On the sleepy side of hyperactive electronic music, under the horribly named glowave (or chillwave — barf) subgenre, is Washed Out’s dreamy bedroom disco. Washed Out is Enrest Greene, bending minimal, bottom-heavy slow-jam percussion and synth bass into his titular acid-fuzz glaze. Floating under and around the music is his airy, half-conscious melodies. Greene released his debut EP (Life of Leisure, on Mexican Summer) last year, featuring the single “Feel It All Around” (below).

Washed Out performs at 10 p.m. tonight at Howlin’ Wolf. Small Black (check out Washed Out’s remix of its “Despicable Dogs” below), Pictureplane and Isle of Crete are also on the bill. Tickets $7.

Small Black — Despicable Dogs (Washed Out remix)

Since 1962, Burma has been under the control of a military junta and has been one of the most isolated nations in the world. During an uprising in fall 2007, foreign press was expelled from the country. A group of ad hoc journalists filmed the turmoil and smuggled footage out of the country, some of it via the Internet and some of it over the border to Thailand. It was then transmitted to Norway and released to media outlets around the world. The riveting Oscar-nominated film Burma VJ follows the protests from the compiled footage of the group, known as Democratic Voice of Burma. Reporters caught with handcams were jailed as political instigators. But many continued to risk their lives (one Japanese photographer was shot by the Burmese military) and freedom. (A pro-democracy protest movement in 1988 was met with a violent crackdown, and government troops killed an estimated 3,000 demonstrators.) This film zeroes in on the decision of Burmese monks to take to the streets in peaceful protest. The government immediately deployed troops to stop the marches. The tension builds as the monks and the government each weigh how far they will push the other side. And the reporters weigh what risks they will take to film it. The film screens at Zeitgeist at 7 p.m. Tuesday as part of the Patois International Human Rights Film Fest.

There’s nothing like the first sight of that little orange envelope stuck in your windshield wipers. Everyone can expect to see more of those when the city implements its new parking meter policy. But when does it start? Who knows, really.

The city’s Web site says they will “begin issuing warning citations on Monday, March 18.” First, Monday, March 18 isn’t an actual date. Do they mean today, Monday, or the 18th, which is Thursday? And what exactly is a warning citation? Do we have to pay $20 if we get one? However, we should expect full enforcement of the policy on March 27, according to the site.

Here’s the new policy. Start figuring out your new parking spots now:

Hours
Current: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
New: Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Rates
Current (Regular Two-Hour Meters): $1.25/hour
New (Regular Two-Hour Meters): $1.50/hour
Current (Long-Term Meters: Up to 10 Hours): $0.75/hour
New (Long-Term Meters: Up to 10 Hours): $1/hour

Stewart Juneau, owner of the Baton Rouge-based development company LeTriomphe Property Group, was selected last November by Mayor Ray Nagin’s administration to redevelop the Morris F.X. Jeff Sr. Municipal Auditorium in Armstrong Park. At the time, the proposed professional services agreement drew controversy, due to Juneau’s relationship with Nagin (he had hosted the mayor’s much-mocked “Excellence in Recovery Award” gala back in August 2008), as well as for the fact that LeTriomphe was the sole bidder on the project. In December, New Orleans Inspector General Ed Quatrevaux slammed the deal, urging the New Orleans City Council not to approve it. In January, city attorney Penya Moses-Fields slammed right back, saying the IG’s recommendation was premature and that there was “no existing contract.”

This morning, Juneau announced that LeTriomphe was requesting a “temporary suspension of negotiations” on the Municipal Auditorium deal:

LeTriomphe Property Group, LLC (LTPG) announced today that it has requested a temporary suspension of negotiations on a professional services agreement for the redevelopment of the Morris X. F. [sic] Jeff, Sr. Municipal Auditorium.

LTPG remains confident that providing a landmark home for the cultural arts and creative industry in New Orleans in the damaged and unused auditorium is one of the most important projects that will be undertaken in the city in the near future.

The letter gave no reason for requesting a suspension of negotiations, but concluded on an optimistic note:

We look forward to working closely with all segments of our great community on making the mission of providing a landmark home for the cultural arts in New Orleans a reality.

