April Showers Bring May Flowers...

via tinyengines.limitedrun.com

Also: Mother's Day, Memorial Day Weekend, May 4^th Be With You, Cinco de Mayo, the Kentucky Derby, My Birthday, and Allergies

Holidays. Real ones, made up ones, who cares! We love 'em. We especially love holidays that come with special drinks. That's why I love Derby Day. You can break out a mint julep and rock a silly hat. You watch a two minute horse race and then go about your business of kicking back with some bourbon. You'll probably forget you have allergies and a bunch of other more important stuff.

All this bourbony Kentucky Derby talk has led me back to Kentucky legends Slint who rolled through town last week; and yes, I missed it. Wednesday was just not my day, but it did get me thinking about Louisville and some of the great music that comes out of that part of Americatown.

Once upon a time, (in the mid 90s, shocking but true) there was a band called Falling Forward that mixed up the universe of Louisville hardcore and became something more that became the band known as Elliott. There was a lot of buzz and they did not disappoint. Elliott put out three LPs and a career retrospective. They toured a ton or so. They evolved from post-hardcore forefathers and embraced their love of the Cure and Radiohead. There was a hiatus; and then in 2008, there was Frontier(s). The constant: vocalist/guitarist Chris Higdon.

"If anything goes wrong, Desmond Hume will be my constant."

Sorry brother, got sidetracked (Lost) there. Here's a quick sampling of this family tree of post-hardcore goodness, so get an ironic tee and a choker, we're going in.

Falling Forward at a hardcore basement show when you rocked the VHS behind the drum kit like you were invading practice. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Bless you PunkRockLou, please give Josh a copy.

Elliott's "Drive On To Me." If there were any justice in the world, this tune would have been in a scene of romantic entanglement; there would be rain; and there would be a giant teenage swoon propelling a band to glory. Alas, it didn't happen that way, but it should have.

Frontier(s) are putting out a new EP, getting out on the road, and by all accounts (or recent Twitter negotiations) playing NY, Philly and possibly the NJ. Searching for them on YouTube is tricky, because of the Journey cover band with a very similar name. So, here is a fan made video of my fave Frontier(s) tune "Abul Abbas" that is basically a cat painting, you know, 'cause the Internet.

You can pre-order Frontier(s) forthcoming White Light EP from Tiny Engines.

Also, a simple Mint Julep recipe.

Ingredients

2oz Bourbon whiskey

4 mint leaves

1 teaspoon powdered sugar

2 teaspoons water

Preparation

In a highball glass gently muddle the mint, sugar and water. Fill the glass with cracked ice, add Bourbon and stir well until the glass is well frosted. Garnish with a mint sprig.