"Top Ten CD's Of The Year"

And, away we go!

Here’s the first annual “WhineWithYourCheese” CD picks for the year, all lovingly picked and commented upon by your favorite blogger.

Oh, what...you have another? ;p

My criteria for choosing these selections go as follows:

There isn’t a CD on this list that I haven’t spent a lot of time with. Like you, I also suffer from “buyer’s regret”; what sounded great in, oh, say, March ain’t making the cut in October just because something bigger and shinier came along.

So, there’s no Bruce on my list for that reason.

Let’s go, and start the conversation!


1 – “In Rainbows” – Radiohead

I’m a true Radiohead and Wilco fan, and I was thrilled to pieces when both of my favorite bands released new CD’s this year.

Thom and the boys are getting the first “thumbs up” from me for how they decided to release their new music.

Even better, this is classic Radiohead. From the typical clattering drums of “15 Step” to Thom almost crooning “I don’t want to be your friend; I want to be your lover” to the lovely (and entirely underrated song, IMHO) "Jigsaw Falling Into Place."

Wouldn’t it be nice to see them at VMF next year?


2 – “Sky Blue Sky” – Wilco

You can always count on Jeff and his ever-changing band to do something different, and they do it beautifully with this one.

Just forget the sonic noise from “A Ghost Is Born”, and rejoice in how Jeff Tweedy remembers how to play a guitar on “Impossible Germany”, or how to write a really great song in “Walken”.

If you’ve ever seen them live, Tweedy does a very awkward soft shoe shuffle to “Hummingbird”, and it’s hysterical. He can’t dance, he knows it, the audience expects it, and it’s just great.


3 – “Kill To Get Crimson” – Mark Knopfler

About thirty years ago (gulp!), was the first time I ever heard “Sultans Of Swing”, and I’ve been a Knopfler fan ever since.

Granted, this is not everyone’s cup of tea; it’s very low-key.

But, it’s Mark at his finest, crafting his amazing songwriting around his guitar work.

Every song is a little British short story wrapped around music, and it’s not to be missed.

Sure, “Punish The Monkey” is all about what you’d expect to be, but “The Secondary Waltz” is just a lovely little low-key waltz about learning how to dance when you're ten.


4 – “Grand National” – John Butler Trio

The JBT are from Western Australia (Fremantle is their home base), and they’ve been compared to the “Dave Matthews Band”.

No, no, no…first of all, while Dave Matthews is making videos with Julia Roberts and shooting photo sessions, these guys are playing around the world, and trying to save the world in the process.

Paul and I have seen these guys four times in the past three years, and I’m thinking these three put on the best live show we’ve ever seen, four times over.

They’re still sort of a cult/jam band act, but “Better Than” and “Gov Did Nothing” are standouts for me.


5 – “Passing Stranger” – Scott Matthews

Now, here’s someone new!

A great young singer/songwriter from Northern England that sounds like a combination between the late Jeff Buckley and Nick Drake, but not nearly as depressing.

And, to paraphrase a “Dire Straits” song…oh, yes, this man can play.

“The Fool’s Been Fooling Himself” is the single off of the CD, but “Dream Song” and “Passing Stranger” ain’t nothing to sneeze about, either.

6 – “Back To Black” – Amy Winehouse

I know…why do I have this here?

Because it’s a great CD, and because the first time I heard ”Rehab”, I thought it came out of some lost London soul sessions from the ‘60’s.

Yes, she’s a mess, but you can’t deny the talent that she has.

Or that voice.


7 – “Wincing The Night Away” – The Shins

This is the first CD I bought this year, and I still love it.

This is why I like to go back and listen to things “way back when” in the year, and see if they still make my ears happy, and this one does.

No, one song hasn’t “changed my life”, but this CD still makes me happy, especially “Australia”.

Oh, and of course, the wonderfully fuzzed-out “Phantom Limb”. I have absolutely no idea what James Mercer is singing about, but does it really matter if the music makes you happy?


