Album Reviews 22/05/19

Curse Of Lono, People In Cars (Submarine Cat Records)

Well this is nice, even though I’m not big into Lou Reed. Now, that’s not to say it’s a whole lot like Lou Reed, but that’s the first tangible feel to the third LP from this London band, which, like so many U.K. collaborations, has an obvious fetish for the American South; there’s slide guitar on here, as well as a lot of really agreeable, quite pretty Americana vibe. I suppose I really need to elaborate on the Lou Reed reference, though, just to be clear; singer/bandleader Felix Bechtolsheimer’s voice evokes a dude serenading himself absently while noodling around with his bobblehead collection, in case you need an explainer. So it’s pleasant and unobtrusive in that way, and despite the indefatigably urban PR source that sent me this, it’s very, very accessible and should please fans of Wilco who wouldn’t mind a little more Amos Lee added to that core sound. Not a thing wrong here. A

Focus, “Aether”/”Sequinox” (Dissident Music)

I’m telling you, folks, I’m really trying to support good progressive-house music (and this stuff here isn’t just good, it’s great), but the assumed knowledge on the part of these Beatport-dependent artists (and their utterly incompetent PR flaks) is really getting on my last raw nerve. I’ve already been through two pages of Google trying to get the deets on exactly who this person or soundsystem is, but the only clue I remain left with is a count-’em 180-word blurb sheet that indicates this two-song upcoming-album-tease is the work of one guy who’s from somewhere in Florida, and that’s it. Is it something I’ve never heard before (and mind you, house DJ stuff was what kept me writing for the all-night-club-centric Miami New Times for about a year, like, I really do like it a lot when it’s done well)? No, it is not, but trust me when I say this is up there, meaning Above & Beyond/ Armand Van Helden-level. Beach vibes, lovely synth lines, sexy vocals, all the ingredients in place. Recommended of course, but man, this whole cult needs to lay down some entry-level carpet so that the genre ceases being so insular and unapproachable to newbies. Holy freaking crow. A+

PLAYLIST

• Uh-oh, it’s May 20 and you know what that means. I mean, I hope you do, because I don’t, all I know is that there will be new albums, and our purpose here is for me to try to hypnotize you so you’ll avoid the bad new albums and just buy the good ones, if there are any. Since my little Jedi mind trick never works anyway, let’s reverse-psychology this thing for once and kick things off with an album that I’d actually recommend, only because it is an album by farm-girl-turned-edgy-goth-queen Zola Jesus, and its title is Arkhon. I’ve talked about her before because I find her quite fascinating; her music combines electronic, industrial, classical and goth into a fricassee of weird, which has gotten her gigs doing her weird act at venues like urban museums and whatnot. She’s guested on songs by Orbital, M83 and Hollywood Vampires, so she’s like one of the coolest people ever born, but she spent a lot of her early life in North Dakota with literally no one around but her parents. I know, that’s how most people are living now anyway, but whatever, what I’m saying is she’s like a David Lynchian version of a ghost girl, and she causes trouble in the music industry whenever she can, so that makes her a good person no matter what this new single, “Lost,” might sound like. As is her habit, the video is a cinematic treasure, there she is, trudging around in the snow with a bunch of sticks, and there are all these weird mountains around, but it could be a scene from someplace that actually exists — yes, it does, the video was shot in Turkey, at Argos in Cappadocia. The music is really epic, a creepy industrial vibe, and she’s singing in a pretty chant style with the echo knob cranked all the way. So she puts down the bundle of sticks, picks up a torch and goes into this mountain cave, and she starts seeing visions of herself as some sort of Turkish goth goddess, and it makes no sense from there, but the song is really cool, kind of New Age-y but goth and spooky. You’ll probably dig it if there’s the slightest trace of cool in your DNA.

• Half the people who saw the movie The Eternals thought it was stupid and had no character development, and the other half were all like, “Cool, another excuse for me to wear my Captain America jammies!” I’m totally sick of Marvel movies and just wish they’d stop, but if you saw The Eternals, you got to see Harry Styles for two seconds, during one of those stupid mid-credits things at the end, you know, when your date really needs to use the bathroom but you can’t because maybe if you don’t wait for the credits to rattle off the 42,858 animators it took to make another one of Marvel’s glorified Popeye cartoons, you’ll miss extra footage. Anyway, Styles is also a boyband tin idol, and he has a new album on the way, called Harry’s House. Since Harry has a fondness for selling out, he loves him some ’80s music (for now), so the first single, “As It Was” commits petty theft against A-ha’s “Take On Me” and then, even with that brainless pop tune serving as its, ahem, template, becomes tedious and trite. OK.

