Why targeting banks may be better than congress, or not

In his piece in The Daily Beast yesterday, Jeff Smith, a member of the OWS press team argued that the movement has been right in targeting banks instead of congress because the banks control congress anyway. He elaborates on that in this older piece. But isn't it Congress that ultimately has the power to end "legalized bribery" in our politics and pass laws subjecting our elected leaders to the same financial rules that we the people are subject to, i.e. no insider trading? Obviously convincing them to pass such laws would be no walk in the park but why not use the momentum OWS has built up to force the issue? Ultimately, it is the people, the voters, who can change this issue, not the banks or our government, but as we keep one hand clenched around Wall Street, we should use the other to poke at our elected leaders until we get a meaningful reaction.

Occupy Congress

I know I'm supposed to be boycotting the internet today but a) I had to go to work and b) I just really had to post this.


My father and I, and I'm sure many others, have been wondering why Occupy hasn't just taken to occupying Congress. Sure, it's important to wave your finger at the banks in the effort to illuminate economic inequality but why not go straight to the belly of the beast? According to this OWS post, the movement to occupy congress started yesterday. I wish I'd known! Come on, revolution, where was the reminder text?

Seriously though, let me know if you have good intel on this, and I will try to do the same.

Daptone Turns 10!

Daptone Records, home to Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Budos Band, Menahan Street Band, and many other great artists, just celebrated it's 10th year in business. The Brooklyn-based funk, soul and R&B label has received a lot of attention on this blog so rather than repeat myself, I will refer you to this comprehensive story from the Atlantic.

My buddies Chris and Mike first introduced me to Budos while we were cooking at their house in Nashville more than 5 years ago. I caught the Daptone bug bad and I haven't turned back. I can never thank them enough.

Exciting news: SJDK are playing Jazz Fest in NOLA this year. I have no business buying another plane ticket right now (I'M GOING TO BELIZE IN FEBRUARY, BITCHES) but that's what tax returns are for and I can make money when I'm dead right? Isn't that how the saying goes?

New Recipe! Multicultural Casserole

Sadly, I realized after I made this dish, that I was SO proud of, that the fake meat I used in it is not gluten-free. I ate it all anyway.

Here's what happened: I made a crap-ton of yellow rice and pigeon peas, or Arroz de Gandules, and got sick of eating it after a couple meals so I turned it into a casserole. I took it to work several days in a row with spinach on the side and it was really super banging after 2 mins in the microwave, all melty and shit. Mmm.

Ingredients:

1. One package yellow rice
2. One can pigeon peas (Can be found in any grocery store catering to Puerto Ricans, Haitians, and/or Jamaicans)
3. Some kind of cheese, shredded
4. Canned tomatoes
5. One jalepeno
6. One habenero
7. Corn tortillas
8. Some kind of vegetarian "ground beef". I used Smart Ground Mexican Style seasoned veggie protein crumbles (Not gluten free!!)
9. Onion
10. Garlic
11. One bell pepper of your choice. I use orange and yellow because they supposedly have more vitamin C and it's winter, so we could all use some of that.

Directions:
Cook a package of yellow rice according to the directions. Add a can of pigeon peas and mix well. Eat that if you feel like. Then, to make the casserole, start by chopping an onion, mincing some garlic, and throwing it all in a pan with some olive oil. Add in peppers, let 'em cook, then add tomatoes and stew for a long time. Throw in some S&P or whatever you like, maybe a little Slap* if you have some and you're feeling saucy. Grease a casserole dish and line the bottom with tortillas, the same way you'd start assembling a dish of lasagna. Then throw in the rice, most of the sauce, and the fake meat and stir. Add cheese and another layer of tortillas, then top it with sauce and cheese, pizza style. Then cook the whole shebang in the oven at 350 for 30 mins or until it looks delicious. Let me know what you think.

*Slap refers to Slap Ya Mama, a cajun seasoning made in Ville Platte, Louisiana. We use the white pepper blend at home but there are three varieties. I first had it on a delicious burger at little bar in Iowa City called George's Buffet. If you ever find yourself in Iowa, don't miss it. The burgers come from cows down the street, or at least they did when I was there.

