Angels and Airwaves: Much Ado About Nothing

On April 14, I went to see the Angels andAirwaves show in Ventura CA. There has been significant fanfare and buzz about this band. Former Blink 182 frontman Tom DeLonge has formed a new band called Angels and Airwaves which isn't to be confused with former side project Box Car Racer. I think there was one word that capitulated the entire performance, and that was "hubris." I think it was apparent from the style of the music, tirades about the past year, instrumentation, and DeLonge's interpretive dancing, that Blink 182 broke up because of disagreements and ego. Subsequently, A&A was formed in the image that DeLonge had for Blink, but Blink wouldn't go. (Although significantly forshadowed in the group's latest release "Blink 182's" darker and more emotive sound) TRL is only attractive for so long, then you have to launch your own reality tv show right Barker? Maybe it was actually learning how to play the guitar. I guess their story could have been a page out of The Pretenders' book ie. learn to play and become a great band together, instead of Sting's ie. thePolice only hold me back and I can become a tantric icon on my own. DeLonge (in between dances) told us over and over again that even if someone told us thatwe couldn't do something, we should try anyway because their band was a testament to what could happen with positive thinking. (however isn't every band a testament to what can happen with positive thinking? )

The music was okay. I liked all the war themes. I remember thinking, "Wow, it's like U2's "Joshua Tree" vomited all over Blink182 songs." and "The Streets do have a name . .. they're called Angels and Airwaves." Sometimes the songs recycle old U2 and Blink 182 finger plucking sequences. The complexity of the songs has increased due to A&A being a 4 piece band (not 3) and plain maturity. Comparisons have been made to Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst, but I don't see them. I think Dashboard Confessional or TRL favorite Hawthorne Heights is more appropriate. Some things are decidedly different, such as long gone are the ATTICUS clothes and DC shoes, and DeLonge had only one joke about sleeping with moms. Overlooking the dancing and the speech about following your dreams, congratulations to DeLonge for following his heart in music even if it cost him his two best friends. Congrats to A&A because they sold out a show with only one real single on the rock charts and without an album out so no one could sing along to their songs. Congrats to DeLonge because long gone are the days when BAd REligion opens for you, or members of Homegrown run onstage wearing only a moshing rabbit thong to salute you. And here comes mature professional success (maybe.)

As a highlight the Pink Spiders, opened for the band and although they sound garage-y like Jet, did a great Elvis Costello cover which had me super excited. "What is so funny about peace love and understanding?"

for more info on A&A

chicken cacciatore

I always wondered what this dish was and why it was so popular among kids at the Olive Garden. This recipe was great with boneless skinless chicken breasts instead of a whole chicken with skin. Save on fat here and eat ice cream later!


Chicken Cacciatore
from REal Simple Magazine
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 3 1/2- to 4-pound chicken, cut into pieces (i used 4 of those really big chicken breasts from Kirkland)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes
1/3 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

In a shallow bowl, combine the flour, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper. Rinse the chicken and pat it dry with paper towels. Working in batches, lightly coat the chicken in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium heat. Add some of the chicken to the pan, being careful not to crowd the pieces. Cook the chicken until browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; set aside. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Add the onion to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Add the carrot, celery, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Crush the tomatoes in the can with a large spoon and stir them into the vegetables. Add the wine and the remaining salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken, reduce heat, and cover. Simmer for 45 minutes, turning the pieces occasionally. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the parsley and serve on individual plates.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Stats:
NUTRITION PER SERVINGCALORIES 803(63% from fat); FAT 56g (sat 14g); PROTEIN 54g; CHOLESTEROL 207mg; SODIUM 943mg; FIBER 3g; CARBOHYDRATE 19g

more bentos

obento

"obento" is the Japanese word for sack lunch. little kids cary their tiny lunches in decorative tupperware boxes. as if the concept of "obento" wsn't cute enough . . .check these out!

Alkaline Trio in San Diego! My life is complete.

Saturday April 1, 2006 I saw my favorite band the Alkaline Trio. They had the lamest band called the Griffin opening for them. Basic stage dynamics Griffin boys you should introduce your band and not make us guess. However they did deal with the stage security brutality incident well and did an impromptu additional verse saying “Please security guards stop beating up our fans” as people rushed the stage to do seizure-esque dances and run around to be the back of the room.


