Featuring The Parsonage, Withered Hand, Aberfeldy, Meursault and Come On Gang!

Roxy Art House, Edinburgh

One of the evening’s highlights for me was definitely Scott’s karaoke version of Boombastic by Shaggy, but that’s a whole different story. Long before the night disintegrated into drunken caterwauling we were treated to some brilliant music from a glittering galaxy of stars, and it was all for charity. As you can see I managed to get some shots of The Parsonage, Withered Hand, Aberfeldy, Meursault and Come On Gang!, but there was even more on the bill that I missed. A great line-up, a fantastic night, well done to all concerned!

It’s not often that you can go out and come back three hours later having decided that a band was amongst the best you’ve ever heard. At Newcastle’s wonderful Head of Steam pub, Meursault did just that to me when, in a surprisingly under-filled room, I heard one of the most heartfelt, wonderful sets of my life.

The band were wonderful, performing a largely acoustic set, but the focus always fell on singer Neil Pennycook, whose startling ability to transform his incredible voice from a pummelling howl to delicate falsetto is never more impressive than when you see him up close. In a set this complete highlights are hard to choose, but a stripped-down ‘A Few Kind Words’ changed from the irrepressible electronic bounce of the original into a sort of warped anthem, whilst ‘A Small Stretch Of Land’ asserted itself as one of the most heartwrenchingly beautiful acoustic tracks I’ve ever heard.

After the handclap-heavy ‘William Henry Miller Pt. 1′ drew the gig to a close, I left with a fixed grin, ringing ears and an unshakable belief that Meursault are one of the most intriguing and downright astonishingly good new bands Britain’s produced for a long while.

Meursault – A Small Stretch of Land (YSI)

[Via Slowcoustic]

Jesus H. Foxx performing at The Bowery (photo by Markus Thorson @ flickr)

Normally, birthdays are a time for celebration. The first birthday of The Bowery this weekend has got people talking for different reasons, with widespread fear over the venue’s future.

The Bowery is a multi-purpose arts venue, in the basement of the Roxy Art House in Edinburgh’s Old Town.

It was set up by Edinburgh University graduate Ruth Moir, and New Yorker Jane Flett last November, as a hub for creatives in the city.

However, recent developments have led to concerns over the future of The Bowery, and the community which has grown around it.

The building is owned by Edinburgh University Settlement (EUS), the arm’s-length body set up by the University to foster community regeneration in Edinburgh.

EUS recently advertised for a General Manager for the Roxy Art House, who would take control of the entire building and its operations.

The Roxy Art House, home of The Bowery (photo from roxyarthouse.org)

This led those in Edinburgh’s arts scene to speculate over The Bowery’s future, should EUS decide to revamp the Roxy’s facilities.

Matthew Young, head of Edinburgh-based record label Song, By Toad, voiced his concerns on the label’s blog.

“What’ll end up happening is that the bands go back to their dive bars, the poets back to their cafes, the artists back to their galleries and that big mixture of diverse arts, the presence of every single fragment of which was a massive encouragement to everyone else, will simply break up again”, he said.

Dan Gorman, project manager for EUS, and one of the current managers of the Roxy Art House, has attempted to calm fears, saying that “EUS are not kicking The Bowery out of the building”.

He added: “EUS completely support and respect the Bowery and what it has done and hopefully will continue to do.

“We’ve supported it so much we’ve essentially subsidised its existence over the past year as we also want to support this community and grassroots arts.”

Jane Flett, co-founder of The Bowery, also attempted to reassure artists and fans of the venue.

Speaking on the venue’s forum, she said: “There are changes afoot in the building because this is what is needed to keep it alive and sustainable as an independent arts space, but hopefully The Bowery will remain involved.”

The Bowery’s 1st Birthday takes place on Saturday 7th November from 5pm.

As it would appear i haven’t had an opinion on music since the summer i thought i’d start doing this more seasonally (as i think that affects what i listen to more than anything).

I’ve been listening quite a lot to Meursault who’re a bunch of folksy loveliness from Edinburgh. I like it because it’s a little bit abrasive, not in an obvious way, but there seems to be a bit of a sonic roughness mixed in with some lovely melody.

I also dug out my copy of the milk eyed mender by Joanna Newsom the other day because it reminds me of cold mornings and it getting dark before teatime.

and for once i posted before Cam!

Préparation

1 heure

Cuisson

15 minutes

Ingrédients

Pour 6 personne(s)

• 1 kg de noix de Saint-Jacques ou pétoncles,
• 200 g de saumon fumé,
• 1 cuillère à soupe d’aneth hachée,
• 5 cl de Cognac,
• 4 c à soupe de crème fraîche,
• 1 c à soupe d’échalotes hachées,
• 30 g de beurre, sel, poivre.

Préparation

Dans une sauteuse, faire chauffer le beurre, y faire revenir les noix de Saint-Jacques et les échalotes. Dès qu’elles sont bien dorées arroser avec le Cognac. Chauffer, retirer du feu et flamber. Saler et poivrer. Ajouter la crème fraîche, et laisser cuire sur feu doux quelques instants.

Couper le saumon fumé en petits morceaux et les incorporer à la préparation. Laisser chauffer 1 minutes. Servir bien chaud avec des pâtes fraîches saupoudrées d’aneth.

Faîtes vous plaisir avec un bon vin blanc de Bourgogne : Meursault.

Retrouvez nos autres recettes en cliquant sur cette image

This trip was carefully planned. Our research into the Chicago eating scene led us to make two dinner reservations, at Blackbird and Alinea. Blackbird was the first one out.

The menu looked good, but Naso was afraid you had to order the tasting menu in advance. Not so. So we had no other choice. And champagne while waiting.

How to find a wine to go with crab tails, frog legs, turbot and sea trout? And what on earth is squab? A quick linguistic analysis led us to believe that anything starting with sq- must be from the sea and possibly have tentacles. White, then. And why not Burgundy, Palato has not had too much of that. There was an interesting-looking Meursault, a Premier cru Perrières from Chanson père et fils.

When the wine arrived, Palato at first put up a puzzled face. But the wine was too cold. So we had the champagne with the first course. Sturgeon. Again. We are not that keen on sturgeon. Why does everyone keep serving sturgeon? It’s bland.

Second course, Alaskan king crab. Another slight disappointment. A bit on the rubbery side. It came with ricotta mayo which sparked a discussion on how to emulgate ricotta. Still unsettled, though we contacted our chemical engineer.