8 – “Two Shoes” – The Cat Empire

There isn’t anything that made my ears happier this year, since this CD is simply a party waiting to happen.

It’s funk, it’s rock, lots of soul, a touch of reggae and rap and if this band doesn’t get you dancing around the kitchen in your socks while singing to your dog or cat, you may want to get your pulse checked.

This Australian funk-rock-jazz combo recorded “Two Shoes” in Cuba, in the studio where the legendary Ry Cooder produced “The Buena Vista Social Club”, live, and the result is a joyous noise.

Two double platinum releases in Australia, BTW...I'm just saying!


9 – “Sound Of Silver” – LCD Soundsystem

Okay, can you tell that I like to dance? Believe me, “Daft Punk” has been playing in my house for years!

James Murphy pulls it all off here; it’s house, it’s dance, it’s a bit punk, some trance, a tiny bit disco with all shades of Euro club music thrown in for good measure.

If you spent any time dancing around in skinny ties and Chuckie T’s in the late ‘80’s and early ‘90’s…you’ll love this one.

“Us. Vs. Them” is the ultimate dance rave up of the year.

“Bells”, James said, and it will be so.

10 – “The Good, The Bad And The Queen” – s/t

Once again, this came out very early in the year, and I still love it.

Let’s see…we’ve got Albarn, Simonon, Tong and Allen with Danger Mouse producing.

Sweet.

And, it still is. “Herculean” will probably end up being one of my favorite songs of all time, and there’s a good possibility this CD will, too.

Make no doubt about it; this is one dark, moody piece of work, but in the hands of these incredible musicians, you’ll want to hear it again and again.

No Roux For You!

It’s one thing to take this food loving country by storm, but when you’re kicked to the curb by the same cable network that helped you jump start your career, I’m pretty sure it’s time to sit down with a “Dirty N’Awlins Martini”, and just say “Enough is enough.”


I can’t remember the last time I actually sat down and watched the “Food Network”, since it’s changed so much since its inception in ’93.

In the early days there were shows called “Dining Around” with Nina Griscom, Bill Boggs and Alan Richman, “In Food Today” with Donna Hanover (yes, the ex-wife of that guy running for President) with Bill Boggs and David Rosengarten, ”Tamales’ World Tour” hosted by the legendary team of Susan Feninger and Mary Sue Milliken, and of course, who can’t forget the those “Two Fat Ladies” tooling around the UK in a motorbike with a sidecar?

And what about Sarah Moulton, Jacques Torres and all of those great classic reruns of “The French Chef” by the one and only Julia?

I know I can’t.

I know what I can live without, though, and their new crop of “presenters” is what fits the bill; Robin Miller, Rachel Ray, Sandra Lee and Paula Deen. The current shows (and I say this very loosely), all seem to be based upon getting in and out of the kitchen as quickly as possible, instead of focusing on the basics of, well, cooking.

This is not cooking. Buying packaged goods and passing it off as “freshly made” is not cooking.

Hawking knives that can’t be sharpened aren’t good knives.

Making pre-made desserts with instant pudding isn’t cooking, either.

Bottled lemon juice is not, not, the same as fresh, for heaven’s sake…

Oh, and for goddesses’ sake…dried herbs are not the same as fresh!

As a cook, I’m really going to miss Emeril.

You want to know how to make a roux? He’s your guy. Care to know how to fry oysters for a po boy? Check him out. Authentic shrimp etoufee? He’ll show you how.

I never really liked his “shtick”, but I’ve got to add this one last comment.

Right after Katrina, he was on “Good Morning America”, and he was in tears, trying to locate his staff from his New Orleans restaurants. “I don’t know where anyone is, but all you need to do is call me. I’ll help you relocate and find you another job.”

I hope he did.

If Tim Gunn Were In Charge, This Would Never Happen

Oh, boy.

Oh, wow.

Oh, no, no, no…this is wrong. This is just so, so wrong.

Thank you, “Mr. and Mrs. Neighbor”, from your neighbor across the street. You have officially negated any good feelings I have about the holiday season with your lawn display.

