There is likely no type of song harder to write than an instrumental song. When a song has words, has a voice, tells a story, it is much easier to keep a person hooked, to keep them entertained. To do so without words is a much greater challenge.
A great instrumental song must draw you in, must make you feel something. Whether it makes you feel sad, or soothes you, or pumps you up, it must ignite some spirit within you. A truly fantastic instrumental can draw a tear to your eye, or it can get you out of your seat and light a fire under your ass. It can make time disappear, a two minute song seemingly lasting an eternity. It can be as simple as a single piano, or as complex as a full orchestra. Regardless, it always puts the musicianship at the forefront of the song. When written well, an instrumental song can move you just as well, if not better, than a song with words.
The Top Ten Instrumental Songs:
10. Doug Martsch - Instrumental
On his largely acoustic solo album, Built To Spill's frontman paid great homage to legends like Mississippi Fred McDowell. One of the few grungier, upbeat songs, this instrumental finds Martsch trying his hand at the dirty Mississippi Delta blues. His slide work is fantastic, and will have you grooving along in no time.
9. Pixies - Cecilia Ann
The opening track off Bossanova, and a cover of The Surftones, Cecilia Ann is two minutes of pure surf rock, smeared with Joey Santiago's drilling blend of punk rock and pure noise. The addition of the almost gothic synths, a change to Pixies sound from their previous efforts, make it a haunting, yet powerful, song.
8. Caustic Resin - Longdrive Jam
This reverb washed blend of druggy psychedelia and blues, starts slow, then quickly builds up to chaos. It crashes all around you, and then, right as it seems destined to careen off the tracks, it screeches to a halt, leaving you wanting more, leaving you wondering where it could have gone, and thinking how fun the wreckage may have been.
7. Booker T. & The MGs - Green Onions
One of the godfathers of instrumental rock, Green Onions opened the door to a world of new possibilities. Built around Booker T's rumbling Hammond organ, punctuated by Steve Cropper's stabbing telecaster, this dirty groove set the world ablaze, and put the band, who, until this point, had simply been the Stax Records house band, on the map. It may not have been the first rock instrumental released, but it remains one of the all time greatest, and its inspiration can be heard worldwide.
6. Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
Perhaps one of the broadest, most ambitious albums ever recorded, Smashing Pumpkins manage to jump from throat shredding metal to tear stained balladry without batting an eye, and it all begins with this gorgeous melody. Backed by strings, Billy Corgan single handedly raises the sun on this record, with beautiful piano and humming synthesizers. Ever the master composer, Corgan never lets the song build too high, or repeat too long, just enough to hook you in, and have you clinging on for more.
5. Fugazi - Arpeggiator
The closest thing to punk jazz, this powerful blast from End Hits is a furious lesson in musicianship. The two guitars weave in and out of one another battling their way up and down the scales. Every time they seem destined to careen into total chaos, they are steered back into place, held together by the strength of bassist Joe Lally and drummer Brendan Canty.
4. Pink Floyd - One Of These Days
Standing alone, on an ancient mountaintop, winds swirl around you. Suddenly an echoey bass pulses through you, picking up speed and intensity, accompanied by backwards rushing cymbals and keyboards. Eventually David Gilmour rips his way into the song with furious slide guitar. Right as it seems prepared to take off, it all drops away, save a buzzing bass line, and a single, uttered threat, meant for a BBC radio DJ. Then the full band swings in, pounding bass, playful piano, piercing organ, and buzz saw slide guitar.
3. Sigur Ros - Untitled No. 3 (Samskeyti)
The Icelandic explorers start this ethereal wonder with the softest whispering of a humming organ. Then the most simple and beautiful piano melody floats in, lifting the song from the softest depths, slowly raising it up to great heights. As the song rises a droning buzz fades in and helps the song soar. Right as it reaches its apex, it all melts away suddenly, and whispers of that same piano line carry you sweetly away, as it fades into the distance.
2. Patrick Street - Music For A Found Harmonium
Performed by the Irish folk group, this song was originally composed by Simon Jeffes of the Penguin Cafe Orchestra. This wonderfully uplifting version starts off with foot tapping guitar, pleasantly picking and strumming the main melody. Slowly other instruments join the party, led by a fantastic fiddle, and the whole band swings through the melody a few times before dropping off at just the right moment.
