As we're planning the kick off event for Friday, May 1, ArtBeat founders are looking to do something that could attract new audiences, as well as feature local, professional artists and musicians. One of the bands that beyond qualifies is Vetiver.

With increasing success and occasional collaborations with Devandra Banhart, the Venezuelan-American folk rock singer-songwriter and musician, Vetiver was recently a featured performance in the New Yorker magazine's art calendar.

Editions de Parfums Notes: vetiver, woods

Date: 8/19/08 Weather: 75 degrees, sunny, humid

Comments: Just what I was in the mood for this morning. Green, woody, a hint of anise, a dusty note that settles into the skin. The anise dominates for a brief moment between minutes 15 and 30. The dusty note gets a bit funky about minute 30, then fades to powder. I'm guessing this is a benchmark vetiver. Wears pretty close and feels like a fuzzy green blanket. Gone in 6 hours.

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Notes: nectarine, peaches, plum, blackcurrent, vetiver, acacia honey

Date: 8/17/08 Weather: 80 degrees, sunny

Comments: Initial spray - almost peachy. Becomes a slightly acidic peach scent and stays there. Not offensive, but not being a huge fan of fruity scents, I found myself tired of smelling like this after an hour. Very linear. Still going 5 hours later, if a bit fainter. Showered after 6 hours.

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Scents and Sensibility

Notes: grapefruit, tangerine, vetiver, rosemary

Date: 8/16/08 Weather: 80 degrees, sunny

Comments: Starts with a really nice, pure grapefruit scent - leaning towards grapefruit juice. About 5 minutes in, picks up a lemon verbena note. Reminds me of Jean Nate. 10 minutes in, a bit of rind and some pink pepper. 15 minutes in, grapefruit and a green, woody note. Gone within 90 minutes.

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Tia Williams

NOTES (as listed on sephora.com): ivy leaves, aniseed, amarena heart, violets, iris roots, vetiver, tonka bean, vanilla, musk

As soon as I saw the beautiful bottle that houses Lolita Lempicka, I couldn't wait to get a whiff. I knew ahead of time from other reviews that this was not my typical cup of tea, but I still went into it with an open mind.

CLASSIFICATION: floriental, spicy

AGE GROUP: mature / slightly college

SIMILAR SCENT(s): n/a

FORM: eau de parfum

Lolita Lempicka, surprisingly, goes on light as a feather. I quite enjoyed the opening, to be honest. This may be off-putting to some of you, but it smelled like a baby wipe. While this isn't my typical preference from a perfume, it was much better than I was expecting, since I'm not usually a floriental type o' gal.

Once the pleasant opening dies down, and the fragrance began to settle, things did get a bit heavy. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, although I cannot state enough that this type of scent is not what I usually seek from my perfume. The "settled" scent of Lolita Lempicka still leaves a bit of that baby wipe behind, but is pretty much overtaken by warm floriental tendencies with a bit of a gourmand twist. Although I wouldn't classify this fragrance as gourmand, there is enough of a spark there to potentially light someone else's gourmand flame, if their nose seeks out different notes than mine did, or if their body chemistry causes Lolita Lempicka to settle differently than mine. The back of the card that came with my sample vial reads:

With her first fragrance, Lolita Lempicka conjures up an emotion that is rare, unexpected and yet somehow familiar... An enchanting floral, clear and sensual, a heady nectar of licorice flower.

I was definitely able to discern the licorice scent in this fragrance, which I feel added a nice amount of depth to an already sophisticated scent.

Surprisingly, I enjoyed wearing Lolita Lempicka. It dried down to a desirable "volume" of scent - it wasn't too overbearing and it didn't disappear from the skin after a short amount of time. Although I would definitely consider this a spicy floriental, it's more feminine than any other fragrance I've ever sampled in either category, let alone the combination category. This review is short because of how pleased I was!

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(We highly recommend reading our guide to understanding our grading system if you haven’t already)

First sniff (bottle): B+

First sniff (skin): A

Worn scent: A

Scent as compared to note(s): B+

Bottle: A+

Overall: A

This is not a fragrance I will ever own or wear again, however, for a spicy floriental, I found that it was surprisingly pleasant and somewhat feminine.  I would recommend it to both spicy and floriental lovers, who perhaps are looking for something a bit different with a slight touch of gourmand.

NOTES: mandarin, saffron essence, cumin, cinnamon, Bulgarian Rose essence, absolute of Rose Mai de Grasse, jasmine, Australian Sandalwood essence, Indian nagarmotha, vetiver.

I didn't know what to expect from this juice when I sampled it, and held absolutely no expectations. I found, in that state of mind, that what I experienced was not a disappointment.

You can sample Magnifique in September's edition of Glamour magazine, along with several other new and upcoming fragrances.

CLASSIFICATION: Spicy, woody, earthy

AGE GROUP: Mature

SIMILAR SCENT(s): N/A

FORM: Eau de Parfum

Magnifique was no surprise to me when I put it on. I absolutely hated it. It is strong (almost overpoweringly so), and very woody. I can compare the smell to cheap incense sticks. Really strong incense sticks.

The smell, although obviously not my favorite, is fairly feminine. Aside from the spicy and woody notes, I do smell the rose essence quite strongly, and this might be the only saving grace for this so-called "seductive" fragrance. (As a side note, most woody fragrances do not smell feminine at all to me, where Magnifique is undeniably so).

