress...the albums "Cryptograms" and their latest "Microcastle" are amazingly amazing. It's unlike anything I've ever heard and I've heard a lot....once you hear "Nothing Ever Happened" and it's 5 minutes of awesome guitar solos, you'll understand where I'm comin' from.
• Other recs: She & Him (Zooey Deschanel & M. Ward...fantastic), the new Killers album, Ra Ra Riot, Stars EP "Sad Robot", Coldplay's "Glass of Water" from the "Prospekt's March" EP, Animal Collective "Merriweather Post Pavilion"....

As a bonus for reading this installment, you get a few movie recs. Oh goodie! The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a beautiful movie! If you were a fan of Forrest Gump and if you have any love for the great city of New Orleans (or Brad Pitt/Cate Blanchett), I HIGHLY recommend this movie...but bring your endurance and some tissues. Slumdog Millionaire is up for lots of awards, which means that I desperately needed to see it before the awards season begins. I didn't really know what it was about going in...and it was extremely entertaining. Great flick!! A fellow Arcade Fire junkie and I watched their "Mirrior Noir" documentary a few weeks ago....if you've seen them live or want to, download it and enjoy!

Random Rants & Raves

This morning, during my 3.5 hour run, I had plenty of time to think about some really random things.  They all came out in little rants and raves...hey when you're stuck alone with your thoughts for that long, it's great entertainment.  

Raves

• I have to start off with this one...who wears short shorts?  Frank wears short shorts...and I was running behind him for a good two hours.  I'm just going to leave it at that.  
• My BAMF running playlist....it was the BEST yet.  I did a random mix so I had no idea what was up next and Deerhunter's "Nothing Ever Happened" just so happened to come up during mile 20.  The guitars at the end of this 6 minute song are serious...and build up...and build up...and next thing I knew I was at home base and had just ran my fastest mile.
• The Great Houston Blizzard of 2008 that we had on Wednesday...I kept thinking about how beautiful the snow was and how much fun we had that night!
• Having the guts to make the move to Mark's 3:45 group...and actually being able to keep up with them!!  
• The runners high...yes, it exists...but I think it may have made me hallucinate a bit.  Around mile 18 I started thinking about how I want to start swimming...and should buy a bike...because really, I need to get into triathlons.  As if the marathon thing wasn't punishment enough...I NEED MORE!!  Maybe one day I'll do a 1/2 Ironman!!
• Frank giving me his biscuit at breakfast...it really was worth sacrificing my two sad pieces of toast.  And the Barnaby's waiter that gave me my purple coffee mug...yeah he rocks!  The biscuit and purple mug saved my life...
• Chicken Soup...no, not for the soul...but good ol' Campbell's outta the can.  I had been told that it is the perfect thing to eat the night before a long run...the veggies and chicken provide the nutrients, it's light, the broth is great for hydration, and it's loaded with electrolytes.  I felt like a million bucks!

Rants

• Realizing at mile 7 that I forgot to put my Glide on.  If you're not a runner, I don't think you understand....but if you are, you know what kind of pain I'm experiencing right now.  My low cut dress for tonight's Christmas Party is definitely going to have me explaining my lovely abrasions. 
• Overpasses...
• Underpasses...
• Changes in elevation in general...
• Running loops around Memorial...I cannot even tell you how much I loathe loops of Memorial!!  It drives me insane...but I do enjoy the whole access to a bathroom thing.  
• People who try to run me over...and construction workers who make "hey baby" comments.  Seriously?  Unnecessary. 

I cannot believe the marathon is only a little over a month away!  Bring it....I'm ready!!

Top Songs of 2008

This list is by way of Mr. Scott Satchfield, my musical guru. Unfortunately I do not have the time to put together my own list, but our tastes are so similar that I agree with about 95% Of them and could not let his hard work go unshared. I'd like to wish those of you who do not have these tracks a happy downloading!!