• Wait a second, some good local-ish news, as Methuen, Mass., band Cave In releases its newest LP, Heavy Pendulum, through the mighty Relapse Records label! The singer is kind of normal, kind of Alice in Chains-ish, but the music is doomy and maniacally heavy, think Crowbar and whatnot. Good for these guys.

• We’ll close up shop this week with another actual-good album, Raw Data Feel, from U.K. art-rock band Everything Everything! The song “Bad Friday” is pure genius, a fast-paced vocal thing that reads like a cross between Bone Thugs and Bruno Mars. You should go check this out this instant.

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).

Cookout season is here

Long weekends await; get your beer cooler ready

When I opened up the lid, something flew out or scurried out. I’m still not totally sure. Was it a bird or maybe a chipmunk or something else? The movement was fast, apparently too fast for me to realize what I was seeing.

Regardless of what it was, I think we can be fairly sure it was a pretty good indication I’d left my grill unattended for too long.

Usually I grill pretty much all year long, but for whatever reason, not this past year, and the grill remained dormant for the entire winter and the bulk of the spring. I deserved my rude greeting when I peered inside the lid.

This is all to say that, yes, cookout season is here and you should definitely get your grill ready to go if you haven’t already. You should also start thinking about the beers you want to enjoy during the many, many cookouts you’re likely to attend or host, formally or informally.

Is it a cookout without beer? Only you can answer that question.

Of course, we have Memorial Day weekend bearing down on us and the Fourth of July will be here before we know it, even if it doesn’t seem that way right this minute.

Year-round, I think weather plays a major role in your beer choices. I don’t want to speak for you but on a hot day you’re going to want something light and refreshing. On a cold day, you’re more apt to pick something a bit heavier, a bit more robust.

That goes for cookouts, too. Especially this time of year, the weather is still a crapshoot. Last Friday we were in the 80s but just days before that it was cold and raw as we all tried to properly celebrate our moms.

Your beer choice also depends on time of day, food choices and, you know, what’s in the cooler. A midday cookout generally screams, “grab something light,” to me, whereas an evening cookout calls out more subtly, “go for the double IPA.”

It’s more complex than that, though. How long are you planning on staying? Are you going to eat something while you’re there? (You should.) Are you going to be participating in activities, such as Wiffle ball or volleyball, or maybe something less active, like cornhole?

I tend to think that as your activity level increases at a cookout, the ABV of the beer should decrease. (Do you want to just play iffle ball or would you like to win?)

And, what’s on the menu at this cookout? Are you digging into burgers and dogs, marinated steak tips or chicken breast, or maybe you or the host is grilling up spicy Italian sausage. Give it a second to consider what might be best paired with the food you are eating.

Don’t overthink it, though. You’re at a cookout, after all. Relax and grab a beer.

Here are three New Hampshire beers to enjoy during cookouts this year:

Tie Dyed Dry-Hopped Pale Ale by Great North Aleworks (Manchester)

Light, crisp and hoppy — this goes with everything.

Prater Vienna Lager by Henniker Brewing Co. (Henniker)

As the brewery says, this is “bready and crisp,” and perfect for sipping in between Wiffle ball at-bats.

Mountain Priest by Portsmouth Brewery (Portsmouth)

Dark and earthy but surprisingly light and dry — nice for a relaxing evening cookout or some smoky, sweet barbecue.

What’s in My Fridge
Daytime IPA by Lagunitas Brewing Co. (Petaluma, Ca.)
This comes in at 98 calories and just three carbs and as I’m a man of a certain age, I apparently need to pay attention to such things. And, as such, I decided to give this a try. It was perfectly fine! I mean, this isn’t going to satisfy an ardent IPA enthusiast. But if you’re intrigued by a very light beer with just a touch of hop bitterness, this is worth a shot. It’s only 4 percent ABV so I think you’re allowed to have several. Cheers.

Featured photo. Cookout season is here. Pair with beer. Photo by Marek Mucha.

Spiced date biscotti

This week I have the third and final biscotti recipe in this current series. This recipe is different from the previous two with a delightful amount of spices being a key part of the recipe.

This might lead you to ask: What spices are used in this recipe, and do I need to buy all of them? There are only two spices: cinnamon and ground cloves. While the recipe calls for only half a teaspoon of ground cloves, this spice is a key part of the recipe. Cloves provide an almost peppery bite that makes this biscotti unique.

