grow some sprouts for your salads and sandwiches

How to Grow Sprouts in a Jar Growing sprouts in a jar is easy. Here's how to do it: Place one to two tablespoons of seeds in your jar, and cover with approximately two inches of warm water. Let this sit overnight. Drain the water, using a fine sieve or cheesecloth. Rinse the seeds by adding water the the jar, swishing the seeds around, and draining. Repeat twice a day, every day until your sprouts are the desired size. This will take anywhere from three to seven days, depending on the variety of sprout you're growing. Sprouts are best when they're still fairly small and just starting to turn green. Store your sprouts in a covered bowl or food storage bag with a paper towel inside to absorb excess moisture. Use the sprouts within a week.

remember them? FRENTE- girl

kent osborne -bb cat

if you like Barbarella as much as I do then you may like...

I just watched it for the first time tonight.


Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! is a 1965 exploitation film directed by Russ Meyer, who also wrote the script with Jack Moran. It stars Tura Satana, Haji, and Lori Williams.
The film features gratuitous violence, sexuality, provocative gender roles, and camp dialogue. It is one of Meyer's more boldly titled and unflinchingly exploitative films; however, there is no nudity. Three thrill-seeking go-go dancers—Billie (Lori Williams), Rosie (Haji), and their leader, Varla (Tura Satana)—encounter a young couple in the desert while racing their sports cars. After killing the boyfriend (Ray Barlow) with her bare hands, Varla drugs, binds, gags and kidnaps his girlfriend, Linda (Susan Bernard). On a desolate highway, the four stop at a gas station, where they see an old man (Stuart Lancaster) and his muscular, dimwitted son, Vegetable (Dennis Busch). The gas station attendant (Mickey Foxx) tells the women that the old man and his two sons live on a decrepit ranch with a hidden cache of money. Intrigued, Varla hatches a scheme to rob the lecherous old man, who uses a wheelchair.
The film was shot in the extreme western parts of the Mojave Desert. However, some of the scenes appear to have been filmed farther east, near Baker, California. The last scenes in the film were made west of California City. The rail line running between Mojave and Trona, California is clearly evident.

adorable and interesting. into the world of women+beer

theloveofbeermovie.com/

Who Are the Pink Boots Society?We are the female movers and shakers in the beer industry. We get the beer brewed and fermented
with the highest possible quality. We also own breweries, package the beer, design beers, serve beers,
write about beer, and cover just about any aspect of beer, and we are all women.

http://pinkbootssociety.org/

i saw these today on laughingsquid.com. so cute!!!!

bookmarks-that-look-like-little-legs-sticking-out-of-books

Zucchini Bread (serve with tomato mushroom soup!).

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1 cup finely shredded unpeeled zucchini
• 1/2 cup toasted walnut pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, finely chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Grease an 8 by 4 by 2-inch loaf pan with 1 teaspoon of the butter.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter, oil, and sugar. Cream the mixture until smooth. Sift the flour, spices, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and set aside. Add the egg to the creamed mixture and mix until incorporated. Add the sifted flour mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time until all is incorporated, and the batter is smooth.

Squeeze and drain the shredded zucchini. Fold zucchini, walnuts, and lemon zest into batter.

Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 55 to 60 minutes until golden brown or when skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.



TOMATO MUSHROOM SOUP

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 pounds plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion
• 1-1/4 cups chicken broth
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup tomato paste
• Pinch sugar, optional
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

• Place tomatoes cut side down in a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Brush with 3 tablespoons oil. Combine garlic, salt, basil, oregano and pepper; sprinkle over tomatoes. Bake, uncovered, at 450° for 20-25 minutes or until edges are well browned.
• Cool slightly. Place tomatoes and pan drippings in a blender. Cover and process until blended; process 1 minute longer.
• In a large saucepan, saute mushrooms and onion in remaining oil for 5-8 minutes or until tender. Stir in broth, tomato paste, sugar if desired and tomato puree. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat; stir in cream. Garnish with Parmesan cheese. Yield: 4 servings.

so pretty! working on replicating these art deco glass beaded headbands

i wish there was a better video for this song

yay. i'll try to catch them while in Florida

www.surferblood.com

animator/illustrator/ginger with a good beard

ericreigert.com/

K BEATON - return on the saucy mermaids

THINGS YOU WILL FIND @ THE PORTLAND DOWNTOWN SATURDAY MARKET..

geese!

thai food

funny shirts

NY roommate megan in Portland? yay!

too drunk to dream.

oh how true. this song makes me laugh.
sorry if you get tired of all the magnetic fields videos :) i've been obessed with them lately.

