Friday Favorites 5

This song brings me back to surfing Newport and Huntington before work/school with Pitzak. Those were the days...

Merry Christmas to Everyone

We miss you Dad.

Saw a few movies this weekend...

Ok, here it is:

Take a girl to go see this one. When you are done watching it, do not forget to tell your lady that you associate yourself with the movie's main character and not with the drug lord gangster. Common mistake.

This movie is a story of a "come up" by a person of the people. He "comes up" on love, life, and of course...cold hard cash. Not a bad story, and very well acted.

Show her you have a soft side and take her to see it.


And when you are done watching that, you can go see this:

I love Clint Eastwood. He is my hero. I wish everyone in the movie could act as well as he does, but that is not the case. However, the movie still shines and reminds me of my Grandpa.




I also saw this movie this weekend. I have virtually no opinion on this movie, other than it kept me entertained. It's no Bourne Identity, but it's ok.

Friday Favorites 4

These last few weeks of December are for reflection on the year....Just me, myself, and I.

Happy Friday.

Feeling a little slow today...

Last night was my company's Christmas party, and today I felt a little sluggish. This picture is a perfect description on how I felt.

Time to put her back on the rack

Was churning through some Kern River Run pics from 2007 and earlier this year so I thought I'd post a few. It also reminded me that my bike sits too high, the bars are too low, and it's gonna need some more chrome. It's that time of the year....I need to call Jason and have him put this puppy on the rack for a few upgrades.

Morgan Slade Exhibition at Billy Shire Fine Art Gallery

Friday evening my lady and I went down to Billy Shire Fine Art Gallery down in Culver City for a friends and family sneak peek to see an exhibition by a friend of ours Morgan Slade .

This particular exhibition was an erotic collection of paintings, over blown up photographs on canvas of super hot girls gussied up in nothing but tattoos, bikini's, animal costume heads, and assorted footwear (boots, heels, roller skates???). Even after studying the first peice for over ten minutes, the amount of intricate detail still had me discovering unseen before drawings and miniture paintings within the piece as a whole. I highly recommend going down to Billy Shire Fine Art Gallery to see the collection while it is on display. Morgan's wife told me that he sold four of his pieces on opening night! Congrats Morgan.

You can also see Morgan on stage, as he plays guitar for Miss Derringer along with his wife Liz Mcgrath (vocals). You will here more about the both of them in the near future, so stay tuned.

Morgan Slade
Exhibition: December 13- January 3, 2009
Opening Reception: Saturday, December 13th, 7-10 pm
Billy Shire Fine Arts

Morgan was showing along side of Daniel Martin Diaz

Friday Favorites 3

This helps me ease into my day...



I miss the old days.

Red Line now open late on weekends

The red line now runs on the weekends....AFTER the bar closes. Yes, that's right, runs till 3 A.M. We can ride the subway downtown, have a few beers and not have to drive.

The Late Night DASH Holiday pilot makes its first runs around Downtown. The service connects the Historic Core, 7th / Metro Red Line station, LA Live and the Music Center, offering 10-minute service from 6:30pm to 3am.

Tis the season for giving...

Our friends at Hairroin Salon are helping out a very worthy cause. Please read:

Today’s statistics show that 1.3 million youths are currently homeless and living on the streets in the United States. Of those 1.3million, 13,000 are homeless in the city of Los Angeles. These statistics only include reported runaways, and do not account for children who are part of a homeless family, who were forced out of their homes or abandoned by their parents/guardians, or who were just simply not reported as runaways.

With the holidays so close, Hairroin Salon and the Los Angeles Youth Network are teaming up once again for the second annual charity donation drive. We are reaching out to everyone to help support this cause by donating clothes, shoes, accessories, jackets, hats and accessories.

Every year for the holidays, we put together a fashion show for the LAYN kids. We bring in professional wardrobe stylist and makeup artist to provide the kids with a head to toe makeover. In order for this event to be successful, we are asking your donations to be in new or good quality conditions, ranging in all sizes from small to XXL, for boys and girls.

