Food Flavored Album Review: Modus Operandi by Mary Kelly

Modus Operandi by Mary Kelly is the musical equivalent of stir-fried udon noodles. But it is definitely not your normal stir-fry noodle. It is one that has a unique twist. Sort of like putting udon noodles on a sandwich or pairing them with Indian curry for a bit of Asian fusion. For my Modus Operandi experience, I chose the latter.

Mary Kelly has dubbed their style of music “grunge-core trash.” It resides in a bowl that is a long way from the electro-pop, indie jazz and alternative hip-hop that normally litter the pages of this blog. The backbone for the band’s sound is the grungy machine gun like guitars that start and stop in rapid succession. Like the varied peppers in a curried stir-fry, you never quite know what will come next. Are they mild and sweet hiding beneath an angry camouflaged skin? Or are they the brutal
burning ones that make you regret your decisions both on admittance and while exiting?

Following closely behind the guitars is Mary Kelly’s rhythm section. While the bass is certainly there, check out the beginning of “I’m Not a Buddhist (I’m Just Weak)” if you don’t believe me, the main player in the rhythm section is the drums. These guys range from slower down tempo movements to mile a minute bursts of blunt force trauma. I liken them to a good curry powder roux. It is the kind of thing that you don’t realize is there until it simultaneously hits your taste buds like a charging rhino and thickens that shit to a creamy sauce.

As a debut full length Modus Operandi offers quite a few unlikely gems. The starting point (or udon
noodles if you will) is the third track “Mushroom Soup”. From the first chord Simon Gibbins belts out lyrical screams at an alarming pace. These are offset by some samples of what sounds like astronauts corresponding over an intercom. Things slow down for a few seconds about two and a half
minutes in, just long enough for Simon to tell you about 600 horses he knows. After building up to an appropriate crescendo, he takes you out the way you came in, full speed ahead.

The next song worthy of a mention is the album’s first single “I’m Not a Buddhist (I’m Just Weak).” This track has everything I mentioned earlier: scathing guitars, pounding drums, breakneck speed, snarling lyrics and…a harmonica. Wait, what? You heard me right, a darling little harmonica solo magically transitions the guitar solo back into the catchy chorus. Imagine if Bob Dylan was abducted, sent to the nether regions of Canada and forced to perform with I Hate Sally. That is the only thing I can think of that is even remotely close to what takes place in this track. As far as the curry goes, “I’m Not a Buddhist (I’m Just Weak)” is like your pan-fried seitan cutlets, all meaty and fake and ready to be seared to hell by your pan. Unless, of course, you perform the ol’ switcheroo and use tempeh instead (like I did). In that case, it becomes less glutenous and more nutty.

Speaking of nutty, if the radio ever decided that it wanted to hold a contest to see how fast it could
piss off your Aunt Ethel, there is no doubt in my mind that they would choose “Penny Dreadful” first. This song has just enough pop and catch to it, that I could see it fitting nicely between Nickelback and Creed. Oh, Aunt Ethel likes country? No matter, throw it between Luke Bryan and Tim McGraw. “Penny Dreadful” can build a home anywhere. It is straight ahead, don’t stop until we reach the end, power grunge. Well, except for that one spot near the end where the band samples some sort of weird ghost like creature. Or is that just the sound broccoli makes when it is cut from the stalk?

Lastly important (and of lasting importance) is “Stained Glass Weirdo.” This is where the drums and lyrics really play lead fiddle. The song is about a bad relationship that constantly brings you pain on the same day every year. You’d be hard pressed to find any lyrics that resonate as much as these on the album. “Stained Glass Weirdo” nicely packages the contents of Modus Operandi together. It is sort of like the shoyu, ginger and vegetable broth of the album.

