A Few Zen - Music, Fusion, and Life

As a huge Stephen King fan I just picked up this relatively new novel (I heard they are making it into a movie right now). It is about a small Nevada mining town named Desperation. It is the story of a "crazy" cop who stocks his jail full of random people he arrests on the highway passing outside the town. The cop is also literally falling apart and bleeding at the seams. No one has any idea what is going on with this cop. He's also killed everyone else in the town in cold blood. So the jail is full of random out-of towners having no clue what is going on. The story also has a religious little boy who has some connection he developed with God when his friend was in a coma. With the boy's help the people escape from the jail while the cop is gone, only to find out how crazy the town is. The cop has control over snakes, jackals, spiders, scorpions, wolves, and every other creepy animal he can get his mind on. From here I can't say much more but you can get an idea that this ain't no regular cop. More like a bat out of hell. It is a very well written story (as always Mr. King!). It has about 8 people's perspectives it follows. So as you get into how one character sees it, another character gives you a different perspective. Definitely a horror novel but it's exactly what you want more of from Stephen King. The book also has a large dose of religion as the characters grapel with their faith in God. And God isn't described as all good and mighty. The story shows how only the young boy has a new gained faith where all of the older charcters have lost theirs'. Probably better then the movie even though it isn't even out yet so read it if you would go see this in the theater.

5 out of 5 Page-Turns

Posted by JJ at 4:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I was skeptical of this show at first. At the end of the first season I was pleasantly surprised. This version of Julius Caesar's heyday follows the story of 2 roman soldiers, Titus Pullo (soldier turned criminal turned soldier turned hero turned criminal) and Lucius Vorenus (top notch soldier turned senator). The series really gets across the times and the customs of the times. Slaves, marriage, politics, corruption, family ties, and the lust and sex of the time. Unfortunately all of the actors have english accents. ????. Not sure why they went that route. The show covers the history of the era through the eyes of two unsophisticated non-royal soldiers. This allows the creators to show how everyday life went for the average roman. It also follows the most royal of families at the time and also follows Caesar's story. Caesar is made out to be a "good guy" but despite that, people are always out against him. The politics even mirror today's in their most simple form. Supposedly "elected" corrupt officials and rich people who talk about "the people of rome" but who only care about their own wealth and families (sound familiar). A very well written series. Catch up on repeats or on Comcast On Demand.

5 out of 5 Eyes

Posted by JJ at 3:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I was so happy to see iTunes had Naked Raygun's whole musical catalogue! I thought they were as obscure as possible outside of Chicago (even inside Chicago too!). As an original punk back when I was in high school, I loved this band. I probably saw them 10-12 times live and met all of them over the years. They are from Chicago like myself. They are the best punk/emo band ever to come out of Chicago and are a big part of my musical story. The Pixies of Chicago in terms of their originality and non-conventional songwriting style. Big Black was THE punk band before them in Chicago but I was never big into them. Steve Albini (Big Black) was working the Chicago punk scene back then but it wasn't until he recorded people like Nirvana and the Pixies did he show the genius he was. Chicago was then stagnant until the Smashing Pumpkins (with Butch Vig's help) blew the world away. The guitarist from Raygun (John Haggerty) enticed me soooo much with his guitar playing that I had to go out and learn how to play guitar. This is a decision the eventually caused me to dedicate my whole life to music. Never regretted it. From Haggerty I moved on to Jimmy Page and the rest is history. Quite a tangent. Naked Raygun was Jeff Pezzati (singer), John Haggerty (guitar), Eric Spicer (drums), and Pierre Kedzy (bass). This changed a bit at the end but I loved them for their 1st 4 albums (Throb Throb, All Rise, Jettison, Understand). If you like punk or emo nowadays, please check out those 4 albums. Very unique and creative for a punk band in the 80's. One of my top 5 favorite bands because they started it all for me.

5 out of 5 thumbs

Posted by JJ at 3:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I can't possibly order these, except for the top two (those are bits of heaven). Everyone one of these is genius to me. I never get bored with any of these albums. These are my desert island discs (if I was stuck on an island with only 10 albums). Believe me, if there is ever an apocalypse, if you run into me I will still have these albums with me. As a DJ, a musician and a addict/lover of music though, I need my record crate not just 10 of them (I'll limit myself to 44).

