March brings breezes sharp and shrill

MUSICAL DISCOVERIES
Muse: A little late to the game on this one, but of course I love them: big, fabulous arena rock, Brit style. They remind me of my faves The Courteeners, but on a much grander scale.  I can see why everybody was making such a big deal about their new album coming out last year.  And "Take A Bow" was used very successfully in the Watchmen trailer, so that's a nice little bonus in my mind.
Samuel: The opener for Marina & The Diamonds at the Bell House had me totally grooving and longing for both glittery platforms and a dance partner so I could adequately get down to the discolicious grooves.  2010 is the year of new disco for me, and Samuel joins the ranks of French Horn Rebellion and Temper Trap in keeping that sweet late-70s/early-80s vibe fresh and flowing.
V V Brown:  This fierce Brit almost got a mention this section last month, when I was majorly bummed that I wasn't able to take advantage of a chance to see her live.  At first I thought she was a little too close in sound to Noisettes (as much as I love me some fab soul horns and retro grooves, it can only be done so many times before it loses its freshness).  However, it turns out she's got a dash of P!nk in her sound.  As soon as I head "Shark In The Water," I knew V V needed to become a permanent part of my soundscape.
One Night Only: Having seen the Red Riding trilogy, I can only imagine how much chutzpah a band from Yorkshire has to have when naming itself with a phrase that returns the Bee Gees, Elton John, and Dreamgirls as top hits when searched on Amazon.  These strapping lads, who I immediately thought of as mini-Courteeners, deliver solid Brit-rock played with true passion.  If you had stumbled upon their opening set for Alphabeat, you might have mistaken them for the headlining act, so ardent was their performance.  And on top of it all, they are rather natty dressers.

MINI MIX
"Nasty Little Rumor (Fred Falke Remix)" - Shena
"Shark In The Water"  -- V V Brown
"Say Goodbye" -- Samuel
"Walking On A Line" -- Pony Pony Run Run
"Counting Back to 1" -- Beautiful Small Machines
"Paper Romance" -- Groove Armada
"Century" -- Tiesto feat. Calvin Harris
"Heartbeats" -- GRUM

FILMS
Alice in Wonderland
The Secret of Kells
A Prophet 
Stolen
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Greenberg 

NETFLIX QUEUE
The Fabulous Baker Boys
Green Street Hooligans
Go
Hunger
She's The Man
Shall We Kiss?
Tron
Just My Luck
A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints

COOKING
Chili chicken with basil
Ginger broth with bok choy, carrots, mushrooms, and soba
Breakfast tacos
Veal and ricotta lasagna
Soy and ginger marinated salmon
Apple bread

BOOKS
The Mermaid Chair, Sue Monk Kidd
This is the ultimate spring break book: a high class romance novel.  Character are fairly well developed, and the several interwoven plot-lines keep the story moving forward.  Nothing special, sort of a harmless Lifetime read, but kind of fun in its mindlessness.
Bleachers, John Grisham
As much as I love southern Football culture, I just never really got into this book or its characters. Nothing drew me into the story, which is surprising from Grisham.  However, if you love football, this could be a quick, enjoyable read.
A Painted House, John Grisham
This is the Grisham I know, the consummate storyteller who can draw you into a main character and his world.  Though this doesn't revolve around a court case, there are certainly elements of crime and the struggle between right and wrong (as well as the main character's own struggle to define these elements for himself).  The fact that a 7 year old is as clearly articulated as a law student or judge, wrapped in a book that recalls both The Grapes of Wrath and Little House on the Prairie, speaks to Grisham's true prowess as a writer. 
The Secret Agent, Joseph Conrad
This book made me feel like I was reading a le Carré novel that made even less sense than usual, with characters who were even more mysterious and sketchily crafted than usual.  I couldn't get into this story at all, and the whole thing seemed rather absurd. Such a shame, as Heart of Darkness is one of my favorites.
Incarceron and Saphique, Catherine Fisher
I truly enjoyed this set of young adult fantasy novels.  While the world they present is not as fully realized as that of His Dark Materials trilogy, I still felt immersed in both the realm and the prison, as if both of these places could actually exist.  While the characters could have been fleshed out with a bit more depth, rather than barely expanding on cliched character types, they were fully realized enough to make me care about them and want to know more about what makes them tick.  I like the idea behind the books and the exploration of the meaning of freedom.  These books didn't blow my mind like His Dark Materials, but they did make me think, and that's more than I can say for many books I read.
Her Fearful Symmetry, Audrey Niffenegger
Niffenegger certainly has a gift for imagining and extrapolating phenomena that exist on the fringe of consciousness.  In this outing she explores not the lives of time travelers and those they love, but the lives of ghosts and those who hold the departed (yet still present) being dear.  While this story did not quite tug at my heartstrings as Time Traveler's Wife did, I still found it a fascinating and balanced tale with an interesting mix of characters. If anything, I wish Niffenegger had delved into her characters more deeply, so that I could truly feel for them.  I felt like there was a skimmed over lightness to this book that kept me at arms-length rather than allowing or inviting me fully into the story.  Nonetheless, a strong and enjoyable sophomore effort.