After the dry down, I begin to smell a very "earthy" fragrance, which reminds me of a long day spent working in the garden. The rose and the spice are still discernible, but not nearly as much before. Surprisingly, I enjoy the dry down more than the opening - I just really did not like that spicy kick.

Beware, fruity/floral lovers... before you rub your wrist on Magnifique, keep in mind that this is one of those fragrances that you are going to have to spend lots of time scrubbing off in the shower. To those of you that are a fan of spicy/woody fragrances, however, this is a good thing, as Magnifique lasts and lasts.

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(We highly recommend reading our guide to understanding our grading system if you haven’t already)

First sniff (bottle): C

First sniff (skin): D

Worn scent: C-

Scent as compared to note(s): B

Bottle: D--

Overall: C-

Recommended for fall/winter casual or nighttime wear for mature women that enjoy spicy, woody fragrances. Sadly, I can't really recommend this to anyone that takes an interest in fruity/floral scents.

Vetiver es el proyecto de Andy Cabic. Su aparición tuvo lugar en el 2004 junto a la nueva ola de artistas "free-folk", como Devendra Banhart, Coco Rosie, Akron Family, entre otros. Si bien la bucólica psicodelia era parte integral del primer disco de Vetiver, el grupo estadounidense parecía desprenderse de las pretensiones surrealistas que caracterizaban a varios de los conjuntos antes mencionados. En su lugar, Cabic centraba sus melodías en el llano, con piezas nuevas que remitían al clásico folklore norteamericano.

"To find me gone" (2006) fue el nombre de la segunda placa, en la cual Vetiver sembró sus cultivos musicales de manera hipnótica, gracias a una producción orientada a la construcción de "ruidos blancos" envolventes y místicos, principalmente en los primeros tracks. Pese a esta pequeña variación, no se encontraba un gran cambio en las composiciones.

Pasaron dos años y si al conjunto le faltaba reafirmar sus raíces country-folk, lo logra con su nueva producción titulada "Things of the past", un álbum de covers en el cual Cabic reinterpreta diversas canciones de conjuntos que lo influenciaron. El mismo artista explica el porque de "Thing of the past": "En este disco se mezclan canciones que tocábamos en los conciertos y otras que me encantaban y de las que creí que seríamos capaces de ofrecer una decente interpretación. Quería, en definitiva, compartir canciones que me gustaban a mi, y a mi círculo de amigos e interpretarlas apreciando sus mejores cualidades. Este es el motivo por el cual éstas han sido canciones sobre las que he vuelto continuamente, en búsqueda de inspiración."

Hawkwind, Ian Matthew y Michael Hurley son algunos de los homenajeados. El fruto de esta aventura es una obra cálida, poblada de sonidos acústicos. De esta forma, "Thing of the past" se convierte en un espejo rural para quiénes habitan en las grandes urbes. "Roll on babe", "Sleep a million years" y "To baby" reflejan el estado anteriormente descripto, con melodías cansinas y ensoñadoras. "Hook & ladder" y "The Swimming song" proponen un ambiente festivo que bien podría ser el soundtrack de alguna celebración pueblerina.

Quizás, los temás que consiguen el mayor grado de emotividad sean "Lon Chaney" y "Hurry on sundown". En el primero de ellos, prima la melancolía de Cabic, acompañada por un piano que derrocha belleza con sutiles arreglos. "Hurry on sundown" no sólo es un gran tema por sí mismo, sino que también se significa por ser la canción que le sigue al lamento de "Lon Chaney". Un contrapuesto adecuado para levantar algún ánimo caído.

"I must be in a good place now" cierra la obra, y ese "lugar mejor" en el cual se "debe estar" puede ser el disco de Vetiver. No es un golpe al autoestima del cantante afirmar que este disco de covers sea su trabajo más logrado. Cabic lo entiende de la misma forma al afirmar: "Es el mejor disco que he hecho hasta el momento porque, lógicamente las canciones son muy buenas, pero también porque al no haberlas escrito yo, nos han ofrecido una mezcla de respeto y libertad para interpretarlas, sacando lo mejor de mi y el resto de los músicos. Era una especie de experimento y la verdad es que ha sido una de las mejores experiencias que he tenido grabando". Las palabras del cantautor se reflejan al escuchar "Things of the past", una relectura de viejas piezas que Cabic no sólo les sacó el polvo sino que también las ha dejado resplandeciente y actualizadas.

Hurry on sundown (Vetiver)

[Audio http://www.musicwebtown.com/semifusas/playlists/155746/1701119.mp3]

Descargar Disco

Notes: vetiver, ginger, mace, coriander

Date: 8/11/08 Weather: 68 degrees, sunny

Comments: Suede leather. The sillage has a pretty incensed jammy rose in it. Very similar to Andy Tauer's Le Maroc. Over the next hour, as it dries down, becomes more powdery, earthy. There is an awful lot going on here that I just can't pick out or concentrate on. Just nose plastered to wrist in contentment at my cubicle. Down to a vetiver powder within 4 hours - very faint. Love this stuff, just wish it lasted longer.