1) Bitches Brew - Miles Davis
2) Kind of Blue - Miles Davis
3) Electric Ladyland - Jimi Hendrix
4) Caravanserai - Carlos Santana
5) Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd
6) The Downward Spiral - Nine Inch Nails
7) Dubtometry - DJ Spooky
8) Solid Steel Presents Amon Tobin Live - Amon Tobin
9) Siamese Dream - The Smashing Pumpkins
10) What's Going On - Marvin Gaye
11) Kid A - Radiohead
12) A Love Supreme - John Coltrane
13) The Carnival - Wyclef Jean
14) Tales from the Punchbowl - Primus
15) Buena Vista Social Club - Buena Vista Social Club
16) Hello Nasty - The Beastie Boys
17) Nothing's Shocking - Jane's Addiction
18) Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots - The Flaming Lips
19) Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By - Lovage
20) Appetite for Destruction - Guns and Roses
21) Superfly Soundtrack - Curtis Mayfield
22) Sticky Fingers - The Rolling Stones
23) Abbey Road - The Beatles
24) Never Mind the Bullocks.... - The Sex Pistols
25) Jettison - Naked Raygun
26) Deloused in a Comatorium - The Mars Volta
27) Standards - Tortoise
28) Live at the Roxy - Bob Marley and the Wailers
29) Homogenic - Bjork
30) Apocalypse - The Mahavishnu Orchestra
31) The Score - The Fugees
32) A Low End Theory - A Tribe called Quest
33) Achtung Baby - U2
34) Sun Godess - Ramsey Lewis
35) Live Dead - The Grateful Dead
36) Dub Transmission Specialists - Sly & Robbie
37) 40 oz to Freedom - Sublime
38) The New Sound of the Venezuelan Gozadera - Los Amigos Invisibles
39) Spaces - Larry Coryell
40) Shakti - Shakti
41) The Blue Album - Weezer
42) Loveless - My Bloody Valentine
43) Aquemini - Outkast
44) Innervisions - Stevie Wonder

Here is My ITune IMix for your pleasure!!! Satisfaction guaranteed!!!

Posted by JJ at 3:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This shop has always had 99% of anything I have wanted in movies and music. Sometimes it takes them awhile to ship it because their online site is all of their US stores' inventories (if any store of their's across the US has your album, they will ship it from there, but u get it!). Someone there takes the time to enter all the info they can about bands and artists into their site. It is my #1 resource for music (and movies) trivia. Who is the bass player from the Average White Band.....Alan Gorrie, just found it there. They have every album no matter how obscure and all of the album liner notes and band info, including guest artists on the album. I buy 90% of my music through iTunes for the quickness and clarity of the music. Instant gratification. But they don't have everything, especially the underground music or the old obscure music. They also don't have the info about the bands, who's in them, or anything about the album. Please use Tower for every musical question you have. They have the answers.

5 out of 5 bills

Posted by JJ at 2:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

These are my favorite albums I bought this year. The order is only estimated.

1) "Frances the Mute" - The Mars Volta
2) "The Best Little Secrets are Kept" - Louis XIV
3) "Drums of Death" - DJ Spooky vs Dave Lombardo
4) "Demon Days" - Gorillaz
5) "All We Must" - Jaga Jazzist
6) "Late Registration" - Kanye West
7) "With Teeth" - Nine Inch Nails
8) "Silent Alarm" - Bloc Party
9) "Guero" - Beck
10) "Lullabies to Paralyze" - The Queens of the Stone Age
11) "Get Behind Me Satan" - The White Stripes
12) "Chaos Theory" - Amon Tobin
13) "A Time to Love" - Stevie Wonder
14) "X & Y" - Coldplay

