David Dewese and Jerry James, the friends that make records as the Foxymorons, met at church camp when they were in high school. They discovered they had an affinity for noisy, primitive rock bands. Since they both played rudimentary guitar, they thought about starting a band. Eventually, the duo honed its chops and began writing and recording. Although they’d never played live, their debut album, Calcutta, got stellar reviews in Pitchfork and Paste. As soon as it was out, Dewese moved to Nashville to play in an alt-country band. James stayed in Texas. They’ve maintained a long-distance collaboration ever since. New LP Fake Yoga has elements drawn from country and pop music, including Beach Boys-flavored harmonies, but the album is dominated by their distorted, almost metallic guitar work. James and Dewese will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our new feature on them.
James: Look, I have nothing against coffee. Like most red-blooded Americans, I like a good cup. And I’m no snob. Diner coffee will make me nearly as happy as something served at one of the fancier places with elegant signage and baristas who wear vintage-inspired denim aprons. But if you really want to make me happy, hand me a cup of warm chai. No, not the overly sweet, inauthentic “chai tea lattes” they make out of a box in American coffee shops. I mean a cup of authentic Indian chai. Growing up, chai was a daily part of life. (Ask your dearest Indian friend.) As long as I can remember, my parents have made chai throughout the day and a fresh pot the moment guests arrived at the house. Even after spending six weeks in India earlier in the year, I’m still perfecting my own personal recipe. That said, I’m sharing it with you. You might need to tweak it a little, but it’s all there and presented as simply as possible. Here you go. Makes one cup.
Recipe after the jump
Pour half milk/half water into a saucepan.
Add a little fresh ginger, ground cinnamon, two crushed cardamom pods, a tiny bit of black pepper and a teaspoon of loose black tea. (I use a box of Brooke Bond Red Label loose tea which you can get any Indian store.)
Stir occasionally as you bring to a boil.
Turn the heat down and let the tea simmer for a couple of minutes.
Strain into your cup and add sugar to taste. (Chai tastes way better with some sugar.)