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Si pensi alla teoria di Gaia formulata da Lovelock… alla base è una teoria sull’evoluzione dei microorganismi poi ripresa ed approfondita dagli studi della dott.sa Margulis (colei che coniò il motto “Gaia is a tough bitch”…trad. Gaia è una tosta cagna… ma si può tradurre in molti altri modi…). Da teoria scientifica che metteva in dubbio ed approfondiva il Darwinismo è diventata una bandiera per freak. Nessun problema a questo proposito ma, a mio parere, ne ha frenato un po’ l’efficacia (e di questo si lamenta anche un po’ la Margulis…).

Tra le tante “bandiere” scientifiche da freak c’è anche quella della fascinazione nei confronti di un ritorno ad una situazione di raccoglitori-cacciatori… bene, qui il sunto di cosa è successo ai nostri geni dopo l’introduzione dell’agricoltura (via agro.biodiver.se).
In definitiva continuo ad essere quasi d’accordo con Toby Hemenwey sulla necessità di spostarsi su società “orticole”…

Rimanendo sulla teoria Gaia segnalo anche l'ottimo sito di Roberto Bondì
Nel frattempo per la serie “Ho scoperto il vetiver” : il vetiver nella paesaggistica californiana…

Get ready for another insanely awesome perfume bottle to drool over - designer Christian Audigier, the man behind the Ed Hardy name, is launching a new fragrance, Love and Luck. The fragrance will be available in both a mens and womens version, and will be available in December 2008.

The womens version seems like it will have a Japanese feel to it, with Cherry Blossom and Red Sake being two of the notes listed. You can also expect to smell sandalwood and patchouli, giving it an earthy feel. As for the mens, expect a relatively citrus concoction with such notes as bergamot, orange, and mandarin.

Designer Christian Audigier has recently become a celebrity favorite, as his swimwear has been seen this summer on Britney Spears, Heidi Montag, Christina Milian, and others. His previous scents, simply titled Ed Hardy for Men and Ed Hardy for Women have also tasted sweet success, no doubt in part because of their trendy packaging and appeal to the tween and twenty-somethings markets.

The bad news is that we have to wait so long to get a whiff of these exciting new scents. The good news is that they'll be launched just in time for Christmas, so perhaps our stockings will end up smelling really good this year! Read further for detailed note listings for each fragrance.

Love and Luck for women is said to contain: top notes of bergamot, blood orange and a red sake accord; a heart of black currant, pink peppercorn, nectarine, jasmine petals and forbidden plum, and a base of sensual musk, cedarwood, sandalwood and patchouli.

Love and Luck for men is said to contain: bergamot, orange, mandarin, cardamom; a heart of absinthe, sage, cypress and violet and a drydown of musk, cedarwood, dark vetiver and agarwood.

NOTES: passion fruit, orange, peach granita, champagne mimosa, star jasmine, tiare flower, ylang-ylang, honeysuckle, dewberry blossom, grenadine, violet leaf, vetiver, tonka, blonde woods

All celebrity jokes aside, the original Paris Hilton fragrance is one of my favorite perfumes, ever. I took it upon myself to sample her collection, and Heiress was the second fragrance I purchased in her line. While I was not nearly as impressed with Heiress, I wasn't terribly disappointed, either.

CLASSIFICATION: Flirty, fruity, floral, sweet

AGE GROUP: Teen / College

SIMILAR SCENT(s): N/A

FORM: Eau de Toilette

I highly don't recommend sampling this product straight from the bottle, as I originally did. It was too sweet, too girlie, and too synthetic... even for me, a lover of all things fruity and girlie. In fact, I had a strong urge to wrap up this purchase as best as I could, and run to the hills with it (aka TJ Maxx, to take it back).

I decided to be more open-minded, and sprayed Heiress on my wrist, with my eyes tightly closed. After the immediate opening, Heiress wasn't nearly as sweet as I had first sampled. In fact, it wasn't bad at all.

The scent is very girlie, flirty, and "pink" (as the color is now a very descriptive adjective, in case you were unaware). It is both fruity and floral, but there is no flower or fruit I can even come close to identifying, hence the synthetic smell. I do smell bubblegum in this fragrance, which is the only note I can truly identify.

The staying power isn't bad - I was expecting to be disappointed from the other reviews I have read, but it lasted quite a long time on my skin. It was also consistent, in that I smelled like bubble gum all day.

REPORT CARD

(We highly recommend reading our guide to understanding our grading system if you haven’t already)

First sniff (bottle): C-

First sniff (skin): B

Worn scent: B

Staying power: A

Scent as compared to note(s): B-

Bottle: C

Overall: B-

Although definitely not one of my favorite fragrances by any means, it is not bad for what it is, which is a summery fragrance aimed at girls 13-20.

Very few things are as synomonous with the summer time as traveling.  This fact along with some inspiration led me to create the "Happy Come Lucky Smilin' on a Steamer" mix.  I wasn't going to say much about it, because I'd much rather it speak for itself.  But if you insist, it's got Lee Hazlewood with a baritone more impressive than Johnny Cash, Viking Moses, who quivers and twists every poetic syllable, and Wooden Wand's swaggering guitar solo that will have you strutting long after it's over.  The first track is hyperlinked for your previewing pleasure, and be sure to check back often and peruse our new home.  I hope you enjoy it.