As your regular cooking may not include this spice, try to find a bulk store where you can buy the tiniest amount. If you have pumpkin pie spice on hand, it makes an acceptable replacement, but you’ll have to be the judge as to the amount you use. You also won’t need to add cinnamon in addition to the pumpkin pie spice.

If you like a cookie with a lot of flavor, go buy some ground cloves and give this recipe a try.

Spiced date biscotti
Makes 30

⅓ cup unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup chopped dates

Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1½ teaspoons cinnamon
1½ Tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine butter and both sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer; mix on speed 2 for 3 minutes.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined.
Add vanilla, mixing until blended.
Add flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and cloves, stirring until combined.
Add dates, stirring until evenly distributed.
Divide dough in half.
Shape each half into an 8″ x 4″ rectangle, using floured hands.
Set each loaf 2″ apart on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Bake for 30 minutes or until the dough is set.
Leaving the oven on, remove the biscotti loaves and cool for 15 minutes on the baking sheet.
Using a butcher’s knife, cut the loaves into diagonal slices, 3/4″ thick.
Return slices to the cookie sheet with the cut sides down; bake for 10 minutes.
Turn slices over, and bake for 10 minutes more.
Remove biscotti from oven, and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack.
Combine powdered sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and milk, stirring until smooth.
Using a spoon, drizzle glaze over biscotti.
Glaze should set in 5 to 10 minutes.

Featured Photo: Spiced date biscotti. Photo by Michele Pesula Kuegler.

In the kitchen with Shelly-Anne Storer

Shelly-Anne Storer is the owner of Wild Orchid Bakery (836 Elm St., Manchester, 935-7338, wildorchidbakery.com), which opened in its current location last November. A native of Trinidad, Storer is originally from Diego Martin on the island’s northwestern coast, but has lived in the United States since late 2013. Wild Orchid, named after a connection she made between Trinidad and New Hampshire — both have an abundance of wildflower species — features a wide variety of scratch-baked items, from sweeter indulgences like black currant rolls and guava and cream cheese pastries to savory home-cooked meals like corn soup and stewed chicken and curry plates. Storer also has a regularly stocked case of pastries and baked goods, which include her own line of gourmet doughnuts in a variety of flavors. She also fulfills custom cake orders for occasions large and small and, since moving onto Elm Street from a previous spot in Manchester, has expanded her product lineup to include more vegan and gluten-free desserts and savory meals. Prior to opening Wild Orchid, Storer was a cake decorator at Triolo’s Bakery in Bedford up until its permanent closure in May 2020. Earlier this month, she announced a new partnership with Kayley Bowen of O’Regan Breads, who is now offering freshly milled breads, bagels and mixes in house at the bakery.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

My mixer.

What would you have for your last meal?

Doubles [a popular Trinidadian street food], with everything on it. It’s two pieces of fried bara, which is like a fried dough, and then it has a stewed chickpea mix that goes on top of it … and cucumber, cilantro [and] a tamarind chutney. That’s the one thing I miss from home and I would kill for that at any point.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

The Hop Knot is one of my top favorites. It’s almost like a home away from home for me … and the pretzel pizzas are the bomb!

What celebrity would you like to see eating at your bakery?

I would probably freak out if I saw Stephen King. I’ve been watching his movies and reading his books since I was 15.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

The thing that I probably eat the most is my curry chicken empanada. … Like with many things that I create, I only made that because I was hungry, [but] now it’s one of my top sellers.

What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?

I think doughnuts, especially the vegan and the gluten-free ones, are now getting more attention. … Apart from that, tacos obviously. … We did a doughnut taco for the Taco Tour and it went amazingly well.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

My kids always beg for pancakes. That’s the No. 1 thing for them. When I’m home, I also do a lot of curries and stews, so pretty much what I cook in the bakery. They’re just really good.

Coconut fudge
From the kitchen of Shelly-Anne Storer of Wild Orchid Bakery in Manchester

4 cups coconut milk
2 cans (14 ounces each) condensed milk
Pinch of salt
2 pounds granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons margarine or butter

Combine coconut milk, condensed milk, salt and sugar, and cook to the softball stage (when the mixture takes the shape of a ball and pulls away from the pan). Remove from heat and add the margarine/butter. Mix until the candy loses its gloss. Pour into a greased 8×8” pan. Let it cool, then cut into squares. Store in a sealed container in a cool dry place.

Featured photo: Shelly-Anne Storer. Courtesy photo.

On a roll

Fresh lobster rolls, Italian sausages and more from new Nashua-based food truck

It’s not hard to figure out what’s on the menu of Donali’s Food Truck once you see its design. Featuring a large lobster on the side of the truck holding an Italian sausage sub roll in its claw, this land-and-sea concept is uniquely New England — lobster rolls and Italian sausages, cooked fresh with local ingredients, are the cornerstones of its offerings alongside other rotating specials.

