Music: Laura Stevenson and the Cans - Sit Resist

Ever since I heard "Landslide Song/The Dig" on 2008's A Record I have been eagerly, breathlessly, slobberingly (?) awaiting a proper album from Laura Stevenson. In the interim 2.5 years she has teased me with a handful of delightfully tight, catchy songs spread across various E.P.s, splits and demoes. But nothing could have prepared me the sonic meal my eardrums were treated to when I finally had a chance to spin Sit Resist. Lacking any real recording quality A Record was nice but more of a demo than anything. LSatC's sophomore effort however is the shit . . . the fucking shit. The songs range from pop to ska to bluegrass all the while maintaining a cohesion united by Laura's bright voice and dark stories.

If this album was on a major label and subject to radio play, I suppose the first single would be "Master of Art." A song which showcases LSatC's ability to start hauntingly slow and build to a powerful crescendo that will leave you unconsciously tapping your feet and banging your head like Wayne and Garth.

And while that song is undoubtedly great I prefer the darker "The Heathly One" where LSatCs hide a bleak tale of a family's impending doom beneath a bright, poppy beat. On it Laura repeatedly croons:

-You will live long

You will bury them all in the ground

And your body will grow,

You will bury them all . . . It hurts to be the healthy one -

That chilling refrain is indicative of what truly separates and elevates Sit Resist into greatness; a lyrical darkness that adds substance to an aggressive and often fun musical accompaniment. Sit Resist is extremely re-listenable and you'll continue to mine previously undiscovered nuggets on the 10th - 20th - 30th listen. I got the MP3's when I pre-ordered the vinyl 3 weeks ago and ever since it has maintained a Million Dollar Man like choke hold on my iPod, laptop and now with the arrival of the full package, my turntable.

The best thing I can say about Sit Resist is that Laura resisted the urge to make something sweet, something easy. Despite her enchanting voice, this isn't baby-making music, there is nothing happy or nice in Laura's world. The songwriting acts as sandpaper to the music's more refined edges, roughing it up and taking the entire album to a dark place, where loneliness is the rule and there is no escape. I've listened to this album so obsessively for the past 3 weeks that my wife has at times found herself questioning my commitment to our marriage.

15 minutes ago:

Wife - "What're you writing about?"

Me - "Laura Stevenson"

Wife - "Oh great. Should I be worried."

Me - "Why is she touring Portland?"

But fear not Wifey, Laura isn't the type of woman you would want to settle down with. She clearly writes from a lonely place where fucked up demons and gargoyles lurk in the shadows, a place where selfishly, I hope she stays.

10/10

Updated world rankings for 2011:

1) Sit Resist

2) Au Diable Les Bananes

3) The Anarchy and the Ecstasy

Mussels: Po'Boys and Pickles

Let me preface this post by saying I've been to Po'Boys and Pickles a lot and as a result this is probably going to be less of a review and more of an unabashed love letter. I love this restaurant like a mother bear loves her cubs and am fiercely protective of it in the same way. Two weeks ago I was discussing my Friday night plans with a friend we'll call Roy. I mentioned that I planned on plopping my ass down at Po'Boys for an hour or so and scarfing down some delicious grub. His response was something along of the lines of "Oh that place on Forest Ave? Yeah it's OK, kind of expensive..." When I originally broached the subject I was expecting Roy to fall all over himself expressing his adoration for their blackened fish sandwich or their gravy fries or their milkshakes. In my vision we would triumphantly agree, hold hands and skip down the street together singing the praises of our culinary masters for all to hear. Instead his callous dismissal of something I hold so dear has been festering in my gut for half a month, if I had had a match and some gasoline I would have set him alight as penance for his shameful palate and thrifty ways. Then I would have warmed my hands on this burning corpse and invited all to gather round, witness the spectacle and delight in my tale of the time I ate a large dirty bird po'boy, a cup of red beans and rice and a side order of fried pickles in one sitting. This post is off to a great start, isn't it? On to the food!

Starter - Sweet Potato Fries - $3.00

A classic. I consider myself something of a sweet potato fry aficionado and I am bound to order them in lieu of their unsweetened bretheren at any restaurant that offers. Although probably not the best sweet potato fry I have ever had, Po'Boy's are nice and crispy and salty, not overly dense or starchy. Ketchup and New Orleans style hot sauce provided on every table add a little interest.

Amuse Bouche - Biscuits - $.65 or something ridiculous

Those in the know at Po'Boys understand that no order is complete with out a biscuit. They come out hot, buttery, flakey and delicious. And for a scant $.65 the biscuits are a truly essential addition to any meal at P'BaP. I mean that's only like 450 calories/cent, economy be damned we're eating large tonight! Did I mention how buttery they are? I did? Good, they're very buttery.

Main Course #1 - Debris Salad - $7.50

This is a favorite of the little lady, because as the term indicates she's daintier than I and enjoys things like salads. But this isn't just any salad; this a a pile of lettuce, cucumber and carrots struggling valiantly to maintain some of their vegetable dignity under the meaty weight of the almighty debris. The aptly named debris is a mix of meat scraps and juices that are softly stewed together until they become one delicious symphony of dead animal flavor. To call this dish a salad would be to give vegetarians all over the world the heart attack they so rightly deserve. This is no salad, this is a balanced meal, complete with all of the important food groups: meat soaked vegetables, meat soaked meat and ranch dressing. Satisfying indeed.

Main Course #2 - Fried Shrimp Po'Boy - Large: $11.00, Small: $6.50

Quite probably the nicest thing you could do to a shrimp would be to catch it in a large net with its entire family, slice their heads off as they suffocate, toss them in some batter and allow the magicians at P'BaP to lightly fry and serve them simply between 2 halves of soft, crusty french bread with a dab of mayo, some tomato slices and shredded lettuce. This sandwich sounds easy, it sounds like something you've had before at a million different joints. But you probably haven't had it done quite as well as the fellows at P'BaP are serving it up. Everything is perfectly proportional; the batter isn't overwhelmingly thick but it provides a great crunch and doesn't slough off the critters after a bite. Also as is unfortunately rare with fried food, the kitchen at P'BaP always takes the time to properly season everything before sending it out. The servings are huge and they overload the sandwiches with shrimp, so when you pick up the bread don't feel bad about all the crustaceans jumping back onto the plate, they'll still be plenty left between the bread and picking off the survivors once the sandwich is gone completes the experience.

Despite Roy's criticism in regards to the price we came in a little over $30 including a pop for me and a glass of wine for the wife, scientifically proving that Roy is an ass. One final note, remember to bring a few bucks cash for the jar as they're nice enough to bring the food to your table and their credit card machine doesn't let you write in a tip.