Sorry, No Post Today
I am super swamped with work and a course I’m taking in basic HTML. Luckily, I’m using my opportunity to build a site as a chance to create something for this blog. Here’s a little taste…
Clubs
Blogger’s note: This was a post I started a couple of days ago and didn’t have time to finish until right before bed. No links. No footnotes. Take for what it is. The true magic happens in the comments.
I moved to Middle Missouri just over six years ago. We arrived with no friends (other than the two of us), forcing us to start over. At first, we only hung out with co-workers. This was fine, but many of these co-workers (certainly not all), did not share the same interests we had/have. This was cool at first, but eventually, we needed relationships outside of the workplace.
My partner has coped in her way. I helped establish and joined some clubs. There have actually been several organizations I’ve joined in one way or another, but a few are on my agenda at all times.
The Columbia Beer Enthusiasts started up about three years ago in an attempt to improve the craft beer scene here in Columbia. I attended the first tow meetings of the CBE when all we really did was meet at a restaurant with loads of beer which we proceeded to consume. The group has evolved as the scene has done the same. Now, I’m an officer with said club.
The COMO Record Swap happened recently. It was a way for a bunch of us vinyl lovers to get together and swap some records without having a proper record store in town. It’s turned into a nice little community. I’ve even improved my record collection through both subtraction and addition.
The Brew Day Facebook group was an off-shoot of the CBE. Friends set up their all-grain brewing system every Sunday morning and we worship the gods of malt and hops. I’ve made it a couple of times, but this past weekend I participated by brewing my own Simcoe-dependency IPA and I’m hungry for more.
Part of me wants to create a club of partners who have followed their significant others to this god-forsaken place to realize their tenured dreams of glory. However, it doesn’t have to be that organized. I’ll just drink beer with those dudes.
A group I want to establish in the future is one that will plan and establish a Columbia community festival, much like the one I used to enjoy in Columbus, OH. Columbus’ Commfest was a weekend of bands and beer as a large park was shut off in order to allow huge amounts of people to walk barefoot in the grass with mugs of beer as many favorite local bands played. I see a lot of possibility for the same thing here.
So, why all the clubs and organizations? What do clubs say about us?
Upon moving here, I felt a need for community. I waited for it to happen, but often it didn’t. Instead, I’ve had to either start something or join in and be a part of something bigger than myself. Some of that community happens online, but it isn’t as fulfilling as what happens face-to-face. Sure, most of it is meaningless, but it makes the daily grind worth it and erases some worry.
That’s partially how I see this blog. That’s why I created a Facebook page. I want to chat with people who feel the same way I do about beer and music. This is what makes life interesting. These are the details we remember.
This post had a point when I started and I thought there was more to the narrative. However, it’s a simple dedication to the ideas of community and the purpose of clubs to make that happen.
As usual, leave comments and let me know what you think.
Top 5 for September 26, 2011
Have you filled out my survey? Well, do it. I have a grade to maintain. And on with the list…
1. 20 Years Ago – It seems that the nostalgia cycle has firmly settled on my generation (X). There are numerous Nevermind tributes, including my own. However, there were other records that came out in 1991. That and a lot has come out in honor of feminism’s third wave taking off in the form of ‘zines and riot grrrl happenings. Of course, all of this 90’s retro fever will only encourage me to force outdated media on my child. Hence the purpose of this blog has gone mainstream (aside from the beer part).
2. The Ohio State Buckeyes 2011 Football Season – I’d rather not write much about football. All is not lost, but it’s a rebuilding year for sure. Freshman Braxton Miller started and won. So, there’s that. B1G starts this week. We’ll see how things go from here on out. The off-season of suspensions and coach firings has done a number on my favorite sports team. Here’s to hoping the NCAA is kind next month.
3. Spotify – I wish I had more time for Spotify. This is the social music tool for which I’ve always dreamed. I haven’t created a lot of complete play lists, but I’m starting. If only they had more music. At least a third of the music for which I search is not yet available. I know that I could just upload my own, but that takes time and most of my CD’s are put away. It will take time, but I’ll post some play lists soon enough. In the meantime, subscribe to my play list for the blog. It will be updated periodically.