You restrained yourself last year with those nice white net lights across the roof and the porch, and they looked lovely. It was a tasteful holiday display.

Anyway, this is just a question…what the hell did you stuff in your Thanksgiving turkey that gave you the idea to line your home and garage in multi-colored lights that blink simultaneously to a disco beat of 80 “beats per minute”?

Oh, and what were you smoking after you had your pumpkin pie when you put up that lawn snow globe that actually pumps out “Let It Snow” as if it were sung by The Chipmunks?

It’s really reminiscent of going through Walt Disney World when I was a teen, and I couldn’t get “It’s A Small World” out of my head for years. I’m pretty sure my brain and ears are still recovering from that aural damage.

So, if you could, please do the neighborhood a favor, ‘kay?

Be a good neighbor, and turn those awful lights, music and snow globe off.

Like, until January.

That’s all I’m asking.

Kisses,

Dee

Sleet and Snow and Fog, Oh, My!

Snow?

After a nice, warm and cozy weekend, I set off at 6:15 this morning from my boyfriend’s place to work from Exit 3 to 10 on the New Jersey Turnpike in intermittent rain and spit.

So, with my big 24 ounce Wawa coffee in the cup holder, I’m off to Exit 10, in the middle lane, doing, oh, 70 in my little four-cylinder car in fifth, passing trucks and grooving along just fine, thank you very much.

And then the rain picked up. Well, that’s all good, so I didn’t pass that car doing 60 or so; instead I moved back and thought this was a smart move.

Along around Exit 7, I like to put on the local New York AM stations to catch the news, traffic and weather, especially when I’m cruising up from Paul’s early on a Monday morning. You know, I’ve been up since 5, I’m running low on caffeine, and this is the last thing I need to hear:

“Well, there’s lots of accidents on the GSP and the NJT around the city due to the wicked weather!”

Well, what wicked weather are you talking about…oh, my! Never mind…I just got that memo. Thank you, Craig Allen.

Those aren’t raindrops on the windshield, those are snowflakes! And, you’d better put on the brakes, since everyone merging onto the NJT from Exit 9 just realized it’s snowing, and they’re all driving like a bunch of idiots as if they’ve never driven in snow before.

Good times, you know.

Oh, my...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1wnOUH2jk8

Yeah, I don't quite know what to say, either, LOL!

Wow.

Let's just say neither the song or the video will make my "Top Ten", 'kay?

Yikes...that just leaves me speachless.

Weather Hype And All Of That

Oh, it’s back!

Shield your eyes, cover your ears, and hide the kids!

It’s that time of year; ladies and gentlemen…the always-dreaded “S” word is back in your local forecast, and you know that that means…

Complete chaos from your local station.

It starts the same way; you’re turned into your local network affiliate, and there’s a reporter out there talking about the snow flurries. And then they’ll cut to a traffic reporter whose also talking about the snow flurries, which cuts to your local “weather dude”.

“Yep, there’s flurries out there, so be careful!”

“So, let’s look at the maps…”

Now, if you’re lucky, you’ve got a good TV met who actually knows what he (or she) is talking about, and will be knowledgeable enough to say, “Yep, just flurries for this evening, but be careful over the bridges, since they may freeze.”

I appreciate forecasts like that. Yes, Mother Nature is just putting down a little coating of snow, and it looks pretty. I’ll have to clean off my car in the morning, but that’s fine. I’m hanging out inside, and I’ll deal with it tomorrow.

However, what I don’t need are five different reporters to tell me that there’s a one inch of the white stuff in Center City, Northeast Philly, Bucks County, Cherry Hill and Atlantic City. As a viewer, I don’t need it, and I don’t want it. I know it’s snowing, and I still don’t understand why this is “breaking news”.

“There’s snow in Levittown! Let’s go to David Murphy, live in some parking lot in Bucks County!”

“Yeah, Marc, there’s at least a half an inch here at Oxford Valley Mall. Let me measure it for you. And, I even had to clean my car off!”

Get your Ruggie and Eastern on!

After all, winter’s coming!

