Saturday, December 20, 2008

Sparks, I hardly knew ye

Consider this your (semi-)advanced warning..

It's time to stock up.

When Miller Brewing bought Sparks from McKenzie River Corp. back in 2006, you knew that it was only a matter of time before the formula was changed. Cost reduction is king in any economic environment (a non-planned one, anyway), and when established products are brought into the fold of another corporation (especially a larger one), they must be transmuted to use a common ingredient set, which is presumably already being bought in bulk-bulk-bulk. Or, you could imagine formulas being tweaked based on "market research".. but, again, any formula change is most likely a matter of making an established (but, presumably, beloved) product cheaper to manufacture..

And I'm all about doing things more efficiently! Waste not, want not, and all that. However, the product usually suffers because the philosophical essence of the original is usually lost in the journey from acquisition down towards the bottom line.

But I've digressed a bit..

Um, yeah: stock up on yer Sparks! You see, MillerCoors is reformulating it en-totál due to massive legal headaches all across the country. Huh? Not the type of headache you associate with Sparks? Well, about 30 US State Attorney Generals have sued MillerCoors over the past couple of years to, basically, take Sparks off the market. Yeah, so the change is not exactly due to cost-savings -- sorry about that earlier discussion/digression; how did I get started on that?

In any case, the states have argued that Sparks is an "alcopop" that targets underage youth in its marketing.. and, besides, mixing your uppers and downers in a given night is a bad idea. humph. I don't agree on either of those points; if anything -- *anything* -- I would sue based on the taste alone. And I'd make Smirnoff Ice a defendant as well, while we're at it. haha.

Well, the upshot is that you'll still find "Sparks" on the shelves; however, as I alluded to before, it will be reborn in a much different incarnation. Packaging too?; I don't know. The Washington Business Journal reports that MillerCoors will "voluntarily reformulate its Sparks beverage to remove caffeine, taurine, guarana and ginseng from the product."

What? That makes no sense. How is this new product -- Sparks in name only -- still going to be the somehow-charming, jacked-up hangover machine we're all grown to, um, tolerate? In any case, read the details here:

Maryland part of deal with MillerCoors to reformulate Sparks
by Rich Rovito @ the Washington Business Journal

Again, I was never a huge fan of any of the varieties of Sparks ("blue", "black", or the original "orange"), but I do appreciate that there is a time for such indulgence and, therefore, a place on the shelf, so to speak. And perhaps my brain and liver are celebrating this news -- that is, the news of Sparks' demise, and, consequently, the news that I will never be able to succumb to its temptation ever again -- but my heart is a little sad..

So, is seems, my only option is to to drown this sorrow in a vat of Redbull and vodka.. which, you know.. doesn't sound so bad. Salud!

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Ladytron for me; The Virgins for you?

You got lucky.

I mean, if you missed their opening spot on the Black Kids tour through San Francisco back in October, The Virgins are back, playing at the venerable Popscene for their Holiday Gala 2008. TONIGHT!

The Virgins at myspace

They've got a sound where The Strokes comparisons are inevitable (and I think that's mostly a good thing), but to mix it up for the here-and-now, The Virgins have thrown the occasional disco-y beat or Clash-y guitar syncopation behind most of their tracks. And these are also good things; their shizz is catchy, while still being fresh and a little raw (more on that later)..

I also appreciate that a few songs -- including their huge hit, Rich Girls (video) -- emanate a bluesy-sexuality, a la The Rolling Stones.. and, luckily, the lead singer has the looks to make it all work. haha. Ah -- just a heads-up that the Rich Girls video is semi-safe-for-work, given that some scenes contain a model gettin' down to her skivies. ;)

So, with all that said, let me submit that this is the last time you'll see them at a venue so small.. unless you're deep in certain artscenes of the LES -- their home-hood -- where you might still see them play at a party/gallery once they're back from touring. Yeah, they seem to be getting more and more air/face-time on the radio, on the TV, over the past couple of months, so I'm only expecting a good 2009 for these guys.

To be honest, part of that (predicted) success is due to the "slickness" of their self-titled debut album on Atlantic records. The label/studio really got to them, and not in a particular good way for my tastes. That is, they didn't capture the "freshness" and "rawness" I mentioned earlier; they didn't capture that sound that I heard when I first caught a couple of tracks off their original, self-recorded EP (after a friend told me about them this past January).

No matter.. whatever they want to do professionally is fine by me. I'm not asking you to buy their album. But you *should* see them rock-out live -- hear their music the way it was meant to be heard -- in that hot, sweaty, 18+ box of musical taste: Popscene, tonite; doors at 9:30pm, so it's gonna be a late night of getting your dance-on!

~~~~~~~~

By the way, I would totally join you tonight at Popscene, but I already have tickets to the Ladytron DJ set featuring Reuben Wu at Mighty (playing with San Francisco's own Sleazemore). Maybe I'll see you there?

The show is presented by the good folks at Blasthaus; check out more from them here.

Friday, October 3, 2008

We'll make it happen in the 'Loin

You know, I'm usually pretty wary of lists trying to tell you about the "best food and drinks" in any city, or the best of anything, really.. and especially if it's a city of any significant size or density. Like San Francisco. But the folks over at chow.com have recently -- well, recently, when I first noted the article a month and a half ago -- offered up such a list for our fair city.

At least they acknowledge that the act of compiling such a list is "a bold statement"; and so by qualifying it as such, I feel better about the whole endeavor. haha. So, check it:

Grit and Grub in SF's Tenderloin
http://www.chow.com/stories/11247

And you know what? Part of the reason that this article caught my interest (and why I can't refute too much of its contents) is that I can't really say much about the Tenderloin; I just don't have intimate knowledge of the neighborhood. I mean, over my years here in San Francisco, I've really just fluttered through those roughshod downtown streets for the occasional drink, the occasional show, or the occasional meal; I've really only concentrated my (social) affections, for better or worse (but mostly for the better), on The Mission, SOMA, The Lower Haight, and, more recently, on Hayes Valley, Divis Corridor, and parts of Civic Center.

In any case, I keep *meaning* to explore the Tenderloin a bit more (I think I say that about a lot of spots about town), but in the weeks since this article was published, I still haven't visited any of the places on the list.. and these are places that I actually *want* to check out, like Turtle Tower Restaurant (for the pho ga, natch) and Fish & Farm (maybe just for the delicious-looking/sounding desserts and cocktails). What's up with gittin'er done?

Let me just say that the next person to suggest that we do something -- at least of a non-sexual and/or non-drug nature, other traditional vices of the area (although there is a time a place for, um, most things; haha) -- in the Tenderloin, well, we'll make it happen (it takes two to tango, kid). No questions asked.

'Loin, activate!

Thursday, October 2, 2008

I remember the sounds of Souvlaki washing over me

Not sure what-the-hey, but one of my posts got lost in the digital shuffle a couple of weeks ago and dropped off the blog. So, if you were looking for The Twelves Became Sixteen download or tracklist at http://notaperfectprocedure.blogspot.com/2008/09/twelves-became-sixteen.html and got a "Page not found" error from blogger, I apologize.

I've reposted it, basically good-as-new, at:

http://notaperfectprocedure.blogspot.com/2008/09/twelves-became-sixteen_05.html

Yeah, so, if this new page evaporates, well, that would be silly. Silly, I say!

~~~~~~

In other music news, a friend pointed me to Discodust's coverage of Memory Cassette, a project putting out some quality bedroom-disco-electronica.. yes, recursive reverb, lovely buzz, and breathy vocals in full effect. The overall vibe of the music brings back memories of my obsession back in the day for those heavy-hitters of the shoegaze scene, Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine (and, later, the Lost in Translation soundtrack). Yes, there is that element here; and it's good stuff.

In any case, check out the Disco Dust blog and download some tracks here.

Yes, I think this just might be inspiration/fodder for the next mix..

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Askin' fo' tha Jams -- rhetorically, natch

Back from a daytrip to Mt. Diablo, drinking some tea (more on that later), and planning the upcoming (social) week; why not tune the ol' tube to MTV Jams?

Good question, huh?

I think I'm going to be asking it -- rhetorically, natch -- a lot more often.

You see, I *happened* upon this blast-from-the-past while dialing down, down.. down low on the Comcast television guide tonight; and I ended up at the "MTVJ" channel. Who knew there was such a channel? It's classic MTV -- music videos all day, all the time: "The words and sounds of music's brightest stars mesh with flashy images in a block of videos." True 'dat.