4. Black Francis Update – Black Francis is bottled and will sit for another 3-4 weeks in said bottles for some additional aging and conditioning. I originally planned to let it sit in the secondary for two months, but I decided to move it after six weeks? Why? Multiple reasons, really. First, I’m impatient waiting on home brew and I knew it tasted pretty great a week or two ago. Second, I have plans to brew more and figured I might need the carboy and/or the space. Third, everything was long-settled and the flavors seemed to have soaked in well enough. Fourth, I accidentally left the cover off the carboy for several days after tasting it. I don’t detect any oxidation, but I figured it was time to bottle and move on. My hope is that I have plenty of bottles to share around the holidays.
Speaking of home brewing…I brewed an all-grain batch of my Simcoe-dependency yesterday. It should be awesome. It smelled pretty awesome anyway. I may offer tasting notes once it’s ready.
5. Hopz – I tried one of those Hopz cigars. I bought them for my father-in-law for his retirement. We smoked a couple yesterday. Pretty mild, loosely wrapped, but I didn’t get any hops. Maybe it’s all marketing. I guess it worked.
Help a Brother Out
Hey, can you all take a moment and fill out the following form? It’s for a class, but I plan to figure out a way to make it happen for reals. Thanks in advance.
Nevermind
Twenty years ago tomorrow, music changed for me and changed me. September 24, 1991 was the day Geffen released Nirvana’s Nevermind, widely considered a game-changing album throughout the record industry. It changed even more than that.
Well, honestly, it didn’t change me on that exact date, 20 years ago. The shift came some time after, whenever “Smells Like Teen Spirit” entered my zone of awareness. I searched out the track and decided it was worthy a purchase. I can’t remember who actually paid for the cassette, but my brother and I exchanged it back and forth as we played the hell out of it.
By now, the story of Nevermind is well-known. It bumped Michael Jackson and/or several hair metal bands from their perch atop the Billboard charts. It set off a signing frenzy of bands from Seattle. Grunge became a household term to describe anything in flannel, combat boots, and full of feedback. It ignited a cultural revolution – which may have only been superficial, but a movement nonetheless.
For me, it opened up a whole new world. There was the introduction to an underground I had no idea existed. It validated my disgust for the mainstream. And it gave new voice to my burgeoning political views. It did all this and then some.
Nirvana was one of the first (and maybe only) true indie bands to completely blow up. Their previous record, Bleach, sold a few thousand copies and sounded nothing like a band ready to take the world by storm. I love some tracks from that record, but I never heard anything on Bleach that made me think Nevermind was possible – and this was in retrospect.
The band was originally signed to Sub Pop. In fact, Nevermind featured Sub Pop’s logo, indicating that the label would pay its bills with Nirvana money for years to come. The Sub Pop narrative became an obsession of mine. My uncle was school chums with Jonathan Poneman, co-founder of the label. My uncle developed a substance addiction and Poneman developed bands. The rest was history. Still, I felt some sort of connection to the label and even the band that went beyond mere fandom.
Nirvana started getting press and at every turn, Kurt Cobain was championing some great band. Off the top of my head, I can think of Meat Puppets, Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr, The Breeders, Beat Happening, Bikini Kill, etc. that came into my collection mainly due to Cobain’s insistence that his fans listen to other bands besides his own. And each of those new bands lead me to an infinite number of bands I won’t list here (not to mention all the great bands on Sub Pop over the years).
The funny part about Nirvana and Nevermind‘s influence over my music tastes is that this record wasn’t that great. Sure, it’s a nice collection of good songs. However, it’s a clear ripoff of The Pixies’ loud-quiet-loud dynamic. Someone had finally put to tape a collection that properly nodded to the underground and then spruced it up with a remix. It’s a slick-sounding record which sort of betrays what Nirvana was about. Lucky for us, MTV still showed music videos and live performances at that time to help us see what Nirvana was all about. Still, I’d have to say that In Utero was a stronger album and represented a truer version of Nirvana, but it didn’t have the impact Nevermind had.
Either way, the aesthetic and message of that album, Cobain’s championing of the underground, and my new obsession with Sub Pop and the Pacific Northwest pushed me into what is turning out to be a lifelong pursuit of independent rock, aka indie rock. Sure, Pavement is my favorite band of all-time, but Nirvana was my first true love.
