Pasta

So over lunch I had a debate, or rather discussion, with my friends Maurice and Julie about deserted island pasta.  What I mean is, If you could only have 1 pasta dish what would it be. This of course sparked a thought of what my top five pasta dishes are.

Deserted Island Pasta

Pad Thai. Now people who know me would probably assume that I would go with something Italian since I love Italian food (especially the northern cusisne of Bologona). However, of all the pasta I have consumed Pad Thai is the most complex, balanced, and satisfying. Pad Thai has that sweet, salty, tangy, sour, spicy, crunchy, smooth, chewy goodness all in one bit. Mmmm.

Top five pasta dishes . . .

1.  Pad Thai

2.  Ravioli di zucca (Pumpkin Ravioli) – At Del Pescatore.

The best restaurant in Italy. Period.

3.  Pho bò viên – Okay so I order it because i love the meatballs but the rice noodle broth combo is killer!

4.  Tortellini – at Rodrigos in Bologona.  They make it themselves and its not even what they are known for.  Meat, meat, and more meat is the name of the game at Rodrigos

Fettuccini al Burro – this is a magnificent example of simple goodness. Its butter, cheese, and a dash of cream. The secret is fresh fresh pasta and really good butter. This is my favorite on a late summers evening with a glass of malavasia. Sigh, I miss Italy.

RT

I love rottentomatoes.com.  In just a few clicks you can find out if critics say a movie is or is not worth seeing.  I know people’s tastes differ, but for myself I find it a useful place to begin.

Here’s a good example.  Wolfy told me on Sunday that he started watching The Last Airbender, only to turn it off 8 minutes into the film.  Rottentomatoes.com gave the film a rating of 7%.  Meanwhile this weekend I watched The Damned United on Netflix (RT score was 94%).  Wolfy would have loved it…it’s about soccer and was fantastic.  I find that the system generally works well at identifying good movies and horrible ones.  So generally, that’s what I go by.  If the movie gets better that 75% on RT, then I will check it out.  By doing this I try to avoid wasting time watching crappy movies.  Well…at least most of the time this is how I justify it.

Unfortunately, the movie I want to see this weekend also has the lowest score for the week.  Country Strong (I’m a sucker for Gwyneth Paltrow) currently has a score of 27%.  What a dilemma.  It’s probably going to be terrible, but at least it beat Yogi Bear (13%).  Anyway, maybe I can talk Wolfy into going to see it with me this weekend.

-Josh

Merry Christmas (a few days early)

So this time of year is usually a time of much merriment and cheer. The eggnog gets spiked and little children tip over christmas trees. So in the spirit of Christmas (thats what I personally celebrate) I am giving away two songs for ya’ll (hoosier talk). The first is a traditional Christmas carol that I had some fun remixing. I also love this song because the lyrics remind me that I have hope. For those who don’t know this year has been very very very hard on myself and my fiance. She has been very sick and we have very few moments where we are hopeful these days. The second song is a Justin Timberlake piece we have been playing at shows. We recorded this live and have rushed to get this up so ya’ll can enjoy it. May your Christmas (or Hanukka, or Kwanza) be wonderful and full hope.

Cheers,

Wolfy

Oh Come All Yea Faithful (remix)

Download:

http://www.box.net/shared/n3o613sqo6

Cry Me A River (Live)

Download:

http://www.box.net/shared/m927qhf651

Hip Hop and World Cup

Once every four years glory descends on the world in the form of the world cup. It is the one time the world is actually doing something good together (because not every country makes cheese!). I just finished watching Mexico vs South Africa with some friends and must say this will be an amazing cup. Soooo, check out my friend Tim’s blog

www.18to88.com

Great stuff. I hope you all get to watch a match . . . just not during our set tomorrow! And if you do, DO NOT TEXT ME THE SCORE OF THE US vs ENGLAND MATCH! I will cry . . . big tears.

Now as Josh has mentioned, I have been listening to a lot of Hip Hop/Rap these days. What an Amazing genera. I have never given it much thought but man, what a great art form. Love it, love it, love it.
Here are my top three Rap Songs (so far . . .) I cant say I like the videos (there are not many good ones these days) but the songs . . . I love the songs. So sorry if you don’t like the videos.

