January 2010 Archives
I had not heard this incredibly chilled mix of one of my favorite trance songs from a few years ago, and now that I have I've fallen in love with it and Carrie Skipper all over again.
When I lived in San Francisco I spent a lot of time watching TV. When you're a nightowl it's an easy companion that's always awake when you are. It was also pretty much always on at my house with three roommates and either you joined in the viewing or it was joining you. Since moving to Los Angeles I haven't had the set on at all. For starters, none of the cable companies serve my area. It's a Los Angeles thing I've yet to understand - which left with me with my only option being going satellite. And I confess I tried ordering the Dish Network several times in my first few days here and the order kept failing. Eventually I took it as a sign and most of the time I haven't missed it at all. Then I found out that a new season of Burn Notice had started. And I wasn't happy about missing out on Jake's adventures on The Bachelor. Enter Hulu. Now I'm watching only my most favorite shows and doing it online - which feels incredibly modern. I've subscribed to Burn Notice, The Bachelor, Caprica, Lost, Brothers and Sisters and Ugly Betty. Thanks Hulu, not only for the service, but for saving me a few bucks too.
The new hooping soundtrack for 2010 is David Starfire's Bollyhood Bass (on iTunes). It just flows beautifully from song to song, from whompy up to spin out, all of it sure to get and keep your hoop spinning.
Pitchfork Review: "Twine's compositions sound like careful reconstructions of the decayed. A mix of twitching electronics, long, semi-coherent samples, and lapping melodic figures, Violets suggests painting a wall to peel or building stairs to creak."
2. Last Days: These Places Are Now Ruins (on iTunes)
Coke Machine Glow Review: If nostalgia is the playground of the defeated, then lamentation is the purview of the orator. And the orator is himself eulogized by absence and ambience -- spectral traces of what were once vivid declarations from the decks of aircraft carriers. These Places Are Now Ruins is gloomy, is beautiful...
3. Lights Out Asia: Eyes Like Brontide (on iTunes)
Sputnik Music Review: Lights Out Asia mesmerizes to the point of total submersion, as they envelop the listener in a cold, desolate atmosphere that, despite its obviously foreboding nature, is completely arresting. Eyes Like Brontide puts itself firmly in the throes of the Cold War (the obvious examples of that being song titles like "The Wrong Message Could End You" and "Radars Over the Ghosts of Chernobyl") and somehow makes the concept completely engaging.
Michael Mullen came to visit and it was fun showing off my life in Los Angeles to a friend from San Francisco. We went to Toi on Sunset (shown here) for some rockin' good Thai food, caught a show at Spaceland, had late night coffees with Maria Bustillos at The Alcove, then drove around the City of Angels late into the night listening to his yet-to-be-released new album, Pocket Shelley's "Glockenspiel and Other Love Songs." It's brilliant!
Movits! put on an awesome show here in Los Angeles and the entire audience was dancing. Seriously. Think Big Band Swing meets Hip Hop in Swedish. Love these guys.
One of the best hooping videos of 2010 almost missed me until it showed up as a nominee in the 2010 Hoopie Awards. This is Jessica Anderson's first attempt at making a personal expressive video piece. She lives in Tampa, Florida.
It was the finale to seventeen years of Dragstrip 66 tonight at the Echoplex and I wouldn't have missed it for the world.
After the Hollywood Hoopjam it was time for an amazing late lunch with Hoopalicious and Mamalicious at the Vienna Cafe on Melrose. Delicious!
Remember Pico & Sepulveda, the song featuring names of the streets of Los Angeles? I drove ten miles on Pico tonight without hitting a single light. I was ready to burst into song as well.
From the roof of the now abandoned Harris Casuals building in downtown Los Angeles.
From the roof of another empty building that most recently may have been a shoe store in downtown Los Angeles.
Alaska is as brilliant as ever and special guest Sara Montiel is clearly in over her head in "Absolutamente" - the latest single from Fangoria. It's so over the top that this parody is pretty hilarious too:
When I landed in rehab via the nut hut 23 years ago today, I never would have believed this could happen. A deeply humbled and heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped me each and every step of the way.
My best CDs of 2009 are as follows (left to right from the top in no particular order):
VNV Nation: Of Faith, Power and Glory (on iTunes)
Rome: Flowers From Exile (on iTunes)
School of Seven Bells: Alpinisms (on iTunes)
Marconi Union: Tokyo (on iTunes)
Antony and the Johnsons: The Crying Light (on iTunes)
Mimosa: Flux For Life (on iTunes)
Pretty Lights: Passing By Beyond Your Eyes (on iTunes)
The XX: XX (on iTunes)
A Mountain of One: Institute of Joy (on iTunes)
Patrick Wolf: The Bachelor (on iTunes)
Fangoria: Absolutamente (on iTunes)
The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble: Mutations (on iTunes)
Beats Antique: Contraption Vol 1 (on iTunes)
Gentleman Reg: Jet Black (on iTunes)
Grace Jones: Hurricane (Not on iTunes)
A beautiful night on fire in one of my favorite places, The Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. QuantumKate fire hoops and Jordan G. spins fire poi.
This house is not far from mine and their front yard is a mix of fake and real snow with many statues of David wearing santa outfits, several black santas and a whole lot of cheer.