Cobain not only used Nevermind as a way to promote the music he loved, but it was also the thing that vaulted him in the public eye in a way that made him the spokesperson of our generation. Fair or not, Kurt Cobain spoke to and sometimes for all of us. And the things of which he spoke were important. He was notorious for testing gender lines and the status quo. My eventual path down progressivism was initially guided by Cobain’s own political and social views. There are pieces of that in Nevermind. I found them while listening and re-listening in vain attempts to decipher Cobain’s screams.
It’s easy for someone to discount Nevermind‘s importance to society. I mean, it basically rehashed the previous 20 years of punk in one fell swoop. So, very little new ground was ever covered within its grooves. One might even point out that the record industry looks very much the same despite Nirvana’s success.
Still, it was the first wildly successful record that sounded the way indie bands did in those days. Nevermind‘s release was the culmination of decades of punk, hardcore, and indie breaking through a wall put up by major labels and corporate radio. That had as much to do with its big sound as anything. And the lasting effect is that indie artists actually share space on industry sales lists with major label releases. They command the same venues and often outlast their corporate cousins. I’m not sure indie music is as strong without Nevermind‘s success, even if it wasn’t an indie release itself.
And what about the music?
Maybe some of the most famous guitar licks to open an album ever happen at the beginning of “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” The best part of the song is that insults the mainstream kids who flocked to stores to buy Nirvana’s major label debut. It was an inside joke with legendary riot grrrl Kathleen Hanna. It’s the song that signified everything was changing. Maybe that change was fashionable or superficial for some, but whatever it was happened as this song first hit the airwaves.
The second track was the fourth single off the record. Interestingly, “In Bloom” was considered for Bleach, but I think most would agree that it fits with Nevermind‘s anti-mainstream theme. I don’t know whether it was prophetic or not, but the song came out as a single at the right time as sort of retort to all the d-bags and jocks who were adopting Nirvana as their own.
“Come As You Are” was the second single and, quite honestly, was more hit-worthy than “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” The only thing it lacked was the punch the first track contained. Still, a hit is a hit. Sadly, it’s clichéd to say, but this song was ironically accurate with its now infamous gun lyric.
“Breed” brought it in a way that Bleach-era Nirvana did. This song reeked of angst and alienation. Plus, it never hurt to attract young males with aggression and some heavy guitars.
The third single was “Lithium,” a song I think would have felt at home on In Utero, Nirvana’s best album. Teenage angst and male awkwardness comes through loud and clear. The loud-quiet-loud dynamic is certainly apparent. This is maybe Nevermind‘s best track.
Where do I begin with “Polly?” As the story goes, some assholes sang the song while raping a woman. Cobain was disgusted by the entire episode and made sure to call out the perpetrators in the liner notes for Nirvana’s rarities release, Incesticide. Aesthetically, it didn’t fit with Bleach and found itself on Nevermind. We all ate up that grunge performed acoustically thing. (see: MTV Unplugged)
Fuck, man. Rocking out to “Territorial Pissings” was what it was all about. And was he saying “gotta find a way, a better way” or was it “gotta find a way, I better wait?” Does it matter?
A perfect B-side for “Smells Like Teen Spirit” was “Drain You.” This is maybe the lone love song of Nevermind. Following “Drain You” is the fantastic “Lounge Act” with its obtuse drug references. “Stay Away” was what every teen-age boy questioning everything thought all the time. “On a Plain” is one of the best songs any band has ever snuck into a next-to last slot.
“Something in the Way” is an eerie and depressing way to close the record. However, it hints at the subtlety Cobain longed to fit into his repertoire, getting away from the aggression of grunge and moving beyond Nevermind‘s pure aggression into something more complex.
I could write about the hidden track (“Endless, Nameless”), but it was hidden for a reason…
Nevermind was an important record for many reasons. This is the first time I’ve seen the reason to celebrate something that’s 20 years old. This album represented a movement, even a generation. I remember feeling a ton of dissatisfaction with the world and Nevermind captured that. In fact, I’d argue that Nevermind is still meaningful to our current condition. Generation X has been through a lot and Nevermind was there for all of it.
I was lucky enough to see Nirvana during their In Utero tour. They were probably the last huge band I could ever love. Nevermind was the beginning and the last two decades of searching for the thrill Nevermind gave me since has made for a fun ride through indie rock. Happy birthday, Nevermind.
