#198 - pop rock.

in my college years, i transformed from a gangsta-rap-lovin' high schooler into an embracer of all things alt-rock, specifically music of the "grunge rock" variety. later in life, i moved onto "indie rock" & throughout, many of the artists that i've listened to were signed to sub pop records, the seattle-based label best known for putting out the first nirvana album. BEFORE nevermind. that's right, unhip losers. nirvana had an album called bleach a full two years BEFORE the "teen spirit" song took over MTV. said debut album was kinda good.

if the idea of "grunge music" makes you want to punch somebody in the face, you should probably aim your fist in sub pop's general direction.

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#197 - the end of the world as we know it.

way way back round the end of march, i received a film in the mail via netflix--the 2011 indie film bellflower. i discovered it after reading roger ebert's review & learning of its nomination for an independent spirit award and a full seventy-seven days after its arrival in my home, that same film is still here, preventing all the other films in my queue from coming my way. sorry, cedar rapids. i'll get to you soon! usually, when i hold onto a film for such a ridiculous amount of time, it's because i'm too busy to set aside two hours or because i'm a lazy ass & can't be bothered to press the "eject" button on my dvd player & watch it. in this case, other than the laziness, it's a whole other thing...

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nosh nook #206 - tuesday, april 17, 2012

photo via amra energy snx website

caffeinated potato chips aim to boost snack time (link)
04.17.12 - cbs news - by michelle castillo

one day, when our great civilization has reached the nadir of absolute awesomeness, each & every snack on god's green earth will be injected with a hearty dose of caffeine. just think about it! when the time finally comes, we'll never again have to worry about "can i stay up long enough to catch tonight's exciting episode of last call with carson daly?" the answer will always be "yes," as you'll have milligrams upon milligrams of caffeine coursing through your veins. you won't EVER be able to sleep & you sure as hell won't be missing any more carson daly. all of your dreams will finally come true & by "dreams" i mean metaphorical dreams. you'll never again have REM dreams. no sirree.

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#196 - tracks & snacks 2011.

for the past two years, when this time of year rolled around & i sat down to compile my top ten tracks & snacks of the year, it's been a relatively painless process. not so this year. in the past, i've always been able to open up itunes, take a look at my list of most played tunes & easily compile a list. this summer, my computer finally decided to kick the bucket for good, taking all the precious "most played" info with it & forcing me to rely on my memory, a task which is a dicey proposition at best. 

...so there's inevitably something i'm forgetting but i have to give nods to das racist, st vincent, cut copy, adele, shabazz palaces, los campesinos, atlas sound, pj harvey, destroyer, girls, anvil hands & cities aviv who, if this was a top 22 list, all had songs worthy of being on it. in the end, each artist on this year's list has never been in my top ten before although three songs from the albums on my mid-year top five list made it into the 2011 top ten.

...so if you're the type who's looking for a shiny new band to call your own, there are ten great candidates below & links to videos for eight of the songs & "listen" links for the other two. ALSO, since spotify has finally made its way to america, i've tossed up a playlist of the nine top ten tracks that are available on it, so if you swing that way, have at it here. BRING ON THE TRACKS! BRING ON 2012! SMELL YA LATER 2011!

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#188 - a bitter american in new york.

here's an often thought that lives in my head: "i friggin hate people." they just make me so steamin' sparkin' mad sometimes! y'know where people really suck?...like where they LOVE to congregate? the subway system. that's where. i know. everybody's got their special "the subway sucks" bitch stories. between work & play, i ride the subway at least twenty times every week, so i've got mine too. my main beef is that some people have ZERO grasp on how to act when in the presence of other human beings. it's about courtesy, people. last thursday, i totally threw a bitter shoulder into this one guy who tried to rush past me onto the train as i was exiting it. as i walked across the platform to catch the express train, i looked back to see him giving me the evil eye from inside his departing local train.

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