Electrical Jortage

Top Trends

2011-01-07T15:17:00.000-08:00

The top trend on Yahoo right now is Raven Symone.

Signs of Getting Older

2011-01-04T10:27:00.000-08:00

1. I listen to more AM radio than I have ever listened to in my entire life. I also like listening to radio morning shows now which I never really enjoyed. It's weird and it makes me feel old.

2. My farts sound like my Dad's farts now. I always wondered how my Dad made those sounds with his butt. My butt is growing into my Dad's butt. Weird.

Four Lokos

2010-11-16T15:48:00.000-08:00

I kind of wish I had been in high school when Four Lokos was created. I am not sure why ...maybe it's that Jolt cola obsession back when I was in middle school.

It's been a month! Jeeeeeeeze. Where does it all go ?

2010-10-08T19:07:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in over a month. My bad, I know. Two girls at work who have a blog gave me the advice "Your blog needs to stay relevant!". Point taken ladies, you have inspired me to write. I like those girls but they always seem a bit too cheery about everything. Like if you told them they would have to come up with 10 new concepts while being held captive by Afghan militants they would shake your hand, exhale loudly/dramatically, grin and then post on their Twitter's that they are " Slaving the day away ! See you next year : ) ! " ! I think I am just being a grinch and probably want people to be a grizzly bear about work shit like I am . I feel like Mr. Wilson and they are my Dennis the Menace.

I've been getting spanked at work; absolutely dominated. At the end of the day I wonder where it's all leading like maybe I should be learning yoga and stop spending my days crushing hundreds of emails to only get a thousand in return . I guess it's two competing philosophies; one says hard work pays off in the end and the other says "stop and smell the roses" . I don't think either philosophy can win me over completely ; I'm too logical for each one completely I guess. You can't afford to stop and smell roses if you don't have the means to do it. Maybe I am just way too inside my head right now. And I am writing this while listening to different versions of Arcade Fire's "Wake Up". So just getting way too introspective right now . Anyways..I should have just invited Facebook and I could put this whole blogging thing to rest.

THE ROOTS & JOHN LEGEND covering "WAKE UP" ( For some reason even though you have John Legend and the Roots covering this song; it seems to have less soul to it than the original . Your thoughts? )
http://www.box.net/shared/lsp76709gq

Things I learned on Vacation: Maui

2010-09-09T13:33:00.000-07:00

1) Lots of Maui locals are angry as hell so try not to go by them too fast in your rented convertible red Mustang. They will follow your ass on their bike for as long as they can, peddling furiously while you watch them in your rear view mirror.

2) The road to Hana is not worth the brush with death you will endure. Imagine the scariest road you have ever driven on, multiply it by 10 then add really pretty scenery around it. If you aren’t the one driving it’s pretty great; waterfalls, black sand beaches, and exotic fruit stands abound. But I swear I thought we were going to get in a head on collision every 2 seconds on that damn road. Oh and if you aren’t sure of your driving skills then make sure and get the rental insurance on your car before you do the Road to Hana.

3) The food in Maui is delicious. It really didn’t matter where we were but every meal we had was excellent. The sushi at Sansei was the best sushi I have ever head. We ate there 3 times in the week we were there so you know we really liked it.

4) Horse back riding is not as cool as you think. People like to think it’s romantic to ride these stubborn beasts but for the most part it’s a painful reminder of why the horse went out of style and people now use automobiles. The first thing to tip me off that our 2 hour ride through the mountains was going to be a little trying was the fact that I had to wear pants...it is incredibly hot wearing jeans for 2 hours in Hawaii. It was like a leggy sauna. I also almost fell off my horse. My horse Shadow only wanted to stop and eat constantly. I would pull the reigns but he would look at me like he wanted to punch me in the face. Poor form Shadow!

5) Willie Nelson’s son has a really nasally voice.

6) The Grand Wailea spa/wellness center is one of the best places on earth.

7) Watching the show “Too Fat for 15” after being in the sun all day is a great way to unwind.

8) Be prepared to be asked if you just got married or are about to get married about 10 times a day if you are there with your girlfriend.

9) If you have to do any Luau there; you should do the Feast at Lele. Delicious and classy island times.

10) Every single beer there tastes delicious.

Emoting At Work

2010-08-09T16:04:00.000-07:00

A sub par Monday . Sitting at work; Sigur Ros playing through the headphones while I look at old photos . It compliments the gardening I did this weekend and the new curtains I put up; metallic looking dark greens ones to be exact. 26 years old going on 46 years old. I am the dude at Wal Mart with his shirt up and belly out , waiting for someone to rub it. But no one will rub it. " Come on! Lady with the white purse! Just touch my damn belly. It's calling out your name"

FOOTBALL

2010-07-20T11:23:00.000-07:00

It’s about that time again folks. That time of year where the air smells crisper, the temperature drop, and large burly men in spandex try to demolish each other. No this isn’t a gay fetish party to celebrate the Winter Solstice...It’s the start of the NFL season. What sets the NFL apart from any other sport is that drama of a season is a fast intense sprint. Each weekend new storylines emerge and new dramas unfold. Each game is important unlike baseball or basketball where you can drop a few games and still come out on top. Each Sunday is like a mini-Christmas for me where I roll out of bed, turn on the coffee maker, grab my laptop and head out to the couch for some good old fashioned American Football. I load my Fantasy Football page up and track my score while talking shit to my friends in the chat room. Yes, I agree this sounds nerdy as shit but dangit it’s fun as hell. Not sure why I needed to write this but I think the impending NFL season is just that exciting to me.

Helen The Land Lord

2010-07-02T12:59:00.000-07:00

I recently moved into a single bedroom apartment after living with roommates since I've been out of my parents house many years ago. I was about to sign the lease to my new place when I hesitated and told my prospective landlord Helen that I needed to think about it for the night. She looked at me a bit quizzically but told me " That's fine, if you need to think about it, you need to think about it". The next day I told her I would be taking the place. I told her I had just been nervous and wasn't sure if this was the place for me but had finally realized this was the best I had seen in my range.

Helen looked at me and said " I think you'll be very happy here." " You have to take chances in life. You can't have people hold you back." She began to tell me about her youth and moving to Los Angeles.." I had moved from New York and expected to find a job right away but things were tough. I finally got a job writing for George Burns...Do you know him?" I replied I had. " George told everyone that a women writer would never make as much money as a male writer would." " I wanted to prove him wrong so I saved up my money and bought my first building...a bit after that I bought my second, quit and never looked back". She told me she has had over 30 marriage proposals in her life but never said yes to those men. "They were going to hold me back" she said. In life you need someone who is going to go with you. " Matt, you're young, good looking, and smart...You've got to take chances"

This impromptu pep talk was the best conversation I have ever had with a landlord. I said thank you to her , got my keys and drove to work invigorated by my new landlord Helen.

Phone Call with E

2010-06-23T17:37:00.000-07:00

My girlfriend Erika is in Cannes, France right now. She gave me a call this afternoon which was a nice surprise. She exclaimed that French dudes were perverted. I thought it was just her stereotyping French men. Then her voice cuts out for a second and I hear a drunken man’s voice in the background saying “ No you...I loveee youuuuu “ in a heavy French accent. She responds “ NO DUDE. Get out of my face. I will punch you in the FUCKING face !” . Classic Erika.

Gregory Peck's Grandson is an A*Hole

2010-06-10T14:42:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago I found myself at a random gathering. My girlfriend was hanging out with some friends who knew a friend who knew another friend that lead me to me a random house in Santa Monica. Despite being tired I felt a bit of cabin fever coming on as I had been around the house all day.

I walked in to find my girlfriend and some of my other friends sitting at a table playing “7-11-Doubles”. A game which I happen to be a big fan of. There were some randoms there but I guess that is too be expected when you show up at a strangers house. There was some guy with a giant spike of hair on his head wearing an extra medium shirt and another dude with floppy ass hair. Like Zac Efron had a baby with Hugh Grant. I think he also had a lazy eye but that’s debatable. The floppy haired dude was annoyingly wasted. He didn’t understand how to play the game and kept having to drink because he just wasn’t listening to the rules. He slammed his hands on the table saying we were making shit up but that clearly wasn’t the case. He was also trying to get my girlfriend drunk which pissed me off.

After about 45 minutes my girlfriend and I had had enough of his retarded antics and left. On our way out we were saying goodbye to the people we knew at that house. Our host said thank you for coming and apologized about our new floppy haired friend..” Oh Ethan is on a TV show...The TV version of “10 Things I Hate About You”....”He’s Gregory Peck’s grandson so I guess he’s kind of famous”. We all regaled on what a classy dude Gregory Peck was and then agreed that Ethan was a dick face.

