Often times with all the Rihannas, Biebers, Gagas and Taylor Swifts running around on Grammy night, it’s easy for the indie artists to get lost in the shuffle.  Fortunately with the help of Stephen Colbert, the Best Alternative Music Album category got some love on mainstream television (though let’s face it, as indie artists go Vampire Weekend, The Black Keys, and Arcade Fire are pretty well known).

Where is the love, though for the soundtracks, scores and songs written for films or television?  Right here, my friends, right here….
Get to the good stuff after the jump »

It’s 2:30pm.  You just opened your eyes after a crazy time out the night before.  Your head throbs.  Your stomach feels miserable.  You swear that your blood stream might actually be running with alcohol.  What is the first thing you reach for?  Advil.  The second thing?  Water.  Third?  Your car keys to take yourself to McDonald’s, Arby’s, IHOP, Norm’s or whatever greasy fast or diner food establishment is closest to your house.  The below recipe from the Town Talk Diner in Minneapolis, MN may not be an Egg McMuffin, but it will certainly fill up your aching tummy to the brim.

Comfort Food: Hangover Special by comfortadpole1

Upcoming shows…

Terraplane Sun is playing a few shows around the city next month.  On June 3 at Silverlake Lounge with Bear Face, then on June 16 and 21 at the Stronghold in Venice.

Today we have an AWESOME credit sequence from the show True Blood.  It’s grimy, it’s greasy, it’s sexy.   Brought to you by the fab Gary Calamar (who also produced the soundtrack):

And if that’s not enough, there’s an entire program on the Food Network devoted to terrible-but-oh-so-delicious eats – Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives hosted by the slightly crazy but generally enjoyable Guy Fieri.  Check out a list (with addresses and websites!) of some of the places he visits here.

Town Talk Diner Brat Burger

INGREDIENTS

Brat Spice Mix

2 tablespoons freshly ground white pepper
2 teaspoons rubbed sage
1 teaspoon ground mace
1 teaspoon ground celery seed
1 3/4 pounds pork shoulder, diced
1/4 pound fat back, diced
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon brat spice mix

Spicy Kraut

1 cup store-bought sauerkraut

1 tablespoon diced bacon
1/4 cup onion, sliced
2 tablespoons white wine
2 juniper berries, crushed
1/4 teaspoon caraway seeds
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoon garlic-chili paste

Garnish

8 slices gruyere cheese
8 slices bacon, cooked
Large hamburger buns, toasted

PREPARATION

Combine all the spice mix ingredients.

To make the burgers: Toss the pork shoulder and fat back with the salt and the spice mix and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Grind through the coarse die of a grinder and form into 4 (8-ounce) patties.

To make the spicy kraut: Soak the store-bought kraut in water for 20 minutes, drain excess water. Render the bacon; add the onion and saute until translucent. Add white wine and cook off the alcohol. Add sauerkraut and spices and enough water to cover. Simmer for 1 hour. Cool. Mix in garlic-chili paste.

To assemble: Cook burger patties until medium-well. Melt 2 slices of cheeses on top of each patty. Place on toasted bun and top with spicy kraut.

This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.

Yesterday EW.com posted an exclusive full stream of True Blood: Music From The Series Vol. 2, and here’s what I have to say about it.

If I could describe True Blood in three words they would be: dirty, sexy and voodoo. Produced by Gary Calamar (music supervisor, KCRW DJ and author) the soundtrack definitely fits the same description, combining gritty tracks from Jace Everett & CC Adcock, M.Ward (all performing covers of Howlin’ Wolf songs), Beck and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, with a dash of sex from the likes of Robbie Robertson and Chuck Prophet and an eerily awesome remix by Thievery Corporation. There’s a great combination of new and old stuff – a Jr. Walker and The All Stars track from 1965, then “Fresh Blood” from last years Eels album – which melds together incredibly well.

While the overall flow works, the soundtrack’s strengths are definitely those songs when the gritty and the sexy come together for that great hot, bayou feel. The kind that make you feel like you should be dancing in the moonlight on a sweaty summer night, perhaps some fireflies still hanging around…ok, I’ll stop now, you get my point. While a Lucinda Williams and Elvis Costello collaboration is cool and it is a good song – I just wanted to go back to the swamp.

Check out the tracklist below – my favorites are in red, naturally.  And you can stream the whole thing here.

1. “Howlin’ For My Baby” – M. Ward
2. “Evil (Is Going On)” – Jace Everett & CC Adcock*
3. “Bad Blood” – Beck
4. “How To Become Clairvoyant” – Robbie Robertson
5. “Shake And Fingerpop” – Jr. Walker and The All Stars
6. “Frenzy” – Screamin’ Jay Hawkins
7. “Kiss Like Your Kiss” – Lucinda Williams with Elvis Costello
8. “Gasoline And Matches” – Buddy & Julie Miller
9. “You Did (Bomp Shooby Dooby Bomp)” – Chuck Prophet
10. “You’re Gonna Miss Me” – The 13th Floor Elevators
11. “Fresh Blood” – Eels
12. “The Forgotten People (Bon Temps Remix)” – Thievery Corporation
13. “New World In My View” – King Britt & Sister Gertrude Morgan
14. “Beyond Here Lies Nothin’” – Bob Dylan

And digital only downloads…

15. “Bad Things (Acoustic)” – Jace Everett
16. “Ain’t No Invisible Man” – Jakob Dylan
17. “You Can’t Drive Me Away” – Stone Temple Pilots
18. “Dig” – Headbone featuring Bubba Kendall

*Featuring background vocals from Calamar’s daughter and friends!