1. John Frusciante - Ramparts
Recorded after rehabbing from heroin addiction, between the largely popular Californication and By The Way, this track can be found on the former Chili Peppers' solo album To Record Only Water For Ten Days. Layers of guitars bubble over one another like beautiful water fountains, as two more guitars trade bluesy solos, starting softly and building up to a powerf finish. This gorgeous song clocks in at just 1:11, yet it feels like an eternity of bliss.
- Jack
Monday, February 25, 2013
Friday, February 22, 2013
Review: IHOP - Cinna-stack pancakes
Personally, I would have liked my first review to have been somewhere a bit more adventurous and unconventional than IHOP. Perhaps a family run diner, with a pancake recipe handed down from generation to generation. Or maybe a hot new food truck, putting a creative new spin on the old classic recipe. Not that I'm a snooty food critic by any means. Trust me, I love IHOP. I just would have preferred to have gone outside the box a little bit. Regardless, today several of my coworkers wanted to go for breakfast, and the popular choice was IHOP.
I flipped through the menu, ignoring all the varieties of omelettes my coworkers would debate over, heading straight to the pancake section. Why go to a pancake house and get eggs? Before long I settled on the Cinna-stack pancakes. The description read as follows:
Our signature stack of four buttermilk pancakes, layered with a delicious cinnamon roll filling, then drizzled with rich cream cheese icing before being crowned with whipped topping.
My plate arrived, looking not much like the wonderful picture in the menu (the picture I have provided is, unfortunately, the menu picture, as my phone decided to die on me). The pancakes were thin and wimpy, slopped together. The whip cream simply came in a side bowl (not bad if you don't want all that cream, but a buzzkill for the visual presentation). The flavours of the cinnamon roll filling and cream cheese icing were good, but the cinnamon roll filling was slopped on so thickly I could not even taste the actual pancakes. Probably a good thing, as they were mere shadows of the pancakes represented throughout the menus bright pictures. Overall, the idea was good, and the flavours well represented. Unfortunately, the execution failed. Too much filling, masking poorly prepared pancakes.
- Jack
I flipped through the menu, ignoring all the varieties of omelettes my coworkers would debate over, heading straight to the pancake section. Why go to a pancake house and get eggs? Before long I settled on the Cinna-stack pancakes. The description read as follows:
Our signature stack of four buttermilk pancakes, layered with a delicious cinnamon roll filling, then drizzled with rich cream cheese icing before being crowned with whipped topping.
My plate arrived, looking not much like the wonderful picture in the menu (the picture I have provided is, unfortunately, the menu picture, as my phone decided to die on me). The pancakes were thin and wimpy, slopped together. The whip cream simply came in a side bowl (not bad if you don't want all that cream, but a buzzkill for the visual presentation). The flavours of the cinnamon roll filling and cream cheese icing were good, but the cinnamon roll filling was slopped on so thickly I could not even taste the actual pancakes. Probably a good thing, as they were mere shadows of the pancakes represented throughout the menus bright pictures. Overall, the idea was good, and the flavours well represented. Unfortunately, the execution failed. Too much filling, masking poorly prepared pancakes.
- Jack
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Apple Streusel Pancakes
Growing up, pancakes only came in three varieties in my household. Most days it was just plain, old pancakes, butter and syrup (not that there is anything wrong with that, that's the classic). Occasionally, as a treat, my mom would make a batch of blueberry pancakes, or my dad would whip up some of his banana pancakes. But that was the extent of our experimentation.
With an unlimited selection of filling and topping options, no food can be more creative and exciting than pancakes. They can be sweet and fruity, filled with bananas, or covered in strawberries. They can rich and decadent, bubbling with melted chocolate chips, piled high with mountains of whipped cream. They can be healthy, filled with quinoa, oats and nuts. They can even be savoury, speckled with corn, lathered in guacamole. Half the fun of pancakes is the experimentation, exploring various combinations of fillings and toppings.