The Bachelor

2010-05-25T10:00:00.000-07:00

I was down in Hermosa Beach for my buddy Greg's birthday. We had just exited a bar down at the pier and were walking towards the liquor store near the main street. A small old Mexican women came up to us holding a bundle of red roses asking if we wanted to buy one. I said no thanks but my buddy was properly smashed and bought a $5 rose and handed it to me. He said it was because we were best buds. I thought it was nice in a drunken way but also thought that he should have held onto the $5 because I was pretty much going to toss the thing in the trash shortly after.

I was standing in the liquor store waiting for Greg to buy his cigarettes when two guys in line asked me about the rose I was holding. " Who is that rose for?" the shorter one asked. I said " it's for me". He asked again thinking I didn't understand what he was asking " No, who are you giving that to?" I said " No one, it's mine." I had a feeling these guys were trying to give me shit and I was very wary of them. They didn't look like much so I wasn't too worried.

The smaller one then asked me and another random person in line if we liked roses. I said no not really. He then went off on some random tangent about how he use to give roses out all the time and that they mean nothing to him. I was just shaking my head like " yes, good for you dick face." He kept going on about giving out roses and how they don't mean shit. He then re-assured us that he wasn't trying to be a dick but was just trying to talk to us.

We walked out of the store and I started talking to his other friend who then told me that this dude had been the Bachelor on that show called 'The Bachelor". I thought it was cool because of the random random nature of the encounter. My drunk friend kept talking to the Bachelor about God knows what. My other friend Darcy walked up a few minutes later, told Greg that we were going and then smashed the rose on his Greg's face. We then flagged a taxi and went home .

Best Wedding DJ Ever

2010-05-13T11:00:00.000-07:00

Gym Rats

2010-04-26T14:38:00.000-07:00

I’ve been working like a dog lately. I got moved to a new account and it instantly hijacked the last two weeks of my life into it’s hellish womb. I had been working quite late which made it pretty impossible to go to the gym after like I usually like to do. So I started going before work which I had tried before but never really had luck because in those waking moments of the morning sleep usually beats exercise.

The thing about the gym in the morning as there are more old-timers working out than at night . Old-Timers like to hang around the locker room. They like to read the paper naked in front of your locker and could care less about the fact that blow drying your balls with one leg up in front of everyone is not cool to do. Last week I encountered a new phenomena which got me even more wary of the gym locker room; Dudes using the sink to shave while they are naked. These dudes stand there shaving, brushing their teeth etc. etc. while they let their dongs touch the sink basin! I use that sink to wash my hands buddy! Get your shit off of that. Your junk is going to give my hands the exact opposite effect I want to have while using a sink.

MUSIC SELECTION BY DJMG

Let Me Take You Out - Class Ac...

The Sea's Bounty

2010-04-12T16:40:00.000-07:00

This is what it sounds like when doves cry..

Blogs Gone Wild

2010-04-03T18:40:00.000-07:00

I moved desks at work this week. I sit next to my friend Mike now as well as our EP Sarah. I get to sit by the window and further from my boss . I'll take that as a small sign that I'm moving up in the world. They didn't tell us we had a half day at work till Thursday afternoon so I had to buy an expensive ticket home that was later in the day. I got to the airport a few hours early and decided to go to the overpriced sports bar there. An older black man from Mississippi named Bill ( He pronounced it " Beal ") sat next to me and started talking to me about how he was flying home for his sister's funeral . She died of cancer of the liver. "Beal" told me if you want to make God laugh , tell him your plans. I stepped up the pace on drinking my beer as I got kind of weary of talking to Beal. I shook his hand , told him again that I was sorry for his loss, grabbed my bag and headed toward my gate.

The Cave - Mumford & Sons

Billy Murray

2010-03-22T15:54:00.000-07:00

Another weird dream last night . I was walking around with the actor Bill Murray in what looked like Los Angeles covered in orange glowing flames.The same color coal turns when they are nice and lit. Bill and I were walking along the 405 freeway looking out on all the buildings and hillsides on fire. People had abandoned their cars on the road so it was just Bill and I walking on the freeway . It reminded me of that movie “I am Legend” but everything was on fire.

At one point I looked over and saw the silhouette of a child hugging his mother. I remember I started tearing up but not sure exactly why. Bill Murray was looking at me like “ What is wrong with him?” He tried to be nice about it but I could tell he thought I was a softy.

This dream was significant because I never remember my dreams nor do I dream about Bill Murray ever.

O.N.E. - Yeasayer

Nacho

2010-03-10T17:31:00.000-08:00

I went to lunch with a couple friends from work the other week. A couple people from a music house treated us. They ordered oysters and shrimp for the table and then informed us they did not want any so my friends and I went to work on some delicious oysters and a big ass shrimp cocktail . The horseradish was fresh and stung the nostrils. I put too much on the first time and thought I’d learn for the next time but instead I kept piling on sinus clearing horseradish. We had a great lunch and convinced people I taught a spinning class in my free time. I had a burger . It tickled my taste buds.

On our way out of the restaurant a bus boy stopped me and smiled. I thought it was odd but was like maybe he is just a friendly dude. He looked at me and smiled “you work near here..I know you..” I replied “ Hmm kind of near here “. I had remembered that I was working in that area a while back and maybe he had recognized me from then. With a smile on his face he said “ You know Nacho...” It wasn’t a question but a statement. “ Ignacio....You’re Ignacio’s friend.”

I wasn’t sure who Ignacio was but I was friends with a small Mexican man named Nacho a few years back when I worked in a small restaurant. He spoke of his days as a musician in Mexico. He was a very nice man. Quite small and round like a bowling ball. I told him I played music too and he would ask if I wanted to jam with him sometime. I never did but always thought I should have just done it for the hell of it. I am pretty sure it wasn't the same Nacho that the bus boy was referring to and I didn't really feel like going into the kitchen to check because I am not even sure what I would do if it was the same Nacho. But somewhere in the back of my mind I imagined it was the same Nacho and that our short friendship was pleasantly memorable to him.

I love this song..

You've Got The Love - Florence...

Winter Sport

2010-02-23T10:26:00.000-08:00

I gave up soda for lent recently. It's kind of a cop out because I don't drink all that much soda. I usually have one diet soda with my lunch but then again I guess one soda a day for 40 days does add up.

I remember having a room mate in college who drank a 12 pack of coke a day and pounded Rock Star energy drinks in-between. He had the worst looking teeth I have ever seen. My friend Ivan and I use to say he had wooden George Washington teeth. It didn't help that he also smoked a pack of ciggies a day. Needless to say he came back from the dentist one day and informed us that he had a cavity on every tooth in his mouth. I tried not laugh too much at this news.

I would not let him in my room sometimes when he wanted to come in because he stunk really bad. We told him to shower more. And to use soap on his body. It doesn't count if you just let the water hit you and not scrub. He said he did but we knew better than to trust his definition of a shower. I don't understand people who don't like taking showers. It feels good to get clean but maybe they like stewing in filth better.

He would get really offended and act in-dignified but the thought of him sitting in my chair or on my bed with that stank was unbearable.

I think he finally graduated college like 6 years later and still lives in my friends house.

He has old parents and loved the San Diego Chargers a lot.

Not sure how I got into this story but it this is where my mind has lead me.

Listen to this song. It is my favorite song of the moment and I regret passing on an invitation to see this band a few months back. I didn't know what I was missing.

Who Knows Who Cares - Local Na...

Le Blog It

2010-02-11T12:34:00.000-08:00

It's still weird to me when you walk into the bathroom to use the urinal and there are really long pubes sitting on the base of the urinal. It's really gross to see and it also begs the question of why does this person have such long pubes. I don't think it complements a persons body nor do I find any sort of cool alternative health reason to have them unless it's really cold out I guess.

Maybe it was an old guy. Old guys don't care about this stuff as much. They don't need to look good for anyone anymore. They had their time to be suave and impress the ladies. It's time to grow hair and walk around the local gym locker room naked having full-on conversations with other old guys.

Not sure where this is going or where it came from...But here are some my favorite of favorite music tracks I am listening too.

Coda: A Burn Scar In The Shape...

Floating Vibes - Surfer Blood

Steamers

2010-01-27T16:33:00.000-08:00

Is it weird that I am googling "How to blow off steam" .

Magazine Urinal

2010-01-26T09:56:00.000-08:00

I was in the bathroom yesterday doing my business when a guy started using the urinal next to me. I noticed both his hands were free which was odd. He then pulled a magazine up from his pocket and propped it on top of the flushing mechanism to read it. A couple things came to my head when this happened ; a) I bet he is peeing a little on his pants b) why is that magazine so fascinating? C) The dudes an idiot and could have waited 30 seconds to read his magazine article instead of making things awkward by reading next to me at the urinal.

NEW BEACH HOUSE BITCHES.

