.::|TheDish|::.

Goldfrapp's Seventh Tree Album ROCKS

If you love the melodic, subtle side of Goldfrapp, then you're going to love their new album Seventh Tree! It's a break from their typical synthpop and glamrock, and I have been listening to it non-stop today (ok, well in between con-calls & meetings, of course!). If you haven't heard of the UK band, then listen and learn!  I am not sure which track I like best yet, I have to listen a few more times to be sure. Maybe A&E? It's beautiful.

P.S. Does Alison Goldfrapp look a little like Mary Kate and Ashley here or is it just me?

In Celebration of Spring: The Sutton Garden Club

You may not feel it due to the chilly temps in the Northeast today, but it is the official first day of spring! And in the spirit of my favorite season, I'd like to introduce to you the newly launched Sutton Garden Club blog!

If you haven't heard of Sutton, it is a small town about 34 square miles in size, with a population of 8-9,000, and is located about 50 miles (1 hour) southwest of Boston, MA; it's also my home town. The Sutton Garden Club, founded in 1997, is dedicated to the following objectives: to encourage interest in all phases of home gardening, promote better horticultural practices and use the acquired skills and knowledge of the membership to benefit the town and residents through community projects and to promote a spirit of good will. The blog highlights Club announcements, such as the 2008 Sutton Garden Tour, award-winning gardens, scholarship information, plant sales, and more!

If you have a green thumb, or if you just need a quick hit of color and cheer from time to time, be sure to check out the blog, leave a comment, and join the gardening community. I'd also strongly suggest you take a short, leisurely trip out to Sutton on June 21st for the tour, and enjoy a stroll through the breathtaking gardens, mingle with artists and artisans, and embrace all the beauty that Sutton has to offer.

Greg Giegucz, Artist

This weekend, while visiting Mike's family in upstate New York, I had the pleasure to finally meet one of Mike's best friends from childhood, Greg Giegucz. Currently living in New Orleans, Greg is a gifted multi-media artist and an absolutely amazing individual. We have had the above piece titled "Cash" in our loft apartment in the South End for a couple years now; it captures the attention and the hearts of everyone who enters. It is truly a spectacular piece of artwork, crafted from pen and ink on paper, that's also proudly perched on the walls of Sun Studio, "The Birthplace of Rock N' Roll" in Memphis Tennessee. Here's a great quote from Greg that embraces his work (from his bio on his Web site):

My work is a personal journal of illustrated characters and symbols guided by memory and intuition. These signs depict monsters, machines, nature, and different notions of home and self-reflection. Like roots growing from a tree, my pictures evolve and branch from one another.  Their energy captures the muted inner path of the human spirit. I embrace life's coincidences and the endless overlapping of metaphors embedded in reality. The French poet Antoin Artaud (1896-1946) once said "Art is not the imitation of life, but life is the imitation of a transcendent principal with which art can put us back in communication."

I encourage you to check out Greg's portfolio. If you are interested in a particular piece, please email Greg here.

Feist

It's been a while since I've posted about musical interests; and since that time, I have grown fond of a band out of Toronto, Canada called Feist. I guess the genre can be profiled as alternative, with American folk influences... you just need to listen and absorb it on your own.  They have hit mainstream, with their songs played on Grey's Anatomy and an iPod Nano commercial, but that surprises me. I love their unique sound, and really recommend purchasing the album entitled The Reminder on Amazon or downloading it on iTunes (my favorite song: I'm Sorry), and judging for yourself.

The Luckiest

To those of you who feel like you are the luckiest person around - for reasons of love, happiness, or whatever your personal reason is - here is my favorite tune in celebration of just feeling....lucky. No video, just lyrics and melody, by Ben Folds.