Posted by JJ at 2:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I have to review this movie for anyone following my reviews so that no one will ever waste their money on it. This movie is about Kurt Cobain's last days, no matter what else people say. Some say it's not supposed to be about Kurt, but the main character looks like, dresses like, lives like, Kurt. He dies 100% as Kurt's copycat if he isn't supposed to be Kurt. The film follows an extremely addicted addict through his severely artsy and decadent lifestyle. Walking in the woods, swimming in the river, walking around his house in a dress with a shotgun, and not wanting to talk to his "friends" or record company people. I am pretty sure Kurt would mainly have sat wasted on a couch for weeks on end if he was really an addict, not swim in the woods and go camping like the movie suggests. H addicts don't want to move at all. That was just artistic BS. Everyone in the movie just acted like a mindless addict. Stumbling around stupidly in a haze, mumbling to themselves, not concerned with cleanliness or style. No serious acting AT ALL. It's like getting your friends together and telling them just to all go about acting like junkies. It was similar to a David Lynch film in that it makes no sense (but Lynch does have some weird idea he is trying to convey), but this film didn't even have a script. They had junkies/actors improv'ing. Here's the direction, act wasted and emotionally detached. Have weird camera angles and pretty Seattle woods views. That's it. As a fan of Kurt I expected this movie to give some insight into his friends and family (Courtney, Frances, Dave Grohl, Christ N, whatever). It just shows Kurt/Blake walking alone in nature and blowing off squatters he has in his house. This movie sucked. If you want to do a rock documetary just to be artsy, look at Oliver Stone's "The Doors". It has Jim's story, lifestyle, friends, family, last days plus tons of artsy visual stuff. This movie would be like doing Jim's last days as him in the bath tub wasted on whatever for an hour and a half mumbling. Or Jimi Hendrix's last days as him vomiting in a bed and not talking to people for and hour and a half. Or Sublime's Brad or Blind Melon's Shannon's last days as them sitting alone, doing drugs, not talking to anyone for an hour and a half and dying. This movie sucks as the only movie about Kurt's life and legacy for what he did. Sure he might have spent his last days like this, but that's not showing why this guy was great. Show him performing, recording, hanging with friends and family before he knew he was going to kill himself. This movie just shows the story of a hopeless addict but they had to say it was Kurt Cobain's story. It just shows an addict doodling around then killing himself. No hint that there was an artist even present in the addict. They shouldn't have said it was Kurt's story, just a junkie's story. Then I wouldn't complain. Why do a movie about Kurt at all if you don't want to talk AT ALL about his artistic side? But Kurt put out 4 albums that changed the world and had a heart felt sensitivity to the world, which wasn't represented in this movie at all. I plead that no one sees this and gives Gus Van Sant a whole lot of shit for trashing Kurt.

0 out of 5 eyes.

Posted by JJ at 1:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This guy rocks. If he's the 1 and only guy rippin' on President W, he deserves some respect. Supporting the liberal view, drugs/casual sex/free thought and philosophy, Bill gets people thinkin'. Like George Carlin says (and definitely check out his real time appearance!) , "I like to get people thinkin' but I just want them to know I am thinking!". This show is THE only free spirited talk show about politics in America. I like seeing Scarborough on there. He is fighting for us. Arianna is also hype. Connections to senators and the Hollywood elite, Bill can make his voice heard. It's very hard in these days and times to be heard yet he is, by me at least. He has a terrible Sunday night slot (well he's off til Feb. 06 now) but if u TiVo it, then u got it. Check him out, really. 5 out of 5 brains.

Bill's Website - Check out his "New Rules"

Posted by JJ at 1:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This CD "Absolution" really showed me a trio could do Radiohead. This 3 piece band really kicks ass! They get real heavy and then real soft and then creep u out. Radiohead meets the US in an Indie band for the 1st time. Check out the songs: Hysteria, Time is running out, The Small Print, and Stockholme Syndrome. When I hear them just chillin' out I picture a much bigger band, but it's only three guys. A bit harder than Radiohead typically. From California I believe. It's either piano/guitar, bass, and drums. Good hard indie rock. 4 out of 5 thumbs.

Muse's Website

Posted by JJ at 12:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Since mexican food is my favorite cuisine I thought I'd check out Bayless's Frontera Grill restaraunt in Chicago. Absolutely divine. I don't care if he just goes to Mexico and rips off their most hearty dishes.....that's what I want! This show has Rick displaying how to cook most of Mexico's best good eats, but he shows how easy it is! I am a cook. Rick shows how simple these phenomenal dishes r. In like 10 minutes you wil be satiated. Check out his show, learn a little bit about Mexico (he would like it if you did), and please try a dish yourself! Delicious. I bought his first book and have kicked all my friends asses with his recipes. If u like Mexican food like me, you HAVE TO check out either his shows, his books, or his restaraunt! 5 out of 5 tongues.

Frontera Kitchen's Website

Posted by JJ at 12:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As a long time fan I better mention this show. In an era of reality shows, people wonder "where did all the writers go?" The answer was here! As a writer, this show really intrigues me. They delve into each character's storyline and then leave you there as they switch to another's. Nate, Mom, Claire, David, Keith, and Brenda (and her crazy-ass family). This is a family that deals with death every day as they live the funeral home life. But they all live highly modern real lives. Through drugs and family relations they very ambiently deal with their life issues. But as I said, they go into 1 persona's life and really get into it. They really get into that person's life and get u hyped up, then they switch to another family member and they leave u sayin' damn! I highly recommend all their DVD seasons as they catch up. I still have the last episode TiVod to watch the very end. They really get across David Lynch film-making and American Beauty type story lines. A genius-ly written TV show.

