The Books – The Way Out

A pretty solid release from The Books.  They do the whole ‘build a track around some cool samples that we found’ thing better than most.  Not the most fun band to see live, but the discs are usually pretty solid.  Some tracks here are clunkers but the majority are the nice, dreamy sample pop I’ve come to expect from these guys.

Good for fans of: Ratatat, Aesop Rock, Minimal-ish IDM.

via Buffalo Rising.

03-13-2010 Rye IPA

A ProMash Brewing Session Report
——————————–

Brewing Date: Saturday March 13, 2010
Head Brewer: Rudy Watkins
Asst Brewer:
Recipe: Rye IPA

Recipe Specifics
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Batch Size (Gal): 5.50 Wort Size (Gal): 5.50
Total Grain (Lbs): 14.05
Anticipated OG: 1.065 Plato: 15.86
Anticipated SRM: 8.4
Anticipated IBU: 74.5
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70 %
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Actual OG: 1.062 Plato: 15.28
Actual FG: 1.008 Plato: 2.05

Alc by Weight: 5.63 by Volume: 7.17 From Measured Gravities.
ADF: 86.6 RDF 71.8 Apparent & Real Degree of Fermentation.

Actual Mash System Efficiency: 71 %
Anticipated Points From Mash: 64.81
Actual Points From Mash: 66.16

Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
—————————————————————————–
22.8 3.20 lbs. Bestmalz Pilsener Germany 82.23 2
26.7 3.75 lbs. Pilsener Belgium 80.07 2
32.0 4.50 lbs. Optic Malt (2-row) Great Britain 80.07 3
14.2 2.00 lbs. Rye Malt America 64.92 4
3.6 0.50 lbs. Wheat Malt Germany 84.40 2
0.7 0.10 lbs. Chocolate Malt UK 62.76 375

Potential represented as Yield, Fine Grind Dry Basis.

Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
—————————————————————————–
0.90 oz. Magnum Whole 10.50 35.8 60 min.
0.25 oz. Centennial 2009 Whole 11.50 5.6 30 min.
0.20 oz. Columbus 2009 Whole 15.20 5.9 30 min.
0.35 oz. Centennial 2009 Whole 11.50 4.1 15 min.
0.30 oz. Columbus 2009 Whole 15.20 4.6 15 min.
0.65 oz. Columbus 2009 Whole 15.20 7.5 10 min.
0.35 oz. Centennial 2009 Whole 11.50 2.5 5 min.
0.25 oz. Columbus 2009 Whole 15.20 2.4 5 min.
0.45 oz. Columbus 2009 Whole 15.20 4.3 1 min.
0.25 oz. Centennial 2009 Whole 11.50 1.8 1 min.
0.80 oz. Centennial 2009 Whole 11.50 0.0 Dry Hop
0.80 oz. Columbus 2009 Whole 15.20 0.0 Dry Hop

Yeast

—–

Safeale US-5 US-5

Yeah, but what is it like?

A dense white head sits atop a slightly hazy (chill haze?) body.  The lacing is decent, but not killer.  Everything comes together nicely in the aroma – dank & citrus from the hops, some caramel and a small amount of rye spiciness.  No alcohol is apparent despite being 7% ABV.  Flavor is fruity orange & dank (imagine un-sweet orange liqueur, without the alcohol) some restrained mango, a bunch of piney bitterness.  There is a little bit of roast there – not out of place but I think I would skip the chocolate malt next time.  It has a nice lingering bittersweet character which reminds me a bit of fresh Hop Devil.

Overall assessment: pretty good.  I want to increase the dry hop next time, use a bit of crystal rye in addition to the malted rye and drop the chocolate (maybe use some sort of debittered black malt?)

Another great find via the New Sounds podcast.  Hauschka coaxes amazing sounds out of a prepared piano and creates some very cool songs.  I need to get his album, Ferndorf, once my emusic account refreshes.

