WEEK OF SUNDAYS

SPOTIFY AND ITS DISCONTENTS

Sat, 24 Nov 2012 11:36:53 -0500

Here is an article by a guy who never learned how have a meaningful music experience on the internet and refuses to entertain the possibility that this is his own fault

mygoldmask: indiexmusic: In Our Babylon will wrap you up in...

Fri, 23 Nov 2012 23:28:32 -0500

mygoldmask:

indiexmusic: In Our Babylon will wrap you up in awesomeness.

ahhhhhhh what is this where did it come from

I have been away too long

Homemade vegan nog: a quest

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 22:50:22 -0500

An informal poll of my twitter followers informs me that no one would care if I resurrect this blog as a food blog instead of starting a whole new one for the new subject, so hi! This blog you probably forgot you were following is all about food now. There might still be music posts from time to time, or I might stop updating altogether after two weeks (most likely outcome). You are, of course, encouraged to unfollow at any time if any of this bothers you. Cool? Cool.

ONTO THE FOOD. The grocery store next to my work has started stocking eggnog, which, together with the cold weather and the imminent approach of Thanksgiving (SO SOON. AHHH) put me in the mood for eggnog like whoa. This grocery store did not have any soy nog next to all its various eggy/milky nogs, though, which got me thinking a) “You know what, soy nog is always like $5 or $6 anyway, fuck that noise” and b) “You know, I bet I could make a better nog than Silk does…”

So I went home and I googled soy nog recipes. It’s pretty rough out there. Some of the recipes sounded alright, some of them were nothing more than warm cinnamon milk (have you guys ever had regular eggnog? no?), and some included nightmare ingredients like silken tofu (WHY) or frozen banana (NO). Despairing, I decided to just abandon all the recipes out there and copy what the mass-produced product does: soymilk, except thicker and sweeter and with bonus spice flavor.

Fortunately, there already exists a soy product out there designed to make beverages thicker, sweeter, and creamier. Given that it is readily available and less than half the cost of a quart of ready-made nog, this recipe was born.

Unfortunately, I didn’t happen to have any soy creamer lying around, so I had to wait until pay day/grocery day to go out and get some. French Vanilla flavor wasn’t my first choice because of its cloying, too-strong weird beany vanilla taste, but the store was out of everything else, so I got it anyway. When mixed with this much almond milk, though, the flavor mellows way out and didn’t end up being a problem at all.

Take all these things and mix them up in a container with a cover that seals tight. I used about 4 parts almond milk to 1 part creamer, and a good pinch of each of the spices. Except for the cloves, you want to be pretty miserly with those. The turmeric is there only to give color - you do have to add kind of a lot before it shows up, but in my trials it did NOT result in a wacky flavor.

Since it looks kind of like one of those metal shakers people mix drinks in and is very easy to clean, I picked my travel tea mug. MISTAKE. This mug does not even have a lid that seals. Do better than me, people.

Or, if you are exactly like me, cover the top of your chosen cup with plastic wrap, hold tight, and shake vigorously. For a long time. Maybe even a couple of long times, just to make sure. The aim is to break up any clumps of spices and get everything nice and frothy, so if you do have one of those metal drink mixer things, this would be a great time to use it. If you don’t, the plastic wrap method is minimally messy, and lets you watch everything mix, if you’re into that sort of thing.

Once everything is mixed good and well, give it a taste and adjust spices/creaminess as necessary. This doesn’t come out as thick as regular eggnog, but noticeably thicker than plain milk, which was the goal. My first batch came out sweet enough on its own, but the second one (where I actually measured things) was not, so I added some agave and shook it up again. If you’re adding whiskey or rum or whatever this is probably a good time to throw it in, but I wanted to know what this tasted like undoctored for SCIENCE, so I ended up stirring my booze in with a spoon later. Shake everything up one last time for good measure, and you’re done! I poured mine into a jam jar so I could take pretty pictures, but this step is entirely optional.