Smokey Margarita. oh yeeeah

Ingredients

• 2 ounces tequila (recommended: El Tesoro)
• 1-ounce Triple Sec
• 1-ounce fresh lime juice
• 3/4 teaspoon simple syrup
• Ice cubes
• 1/2-ounce mezcal (recommended: Del Maguey "Chichicapa" Single Village Mezcal)

Directions

Place tequila, Triple Sec, lime juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker and shake until combined. Serve over ice in a rocks glass and pour mezcal on top; do not stir the mezcal into the drink, as it should "float" on top.

7 days til FLORIDA

 http://www.mermaidhostel.com/

turn leaves turn!

The weather is perfect today. i want FALL to come soooon!

dont deny you love it too!

 SMOKING POPES "need you around" from the CLUELESS soundtrack

it doesn't matter what i do...not for all my little words.

SPIRAL SHADOW /KYLESA /DUST

raw raw rawwwwwaar

I bought all my weeks groceries to go raw until i leave for FL. wish me luck. im excited to try new recipes and to see how my body feels. no cookies or ice cream for awhile! boo.

                                                          http://www.rawfoodlife.com

my new fav lady love blog.

This lovely blog covers everything from sex to mermaid conventions! How can I not like this.

site--->  http://thehairpin.com/

click---> about the blog

you either love them or hate em'

Growing up in Florida you where used to seeing "boiled Peanuts" signs and make shift stations all along the road. When I moved to NY in 2010 it took me forever to find raw peanuts in order to boil them and re create what I grew up loving. I finally found "green raw peanuts by the lb" in Chinatown! You could basically buy "anything" in Chinatown if you searched hard enough *wink. So I brought my 2 lbs of raw peanuts home with much excitement and went to town. I boiled those suckers for 2 days straight mixing in all the right seasons and the 2 cups of salt it called for. my final product was exactly what i had been waiting to taste since leaving Florida. When I introduced my roommates from various parts of the US to my freshly made batch, they had mixed reactions. They either love them or hated them and all of them where confused about where they came from and why they where mainly found on the side of the rd in the southern parts of the US. Anyhow, so here is some back ground on those wonderful little pods and some info I just found out for myself. I HAVE easily found raw peanuts (lots of "raw dieters" here) in Portland and have made a few experimental batches with different seasons. Michael Barker (my roommate) and I decided if all else fails in our working lives.. we will just open a boiled peanuts cart and add to the 129875039475097 other food carts floating around in Portland.


How to make boiled peanuts --->> link


History of Boiled Peanuts

Boiled peanuts are a traditional snack in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, northern Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi. They are an acquired taste, but according to southerners, they are totally addictive. From May through November, all over the south, you will see roadside stands - ranging from woodsheds to shiny trailers - offering fresh boiled peanuts. Sometimes they are hard to open with your fingers, and you must resort to using your teeth, but according to most people, they are worth the trouble.

Southerners will tell you boiled peanuts should always be accompanied by a beer, sweet tea, or a soft drink. Traditionally they are eaten outside where it doesn't matter if wet shells are tossed or spit on the ground.

Boiled peanuts are green or raw nuts that are boiled in salty water for hours outdoors over a fire. The shells turn soggy, and the peanuts take on a fresh, legume flavor. A green peanut is not green in color, just freshly harvested. It takes ninety to a hundred days to grow peanuts for boiling, and they are available only during May through November throughout the southern states. One of the drawbacks of boiled peanuts is that they have a very short shelf life unless refrigerated or frozen. If you leave them out on the kitchen counter for 3 to 4 days, they become slimy and smelly!

Another reason to like Portland. $4 MOVIES!

around every corner you will find a small theatre in your neighborhood here in Portland. most of the movies run from $3-$5. the movies that are showing are never new, but some of the better ones are selected to show, rather than 10 to pick from. I recently decided to do a whole week of movies. here is my first movie of the week ---> BEGINNERS. i LOVED this film, starring Ewan McGregor (we've all seen his stuff), Mélanie Laurent (the blond french girl from inglorious bastards), Christopher Plummer (from the sound of music and other films). the story really touched me regarding the sometimes strained and unique relationships you have with your parents and the reality of being in love with someone and it not working out despite it all. there's also a dog in this movie that you will want to steal and take home to live with YOU "Author". i thought it was nicely written and played out. a little on the tear jerking side (especially if you had recently gone through any relationship woes). PLEASE try to go see this movie or netflix it!