Silver Soul - Beach House

Horchata Robata

2010-01-13T14:00:00.000-08:00

I am listening to the new Vampire Weekend. It's enjoyable as the first album was. I don't get when people love to talk shit about VW. It's not like they every claimed to be the best band in the world nor did they ever try to be some trendy hipster band. They sing fun afro-pop Paul Simon-esque music. It's great to play when you have stuff to do around the house. I have swiffered and mopped to the first album many times.

Sitting here now and listening I realize that there are still several hours left in the day. I have been a tired sack lately. I thought I had a tumor in my neck, but my roommate says its swollen lymph nodes so that's good news. I just need to take care of myself.

I still haven't figured out what my goals for this year are yet. But for the immediate future I would like to A) go back to training since my lovely girlfriend got me a gift certificate to a gym nearby B) Get a food handling license C) Play music more regularly again, starting with putting new guitar strings on ....

UPDATE: Got into the music studio with Chris, his buddy and Justin to lay down some sweet tunes. I'm already making progress on letter "C)". Prepare to get your skinny jeans on. SHIT IS GOING EPIC.

Putting up a tune by a band that played with my friends band. Just get your Tom Petty/Ryan Adams alt-country hat on . It's nice stuff but doesn't have too much staying power for me.

Let's Sell Out - Luke Franks O...

Up All Night - Luke Franks Or ...

So this is the New Year

2010-01-05T12:55:00.000-08:00

Happy New Years everyone! It’s been almost a month since I have posted and I am wondering why it has been so long. I had a good week and half off and I didn’t even think to write anything. I don’t know if the inspiration had run dry or if I just gotten lazy but either way it just never happened. Hopefully I will be inspired to write more this year. It’s hard to believe that I have had this blog for so long now..well relatively long I guess. 2009 was an interesting year. Most people I heard from couldn’t wait to get out of 2009 and start fresh in 2010. Economically, it was a turd filled jar of terrible but I got through without getting let go ( mostly because I don’t think I make a very big dent in the bottom line) and I met my girlfriend. So it wasn’t all bad!

The beginning of the year is always a time for reflection on what we foresee for ourselves in the coming months. Speaking of reflection the chorus of this song really hits home in regards to that sentiment...

What did you want to see? What did you want to be when you grew up? To go away and not look back and think of what the others say To go ahead and change your life without regard to what is said And everyone must do the same you find yourself lost again forget the things you've left behind through looking back you may go blind

Walkabout [w/ Noah Lennox] - A...

My Band of the Year walking around Paris

2009-12-09T15:49:00.000-08:00

Phoenix's album "Wolfgang Amadeus " is probably my album of the year for 2009. I remember listening to it on a loop when I first got it. I think I listened to it for a solid two months again and again until I finally got a little weary of it.

It is just indie pop perfection. I think seeing them play live also cemented their place on top of all the bands that came out with records this year.

When Thomas Mars walked into the audience while singing the line from 1901 "Fallin', Fallin', Fallinnnnnnn!" I just about died.

Anyways here are some awesome videos I found from one of my favorite music sites. http://www.blogotheque.net/

Phoenix - 1901 - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

Phoenix - Lizstomania / One time too many - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

Phoenix - Long distance call - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

This Guy Has A Band

2009-12-01T15:53:00.000-08:00

If you thought you loved the movie "The Notebook" enough already, you were wrong. Because the dude who plays the rough around the edges, heart of gold lead can also write some pretty solid tunes. I heard Ryan Gosling DJ'd around LA before like most of those young hipster actors do nowadays. But I didn't know he had a band. The first thought that came to my head when my buddy told me about it was ..." I bet it's like some 30 Seconds to Mars turd sandwich". But to my surprise and delight his band "Dead Man's Bones" was quite solid and strangely spooky.

The "Intro" opens the record with a woman's haunting V/O talking about hearts in suitcases , last breaths and ultimately death. It sets the tone for a collection of songs that follow with related themes. There is a children's chorus that sings on a few of the tracks that I really like. It's like Children of the Corn but funner!

Even though I paint the album as sort of a downer , it is definitely not. Tracks like "Pa Pa Power" show you that Gosling can actually write some pretty catchy tunes. It has some slower moments but there are some real gems in here.

My Body's a Zombie For You - D...

Pa Pa Power - Dead Man's Bones

Jam of the Day.

2009-11-20T13:39:00.001-08:00

I like this song. It's by Whitest Boy Alive. It's a perfect song to ease into your Friday with. Drive home from work a little earlier than usual. Grab a cold cool budweiser and noodle dance to this in your living room.

Your room mate will come home while you are dancing and ask what the hell you are listening too. Tell him to chill out as you notice he is visibly still stressed from the week. Tell him to go get himself a beer and come back to the living room. Do funny dance moves and try to get him to do funny dance moves as well. If he starts to dance then your job has been done beautifully. If he doesn't dance , screw it; he is beyond helping because he is a stick in the mud.

1517 - The Whitest Boy Alive

Jam of the Day

2009-11-16T14:20:00.001-08:00

I am listening to this with my headphones while I make endless spreadsheets with excel. I only wish I could hear this on a system with some nice bass on it!

The Temper Trap - Fader ( Jakwob Remix)

Oh really...???????

2009-11-05T15:39:00.000-08:00

Um this is a terrible song. I mean....it's like they took what the Postal Service did and dressed it up in emo girl pants and then told that band "Simple Plan" to re-interpret it. I am posting to this blog anyways.

The kid in this picture loves this song.

Fireflies - Owl City

Dreaming the Impossible Dream

2009-11-03T14:41:00.000-08:00

I've been having violent dreams lately. In one instance I was in what seemed to be a high school bathroom. I am not sure how I got there but I think I was chased in there. There was a larger black woman in the bathroom with me. She urged me to find a way out of there. I busted open a tiny window already knowing that the large woman would not fit through. I am not sure why I did this. She told me she was not going to fit in that window and pointed to a much bigger window right next to it that I neglected to see first. Not sure why I didn’t see it. I busted that one open and we both climbed through to the outside.

There was some sort of post-apocalyptic scene going on when we finally got through the window. It reminded me of the movie “Children of Men” . Lots of troop-looking people milling around with weapons and some guy with a megaphone yelling things. I wondered why we couldn’t have just stayed in the bathroom because our situation had only gotten worse by escaping. I am not sure what happened next but I believe we stole the car of an unsuspecting officer and started jamming down the road away from the area.

Flash forward a bit. I am not sure what happened to the black woman or the car we stole but suddenly I was being confronted by an old man. He wasn’t a very, very old man or crippled looking. More like a Clint Eastwood type guy. Steely looking, ready to tell you to stop messing around on his Gran Torino. I remember he started getting up close in my face , trying intimidate me. I didn’t flinch. I stuck my face closer to his to show him I wasn’t scared. I then bit his jaw off. I am not sure how I did it. But I opened my mouth and bit the hell out of the guy’s face. The next thing I knew I was spitting the lower half of his damn face on the ground. I don’t know why I did it but the guy was as shocked as I was at what just happened. I know this is probably a little disturbing but this is what happened.

I don’t know what it all means. Frustration...Anxiety...whatever happens to trigger weird dreams like this can’t be healthy right? I like the dreams where I am flying or doing something cool. Not biting people’s faces off. Hopefully I’ll start having dreams like that again soon.

Oh yeah my buddy Chris sent me this new Yeasayer single. I like it. Is it bad that it reminded me of Panic at the Disco?

Ambling Alp - Yeasayer

Bon Iver Makes Me Happy

2009-10-20T11:30:00.000-07:00

Ok Justin Vernon looks a bit haggard in this video. But life on the road and quasi fame will do that to a man especially when your life before consisted of living alone in a desolate Wisconsin cabin. I love this dude.

The CAPRETTO PUG!

2009-10-14T13:29:00.000-07:00

Well my friend Beth did it again.....I NOW PRESENT!!! THE CAPRETTO PUG!!!!! MAGNIFICENT!!!

Matthew likes this

2009-10-08T14:44:00.000-07:00

Yes it might be a little too much for some of the kids out there but its fun as shit. Get your dancing hats on.

The XX

2009-10-05T12:29:00.000-07:00

A track from a band I am really digging right now called The xX...

Heart Skipped A Beat - The xx

New Sufjan Stevens

2009-09-29T10:10:00.000-07:00

I had first heard Sufjan Steven's on the Queen Mary down in Long Beach. He wasn't so widely popular then and was playing on a small stage on a docked boat. He was in his hushed "Seven Swans" period. I really never thought that he would ever get so popular as I relegated him to very pretty and enjoyable but not a force to be reckoned with.

Then came "Illinoise" in which we saw him harness some of the most dynamic and refreshingly new sounds out of the indie landscape in a long time. He went on to gain world wide notoriety lending his music to movies such as "Little Miss Sunshine".

He now takes us for another musical twist by adding more electronic elements to his sound. You might have heard this one coming based on his track " You are the Blood " for the "Dark was the Night" compilation . Anyways what do you guys think of this song? It's live but the quality is pretty good.