As for the Trio they played an emotional 2 hours of the morose punk rock that I love. They played the entire “Goddamnit” album, which I thought was awesome. It’s the theme of my first year of lawschool which made me feel like there was someone more miserable than I out there. They have a really poignant tribute to clinical depression on the album which I love (Trouble Breathing.) I really liked how they didn’t play all the Crimson songs in a shameless attempt to plug the new album. I think that they know that their rabid fans are the real reason for their success and we all have the album and know what it sounds like. I would have liked “If you had a bad time,” the Cure cover of “Exploding Boy” or “Mr. Chainsaw” (I loooooooove Mr Chainsaw) But as to the lack of Cure covers, the Crimson album arrangements are reminiscent of the Cure in some places. I’m not the only one to catch the Cure and Joy Division parallels really! Speaking of tributes, at one time Matt says "This one's for Johnny Cash!" and I was expecting like a Folsom Prison Cover or something, but no it was "Burn."


"I used to long for broken bones I used to long for a casket to call my own I never had a problem facing fear But I'm done, over and out my dear and
Oh, mercy me, God bless catastrophe'Cause there's no way in hell We'll ever live through this"

Jennifer Government

Recently I read a novel by Max Barry called “Jennifer Government.” I borrowed this book from my good friend Paul C. At first he explained to me that it was about a world where people took the last name of the company they worked for because consumerism was so important. He also explained that it began with the release of a special Nike shoe which was worth thousands of dollars and people would camp outside stores and kill for. Likewise, Paul is a sneakerhead (or recovering addict) and would totally camp outside various stores for a pair of Tiffany Dunks. My interest was peaked.



Max Barry pens this novel with great wit and insight to attack modern day consumerism by creating a horrible universe where corporations rule that isn’t so far off from the system today.

Barry portrays corporate greed and power throughout the book. In this universe corporate culture takes over your life, your name, and in some cases even decides who lives or dies. The absolute power of those in the “Alliance” of the greatest companies does corrupt absolutely as we follow the path of the two John Nikes as they slime their way through the upper echelons of society. Max Barry’s scathing attack on consumerism, small government, and the “American” way fittingly proceeds to include the National Rifle Association as a militant evil assassinating association. It is no coincidence that Barry uses the NRA as a competing “army for hire” as a symbol of our Constitutional right to bear arms however twisted to be the platform for our crazy conservative gunslinging politicians.

Aside from being a comical romp through this “make believe” world, Barry wants you to think about the parallels to today’s society. Interestingly enough a future where the police are useless and one could get away with murder by paying the correct people is not that far fetched. There are police corruption scandals every day. A product today may have so much buzz that people do camp out and pay thousands for shoes. People camped out for days for the PS2 when it came out. Remember Star Wars Episode I before we were all asking what a metichlorion was? Doesn’t the Hermes Birkin have a 6 month waiting list? In Paris not even a woman with more money than God like Oprah can buy one of those! I’ve always been wary of companies teaming up to form “alliances” like how you can buy a McDonalds hamburger and eat it with Ronald inside a Walmart store. You can buy a book at Barnes and Noble and drink a Starbucks at the same place. The Hilton family of hotels is like all the hotels. The Star Alliance includes over 15 different airlines. If you’re blacklisted from one, you probably will not be able to fly any of them.

In conclusion Max Barry is awesome because he wrote Jennifer Government. However didn’t he sell the rights to a movie company? Whatever, I’d add it to my Netflix queue. You really can’t be too anti consumerism or you end up in an old abandoned house talking to yourself trying to erase the credit record.

Check out Max and his disdain for “Rub a Dub Dub”

copwatch

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

From the immigraiton blog...
"On March 31, a Dos Palos Unified School District bus (in the central valley of California), en route to school was stopped by immigration officers. Agents conducted a raid, took 7 children off the bus and placed them in ICE vans. It is assumed the children were taken to the Fresno immigration office. For more information, contact JoAnn Juarez: jjuarez@mcoe.org"

I plagerized this from Evo's friend:
http://www.xanga.com/m8im8i


Can you believe this? Cops kidnap kids in Fresno. Where’s the Fresno County Copwatch at?

Yellow Fever Video

http://www.youtube.com/w/Yellow-Fever?v=dUto_zdvb90&search=wong%20fu


Everyone needs to see this video because it's hilarious. Thank you to Mercedes Valle for sending it to me and congratulations Wong Fu Productions for such a successful short. I myself am mesmerized by butt hair.