Next, Louisiana frog legs. It was time to taste the wine again. This time Palato and the Meursault became friends. Lots of hard-to-define smell. Flint. Smoke. After a while, even butter. And the taste does not go away! Forget about the frog legs.

When we ordered, our otherwise impeccable waiter had forgotten to tell us that we would get foie gras, which distressed us slightly. But then there was foie gras after all, which made us worry that we would need a sweet wine. But what about the poor Meursault? Before we had finished worrying, the waiter was there with two glasses of Quart de Chaumes, a new acquaintance to both of us. On the house! A botrytized Chenin Blanc from the Loire region which was excellent with the liver.

– How can this be liver? Could you do the same to a chicken?

Definitely not. Foie gras is one of the wonders of the world. And this particular instantation was no exception. As an added bonus, Palato was suddenly proved to like beer, despite many affirmations to the contrary. The foie gras came with Saison Sophie, which we couldn´t work out on the spot. Bitter, sweet and slightly alcoholic. Beer foam! as it turns out. Then there was pecan shortbread. And an acidic touch of quince. Perfect!

Gone were all our disappointments. After this there would be no doubt. But we didn’t know that yet, so were worried how they could top the foie gras. And what about the wine?

We should not have insulted our Meursault with doubts. One sniff and there she was, right back. And as it turned out, Blackbird had a plan for us.

Now there was turbot. We thought it was a codfish, a sure sign of maltreatment. But we forgive them, for it came with a wonderful mixture of squash, ramps, mandarin and popped sorghum. Second surprise of the evening: Naso likes pop corn. When it’s made from sorghum, that is. Bittersweet and salty too. And none of us actually like mandarin.

Then came the sea trout, with niagara grapes, shaved (how did that happen?) brussels sprouts and celery root purée. No maltreatment of this fish. More bitterness and salt. We were starting to understand their strategy. Is celery the king of roots? Still disputed, but a nice pretender to the throne. This was also the course that suited the wine best. Palato’s nose had disappeared into the glass and she was drinking by the millilitre, not to get an overdose.

The waiter had told us we would need to get the wine list back. But as we had decided that squabs swim, we were in no hurry. But they don’t swim. They don’t fly either, even though they are pigeons. Because you eat them before they get the chance. All the charm of a duck breast, with an added touch of something which reminded Palato of truffles (which had cruelly been omitted from the menu, by the way). The best bird we have ever tasted.

The waiter had recommended a Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Domaine du vieux telegraphe “la Crau”, if we wanted to look into the future. By this time we had completely surrendered and were ready for time travel. The wine was excellent with the squab, but would be even better with…

We got beef rib with cauliflower and sesame gnocchi. There is something a little too solid and dependable about those parts of the ox, so it couldn’t reach the level of the bird, but it was well implemented. And good with the wine, which smelled strongly of paint. Enters the mouth discretely to take you by surprise. Fully capable of handling the fat.

Desert time. Palato was distressed. Half a glass of Meursault (still effortlessly there), and another with the telegraph wine. Now what? We probably need dessert wine.

But no. The waiter intervened. When we asked for a break to finish the wines, he refused.

– You can do as you like, of course, but I have a plan for you. You will have sorbet to clean your palates, then a Gewurztraminer from Oregon with the sweet corn bavarois and then, if you are feeling experimental, you’ll have the red wine with the manjari chocolate pave.

This was the future he had been hinting at. We obliged. And rightly so. After the palate-cleansing sorbet, this was another interesting use of sweet corn, blending nicely with the eggy bavarois. And the loveliness of maple syrup and the salty-sweet caramelized pecans.

– And you can’t send the wine back, because it’s free.

There was no need to either. Naso observed that all the two US wines he had ever liked were from Oregon.

And finally, the manjari chocolate pave. Now, Palato is a confirmed chocolate snob. She was not disappointed. Perfect chocolate. And again the salty-sweet (lime salt!) and the bitter (beet ice cream!!).

The wine experiment? Well, it brought the cocoa taste out in distilled form. Wow. The waiter had pinned us down pretty well and proceeded to recommend us five other Chicago restaurants. Good man.

J’expose les trois tableaux dans la grande vitrine!

Remerciements à Mme GUILVARD et Mme et M. BÉNÉTEAU
Adresse: 7, Boulevard Carnot 28130 Maintenon

Meursault écrit une lettre 1, 2008
par le roman “L’étranger” d’Albert Camus
( La scène que Meursault écrit une lettre à sa maîtresse de Raymond Sintès )
Huile sur toile, 81×116cm 

Portrait d’une femme, 2007
Huile sur toile, 33×22cm

Maquillage (Makeup), 2006
Huile sur toile, 27×22cm

As the days become windier and wetter and the nights draw in, my mind is drawn back to last winter when we convened for the first time on a cold January evening. I say this because the October Glass Half Fulham meeting was our first, albeit small, milestone; our tenth tasting. Over the last year, we’ve tasted a diverse variety of different wines and explored the viniculture of many different regions. But to mark this occasion, we were to return to one of the most important and historical centers of wine production, Burgundy – source of some of the world’s greatest wines and to the king of white grapes, Chardonnay.

As a way of introduction, LP (our guide for the evening) presented the four major regions of Burgundy – Côte d’Or, Côte Châlonnaise, Mâconnais and Chablis – and described their geography, climate and often confusing classification systems. Burgundy, perhaps more than anywhere else in the world, typifies the concept of terroir, and its influence in wine production is one of the major reasons for the region being able to produce consistently high quality wines throughout history.

We explored the region working roughly north to south, beginning with Chablis in the north-west. Our first wine, the 2007 Domaine Séguinot-Bordet, Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons (Berry Bros. & Rudd, £16.55) was a fine example of a traditional dry Chardonnay, typifying a style which has been reproduced around the world. This wine had hints of vanilla and toast (the similarity to Champagne was noted) on the nose, with butterscotch coming through once left to breath for a few minutes. The taste, however, was not creamy, but unexpectedly acidic. LP explained that given the cooler climate and shorter summers, producers in Chablis use techniques such as malolactic fermentation. The malic acid certainly came through in the apple and mineral flavours which were interesting, if not unpleasant. In contrast, the 2007 Domaine Ghislaine & Jean-Hugues Goisot, St-Bris (Theatre of Wine, £11.20) had none of the crispness or sharpness of taste that was expected. The earthly, mouldy aromas gave way to a sour, but full body that challenged the taste-buds. Many tasters commented that the St-Bris would be an excellent companion to a strong goats cheese.

