MS-Related Events Update, continued from page one...

Aside from this, the Team N3kk1d Family of Teams raised more than $6,000 for the fight against Multiple Sclerosis during 2011! Our fantastic crew raised the bar yet again this year, organizing a full two-day volunteer group for the June Bike MS event and a foursome for a September Golf MS fundraiser. And in September, Sloth and Steph were fully indoctrinated into Team LaDorkas for Challenge Walk MS in Door County Wisconsin, an event that has raised more than one million dollars in just four years. Wow! Check out Team N3kk1d's website for updates on their charity partnership as well as photos and videos from 2011.

Goats, Chickens, Chard, and Thunderstorms - Farmer James Does It All

After the experience of attending Zoo School and taking Economicology classes at City High, it was an easy transition for James to spend several weeks working at Earthkeeper Farm in Kent City this summer. James roughed it out in a tent in the stables as he learned organic farming and sustainable agriculture first-hand. He came out of it with a nice tan and a new understanding of the process of growing food for public consumption in today's world. His sister Heather also visited the farm several times and enjoyed charming the Earthkeeper workers at the Ada farmer's market. Ace Reporter Sloth Silius caught up with the two of them at The Underground Production Studio to get their reactions in detail.

SLOTH SILIUS: So, Mr. Veenstra, I am curious how exactly you got involved in Earthkeeper Farm on an internship-type basis versus your family merely being a member of the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program.

JAMES VEENSTRA: Well, over the summer I didn't have anything planned to do, so I called up Rachelle [Earthkeeper co-owner] and and asked her if she wanted any help at the farm. She said "yeah, sure - we have the whole month open!" So my first period was pretty much right after school ended and it was two and a half weeks of planting, cultivating, harvesting, and re-planting starter plants from the greenhouse.

S: So that must have been close to the time where Earthkeeper Farm went from growing plants in the Spring to full-blown production of harvesting and bringing materials to market, correct?

J: Well, they had been doing it for a couple of years, but this year was the highest number of full shares they had ever had - estimated at around 75 or so. The full share members got the full amount of each different crop at the market.

S: So if you could think of one thing that really stuck in your mind from that first two and a half weeks, what was it?

J: Well, for me, since it was near the middle of the start-of-season vegetables and mid-season vegetables, we worked onplanting tomatoes, mellons, peppers, and that kind of thing as I got there and as the week finished out when I left.

Continued on page three...

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Interview with James Veenstra and Heather Ford, continued from page two...

S: So the the single biggest difference between city life and Earthkeeper Farm would be what?

J: I would say, for me, it was the freshness of the food you were getting. You could just go out and pick whatever you wanted and it was always fresh, dirty and gritty. That kind of touch to your food makes it so much better, knowing that you are going out and digging through the dirt with your bare hands, instead of it being wrapped in plastic, not knowing who touched it and where it came from.

S: Better than fresh out of a can?

J: Definitely.

S: Well, Ms. Ford is itching to give her interview... do you remember the time that you went and worked on the farm for a couple of hours, and do you remember what you did?

HEATHER FORD: Yes; we helped pick tomatoes and peppers and we used them to make dinner. We had dinner at their nice picnic table.

S: So when you went, some of the work you did was pick vegetables?

H: Well, not really... I just liked playing with the cats. And my brother James took me on a tour and we saw the sheep and goats and pigs... the road that goes down to the pigs is really bad because there's poison ivy.

S: Can pigs get poison ivy?

H: No - they have fur.

S: Oooooooooh. So did you go with your whole family? Was it just your family or were there other families?

H: There were other families. We wanted to go there and spend time with them because we hadn't hung out with them since the last summer.

S: And you wanted to see where your food was coming from - you were getting food from Earthkeeper Farm at the market, but you wanted to see what the farm was like with your own eyes.

H: Yes.

S: If you went back to Earthkeeper Farm, when would you go back and what would you do?

H: I would ask for a job when I grow up.