‎1hr 44min‎‎ - Rated R‎‎ - Drama‎
Director: Mike Mills - Cast: Ewan McGregor, Mélanie Laurent, Christopher Plummer, Goran Visnjic, Bill Oberst Jr.

"Beginners" imaginatively explores the hilarity, confusion, and surprises of love through the evolving consciousness of Oliver. Oliver meets the irreverent and unpredictable Anna only months after his father Hal has passed away. This new love floods Oliver with memories of his father more »who -- following 44 years of marriage -- came out of the closet at age 75 to live a full, energized, and wonderfully tumultuous gay life. The upheavals of Hal's new honesty, by turns funny and moving, brought father and son closer than they'd ever been able to be. Now Oliver endeavors to love Anna with all the bravery, humor, and hope that his father taught him.

MUSICFESTNW 2011

I signed up back in late June to volunteer to work at this years MUSICFESTNW in Portland in order to get a free $150 wrist band and to meet new people. I thought it would be a fun way to get myself out there and see bands I normally would have not heard of nor bought a ticket for. Today was the training class. The basics of working a large fest and to find out where you are placed and dates etc. I'm excited about a few bands including: The Joy Formidable,Sallie Ford& the Sound Outide, Kylsea,The Butthole Surfers, Marketa  Irglova, archers of loaf, The Corin Tucker Band and more.

Here is the line up ------>     http://2011.musicfestnw.com/

July 17th. moving day.

So most of you all know by now, I have uprooted from Brooklyn, New York and moved myself and my 8 boxes of my life to Portland, Oregon. It's decision I am growing to appreciate! I'll post more about my experiences and life on the Pacific West Coast as soon as I can.

THE HOLY GRAIL OF SOUP BOOKS

If you love soup as much as I do and  feel as though it soothes the soul (I'm no hippie but shit- seriously!), then you have to find this book. I bought it a year or so ago in a clearance bin at a book store. BEST $8 ever. The Soup bible is a  collection of soup recipes divided into six sections: light & refreshing, rich & creamy, warming winter, hearty lunch, one-pot-meals, and special occasion. The variety is excellent, and there are soups from around the world. The front section on making stocks is very helpful as it includes not only the standard vegetable, chicken and meat stocks, but also fish stock and stocks for Chinese and Japanese cooking.

Each recipe comes with beautiful end-result pictures as well as pictures of some of the steps involved. The directions are clear and simple. Many of the recipes come with suggestions for variations and all of the vegetarian selections are marked. Most of the soups use easy-to-find ingredients, but the exceptions often have tips on where to find the unfamiliar items. 

fun projects from design sponge!

-------> CLICK HERE

make your own tofu

Follow these steps to make your own delightfully fresh tofu using only organic soybeans, water and vinegar.


Fresh tofu is readily available in the Chinatowns of major cities in North America and in most supermarkets, but it is easily made at home with only three ingredients. It’s not a quick recipe, but it’s also not labor intensive as most of the time is spent waiting.By using homemade soy milk in your homemade tofu recipe, you will also be able to use the byproducts of tofu production. These include the whey and okara. According to The Book of Tofu, Volume II, the tofu whey is used in tofu shops in Asia as soap because the soy lecithin left in the whey cuts through grease. The whey doesn’t keep well, though, only a day or two at most.

Supplies
Large pot, enough to hold 1 quart (1 litre) of soy milk with plenty of room
Homemade tofu press
Fine mesh strainer
Measuring cup or ladle
Ingredients
1 quart (1 litre) of homemade soy milk
2-3 tablespoons of raw apple cider vinegar


