Currently this is drowning out the sound of my roommates screaming at Lost. I was supposed to be at this show, but I gave the ticket to my brother because I had to come back to Los Angeles. He later sold them on Craigslist. I hope someone eventually saw this amazing show that I totally missed out on.
Bon Iver
Black Mountain
Oh-Mah-Gah.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Jetlag Sucks
Ok, I think Zombina finally tucked herself back in her grave and Raimy has re-claimed her brain. Arrived back in Los Angeles yesterday after sleeping one hour and getting stuck in between two neanderthals who played Doom for six hours and chatted to the girls sitting in front of me... they hadn't slept either, but were on a different drug cocktail.
This NY trip was shorter than most, I usually make it a very Victorian visit and stay for the month or longer but duty calls and being a 30-something slacker doesn't quite have the same ringtone. A fortnight it was... anyway, I brought back some killer spices from the East and can't wait to share them with you.
I love that you don't have to go into a museum or gallery anymore to look at great work, I dragged DJ Cutlet around one day last week. We were on an urban anthropological dig and here are some of the things we dug:
First we loaded up on caffeine at Sarabeth's in the Chelsea Market, Cutlet fell in love with SB and wanted to take her back to the lab...
instead we settled for two chocolate chubbies and made our way to the west side highway. I remember a story in The New Yorker a while back about this street artist who was trashing other kids work by cutting his wheat paste with glass and splashing paint on Bansky, Bast and Swoon pieces. The story suggested he was in love with Swoon, I mean, who isn't?
After hours and hours of searching for the oracle in our flip flops we headed over to McCarren Park for a completely different cultural study... Roadies, a necessary evil, even if they did come from a place called The Turkey's Nest. 
Natives mask alcohol consumption in these inconspicuous-bad-for-the-environment cups so the patrolling NYPD doesn't suspect they're suspect. Because the last thing you ever want to do, is get arrested on a Friday in New York. Believe me, I know these things.
More soon...
This NY trip was shorter than most, I usually make it a very Victorian visit and stay for the month or longer but duty calls and being a 30-something slacker doesn't quite have the same ringtone. A fortnight it was... anyway, I brought back some killer spices from the East and can't wait to share them with you.
I love that you don't have to go into a museum or gallery anymore to look at great work, I dragged DJ Cutlet around one day last week. We were on an urban anthropological dig and here are some of the things we dug:
First we loaded up on caffeine at Sarabeth's in the Chelsea Market, Cutlet fell in love with SB and wanted to take her back to the lab...
instead we settled for two chocolate chubbies and made our way to the west side highway. I remember a story in The New Yorker a while back about this street artist who was trashing other kids work by cutting his wheat paste with glass and splashing paint on Bansky, Bast and Swoon pieces. The story suggested he was in love with Swoon, I mean, who isn't? 
After hours and hours of searching for the oracle in our flip flops we headed over to McCarren Park for a completely different cultural study... Roadies, a necessary evil, even if they did come from a place called The Turkey's Nest. 
Natives mask alcohol consumption in these inconspicuous-bad-for-the-environment cups so the patrolling NYPD doesn't suspect they're suspect. Because the last thing you ever want to do, is get arrested on a Friday in New York. Believe me, I know these things.More soon...
Monday, May 26, 2008
Hawt Dawg
Oh good morning!
I hope everyone slept better than I did last night, I was like a little kid the night before Santa gets stuck in the chimney. Why you ask? Because Astroland opens today, and that means this lady is going to ride the Cyclone... more than once... it just completes Memorial Day. That, and a hot dog from Nathan's.
Jealous Girlfriends play tomorrow night and then I have to get back to L.A. Though, any reason I can find to stay here in New York and I'll take it.
So... Friday, Stereogum let Chris Walla from DCFC pick some music on their website and he pimped this guy who goes by the name Telekinesis!, he is based out of Seattle. There is no album yet, but it looks like CW will produce this one. Chris Walla also produced Tegan and Sara's most recent The Con. I am really into "Coast of Carolina" stick it on your x-country mix.