We are asking that all drop offs be made to:

Hairroin Salon (Yelp)
1553 N. Cahuenga Blvd.
Hollywood, Ca. 90028

All questions or inquiries can be called in to the salon at 323.467.0392. On behalf of Hairroin Salon and the Los Angeles Youth Network, we greatly appreciate your support and kind donations for a great cause.

Sincerely,

Hairroin Salon, and everyone at LAYN



Update 12/10:

I found a great idea at a blog called Elevating Brilliance:
ElevatingBrilliance.blogspot.com.

That referenced another amazing charity idea.
DannyBrown.me.

Who do you follow? Part 1

There are quite a few blogs, websites, and flickr accounts that I really like to follow and check in on regularly. Some I check in on every month or so, maybe once a week....

But one in particularly I actually log onto every day. It's Although he has really slowed down the frequency of his blogging, it gives me inspiration as well as makes me laugh almost every time. cracklarock.blogspott.com. You have heard me mention Crack's name before in a previous blog, and if you are a friend of mine, you have heard me mention him all the time as a MASSIVE inspiration as an artist, friend, mentor of steeze, and family man. I have yet to meet the infamous Crack la Rock in person, but soon that shall change.

I am only telling you this, because Crack really needs start blogging more. And if I put it out there into the universe that we need more Crack, then perhaps he will listen.

If you want humor....then click here: Crack la Rock

You want design inspiration? Click here: Hey Slugger

Accidents will happen

Camp Freddy at The Roxy Theatre

Tuesday night a couple of friends and I went down to The Roxy Theatre to see a band called Camp Freddy. I had did not recognize the band name at first, but I was told that I was “in for a treat” and that “I would love them”. So I agreed to go for two reasons:

1. I like music, and I was invited by a friend of mine that has amazing musical taste (he likes what I like)
2. I was assured we would not wait in line.

Turns out, Camp Freddy is a collective with some pretty amazing artists. And because I am horrible with band names as it is, Camp Freddy did not ring a bell. Not to mention no one bothered to remind me that it was that “one” band that has:

Dave Navarro - guitar
Matt Sorum - drums
Billy Morrison - guitar/vocals
Donovan Leitch - vocals
Chris Chaney – bass

Guess who else graced the stage? Steve Jones from THE SEX PISTOLS, Billy Duffy from THE CULT, Wes Scantlin from Puddle of Mudd, that one dude with the MASSIVELY large fake teeth on E channel….what’s his name….oh yeah, Mark McGrath, and the lead singer or Godsmack, Sully Erna among others that I forgot.

It was pretty intense. They sang covers from Zepplin to the Sex Pistols. I was really impressed at how good some of those stars were live. Puddle of Mudd? Godsmack? Mark McGrath? I mean, lets face it, these are not my types of bands, however they killed it. I was truly surprised.

Anyway, Camp Freddy has a residency at to The Roxy Theatre for the rest of December, every Tuesday. It is worth seeing. They go on late, and play for longer than expected, which was nice.

Here is a clip from Tuesday:

Launch Party for Hairroin Clothing Line

I hope that all of you had a good Thanksgiving. If you are not doing anything this Saturday and you would like to see a DJ set by the legendary Black Sinnotrah from the Yakuza Death Disco crew, then come out and check it out!

The launch for the new Hairroin Clothing line is this Saturday, December 6th, free champagne, dj's, art and all that jazz. Support your local business son!

If I don't see you Saturday, then let's hang out before the new year. This has been one crazy year, and I am glad you have all been a part of it!

Click here: Hairroin Salon

Yep...

Hip hop is an artform. The word "Hip Hop" has been drug through the mud since the beginning. It pains me to see so much terrible music coming out and categorized as "Hip Hop". (Kanye West SUCKS FYI)

This is Hip Hop. Abstract Rude, and A Tribe Unique. This song is called Yep. And if you have ever seen me DJ, then you will know that I murder this jam on every set. This song makes me feel alive.


Once again, Kanye West sucks. And as soon as you biters sober up from your love drunk MTV award spell, you will realize that he only makes music for chicks and for cash. Kanye West is not Hip Hop. Wake up. His new album is trash.

Friday Favorites 2

One of my favorites



DJ Shadow Six days remix.

Mucho Sabor Crack La Rock!

