Sunday, May 31, 2009
JW / Electronica Classics 016: Sander Kleinenberg Live From Everybody 2002
Despite last weekend's Memorial Day hiatus from music posting, I'm back this week with a favorite from early 2002. This set from Sander Kleinenberg was recorded shortly before he began his album promotion tour for "Essential Mix" and had a regular spot in my car CD changer for most of the year.
It's a bit of a departure from the darker progressive sound that was championed around this time, especially by the Global Underground artists. There's a distinctly jazzy feel to the set, which is a description you don't often hear applied to progressive house. Unfortunately I wasn't able to uncover a tracklisting for this performance, but if you were a vinyl connoisseur around this period, feel free to leave some IDs in the comments.
Sander Kleinenberg - Live from Everybody 2002-01-06
Megaupload Link / Rapidshare Link
Twitter Week(s) In Review 2009-05-16 To 2009-05-29
Palm Treo 700wx
Palm Treo 700wx
Originally uploaded by Juston Western
In honor of the Pre's launch next Saturday, here's my old Palm phone that still lives on courtesy of it's Wi-Fi add-on card.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Jerry Seinfeld At Jones Hall
Jerry Seinfeld At Jones Hall
Originally uploaded by Juston Western
The guy still has it. He made me laugh until my face hurt. Great tech parody segment on iPhones, Blackberries, & Twitter. I was in tears over his Cialis bit, and he even took questions from the audience at the end. Awesome show.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Aggressive Birds
Aggressive Birds
Originally uploaded by Juston Western
Normally birds run away when you get close. These guys walk towards you & scowl.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Puggles & A Crawfish
Puggles & A Crawfish
Originally uploaded by Juston Western
The little guy would do anything for a chicken-flavored treat.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Char-Broil InfraRED Gas Grill
Char-Broil InfraRED Gas Grill
Originally uploaded by Juston Western
Finally assembled my birthday present from my parents. I couldn't resist the geek-appeal of going with the model that cooks with infrared technology.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Grogan's Mill Farmer's Market
Grogan's Mill Farmer's Market
Originally uploaded by Juston Western
Stopped by the farmer's market to get Puggles a chicken-flavored Crawfish dog treat for our Memorial Day Crawfish Boil.
Which Wich
Which Wich
Originally uploaded by Juston Western
Menu station at the new sandwich restaurant near The Woodlands Waterway.
Friday, May 22, 2009
IAH Terminal E Parking Garage
IAH Terminal E Parking Garage
Originally uploaded by Juston Western
Had to swing by the airport at lunch to pickup my mom who's in the States from Saudi Arabia for two months.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
802.11n
802.11n
Originally uploaded by Juston Western
Finally decided to upgrade my wireless network today after 4 years with my Linksys 802.11g router. My old Vonage router is playing wonky with DHCP when I put the AEBS in bridge mode, though. I think I'll probably have to reverse the order of the two routers this weekend in order to get port forwarding (read: uTorrent) working. On the bright side: my file transfers over the 5 GHz network to the MacBook Pro & MacBook are nearly 5 times faster than they were over 2.4 GHz!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Thoughts On The Crystal Method At House of Blues Houston
Really great show in Houston last night. There were songs from all 4 of their studio albums, although I'd say Vegas got the heaviest treatment. Which was awesome. :)
The two highlights were extended remixes of "Cherry Twist" & "Born Too Slow". Ironically I'm not even a big fan of the original "Born Too Slow", but their live version blew me away. A true sonic assault. They only played two or three songs off their new album, including "Come Back Clean" & the title track "Divided By Night". It was pretty cool seeing Scott do the vocals live on that last one. For an encore, it was a crowd-pleasing rendition of "Trip Like I Do."
We stuck around after the show for the meet & greet upstairs. The guys said they had a really good time in NOLA the evening before, and mentioned enjoying dinner at Dickie Brennan's Steak House. I also got to pick Scott's brain for about 15 minutes about their creative processes for several of the tracks on the new album. Of note, "Black Rainbows" was originally intended to be entirely instrumental before they heard Stephanie King Warfield sing. She's the wife of Justin Warfield, who provided the vocals for the "Kling To The Wreckage" track on the album.
Alas, I didn't bring my digital camera with me to the show since the tickets + website were pretty adamant about a No Camera Policy. In hindsight, I could've smuggled in an entire television crew since there were no metal detectors or pat downs at the door, and others had cameras in the venue with no harassment from security. However, I did snap about 30 pictures with my iPhone, so I've uploaded those to Flickr:
The Crystal Method at House of Blues Houston
If you get the opportunity to catch one of the remaining shows on this tour, I highly encourage it.
