More of Me

I could really benefit from cloning right about now. The weekend was unusually busy, with two sold out shows at work, and I had to be up on a few hours sleep each night to attend the National Restaurant Association trade show at McCormick Place for Chicagoist. We'll be filing two separate reports this week on it. I found myself drawn to the seminars on sustainability and organic produce, and a seminar this afternoon with Rick Tramonto and Paul Kahan did not disappoint. From what I gleaned from those two - and the other panelists - the major stumbling block toward awareness on sustainable produce is educating the consumer, since customers largely don't ask questions of their chefs or educate themselves on the subject. I also have enough Cholula samples to last the summer, or the next bloody mary.

From there it was another lazy Sunday brunch at Cuatro with Sue and the Professor. The area around Motor Row is fast gaining some destination restaurants, with Jerry Kleiner's Room 21 just down the street from Cuatro. I might need to check it out in a couple weeks. and that brings us to the eMusic song of the week. And this week, I have two.

The Athens-based band Southern Bitch combines high octane Southern rock with the best riff robbery this side of Angus and Malcolm Young, courtesy of the husband/wife team of Adam and Wendy Musick. Comparisons to AC/DC are apt, as this band plows forward with a "three chords and the truth" philosophy that fuels the best rock and roll. Their 2006 release Strong Medicine is more Southern-fried, putting Southern Bitch in the same territory with contemporaries Drive-by Truckers. For my money, I prefer the intrcacies of their 2005 release Snake in the Grass. There's a guitar interplay on that record between the Musicks that recalls at times Scott Asheton of the Stooges or the more commercial Sonic Youth recordings. I've included two trakcs for you to get a feel for what I have no idea I'm talking about.


Southern Bitch: "Could It Be"

Southern Bitch: "Free Man Now"