Weird Dream

2009-09-23T16:22:00.000-07:00

I am just remembering I had a strange dream where I was at a Ryan Adams concert and he came and asked me to sing songs with him. So he held the mike up and I started to sing/hum lyrics from " Easy Tiger". I faked it through a couple songs I forgot the lyrics too and hoped he wouldn't notice. I think he did but thought I knew them well enough. I woke up shortly after and wondered why the hell I would ever dream of such things like singing Ryan Adams songs to Ryan Adams. Weird.

Fix It - Ryan Adams

Um this is awesome.

2009-09-22T11:01:00.000-07:00

This is exactly what the people want to see....Extreme downhill sports....Neon lights...and Tetris..

Back in the USA!

2009-09-21T11:13:00.001-07:00

Hey Guys,

Sorry for the not telling you I was on vacation in Thailand for the last couple weeks. In all the excitement and getting ready I neglected my poor little blog. Please keep checking this week for new posts. I am still adjusting to pacific time ....I will most likely be under my desk by lunch. Ok later folks!

P.S I ate this bug

Korean BBQ Dinner

2009-09-04T10:14:00.000-07:00

I mentioned how much I loved interactive dinner the other week. Some people think that going to a restaurant just to cook your own dinner is a bit ridiculous. Why would they pay someone to bring them a plate of raw meat and then tip them for it?! Well I like it and absolutely love having my meal cooked right before my eyes. I don't want to be plucking chickens in the back or anything like that but putting meat on a grill is inherently fun.

We were craving some Korean BBQ but definitely could not make the drive to K-Town with our hunger approaching dangerous levels. So I did a little yelp search and found a KBBQ place a couple miles away. We ordered combo #1 which seemed reasonable enough. Little did we know that this combo could probably feed 4 grown men. It was a tray filled with all sorts meat and vegetables. We knew the battle was on as we did our due diligence making as much progress as we could. Alas the meat had won the battle over our stomachs. We cooked the rest and boxed it up so I could use it for some steak and eggs in the morning. I really can't wait till I stop feeling full so we can go back. Maybe we'll invite a couple more people this time.

P.S This is the song I have been listening to while I typed this out...the Miike Snow album is really nice.

Song For No One - Miike Snow

To get you in the mood for a proper meal..

2009-08-26T10:11:00.000-07:00

A little bit of mood music on the way to a delicious brunch at Bread & Porridge last Sunday..

Might Like You Better - Amanda...

Me as a German Shepard

2009-08-24T13:20:00.001-07:00

Notice the attention to detail on the hair style and jaw line. Illustration by Beth Prine.

Rob Saxon as an Italian Greyhound

2009-08-21T14:36:00.000-07:00

Nuff' Said......

THE LOBO MIX

2009-08-18T14:40:00.000-07:00

I haven't made a mix in a long time. So I thought I would throw together some sweet little diddy's. I like swiffering to this mix or cooking in the kitchen. It's also suitable for the beach or BBQ type settings . You'll hear some fun tracks from Miike Snow, Daedalus, The Dirty Projectors , and more! Enjoy!

DOWNLOAD HERE

a couple videos to start your day...

2009-08-11T10:01:00.000-07:00

I LOVE RA RA RIOT.

RaRaRiot - Dying is fine - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

Ra Ra Riot - Oh la - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

Shabu Shabu Sundays

2009-08-10T15:54:00.001-07:00

*Play the track at the bottom while you read this....

Sunday night I ate Shabu Shabu. It had been a long while since I've had it. I like interactive dinner. Cooking your food at the table right before you eat it is always fun and entertaining. It was me, Erika, Justin and Amy. Sunday Funday : Couples Edition.

We had enjoyable conversations while cooking our meats and drinking large Sapporos. The steam from both pots wafted towards me giving me a nice old steam clean. I think my pores got a nice lil' treat. Peter the waiter forgot about us and started closing while we sat there waiting for our check. It was kind of weird because no one else was in there and they had flipped over the Open/Closed sign on the entrance door.

After dinner we all agreed that it was still pretty early and that we should pop into the karaoke bar down the street for "just one song". It was actually pretty nostalgic as this is the same karaoke bar Erika and I had our first date at. Please note that Neil Diamond is the ultimate aphrodisiac.

Justin started with some "Man in the Mirror" which got the attention of the regulars sitting at the bar. He brought it down with a lil scatting ala MJ style. The mood was set after that and of course "just one song" became more like 20 songs.

It was the best Sunday in recent history and I hope to have many more like it.

Shady Lane - Pavement

I'm on a YACHT

2009-08-06T17:26:00.000-07:00

I read Pitchfork this morning and read the review of the new YACHT album. I then went to Hype Machine and listened to the track called "Psychic City". I don't understand what a psychic city is. But I like the " aye yee aye yee ayeeee yeeeeeee" and when she sings " Hang around baby, baby...we'll be baking a cake for you". These are the type of songs that go on BBQ and Beach Day mixes. I can see myself cleaning my room to this song too.

My friend if he was part Wolf part Man

2009-08-04T12:23:00.000-07:00

Beth at my work does wonderful drawings of our co-workers if they were dogs. This is my friend Chris as a 95% WOLF 5% MAN. I was thinking he was more of a beagle. Play the song below while you look at the picture of Chris.

I will post my dog picture soon.

*Please note that personality, body type, and general likeness are taken into account when dog breed is chosen.

Wolf Like Me - TV On The Radio

A Mid Summer's Update

2009-07-23T09:50:00.000-07:00

It's funny how I just got use to writing "2009" as the year about a week ago and here we are heading towards August. Coincidentally a slew of people in my life have been talking about how time goes by faster as you get older. That sentiment gets thrown around a lot but I just happen to be within ear shot of it a bunch lately. Strange. Maybe I am just more receptive to it than I was before . It definitely feels like the year is gently sliding by. it's not good or bad; it just is I guess.

I made a list of things I wanted to accomplish this year a little after New Years. I wrote it on a post-it and now it is lost among the crap on my desk. Definitely time to do a little room clean-up and scavenge for that thing. It's hard to make sure you are taking the necessary steps towards your goals if you can't find the post-it you wrote them on. I don't think I am doing that well in terms of meeting all the things I wrote down but I can't complain. This year has been good to me.

I also made a delicious roasted butternut squash soup last week. That's what that picture is. Soup. Everyone loved it. I want to open up a soup and sandwich stand at the farmer's market across the street from me.

My friend Josh put some tracks together for some work stuff I had and I really dig one of the tracks he gave me called For Withered Friends/ Featuring Michael Johnson by Daedalus. He has good taste. Check the Link below.

Daedalus

MJ Remembered

2009-07-08T17:12:00.000-07:00

Work has been so crazy lately and I have been away from my beloved blog for too long now. In the time I have been away so many famous people have passed. It was Ed, Farrah, MJ, and even the Oxy Clean guy! I don't want to make the other's deaths seem less important but obviously Michael Jackson the big fish of that group. I can't claim that I was the hugest MJ fan. I never really drew any personal connection to his music but always appreciated the magnitude of his music and craft behind it.

But in the last few days I have started to revisit his music; really give it a listen and brush off that novelty stance I usually take when I hear something like "Thriller" play over a loud speaker.

I found this amazing remix of "Do You Remember the Time" today and had to share it. It put MJ's melody and words against something so laid back and spacial. It let the words breathe, the melodies resonate and let me hear MJ in a fresh way.

Michael Jackson + Telepop Musik - Do You Remember the Time ( Sleeper_Heartbroken_Remix)

I Got Litsztomania!

2009-06-29T12:50:00.000-07:00

So I went to the Phoenix show last night at the Wiltern. I was especially excited because I had never seen them live before but had heard only great things. The opening band was called "The Amazing Babies". They were neither amazing or babies. Either of those things would have helped their cause. I am not sure how they got a slot opening for one of the best bands going today. They seemed a slight bit angsty and way too droning to be playing with someone like Phoenix.

There seemed to be a plethora of the indie crowds finest in attendance including some people I recognized from work. I also ran into a long shanked and hooded Zac Efron of High School Musical fame which was weird.

We managed to finagle our way into the front pit area which was AWESOME. Thanks to my friend Kate and her unrelenting attack on the pit guy Dave. It wasn't crowded down there at all and we all had room to have a major dance party. They came on for an encore and ended with "1901". Their set was tight and full of energy. At one point the lead singer Thomas Mars came into the crowd right next to us as he sang " Falllin, Fallinnnn, Fallinnnnn". I tried to snap a picture while he was in the crowd but the camera on my phone does not focus fast enough. I did manage to snap this one to the left though. You can see how close we were!

As the show finished the energy in the crowd was still palpable. Throughout the performance the lights would turn towards the crowd and illuminate us. I would turn around and see everyone's faces full of pure joy. Seeing everyone smiling and dancing filled your chest with such a good feeling.