In any case, here's just a small sample of what's going down on MTVJ on your average Sunday night; judge fo'yoself:

Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince - Girls Ain't Nothin But Trouble (video)

Fergie feat. Ludacris - Glamorous (video)

Sheila E - Glamorous Life (video)

T.I. - Whatever You Like (video)

Notorious B.I.G. - One More Chance (video)

T.I. - What Up, What's Haapin' (video)

Q-Tip - Gettin Up (video)

De La Soul - Breakadawn (video)

Kanye West - Homecoming (video)

While it still ain't my toptop music genre (damn you Frenchelectrohouse!!), for sure, I've been listening to a lot more hiphop and R&B (video) lately; and, so, if you want to hang -- um, intellectronically -- with me you need to be versed in the ways of the (MTV) Jams. ;)

Jams!

Friday, September 19, 2008

So much more than gore and fantasy and folkart

If you "go out" in NYC, no doubt you've heard of Santos Party House (formerly-known-as-and-perhaps-soon-to-swing-back-into Santa's Party House); no doubt you've even gone to check out a cool mix of live acts and djs; and to get your dance on.

Hmm.. Did you know that Andrew WK is one of Santos' four owners? Probably; you did. Ok. But could you name any of the other owners?

Does it matter? Well, not really. haha. But sometimes these sorts of little facts help establish a rapport with certain groups of people. Yeah, no matter what circle(s) you roll in, you're sorta expected to know who's who in the scene (whether we're talking about NYC clubs or SF non-profits).

In any case, SF and NYC cross paths once again..

You see, tomorrow night, the Jack Hanley Gallery, located on the northern-most (and up-coming-est) stretch of Valencia Street, is opening its doors from 6pm - 9pm to present to you, the public, the latest works from Spencer Sweeney, NYC-based (visual and performance) artist -- and co-owner of Santos.

(For your future reference -- and name-dropping pleasure -- the full list of owners of Santos Party House follows: Spencer Sweeney, Andrew WK, Larry Golden, and Ron Castellano.)

Spencer Sweeney @ Jack Hanley Gallery
September 20th - October 25th, 2008

Admittedly, I'm planning on stopping by somewhat for the scene (although why else go to any art opening?; the opening event is not a particularly good time to go to have an intimate dialog with the art itself). That said, the swirl of colors, and mix of (sloppy) geometry and modern-symbols-rendered-in-a-primitive-fashion, found in the pieces that I've seen online seem up my alley.

The work recalls Philip Guston and Basquiat, it recalls some Paul Klee and early Jackson Pollack in my mind. (ahem) I know the use of such HUGE artistic icons in my comparison betrays my lack of art knowledge; and I somewhat-apologize for their use. But, whatever; it's all I got off the top of my head. ;) Check the Jack Hanley site for his latest work, or, get your google on!

Besides, this Sweeney fellow seems like an interesting character. And Jack Hanley usually provides free beer at these sorts of shindigs.

~~~~~~~~~~

Alright, alright, so now that I've whetted you appetite for the visual scene here in SF, what else to do? Well, I think we're all in luck because this Fall is starting off with a bang..

Two artists of the (local) "Beautiful Losers" collective have shows up right now in the city. And while I'm NOT a fan of most "street art" -- to put a really generic term that covers what these guys do/make -- Shepard Fairey and Barry McGee have created iconic bodies of work, have created a signature style that you will surely recognize, even if you didn't know the artists' names. Check it (now, in a gallery setting):

Shepard Fairey @ White Walls Gallery
September 13th - October 4th, 2008

Barry McGee aka Twist, aka Ray Fong, and, now, aka Lydia Fong @ Ratio3 Gallery
September 15th - October 18th, 2008

Read about + see more of the work of Fairey and "Fong" here and here, respectively.

~~~~~~~~~~

And, well, this last bit is just a tease -- because we all just missed this show at Park Life, over in the Inner Richmond -- but, man, be on the lookout for more work by 22-year-old Matthew Palladino.

He captures gore and fantasy and folkart, wrapped up in tiger stripes and gang colors. In short, it's pretty cool.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Music across the gamut, huh?

Whew! Stockmarket crash be damned (for now)!

I bought a few concert tickets earlier today (what else is this paper money good for anyway?); check this:

September 19th: Danger + Spitzer @ Mezzanine
October 13th: The Black Kids + The Virgins @ GAMH
October 30th: SOULWAX + 2MANY DJS @ Mezzanine
November 1st: Lykke Li + Friendly Fires @ The Independent

I, of course, recommend all of the above shows (and if you want to join me, let me know!). And here are a couple more that I'm-interested-in-but-can't-go-to-for-one-reason-or-another:

September 18th: Does It Offend You, Yeah? @ GAMH
September 19th: Sugar and Gold @ Cafe du Nord
September 19th: Veil Veil Vanish @ The Hemlock Tavern
November 6th: Electric Six + Local H @ GAMH
November 11th: Vic Chestnut + Elf Power @ Bottom of the Hill
November 29th: Palms @ Cafe du Nord
November 29th: Blowoff, hosted & DJ'd by Bob Mould & Rich Morel

Music across the gamut, huh?

~~~~~~~~~~~~

In other news... sexual orientation be damned, I, *ahem*, happened upon a few gay bars in the Castro tonight -- the reasoning is quite straight-forward if you'd like to know -- but shizz if they don't have INSANE drink specials on a Monday night. Oh yeah, I'm filing this alcoholic-information away for future reference... for those times when, on the first day of the (proper) workweek, you want a drink or two (or six) and Tuesday seems soooooooooo far away; Tuesday, what? In short, hit the Midnight Sun; damn yo, 2 for 1 all day. For reals...

Monday, September 15, 2008

Don't be scared by the freedom (of granola)!

I just got back from a five-day climbing trip with some friends in Tuolumne Meadows (Yosemite National Park), and one of the things that sustained me -- nutritionally, that is -- was a boatload of homemade granola. In fact, I've been making my own granola the past couple of months... almost exclusively for overnight climbing trips, but I do have it in mind to make it more often, to have it jar'd up and ready-to-eat whenever.

While the ingredients of a specific "granola" can vary widely, it most certainly includes a base of (whole) rolled oats, nuts, and dried fruit, which is then sweetened, oiled, spiced, and baked at a low temperature. Yeah -- so a search for "granola recipe" on google yields a multitude of results (owing to, again, its loose definition).

Don't be scared by the freedom!

Here, my advice is the same as for cooking/baking other things: start with some old, trusted stand-bys as a source of inspiration; then, once you've (hopefully) had some successes (or near-successes), start playing around with ingredients and ratios. So, as I have for other endeavors-in-the-kitchen, I turned to Alton Brown and Ina Garten, but also liked some of the ideas from Kathy Nicol's "Heathy Habits" blog.

Without further ado, check my granola recipe:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DRY
4c whole rolled oats
1c roasted and lightly salted whole almonds
1c roasted and lightly salted broken cashews
1T sesame seeds
1T flax seeds
2t ground Saigon cinnamon
1t ground ginger
1/4t ground cayenne pepper
1/2t salt

WET
1/4c brown sugar
1/4c vegetable oil
3/8c maple syrup (grade B)
1t vanilla extract

FRUIT
1c golden raisins
1c dried cranberries

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. Preheat your oven to 250° F.

2. Mix the DRY ingredients in a large mixing bowl and the WET ones in a medium-sized bowl.

3. Add the WET ingredients to the DRY ones (i.e. into the large mixing bowl) and combine evenly. Note that the amount of WET ingredients is relatively "light" compared to other granola recipes, but it will coat all the DRY ingredients with some careful mixing.

4. Dump the moistened oat/nut mixture onto a rimmed cookie sheet (or half-sheet pan), spread it around to the edges, and bake for 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 20 minutes, stirring the mixture around the pan every 15-16 minutes to make sure it all bakes evenly. Note that for pans with a tiny rim, this can be a challenge, so stir carefully to avoid granola falling everywhere!

5. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let cool. Mix in the FRUIT ingredients and you're ready to rock some deliciousness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you store your granola in an airtight container, it should last a couple of weeks... which is why it's been good to bring on camping trips. But, as I implied before, it's good to have around the house for mixing in yogurt, snacking on its own, or -- and this is something I haven't tried yet -- baking with it.

Let me know if you give this recipe a go... or, change up the nut or fruit options, change up the spicing! It's really hard to go wrong. And share it with the rest of us. ;)

Friday, September 5, 2008

The Twelves Became Sixteen

This new Hotwell mix -- by yours truly -- is a collection of some really fresh, really fun music; it's the sort of music that I've listening to a lot lately. May I present, "The Twelves Became Sixteen"; download it here.

Note: Download taken down; let me know if you want it!

Tracklist:

01. Electric Feel - MGMT (video)
02. A Sudden Rush - Erlend Øye (video)
03. Somebody, Somewhere (Lifelike Remix) - Cazals (blog)
04. Works for Me - The Twelves (blog)
05. Ambient Room (SymbolOne Remix) - DVAS (blog)
06. Icarus (Lifelike Remix) - Ledge (blog)
07. Epic Last Song (Lifelike Remix) - Does It Offend You, Yeah? (blog)
08. Nightdrive With You (GRUM's New Wave Remix) - Anoraak (blog)
09. This Boy's In Love (Lifelike Remix) - The Presets (blog)
10. Sometimes (Computer Club Edit) - Les Rhythmes Digitales (blog)
11. Countdown (Designer Drugs Remix) - Jupiter One (blog)
12. I'm Good I'm Gone (Fred Falke Remix) - Lykke Li (blog)
13. I'm Not Gonna Teach Your BF How to Dance (The Twelves Remix) - Black Kids (blog)
14. Colours (Fred Falke Remix) - Hot Chip (blog)
15. Walking on a Dream - Empire of the Sun (video)
16. Hold On - Wilson Phillips (video)

The working title of this mix was "Cage Redux" -- because I wanted to base the overall vibe/sound around the Fred Falke Remix of Golden Cage (a song featured in my last mix)..

You'll note, though, that I didn't leave Golden Cage on the final mix. But no matter for the end-product.. that ethereal Frenchhouse vibe, embodied by producers like Falke, Lifelike and The Twelves, is well represented. *Very* well represented. Yeah, so let me know what you think; and believe that this aural device is eminently-danceable (so get on and dance!).

In any case, I need to mail this mix out to the ol' "mix CD club" tomorrow.. a few days late -- yeah, we have deadlines! -- so hopefully it makes it over to the, um, Ohio headquarters in time to be included in the next cycle. People gotta hear this!! haha.

Also, if you're interested in your own, physical, copy, let me know and I'll see what I can do..