1 Kids - MGMT
2 The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver - Elbow
3 Nothing Ever Happened - Deerhunter
4 Flume - Bon Iver
5 Black River Killer - Blitzen Trapper
6 Time to Pretend - MGMT
7 Mykonos - Fleet Foxes
8 Furr - Blitzen Trapper
9 Touch Me I'm Going to Scream pt 2 - My Morning Jacket
10 The Rip - Portishead
11 Lights & Music - Cut Copy
12 Saved By Old Times - Deerhunter
13 Crimewave - Crystal Castles vs. Health
14 On the Water - The Walkmen
15 DLZ - TV on the Radio
16 Herringbone - Department of Eagles
17 Folk I Farta - diskJokke
18 Willow Tree - Chad VanGaalen
19 Halfway Home - TV on the Radio
20 Skinny Love - Bon Iver
21 Wucan - Black Mountain
22 The Rat - Dead Confederate
23 Oxford Comma - Vampire Weekend
24 White Winter Hymnal - Fleet Foxes
25 Top Drawer - Man Man
26 Recent Bedroom - Atlas Sound
27 Remember - Ruby Suns
28 Teen Creeps - No Age
29 Faerie Dance - Plants and Animals
30 You Belong - Hercules & Love Affair

Big Little Live Music Weekend at the Continental Club

This weekend, the stage at Houston's Continental Club will be blessed with the performances of two amazing bands.  Friday night New Orleans' own Big Sam's Funky Nation will be jammin' out with their funky selves and Saturday night, Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights will take the stage.  These are two of my favorite surprise opening acts of 2008.  

I caught Big Sam for the first time in the middle of the day at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Jazz Fest to those in the know, and it was Dance Party USA.  In August, I had to drag some friends to see them at the Continental Club...and I had to drag those same friends out of the bar because they were having way too much fun!!  I also took my little brother to see them at the Blue Nile on Frenchman Street in NOLA, and he had a blast.  There were even random trumpet players coming into the club from off of the street to jam out on stage.  Big Sam looks is always stylin' and profilin' while dancin' around in his sunglasses, and playing the trombone...and the rest of the band definitely knows how to get funky!  If you're up for gettin' your dance on this Friday, that's the place to be.  I'm always a fan of hearing music from my beloved New Orleans in Houston!

Speaking of getting your dance on....Jonathan Tyler and crew are also a must-see at the Main Street venue.  I caught these guys before the O.A.R. show at Warehouse Live in April and was blown away by their performance.  We purchased their CD and its fun and funky....if you're a fan of anything with a steel guitar and you're a jammer...then you will most definitely dig these guys.  They will be opening up for JJ Grey in early 2009 at several House of Blues across the south, Houston included.  The tracks "Gypsy Woman" and "She's From the Other Side" are catchy and if you can't find a way to dance to them, then you need to get some boogie shoes.

Amos Lee says, "Listen Up Houston!"

And I completely agree with him!

Last night's show at Meridian was...well...there aren't words for it. Amos Lee is truly an amazing musician. Last year I saw him at ACL and it was one of my best experiences of the weekend. Me and my fest crew were exhausted from the heat, so we found a shady spot under the trees, layed down on the grass and watched Amos from afar. We sang along and tapped our feet...and although it was perfect for a Sunday in the park, it was NOTHING compared to what I experienced last night.

Before I go into detail about the show, here's my rant. It never fails that every concert that I seem to go to in Houston (at a small venue), I'm next to the obnoxiously drunk idiots who want to talk loud while the artist is performing. If you want to do this, stick to the shows in the Woodlands, Toyota Center and Reliant. The musicians that pick the smaller venues are passionate about their music, and so are their TRUE fans...it's very disrespectful. During one of Amos' songs, he started jamming and freestyling a bit...then he said something along the lines of: I know you probably have something important to say but so do I...and how we had been cooped up inside without power so he understood the rowdiness but to listen! Awesome! Way to go Amos!!!! Seriously though, I wanted to have these people escorted...

Enough negative energy...I'm speechless about the show. He played all of his stuff...new, old, covers...and it seemed every time we would say, "What's left?", he would hit us with another one of his musical masterpieces. I think he was reading Mandy's mind because right after she said, "I really want to hear 'Arms of a Woman' and 'Shout Out Loud'!!", he played them consecutively. He mentioned that he wrote the former ballad when he was 19 years old! That just makes it even sexier!