S: And what would you do there?

H: Help pick things and help gather the vegetables.

S: Would you play the guitar and hang out with the other workers?

H: No, I would play with the cats. And read a book.

S: Would the cats help you harvest the vegetables, do you think?

H: Not really. They wouldn't really want to be around me because they're wild, and... they don't even have hands!

Continued on page four...

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Interview with James Veenstra and Heather Ford, continued from page three...

S: They don't have hands?

H: No, they have paws.

S: Is there a technical difference between a hand and a paw?

H: Yes. They don't have any thumbs.

S: I've seen a cat with thumbs.

H: No you haven't, liar! Not poseable thumbs!

S: It looked poseable to me! You disagree?

H: Yes.

S: Very good. Well, it was fantastic speaking to you and James; it sounds like you have had opportunities that most people don't get to have hanging out on a farm, so I thank you for your time today.

H: You're welcome.

J: Yeah.

For the full unedited interview and an in-depth discussion of Farmer James' experience at Earthkeeper Farm, check out the audio version at SlothWerks.Com.

2011 ... in Memorial
by Steph Ford

This year was unfortunately marred by the passing of several loved ones. Steph takes a moment here to pause and reflect on their importance in our lives.

In early May we lost my cousin Patrick. He was only 42. Patrick could win anyone over with his wit and sarcasm. He was loud, boisterous, and compassionate. While I was in high school, he and his brother Matt told me to call them ANYTIME if I needed them for help in keeping the boys in check. He loved with his whole heart. He cherished his family and fought hard to keep himself on the right path even when his chips were down. His ability to tell a good story or bad joke and debate like he was a New York lawyer could make a person cringe or laugh out loud. As he continues onto his next life, I hope he realizes just how many lives he’s touched.

On December 8th we lost my Sharon. She was NEVER just an Aunt to me, she was a second mom when my own seemed too far away. She was the one I ran to when I thought my parents just wouldn’t understand. She was the one who told me to "suck it up" when I was being overly dramatic and hugged me when I needed reassurance. She had a voice that was low and rich as dark chocolate. She got me through my teen years when I was so very angry about my own mother's MS. She was there for the birth of my first child and there when my Mom passed away 24 days later. She was my idol. She was everything that a woman should be: strong, yet affectionate; tough, yet kind. She took in kids like people take in strays and she never judged too harshly, but would make you think about your actions. I will miss her smile, her laugh when she snorted, her scent, her glamour, her soft hands. She will be missed more than she could ever know and I am so blessed and glad that she was a part of my life.

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A Summer Full of Celebrations!

The Sloth-Ford Family spent the summer celebrating with family and friends during numerous special occasions. In May, Sloth's old buddy Diana Herriman celebrated her marriage to long-time beau Jim Rohler at a gorgeous park in northern Ohio. The day was spent enjoying 80-degree summer sun, playing volleyball, and hanging out with Sloth's pal Jason, his wife Beth, and their two adorable kids. In July, the family made a weekend of it in Midland to celebrate the 60th birthday of Sloth's mom Joan Brausch (known in our household as "Grammie"). Sloth and his father worked extra-hard on this party, coming up with games for friends and family to enjoy. Several weeks later, this was followed by a very special birthday present for Steph: a "Day on the Beach" in August with the kids and close friends. Steph very much appreciated the opportunity to sit back, sip on a glass of wine, and unwind for a day! Finally, in August the family drove down to Kalamazoo, Michigan for the wedding of Steph's cousin Felicia Nichols to Ryan Vliek. The outdoor wedding took place at the Kalamazoo Country Club and was picture-perfect! The days were warm this summer but certainly enjoyable... check out videos and photos on our family's image gallery online.

Sloth Inadvertantly Becomes PTO Leader

How does one inadvertantly become the relunctant head of a PTO? When the current PTO president abruptly leaves town! Granted, Amy Lyman, the previous head of PTO at Mulick Park Elementary moved out of the city due to a job change - and in this day and age in Michigan, it's hard to complain about being employed at all. However, this left some pretty big shoes to fill... and Sloth was perfectly positioned to continue falling down the Grand Rapids Public Schools rabbit hole. (Didn't we predict this in our last newsletter?)

