life lately man

album shorts

The Clash - London Calling (1979)

Alarmingly loose, fun and effortless, while sweeping through various genres...the sound of a "punk" band maturing without sounding stale or letting go of their roots. Undeniably great songwriting all around, remarkably consistent for a double album. A classic that makes making classics look easy.

Hüsker Dü - Zen Arcade (1984)

A sprawling slab of experimental punk&roll dispersed through various methods - whether it be pop song mastery, anxiety-ridden anthems, sloppy pre-grunge thrash attacks, mantras or interludes; it all adds up to a major work that is also their most determined, strung out, and idealistic. Not bad for an album full of first takes.

Guided by Voices - Under the Bushes Under the Stars (1996)

Though its aim is more complacent and polished than usual, you still get the charming collection of 20+ seemingly half-thought out songs you'd expect from GbV. It is a much longer listen than their previous two albums, with less obvious hits and quirky misses to perk your interest - but like its predecessors, grows on you with repeated listens.

Yo La Tengo - And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out (2000)

Yo La Tengo takes their previous experimenting with drony, ambient-ish mood music and emphasizes it into a very long, full work here, alternating between creepy and cutesy most of the way. The catchy and upbeat moments are sparing, just enough to make the album not too lopsided. A nice change-up in their discography that puts a big focus on atmospherics rather than a guitar-oriented sound.

Run the Jewels - Run the Jewels (2013)

From start to finish, at nearly a non-stop pace, this album is like being in the gnarliest, angriest nightclub ever. It gets in your face and simply stays there. Short and to the point, and all 10 tracks are great - I wouldn't hesitate to call any one of them my favorite. It's also deceivingly complex, the aural beatdown it delivers can distract you from noticing at first.

beer shorts - cellar edition

Berkshire Gude Greg's Wee Heavy Private Reserve

(2010)

ABV: 7.25%

This bourbon-barrel scotch ale was a one-time release from the fall of 2010 (though I'm pretty sure bottles are still lingering on shelves around Massachusetts). I bought a few of these at the release strictly for cellaring purposes, and just drank my last one after 3 years of aging. There were lots of reports of this beer not holding up well with time, but mine drank just fine. The bourbon barrel compliments lots of nice sweet and rich malt flavors of caramel, toffee, and vanilla. Peat, light fruity and earthy hops, and touches of maple also present. Feels a little boozy considering the ABV. Not sure this has necessarily gotten better or worse with age, but I'm glad I drank my allotment when I did.

Serafijn Donker

(2007)

ABV: 8%

A solid dark Belgian ale that I have never tried fresh, but this drank surprisingly well at 6+ years old. Lots of smoothed out malty flavors of caramel, molasses, dark fruits, and toasted bread; with some chocolate and light spices. Nice aged feel without much oxidation or loss of carbonation noticeable. I have a few more bottles of this: I wonder how this will hold up after a decade…

North Coast Old Stock Ale

(2008)

ABV: 12.5%

Classic old ale, classic beer for cellaring. A nice enough beer when fresh, but after a couple years or more it seems to balance out (flavor and alcohol-wise) and really shine. At 5 years old this was pretty much a straight up malt bomb -  lots of toffee, vanilla and raisins, with some cola, brown sugar, and buttery malts there as well. The sweetness and booze can be a bit much, but I always enjoy this one. I only have one bottle left of this vintage, but I will probably start picking up a 4-pack each year for further cellar experimentation fun.

Deschutes The Abyss

(2010)

ABV: 11%

One of my all-time favorite imperial stouts, for sure. Very cellar-centric as well, as the label recommends you wait at least one year after the bottling date to open it - and at that point it is indeed excellent - but even at 3 years old, it still retains awesomeness. Not many beers can pack this many great flavors in while remaining so balanced and smooth. Dark chocolate, licorice, caramel, roasted malts, espresso, molasses, dark fruits, bourbon barrel, well-hidden alcohol - The Abyss has it all. All the vintages I've had (2007, 2009, 2010) noted that they were partially aged in bourbon and oak barrels, but I read somewhere that more recent ones have added pinot noir barrels into the mix as well! Intriguing…