1. Vietnam - "Gabe" :: http://www.myspace.com/vietnamtheband

2. Relatively Clean Rivers - "Easy Ride"

3. Byrds - "Wasn't Born to Follow"

4. Lee Hazlewood - "Run Boy Run"

5. Tom Brosseau - "I Tune My Guitar"

6. Viking Moses - "Crosses"

7. Vetiver - "Save Me a Place"

8. Brightblack - "New Mexico"

9. Wooden Wand - "Mother Midnight"

***Happy Come Lucky Smilin' on a Steamer Mix***

Photo: Paul Young, Mixing: Brad Barry, Song selections and sequencing: Matthew Orr

And that's certainly the unifying force behind Thing of the Past, an album that feels like it was born out of an afternoon spent sorting through album collections and gushing about favorite recordings. And by the sounds of things, these guys have some pretty deep collections; nothing here is a standard, and in fact most are songs you've probably never heard before. Loudon Wainwright III is represented, and he's arguably the most famous name here. The rest of the songs span the back alleys and dusty shelves of country, rock, folk, and R&B, including little-known gems by Bobby Charles, Elyse Weinberg, Garland Jeffrey, Townes van Zandt, Hawkwind... it's like an alternate telling of the history of American song, told not by the superstars but by the also-rans.

And under Cabic's leadership, Thing of the Past becomes an album fit to join that rarified company of covers albums that function as major statements of creativity and purpose. By rattling through their basement record collections and putting new spins on these songs, Vetiver reveals themselves to be a group of remarkable grace, craft, and inspiration. They're able to treat all of music history as one, which makes the music sound timeless; they imbue their sound with the same rustic qualities as The Band, but they're also able to tap into some of the trends of indie rock, echoing Beach House's enveloping warmth and Fleet Foxes' modest focus on melody. Best of all, the album feels very much like a piece, not just a collection of odds and ends; though the group incorporates rock, country, pop, folk, and gospel into their sound, ushering in a surprising array of moods and textures, the album as a whole is marked by a warm, inviting tone that makes the music equally appealing for late-night listening or for lazy Saturday afternoons. And considering what a loose, ragtag collection of musicians it is, Vetiver does an impressive job of making these songs sound like they were meant to occupy space on the same album.

Because the record is focused on the simple pleasures of melody and lyric, and because the mood is fairly subdued and unhurried, it's initially easy to write it off as a minor work, but that's part of the beauty of this recording-- it reveals its charms slowly, over repeated plays, and quickly proves to be an addictive listen. Ultimately, every track reveals itself to have charms all its own. There's the pensive opener, Weinberg's "Houses," in which Sanders Trippe proves himself more than capable of placing his own stamp on the ragged guitar solos, originally played by Neil Young. The virtually unheard of songwriter Dia Joyce wrote "Sleep a Million Years," an elegant and achingly beautiful piano piece that is sung here by Vetiver's friend and former tourmate, Vashti Bunyan. Norman Greenbaum, most famous for the acid-rock favorite "Spirit in the Sky," is represented by a simply delightful, agreebly old-timey sing-along called "Hook and Ladder." Garland Jeffrey's "Lon Chaney" is turned into a haunting, spectral country song, played on little more than piano and violin. Hawkwind's "Hurry on Sundown" is both the strangest and the most energetic tune here, a bizarre, boozed-out and bluesy stomp with searing harmonica work. Van Zandt's "Standin'" is played as a joyfully upbeat country number, and Charles' classic "I Must Be in a Good Place Now" closes the album on a languid, lazily contented note. As for Wainwright, his "The Swimming Song" is played as straightforward folk-pop.

Every song here works, and they add up to an album of considerable virtues. This is an album that demonstrates many of the best qualities of American music, and charts its own trajectory through the country's rich musical history. It's an album of old gems that's played with vitality and vibrancy, alive and in the moment. And most of all, it's an album proving that the past is a well of endless inspiration even in the present, and that old sounds and songs can be as vivid now as ever before. As a covers album by a rock band, it is without very many competitors, and as a statement of creativity and vision, it's definitive proof that Vetiver deserves to have their own music added to the canon, or at least kept alive with the kind of affection and warmth they themselves bring to these forgotten treasures.

Luckyscent Notes: bergamot, mandarin, ylang-ylang, jasmine sambac, tuberose, rose, wallflower, patchouli, sandalwood, vanilla and vetiver

Date: 7/24/08 Weather: 67 degrees, sunny

Comments: The top was bergamot and flowers. 10 minutes in, this scent reminds me of Bond No. 9's Chinatown - peaches, white flowers laced with a little bit of sandalwood and vanilla. It becomes progressively more powdery (and stronger) over the next hour. 90 minutes in - a slight sour note appears and disappears when sniffing the wrist. Not apparent in the sillage. 2 hours in - there is a note that reminds me of mothballs that makes an appearance. It's not cedar - more floral than that. There's also a punk stick note as well. Weird. The strange notes burn away at 3 hours and back to the pretty Chinatown-like fruity floral. Less powder, more sandalwood and vanilla. 5 hours - get that weird punk stick note again. That lingers until the end. One of those scents that will need to be tried again - there are moments I love and moments I hate. Maybe cooler weather will minimize the moments I hate.