The truck’s name is an amalgamation of the names of founders and business partners Donnie White of Nashua and Ali Zosherafatain, the latter of whom also owns Fishbones Restaurant in Chelmsford, Mass. Donali’s hit the road for the first time last month and is now a regular presence at both Boston Billiard Club & Casino in Nashua and Able Ebenezer Brewing Co. in Merrimack.

Originally from the Medford and Everett, Mass., areas, White used to sell sausages in front of the former Boston Garden. He ended up moving to Nashua about two decades ago for a job in radio before switching fields to various jobs in sales and marketing.

White’s interest in launching his own food truck stemmed from a trip to Key West, Florida, where he purchased a sausage cart after a chance encounter with a local vendor.

Italian sausage sub with peppers and onions
Italian sausage sub with peppers and onions. Photo courtesy of Donali’s Food Truck.

“Ali and I … ended up having to go down to Hammonton, New Jersey, to get some parts for my sausage cart to see if I could get this thing going,” he said. “We jump on a plane, fly down, and we roll in and there’s all these food trucks there. … They’re building all these big ones for Disney and Ikea and Chick-fil-A, and I just was like, ‘Man, I want one of these!’”

Although his menu is simple, White is very particular about his selected ingredients. His lobster rolls, for instance, use claw, knuckle and tail meat, all of which come freshly shucked every day, never frozen, from Boston Sword & Tuna. The rolls, sourced from Piantedosi Baking Co. out of Malden, Mass., are toasted on both sides and lathered with Kerrygold brand Irish butter.

The Italian sausages, meanwhile, come from Bianco & Sons, hailing from White’s hometown of Medford. He has offered 8-inch subs featuring multiple flavors of sausage from hot or sweet to garlic and cheese, prepared with freshly sliced peppers and onions. Other staples of Donali’s menu have included Philly cheese steak subs, smash burgers and barbecue chicken sandwiches, and White also has plans to soon begin dabbling in some taco and breakfast sandwich options.

In addition to Boston Billiard Club and Able Ebenezer Brewing Co., more featured locations likely coming soon are also in the works, including at some public events — exact dates and times are regularly updated to a schedule on Donali’s website and social media pages.

Donali’s Food Truck
Where: Donali’s Food Truck can be found at Boston Billiard Club & Casino (55 Northeastern Blvd., Nashua) and at Able Ebenezer Brewing Co. (31 Columbia Circle, Merrimack) most Fridays and Saturdays — exact dates and times vary; see website for its full schedule. The truck also regularly participates in public and private events.
More info: Visit donalifoodtruck.com, find them on Facebook and Instagram @donalifoodtruck or call 897-9714

Featured photo: Food truckers Ali Zosherafatain and Donnie White at a recent event. Photo courtesy of Donali’s Food Truck.

Breaking grounds

New England Coffee Festival comes to Laconia

A two-day celebration of specialty coffee culture, the New England Coffee Festival is packed with local speakers, workshops, vendors, samples and even a competitive “latte art throwdown.” The inaugural event will take place in downtown Laconia, kicking off with a networking mixer on Friday, May 20, followed by a full day of coffee-related festivities on Saturday, May 21.

Organizer Karen Bassett is also the co-owner of Wayfarer Coffee Roasters, a producer of small-batch house-roasted coffee blends with two cafe locations in the city. She said her plans to hold a regional coffee festival actually go back pre-pandemic, to the fall of 2019. Covid got in the way, but since then, support among the coffee roasting community has been positive.

“Our goal … was to have a community event that brings coffee professionals and coffee consumers together, and really to build relationships and get people to try locally made products,” Bassett said. “We want to kind of give awareness to what specialty coffee is, and how there actually really is a lot of really good high-quality coffee right here in New England.”

Defiant Records & Craft Beer is hosting the networking mixer on Friday night, which will also feature live music from Mike Loughlin. Coffee Festival happenings will then take place all day Saturday across several downtown venues, and there are both indoor and outdoor components.

The Colonial Theatre on Main Street, for instance, will serve as the festival’s “coffee education center,” Bassett said — a full schedule of panel discussions, Q&A sessions and workshops will take place there, covering all kinds of coffee-related topics and led by local industry professionals.

“Because we wanted specialty coffee to be accessible, we didn’t want these to feel like scientific lectures,” Bassett said. “We want them to be stories and conversations … and then the workshop series is a lot more hands-on, so we’re going to have brewing workshops, barista basics, a loose-leaf tea workshop … and a coffee cocktails workshop put on by Tamworth Distilling.”