Directions
Make your homemade soy milk, strain out the okara and put the smooth soy milk back into a clean pot.
If the soy milk has cooled significantly, turn the burner on to medium-high heat and heat it until just before it boils. Turn off the heat immediately. Get out the apple cider vinegar and prepare your tofu press.
Once your tofu press is set up, your soymilk will be cool, but still piping hot. According to The Book of Tofu, Volume II, the ideal temperature that the soy milk coagulates with vinegar is 80-90C (176F -194F).
Pour in the two tablespoons of vinegar, continuously stirring the soy milk. As you stir, you will notice the mixture becoming thicker. Once it has started to thicken, about thirty seconds to a minute after adding the vinegar, put a lid on the pot and let it rest for 15 minutes. Once the time is up, check the mixture. Look for the soy milk to have separated into curds and whey. The tofu will be small white bead-like clumps, surrounded by a clear mixture. If you don’t see this on your first check, add in two more tablespoons of vinegar, stir, and set for another 10 minutes. Scoop out some of the extra whey by pressing a mesh strainer down into the pot to push down the curds and scoop out the whey that gathers in the dip created by the strainer. To set your tofu, ladle the curds into your tofu press that is draining over a pot. Smooth the mixture in the press to create a flat surface and fold over the edges of the cheesecloth to cover the tofu. Place the lid over this cheesecloth and then the weight on top of that. Using the cheesecloth ensures that the extra moisture in the tofu is absorbed and drained away.
 Setting the Homemade Tofu
The length of time you set the tofu depends on how firm you’d like it. For a silken tofu, place a light weight (less than a pound or half a kilo) on the lid and let the tofu set for only 10-15 minutes. For an extra firm tofu, place a heavy weight (2-3 pounds or 1-2 kilos) on the lid and let the tofu set for 30 minutes or more. For anything in between, use your judgment and test out what weight/length of time works for you.

Contrary to what you may have heard, today is not the anniversary of Back to the Future Part II. via...

http://tumblr.com/xm7cv2z8o

vol 2 anyone else isn't you.

SIDE A:

1. seabear - i sing i swim

2. the dutchess and the duke - hands

3. ava quigley - don't think twice it's alright (bob dylan cover)

4. karl blau - dark sedan

5. papercuts - future primitive (go team remix)

6. the wind whistles - turtle

7. lissy trullie - self taught learner

SIDE B:

1. right away, great captain - anna no

2. jonna lee - human (killers cover)

3. malajube - montreal -40c

4. john lennon - mother

5. noah and the whale - the first days of spring

6. themselves & WHY? - canada

7. cass mccombs - dreams come true girl

my vol 1 mix tape :)

SIDE A:

1. first aid kit - you're not coming home tonight

2. alela diane - rifle

3. elbow - grounds for divorce

4. led zepplin - tangerine

5. brooke waggoner - wonder dummied

6. james gang - alexis

7. right away, great captain - what a pity

SIDE B:

1. portugal the man - colors

2. jeremy larson - goodnight

3. the sea and cake - parasol

4. the knife - one hit

5. the shivers - beauty

6. t.rex - telegram sam

7. cat power - good woman

i hate FOX, but these were funny..