Fergie @ Live Earth London

Everyone has asked who was my absolute favorite band/performer at Live Earth London, and without a doubt, it was Black Eyed Pea's own, Fergie. After a killer performance with The Peas that energized the stadium, where her petite 5'4" (ish) frame danced and bounced all over the stage with fellow Pea members will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, Fergie performed her smash hit, "Big Girls Don't Cry". Her commanding vocals sound as amazing - if not better - live. And best of all, backstage she was friendly, down to earth, and always smiling. Here is a video from YouTube of her solo performance that day (courtesy of MSN). Note: you can also see our SMS text-to-screen scroll in the background :)

Terra Naomi

One of my favorite performers at Live Earth London has not been in the big headlines nor the global spotlight, like so many of the other legendary artists on the stage that day. Terra Naomi is from the States, and her folky, melodic voice coupled with her powerful strum of the classical guitar literally brought me from the production room to the field at Wembley Stadium during her warm up the day prior to the big show. Apparently she was discovered when she posted a video on You Tube of herself singing the song "Say It's Possible", the very song that drew me to watch and listen to her that day. Within 6 months of the post, she was signed with Island Records UK. Here is the video from the Live Earth London concert at Wembley.

Terra is unassuming and not flashy; just woman with her vocals, her guitar, and her story:

Black Eyed Peas

Not sure if you can see them but they are rocking the house! backstage things are running smoothly and I have brushed elbows with almost all the artists! the pinacle would be to run into madonna... shes closing 2 soon!!!

Simon Le Bon

Wembley Stadium

Setting up for the show! This is amazing!

Our Production Room

Live Earth 2007 - London Bound

Most would probably - and rightfully - protest having to work on the 4th of July, a federal holiday to recognize our nation's independence over 230 years ago; but, I have a legitimate excuse for being excited to work on the 4th this year. I will be traveling to London, to the sold out Live Earth concert, to launch a mobile marketing campaign with my coworkers and company partners.

As the LE website notes:

Live Earth is a 24-hour, 7-continent concert series taking place on 7/7/07 that will bring together more than 100 music artists and 2 billion people to trigger a global movement to solve the climate crisis. Live Earth will reach this worldwide audience through an unprecedented global media architecture covering all media platforms - TV, radio, Internet and wireless channels."

The Live Earth shows will be in the following markets: NY, London, Johannesburg, Rio, Shanghai, Tokyo, Sydney, Hamburg. We are launching our programs in NY, London, Hamburg (additionally tying into Switzerland and Austrian markets), and Sydney. I must say, the London show kicks ass, and though I will be working, I hope to sneak a peak of the following performers in London:

Beastie Boys
Madonna
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Duran Duran
Damien Rice
Bloc Party
Corrinne Bailey Rae
Genesis
James Blunt
Razorlight
David Gray
Foo Fighters
John Legend
Keane
Paolo Nutini
Black Eyed Peas
Snow Patrol
Terra Naomi
Spinal Tap
Kasabian
Metallica
Pussycat Dolls

Okay, so I am excited more about some (Madonna, yeah!!) than others (James Blunt, so over the nasal "you're beautiful"), and the truth is, I am there to work, but I can't help but to think I may just run into the Black Eyed Peas, or better yet, fall into a time warp when I am serenaded by Duran Duran at the show.

I'll be sure to bring back some pics!

Rihanna: Umbrella

I am not sure what happened, but I have somehow become quite a fan of Pop music during my early thirties. Perhaps its b/c there are so many talented artists releasing catchy, amazing tunes and vids. Here is my latest fav: Rihanna, Umbrella. Eh eh eh... and she's also a Covergirl!

Weekend Events: SoWa Art Walk

I'd like to invite you all to our neighborhood this weekend, for the SoWa Art Walk. The weather may not cooperate, but the festivities will go on!

According to the SoWa Art Walk website, "creative stores, cafes, boutiques and some of the city’s finest restaurants take part in the SoWa Art Walk by opening their doors all weekend, hosting artists who display on their walls and offering special event discounts"..."come stroll through one of Boston’s most vibrant and creative neighborhoods on a spring weekend and you’ll be sure to find a painting, original design/make clothing, a set of antique china … or brunch and plenty of atmosphere!"