Leaving Chablis, we moved to Burgundy-proper and took a slight diversion away from Chardonnay to experience the regions ‘other’ white grape variety, Aligoté. One of the components in the blackcurrant liqueur Kir, Aligoté has traditionally had a bad reputation as a wine in its own right, but has had a revival in recent years. The 2008 Blason de Bourgogne, Bourgogne Aligoté (Waitrose, £8.99) had a fabulous golden colour and a bouquet that included sherbert, soft fruits, wood and mild incense. It was the fruit notes that came through most intensely on the palate, producing a curious gone-off strawberries sensation. This wine was perhaps not one of the finest examples of a Burgundy white, but represented good value for money and certainly a talking point. The 2006 Nicolas Potel, Montagny 1er Cru (Berry Bros. & Rudd, £14.50), nearby geographically to the Aligoté but a complete contrast in terms of taste, returned us to the Chardonnay grape. The creamy and fruity flavours, with prominent notes of bananas and pear in particular, proved the variety of taste experiences that the same grape can produce. Many members were reminded of the St-Aubin that we tasted back in January. Whilst we were warned not place full trust in the ‘Premier Cru’ label, this was certainly a high quality wine and the most popular of the evening so far.

Moving further south to Mâcon, we tasted two wines from the central district of Burgundy: 2007 Héritiers du Comte Lafon ‘Les Maranches’, Mâcon-Uchizy (Berry Bros. & Rudd, £17.50) and 2006 Olivier Merlin, St-Véran (Berry Bros. & Rudd, £13.95). The appellations in the Mâconnais region produce large quantities of both red and white wines on their rolling limestone hills, which benefit from larger quantities of sunshine and heat than their northern neighbours; the Chardonnay grapes here are rarely affected by frost. We noted the influence of the geology in the aromas of both wines, particularly flint, which came through in the minerally Mâcon-Uchizy. However, the acidic taste (even more so than the Chablis) was both unexpected and disappointing, which made the St-Véran even more enjoyable. The second example had both an earthy aroma – typical of an oak-aged wine – and a creamy butterscotch flavour. A powerful wine, which would be a fine accompaniment to strongly-flavoured food.

Our penultimate wine of the evening, the 2006 Bret Brothers Cuvée Terres de Fuissé, Pouilly-Fuissé (Berry Bros. & Rudd, £19.50) was from the southern-most point on the limestone plateau on which Burgundy is grown, and an appellation which famously produces wines commanding some of the highest prices in the region. The Bret brothers, highly respected producers, have a reputation for being the mavericks of the Burgundy region and so this tasting was eagerly anticipated. Despite being ever so slightly corked, the quality of the pouilly clearly shone through in the creamy flavours, and was highly praised by all. Many noted that they would seek this out after the tasting to fully experience the wine.

To conclude, we tasted a classic example of Meursault, a large and prosperous appellation in the Côte d’Or. LP noted that although this AC strangely contains no Grand Crus, the Premier Crus are rarely surpassed (and as expensive). The 2004 Yves Boyer-Martenot Meursault Charmes, Meursault 1er Cru (The Sampler, £29.99) had notes of bananas, salami and smoked cheese on the noise, leading to a creamy flavour. This wine would probably improve even more during the next five to eight years.

Many thanks to LP for organising such an enjoyable and insightful tasting. Wines of the evening were as follows:

1) Wine of the evening: 2006 Bret Brothers Cuvée Terres de Fuissé, Pouilly-Fuissé
2) Best value for money: 2006 Olivier Merlin, St-Véran

(report by TH)

[JK's note: Because it was AlM's birthday, we also had the 2003 Domaine Pouderoux Vendange Tardive, Maury (Waitrose, £9.99, 50cl). A vin doux naturel, it is unsurprising that it reminded many of a tawny port, since both are made by fortification. Cherry and mulberry, it nicely complemented AlM's birthday cake. Probably a good accompaniment for chocolate as well!]

Oxfam Instore Appearance

Oxjam 2009

Neil Pennycook and Scott Hutchison, of Meursault and Frightened Rabbit respectively, launched this year’s Oxjam Festival with a very special collaborative instore show at the Oxfam shop on the Royal Mile. Dozens of fans were crammed into the tiny store to enjoy the show, which got the day off to a splendid start.

Same Great Wines – Even Better On Sale!

Below are some really nice wines with new sale pricing.
Stock up on your favorites!

2006 Livio Felluga “Terre Alte” – $29.99 on sale (reg $69.99)

An exquisite Italian white with a retail price of $70, on sale today for just $29.99! Wine Spectator says “A fantastic blend, this is now one of the best whites in Italy”.

Wine Enthusiast 92 points, Aug 2009: “This blend of Friulano, Pinot Bianco and Sauvignon delivers impressive aromatic intensity and a beautifully creamy texture. Youll get peach, apricot and soft citrus tones backed by subtle oak shadings and toasted nut. The wine is smooth and polished with an elegant and sophisticated style.”

Wine Spectator 92 points, Aug 2008: “($65)This sneaks up on you with lemon, apple, orange and mango aromas and flavors. Full and rich, yet delicate and lively, with a very, very long and flavorful finish. Tocai Friulano, Pinot Bianco and Sauvignon. Drink now. 200 cases imported.”

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2004 Poliziano Vino Nobile di Montepuliano “Asinone” – $32.99 on sale (reg $59.99)
We just tried it last week and it is drinking just beautifully now – really a special wine for just $32.99. Lots of complexity and stuffing here!

Robert Parker 92 points, Oct 2008: “The single-vineyard 2004 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Asinone reveals beguiling aromatics. With air, layers of vibrant dark fruit, tar, smoke, graphite and licorice develop in the glass as this beautifully-balanced wine struts its stuff. Ideally a few years of bottle age are warranted, but this wine is so appealing at the moment that readers might have a hard time waiting. I am confident that in a few years this wine will be even better. The wine’s finesse, tannins and texture are clearly those of a first-class wine. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2024.”

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2005 Doña Paula Malbec “Seleccion de Bodega”- $29.99 on sale (reg $35.99)
Big rating from the Wine Advocate. With lots of backbone and structure, lay this one down in the cellar for about 2-3 years, at which point this wine will be singing!

Robert Parker 94 points, Dec 2008: “The 2005 Malbec Seleccion de Bodega received 24 months in new French oak. It has a splendid nose of pain grille, pencil lead, plum, black cherry, and earth notes. This is followed by an opulent, rich wine with gobs of flavor, incipient complexity and a 45-second finish. This wine will develop for another 6-8 years with prime drinking from 2015 to 2035.”

