My Aunt Izilda (Zí) passed away last night in Lisbon after a painful final battle with cancer. She was a quirky, vibrant, energetic woman and will be sorely missed.
Monthly Archives: November 2004
Two Cascadias
Perhaps the Independent Cascadia meme will gain popularity after last night. I figure California wouldn’t want to miss out on the secession party, so I stitched a map from CNN’s county results for Washington, Oregon, and California to illustrate (American) Cascadia’s 2004 election results:
The similarities between this map and the National results are interesting.
Update 11/4: Worthy links:
Update 11/5: 3-D map (can you tell I love maps?)
Update 11/6: Proportional county map. Should be the last of them, great stuff though.
Update 11/9: Aggregated Maps
Update 11/15: Counties that switched
McLusky at the Crocodile
I saw McLusky at the Crocodile last night. McLusky plays a loud, energetic set and are quite enjoyable if you know the songs or like that type of music (think loud, early Pixies, but louder).
They were ridiculously loud, my ears couldn’t take it. My cheap foam earplugs weren’t cutting it, I ended up leaving the show halfway through.
Solid (C+)
Editor’s Note: This entry wasn’t posted until early December, but is backdated to the original authoring date.
Buttersprites at Rendezvous
I saw the Buttersprites at the Rendezvous last night. They’re a novelty act who sound like a simplified Cibo Matto and dress like an Asian fetishist’s wet dream.
Although the songs are fairly simple (and occasionally annoying), they’re actually pretty fun to watch. The band has a lot of fun onstage and has a growing, dedicated fan base that adds to the experience.
OK (C-)
Editor’s Note: This entry wasn.t posted until early December, but is backdated to the original authoring date.
Futureheads at the Crocodile
I saw the Futureheads at the Crocodile last night. They’re the latest trendy indie rock (but really 80s revival) band (someone had to replace Franz Ferdinand once they got too popular), predictably garnering critical praise for their latest album. The hipsters were out in full force for the show (which was frequently advertised on KEXP).
Despite the crowd, the show was quite good, reminiscent of Franz Ferdinand’s Crocodile performance early this year. They had good energy with catchy, danceable melodies for drinking PBR.
Recommended (B+)
Editor’s Note: This entry wasn.t posted until early December, but is backdated to the original authoring date.
Hearos Earplugs
After my terrible experience at last week’s McLusky concert, I bought these Hearos Earplugs. My previous (cheap) earplugs distorted the sound and provided dubious protection against hearing damage.
My new earplugs are surprisingly good; although slightly uncomfortable, they provide much better sound quality and my feel much better even during loud concerts. They’re significantly more expensive ($15) than cheap earplugs, but well worth the price.
Highly Recommended (A-)
Editor’s Note: This entry wasn.t posted until early December, but is backdated to the original authoring date.
Menomena at the Crocodile
Menomena played last night at the Crocodile. Their first album really grew on me during the past couple of weeks. As all the reviews point out, they used a custom software program to help compose the album. They played enjoyable, straightforward versions of their songs. Well worth the $7 and two block walk from my apartment, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to see them.
Solid (B-) Make sure to check out their official website, very well designed.
Editor’s Note: This entry wasn.t posted until early December, but is backdated to the original authoring date.
Ozomatli at the Showbox
Ozomatli is one of my all-time favorite live acts. They play long, high-energy sets of Hip-Hop infused Latin music and do an excellent job of getting the crowd moving. They played last Saturday at the Showbox; it’s the third time I see them at the Showbox and my fifth overall. This show is my least favorite of the five, mostly because their new material is not as good as their first album.
Highly Recommended (A-). They’re playing mostly in California, although they’ll be in Jacksonville early next year.