Today was the day of the famed New Mexico green chile. I’d been told about it previously, but had to have some myself.
The New Mexico chile is a local cultivar of the species, or subspecies otherwise represented as Anaheim peppers. The large, flavorful New Mexican variety gives the region’s cuisine much of its distinctive style, and used so extensively that it is known simply as “chile”. Green chiles are those that are picked unripe; they are fire-roasted, then peeled before further use. Unlike the ultra-mild canned supermarket green chiles, New Mexico green chiles can range from mild to hotter than jalapeños, and come in grades of spiciness at markets that cater to chile aficionados. (Wikipedia)
Leaving the hotel at 8:30 in the morning, I set out from Amarillo at a rather leisurely pace. The drive to Albuquerque was considerably more straightforward as compared to Houston-Amarillo: I simply headed west all day on I-40, ’till I finally got to the city.
Slated to last about five hours, I made sure to stop at various points to get some shots of the fields, which eventually turned into more undeveloped desert areas.
Let me preface this by saying this is a really, really brief blog post. Almost Facebook/twitter status-update esque. That being said, I plan to make a post or two later this week, once I’m done being consumed by studying for my two finals tomorrow.
With that out of the way, I’d like to offer a recommendation for a relatively new track by Nas & Damian Marley (also known as Bob Marley’s youngest son.) Entitled “As We Enter”, it’s the first single from the duo’s collaboration “Distant Relatives”, set to be released on May 18th (which just happens to be my birthday, wazah!) The track features elements of reggae, with the typical hip hop feel that Nas is known for. From Swahili to Hummers over to Kingston, the song’s references touch upon the shared heritage the two have, announcing their return to the kingdom. If nothing else, the track is chock full of that “we’re taking over” mentality that’s sure to get your adrenaline pumping.
I suppose when you first read that headline, you may have asked yourself whether I would really write a blog post about alternatives to using the United States Postal Service. I mean, we all know UPS is king in that department anyways, so why would I try to drum up debate on an already settled argument?
Right, well, in fact, what I am referring to is the band Faded Paper Figures.
What I like about Faded Paper Figures is their similar electronic style to that of The Postal Service, which exudes a kind of “lazy-but-thoughtful-provoking” feeling. This is especially so for the tracks on their more recent album, Dynamo. Add to the mix a wonderful feminine voice on the chorus, and you’ve got a great combination.
I’m also a fan of the thought they put into their site’s lyrics page: for most bands, it’s enough to simply write a track, record it, and let the masses decide what exactly the song means to them. But at the same time, for those who are just a little more curious, the lyrics page provides a litany of links, on various words, to give the listener a window into the artists’ thinking.
In an age where artist-listener interaction is characterized by Facebook and MySpace pages that appear to give us more of a “connection” simply because we can “like” or comment on their posts, sometimes the simplest things like this can go a long way.
Anyways, if you’re feeling adventurous, do give Faded Paper Figures a listen!