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2006 Chapoutier Ermitage “Le Meal” Syrah – $118.99 on sale (reg $169.99)
A terrific buy at $118.99 and 30% off. Only a few hundred cases were produced of this collectible that can cellar for 25+ years.

Robert Parker 94 points, Apr 2009: “From a warm micro-climate, Le Meal, (Michel Chapoutier says that the full phenolic maturity of the Syrah grapes at Le Meal can be achieved three weeks earlier than the grapes grown on the top of the appellation in the l’Ermite vineyard. Keep in mind that these two areas are within a ten minute walk of each other. This explains the French obsession with terroir, and how micro-climates can vary so dramatically.), the 2006 Ermitage Le Meal exhibits surprisingly tart acidity for a wine from such a warm site, a dense purple color, and sweet notes of boysenberries, black raspberries, blackberries, lead pencil shavings, pain grille, and spice. Medium to full-bodied, elegant, and lighter than Les Greffieux, it is tight and closed at present, but it displays the potential for 20-25 years of evolution.”

The Wine Spectator 96 points, Jun 2009: “Superdense but really fresh, with a wild array of zesty blackberry, loganberry, linzer torte and briar notes laid over perfectly embedded tannins. Long and pure through the finish, with lots of minerality waiting in reserve. Great length. Best from 2010 through 2025. 511 cases made.”

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2000 Delaforce Vintage Port – $27.99 on sale (reg $38.99)
A relative bargain for a vintage Port. Original release price was about $45!

Robert Parker 90 points, Oct 2002: “Made in a sweet, open-knit, precocious style, Delaforce’s 2000 reveals a dense ruby/purple color as well as sweet, accessible black cherry/blackberry fruit with hints of smoke, earth, and truffles. This lush, medium to full-bodied, juicy, succulent effort will last for 15+ years.”

Stephen Tanzer 90 points, Jan 2003: “($56) Full medium ruby. Roasted black raspberry and cassis lifted by musky espresso and an exotic smoky, peaty element. Dense and rich; sweet and approachable but with shape and grip. A bit youthfully grapey in the mouth, with smoke and earth notes. Finishes with building, slightly austere tannins and very good length.”

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2006 Pessagno Pinot Noir “Spring Grove” – $14.99 on sale (reg $26.99)
A very good Pinot for just $14.99! Lots of nice spice and red fruits.

Spring Grove Vineyards is a group of extremely small properties located in the Spring Grove District of San Benito County. Complex and elegant, this Pinot Noir offers aromas of red berries and fresh plums. The mouth feel is full and finely textured with subtle tannins and a touch of high natural acidity. French oak aging provides hints of vanilla and smoke as well as a slight perception of sweetness on the finish. Stylistically classic, this wine can be paired with various types of seafood, game, and spicy entrees.

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2005 Goulee Bordeaux – $19.99 on sale (reg $24.99)
A special wine for just $20. This comes from the folks at Chateau Cos d’Estournel and is a lot of wine for the price. Really tasty now and ageable, too!

JJ Buckley, Sep 2009: “Dark, dense, opaque red to cherry red rim. Dusty nose full of spice, licorice, soft blackberry and cherry fruit with a touch of oak, earth, and eucalyptus. Soft entry onto the palate , this modern wine is full-bodied with complex, dark flavors that carry through to medium-length finish. Shows great balance between acid, tannins, and alcohol. Drink now and over the next 10 years.”

Robert Parker, April 2008: “Proprietor Michel Reybrie and his winemaker, Jean-Guillaume Prats, have fashioned a brilliant blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot. The dark purple-hued 2005 reveals a sumptuous bouquet of licorice, black currants, black olives, smoke, and damp earth. Fleshy and supple-textured with good tannin as well as decent acidity, this seriously-endowed, complex effort can be consumed over the next 12-14 years.”

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2006 Laboure Roi Meursault “Clos de la Baronne” – $28.99 on sale (reg $58.99)
A spectacular price for such a good wine. Rich with minerality, it also has nice acidity to go great with food. A terrific buy!

The Wine Spectator, Jul 2008: “($67) Rich and sumptuous, but with character. Honey, butterscotch and a hint of hazelnut permeate the fleshy texture as this white remains mouthfilling from start to finish. Drink now through 2012. 200 cases imported.”

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2001 Ste Michelle Luxe – $9.99 on sale (reg $17.99)
This sparkling wine is a no-brainer at $9.99. You dont have to think twice about popping the cork – any occasion will do at this price!

Winemaker’s notes: “This bottle fermented wine, produced by traditional Méthode Champenoise techniques, exhibits explosive aromas of toasted almonds and hazelnuts accentuated by delicate citrus, honey and apple top notes. Rich and toasty flavors of vanilla, citrus, ginger and nutmeg saturate the palate and mesh nicely with the wine’s smooth texture and lively structure. This sparkling wine is a great match with clam chowder, planked salmon, cracked crab and many other seafood delicacies.”

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Follow us on Twitter! @JJBuckleyWines

One of the highlights of this year’s Fringe Festival was the Playing With The Past event at Edinburgh’s Film House. Films from the Scottish Screen Archive were combined with live soundtracks provided by local bands eagleowl, FOUND, and Meursault which made for a unique cinematic experience. The short films included John Grierson’s film about Granton’s weather-beaten Trawlermen in the 1930s. Another was an abstract animation created by Evelyn Lambert and Norman McLaren who painted and scratched imagery directly onto film stock.

Since their unbelievably good debut last year, I’ve been waiting for new Meursault material with baited breath, aching to see what Neil Pennycook and co can produce again. Well their beautifully illustrated new EP, Nothing Broke, has satisfied my cravings and then some. Gone, for now, are the harsh, brilliant synth sounds of the album, this is just folk instrumentation and Neil’s inimitable vocals. But whereas the less electronic ventures on the album were sparse affairs, the EP takes them in a different direction, bringing a far fuller sound to the mix, this is the whole band having a go at something a little more traditional, and doing it wonderfully.

