A Useful Tip From Ted Leo

The phrase "leaving it all onstage" was coined for performers like Ted Leo.  I was in the audience the night in 2003 when, unfortunately, his voice was one of the things he left onstage, partway through a set in Urbana, IL, the resulting strained vocal cords forcing him to cancel several tour dates.  He did his damndest, though, to give us our money's worth, and I think everyone came away from the show admiring the effort he made.  He's always a very high energy, "on" performer, and thanks to the food diary he just wrote for New York Magazine, his secret is out:

"It's a really good, quick pick-me-up: mix, say, two fingers of Jameson, a packet of Emergen-C, and a dash of hot sauce. You're best off doing the orange or tangerine flavors; anything else doesn't work so well. It's not the tastiest thing in the world, but it gets the job done."

Best Centenarian-Who-Still-Smokes-And-Drinks Story Ever

They truly were The Greatest Generation.
Read through to the end.  You won't be sorry.
[via Balk]

Way Up On, Way Up On...

Noticed a new bar/restaurant that's opened at 5th Ave & Bergen St in Brooklyn - Cyprus Avenue - replacing a tapas place I never tried. Appears to be Irish-themed (as you might guess from the name) but not in a kitschy pub kind of way. Limited bar menu for now (burgers, meat pies) but supposedly something more extensive is coming. Might have to try it out this weekend.

$7 Recession Beer

Let me say up front that Pacific Standard on 4th Ave in Brooklyn is a great bar. However, isn't it a bit insulting to sell 12 oz. of a beer called "Recessionator" for $7?

It's probably pretty good, but I don't think I've ever seen "alcohol" listed as one of the flavor components in a beer description.

Update 3/13: I broke down and tried one (at the $6 Happy Hour price). Pretty good, and pretty strong.

Underrated, Underappreciated (#1 in a Series)

Bob Dylan's Planet Waves

Recorded in L.A. with The Band, this might be more overlooked than underrated, though I think it's both. Dark, troubled albums usually have a better shot at attaining "classic" or at least critical favorite status than upbeat ones with songs about the positive side of love. Dylan doles out some of both here, which makes Planet Waves tough to pigeonhole or fit into a single concept. Jam-packed with some of the greatest Dylan songs that nobody ever seems to talk about: "Going, Going, Gone" (memorably covered by Jay Farrar), "Tough Mama", "Dirge". I was surprised to find out this made it to #1 on the album charts, though apparently sales dropped off fast after an initial burst of publicity. Today, it seems to be lost in the still-growing Dylan discography between the low of Self-Portrait (probably also underrated given its horrible reputation) and the high of Blood on the Tracks. Christgau called it "stray cat music--scrawny, cocky, and yowling up the stairs". No way I can do better than that. The phrase on the cover, "Cast-iron songs & torch ballads", is not a bad description either.

Old-fashioned donuts

I was a fan of this style long before discovering Peter Pan Donuts in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, but their perfect renditions are the pinnacle of classic donut making. The old-fashions at Edwardsville, IL's Donut Palace were sweetly glazed, dense, irregular and hard-fried. They were good (and hopefully still are). Peter Pan's are a bit lighter, and the glazed versions are less thickly glazed (and therefore not quite as sweet). PP also has sour cream versions, which are a nice variation, though the flavor difference is subtle to me. I've also been meaning to try Donut Pub on 14th St in Manhattan, which has a good reputation but as far as I know does not live up to its name by serving beer with donuts.

There are fancier donuts (the Lower East Side's "correctly"-spelled Doughnut Plant does great things) and more popular donuts (the airy, sticky, tasty but overrated Krispy Kreme glazed), but the humble, homely old-fashioned is the king.

Van Morrison's Veedon Fleece

Might be Van's second best album (if you don't think this is his best, you are truly a contrarian and need to defend yourself with a well-reasoned argument). Two other underrated/underappreciated VM songs, though not from this album: the early "Joe Harper Saturday Morning" and the more recent "High Summer".

Murphy's Irish Stout in the nitro can

Better than nitro can Guinness, and often cheaper.

Elvis Costello's Brutal Youth

Has some middling (for EC) tracks in the middle, but benefits hugely from one of the best openers ("Pony St.") and closers ("Favourite Hour") of any Costello album. I played this a lot in the car, when I had a car. Good replay value.