Mary Kelly’s debut full length, Modus Operandi, is certainly not for the faint of heart. It is hot, abusive and downright painful on your sensitive eardrums. But like anyone who chows down on a good curry knows, to experience pleasure, one must first navigate through the perils of pain. There is certainly pleasure to be had. Just take a moment to wipe those indie rock smirks from your blog's face and you’ll quickly see what the world of “grunge core trash” has to offer.

“I’m Not A Buddhist (I’m Just Weak)”:


 “Stained Glass Weirdo”:

A Decoded Thanksgiving

Enough about my Thanksgiving. Let’s check in on a real band Thanksgiving:

The Setup
When you are in a band that actually likes each other, the holidays can be a difficult time. Who do you spend the day with? Your family? Your significant other and his/her family? Your band? All three? I’m not sure how LA’s Decoded structured their family obligations but I do know they put aside time to celebrate Thanksgiving as a band. I tried to get them to pay for me to fly from Tampa to LA so I could join their party but they declined. No worries. I flew out on my own dime. I arrived
outside the kitchen window of their dinner just in time to creep. Here is what I saw (aka what lead singer Derek Jordan told me happened):

The Meal
The centerpiece of the meal was a 16-pound turkey. Surrounding it were savory side dishes like homemade corn bread, green beans with toasted almonds, mashed sweet potatoes layered with marshmallows, homemade cranberry sauce, homemade stuffing with baguettes and bacon and mashed potatoes. Even with all this fabulous food floating around the best part of Decoded’s Thanksgiving was, according to Derek, the laughs and smiles amongst friends.

Leftovers
From my perch outside the window, it was difficult to see just what kind of leftovers there were. I assume with a sixteen-pound turkey and all those sides something would’ve had to remain. My leftover gazing was made all the more difficult when I was interrupted by a famous actor who stumbled out of a bar down the street from where I was creeping. He came my way shouting, “You anti-Thanksgiving jihadist brute, get away from that window and go celebrate yourself.” He then proceeded to pee all over my pant leg. Needless to say, I had to forego the leftovers in favor of finding a new pair of pants.

Thankful
Decoded has a lot to be thankful for. They have recently done a number of interviews including one for Celebsdirt and Golden Mixtape. The band also has a brand new EP, Topanga, that came out a few
weeks ago. It is what Derek calls the “most honest, genuine songs I’ve ever written, not only lyrically but stylistically as well.” He goes on to say that Topanga is “completely organic” and full of music that is “real”. You can hear Topanga performed in person at the Viper Room on December 11th (I’m going to see if the band will fly me out for that one!).

From Topanga, here is Derek’s favorite song “Red Handed”:

Listen: Doubles from Eliza and the Bear and The Almighty Rhombus, A Single Shot of Shy for Shore

When life calls for not one but two different pies (here and here) may I suggest these crusty favorites:

Eliza and The Bear are an English band that is quickly attracting attention around the world. First there was an Autumn spent opening for Paramore’s UK Arena tour (at Hayley’s request). Now there is an upcoming show at Brixton Academy supporting Imagine Dragons along with a new single, “It Gets Cold”, that was selected as Zane Lowe’s ‘Hottest Record In the World’. Not bad for a band still finding their way. Check out the new single:



 And just because I'm feeling doubly nice (double pies all around), here's an older one (“Friends”):




Amsterdam-based Shy For Shore is back with more irresistible ‘80s inspired dreaminess. Their new single “Teenage Pains” was crafted in between bouts with sweets, soppy movies and synthesizer solos. “Teenage Pains” is just one piece of an EP, appropriately dubbed 1985, that pays homage to the eighties. The 1985 EP will be available for purchase starting on Friday, December 13.




The Almighty Rhombus‘ month old LP, Lucid Living, has been sitting in my inbox for some time. Since there were a number of tracks on it I enjoyed, I was waiting for just the right “double shot” recipe. A double dose of pies seems like just the right time to roll it out. Lucid Living is the band’s debut. It plays like anything but. Lucid Living shows the Almighty Rhombus’ versatility and colorfulness as it quickly transitions from howling garage to glossy pop to psychedelic jams All of this, while staring down the barrel of one bad ass chick’s gun. You can stream and purchase the entire album from http://thealmightyrhombus.bandcamp.com/releases. Here I’ve highlighted two of its tracks. The first is the lead track “Down South” which plays like pure, unadulterated indie rock.