Pushing Christmas

Just in case you haven’t checked your calendar, Thanksgiving is next Thursday.

Yeah, I know; it seems we just go from Labor Day directly to “Christmakwanzaakah” these days, but here it is, staring us in the face.

I do my best to ignore the fact that Wegmans’ chooses to display Christmas trees before Halloween (WTF?), but you’ve got to love their disclosure on how some people prefer to shop early for the holidays, which at their Cherry Hill location is strategically placed in front of a frog (huh?), wearing a Santa hat, all covered in green and red lights.

If anyone out there has a good explanation for this, please let me know. I’d love to hear it. “A Muppet Christmas” I get; a frog that’s not Kermit, not so much.

I have enough problems these days explaining (again) how a vegetarian celebrates Thanksgiving, but I’m used to it. I’ve been a veghead (on and off) for well over twenty years, and my stock answer is always this; I eat everything but the turkey. Besides, I’m a “Just Say No To Tofurkey” kind of gal. See that picture up there? That's not Thanksgiving dinner; that's some sort of weird punishment.

Bring on the wild mushroom stuffing (made with veggie stock, of course!), homemade mushroom gravy, more mashed potatoes, please, fresh spicy cranberry sauce, green beans with shallots and tomatoes, roasted butternut squash with real maple syrup and butter, homemade rolls with more butter, carrots with fresh ginger and honey, and those pearl onions in cream sauce.

Mmmm…with that all-star lineup, who needs the turkey?

Bring on the pumpkin pie, baby! I'm ready!

Don't Be That Guy!

Life, these days, is loud.

It doesn’t matter where you go, really. It seems that you’re always surrounded by noise.

Between the music in the supermarket, the mall, the bank, the unbelievable nonsensical cell phone conversations.

“So, where are you? Me? I’m buying onions at Wegmans! Kisses, I’ll talk to later when I’m waiting in line at the deli counter.”

So, why do we feel this great need to talk to each other constantly?

Friday night was a perfect example. The always-amazing “John Butler Trio” was in town, and seated right below us were six friends that just yapped all evening long.

The ringleader was a tall, blonde guy that if I ever see again at a concert is going to get one good smack in the head from me, and I believe I’m being generous with that punishment.

I don’t really care if these are your best friends in the world, or if this is the first time you’ve seen this band, but I’m pretty sure that John Butler didn’t hear you when you said, multiple times, “He kicks ass!!”

I’m also going to figure that when you screamed “Wa-HOOOO!!!” fifteen times during a lovely guitar solo, he didn’t hear you, either.

Let me explain something to you…you’re here to experience one of the best, live.

If you want to yak it up with your friends and drink, please do all of us a favour and go home and put the CD on instead, ‘kay?

Look Out!

I’ve been wearing glasses since I was eight. Sister “Someone-Or-Another” discovered that I had problems seeing the blackboard in second grade, and sent me home with a note from the school nurse with a word that I didn’t understand:

“Myopic”.

I hid the note from my mom for a couple of days, but eventually I was dragged kicking and screaming to the eye doctor and I’ve been wearing glasses ever since.

Sure, I had my brief love affair with contacts, but like most relationships when you’re young, love hurts.

The contacts scratched my cornea, but I refused to give them up. The day-to-day maintenance in the bad old days (back in the mid 1980’s) was incredible, and costly to boot.

Enter the astigmatism, and here were my choices: hard contacts, something called “Boston gas lenses”, or, glasses.

Distance glasses, reading glasses, bifocals (oops, I meant to say “multi-visions”)…it’s a family affair. I don’t believe there’s anyone in my family who doesn’t need some sort of optical enhancement, and now that I think about it, we’re all blind as bats!

There was never a holiday dinner, barbecue, wedding, football game or any other little slice of life where someone didn’t say the following:

“Wait a second. I’ve got to get my glasses.”
“No, I need my readers.”
“Nope, new bifocals. Oh, there it is!”
“Whose glasses are these?”

So, I’m not getting old, you see…I’m just following a family tradition.