On Pumpkin Beers
The pumpkin beer is a strange, strange thing. Either people crave it, always in-search of the perfect pumpkin beer, or they hate them, preferring to drink a Märzen or even stouts and porters during autumn months. I used to belong to the former group. I don’t know that I ever loved pumpkin ales, but I was certainly always on the lookout for the perfect one.
There have been a few pumpkin ales that have satisfied my needs over the years. Schlafly’s Pumpkin Ale tastes and looks like it is boozier than it really is. There’s not a load of heat, but it has the thin, alcohol-y feel and almost no head of a high ABV brew. The Dogfish Head Punkin is another I’ve enjoyed. This is a malty take on the fall classic. Finally, Southern Tier’s Pumpking is the bready, vanilla-dominated version many a beer geek crave.
Interestingly, for me, all three of these beers feature more of a pumpkin flavor than a cinna-nutmeg bomb that tastes like pumpkin pie in a glass. The spices are typically too heavy in pumpkin ales, making them just another failed homebrew experiment with spice[1]. I like that these three beers generally steer away from spice and actually showcase the pumpkin.
That said, even the pumpkin ales I’ve liked eventually grow old[2]. After a while, I feel like I’m drinking vegetables. In fact, I had sworn off this season’s offerings in favor of other autumnal beers. Bottles of liquid pumpkin pie or vegetable just don’t do it for me[3].
Now, there was once a completely different pumpkin ale that got me thinking there could be potential for the style. Of course, it’s the highest rated pumpkin ale on RateBeer and it happens to come from one of my favorite breweries, Jolly Pumpkin. JP’s La Parcela didn’t blow me away, but it did help me question what could be done with a pumpkin ale under the correct brewer-ship. The idea of a pumpkin beer that is a bit sour and features other flavors outside of nutmeg and cinnamon really intrigued me. However, this was not a fantastic beer for me.
So, the search continued…
And like I said, I thought I had sworn off pumpkin ales. That’s when New Belgium’s Kick hit the store shelves. Kick was the new sour pumpkin ale put out on NB’s Lips of Faith Series…
Lips of Faith is one of the better brands of beers put out by a large craft brewer. Like Boulevard, New Belgium uses less-challenging flagship beers to fund forays into Belgian-styles or even Belgo-American fusions[4]. I am a huge fan of the series. Although I don’t like a ton of NB beers, Lips of Faith brews are always interesting and often quite good. You know what I think of La Folie and that’s just the beginning as far as this series is concerned.
Kick is actually a collaboration with Seattle’s Elysian Brewery. Elysian[5] brought the pumpkin and New Belgium brought the sour in the form of cranberry[6]. The result is a pleasantly subtle experience with just a touch of tartness. I get more cranberry from this beer than I get pumpkin. In fact, this beer is subtle in every aspect, but the tartness is its clear strength.
So, the pumpkin beer I’ve now decided is okay to drink is the one that doesn’t really taste that much like pumpkin. What’s the point? Why drink a pumpkin beer that doesn’t really taste of gourd? Well, maybe I don’t actually like pumpkin beers.
And what does pumpkin add to a beer? Sweetness? Mostly, I think it has to do with the incessant spicing home brewers do to their beers[7]. The pumpkin ale is an opportunity to spice your beer like a pumpkin pie. For my money, the addition of chocolate[8] (La Parcela) or cranberry (Kick) is far more interesting than anything associated with pumpkin pie.
This brings up another point that’s been alluded to in describing Kick: subtlety. I want to give this topic its due, but I would be remiss not putting the idea out there that subtlety is maybe just a nice way of saying “flavorless” or “bland.” I don’t think that’s the case with Kick, but it’s a topic to discuss down the road.
Anyway, my search for the great pumpkin ale has ended with Kick. It’s not exactly where I thought I’d end or the beer others would suspect, but it’s a nice fall beer nonetheless.
Notes:
1What is it with home brewers and spices? They skimp on hops, but spice the hell out of every pumpkin or winter warmer they brew. And since most craft brewers started out as home brewers, this despicable practice carries on.
2Sometimes quite literally. I bought two sixers one year of Schlafly’s version and quickly wished I hadn’t. I think I actually tossed a couple of bottles and used a couple more for pumpkin beer bread.
3Apparently, they do it for some. The displays this year for Schlafly’s Pumpkin ale are huge and the biggest event at Flat Branch (brewpub here in Columbia) is the pumpkin beer release.
4Some breweries don’t go Belgo-American and typically brew big, extreme beers on the flagship’s profit margins.
