The Coral - 1000 Years
I've seen The Coral live a few times, most memorably headlining a gig involving The Libertines, The Thrills and The Zutons amongst others in a massive tent in New Brighton back in 2003. The sonic vibrancy of their shows has never for me transferred itself to record, bar a handful of exceptions, 'Dreaming of You' and 'Goodbye' among them. Nevertheless, it's always worth hearing what they're up to as there is always something different and interesting. Their new single, '1000 Years' is an instantaneous cracker; maybe more mellow than much of what has gone before, with a dreamy West Coast style to the lyrics and harmonies combined with a fuzzy, distorted feel. The best thing I've heard this year.
"A new day has begun
Now that you're standing in the warmth of the sun"
Friday, 9 July 2010
Wednesday, 7 July 2010
Vineria San Telmo
Paseo de Catalina de Ribera 4, 41004 Sevilla
www.vineriasantelmo.com
Having sought guidance from Trip Advisor and the excellent Sevilla Tapas blog about the best places to go for tapas, the name of Vineria San Telmo loomed large. With a table booked (unnecessarily as it turned out) we turned up full of expectation. We were not to be disappointed.
It was decided that 5 tapas per couple and a large plate to be shared between everyone was reasonable and it turned out to be just about right. To start with, Catherine and I enjoyed Argentinian chorizo full of flavour and a sublime beef carpaccio.
This was followed by an aubergine, goat cheese, tomato and salmon tower and a crab pastel, which provided some level of disagreement.
The general consensus around the table was that the crab pastel was a bit disappointing taste-wise, although as a lone voice I found it soft, creamy and very moreish, altogether subtle rather than bland. The tower was ordered by both parties and while it was considered a success, it was suggested the goat cheese slightly overpowered everything else. There may have been an element of truth to this, but as someone addicted to the stuff my natural bias would not allow me to agree! The other small dish we got was the Argentinian beef with mustard sauce, which my normal excitement when confronted with such a dish meant I started eating instantaneously and forgot to take a picture. Delicate, beautifully cooked and enhanced by the mustard. A triumph. For my money, the only slightly disappointing element of the whole meal was the large dish of fried chicken with potatoes and mustard.
There was absolutely nothing wrong with the chicken at all and it was more than edible, but unfortunately it just didn't hit the heights of the other offerings and for me only just rose above the level of KFC. Nonetheless, the positive reviews I had read for Vineria San Telmo were more than merited and, as with the majority of the places we ate at during our stay, it provided superb value.
www.vineriasantelmo.com
Having sought guidance from Trip Advisor and the excellent Sevilla Tapas blog about the best places to go for tapas, the name of Vineria San Telmo loomed large. With a table booked (unnecessarily as it turned out) we turned up full of expectation. We were not to be disappointed.
It was decided that 5 tapas per couple and a large plate to be shared between everyone was reasonable and it turned out to be just about right. To start with, Catherine and I enjoyed Argentinian chorizo full of flavour and a sublime beef carpaccio.
This was followed by an aubergine, goat cheese, tomato and salmon tower and a crab pastel, which provided some level of disagreement.
The general consensus around the table was that the crab pastel was a bit disappointing taste-wise, although as a lone voice I found it soft, creamy and very moreish, altogether subtle rather than bland. The tower was ordered by both parties and while it was considered a success, it was suggested the goat cheese slightly overpowered everything else. There may have been an element of truth to this, but as someone addicted to the stuff my natural bias would not allow me to agree! The other small dish we got was the Argentinian beef with mustard sauce, which my normal excitement when confronted with such a dish meant I started eating instantaneously and forgot to take a picture. Delicate, beautifully cooked and enhanced by the mustard. A triumph. For my money, the only slightly disappointing element of the whole meal was the large dish of fried chicken with potatoes and mustard.
There was absolutely nothing wrong with the chicken at all and it was more than edible, but unfortunately it just didn't hit the heights of the other offerings and for me only just rose above the level of KFC. Nonetheless, the positive reviews I had read for Vineria San Telmo were more than merited and, as with the majority of the places we ate at during our stay, it provided superb value.