Speaking of sexy...the man played some serious baby-makin tunes last night. Nothing like what I had heard at ACL. Apparently he likes to "get down" for the late night shows...one song damn near made me blush!! The guy who opened, Mutlu, was surprisingly entertaining. He looks like a hippy, but sounds like Stevie Wonder or Michael McDonald! The last song of his opening set was "My Cherie Amore"...and it was a quality cover. For Amos' finale, he brought Mutlu on stage to sing some funky cover about caramel and gettin' it on...yep, speechless.

After the show, I got to meet him and he was so humble and truly grateful for the support. I had him sign his very first album...what a great night!

Ike Ike Baby

Last week Houstonians and everyone else along the coast watched the approach of Ike and his cones of uncertainty. The path shifted from Houston, to Brownsville, and slowly creeped back towards the northern Texas Coast by Thursday. We all left work early to start stocking up on things, hoping that it was all for not. The hardcore Texans kept saying that we were overreacting and it wouldn't be more than a 'gust of wind' by the time it hit.

Thursday night everyone went out because of the day off of work on Friday...bars were packed and I even went to see Delta Spirit and Dr. Dog at Walter's on Washington, which was a terrific show. When they sang, "The Ark", it was especially eerie because we all knew what was coming. There was a glimpse of hope before I went to bed that night showing Ike as a Cat One at landfall...but four hours later while I was getting ready for my 12 mile run, Ike was forecasted back to a Cat 2 and maybe a 3.

Friday we gathered at Francis' for a hurricane party and to watch the feeder bands roll in. Water was rising in New Orleans and the power was out at my parents' home there...so they had to evac to downtown NOLA for some comfort. Francis and crew cooked up an amazing pre-hurricane meal...since we knew that we would be out of power for a while...complete with champagne, champagne of beers (High Life...that is), wine, pizza, duck, fried rice, guacamole, and an "Ike" cake...it was like a high-falootin' buffet! After the feast, I headed back to my place to get ready to 'hunker down'.

Speaking of 'hunkering'...I decided that it would be a good idea if every time someone said "hunker down" to drink. After champagne and hurricanes...and LOTS of mentioning of the h-word...I apparently passed out on my sofa around midnight. I woke up at 3am (on my sofa and wondering "WTF?") to loud whistling coming from the windows and front door....and no power, or water. I stayed up to watch the 100+mph winds blow through Houston...and I realized that I had never been through the eye of a storm before and that I would NEVER do it again.

The next day, once the wind had ceased around noon, the Daily Grind opened for business. Unbelievable! They were running off of a generator, providing hot coffee, good comfort food, and television to the weather weary. We ordered a couple of coffees and plates of whatever the chef decided to whip up, while chatting with others about the force of the winds and damage they had seen. It was so comforting...thank you Daily Grind, you saved my life :)

Dinner for the next couple of days consisted of grilled sandwiches, soup and Veuve champagne. I had been saving the bottle for about a year for a special occasion...this definitely was it!

Eventually Onion Creek opened back up, Memorial Park cleared the downed trees (which is pretty sad by the way) and I was able to go for a run, my power came back on, the bayous overflowed and receded, and now we are all trying to return to our blissful state of normalcy. Many friends are still without power and it is always amazing to see how people step up to take care of their loved ones in times like these. It shows that in the midst of chaos, there is a silver lining. Every report I have received from friends and family have been positive...minor damage, no power...but everyone is safe and has a home to return to. Thank goodness!

Other things to make you smile: Interstate traffic is non-existent for the time being, hot coffee and cold drinks, being forced to do nothing for a couple of days and slow down enough to spend time with friends, talking to random strangers about the storm and giving words of support, this beautiful weather that we have been seeing since Sunday...

Things will be back to normal before we know it! Until then, let me know if you need anything...

Here are some helpful post-Ike links:

Places that are open:

http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2008/09/weve_heard_these_places_are.php

Important phone numbers:

http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou080912_mp_phone_numbers.6cd1e837.html

Gas Stations (stay patient and keep your cool...we are all going through the same thing):

http://www.khou.com/gasstation/

More Proof that the Chinese Government is Crazy

This article is in the Houston Chronicle today.

By JOE MCDONALD Associated Press
Aug. 22, 2008, 6:34AM

BEIJING — Customers in China of Apple Inc.'s iTunes online music store were unable to download songs this week, and an activist group said Beijing was trying to block access to a new Tibet-themed album.