Overall, Sloth has enjoyed the position and was able to draw on his experience with the City High-Middle School PTSA to determine how to reach out to parents and adults in the community. Granted, as an honorary 8 year-old himself, Sloth would rather just play Pokemon with the kids at Mulick... and he still may be able to do that, as he is working on forming a Pokemon Club with a student leadership team at the school. But much progress has been made, and Sloth has already met several wonderful parents who care very much for their children and their school. Their help with the PTO has been invaluable!

The Sloth-Ford Family Gallery

Why have we set a new record this year with more than two dozen new video and photo galleries for your perusal? Is this really necessary? Probably not, but now that Sloth has a cell phone which can take fairly decent video and photos on demand, nothing is stopping him from documenting pretty much everything. And where else would you be able to find photos of Sloth feeding beer to a cow? Check out everything from garden updates to videos from Grand Rapids' ArtPrize, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! (Need instructions as to how to access the gallery? Email us at newsletter@slothwerks.com.)

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They Might Be Giants... LIVE
The Intersection, September 18 2011

The last time we had seen John Flansburgh and John Linnell in concert was at Calvin College in 1997. Almost 15 years later, the dynamic duo (now accompanied by their most powerful live band ever) returned to Grand Rapids to The Intersection,performing many songs off of their new album Join Us (see "NEW MUSIC") as well as crowd-pleasers such as "Instanbul (Not Constantinople)", "Turn Around", and "Ana Ng". The Giants were very chatty with the crowd throughout the show; even the somewhat reclusive Linnell flashed a shy smile and tossed in a good one-liner now and again between performances. John and John are known for their out-of-the-box, lo-fi antics during their live shows and this gig was no different: at one point they divided the crowd in half and played a game they called "Apes versus Humans" (inspired by the recent Planet of the Apes film) to see which half could vocally out-perform the other. Sloth and James were pleased to find that their side (the Apes) easily bested the humans, even if it resulted in hoarse voices afterwards. An interactive puppet show and searing solos from drummer Marty Beller, bassist Danny Weinkauf, and guitarist Dan Miller (whose instrumental introduction to "Instanbul" was described as "face-melting" by Flansburgh) rounded out the evening. As a bonus pre-show treat, fans of the Giants enjoyed the addicting geek-rock of Johnathan Coulton, whose recent album "Artificial Heart" was produced by Flansburgh himself. We may all be getting older, but the unique charm of They Might Be Giants continues to tug at the youth in all of us.

NEW MUSIC NEW MUSIC NEW MUSIC

Four Star Rating System Explanation

1 ... I'm embarrassed I paid money for this album.
2 ... Some highlights to the disc, but I doubt I'll play the full-length album very often.
3 ... A solid release that requires several listens.
4 ... I play this album over and over!

Eliza Doolittle Eliza Doolittle - The debut album from this young talent from London is infectious to say the least. Ms. Eliza Caird possesses a sensibility rooted in the classic stage (both of her parents were heavily involved in English theatre) and as such her songwriting is full of everything you would expect: wit, humor, charm, and a playfulness that can only come from youth. Her music lends itself well to simple arrangements, yet the sometimes slick production on the record occasionally gets in the way of the music itself (the opening cut "Moneybox" is a perfect example). However, this is probably the only drawback to this otherwise excellent debut. As one explores the record, virtually every song gets stuck in your head, requiring further listening... if it's not the whimsical "Rollerblades" or slightly naughty "Skinny Genes" that gets to you, then it might be the rolling romp of "Pack Up" or the playful poppiness of "Mr. Medicine". Regardless, it's an addiction that costs one very little... and you can be sure that we'll be back for more in the future. Four out of four stars.