I know the friendly folks over at diseño | bos will be tasting South American wines from 2:30-4:30pm, presented by the Wine Emporium. And I am sure there will be so much more!

I hope to see you around!

What: SoWa Art Walk 2007
Where: SoWa (the 400-500 block of Harrison Ave.)
When: May 19th-20th, 11am-6pm

Ron Jeremy @ Simmons College

Ron Jeremy, the infamous porn star, is slated to speak at Simmons College on Tuesday, as part of his "Porn Debate Tour". It seems this is causing quite a stir around Boston! Personally, he's rather repulsive; however, this would be a debate worth seeing!

Tickets are available to Simmons College students only.

Did You See JT @ Game On!?

I just read on the Boston.com blog that Justin Timberlake was at Game On! sportsbar in the Fenway last night! How cool is that?! Sigh.

Did anyone see him?

Naomi Campbell: Mobile Maddness

Thanks Engadget Mobile, for providing a little more Naomi Campbell humor. For those of you who have  not heard or just need a mind refresher, Ms. Campbell has been charged once with throwing her unidentified "jeweled" cellphone at her housekeeper, and a second time with attacking her personal assistant w/ her Blackberry. Well, today she began fulfilling her community service sentencing, at a NYC Lower East Side Sanitation Department warehouse, where she will scrub & clean for 5 days. Why does that just make me chuckle :)

I can't help but think that this would make a solid marketing campaign for Blackberry, as long as the device held up from the Naomi abuse.

Tracey Thorn: Out of the Woods on March 20th!

Finally! Tracey Thorn, the magical voice behind my all-time favorite band Everything But The Girl, is releasing her album. I am SO EXCITED and cannot wait for March 5th 20th! Here is the official press release, off the EBTG website:

TRACEY THORN / 'OUT OF THE WOODS' / CD AND LP / OUT MAR 5. If there is a timeless cross- generational voice in modern English pop, folk and electronica, it is that of Tracey Thorn. From her cult 1982 raw mini-album classic 'A Distant Shore', through best-selling eighties alt-pop with Everything But The Girl, to her re-emergence in the nineties with EBTG's world-trouncing crossover-electronica ('Missing', 'Walking Wounded') and seminal guest appearances with Massive Attack ('Protection') and Deep Dish ('The Future Of The Future'), she has articulated so many soundtracks to our modern lives with her simple, direct, tender-tough deliveries and lyrics. In 2005 she bought an old-fashioned 4-track cassette recorder, waited for the house to empty during the day and recorded a clutch of raw demos and ideas at home with her guitar and quirky instruments purchased off eBay. In contrast to the primitivism of the demos, she then deliberately handpicked some of the most future-facing and imaginative producers currently working in the world of electronica to help her fully realise the project. The result is Out Of Woods. Musically it is a snapshot of so much music she has ever been into and about, capturing moments of late seventies disco, pastoral folk-psychedelica, dance floor pop bliss and stark balladry. The full single formats with mixes from Ewan Pearson, Martin Buttrich, Escort, DSE and Kris Menace will be in the shops on 26 February.

Album out March 5."

Drumroll... My Best of 2006

Below lists a few of my personal noteworthy bests of 2006 in areas that interest me. Although some of these were not necessarily new this past year, they undoubtedly had an impact on me or are are of particular interest to me, in one way or another...

RESTAURANTS::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Stella Modern Italian

Toro: Spanish/Tapas

Oishii: Japanese/Sushi

MUSIC:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Justin Timberlake: FutureSex/LoveSounds