There was also the extended dance party after Phoenix left the stage as Michael Jackson started bumping from the speakers. People lingered after to dance around and do their best MJ imitations. It was a cherry on top of what was already an amazing night.

I really cannot wait to see Phoenix again. It's one of those bands you see once and know you are going to keep seeing them again and again.

Listen to a couple of my favorite remixed Phoenix songs !!!!!

Phoenix- Lisztomania ( Classixx Remix )

Phoenix- Long Distance Call ( 25 Hours A Day Remix )

Phoenix- 1901 ( The Teenagers Remix )

Vancouver is the place.

2009-06-25T12:12:00.000-07:00

The picture of this dog has nothing to do with anything.

I went to Vancouver last weekend. The place is rad. So clean and well put together. It's like all the essential elements you want from a big "city" ( I guess minus the grittiness one might yearn for ) and then amazing nature surrounding it.

I had some great oysters, dined on freshly caught crab in a beautiful house out in Crescent Beach, drank delicious beers , enjoyed/feared endless car bombs in Whistler and met some really good people.

Erika showed me around her town and managed to give me a grand tour in just 3 days. I didn't realize it was only 3 hours away as well.

I wished we could have stayed another week.

I really want more of those oysters in Granville.

Check out his myspace. I love the song "Jealous of Roses" Bibio -Ambivalence Ambulance

It is such a perfect summer album. Get the BBQ going, invite some people over and put this on the stereo.

Discovery LP

2009-06-15T11:24:00.001-07:00

It is another spectacular day at work. Back to the grind after spending the weekend with my parents. They came into town which meant some good quality time and tasty meals. There has been a good amount of sweet tunes coming my way lately but one band I am really digging on is Discovery. They are off the Xl label and features members from Vampire Weekend, Ra Ra Riot, and the Dirty Projectors. 3 bands I really like! So it was a definite sign I was going to enjoy the LP at least a bit.

It is a perfect compliment to summer days filled with dance parties and fun booze filled weekends. You'll notice there is a Ra Ra Riot cover in there along with some Kanye and even Jackson 5! It's synth-fille album full of electro blips and 808 thumps. Enjoy!

GO TO THEIR MYSPACE PAGE TO LISTEN TO MORE HERE

Osaka Loop Line - Discovery

Head Bands are for Lovers

2009-06-08T15:52:00.000-07:00

My weekend was very fun. I am still a bit worn out by all the activity. Nice dinners, late nights and some good sleeping in. I also set up the new TV and stand this weekend. Just in time for game 3 of the NBA Finals. That damn thing had been sitting in the box for weeks.

I also caught Holy Fuck at the Troubadour on Saturday. We missed the beginning due to getting a bit ambitious with the pre-show drinks portion of the night but what I caught of them was great. It was a big sound that was perfect for a smaller setting like the Troubadour.

They do a lot of remixes as well. Here is my favorite; the Radiohead "Nude" remix.

LISTEN HERE!

I Live on Coffee and Ham

2009-06-04T11:48:00.000-07:00

I went out with Erika last night for her friend's birthday. It was kind of a big dinner because I was meeting some of her good friends for the first time. I usually try to avoid large dinners because I hate how you never really get to talk to everyone. The table is always so large and segmented into a bunch of different conversations. There is also usually the chore of dealing with the check as well.

But in this case the dinner was very tasty and everyone had a splendid time. The check also went very well considering the the size of the bill and the amount of people there. They had crayons at the table too. So that's always fun. I doodled a guy with a big swirly hair cut. Erika's friends were all very nice and I even dance-mimed building a chair with one of them. Classic.

Anyways my friend sent me this video. It made me happy. Instant dance party. Love it

Slave Laborer

2009-05-29T10:36:00.001-07:00

I feel bad. I haven't posted in a while now and I know that my 4 readers might be a little bummed. I have been crazy busy at work and my usual bouts of downtime have not been existent for a couple weeks. I'm praying for a mega millions win tonight.

Please keep checking in because I will be putting up some new cool stuff soon I promise!

But I will at least leave you with a video from a local artist I really like named Nico Stai.

I hope you all have a great weekend.

Action and Action

2009-05-19T09:58:00.000-07:00

I feel like I have been falling behind on recent music releases. It's a terrible shame for an owner and operator of a music-centric blog. You know that thing you do with your friend who also happens to be into music where you go back and forth naming bands and new albums? " Oh have you listened to the new this yet?!" " No, but I hear it's pretty good" " Oh yeah it's amazing. You have to listen to it!"..." Oh there's this remix of that MGMT song that is fantastic" " Oh I think my friend sent me that but I haven't gotten around to listening to it yet". That happened to me yesterday and it was quite embarrassing because I kept having to say I hadn't heard any of it yet.

With that said I am happy to post a new band I am really getting into at the moment. They are called "Japandroids". I read the review of their new album "Post-Nothing" on Pitchfork the other day and had to take a listen. The reviewer mentioned the record being reminiscent of a "1990's Vagrant records band" which instantly had me interested. I had recently been longing for the good ol' innocent days of sloppy, erratic , emotive instrumentation and singing ala my high school emo phase. Back in high school Vagrant made some of my favorite albums and produced one of my favorite bands of all-time "The Get Up Kids". This record definitely taps into that old school Get Up Kids vein for me. Japandroids aim more mature and less on the depressed staring at my shoes tip. The music is wonderfully fuzzy and full of nice punchy hooks. It's a good way to kick off your summer!

Alice in Wonderland

2009-05-14T15:54:00.000-07:00

My buddy passed me this link to a song that was 90% comprised of sounds from the movie Alice in Wonderland. The result is this beautiful and trippy collage of sounds that bring to mind something Bjork would do. The weird url below is the link to the same song but with trippy visuals. ENJOY!

THE TRIPPY VERSION

Sometimes I Walk In Late

2009-05-08T10:20:00.000-07:00

What is better than coming home to a turkey club, a milkshake and a sweet lady ( Cue: Tyrese's song 'Sweet Lady") after a long long day? Not too many things; maybe stacks of $100 bills that touch my ceiling. Maybe a Snuggie filled with golden pirate treasure. Maybe the cast of 30 Rock sitting on my couch playing drinking games. Ok but other than those things...my situation can't be beat.

The story before has nothing to do with this cool video the Mae-Shi just did for there song " Lamb and Lion". I love the Mae-Shi.

Song for Thursday

2009-04-30T17:29:00.000-07:00

Hi there. It was an okay day. Had a really good night last night. Although we never found a place to get a milkshake and mashed potatoes which would have been the amazing. It was a late night but worth it. But now I am tired and am going to attempt to exercise and then play in a softball game. Over ambitious? Maybe. But I think I can do it.

I really dig this song today. Who does it remind you of? I am trying to figure that out myself.

And The Hazy Sea - Cymbals Eat Guitars

Monday Moth Wings

2009-04-27T13:38:00.000-07:00

The weekend was too short again. I keep hoping that one Monday I wake up and for some reason everyone is snowed in and work is canceled. The problem is that it doesn't snow in LA. It is constantly sunny and unfortunately I have never heard of work being cancelled because it was too sunny.

I slept like a log all Friday. A total of 13 hours. It was amazing but definitely cut into any early productive activities I hoped to pursue. I wanted to go to IKEA damnit. Maybe Target too if I was being extra efficient.

Anyways, I feel much better now and wanted to post a song I am really digging today. Please click on the link below and get your mojo going on this seemingly un-ending Monday.

There is a picture of Michael Crabtree up top. The 49ers drafted him. Thank God.

PASSION PIT- MOTHS WINGS

i know where you hide all the women now!

2009-04-24T11:48:00.000-07:00

Last night was my sister's birthday. We ordered in for some Thai food instead of going out because I had to work later than I thought. Of course we had to have noodles because in our house we always had noodles for birthday's to bring good luck. So some pad thai was definitely in order!

Afterwards my sister, our friend Jay and I all went to this party celebrating the opening of the new Chloe boutique in Los Angeles. I wasn't feeling the best because I was weathering a cold which really took a toll on my stamina. I had went home earlier to pop some dayquil and throw on a jacket. I immediately felt under dressed when we got there upon seeing people in their finest especially the women! I was surround by some of the most beautiful girls ever . When did girls get so tall? Maria Sharapova was there and she was like 6"5 with the heels she had on. One of my favorites Camille Belle was there having a conversation right next to me. Yes that is a picture of her on the right. I tried not to stare at her too long and quickly averted my gaze towards the bottom of my glass. She is a stone cold fox.

We met up with some of my sisters friends and then relegated ourselves to one of the couches that looked towards the main hallway for a drink and some prime people watching. A funny thought came to me while we were sitting there; that most of these people do not exist outside of places like this; they stay holed up inside and put on big hats and sunglasses and only emerge when the time comes. Like mythical beasts of legend!