One of my favorite artists Crack La Rock currently residing in Portland's underground got some love on Fuel.tv and I wanted to share.

There ain't no future in your front....:(

MC Breed dead at age 37, found at a friends house: Click Here

1991 hit "Ain't No Future in Yo' Frontin' was one of my favorite songs of all time. I learned every lyric the day I heard it. I actually sat down and waited for the song to come onto the radio, pressed record and play at the same time on my Memorex boom box, then replayed the song forty times as I wrote down every lyric. I practiced in the mirror as I threw my hands to and fro with my best gangster flavor (as only a suburban white kid can) while bumping that Memorex as loud as I could.

Rest in peace Breed.

Friday Favorites

I'm not done with you Dan Deacon!

Just because your videos and music is "hella" rad, does not mean I'm done with you my man, no siree bop!

I am going to connect this thought with another one..........later.

Breaking News! Animal Chin is missing!!!!!!!!

I randomly came across a box of video tapes recently. What a blast from the past. I will never forget where I was when I first saw this film. We went down to our local skate shop at the time in Huntington Beach, and copped the new bones brigade video, "The Search for Animal Chin".

All I ever wanted to do after I saw this flick was buy a Cadillac, saw off the fins, fill it with chicks and my buddies, drive to the perfect spine ramp, skate, then learn how to sing the skateboard shuffle.

Where does all the time go?



Get your nose rails up in the air, get the kick tail up off the ground.....

Skateboard shuffle!!!!

The Roots....The new back up band for Jimmy Fallon?

I cannot even begin to describe how this makes me feel. I am saddened to a level that is confusing for me...?!!???

I think that this article sums up everyone's feelings pretty well.

As stated in Gawker.com:

Click HereThis past weekend, a hip hop blog called Nah Right posted a YouTube interview with ?uestlove, a member of hip hop live band supergroup The Roots. And he said that The Roots were retiring from touring in order to become the house band for Jimmy Fallon when he takes over Conan O'Brien's late night show next year. But that video was quickly pulled, so everyone has been scrambling to find out whether this apocalyptic... thing is actually true. NBC has no official comment, but we hear that it probably is. Essaywhuman?!!!??! This is one of those things that proves you're getting old...

DJ Spock

Something for the morning to make you smile.




DJ Spock knows how to cut that ish!

Vanity Fair Portaits: Photographs 1913-2008

Saturday morning a few of us went down the street to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) to check out the new exhibit titled: Vanity Fair Portraits: Photographs 1913–2008

As explained in LACMA's website:

"Vanity Fair Portraits: Photographs 1913–2008 is the first major exhibition to bring together the magazine's historic archive of rare vintage prints with its contemporary photographs. The exhibition explores the ways in which photography and celebrity have interacted and changed, with portraits from the magazine's early period (1913–1936) displayed in conjunction with works from the contemporary Vanity Fair (1983–present). The Los Angeles presentation, which is sponsored by Burberry, will be the only U.S. stop on the exhibition's international tour. Photographers to be represented include Cecil Beaton, Harry Benson, Julian Broad, Imogen Cunningham, Annie Leibovitz, Man Ray, Mary Ellen Mark, Steven Meisel, Helmut Newton, Herb Ritts, Edward Steichen, Mario Testino, and Bruce Weber."

It seemed that every photo I was magnetically drawn to was taken by the same person. Annie Leibovitz. I did some more poking around when I got home and ran across so much material I found myself realizing more than two hours had past after my original google search. Along with the Vanity Fair shots, I found the material on her book titled ”Women” most interesting.

Annie Leibovitz's portraits have appeared in magazines for over 25 years. She began her career as a photographer for Rolling Stone and now has a long-standing affiliation with Vanity Fair and Vogue. From Oct. 29 through Feb. 28, the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington is exhibiting a group of her portraits in conjunction with the publication of her new book, "Women."
Kudos.

Jessica Van Hulle Art Show Saturday Night

Saturday night I went down to Hairroin Salon to check out an art show titled "Gears, Gears, Gears .", by artist Jessica Van Hulle. The show was very interesting, and had a great turn out. Check out Pictures from the show.