La Nina by Mala Rodriguez (I have no idea what she is saying but I love the flamenco influence . . . and the Spanish which I cannot understand).

99 problems by Jay Z (I mean, Rick Rubin Produced this!)

The Seed (2.0) by The Roots (Dude, they use real drums. REAL DRUMS!!!! I would TOTALLY play wurlitzer in this band)

When did Wolfy start listening to Tupac?

I am not that into hip hop or rap, but since Wolfy suddenly started listening to Tupac, I thought I should follow suit.  Here are five favorite songs.

-Josh

B.O.B. – Airplanes    click here

Jay Z – Empire State of Mind    click here

The Roots- Duck Down    click here

Kanye West – All Falls Down    click here

Outkast – Bowtie    click here    click here

Post Show Blues

Post Show Blues,

I have always found that I get slightly depressed post show.  Its understandable since I love playing shows and last Saturdays was no exception.  I think that was one of the better shows we have played.  I mean, its not as though we played perfect since this was our first show debuting new material so there were a few little flubs but the crowd was into it and that always makes a performer happy.  So after a great show, not even my favorite cheese (10yr old cheddar) nor my favorite wine (1982 Chateau Margaux . . . though the 61 is supposed rock the house) could lift me from my funk.  Of course it doesn’t help that I am perpetually tired and overworked these days but the post show blues really sunk in this week.  Yes, I know, we should play more shows but the reality is right now we are writing and recording so that takes up a chunk of our time.

I guess that’s exciting, the new material that is.  I feel like we are doing the opposite of a lot of bands in the sense that we started more experimental and worked backwards to more pop.  May I just say that I love pop music.

So, we will play a show in June in Indianapolis.  It’s a bit of a wait but hopefully its worth it.  Thanks to those who came to our show.  Thanks for putting up with my tangents and rants and my San Pellegrino consumption.  Maybe champagne for the next show????

Top 6 places I’d rather be:

1. Bordeaux, France
2. Fez, Morocco
3. Wisconsin
4. Alsace, France
5. Parma, Italy
6. On a Yact in the Caribbean . .  Dominica anyone?

Cheese and Lamb

So this week I had to run up to Wisconsin to take care of my parents.  They had been in a car wreck (with their car rolling and missing a telephone poll by inches) and were pretty banged up (my Mom had cracked ribs and bruised lungs – who knew you could bruise your lungs!).  So I spent my time doing yard work and cleaning the house.  Well, I also cooked a whole heck of a lot for them . . . And made cheese.  Yes I finally made a proper cheese – Colby to be exact.  Life is good.  I also was blessed with snow.  Life is good.  As we say in Wisconsin . . . “It must snow on the Robin three times before its spring.”  I think they are due one more snow.  I am so very blessed that my parents are still here.  It was good to have some time to reflect and just sit and talk with them.  A near death experience certainly  puts things in perspective.

Here are some pictures of my cheese making.  I also grilled lamb over an open fire.  I won’t lie, It might have been some of the best lamb I have ever had.  I will write more about that later.  I need to head back to Indiana.

Cheers,

Wolfy

Recording Day # 4

Thursday has been the most intense so far I think.  The moment I showed up at Gary’s studio he was already talking about co-writing some tunes.  He had been up for a few hours and already had a few crazy pop ideas to throw at me.  Definitely was not ready for that.  I have a lot of shell shocked looks these days.  The guy moves fast.

We had to finish mixing Thursday, though that did not happen due to computer issues.  I hate computers:  Mac, PC – it doesn’t matter.  We lost at least 3 hours with logic crashes and then having to redo parts.  Sigh.  Casey is a friend of Gary’s and mix engineer.  He has been engineering this album.  He is a great guy who definitely, like Gary, is a true New Yorker.  I don’t even know if I can describe it but you can just tell.  Anyway, we spent so much time tweaking guitar tones, drum tones. . . its never ending.  Casey was a wonderful help in getting tones right though once we heard the mix back at the hotel we were not happy with that.  Hurray, Friday will be ANOTHER mix day.  My ears are tiered.  Actually I am tiered in general.  It makes blogging much harder.