I love desserts, particularly apple crisp, apple pie and, every now and then, apple streusel. So when I stumbled across a recipe for Apple Streusel Pancakes, I just had to try it. Needless to say, it did not disappoint. The pancakes were thick, but not too dense. The apples gave a nice tartness, which complimented the sweetness of the topping nicely. But for me the star was the topping. Crumbly and buttery and deliciously sweet, the topping rendered the though of adding syrup as distasteful. A little smear of butter, a heaping scoop of the streusel topping and these pancakes were absolutely delicious. If you are looking for a treat for the kids (or yourself) this is a good place to start.
Note: I am not a fan of nutmeg, and do not carry it in my house at all, so I skipped it. I also could have halved the topping recipe (or doubled the pancakes) as I had lots of topping leftover. Feel free to experiment as you see fit.
Apple Streusel Pancake recipe:
Streusel topping
1 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup butter
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Pancakes
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
Instructions:
1. Add all streusel ingredients to a food processor, process until crumbly. Set aside.
2. In a bowl add the flour, salt, baking powder, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix until well combined.
3. Make a well in the dry ingredients, add the milk, egg and vanilla. Stir until just combined. Add the apple and stir.
4. Heat an electric griddle at 350 or skillet over medium heat. Coat with cooking spray.
5. Drop about 1/4 cup of batter on the hot griddle, top with 1 to 2 Tbsp of the streusel topping.
6. Cool until the edges start to looks dry, and the underside is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side until cooked through, about 2 minutes. Plate, top with remaining streusel.
Recipe courtesy of domesticfits.com
Follow on Twitter @domesticfits
Enjoy,
- Jack
With an unlimited selection of filling and topping options, no food can be more creative and exciting than pancakes. They can be sweet and fruity, filled with bananas, or covered in strawberries. They can rich and decadent, bubbling with melted chocolate chips, piled high with mountains of whipped cream. They can be healthy, filled with quinoa, oats and nuts. They can even be savoury, speckled with corn, lathered in guacamole. Half the fun of pancakes is the experimentation, exploring various combinations of fillings and toppings.
I love desserts, particularly apple crisp, apple pie and, every now and then, apple streusel. So when I stumbled across a recipe for Apple Streusel Pancakes, I just had to try it. Needless to say, it did not disappoint. The pancakes were thick, but not too dense. The apples gave a nice tartness, which complimented the sweetness of the topping nicely. But for me the star was the topping. Crumbly and buttery and deliciously sweet, the topping rendered the though of adding syrup as distasteful. A little smear of butter, a heaping scoop of the streusel topping and these pancakes were absolutely delicious. If you are looking for a treat for the kids (or yourself) this is a good place to start.
Note: I am not a fan of nutmeg, and do not carry it in my house at all, so I skipped it. I also could have halved the topping recipe (or doubled the pancakes) as I had lots of topping leftover. Feel free to experiment as you see fit.
Apple Streusel Pancake recipe:
Streusel topping
1 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup butter
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Pancakes
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
Instructions:
1. Add all streusel ingredients to a food processor, process until crumbly. Set aside.
2. In a bowl add the flour, salt, baking powder, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix until well combined.
3. Make a well in the dry ingredients, add the milk, egg and vanilla. Stir until just combined. Add the apple and stir.
4. Heat an electric griddle at 350 or skillet over medium heat. Coat with cooking spray.
5. Drop about 1/4 cup of batter on the hot griddle, top with 1 to 2 Tbsp of the streusel topping.
6. Cool until the edges start to looks dry, and the underside is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side until cooked through, about 2 minutes. Plate, top with remaining streusel.
Recipe courtesy of domesticfits.com
Follow on Twitter @domesticfits
Enjoy,
- Jack
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Introduction
The blogging world is a treacherous maze of food critics, sports journalists and aspiring fashion writers. They contain reviews, opinions and stories. Some are written so well they could be confused for F. Scott Fitzgerald or Mark Twain. Others come across like the diary of a 12 year old girl. Somewhere, in the middle, you find me.
