When natural isn't the best choice

I just got back from the vegetarian/vegan Mecca, NYC. We had great meals at Angelica Kitchen, Red Bamboo, and Two Boots Pizza. I can highly recommend all eateries. I'd wanted to try Angelica for several years and it did not disappoint. I had soup and a salad and HS had a seitan burrito. Red Bamboo has an extensive ecletic menu. This time we both had seitan; a sandwich and a skewer plate. Two Boots is my new favorite pizzeria, and they have a hearty vegan slice. They just need to put their jalapeno pesto on it (not really a pesto, more of a puree, and I'm sure it's vegan) and it would be perfect.

I have a letter to the editor in Natural Health magazine this month. My letter is in response to an article about sustainable sandalwood products. I say that sandalwood has been pushed to the verge of extinction due to the perfume industry, and that it's better to buy products with synthetic sandalwood, which smells exactly the same but uses only a fraction of the resources that sandalwood tree production (sustainable or not) does. It's important to replant sandalwood, of course, but I think it's a mistake to always prefer "natural" scents. In some cases it takes a ton of flowers, leaves, etc. to produce a gallon of essential oil. It just reminds me a bit too much of meat production in its resources in/ product out ratio.

Another way that I don't prefer natural is in regards to sweeteners. Actually, just one sweetener, agave. I figured out a few years ago (it involved tequila; don't ask) that I'm violently allergic to cactus derivatives. I can stay away from tequila but agave is more pernicious, often masquerading as a "natural sweetener." It rules out a lot of energy bars or vegan sweets for me. I'm writing about it because there is next to nothing on the 'net about agave allergies/reactions. (My reaction is horrendous stomach pains.) If you know anyone who's also allergic to agave, holla back so I know I'm not alone!

Buh-bye!

So, it's pretty obvious that I've closed down this blog, but I just wanted to say it officially, I guess. My Reluctant Vegan blog is still plenty active, though!

All blog and no play

I'm going to take a break from the Band Name Blog for a month or two. I'll still be blogging here. If you have band names to suggest, leave them in the comments section. Ciao!

Hooky and the Delinquents

I went looking for bands named Hookey or Hooky (not sure how you spell it). I thought the name would be a comic goldmine in the "who's on first?" tradition.
--Who's playing?
--Hookey.
--They're playing Hookey?
--No, we're playing Hookey.

Yes, I know I missed my calling. (I'm here all week, folks.) I found Hooky and the Delinquents and The Hookey Band. The only match for H and the D is a recent classified in a St. Louis paper, looking for members and specifying "all members must chew gum." Clearly they are very rebellious. I think they should title their first CD "Please Hooky don't hurt 'em."

The Hooky Band is based in England and has progressed a little farther than H and the D. They'll play pretty much any kind of music, including "Ho-Down." I think that is probably different from Hoe-Down. I imagine it involves a lot of broken acrylic nails and a tourniquet made of spandex.

Hooky and the Delinquents: 7.9 (nice use of the "X and the Ys" construction)
The Hooky Band: 2.5 (would have been better to call themselves simply Hooky)

My! Gay! Husband!

Regular readers should know I'm not a fan of punctuation in band names. What is wrong with "My Gay Husband?" (question mark not included, although that would still be a big improvement over the exclamation points.) With the exclamation points, I want to say the name in cheerleader style: MY (clap) GAY (clap) HUSBAND (shake pom poms)!

MGH is a DJ in Vancouver. I'll grant that he has some pretty spiffy promo posters. The one I like most is above. He has appointed himself "le prince de la rave rap." How does one dress to see rave rap? Lots of bling and a green wig?

I found this name on a list of the best SxSW band names this year, which is quite a treasure trove.

My! Gay! Husband!: 1.8

Sistas in the Pit

I'm going to see Iggy Pop next week, and two bands are opening for him: Sistas in the Pit and The High Class Elite. I predict a fight backstage.

Sistas: The High Class Elite Man is trying to bring us down!
High Class: Climb out of the pit and join the rest of society!

I'm not sure how I feel about names that use the vernacular (i.e. sistas vs. sisters). I know that I feel like a dork when I say "Da Ali G show," because I have very little of that rhythm thing. But I think the sistas can carry it off. Maybe The High Clas Elite should call themselves Da High Class Elite.

Sistas in the Pit: 6.3
The High Class Elite: 2.5

Lesbians on Ecstasy

I was a little afraid of what I might find when I googled this band name. But "lezzies on x" seem very nice and are from Montreal, a beautiful city that I'll be visiting very soon. Their philosophy/ raison d'etre (en francais out of respect for Quebec) is to put down the acoustic guitar and back away from the multi-part harmonies that lesbian music so often (heck, always) reveres. They're throwing away the chambray and taking it to the dance floor, bitches!

The name is obviously over the top, but it's so out there that I respect it. I wonder how many frat boys stumble into their shows looking for a hot time? If you're in the closet and don't want to be, I think leaving a Lesbians on Ecstasy ticket out when your parents come to visit is probably a good conversation starter.

Lesbians on Ecstasy: 7.1