5 out of 5 eyes.

6 Feet Under's Website

Posted by JJ at 11:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As I entered Joe's on Weed St. in Chicago at around 9:15pm expecting a 9pm show, I was quickly disappointed until I finally saw Mike come on at midnight. I knew he would be worth the wait and he was, but barely. This event was very poorly thrown together. The bar is like a frat house environment, not bad for mikes' rock side but alot of his set went over their heads. As a DJ I knew he really needed to be in a hot club with a real dance floor going on. But I guess they can't handle the crowd who showed up. He rocked though, as I'm sure he does wherever he is. He played for about and hour and a half and he went through rock, hip hop, and electro-funk as the genius he is. I was surprised he was using Final Scratch (a program I also have) that uses a laptop, 2 turntables, and 2 specially designed time coded vinyl records (more like dubplates) to manipulate any mp3s on your computer as though you were actually using and scratching that band's actual album. It is probably the most revolutionary DJ device ever created (or for musicians too). Only my other favorite DJ is using it.....Amon Tobin. Mike did his trademark alien scratching sounds that could seeminly destroy a record in an amateur's hands. He also displayed his trademark beatjuggling and mixing abilities that I have yet to see anyone top. He mixes between 2 parts of the same record so fast that he creates his own new breaks from old music. Truly phenomenal show. Very upbeat. He played a very fast tempo for everything he went thru. I just wish he would have played at a club where everyone was dancing instead of head banging. Most of the show seemed like it was his own music made in a studio. But, from what I remember here are some of the other band's songs he mixed: 7 nation army (white stripes), crosstown traffic (jimi hendrix), BYOB (system of a down), some song off of dangermouse's grey album, this or that (black sheep), feel good inc. (gorillaz), organ donor (dj shadow), knuckle duster (white zombie), golddigger (kanye west), and smells like teen spirit (nirvana). Also in the mix were a few classic old school NYC hip hop songs/beats/breaks. I highly recommend everyone to see him IF they like watching DJ's scratch up records. Some DJ's don't move much. Mike breaks a sweat and never chills after that. Only Kid Koala has a better setup (he uses 3 turntables to beat juggle off live). It is obvious that some Beastie Boy saw a show just like the one here, and realized he needs to sign this guy up for his band ASAP. A true virtusoso in this modern hip hop flooded world.

5 out of 5 thumbs

Mixmaster Mike's Website

Posted by JJ at 4:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Now if I just threw this disc in for any hardcore dub reggae fan and asked who it is....the answers could range from sly and robbie, to sublime, to scientist, to lee scratch perry, to king tubby. But the answer would be....something newer. When I was a punk in high school (ahhh the memories) I loved Bad Brains because of their hard hard hardcore punk side. The genius dub reggae they would pull off after about 6 punk songs in 4 minutes would just leave me wondering....what the hell as they would kick into reggae. It seems a total contrast to do both styles in any event, and it is. As an obvious influence to a band like sublime merging punk and reggae, Bad Brains really kickass with this recent (2002) all dub reggae release. As psychedelic as any classic dub reggae recording this one really does it well. With Dr. Know on guitar, Darryl Jenifer on bass, and Earl Hudson on drums, I wonder who took the time to do the dub reggae recording. Dr. Know and Darryl would be the answer. Dub reggae recording is hard, if not the hardest form of recording to master. Predating DJ's, the original dub reggae engineers would make 3D surround sound with all but the crappiest recorded tracks and equipment (for the time). This record "I & I Survived (Dub)" is well worth the money if you are a fan of the genre like myself.

5 out of 5 Thumbs

Bad Brain's Website

Posted by JJ at 4:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

You know, driving used to be a pleasure for me to get out and cruise. Now my time is preoccupied with trying not to get killed by other "dumbass" drivers (most on cell phones). The Logan Square area (west side) of Chicago has the worst drivers I have yet to see in my life. All driving laws seem to be tossed aside in favor of everyone rushing to get somewhere (although I doubt anything they are rushing to is that important). Now I dread driving because of gridlock and dumb drivers. I think I need to move somewhere much less congested. Peas.

