Album Reviews 23/09/14

Mitski, The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We (Dead Oceans Records)

Generally speaking, I’m late to the ball with this indie-piano-pop princess, who’s been making albums since 2012. In fact, I wasn’t aware that she’d opened for The Pixies a few years ago, which was what probably prompted Pitchfork Media to give her some reckless love with her 2018 album, Be The Cowboy. Thus she’s truly arrived, following up 2022’s Laurel Hell and its frozen Enya-meets-Goldfrapp timelessness with a new set of tunes bolstered by a choir and an orchestra in some places. She’s moonbatty here on “Bug Like An Angel,” but not to Bjork-level; she’s ultimately too polished and Tori Amos-like for that, but in that strummy track she’s also got some Aimee Mann steez going on. I hope you’re ready for (yet more) Pink Floyd-speed drudge-pop if you’ll be indulging this: In “Star,” she comes off like Lana Del Rey’s lonely, bookish sister, staring up at the sky with hope, brimming with grace, evincing elegance. Only thing to complain about is, as others have stated, the cover’s font, which is ludicrously bad, but aside from that, she has entered the most hallowed of halls, no question. A+

Lauren Calve, Shift (self-released)

So today I learned that “DMV” is an acronym that doesn’t only designate a local Department of Motor Vehicles, it’s also short for the area of the country that comprises “District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia,” which is where this contemporary rock singer hails from. We can proceed briskly with this; as a rule of thumb, describing a female folk singer with the catchall “contemporary rock singer” generally clues people in to the distinct possibility that the tunes in question sound quite a bit like Sheryl Crow, which is very true in this instance, the album being a collection of inarguably well-written, slightly Americana/bluegrass-tinged songs guided by Tom Petty principles, and yes, she sounds like a more breezy Sheryl Crow during most of them. But she’s also informed by the ’90s-radio-pop I assume she grew up on; she’s obviously into Alanis, being that “Pretend to Forget” sounds like her for (the better) half of the song. Soccer-parent-rock with a jagged little edge; no harm done here. A-

Playlist

  • Hear ye, hear ye, and such-and-so, there are new music albums being released on Sept. 15, just like every other Friday! You know, folks, a lot of people ask me, “You’re so eclectic and scattershot with your award-winning music column and your book-writing, you must be super-busy. Are there, like, any bands you wish you had more time to investigate and get to know better?” To that I will honestly reply that I wish I had more time to listen to albums by Savannah, Georgia, sludge-metal band Baroness, because what little I’ve heard of them over the years has always been pretty cool. Of course, then again, I would also be keen on listening to Radiohead until I liked them, like all you coolios do, but I’ve read with great interest the rantings of former Boston Phoenix and Your Band Sucks writer Dr. David Thorpe, who’s tried valiantly but never liked anything Radiohead has ever done; usually he defaults to mocking Thom Yorke for having unnecessary alphabet characters in both of his names! But yes, I’ve heard Baroness before, after being lured into their trip by their awesome album covers, and, truth be told, I didn’t know they had a girl frontperson, and no, the fact that they’re named Baroness didn’t clue me in, smart aleck, who has time to keep up with all this stuff? But look at this, I’m already five years behind in my study of this cool band, because they replaced Summer Welch with Gina Gleason (formerly of Misstallica, the all-female Metallica tribute band) back in 2018, can you even believe it? Right, I know, who cares, the new Baroness LP is Stone, and it’s out this Friday, featuring the latest awesome cover art by the band’s leader (and only consistent member), John Dyer Baizley! I was first exposed to them in 2007, when their Red Album came out, and I was like “what even is this,” like it blended sort-of-progressive metal with some roots-emo sounds and added some pop elements as well. Anyhow, the new record features a single, “Last Word,” that continues the band’s tradition of being a Tool-like band that’s a hundred times better than Tool in mawkish-semi-ballad-mode; it’s actually very accessible for a neo-metal-pop tune, remindful of Isis and Bury Your Dead within the same song. If any of this is news to you, you need to get hip to this band, is what I’m saying.
  • Yikes, another blast from my questionable past, it’s British neo-soul lady Corinne Bailey Rae, of all people, with a new album titled Black Rainbows! I haven’t heard anything from her since her 2006 self-titled album, believe it or not; her last four albums have actually charted quite high in the U.S., but I haven’t exactly been pelted with Corinne Bailey Rae news over the past few years, probably because her super-nice chill hasn’t led to any big singles here. “Peach Velvet Sky,” her new single, will probably be similarly underserved here; it’s a deeply soulful, really nice piano ballad, in which she dazzles with technical brilliance, meaning no one will get it, since she’s not singing about badonkadonks or whatnot.
  • Oh, how cool, a new album from Diddy, called The Love Album: Off The Grid! You kids know who he is, right? Nope, not the guy who pretends to play drums for the Weeknd. OK, forget it, he was once a great and powerful rapper, you kids should totally check out the album trailer, featuring Diddy talking about how we’re in the “lev era,” you know, when everyone has private planes or whatever he’s babbling about.
  • Lastly, it’s ancient dusty stoner mummy Willie Nelson, with an album called Bluegrass! The teaser single, “Still Is Still Moving To Me,” sounds like unplugged Outlaws. It’s not bad, for a song performed by a literal mummy!