Monday, May 18, 2009
The Observant Puggle
The Observant Puggle
Originally uploaded by Juston Western
A very striking & formal pose in this pic, almost as if he's wearing an imaginary tuxedo.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Twitter Week In Review 2009-05-10 To 2009-05-15
The Crystal Method Discography
The Crystal Method Discography
Originally uploaded by Juston Western
Getting stoked to see these guys perform for the first time in 5 years on Monday.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
JW / Electronica Classics 015: The Crystal Method Live At Showbox Seattle 1997
I've been on a big Crystal Method kick this week. This past Tuesday saw the release of their fourth studio album, "Divided By Night," and I've got tickets to see the guys do a live performance here at the House of Blues in Houston this coming Monday. Heck, I even downloaded their new iPhone app to keep up with their Twitter updates from the tour. Regarding "Divided By Night," I've probably listened to it about 6 times this week, and it's easily my second favorite Crystal Method album, behind the legendary "Vegas." I'm not a huge fan of every track on the new album, but there are some real stand-outs like "Smile" and "Black Rainbows."
There aren't many recordings of actual "live" performances of The Crystal Method floating around; most of the recordings I have in my collection are of DJ sets that the duo put together. However, I did run across a live performance while digging around Soulseek back during the summer of 2003. Prior to last weekend, I'd only listened to this performance a handful of times. But digging it out again revealed a really good find.
Surprisingly, there isn't a lot of info about this recording online. From what I've been able to determine, it's sometimes called "Live in Seattle," "Live at Showbox in Seattle," or "Live Seattle Bootleg". A few of the tracks were listed as "Unknown" or otherwise mislabeled when I originally downloaded it, and none of the websites I found online actually had the tracklisting correct. However, I believe I've been able to correct all those mistakes. The recording quality won't pass for a studio album, but it's definitely listenable.
This performance consists primarily of tracks from their "Vegas" album, so for those of you who are partial to their earlier work, you should really enjoy this one. An added bonus is their remix of Keoki's "Caterpillar" track which originally appeared on the "Altered Ego Trip" remix album that Keoki released in 1998. I'm a big fan of that album, too, and it's a good one to add to your collection if you're looking for a nice snapshot of remixes from early American electronica producers & DJs such as Uberzone, Rabbit In The Moon, & DJ Dan.
I'm glad to see these guys are still putting out new music. Now go grab this performance from the late 90s for a little historical perspective.
The Crystal Method - Live at Showbox in Seattle 1997
Megaupload Link / Rapidshare Link
1 - The Crystal Method - High Roller
2 - The Crystal Method - Cherry Twist
3 - The Crystal Method - Now Is The Time
4 - Keoki - Caterpillar (The Crystal Method Remix)
5 - The Crystal Method - Trip Like I Do
6 - The Crystal Method - Vapor Trail
7 - The Crystal Method - Alright
8 - The Crystal Method - Busy Child
9 - The Crystal Method - Keep Hope Alive
Waterfall By The Fountains Of Waterway Square
Waterfall By The Fountains Of Waterway Square
Originally uploaded by Juston Western
The 93-degree weather certainly made heading into the water an attractive option.
Irish Yoga
Irish Yoga
Originally uploaded by Juston Western
T-shirt seen for sale inside The Goose's Acre Irish Pub.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Tea Cup
Tea Cup
Originally uploaded by Juston Western
Another beverage container joins my daily set, along with my Air Force coffee travel mug & Google Nalgene water bottle, both partially seen in the background.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
The Green Fairy
The Green Fairy
Originally uploaded by Juston Western
A quarter of a bottle of Lucid Absinthe remains from last Friday's post-Crawfish Boil soirée at the Casa De Western 3.0.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Jazz At Midnight
Jazz At Midnight
Originally uploaded by Juston Western
Unwinding after a full night of class work with an Astral Project CD I got in the mail today.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Grocery Store Fear Mongering
Grocery Store Fear Mongering
Originally uploaded by Juston Western
I should of known it was going to be a sensationalistic tech news day when the morning began with CNN anchor Carol Costello discussing blocked links on Facebook with the remark, "Pirate Bay, it's a huge file...it could slow down the system." By the time I read this iPhone-ensconced headline in the Kroger check-out line this evening, I just had to laugh.
JW / Electronica Classics 014: Chris Fortier's 2002 Kiss 100 Mix
Harkening back to the golden days of progressive house, this week's pick showcases one of my favorite mixes from American DJ Chris Fortier. This two hour set was aired on John Digweed's long-running weekly Kiss 100 radio show during April of 2002.