The second track is “Butane Brain” which reminds me a lot of Tripping Daisy or the Eels style rock. It is simply presented with ridiculous lyrics that are played over a layer of softly scorching guitars and keys that seem best suited for a church choir.

Listen: Barley Legal Tracks from Best Friends, Whale Belly and Pistols & Pints

What kind of music do you offer up when a barley legal escort stops by for a meal? Something that can be enjoyed by best friends.

What better songs to enjoy between best friends than those anthemic ones created by the English band Best Friends? No brainer right? I started with the fuzzy flip on the Best Friends forthcoming AA-side, “Nosebleeds”. This song is a speedy one. It represents the hour with the barley escort that goes way too fast. From the first sounds of bass and guitar, you can immediately hear the long term playability that this track offers. "Nosebleeds" is a bit more raw than its single counterpart. But sometimes a barley legal escort brings out the raw in you. It doesn’t disappoint. The AA-side single will officially be released on the 19th of September through Art Is Hard Records. Best Friends will support the release with a set of UK tour dates, including release shows at Tipsy Bar in London and a hometown party in Sheffield at The Great Gatsby in September. The more mature sounding but no less anthemic flip side single is “Happy Anniversary”. This one is a slow riser (more yeast than barley) that takes its time meandering towards its destination. Sometimes you feel rushed, sometimes you just want to relax and enjoy the scenery:

"Nosebleeds":



"Happy Anniversary":




After seeing my barley companion out the door, I wanted to take a moment and appreciate the beauty of what just happened while simultaneously embracing the sadness that comes with any great hour coming to an end. I needed something introspective. Something that captured the depressing feeling that was slowly creeping in. Whale Belly’s “Earthy Eyes” was my go to. It sounds a bit like traditional folk music that has been gently pressed through a big band cheese cloth. While the music is spot on, a bit spooky in parts, searing and beautiful in others, it is really the lyrics that stand out. Throughout the song there are admissions that “outside is sunny, inside is dark” which holds on to the sad side of things. Thankfully it is delivered in a way that is almost upbeat and certainly charming. It says to the listener that even though I may be lip serving sadness, there is also a reason to be positive. Things aren’t as bad as they seem. They can (and probably will) get better. “Earthy Eyes” is the focus
single off the band’s upcoming I Was Once a Bird album.




 This weekend I shared Pistols & Pints remix of “Nature” by Walla. Seems they have a killer edit version of the remix as well. After you're ready to shake free from the introspection, turn this on to dance.

Four for the Fourth: Berry "Ice Cream"

After checking out some “ice cream” recipes from Veg News last night I was really fiending for a cold, creamy, dairy free dessert. The Veg News ones required ingredients I didn’t have here (cacao
powder and nibs) so I started researching other options. I wanted the ice cream to be heavy on the berries since I had a freezer full of blue ones and a refrigerator full of straw ones. I clicked on a berry ice cream cake version at This Rawsome Vegan Life and I was immediately smitten. It included cashews, bananas, almond milk and coconut oil (for the creamy) and dates (for the sweet).

I did it this morning although I slightly changed it by halving the recipe (except the vanilla bean as I
love a strong vanilla taste) and instead of waiting for the berry topping to set, I just poured it over and froze it all together. This created more of an outer shell than a top layer but I was fine with that.

As I waited for the “ice cream” to freeze I ventured into another cold space. The space where steel presses against skin and bone. There is nothing quite like the creepy feeling evoked by moments like these. I feel slightly the same when “Steel Bones” by the Vuvuvultures comes onto my radio. “What did they do to you?” is questioned over and over throughout the song. It makes you doubt yourself and wonder if there is something wrong with you, if you are destined to be strange and alone for the rest of your life. Not until you show up at a boys camp and see that everyone else has a little you in them do you relax realizing that everyone feels a little bit of this at times.