Blogs all have a main theme. Some focus on music, others focus on food. Some rattle on about what the author did today, what they ate, what outfit they wore. However, this blog will touch on two topics, two things I love dearly: Musical Top Ten Lists and Pancakes. Yes, you read right, pancakes!
Ahh, pancakes. Delicious, fluffy pancakes. Perhaps one of the most internationally loved treats. From crepes in France, to frixuelos in Spain, and pannenkoeken in the Netherlands, pancakes are enjoyed in one form or another in most of the world. If world peace were ever to be solved, it would most certainly be negotiated over a United Nations pancake breakfast. Not only are they diverse in nations, pancakes are richly diverse in styles and flavours. Pancakes can be sweet and decadent, or they can be savoury and healthy. They can be filled a million ways, topped with a million different toppings. The options are endless.
Top ten lists are also very important to me. Growing up a music nerd, surrounded by other music nerds, 'lists' were always present in conversation. "What's your top five favourite Beatles songs?" "What's your top ten guitar solos?" Lists were created, dissected, and debated, sometimes resulting in lengthy arguments, other times leading to silent enjoyment of the agreed top song.
This is not some snooty food critics blog. There will be no reviews of food trucks and their use of foie gras. At no point will I use the words "balsamic reduction." Nor is this some hipster music blog, singing the praises of little known, independent label bands, only to rip them to shreds when they sign with a major label. This is 'High Fidelity' if John Cusack had worked at an IHOP. It's David Letterman, if The Late Show got moved to the Food Network.
I will try to blog at least a couple times a week, maybe more. Each blog will either be a top ten list or be about pancakes. Each top ten list will have a theme (top ten songs when it's raining, top ten Pink Floyd songs, top ten songs about New York, etc..). Most pancake blogs will contain a recipe and my experience with it. Some times, instead of a recipe, I will share a review of some restaurants pancakes, or information about a pancake festival, or perhaps share some history of pancakes.
I hope you will enjoy this blog, or at the very least find a pancake recipe you like, or a new song you have never heard. And I shall enjoy making lists and devouring pancakes.
- Jack
Blogs all have a main theme. Some focus on music, others focus on food. Some rattle on about what the author did today, what they ate, what outfit they wore. However, this blog will touch on two topics, two things I love dearly: Musical Top Ten Lists and Pancakes. Yes, you read right, pancakes!
Ahh, pancakes. Delicious, fluffy pancakes. Perhaps one of the most internationally loved treats. From crepes in France, to frixuelos in Spain, and pannenkoeken in the Netherlands, pancakes are enjoyed in one form or another in most of the world. If world peace were ever to be solved, it would most certainly be negotiated over a United Nations pancake breakfast. Not only are they diverse in nations, pancakes are richly diverse in styles and flavours. Pancakes can be sweet and decadent, or they can be savoury and healthy. They can be filled a million ways, topped with a million different toppings. The options are endless.
Top ten lists are also very important to me. Growing up a music nerd, surrounded by other music nerds, 'lists' were always present in conversation. "What's your top five favourite Beatles songs?" "What's your top ten guitar solos?" Lists were created, dissected, and debated, sometimes resulting in lengthy arguments, other times leading to silent enjoyment of the agreed top song.
This is not some snooty food critics blog. There will be no reviews of food trucks and their use of foie gras. At no point will I use the words "balsamic reduction." Nor is this some hipster music blog, singing the praises of little known, independent label bands, only to rip them to shreds when they sign with a major label. This is 'High Fidelity' if John Cusack had worked at an IHOP. It's David Letterman, if The Late Show got moved to the Food Network.
I will try to blog at least a couple times a week, maybe more. Each blog will either be a top ten list or be about pancakes. Each top ten list will have a theme (top ten songs when it's raining, top ten Pink Floyd songs, top ten songs about New York, etc..). Most pancake blogs will contain a recipe and my experience with it. Some times, instead of a recipe, I will share a review of some restaurants pancakes, or information about a pancake festival, or perhaps share some history of pancakes.
I hope you will enjoy this blog, or at the very least find a pancake recipe you like, or a new song you have never heard. And I shall enjoy making lists and devouring pancakes.
- Jack
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