Suddenly, Jimmy understands that the album "Kmag Yoyo" by Hayes Carll could only have been the spawn of himself and the Bloodhound Gang. Not only would their offspring be amazingly talented musicians and lyricists, but they would be sitting in a room arguing over if they should cover "Maggie's Farm," by Bob Dylan or "Girl with Far Away Eyes," by The Rolling Stones.
We dedicated this tasting to the day of lovers, Valentine's Day (even though Nick champions Champagne for everyday drinking). We chose Perrier-Jouet Fleur De Champagne Cuvee 2000 ($$$) not only because of its reputation, but also because Nick surprised Maggie with this bottle on her birthday. We had been saving it for a special occasion, and our special Valentine's Day AudioVino seemed like the perfect time to pop the cork.
Nick's Review
Audio
When I picked out Hayes Carll from the CD rack, I thought "this will either be awesome, or . . . I am going to wish I spent my money on the new Black Eyed Peas album." As it turns out this was awesome. From the get-go I could really get into Hayes' style of music. It has that roadside bar feel with touches of Jimmy Buffet in the instrumentals. If you love that sweeping guitar affect that Jimmy uses in his slow songs, you will LOVE Kmag Yoyo.
Right away I was entranced by his lyrics - they reminded me of Bob Dylan. Only I don't think I'm a deep enough person to appreciate Dylan, and Carll's lyrics made more sense to me. Through out the entire album I kept thinking of really country-sounding tracks by the Eagles or the Rolling Stones, and I was blown away when a new female vocalist was added to the mix. Her lyrics played the perfect antagonist to the Male protagonist...or vice versa.
This music had an initial impact on me and I know it's something that I will listen to again and again.
Please buy this album!
10/10
Audio
When I picked out Hayes Carll from the CD rack, I thought "this will either be awesome, or . . . I am going to wish I spent my money on the new Black Eyed Peas album." As it turns out this was awesome. From the get-go I could really get into Hayes' style of music. It has that roadside bar feel with touches of Jimmy Buffet in the instrumentals. If you love that sweeping guitar affect that Jimmy uses in his slow songs, you will LOVE Kmag Yoyo.
Right away I was entranced by his lyrics - they reminded me of Bob Dylan. Only I don't think I'm a deep enough person to appreciate Dylan, and Carll's lyrics made more sense to me. Through out the entire album I kept thinking of really country-sounding tracks by the Eagles or the Rolling Stones, and I was blown away when a new female vocalist was added to the mix. Her lyrics played the perfect antagonist to the Male protagonist...or vice versa.
This music had an initial impact on me and I know it's something that I will listen to again and again.
Please buy this album!
10/10
Vino -
Well I don't know if anyone will believe this based on my audio review, but the Vino tonight was better than the Audio. I am a huge advocate of sparkling wines, which may be apparent by the fact that two of our 13 AudioVino's have been bubbly. I always promote them as everyday wines that are for more than just special occasions.
Well, Fleur De Champagne is not an everyday wine. In fact, it may be a wine of a lifetime. I'm not kidding - the complexities to this wine are something I have never experienced. I'm going to lay it out for you in a sort-of chronological order.
Popping this cork was an experience. I opened the two fold white box to see a hand painted bottle with a gold foil top. I pulled out the bottle and carefully pulled off the top of the foil, being careful to preserve the rest of the foil. The cork came out so easily you'd think someone had already started to pull it out for me.
The nose was instantly hints of fresh apple . . . which turned to ripe apple . . . which turned to mushy apple . . . this wine turned so fabulously, and the nose was so straight forward.
The nose turned into vegetal flavors of cauliflower and broccoli before finally finishing with hints of savory soy sauce. The pallet remained vibrant through out the bottle, tasting of Gala Apple. The acidity was gripping, and grabbed both sides of the back of your tongue pulling it down through your throat.
The finish lingered for what seemed like minutes and was too complex for me to put my finger on. I've never experienced a wine like this before.
I am a person who has trouble living in the moment. I am always looking for the next thing even while I am enjoying the current - however, I was hoping this bottle would never end. If you ever see a bottle of this PLEASE buy it!
98 pts. (Best Bubbly I've ever had)
Maggie's Reviews
Audio
Nick is right on many counts--this album was great. As someone who appreciates a way with words, Kayes Carll's lyrics are great. Witty, poetic, well-rhymed, and creative, they have great material to play with here. As for the music, it was perfectly summed up in the marriage of Jimmy Buffet and the Bloodhound Gang.
The sticky-sweet Hawaiian guitar paired with witty wordsmithery makes for a great product. Each song was different, the vocals never sounded like old news, and Hayes Carll kept it interesting with creative tempo and a laid-back vibe. Great album-probably my second favorite yet!
9.5/10
Vino
It was hard for me to pin this one down (much to Nick's surprise), but I didn't find it particularly ostentatious. It didn't try too hard, but its strength lied in both its elegance and its modesty.
Off the bat, the nose had that great ripe-apple scent, and the taste was immediately pleasant and intriguing. After about an hour of sipping, the wine had evolved into a floral, soy sauce-y, slightly vegetal, light, pleasant glass. It was similar to an Asian springtime, and really impressed me with its regal and delicate texture.
That said, Nick was a bit frustrated with me throughout this tasting because of the lack of complexity I found in the wine. I don't, however, believe that it had to be as complex as Nick was trying to make it. I think a few understated, concentrated flavors and smells make a wine just as great as a complex unpacking of flavor after flavor. I appreciate this wine, and maybe I had a cold or something--but it didn't come off as remarkably complex to me. And maybe that's part of it's appeal!
92 pts.
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