The complex math rock/angular indie/krautrock mix as embarked upon by New York’s Turing Machine since 1998 came to an abruptly tragic end in November 2009. On the eighth of that month, 34-year-old drummer Gerhardt “Jerry” Fuchs was killed in a freak elevator-shaft accident in a building where he was attending a fundraiser. Understandably, surviving members Justin Chearno (guitar) and Scott DeSimon (bass) put the band to rest after losing an integral piece of their musical puzzle and close friend. So, it was to everyone’s surprise when, earlier this year, Turing Machine announced its return with a new album, What Is The Meaning Of What (Temporary Residence Ltd.). Chearno and DeSimon will also be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our brand new feature on them.
DeSimon: The odds of us going on tour are pretty remote, but if it did happen, we’d eat well—even if we didn’t supplement the teeny per diem we could afford to give ourselves. Here’s why: From Portland, Maine, to Portland, Ore., Houston to Minneapolis, you can always get a great bowl of pho, the Vietnamese beef noodle soup. And as tasty as it is, it’s also super cheap. Given that Vietnamese food is one of the great world cuisines, we rank this phenomenon as a positive development just behind the new bike lanes in NYC and far ahead of the History Channel’s move away from making shows about actual history.
Four things to look for in a pho place:
– actual Vietnamese people running it and eating in it
– a selection of “variety meats” available as options in your soup (tripe, tendon, etc.)
– that sawtooth herb showing up as part of your fresh garnishes (a few wisps of limp basil doesn’t cut it)
– a jar of pickled chiles on the table, in addition to the usual jars of Sriracha and hoisin sauce
Video after the jump.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsSiA-JHm0U