I hope everyone slept better than I did last night, I was like a little kid the night before Santa gets stuck in the chimney. Why you ask? Because Astroland opens today, and that means this lady is going to ride the Cyclone... more than once... it just completes Memorial Day. That, and a hot dog from Nathan's.
Jealous Girlfriends play tomorrow night and then I have to get back to L.A. Though, any reason I can find to stay here in New York and I'll take it.
So... Friday, Stereogum let Chris Walla from DCFC pick some music on their website and he pimped this guy who goes by the name Telekinesis!, he is based out of Seattle. There is no album yet, but it looks like CW will produce this one. Chris Walla also produced Tegan and Sara's most recent The Con. I am really into "Coast of Carolina" stick it on your x-country mix.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Muscular Pizza
Doing some research for this weeks show. It's overcast and I went out a little hard last night. Ouch. Trying to convince Vince to go see the new Indiana Jones movie at BAM but all he wants to do is sleep and drink seltzer. I got him drunk at Mona and Big Dave's and dragged him up to K&M where we met a glass blower... who I think may have wanted to "show" us his studio... where he blows glass.
Anyway, I have this song stuck in my head today:
Enjoy it now, before it gets co-oped by your fav tv show or turns up in a Noah Baumbach movie.
I have a hubris injury that won't heal and it hurts. Kiss my boo boo.
Anyway, I have this song stuck in my head today:
Enjoy it now, before it gets co-oped by your fav tv show or turns up in a Noah Baumbach movie.
I have a hubris injury that won't heal and it hurts. Kiss my boo boo.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
You ever have one of these days?
Like, you could be the only one dancing on the street and it wouldn't matter. That's pretty much the sentiment today as three of my favorite people celebrate their birthday's. Cindra, Harpal and Liz Feldman happy, happy, happy birthday butternuts.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Clinton Hill
It's rainy. Thankfully I brought a slicker. Brooklyn is green again. I've borrowed Big Dave's iPod since I don't own one and I was blown away to find this track on there!
Walking the streets listening to this on repeat. You should try it.
Walking the streets listening to this on repeat. You should try it.
Monday, May 19, 2008
This Just Out: Episode 3
Hello from the epicenter of the V-hole. I'm in New York for a few days, and it's spring! So excited to be here right now, gonna go check out Devotchka at Terminal 5 tomorrow night and later The Jealous Girlfriends record release show at Mercury. They're playing with Sea Wolf who I've never seen live so that should be pretty awesome.
I gotta say, I'm having such a great time making these musical suggestions so let get right to it. First, thank you to all three bands for letting us play your clips on our show. This week we shined a spotlight on bands without labels and first up was New York’s Violens. I really like this band; I'm such a sucker for new wave. They only have one date as far as concerts go. It's on June 5th at Mercury, so if you're in New York check them out.
Next up is another New York band called The Lisps. My friend Natalia Zukerman introduced me to Cesar Alvarez around four years ago. He was still piping away on his sax and now he's killing it on vocals and guitar for The Lisps. This is their second album and I highly suggest getting it.
Finally, Boston’s Bon Savants. I put "Between the Moon and the Ocean" on a mix for Liz a while back and when we were trying to make the list for this weeks show she had it on. It just seemed like the right choice. Fun fact about Bon Savants; lead singer Thom Moran is a friggen MIT educated rocket scientist!
Well... enjoy those, buy the albums and lets hope someone scoops them up soon!
I gotta say, I'm having such a great time making these musical suggestions so let get right to it. First, thank you to all three bands for letting us play your clips on our show. This week we shined a spotlight on bands without labels and first up was New York’s Violens. I really like this band; I'm such a sucker for new wave. They only have one date as far as concerts go. It's on June 5th at Mercury, so if you're in New York check them out.
Next up is another New York band called The Lisps. My friend Natalia Zukerman introduced me to Cesar Alvarez around four years ago. He was still piping away on his sax and now he's killing it on vocals and guitar for The Lisps. This is their second album and I highly suggest getting it.