The 2010 citywide elections brought a major paradigm shift in local politics as voters ignored racial appeals and voted for experience and competence — most of the time. Some political newbies (like mayoral candidate James Perry) fell short, while others (like Susan Guidry and Kristin Palmer) won big. My usual list of “winnas” and “loozas” thus is supplemented by several “splits.” Here goes:

DA WINNAS

1. New Orleanians — The Feb. 6 primary saw major crossover vote — both ways — in the victories of Mitch Landrieu (the first New Orleans mayor to win a majority among blacks as well as whites); council candidates Arnie Fielkow, Stacy Head and Kristin Palmer; judicial candidates Tracey Flemings Davillier and Paula Brown; Sheriff Marlin Gusman; Criminal Court Clerk Arthur Morrell; and Assessor Erroll Williams — all of whom had opponents of another race.

2. Democrats and the ALF-CIO — Every office on the ballot this year was captured by a Democrat, and the AFL-CIO, long a source of Democratic support, backed individual winners in many races.

3. BOLD — The Central City black political organization saw Karen Carter Peterson win a Senate seat once held by the group’s archenemy Bill Jefferson. Carter Peterson went on to play a big role in helping Susan Guidry beat Jay Batt in the hotly contested District A race for City Council. BOLD also crossed racial lines to back Stacey Head in the council District B race.

DA LOOZAS

1. Ray Nagin — He went on black radio asking African-Americans to vote along racial lines, which is how he won re-election in 2006. Not only did black voters overwhelmingly reject his race-based appeal, the results of Feb. 6 also repudiated Nagin himself. Maybe that’s why he so determined to leave the city bankrupt now: After years of taking petty shots at other politicians, he now wants to take revenge on all New Orleanians.

Read the rest of this entry »

Some quick housekeeping: Someone wrote wondering what the music is behind the trailer for Tremé. It’s called “Ring Shout — Peace of Mind,” and it’s the opening cut from the 2007 album Congo Square, featuring Wynton Marsalis, Yacub Addy, Odadaa! and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. There’s a DVD of the whole performance on Amazon, but for the CD itself you may have to go to the iTunes Music Store (where the individual song can also be downloaded for 99 cents). Also: WWL-TV has the list of St. Joseph’s altars that will be open on Mar. 19, and if you’re new in town and have never experienced a St. Joseph’s altar, feel free to drop in on any of these and get a little bit of history.

Anyway. In this week’s Gambit:

• The Louisiana Public Service Commission and sustainable-energy advocates have been at sixes and sevens over the state’s master plan for setting alternative energy goals — and the LPSC punted on voting on those goals this week. Will we remain behind the rest of the country when it comes to establishing 21st century energy policies? Alex Woodward talks to both sides and spells out the arguments ….

• Clancy DuBos charts the Winnas, the Loozas, and the draws in the most recent round of elections, and analyzes what the results mean in the chutes-and-ladders of New Orleans politics …

• Chris Rose looks at the latest dustup between the NOPD and the Mardi Gras Indians …

• The Idea Village is sponsoring its Entrepreneur Week beginning Mar. 20. Brandon Meginley previews …

• The great documentarian Les Blank comes to the Ogden Museum of Southern Art this week, and Ken Korman talked to the filmmaker in advance of his visit …

• … and Ian McNulty chows down, World War II-style, at John Besh’s American Sector restaurant.

There’s more, of course. Check it out on the newsstand beginning Sunday afternoon, or check back on the main Gambit site Monday afternoon. Later.

KEEP-N-IT REAL SOCIAL AID & PLEASURE CLUB 6TH ANNUAL PARADE
SUNDAY, MARCH 14, 2010 – 1-5PM

Start: 2901 Conti. Out N. Dupre to Bienville. Left on Bienville to N. Broad. Left on N. Broad to Lapeyrous. Back to N. Broad.

Stop: 1551 N. Broad, Avenue Barber Shop. U-Turn on N. Broad to St. Bernard Ave. Right on St. Bernard to N. Galvez. Left on N. Galvez to Aubrey St.

Stop: Seal’s Class Act (Dumaine Gang S&P). Down St. Bernard to Marais St.

Stop: Justina’s Next Stop. Down St. Bernard to N. Rampart. Right on N. Rampart to Esplanade Ave. Right on Esplanade to N. Claiborne. Left on N. Claiborne to Dumaine St.

Stop: (Revolution S&P). Proceed down N. Claiborne to Bienville. Right on Bienville to N. Dupre. Right on N. Dupre to Conti.

Disband: 2901 Conti Street – Home of Keep-N-It-Real S&P

Queen: Rose Madison Franklin

President: Perry “Icebird” Franklin

Photograph by Jonathan Bachman

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It must be completely maddening to be a Hornets fan right now. As if teetering around .500 for most of the season isn’t enough, it seems as if every game that passes distances the Hornets even further from playoff contention (they’re currently 6.5 games back of the eighth seed). All this while David West puts up All-Star numbers and rookies Darren Collision and Marcus Thornton continue to produce in tough losses.