This was delicious, and came out waaaaay closer to regular eggnog than I had been expecting. It’s not quite as creamy or obscenely rich tasting, alas, but it was good enough that I felt compelled to have two glasses. Holds up well to the addition of booze, doesn’t curdle weirdly or anything. Would probably be super easy to make en masse by mixing everything together right in the almond milk carton, come to think of it. If you do this, be aware that the spices do tend to sink to the bottom after a while, so shake before serving. Unless you want your last serving to be nothing but a spicy sludge, that could totally be a thing.

VEGAN NOG: THE SOY CREAMER VERSION

3/4 C almond milk (plain; if using unsweetened adjust amount of agave accordingly)
1/4 C Silk french vanilla creamer
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
pinch Cloves
1/2 tsp agave

Mix all ingredients until frothy. Adjust cinnamon, nutmeg, and agave to taste. Mix more because mixing is fun. Garnish with more nutmeg.

Upcoming: coconut milk version, cashew cream version (??)

Yesterday I found out there is a Santigold song that features...

Sat, 04 Aug 2012 12:01:25 -0400

Yesterday I found out there is a Santigold song that features Karen O. Sometimes the world is a really wonderful place.

Music I am listening to that you should listen to too ->...

Sat, 21 Jul 2012 08:31:24 -0400

Music I am listening to that you should listen to too -> BAILIFF

http://audiotree.tv/session/bailiff/

Why Pussy Riot Matters

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 20:11:52 -0400

violencegirl:

Since January of this year, I’ve been following with interest the evolving story of a group of young women on the other side of the world. The punk feminist group Pussy Riot immediately captured my attention and my heart with their bold “flash concerts” in public spaces, their unapologetically pro-feminist and anti-fascist politics and their brightly colored dresses and balaclavas. I’ve had some experience with performing anonymously and I loved the concept that these women embodied: Pussy Riot is above all else an idea. If one member is captured, another woman will don the balaclava and take her fallen comrade’s place in line.

That idea is now being put to the test. Pussy Riot dared to publicly challenge not only the established symbol of patriarchal power in Russia (the Russian Orthodox Church) but the seat of military and political power itself: the Putin government. And they did it in an audacious, thrilling, punk rock way. In doing so, they risked everything - perhaps more than they could have imagined at the time. Maria Alyokhina, 24, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 23, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 29 stand accused of participating in that performance and all three are now paying a huge price. They have been held in prison since March and are now awaiting trial on charges that could result in sentences of up to seven more years behind bars.

I’ve signed the Amnesty International petition to protest the detention of these ladies. I’ve raised a few dollars to help support their legal defense team. I’ve performed a song I wrote for them and talked about their plight in various cities in the US and Canada as I’ve been on tour. I’ve Tweeted, Facebooked and Tumbled endlessly about Pussy Riot and yet part of me knows that the fate of these brave women is beyond my control. They are being made an example of what happens to anyone who dares to challenge authority in a repressive, authoritarian society. This is the real reason why Pussy Riot matters. If we truly support Pussy Riot, then we need to show the world that we absolutely refuse to learn from this particular example. Instead, we will pick up the colorful balaclava, put it on and take our place in line. We will not learn to give up and accept defeat!

Certain truths in life need to be screamed out loud. Not all superheroes wear masks and capes. Some of them wear brightly colored balaclavas. The women are currently on a hunger strike and for that reason I urgently ask you to please help. Spread the word, sign the Amnesty International petition and show your support in any way you can.

^^^ signal bosting

Deleted Scenes setting up! They have a lot of gadgets.

Wed, 11 Jul 2012 23:26:01 -0400

Deleted Scenes setting up! They have a lot of gadgets.

listening to the Deleted Scenes audiotree session while I get ready for work in preparation for seeing them tonight at BAR

Wed, 11 Jul 2012 09:19:49 -0400

listening to the Deleted Scenes audiotree session while I get ready for work in preparation for seeing them tonight at BAR:

so good

hotsatan: cool! Need a ride to this or else I can’t go...