 Also cold is the music industry. Especially when you sign your soul over to them only to try and escape and see that you can’t. This is the story of the Coppertone. She signed a deal, after years and years of running the streets. The deal was unfair, but she had done the hard time for so long she hoped for a bit of relief. About a year ago, she woke up and realized the mistake she made. She knew there would be repercussions that she had to deal with and that she would have to start over at 27 but still, she wanted out. Thanks to a successful campaign at indiegogo, the Coppertone has raised 20,000 dollars and can free herself from that awful deal. Here is her song to celebrate the successful campaign that bought her freedom. “Young Blood”:




Since we are celebrating today, how about something uplifting like “Detroit City” by Texas. Texas just recently passed the 25-year mark as a band. In honor of themselves, they made a record that was good enough to return to the top of the European charts. The Conversation has garnered some pretty serious acclaim from the critics because of its songwriting and musical depth.



And finally, we’ve got a bit of Ted Leo meets Arcade Fire in the form of Exohxo. The band's latest release STORIES AND FICTIONS shows the band’s song-writing versatility. It is a quick fix, with the
seven tracks clocking in at just over twenty minutes. The album is due out on July 30th. Check
out the first single “AnnaLea”:

Baker's Dozen: Interview with the Chainsmokers

They’ve played for Jay-Z, Rihanna, Bruno Mars and Usher. They’ve played for their moms (and probably yours as well). They’ve probably also played for your girlfriend (as long as she is as hot as you say she is). They are New York City’s The Chainsmokers. Made up of Alex Pall and Drew Taggert, this producer/DJ pair has put out a number of amazing remixes over the last half a year. The most amazing of these remixes, “Julian” (originally by Say Lou Lou), found its way into the lead position on our Poppin Taters Mix. Recently I had the chance to ask these guys some questions as part of our Baker’s Dozen Interview Series. We talked burgers, dating in NYC, Insane Clown Posse, chili and Le Haine. We also touched on what makes a good remix and how to milk a crowd for all their worth. It is about to get hot in here so…do what you need to do. Here are the Chainsmokers:

TB: Supposedly the two of you enjoy a good burger. What’s the best burger you’ve ever had?

The Chainsmokers (TC): Oh man, that’s easy, Minetta Tavern in NYC…their black label burger is unreal…but for a cheaper burger we gotta give it up to the In-N-Out.

TB: Experts say that resumes should be short and sweet. But with credentials like yours, I’d think your resume would have to run a bit longer. You’ve played for the likes of Jay-Z, Rihanna, Tiesto, Bruno Mars, Busta Rhymes, Usher, Lebron James, Ne-Yo and Drake (just to name a few). Anything you do differently when preparing for a room full of A-listers vs playing for the common man?

TC: Honestly, we hate knowing when someone is in the room that’s important. We just want to do our thing, we don’t want to be up there thinking X,Y or Z is here, we should change what we do for him…and we say that because we would likely change it…It's still cool of course, but we aren’t serenading them so honestly, all this celeb stuff is sorta silly, but people like to see it, we think…

TB: Your Facebook page mention that you realize each crowd and room requires a different style and energy of music. Is this something you prep beforehand? What kind of cues are you looking for in the crowd to help guide your set?

TC: Our sets have become more strategic, but only in the sense we sort of feel out the timing and stuff…there is definitely a planned aspect to our sets, but also very much an unprepared side…I mean there are definitely rooms that are more main stream, then rooms that are a little slower to get started, etc. etc…but there aren’t any clues we could share, just with experience you pick up on them…but generally a crowd full of hot girls and neon is a very good sign…

TB: Speaking of hot girls…from the pictures I’ve seen, you seem to play to a very sexy crowd at your shows. From your perspective, is your crowd hotter than the average musician’s crowd? What advice would you offer someone like Insane Clown Posse whose crowd isn’t quite as good looking?

