Month: June 2012

The Scottish band Mogwai debuted in the mid-’90s with a handful of albums and EPs of anthemic experimental rock, characterized by gorgeous, hypnotic guitar lines that would continue for minutes on end before exploding into lengthy crescendos of crushing intensity. Its songs largely eschewed traditional verse/chorus structures or discernible lyrics, instead favoring barely-intelligible recordings of phone conversations, TV noise, or occasionally half-mumbled monologues courtesy of Arab Strap’s Aidan Moffat or the band’s own Stuart Braithwaite. For the most part the soaring, ear-bleeding guitar parts spoke for themselves.

Such intense and expressive music can inspire feverish devotion among followers, but one of the secrets of Mogwai’s longevity is that it remains hesitant to repeat a successful formula. In fact, many other groups seem far more enthusiastic about revising the band’s past glories than Mogwai itself—imitators such as Japan’s Mono and Texas’ Explosions in the Sky have seemingly based entire careers on manufacturing carbon copies of Mogwai’s 1997 classic Young Team and its’ album-closing 16-minute epic, “Mogwai Fear Satan.”

Mogwai seemingly perfected this formula with 2001’s My Father, My King, a 20-minute EP based entirely on repeating the same guitar riff (a melody taken from a traditional Jewish hymn) with gradually increasing degrees of volume, beginning as a gentle lullaby and ending in deafening white noise.

Over the past decade, Mogwai’s music has changed considerably. While the group is happy to occasionally revisit the style its fans love most (the soundtrack to the Douglas Gordon documentary about French footballer Zinedane Zidane is superb, if predictable), its just as likely to turn out something like 2008’s The Hawk is Howling, a collection of punchy, no-nonsense instrumentals whose combination of heavy riffs and studio polish recall the prime of the grunge era (appropriately, Mogwai is now distributed in the U.S. by the Sub Pop label, the original home of Nirvana).

Mogwai seems to need to reinvent itself, to re-think both the content of its music and the way its perceived. On recent albums, the group has grown more concise, dense, and playful. It has narrowed its scope but broadened its palette—while the songs rarely surpass six minutes, they increasingly include electronic textures, orchestral accompaniment, and auto-tuned vocals alongside the driving guitar melodies.

While early contemporaries like Godspeed You! Black Emperor portrayed themselves as mysterious, reclusive, somber chroniclers of the decay of human civilization, the chaps in Mogwai seem like their primary non-musical concerns consist of heading down to the pub to catch the match over a pint and a larf. The album and song titles have gone from puzzling and cryptic to deliberately ridiculous: The latest full-length, 2011’s Hardcore Will Never Die But You Will, features tracks entitled “How to Be a Werewolf” and “You’re Lionel Ritchie” (declared by one severely intoxicated band member foolishly upon unexpectedly encountering the titular singer at Heathrow Airport).

“I think the juxtaposition of the less serious titles and the brutally serious music is a good one,” Braithwaite said. “Loads of the people who hear the record will have a completely different view of what it means. I like that too.”

Mogwai will appear at the Jefferson Theater on Sunday, June 10, supported by the young Pennsylvania-based beatmaker Balam Acab. It’s the band’s second appearance in Charlottesville, after a gig at Satellite Ballroom in 2006. Redlight Management’s Danny Shea, who booked both concerts, said he has high hopes for Sunday. “At the Satellite show, they definitely had respect for the limitations of the sound system there,” Shea said. “I caught them at South By Southwest on the same tour and they were much louder.” Shea predicts the Jefferson show will strike the right balance of quality and volume: “If you think you heard Mogwai at the Satellite, you should come to this show and really hear them.” The use of earplugs is advised.

At its core, life with small children is a series of regular practices. They almost always wake-up, eat, watch, and play at similar times and with the same things. Even outings with them are most likely a variation on the usual spot. Admittedly, all the habit is helpful, but the routine can also get old.

How to shake it up? Take a day trip to Richmond. Less than a mile from Cary Street in the heart of the city is Maymont, a 100-acre, 120-year-old former estate that is now a combination grounds, gardens, and children’s farm. Park by the latter and you’ll be greeted at the entrance by an enormous Vietnamese pot-bellied pig, then roosters, bunny rabbits, and kid goats.

From there a paved path winds through numerous domestic and wildlife animal exhibits. Initially, there are a number of goats that are fun to hand feed (with pellets from a nearby machine for only a quarter). More exotic creatures follow, like a caged bobcat or a glorious gray fox that paces behind a short electric fence.