The show also featured an Absinthe Tasting Bar by Mr. Marcus which was quite the delight. Marcus was extremely knowledgeable and helpful.

All of Jessica's art will be showcased at Hairroin Salon up through December. There are still some unsold pieces, I would recommend shooting down there and giving them a checksie.

Hairroin Salon
www.hairroinsalon.com
myspace.com/hairroinsalon
323.467.0392

Outs...

Are we human? Or are we blades of grass? What is this is?

I remember the first time I saw them live. It was Street Scene in San Diego. Not the good Street Scene either. They had a very little crowd at first. We were up at the front of the stage with only about forty other people. As soon as they started playing, it was like the running of the bulls. Not just hipsters either. Those sandal wearing Ocean Beach jocks and their hippie microbrew drinking girlfriends were all about it as well. Two songs into it and there were quite a few hundred people rocking out to Mr. Brightside.

The stage presence....The vibe....The energy....

They played a perfect set. Not one note missed. Made straight steady love to the crowd. The women wanted him, the men wanted to be him....

It felt like I was watching history in the making. This band was going places. (I was a little high too, and in really good company, so you know how that goes).

Although not as much as I used to be, I am a fan of the Killers. Their first album was a breath of fresh air in a time of my life where hip hop (insert any shitty hip hop song that made it to MTV in the last five years) was steadily failing me. Their follow up album had some rotation for awhile. But this shit is completely and utterly out of control. Was I under some sort of spell before? Were the Killers ever good? Do they deserve for me to even write a blog about how shitty their new song is? Has anyone heard these lyrics? Take a look and you tell me....WTF??????


Don't fall victim to the argument that he does not say dancer. Cause he does, and it sucks.

It took some homework, but check:

There has been considerable confusion and debate over the line "Are we human or are we dancer?" in the song's chorus. Many have incorrectly heard "denser" instead of "dancer", a change which significantly alters the interpretation of the song's meaning. On the band's official website, the biography section states that Flowers is singing "Are we human, or are we dancer?" and also says that the lyrics were inspired by a disparaging comment made by Hunter S. Thompson about how America was raising a generation of dancers.
Entertainment Weekly's Pop Watch section called this line the "silliest lyrics of the week". They were puzzled by the interpretation, stating "most dancers are generally human".

Yep, turns out the song lyrics suck.

Reminiscing over you.........(My God)

I have lost more than a few friends to addiction, but these past few years have been the worst. This morning I was reminiscing over another friend that passed this year. So I wanted to post a song I wrote and recorded with a good friend of mine, Justin Stoltzfus. Justin is an extremely talented and accomplished composer/musician. Justin and I have been writing and recording a few things, so I will continue to post updates to keep yall abreast of the situ-ation.

Richard Tracy. He was a one of a kind. Still missing you Rich1, Cheers mate.

Click here for a song with no title. You will have to turn your pop up blocker off.

Or download here: http://www.zshare.net/download/52449200b63975f6/

I take another pill
to suppress the pain
I know it makes things worse
but still I can't refrain

The moment it kicks in
I can forget about it all
but it just pushes it down deeper
tangled up in a ball

of fear, anger, hate
and the feelings of despair
like I'm drowning in the ocean
always fighting for air

why can't i stop
or just put them away
I always need them near
I need that feeling to stay

I chase that first rush
try to get that first high
it's never like it was
no matter how much I try

I don't want it to continue
I don't want it to end
but I feel so alone
sometimes the emptiness is my only friend

I don't shoot it, I don't sniff it
so it seems more elite
and if I don't have it, or don't use it
most nights I won't sleep

it's not a problem or a habit
unless to it I admit
but that's not the case and I know it
trying to feed myself my own line of shit

An everyday occurrence
on an hourly basis
it sounds just like a habit
but I just cannot face it

It's not the high I rely on
it's my normalcy crutch on which I lean
in the mirror I see no junkie
but do others see a fien?

you say I might be hooked
and I say no I'm not
you say I should just shake it
I explain that it is all I've got...

Do I have to hit the bottom
or can I duck out while on top?
There is no time like the present
to make the move to stop.

for my family and my friends
for my future and my health
if not for my dad
I should do it for myself.