5Elysian and I have quite a history. I was once in a bind in Seattle (long story). A friend took me to Elysian to sort things out. That day, I discovered that beers could feature citrus flavors without a lime jammed down their necks. That was like 14 years ago(!).
6This is where I imagine the Wonder Twins go into brewing and take the form of their most important ingredients. “Form of two-row!” “Form of Centennial!”
7See. I hate spice in my beer.
8Particularly chocolate from my friend, Alan. He also supplies Northern Brewer with their cocoa nibs.
Top 5 List for September 19, 2011
The last list featured some videos with a few talking points and beer pairings. This post will just feature five videos with which I am currently obsessed. Comment at will. Tell me what I should be drinking. Expect a normal post on Wednesday.
1. A little Bonnie “Prince” Billie gets us started…
Pairs well with Green Flash West Coast IPA.
2. This just sounds like the 90’s – a trend in music I’m enjoying.
Although named after a much heavier band, I’m thinking of trying this with New Belgium’s Clutch, a dark sour ale.
3. “Michael Jackson / One million dollars / You feel me? / Holla”
Something weird to pair with that would be New Belgium’s new sour pumpkin ale, Kick. (I’m sure there will be more on this.)
4. A taste of Velvet Underground?
Dark, rich, much like that Stone 15 – I had another this week and there’s still one in the fridge.
5. Ah, and something new to anticipate.
Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout…if we see any.
Leave Them Wanting More
Sleater-Kinney left us wanting more.
I was reading this excellent interview with Wild Flag’s Carrie Brownstein and Mary Timony. Many themes arose throughout. There was participation versus passivity, getting back to music, how music changes for us as we get older, etc. The one point that seemed most important to me was leaving your audience wanting more.
Brownstein’s former band, Sleater-Kinney, did that. With their final album, The Woods, S-K destroyed speakers and listener expectations forever. Left in its wake was an excitement for another S-K record that would never come. Despite the crushing blow of their breakup, Sleater-Kinney left on top with fans pining for a reunion a la [enter every 90’s indie band ever].
The idea that grabbed me isn’t just the fact that Sleater-Kinney went out on top. Rather, it’s the value in leaving people wanting more that often gets lost. Sure, we always want more[1], but when that desire is left unfulfilled, the desire grows. Brownstein puts it best in the context of a band’s set:
It’s like when you go to a live show and a band only plays for 45 minutes instead of an hour and a half. You’re sort of annoyed, but at the same time, you were transfixed the whole time, and you weren’t checking your watch after an hour.
I have been a longtime believer in the shorter set list. I prefer bands to play for 45 minutes (openers for 30). It’s better to leave a gig wanting more than to be glad that it’s over. Bands don’t do this enough. Instead, they opt for playing longer sets where the quality starts to take a hit with each progressive song. That or the audience just sort of grows tired. The best sets in my lifetime have been shorter, not longer.
The same goes for albums and discography. An album that never ends starts to get old. I’ll just skip the last track so that I can hear something else[2]. Bands like Wolf Parade or At The Drive-In had short, memorable runs before calling it quits, leaving their fans longing for more. Conversely, the Flaming Lips are starting to enter that realm usually only reserved for the likes of the Rolling Stones or [enter any musician/band from your parent’s generation]. Another band that has played too long is Interpol who should have stopped after the first record. A lot can be said for calling it quits just when your fan base wants more.
Will we see CBS in Middle-MO?
This happens in the beer world as well. Of course, breweries don’t go out of business once they’ve reached the pinnacle of success. Instead, they limit our access to prized beers. This has occurred recently with the hype surrounding Stone’s Anniversary Escondidian Black IPA, but there are lots of other examples. Special releases like Stone’s anniversary ales and collaborations generally hard to get but easy to like. Even the super-rare releases like those handed out at one-day events by the likes of Russian River, Three Floyds, Smuttynose, etc. make the beers just that much more wanted. In fact, these beers often fetch huge rewards for their owners on eBay.
The one-off or special releases that are only obtainable at the pub or online can suck some of the fun out of the experience[3]. However, the annual releases of limited release beers tend to pump the fun back into beer geekery much the same way the 45 minute set does. Founders is set to release their Harvest Ale (fresh hops FTW!), Kentucky Bourbon Stout, and hopefully/maybe their Canadian Breakfast Stout. These beers are scarce but so worth the effort, especially for beer-deprived Middle Missouri.
