Archive: 2010

The debut from Tel Aviv guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Yair Yona attempts to bridge the vast span between atmospheric indie instrumentalism and Delta blues slide guitar, and while the result is undoubtedly original, it often comes to rest somewhere in the inter-genre no-man’s land reserved for smooth jazz and elevator music.

Apparently a number of festivals are trying to sell tickets over the holiday season as announcements are hitting our mailbox at a furious pace. To name a few – The Hangout Festival will return to Gulf Shores, AL on May 20 – 22, moe.’s Snoe.down event comes back to the Killington/Rutland region of Vermont on March […]

Welcome to back to Strange Brew our monthly column dedicated to – as you probably have already guessed – beer. Each month, we’ll take a close look at a new or notable brew, or just one we think you should be drinking.

The folks at Dogfish Head may not be too fond of their beers being labeled as “extreme,” but to those that drink the standard fare, their craft beers could be a bit of a shock to the palette thanks to their unique ingredients and potent punch. Founded in 1995, the Delaware-based brewery, whose unique methods of producing and brewing beer were the subject of a must-read New Yorker article, originally built its reputation around the flagship trio of continuously hopped IPA’s with a 60, 90 and 120 minute variation. Dogfish Head’s mantra is “off-centered stuff for off-centered people” as the company puts out a wide variety of year-round and seasonal offerings, as well as their big bottle rarity series.

The brewery’s latest limited release was brewed and named in honor of the 40th anniversary of Miles Davis’ landmark jazz-fusion album Bitches Brew, a record that is near and dear to Dogfish founder and president Sam Calagione’s heart. He claims that it was “my dream was to have Dogfish Head, in some small way, stand for the same thing in the beer world that Bitches Brew stands for in the jazz world.”

Why Should You Drink It?: For the third time in the brief history of this column we have another serendipitous alignment between the worlds of music and beer. This imperial stout, which weighs in at hefty 9% ABV, pours a silky black, almost molasses color with a dark tan head.

READ ON for more on Dogfish Head – Bitches Brew…

Earlier this week, we ran an interview with Warren Haynes in which the Allman Brothers Band guitarist told our Chad Berndtson that “as far as [he] knew” the group would be returning to the Beacon Theatre in March after Banana Shpeel’s residency at the theater forced the ABB to head north to the United Palace […]

Take whatever title you want for this week’s installment of Friday Mix Tape. I compiled these tunes because in November every year I put these same songs in a playlist as an ode to the seven women who have changed my life forever. I guess I’m just a sentimental fool or have some inability to […]

When I knew that I would be heading down to Miami & South Beach for a three day vacation and some well deserved R&R, I reached out to two people I know down there for tips on places to eat.  One of them is a well known chef who has spent most of his adult life in Florida, the other is the brother of one of my best friends who happens to be in law enforcement.

On the second of my three days down there I met up with my cop friend and his wife for a beer.  He said to me, we have to go this place in Hollywood Beach right on A1A that was voted The Best Burger in America by none other than Alan Richman of GQ Magazine.  If you don’t know anything about who he is, here is all you need to know:

Alan Richman is the most decorated food writer in history. He has won 14 James Beard Journalism Awards, a National Magazine Award (and was a finalist five more times), and a Bronze Star for service in Vietnam. You won’t find food writers like him at the food magazines. When he received his National Magazine Award, the presenter described him as “the Indiana Jones of food writers.” He has reviewed restaurants in nearly every Communist country (China, Vietnam, Cuba, East Germany), proof that he will go anywhere for a meal. He once reviewed the Chicago restaurant owned and operated by Louis Farrakhan, not known to be a fan of Jewish journalists. In Cuba, he defied government regulations by interviewing starving political dissidents, then rewarded himself with a lobster lunch at the most expensive restaurant in Havana. In 1998, Richman was inducted into The James Beard Foundation Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America, which recognizes culinary industry professionals for their achievements. He is the Dean of Food Journalism at The French Culinary Institute in New York, where he teaches a class in food writing. Richman’s 14 Beard awards have been presented in restaurant reviewing, feature writing, and wine writing. He has also taken the top prize, the M.F.K. Fisher Distinguished Writing Award, twice. He continues to indulge his passion for eight-course dinners (plus cheese).

The name of the place that we went to was Le Tub.

READ ON to read all about the best burger Jon ever ate…

Back in 2007, the BBC Four produced a documentary called Hotel California – From The Byrds To The Eagles that traced the history and lineage of Laurel Canyon’s folk and country-rock scene as the title suggest – from The Byrds all the way up to The Eagles. The entire doc was recently uploaded to YouTube […]

Tonight, former 70 Volt Parade vocalist Trey Anastasio returned to his hometown of Princeton, NJ for a rare solo acoustic show. The performance took place at Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall within the campus of Princeton University. Anastasio was backed by the Scorchio Quintet. [via @YouEnjoyMe] Anastasio leaned heavily on material from 2004-2008, but also […]

The Western States Motel has announced a slew of West Coast tour dates this winter. The band is gearing up for the release of their latest full-length record Freeway Freeway Riverbed, set to drop February 2011. A full list of tour dates is below.  For the past year, Freeway Freeway Riverbed has been a labor […]

The National want to turn Black Friday violet.  For one day only, Friday, November 26, the band will offer the expanded edition of its critically acclaimed breakout album ‘High Violet’ – which includes new studio tracks, b-sides, live recordings and more – for $7.99 (MSRP $16.98) exclusively at participating independent record stores (for a map […]