Finally, Boston’s Bon Savants. I put "Between the Moon and the Ocean" on a mix for Liz a while back and when we were trying to make the list for this weeks show she had it on. It just seemed like the right choice. Fun fact about Bon Savants; lead singer Thom Moran is a friggen MIT educated rocket scientist!
Well... enjoy those, buy the albums and lets hope someone scoops them up soon!
Thursday, May 15, 2008
So What If It's Mostly A Prop.
Um I'm sorry... is that Madonna sampling Abba and covering PANTERA?! The demons must be freezing because hell hath frozen over.
Oh, Nostalgia.
So... I met Becky working at a restaurant called Pisces in the East Village, Spring/Summer of '02. She was in culinary school at the time and I was well... a kid with a degree in Playwriting... so I was bartending. We became fast friends, yelling at crack heads to leave our saltshakers alone and ushering off drunken lunatics who were frightening our sidewalk patrons. It was sublime.
New York was just on the brink of becoming the whole bean vanilla sundae it is now and the time to enjoy the raunchiness of it was slipping through our fingers. I mean after all, we were working in a seafood restaurant on Ave A that had opened in 1992. Even we were the enemy. But that didn't matter, none of it did. I was too young to distinguish the implications of what would become of it all.
Mike Stuto still had Brownies open if that is any indication of where we are on a time line. This guy named Tad started coming in to visit Becky, he'd bring his friend Craig and I'd make them margarita's and they'd finish them by the time I made it to the other end of the bar.
Old friends from Minneapolis, Becky was from the Twin Cities and these two guys were in this band called Lifter Puller that I'd never heard of. That wasn't my concern; my concern was that they were drinking margaritas faster than I could make them. So we came to a conclusion, The Minneapolis Margarita. It comes in a pint glass and only has half the ice... I bought myself 10 minutes or so.
By the end of that summer the Minneapolis Margarita was the mainstay at Pisces Bar along with half price oysters for happy hour. Now it wasn't only Tad and Craig it was everyone and on some nights that amazing summer we'd shut the gates and let our friends in through the kitchen and we'd drink Minneapolis Margarita's until the wee hours of the morning.
Lifter Puller played the last show at Brownies and a few months later Hi-Fi opened. It was fall; The B and I would close up shop and head over to 10th street for a shot of Jaeg and a Budweiser. Tad and Craig were talking about their new band called The Hold Steady. The wind was shifting, for everyone, in the right direction... Later, I'll tell you how The Hold Steady Almost Killed Me... for real.
Until then, go check them out this summer.
New York was just on the brink of becoming the whole bean vanilla sundae it is now and the time to enjoy the raunchiness of it was slipping through our fingers. I mean after all, we were working in a seafood restaurant on Ave A that had opened in 1992. Even we were the enemy. But that didn't matter, none of it did. I was too young to distinguish the implications of what would become of it all.
Mike Stuto still had Brownies open if that is any indication of where we are on a time line. This guy named Tad started coming in to visit Becky, he'd bring his friend Craig and I'd make them margarita's and they'd finish them by the time I made it to the other end of the bar.
Old friends from Minneapolis, Becky was from the Twin Cities and these two guys were in this band called Lifter Puller that I'd never heard of. That wasn't my concern; my concern was that they were drinking margaritas faster than I could make them. So we came to a conclusion, The Minneapolis Margarita. It comes in a pint glass and only has half the ice... I bought myself 10 minutes or so.
By the end of that summer the Minneapolis Margarita was the mainstay at Pisces Bar along with half price oysters for happy hour. Now it wasn't only Tad and Craig it was everyone and on some nights that amazing summer we'd shut the gates and let our friends in through the kitchen and we'd drink Minneapolis Margarita's until the wee hours of the morning.