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Aromascope
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Una delle cose che mi porterò dietro è una minuscola serra, recupero di un fondo di magazzino. Attualmente usata come semenzaio e nursery per le piantine. Metà dello spazio è (era, ora è senza pannelli per fare da supporto ad un paio di zucche rampicanti) occupato da taniche di acqua nel tentativo di avere un sufficiente accumulo di calore durante i primi soli della stagione. Tecnica totalmente inefficace vista la posizione di casa: esposizione a Nord, tasso di umidità assurdo durante tutto l’anno (nel 2007 il ghiaccio in cortile ce lo siamo portato fino ad aprile/maggio) e siamo il bacino di raccolta di tutta l’aria fredda che cala dal Canavese…
Questo mi ha portato a valutare strategie alternative, oltre a desiderare una serra più grande…

Ed ecco le biomasse.
Jean Pain è famoso per il “Compost dei Templari” ed ad una serie di tecnologie legate al compostaggio degli arbusti per la produzione di energia. Energia=Calore.

Jean Pain con i suoi cumuli di compost ci scaldava la casa, le serre e ci alimentava una 2cv a metano nella proprietà che gestiva nel bel mezzo del versante francese dell’Occitania dove questa sfuma nella Provenza. (E qui metto sul piatto “Gibous, bagase e bandì” di Lou Dalfin”).
Questo è un’articolo di Peter Bane in Inglese ma con immagini sufficientemente chiare per dare un’idea del sistema.
Questo è tratto, invece, dalla libreria a libero accesso di Journey to Forever .

Il nuovo sito dove, in ipotesi, dovrei spostarmi sorge sul crinale di una collina, sul fronte della casa si stende il terreno (con una più che modesta pendenza) che termina in un fiumiciattolo ed in un bosco. Il posto si presenta alla realizzazione di una serie di swales[1] consolidati e resi “assorbenti” dal vetiver e ombreggiati da alberi.
Da entrambi e dalla pulizia del bosco sarei probabilmente in grado di recuperare sufficiente biomassa per permettermi una serra più grande e riscaldata!

Ps. – l’utilizzo del compost per l’orto sinergico è quasi irrilevante. Viene principalmente usato nei semenzai… motivo per cui a quel punto probabilmente ne avrei in eccesso. Me lo vendo?
PPs. - A proposito di biomasse vi consiglio anche questo link al mio nuovo eroe, va a pari con Ruth Stout come genialità scomposta e disordinata (Non sapete l'inglese? Non importa! Bastano le immagini)

[1] Scusate… a furia di leggere roba in inglese mi mancano i termini in italiano. Gli swales sono una specie di fossi che corrono parallelamente alle linee orografiche in modo da trattenere l’acqua e permetterne l’infiltrazione, il che li differenzia dai canali che servono per trasferirla…

Right now I have 876 items in my blog reader...including 315 tracks in Hype Machine.

Yesterday I excitedly watched the trailer for the new Brideshead Revisited movie coming out. I was late to the PBS Series, having never read the book, but fell in love with the last few episodes...and Jeremy Irons' acting. Today I read a headline that said "Bridesead not worth revisiting"...bummer. I have the series in my Netflix list, though.
http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSN2137716720080722?feedType=RSS&feedName=entertainmentNews

I have Mad Men in my Netflix group, too. I know very little about this, except it's supposed to be THE series to watch right now.

I'm so happy The New Adventures of Old Christine is coming back. There aren't too many shows that make me laugh out loud, but that is seriously one of them. I need that, don't you?

I'm awaiting the arrival of Teddy Thompson's new CD in the post.   So many fantastic new releases out this year...Shearwater, Vetiver, Sun Kil Moon and now this.  Life is good.

E invece no. Questa è roba che per ora mi terrò nella cartella “bozze”.
Chiamata così, senza un’apparente motivo, visto che le cose che ne escono normalmente non vengono neanche rilette, passano direttamente alla cartella “pubblicate” dandomi la sensazione di essere una persona ordinata.

Quello di cui vorrei parlare è comunque segretamente correlato a tutto ciò. Rientra in una serie di ragionamenti più o meno a voce alta occorsi durante il montaggio di una Compost Toilet nei boschi (non quella del link...).

Io non sono di quelli che credono che le biomasse salveranno il mondo dalla crisi energetica. A meno che non si inizi a coltivare ogni superficie possibile: autostrade, tetti e sedili posteriori dei SUV compresi. Ma in un contesto ridotto, per intenderci, in una progettazione in permacultura, sono convinto siano una risorsa fondamentale.

Solo di pacciamatura per l’orto ho già fatto andare 2 rotoballe.
Traducendo: 2 rotoballe= un tot di euri a prezzo di favore, un paio di trattori ed un mietitrebbia che sono andati su e giù per i campi, Roberto che si è sudato otto camicie… risultato in termini “energetici” negativo ed in più ho “rubato” la biomassa di un altro terreno... che come minimo era stato anche trattato chimicamente, anche se Roberto dice “poco”. Poi c’è la paglia per il pollaio gestito con il sistema Balfour (o quasi, diciamo un Balfour allo stato brado). Ci sono gli “scarti” verdi per il compost… La serie è quasi infinita ed io, sinceramente, non riesco a produrre così tanta biomassa. Tant’è che la devo acquistare o “saccheggiare” da altri ambienti (le foglie del bosco, le alghe dello stagno, lo sfalcio dei canali…). E’ quasi più il tempo che dedico al recupero di “roba vegetale” che quello che dedico all’orto (diciamo un rapporto di 3:1, e non fate dello spirito gratuito sapendo che non passo mai più di 30 min al giorno nell’orto…)

D’altro canto ho anche una serie di altri problemi. Un’infestazione quasi endemica di phragmites australis con radici fittonanti che arrivano anche a 1, 2 metri di lunghezza e non sai mai dove sbuchino fuori. Si, anche quella è biomassa ma per ora rientra solo nella categoria “rotture di balle”.