Cantillon Vigneronne

(2008)

ABV: 5%

Ah, Cantillon. Always an experience for sure, especially when it has been cellared. This particular lambic is brewed with Italian muscat grapes, and of course, aged in oak barrels. I was happy to share a 5-year old bottle with good friends the night before my 29th birthday. From what I remembered from previous, fresher encounters with Vigneronne, it was an especially funky beast of a beer. That was still pretty much true, though the funk lies more so in the aroma than in the taste. However, it was definitely more tart than I remember - very puckering sourness, oak, similar to a straight-up gueuze with somewhat of a white wine feel. A little low on the carbonation and very dry. Though the grapes obviously can't really stand up to the sour/funk annihilation as well as other more common lambic fruits (cherries, raspberries, etc.), this still delivers the trademark musty Cantillon qualities and was still very enjoyable. It really forces you to sip and savor.

now songs

The Fall "Rebellious Jukebox"

from Live at the Witch Trials

Probably one of the most straightforward Fall songs I've heard. Even the production is oddly polished. Catchy, a classic & silly chorus, simply enjoyable. Of course, it has its own unique touches: kiddie keyboard, laughably whiny guitar hook chorus, odd sounding drums, it's a song about a rebellious jukebox, Mark E. Smith, etc.

Link

Talking Heads "Animals"

from Fear of Music

Wonderfully strange, funny and hard-hitting. Sinister verses, playful choruses, satirical human vs. animal-way-of-life lyrics with temper tantrum vocals that fit perfectly. I love the change up-part at 2:11 and the build up that follows, so awesome and well-done. Obviously, given the musicians involved with this album, all around excellent instrumentation and production.

Link

Ferron "It Won't Take Long"

from Shadows on a Dime

Gotta thank my boi Christgau for this one. Nothin' like some good ol' fashioned folky female defiance with lengthy poetic verses aplenty. Killer violin and percussion. Epic heavy-handedness balanced with bouncy punk-esque fun, complete with a singalong chorus.

Link

Public Enemy "She Watch Channel Zero?!"

from It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back

An attack on television/soap opera worshippers backed by a Slayer sample and a great chorus ("Shewatchshewatchshewatch…"), doesn't get much cooler than that. It also features some of Flavor Flav's best ad libs: "I'm gonna take all your soaps, and then I'm gonna hang 'em on the ropes!" "Look - don't nobody look like that! Nobody even look like that!" "Yo, why don't you back up from the TV - read a book or somethin'!"

Link

Yo La Tengo "The Story of Yo La Tango"

from I am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass

Just in case you needed another 10+ minute track by Yo La Tengo. This one's an album ender of epic proportions. The lyrics could or could not be a vague autobiography of the band, but musically this represents them quite well. Classic drawn out structure that starts slow & sparse and leads to thick layers of everything you may expect and desire when listening to YLT - keyboards, squealing guitars, big chords, low-key vocals, etc.

Link

life lately man

beer shorts

Cascade Kriek Ale

ABV: 7.2%

Picked up a bottle of the '2012 Project' over the summer. Nice teeth enamel-removing sourness, tart and fresh cherries; though they lean strongly towards tart. Lemons, oak, some vinegar, bready+herbal tones, and a decent dose of funk. Somewhat big-feeling for the style with high carbonation. A good example of an American kriek, though be prepared for an intense sourness stranglehold.

Jack's Abby Pumpkin Crop Lager

ABV: 5.5%

After two seasons of having it around now, this has become one of my must-buy pumpkin beers when autumn hits. Following in the Jack's Abby tradition, it's a lager - which is unique for the style and works well here, adding some bready and grainy tones. The mouthfeel feels a bit on the watery side, but the authentic pumpkin+squash flavors and restrained spices make this a winner for me. The lightness and drinkability is nice too, the low ABV is great. A definite standout in a style that can often be repetitive.