Lifter Puller played the last show at Brownies and a few months later Hi-Fi opened. It was fall; The B and I would close up shop and head over to 10th street for a shot of Jaeg and a Budweiser. Tad and Craig were talking about their new band called The Hold Steady. The wind was shifting, for everyone, in the right direction... Later, I'll tell you how The Hold Steady Almost Killed Me... for real.
Until then, go check them out this summer.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
B.K.L.Y.Never Let Me Down Again
New York I love you, but you're bringing me down - James Murphy
I'm going to preface this by saying it's just an observation. This is not a rant or an attack. That said, yesterday MTV announced that they were going to shoot the 21st season of The Real World in Brooklyn. I gotta be honest here, I've clocked the casting constructs for the Real World of late and I'm actually frightened for the poor bastards.
Here's the thing... I never lived in Williamsburg. I grew up in Brighton Beach/Coney Island,
and when I did move back to Brooklyn as a young adult I moved into a loft in Bed-Stuy with my best friend. That was in October of 2002. 156 Spencer St, unlike McKibbin actually had walls. I mean, they were made of dry wall and when we would come home at 4am put on something as tame as Air our neighbor complained.
View Larger Map
We called her "Vera" she had lots of cats and made a point to tell us that she moved from Chelsea for peace and quiet. I mean really Vera? You're living off Myrtle & Bedford. Myrtle Avenue in some circles is called "Murder Ave", Jay-Z grew up in the projects down the block and our G stop is overrun with rats... peace and quiet?
But then this week The New York Times published this article about the lofts residents have coined "Dorms" over in Bushwick. I must be getting old, but if you don't move when you get bedbugs, your neighbors piss on your front door and someone throws a 40oz at your head… well to me, you're asking for it.
Growing up Brooklyn was Blue collar or lower to middle white middle collar. I can remember the kids at Camp Diana thinking that only homeless people lived in Brooklyn and now those girls probably have a stake in the Domino lofts. Even four years ago, when my producing partner and I went to Showtime to pitch an ensemble TV show set in Williamsburg, they had no fucking idea where it was.
It's crazy to me and mostly because people who have lived in Williamsburg and Greenpoint their whole lives are trying to get out because of the serious health risks in living that close to the Newtown Creek, Radiac and other assorted plastic treatment plants. One of the worst oil spills in history happened there in 1978, before people got up in arms about the Exxon Valdez and oil slicked penguins. Your million-dollar condos are being built on top of Brownfield’s!
And even as I write this from the comfort of my Silverlake townhouse, that probably sits dead center on a faultline, perhaps I’ve changed and now I'm the Vera. Not as edgy and out there as I once was, not prepared to walk up to the bodega with Ilsa in the middle of a snowstorm and order 10 40oz’ers from outside a bulletproof window. The thought of doing coke on a Tuesday turns my stomach and if someone suggests a restaurant called Sweetwater I get all teary eyed for the original.
I feel like every major city has a neighborhood like Williamsburg, people aren’t moving to the burbs anymore, now the sprawl is in the very places that spawned the bottle throwers and make places like The McKibbin lofts into “Dorms”. I mean, I think the Real World location manager has an answer for where to stick these kids. Right?
Better yet, have the story of seven strangers picked to live in a rundown loft, alive with bedbugs and surging creativity, and have their lives taped to find out what happens when people stop being polite and start getting real... By working at The New town Creek-Greenpoint Sewage Treatment plant
I'm going to preface this by saying it's just an observation. This is not a rant or an attack. That said, yesterday MTV announced that they were going to shoot the 21st season of The Real World in Brooklyn. I gotta be honest here, I've clocked the casting constructs for the Real World of late and I'm actually frightened for the poor bastards.
Here's the thing... I never lived in Williamsburg. I grew up in Brighton Beach/Coney Island,
and when I did move back to Brooklyn as a young adult I moved into a loft in Bed-Stuy with my best friend. That was in October of 2002. 156 Spencer St, unlike McKibbin actually had walls. I mean, they were made of dry wall and when we would come home at 4am put on something as tame as Air our neighbor complained.