TC: Haha, do our photos give off that vibe? That’s awesome…we do agree we are pretty damn fortunate to get to play for the people we do…but honestly, while its nice to have good lookin’ versus bad looking its way better to have energy versus dead, so we will take energy any day…but to ICP, we wouldn’t say anything, they scare the fuck out of us…if anyone hasn’t seen the documentary on them, it’s a must, 10/10 for insanity…

TB: I know that both of your mothers share the opinion that your music “sounds nice, but is a little loud.” But June is all about the fathers. What do your fathers think of your set?

TC: Well Drew’s dad thinks its awesome, you know vicariously living through your son is sorta standard. He couldn’t be more supportive of our music, funny enough Drew’s accountant is probably the most pumped about our music. Alex’s dad passed away, but he would be into it…

TB: Most of your recorded music to date has come in the form of remixes. When you set out to remix someone else’s song, what are you hoping to accomplish?

TC: Excellent question, Tender, and the answer is quite simple…excellence…joking. We try to accomplish a few things, we want to maintain the integrity of the song, but bring the song to a place emotionally it wasn’t before. Each remix we do we really try to find a unique sound and emotion. With “Julian” it was these contrasting melodies, with “Operate”, this sort of dark bounce, and so on. The beauty is, we love the songs we do, so we aren’t thinking, let’s make this better. In our eyes we are taking an excellent song and just going right when the original went left…Obviously this is a huge simplification of all of this, but if you don’t feel something under your skin, then its not it…Everytime we hit that right melody or right sound, it all falls like dominoes.

TB: I’d have to say your remix of “Julian” is probably my favorite to date. What was it about the original song that attracted you to it?

TC: Funny enough, we heard the Monsieur Adi remix before the original and were obsessed, then we listened to the original and were equally impressed and just knew that we could light this track up, but most importantly for the reason we could give Say Lou Lou a remix that hadn’t been done yet for them…We also love songs with lyrics that make no sense at parts, but a lot at others, its like this controlled chaos, and Say Lou Lou does that wonderfully…on top of that they have incredible punk softness to their voices, it's just amazing to work with…

TB: Other remixes include beefed up versions of Little Daylight, Daughter, Phoenix and ASTR songs. Do the songs you remix need to have any particular characteristics before you decide to work your magic on them?

TC: Yes, we need to like them a lot and not have been remixed already in the fashion we envision, and most importantly have some sort of authenticity to them. That’s why we love indie music, its very authentic in its emotion, and also not played out…its exciting to work with a band like us that isn’t necessarily huge yet (minus Phoenix and Two Door and Daughter) and put something out that is widely accepted, its like an underdog win…that being said we fuckin’ love pop as well, Katy Perry, Miley, Selena, all that…

TB: If an artist approaches you to ask for a Chainsmokers remix of one of their songs, how do you respond?

TC: What’s your budget…jk, we take a listen and it of course depends on how much we love the song, how busy we are at the time, and who they are…We wish it was just like oh cool, we got you, but you have to be strategic…We have our fans to think about, you can’t earn someone’s trust and then betray everything you built suddenly for something that is uncharacteristic of our goals.

TB: Will there be a time when the Chainsmokers perform their own original songs?

TC: You can bet your fucking ass there will be. In fact we are working on an original song that we are VERY excited about…

TB: What is the best thing about being from New York City? The worst?

TC: The best thing is the city is so cosmopolitan, amazing food, the energy, the constant grind, that is New York…the worst thing is the state/city taxes…

TB: Do The Chainsmokers get the chance to do much cooking? Any recipes worth sharing?