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Stone Temple Pilots Stone Temple Pilots - After the majority of a decade spent in hiatus, lead singer Scott Weiland reconciled and reunited with drummer Eric Kretz and the DeLeo brothers to release a new collection of tunes - their first since 2001's Shangri-La Dee Da. The members of STP have worked on numerous projects in the meantime, and you can certainly tell: this is not the same band who recorded the classic Core and Purple albums. This self-titled release is much different, seeming to reach into the past for influences. "Hickory Dichotomy" features slide guitar work and an overall Rolling Stones-like delivery; "First Kiss on Mars" is a brilliant homage to David Bowie, and "Huckleberry Crumble" might seem right at home on a classic ZZ Top record. The big surprise for me was "Cinnamon", which is an unabashed pop love song - a far cry from mid-90's grunge. Overall, this new release might be a bit of a let-down to older fans (such as myself), but the band still sounds quite good and certainly put on a hell of a show here at Rock the Rapids in August. It'll be interesting to see where these rockers go from here. Two out of four stars.

Adele 21 - At the risk of jumping onto the bandwagon, I feel compelled to offer a review of Adele's second offering, 21. This smokey British artist joined a new generation of singer-songwriters heavily influenced by classic rhythm and blues music: Joss Stone, Amy Winehouse, Duffy, et cetera. For those who enjoyed the somewhat minimalist and moody 19 (Adele's first record), 21 takes things to the next level from songwriting to vocal prowess to breadth of styles. If the break-up stomp of "Rolling in the Deep" doesn't sell the listener immediately, the impressive following line-up has plenty to offer - the soaring piano and string arrangements in "Turning Tables"; the slow groove of "He Won't Go"; the Carole King-like jam "I'll Be Waiting"; the gutsy growl of "One and Only"... this is truly an album that grabs hold and will not let go. We are even treated to a surprise cover of The Cure's "Lovesong", which works very well with Adele's voice in its melancholy A minor. But while heartache and pain is at the center of all great rhythm and blues music, Adele's gutsy delivery and exploration of inner emotion keep you coming back for more. Four out of four stars.

Sara Bareilles Kaleidoscope Heart - As if her brown eyes and personality aren't adorable enough (Sara can be seen on NBC's vocal competition The Sing-Off as a celebrity judge), Sara is an incredibly talented musician, song-writer, and vocalist. While she lists fellow pianist/guitarist Sarah McLachlan as a major influence (and the multi-layered acapella introduction to the album certainly is a good example), her punctuating piano style and frank discussions of human relationships reminds one more of Paula Cole than Sarah McLachlan. Bareilles is also heavily influenced by classic soul, although there is significantly less of these tones on this record than her major-label debut Little Voice. But even throughout the poppy bounce of "King of Anything", there is still depth to Sara's lyrics and delivery - certainly enough to carry the listener to the swagger of "Not Alone" later in the album, which better showcases what she is capable of vocally. If the previous careers of McLachlan and Cole are any indication, we still have much to look forward to from this contemporary artist. Three out of four stars.

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Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross The Social Network / How To Destroy Angels (w/Mariqueen Maandig) - Trent Reznor, the man behind the moniker Nine Inch Nails, has been a busy man recently, scoring music for multiple films and working at his home studio with wife Mariqueen Maandig and collaborator Atticus Ross. The score to The Social Network and the How To Destroy Angels EP are very different releases, although they are not necessarily far flung from the usual canon of Trent's previous work. The score to The Social Network builds upon Atticus and Trent's mostly instrumental Ghosts I-IV and toes the line between darkness and light, often combining plaintive piano lines with dischordance. Trent's edgy, paranoid, atmospheric work is the perfect backdrop for a film which is equally edgy and paranoid, and the music works well on its own independent of the screen. The one exception is the oddly out-of-place Wendy Carlos homage "In the Hall of the Mountain King", which is somewhat of a sonic assault when compared to the carefully constructed sound layering found on the rest of the record. For those willing to dance on the dark side, The Social Network may be at last a palatable introduction to the world of Trent Reznor. Three out of four stars.