~~~~~~~

ps. I'll fill out links to some of the songs above over the weekend!

Friday, August 29, 2008

It's getting hot in herre; or is it me?

Yeah -- I can't deny it: I'm goofing off tonight (and totally chillin' in my room, weekend-style, interleaving music searches with random videos on youtube.

Ok, ok.. you're asking: what's in it for me (this "goofing off" by this blog kid)? Well, the benefit of my low-keyness for you -- for you! -- is that I've dug up Tiga's version of "Hot In Herre" (video). Turn that BASS up!

And, besides any low-frequency delight this track embodies, the video reminds me of the power of puppets!! (even as my most recent *real* exposure is via "The Long Christmas Ride Home", performed at The Magic Theater in 2006). But also -- and more specifically (and yeah!) -- dog puppets are universally funny/cool. haha.

In any case, if you haven't seen the original of "Hot in Herre" (by Nelly), check it.

~~~~~~~~~~

Also: I was a fan of Stone Brewing's 11th Anniversary Ale when it first came out, but this Black Imperial IPA still rocks today, a year later. And I think I've got two or three more bombers stashed in the apartment somewhere. Ohhhh -- the power of planning ahead!

Hmmm.. I think I'm overdue for an update to my "Top XX Beers", huh?

The Twelves, you never heard it so good

Oh, The Twelves done put out an awesome mixtape this past week; check the tracklist:

01. Zeigeist - Humanitarianism (The Twelves Replay)
02. Radiohead - Reckoner (The Twelves Replay)
03. Mirwais - Naive Song
04. Of Montreal - Gronlandic Edit
05. David E. Sugar - To Yourself
06. The Virgins - Rich Girls (The Twelves Replay)
07. Daft Punk - Voyager
08. Jupiter - CHIP
09. Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal (The Twelves Replay)
10. Metronomy - Heartbreaker
11. The Twelves - Works for Me (The Twelves Replay)
12. Lykke Li - Dance Dance Dance (The Twelves Replay)

Yeah -- I know what you're thinking: besides Daft Punk, you might not think these other groups are really up my alley. I know; I know. That said, The Twelves have put a great beat behind each track, really threading everything together in a rich, um, tapestry of aural delight. So -- chill, a'ight? ;)

The fabulous package of music, for sure, advances an agenda of mellowdanceyvibe around the house (my house); and, as such, becomes -- or, rather, I imagine it would become -- good background music for all manner of party (including a bit of close-close dancing s'il vous plait). Or whatever. The bottom line is that this mix of "The Twelves Replays" fits my spot-measured aesthetic -- go ahead: take the measurements! -- in the here-and-now. Oh yeah.. I'm gonna rip a track or two of this into my next homemade mix (due for my mix CD club by this weekend -- stay tuned for more info on that in a future post!).

Whoa -- but hey, regardless of my musical-leanings electronique the past couple of years, I *have* been indulging in a little bit of my indie rock roots lately. (By the way, don't tell me that the term "indie rock" is vague.. I know; and I would say to suspend those suspicions and read on..).

Most recently, I've been listening to the new Of Montreal and MGMT albums, "Skeletal Lamping" and "Oracular Spectacular", respectively. And, further.. shizz.. do Dinosaur Jr., Dramarama (video), or any of 'dem oldschool indie rock bands ever, truly, go out of style?

At this point, if you're wondering if I'm "getting soft" in my musical tastes, don't worry!; I can still get down to a good set of bangers. Yeah, so if you want to test that, to rock it late-night, bring it. ;) In the meantime, you can't get this, The Twelves Episode II mixtape, on fast enough.. download it at the kickass Discodust blog; press "play"; and then "repeat".

Please press.
Please press repeat;
Please press on;
And repeat.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Maybe it's time to try another cask ale

Today, William Brand's "What's on Tap" beer blog threw out a last minute heads-up that tonight is Anderson Valley Brewing Night at Toronado; it starts at 6pm.

What this means is that they are tapping the first keg of their Winter Solstice spiced Christmas ale for 2008. They will also be pouring many other beers from the always-quality Anderson Valley lineup, including one I've never heard of: a Deep Enders Dark Porter. I've been drinking a lot of dark porters/stouts lately (mostly of the Imperial variety) so this porter is calling out to me.. although it's going to be on cask, which is an old-school finishing/delivery method that I haven't really developed a taste for (yet?). We'll see..

In any case, find more details for tonight's event over at What's On Tap, but the bottom line is that if you're thirsty tonight, Toronado will be a good place to be. No special cover; just pay for your beers (natch).

I'm going to walk by after my Russian class tonight and if it's not too crowded (around 10:30pm), I'll probably give that porter-on-cask a go..

Oh, and if you're not familiar with Anderson Valley Brewing, they are a solid Northern Californian brewer, most famous for their Boont Amber Ale. And, as I've mentioned before, they throw one hell of a beerfest every year -- put it on your calendars for 2009!

~~~~~~~~

By the way, Toronado has special beer nights all the time -- mostly in this same format (i.e. no cover, just lots of beers from a particular brewery available -- usually along with the brewers themselves), although occasionally they have a formal tasting in Toronado's back room. Check their calendar for updates, but here are the next couple of events:

September 16th: Lagunitas Night
September 17th: Elysian Brewery Bay Area Kick Off Party!

Friday, August 8, 2008

Nelly: you know it's the right thing to do.

Yeah, yeah.. you know, and I know (even though it was just officially announced today): "MEZZANINE and Ankh Marketing present"..

Um, Nelly, at Mezzanine on September 13th.

Want to go?

Doors at 9am; the shizz is $40 for General Admission (GA), or $55 for tha' VIP (which, at this point, I admit: I'm not sure what "VIP" means in terms of experience, but, still: I'm interested in it, given the high price for GA anyway).

Tickets go on sale tomorrow (here), but I'm out of town for the weekend (doing that climbing thing); if tickets aren't sold out come Monday, I'm going to buy a pair.. and convince someone that gettin' silly to some pophop on a rad Saturday night is the right thing to do.

You know it's the right thing to do.

Oh.. plus free movie night is back at The Independent this Monday night with Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. Check it; if we're lucky, there will be some way to incorporate a bit of the Wilson Phillips (video) in this sequel.. just like in the original, for reals (video). Ah.. to dream!

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

All things licorice, and drink-worthy

I'm out of vodka!
Repeat: I'm out of vodka!

And this happens just when I bought some deliciously-red-colored Bloody Mary mix yesterday (I know, I know -- I should make my own "mix" from scratch, but I couldn't resist this "natural" version, in a bottle so shapely). Yeah, so now what am I gonna do wit'it?

Well, first, I should, um, clarify the situation.. I've started off with a bit of hyperbole (for dramatic effect). Alas! Alack! Whew?! ;)

Where was I? For sure.. before everyone gets all up in a tizzy, I *should* add that the realdeal is that I don't have any more *unflavored* vodka in the house. You see, the other day I applied my last half-liter of clear niceness to a(nother) noble infusion experiment.. so let me ask you:

Do you like the aroma, the slickness, or, dare I say, the *stimulation* of whole star anise?

I do. Yikes!

Hmm.. although, I don't have any particular mixed drink in mind for the licorice elixir (which will be ready, I'm thinking, by the weekend). But I think it might be tasty to have, simply: over rocks. How can I be so sure (of future enjoyment)? Let me count the ways:

1. While not my usual "go to" drink, I *do* have a fondness for a nice lowball glass of decent vodka over ice when I'm in the right mood and/or company.