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Friday night’s 102-95 loss against the Denver Nuggets was almost like a microcosm of the Hornets’ season. David West put up 30 points and six rebounds, Thornton scored 23 points and Collison registered a double-double with 17 points and 10 assists. The Hornets were undermanned (only eight players dressed) and yet a game that had been close throughout fell apart in the span of around 2:30 minutes in the fourth quarter.

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“I think we made a couple of mistakes down the stretch offensively,” West said. “Then a couple of times on the defensive end, we had the rebound, then gave it back to Chauncey [Billups]. We just gave them extra possessions we didn’t need to give.”

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With the score tied at 86 with 6:05 left in the game, the Hornets proceeded to committed two fouls, two ridiculous turnovers and suddenly, with 2:46 left in the game, New Orleans was down by 10 and fans were walking dejectedly towards the exits. The Hornets are now falling completely out of the playoff picture, and every opportunity they have to build momentum seems to fall short. Granted, the Hornets have dealt with a slew of injuries, but they’re not using that as an excuse.

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“I don’t think it affected us,” Emeka Okafor said. “I think the guys knew we had to bring a little more energy. Everybody knew they were going to get more minutes.”

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Anyone who thinks that the Hornets are better than their record suggest are clearly deluding themselves into a better reality that what the rest of us see. Without Chris Paul in the lineup, the Hornets have steadily fallen farther and farther out of playoff contention. New Orleans has lost eight straight games against Western Conference teams that would be in the post-season if the playoffs started tomorrow. Their last win against a potentially playoff-bound team was January 30th against Memphis.

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“There are problem areas that we need to work on as with every game,” head coach Jeff Bower said. “We are definitely going to learn and grown form this game and make sure we apply what we learned into the next game coming up.”

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Despite what Bower said, this team has had a lot of troubler learning from their losses. As a playoff-less future comes closer to being the present, the Hornets are a team in limbo. Ever the competitor, Paul is dying to return to the court, even if it may be too late to rally his team to the post-season. Collison has played admirably in Paul’s absence and, having already played 40 or more minutes 18 times this season, letting him play out the season may be in the team’s best interest.

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There is also the issue of West. He’s playing head-and-shoulders above his teammates and, with the ability to opt-out of his contract after next season, rumors abound as to just how long he will be playing in the Crescent City. The Hornets are a relatively young team with an emerging core of players that could carry them in the years come, as well as a slew of contracts that expire after next season. As the present starts to slip away, you have to look toward the future. Then again, trying to figure out what’s in store for this team in the coming months may be as maddening and watching them play right now.

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Many of you know Chef Who Dat (note: click here for essential viewing) and the cavalcade of characters that inhabit section 641 of the Superdome. Here’s the Chef before last season’s Monday Night game versus Atlanta:

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Like many (if not all) stadium secions, the season-ticket holding patrons at “Cafe 641″ have developed a tight-knit community that’s led to silliness, some bike crawls, and now, a cancer fundraiser with a twist. Per the e-mail I received today:

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A Cafe 641 patron and season-ticket holder, Sean Niehus, is raising money for St. Baldrick’s, a foundation that raises money for children’s cancer research. Sean has agreed to shave his head at the annual St. Baldrick’s shave-a-thon AND to grow a mustache. To help him raise money, we’re auctioning off a pair of tickets to the 2010 Saints/Bucs game in Section 641, Row 40, Seats 13-14.

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I like how not only is Niehus shaving his head, but that he’s also growing a mustache in the tradition of Cafe 641’s Patron Saint. Check out his picture, going from long blonde hair to a shaved head and a mustache would be a stark transformation. Gotta give to a guy willing to do that for a good cause.

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Bid’s can be made on the tickets on eBay here or you can donate directly to St. Baldricks by clicking here. And yes, that is Chef Who Dat in a wedding dress on that eBay listing. Not sure how that will help with the bidding.

Last month, HBO released a “teaser” for its highly anticipated series Tremé. Today brought the first official trailer for the show, which premieres on the cable network Apr. 11. Like the earlier teaser, it looks pretty damn spectacular; see if you recognize some faces you know from around town. (If the trailer gets yanked off YouTube and the embed below doesn’t work, check it out on the HBO site.)