If you’re in a local band, now’s a great time to let me know about your EP, your single, whatever’s on your mind. Let me know how you’re holding yourself together without being able to play shows or jam with your homies. Send a recipe for keema matar. Message me on Twitter (@esaeger) or Facebook (eric.saeger.9).

The Steamer Trunk

I have had to face the harsh reality recently that I have aged out of some of my travel-related bucket list items. As much as I would really, really like to be able to put an alligator wrestling certification on my resumé, I’m afraid that it’s not going to happen at this point.

Likewise, my dream of meeting the eyes of a dark-eyed stranger in a smoke-filled bar in Buenos Aires and shocking the room into awed silence with the skill of my interpretive tango.

In the aggregate, I’m reluctantly resigned to shelving some of these dreams. There are other, new dreams to replace them, after all. I hear good things about the SPAM Museum in Austin, Minnesota, and just today I learned that there are specialized rat tours in New York City, which I am fully committed to going on. Age can be worked around, and I am the master of my own destiny, right?
I may be in charge of my destiny, but my wife is in charge of me. I share some of these dreams with her, and on the surface she seems supportive, but over the years I have learned to read her micro-gestures, which generally say, “It’s so cute that you think you’re going to do that,” when I propose anything more adventurous than a trip to the hardware store, and even then she has learned the hard way to keep a close eye on me.

The Steamer Trunk
1½ ounces rye – I like Bulleit; it has a spicy sourness that plays well off fruity ingredients.
¾ ounce St. Germain elderflower liqueur
½ ounce simple syrup
¾ ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 ounce cantaloupe juice (see below)
1 ounce sparkling wine
cantaloupe cubes for garnish

To make cantaloupe juice, slice a fresh cantaloupe into quarters. Scoop the flesh of one quarter into a small blender, or half the melon into a large one. Blend thoroughly, then strain through a fine-meshed strainer. One quarter of a medium cantaloupe will yield about half a cup of juice, the color of hibiscus blossoms in an Egyptian sunset.

Combine the rye, elderflower liqueur, simple syrup and the lemon and cantaloupe juices over ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake thoroughly, until the cold bites your hands like a rope on a tramp steamer to Macau and the ice rattles like the hooves of angry bulls in Pamplona.

Strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass, and top with sparkling wine, which will spray up a fine mist that reminds you of that semester you spent on the coast of Spain, and of the Vazquez Twins.

Stir gently, then drink while flipping through an atlas and listening to the collected works of Paolo Conte. This is a riff on a classic called a summer rye, but with a focus on fresh melon in place of the traditional apples, which brings a wistful quality to the experience. Melon and sparkling wine are a classic combination, and elderflower provides a hard-to-identify poetic element. The rye is the leader of this expedition, but this is definitely a collaborative project.
Much like a camel safari in Morocco, with a dedicated camel to carry ice and gin for the proper appreciation of a desert evening.

Pending spousal approval, of course.

