NIN | With Teeth

Trent Reznor has burst back on the scene with this exquisite amalgamation of anger and ethereal beauty. NIN has always pushed the envelope, representing the true bastion of alternative music — from album to video. Renzor swung wildly from frenzied, drum-driven, scream fests to poetic, piano-driven ballad, not from song to song, but from verse to verse a la The Downward Spiral. With Teeth is no different, which isn’t surprising given Alan Moulder’s work mixing both albums. Top tracks include “All The Love in the World,” renown single “The Hand That Feeds” and “Only.”

“The Commitments”

This 1991 film is set in working class Dublin where Johnny Rabbitte tries to bring together “World’s Hardest Working Band” to bring soul back to the people. Don’t be fooled by the cheesy sounding “what are we made of” sort of tagline. It’s really not all that deep. But Rabbitte’s self-narration (he mock interviews himself about the band and his role as manager) is more honest and charming than William Miller’s googley-eyed “Almost Famous” Patrick Fugit ever was. Most notable is Andrew Strong’s ego-driven Deco Cuffe, a pig of a man with the pipes of James Brown. Consequently “The Commitments” soundtrack sold more than 15 million copies. When Strong released his debut album two years later it went platinum. As of 2003 — the last time Strong updated his Web site — a new album was set to be released this year.

Cheese

There are a few things for which I admit to nearing kleptomaniacal stages — shoes, good chocolate (kept sealed in the fridge just in case of emergencies), albums, books. Well maybe kleptomaniacal isn’t quite the right word. Maybe it’s closer to compulsive shopper. Either way the same applies to cheese. Amish goat’s milk cheese, sun dried tomato and basil mozzarella, Mediterranean herbed feta, smoked Gouda. I’m not sophisticated about it. I don’t pair it with fine wine. It’s just good to keep around and jazz up otherwise boring dishes or just stand, refrigerator door propped open and carve off slices for a (somewhat healthier) midnight snack.

Painting

Get creative, commit to a color – a real color. Not some kind of eggshell, sandpebble, boring ol’ version of off-white. Hit that front door with some canary yellow. Bring cobalt blue into the kitchen. Study up on Fen Shui and find your power color – mine it turns out is purple – not that you would’ve ever been able to tell that from looking at my wardrobe. If you’re feeling spunky, get into some faux finishes or intricate striping patterns. Hats off to Waynesville Mountaineer reporter Darren Miller and his wife, Heather, for their pink, green and brown striped dining room.

— Sarah Kurcharski