Posted by JJ at 3:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Oil! It all seems about oil nowadays. The fat cats control the oil and gasoline industries. The SUV craze is causing widespread pollution and a larger demand for gasoline. There are many people dying over oil RIGHT NOW! The world seems like a powder keg ready to go off. I have a problem with the fact that we still NEED oil/gasoline. I am positive that at this point in our scientific evolution we have an alternative to fossil fuels. BUT there is too much money to be made to just get rid of it. The car makers and the oil companies WILL NOT sacrifice their business (and profits) just to clean up the environment. Our world will not be inhabitable in the future because of this greed. We will only act when we start getting sick and profits will become secondary. I encourage everyone to push for cleaner industrial machinery. Please discourage the SUV/polluting/gas guzzling phenomenon. This is JJ's problem #1 with the politics and business of our world.

Posted by JJ at 3:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As a person with allergies I've come to some new conclusions, pollution is creating allergies. Have you ever had a city bus drive by you? You can't deny the pollution that millions of vehicles (and companies) are making. I have seen so many kids (and adults) developing allergies. Most of the people I am close to have developed asthma as adults (which is not common). I've been stuck in traffic with nothing but exhaust fumes surrounding me. My point is, if you meet people (and kids today) with allergies/asthma, think twice about what has caused it. I think pollution is already making people sick. Nothing will change though until the fat cats get sick.

Posted by JJ at 3:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I've come to realize that my generation (20-30 yr olds) don't think we can do anything to change the environment. That it's not our problem. What bugs me most recently is the HUMMER craze. It is the least practical vehicle for the city that I've ever seen. Gas-guzzling. Polluting. As big as a 2 lane city street. If you confront someone about their choice of big vehicle, they'll say, "what can I do, there's thousands of other SUV's!" It's partially true. There needs to be a major change in car purchases in order to reverse global warming. But it needs to be done. My generation also feels that whatever we do, we will not be effected by these changes in our lifetime. That has yet to be seen. I believe the kids right now, will see problems in their lifetime. Changes are happening right now, whether we experience them in our youth. If you are planning on buying a car, please consider a vehicle that gets good mileage (since gas prices are constantly going up too) and is possibly a hybrid car. There is also already enough of a focus on the future of the world relating to oil. As a world we are doing nothing to get away from the importance of oil and gasoline. We are consuming even more now (because of SUV's) then ever. The more oil we need, the more wars we will have (and lives we will lose). We need to decrease our reliance on oil, and those countries that produce it.

Posted by JJ at 3:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here is my problem with American "democracy", they (the fat cats) pick who we vote for. We never are presented with the best and brightest, the most ethical and honest people. We are always given 3-4 goofballs to pick from who are far from "the best" candidate. Every year people trying to get me to vote always use the phrase "pick the least of 2 evils." I don't like picking the better of 2 dishonest dumb people. Maybe it's just me but I don't believe any politician is honest, or out to protect the poor or middle class (the people that need help the most). The best person to lead the country could be your next door neighbor, or your brother/sister BUT they will never be able to run for office unless they raise funds and cater to all of the interests of the groups that give them money (forcing them to be unethical/dishonest). Is it just me that feels the choice of Kerry and Bush are far from the wisest, most honest people our country has to offer? I know it is not so. As a democracy we need more candidates that the people pick.

Posted by JJ at 3:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I saw a special over the weekend on how the rates of asthma and allergies are rising all over the world, every year. They danced around not understanding (or pointing fingers) at what was causing this to happen. It's simple, pollution. It'll be too late to fix the problem when enough people get sick where people (and the government) can't avoid it. Everyone ignores it until you can say pollution is the cause. I'd say the main polluters are automobiles and industry. I was in Amsterdamn where most of the city rides bikes and the air is cleaner, noticeably so. The world will have to figure out some answer in the next 20 years. I don't see the people of the US all riding bikes (where obese already BUT maybe that's the way to change). We'll come out with a non-polluting car before we exercise! It seems like everyone is raising a child with asthma or allergies now so people will get sick eventually of catering to sick people. When will everyone notice?

