Man Man @ In the Venue SLC

Last night I went to Salt Lake to see Yeasayer and Man Man. I heard that Man Man puts on a great show and I was already excited to Yeasayer. Unfortunately, Yeasayer canceled but Man Man was definitely worth the price of admission. Man Man's music is described by some as Viking-vaudeville, Manic Gypsy Jazz. I'm not sure exactly what that means but what I do know is that they are excellent live. Their energy, mannerisms, selection of instruments, and intensity is overwhelming but infectious. Here are a couple of videos of them live that are, despite the audio, pretty similar to my experience last night.

@SXSW

Latest DI find

So, it's no secret that Beckie and I love thrift stores. Furniture, Books, Frames, and clothes are our targets. Deseret Industries is the largest thrift store in these parts and the one in Provo is not only really close to our apartment but also quite large. Beckie usually hunts for home items such as frames, furniture, lamps, etc. while I am searching for books. I've been quite lucky finding books at DI. I'm always on the lookout for Spanish literature along with classics at bargain prices.

This past weekend we went to the American Fork DI and found some great stuff. Beckie picked up a lamp that I wasn't too crazy about but I trust her vision with it. I was lucky enough to find this book by Carlos Fuentes (La Frontera de Cristal), The Crystal Border. It was a great find considering it is brand new, probably never read, and is an Alfaguara book. Alfaguara is a Spanish publisher whose books often are pretty expensive. 2$ for a book listed at 18$.

As we find more treasure at these thrift stores, we'll post them. Look at Beckie's blog also to check out her finds. Her apartment pictures show off a lot of what she has found.

Tevez saves Manchester United

Manchester is close to the Premier League Title, and this weekend, was saved by El Apache, Carlos Tevez. Tevez's header in the 88th minute tied a game that Manchester was close to losing. Congratulations Carlitos on your goal and your success in the Premier League!

CP3 is ridiculous

So, while Beckie and I were at DI in American Fork this weekend, I was able to watch the end of that heartbreaking Suns/Spurs game in the first round of the playoffs. I was pretty upset. I don't know if I can handle another Suns loss to the Spurs after going through last years disaster. Not really thinking about it for the rest of the weekend, the thoughts of this game kind of disappeared after seeing the Mavericks lose to the Hornets and witnessing the playoff debut of the best point guard in the NBA. I love Steve Nash but this year Chris Paul has been amazing and the best point guard, and maybe even the best player in the league. See for yourselves.

New Album of the Week

M83 has released a new album this week entitled Saturdays = Youth. I haven't had a chance to listen to it yet but am looking forward to considering their previous releases. Their 2005 release Before the Dawn Heals Us was one of my favorites from 2005. A very approachable electronic album. Pitchfork gave the new album 8.5. Read their review here.

It's Official

Beckie and I are officially sticking around the Provo/Orem are for a couple more years. We've decided to stay and go to BYU for an M.A. in Latin-American Literature. The advantages outweigh the disadvantages and it's just the best situation. Here are some of the reasons why it's nice to stay around for a bit longer.

The program
1. one of the best in the country / graduates are accepted into the best Ph.D programs in the country
2. I know many of the professors and students in the program
3. I get to teach 101 classes
4. Tuition Cost

Utah
1. We don't have to move
2. the mountains

Anyway, Beckie and I are excited about this new phase in our lives and we are ready for the change and the work that comes with it.

I can't stand Bruce Bowen

Bruce Bowen's forearm to Amare Stoudemire's abdomen on Wednesday night's Suns game against the Spurs helped remind me why I dislike Bruce Bowen so much. The dirtiest player in the NBA has struck again. Nobody is immune to idiocies. Vince Carter, Ray Allen, Chris Paul, not to mention everybody on the Suns.

The worst thing about all of this is that the league doesn't care about it. David Stern has shown his negligence and inability to run the best league in sports. As long as somebody is not animated off the court and is a seemingly ok person at home, they can do whatever they want on the court. The league needs to do something before Bowen ends somebody's career. His desire to injure other players has shown not only his recklessness but his lack of talent. Why outperform them when you can kick them? Watch this video and see for yourself the true Bruce Bowen.

Stadium of Fire - Miley Cyrus

I'm sorry but I just couldn't avoid this story. It's so laughable to me. Miley Cyrus, aka Hanna Montana is performing at the annual Stadium of Fire event in Provo on July 4th. The tickets sold out within hours and can now be found on ebay for crazy mark-ups. Capitalism at it's best. Here is the article that put a smile on my face about this situation. I don't feel sorry about the mom who couldn't get her kids tickets to the concert. It's just a concert.

Also, Cyrus' influence over kids is questionable. Would you want your daughter to dress like this? Parents have the right to do whatever they want for their children but I just hope we all realize that Hannah Montana concerts are just not that important.

Champions League Quarterfinals

The second leg of the champions league quarterfinals finished yesterday with Manchester United and Barcelona going through, along with Liverpool and Chelsea who played on Tuesday. As you can see the semi-finals will be dominated by English Premier League teams. Carlos Tevez showed up again for Man U. scoring their only goal yesterday with a header late in the second half.

TEVEZ


Perhaps, the most impressive of the teams in these games was Liverpool. With the help of a spectacular goal by Fernando Torres, Liverpool secured a 4-2 win over Arsenal, showing what they are capable of in this tournament.

Liverpool vs. Arsenal

Finally, my favorite Spanish la liga team Barcelona came through with a comfortable victory over Shalke with a goal by Toure Yaya. Despite all of their off-field troubles (the rumors behind Ronaldhino's exit and Messi's injury) they showed what they are capable of. Although Manchester United is playing excellent football, I wouldn't count out Barcelona especially with a healthy Messi back from injury.

FOALS

I first heard Foals a couple of months ago and didn't think too much of them. Not that I didn't like them, just that I passed over them pretty quickly. Their new album Antidotes came out last week and I've been listening to them more often and as a result, liking them more and more. It's math/alt-rock that makes you want to dance. Not too dancy but just enough.

Turner

I love this painting by J.M.W. Turner. "The Slave Ship" is one of Turners most powerful paintings and shows violence and sadness through color and technique. It's a very powerful painting.

Vampire Weekend w/Yacht at In the Venue in SLC

Beckie and I ventured out to Salt Lake last night for one of the first concerts we've been to in awhile. Vampire Weekend played with Yacht in a sold out concert at In the Venue. Most everybody was there to see Vampire Weekend, and the truth is, we were as well. But Yacht didn't disappoint. Yacht consists of a computer and two vocalists. The music was already made and played from the laptop while the band sung and danced. It was really interesting. I've heard electronic music similar to them before but I've never seen a concert from a laptop. Their energy was great and I really enjoyed it.



Vampire Weekend was great. They were actually a lot better live than what I thought they would be. I saw their video on Saturday Night Live and really wasn't impressed. I think the smaller venue made them sound much better. They don't have many songs, so everybody knew most of them and sang along. The set was short and to the point. Good, fun, smart pop music the way it should be played.