Admission is broken down into a “choose your own adventure” format, Bassett said, with each workshop and panel discussion welcoming ticket-holders on a first-come, first-served basis.

“We’ve brought in speakers with vastly different perspectives in the industry, to kind of share their stories,” she said. “We’ll also have a virtual interview with producers from Honduras.”

Outside the theater, Canal Street will be closed between Main and Beacon streets for the festival’s duration to accommodate some local vendors, games and giveaways — Nobl Beverages of Seabrook, for example, will be there giving out samples of its cold brew. More vendors will have booths just a short walk away inside the city’s historic Belknap Mill on Beacon Street.

“We have close to 30 vendors … so it will be coffee roasters and we’ve got some other non-coffee beverages, so some kombuchas and sparkling teas and things like that,” Bassett said. Also in the Belknap Mill will be two pop-up cafes, hosted by Chobani Oat Milk and Contoocook Creamery. Museum staff will be providing hourly tours throughout the day.

“It’s cool because it’s an old water plant and textile mill. … A portion of the ticket proceeds will also go toward The Water Project, which is based out of Concord,” Bassett said. “So it’s kind of neat to bring water back full circle, as it’s one of the top two ingredients of a cup of coffee.”

Outside the Belknap Mill, an “art walk” display will be held along Peter Karagianis Way and Rotary Park from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Live music and food trucks will also be featured all day long.

The city’s train station on Veterans Square will be home to an “outdoor adventure experience,” featuring booths and interactive offerings from local businesses and nonprofits specializing in various recreational activities. Laconia Local Eatery will have a beer tent, and other participating downtown eateries are planning to serve various coffee-inspired brews during the festival.

Toward the end of the event, at 3 p.m., Revelstoke Coffee of Concord will host a “latte art throwdown” inside the Colonial Theatre. Baristas will go head-to-head in a friendly competition to create the best latte art designs in various themed categories for the chance to win prizes.

Coffee Festival tickets can be purchased online, or you can get them inside the Colonial Theatre box office on the day of the event. Packages include a one- or two-day pass, which grants you access to everything the event has to offer that day, or you can get tickets to attend the vendor expo only. All outdoor activities on Saturday are free and open to the public, Bassett said.

“You don’t have to be an industry professional or own a coffee shop to try something new or to enjoy the event, and that’s why I wanted families to come and feel like they had something to do,” she said. “We’re expecting a great turnout [and] we hope to have it be a yearly event.”

New England Coffee Festival
When: Friday, May 20, and Saturday, May 21
Where: Various locations across downtown Laconia, including the Colonial Theatre (617 Main St.), the Belknap Mill (25 Beacon St. East) and the city’s train station (Veterans Square), as well as on Canal Street, which will be closed to vehicular traffic between Main and Beacon streets.
Cost: $50 for a one-day pass or $75 for a two-day pass; includes access to all the educational workshops, panels and speakers inside the Colonial Theatre, as well as the “latte art throwdown” at 3 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets to the vendor expo only are $20 per person and $10 for kids ages 12 and under. Purchase them online or inside the box office of the Colonial Theatre the day of.
Visit: newenglandcoffeefestival.com

Schedule of events

Information according to the schedule at newenglandcoffeefestival.com

Friday, May 20

• Networking mixer: 7 to 10 p.m. at Defiant Records & Craft Beer (609 Main St.)

Saturday, May 21

• Speaker series: 40-minute events on the hour from 8 a.m. to noon inside the Colonial Theatre (617 Main St.) — topics include “Meet a Coffee Producer,” “Leveraging Coffee Shops as Community Gathering Places” and “Lessons Learned from 15+ years in the Coffee Industry.”

• Workshop series: 45-minute workshops held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. inside the Colonial Theatre (617 Main St.) — topics include “Barista Basics,” “Loose Leaf Tea 101,” “Better Brewing,” “Coffee Cocktails” and “Jellybeans and Coffee: A Sensory Experience.”

• Vendor expo: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. inside the Belknap Mill (25 Beacon St. East)

• Art Walk: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. outdoors on the grounds of the Belknap Mill (25 Beacon St. East)

• Outdoor Adventure Experience: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Veterans Square train station (13 Veterans Square)

• Live music: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Rotary Park gazebo (30 Beacon St. East). Acts include Green Heron, Choro Louco, the Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki Trio and River Sang Wild

• Latte art throwdown: 3 to 4 p.m. inside the Colonial Theatre (617 Main St.)

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

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