TC: Funny enough, we do…Eating out, as nice as it is, can take a serious toll…Not sure whose dated in NYC but you take a girl for a night out and you are looking at 150+ easy…of course you can be creative, once I took a girl out and our date consisted of going around the city and stink bombing places… Alex makes an award winning chili bowl…he cannot share the recipe though, its almost as highly guarded as our production sessions…

TB: Any final words of wisdom?

TC: Its from a movie called ‘Le Haine” its the first scene in the movie, a man is standing on top of a skyscraper and jumps off…as he passes each floor falling to his death…he says to himself ‘so far, so good’ and then he hits the floor and dies. Be yourself, do what makes you happy, enjoy now, we are all going to die one day…

The Chainsmokers newest remix, “Operate”:

Memorial Day Munchies: Sweet Potato Pate

Happy Memorial Day! I am finalizing plans to fill my day with vegan veggie burgers and tacos. The plan is to cover the veggie burgers’ nakedness with this lovely sweet potato pate (100 percent of the pate, zero percent of the duck parts). One minor change I made from Andrea’s version is I vinegarized it with an apple cider twist because of the lack of the white wine version here in this homestead. Oh yeah, and I didn’t put any truffle salt in it. I tried to put a mortgage on my apartment so I could buy me a container of this expensive little spice but the

apartment complex wasn’t too keen on that idea. I also tried to sell one of my cats but that only netted me six dollars. In the end I went without. 

The final tally? A mighty fine piece of work even with the changes…

Pair this pate with another mighty fine piece of work from Jerseyites Boxed Wine. They’ve got a new full length entitled Cheap, Fun (but are you really surprised…I mean you knew this was coming). The band offered me their super secret recipe for boiling water to go along with the album but I think this sweet potato pate works a little better. It is a bit more upbeat. That’s not a knock on boiling water which is certainly upbeat. It’s just that the pate knows how to grove in a way that boiling water doesn’t. Still, there will be a time and place for their secret recipe. Don’t you worry, I won’t forget. Back to the album. I was quite surprised to see that my favorite track from their Cheap, Fun EP, “Bones,” did not make the cut of the full length version (why should I have been…I mean I knew this was coming). No worries because the tracks that replaced it are just as fun and fabulous (if not a bit more) as that one. Especially bounce worthy are the two openers “Into the Nite” and “Cannibal.” Lyrically, how can you argue with Boxed Wine’s traveling to the ends of the earth for off the beaten track inspiration in the form of a cannibal that suffers a heart attack. That’s better than any of the elusive witch doctors that society has been subjected to over the years. Musically speaking, the tracks require a bit of hand jiving or Carltoning or Tebowing, whatever your dance of choice is. Just don’t forget the dramatic hipster irony. That makes all the difference in the world. Buy Cheap, Fun here.

"Cannibal":

"Into the Night":

Listen: Shroomy Numbers from Hurts, The Dirty Nil and The Havelocks

A Mac Shroom blows it out of the water when paired with:

On March 11th, Hurts will be releasing their new album Exile into the world. The first foray into it is the dark, erotic pop track “Miracle.” It is the story of busted love, the monsters that remain long after the love dies and the miracles that are sought to fix it all.



Speaking of monsters, The Dirty Nil are back with another one of their garage punk monstrosities. These guys have to be one of my favorite punks act recently. There is no harmonizing, no prettifying, it is just straightforward angst-filled music. “Zombie Eyed” is part of a vinyl split with Northern Primitive. Listen to it…loud.



Melodic, catchy, able (and willing) to harmonize are The Havelocks. Basically, the are the anti-Dirty Nil (which makes them clean?). The Havelocks have been making a name for themselves in Newcastle , New South Wales for the last few years. They’ve released two 5-Track EPs to date and have successfully navigated the Australian coast and rural New South Wales. Now they are ready for something bigger. “Black and Blue” marks the first step.

Where We Eat: Issei Noodle

Usually J-Fur and I use the holidays as a chance to visit family (who always want to cook for us) and hit up some of the local Carlisle restaurants. For not being a big town, Carlisle has a number of independent food places that know how to throw down. Fay’s Country Kitchen makes some bad ass pancakes, the Market Cross Pub hits a bullseye with English Pub Grub and Massey’s makes the finest milkshakes I’ve had.