click

Post-Punk: A History and Examination

Punk rock began as a response to the big budget, over produced music of 1970s. It was a reaction to disco and arena rock. So what is post-punk? The etymology of the word points to it being after punk, but that is not the meaning because punk music is stilling being made today. An interesting analogy can be made with literature to shine a light on the subject of post-punk. Modern literature did not cease to be written after the advent of post-modern literature. The two exist simultaneously as movements in literature. Thus punk and post-punk exist as musical movements. Post-punk is all most a catchall category for underground, indie, or lo-fi guitar rock. It is also the music most representative of the slacker traditions of gen-x. So how did post-punk begin? It's a hard question to answer, but I think it began as a reaction to the nihilism of punk rock. Punk music was defined by its aggressive vocals, and often sloppy, simple instrumentation. More over, the punks were marked by their attitude, where as most post-punk musicians can be marked by their lack of attitude. Punk music wanted to create a revolution. Post-punk music wanted to create art. The D.I.Y. (Do it Yourself) ethic of punk was perhaps the greatest influence the genre had on post-punk. Post-punk bands initially avoided major record labels in the pursuit of artistic freedom, and out of an 'us against them' stance towards the corporate rock world. The movement probably begins with Sonic Youth an avant-garde noise band from New York. However, there were many bands that influenced the movement like The Velvet Underground, MC5, Joy Division, and The Talking Heads. Sonic Youth came together in the New York punk scene of the Early 80s. They clearly had a lot of punk influence (their first album Confusion is Sex has a cover of the Stooges "I Wanna Be Your Dog"), but their obsession with avant-garde art and pop culture distanced them from the punks. They appealed to the art crowd and to the college crowd. In other words, post-punk appealed to the people who were sophisticated, which was quite different than the elements that the punks appealed too. It also came to appeal to the weird kids, the ones that never quite found their place. Sonic Youth created walls of sound and noise with lyrics resembling beat poetry, or the lyrics of Jim Morrison. It often expressed the nihilism of the punks in an intelligent way. Their world-view may have been skewed towards the negative but out of the darkness their sounds would often find a sense of beauty, like saying the world is bad, but something out there does exist to make it worthwhile, and that is what is important.The music needed time to grow, and it wasn't until the early 1990s that post-punk broke out into mainstream music with Nirvana. In the meantime, the music spread west over college station airwaves, small clubs, fanzines, and independent record stores. Bands like Minor Threat, The Minute Men, fiREHOSE, and Husker Du began delving into the sonic fields to harvest the post-punk flower. Nineteen eight-six saw the arrival of The Pixies, a band which skirted the edge of fame, and would prove to be very influential on the '90s. There are many reoccurring names in post-punk because often after one band collapsed its members would move onto to new projects. A good example of this would be Ian MacKaye from Minor Threat, who formed Fugazi after Minor Threat's break up. In many cases the line-up and name changes often produced better bands. Fugazi started from where Minor Threat left off, and were able to further distance themselves from punk and move towards a more experimental sound. Similarly, the Pixies, later went onto to become: The Breeders, The Amps, and Frank Black and the Catholics. Dinosaur Jr. lost its bass player, Lou Barlow, who eventually started Sebadoh, and The Folk Implosion. Another example of a reoccurring name would be Big Black's, Steve Albini, who went on to be a producer for many of the best post-punk albums (most of the Pixies albums, and Nirvana's In Uetero) after his stint as musician.In 1989 Nirvana's first album Bleach was released virtually unnoticed. Three years later they became major stars after their second album, Nevermind, came out with its hit single and video. Drawing from influences like Sonic Youth and the Pixies they were able to create a sound that was popular both to the mainstream and underground audiences. Rock actually began to replace pop as the preferred format for radio and MTV, but it would not last long though, and post-punk went underground again after its brief sortie into the world of popular culture. One of the factors involved with this was the music industry's ability to copy the post-punk sound and package it in the likes of The Smashing Pumpkins or Weezer. Post-punk in my opinion is better off being in the underground, because it keeps the music pure and uncorrupted by the evils of corporate rock.A chief factor of post-punk's music is its ability to combine diverse elements of music. A great example of this are the bands The Flaming Lips, and Pavement, which have elements of psychedelic music, country, jazz, blues, and rock in their songs. In a way post-punk can be seen as the true heirs of the great bands of the 60s like the Stones, Pink Floyd, and the Beatles. The music seeks to never be pinned down as one thing, and it is this, which has helped it to survive and thrive in the jaded underground music scene. Some bands like Sonic Youth, and The Flaming Lips have been together long enough to garner major label contracts purely on artistic merit and strong credentials. The big deals have not changed their attitude towards the music, but rather has given them enough money to experiment with new sounds and ideas. Recently some major labels have shown interest in some recent post-punk bands like Modest Mouse (Epic) and Built to Spill (Warner Brothers), perhaps pointing to a changing trend in the industry. However, if it's sold on an independent or major label, post-punk music will continue to experiment and innovate into the next century.

make nice

good little craft blog.

click

i love yelena!

artist and freelance illustrator yelena bryksenkova. yelena was born in saint petersburg, russia and moved to the great lakes eight years later. in the spring of 2009, she studied at the academy of decorative and applied arts in prague, which she credits for influencing her color palette and “appreciation for precious, friendly, and quietly beautiful things”. this year she graduated from MICA with a degree in illustration and is now selling beautiful prints in her etsy shop. i love the eastern european folk art-feel to her work and the color palette she works with- especially when drawing flowers (her beautiful floral piece above reminds me of a subtler version of my favorite rifle paper co. card). CHECK OUT her website: http://www.yelenabryksenkova.com/

i actually got into this.