Sierra Nevada Narwhal Imperial Stout

ABV: 10.2%

Straight-up roasty and boozy imperial stout, no coffee/barrels/whathaveyou needed, great stuff. The scent is a little tame but the taste improves upon it. Big roasted malt/dark chocolate punch, dark fruits, light molasses sweetness, and perhaps some hops burrowing beneath this deep dark malt attack. Coffee ground-esque finish. Thick and viscous mouthfeel with some alcohol heat, which only compliments the boldness rather than detracting from the beer. Especially at the price, this is a nice 4-pack purchase during these cold months - good for cellaring too.

Dieu Du Ciel Route Des Épices

ABV: 5.3%

A rye ale brewed with peppercorns - unabashed peppercorns, that is. It is indeed a spicy sipper, but not quite overbearing. Other than rye, grassy tones, and general herbs/spices, there are also flavors that resemble ones found in a light brown ale such as nutty malts, toasted bread, and caramel. Carbonation is somewhat on the low side. Probably not for those with little spice tolerance, I love pepper and this still made me break a sweat!

The Alchemist Heady Topper

ABV: 8%

Watching this beer go from a sorta-hyped newcomer to a phenomenon has been an interesting experience to say the least. This has been a classic to me since my first visit to the brewpub (R.I.P.) in 2010, and though it's sort of cliche by now - especially coming from a New Englander - this still holds up as what may be my favorite Double IPA. This was definitely one of the first to nail the whole 'potent and balanced citrus/tropical/earthy/danky hops and warm biscuit malt' thing that so many IPAs go for now, and also remains one of the prime examples of this type. Standout characteristics for me: the level of bitterness, the mouthfeel, and the balance of hop and malt (but mostly hop) flavors. I'm also convinced they pioneered the 'hoppy beer in a 16 oz. can' trend, but that may have to be a debate for a later time.

The Skateparks of Chicopee - Part III (River North)

For the third installment, we will take a look at the smallest park of the bunch, and make a return to the good ol' gray plastic ledges and metal ramps ala Sara Jane.

River North Skatepark

Broadway Street

Besides a few ledges on the other side of the pyramid, these first 2 pictures pretty much sum up this park. It is definitely a tight setup but they've at least managed to stick a decent amount of things to skate considering what they had to work with. This also somehow manages to be the most populated out of the five skateparks - as in, there are usually other people here when I go. I mean, usually it's a 5-year old throwing his scooter around while Dad sits on a ramp texting, or a family of six using the bank as a slide, but it's also common to see actual skatepark enthusiasts - even skateboarders! The main attraction I suppose is the pyramid, if for no other reasons, it's smack in the middle and takes up a bulk of the park.

The pyramid itself is metal and about 2' high, with a 4-stair and handrail on one side, and a plastic, usually EXTRA waxy hubba ledge on the opposite side that is about a foot in height. The handrail is shorter than one you'd usually find at a street spot, and also quite small lengthwise too, making it kinda hard to do anything but tap it via grind or slide. Which is a good and bad thing. The box sitting at the top of the stairs is movable, so in this photo we have a cool example of the many different setups possible with it. The box is identical to the ones you'll find at Sara Jane, plastic, waxy, about a foot high. 

Allowing for some sense of "flow" we have these on either side of the pyramid:

Both are metal and about 4' in height. The quarter pipe is nice - smooth, good width, decent transition and coping. Definitely beats out Sara Jane in this category. The bank is good too, just a little on the steep side which is appreciated.

Off to the sides you only have a few ledges and rails, but they are mostly worthwhile at least. You've got 2 waxy, narrow benches that are a little over a foot in height and a ledge that is close to the same in size, but portable:

For rails, the highlight for me is definitely this killer round rail:

Just so simple, ya know? It's like 10" high, and just…a straight-up rail. No crazy curves, loops, slants, spikes, what have you. The other rail gets a little crazy:

Slants in the middle of flat rails - maybe one of the most frightening sights a skatepark can offer. The shorter half is about 10" high, while the taller half is probably around 16" or so.

That about does it for ol' River North I suppose. The setup is kinda 'take it or leave it' and may get old fast, but I usually have a fun time here. Go skate it, before snow crushes all of your hopes and dreams.