Beck: The Information

FASHION:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

1980's Style: Belts, layers, and gold

Skinny Jeans: Sexy and feminine

Flats: Perfect for us tall peeps

TECHNOLOGY::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Second Life The virtual world game & its impact on brands & marketing - wild.	Social Networking Connecting you, me + everyone like never before.	The blogoshpere The birth of TheDish and the beginning of an addiction.
Google Earth: Free downloadable virtual earth program; zoom in anywhere in the world!	Skype: Launch of mobile VoIP service w/ mobile operator 3; will we say bye to big phone bills?!	Nintendo Wii Wireless remote that can detect motion and rotation in three dimensions - so cool.
Netvibes The best aggregator on the market, complete with a tabbed UI and drag and drop feature	Gmail Despite the latest bad rap, still my webmail of choice b/c of 2GB storage and conversation grouping	Wikis For collaborative website authoring such as my fav Wikipedia

I could go on and on, but this post is getting far too long :)

Paris Collections Fashion Show

The Paris Collections Fashion Show at the Museum of Fine Arts looks AMAZING! Starting on November 12th and running through March 18th, the exhibit highlights the style of world-renown designers, including: Azzedine Alaia, Hussein Chalayan, Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, John Galliano for Christian Dior, Christian Lacroix, Maison Martin Margiela, Olivier Theyskens for Rochas, Valentino, Viktor & Rolf, and Yohji Yamamoto. I expect some designs to be stunning while others to be completely off-the-wall, you know, the wacky and rather unrealistic for real-life looks that color the runways these days. If you are interested, you can purchase tickets here. Tres Bien!

One Word

I can't believe that I am writing a post that give's props to the new Kelly Osbourne single called One Word! This song, from her Sleeping in Nothing album, is best described as Madonna meets Depeche Mode in Ibiza. It's clubby, its catchy and it's creatively cool. Check out the video here; Kelly looks suprisingly attractive!!!

Body Worlds 2 |Boston Museum of Science

I finally had the chance to visit the Body Worlds 2 exhibit at the Boston Museum of Science. Anatomist  Dr. Gunther von Hagens introduced "plastination" to the scientific world in the 1970's, a ground-breaking invention by which the human body - nervous system, digestive system, organs, etc. - are actually preserved by supplanting bodily fluids and soluble fats with reactive resins and elastomers. And this exhibit is his forum for sharing plastination, and the wonders of the human body, with all of us.

200 human specimens were on display at the exhibit: male and female human bodies stood erect in the life-like form of a baseball player, a ballerina and a figure skater. Plastic-like organ specimens, such as a brain marked by a stroke and a lung spotted with lung cancer, were displayed within glass cases. Even a camel and a colt were preserved using plastination, with a cross section of the stomach and face showing the inner wonders of the animal's anatomy.

This exhibit is not for the queasy-stomach folks; at times, it can be quite disturbing, as what stands before you was once a living human being. Although I found it far more fascinating than macabre, I specifically had an unsettled feeling when the plastinates still had a full-head of human hair, such as the "Angel" with flowing blond hair tied neatly in a bun. Eeek! Additionally, a curtained-off room near the rear of the exhibit was devoted to prenatal development, which may not be for everyone. Within, a woman's abdomen exposed an 8 month child who apparently died shortly after it's mother's death during pregnancy, and a series of petri dishes and glass cases showed fetuses & embryos from 1 week to near full term.

I would strongly recommend this exhibit. The detailed explanations alongside the specimens were written in layman's terms, and not overly medically complicated. The rooms were packed with students (some probably in high-school bio classes and others in med-school), doctors, scientists, as well as curious folks with no real ties to the medical community. And let it be told, that individuals donated their bodies for plastination prior to death, despite some controversy you may have heard.

Is it just morbid curiosity that drives us to these types of things? Perhaps for some, but overall I doubt it; I think its much deeper than that. Every day we do things, develop habits, that hurt our bodies, but we rarely understand why, or how, or the impact it will have long-term. The smoking lung just may make you quit smoking; the diseased liver may cause you to think again when ordering another drink; and the preserved, thick layer of fat around a cross-section of an obese, 50 year old man's body may provoke that diet you have been meaning to go on. And I think that is just the point. We are all curious about what it is that makes us tick, and for some of us, a tad frightened. Beneath the smooth simplicity of our outer skin, is an intricate, complex, and codependent system that allows us to live our lives every day. By seeing and understanding how we work internally, perhaps we will all have a new perspective on and admiration for our bodies, which may lead us to make healthier choices and ultimately healthier lives. If you get nothing more than this out if this exhibit, I'd be satisfied.

