One of my favorite spots on this pale blue dot. The Beer Garden in Corolla, North Carolina, a couple of minutes south of the northern endpoint of NC Highway 12. You get your Corolla Pizza slice/cheeseburger, you walk over to the Beer Garden, you hear good music like “Nancy From Now On,” from Father John Misty’s first album, and you feel like a human being again.
Father John Misty — “Nancy From Now On” [Spotify/iTunes]
A cold Guinness, a hot steak and Guinness pie, and a slow, sad version of “Danny Boy” drifting in from the distance, all before noon. Not bad, Church Hill Irish Festival. Not bad.
Here’s one of the slowest and saddest versions you’ll find: Harry Belafonte’s.
Harry Belafonte — “Danny Boy” [Spotify/iTunes]
Got takeout from Perly’s yesterday and they had excellent music going at the bar while I waited, including a live Grateful Dead cover of “I Second That Emotion.” Not sure if the one below is the same version, but I thought it was worth sharing nonetheless.
Speaking of sharing, thanks to Mrs. YHT for letting me have the other half of her Goy Vey for lunch today.
The Grateful Dead — “I Second That Emotion” (Smokey Robinson cover) [YouTube]
This multi-talented gent was playing “Sloop John B” when I walked by on my way out of Can Can last Friday afternoon. Quite the fancy lunch, Mrs. YHT and I had. Tasty onion soup, salads, and bread that tasted exactly like Goldfish. So fancy!
The Beach Boys — “Sloop John B” [Spotify/iTunes]
Two very exciting things happened last Friday.
I got to enjoy both on Saturday morning, as Mrs. YHT and I (with Baby YHT’s help, of course) made challah french toast and bacon with the sounds of “Atlas” and the rest of Mirrored drifting in from the living room.
Given how long I’ve been hoping to get my hands on this album, and how tasty challah french toast is, the net effect scraped the happiness ceiling for me. It really doesn’t get much better.
Battles — “Atlas” [Spotify/iTunes]
Seen while running today. Turntable set up to serenade Patterson and Belmont while the mural was being worked on. Didn’t recognize what was playing when I took the picture, but I passed by again on the way back and “Southern Man” was blasting. Great song, great mural. This is why I love public art so much.
[Update: I’ve since learned that the artist’s name is Nils Westergard, and he posted a request in association with this mural — that people fill out a survey that asks about public art in Richmond. Click here to complete the survey.]
Neil Young — “Southern Man” [YouTube/iTunes]
4 adults, 3 fish tacos, 2 brisket sandwiches, 1 baby with a granola bar. Add in the Scud Mountain Boys version of “Please Mr. Please” on the way home and you’ve got yourself a successful trip to Alamo BBQ.
Scud Mountain Boys — “Please Mr. Please” [Spotify/iTunes]
I picked up a copy of collector/producer Chris King’s latest project (pictured above) at Steady Sounds two Sundays ago. While I was there, I also picked up King’s signature (pictured below), a completely delicious slice of baklava, and a copy of the Anthology of American Folk Music: Volume III, which I learned about from Amanda Petrusich’s book Do Not Sell at Any Price, which I bought at a signing that was hosted by Steady Sounds and DJ’d by… Chris King. Pretty sure the universe folded in on itself. But in a good way.
I decided I’d wait to play Why the Mountains Are Black until Mrs. YHT and I could whip up a proper Greek feast. Could not recommend the full experience highly enough. Made sure to snap a few crappy iPhone photos:
Back cover
Beginnings of a Greek salad
Baked feta with tomatoes, peppers, onions, and a bunch of olive oil
Marinated shrimp, grilled halloumi, pita
Mythos, which someone who won’t be named drank lots of while traveling in Greece with Mrs. YHT
I’ll spare you the selfie I took while wearing the Kosta Koufos jersey I bought while we were in Athens. Here’s a sample of what you’ll find on Why the Mountains Are Black:
“Kalamatianos” (“Dance of Kalamata”) [Spotify/iTunes]
A couple weeks back, my mom visited Richmond for dinner and a Duke game. She brought a perfectly roasted chicken and a late Christmas present: Asaf Avidan’s Gold Shadow album on vinyl, which came from a seller in Israel (Avidan is Israeli, and that’s where the record was pressed). That’s the inner sleeve art above.
I thought I’d also share a few pictures of the postage and packaging, which was really striking. The look of the stamps is what initially grabbed me, but looking into what’s represented on them — the Cyrus Cylinder and the Battle of Beersheba — has been an education. The ancillary benefits of physical media, y’all.
Asaf Avidan — “Over My Head” [Spotify/iTunes]
Saw this while waiting in line at Plan 9. Cracked me up. I’ve been looking for an excuse to post “Hello” without having to write a thousand-word hot take about it. I just… like it.
Side note for all you mashup fans: It pairs very nicely with Bruce Springsteen’s “Atlantic City.”
Adele — “Hello” [Spotify/iTunes]
You Hear That 