John Fladd is a veteran Hippo writer, a father, writer and cocktail enthusiast, living in New Hampshire.

Featured photo: Steamer Trunk. Photo by John Fladd.

In the kitchen with Ed Barooney

What is your must-have kitchen item?
Dandido Hot Sauce.

What would you have for your last meal?
Rib-eye steak medium, mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables.

What is your favorite local eatery?
Bond Brewing and Barbecue.

Name a celebrity you would like to see trying your hot sauce?
The Rock.

Which hot sauce is your favorite?
Our original Dandido Hot.

What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?
I think it’s a toss-up: Those acai bowls are big right now and also, like we have at Bond Brewing and Barbecue, the Chipotle-style bowls and burritos.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?
Traditional breakfast. Eggs, bacon, sausage [and] toast.

Chunk Chili
From the kitchen of Ed Barooney.

Dandido Hot Sauce
onion
peppers (bell peppers or hot peppers)
2 to 3 Tablespoons flour
stewed tomatoes (14.5-ounce can)
beans (optional)
steak tips (or ground beef or other meat)

Cut steak tips into medium-size chunks, season with salt and pepper and put in a bag. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons flour. Shake bag to fully coat the chunks.
On medium heat in a medium to large pot, add 3 tablespoons of Dandido Hot with a chopped onion. Cook the onion down until golden/brown.

Once the onion is browned, add the steak chunks into the pot. Brown the outer parts of the meat, careful not to cook the meat all the way through.
Once browned, remove the meat and add in a can of stewed tomatoes, add desired seasoning to taste and add half of the can filled with water.

Once rendered down and simmering, place steak back into the pot, adding beans (any choice of beans), peppers and one to three bay leaves.

Cook for 1 hour until the meat is tender.
Top with cheese and/or sour cream if desired.
For a thicker chili we recommended our Dandido Black made with the Carolina reaper.

The Weekly Dish 23/09/14

News from the local food scene

Fall fest: 603 Brewery (42 Main St. in Londonderry; 603brewery.com) will hold a Fall Fest today from noon to 8 p.m. The day will feature food trucks, live music, a stein-holding contest, a cornhole tournament, ax throwing, 603 kitchen specials and more, according to a social media post by the Brewery.

Cooking with wine class: Next up in The Winemaker’s Kitchen Cooking Class series at LaBelle Winery (345 Route 101, Amherst) is Greek recipes on Wednesday, Sept. 20. The recipes include a Greek greeting cocktail, whipped feta dip, briam, which are roasted vegetables in a parchment paper pocket, Greek meatballs, tzatziki sauce and baklava. Chefs will demonstrate and share tips throughout the process. You will also be given a recipe card for each item to make them yourself at home. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased at labellewinery.com or via eventbrite.

603 BBQ at Lithermans: Don’t miss 603 BBQ at Lithermans in Concord (126B Hall St.) on Thursday, Sept. 21, from 5 to 7 p.m.

Manchester Brewfest: The ninth annual Manchester Brewfest on Saturday, Sept. 23, at Arms Park on Commercial Street in Manchester will benefit Waypoint, a human service and advocacy group. Vendors include The Rugged Axe, Draughtpick, Darbster Rescue, Rage Cage NH, New England Steel Fighters and Granite State Freeze Dried Candy, and there will be music by the Shawna Jackson Band. General admission hours are 1 to 4 p.m. and VIP admission is from noon to 4 p.m.

Treasure Hunt 23/09/14

Hello, Donna.
I’m trying to find out any information on these children’s toys. My main question is would they be safe for my granddaughter to play with now?
Claire

Dear Claire,
What you have seems to be a mixture of children’s tin cooking toys. Age-wise I think anywhere from the 1950’s through the 1970’s.

Some of the pans look like ones from my childhood, Easy-Bake oven pans!
There is a collectible market for the older pans and Easy-Bake ones as well. Values are in the range of $5 to $10. As to whether they are usable today, I say yes for pretend food but not for real food. And only if they are clean with no rust or damage.

Because I am in the antiques business, my grandchildren play with lots of older toys with my supervision. I enjoy telling them stories of how toys made it through so much time.