Anyways it was a nice night despite my cold and I was happy I could spend some time with my sister.

Below is the new video from Matt and Kim for their song "Lessons Learned". As usual the pair are smiling and look to be enjoying themselves way more than two people have ever enjoyed themselves ever. It's contagious; you can't help but feel a bit cheerier when you watch these two perform. Ah and watch to the end for the surprising ending.

Lessons Learned

Funday

2009-04-17T16:09:00.001-07:00

I am close to leaving work now. I am very excited about it. I wanted to post some music that a friend of mine wrote. He is a singer/songwriter out of LA named Joey Ryan. He just released his EP called "As It Must Be" which I highly enjoy.

Please take a listen to his music below and go to his website after. JoeyRyan.Net

Have a great weekend!

Thirsty Thursday

2009-04-16T10:13:00.000-07:00

Happy Thursday everyone! I woke up feeling especially good today. I had a massage last night and played in a company softball game. I had a little old asian lady stomp and tear my back apart for an hour and then attempted to muster up some strength and play softball. I guess it's a bit counterintuitive to get a massage then try to rev up and play competitive sports shortly after but I had promised to play. It was annoying that the other team was taking walks, which is despicable in my book. I think maybe a movie and some wine would have been a bit more in tune but oh well.

This music video is for the song "Abandon" off the French Kick's last album "Swimming". This was one of my favorite albums of the year. I can still listen to it front to back like it was brand new to me. It's perfect for lazy summer days and nice drives on non-traffic filled days.

So I am not sure what to think of this video. I do like it but it seems at times like a little bit too much of a friend love fest i.e the individual segments with the lip synching large black guy and the random mega crying chick. The colored balls and balloons coming down the stairs are reminiscent of the Sony Bravia commercial with the Jose Gonzalez 'Heartbeats" track on it. Which is a nicely matched visual for a track like this. I like the hula hooping girl. Something oddly mesmerizing about watching someone hula hoop especially with that nice soft lighting and colored streamers everywhere. She is attractive too so that helps.

So you may not love the video but the song is great and the rest of the album is too. Check out the track "Over the World" from the same album. It is an amazing song as well.

Spring Salad Mix

2009-04-10T17:34:00.000-07:00

This week has been pretty rough. There were a lot of lay offs at my work; many of whom were not just co-workers but friends of mine. Luckily I was able to keep my job. So I am happy it is the weekend now and that I am going home to see my family to spend Easter with them. I know I mentioned a spring mix tape to download last week which I originally intended to be chock full of dancey little numbers but in light of this week the mix has taken a slighter more low key turn. It's definitely still upbeat though so no worries.

I hope you all have a nice weekend. Find those eggs!

SPRING SALAD MIX DOWNLOAD

Meathead Mover

2009-04-06T14:54:00.000-07:00

Hope you all a wonderful weekend. The weather was beautiful in LA and you could tell by the amount of people walking around in their summer gear . I am sure a lot of you went hiking or hit the beach. I spent this weekend outdoors as well but in a different sense. I moved into a new place this weekend which meant packing our old house into a 26 ft. Uhaul and driving it across town. My version of being outside meant a nice farmer's tan and neck tan. Our house will be all unpacked and set up soon and then I will get to really enjoy the outdoors. So glad it's over though. Now just to unpack get settled.

I hope your Monday is sailing by smoothly. It's always nice to ease into the week. Here is a song by a band I saw open for Ra Ra Riot a month or so ago that I really dig. It's one of those great songs you can imagine having a nice drive to.

Telekinesis- Coast of Carolina

One Great Cover

2009-04-01T14:59:00.000-07:00

So I was basically combing through my usual music blogs and came across this awesome loungy cover of The Killer's "When You Were Young" by a band called the Noisettes . Shingai Shoniwa the lead singer takes this song to new heights and really adds a soul to it. The song really takes on a new life when you hear it delivered this way with the backing singers and string section adding layer upon intricate layer. Shingai alters some of the lyrics to really turn the corner and make this song her own. Even if you are too cool for school and think The Killers songs are lame well you need to take off your indie snob hat for a couple minutes and take a listen/gander at this.

Monday is not better than Saturday or Sunday

2009-03-30T13:44:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was pretty damn good. The weather on Saturday was absolutely beautiful. Nice and warm but not stuffy or too hot. I went on a nice hike. Had a delicious dinner that led to the creation of a song called "Meat High". And tested out my new running shoes. I wanted to go to the beach on Sunday but it ended up being a bit overcast and the temperature didn't get passed high 60's. I did laundry, watched the NCAA tourney and read a book. I am a big Ernest Hemingway fan. I could have done without my hangover on Saturday morning though but I powered through it like a true champion.

I am making a new spring mix soon. I ain't talking salad. So keep checking back this week for an exciting new installment of my mix series.

This is a picture of one of the dishes I had on Saturday..It has Foie Gras, Spam, a hamburger patty, topped with quail egg on Sriracha rice.

Here is song to get your Monday moving.

Baby T-Pain

2009-03-24T15:29:00.000-07:00

The Shady Fade

2009-03-14T10:43:00.000-07:00

Here is a familiar situation for all of you. Dude and Lady meet. Both think each other is the cat's pajamas. It's instantaneous; it's amazing. I mean how did I ever live my life without you sweety?! Both are fully enamored with each other. Lots of staring at each other for no reason followed by giggling while asking " What are you thinking about?" ensues ( *note: I do not lay around staring at people giggling while asking 'What are you thinking about?"... very often ) . There is mention of making awesome mix tapes; each song thoughtfully hand picked and arranged in a sequence meant to make your new partner swoon. The world is new and amazing!

AND THEN....out of nowhere the lines of communication seem to falter a bit. An unreturned text message. A follow up call strategically placed hours later as not to look needy is also unreturned. You calm yourself down reasoning they were really tied up today and will get back to you tomorrow. You get a text a day later saying they were busy. Your fears are calmed a bit. You reason that maybe they are really really busy. There is no time to return text messages about how their day is going. No time to waste hanging on a phone meandering about unimportant things at this time. You pacify yourself thinking that this will pass.

This pattern repeats until you realize that this damn person has been too busy to talk to you for a suspiciously long time now . You begin to realize all the texts and calls to them were unreturned not because they were busy or for any other understandable ( to you at least ) reason but because they are employing one of the oldest and coldest maneuvers in modern day dating ....THE SHADY FADE.

One participant in the relationship slowly inches away from the other participant with a mixture of neglectfulness and vague coded communications until the other comes to the sad self-pitying realization that they are only one still left doing the relationship dance.

I think I would be foolish if I said this phenomenon didn't occur all the time. It happens a lot. I guess it's a lot easier to let silence tell your partner exactly what you have on your mind instead of fumbling around for words while you watch the other persons facial expressions go from inquisitive and curious to sad and absolutely crushed.

It hardly seems like a fair thing to do to another person. Personally I think at least a phone call should be in order; no carrying around that dreadful feeling in your stomach for unnecessary days or weeks.

So maybe we should all think about Karma next time we are in a break-up type situation. If you don't want to get Shady Faded then you shouldn't be doing it to anyone else. A simple phone call is a much nicer and cordial resolution to the situation. Dating is a messy affair already so let's try and keep things as civil as we can. So in conclusion the message is simple; don't be an ass.

HERE IS A CLASSIC VIDEO IN HONOR OF ST. PATTY'S DAY. COULD BE A CRACK HEAD~!

MVJ: Most Valuable Jonas

2009-03-12T12:10:00.000-07:00

My good friend Mike is a mad genius and here is the proof. This is what would happen if Kevin Jonas from the Jonas Brothers went solo......You got to admit he looks like KJ quite a bit. Please watch this if you enjoy enhancing your life. This is one of the funniest things I have seen in a while. KJ OUT.

Long Time Ya' Old Salt

2009-03-10T14:06:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! It has been a little while since I have posted but I hope you have all been well. I had an interesting night last night as I had my first "Show and Tell". I know what you are thinking " That sounds like some random kinky shit". But alas it was good old fashioned fun like in grade school where you bring in items and talk about what it means to you. You are probably asking yourself why the hell anyone would have a "Show and Tell". I wasn't quite clear at first but started to understand that my friend Nina who put it together meant it to be a really nice way to bring people together in a new setting. I had never done one before so I was a bit nervous especially since it was in a group of people that I didn't know. Actually no one really knew each other so this was a bit of a new thing for everyone.

There were some amazing stories along with many personal ones. I was really caught off guard by how open people were being with their emotions. In a room full of complete strangers; people talked about their drug addicted Father's, sick Grandma's, touring with Paul Simon, giant eagle feathers that the lead singer of the Scissor Sister's had in his back pocket, dating Miles Davis and an assortment of personal subjects. The openness of everyone and the support everyone had for each other despite being pretty much in the presence of people who were complete strangers just a few minutes ago made for a pretty surreal and amazing night.

