Tuesday, August 11, 2009

los angeles

Okay, I just checked out a movie called 500 Days of Summer...

Sure it's a crazy love story-drama, but it's also a fantastic movie that shows how awesome Downtown LA has become. I've grown to love Downtown for all of its craziness and occasional sketchiness, especially because something amazing is always just around the corner.

The movie captures some of the best parts of Downtown...Bunker Hill, the Ahmanson Theatre/fountain area (props for not cliche-ing it up and showing the Concert Hall, since the Ahmanson was there first...plus it was in Iron Man already), views of the Historic Core, the Old Bank District... and fuck yeah for avoiding effing Nokia/Staples.

I saw the Redwood, Broadway Bar, and that DVD shop in the Bank District...but for those who don't hang out in Downtown, there are a crapload of other great places to check out that weren't shown in the film. Restaurants like Nickel Diner (bacon donuts), Bottega Louie, Wurstkuche, anywhere in Little Tokyo, that taco stand across from the Broadway Bar, Phillipe's and Cole's are all amazing...and that's just to name a few. Bars like Seven Grand (whisky/whiskey!), Golden Gopher ($3 Hoegaarten on Tuesday), La Cita, and the Association are super cool places to lounge. And you really can't forget places like the Orpheum, which hosts live music and a great sound setup.

It was a good movie, full of cool little things (she likes Magritte! and he sings the Pixies!) but an even better opportunity to see what's just up the 110. Especially you, South Bay folks, Downtown is way closer than Hollywood or even Echo Park/Silverlake (which I also strongly suggest checking out - gelato, anyone!?).

The art walk is this Thursday...and is the perfect chance to take a look around.

I promise it will be worth it.


Monday, August 3, 2009

Micachu & The Shapes

I've been listening to Micachu's new album, Jewellery, lately...
Non-stop, actually... It's really good!

Saturday, August 1, 2009

if man is five...

then the devil is SIX...

PIXIES ANNOUNCE U.S. "DOOLITTLE" TOUR DATES
LOS ANGELES, CA - July 28, 2009

In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the release of their classic 1989 album Doolittle, the band - Black Francis, Kim Deal, Joey Santiago and David Lovering - will kick off the very special US "Doolittle Tour" at the Palladium in Los Angeles on Wednesday, November 4.

On this tour, the Pixies will perform all of the songs from Doolittle and its related B-sides, "Weird at My School," "Dancing the Manta Ray," and "Bailey's Walk" among them. Doolittle, the band's third album and the first to chart on Billboard's album charts, includes classics such as "Debaser," "Wave of Mutilation," "Here Comes Your Man," "Hey," and "Gouge Away. "

"We wanted to do something special for Doolittle's 20th anniversary," said Black Francis, "and we thought his was a good opportunity to play all of the songs from that album, something we don't normally do at a regular gig. "With the first date in the UK still three months away, the band is brainstorming on Doolittle-related surprises that will also comprise the nights' entertainment. The US dates will follow the seven-city/12-date "Doolittle" trek of the UK and Europe. Kicking off on September 30 in Dublin, most dates have already sold out, including a four-night stand at London's Brixton Academy, where some 20,000 tickets vanished in about an hour. In addition, on August 29, the band will perform a straight-ahead Pixies set of their classic songs spanning their entire career at the Virgin Festival at Burl's Creek Park outside of Toronto.

The Boston-formed Pixies have been acclaimed as the most influential pioneering band of the late 80s alt/rock movement. Their five studio releases and six years together effectively blazed the path for groups like Nirvana, Radiohead and Pearl Jam to rise to superstardom. They disbanded in 1993 and launched their reunion tour in April, 2004 when virtually every, single date sold out within minutes and fans traveled hundred of miles to attend a show. In post-Pixies years, Black Francis has enjoyed a successful solo career as Frank Black, Kim Deal went on to form the Platinum-selling band the Breeders, Joey Santiago started the band The Martinis and has carved a career as a music composer for film and TV, and David Lovering performs as a magician and continues to drum. The US "Doolittle Tour" will be the band's first American trek since 2005. The "Doolittle Tour" will coincide with the release of the ultimate Pixies Collector's Set, Minotaur, which ships to purchasers in early October and will hit stores around the same time.



Hooray!

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