2. I like me some anise flavor in general; in fact, one of my top choices for cocktails-made-at-home right now: Redbull and absinthe (6 parts of the former to 1 part of the latter, over lots of ice).

Two reasons are enough for me! Bring on the drink! haha.

Ah, speaking of absinthe - it would have been more timely to mention this a few weeks ago - but that purveyor-of-cool-events (delivered right to your inbox, natch), Flavorpill, recently put up a nice mini-site dedicated to the Green Fairy (as absinthe may be more poetically known); check it here. There, you'll find an abbreviated history of how this particular liquor came to be such a seductress, along with a couple of fancy cocktail recipes -- including their "Summer 2008 Signature Cocktail", the Flavorpill Orange Fresh.

In any case, as I sorta hinted at, I meant to post this Flavorpill+absinthe business a few weeks ago because those guys were sponsoring a few parties earlier this month with free Orange Fresh tastings at madhip places like Santos Party House in NYC and Mezzanine in SF; and, from what I hear, there was some maddancy music to be had too. But, c'est la vie. If you didn't know, now you know..

And knowing is half the battle (video). So get yourself a bottle and start makin' up for lost time! ;)

~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh, and if you have any good ideas for my anise-infused vodka, let me know!

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Models in the middle of the street, bludgeoned

I've never been there, but, it seems, the Catharine Clark Gallery is calling me from its location down in SOMA (on Minna Street, near 3rd Street). Noone is literally calling me, of course. ;) But I just found out about a Timothy Cummings exhibit that opened there the other day; and I'm a fan of the guy's ghostly and iconographic work.

I first happened upon Mr. Cummings - that is, his paintings - at the Boomerang "screening & exhibition" a few months ago at John's Hayes Valley Market Gallery; and, there, I was enamored with his "androgynous subjects" and their "dark and brooding gazes"; I said as such at the time.

Since then, I found out that Timothy Cummings has been represented by the Catherine Clark Gallery since 1994 (though he's shown at many other galleries since then, like the Nancy Hoffman Gallery in NYC), so my attendance there is way overdue; this current show will be up until August 23rd so I've got a few weeks. Yeah, if you head over their yourself, I'd like to hear what you think of his pieces..

But in the meantime, find out a little more about the man; I found this interview at, um, Queerty..

The Totally Frightful Issue: Timothy Cummings
Interview with Andrew Belonsky
Published: Oct 20, 2006

Andrew Belonsky: There was a show at SITE Santa Fe a few years ago – I think it may have just been called “The Grotesque” – which was interesting to me not only because of the art, but because [it seems] the idea of “the grotesque” has reached new levels…

Timothy Cummings: I’ve always been inspired by [the grotesque]. I’ve always been sort of hot for gory fashion ads. Now it’s the norm. It’s not even an [issue]: of course the new ad campaign’s going to be your jeans and a couple hot models lying in the middle of the street, bludgeoned. It’s hot. I love it.

True that. haha.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

A nice way to start off the Fall

Ok, ok.. just one more:

What's that about more Australians in the States? Yeah, you heard right, music scene darlings (and, um, nu-ravers.. only when the remixers get ahold of them, methinks), The Midnight Juggernauts, are playing at 103 Harriet Street (San Francisco) on Friday, September 12th.

But that's not all.. LCD Soundsystem and DFA founder, The Juan Maclean will also be there -- with his touring band; I'm curious how their live sound compares to the purely electronic sound of the albums. The little cherry on top is that the boys of Digitalism will be dj'ing around the night as well.

A nice way to start off the Fall season, huh?

VERY LIMITED $20 introductory advance tickets onsale now, here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

ps. I looked up 103 Harriet Street - I've never been there - and I *think* it's another name for former epic party venue 1015 Folsom. If anyone can confirm and/or correct, drop it in the comments. Thanks!

Monday, July 21, 2008

These dates need legwork

These things seem to come in cycles, but a lot of live music is flying across my radar right now, so many djs and bands (and, at times, bands-as-djs) will be rocking - so to speak - through San Francisco over the next couple of months. For example, earlier today - yes, today!, although earlier, so you may already know this fine news - Cut Copy and The Presets announced their next North American tour:

SAT 9/13 - Monolith Festival - Denver, CO
MON 9/15 - The Record Bar - Kansas City, MO
TUES 9/16 - Fine Line Music Cafe- Minneaplis, MN
WED 9/17 - Metro - Chicago, IL
FRI 9/19 - Sound Academy - Toronto, Ontario
SAT 9/20 - Club Soda - Montreal, Quebec
SUN 9/21 - Webster Hall - New York City, NY
MON 9/22 - Webster Hall - New York City, NY
TUE 9/23 - Paradise - Boston, MA
THURS 9/25 - The Trocadero Theater - Philadelphia, PA
FRI 9/26 - 9:30 Club - Washington D.C.
SAT 9/27 - Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
MON 9/29 - Emo's Alternative Lounge - Austin, TX
TUES 9/30 - Granada Theater - Dallas, TX
FRI 10/3 - The Glass House - Pomona, CA
SUN 10/5 - Mezzanine - San Francisco, CA
TUES 10/7 - Hawthorne Theater - Portland, OR
WED 10/8 - Showbox At The Market - Seattle, WA
THURS 10/9 - Commodore Ballroom - Vancouver, B.C.

I saw Cut Copy (and Simian Mobile Disco) at Mezzanine last time they came through town, and it was, for sure, the top show that I've seen this year. The short version of the "why" is that I love their last album, "In Ghost Colours", on its own - I will play it in all sorts of moods, from gettin'-ready-to-go-out to atmospherizizin'-the-kitchen-while-cookin'.. but seeing them live brought the music another level (yes, a totalcheese description, I know); still, the lights were a'strobin' and the bodies a'throbbin' (in a good way - ha!). The real kicker is that I went with a few folks that were also into the music from the get-go; a little preparty at my apartment got the night starts and we rocked it through 'til the lights came on. Too cool.

In any case, I'll almost definitely see them again, especially as they are coming 'round with The Presets - the *other* Austrailian in-fashiony-dancily group that's been getting a lot of great press (and remix treatment).

Yeah, so on October 5th, Cut Copy and crew will be back at Mezzanine.. but as you can see above, that's just one stop on a great big US tour.. so maybe this shebang be a good excuse to get to travelin'. I mean, September *is* a nice time to visit the city (NYC). We'll see; if you're interested in going to any of those shows, let me know. ;)

In other concert news, I mentioned earlier that Sam Sparro will be coming to town in order to blue-eye-electro-neo-soul us at The Independent on September 9th; are you ready? Yes, since then, ticket went on sale; and I bought mines; you should too. It's gonna be a superfun sing-along sort of show. And I'm really looking forward to it..

Speaking of sing-alongs, the 2008 season of Midnight Mass (hosted by Peaches Christ) has been going for a few weeks now.. and this full weekend calendar of midnight movies has, so far, included gems like Showgirls and Barbarella. But I think the real gold is still to, um, come..

This Saturday, for example, find exploitation of all stripes in the cult-classic, Starrbooty; apparently, Starrbooty producer, writer, and star, RuPaul Charles will be at the theater live and in-person (in drag or not?)! Mid-August, indulge in your horror fantasies via a weekend of Nightmare on Elm Street(s): the crowd pleasing original and the third one, set 6 years later (and featuring quite a few later-to-be-well-known actors). I hear there is supposed to be some sort of "wet section" in the audience, but I have no clue what that means; I'd just remind you to bring a hanky (good advice, regardless, given the track record of these Midnight Mass folks). ;)

But as far as I'm concerned, the piece d'resistance of the summer will be a showing of the sing-along version of Purple Rain, playing both August 1st and August 2nd.. at midnight, natch. I caught Purple Rain last time it came to town a few years ago, and I really didn't know what I was in for. I mean, I liked Prince and all (and still do - even moreso), but I didn't realize at the time that some people *live* Prince. For reals. haha. And that's awesome for an event like this; it's all part of the spectacle to dress up (if you feel like it), to sing-along (if you feel like it), and maybe come to the theater with a few drinks in you (*not* if you feel like it; you have to do this). haha. Like I said (or implied), the scene is very silly, but very fun; Prince sorta call out for the "right crowd" for this sort of thing. And when the Purple One and crew start breaking into song during the movie, ignore any ruffley shirts on the screen for a few minutes (if you can!) and just keep following that bouncing ball..

Whew!

Where was I?