At the time this mix was compiled, Chris Fortier was promoting his recently released Bedrock 3 album, which I still consider to be one of the definitive CDs from this period. His Kiss mix is in the same vein as that album, and very indicative of what he was playing in clubs at the time.
I had the opportunity to see him perform at now-defunct Club Hyperia in Houston, TX, about two months after this set was broadcast back in 2002. The combination of his Bedrock album with this Kiss set shows both the minimalist side of Fortier and his more approachable peak-time floor-mover side. In each case, I believe you'll find the sound still feels fresh today.
Chris Fortier - Kiss 100 2002-04-12
Megaupload Link / Rapidshare Link
Part 1 Tracklisting
01. Spooky - Belong (Original Mix)
02. Second Hand Satellites - Orbit (P. Charles Mix)
03. Lilac House Road - Deeper Than A Deep Blue Sea (True Housing Fuck)
04. Youtopia - Zomaye (Instrumental Mix)
05. Descent - Fusion
06. Daniel Ash - Unknown (Pole Folder Remix)
07. R-Tribe - Phyre
08. JV - Into The Blue (Jas Remix)
09. Patrick Turner - Soulstream
10. Phil Kieran - Juicy
11. Astroglyde - Kinky
Part 2 Tracklisting
01. Astroglyde - Kinky
02. Jas - Bourgiouse Tech
03. Moonface - Nahn Madol
04. Haris - Penalty Charge Notice
05. Morgan King - I'm Free (Re-Edit)
06. Yunus vs Cervus - Sheltoks
07. Bravemusic - Spiritualised
08. Datajack - Burning
09. BT - Loving You More (Vocal Mix)
Twitter Week In Review 2009-05-04 To 2009-05-10
Monday, May 11, 2009
Friday, May 08, 2009
Desk Vandalism
Desk Vandalism
Originally uploaded by Juston Western
This is what happens when you take off work for a few days in my office.
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Celebrating My 27th Birthday At The 40th Annual Jazz Fest
I just wrapped up my fourth trip to New Orleans in five months, which is definitely a record since moving away from the city in December 2004. We were celebrating my 27th birthday and it was definitely a memorable one.
On Saturday morning, Ashley & I drove into the city to meet up with our friends Freddie & Kadee. Freddie is a Shell employee, so he was able to get us onto the surrey leaving from One Shell Square to the New Orleans Fairgrounds, and then into the Shell hospitality tent for free food & drinks.
Although we were able to get free food in the tent, I still wanted to check out some of my favorite dishes from the vendors. Throughout the day I ate Crawfish Monica, a Crawfish Pie, Crawfish Enchiladas, Seafood Stuffed Mushrooms, and a Snowball.
On the music front, I was able to catch several acts during the Saturday performances including the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, Deacon John, Dr. John, Irvin Mayfield, and the 50th anniversary tribute to Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue" album. That last performance even included the original drummer from the recording of "Kind of Blue."
Saturday evening we had dinner at Emeril's NOLA restaurant. A bottle of Pinot Noir, a filet, garlic mash potatoes, stuffed portabello mushrooms, and barbeque shrimp made for an exquisite birthday dinner. Afterwards, we went to Arnaud's bar which was pleasantly quiet compared to most venues in the Quarter that evening.
We had a few cocktails, and then I struck up a conversation with the bartender. I asked him if any bars in the Quarter carried the recently re-legalized authentic Absinthe. I was specifically looking for Jade Liquers Nouvelle-Orléans, which I've been researching since 2005. He said he didn't think any bars carried that particular brand, but recommended we check out the bar in Pirate's Alley, next to the St. Louis Cathedral.
Pirate's Alley was only a few blocks away, so we headed that direction. Upon entering the bar, I immediately recognized the bottle for which I was searching. I indulged in two glasses of Nouvelle-Orléans Absinthe, which was even more enjoyable given the historic location of the establishment. It really was an amazing cocktail. After finishing, we walked across Jackson Square, got some beignets & hot chocolate from Cafe Du Monde, then headed back to Embassy Suites to call it a night around 3AM.
On Sunday morning, we checked out of the hotel and then Ashley & I headed back to the Fairgrounds for a second day of Jazz Fest. One of my friends from Houston, Alfred, also made it out to Jazz Fest that day and linked up with us at the Acura Stage for the Allen Toussaint performance. During the rest of the day, we caught the Ellis Marsalis Quartet in the WWOZ Jazz Tent, and then Buddy Guy in the Blues Tent. Buddy Guy was actually the reason I wanted to go the second day, and it worked out even better since heavy rains descended on the Fairgrounds after we were already safely inside the Blues Tent with 3 seats.
