Interpol Loses Style and Flair

Interpol is set to release their new album this year and have recently made the song, "Lights" (click to download), available for download. As they map out a tour of the country in support, Paul Banks has announced that bassist, Carlos D, has left the band. Interpol has basically been an NYC drenched version of Joy Division since 2001. Their slow droning anthems to their driving beats have always tickled my fancy. However, I will say I didn't care for the last effort in 2007. "Heinrich Maneuver" was a great single with a clever play on words, but the rest of the album left me flat. Perhaps this lack of creativity and too many long stints on the road led to Carlos's departure. He makes up 1/2 of the rhythm section with drummer, Sam Fogarino, but he was 100% of the spark in Interpol. His base lines and runs are amazing as is his interesting take on fashion if you like the Crispin Glover look. No one wears a holster like Carlos. He had turned into this Western look in the past couple of years. Whatever. Did anyone buy Paul Banks side project, Julian Plenti? I did. It lacks a certain something - Carlos! Oh, sigh. This may be the end of Interpol as I need it....I know Banks is the main songwriter but it seems like so much for songs like "Obstacle 1" and "Stella Was a Diver". Boo!

Here is some of Interpol's finest interplays between Banks, Carlos and Sammy - Fantastic!

Local Natives/Suckers @ Great Scott

Saturday, I had the pleasure of taking in a VERY intimate and SOLD OUT show of Local Natives at Great Scott (which is right down the street from us - I walked). Whit was down for the count, so I went solo. Suckers was the opening act. I got there way too early, apparently (9:45pm).I got to meet the Suckers and talk Nashville (they had just played the Basement below Grimey's before the flood). Very nice guys from Brooklyn with their debut album coming out in June. They put on a great show that I thought might best Local Natives - nope. LN took the stage and didn't hold back with 4 part harmonies and chants over pounding percussion and subtle riffs. It was amazing. I felt like I was seeing something revolutionary. I'm sure it wasn't and isn't, but I enjoyed it thoroughly. Here are some shots from my crappy phone and some better ones from the guy standing right in front of me (literally) with a better camera. What a show! Go get Gorilla Manor their album, now!

Here's "Wide Eyes" from the Show

Happy Mother's Day

Wolves On Parade

New Wolf Parade

Out in June on Sub Pop - very nice!
Nice suburban Lord of the Flies cover....

Download MP3's
Ghost Pressure
What Did My Lover Say

The End of My Parents' Street...

Hints, Allegations, and Things Left Unsaid

Several times in life you are caught without a camera. It is rare these days with so much technology. With no iPhone, I'm relegated to the crappy cellphone camera as my real camera (Nikon sSLR) is too big to lug everywhere. Many of these times I've captured these moments but never shared. Here is a quick flashback to my Spring through blurry eyes.

In January, the addition to Tufts University School of Dental Medicine were opened along with our department's new clinic. 5 new floors - very nice!

views from Washington & Kneeland

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One of my patients is a lobster fisherman who also works at Fenway Park. After finishing his implants, he showed up to his post op appointment with a plastic bag. He handed it to me and inside were 4 LIVE lobsters crawling all over each other and a bag of ice. Needless to say, I had all variants of lobster that weekend with the final meal a tip of the cap to George Costanza and Kosmo Kramer.

The concoction for the lobster steam bath

The lobster en route to the pot with a wink and nod to the bear

The finished product

The important parts

Lobster Scrambled Eggs

French Press Coffee

Biscuits to boot!

Kramer stays Kosher

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On our recent trip home, we also checked out many new things around Nashville that have popped up since we moved to Boston. Imogene + Willie in the Gulch is a clothing store/mini-factory/performance space transformed from an old service station where they make their own jeans. You want them made to measure: you got it! They also manufacture Ralph Lauren's RRL line of denim there which will fetch a nice price of around $400-650 for a pair of jeans. Crazy! And yet it sadly doesn't seem THAT crazy after being brainwashed in Massachusetts. Outside the store depending on the day of the week is a van that sells Tacos (Mas Tacos), and they are awesome! If you're ever on 12th and see the taco truck, pull over and grab a couple. It will be much better than that wrap you were likely to get at Frothy Monkey (loser!). I also went by Grimey's for Record Store Day to pick up some things and to hear the Alex Chilton tribute band with Eef Barzelay of Clem Snide and Grimey himself. At the same time, I unknowingly missed the Raconteurs playing live up the street at Jack White's Third Man Records on 7th (I drug Whitney by there before we left town to pick up the new Dead Weather's record.....she wanted to die). We also sampled some chocolate from Olive & Sinclair's in East Nashville - very tasty. Finally, we had dinner at Whiskey Kitchen right next to Jeff Fisher the night before the draft. Oh, we also managed to see most of our friends who we miss so dearly. Can't wait to be back!

Imogene + Willie

Imogene + Willie plus Ella the dog

Whit checking the merch

What a nouveau western feel

Steak Biscuits w/ 3 sauces and a Manhattan from Whiskey Kitchen

Fried Chicken with Macaroni and a Pink Lady of some kind @ WK

Mas Tacos Y'all from Mas Tacos!

Back lot @ Grimey's - 1 Yazoo Pale, please!

Yup...

Inside the Store...

That's all.....

Nashville, here we come!
July can't get here fast enough!
We'll miss ya, Beantown, but
my thoughts are with you, Nashville.
Dry Up.

-W