Download some live tracks and an interview @ http://www.wnyc.org/stream/ram?file=/newsounds/newsounds031210.mp3

Nine Inch Nails – The Downward Spiral (Live @ Webster Hall 8/23/09)

Yeah yeah, you’ve heard TDS about a billion times.  I was digging through my boxes of live DATs, cassettes and CDs for a friend and remembered that a copy of “The Downward Spiral, Live at Webster Hall” was sitting, unwatched, in my torrent directory. I watched it.  It made me very, very happy (assuming you can call the state this album puts me in “happy”)

In a nutshell, NIN played TDS from start to finish at one of their last shows (8/23/09).  Due to copyright issues the band couldn’t record it, but encouraged fans to tape.  Some very talented fans then mixed a concert film from a whole bunch of sources.  Its really, really, really well done.  Give this a watch even if you haven’t picked up the album since leaving high school.

Torrent download available at http://www.theninhotline.net/features/TDSlive/

I had the opportunity to see Steve Reich in Toronto last week.  It was absolutely amazing.

Steve Reich – Sextet, Six Marimbas

Ok, so this recording doesn’t do justice to the trip that this piece was live.  still, close your eyes and float along. Bowed Vibraphones?  Please.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sextet_%28Reich%29

http://www.emusic.com/album/Steve-Reich-Sextet-Six-Marimbas-MP3-Download/11760926.html

So Percussion – Steve Reich’s Drumming

I first heard Steve Reich’s music live when these guys did a piece from this album opening for Matmos.  Its just fascinating, not to mention full of joy & wonder.  You need this album.

http://www.vicfirth.com/artists/so_percussion/reich_drumming.html (live video of Part 1)

http://www.emusic.com/album/So-Percussion-Steve-Reich-Drumming-MP3-Download/10859929.html

I think it eventually turned out pretty well.  It was rough when young, but my higher ABV beers tended to be so at that point.  I don’t know if it was a problem with my technique or what, but a lot of my beers in those days needed to sit in the bottle for quite a while before they were right.  It probably hit it’s peak after a year in the bottle.

At this point it has some really nice cocoa and yeast notes, with a bit of oxidation (hey – its over 2 years old – I’m happy there isn’t more).  There is some alcohol there, but it isn’t overwhelming.  Flavor wise we’re talking cocoa, yeast, and some cheap red wine.  Far from the best, but that red wine aspect wasn’t there when it was younger – I seem to recall dark fruitiness.

This would have been better had I done a few things differently:

- Better Yeast Management.  This is something I think I’ve taken care of since then.  Having better control here would have greatly reduced the amount of time it took for this batch to hit it’s stride.

- A more complex grain bill.  The chocolate malt added some nice enough notes, but if I had gone more along the lines of a stout grain bill this would have been better.  Roastiness and some melanoidins would really help

- Higher carbonation.  It could use some more *pop*.

It was an interesting enough idea.  One that I’m going to re-explore sometime this fall.

No Age – Nouns

I’ll admit that I never got into Weirdo Rippers.  It seemed too one-dimensional – nothing interesting happens.  This album though – lots of stuff going on here.  Early REM, 80’s punk, And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead…., a little Krautrock and jangly 60’s pop influence, all wrapped up in a distorted little package.  Good stuff.

Good for fans of: And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead…, Lightning Bolt, Distorted post-punk.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Age
http://www.emusic.com/album/No-Age-Nouns-MP3-Download/11853343.html

Songs:Ohia – Impala

Ok, so this isn’t the strongest Songs: Ohia album (grab either Magnolia Electric Company or Didn’t It Rain for that).  In fact, there are some stinkers on this disc.  Still, the first third is stellar.  It captures that driving alone across the great plains in the middle of the night feeling that the best early Songs: Ohia had.

Good for fans of: Haunting, lonely music

http://www.emusic.com/album/Songs-Ohia-Impala-MP3-Download/10887330.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Molina#Songs:_Ohia_.281996-2003.29