Kishi Bashi (and Other Things)

One of my top 2012 albums is Kishi's Bashi, 151A. K Ishibashi is a musician who plays and records under the name Kishi Bashi. I'm not quite sure how to categorize his music. Wiki tells me it's:  indie pop, indie rock, psychedelic pop, electronic, and experimental. That sounds about right.

(I've never once been able to get a good picture inside this venue.  Why start now?)

K had me at knowing how to play the violin. I'm a sucker for violinists. His songs are full of looping and layers and he does it all on stage.  You can see it in this performance of "Manchester". I love to listen to his albums and mentally break apart all of the layers and just enjoy each in its separateness and then combine to enjoy them in their cohesiveness. K has music bursting out of his DNA and it's amazing to watch. I actually get teary-eyed starting at 3:51 and then again at 5:22 of the "Manchester" video.  Glorious.

If I had to pick only one Kishi Bashi song to listen to forever, it would probably be "I Am the Anti-Christ to You". Heartbreaking yet somehow beautiful. It makes me feel deeply. Thank you, K.

The only downside to this show was the place was packed with knuckleheads who had no sense of concert etiquette. I'm usually pretty low-key at shows, but I did have to call out the 6'3" dude who showed up over an hour late and stood 4" directly in front of me. You can't do that.

A Concert Etiquette Guide by Spinner if you need a review or if you just need to hear from other people who understand that you just want to enjoy the show.

Kishi Bashi is playing the Midpoint Music Fest and the Pygmalion Music Festival in September. Both have pretty solid (and similar) line-ups if you're in those areas. A full list of upcoming tour dates in on his website.  

Now go listen to some Kishi Bashi!

Take Chance and Roll the Bones: Shakey Graves

Another musician I saw for the first time this spring is Shakey Graves.  Shakey is a one-man band who has received quite a bit of buzz in Austin and just finished a sold out tour with Wild Child and Marmalakes.  Next up, he's playing at some of the upcoming Shovels and Rope tour stops.

Shakey is also easy on the eyes:

Learn more about how Shakey Graves got his name and hear a song here.

His skinny jeans look, along with the song from which this blog title is derived, is here.

Any local bands you're loving right now?

Sweet Potato and Lentil Salad

I follow a borderline vegan diet.  Why?  Mostly because I don't like meat.  I also have strong opinions about factory farms and animal cruelty, but I will not get on that soapbox here.

I'm not completely vegan because I love dairy (cheese please) and because vegan is fairly tricky and expensive to completely follow.  

One of my favorite blogs for finding vegan recipes is Oh She Glows.  Angela is a fabulous blogger and recipe creator.  I made one of her recipes today and it is delicious (read that as "dee-licious").  Full credit to her for this and please visit/follow her blog.

(Please accept my apologies for being a terrible food photographer. This looks much better in real-life.)

Sweet Potato and Lentil Salad

Recipe from Angela Liddon at Oh She Glows

Ingredients:

Vegetable mixture:

*  2 medium or 1 large sweet potato 

*  1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil & more to saute 

*  salt & pepper, to taste

*  2 cups vegetable broth

*  1 cup uncooked green lentils

*  1 onion, chopped 

*  2 garlic cloves, minced

*  1 orange pepper, chopped (I used orange, yellow, and red)

*  couple handfuls spinach, chopped

Dressing:

*  1 tbsp maple syrup

*  1 tsp Dijon mustard

*  1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

*  1 tbsp basalmic vinegar

*  salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:

 http://ohsheglows.com/2011/03/23/sweet-potato-and-lentil-salad-cookie-dough-voo/#ixzz2XjUYAzFN

Because I really want you to visit Angela's website.  It's that great!

Notes:

I sprinkled goat cheese crumbles on top because...cheese please.

This is an excellent dish to make on a Sunday so you can eat it for work lunches throughout the week!

Music Update: Looking Back at Lord Huron

My one goal for 2013 is to see at least 42 musicians/bands play. As of today, I'm up to about 35 or 36.  Things are looking pretty good. It is only a great thing to exceed this goal.  Since I'm way behind in blogging these, I'll occasionally add a few highlights.

Lord Huron

SXSW//Austin, TX

March 13

That pedal board case is painted similar to their album cover.  Nice touch.

Two things about Lord Huron:

1.  Their most recent album is best listened as a whole.  This is counter the current trend in music which is to just buy songs that you like and not the whole album.  However, Lord Huron's songs blend into each other with a beautiful effect and I highly recommend buying the whole album, Lonesome Dreams.  It's one of my favorites.

2.  I cannot speak from experience, but I would imagine their best shows would be outdoors.  They have music that just makes you want to lay on a lakeshore and stare up at the stars.  This performance was excellent, but my dream is one day...outdoors. Dreamy and quiet and in nature.

They seem to all have beautiful souls, incredible talent, and the disposition where you want to go camping with them and play music around the campfire. 

One of my favorite Lord Huron songs.

Zucchini Pickles, Yo.

It only took me 5 attempts to spell "zucchini" right.  That and "took" have always been my trouble words.  I often spell "took" as "toke". Oh dear.

One of my life goals is to learn canning and pickling.  My mom, being a wonderful and industrious woman, would annually pickle cucumbers and can tomato sauce and jam.  I love the memories of opening the pantry to see all those mason jars.  It goes without saying that what was in those jars was awfully tasty.