Just In!

Alas, as promised in another post , here is the pic from the night @ Match with Stéphane Pompougnac, the resident DJ at Paris' Hotel Costes; can you tell it was a total blast?!?!?!

Up-Close & Personal with Pompougnac

And finally, the long anticipated evening, highlighting one of the biggest international DJ names, has come and gone w/ a blink of an eye. Thursday night, Stéphane Pompougnac, the resident DJ at Paris’ Hotel Costes, spun his magic in celebration of Match’s one-year anniversary (I was also an attendee at the opening night, invite-only party last year, also a total blast).

The show was so AMAZING! I have seen & heard quite a few DJ’s spin in-town over they years, renowned names such as Paul Oakenfold, Sasha & Digweed, Deep Dish, & Paul Van Dyk, but this experience far surpassed the others. Instead of the large-venue, club scene characterized by twenty-something’s dancing maniacally, sweating, sipping water bottles and licking citrus lollipops, this was an intimate, 30-something crowd, and the small-venue (really, a restaurant) added a personal, intimate ambiance that really brought back the "lounge" and "chill-out” in the music genre.

Being a "school night", I thought I would stay just a couple hours. However, after Mike & I shard a light dinner of Spicy Shrimp and Chorizo Skewers ($9.50), a Spinach & Goat Cheese Salad with Sliced Apples and Caramelized Pecans ($6.95), and a few of their spectacular signature mini-burgers ($5.75-$6.75), the beats energetically picked up and the crowd inside, and in the agonizing long-line outside, grew larger and larger. I knew the night was nowhere near a close.

After finishing our dinner, I noticed that seated next to me, was a girl that I had befriended at a wedding I attended a few years prior, but hadn't seen since. She was seated with this quirky but very cool events designer, also a HUGE SP fan, and a guy-friend who generously offered us some Champagne. And thus we hung out the rest of the night, and yes, the Champagne flowed & flowed.

While dancing, chatting, and making friends with fans, we managed to also befriend the in-house Match photographer (solving my huge dilemma of mindlessly forgetting to bring my digital cam), and  we worked-in some great snapshots with Stéphane himself. I must note that Stéphane, probably only 5'5" or so and a good-looking guy, is uncharacteristically also a "nice-guy"! He chatted with us, took requests, allowed multiple pictures with fans, and even signed his autograph for me (yes, I am a geek, but it’s proudly on my fridge now, and in the pic to the right :)).

This night really quenched my thirst for seeing and hearing a top-notch DJ. Stay tuned for pics from the night, which should hopefully be posted to the Match website by our photographer friend shortly.

The Mints @ the Middle East

Last night, we mixed-it-up a little, and ventured over to Cambridge to take part in, what I think is, a character stamp that makes the town so unique from it's neighboring urban presence: live music. The Starlight Mints, a band that I hadn't heard of but Mike enjoys, was appearing live, downstairs at The Middle East. After standing in line for about 20-30 minutes, we received our wrist bands and decided to grab some dinner before the show.

The Middle East is great. It's not fine dining nor posh, but its suitably gritty, serving up authentic bites from - you guessed it -it's namesake, the Middle East. We enjoyed an appetizer of hummus and fresh pita, followed by a tasty lamb kabob dish, served with a tangy salad, beans, and rice. Entrees are very reasonable ($10-$12) and the portion-size was quite abundant. Cambridge hippies, musicians, intellectuals, and the artsy folk socialized loudly in the packed dining room, as two Middle Eastern men played guitar and sang in Arabic on a small, raised stage at the entrance to the restaurant.