Fortunatamente come già nel caso di meristemi, qualcuno in internet fa un sano lavoro di divulgazione (facendomi anche vergognare un po’ della mia cialtronaggine). Se in più chi fa divulgazione è anche un soggetto “anomalo” io ci casco come una pera e mi appassiono. L’articolo che mi ha innescato una serie di riflessioni sulle biomasse e questo qui. Il soggetto in questione è questo qui. Marco deve essere un alieno. Laureato in Australia in produzione televisive, come tesi presenta un documentario sulle tecniche agricole alternative… dopodiché piomba in Sardegna e decide di dedicare buona parte della sua vita al Vetiver elaborandone analiticamente e con dovizia di dettagli le caratteristiche e le funzionalità. Un pazzo. Ma i suoi studi mi hanno permesso di rielaborare alcune strutture progettuali a cui mi mancavano dei pezzi.
Si pensi solo alla possibilità di utilizzo del Vetiver nella fitodepurazione, nella creazione di barriere naturali (anti-erosione o anti-infestanti), nelle applicazioni come consolidamento dei terreni… Io mi sto già sognando un sistema Yeomans in cui i bacini sono “retti” da barriere di Vetiver da cui posso attingere “biomassa” a ciclo continuo… si, non sono convinto che le biomasse risolveranno i problemi su scala globale… ma su una buona progettazione di fattoria a “ciclo chiuso” probabilmente sono una bella svolta…

E poi, finalmente, un sito di divulgazione in italiano, comprensibile e fatto da chi sta nel campo…

Notes:
Top: Lime, Mandarin, Bergamot
Heart: Pink Pepper
Base: Cedar, Vetiver, Moss

Date: 7/19/08 Weather: 85 degrees, muggy and nasty

Comments: Starts with a lime / pepper blast. Very refreshing. Becomes woodier and a bit powdery as it dries down. An hour in a pretty musk note appears. That lingers for hours. Still smelled the drydown the next morning - even after a day of golf in 90+ degree and humid weather. One of my favorites in this line.

Now Smell This
Aromascope
Basenotes
Fragrance Bouquet
Ormonde Jayne Press
Essential Day Spa

NOTES (as listed on beautyencounter.com): lotus flower, muguet, gardenia, sparkling jasmine accord, pink peony, rose de mai, tuberose, jasmine petals, orange flower, musk, ambrette, sandalwood, mousse de chine, vetiver

At work, a new girl that we had just hired always smelled wonderful to me. I finally asked her one day what she was wearing, and it was Ralph Lauren Blue. It was always in the back of my mind to go out and get it for myself, but I had put it off for years, until about a month ago. Some things just aren't the same as you remember them...

CLASSIFICATION: floral

AGE GROUP: college, mature

SIMILAR SCENT(s): Britney Spears Curious

FORM: eau de toilette

Perhaps my memory is foggy and I didn't like it back then as much as I remembered. Perhaps it was just a better suited fragrance for her than it is for me. Perhaps my tastes have just changed significantly (most likely). Or, perhaps all three. Either way, while I don't dislike Ralph Lauren Blue, it doesn't really hold my attention like it did back then. I certainly enjoy floral fragrances, although they are not my favorite. This one isn't a particularly feminine floral, but more so a watery, clean (not fresh - to me, there's a difference) floral.

While it does have staying power (the scent will be with you for the majority of your day), and is very consistent (for me, there weren't many changes in the scent from first application to the end of the day), it is also a little colorless (no pun intended). No real zing, no real zip. That's not necessarily a bad thing - there are definitely some moods and occasions that are not suited for a fragrance with "zip."

The simplicity (again - not necessarily a bad thing) of Ralph Lauren Blue also explains the relatively short review I have for it. I don't really have any complaints, and I don't really have any specific praises; I don't dislike it, but it's not something in my heavy rotation. I will, however, still wear it from time to time.

REPORT CARD

(We highly recommend reading our guide to understanding our grading system if you haven't already)

First sniff (bottle): B-

First sniff (skin): B-

Worn scent: C

Staying power: A-

Scent as compared to note(s): A

Bottle: C+

Overall: C+

Sometimes, a simple fragrance is what you crave.. or maybe more than just sometimes. Simple, perhaps classic, Ralph Lauren Blue is best suited for casual occasions/every day wear.

My mother wears Blue by Ralph Lauren, and I got into the habit of spraying some on when I was in the mood for something different. Blue reminds me of taking a long walk on the beach, wearing a polo shirt, capris, and flip flops. Rebecca described the scent as being "colorless", but I wouldn't say that; at worst, I would call Blue "non-offensive, with an oceanic twist".

There really isn't much to this fragrance. It's pleasant enough, but I have no plans on purchasing it anytime soon. Blue is a fresh scent (to me), as well as a "clean" scent. It is not your typical floral, and I never really associated it with being a floral fragrance.

