Talking Sweet About Nothing

I put up a new Radio.Blog before I went to Texas for the holidays, but I didn't get around to announcing it or saying anything about the tracks, so here goes:

Helen Stellar - The Opening Credits - What I love about this track is that it takes its time. It never feels rushed to build up or move on to the next part. It's not even an epic song, falling just short of four and a half minutes. Each part flows nicely to the next, giving it a natural shape that many modern indie bands never realize.

Levy - Rotten Love - Judging by the play count on my iTunes, you'd think that Rotten Love was an unreleased Pixies song or something. I love when the bass guitar takes a spin with a lead line after the second chorus (2:00).

Weevil - Half Smile - Great juxtaposition of happy, electronic pop with a melancholy vocal part.

Faunts - Memories of Places We've Never Been - I can't put my finger on it, but this song instantly makes me think of The Smiths. It's not the voice, the song, or the sound. I think it's the keyboard melody that runs through the second verse.

Data Panik - Sense not Sense - This band consists of the three members of Bis, the drummer from Kenickie and another guy on bass. Good stuff.

Paul Hogan - It - No, this is not a song by Crocodile Dundee. In fact, I have since learned that the album is released under the name, "Frances." Although Frances consists of one dude named Paul Hogan. I can't blame him for using a psudonym, though. I love the "Star Spangled Banner" intro and the "This is it. Is this it?" ending.

*The Radio.Blog link is on the right side under the pictures of the sad, old man.

My friend, Scott, and I have been talking about a trip that we'd like to take this year. It's a Food Vacation...a weekend dedicated to revisiting some of the finest restaurants we've ever experienced. We don't have to go trans-Atlantic to find said restaurants. We won't even have to visit multiple states. No, the underappreciated west Texas town of Lubbock is unparalleled when it comes to hidden culinary treasure, and it is our destination. As Mark Twain once said, "[Lubbock] food is as delicious as the less criminal forms of sin." He was actually talking about New Orleans, but I'm sure if he had ever visited Lubbock, he would have agreed.

Some of you may laugh this off as a joke, but we are completely serious. Scott and I have travelled the country with Sand Which Is and Avec for about seven years now, and while we have had more than our share of Taco Bell, Subway, and diner food, we have also had the opportunity to eat at some amazing restaurants. The kind of places that you only learn about when you've been to a city five times. The little-known places only locals patronize and we are fortunate enough to be friends with those locals. Some of my most cherished memories from touring involving sharing a meal with three of my best friends; partly for the fellowship, and especially for the chow. I love/live to eat, and I can't wait for our Food Vacation. We have started a list of restaurants to visit when we get to Lubbock. As the list continues to grow, so does the length of our stay. So far, it looks like this:

Mama Josie's (University Ave. location is a priority, but we'll try to visit others)
Abuelo's (the original is in Lubbock and it's fantastic)
One Guy From Italy
Choo Chai
Mamarita's (for late night chips & salsa and margaritas)
Thai Thai
Stein's (Ensteins revisited)
Saigon Cafe
Taqueria Jalisco
Spanky's (I might be alone on this one...it'll be a secret side-trip)

* quote courtesy of Shawna Potter