There was an instant rapport with everyone in the room. It was refreshing for everyone to do something like this especially in a city like LA where people constantly have up walls and fake facades. This was like speed friending; Cutting through the small talk and making an instant connection. My friend Nina definitely succeeded in her mission as I think everyone left with a few new friends or at least acquaintances. I really look forward to the next one.

Anyways that story about last night has nothing to do with these awesome videos of a bunch of old dudes sitting around a coffee shop talking shit about indie music. It is one of the best things I have ever seen in my entire human life.

Hump Day

2009-03-04T10:23:00.000-08:00

It's raining as all hell today. The walk from my front door to my car across the street left me soaked. I have to learn to not park my car under the tree outside my house. It always gets covered in a blanket of little baby leaves that don't seem to come off very easily.

The good news about it being Wednesday is that we are half way through the week. It has been going quite fast which is always a nice thing. I went to go see Ra Ra Riot play at the El Rey last Saturday which was a great great show minus the fact that my original date couldn't make it and I went to the show by myself. Loner style. The band that played before RRR was called Cut Off Your Hands. I had never heard of them before but they seemed to be pretty good. Although I didn't get a clear idea of what they were going for sonically; there were a few good cuts in there. You can check out one of their songs below...Let me know what you think..Kind of sounds like the guitars from The Smiths "

This Charming Man - The Smiths">This Charming Man"

Turn Cold - Cut Off Your Hands

A Song to Brighten Your Day

2009-02-27T15:32:00.000-08:00

It's Friday and you can taste the weekend on your tongue. It's so damn close as you keep checking the clock in the corner of your computer watching the minutes tick away. Only an hour or so till' you can log the hell out and jump in your car, set your volume to 11 and blast "My Humps"

This Friday was supposed to be a little different for me but plans fall through sometimes so instead of wallowing like a real idiot about my failed plans; I am going to savor this weekend and make damn sure I have fun.

Here are two songs I am digging hard lately! The first is by a dude named Jay Reatard. It's fun, friendly and fuzzed out goodness. The second is the new single by one of my favorite bands PHOENIX!! I love them so hard. It sounds like they are using synths a bit more in this track which is sounding pretty darn sweet to me. The French know their pop and they know their pop well. Download below!

Jay Reatard-No Time

Phoenix-1901

Awesome New Music Tuesday!

2009-02-24T11:22:00.000-08:00

Last night I saw a group perform at the Hotel Cafe right down the street from me. They were called Sonos and they were impressive. I had never heard of them before as I was mainly at the venue to see my buddy Joey Ryan play after them but I was delightfully surprised when I looked up to see a 6 piece acapella group start in on Radiohead's "Everything in it's Right Place".

UPDATE: I find myself in another stupid ass funk and totally forgot to finish writing my review for Sonos. Long story short....They are awesome and if you get to see them perform: DO IT.

To listen to them go HERE

Strange Days

2009-02-19T16:28:00.000-08:00

I am having a strange day. I feel frustrated. But I did have a great sushi lunch. I got to take the good with the bad I guess right? This song makes me happy for some reason or another. Download it below. It is from the new A.C Newman album which I fully enjoy.

A.C Newman- There are Maybe Ten or Twelve

It's like Monday without Most of the Dread

2009-02-17T16:38:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was nice. I had the day off which meant a longer weekend and in turn a shorter work week to come. I fell asleep on Sunday as the rain started coming down which only made me happier although when it starts to rain really hard the drain pipe outside my room sounds like someone is blasting my window with a garden hose. Luckily I fell asleep before that started happening with a comforting feeling of knowing that I would get to sleep in the next morning.

As you may have already known I am a huge Bon Iver fan. "For Emma, Forever Ago" was by far my favorite album of last year and his new EP "Blood Bank" is also pretty darn amazing ( though still not completely sold on his a cappella crazy auto-tuned track "Woods"). Just when you thought the amazing-ness was over until his new full length comes out he comes back with a new song written for the compilation Dark Was The Night which benefits HIV/AIDS causes.

The song starts with a bass line reminiscent of his tracks "Team" or the "Creature Fear" at once catchy and head nod inducing. Lyrically he is back to doing what he does best with his talent to create an intimate and familiar setting with the listener, bringing us all into his world. The bass line gives way to choirs of soaring vocals and the sparse down strokes of an acoustic guitar creating an at once mellow but uplifting ending to this great track. He really really loves Wisconsin a whole bunch. Enjoy! Download it below!!

Bon Iver- Brackett, WI

Valentines Day Mix

2009-02-14T13:46:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again where men scramble for last minute dinner reservations and try to decode what their girlfriends really mean when they say " Don't get me anything for Valentines Day please". And since I am currently smitten I wanted to make the loviest quasi-cheesiest mix for your listening please. Funnnnn.

DOWNLOAD NOW

And TWINSSSSSSSSSS

2009-02-10T12:03:00.000-08:00

While scouring my daily music sites I came across a video called "Half Asleep" by a band called School of Seven Bells. I had heard of them before but never taken a listen till now. It is really pretty stuff. I am a sucker for dream pop; It's soothing, beautiful and uplifting. It's especially perfect for rainy weather, breakups, makeups, getting ready for work in the morning, getting ready for bed at night and when you want to romance those indie girls who wear cool headbands and who may or may not have unsightly tattoos. In the song we hear SSB with their tight and soaring melodies take us through a sort of surreal cab ride through the city. A bonus is that the singers are twin sisters who happen to be unbelievably good looking. We all win! Yeah for the genetic lottery!

Children Love Getting High

2009-02-04T11:48:00.000-08:00

My buddy showed me this video yesterday and it has to be one of the funniest things ever created by humans on Earth. If you thought that feeding your dog beer during BBQ's and watching him stumble around your living room was funny, imagine a small child all doped up and watching him stumble about "mentally". KIDS LOVE DRUGS.

Are You Professional!?!???!?!?!

2009-02-03T09:44:00.000-08:00

So if you haven't heard Christian Bale freaking the fuck out on the set of his latest movie "Terminator Salvation" yet then your life is nearly complete as you thought. I guess the poor DP walked into a shot or something like that and Bale unleashes hells wrath upon this poor man. He then threatens to pull down all this dudes lighting equipment and tells him to SHUT THE FUCK UP because when C. Bale wants to give a verbal beat down it's not done till he says it's done.

CHRISTIAN BALE GIVING HELLS WRATH

My buddies band The Mae Shi took this clip and crafted a pop song based around Bale's verbal ass lashing. It is simple and wonderful. Major props for putting this song together in less than a day as well. As for the fate of Christian Bale... I have no doubt that he will save us from futuristic robots. If he can get this mad at the DP ; how much anger must he have for those stinking robots from the future?! Our future is safe from robots...for now.

Refresh Everything!

2009-02-01T09:38:00.001-08:00

Please peep the work we did with Will Arnett for his Super Bowl Party! He is a hilarious hilarious man.

Wednesday Mix Download!

2009-01-28T12:19:00.000-08:00

Yes I know what have all been thinking; "It's been forever since he's posted a new mix to download!". Well never fear because I have compiled a sweet new collection of songs for your aural pleasure. Most are pretty recent so hopefully there's something new you might like in there. It's a pretty low key collection of songs so you might not be dancing on tables to it unless that's just the way you get down..Click the link below to get it started. Let me know what you think of it.

DOWNLOAD NOW

My President is Black

2009-01-21T10:37:00.000-08:00

With the inauguration of Barack Obama yesterday and all ensuing parties that followed; there was bound to be some video worthy stuff happening. In between Kanye, Beyonce and all the other people who were in Washington to kick off Obama's presidency someone happened to record Jay-Z performing a song called " My President is Black" . It's pretty cool with a hook that goes something like this ....

"My president's black, in fact, he's half white/ So even in a racist's mind he's half right/ Even in these racist times it's all right/ My president is black but his house is all white."

Jay-Z stops to wait for the crowd noise to die down a bit to make sure everyone can hear his verses. Anyways I hope all of you had a nice one and got to take time out to watch coverage of the historical day we had.

Jay-Z My President is black Remix LIVE 1-18-09 from pleasedontstare on Vimeo.

090120: Inauguration Day at First up!

How To Fake Your Own Death

2009-01-19T13:03:00.001-08:00

New Music Review: Jupiter One

2009-01-15T11:02:00.000-08:00

Lately I’ve been doing “New Music Tuesday” and the response has been, to my surprise, overwhelming. With the onslaught of cookie cutter bands who can barely play their instruments much less sing in the right key its hard to find a something to get excited enough to write about. This week I featured Jupiter One , a little interstellar four piece form New York. With production by Nic Hard (The Church, The Bravery) their songs are sonically pleasing and at times anthemic with hooks that I find myself singing after the first listen. Ok so yeah its a good album...but could these guys actually pull it off live? Fast forward to: 5 pitchers of beer with the band while waiting for the opening acts to finish up. I thought there was no way in their drunken state they could pull this off! They did. My girl threw up. I drove home.(anticlimactic ending)

Review by Zach Corbell

Countdown - Jupiter One

Fire Away - Jupiter One

Unglued - Jupiter One

Sigur Ros is Amazing

2009-01-09T11:23:00.000-08:00

See what I mean?!