Downstairs is a subterranean live-music venue; it's dark, with low ceilings, loud, and it's fitting for the alternative rock & punk bands that dominate the performance schedule. They have a full liquor license, with micro-brews on tap and premium spirit labels, but expect to be served by a mod-dressed, bleached blonde, pierced alternative chick in a bustier with twenty facial piercings and a painfully extensive tattoo collection. So Cambridge, gotta love it. The band was great, a little bizarre, but quite entertaining.

I love breaking the monotonous stride and trying new things. If you think that Boston is at the peak of preppy and conservatism, I suggest you venture to The Middle East. It's a trip.

The Middle East
472 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA 02139
617.864.3278

Pompougnac @ Match

While visiting Match on Saturday night, I was alerted to the BIGGEST event to hit the Boston nightclub-music scene in quite some time. Those who know me, know that I have been a huge fan of deep house music, and I was even lucky enough to spin at a local club here in Boston a couple years ago! You can imagine my excitement when I found out that Paris' Hotel Costes resident Dj Stéphane Pompougnac is making a guest appearance in Boston, at Match, on September 28th!

Known most for his Hotel Costes compilations (all 8 of them), Pompougnac is a brilliant musician, a composer, producer, and of course a deejay famed for his remix of Madonna ("What it Feels Like for a Girl"); his pairing up with artists such as Michael Stipe of REM; his spinning at Gucci and Yves Saint-Laurent couture fashion events; and his performances at Cameron Diaz's Miami restaurant and movie premiere parties. His chic, mellow yet groovy, Parisian lounge music is the ultimate in chill-out. His creations are down-tempo, mood-soothing beats infused with mythical vocals and jazz blends; it lacks the thumping beats characteristic of the mainstream electronica that I have grown so tired of (probably because I am getting old!). Aside from #6 and #7, which I thought were total let-downs, as well as # 8 which I have not heard yet, the Hotel Costes compilations are by far the best to hit the scene and undoubtedly what made Pompougnac one of the worlds most renowned Dj's.

He has been playing in the background in my home for years, and I can't wait for his appearance in my city!

Pandora Music Recommendation Engine

Pandora - part of the Music Genome Project - is a 5+ year old engine created by Oakland, CA based Savage Beast Technologies. The goal of the tool is to break down music into individual elements and, based on about 400 distinct attributes, offer it's music thirsty users a recommendation for tunes alligned with their tastes. By way of a user friendly Flash interface, the site allows you to create customized radio stations that will (or will attempt to) find and stream various songs by different artists based on computer generated attributes assigned to the songs you enter. The Flash UI allows you to pause/play songs, skip tracks, but not rewind, so as to encourage you to purchase the music. And get this, you can do so via a direct link to Amazon or iTunes. I smell partnership.

So, I gave Pandora a shot, and entered "Everything But the Girl", then selected "Five Fathoms" from the "Temperamental" album. Pandora proceeded to offer artists such as "Laika" and "Translator" (no clue). I of course impatiently kept skipping songs to see who was next, and soon discovered that the license agreement limits the number of songs you can listen to each hour. Oops. So, I returned to the menu and entered another selection - "Air". Pandora played the song "Biological", that I enjoy, so I asked to hear more like it by way of the "Guide Us" button. They gave me Wilson Phillips and Jessica Simpson? Ummm, huh? At first, I thought that Pandora was as helpful as having a 2 year old in charge of your car radio.  However, I soon caught on; by selecting "thumbs down", and asking them "not to play again", Pandora was able the further nail down the type of music I am interested in, and actually offered up a few new artists that I am eager to explore, such as "Ozone Cocktail."

There have been quite a few attempts at this type of music mapping discovery, such as Music Strands and Music Map,  each with added value if you find at least one new song or artist that you enjoy, but definetely with their own limitations.  I think the story w/ Pandora though, is that if you have the time and the patience to weed through the muck, to listen to and rate tunes, then it's well worth it; and, I find the user interface far easier to navigate, and quite friendlier, than the others I have tried out over the last couple years.

The site is free, if you can put up with a banner add or 2, or you can pay a low premium for an online advertising free experience. I suggest you check it out to see if it's for you.