First sniff (bottle): B

First sniff (skin): B

Worn scent: B

Staying power: A

Scent as compared to note(s): A

Bottle: B

Overall: B

OsMoz Notes:
Top: Bergamot, Lemon, Peach, Coriander
Heart: Rose, Lily of the Valley, Lilac, Orris
Base: Vetiver, Sandal, Tonka, Peru Balsam

Date: 7/9/08 Weather: 79 degrees, drizzly

Comments: Top - WOW! Lilacs sprinkled with lily of the valley and doused with a citric fruit salad (maybe the peach/citrus combo). There is something about this that smells mighty familiar. Within 10 minutes - the rose takes over, with the lilacs helping. This comes across as much lighter than expected. And more like violets (though there appear to be none in the notes). 20 minutes in - the sandalwood appears. Reminds me of Bois de Iles. After 40 minutes, sandalwood, violets, a hint of powder, lilacs. Sticks around for about 5 hours.

Date: 7/29/08 Weather: 88 degrees, humid

Comments: Lily of the valley and lotion. More violets appear within 10 minutes, but still dominantly lily of the valley and lotion. Wound up showering after 2 hours - at which point it was LOTV, Violets, a hint of rose and lotion. Just as well....wasn't feeling this one this evening.

Bois de Jasmin
Basenotes
Now Smell This
Perfume and Tea Make Me Happy
Fragrance Bouquet
Victoria's Own
I Smell Therefore I Am
mossyloomings

OsMoz Notes:
Top: Orange Blossom, Violet, Bergamot, Aldehydes
Heart: Clove, Hyacinth, Jasmine, Rose
Base: Vetiver, Tonka, Amber, Musk

Date: 7/4/08 Weather: 75 degrees, damp

Comments: Hairspray. This is what happens when functional perfumery copies what a beautiful scent. The associations become all wrong. Quickly dries down to a pretty, fresh, bouquet of flowers - heavy on the carnation. Within 30 minutes it seems to have completely disappeared. 30 minutes later - can get occasional whiffs of amber and carnations if I close my eyes and really concentrate.

Basenotes
Perfume Critic
Pink Manhattan
mossyloomings

Being easily excitable (on occasion) I got right into it and even went as far as sectioning my 'mini' reviews into three areas 'Something New' which was new releases that Ive been loving over the last few months, 'Something Old' which was all of the albums Ive only recently discovered but which have been around for months/years and Ive either been too pre-occupied in the past with other stuff to either pay attention to or quite simply missed out on first time round but am currently loving and finally 'Something Borrowed' which listed all of the albums that friends have insisted I check out and which Ive been mightily glad I did!

As always I got a little carried away with it all and three hours later I'd finally finished what was originally meant to be a short ( and reasonably quickly put together) round up of whats been on heavy rotation of late round these parts. It was great and you would have loved it (I reckon) there were lovely pictures of all the album covers with nice links to each artists myspace/blog/official website and also some ramblings on each album to explain to you all what it was that made me all excited about each album.

Then for some reason as opposed to clicking on 'publish' I must have clicked on 'delete' and then, even more bizzarely some might consider, when faced with an option of saving a draft or confirming I wished to delete the last three hours work I, for reasons unbeknownst even to myself confirmed delete and it was all gone!! forever! (it was early, I was pumped on caffiene, my eyes were blurry from screen stare..whatever!)

For a split second I thought about starting over and doing it again but then I came to my senses, made some breakfast, had a shower and then got on with my life, as one tends to do of a weekend!

So, anyway, here in a much shorter and ridiculously less eye-catching stylee is a list of the music thats been gettting a darned sight more attention than some of the other stuff in my record collection...apologies again for the lack of rambling musing on each album but take my word for it if theres a record listed below that you dont already own I am guaranteeing you your life will be much enriched if you go off and purchase it / them immediately......

SOMETHING NEW -

Johnny Flynn - A Larum (early candidate for album of the year? certainly a REALLY strong contender and without doubt the best debut I've heard in years and years)

Man Man - Rabbit Habits (Tom Waits backed by all your favourite cartoon characters from the seventies....on acid. Joyous and essential)

Murder by Death - Red of Tooth and Claw (reminiscent of early Nick Cave and Screaming Trees but a truly awesome album in its own right..if all the baddies in Sergio Leones Dollars trilogy formed a band my moneys on them sounding a bit like Murder by Death)

Joan as Policewoman - To Survive (first listen it didnt get me like Real Life did before it, on the second listen it blew my mind...a truly beautiful album)

No Age - Nouns (I didnt have much time for Weirdo Rippers and almost didnt take the time to check this follow up out but Im really, really glad that I went back to these guys as this album is PURE GENIUS!)

Plants and Animals - Parc Avenue ( I keep coming back to this album over and over and still feel like theres loads I havent even begun to pick up on in it )

The Cool Kids - The Bake Sale (cool, now theres two albums with 'bake sale' in their titles that I love to bits!! remember when hip hop wasnt about bitches and pussies and guns? so do The Cool Kids!)

The Ghost Orchid - The Ghost Orchid (a strange and very lovely album which, I think, is only available at the moment from their website (I could be totally wrong but please pay a visit and check it out I think it'll charm your socks off like it did mine! http://www.theghostorchid.com/

Times New Viking - Rip it Off (didnt like their previous stuff to much but like this ....a lot!)