My first canning attempt was not particularly complicated.  Slow and steady in the learning, my friends.  Here it is:

Zucchini Pickles

[adapted from a Cooking Light recipe, August 2010 issue]

Ingredients:

*  4 cups zucchini slices

*  1 cup slivered sweet onion (I used white onions)

*  3 thinly sliced garlic gloves

*  1 cup white vinegar

*  1/2 cup sugar

*  3/4 tsp crushed red pepper (I left this out because I didn't have any and it was all ok.)

*  1 tsp mustard seeds

*  3/4 tsp kosher salt

Directions:

1.  Combine first three ingredients in a glass bowl or put into mason jar(s).

2.  Bring remaining 5 ingredients to a boil in a sauce pan.

3.  Pour liquid mixture over zucchini mixture.

4.  Cover and chill 24 hours.

Notes:

I had to almost double the liquid mixture to cover the zucchini.  I recommend trying this out as is and then adjusting as needed.  Enjoy the cooking adventure and do not be afraid to go slightly off the trail! 

10 Words

I haven't given up entirely on the blog a day challenge. It's just that May has been...crazy. But, I'm back with me in 10 words:


I'm
worth
more
than
the
world
tells
me
I
am.

Day 4: A Quote

I have a Pinterest board titled "Words to Live, Laugh, & Love By".  Yes, I love me some quotes.  For this blog entry, I re-read them until one jumped out and it was this one:

Gosh, it has taken so long to get this one.  Not get this one.   Get this one.   And I'm still walking towards that day when I GET this one.  Truth be told, that probably won't happen until my 80's or 90's.
It's ok to admit that it takes a lifetime to slowly figure out and accept things the way they are.  Accept us the way we are.

We grow up with layers of other people's expectations and beliefs and approvals and rejections.  It takes a while to peel back those layers to see who we are.  It takes a while to realize life sometimes doles you more rejection than approval.  That not every word directed towards you is affirmation or encouragement.  That it's really ok to be unique and quirky and unusual and...you.

Where I disagree with this quote is that we can't forget everyone.  We can't.  We're a social society full of individuals who all want to love and be loved.  And, nothing ever gives us the right to treat people terribly just because it's "who we are". What this does mean,  however, is that we can forget the idea that complete approval and absence of judgment is how we live.  But, in the midst of unwarranted and necessary judgement, still just be yourself and know that others views of you don't lessen or diminish you.

  

Day 3: Things That Make Me Uncomfortable

When I first started typing this blog entry, I wrote about something serious and revelatory.  Those are two qualities that make my reserved personality uncomfortable. :)  So, now that is deleted and let's turn to some more light-hearted things that make me uncomfortable:

1.  pants without elastic waists

2.  couples making out in front of me, especially at concerts

3.  papercuts

4.  sex talk or sexy movie scenes in front of my family

5.  sand in my bathing suit

6.  dancing before having at least 3 glasses of wine

7.  eating too many habanero peppers
8.  turtlenecks

Day 2: A Piece of Outer Space

Blog Every Day in May, Day 2:  Educate us on something you know alot about or are good at.  See Jenni's blog for the scoop. 

I can't really think of anything I know a lot about. But, something I like to study a lot is astronomy.  Galaxies, nebula, black holes, pulsars, and so on.  I'm particularly interested in the effects of gravity in space.  Sure, this might sound nerdy.  But, I'm past the point of worrying about that.  We love what we love...pursue those things!  And, if you ever want to talk astronomy, give me a call.

But, for this moment, I present just one of my favorite objects in outer space:

Enceladus.  One of Saturn's 53 natural moons.  It has one of the most reflective surfaces in our solar system due to its icy surface. The northern hemisphere is largely cratered, which suggests the surface materials are older. However, the southern hemisphere is smoother and has the distinct blue tiger stripes, depressions which perhaps suggest tectonic activity.

My favorite part about Enceladus--the part that makes me all science nerd giddy--is this:

Y'all those are geysers.  Enceladus' core is likely not still hot enough for these to be the volcanoes we know on Earth (though some scientists believe this is possible.)  Instead, it is perhaps its elliptical orbit and the pull of gravity on it--by Saturn and possibly other moons--that causes these geysers.  As the water leaves the geysers, it turns into snow and ice which becomes...part of Saturn's E ring.  This moon helps create one of Saturn's rings! Isn't this just wonderful?

I want to go to outer space so bad.  Until the happens, I'll just keep learning as much as I can about it.  Hope you have enjoyed this galactic tale.

Day 1: Me in < 250 Words

Note: I'm participating in Jenni's "Blog Every Day Challenge". You should too.

Daughter, sister,
niece, cousin, and friend.

Dreamer, seer,
music in my soul.

Teacher, student,
longing to know all.

Learner, reader,
reluctant leader.

Quiet, silent,
sometimes redundant.

Love people, rain,
all the galaxies.

Writing, typing,
these thoughts in my mind.

40 Shows in 52 Weeks

In the comments section of a music article, I read about a man whose goal was to see 42 music shows in 2012--the year he turned 42.  I think setting a music goal is fabulous so I decided to set one. I am not 42. :)  However, since I'm a huge music fan in a city with tons of live music, I aimed high and set a similar goal of 42 bands/musicians in 52 weeks. Along the way, I'd like to document as many as possible on the blog.  Maybe finally have a reason to keep coming around here.

Whiskey Shivers and Marmalakes 
Free Week//Mohawk//Austin, Texas
January 2013

(all pictures are iPhone and are great for Instragram, but pardon the quality on Blogger.)

Free Week is the first week (though it seems to now be two weeks!) of January and a chance to catch so many great local bands.  There is an incredible amount of talent in this city and it's so amazing to see the support they get from local venues and music fans.  Either of these bands is worth seeing anytime and anywhere!

Whiskey Shivers

above and below: Marmalakes