Posted by JJ at 3:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It really sucks that all of these hurricanes and tsunami's are terrin' up our world. The government's seem incapable of just chippin' in together and fixing everything. i see all these benefits and telethons looking for donations, but all us average income people chippin' in can't pay for this, not like government and private business can. Bill Gates could single handedly just rebuild new orleans like venice italy if he wanted and just put a microsoft sign somewhere. he's that rich. there are a few richass people around that could just fix these problems. they could modernize africa and just cure hunger and most crazy diseases around. our governments also deal in such huge amounts of money that they can do more than just say, "we'll give ya 20 million but that's all we really got". they are also connected to the rich elite. so why do we still quabble over all these debts we have? i just hate seeing fundraisers for disasters, diseases, hunger and poverty and expecting the pocketbook of your average man to even dent the money required to fix the problems of our world. the rich people on this planet need to trickle down some of their money from the beds they sleep on. just my 2 cents.

Posted by JJ at 3:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Honestly I waited 'til it was a rental. I judged it too quickly though. Despite it's terribly uncreative hero's name (the sky captain), the movie was a visual masterpiece. The whole movie is acted out on a green screen and this gives the whole movie a very dreamy quality (which was nice). The plot was better than I imagined it would be. One ingenious old Nazi scientist out to destroy the world and create his own while in the meantime you are in the air, in the sea, all around the world, and places that never existed. My favorite movies to see in the theatre are visually stunning ones, and I missed out on this one. The DVD still looks tight though. The retro-futuristic look makes you never really know when it's taking place. It really showed me that there will be some really innovative films coming out using all CGI backgrounds. The movie cost little to make because they only had one physical set. Jude Law plays your typical Indiana Jones/James Bond type hero. Gweneth Paltrow plays your typical snooty career driven reporter. I would watch this over but the story originality will get old over time. Good sci-fi/action film though.

7 out of 10 gung-fu kicks

Link to look at movie.....

Posted by JJ at 3:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hey y'all, 'sup? This is your friendly skeptical reviewer JJ. I see it as I see/hear it and I'll write exactly what I think of it. I will not hold any loyalty to any artist. I will judge each of their works as a stand-alone item. I will relate any connections I can in helping to describe the media to you. I will review whatever I see as I see it. If you have similar tastes, then I will hook you up with some info. Enjoy.

Posted by JJ at 3:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I received this recipe from my chef buddy becuz i wanted to try one. it is about a 2 out of 5 in difficulty. about a 4 out of 5 in taste.

melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a tall brimmed pot/pan. add 2 big cloves of diced garlic. cook on medium-low heat for about 3 minutes until garlic softens. add 1 can of artichokes (that u chop relatively fine). continue to cook until artichoke softens (3 minutes). add a half a bag of store bought spinach (by the pre-cut salad bags). continue to heat and stir until spinach wilts and mix is uniform (4 minutes). reduce heat to low. add enough milk to just have a slightly wet look stirring as u add the milk so it will not curdle. add about 1 cup of shredded parmesan cheese. stir until cheese melts and mix slightly reduces. remove from heat. cool for about 4 minutes then put into dip dish. mix will firm up becuz of the cheese, so de-pan before cool. makes 1 nice serving bowl worth. pretty rich and tasty. right away when you sweat the garlic, it smells great (use real garlic! not the jar type).

Posted by JJ at 3:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

i have been a long time fan of Nike for making very comfortable, stylish, and relatively long lasting products. they recently added an option on their website to customize the colors on certain shoe styles. i have made 2 pairs so far and am very happy with the purchase. i like certain color schemes and u can personalize your look with your favorite clothes and colors u always where. very cool.

Nike ID design

Posted by JJ at 3:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

i went here with some buds from work and we all work in the food industry. their specials are very unique margaritas and the 8 taco for 25$ tray. i had a raspberry basil margarita to start and it was nice, slushy, and made from real ingredients. they have almost sushi like taco options ranging from veggie, to cheese, to pork, chicken, steak, tuna, shrimp, peppers, and many more. all come with a unique salsa/sauce for each meat type and they also have a topping like slaw or veggies on each taco type. the combo is set for each meat for good reason, each one is made to taste best in that combo. it seems pricey but it is an upscale place. and i couldn't get most of these combinations anywhere in chicago (in california for sure) except my own kitchen. try the house salsa tray (3 different ones). try the ceviche appetizer, delisch! i'd check it out again becuz i love mexican food and i have yet to have my fill there with their menu. 4 out of 5 thumbs.