Quite the opposite can be said of How To Destroy Angels. This collaboration between Trent, Atticus, and Mariqueen is a bombastic 6-track EP which brings the full force of Trent's experimental studio wizardry to bear. Fans of Nine Inch Nails will probably enjoy tracks such as "The Space In-Between" and "Fur Lined", but for those also familiar with the lush trip-hop atmospherics of Mariqueen's previous band West Indian Girl, the marriage of Trent's distorted, dark electronica and Mariqueen's smooth vocals is a bit jarring. Trent and Mariqueen may be an adorable couple, but the vocalist who best inhabits the world of Nine Inch Nails is Trent himself... and in the end, I was not particularly impressed by Mariqueen's work on this EP. Two out of four stars.

John Legend and The Roots Wake Up! - The 2008 U.S. Presidential election seemed to resonate the concept of Change, and John Legend and The Roots collaborated on this release to capture that energy into a collection of covers. Unlike other artists who have attempted similar projects, these stellar musicians concentrated their efforts on lesser known classics, shining the spotlight on 60's and 70's social movement anthems. As a result, Wake Up! is fresh and full of a fervent urgency, driven by ?uestLove's drum kit, John's yearning vocals, and Black Thought's lyrical poems. The record overall is an amazing blend of John's signature gospel and rhythm & blues with The Roots' hip hop funk, also featuring guest rappers Common, Malik Yusef, and CL Smooth on several tracks. Things come together explosively on the cover of Bill Withers' "I Can't Write Left-Handed", an almost 12-minute epic that painfully drills in the true cost of war. While the content of this record falls in line with The Roots' previous work, Wake Up! may be the most important album released by John Legend to date. Four out of four stars.

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Jill Scott The Light of the Sun - Jill blew us away with her first two releases (the second of which was reviewed in Newsletter #33), but volume three of the Words and Music series seemed to come up a bit short... perhaps because it seemed to lack that certain whimsical, playful Jill Scott pizazz. Let us assure you that she is back in true form on her forth release The Light of the Sun. Much has changed for Jill: she is now a mother dealing with a particularly difficult breakup with the father of her child. As all great artists do, she works though these emotions on The Light of the Sun, calling on her full reportoire of weapondry: spoken word, smooth old school soul, acapella scat, and even a surprise collaboration with Doug E. Fresh. Wisely, album collaborator J.R. Hutson allows Scott free reign to pursue her musical whims, which works better on some cuts and less so on others. But overall, we are left with a very honest and in some cases sonically experimental record, full of all sorts of gems: the rasta-like jam "Blessed", the sultry "So In Love", the piano and string-driven "Hear My Call", and the extremely sexy "Rolling Hills". May Philly continue to represent for years to come! Three out of four stars.

Over the Rhine The Long Surrender - Our brooding husband-and-wife team of multi-instrumentalist Linford Detweiler and vocalist Karin Bergquist are back with a new collection of gorgeous, dark, and mostly acoustic passages produced by alt-country soundsmith Joe Henry. Karin's aching and yearning delivery is somehow even more raw here, giving an edgy sense of urgency to even the relatively quiet "Infamous Love Songs". While the pair tap into their usual wide range of musical styles on this record - folk, blues, gospel, and more - the instrumentation generally sticks to the acoustic side and features an appearance from Lucinda Williams on "Undamned". Those with good headphones will also hear the subtlety of Joe Henry's production as he dabbles with effects and textures on the edges of the periphery (such as on "The King Knows How"). Over the Rhine is not for everyone, but for those willing to tread on the dark side of what amounts to the contemporary acoustic singer-songwriter circuit (home to everyone from Ani DiFranco to the Cowboy Junkies), this band is wonderful treat. Three out of four stars.