La Raza
Avenida Isabel la Católica 2, 41013 Sevilla
www.grupolaraza.com
Following a two and half hour drive from a villa near Periana, which had been the first leg of the holiday, the happy group of four; myself, Catherine, brother Rob and his girlfriend Jenny, arrived at the excellent Hotel Becquer in Seville on a Saturday lunchtime with the temperature high and all eager to sample the cuisine of Europe's hottest city. I had booked us a table at La Raza, set by the greenery of the Maria Luisa Park, a few minutes walk from the Old Town. Although the main focus of our stay was to be tapas (more of which to come in a future blog), we elected to eat from the à la carte menu in the attractive and airy conservatory area, the only minor quibble being that respite from the heat did not come as quickly as it might have done due to an only partly-functioning spray fan.
Nonetheless, once a beer arrived we were cooler and happier and were soon given a lovely caramelised goat cheese on toast to accompany a perusal of the menu.
While Catherine and Jenny elected to share a plate of king prawns in a peanut batter with houmous for their starter, Rob and I both chose the gazpacho, done to a recipe that had been served at the restaurant since 1960 and featuring basil oil and shellfish. It would be fair to say that neither of us were 100% certain of the choice but as one of the signature dishes we felt it was appropriate.
Our decision was proved correct as it was the dictionary definition of fresh, full of flavour and actually felt like we were putting something healthy inside us, a sensation that, despite the excellence of nearly everything else we ate in the city, it would be difficult to say we encountered much. The king prawns were also fresh and tasty, the only complaint from the girls was that, having been advised by our very friendly waitress to share due to the size of the portion, they felt they could have managed one each.
For main course Catherine and I shared squid cooked in its own ink with rice and served with aioli, a dish we had previously enjoyed in Valencia, while Rob and Jenny both went for sirloin steak.
It's difficult to make our dish look overly appealing, but the taste more than compensated. There was a richness enhanced by the creamy garlic quality of the mayonnaise and with plenty of squid ensured that - to no great surprise - I was able to manage second helpings. I was also able to sample the steak which was soft, flavourful and a hit with the other two. With the starters averaging out at around €9-10 and mains averaging at €20, prices were more than reasonable, especially when washed down with a couple of bottles of competitively priced Barbadillo wine.
Unable to manage pudding, we staggered back to the hotel with the sane pair - Catherine and Jenny - electing to siesta before the evening. Those with less sense trawled the streets looking to watch the Argentina v Germany quarter final, eventually ending up in of all things a German bar with no air conditioning and packed with sweaty Germans loudly extolling the virtues of Lukas Podolski. Bizarre (and hot) does not do it justice.
www.grupolaraza.com
Following a two and half hour drive from a villa near Periana, which had been the first leg of the holiday, the happy group of four; myself, Catherine, brother Rob and his girlfriend Jenny, arrived at the excellent Hotel Becquer in Seville on a Saturday lunchtime with the temperature high and all eager to sample the cuisine of Europe's hottest city. I had booked us a table at La Raza, set by the greenery of the Maria Luisa Park, a few minutes walk from the Old Town. Although the main focus of our stay was to be tapas (more of which to come in a future blog), we elected to eat from the à la carte menu in the attractive and airy conservatory area, the only minor quibble being that respite from the heat did not come as quickly as it might have done due to an only partly-functioning spray fan.
Nonetheless, once a beer arrived we were cooler and happier and were soon given a lovely caramelised goat cheese on toast to accompany a perusal of the menu.
While Catherine and Jenny elected to share a plate of king prawns in a peanut batter with houmous for their starter, Rob and I both chose the gazpacho, done to a recipe that had been served at the restaurant since 1960 and featuring basil oil and shellfish. It would be fair to say that neither of us were 100% certain of the choice but as one of the signature dishes we felt it was appropriate.
Our decision was proved correct as it was the dictionary definition of fresh, full of flavour and actually felt like we were putting something healthy inside us, a sensation that, despite the excellence of nearly everything else we ate in the city, it would be difficult to say we encountered much. The king prawns were also fresh and tasty, the only complaint from the girls was that, having been advised by our very friendly waitress to share due to the size of the portion, they felt they could have managed one each.
