Made in the USA!

Who's tired of hearing the phrase, "Due to the downturn in the economy,..."?? Me too. Being the sustainable hopeful that I am, here's an idea....no, strike that; here is YOUR challenge for this holiday season.

I'm not going to get all "Betsy Ross" on you, but she'd be a little ticked at our buying habits if she was still around today. So, let's do our part to get OUR economy back on track, and let's do it with some PRIDE!!

When you begin to make your list & check it twice, buy gifts that proudly adorn a "Made in USA" tag or label. We (America) outsource too many products that we consume on a daily basis, and we have gotten into a routine of blindly purchasing items without a care as to where they were made. It is a bit disheartening that we have come to expect "Made in China" to be on EVERYTHING we buy.

I charge everyone who reads this to take on this challenge with me this year to buy AMERICAN, and buy from local businesses whenever possible, as the small business is the American dream. So let's keep that American dream alive!!

Here's some websites (some are cheesey, but helpful) you can find lists of American-made products:

Americans Working

Made in USA

American Toys

Who knew New Balance shoes were made in the USA?!?! I think I may have to switch from my love of shoes that rhyme with "likey."

Let's give the good 'ol US of A some economic spark this holiday season!

Last Call...

FINALLY! A new season of Last Call with Carson Daly has begun. If you're not aware of the overhaul Carson & Co. have done to the show's format, you need to check it out. He's out of the studio and tromping all around the west coast in search of little known hotspots; who else can film a show in a bar one night, and on an army base the next?! Intriguing guests, stories, and he's always trying to give talented bands their break onto a larger scene.

PS - the show airs at weeknights at 2:03am CST, so set the DVR.

You can even follow Carson on Twitter: @carsonjdaly to get the upcoming scoop of what's coming up next.

For an insider's tip, check out ilistentoeverything.com - Diana Miller's music blog, oh, and did I mention she's the Talent Exec for Last Call??

To pay homage to Biggie...

If you don't know. Now you know.

Sophomore Success

When's the last time you anxiously awaited an album's release, and made sure to run down to the record store and pick it up? Seriously, think about it. If you simply accept listening to the corporate radio that's forced out through the FM dial in your car, I can bet it might be once in your life. If you're an avid concert goer, you might be able to count the times on one hand. For those that of us that are plugged in to satellite radio, MySpace, Pandora, MOG, and music blogs, you'll need two hands. (There is one exception: if you are a girl and were in your tweens in the mid 90's, you did this repeatedly for N'Sync & the Backstreet Boys; neither of which count for this discussion)

When I asked my fiancee when was the last time she bought a new album the day of it's release.....well, it took a minute to remember (and she's in the music aficionado category). My point is, very few bands really generate that energy in us as we grow older, and the one's that do have something that ignites that spark inside of us.

Today, MUTEMATH released Armistice, their much anticipated sophomore album, and yours truly couldn't wait to go buy it after work (at my LOCAL indie record store - a whole other topic right there). This was certainly one of the few albums I can remember that I made sure to pick it up on the actual release date. Others have included Dave Matthews Band - Crash, Incubus - A Crow Left of the Murder, Metallica - St. Anger, and BT - This Binary Universe, to name a few.

Brief Armistice review - Progressively stunning, in every way that I could expect MUTEMATH to continue to harmoniously evolve. Crisp vocals, aggressive beats at times, and resounding melodies. 4.8 out of 5. (we'll leave the 5's for the Beatles, MJ, and Miles Davis)

Oh, and did I mention that MUTEMATH consistently puts on the BEST live performance I've ever seen?! Check out MUTEMATH for tour listings, score some tickets, and be prepared to walk away feeling more alive than when you walked in the door.

"The Spotlight is on!"

You Twit!

Since it's more like keeping up with the Jetsons' these days, rather than the Jones', I now have the coordinating Twitter account: @MoffettsMarquee. Thank goodness no one already took it! I feel like Twitter has relaunched the days of CyberSquatting; a race to claim the potentially most wanted names on the newest piece of social media. (sigh)

Yeah yeah yeah, start following kids.

Where's Waldo?

Boy did I drop the proverbial blogging ball on this one. Sorry for not posting a blog since....June. Sheesh, I'm a bit embarrassed; it's tough to call my self a conscious-minded creative after taking a month off of social media. Had to find something to pay the bills, get that going, and make up for some lost time during unemployment (which I do not recommend). There will be more marquees coming, as I begin to ramp this thing up again. Been taking note of some good ones to photograph around town, as well as one I'll post as a tribute to someone close. Just remember...

Don't forget to look up.

J

The Rose of Jericho

Just got word of another ground-breaking drop in the world of music.  BT has just released "The Rose of Jericho," his first single since the album THIS BINARY UNIVERSE from three years ago.

From BT's MySpace blog:

"It's been a long time since I've written music that I could feature in one of my Laptop Symphony sets. Not only is this track a floor-filling monster, it really features my current electronic music inspirations - minimal beats with big strong melodic and harmonic content. This track rips the A** off a dance floor. I've played it from Korea to Brazil, and it's the biggest track I've had to play out for years."

Grab a good set of headphones (I prefer Skullcandy SK Pros), and go here to enjoy the track: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sLRMAkc2aM

Armistice

FINALLY!  After what seems like an eternity, MUTEMATH has announced Armistice, their much anticipated (which is an understatement to their fans, who are more likely foaming at the mouth) sophomore follow up to the self-titled release back in the fall of 2006.  From what I've been able to stream so far, with the Spotlight EP and the latest tease, titled "The Nerve," which can be heard at MUTEMATH.com, they've taken a larger leap into the evolution of what I believe will be a long career in the biz.  This was my gift-of-music a few years back, to friends I felt should take a close listen to this amazing talent, that has truly blessed us with a uniqueness not heard for quite some time.  Oh yeah, not to mention, they're the BEST live act I've ever seen!

Way to go guys!  Now when's the next tour?!

Nuts!

So, what's for dinner?

#1

Welcome to Moffett's Marquee!

Here's the mystery behind this blog:  In college I lived around the corner from a tattoo shop that had a small marquee out front, and would post short, clever phrases about getting inked.  I wanted to produce a book of Polaroids of all their different marquee postings.  At the time, I couldn't afford the film (broke college kid).  So now I'm going to use this blog to post pictures of clever (and just plain funny) marquee postings; a medium that's nostalgic to me, and under-used as a vintage art-form with today's thirst for retro cool.  I'll also throw in some music, action sports, gear head info, and all things innovative and inspirational.

So sit back, relax, throw me on your RSS reader (I prefer Google's), and...

Don't forget to look up!