View Larger Map
We called her "Vera" she had lots of cats and made a point to tell us that she moved from Chelsea for peace and quiet. I mean really Vera? You're living off Myrtle & Bedford. Myrtle Avenue in some circles is called "Murder Ave", Jay-Z grew up in the projects down the block and our G stop is overrun with rats... peace and quiet?
But then this week The New York Times published this article about the lofts residents have coined "Dorms" over in Bushwick. I must be getting old, but if you don't move when you get bedbugs, your neighbors piss on your front door and someone throws a 40oz at your head… well to me, you're asking for it.
Growing up Brooklyn was Blue collar or lower to middle white middle collar. I can remember the kids at Camp Diana thinking that only homeless people lived in Brooklyn and now those girls probably have a stake in the Domino lofts. Even four years ago, when my producing partner and I went to Showtime to pitch an ensemble TV show set in Williamsburg, they had no fucking idea where it was.
It's crazy to me and mostly because people who have lived in Williamsburg and Greenpoint their whole lives are trying to get out because of the serious health risks in living that close to the Newtown Creek, Radiac and other assorted plastic treatment plants. One of the worst oil spills in history happened there in 1978, before people got up in arms about the Exxon Valdez and oil slicked penguins. Your million-dollar condos are being built on top of Brownfield’s!
And even as I write this from the comfort of my Silverlake townhouse, that probably sits dead center on a faultline, perhaps I’ve changed and now I'm the Vera. Not as edgy and out there as I once was, not prepared to walk up to the bodega with Ilsa in the middle of a snowstorm and order 10 40oz’ers from outside a bulletproof window. The thought of doing coke on a Tuesday turns my stomach and if someone suggests a restaurant called Sweetwater I get all teary eyed for the original.
I feel like every major city has a neighborhood like Williamsburg, people aren’t moving to the burbs anymore, now the sprawl is in the very places that spawned the bottle throwers and make places like The McKibbin lofts into “Dorms”. I mean, I think the Real World location manager has an answer for where to stick these kids. Right?
Better yet, have the story of seven strangers picked to live in a rundown loft, alive with bedbugs and surging creativity, and have their lives taped to find out what happens when people stop being polite and start getting real... By working at The New town Creek-Greenpoint Sewage Treatment plant
You Got Muxy
So here is a dupe of my spring mix, I'm pretty stoked on it right now. Muxtape is a great way to share music without creating CD waste. That means it's green, and we like green in these parts. It's our new red ribbon. Speaking of red ribbons, did you know that it's HIV Vaccine Awareness Day on May 18? It is.
Monday, May 12, 2008
ConAir
There's a party going on downstairs. Half play cards, half watch tv. I'm trying to get downstairs to join them but can stop dancing around my room singing into my hairbrush.
Did I really just say that out loud?
Did I really just say that out loud?
This Just Out: Episode 2
Aren't you just a lucky duck that I can't sleep. It's just before 8am here in LA and there is a bird that has been chirping outside my window for the past three hours. There are two positives here, I was able to speak to my friend Dan who has been writing in China and thankfully he is safe and sound... from the earthquake.
Second, I can post the links for the music Liz and I chatted about this week. So... Lykke Li I was told is pronounced like Leeky and I've heard some people saying Likey, I honestly dunno which way is up on this one. I guess I'll just have to ask her myself. Anyway, here is the totally fucking rad video for "Im Good. I'm Gone."
Also, here is this great version that features members of Shout Out Louds, The Concretes and everyone's fav poptart Robyn.
Hopping over to another continent, Midnight Juggernauts are from Australia and have been on repeat in my iTunes since last fall. It seriously reminds me of a Friday night Laser Rock show at The Museum of Natural History.
Ok, I'm going to kill this bird and go back to sleep.
More soon.
Second, I can post the links for the music Liz and I chatted about this week. So... Lykke Li I was told is pronounced like Leeky and I've heard some people saying Likey, I honestly dunno which way is up on this one. I guess I'll just have to ask her myself. Anyway, here is the totally fucking rad video for "Im Good. I'm Gone."