De Cero

Posted by JJ at 3:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

this is the WEIRDEST movie EVER!!! have a few Chimay's and check it out. It's got Alan Alda from M*A*S*H* and Jacqueline Bisset. Truly the weirdest movie. I caught it late, late at night and it kept my attention cuz i was like "is that alan alda?". it was and it is out there. just wanted to reckognize this one as the craziest, weirdest, moodiest, pscychodrama ever!!! i'm surprised david lynch didn't direct it! and don't forget the dog! 5 out of 5 gimmies for weirdness

Posted by JJ at 3:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Welcome fans of music! This is my first posting as a musician and writer who is addicted to music. It has been my total #1 love ever since I was a child. I have followed it as a crazed fan since high school and have also been playing it in my own projects for about 16 years. I played guitar in a emo/punk/metal/industrial band in high school. I played guitar in a hard psychedelic fusion band during college. I also played in a bar cover band in college for a bit (stones, zeppelin, dylan, who, petty, etc). After college I was in a hard rock band as a guitarist. After that I was the guitarist and scratch DJ in a hip hop and funk band. Then I was a scratch DJ in a hip hop fusion type band. I started DJ'n and working on my own music when that last band broke up. I currently DJ and work on my own electronic music projects. Check me out on Friday's at the Black Beetle in Chicago! I will give you all the information I feel will be helpful to fans of music that we share the same interests for. Thanx for checking me out, I will not sway you wrong. Please feel free to reply to my criticism too. Peace!

Posted by JJ at 3:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This is a great album by a band from norway called jaga jazzist. they r on the ninjatune label (UK) which mainly signs electronic artists. i didn't understand why the label (the label i personally prefer best right now) would sign a 10 piece fusion band from norway until i saw them live. truly another place. they have a LOT of energy, horns, drums, keys, bass, guitar, ( i even saw a tambourine played by the tuba player during breaks), sequencing, and recording skills. they r truly unique and worth seeing. this album has only 7 cuts but most of them are long. they have their sound, but continue to try new orchestrations. if u go 2 fabchannel.com, they have live video streams of them playing in amsterdam (nice!). some songs on the new album have slow starts, but big changes later on. give em chance before switchin songs. this is also very superbly recorded. reminds of soma studios in chicago and tortoise. the tortoise similarities drive me nuts, cuz i like both bands, but i dont know who heard who first. i got an extra sydeberg demo session cd with my album and it has some different versions of album tracks (less produced) and a few other cool songs. these guys r one of a kind and are movie music without even knowing it. check em out on this new album or live! 5 out of 5 thumbs

Jaga Jazzist's Website

Posted by JJ at 3:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

this guy is just a genius. i'm glad i get to see him live in 2 weeks. this album is tight! i've been a fan since mellow gold and he's always been trying something new on his albums, mostly concept albums. with the help of the dust brothers (and jack white for 1 song "go it alone", jack white on bass, thank god!) beck put out a current sounding electronic groove album with much more ferocity than SEA CHANGE. his last album was awesome, but it was what he said it was, an album people could fall asleep to (cuz he said he never had that mellow of an album). anyways, "Guero" has many badass songs, basslines, vocal melodies, and comical lines. some songs r a bit 2 slow for me sometimes, but i think if i was tring to sleep, they'd rock. check out tracks "earthquake weather, missing, go it alone, send a message to her, clap hands, etc". i heard the automator was working on this album but was saddeningly misinformed. hopefully he was hangin' out with him though! it is an upbeat album that has many phenomenal beats (thanks dust bros) and catchy funky songs. beck said he was hangin out with will ferrell and jack black when the album came out. tell me he ain't livin it? 5 out of 5 thumbs

Beck's Website

Posted by JJ at 3:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

mark is a groovin ass dj from chicago who moved to san fran to get into the dj scene there many years ago. he has the most groovin hip hop, funk, and r&b drum beats that can move the floor, a bass that is subsonic and moves from jazz to funk to dub, and horn/keyboard/vocal samples (mostly from jazz). with those elements he blends one non-stop mix on the mushroom jazz series. if u r a fan of funk, hip hop, acid jazz, or anything groovin, he's got the vibe for u. signed to OM records he tours the world playing his "thing". it took me a bit to get used to the simplicity of his style, but he can play if he was at your party. Check out some of his "Mushroom Jazz" CD's. 5 out of 5 thumbs