The title track keeps the vocals muffled behind the more prominent instrumentation, a slow-burning but expansive melody that needs to be listened to with your eyes closed to really feel what it does to you. “Red Candle Bulb” is almost a ditty, where Neil’s words take a far more frontal role, with the beautiful lyric “Well fuck this shit/I don’t need the stress/If I think I’m gonna fail/I won’t show for the test” and leads wonderfully into “Love or Limb”, a harmony-laden lament full of echo. The EP’s rounded off in suitably excellent fashion with “William Henry Miller” parts one and two, the first part full of handclaps and catchy melodies and the second full of aching howls and stumbling instrumentation, with guitars and banjos being played at what sounds like half the speed they should. As you may have guessed, I think Meursault have made another perfect piece. I still haven’t heard a song I dislike by this band, and they create albums and EPs as full works, not collections, something so few artists seem to get right nowadays, so if you want the full experience, go and buy their material, they really do deserve it.

Meursault – Red Candle Bulb (YSI)

PS. I’m really, really sorry about the title of this post, but I just can’t resist a shit play on words when I see one.

Image taken from here

Dan Black – Wonder
Buy

Dan Black falls into the category of blogged hype and accessible pop but he hits something long abandoned. There’s a very nineties feel to the whole album, Un, as we get a bit of R n’ B, dance and acoustic electronica. Starting out using the drum beat from Rhianna’s Umbrella, Dan Black shows he’s really at his best when he’s doing his own stuff, like in Wonder.

Chad VanGaalen – Sing me to Sleep
Buy

Chad VanGaalen’s best album remains his latest, Soft Airplane. However I recently found his back catalogue and there are some nice hits amongst some misses. This is one such exception, with beautiful guitar licks, strings and wind instruments keeping it from being even remotely repetitive. How someone with this voice can sound so good I don’t understand. You can almost hear his voice cracking, but Chad VanGaalen always hits the note and it’s even quite affecting for both soft and rockier songs.

Caroline Reese – From Where I Stand
Check out Caroline Reese’s myspace for more info

Caroline is still fairly new to the scene, and frustratingly young at 18. There’s something very Jenny Owen Youngs about Caroline, but she works with simpler sounds, perhaps retreading the steps of Gillian Welch. Which is a good thing because oftentimes the rich sounds of a lot of what’s out there wins out over good song writing. Appropriately Caroline is residing in a ranch in Montana. You can picture her sitting on a bale of hay playing this song. I love the harmonising in From Where I Stand.

The Welcome Wagon – Up on a Mountain
Buy

I recently noticed I’ve never blogged about these guys. The album, Welcome to the Welcome Wagon is a bit weak but there are a few good songs. This one I love just because it sounds like old Sufjan Stevens (who worked on the album). And we all need a little new “old” Sufjan since he fell off his own musical wagon and started up on wanky projects like the Run Rabbit Run Remix album.

Meursault – Nothing Broke
Check out Meursault’s myspace for buy links, videos and other streaming songs

These guys are good simply because they avoid falling into the trap of playing the same stuff over and over. It’s a healthy dose of folk and electronic and not mixed together in some attempt to wow everyone with a “new” sound. It reminds me a good deal of James Yorkston. Personally I favour the more folk driven songs, like Nothing Broke but I’m yet to hear more of the electronic-charged album. I love a good sad song, and the echoey vocals are wonderfully (excuse the heavily used term) haunting.

Kes – The Bruise
Buy

An Aussie band affiliated with the lovely Laura Jean, these guys have actually disappointed me for the most part. I haven’t got my hands on their latest self titled album, Kes Band. The Bruise, taken from the ordinary The Grey Goose Wing, is an exception and reveals what they are capable of. Even so, at one point you can see that the singer is yet to “find his voice,” and it nearly cracks when hitting the high notes. But there is a Devendra Banhart charm to it.

Nurses – Lita
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I’m pretty excited to hear more of Nurses’ new album, Apple’s Acre. Nurses sound a bit like The Walkmen but are more ambitious and organised. The focus seems to be less on “let’s play rock and roll” and more on “let’s work this around the piano.” The sound of their older stuff leans a bit towards The White Stripes but they’re ebbing into their own sound more now. This song is very whisky-at-the-pub piano.

The xx – Islands
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I first heard this thanks to the recommendations on Last fm. The xx are shooting up the popularity ladder on the blogosphere at the moment, and deservedly so. There’s a casual cavalier approach to electronic here. It’s the kind of music I’d expect to hear at a fashion show or exhibition. Classy stuff. The singing is gorgeous!

Radiohead – Gagging Order
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Anyone else remember when Radiohead weren’t caught up in the marketing of their own music? When an interview with Thom Yorke meant you learnt what political concerns were being explored, what new approach to their own sound they were taking? I do when I listen to their songs.
Ignoring their pretentious attitude, I quite love In Rainbows because I’ve always liked their slower stuff. Let’s hope whatever they end up doing next is a good indication that Yorke’s self indulgent debate on what’s right and wrong about music today isn’t completely dominating his thoughts.

cause I’m really craving me some Boeuf Bourguignonne (aka beef bourguignon) with a fine glass of red Burgundy. After a long two days, patiently hunting for bargains on the WLYS, Mom and I opted to do other mother-daughter-bonding things today, like go see the new release of “Julie & Julia.” And now…I am craving French food, particularly Boeuf (pronounced like an airy “boof”) Bourguignonne (“yeah, I’m not even going to try that one”). Now I’ve never made the Julia Child recipe, but I have made a pretty decent beef bourguignon in my day.  Oh the delicious scent of beef, pearl onions, carrots, tomato, and herbs all slowly simmering in a beautiful bouquet of red wine…. It even has bacon, too.  Can’t beat that!

Sadly, it’s not Winter, and I can’t even get a fine glass of red Burgundy because I’m in Nashville and it’s Sunday. Meaning: All liquor or wine or any other store selling any sort of alcoholic products are CLOSED! And even more sad is that the Trader Joe’s down here doesn’t sell any wine! My hubby and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE shopping at Trader Joe’s for wine. They have the best selection of inexpensive, yet scrumptious liquid grape (even their own line). So, I’m left to settle with a South Australia Shiraz, a 2008 vintage by Layer Cake (about $16.00 at the Nashville Costco). Mom was told by a friend that it was good, so of course, we had to have a taste. I must say, I’m not that impressed with it at all, and way too overpriced for the quality. It was a bit bitter at first taste, surprising for a Shiraz.  If you ever decide to try it, I’d open it up the night before you want to drink it.  Give it a day or so to open up.  Yes, it takes that long (according to my palette)!

