Elefante Gigante

In the past decade the record label Elephant Six has turned out some really great bands, but the odds are you've probably never heard of them.  If thats the case let me fill you in on some history.  Begun in 1993 by Robert Schneider, William Cullen Hart, Bill Doss, and Jeff Mangum it was only active until 2002 but in that small amount of time signed dozens of bands.  Some notable bands from the Label were/are Apples in Stereo, Neutral Milk Hotel, The Olivia Tremor Control, Of Montreal, Beulah, Circulatory System, The Sunshine Fix, Elf Power and many other notable side projects and off shoots.  These bands all had held the idea that they whould bring back music from the sixties and, to verying degrees, each band attempted to do so before either moving on or breaking up.  If you haven't already heard some of these bands here is your chance to hear some of my favorite songs by some of these artists. Enjoy! Apples in Stereo   Neutral Milk Hotel   Olivia Tremor Control   Of Montreal   Beulah   In case you enjoyed some of those videos you will be pleased to know that the Apples in Stereo (one of the founding bands of the label) brought back the Label in 2007. Elephant Six is back in business! Woot Woot.

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Sigur Ros @ Greek Theatre

Rumor has it that during Sigur Ros performances, the sheer overwhelming beauty of their pieces cause grown men to shed all traits of masculinity and suddenly break down and cry. I wasn't sure how valid this statement was or where it originated from, but I can assure you that when I bought my ticket, I was expecting a good cry to be a part of the experience. With this knowledge in the back of my mind I went into this concert with a box of Kleenex and extremely high expectations. Having arrived to the show about a bit late, I missed most of the opening act, Parachutes, another Icelandic band that played that kind of dreamy ambiance pop very similar to Sigur Ros. There were several occasions however, when they sounded a little too similar (not that sounding like Sigur Ros is ever a bad thing). Unfortunately, I can’t really say much about this band, but everything I heard for those ten or so minutes sounded very promising. I’d say to definitely give them a shot on recording. After this brief taste of Icelandic magic, my anticipation had only grown. I held my box of Kleenex closely, ready for Sigur Ros. They started things off with Sven G Englar, off of their Ágætis Byrjun album (my personal favorite). As expected, everything sounded magical and whimsical. Everything seemed to be going smoothly—they kept their playlist diverse (I was expecting the majority of the show to be filled with tracks off of their new album), had great light show to back it up as well as several film montages, and bursts of confetti to top it off. When the band started to play “Hoppipola”, the audience of course went wild. Lead singer, Jón “Jónsi” Þór Birgisson (for the sake of pronunciation and sanity, we’ll call him Jon), had the audience accompany him throughout the songs with extended cries of “Ooohs.” Other highlights included “Saeglopur” and “Inní Mér Syngur Vitleysingur”. They closed the set with an orgasmic performance of “Gobblidigook”, a song I’m not particularly fond of, but the dreamlike rainbow lighting, snowstorm of confetti, and the collaboration with several drummers from Parachutes, pretty much made the song unforgettable. And of course there were a few encores—the epic “Untitled 8,” and the not so great “All Alright,” which ended the night on a rather quiet note. I know I'm being a bit harsh, but although I thoroughly enjoyed Sigur Ros, I can’t help but feel a just a little bit letdown. For one, I didn’t cry, let alone feel emotionally on the verge of collapse (sometimes I wonder if I even have a heart anymore). I basically lugged around all that Kleenex for nothing. Secondly, I felt the set was too short. They played somewhere between an hour-and-a-half to two hours, which is a pretty decent set time, but most of the songs they played averaged around seven or so minutes. I guess I would’ve just liked to hear more (or maybe I wouldn’t be so bitter if they had played more stuff of Ágætis Byrjun). But my biggest complaint is regarding their sound—it’s pretty much the same as recording. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing (at least they don’t sound worse than on record), but I guess considering my overly high expectations, I was expecting something utterly amazing. If anything, they sounded a bit thinner than on recording (probably because this time around, there was no string quartet accompanying them, which is odd, since they usually have the quartet during live shows). But overall, it was by no means a bad show—I’m completely content and happy that I went, and if they showed up in town again, I'd probably drop another fifty bucks to see them. I just won't expect to breakdown in the fetal position sobbing tears of bliss and joy.

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Dude, Craig IS The Man

For those that have been following the minor No Age / Obama / The Equal Time Rule / CBS / Craig Ferguson controversy:  

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Tasty Apples

So about a month ago, a friend of mine who works at the Beverly Center Apple Store helped a random guy buy a computer. Little did he know, this would result in a partially-complementary dining experience for two at one of Hollywood's tastiest restaurants. As it turned out, the "random guy" in need of a new Mac was in fact a chef at Ketchup, a trendy little Hollywood restaurant allegedly owned by Ashton Klutcher. Considering its trendy, upscale image, the food the restaurant serves might come as a bit of a surprise. You'll be less likely to find "exotic" foods here than American staples such as hamburgers, fries, hotdogs and steak, despite the fancy, modern decor. Because we had been invited for a meal, we were treated to extra special service (at a place that ordinarily has good service anyway). Samples of various appetizers were brought out for us to try, for free, and they were all incredibly delicious. First up was the "3 Some" - THREE different kinds of fries and FIVE different varieties of... you guessed it... Ketchup. Each of them was distinct, and yet delicious in its own way. I made a point to try each different fry with each variety of Ketchup. I would share my favorite combinations, but I think it would take away from the experience of trying them all yourself should you decide to eat there. Next up came mini hotdogs and mini cheeseburgers. These were anything but the traditional greasy fast food burger. Instead, they were "childhood favorites, recreated with an upscale, gourmet twist." They were all very good, and somehow also quite filling for their size. Around the same time, a cart came by offering free drink samples (in exchange for tips). It seems the restaurant had decided that by offering free samples of its fabulous beverages, it could encourage more people to purchase drinks. I wish I'd written this review a bit earlier, as I can't remember the exact names of the drinks I tried. I know I tried one with tequila in it, and my friend tried some sort of grape concoction (the only two they offered free samples of), and then we swapped to try the other. I ended up ordering a variation on a Cosmopolitan, which no doubt had a clever name I don't remember. For a main entree, I highly recommend the "shake-n-bake" chicken with sauteed vegetables. It was excellent - especially the sauce, and so good in fact, that I couldn't stop eating it until it was all gone. By the time I finished it, I was so full (between the appetizers and the main course) that I could hardly stand up to leave. My friend felt the same after trying the "Deliverance," a Jack Daniel's-glazed, double cut pork chop with cheddar grits, apple sauce, and salad. All and all, Ketchup is an excellent restaurant, although ordinarily it would be a bit pricey... were it not for our Apple store luck. I would definitely go back again sometime, and I highly recommend dining there if you get the chance.

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