Alright, let me just drop a few other music dates on you; and I'll let you do the legwork yourself. ;)

July 25th: Does It Offend You Yeah? + Steed Lord @ 330 Ritch
July 25th: The Black Ghosts @ The Independent
July 26th: Starrbooty (film) @ The Clay Theater
July 29th: Chromeo @ The Fillmore
July 30th: Joy Division double-feature (films) @ 330 Ritch
August 1st: Purple Rain (film/sing-along)@ The Clay Theater
August 2nd: Purple Rain (film/sing-along)@ The Clay Theater
September 5th: Lebowskifest + Extra Action Marching Band @ Mezzanine
September 9th: Sam Sparro @ The Independent
October 5th: Cut Copy + The Presets @ Mezzanine

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Good advice at any age

Now that the Olympics is almost here, I've been seeing quite a few articles pop up in the media focusing on the larger percentage of "older" athletes competing this year.. those in their 40's and above (and even some in their 60's). For example, the Beijing Olympics-themed blog of the NYTimes posted a nice (and short) blog entry on the subject:

The Starting Line: At the Olympics, Age Is Just a Number
By Jeff Z. Klein
July 14, 2008, 2:22 pm

One quote that stuck out for me came from Dr. Michael Joyner of the Mayo Clinic; he explained why so many older athletes are doing so well at the Olympic level:

The message that these people tell us, whether it's Gordie Howe, George Foreman, Dara Torres or any of these people, is that if people become obsessed with what they can't do as they age, well then they won't do it. These individuals are more interested with what they can do.

Of course, the Olympics, in many respects is still a "young person's game" and these 40+ athletes mentioned in the article make up a small percentage of the overall field, but, still, the take-away from this article is clear.. focusing more on what you can do (versus what you *think* you can't, physically or otherwise) is pretty good advice at any age..

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Let's all get down like the BBC!

Just found out yesterday that Sam Sparro is *finally* coming to San Francisco. He performs at The Independent on September 9th. He's not posted on The Independent's website just yet (or at Sam Sparro's myspace page, for that matter), but I'm guessing it's just a matter of time since..

Tickets go on sale this Sunday at 10am PST; get yourself some. Should be a great electro-soul show with mad sing-a-longs; for reals. haha.

In other (personal) music news, I looked up the True Pseudo guys who rock the first track ("Freakin Me Out") of the "12:02 Mix" from the After Midnight DJs.. just like I said I would. And all I got to say is that if they come to San Francisco, here, they gonna rock the house; and more tix I'll be a-buyin'. Yeah, I'm up for the challenge of convincing a friend to indulge in a(nother) random concert that I'm excited about (even as they have no clue what they're getting themselves into). ;)

For sure, my favorite True Pseudo tune is the aforementioned "Freakin Me Out" - I'm picturing the whole place blowin' up when that one drops on the dancefloor - but most of their tracks are pretty good (ex. "Eltone") and will keep butts shakin'; they have a good overall aesthetic (so I would trust their DJ selections too).

Finally, let me just mention that I've been playing the DJ Kicks mix from Erlend Øye (of Kings of Convenience and The Whitest Boy Alive fame) almost non-stop the past week. I mean, it was released in 2004, but, hey, you can't catch all the good music the first time around, right?; the CD surfaced in my life a few weeks ago when I was searching for all things Alan Braxe and Fred Falke. Check this tracklist:

1. So Weit Wie Noch Nie - Jürgen Paape
2. Sheltered Life / Fine Day (A Capella) - Erlend Øye
3. Drop (Kings of Convenience Remix) - Cornelius
4. If I Ever Feel Better - Phoenix
5. Radio Jolly / Prego Amore (A Capella) - Jollymusic
6. Rubicon - Alan Braxe & Fred Falke
7. 2D2F - Avenue D
8. I Need Your Love - The Rapture
9. Lattialla Taas / Venus (A Capella) (Bananarama cover) - Uusi Fantasia
10. 2 After 909 / Intergalactic Autobahn (A Capella) - Justus Köhncke
11. The Black Keys Work (DJ-Kicks) - Erlend Øye
12. Airraid - Jackmate
13. Poor Leno (Silicone Soul's Hypno House Dub) / There Is a Light That Never Goes Out (A Capella) (The Smiths cover) - Röyksopp
14. Metal Chix / Always on My Mind (A Capella) (Brenda Lee cover) - Skatebård
15. Dexter - Ricardo Villalobos
16. Winning A Battle, Losing The War - Minizza
17. Lullaby / A Place In My Heart (A Capella) - Morgan Geist

Part of the appeal is that Mr. Øye actually (re)records vocals for some of the songs he's mixing (ex. "I Need Your Love" or "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out"), blurring the line between straight DJ and more traditional musical performance. Cool stuff.

Ok, ok.. one more thing:

Speaking of albums I missed, have you heard "Sexuality" from Sébastien Tellier yet? I've basically been trading off the DJ Kicks album with this one the past week or so. It was released earlier this year (at the end of February); and it lives up to its suggestive name.. the music is dripping with sensuality and, well, sex. The music is richly-layered synthesizer pop that, um, comes in measured and languid waves - produced by none other than Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo (of Daft Punk) - overlaid with Mr. Tellier's smooth Gainsbourg-esque vocals.. perfect for lazing around in bed (or whatevering in bed). Track 5 ("Pomme") goes as far as using some female sounds of pleasure as a layer of subtle percussion - if I may be so bold as to identify the use as percussion at all - behind the up-front bouncy bass beat. Whew!

Yeah, check some of the tracks here (at The Yellow Stereo blog), or find a full album review at the BBC (who knew the BBC liked to get down?). Let's all get down like the BBC!

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Don't just take my word for it

I've been cooking/baking quite a bit lately - ahem, mostly for myself.. though last night a friend got the full dinner treatment, homemade walnut bread (warm and fresh and crackly!) and all. So, given that most of these simple kitchen endeavors resolve around the fresh ingredients that I'm receiving in my weekly "CSA box", I've found myself explaining, "what, exactly, is this CSA thing?"; in fact, I've had to do so a few times in the past couple of weeks.

These people obviously don't read my blog. ahem. CSA = Community-Supported Agriculture, and it is, essentially, a farm business model that allows folks to buy "shares" of a harvest at the start of the season (although many farms allow one to pay monthly, and some allow members to join on a rolling basis). In this way, a farm has a guaranteed source of income upfront (vs. the ongoing threat of customer capriciousness when selling at, say, a farmer's market), and shareholders get weekly deliveries of the seasonal harvest.

Of course, there are drawbacks: a late frost could destroy a delicate crop of tomatoes and members would get nothing for the week (well, at least: no tomatoes). And you are otherwise at the mercy of the seasons in terms of what grows when.. for example, you are not likely to receive blueberries in January if you live anywhere in the US (and you are not likely to receive blueberries at all if you live in Northern CA). Still, I'm a fan insofar that the CSA program allows me to support local agriculture, for one, and two, it challenges me to expand the breadth of my cooking skills. There is a forcing function in finding new recipes that incorporate some of the ingredients that I normally wouldn't automatically pick up at the supermarket by myself (ex. acorn squash, green beans); I hate throwing out food.

In short, I think the pros far outweigh the cons for my lifestyle/interests right now. Yeah, and if I really want something not in season and not local (ex. bananas, at least until they go extinct), I still make my way over to the supermarket. ;)

Well, as fortune would have it, you don't have to take my word for it with respect to all this CSA business.. the NYTimes posted an short article today talking about how this food distribution model came to be in the United State and what sorts of folks indulge in them today (and why):

Shoppers Buy Slices of Farms
By Susan Saulny
Published: July 10, 2008

I don't think the article is going to answer all your questions on how a CSA works - that is, how you, how you! can get ahold of fresh, local, organic fruits and vegetables (or local, grass fed beef for that matter) - but it *could* very well whet your appetite to find out more. If so, I'd recommend making your next stop Local Harvest, a popular CSA (and farmer's market) online clearinghouse.

But regardless of all this CSA talk, I hope you're eating and drinking well in general, (among other active pursuits); summer is upon us!

Monday, June 30, 2008

It's true: Everybody Likes Sandwiches

For a few weeks in May/June, I got sacks of deep-red cherries in my weekly CSA box. And given that I don't really like eating them "fresh" - sacrilege, I know - I had looked around for some recipes to bake them into something delicious.

While some cherries were used to, um, spice up pancakes (using my own recipe as the base), I put others to good use in a tasty little muffin recipe I found at the Everybody Likes Sandwiches blog. In fact, I made the latest batch (and last, perhaps, for the season) of "very cherry whole wheat muffins" last night**.

Let me first say that the use of pastry flour is key to a good texture (especially given that these treats are 100% whole wheat). And if you want to add more than the 1 cup of pitted and chopped cherries called for, I ain't gonna stop you.

