Remembering - Blender

Once upon a time, before blogs were as prominent or as powerful, where were things called magazines.  Magazines resided in racks.  And magazine racks were littered with music magazines.

The landscape is much different now. Magazine of all varieties are falling by the wayside.  In fact it was two years ago this month that the final issue of Blender reached my mailbox.

Remembering - The Empire Carpet Man

Tuesday marked the end of an era as Elmer Lynn Hauldren  passed away at age 89.  Hauldren is best known as the Empire Carpet Man, a role he played for decades.  He was also a decorated war veteran and a member of Chordiac Arrest.

Irwin the Kangaroo

So, Ma Serpico clued me in on the incredibly nutty saga of Irwin the paralyzed  Kangaroo.  Wait, is he "handicapped."  I never know the correct term for referring to a disabled kangaroo.

You can read all about it here.

I found the entire story to be enthralling.  But it brought up a ton of feelings and questions.  And I've really got to get them all off my chest.

Monday Munchies - Häagen-Dazs Limited Edition Caramel Apple Pie

In addition to my love for ice cream, I love pie.  One of the things I miss most about living in Las Vegas is Marie Callender's.  Y'see, twice a year Marie Callender's would have a sale on pies.  During those sales I'd literally have three pies in my refrigerator at all times.  And I'd usually have two slices a night.

Good times.

Charm City is severely lacking when it comes to Marie Callender's.  But thankfully the fine folks at Häagen-Dazs have offered up some pie themed flavors for their Limited Edition line.  This week we cover Caramel Apple Pie.

Who said Hip Hop is dead?

Skip Serpico's Concert Adventures - Iron & Wine @ Rams Head Live 4/20/11

When an artist makes a name for themselves with a  distinct sound it can make it difficult for them to grow, artistically.  If they try to grow or broaden their sound, the sometimes run the risk of alienating "fans" who are fans not of the artist in question, but of the sound.

Iron & Wine stands at that crossroads at this very moment.  Sam Beam made a name for himself as Iron & Wine with quiet acoustic song featuring hushed singing and poignant lyrics.  Since then Iron & Wine has blossomed into a full band and the sound has exploded accordingly.

And I saw them live on 4/20.

Time, is on My Mind

I think about time all of the time.  There's always some aspect of time on my mind.  Sometimes I'm thinking about how to manipulate time in my favor.  Other times I'm wonder where all the time has gone to.

But lately I've have two questions regarding time;

1) What the hell do we call the last decade?

2) How do you abbreviate "2011?"

Monday Munchies - Magnum Almond

We've already established that I dig ice cream, right?  Well, there's an addendum attached to that; I'm not really a fan of the handheld variety of ice cream.

That stems from my childhood in Tucson.  Tucson is hot, which causes ice cream to melt.  Ice cream cones, bars and their ilk all tend to get very messy during Tucson summers.  As a result if you get one of those novelties you're faced with either devouring it and suffering an ice cream headache or eating at a leisurely pace and creating a sticky mess.

So, when I saw the new Magnum Almond, I felt the pangs of interest and trepidation.

Skip Serpico's Concert Adventures - CAKE @ 9:30 Club 4/14/11

When I saw that CAKE was heading out on tour to support their latest album I had mixed feelings. On one hand I was really looking forward to seeing them live.  But on the other hand, I wasn't eager to travel all the way to Washington DC's 9:30 Club to see them.

I live in Baltimore, seeing a band shouldn't be a chore. I was really hoping that they'd pull a Yorn & Kweller and announce a Baltimore show.

They didn't. Instead they announced two more shows at 9:30 Club. I saw them Thursday, their first of a three night stay.

My Future Wedding Singers...

I was sold at the 1:05 mark.

Don't Believe The Hype - Sons of Anarchy

As a general rule, I like to give FX's original programming a chance.  I remember watching the premiere of The Shield and I was a huge fan of Lucky (a show that's still lamentably not on dvd.)  As a network they've got a pretty good track record when it comes to quality programming.

But not every show knocks your socks off with awesomeness.  Nip/Tuck peaked early and got progressively more ludicrous with each passing season. Dirt was a misfire from jump.

And then there's Sons of Anarchy, which is easily my least favorite of FX's current shows.  Let me tell you why.

Skip Serpico's Concert Adventures - TV On The Radio @ Rams Head Live 4/10/11

Seeing a touring band live can be a tricky proposition.  If you see them too late in the tour they may be lackluster and performing on fumes.  On the other hand, if you see them too early in the tour they may not have worked out the kinks of the live show.  It's a gamble.

Another downside to seeing a band early in the tour; the inclusion of new material.  That was the case with TV On The Radio, who hit Rams Head Live a full two days before their latest album, Nine Types of Light, was released.

Monday Munchies - Jalapeño Jack Sun Chips

I've always been a fan of Sun Chips.  When they made their debut on the snack marketplace they provided a refreshing counterbalance to the tortilla and potato chips that glutted the market.  They had a unique texture and a distinct flavor.  I was a fan of the Harvest Cheddar variety.

Of course that was years ago.  Now there are tons of alternatives to tortilla chips and potato chips and Sun Chips have sort of fallen out of favor.  The Garden Salsa flavor does nothing for me.  Still, when I saw the Jalapeño Jack bag, I was intrigued.

Pre-Concert Jitters

So I'm going to see TV on the Radio at Rams Head Live on Sunday.  I'm about 90% excited, but there's still that 10% that's apprehension.  Not because I'm worried about the band or their performance, rather I'm worried about who's going to be in attendance.

Y'see I've been to a few concerts at Rams Head Live in the past few months and I've had the misfortune of being around some of the more annoying concert goers.  Allow me to elaborate.

Five Musical Acts I'm Trying to Get Up On in '11

I know, I know, it's already April, it's way late to be announcing who I'm trying to be down with this year.  Yeah, it's true, but what are you going to do?  It's like a New Year's Resolution; if you don't announce it, there's nothing holding you do it.

And I generally do a pretty good job of diving headfirst into artists.  For instance, last year I got into Kings of Leon, The Avett Brothers, Ben Kweller, M. Ward and The Black Keys.

But 2011 is a new year, so I've got to cement who I'm trying to get down with this year.

Monday Munchies - Ben & Jerry's Clusterfluff

So a year and a half ago I pitched The Scoop to the Fish & Spaghetti brain trust and received yawns.  The Scoop, as I pitched it, was a column devoted to ice cream.  Flash forward to 2011; the last three Monday Munchies have focused on ice cream.

In my public pitch back then, I commented that I had "9 pints in my freezer." Now I've got 17.  I could be the subject of a special Intervention/Hoarders crossover.

Anyway, this week we continue the trend of new Ben & Jerry's flavors by showcasing Clusterfluff.

The Castration of the Mixtape

So, a few months back when I was contemplating attempting a woo, I entertained the idea of a crafting a mixtape. Well, technically a mix cd, but c'mon that doesn't have nearly the same evocative power.

I ran that idea past the Fish & Spaghetti offices. Dirk and Pinky Ring both loved it. Chet was perplexed by the very concept of a "tape." But it was Jay1's observation that gave me pause. He said thanks to technology, a mixtape isn't as powerful as it used to be.