Stevie Nicks In Your Dreams - After the excellent Trouble in Shangri-La (co-produced by Sheryl Crow and reviewed in Newsletter #27) and Fleetwood Mac's Say You Will (reviewed in Newsletter #31), we had high hopes for In Your Dreams, which this time finds Stevie hanging out with Waddy Wachtel (James Taylor, Carole King, Jackson Browne, et al), Dave Stewart (The Eurythmics), and the usual Chris Lord-Alge on the mixing board. The record is a true collaboration with Stewart: the two worked together on the songwriting, and Dave even appears on vocals on the final track of the album (unfortunately). Even with all of this talent, along with an appearance by Lindsey Buckingham on "Soldier's Angel", one cannot shake the feeling that our old bird is, in fact, getting a little tired. It's difficult to put one's finger on it: album opener "Secret Love" is destined for radio play, and Stevie's pen continues to paint pictures with far more depth than many of her contemporaries (we especially enjoyed "New Orleans"). But there's a certain spark lacking in these recordings... a dark intensity that gives life to classic recordings such as "Gold Dust Woman". And by the time we get to the closing cuts "Italian Summer" and "Cheaper Than Free", it feels like we've run out of steam. Considering our similar reaction to Lindsey Buckingham's Under the Skin (Newsletter #36), it's obvious that we are still waiting for that spark to be re-ignited... and for Lindsey, Stevie, John, and Mick to begin recording together again. Two out of four stars.

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The Beastie Boys Hot Sauce Committee Part Two - For those who wondered at the silent vocals on the all-instrumental The Mix Up from 2007, The Beastie Boys' hip hop follow-up to the minimalist, heavily political To the 5 Burroughs is a return to form. The album release rode in on the coattails of a star-studded half-hour video sequel to the classic B-Boys single "Fight for your Right to Party", celebrating the 25th anniversary (!!!) of the smash hit from 1986. How many other hip hop artists are still releasing records to critical acclaim after 25 years in the business? Hot Sauce puts the doubters to rest and continues to push the envelope sonically. While this release is not quite as ambitious or broad in scope as the rollercoaster Hello Nasty from 1998, it still utilizes bizarre editing, strange (and sometimes random) vocal effects, and out-of-the-box instrumentation on the part of the Boys themselves to create a fascinating tapestry of tunes which require multiple listens. As usual, the opening track "Make Some Noise" is the hook that reels us in, but subsequent cuts - the insanely compressed Nas collaboration "Too Many Rappers", the reggae-tinged jam "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win", and the bass-heavy, empowering "Say It" - are proof of the Beastie Boys' continued genius. The end of "Fight For Your Right Revisited" states "To Be Continued - Check Back in Another 25 Years"... and while we somehow doubt that the B-Boys will still be dishing out lyrical treats in 2036, one almost suspects that they may indeed. Three our of four stars.

They Might Be Giants Join Us - The Giants, alias John Linnell (keyboards, accordion, vocals) and John Flansburgh (guitars, vocals) have been recording for almost 30 years and have captured the hearts of numerous generations with their whimsical musical arrangements and cerebral - and sometimes difficult to comprehend - lyrical content. Join Us is almost a celebration of their entire past career, ranging from minimalist lo-fi arrangements harkening from their earliest work ("Cloisonné") to addicting full live band jams ("When Will You Die") to cuts which sound like they were lifted right off of the classic Flood from 1990 ("Three Might Be Duende"). Indeed, some of these tracks could easily be placed on a "Greatest Hits" compilation: "Spolier Alert" is an absolutely brilliant blend of the two Johns, intertwining utterly different songs in the right and left stereo channels to create a complete whole; "Lady and the Tiger" dabbles in hip-hop influences; "Protagonist" is a classic Flansburgh piece utilizing film metaphors and stage directions to explore unrequited love. Some critics may have written off the Giants many years ago, but we saw a lot of young people at their live show at The Intersection in Grand Rapids... proof that this band is still gaining new popularity even after 30 years in the business. Three out of four stars.

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