Also in this latest batch, I did fool around with adding some chopped almonds (~1/3c) and the remains of a bag of dark chocolate chips (~1/4c) to the batter.. and, you know what?.. I didn't think they really contributed in a meaningful way to the original recipe (they didn't *take* anything away either - how you gonna argue with chocolate anything?). But, you see, these muffins are so delicately sweetened (that is to say: not much) and the consistency already slightly dense, that I don't think they can really handle the in-your-face-ness of the chocolate or the extra bulk of the almonds. But that was just my opinion; I fully advocate any-and-all experimentation in your own kitchen! (Let me know how it goes, s'il vous plait.)

In any case, it was really fortuitous to find this *particular* cherry recipe because it led me to look around Everybody Loves Sandwiches, a blog full of simple, great recipes.. from "chipotle shrimp" to "eggplant involtini" (and some sweets too!); check the archives. Just when I was wondering what to do with this week's batch of green beans from the CSA, I found a post for "green beans & tofu in a thai coconut sauce" (and the secret of great tofu). Pretty good timing, huh?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** If you're looking to sample the goods (a reasonable request in a normal kitchen.. where the cook isn't a voracious eater), I'm semi-ashamed to admit that I already ate 10 of the 12; and I wouldn't hold out hold that the last two pieces of cherry goodness will hold out after, say, 10am tomorrow morning! ;)

Get your Great American Beer (Fest)

Tickets for the 2008 Great American Beer Festival (GABF) go on sale to the general public tomorrow, July 1st; they be $50 each (and well worth it).

In case you're not in-the-know, the GABF is one of the largest (maybe *the* largest?) beer festivals in the United States; last year, 408 American brewers poured who-knows-how-much delicious beer for a welcoming crowd of almost 50,000 people. And it will sell out (again) this year..

The festival runs October 9th - 11th, and is housed at the Denver Convention Center. If you've gone to other beer festivals (in smaller settings), you might not know where to start when you walk into this HUGE convention hall filled with hundreds of tables of people pouring beer, and thousands of people walking around with, um, pretzel necklaces.. these salty accessories are more a disaster avoidance tactic than fashion. haha.

Ideally, you'll go with someone that knows a little bit about the wide variety of beer being made right now by American brewers (or be that expert yourself).. but, at the least, go with an open set of tastebuds, a camera (to capture the fun), and a small notepad (because, at best, you *might* remember the names of a handful of beers - good or bad - on your own). Know that you won't like every beer that crosses your lips, but you will find some ones that you do.. and some ones that will surprise you with grapefruit, scotch, watermelon, or tobacco flavors (within a framework of delicious malts and hops, of course).

Drink plenty of water!

I can see the vibe being a little "clinical" for folks that love more intimate venues (or outdoor ones, for that matter). Still, it's hard not to recommend the GABF simply for its size, and, well, it *is* one of the 1000 places to see in the US (and Canada) before you die. ;)

Even though my brother doesn't live in Denver anymore (I've only gone to the GABF with him), I still might make it out this year. So, if you're interested, let me know (especially if you want to combine it into a hiking/climbing AND beer drinking trip)!

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Would you dance with me at 12:02?

While Discodust is still my main go-to music blog - for its consistency and conciseness - I've been checking out many other ones in my extended bookmark collection this past week. Among the many singular gems that I've found (maybe to-be-featured in an upcoming personal mix), there were a few full-on mixes that were pretty dope as well.

For example, the guys at the Missingtoof blog posted this kickass "12:02 Mix" from LA-based DJs, After Midnight:


1. True Pseudo - Freakin’ Me Out
2. New Young Pony Club - The Bomb (Villains Xplosive Mix)
3. Death From Above 1979 - Sexy Results (MSTRKRFT Edition)
4. Cryptonites - I Can’t Give You Up (Kill The Noise Remix)
5. Villains - Rock It
6. Chromeo - Needy Girl (Vandalism Mix)
7. Atlantic Connection - Rocksteady (LA Riots Shake it All Night Remix)
8. Surkin - White Knight Two
9. Marlena Shaw - California Soul (Diplo/Mad Decent Remix)
10. LA Riots - If I Could (feat. Jadis)
11. Apollo 440 - Dude Descending a Staircase (feat. The Beatnuts)
12. The Black Ghosts - Any Way (Fake Blood Mix)
13. The Frail - Addiction (After Midnight Remix)
14. Codebreaker - Exiled (Miami Horror Remix)
15. Michael Jackson - Thriller (Laidback Luke Remix)
16. Basement Jaxx - Where’s Your Head At? (2008 Robbie Riviera Mix)
17. The Count & Sinden - Beeper (feat. Kid Sister) (A-Trak Remix)
18. Kaysh - Drug Induced Sex (Kid Dub Loves Kinky Sex Mix)
19. After Midnight vs. True Pseudo - Roshambo (Original Mix)
20. Klaas - The Way (Klaas Hype Mix)
21. Edison Gem - Things Change (Villains Remix)
22. Orbital - Halcyon & On & On (Original Mix)


Goddamn.. it just starts off so awesome; I need to look up these True Pseudo guys! And then they throw down tracks from all the of-the-moment remixers like Vandalism and LA Riots.. real party selections. Basically, the first 25 minutes are incredible.

Hmm.. although the mix does lose me a little bit at track 11; it definitely changes vibe, which is totally cool.. it's just not totally up my alley. Yeah, it gets a little Miami-y or something; does that make sense? haha. From that point onwards, the only track that stands out for me is the Klaas Hype Mix of "The Way", which kicks in (way-late) for one last bit of rockin' before an 8 minute Ibiza-style cool-down (like, huh?).

Overall, this mix will bring you through quite a range of music/vibes.. like I said, the first 25 minutes will get you going on the dancefloor; and if you're already there, the rest of the mix will keep you there (although maybe not bring you out there on its own). This first introduction to After Midnight was, like I said, a highlight of the past month of mixes. Yeah, so if they ever come up to San Francisco, I'll definitely be checking them out! Read more (and download the mix in its 320kbps glory) straight-up at the source, Missingtoof.

On a related note, the guys at Missingtoof are San Francisco-area DJs/promoters (with some ties to LA) that put on a bunch of well-known parties here (and there); check their blog for all the info.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Drive this dino-beat just a little bit harder

I've got some long-overdue posts in the works.. but in the meantime, let me expose you to some prehistoric-electro silliness (via Manalogue); straight BC stuff. Really! Check this video from the maybe-faux (but definitely dinosaur-obsessed) band Triceratron:

Iguanodon Automaton (video)

Even though some of the lyrics are a stretch rhymewise (not that that ever stopped ODB or Kool Keith from doing' their thang), I can totally hear the chorus goin' out straight-party-style on a we-up-fo'-anything-style dancefloor:

It's time to get down like a Cro-magnon,
screwin' up your dome like a mobile phone.
It's time to get down like a Cro-magnon,
a steel-plated cranium will protect the radiation.

hahaha.. you just gotta watch the video.

I seriously would love to hear one of the pros give this song a good scrubbing, fill it out will a little dub here and there, drive its beat just a little bit harder.. oh man, it'd be awesome to hear a remix of this 16-bit thumper in a mixtape sometime.

Yeah, so while I admit it *is* definitely more-than-novelty on it's own, with some tweaking it could be a full-on banger-in-the-works. Maybe. hahaha.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ps. Manalogue is an awesome! music blog, based out of Toronto.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Alan Braxe gets a little more Lifelike

The last concert that I hit up this year - Cut Copy and Simian Mobile Disco @ Mezzanine - was awesome on so many levels.. there was, of course, the music: both of those groups put out some of my favorite albums in recent memory. But the show really stands out in my mind because it was the first concert that I've gone to in a while where the people that I went with were waaay into the band (i.e. not just me).. bubbling with enthusiasm pre-show (having a drink or two - or, um, four or more, at my place), and ready to rock out - let's also say, ready to "get dancey" - from the start.

You see, I like to see a lot of live music and, therefore, I'm usually, *ahem*, dragging a friend to some random event featuring Frenchhouse-this or indierockfeedback-that, dj's and/or bands that they've never heard of.. so they need to get over the hump of discovery (no matter how much they may trust my judgment) before they get to the hands-in-the-airing (or, depending on the scene, the involuntary-air-guitar) part of the night.

Don't get me wrong: that sort of thing is totally cool with me; I love introducing people to new music - in general, via conversation or CD or whatever.. but especially when it's live. And, so, I'm *still* going to be calling up my friends periodically to try to entice them with tickets to some hipster shizz..

But all that said.. when everyone is into the music and excited for the aural/experiential possibilities from the get-go, it can make for a pretty fun night. In fact, this Friday - THIS FRIDAY - I'm gearing up for another night of rocking out at Mezzanine.

Did you hear?

Producer/remixer extraordinaire, Alan Braxe, is dj'ing at Mezzanine! Yes, Monsieur Braxe is a giant of French house and currently an "in-demand remixer"; but you may know him via the 1998 release, "Music Sounds Better With You" (video), which he and Thomas Bangalter (of Daft Punk fame) put out under the name "Stardust". And blog-badasses, Lifelike open! (Those Lifelike guys - I just became familiar with them myself - are some of the best new remixers out there right now, and have an aesthetic similar to some of Braxe's work; it'll be a perfect match.)

