Remember when we where chatting up the Beck spectacle, Song Reader, a while back? Well he’s started to perform some of the songs from that album!
Is this how “Sorry” was meant to be played or is this just Beck’s interpretation of a song that he wrote?
Annick Mayer made it out to Kurt Vile’s epic 2 hour long set last night at the Bowery Ballroom. She took some pictures to share with ya’ll!
What is up with children nowadays? They’re just going to keep playing music like they’re adults.
This week’s playlist is dedicated to anyone hosting a Cinco de Mayo party. The day known among Mexicans as the day they kicked ass in a battle they shouldn’t have won against an invading French army. Contrary to popular belief the French used to be good a not losing. To Americans the day is known as an excuse to get drunk on Coronas an Margaritas while eating our fill of chips and salsa. In the spirit of creating a more authentic celebration, we went to some friends in Mexico City to find out what’s on their playlist when they want to party. What follows is sure to take any Cinco de Gringo/Drinko de Mayo bash to the next level.
Check out the playlist here: Party Playlist: This is Your Cinco De Mayo
Now, just as a man cannot live on bread alone (or so they say), a party cannot live on music alone. So we’d also like to share our foolproof margarita recipe. All you need to remember is 3, 2, 1.
The Perfect Margarita:
3 parts (1.5 oz) Tequila Blanco (preferably one that is 100% agave based, like Camarena or Milagro)
2 parts (1 oz.) Grand Marnier (or Simple Syrup, if you prefer yours a little less strong)
1 part (.5 oz) lime juice
- Shake over ice and strain into a salted glass
If you want to get a little funky with it, try one of these variations (listed from easy to complicated)
Blood Orange Margarita
3 parts (1.5 oz) Tequila Blanco
2 parts (1 oz.) Grand Marnier or Simple Syrup
1 part (.5 oz) Blood orange juice (always fresh)
- Shake over ice and strain into a salted glass
Smokey-Watermelon Margarita
3 parts (1.5 oz) Tequila Blanco
2 parts (1 oz.) Simple Syrup
1 part (.5 oz) lime juice
1 part (.5 oz) Mezcal*
4 cubes fresh Watermelon, muddled in the bottom of the glass
- Shake over ice and strain into a salted glass
Passion-Pepper Margarita
3 parts (1.5 oz) Ancho Pepper-infused Tequila Blanco**
2 parts (1 oz.) Grand Marnier or Simple Syrup
1 part (.5 oz) lime juice
1 part (.5 oz) passionfruit nectar
- Shake over ice and strain into a salted glass
*Mezcal is another Mexican spirit that is very close to tequila but has a smokey quality to it. Sort of like the difference between Irish and Scottish whiskey.
**To make Ancho infused Tequila, put 1 ancho chile into a jar with 750 ml of tequila. Let it infuse overnight, up to 24 hours, then strain the tequila back into the bottle. Anchos are dried Poblano peppers which have a mild spice and a sweet, almost raisin-like flavor. You can find them in most grocery stores.
This clip of Patton Oswalt just riffing off the cuff about the the next Star Wars movie is probably the funniest thing to be all over the web this week. What with it’s Robot Chewie and First Tier superheroes from the Marvel UB ut what if Patton Oswalt needed to citizen filibuster the fictional city council meeting of Pawnee, IN forever? Here is a list of things I’d like for Patton Oswalt to ad lib:
Any other suggestions?
“What the F is That?” is an ongoing series that ButterMusic will be publishing which seeks to explore emerging genres of music, in an effort to educate ourselves and our friends. This week Butter EP Ian Jeffreys takes a stab at Sissy Bounce.
I went to New Orleans for the first time recently to try to answer that question. My introduction to Sissy Bounce started last summer with the track “Express Yourself’ by Diplo featuring Nicky Da B (click here if you want to watch this song in action, just beware they literally do “make it clap” and depending on where you work it’s very nearly NSFW). When I first heard that track, it was so shockingly new and different it took a while to wrap my head around it. Since then, the album has been in heavy rotation on my iPod.
Though I may be a music aficionado, I cannot claim to know everything about all the underground trends out there. Sundance has a pretty great short doc on Sissy Bounce you can watch here. Apparently Sissy Bounce is an off-shoot of Bounce music, performed exclusively by transvestite MCs (click here to see for yourself - once again depending on where you work it’s very nearly NSFW). It’s defined by a fast tempo, machine-gun rhythms, shout choruses, and heavy effects. Lastly it attracts a pretty wild dance crowd, if you dared to brave the links above you’ve bared witness.
(More What the F is Sissy Bounce? and the Playlist after the jump!)
This year has a lot in store for Michael Botlon. Earlier this year he graced our presence with the Optimum commercial above and he just recently was in a Starburst commercial just crooning his heart out.
Now his super power ballad “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You” been featured in a new commercial for Zagorka Beer in Bulgaria. Even Eastern Europe can’t get enough of Michael Bolton.
When can we just declare this year the Year of the Bolton?
Friday Playlist: All You Can Listen Music Buffet
Plastered in the corners of subways I’ll sometimes make out poem amidst the years of subway grime. It called Ragtime and was written by Kevin Young. Here it is:
Like hot food
I love you
like warm
bread & cold
cuts, butter
sammiches
or, days later, after
Thanksgiving
when I want
whatever’s left
Gross! When the bottom of my shoe is sticking to some crystallizing soda drink on the floor and my coat doesn’t fit and I can’t adjust because my arms are pinned to my sides from all the people, that is not the moment I want to think about hot food. Give me something cold, something sterile, something teflon.
I’m not saying this weeks playlist isn’t safe to listen to on the subway - it totally is. But let’s remember that it’s springtime and we’re all going to be outside anyway. Fresh air and good food and you can adjust your coat if you need to or just take it off because it’s springtime ya dummy.
This playlist is going to be your go to playlist for all of your picnics this year.
Order’s up! Friday Playlist: All You Can Listen Music Buffet
This playlist is a leviathan, it is a behemoth of music. I’d like to invite you to take a trip down the rabbit hole that is the massive sxsw comprehensive-ish playlist ‘13. It is 1,325 Tracks from the 1,325 artists that are going to be gracing the music festival with their presence.
It’s what you want right? You’re not afraid?
Yes it’ll be rigorous - just like the sxsw is rigorous. I have faith in you. You can listen to all of this music. You can go to all the shows. You can be a champion.
Good luck!
Important research: According to scientists, people act like randomized gas particles in a mosh pit. Whatever you do don’t miss the simulator.
I was a part of the hardcore crowd in the mid-aughts. I went to a Brand New show and my friend had half of his tooth punched out. I might have been the one to punch him in the face (I certainly don’t claim it but we have our suspicions - also I was his best man at his wedding). He was bleeding and my fist was swollen up. He had to go to the dentist and I had to get an x-ray. I had to get surgery on my hand to fix it and Rob now has a fake molar. We saw Thrice and mewithoutYou shortly after and I wrapped my cast styrofoam.
Does that sound like the kinda scene to act like random gas particles?