In Internet forums, iTunes users complained they had been unable to download music since Monday. That was a day after the Art of Peace Foundation announced the release of Songs for Tibet, with music by Sting, Alanis Morissette, Garbage and others, and a 15-minute talk by the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan leader.

Michael Wohl, executive director of the New York City-based group, said he believed the album was the reason for the iTunes interruption, though he had no proof.
"We issued a release saying that over 40 (Olympic) athletes downloaded the album in an act of solidarity, and that's what triggered it. Then everything got blocked," Wohl said by phone.

Beijing encourages Internet use for education and business use but tries to block access to foreign sites run by dissidents and human rights and Tibet activists.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, which regulates Internet use, did not respond to a request for comment. A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Public Security, who would give only her surname, Wang, said she had no information.

Apple, based in Cupertino, Calif., acknowledged that customers were having trouble.
"We are aware of the logon problems but we have no comment at the moment," said Huang Yuna, an Apple spokeswoman in Beijing. She declined to say how many customers were believed to be affected.

Blocked iTunes users poured out their frustration on Internet bulletin boards.
"It seems like suspending iTunes is punishment for iTunes, but really it doesn't hurt iTunes, it hurts us," said a note on macfans.com.cn, a Chinese site for Apple users.

The Dalai Lama has been vilified by Chinese authorities, who claim he is trying to split Tibet from China. He says he only wants greater autonomy for the Himalayan region to protect its Buddhist culture.

Violent protests broke out in March in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa. Many Tibetans insist they were an independent nation before Communist troops invaded in 1950, while Beijing says the Himalayan region has been its territory for centuries.

Wohl said his group contacted Olympians ahead of the games and offered free copies of the 20-song album. He said those who downloaded it included competitors from the United States, Canada, Britain, Spain, France and Australia.

Most got the album before entering China, but "some in Beijing did download, and I think that's what spooked the Chinese government," Wohl said.

Wohl declined to identify the athletes by name, saying he wanted to avoid making trouble for them with the Chinese government or the International Olympic Committee.

China has the world's largest population of Internet users, with 253 million people online as of June, according to the government. The United States is in second place with 223.1 million people online, according to research firm Nielsen Online.

Apple has no China-based iTunes service. Users must log onto sites for the United States or other markets. Despite that, the company's iPod digital music player is hugely popular in China.
Wohl said he had heard no complaints from Apple about the possible impact of the album on iTunes access.

"They're incredibly supportive people. They wouldn't do anything like that," he said. "They support freedom of speech and freedom of expression."

Nigel the Flippin' 8 Year Old

My fellow yoga ninja in training, Nikole, our yoga ninja master, Mandy, and myself have started a weekly ritual of enjoying a tasty froyo from Swirll. It's big fun...we sweat our butts off for a couple of hours and indulge in yogurty goodness for anywhere between $6-9...well worth it.

The first time we went, we were sitting outside partaking in some excellent girl talk....when out of the corner of my eye I saw a little boy doing flips back and forth along the sidewalk. He was a cute and petit little guy and for about 5 minutes entertained us with roundoffs, flipflops, walking on his hands, and even a little bit of breakdancing. We were speechless. Then, just as quickly, he got in his mom's corolla (she had been parked while he was putting on the show), rolled down the window and waved, and then they drove off. The three of us let out a collective, "WTF?" and a "Did that just happen?" Yeah it did...it was weird..but I thought for sure it was a one-time act of randomness.

Low and behold, same time, same place last week...the kid is back. We had more witnesses with us this time, so we knew we weren't crazy. We cheered him on. Then we asked his name...it was Nigel...of course. He is in gymnastics and apparently just wanted to do some flips. When a friend's husband said he could show him some new tricks, Nigel said "I don't NEEEEED any new tricks" So said husband sat back down....only to be assaulted by little 8-year old Nigel moments later.

Nigel walked up to the hubby, grabbed his shoulder and said "Don't make me have to tell you to move!!!" He had the most serious look on his face and clearly he was not joking...I was honestly a bit scared of the kid.

Nigel may be performing randomly at a Swirll near you...but watch out, he's feisty! Just let him do his thang and get back in the car. He accepts applause, but that's about it. Best of luck kiddo.