SO cool.
SO cool!

Even cooler that I'm again going with some friends that know-what-they're-in-for: the freshest in dancey music, mind-altering lights, and, um, gettin' sweaty in a packed house. What can I say?; it's my cup-of-tea. Note that doors open at 10pm, so you're guaranteed a late night.

If you're interested in such things, tickets are still available; this flier tells you how; and at $10+fees, they be cheap. Use the money you've saved to buy me a lovely gin cocktail at the show. ;) See you then!

Monday, June 9, 2008

You never knew me to be a runner

These days, I dedicate a lot of time to climbing and cycling (when I'm not doing some silly hike in the desert).. but if you knew me back in the day, you'd know that I used to be 110%-and-then-some about running (even doing the mile and steeplechase in college - poorly, I might add; haha).

But injuries, on-and-off since those college days, have kept me from doing any significant mileage/training in years; I've pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I need to keep it low-key if I want to maintain injury-free(-ish) legs, and, ultimately, maintain some sanity through (other) sport/activity. ;) That said, I do get out for a run every once in a while..

In fact, while visiting my brother this past weekend, I taped up my slightly sore right foot (the usual; it's an area that has given me trouble in the past) and ran my first race in a looong time - the Wissahickon 10k Trail Classic - in a great park just north of Philadelphia. It was some good bonding time, I think. ;)

Oh man, but even as I was treating the endeavor as a running "event" in my head (vs. a "race"), it was more physically demanding that you might think - with 90+ degree weather, and tons of offroad hills, it was a HOT and HUMID event to say the least; it was a buttkicker. On a side note.. for non-runners, you might think my mental designation of this being an "event" versus a "race" is just a matter of semantics, but, well, I'll just say that it's *not* and that, admittedly, it's an ego-thing that signals a difference in both intention-of-effort and expectation-for-outcome (i.e. it lowers them).

In any case, I think the wicked conditions helped me in the overall placing (34th out of 400-some) insofar that I'm not in particularly good running shape and therefore couldn't blaze a fast 10k on the roads, but the madhills and heat took their effect on everyone.. but I think they affected me less so. Physically, the hills gave a chance for some of my, um, beefy biking muscles to help out; and, mentally, my lack of specific goals let me just run and not worry about how the heat was lowering my time.. as it might with others worried about maintaining their usual pace.

Yeah, it was a good time overall (even if my thighs are still madsore today). And if you had any doubt to the quality of the event, let me say that one of the post-race foods was boxes and boxes of local pizza (in addition to the more-typical bananas and oranges and stuff). I'm glad I was in a place - mentally and physically - to enjoy 'dem slices!

Friday, May 30, 2008

Packing Peanuts Go Crazy

Man, I've been listening to A LOT of music lately.. all (ok, mostly) in the name of finishing a mix CD inspired by the Fred Falke remix of Golden Cage; I've said as much before. And, it's finally done! Well, I've got a bit of work to do with respect to the actual, um, CD production (i.e. burning, drawing out the CD art and tracklists, some minor packaging), but the search for songs and work of organizing them is over. Whew!

Most of the links in the tracklist below are to blog posts where you can download the song (and read a little about how hype they are - haha); but if I could find them, I linked to its music video instead (but given the fact that most of the tracks are hot off the digital presses, I couldn't find too many videos). Check it:

"Packing Peanuts Go Crazy"

01. Fool for Love (SebastiAn Remix) - Das Pop (blog)
02. Our Time - Ocelot (blog)
03. 5 Feet of Snow (Miami Horror Remix) - The Dirty Secrets (blog)
04. Ask the DJ (Ocelot Express 4 Hour Remix) - Mr. Hudson (blog)
05. Bizarre Love Triangle - Computer Club (blog)
06. Bonafied Lovin' - Chromeo (video)
07. Pogo - Digitalism (video)
08. Out There on the Ice - Cut Copy (blog)
09. I Can Cook (Miami Horror Remix) - Grafton Primary (blog)
10. Lights and Music (Moulinex Remix) - Cut Copy (blog)
11. I Want Your Soul - Armand Van Helden (video)
12. Det Snurrar I Min Skalle - Familijen (video)
13. Golden Cage (Fred Falke Remix) - The Whitest Boy Alive (blog)
14. In Love with You (Alan Braxe Remix) - The Paradise (blog)
15. Digital Love - Wonky Pop Allstars (blog)


Let me know what you think. In my *ahem* humble opinion, it's a great way to start your night: a few bangers that slowly work themselves (and you too - you're along for the ride) into pure aural ecstasy, so dancey. haha.

Yeah, so, turn it up!; and onwards to the weekend!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ps. If you do end up with one of my homemade CDs in your hands, you'll note some of the songs are *slightly* different than the original mp3s you might have downloaded somewhere; I've been known to cut a few superfluous beats, most likely because of a too-long intro or outro.

It's a strange world, isn't it?

After a long Memorial Day weekend of being sporty during the day (with the wounds to prove it), and a homebody at night (every night), I'm left wondering, "I don't know if you're a detective or a pervert."

In any case (who am I to judge?), I finally had my first proper introduction to the distinctive (and, in some circles, revered) works of director David Lynch. You see, on a quiet Sunday night, a reel of Blue Velvet was unfurled before me (um, via Comcast On-Demand); and I figured a viewing of this cult classic was long overdue. My quiet nights of odd Lynchian design continued Monday, when characters, Wild at Heart, blazed a cross-country trail in a single-minded groove filled with deeply-connected sex and dusty violence. Ah yes, I was reminded that my livingroom couch is no convertible.

Regardless, even from my stationary position, I could view and evaluate these culturally foreign times and places, full of individuals that know nothing but wicked interaction. Scene after scene, Mr. Lynch crafted a violent - in every sense of the word - world of mystery and noir, exposing a bit of the unglamorous (and, further, seedy) underside in even the most mundane of American towns; with respect to the big city, don't even get him started. And you know what?; even as I'm not offended by the occasional graphic nature of the films, his subjects and methods weren't for me.

I mean, I can theoretically appreciate the place of these movies in the pantheon of great films, as they provided example for innovative storytelling technique and helped to break down barriers (with respect to what can/should be considered "appropriate" content in mainstream movies). But in terms of overall enjoyment (via either the viscerals of the characters/stories themselves, or via a more academic analysis of film technique), I just couldn't get into either one.

That said, I put "Inland Empire" on my SF library request list, so I haven't given up just yet; I, at least, want to be able to have a set of reference points when people start talking about Polish-prostitute-this and bugs-under-the-perfectly-manicured-lawn-that. In the meantime, maybe I'll read a few reviews in order to equip me with some analysis/insight from folks more learned than me in the ways of movie-making; my impression is that some of the passion for David Lynch is in an appreciation for his attention to details. "It's a strange world, isn't it?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In semi-related news, I've talked about the free movie nights at The Independent before, so let me just say that they-be-back the first two weeks of June:

June 2nd: Rambo
June 9th: Semi-Pro

While I won't be in San Francisco for either of those dates, I think if you had any inclination to see either of these live-action cartoons, The Independent - and, more specifically, watching them while drinking at The Independent - is your best bet for smoothing over any qualms you may have with dumb-ass things like plausible plot or cogent dialog; the drunken group mentality really works for this sort of thing.

Whoa.. I hope that last paragraph doesn't come off as me being uptight. I've had my share of Mad Dog movie nights - as some of my friends would call the smuggling-in of MD20/20 into the movie theater to aid in our viewing of a film with questionable artistic value - over the years; for sure, there is a time and a place for everything. haha.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

A gentle enticement back towards Moscow

While their new bag policy is getting all the press this week, American Airlines just sent out the word today that they are starting service from several US cities into Moscow on June 2, 2008. And as an introductory gesture, they are hooking up the adventurous traveler with 10,000 bonus miles and 25% percent off "normal" round-trip fares, which translates to something like $467 from NYC and $582 from SF ("Additional restrictions, taxes and fees apply", natch).

Check the website for the details, but "tickets must be purchased 7 days prior to departure or within 3 days of making reservations, whichever comes first, but no later than 11:59 p.m. (CT) June 20, 2008", "sale fares are valid for outbound travel June 2 through September 4, 2008.", and "all travel must be complete by March 4, 2009."

As I've mentioned before - probably en vivo - I wanted to head back to Russia and/or its neighbors early this coming Fall. But, now, with me doing a bunch of climbing lately (and getting a little taste of it outdoors), I've had my sights reset on more local destinations, including those in Utah, Colorado and California.