For main course Catherine and I shared squid cooked in its own ink with rice and served with aioli, a dish we had previously enjoyed in Valencia, while Rob and Jenny both went for sirloin steak.
It's difficult to make our dish look overly appealing, but the taste more than compensated. There was a richness enhanced by the creamy garlic quality of the mayonnaise and with plenty of squid ensured that - to no great surprise - I was able to manage second helpings. I was also able to sample the steak which was soft, flavourful and a hit with the other two. With the starters averaging out at around €9-10 and mains averaging at €20, prices were more than reasonable, especially when washed down with a couple of bottles of competitively priced Barbadillo wine.
Unable to manage pudding, we staggered back to the hotel with the sane pair - Catherine and Jenny - electing to siesta before the evening. Those with less sense trawled the streets looking to watch the Argentina v Germany quarter final, eventually ending up in of all things a German bar with no air conditioning and packed with sweaty Germans loudly extolling the virtues of Lukas Podolski. Bizarre (and hot) does not do it justice.
Friday, 25 June 2010
Great Summer Records #3
The Beach Boys - Breakaway
Yes 'Wouldn't It be Nice'. Yes 'California Girls'. But this typically optimistic and gorgeous effort is often overlooked when the band are discussed. To be listened to whilst sat on the edge of a pool with feet in the water and a bottle of something cold in the hand.
"And I can breakaway to the better life
Where the shackles never hold me down
I'm gonna make a way for each happy day
As my life turns around"
And, as a bonus, the band live on The David Frost Show:
Yes 'Wouldn't It be Nice'. Yes 'California Girls'. But this typically optimistic and gorgeous effort is often overlooked when the band are discussed. To be listened to whilst sat on the edge of a pool with feet in the water and a bottle of something cold in the hand.
"And I can breakaway to the better life
Where the shackles never hold me down
I'm gonna make a way for each happy day
As my life turns around"
And, as a bonus, the band live on The David Frost Show:
Tuesday, 22 June 2010
Great Summer Records #2
The Divine Comedy - Love What You Do
Neil Hannon has adopted a Jarvis Cocker-esque position on the fringes of popular culture, occasionally dipping his toes in, but generally happy out of the direct glare and making his own kind of music. Although the output has not always been to my taste, this offering, although perhaps not classically a ''summer record'' in terms of subject manner, shimmers gloriously around the chorus, releasing sunshine as it goes.
Neil Hannon has adopted a Jarvis Cocker-esque position on the fringes of popular culture, occasionally dipping his toes in, but generally happy out of the direct glare and making his own kind of music. Although the output has not always been to my taste, this offering, although perhaps not classically a ''summer record'' in terms of subject manner, shimmers gloriously around the chorus, releasing sunshine as it goes.
Saturday, 19 June 2010
Great Summer Records #1
The Thrills - Big Sur
Gravel-voiced Irish LA-wanabees The Thrills' appeal seemed to wane very quickly but the first album was at the time a very refreshing, retro throwback to, dare I say it, a (probably mythologised) 'more innocent age'. I could have picked four or five records from 'So Much For The City', but purely for the lovely haze present through the video, it's this one.
Gravel-voiced Irish LA-wanabees The Thrills' appeal seemed to wane very quickly but the first album was at the time a very refreshing, retro throwback to, dare I say it, a (probably mythologised) 'more innocent age'. I could have picked four or five records from 'So Much For The City', but purely for the lovely haze present through the video, it's this one.
Thursday, 8 October 2009
Genius - No3
I appear to be out of step with the majority of my fellow humans on a number of issues. I’m not remotely a fan of Bruce Forsythe. I think Jackie Brown is Quentin Tarantino’s best film. For me, Alex Turner’s finest work to date has been with the Last Shadow Puppets. And, in my opinion, Elvis Presley’s career hit its heights in the early “Vegas years” in the late 1960’s and start of the 1970’s. Whilst I appreciate the importance of his formative musical years in terms of rock and roll history, from a personal point of view they don’t hold the same appeal or fascination as, for example, the footage of his residencies at The International Hotel, best seen on the ‘That’s The Way It Is’ documentary, freely available on DVD.
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