If you count yourself among the legion of “Browncoats” devoted to the short-lived series Firefly, prepare to open up old wounds. I’m referring to the upcoming anthology dubbed Firefly: Still Flying from Titan Books. I don’t want to give away too much about these stories, but I will say that Take The Sky is especially interesting. It serves as a closure of sorts for the entire saga.
While the stories may be short, they are both exhilarating and depressing for fans who have been dreaming of something new since the debut of the movie five long years ago.
As for the rest of the book, it’s pure nostalga. It’s kind of like a scrapbook lovingly pieced together by parents from your childhood, only here you will find less naked bathroom photos. No, here you will find quotes and essays from Firefly writers and actors about the creation of the show and their experiences, a huge section focused on props complete with some sweet-looking photos, a storyboard for the battle of Serenity Valley, a section devoted to the architecture of those marvelous ships, an examination of the Browncoat phenomenon and even a bit about a stolen orange monkey.
The thing I took away from all of this was that everyone involved with the show truly loved it. And the book is a reflection of that love. It’s been a while since I saw the original episodes, but I had to go back and watch a few after reading this book (even if you don’t own the DVDs, its on Netflix Watch Instantly). It just draws you back in…for better or worse.

eck.

9 Weirdest-Looking Animals You Didn't Know Existed (PHOTOS)

click here

the many sounds of Amber Webber

Black Mountain vocalist Amber Webber may be the only woman doing what she does; at least this is what I thank her for over and over again, forcing an awkward interval on her end of the phone. I can almost hear what she’s thinking in the palpable silence echoing from Vancouver, the psychrock band’s native city. It’s not even noon as Webber is just pouring out her “gallon of coffee,” and she’s happily enjoying the late morning, sans sycophantic proclamations. “It is pretty rad,” Webber reluctantly replies. “I have met a couple of girls on tour that are — sorry to say — inspired by the fact that I’m a girl … or I get the occasional e-mail.”
Webber’s soft voice is appropriately Canadian-clipped when she speaks. Its groggy, morning amplitude is far from the windy levels she accesses when matching co-vocalist Stephen McBean on the band’s sophomore release, In the Future (released January 22, 2008, on Jagjaguwar). Think Jefferson Airplane’s Grace Slick, and you’ve got a fair picture of Webber’s musical impact. That one has to reach so far back in the canon for a similar comparison is a testament to the anomaly of women in bands with a sound described by critics as “massive”, “heavy”, and “sprawling”. It puts Webber on the same level as other anomalies, like Candace Kucsulain from Walls of Jericho and the Boredoms’ Yoshimi P-We.
“I kind of felt like that whole sexism thing was like, I don’t know,” Webber continues, leaving the sentence’s remainder to circumspection. “When we did the last U.S. tour [2007], it became apparent that there’s so much sexism in rocknroll music. I mean, the promoters, the sound guys — everybody just sort of ignores the woman in the band.” Webber describes being mistaken for a backup singer and routinely having questions directed to other band members on issues pertaining to her equipment. The rest of the band was similarly frustrated, according to Webber. “They’re like, ‘Why don’t you ask her? She’s right beside me.’ Funny stuff like that. It’s ridiculous.”
Webber seems surprised by the experience and rightly so. In their private lives, Black Mountain’s members operate on an entirely different and socially aware level. Much has been made, for instance, of the activist element in their day jobs. Four of the five members — bassist Matt Camarind, drummer Josh Wells, McBean, and Webber (keyboardist Jeremy Schmidt excluded) — work for a government-funded, nonprofit, social advocacy group in East Vancouver.
Egalitarianism runs throughout: Even when discussing intimate subjects, Webber spends the majority of the time plugging other band members (Schmidt’s dead-on visual rendition of In the Future’s tone for the cover art) or friends’ projects (the Cave Singers are her new favorite touring band). These refreshingly do-gooder aspects lend themselves to the Canadian stoner-hippie descriptions often applied to the group in past interviews. Further ammunition: They’ve occasionally labeled themselves a collective and an army.
Webber laughs when I suggest that it’s a product of American fancy that all Canadians live on communes. “Actually, I think that comes from the bio that we put out before the first album,” she replies. “We were having fun with just the fact that a lot of our friends were playing music, and we all get together a lot, and we’ll record on each other’s albums. People thought we all lived together in the same huge house on a farm and that we’re all related. We don’t all live together. We just help each other out.”
As for the “stoner music” element, Webber can see why it comes up, but doesn’t necessarily think the band can be so easily pigeonholed. “I guess we have a classic rock thing, but it’s just rock. Even when friends’ parents ask, ‘Oh what’s your band sound like?’ I just say a rock band. Every song is different: There’s the folky song, the creepy-dark song, the classic rock song. We like to be loud, epic. Even the soft, folky parts, they’re pretty loud; epic in that way that everyone is playing.”
Like all things with such intensity, questions arise as to longevity. I tell Webber that there are certain times on In the Future, when I fear for her voice and wonder why she isn’t wearing a cape, because she most assuredly will fly off into the sunset. I can hear her eyes rolling at my corniness, but Webber politely laughs anyway. She says that she’s been singing since she was a kid and honed her skills in punk bands along the way. “The wailing part is pretty natural, I suppose,” Webber explains. And just in case anyone doubts her role in the band, Webber adds, “If I didn’t give it super hard when we play live, I probably wouldn’t be in the band.”
Amber Webber's Random Top Five:
1. One album for trapped-on-an island scenario: I could probably listen to a Fleetwood Mac album over and over again. I listen to Rumour quite a bit.
2. First album purchased: A Corey Hart album at a garage sale. I know that the first couple of albums I bought [after Hart] were Belinda Carlisle [Peals of laughter follow]. I was just thinking back on how obsessed I was with Belinda Carlisle. And then when I realized she was part of the Go-Go's, I was even more obsessed with her.
3. Last album purchased: Actually it was the new Shins. I'm kind of into the Shins' album three years after everyone else bought it.
4. Best album received as a gift: The Great Speckled Bird, Canadian actually. Do they live on a commune? [Laughs] I don't know. They did travel on that bus. Have you ever seen that movie, Festival Express? You should really see it.
5. Unsuspected fan of: The Wu-Tang Clan. We're all really big fans of them.

