iron & wine, san francisco, 3-24-2003

Another photo from the Iron & Wine show on Monday. That record sounds so good now after seeing the songs played live.

Some links I've been meaning to throw down:

• A comparison of bum wines. We've got a bottle of Wild Irish Rose somewhere in our bedroom, and part of me doesnt' want to find it. I love the font on the bottle of Thunderbird.
• The incidental photography of Irwin Norling. Documenting Minneapolis' first suburb as well as crime and small-town life, Norling seems like a rural version of Weegee, one of my other favorite black & white photographers.
• "Here Comes Trouble is a non-profit, non-denominational, and an equal opportunity Olive Garden handjob."
• Buy my keyboard amp, please!

I know I'm a little behind the times here, but I've been super into The Streets lately. It's totally the musical version of Irvine Welsch's Glue, a book I really enjoyed reading last year. So, my advice to you today is that if you like The Streets, you should read Glue, and if you liked Glue, you should listen to The Streets.

Of course, if if you've never heard of either one, you've got some shopping to do.

We're having a grocery shortage at the house, which leaves me to make up my dinner each night using scraps from here and there. Last night I hooked up a little breakfast burrito action: hash browns, turkey bacon, cheddar with horseradish, and some Tapatio hot sauce (Es una salsa muy salsa!). Chased it down with a cold PBR and grinned a big grin.

iron & wine, san francisco, 3-24-2003

On a whim I picked up a ticket yesterday morning to see Iron & Wine play last night. Good thing I did too, since when we showed we found a line outside and a "sold out" notice posted on the door. Got a spot up front right before the band took the stage, and enjoyed the show. The five-piece band alternated instruments and gave the songs a kick that separated the songs from the recorded versions, which was a pleasant treat. Guitars, banjos, multiple vocals, and even a xylophone slid in and out of the mix during the hour and a half set.

If you've never seen or hears Sam Beam's Iron & Wine, I'd definitely recommend it for all your lo-fi backwoods needs. The Creek Drank The Cradle was my (unannounced) favorite debut album of last year, and barely missed squeaking into the top-ten. Take a listen to Lion's Mane or Southern Anthem and hear for yourself.

MP3 of the week: "'Love My Way' started out as a two-note song on a cheap Casio. It wasn't until Ed Buller added the marimba part and Todd Rundgren suggested that I not shout the vocal that anybody thought it might be a single." - Richard Butler

Driving home from somewhere late the other night, Love My Way came on the radio and reminded me just how much I used the like the Furs. It also made me realize that, hey, I *still* really like the Furs, so I've been rediscovering their first four records again. If you don't have Mirror Moves I suggest you head down to your cheap vinyl store and drop a couple dollars on it. Classic goodness.