If I did have a red Burgundy, I’d love to have one from a vineyard in Pommard, Beaune, Volnay, Meursault, or Puligny, France. I myself prefer Meursault.  Did you know that a Burgundy can come in red or white?  Yep.  Burgundy is just the name of the region where the wine is made.  In fact, most Burgundy red is made of pinot noir grape, and Burgundy white is made of chardonnay.  I didn’t know this until this past May when my hubby and I went to France for our anniversary (it was lovely).  We decided that since we drink wine practically every day, we might as well learn more about it.  And why not in France? Just a hop, skip, and a jump — so there we went.  We settled for Beaune, France — easily accessible by train from most major cities.  We flew in separately to take advantage of frequent flyer miles.  He in Frankfurt, Germany and I in Geneva, Switzerland.  It was so romantic meeting up on the platform in Lyon, France, where we proceeded to Beaune.  It was as if we were two lovers, long separated by some undesired circumstance.

Beaune is a quaint little town at the center of the Burgundy region.  It is between Dijon (known for its mustard, as you may know) and Autun (I have no idea what gets made here).  We came across a nifty little bike rental shop en route to the hotel from the train station and decided to bike through the vineyards and different towns the following day.  The rental cost us about $50.00 combined, which beats the typical tasting tour price of about $40 buckaroonees per person.  The owner of the bike rental shop was lovely enough to point us to the best vineyards along the way.  And he even gave us recommendations for cheese and bread shops in Beuanne where we could stock up on sustenance before embarking on our bi-cyle excursion.  It was absolutely perfect for wine tasting.  You bike, then drink for a while, then bike again to the next town.  There is a dedicated bike path, so no need to worry about running into any fast-speeding quadri-vehicles.  Here are some images of our trip, perhaps they may inspire you to venture and visit Burgundy soon!

I’ve just noticed that it’s almost four months since my last posting. It seems like only last week. However, you must understand that at my age, 114, time flies ever more quickly. This might be the same for you, dear reader, even though you might only be a forty-something, for I’ve heard forty-somethings – who to me are mere children – say they don’t know where the time goes, and how old they’re getting.

You who are my faithful readers may be puzzled at my stating that my age is 114, since, in my previous postings, I referred to myself as a 113 year-old. Well, since my last posting I had another birthday, my 114th. My men, Mikey Squeaky and Freddy, gave me a surprise party with a birthday cake. Instead of 114 candles, the cake just had one, for 114 candles is too much to put on one cake, unless it’s a giant cake for twenty men.

So, given that it’s de rigueur for a birthday cake to have candles, and that 114 candles is too many candles to put on a cake for just four men, Mikey Freddie and Squeaky were faced with the conundrum of how many candles to put on the cake. What number would be the most neutral? They decided it would be one; so one candle it became.

There were other alternatives, such as having a cake large enough for twenty or so, and with 114 candles. That portion of the cake we couldn’t eat, we could give to the needy. But the needy may have become suspicious, for neither I nor Mikey Freddie and Squeaky, look the sort of men who would give portions of birthday cake to the needy, who, anyway, may have been aware that four men looking like us are wanted by the police, and have turned us in for the money which the police are surely offering.

Another alternative might have been to have the cake for twenty, with the 114 candles, and the four of us to just eat the cake over the next few days. I was so glad that Mikey Squeaky and Freddy didn’t suggest this, since (secretly) I abhor birthday cake, and any other kind of cake. I’ve never understood our society’s liking of cake. Along with hamburgers and fries, cake is the antithesis of a healthy food.

However, as an English gentleman of the old school, I don’t refuse food, however nauseating or unhealthy, when I’m a guest in someone’s home, or when food is presented to me in my honour, as my birthday cake was.

I wish today, though, to speak of something quite different, namely Albert Camus’ novel “The Outsider” which I’ve recently re-read. Let me say as an aside, that although the theme of this blog is books I’ve read, and films I’ve seen (well, apart from my telling of my being on the run, and the events leading to it), I read nowadays only books, since the films on offer at film houses within driving distance from where I’m hiding out, are, based on their descriptions, so ghastly, that were I to watch them, I would feel as nauseous as I would from eating only hamburgers and fries, and cake, unceasingly over many days.

Now, to The Outsider. I had read it once before, in 1946 – when first published in English – but, after sixty-four years, I didn’t remember much about it. However, even had I read The Outsider for the first time, say, two years ago, and remembered it, I still would have wanted to re-read it, since, to get the full value from a worthwhile book, one should read it at least twice.

The Outsider’s first line is the famous: Mother died today. Or maybe, yesterday; I can’t be sure. This bespeaks that the narrator, Meursault, a young man of French descent, but Algerian-born, and who lives in Algiers, is by nature insouciant. He takes life as it comes. Each event has its own significance. Nothing is more important than any other.

Here’s a passage which spoke to me. It concerns Meursault and his girlfriend, Marie:

Marie came that evening and asked me if I’d marry her. I said I didn’t mind; if she was keen on it, we’d get married.

‘All right,’ I answered. ‘We’ll get married whenever you like.’ I then mentioned the proposal made by my employer, and Marie said she’d love to go to Paris.

Then she asked me again if I loved her. I replied, much as before, that her question meant nothing or next to nothing – but I supposed I didn’t.

‘If that’s how you feel,’ she said, ‘why marry me?’

I explained that it had no importance really, but, if it would give her pleasure, we could get married right away. I pointed out that, anyhow, the suggestion came from her; as for me, I’d merely said ‘Yes.’

Then she remarked that marriage was a serious matter.

To which I answered: ‘No.’

She kept silent after that, staring at me in a curious way. Then she asked:

‘Suppose another girl had asked you to marry he – I mean, a girl you liked in the same way as you like me – would you have said “Yes” to her, too’?

‘Naturally.’

Then she said she wondered if she really loved me or not. I, of course, couldn’t enlighten her as to that. And, after another silence, she murmured something about my being ‘a queer fellow’. ‘And I daresay that’s why I love you,’ she added. ‘But maybe that’s why one day I’ll come to hate you.’

To which I had nothing to say, so I said nothing.

She thought for a bit, then started smiling and, taking my arm, repeated that she was in earnest; she really wanted to marry me.

Meursault, in his disinterestedness, acted as I might have, had my own wife Gladys (now long dead) asked me to marry her, rather than I her. Not that Gladys would have asked, because the young women of her day just didn’t do that. No, it was always the man who, on bended knee, asked for the lady’s hand, usually after asking her father’s permission. The father would want to take stock of the young man, would want to know, for instance, whether he had the means to support his daughter in the manner to which she was accustomed.

If I was as indifferent about Gladys as Meursault was about Marie, why did I ask for Gladys’s hand in marriage? Well, because marriage was expected of men, particularly of a career army officer as I was. And the most dependable wives were of the nice girl-next-door sort, as Gladys was, who would behave always in a manner befitting the military social circles in which I moved.