As for food on the second day, I went for another round of Crawfish Monica & a crawfish pie, a softshell crab poboy, and crawfish beignets. Deliciousness.
An eventful birthday weekend, to be sure. Below I've included a link to the pictures from our adventures, as well as two videos I've put together with the various music clips from the performances of Jazz Fest that I captured.
Pictures
40th Jazz Fest & 27th Birthday Photoset On Flickr
Videos
(Note: Be sure to click the HD button at the bottom of the video player to see in High Quality)
JW's Jazz Fest Montage - May 2, 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Rko2NvQRB8
JW's Jazz Fest Montage - May 3, 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE_7_hd1PvM
Monday, May 04, 2009
Twitter Week In Review 2009-04-25 To 2009-05-02
JW / Electronica Classics 013: Smokin' Jo's 2003 Essential Mix
Another feel good set this week, as I'm still on vacation in Louisiana celebrating my 27th birthday. I had this Essential Mix burned to an MP3 CD and it stayed in my Jetta's CD player for months back in 2003 & 2004. It's got groovy house tunes (as you'll see from the track list below), a few harder tunes towards the end, and stays upbeat throughout.
This will be a keeper for you as the summer months kick into full swing. It was an old standby set when Ashley & I used to cruise around in her Beetle convertible & head to the beach in Delaware. Enjoy!
Smokin' Jo - Essential Mix 2003-09-21
Megaupload Link / Rapidshare Link
Inland Knights - Right Now
Lisa Stansfield - Hold On [Accapella]
Locodice - Phat Dope Shit
Inland Knights - Wait A While
Switch - Get Yer Dub On
Boinic Bump Band - Beastie
Hughes - Idiot Box
Locodice - City Lights
Jon Carter - Closer to God (Tim Sheridian Mix)
Delgardo - Coffee Beats Vol 2
Ronnie Ganaoa ft Stephane K - Cant Get Enough Of Your Love (Jako Ibiza Mix)
Unknown - Unknown
Ciarmen - Work It
4 Tune 500 - Dancing In The Dark
Sandy Rivera - Dreams
Gordan Edge - Body Free
Ross Couch - In The Night
Wackside feat Chic - Freak Out
Maracia - Shake It [Mutiny Remix]
Superchumbo - This Beat Is
Julius Papp - Drum De Voodoo
Mansonic Noodles - Gonna Get You
Audio Bullys - Way Too Long (Switch Remix)
50 Cent - In Da Club (Radio Slave Edit)
Buddy Guy Performs At Jazz Fest
Buddy Guy Performs At Jazz Fest
Originally uploaded by Juston Western
We were insanely lucky to find 3 seats together in the Blues Tent just minutes before the rain showers started over the New Orleans Fairgrounds.
Sunday, May 03, 2009
Crawfish In The Clouds
Crawfish In The Clouds
Originally uploaded by Juston Western
As seen as I stood in line for a Crawfish Pie at Jazz Fest.
iPhone Unlock Screen On My Birthday
iPhone Unlock Screen On My Birthday
Originally uploaded by Juston Western
Complete with a festive NOLA scene for the occasion.
Parking At Jazz Fest
Parking At Jazz Fest
Originally uploaded by Juston Western
Even though we had to drop a Jackson for the convenience, our spot was only a few blocks away from the entrance, and the elderly gentleman pawning off spots was exceedingly polite.
Late Night Closeup of Café Du Monde Sign
Late Night Closeup of Café Du Monde Sign
Originally uploaded by Juston Western
Ashley was kind enough to get me hot chocolate and beignets after a late night of indulging.
Saturday, May 02, 2009
AT&T's Network Crumbles At Jazz Fest
AT&T's Network Crumbles At Jazz Fest
Originally uploaded by Juston Western
Despite the data meter at the top of the screen, internet access was non-existent, SMS messages rarely went through, and voice calls were about 50/50. Temporary towers aren't available for events like this or SXSWi?
Soul Cleansing In The Gospel Tent
Soul Cleansing In The Gospel Tent
Originally uploaded by Juston Western
Watching Dillard University's VisionQuest Choir at Jazz Fest.
Friday, May 01, 2009
And So Jazz Fest Weekend Begins
And So Jazz Fest Weekend Begins
Originally uploaded by Juston Western
Kicking it off in my own way in TX via the easily-accessible LA-native Raising Cane's for lunch today.