The day ended well with a trip to the Tribecha Grill with some friends.  It was a nice three and half hour dinner.  Lots of food and wine.  I’ll write more on that.  I am too tiered to write more.  Sigh.

Interesting quotes from the day:

“These guys are all so . . . Crazy” – when talking about the music execs Casey’s called.

“I’m convinced apple has a suicide worm built in their computers” – Casey

“I like you guys . . . I don’t want the medicine to kill the patient” – Gary

Recording Day # 3

Wednesday:

New York is a crazy fast busy noisy city.  I don’t think one can argue that.  Now whether or not that’s a bad thing is debatable.   I really didn’t think that it could get much crazier.  However I forgot that everyone suddenly becomes drunk and Irish in this city on St. Patties (Saint-Patrick’s) Day.  Our hotel was ground zero for the parade which meant the lobby turned into a practice space for bagpipes.  What a lovely sound to wake up to.  I decided to get the heck out of dodge and go to central park.  It was a beautiful day, I mean really beautiful.  Clear blue skies and sixty degrees helped make my 2 hour walk very very nice.  Wednesday was another stressful day in the studio mainly because Logic crashed AGAIN and we lost some great guitar parts.  Never a dull moment.  Phil came to lay down some lead guitar lines.  I really like working with him.  He is a helluva guitar player.  Probably one of the best I have ever heard (let alone worked with).  Plus he is a great guy, very nice and chill.  In spite of the stress we are almost done with the two tunes.  Maybe we will get to a third song.  All I know is that Gary is good and works really really really fast.  Man he tires me out.  I mean we work with him 7-9 hours a day and he still works AFTER we leave and BEFORE we show up.  Crazy.

Random notes:

Drunk people are funny morning, noon, and night

I have yet to have a bad latte in NYC (no starbucks)

I am trying to work up the nerve to eat street food i.e. “Street Meat” as my friend April says. It smells so good

Everyone in my hotel speaks French.  I feel like I am in Paris!

Recording day # 2

So Tuesday was one he** of a stressful day!  The day started out well enough though we realized that all of us snore.  I think ear plugs are in order.  Of course that’s nothing a good Latte and muffin can’t fix (I am eating muffins every morning because, well, they are really good here).  However once we got to the studio it went downhill.  Our producer was in a bad mood.  Logic had crashed earlier that morning and he lost a bunch of the work plus two hours of his time.  Not a good way to start out.  Then we had a helluva time agreeing on guitar tone (still not there yet) and vocal arrangements.  I have never felt so tense in the studio.  I wanted to just hope in the drivers seat (the producer chair) and fix all these little artifacts that were bugging me.  Gary was not addressing them.   In hindsight the tension is the fact that Gary and I (and Josh) work very differently.  However in the moment I wanted to scream.  I was in a really bad mood.  Plus I had to remind Gary to save the sessions every five minutes.  Sigh.  In spite of the tension Gary had some pretty funny quotes such as early on when he was mad at the computer he said

“It’s a great day if you want to walk around.  However if you enjoying hearing an old man curse to himself  . . .”

or when we were disagreeing on guitar lead lines he said

“You have demo-itus” – (he was right)

Some others lines

“Oh you crazy little Wolfy’s”

“These parts didn’t even have time for a cigarette break”

So the studio time as crazy.  My night got better when I went out to dinner with some friends who where in NYC.  Sue and Sam Anderson and Nicole.  Sue and Same live in Queens I think.  I have known Sue since I was 5.  Nicole was in town on a theater tour.  She is a friend from high school.  We meet up at this French restaurant (always a way to make any day better) La Bonne Soupe (www.labonnesoupe.com).  Very cute and very tasty restaurant.  I had steamed mussles in a mustard sauce with a nice provencal Rose to wash it down.  The baguette was my favorite part though.  So crusty yet so soft in the middle.  The wine list was really really small But since the wines were French I didn’t care!  Tomorrow Phil is coming in to lay down more guitar.  Hope tomorrow is better