But I was never passionate about Gladys, for, in my bachelor days I’d had passionate affairs with exotic foreign women, after whom an English girl-next-door, like Gladys, would inevitably be a romantic disappointment. To begin with, Gladys, before our wedding night, had never known a man in the Biblical sense, so I was her first. Gladys was never passionate about me either, although she always performed her conjugal duties towards me whenever I requested them.

Back to The Outsider. Mearsault had been languishing in jail for some weeks, and so

…….was plagued by the desire for a woman—which was natural enough, considering my age. I never thought of Marie especially. I was obsessed by thoughts of this woman or that, of all the ones I’d had, all the circumstances under which I’d loved them; so much so that the cell grew crowded with their faces, ghosts of my old passions. That unsettled me, no doubt; but, at least, it served to kill time……..

This so echoes my inner feelings as a now womanless man myself. When last I made love to a woman, it was in April of this year (2009). In the four months since, my old loves have more and more crowded the space around my bed at night, and some share my pillow. Despite that most would now have died of old age, or, if alive, would be little more than a bag of bones in an old-age home, they look, when they visit me in the night, as young and beautiful as they did when I loved them as a young, and as a middle-aged, man.

I confess, dear reader, that I wasn’t faithful to Gladys. But I ask you to understand my position. While Gladys did always comply with my conjugal requests, she did little more than lie inertly on her back and allow me to enter. I found this unsatisfactory, so what else could I do but find comfort in the arms of other women?

Despite that I was born in Queen Victoria’s time, when psycho-analysis and psychology were in their infancy and otherwise almost unheard of, I know enough psychology to suspect that my choosing to re-read The Outsider right now, is because I, as an outlaw wanted by the police, am, like Meursault, an Outsider. Also, Meursault has killed a man, as have I, and he’s in jail where he awaits his execution. So, this is of great interest to me, since the police could find me at any time, and put me in jail, where I could well be executed if found guilty of murder.

How might it feel at the moment the judge finds me guilty? I got an inkling when I read this passage:

When the bell rang again and I stepped back into the dock, the silence of the courtroom closed in around me……..I didn’t look in Marie’s direction. In fact, I had no time to look as the presiding judge had already started pronouncing a rigmarole to the effect that ‘in the name of the French people’ I was to be decapitated in some public place.

These words turned my stomach to jelly, for I can think of no more awful a way of killing a man than by chopping his head off. Far better the lethal injection, which may be my fate. It’s so much more civilised.

Meaursault, indignant that the judge and executioner have it all their own way once sentence is passed, feels the condemned man should have a sporting chance of escaping his fate. Meaursault concludes that

……what was wrong about the guillotine was that the condemned man had no chance at all, absolutely none. In fact, the patient’s death had been ordained irrevocably. It was a foregone conclusion. If by some fluke the knife didn’t do its job, they started again. So it came to this, that – against the grain, no doubt – the condemned man had to hope the apparatus was in good working order! This, I thought, was a flaw in the system; and, on the face of it, my view was sound enough. On the other hand, I had to admit it proved the efficiency of the system. It came to this: the man under sentence was obliged to collaborate mentally, it was in his interest that all should go off without a hitch…..

While Meaursault’s analysis of the judicial killing system is acute, he doesn’t consider that to execute a man for having killed another, isn’t just an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth; but three eyes, or more, for an eye; and three teeth, or more, for a tooth. In most cases, the man killed has hardly any time to contemplate before he is killed – perhaps a few seconds, or even a few minutes, but seldom more. But the killer may languish in jail for weeks, months, years, before the morning when he’s taken to the scaffold. He thus suffers infinitely more mental torture than the man he killed. Before his head is cut off, or he is hanged, he has already, in his mind, died a thousand deaths and more. Is this cricket?

The killer may have killed his victim in a fit of anger or passion. His judicial killers, on the other hand, kill him premeditatively, deliberately, coldly. But, while you regard the killer as a bad fellow who got his just desserts; you look up to his judicial killers – that is the judge, jury, hangman, guillotine operator – as fine fellows, who you might want to drink a beer with. But, you dear reader, will surely agree that what the judicial killers do to the killer, is far more monstrous than what the killer ever did to his victim.

Why do nice respectable people like judges, and those on juries, and hangmen, and guillotine operators – who pay their taxes, attend PTA meetings, go to church and all of that – act so barbarously? Well, it’s because each is only a bit player in the process. The jurors decide only whether or not the killer is guilty; the judge decides only what the sentence is; and the hangman or guillotine operator only pulls the lever. But, would jurors be so quick to find the killer guilty; and the judge so quick to pass a sentence of death, were they also required to pull the lever at the scaffold and witness the execution?

As to at what stage in life we die, Meursault waxes philosophic, saying

……it makes little difference whether one dies at the age of thirty or three-score and ten – since, in either case, other men and women will continue living, the world will go on as before. Also, whether I died now or forty years hence, this business of dying had to be got through, inevitably…….

Despite Meursault, should I be caught, and be condemned by a judge to death by lethal injection, I can take more comfort that it’ll be when I’m 114 or older, than were I only thirty-three, for, at thirty-three, one has so many more potential years to live.

If, as Meursault says, this business of dying has to be got through inevitably, why do I not immediately give myself up? Perhaps because this would imperil my men, Mikey Freddy and Squeaky, who, at forty or so, still have much living to do. Nonetheless, I’ll ask them what they think.

Well, Meursault. If you move in the same blog circles as I do, you would’ve heard of this up and coming Edinburgh act by now and you may have already checked out their 2008 release Pissing On Bonfires/Kissing With Tongues, released on Song By Toad Records.

I must admit to not warming straight away to these guys last year, and I think that’s down to me being distracted and not giving it the album the time it deserves more than anything else. Luckily, a recent email from Matthew over at Song, By Toad alerted me to the Nothing Broke EP release and I immediately fell head over heels for this gorgeous 5 track gem.

There is not a single dud moment on this record. Not a single bloody one. Each and every track is a masterpiece.

It’s acoustic and melancholy and warm and opening track ‘Nothing Broke’ features banjo and some beautiful underlying accordian. Or is it autoharp? I’m not entirely sure. Anyway, this is the official promo track off the EP and I think it does an excellent job of showcasing what these guys are capable of, it’s got a little bit of everything – soaring vocals, multi-instrumentation and wonderful lyrics.

