Phantogram of the Opera!

Boo! It's the spookiest post of the year!  Happy Halloween to everyone.  I am sure if everyone is like my wife, you are making your final preparations to hand out candy tomorrow for the trick-or-treaters.  Tonight was spent carving pumpkins (see picture above...Jamie and I carved that baby together).  We cracked a bottle of one of my dad's favorite wine, Garnacha de Fuego, which is from Spain.  In the spirit of ranking the wine by eyebrows, definitely two eyebrows up.  It's an easy go to for parties and gifts.  Check it out.

This week I also tried a new IPA.  This IPA is brewed and bottled by Widmer Brothers Brewing from Portland, Oregon.  Its part of the Rotator IPA Series and is called X-114 IPA.  This beer packs good flavor and hops.  The hops are more suttle in this IPA than most, but it really does have a good citrus finish, much like a Pale Ale.  It's a good beer for carving pumpkins!  For that I give X-114 IPA:

ONE EYEBROW UP!

This weeks pick didn't come til late in the week.  I ended up selecting a song on inderockcafe.com website, from their new music page.  It is from the band Phantogram, which I had never heard of.  The song is called,"Don't Move," and it is off of their currently unreleased CD "Nightlife."  I know the song starts off like a CD played in a Sony 1996 10 second ESP Discman, but the song progresses really quickly with the beat, and much of the lyrics, my favorite being,"I'm not your drinking problem."  It's not typically a song I would listen to a lot, but for some reason I find it catchy, so you are just gonna have to give it a listen and see how it makes you feel inside.  If you feel like dancing...join the club.  If you hate it...tune in next week!  So here you go:

Phantogram - "Don't Move"

Gotye

Welcome back to another exciting week of music and beer.  We have reach a milestone on the blog of 800 page views, so go ahead and take a minute to pat yourselves on the back for all of the support of my blog.  For about a month I thought the blog was just going to go away, but the tides have changed, and I am now writing back to back weeks!  This week is exciting in the fact that I have both a fun new song and a great beer to go with it, so buckle in, grab your IPA, put in your headphones and let's listen to some musics!

This weeks beer is actually not an IPA.  I walked Gorda across the street yesterday to Berbiglia (the neighborhood liquor store) and pick up a Dubbel from the Boulevard Brewing Company's Smokestack Series.  Boulevard as we all know is brewed right here in Kansas City.  The beer is called Nommo Dubbel and is more of a malt beer than a hoppy IPA.  I was excited because it was more of a fall beer brewed with molasses and spices, so I figure tis the season.  It has a darker color and is very rich in flavor.  It is 8.1% alcohol as well, which as always a plus in my book.  Well worth a try! Here's to not remembering!  For that I give Nommo Dubbel

ONE EYEBROW UP!

Now that you are nice and buzzed up...music time!  This week's pick was also an easy one.  It came recommended from my sister-in-law's boyfriend Marcus.  Marcus hails all the way from New Zealand and told me about this song.  Gotye is an Aussie, and Kimbra is from New Zealand, and apparently this song is very popular "down under" right now.  I can see why, because it gets stuck in my head all of the time!  Gotye reminds me a lot of Peter Gabriel, which might scare you off at first, but as when you hear the song, you will like it!  The Peter Gabriel sound comes across a lot in the song "I Feel Better." So without further adeau...

Gotye - "Somebody That I Used to Know"

Gotye - "I Feel Better"

I also added this song from Kimbra (who is featured in Somebody that I Used to Know).  Jamie really likes it.  Not to bad...

Creature From the Black Youth Lagoon

Welcome to another week of musics!  A few side notes before we get to the music.  Saturday (Oct. 15) was my one year anniversary.  One year ago yesterday I was standing in a gazebo in Mexico getting married to my best friend.  I love you Jamie.  I would also like to congratulate my friend Nofel because on Friday he was getting married in a gazebo in Mexico!  Wish we were there!  There are no new followers this week so we can probably just cut right to the chase. 

This week's IPA comes from a stones throw from my house.  It was brewed at 75th Street Brewery in Waldo (which is a small area of Kansas City.)  I stopped in today on my way home from costume shopping, which was horribly unsuccessful because both stores were closed, and picked up a 1/2 gallon growler of Good Hope IPA.  I was really excited to try this one because it is so local.  They had a choice of two IPAs, and I unfortunately I think I chose wrong!  The Good Hope IPA tastes a little bit watered down, and lacks that big hop taste that I really enjoy.  So for that I give Good Hope IPA

One eyebrow down.  I hope there is good hope for 75th St. Brews other IPA.

Now buckle up folks because it's pick of the week time!  This week was about an easy a pick as they come.  This pick comes from the band Youth Lagoon.  It is there first LP, and I am not sure if there is a single song on the album that I dislike.  Every song is excellent.  I highly recommend giving it a listen.  You will not be let down.  I have chosen two songs off of the album, because I couldn't choose just one.  So here you go.  I hope you like!

Youth Lagoon - 17

Youth Lagoon - Cannons

See you suckers next week (or month)

Crushed Red Pepper Rabbit

I know, I know, I said weekly blog, but it's starting to look more like a monthly thing.  I have been so mad at myself for not writing my blog lately, but I think I am gonna get back on the wagon.  These past few weeks have been so crazy, I just haven't made time to sit down and write this thing.  Terrible excuse, I agree.  I gotta give the people what they want, and that it IPAs and musics.  So on that note I am just going to continue business as usual.

This weeks IPA comes from North County San Diego, called Stone IPA and I likey.  It has the hops kick that I know and love.  There is something that I love about a bitter, hoppy beer, and this IPA doesn't lack in either category, and for that Stone IPA...I give you...

 

TWO EYEBROWS UP!

And now to the music (the Nebraska-Wisconsin game is about to start, so this is not gonna be that deep).  This weeks (months) pick comes from the band Pepper Rabbit.  Pepper Rabbit is a band from Los Angeles, CA.  I just started to listening to the CD this week, and have been hooked since the first listen.  My favorite song so far is called,"Rose Mary Stretch."  Without further adeau...

Pepper Rabbit!