Tue, 10 Jul 2012 14:22:47 -0400

hotsatan:

cool!

Need a ride to this or else I can’t go :|

(Who’s going?)

(hey tumblr)

don’t have any fresh followers on my list but my follower count just went up…? oh tumblr

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 21:31:00 -0400

don’t have any fresh followers on my list but my follower count just went up…? oh tumblr

THINGS WHAT I AM LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW: Suicide Pact by JJAMZ, full album stream on AOL Spinner.

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 15:59:28 -0400

THINGS WHAT I AM LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW: Suicide Pact by JJAMZ, full album stream on AOL Spinner.

feeling a lot of feelings

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 15:56:36 -0400

feeling a lot of feelings

deathontwowheels: We’re going on tour … family...

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 15:44:57 -0400

deathontwowheels:

We’re going on tour … family style!

Check AbsolutePunk.net for the full announcement on The Favorite Gentlemen Tour including dates and more information.

We’ll see you on the road here shortly, thanks a bunch, much love…

- the Death

Got out of work early just in time for this to blow up all over my twitter feed. SO EXCITED. I am on that Brooklyn date like a fruit fly on dubious bananas \o/

dsummersphoto: Dead Sara. (Best band I saw at Warped yesterday....

Sun, 08 Jul 2012 13:59:07 -0400

dsummersphoto:

Dead Sara. (Best band I saw at Warped yesterday. Listen to “Lemon Scent” or fuck you.)

Did some quick homework, and HOLY HELL YES the man is right. Here is a youtube link, to make your own homework & inevitable epiphany that much easier: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txE5OlOJI0U

I spent nearly all of my high school years obsessively listening...

Sun, 08 Jul 2012 11:11:27 -0400

I spent nearly all of my high school years obsessively listening to this album, and I don’t think I ever realized the staggering genius that is this track. It’s got a quiet, sinister start that slowly sprawls out over the course of six minutes into this huge song that loses its fucking mind by the end, kicking and screaming and howling guitars everywhere. AMAZING. How did I never notice? Either that or I forgot, which is an equally chilling prospect. Is the emotional connection I feel with music in the moment of listening maybe not as real, as enduring as it seems? What is there besides the seeming, though?

Moral of the story: revisit your favorite music from high school. Maybe there was shit you missed the first time.

where my love for the rarest available thing comes crashing into my love for bright shiny objects

Sat, 07 Jul 2012 18:27:33 -0400

http://morsecoderecordings.limitedrun.com/products/17557-manners-apparitions-escapism-12-lp-cd-preorder

the translucent one is the SHINIEST OBJECT but also the MOST COMMON VARIANT what why HOW DO I DECISION

DO NOT USE FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY AT SHOWS

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 17:29:07 -0400

don’t be a turd

Buy a shirt or a CD

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 13:25:39 -0400

dagwoodct:

http://www.dagwood.bigcartel.com/

Download some music

http://dagwoodct.bandcamp.com/

Drink more water than any human

SUMMER ADVICE

Seriously is there a better album than Wrestling Moves?

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 09:00:37 -0400

Seriously is there a better album than Wrestling Moves?

Hey people of Connecticut, or anywhere really...

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 21:10:29 -0400

cornhair:

xoxo-pizzagrrrl:

I need a 5th roommate! Unfortunately our 5th person, can’t move in.

You would be paying $380 a month (not including utilities) or $330 a month if you take the smallest room in the house. It’s in a great neighborhood in New Haven, and you would be living with 4 other females in their 20s.

It’s a beautiful 3 floor house, with a basement, fireplace, garage, front porch, etc.

Message me if you are interested!

You have to be okay with how gorgeous Ruby is all the time. As well as bands sleeping in our living room, band practices, shows in the basement and girls eating breakfast in the underwear. Holler at us.

This would have been my ideal living situation if it had come up at the beginning of June instead of now. ALAS ALAS ETC.