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iPhone 3G owners, I thought you would appreciate some insight into the case and screen cover i decided on for protecting my iPhone. Walking into the Apple store and trying to select a case and screen protector for one’s iPhone can be a daunting task. After spending way too much time assessing all of the options in the Apple store, I am extremely happy with my selection…
For the iPhone case I went with the iSkin Solo. The Solo fits like a glove, and is only about a millimeter thick. Best feature is that it is not made out of the typical silicon that the other rubber cases are made out of. This case is made of a smoother/slicker rubber that allows for the iPhone to easily slide in and out of your pocket.
http://store.apple.com/us/product/TU193VC/A?fnode=MTY1NDA0NA&mco=Mjc4MjUyNw&p=1&s=topSellers
For the screen protection I ended up selecting the Power Support Anti-Glare Film. While the iSkin Solo comes with its own screen protection, this one is far superior. It’s nearly invisible, totally reduces glare and is amazingly smudge-proof.
http://store.apple.com/us/product/TS504LL/A?fnode=MTY1NDA0NA&mco=MjQyMDMzMQ
2008 was another great year for music fans. It’s been a few years since the original breakup of Phish, causing me to finally break out of my rut of listening to the same band for far too long, and once again expanding my musical horizons. This year my favorite releases include a mix of classic live performances from yesteryear and new work from some of my current favorite artists.
Here are my top 10 albums of 2008:
Awesomness is the only way to describe this Tom Petty album. This is pure Americana rock. Tom Petty is one of those artists that always ends up in my rotation when I am looking for comfort music. This album is no exception.
9. Gnarls Barkly - The Odd Couple
What can I say… I love these guys. Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse never cease to amaze me. Seeing them live again this year was a real treat. These guys put together an album with haunting ties to classic 60s and 70s rock, mixed in with soul, hip-hop, and funk. I didn’t think it would be possible to top their 2006 album St. Elsewhere, which stayed in my rotation for almost 2 years, but they nailed it.
8. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
Another late discovery, I just stumbled upon these guys about a week ago. Maybe I like them so much because they remind me of the classic-folk-rock that I discovered in middle school when I dug out my parents record collection from the basement. These guys remind me of CSNY, Simon and Garfunkel, and The Beach Boys, all mixed up with a modern twist. They can harmonize and throw down amazing melody, which instantly hooked me.
7. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
There seems to be a theme with the music in my top 10 list. Quite a few of the albums stand out to me because of their familiar classic rock sounds. These guys are a throw-back to a sound that is familiar to me, which is probably why I liked them upon first listen. They remind me of early reggae/ska music mixed with African-skies/Graceland era Paul Simon and maybe even a little Conehead Buddha. Looking forward to hearing more from them in 2009.
6. Jack Johnson - Sleep Through the Static
Yeah, I know, this one surprised me too. I heard an interview on NPR with Jack Johnson and found a new respect for the guy. His smooth voice and surfer attitude, with the twang of modern Hawaii, make for melodies that have a way of relaxing me when I am stressed.
5. The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age of The Understatement
Why have I had to wait so long to hear from Alex Turner? I’ve been craving that Arctic Monkeys voice. Turner teamed up with a relatively unknown Miles Kane earlier this year to produce an album that is far softer then anything from the Arctic Monkeys, but still edgy enough to keep me hooked. The layered sound, complete with orchestra reminds me of a James Bond adventure. I’ve heard another release is due out in early 2009. Looking forward to hearing more from these guys.
4. Neil Young - Sugar Mountain - Live At Canterbury House 1968
A late entry surprise. I was unaware that this album was even being released. But thanks to a facebook wall post and NPR I caught a sneak preview of the album before its official release. To say that this album is anything less then classic Neil Young would be an understatement. From the MC’s intro, to the tape hiss, banter, and ultimately moving performance of Sugar Mountain, this is clearly a historic concert performance from a guy who 40 years later would remain a rock legend. This album is timeless.
3. My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
Never understood what all the fuss was about with MMJ, until this album hooked me. Still in rotation in my car, Evil Urges has that familiar 70s vibe that seemed to be an underlying theme to so much of the 2008 sound. MMJ’s modernization of the falsetto sound and disco like accents would make the Gibb brothers proud.
2. The Fratellis - Here We Stand
Thank you Apple for introducing me to these guys in 2007 when you used the song Flathead in an iPod commercial. Costello Music was one of my favorites of 2007 and their follow-up Here We Stand has been one of my favorites of 2008. With no release coming from my favorite brit-rock band, The Arctic Monkeys, these guys were able to hold me over.
1. The Raconteurs - Consolers Of The Lonely
I first discovered these guys when I saw them open for Bob Dylan at The Spectrum in 2006. I enjoyed Broken Boy Soldiers, but was not overly impressed. When Consolers of the Lonely came out earlier this year I gave it a chance. Far and away my favorite album of 2008. Give it a listen and you’ll know why. It’s most definitely that tie to classic rock sounds of the 70’s. The Switch and The Spur played on repeat in my car for longer then I care to admit. Power chords, horns, bass, piano, Jack White, Brendan Benson, what’s not to love?
Honorable Mention:
The ingredients a chef procures, from the fresh local produce, to the prime cuts of beef, and the freshest catch of the day, can make all the difference. Typically, when a chef forms a good relationship, or finds a great purveyor of top quality product, the chef wants to keep the sources out of the hands of the other local restaurants. Good chefs do a lot of research, a lot of trial and error, and a lot of tasting, in order to put together a little black book of great purveyors of top quality ingredients.
When the restaurant down the block came asking the local chef for his list of great purveyors, he faced a conundrum. He knew that if the tables were turned the competing restaurant would be very guarded with their list, perhaps only revealing the bare minimum as to appear helpful. But this did not seem like a good way to operate. After all, both restaurants are owned by the same investors. So, the thoughtful chef went out of his way to share, in detail, his list of purveyors. In return, he expected nothing, other then, when the time came, the other chef would do the same in return. There is, after all, room for two restaurants in town.
To be continued…
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