The opening of ‘Red Candle Bulb’ reminds me of Frightened Rabbit’s ‘Poke’ for some reason. It’s got nothing to do with the fact that they both happen to be Scottish bands and the songs don’t really sound the same, but I think it might be the simple guitar and single vocal beginning that triggers this association. I’m also quite enamoured by these lines:

you can waste your whole life praying and still have nothing to show
fuck this shit I don’t need this stress
if I think i’m gonna fail I won’t show for the test
I am what was once known as a sensitive soul

Which brings me to ‘Love Or Limb’. What a song. Deceptively simple, it grows on me more and more with each listen. Achingly gorgeous, brutally honest.

there are times when I think all you need is my love
there are times when I think all you need are my limbs
and I need some way to let you down without leaving you behind
some way to keep all this with me
while setting it alight
and if I could do just one of these things
then I think that I might be
I think that I might be alright

From the opening handclaps of ‘William Henry Miller Part 1′ and its simple twangy banjo beginning, I knew that this track was even better than its predecessors. Neil Pennycook’s vocals are outstanding, complete with that lovely Scottish tinge that enhances every wonderfully chosen word. The melody is gorgeous too and I’ve found myself humming it constantly, reminding me that I’ve not been able to listen to anything else at all this past week.

Closing track ‘William Henry Miller Part 2′ follows directly from ‘Part 1′ and is probably my favourite of the bunch. I say probably because I love each track with such ferocity that whichever one I’m listening to at the time is my favourite, until the next one comes on and convinces me to love them best instead. Featuring piano and guitar and with a greater ambience than ‘Part 1′, it’s slower and a bit more morose, but I mean that in a good way. The best way. Just listen to those ‘ohhhhh’ moments. You’ll know the ones I mean.

I honestly love this EP and can’t recommend it highly enough. I urge you, beg you, beseech you to buy it and listen to it for the rest of your born days. You won’t regret it.

Meursault performing ‘William Henry Miller Part 1′ on a Newcastle bandstand as the rains pours behind them. Just a banjo, three voices and two pairs of hands a-clapping. I love the closing shot of a lone man walking in the rain through the park too. Wonderful stuff.

Nothing Broke – Meursault

And from Pissing On Bonfires/Kissing With Tongues

A Few Kind Words – Meursault

*** Edit: It wasn’t until I went to buy the actual physical record that I realised I’d been listening to the tracks not in the order in which they appear on the EP, but in the order stupid iTunes had placed them when I’d imported them into my library. I’ve since changed my review to reflect the correct order, but I think it’ll take a while for me to get used to it! Stupid bloody program.

I’m planning on writing a new Versus, a review on Deerhunter, and probably the exploits of my adventures set in the bathroom.  Check it out or die … seriously.

1. The Dog and Pony Showdown
2. Meursault n’ Vinegar*
3. Sci-Fidelity**
4. The Ante Semites
5. The Bastardly Beads

*Meursault, FYI, is the main character in Albert Camus’ The Stranger.  Obviously this band wouldn’t be a grindcore act.  Unless they have existentialcore.  In which case that’d be fucking sweet.

**Could be abbreviated as “Sci-Fi”, especially since the recent nixing of the Sci-Fi Channels name in exchange for Sy Fy. What the fuck is “Sy Fy” anyways?  It looks like the name of a Loasian warlord.  Maybe their steering their marketing approach to a more “Moaist vibe”.

Just had two fabulous (but rather pricey) wines. The 2006 Domaine Buisson-Charles ‘Vieilles Vignes’ Meursault (Wines of the World, £23.99) had a very pure aroma (might get lynched here, but it did smell sanitised, reminiscent of a swimming pool!), butter, oak, roasted nuts. The richness and intensity of the flavour was nicely balanced, with some minerality.

The pale ruby 2006 Cristom Mount Jefferson Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley (Flint Wines, £24.95) succeeds in its Burgundian aspirations. A nose of farmyard, earth and black cherries. On the palate, sweet cherries and hints of spice, orangey acidity, a slight alcohol burn (it is 13.5% vol!) with a silky mouth feel. A nice long finish.

Both wines very nicely complemented my lunch of chicken kiev stuffed with bacon and mushrooms!

(by JK)

I see characteristics of the brave Iranian protesters in two characters in Albert Camus’s novels.

Meursault (the protagonist of The Stranger ) and Dr. Rieux (the protagonist of The Plague ) are both possessed of admirable heroic qualities. Rieux is brave and committed to solidarity, but Meursault also has a virtue that he practices to the limit: honesty. He does not accept social pressure to pretend concerning his feelings and ideas. If he feels no emotion toward his girlfriend, he tells her so. If he does not cry at his mother’s funeral, he does not cry. Indeed, at trial his “emperor has no clothes” honesty is what gets him into especially hot water, for he seems, by not crying at his mother’s funeral, to have displayed a criminal’s heart. But what he is doing is cutting through the layers of social hypocrisy and all its lying about expressions of emotion and socially “correct” motivation. He is a Christ-figure putting the society trying him on trial itself.

Both The Plague  and The Stranger  are novels that relentlessly lay bare the lies that individuals and societies erect between themselves and reality. They are literary denial-shattering sledgehammers. First answers never hold. The truths of existence and human motives are slowly but surely made naked, and put under pressure to their limits. What we get by the time we arrive at the end of these novels is a clearing for honesty, air, and sunlight. The world is painfully laid bare, both in its truths and horrors. But they also show that at least some people do not compromise their inner integrity for convenience or to save their own skins. Both Meursault and Dr. Rieux are willing to die in the face of enormous pressures to either conform or simply cut and run. But they will not conform and will hold their positions. They both encounter absurd situations and struggle to stand up under the assault of them. They are men who are more than a match for what they, by curious contingencies, find themselves in.

Think Rocky in the ring, the NY firemen on 9/11, and, of course, the Iranians protesters on the streets these past two weeks. With regard to each individual protester, each moment is a new and taxing encounter with the questions:

1. How much truth and horror in your society are you willing to confront and lay bare?
2. When will you break ranks and disengage?
3. Will you stand to the death?
4. Will you hold?

Each day that the protesters hold on, a new layer of lies is shed from the “emperor has no clothes” Iranian regime. Day by day, we see that government ever more in its nakedness. Its mystifications are laid bare. As if each day were the turning of a page on a Camus novel, a little more truth and sunlight breaks through dark clouds. Things are clarified, and the powerful and terrifying nature of the human spirit is brought into the sunlight.