When I'm in Carlisle and seeking out something a bit lighter and lunchier, I go to Issei Noodle. Before the holidays locked us in for a couple of days, J-Fur and I joined her parents for lunch at Issei Noodle. The restaurant was very crowded when we arrived. Only one table remained, right by the door. This meant cold blasts of air each time someone came in or left (which was a lot). By the same token, it meant sitting by a huge window overlooking the main street of Carlisle (and watching old people try to parallel park).

My first order of business was to get an appetizer. During our previous visits, we went with the Vegetarian Fresh Spring Rolls served with a special plum sauce. These were awesome. But this time around, I wanted to try something different. When I spotted the words vegetable gyoza side-by-side I knew that was the place to go. My gyoza days started with a discontinued brand at Whole Foods which I would turn into this. They continued with tri-monthly visits to Trang Viet. The gyoza love affair pretty much ended with a baby onesie. I hoped to rekindle things at Issei Noodle. Their version of this appetizer was by far my least favorite of the three. Its crispy exterior and relatively empty interior came across as more of a thinned out samosa and less like gyoza. I did like the dipping sauce that accompanied it.

                      My Gyoza

J-Fur decided on an appetizer/meal of edamame. She was going through some bouts of nausea while in Carlisle, so she stuck with very simple foods. The edamame was good (although I have yet to meet a terrible edamame, I think it is the kind of thing that is difficult to f*** up). She didn’t share any with her father as he has a tendency to eat edamame whole (shell and all).

                        Edmame

My normal main dish of choice is the Veggie Yaki Udon. This is Udon noodles with sauteed seasonal veggies, steamed tofu and a sweet ginger-miso sauce. I wavered between the tried and true and the Don Buri (a rice bowl). I eventually went with the new and gave the Don Buri a shot. The Vegetarian Don Buri was full of seasonal vegetables such as red pepper, bok choy, basil, broccoli and onion. It was then covered by a very light house sauce and served over rice. The bowl was pretty big but it seemed slightly bland. Perhaps the creator of the dish is of the opinion that making it slightly bland allows the customer to season it how they want. I mean the table center is littered with additional condiments and sauces to help boost flavor. I added a bit of soy sauce to the rice which seemed to enhance the house dressing and provided the oomph the dish needed.

                       Don Buri Vegetarian

J-Fur’s mom also ate vegetarian. She had the Vegetarian Vermicelli Noodle basically because on her last visit she ordered the Veggie Tofu Ramen and was disappointed that the tofu seemed raw and mushy (a big faux pas in that family as they have texture issues). She didn’t say much about the Vegetarian Vermicelli Noodle and I was too stuffed to give it a try. But seeing that it was topped with gyoza and served cold, I probably wouldn’t have liked it.

My latest visit to Issei Noodle was not nearly as impressive as the first few. I partially chalk this up to making bad choices. Instead of ordering what I knew I liked and was impressed by, I tried other things that weren’t quite as good. That being said, it doesn’t give me a lot of confidence to walk into a place with few vegetarian/vegan options as is and not be impressed by any portion of the meal. Will I eat at Issei Noodle again? Probably. Maybe. But my confidence is a bit shaken.

My visit was enhanced by the sounds of the new self-titled EP from White Blush (aka Carol Rhyu). The EP forecasts six LA style electro-dream pop tracks that have the listener tiptoeing along railroad beams that are cross-sectioned with minimalistic synths, pulsing arpeggios and imposing industrial drum machine beats. Should you dance? Close your eyes and dream? Talk a walk along a snowy mountainside at midnight? Or watch the eerie movements that shadows make around a campfire? It is hard to tell. That is the magic of White Blush’s EP. It can be comfortable almost anywhere you are. Check out “Jolene":