Author Archives: the OCMD

Why I Pay $3.50 for Coffee

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Now that’s service with a smile! Meet my  soy latte macchiato I drink every morning from Peet’s Coffee. It’s the only coffee I’ll drink.  This and Blue Bottle. A latte macchiato is a secret menu item you can order at pretty much any Peet’s Coffee in San Francisco. Outside of Peet’s and our snobby food town this drink doesn’t fly so well. I tried to get the guy at Blue Bottle to make this for me and we practically got into a fist fight.  

Sacrilege or not, they key to this drink is less milk, more foam and a shorter shot of espresso poured on top. The perfect balance of flavors and the soy milk makes it a little sweet and nutty so you don’t need to add any sugar. Try it!

Listen to Fruit Bats ‘A Little Acorn’.  After a long hiatus, they are back and playing San Francisco’s Bottom of the Hill this Friday, 1/30 with Sera Cahoone.  A show that I’m very much looking forward to. For the rest of the world, they will be performing live as part of KEXP’s Broadcast from the Bay tomorrow at 1PM PST.

Suck It Scar Jo

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For butchering the Jeff Buckley classic, ‘Last Goodbye’.  No, no, no, no! Just stop it already. That’s enough. I held my tongue with the Tom Waits tribute album last year, but it’s gone too far with this one. Just because you performed with The Jesus and Mary Chain at Coachella a couple of years ago and can hold a tune does not give free license to cover any rock icon you please.  Clearly you are the muse to many in both the film and music industry – The Jesus and Marychain, TV on the Radio, Woody Allen. Come on, they’re just a bunch of dirty old men who just want to see your tits! Argh.

Bad:

Good:



A Shoreline Dream – Recollections of Memory

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Artist: A Shoreline Dream
Album: Recollections of Memory
File Under: Newgaze
Recommended if You Like: Cocteau Twins, Swervedriver, Film School. MBV
Featured Track: Hypermode (featuring Ulrich Schnauss)

There’s been a bounty of newgaze music making its way to my mailbox lately and I have no complaints with this one in particular. A Shoreline Dream is a Denver-based quartet who have been described by fans as ‘Melodipsych Rockers’.  Their forthcoming release Recollections of Memory is set to drop on February 10 and features a fantastic collaboration with the talented Ulrich Schnauss, who is also a huge fan of the band.

Masterfully produced, the album itself is a sonic journey from start to finish.  And one that demands to be listened to in its entirety.  There will be no fast forwarding of tracks, mind you.  You will sit down, put on your headphones and let the ambient, hypnotic soundscape wash over you. 

Considering frontman Ryan Policky put his life up for ransom to produce this album independently and ensure everything about the band – it’s sound, vision and integrity – was kept in tack, it deserves nothing less than your full attention.

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Radiohead to Play Grammys

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Set your DVRs!  The line up of artists performing at this year’s Grammys is actually worth watching. Radiohead is confirmed to play at the 51st annual Grammy Awards on February 8 in Los Angeles. It’s the band’s first live US television performance since 2000. Radiohead has five Grammy nods: Album Of The Year and Best Alternative Album for In Rainbows, and Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals, Best Rock Song and Best Short Form Music Video for “House Of Cards.”  Whew.  Sweep it Radiohead!

Paul McCartney is also on the bill and will be backed by Foo Fighter Dave Grohl on the drums.  The rest of the line up I don’t really care about.  The broadcast starts at 5PM PST/ 8PM EST.

How It Ends

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judahmonet

After months of giving Monet the cold shoulder, my little caveman emerged for a brief and intense love fest last week that will surely keep her hooked and immune to his inevitable snubs for many more months to come.

Listen to DeVotchka’s ‘How it Ends‘:

Catch DeVotchka at San Francisco’s The Fillmore January 30 and 31.

Department of Eagles at Cafe du Nord

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What a perfect night of music last night at Cafe du Nord.  Both the Cave Singers and Department of Eagles were fantastic.  It’s impossible to get a good photograph in the dimly lit Cafe du Nord with my pitiful little point and shoot.  But I had such a good spot I tried my hand at videotaping one of my favorite Department of Eagles song, ‘Phantom Other’.  The sound certainly isn’t soundboard quality but it’s not bad.  It gets a bit blown out when Chris Bear starts wailing on the drums, but you’ll get the gist.  It was a good show!

Oh, and be sure to watch the video in high quality (HQ).  The little button that appears when you mouse over the up arrow icon.  Makes a big difference.