Sigur Ros - Hoppippolla from Fabiano Scuzziato on Vimeo.

Funniest SNL Weekend Update in YEARS!

2009-01-08T14:22:00.000-08:00

I was watching this at work and started laughing out loud at my desk. I had to pull off my headphones to stop so people wouldn't start wondering what I was doing. This is also Amy Poehler's last SNL show!

Margot and The Nuclear So and So's

2009-01-06T09:51:00.001-08:00

A sweet video for a great song to ease you into your Tuesday. I really really dig it a bunch. Check out more of their stuff!~

Margot and the Nuclear So & So's - As Tall as cliffs - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

Slummin' It

2009-01-05T16:16:00.000-08:00

Last night I skipped exercising in favor of sushi followed by a viewing of "Slumdog Millionaire". I am sure by now most of you have heard of it if not seen it already. It is a wonderful film that keeps you fully entertained the entire way. Not only do you get a great movie but a very well done soundtrack by A.R Rahman to boot. To be honest the reason I enjoyed the music so much was because of the collaboration with M.I.A. My favorite song from the film "O...Saya" plays during the opening scene of the slum kids running from the police. It's an awesome song but I wish there was just more M.I.A singing on it! Take a listen people.

O...Saya - A.R. Rahman & M.I.A.

Bitch I'm Gifted

2008-12-18T14:58:00.000-08:00

All of you people who always wished they could hear Kanye West collaborate on a song with a bunch of other people singing on it; your wish is granted ( and has been granted like 300 times in the last 3 years). This one got my attention because I love Lykke Li and Santogold is pretty cool too.

Gifted ft. KanYe West, Santogold & Lykke Li - N.A.S.A.

Jizz In My Pants

2008-12-17T09:55:00.000-08:00

Yes you have all probably seen this by now but if you haven't please watch this. In a perfect world my job would be to make awesome songs like this and then make the video for it and then have half naked ladies pour money on me. Happy Holidays Friend.

SNL Digital Short - Jizz in my pants - 12/06/08 - watch more funny videos

Top 5 Albums of 2008

2008-12-11T14:27:00.000-08:00

2008 was an amazing year for music. So many great albums and talented bands emerged this year making it one of the best years in recent history. I started this list out as a top 20 list then quickly realized there is no way on Earth that I am going to write 20 different summaries for each of those albums. Then I also realized it is really, really hard to rank my favorite albums of the year in a particular order with the exception of #1 on my list. My top 5 consists of the albums I probably listened to the most this year.

5. Los Campesinos-Hold on Now, Youngster/ We are Beautiful, We are Doomed

Ok so it isn't fair that these guys released 2 great albums in the same year so I lumped the album together for ranking purposes. It is also this lumping together of two good albums that elevates Los Campesinos to # 5 on my list. The melodies and instrumentation is undeniably fun. Even if some might cringe or even furrow their brows when they hear lyrics like " send me stationary just to make me horny" one can't help but have a good time listening to these guys. Songs like " You! Me! Dancing!" can really get your feet moving and your head nodding. So because this album makes me happy and rocks my socks it earns the #5 spot on my list.

4. Tokyo Police Club- Elephant Shell

Elephant Shell is an album of bountiful gifts. I can put this album on and instantly start bouncing around. The drumming in this band always gets me going. The bass lines reverberate my party muscles. The quasi-detached vocal stylings contrasting with the high hand-clap energy creates pure magic. Some people may disregard this album as a forgettable pop record but those people don't like having fun and are probably depressed.

3. Kings of Leon- Only by the Night

This album sexually rocked me. My pants quaked and the room rumbled when this collection of tunes hit the airwaves. I know a lot of long time fans of the band are complaining that KOL have gone mainstream and their old stuff is much better and they knew of KOL long ago and this isn't their best. But to those people I say; stop talking jibber jabber and start feeling how on fire your sex can be if you let it. The drumming is spectacular but I must give a special shout out to the bassist and his sexual bassing ways. So in summation... I liked this album.

2 Sigur Ros- Med sud i eyrum vid spilum endalaust

This is Sigur Ros' most accessible album of all time. Some of you might begin to worry that the beautiful and intimate settings their prior releases painted was no more. But never fear because all the elements you loved about Sigur Ros are still largely intact but this time around they have used them to create an atmosphere of joy and hope. No more crying in the fetal position next to your bed, emo kid. The mood is lighter and melodies strong and hopeful. So largely because I am a sucker for pretty Icelandic vocal stylings this album goes #2 on my list.

1. Bon Iver- For Emma , Forever Ago

I can honestly say that this album will be go down as one of my favorite albums of all-time. Absolutely haunting and stunningly beautiful; It leaves the listener with a serene sense of remoteness. Some of you may know the background of the album; how it was recorded in a secluded log cabin in Wisconsin after the break up of lead singer Justin Vernon's previous band. He fled to this cabin to re-collect himself and in the process unknowingly wrote the best album of 2008. The environment that Vernon paints with his music mirrors back to this very cabin; a space where one can shed all the worry and anxiety that life handed us. An open space and a simplification of the everyday where we get back to the basic nature of ourselves. I know I live in California and shouldn't complain about weather but every time I hear this album I can't help but long for a bit of snow and a fireplace. His soulful yet pleasingly grainy voice rides a line between Sam Beam of Iron and Wine and Tunde Adebimpe of TV on the Radio. His vocal phrasing and pronunciation turn his voice into a sonic force rather than just a simple deliver of words. His use of the falsetto is tasteful and employed masterfully. I really can't say enough good things about this album as I could probably break down what I love about each song till the sun goes down. From the first listen many months ago till today; this album still affects me deeply. So please if you haven't, listen to this album and look out for his " Blood Bank" EP due next January.

If you want this boy's hole you got to pay the toll troll

2008-12-04T09:47:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone. I know I have been slack assing on these posts lately. With Thanksgiving and my time being consumed by the digestive processes; I have been stricken with a case of lazies ( i just made that term up) . I am compiling my list of top albums of 2008 and that is taking some time and will be up soon but in the meantime please enjoy this clip from the season finale of "It's Alway's Sunny in Philadelphia". This is by far one of the funniest episodes in the entire series. I love this show.

This is the worst music ever made..and a terrible video to go with it

2008-11-20T10:30:00.001-08:00

Can't Help But Love Caruso

2008-11-18T10:33:00.000-08:00

Because you are all so nice.

2008-11-10T16:00:00.001-08:00

So here is another mix of sweet songs to soothe your loins after not getting as much sleep as you hoped to get this weekend. I know it wasn't on purpose my friend. Whether it was the Friday you said you would just watch a movie and chill but decided to shotgun beers with your buddies or because you can't stand up to the peer pressure that was bestowed upon you to go out on Saturday and mix several types of hard alcohol; turning your head and stomach into massive pits of regret; this mix is for you.

There are some new tracks from Ryan Adams ( One of my favorites off the new album "Cardinology"), Passion Pit, A.C Newman, a brand new Tokyo Police Club track and an "old" favorite "Nude ( Holy Fuck remix )" .

I hope you all enjoy the mix and that the week passes by swifter than a fleet of red tailed hawks.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Some Laughing

2008-11-10T15:52:00.001-08:00

This is a clip from my favorite show on television " It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" . I hope several people watch this at the same time and then laugh at the same time.

Vote Yes to Dancing

2008-11-04T09:57:00.000-08:00

Let this song invigorate your loins..I dare you not to shake it uncontrollably

Sleepy Head - Passion Pit

Monday Mix Tape Madness

2008-10-27T10:50:00.000-07:00

As promised a new mix for monday! Go to the link and download. There is no rhyme or reason to the mix. No real themes, just good aural times. I must mention that there are two new Bon Iver songs that were recorded from some recent shows as well as a song called "Soup" by a band called Tuung that really rocks my socks off. I hope your Monday passes quickly and efficiently. Laters.

Click Here to Download

Save the Honey Bees. Biatch.

2008-10-27T01:15:00.000-07:00

Ok So I have been such a slack ass with updating the blog. I apologize to the 2-3 people who check it when they are absolutely bored out of their skulls but I thought I would post this video I thought was pretty damn funny. Tomorrow I will be posting a downloadable mix tape of some songs I am currently enjoying. It will be dope I promise. Anyways I hope your weekend was fruitful and everything you wanted it to be.

I seriously think someone stole this from my brain.

2008-10-14T14:26:00.001-07:00