Also, here is this great version that features members of Shout Out Louds, The Concretes and everyone's fav poptart Robyn.
Hopping over to another continent, Midnight Juggernauts are from Australia and have been on repeat in my iTunes since last fall. It seriously reminds me of a Friday night Laser Rock show at The Museum of Natural History.
Ok, I'm going to kill this bird and go back to sleep.
More soon.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Cure For Pain
The weather in Los Angeles has been a little moody this week. It's great for me, I can pull out my old... well, they're all on Mp3 now but... yeah, I don't feel like a total noob listening to Morphine and Joy Division when it's cloudy out. Right? And last fall either Holly or Caleb turned me on to A Place To Bury Strangers who fit perfectly. If you are going to one of their shows, be sure to bring earplugs.
And my heroes...
And my heroes...
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Ladykiller
A young Angie in an Italian music video that was clearly shot in Los Angeles and looks like a MOW meets Miami Vice meets Skinamax meets WTF?! Seriously... WTF.
Here is the original just in case you were racking your brain:
Back to studying, I'll talk to you soon.
Here is the original just in case you were racking your brain:
Back to studying, I'll talk to you soon.
Friday, May 09, 2008
Chicken Little
Speaking of little brothers, Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead opens this week in New York, and next week in Los Angeles. Lil'bro was a swing on what looks like Troma's best effing movie to date.
Gnarley
The first time I heard this song, Ethan and I were driving up 4th Ave in the rain. We usually don't agree on music in the car, but when this track came up neither one of us reached for control of the iPod. And now the video! My head is blown wide open:
Gnarls Barkley - Going On
Gnarls Barkley - Going On
Thanks For Letting Me Crash On Your Couch
Our friend Sylvia Sether directed this video. We here at Muthafunka adore her and want to give her props. Here is the video for Raison D'etre by Machine:
P.S. Recognize the girl in the video?
P.S. Recognize the girl in the video?
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Cinco De Margarita
Happy Belated Cinco De Mayo by the way. I think my neighbors are still pissed about the pinata demolition which sprayed our cul-de-sac with lube, condoms, airplane bottles of scotch, cigarettes and CANDY. Though, I doubt they tasted better than the Samurai sandwiches Amy and Tracy were eating when they drunk dialed me:
Little Birdies
In a few months (weeks) I am going to be sick of hearing this song, I just know it. As far as gay club anthems go, I think Sam Sparro is in for a treat. Expect this song right after Nobody Supposed to Be Here for the next 15 years... But for right now, I love this track... and so does my mom.
Monday, May 05, 2008
Yes! Yes! Yes!
I just caught this on Pitchfork Television... Classic! With a side of fuck yeah for Shannon Funchess.
This Just Out: Episode 1
Liz Feldman is not only my hero, the very funny lady has also given me the opportunity to show what a total nerd I am on her new show This Just Out on afterellen.com. The first episode went up this morning, check it out. My mother already told me she absolutely hates my vest and scarf... just putting that out there should you want to comment.
Also, we couldn't play any of the music on our show since it's totally budget so here are links for The Jealous Girlfriends, Santogold and Hercules and Love Affair... If you're a lazypants just watch the vid's below:
The Jealous Girlfriends - How Now
TJG's also have a live recording available through NPR's All Songs Considered, you can download that performance at the 9:30 club when they played with Kaki King and Nada Surf here.
Santogold - L.E.S Artistes
Hercules & Love Affair - Blind
Also, we couldn't play any of the music on our show since it's totally budget so here are links for The Jealous Girlfriends, Santogold and Hercules and Love Affair... If you're a lazypants just watch the vid's below:
The Jealous Girlfriends - How Now
TJG's also have a live recording available through NPR's All Songs Considered, you can download that performance at the 9:30 club when they played with Kaki King and Nada Surf here.
Santogold - L.E.S Artistes
Hercules & Love Affair - Blind
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