What these beers and bands do by leaving their fans wanting more is increase the desire to experience the unforgettable one more time. It’s win-win, really. Breweries sell more beer, create buzz for other releases. In the case of growler-only releases, they bring more folks to the pub. Bands insure that their catalog will remain vital and provide a steady stream of royalty dollars[4] long after they’ve hung up their guitars or moved on to other, less-profitable projects. Plus, if they ever do reunite, there’s usually a pretty big pay off at the other end.
So, the next time you complain about a band’s 45-minute set or the fact that your beer shop limited its customers to two bottles of that super-great, super-rare brew, be mindful of how much it just makes you want it more. It’s like that kid in high school you wanted to date so badly, but he/she was never that into you. So, you pined after that one person for four years. Hell, you still think about your high school crush to this day. We want what we can’t have, but we have to know a little about it before we want it. This is why we reminisce about our favorite bands in college and spend an entire year talking about Hopslam. We were left wanting more and we’ll continue to want until our needs are met…or we find the next thing.
Notes:
1In fact, I was in the middle of taking up Mike’s idea for a post on collecting when I read the mentioned interview and decided to go in another direction. That post will be finished as well.
2And that’s saying something, because I love the album.
3Excluding those who actually attend these events and do get their mits on these tasty, tasty beers. It’s plenty of fun for them. I won’t begrudge them their enjoyment for prioritizing their beer needs. I know that feeling, but I often indulge my rock show needs more than my rare beer needs.
4Most musicians make way more money from touring or selling their songs to advertisers, but royalties for musicians not dealing with major labels can sometimes be quite valuable.
Wild Flag vs. Escondidian Imperial Black IPA
vs. 
Sometimes it is hard to find everything in a band or beer that you want. Sometimes a little imbalance accentuates positives, but it also reveals a downfall in design. Balance is nice, but it’s even better when it features superiority in all parts. Supergroups and anniversary ales usually come through with elite components that fill our every need and want.
The supergroup is a unique collection of great musicians from other great bands. Each member of a supergroup was a key piece in other bands. The supergroup is often left to fantasy, but once in a while, they come to fruition.
Wild Flag is a super group for the grrrl set. There are two members of Sleater-Kinney (Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weiss) which provides the band instant credibility. There’s also Mary Timony of Helium and Rebecca Cole of the Minders[1]. Together, these four womyn make a pretty powerful quartet. Fire and brimstone happens when the collective power of this supergroup comes down upon you. Just watch what they’re capable of and you’ll understand…
The beer equivalent of that nastiness above is Stone’s 15th Anniversary Escondidian Imperial Black IPA. It’s dainty Sublimely Self-Righteous’ badass older sister who wears black eyeliner, a mohawk, and a “Show Me Your Riffs” t-shirt. She just kicked your ass and you liked it – not in a creepy way; you were just happy to be a pawn in her riot grrrl plan to rule the neighborhood. Anyway, the beer is loaded with all the components you want from a beer: big hop flavor and aroma, super-roasty malt character, booze, and just the right amount of sweetness not to let the rest get out of hand. It’s a near-perfect beer. And despite the high ABV, it should be consumed yesterday. I feel lucky I bought two[2], but the second won’t last much longer.
And there’s music…
Wild Flag is raucous from the first bombast of “Romance,” a track that makes even romance sound a bit punk. “Something Came Over Me” features the cool tones of Timony, recalling the best guitar rock-era Helium material she used to shell out circa the Beavis and Butt-head 90’s indie[3]. Carrie returns to the mic to bring home the steady “Boom” that features some nice guitar play and the added benefit of Cole on organ.
“Glass Tambourine” again features Timony fronting the band’s version of something Weiss might have played as a Jick with its flourishes of prog rock excellence. “Endless Talk” continues the Brownstein-Timony-Brownstein pattern to the album’s vocal leaders. Brownstein’s turns are a definite nods to her and Weiss’ Sleater-Kinney days, but these songs are more new wave than punk (in a totally cool way).
“Short Version” showcases some of the band’s guitar chops. “Electric Band” is loaded with late-Helium imagery of dragons and rock bands or whatever Timony used to go on about[4]. Still, this band’s superiority to her final Helium efforts is rather apparent on this track. “Future Crimes” drives and actually features a nice bit of urgency for a group of rockers hanging around their 40’s.
