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.

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!

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!

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!

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.

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!

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