The trail continues to Raptor Valley, where owls, hawks, and vultures loom behind wire. Two Bald Eagles perched on a hillside are the real treat here.

(Like the rest of the birds of prey at Maymont, they have permanent injuries that prevent them from surviving in the wild.)

The wildlife panorama typically finishes with an elusive black bear. If he is nowhere to be seen, then you’ll have to settle for a bronze likeness. My 4-year-old crouches before it, pretending it was the fierce animal escaped.

The animals are only part of Maymont’s allure. Eventually, the asphalt walkway leads to a large waterfall amid a bamboo forest with footpaths kids can trawl like they are in a jungle. Beyond that is a 100-year-old Japanese garden with a pond that features enormous Koi fish. Bring some old bread to crumble and feed them.

With its grassy knolls, the garden is one of many spots that are excellent to picnic at, but if you forego that option, then venture uphill and past an Italian garden with cascading water fountains to the 33-room mansion built in 1893 (guided tours are available most afternoons). Next, venture downhill to the Nature Center where a small food station with a select array of snacks—like chips and ice cream sandwiches—and bottled drinks await. However, the aquariums full of river otters, turtles, and fish are the main attraction here.

Had enough nature? Then make the short walk back to the car and drive two miles northwest to a cute children’s bookstore called bbgb. Spotted with small bean bag chairs, it’s easy to while away an hour reading book after book to your child, only to emerge with one like The Gruffalo that amuses you both.

If you didn’t picnic, chances are you’ll be starving by this point. Just a few short blocks away is Bandito’s Burrito Lounge. While the kids can choose items like a cheese quesadilla, taco, or chicken nuggets and fries off their own menu, parents have a wider array to select from. Best of all, the family-friendly nonsmoking area is cordoned off from the rest of the restaurant/bar, lending it a relaxed atmosphere. Thirst quenched and bellies full, you’ll be ready for the drive back to Charlottesville. Exhausted, yes, but satiated and refreshed for your regular routine.

Visit maymont.org for more information and directions.

(File photo)

We mamas are awfully hard on ourselves. But guess what? Most of us are doing O.K. (Well, you might be one of those monsters who feeds her preschooler uncut grapes, but the rest of us are doing O.K.) I usually offer mom-to-mom advice over mid-playdate cocktails (don’t judge), so consider this the print equivalent. Allow me to share with you, my sisters in the crusade against potty language and snot-rockets, some of our common concerns, and my take on why we should cut ourselves some slack.

Should I be worried that I haven’t been able to get my pre-baby body back as quickly as I had hoped?

Nonsense! You’re gorgeous and your many, many lady lumps are perfect. Now jiggle on over here and have a seat so we can chat about it over this pile of leftover Easter candy that I stole from my kids. Yes, you can bring that half-eaten grilled cheese that your toddler left behind; don’t want that to go to waste. Now, here are two things to remember: 1. You are the guts and glory behind this whole birthing and child rearing operation, and the lasting changes to your body should only remind you that it has served a higher, beautiful purpose by bringing new life into the world. 2. Muffin-top is the new black.

Should I be worried that I seem to have lost half of my brain cells since giving birth?

Oh, this is a good one. I am going to try to answer this in an informed and intellectual manner, so I’ll need to Velcro my elbow patches onto my bathrobe in order to get into the mindset. Oh damn, I think I may have used them as nursing pads in a sleep-deprived haze. Anyway, whatever your name is (I already forgot), don’t worry that even though you are an educated, accomplished woman, these days it seems to take every ounce of your mental capacity to remember not to stash your car keys in the fridge. If your children are fed, clothed (my strict in-house policy is “Underpants must be worn at the dinner table when we have company”) and loved, then congrats! You’ve remembered all the important stuff. Who cares if you routinely shave only one leg before going out?

At what point do we need to worry about being nude in front of our opposite gender children?

