Jul 12 2010
Jul 8 2010
great lakes brewery
Once I surpassed the notion that beer is a purely utilitarian device, I’ve attempted to develop what I would hope is an evolving palette and a greater appreciation for a good brew. While the craft-brewing movement is no doubt becoming quickly fashionable these days, I can’t say I entirely mind one bit at all.
There was most definitely a time in my life when I thought, by and large, beer was beer. Primarily a means to an end, it required a good amount of chug-a-lugging in order to obtain sufficient intoxication. However, the first time I tried a good IPA I realized that there was far more to beer than previously realized.
While I still love a good IPA, these days I’ve really been enjoying stouts and porters — a style of beer that, admittedly, I had to force down my throat the first time I ever sampled it. Ink-black and requiring the careful sipping of a fine wine, stouts can be complex, oaky, strong, and bitter at times.
Anyway, I digress — I LOVE Great Lakes Brewing Company. I stumbled upon Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald porter in part due to their employment of fantastic illustrations and package design, but also because once I had a chance to research the brewery, I quickly saw that their beer was among the most consistently praised and highly regarded on the market. Lucky for me, the company’s regional distribution now covers Washington, DC.
While I haven’t had the opportunity to sit down with the entire line, I can say that so far there hasn’t been a dud in the group. The whole experience is spot-on, and by the looks of it, their Brewpub in Cleveland, Ohio puts the finishing touches on an expertly well thought-out and curated “family of beers” (housed inside Victorian-era structures, the Brewpub’s taproom is rumored to bear the scars of bullets from the gun of Eliot Ness). I would probably take a trip to Cleveland just to go there.
I’ve been able to find Great Lakes beer in DC at Cowgirl Creamery and Yes! Organic Market, although I’m sure it’s available all over the city if you do a bit of sleuthing.
If you’re looking to find out more information on craft brewing, and/or beer in general, both BeerAdvocate and Ratebeer are truly great resources for both beginners (like me) and the well-versed.
Jun 9 2010
CATCH THE GAME AT MOS EISLEY
Of all the fantasies I have ever had in my life, among them are to 1) be animated as a character on “The Simpsons”, and 2) have a video game character made of me. I never quite thought of imagining myself being placed in one of the classic films which make up the original Star Wars trilogy, but now that my good buddy DJ Neil Armstrong has had the honor of just such a thing happening, I may have to add that one to my list as well. Check for appearances by Daft Punk, Snoop, David Bekham, Larry David, and more, all in this very fine World Cup ad created by Adidas Orginals and, presumably, Lucasfilm.
Jun 8 2010
[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]
LOVE HURTS
One of my favorite songs gets re-rubbed by the enigmatic Tommie Sunshine.
I had the pleasure of working with a few members of Soft Complex when I was working in Washington, DC, and “Wounded Valentine” has always stood out to me as a pristine, polished, and quintessential slice of electro-pop, heralded by artists such as the Pet Shop Boys and perfected in the new millennium by the likes of Junior Boys. “Wounded Valentine” deserves a place right up there next to any track penned by the aforementioned artists, and I’m happy to see Mr. Sunshine giving it a whirl behind the boards.
May 1 2010
[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]
THERE IS NO TRADER JOE, ONLY TRADER MING.
Kyle Kinane has seriously some of the best stand-up I’ve heard in a very long time. In fact, it’s inspired repeated listenings, and it still makes me laugh all the way through. Here’s Kyle’s Myspace Comedy page, and he has a Tumblr too. Support this man’s extremely funny work by picking up a copy of “Death of the Party” at the A Special Thing Store.
Apr 30 2010
thou art lost and gone forever
BLAQSTARR “OH MY DARLIN’” from FRESH KILL on Vimeo.
Homie for life Hilton Carter recently linked up with fellow L.A.-by-way-of-Baltimore transplant Blaqstarr to shoot the wonderful “Oh My Darlin’” video.
From a musical perspective, and as a citizen of The City That Reads for the last five years or so, it’s interesting to see the mutation of Baltimore club music after it’s renaissance within the electronic music community. In many ways, most forms of popular music tend to be quite constricting when it comes to genre rules, in particular forms of electronic music. So, in a sense, it’s exciting to look at what a regional staple has given birth to across a broader spectrum.
Carter has been on his grizzly bear for quite some time now. His current work can be seen at the Fresh Kill web site, and you can even catch his debut short “Moth” next week at the Milan International Film Festival.
Apr 9 2010
greetings from angola, africa
Thanks to SAMK Eventos I was given the opportunity to travel from the States, alongside the legendary Little Louie Vega of Masters at Work and Neil Armstrong, Jay-Z’s tour DJ, representing the USA for the second annual Rave Dos Dj’s. This was the first time American DJ’s ever performed in Angola, and we threw down with help from countless local Angolan DJ’s and the invaluable support of Portugal’s Johnny Def and Mario Roque. More pics chronicling our trip to come soon…but needless to say, it was an unforgettable experience.
Mar 20 2010
Mar 8 2010
cyanotype synthesis
Last week Mr. Carter’s disc jockey (and one of my favorite people ever) DJ Neil Armstrong dropped the incredible “DNA of the Blueprint” mix, which chronicles the illustrious career of the one and only Hova in fine 5th Platoon fashion. If you’ve ever heard Neil’s mixes before, this one is exceptionally good, and if you are new to Mr. Armstrong, be prepared to be blown away. You can download the mix for free on Neil’s site, and stay tuned for an all-new DjNeilArmstrong.com coming very soon…
Plus, be on the lookout for some big things coming up with Neil in the coming weeks…more info on the way shortly….
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