DJ Mark Farina

Posted by JJ at 3:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

when he was done talking about his biscuit, jack white strolled the stage like an old blues musician. this guy is another genius. jack is a great songwriter who can get across rock pomposity or folk music with true authenticity. with only a drummer to back his guitar, vocals, piano, or marimba,,, he makes the most out of very fundamental musical elements. i saw him at an opera house in chicago (last week) and he looked like some mexican mariachi musician, but they had TOTAL control over the house. this new album is about 50/50 a) slow songs with marimba or country tinges and b) hard rockin bluesy stripes. i still prefer elephant to this, but live these 2 rocked........hard! i saw them last new years live (w/ the flaming lips) and they sounded 20x better last week. they had better lights, backdrop, and song arrangement (a non-stop mix of songs, jack never lets it get silent for much applause). i say check em out live and buy elephant (their last album). 4 out of 5 thumbs

The White Stripes' Website

Posted by JJ at 3:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

You can tell the boys have been listening to all the 80's nostalgia music that the rest of today's bands are gobbling up too. They out-did themselves on this album though. If you like their sound, they produced this album far better than their last. By adding multiple vocalists, organs, harmonica, and keyboard sounds, they create a much more diverse and complex album than anything previous. i did notice a new trend in that a bunch of new songs start really quietly and slowly get to a slightly more busy sound. My only knock is that they have really slow starts that don't pump people up to wait 2 minutes to then wake up to whatever they switch to. it's been a hard album to DJ songs off of becuz they all have these slow parts that would just kill a party (unless there were just tons of yuppie girls there). trax to check out: square one, fix you, a message, low, and the last "bonus" song. i like these guys and i thought this was another "good" one. There are a few songs just too slow (when i'm dancing) so i have to skip by them, but most of their albums have these songs too (good for falling asleep or snuggling). I give this album 4 out of 5 thumbs. It lacks the crazy-ass jass fusion i like to get in order to earn a 5th thumb!

Coldplay's Website

Posted by JJ at 3:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I recently read Carlos Santana say that back then (in 1966) he listened to this album 24/7. i thought hmmmm? He said he's pretty much listened to it like that even now! i can tell why. it is one of "THE" critical blues albums that the whole psychedelic rock revolution would absorb. the whole band is ridiculously tight and groovin'. u can hear how everyone from the dead to the stones to hendrix to santana has heard mike bloomfield play guitar on this one. check out trax: get out of my life woman, mary/mary, and east/west. the track east/west is a huge psychedelic masterpiece. it has the indian drones and fusion sounds that would hugely influence that san francisco scene at haight ashbury. mike blookfield died an early death in the years that preceded and like hendrix, left people wondering what he could have done if he didn't die. this album will now be played as long as i live. truly a gem from the past. 5 out of 5 thumbs. check bloomfield out on the Bloomfield - Kooper - Stills Supersession too!

The Paul Butterfield Blues Band

Posted by JJ at 3:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

kid koala is a virtuoso. i've seen him twice live, and he is one of the few DJ's u need to catch live to see his skills. i saw him in chicago dj'n off of three turntables the way mixmaster mike uses 2 (very intensely)! he is fast! he even mixed that old ass song blue moon into 7 nation army when i saw him live. his choice of samples to create his music from are as unique and eclectic as him. he mighta been the nerd in high school that was always practing music, but u can see he wasn't just goofin' around now. this live show has 3 songs from his last album and 2 cinematic pieces of his music for his graphic novel he made. he has fellow ninjatune dj p-love and dj jester assisting him with scratches. jester also earlier played the greatest 80's mix i have ever heard plus he mixed 50 cent with bluegrass music. fo shizzle. kid plays plays his songs on 6 turntables live and the DVD is great in letting us see that. NO ONE has wrote songs for 6 turntables yet in music history! the kid even plays keyboard on a few (his original training). check out this dvd. 5 out of 5 thumbs

Kid Koala's Website

Posted by JJ at 3:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

charlie hunter is a virtuoso! u gotta see this. i saw him live once. as a guitarist for 12 years then, i thought i could understand how he played when i saw his hands, i was wrong. and he didn't allow smoking in a rock club that notoriusly has a smokey haze and no ventilation (double door chicago). charlie has a mutant hybrid axe that has the top 3 bass strings and bottom 5 guitar strings. if u close your eyes u would hear a badass bassist playing with wes montgomery. check out the track "oakland". a few tracks on the dvd have him by himself and he can mesmerize any crowd by himself (the definition of a virtuoso in my book). the rest of his band sounds like a cross between an acid jazz band and dr dre's studio musicians. check out his album "pound for pound"(5 out of 5 thumbs) for the ultimate seat chair experience. 5 out of 5 thumbs.

Charlie Hunter's Website

Posted by JJ at 3:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)