Take your cue from them. If it doesn’t seem like a big deal, don’t make it one. A local mom with whom I share several mutual friends but don’t actually know personally (nice to meet you, S!) demonstrated this tactic perfectly. A little while after giving birth to her third child, S. treated herself to a spa day complete with a long-overdue waxing and general maintenance in her Southern Hemisphere. The aesthetician/landscape architect got a little over ambitious due to the magnitude of the project, and basically took her from the “’Don King” to the “military recruit,” as far as her lady ’do was concerned. That evening, her eldest son (who is 6) entered the bathroom as she came out of the shower, and clearly noticed that something was abuzz. She wasn’t sure how to handle the awkward moment (I assume she was thinking “Please don’t salute me, please don’t salute me”) until her son nonchalantly remarked with a shrug, “Hey, Mom. Got your vagina hair cut? Looks nice. Can you help me find a Band-Aid?”

Mary is a local freelancer writer, a children’s yoga instructor, and the mother of three children. Read more of her work at mamasaidknockyouout.net.

What should I know about bug bites and bee stings before our family goes on vacation?
With summer fun comes exposure to insect bites and bee stings. Most bites don’t result in significant problems, but there are a few things to look out for. First, if your child is stung by a bee, you want to be sure that the stinger is not left behind (wasps and hornets do not leave a stinger, only bees). If the stinger is visible, scrape the area horizontally with a credit card or your fingernail to remove it. A serious allergy (anaphylaxis) to a bee sting would result in symptoms like hives on the skin, difficulty breathing, lip or throat swelling, or fainting. If any of these symptoms arise, seek medical attention immediately.

Most bites and stings are best treated by keeping them clean with soap and water, applying a cool compress or ice pack and over the counter itch cream like calamine lotion. (Hint: Often the calamine is even more effective if it’s cold, so keep it in the refrigerator.) If a bite appears to be increasing in size or redness or if there is any red streaking away from the bite, you should call your pediatrician to have it looked at.

Prevention is always a good strategy (albeit difficult to achieve in the Virginia summer) but consider applying insect repellant before going outside. Be sure to avoid combination sunscreen/insect repellant products, as sunscreen needs to be continuously reapplied throughout the day and the insect repellant is not intended to be reapplied. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends DEET 10-30 percent for children over 2 months of age. Ten percent DEET provides protection for about two hours and 30 percent DEET lasts for about five hours. Choose the lowest concentration that will provide the required length of coverage.

What can I do about my child’s bedwetting?
Preparing for play dates, summer camps, and family travel always reminds families about the inconvenience of bedwetting. Thankfully, the problem is rarely caused by a serious medical condition and almost always gets resolved on its own with time. It can, of course, be a cause of worry and embarrassment for children and frustration (and extra laundry!) for parents.
The major factors at play for children who still wet the bed are family history (usually at least one parent was a bedwetter as a child), small bladder size and increased urine production at night, being a deep sleeper, and constipation. While a few families may find restricting fluids in the evenings and waking their children up regularly during the evening and night is helpful in preventing bedwetting, usually these strategies just frustrate parents and children alike. If your child seems motivated to work on the issue (talks about wanting to be dry, not wanting to wear Pull-Ups, or not wanting to go on sleep-overs because of bedwetting), that is a good time to go for it.

The single best strategy for bedwetting is a bedwetting alarm. For younger kids, I call this “magic underwear,” which helps to sense the smallest amount of moisture in underpants and then sounds an alarm to wake the child from his/her deep sleep so he or she can go to the bathroom. After several weeks, the brain is usually more “tuned in” to the bladder and your goal is accomplished. Don’t forget: No matter what your strategy, it is important to let your child know that there are lots of kids (an estimated 10 to 15 percent of 8-year-olds) who wet the bed. Try praise for success rather than punishment for wetting.

Should I take my teenager off his ADHD meds over the summer?
Many families see the summer as a time to take a vacation from daily medications used for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). If your school-aged child has ADHD and is on daily medication, though, you may want to reconsider. First, an incredibly important safety issue for teenagers with ADHD is driving. All of us worry about distracted teen drivers and those with ADHD are particularly prone to driving distraction. If your driving teen is on a medication that is successfully treating his or her inattentive, impulsive, hyperactive, or distracted behavior during the school year, it is a good idea to keep her on the medication throughout the summer.

Kids of all ages attend summer camps, participate in swim teams or other sports camps, or stay with a babysitter or summer school. Your child is most likely to succeed and have fun in these ventures if the symptoms that require treatment during the school year are also controlled during the summer. Either way, it is a good idea to discuss this issue with your pediatrician and your teenager so everyone is on the same page.—Paige Perriello

Paige is a general pediatrician practicing at Pediatric Associates of Charlottesville. She is married, with a 2-year-old daughter.