Claire, thanks for sharing and have fun playing with your granddaughter.

Donna Welch has spent more than 35 years in the antiques and collectibles field, appraising and instructing. Her new location is an Antique Art Studio located in Dunbarton, NH where she is still buying and selling. She is a member of The New Hampshire Antiques Dealer Association. If you have questions about an antique or collectible send a clear photo and information to Donna at footwdw@aol.com, or call her at 391-6550.

Kiddie Pool 23/09/14

Family fun for the whenever

Season ender

The New Hampshire Fisher Cats play their final home games of the season with a series slated to start Tuesday, Sept. 12, against the Somerset Patriots. On Thursday, Sept. 14, game time is 6:35 p.m. and the evening’s theme is 2000s night, with post-game fireworks and a performance by Tyler’s Amazing Balancing Act. On Friday, Sept. 15, game time is 6:35 p.m. and the Fisher Cats become the Gatos Feroces de New Hampshire for a night. The game also begins at 6:35 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16, when the first 1,000 fans will get a bobblehead and there will be post-game fireworks. On Sunday, Sept. 17, the game starts at 1:35 p.m. and the theme is Fan Appreciation. See milb.com/new-hampshire for tickets and more information — and to get a peek at 2024. According to the schedule, the first home game of next season will be Tuesday, April 9, when the Fisher Cats will once again play the Patriots.

Special screenings

Chunky’s Cinema Pub (707 Huse Road, Manchester; 151 Coliseum Ave., Nashua; 150 Bridge St., Pelham, chunkys.com) has two special screenings planned for this Friday at all three theaters. A sensory-friendly presentation of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (PG-13, 2023) will screen at all three theaters on Friday, Sept. 15, at 3 p.m. The sound will be down and the lights will be up. Also on Friday at 3:30 p.m. all three locations will present a “Little Lunch Date” screening of Horton Hears a Who (G, 2008); admission is free but reserve a seat with a $5 food voucher.
And save the date for some upcoming non-movie happenings at Chunky’s. On Friday, Sept. 22, at the Chunky’s in Manchester it’s family-friendly theater candy bingo at 6:15 p.m. Admission costs $10 (plus fees). On Sunday, Sept. 24, 6 p.m. at Chunky’s in Nashua it’s family-friendly Taylor Swift trivia night. Farm fun

DeMeritt Hill Farm (20 Orchard Way in Lee; demeritthillfarm.com, 868-2111) will hold a Family Weekend at the Farm on Saturday, Sept. 16, and Sunday, Sept. 17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., featuring face painting, children’s games and photo opportunities with the tractors, according to the website.

For the little guys

The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (6 Washington St. in Dover; childrens-museum.org, 742-2002) will hold Toddlerfest, its annual celebration of the littlest museum-goers featuring special activities and events, Tuesday, Sept. 19, through Saturday, Sept. 30, including a reading of Eric Carle’s A Very Hungry Caterpillar with a visit from the Caterpillar (Sept. 29 and Sept. 30), a celebration of the museum’s 40th birthday on Sept. 23 and a Frozen dance party on Sept. 22. The museum is open Wednesdays through Saturdays with play sessions from 9 a.m. to noon or 1 to 4 p.m. and Tuesdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to noon. Admission costs $12.50 for everyone over 12 months; $10.50 for 65+.

Save the date

The Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains will hold Lead Like a Girl, a community walk and fundraiser, on Saturday, Sept. 23, from 9 a.m. to noon at Manchester High School West. The cost to register is $15 per person with a $50 family cap, according to a press release. The first 100 people to register get a free T-shirt; sign up at https://bit.ly/LeadLikeaGirl.

Performers and puppeteers bring to life the time of the dinosaurs in Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo on Saturday, Feb. 10, at 2 p.m. at the Capitol Center for the Arts Chubb Theatre (44 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com) with tickets on sale now for $35.25 and $48.25. For an additional $28.75 you can also attend a VIP meet and greet.

Stay in the loop!

Get FREE weekly briefs on local food, music,

arts, and more across southern New Hampshire!