currently performing in and on tour with:
Lightning Dust  http://www.lightningdust.com/indexpage.html

Pink Mountaintops http://www.jagjaguwar.com/artist.php?name=pinkmountaintops

Black Mountain http://www.blackmountainarmy.com/

cheesey band name, but not so cheesey sound. hah

trailofdead.com

awesome little album

Cass McCombs
Catacombs
http://www.gigwise.com/reviews/albums/51038/Cass-McCombs---Catacombs

Det sjunde inseglet (The Seventh Seal) 1957

                                

I first watched this film about 10 years ago and didn't absorb it as much as when I recently watched it again this year. This film highly influenced my thoughts about religion, life, death and morality. Swedish director Ingmar Bergman needs no introduction at all for a cinema fanatic.It is ignominious that today's young generation is hardly aware of his great works.He will be hailed as perhaps the only genuine cinema artist whose films changed the way films are watched. Most of his films have provoked heated discussions from cinema fans regardless of the fact whether they have liked them or not.If one observes Ingmar Bergman's career closely it would be revealed that almost all of his films were based on themes which were close to his heart.No artist in the history of mankind has efficiently tackled death,faith,religion,male-female relationship,memories,suffering etc as it was done by Ingmar Bergman.Det Sjunde inseglet is one of those eclectic films which give hope,joy and trust in human faith.The Seventh Seal has been called an existentialist classic.This is true to some extent but for Bergman it was simply an affair of reaffirming his faith in the influence of religion on ordinary mortals.His influence was so great that even death had been given a human face.

best site ever for crafts!

http://www.designspongeonline.com/category/diy-projects

album on repeat! so good.

SWIMMING + SINGLES

Full length 17 track reissue from the acclaimed Belgian group. Between 1979 and 1982 The Names released a trio of peerless singles, including Calcutta, The Astronaut and the classic Nightshift. Their sole album, Swimming, appeared in 1982 on Crepuscule, and like the singles was produced by Martin Hannett. This remastered CD combines the entire album with extra tracks including both sides of the Nightshift and Calcutta singles, plus The Astronaut and two tracks recorded for Crepuscule compilation albums. Full sleevenotes, original Benoit Hennebert artwork. Full tracklist: Music For Someone, Discovery, Floating World, The Fire, Life by the Sea, White Shadow, Calcutta, Postcards, (This Is) Harmony, Shanghai Gesture, Leave Her to Heaven, Light, Nightshift, I Wish I Could Speak Your Language, The Astronaut, Cat, I Wish I Could Speak Your Language