The next track, “Racehorse,” is maybe the band’s most conventional rock sound. I imagine the video for this song would feature the band playing their instruments seductively[5] while dressed in horse costumes for a salivating Bob Nastanovich[6]. At the song’s climax, Bob foams at the mouth and has to be carted away by paramedics. The album comes to a close with the Timony-voiced “Black Tiles” with her most mid-90’s Helium-esque delivery yet. This final track ends abruptly, but it does what the last song of an album or show should do: make you want more.
This record and beer demonstrate how overwhelming strength in all areas can make for a pretty fantastic experience when done right. The Escondidian doesn’t back down in flavor components. Each part overwhelms the senses with smile-inducing quality. Wild Flag’s debut does much the same thing with some pretty solid parts of its own. Brownstein and Timony play back and forth perfectly, much like the hops and roasted malt of the Escondidian. They are backed well by Cole on organ and backing vocals. Also bringing it on the backing vocals is maybe the best drummer alive: Janet Weiss. For me, she’s the booze that comes full-force without overtaking the delicious malt and hop characters. Or something like that[7].
I’m for supergroups and superbeers that bring a ton of character but still find a way to balance its best attributes. Both Stone’s 15th Anniversary brew and Wild Flag’s self-titled debut bring this concept home. Now, all I have to do is find a moment when I can sip on one and drop the needle on the other without interruption.
Notes:
1The Minders are associated with the Animal Elephant Six Collective. So, there’s that.
2How could I not buy two at just under $6 a pop? There is no better deal in craft beer.
3I really have no idea what this sentence means. Maybe I was just trying to string some words together in an incoherent rant – a feeble attempt to read like a 90’s ‘zine.
4I wonder if Timony ever had a thing with Jack Black when he was writing all that silly Tenacious D material.
5This is redundant and not because they’re ladies playing guitars. No. It’s redundant because they’re rock stars, rocking balls/ovaries to the wall and all that. That’s sexy no matter what you are. Don’t believe me? Go watch Jon Spencer or Annie Clark or Daniel Johnston…well, maybe not that last one.
6I just read for the second or third time today that one of the leading reasons for the Pavement tour last year was Bob’s horse betting debts. So, this seemed apropos.
7That was maybe stretching it too far.
Top 5 List for September 12, 2011
I feel like this feature has to make it two more weeks for it not to be forced. This is number 3, I believe. Digest what I have to tell you and know that there will be a beer and record review on Wednesday.
1. Anniversaries
Yesterday was the three-year anniversary of our daughter’s birth. That’s right. She was born on September 11th. While not thee September 11th, it’s a pretty important day in our house. Eventually (or now), I will grow tired of every September 11th focusing on patriotism, terrorists, and fireman. For once, I’d like it to be a day my daughter can look at as her own. She’s too young to realize what a big deal everyone makes over this day. I have chosen to move on and remember this day for the life it has wrought instead of the death. Also, the Stone 15th Anniversary Escondidian Imperial Black IPA was pretty great and will be featured in Wednesday’s post.
2. The Womyn of Merge
Also featured in Wednesday’s post will be Wild Flag, but I’ve said too much already…I recently acquired albums by Eleanor Friedberger and Wye Oak. These were nice gets as both albums are really powerful and of the highest quality. However, since I was so late to their bandwagon, I’ll just mention them here. The Wild Flag will get a proper review with a beer (see above) on Wednesday.
3. Black Francis
Black Francis is the imperial stout I brewed that’s currently sitting on oak chips, cocoa nibs, and vanilla beans all soaked in bourbon. It tastes pretty awesome at the moment, but I’ll probably leave it in the secondary for a little while longer just to let it acquire as much flavor as possible. The plan is to bottle by October so that I have it ready for the holidays.
4. Seasonal Beers
The stores are loaded with beers meant for fall: pumpkin ales, Oktoberfests, etc. However, I’m more excited for the beers featuring freshly harvested hops that will be slowly released all fall. These beers feature a sharp bitterness that is lost in your average IPA. I’ve grown a little weary of those who go on and on about pumpkin beers and just wait patiently for my fresh-hopped beers to show.
5. OK. I couldn’t resist. Here’s some Wild Flag…
Beer and Pavement 
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