That said, it's hard to totally ignore this fare sale.. and it comes just when I received an offer yesterday to meet a friend in Japan - he's going to be there working at a museum for a few weeks in August. (In fact, one of my envisioned Russian adventures had me in Eastern Russia - maybe around Lake Baikal (Байкал) or Kamchatka (Камчатка) - then meeting our other friends *living* in Japan, on the way home).

We'll see; I need to think more about this; anyone interested?

I'm ready for more input now

My manager had our team read "StrengthsFinder 2.0" (best-selling management/self-improvement book) this week and take its associated online assessment test. Apparently, one of the higher-ups at the company has bought into the general philosophy of the book, which is to focus on developing your strengths instead of fighting the uphill battle of improving your weaknesses (this has the implicit maxim that you will end up working with others with strengths that complement your own). And, so, our group is the first of many that will go through the process..

I made some time today, did the required deed(s), and received a report proclaiming "my top 5 strengths/talents", in order:

1. Input - craving to know, collect, and archive information
2. Relator - enjoy close/deep relationships with others
3. Individualization - intrigued with unique qualities of others
4. Learner - great desire to learn and continuously improve
5. Analytical - searches for reasons/causes and identify patterns

The full report is about 10 pages of content that expounds on each talent with a set of "Personalized Strength Insights", which basically means that it takes into account all your other quiz-determined talents when it frames and provides commentary on the current one. Plus, it provides some short real-life anecdotes from other folks who fall into the same categories as you, which brings some "life" into the report (i.e. making it easier to relate to this personality assessment business). Finally - and this is where this book/system *might* have some value - it provides quite a few action items to reinforce your best qualities.

Yes, self-reflection is generally good.. but only if it leads to action for improvement!

Of course, you could get this information from other books, personality tests, and other self-assessment systems (and so I'm not going to be evangelicalizing this one in particular), but I can at least say that this method is relatively painless in that you only have to give it about an hour or two of investment up front (not counting your follow-up action items). And, for the most part, it seems to be pretty spot-on.. inasmuch as these general personality tests can be.

This coming week, my coworkers and I are getting together to discuss our individual results and see if we can use the information improve our execution environment (i.e. who does what, and how) and general team dynamics. Again, it's this type of *action* that - who knows - might make this diversion all worthwhile.

If the session with my work teammates, um, blows my mind, I'll probably write a follow-up; probably. haha. In the meantime, if you'd like to see my full report (pdf, natch), let me know; we'll learn a thing or two together.

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Do you dare tempt the gods of grammar?

The comma splice, so *wicked* we find thee referenced, here, today, (free and clear) within this bit of non-fiction; and, furthermore, I'm sure we'll find it a tool *of* the wicked, forever.

According to a recent post on the media-phenom "Stuff White People Like" blog - I know you've all been there - white people love grammar; and in making the case, the author alleges:

When asking someone about their biggest annoyances in life, you might expect responses like "hunger," "being poor," or "getting shot." If you ask a white person, the most common response will likely be “people who use 'their' when they mean 'there.' Maybe comma splices, I’m not sure but it’s definitely one of the two.


True? Well, it's as true as anything else he's written on the blog; winkity-wink, and hahaha. But I need to confess (video) that I had to look up the definition of "comma splice" to even attempt to appreciate what I was guessing was an ironic reference (per the usual mode of operation on the WWPL site) to some semi-arcane rule of sentence construction. A quick google search verified that it was such a thing, indeed, and, further, it is a real no-no for the educated writer.

With respect to proper usage (and we'll see that *there is* such a thing) of this normally-frowned-upon exposition, Lynne Truss, self-styled grammar stickler extraordinaire and author of the bestselling "Eats, Shoots & Leaves", observes:

...so many highly respected writers observe the splice comma that a rather unfair rule emerges on this one: only do it if you're famous... Done knowingly by an established writer, the comma splice is effective, poetic, dashing. Done equally knowingly by people who are not published writers, it can look weak or presumptuous. Done ignorantly by ignorant people, it is awful.


While I'm going to be a little lazy now and not actually go through old blog posts to find an example, but I *know* that I employ the comma splice on occasion. And given that I'm not an established writer, I guess that sort of thing makes me look a little presumptuous to the person who would pick it up (and give a shit). Oh well - these things happen. ;)

Part of the appeal is that it *is* a disreputable technique.

There is something to be said for bending a set of rules - in this case, ones of grammar - in a knowing way so that you may convey meaning beyond a simple, first-level presentation of data. Sure, you've chosen a sequence of words, each with individual symbolism, but you can (and have to) organize them in such a way to provide secondary and tertiary information to the reader/listener (even as most of the time this is an unconscious process); keep in mind that the "information" we're talking about might have nothing to do with the strict meaning of the sentence, but it could have everything to do with making/continuing a connection via, for example, a certain turn of phrase that you both are familiar with.

So, you can willfully manipulate convention - here, in the very construction of your sentence - in order to provide deeper meaning and/or make a deeper connection with the audience. Everyone does it, even when they don't know they're doing it; but if you *are* aware of the phenomena, it can be very satisfying to tap into this human instinct. Layers upon layers upon abstract layers: who doesn't like to solve a puzzle?; and such complexity in the here-and-now keeps us coming back for more, without having the immediate need for reincarnation. Umm.. yeah. haha.

In other news - stumbled upon during c-splice research - "enormity" is not a synonym for "enormousness". Again, from wikipedia:

* Disputed usage: The enormity of the elephant astounded me.
* Traditional usage: The enormity of Stalin's purges astounds me.

For this, I only have one thought: Elephants and Stalins are astounding. And I bid you пока; a new week is upon us!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ps. If you find a comma splice in one of my past posts, let me know - put it in the comments - and I'll send you a homemade postcard collage; I make such things on occasion (including tonight). Do you dare?

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Falke's Golden Cage getting right to the beats

Looks like I won't be the first one - as (personally) planned - to include the Fred Falke remix of Golden Cage (by The Whitest Boy Alive) on a blog-posted, so-so-fresh mixtape of dancey music. But was the ambition *really* there to make that happen (given that I've been majorly distracted lately by the call of my road bike and the climbing gym)?; probably not. ;)

In any case, it *was* just a matter of time before Golden Cage started showing up in mixes, live or otherwise, because it's one of the best songs of the year; in fact, I can say that it's *my* favorite right now (continuing the sentiment first expressed 2 months ago)! Actually, I heard it playing at the Cut Copy + Simian Mobile Disco show at Mezzanine a few weeks back - so awesome, by the way - and I remember telling my concert cohorts oh-my-god-I-love-this-song-I'm-totally-putting-it-into-my-next-Hotwell-mix (as if I was some sort of actual DJ, and they really cared for my "creative output"). haha. Yeah, that was totally the drinks talking.. although I really *do* have one of my little mix CDs planned for realization in the not-too-distant future. ;)

In any case, I downloaded Stockholm Syndrome's contribution to Disco Belle's Mixin' It Up series late Friday night while doing some massive catch-up on the music blogs, and just got to listenin' to it today. And beyond Golden Cage, it's pretty badass in general (in a subdued disco-y and house-y sort of way), with nods to both polyester classics and French butt-movers. The Stockholm Syndrome Remix of New Song (by Howard Jones) is another standout (which I'm hearing now for the first time - a good find!).

Check the tracklist:

01. D-Train - Music
02. Jermaine Jackson – Come To Me
03. Chic – I Want Your Love (Todd Terje Edit)
04. Daft Punk – Face To Face
05. The Believers - Who Dares To Believe In Me?
06. Seven Grand Housing Authority – The Question
07. Howard Jones – New Song (Stockholm Syndrome Remix)
08. The Whitest Boy Alive – Golden Cage (Fred Falke Remix)
09. Chromeo – Needy Girl (Lifelike Remix)
10. Coach House Rhythm Section – Timewarp
11. Fragmenté – I See You
12. Metropolis – Metropolis
13. Stockholm Syndrome - Quadrophonia
14. RAW - Asuca
15. Stockholm Syndrome – Make You Whole (Stockholm Syndrome Dub)
16. Armand Van Helden – I Want Your Soul (Fake Blood Remix)
17. Lil’ Mo Yin Yang – Reach
18. Kraak & Smaak – Squeeze Me
19. The System – You’re In My System
20. The Black Ghosts – Let’s Get Physical
21. Black Kids - Dance With You (The Twelves Remix)
22. Boys Noize – Oh! (A-Trak Remix)
23. Stockholm Syndrome - DJ’s Take Control
24. Estelle feat. Kanye West – American Boy (Stockholm Syndrome Dub)
25. The Black Ghosts – Any Way (Fake Blood Remix)


They certainly did some diggin' through their crates to put this one together! And if you're interested in downloading it, head on over to the original Disco Belle post; there, you'll also find commentary from the guys of Stockholm Syndrome on how/why each track came to be (in this mix). Interesting background, for sure, but I'd just say to quickly peruse the text and get right to the beats..