Vetiver - Thing of The Past (this is one of them albums that you put back on as soon as it ends and then again...and again..and again. A great set of covers and also includes my favourite song of the year in their version of Loudon Wainwright III's 'The Swimming Song' which Ive had on loop pretty much for the past 6 weeks)

SOMETHING BORROWED -

The War on Drugs - Wagonwheel Blues (my best pal Bertie put me on to this and Im chuffed to bits that he did....imagine Spiritualized jamming with Grant Lee Buffalo and your a fraction of the way there...genius)

Port O'Brien - The Wind and The Swell (I often have a nose around my friends Last FM pages to see whats getting a play or two with them and these guys kept showing up on my good friend One Tree Hillbillys playlist so I thought Id check them out knowing he has impeccable taste. A great album although not their latest release which I will now be hunting down on the strength of this little gem!

Kris Kristoffersen - Border Lord (Oh how I used to laugh at One Tree Hillbilly when he went on about how good this fella was! then I heard the title track of this album on a compilation mix by Howlin Rains Ethan Miller and I knew right there and then that I'd been a fool..what an album!!! check out Ethans very very good indeed compilation mix here ...http://www.whenyouawake.com/blogs/mixin_with_howlin_rain.html

Joe Higgs - Life of Contradiction (Who got me into this really quite wonderful slice of reggae released back in 1975 ? its more of a case of who didnt! within the first couple of weeks of it being re-issued everyone was raving about it...I got my hands on a copy toot sweet and havent really left it alone for too long since...staggeringly special)

SOMETHING OLD -

The James Gang - 15 Greatest Hits (cant stop playing it..especially when Im hogging the ipod dock at the office, its got beards, its got guitar solos, its got patches sewn onto the arse of its 70s flared jeans....whats not to love???)

Black Moth Super Rainbow - Dandelion Gum (why did it take me so long to catch up with these guys? along with The Octopus Project these guys are making the kind of music I cant get enough of....shades of Olivia Tremor Control and Boards of Canada in places - which should have you clicking on to Amazon with credit card in hand any minute now!!!!)

Canned Heat - The Very Best Of (ok so Im going through a bit of a beardy 70's thing at the moment...and I know that geatest hits arent the coolest of things, but..............!!!)

OsMoz Notes:
Top: Mandarin orange, bergamot, lichi, peach
Heart: Jasmine, lily, lily of the valley, plum
Base: Vetiver, amber, musk

Date: 6/21/08 Weather; 60 degrees, clear

Comments: Lily of the valley, indeterminate florals, spicy, slightly soapy amber. So forgetful I had to motivate myself to sniff my arm. Drydown a hint of lily of the valley and a hint of vanilla. Gone in 3 hours.

Retired - Swap to ComDiva

Basenotes
Bella Sugar
DeLush

Silencio. Suenan unas guitarras lánguidas y una voz clara, limpia, hermosa. Andy Cabic abre el concierto de Vetiver en el Teatro Central de Sevilla con una lentitud extrema, casi decadente. La siguiente canción no parece cambiar mucho el ritmo, son temas bonitos, pero que no llegan, no traspasan. Sin embargo de repente la música se llena de energía, de pasión de verdad, de un estilo propio que al principio no existía. Las guitarras, la batería (formidable percusionista) y el bajo suben los decibelios y Vetiver suena como una banda hecha, nada que ver con las consideraciones que los vinculan como mero acompañamiento del ínclito Devendra Banhart.

Andy Cabic y los suyos apuestan por un folk desnudo, muy americano, pero moderno y sentimental, alejado de la temática "freak" de su amigo Devendra y de las progresiones rockeras del grupo que les siguió en el escenario (Akron/Family). Los americanos sucedieron las canciones de sus tres discos (la mejor, "Red Lantern Girls"), además de presentar un par de adelantos que abren el apetito para un cuarto álbum que apunta a importante dentro del folk contemporáneo. Era un grupo que conocía poco y se ganaron un fan de por vida.

Pero el plato fuerte de la noche fue Akron/Family. Tras su espectacular disco del año pasado (Love is Simple), tenía muchas ganas de ver cómo se desenvuelven en el escenario una de las bandas mejor consideradas por su directo... y no defraudaron. Claro que no fue gracias a un público frío y poco participativo. Doble mérito para el grupo por tanto, por dejarse la piel en el escenario y no caer contagiados de la apatía de los asistentes. Quizás la propuesta fue demasiado radical -hubo incluso un par de abandonos del teatro-, y el sitio no era el adecuado -el concierto invitó más al baile y el desenfreno que al recogimiento de un teatro-, pero aún así fue uno de los conciertos del año.

Empezaron tranquilos, con aires caribeños casi, utilizando todo tipo de percusiones, incluyendo la colaboración del batería de Vetiver, y terminaron enloquecidos, rockeros, progresivos, hasta con cierta actitud "noise" en determinados momentos. Las canciones no eran reconocibles, pero da igual, transmitían magia en el escenario, un sonido ejemplar y una potencia inusitada para un trío (uno de sus miembros está de retiro espiritual budista). La palabra que define su concierto es "sorpresa", tanta que incluso se arrancaron con una batucada siniestra para terminar una canción y enlazaron en el último tramo, tema tras tema en una bacanal de ruido y melodía que explotó definitivamente con la majestuosa "Ed is a Portal", mezcla imposible de rock, folk y música tribal. Una pena esa mirada de decepción al terminar un gran concierto en un momento poco adecuado.

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