Best of 2011

Oh, dear readers, after five days in Istanbul, four days in Riyadh, a breakup, a bathroom remodel, and the release of Said the Gramophone's Best of 2011, there is simply so much to write about that I don't know where to begin!

I feel an intense need to bitch about how annoyed I am at being shocked by static each time I touch a doorknob in my office but, to spare you that rant, I will begin with my own favorite music of 2011 list. I know it's already January 3rd but I hope you'll forgive me for my tardiness. I spent the weekend doing yoga and cleaning the refrigerator.

DJ Jankstarr's Best of 2011

Albums and EPs


1. How Do You Do, Mayer Hawthorne
Mayer Hawthorne is such a doll, and may well eclipse Aloe Blacc and Raphael Saadiq to become the king of neo soul, or retro soul, depending on how you like to categorize things. The point is that these guys make new songs that sound like old songs but have their own kind of integrity. I loved many of the tracks on Hawthorne's first, A Strange Arrangement, and accompanying EPs, but I didn't take him seriously until now. This is an album with serious staying power that you want to listen to all the way through every time because every song rules. "No Strings" and "The Walk" are particular faves.

2. El Camino, The Black Keys
I think this is there best one yet. We've played it so much in the house, if it was a record, it would probably be ruined by now. "Little Black Submarines" is such a shout out to "Stairway to Heaven" and I love it.








3. W H O K I L L, Tune-Yards
I don't think I need to spend anymore time on this blog talking about how much I love Tune-Yards and I'm not the only one who's said Merrill Garbus is of the most creative artists of our time, perhaps the most.







4. Videogames, Lana Del Rey
This EP has four tracks: "Videogames", "Blue Jeans," and two remixes of "Videogames." I think the remixes suck but the first two songs are the best I've heard all year. Delightfully creepy and heart-wrenching. Del Rey's much anticipated full length album will be released in the UK later this month.

5. RYEot powRR, Rye Rye
I don't know if this really counts, because it's a mix tape, but the second half of it was the best things to happen to my workout routine this year. Starting with "Bang," her duet with M.I.A, it flows into a crowd bumpin' remix of Mylie Cyrus' "Party in the USA," (regular readers will remember this video) then her workings of Far East Movement's "Like a G6," and then a remix of Ciara's "Gimme Dat" in which Rye Rye, with attitude for days, raps:

I'm gonna break it down now/can you gimme dat sound now?/
I'm gonna put on my crown now/shake 'em down to the ground style/
Got 'em screamin' like ow ow/work it out like pow pow/
I'm gonna get it like CC/shakin' all my goodies

Honorable mentions:

1. Soul Time!, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
I love SJDK, a renowned leader in the retro/neo soul genre, and this has some gems on it but it's just nowhere as awesome as last year's I Learned the Hard Way. A lot of the best songs on this album have also already been released. Still, if you haven't yet, it's worth listening to for "Ain't No Chimneys in the Projects," and the totally funktastic "What If We All Stopped Paying Taxes?" which might be my favorite song of the year.

2. House of Balloons, The Weeknd
I know a lot of folks are listing this as one of their fave albums of the year. It's pretty darn good, and Abel Tesfaye is for sure going to go places (he's only 20!) but I don't love any of the other songs on his debut as much as "Loft Music" which samples Beach House and is perhaps the only song of 2011 I've played more than "Videogames."

3. 4, Beyonce
I don't love 4 as a whole but "1+1" and "Countdown" are pretty magical. I still can't believe the latter isn't all over the radio with it's addictive dance floor-ready refrain:

Me and my boo in my boo coupe riding/
All up in that black with his chick right beside him/
Ladies, if you love your man show him you the fliest/
Grind up on it, girl, show him how you ride it

Listen to it here.

4. Stone Rollin', Raphael Saadiq
Compared to the hits that this former Tony Toni Tone star churned out on his albums Instant Vintage and The Way I See It, this album is mostly meh but the super upbeat "Day Dreams" and the single "Good Man" are pretty solid.

When I look at the best of lists on the music blogs out there I realize there is so much I've missed. Please send me your fave links, tell me what you've been listening to. I have a lot of catching up to do!

I haven't heard it yet but Ty Segall wins my award for best album cover of the year for Goodbye Bread.