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Will Oldham loves coffee. Will Oldham loves coffee so much that he has his own Kona Rose Coffee (Bonny Billy) blend available through Drag City. Bonnie “Prince” Billy himself gives us the scoop on his favorite pairings and guilty pleasures.
Whether you’re camping or just on a long drive, charging your gadgets if you don’t have the proper equipment can be a pain in the ass. Having to buy a car charger in an emergency, your laptop dying in the middle of an important E-mail — these are things to be avoided, which is why the introduction of Goal Zero’s Yeti 150 Solar Generator is excellent.
What do space exploration, Dostoyevsky, and Call of Duty have in common? Find out as photographer Sloan Wolf documents her LA escapades.
Last month, ALARM contributing writer Mark Craig and photographer Eric Luc stowed away on the second annual Bruise Cruise, a three-day “tropical rock-‘n’-roll vacation” from Miami to the Bahamas. In advance of the pair’s print report, here’s a rundown and glimpse of the seaworthy action.
Gutbucket: Flock (Cuneiform, 2/22/11)
Gutbucket: “4 9 8”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/03-4-9-8.mp3|titles=Gutbucket: “4 9 8”]Brooklyn-based jazz-rock quartet Gutbucket released its fifth album, Flock, in February on Cuneiform. The band takes its name from the term “gutbucket,” which means to play jazz in a particularly exuberant or expressive style, and it claims that its unconventional style has been “injecting a shot of glorious spazmitude into the minimalist cool of the New York downtown scene” for the past 10 years.
Gutbucket’s off-the-wall music is the result of its members’ distinct contributions and, inevitably, artistic disagreements and compromises. When it comes to food, Gutbucket engages in a similar, hotly contested discourse. So whet your appetite and embrace the taste-bud-inspired tongue lashings with Gutbucket’s culinary treatise, “How to Argue About Food.”
How to Argue About Food
by Gutbucket
Most bands break up. It’s a fact. Rock bands do this quite a bit, and it’s often not very friendly. Jazz bands might be a bit more civil about it, or perhaps not. If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve been in a band before, so this is not unfamiliar terrain.
Take three or more humans engaged in a creative endeavor, and ideas, visions, aesthetics, and more will clash. So how do you handle this?
Well, Gutbucket has the answer.
Forget about consensus. Don’t pretend you will agree. Embrace the friction, disagreement, discomfort, and argumentative spirit.
But please have other outlets and arenas besides your music in which to behave this way.
That’s why Gutbucket chooses to argue, debate, dissect, and regularly disagree about food. Yes, food. We are a band of music nerds who spend most of our time talking about food instead of music.
Alela Diane: Alela Diane & Wild Divine (Rough Trade, 4/5/11)
Alela Diane: “To Begin”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/tobegin.mp3|titles=Alela Diane: “To Begin”]On “Pieces of String,” a track from Alela Diane‘s 2004 record, The Pirate’s Gospel, she sings, “If I had one, I’d play this on piano.” Consider it wishful thinking. Whereas her first few albums, including the self-released Gospel and Forest Parade, are characterized by spare, plucked guitar and airy harmonies about simpler times, Alela Diane‘s newest, Alela Diane & Wild Divine, stretches its legs with a greater sonic palette and higher production value. Despite the warmth and homeliness of her folk tunes, Diane’s a troubadour, and she’s got the playlist to prove it.
Songs to Pack a Suitcase to, with Anticipation for the Highway
by Alela Diane
1. Fairport Convention: “Farewell, Farewell”
A song of goodbye.
Friday
1) Check in to the Hutton Hotel
The Hutton Hotel hallways smells like toilet. It’s unmistakable. But still, this is the place to stay, Nashville’s newest green hotel. It has a boutique feel, with overly friendly staff, French soaps, super comfy beds, free wi-fi, a rain shower, and warm cookies and milk waiting for you in the room. It’s the kind of place where they treat you like a real dandy, but in a good way. The restaurant is great — friendly, affordable. The bar closes at 2 a.m., but if you need more time to close your deal, $40 will keep it open until 4.
Arguably the most beautiful city in Europe, Zurich is friendly, comfortable, and absolutely delicious. Ranked as the city with the highest quality of living in the world, with the highest density of bathing facilities (that often turn into bars at night) and one restaurant for every 180 inhabitants, it’s a great (but likely expensive) stop on a European trip.
