Thursday, June 29, 2006

Downtown Cats


REDCAT Named after the classic 1956 rock film, this Downtown festival at the Walt Disney Concert Hall runs from tonight, June 29th to July 1st.

The official website describes the three day "Don't Knock the Rock" festival as "A high-energy mix of film and music, the festival celebrates the rock ā€™nā€™ roll roots of Hollywood with classic and brand-new rock films that contain quintessential music performances and vintage footage of important artists in their prime, plus live shows by fresh musical talents who embody the spirit of rock innovation."

Be Your Own Pet and Red Kross! play Saturday but that is unfortunately sold out. Tickets however are still left for the other days.

Be sure to see We Jam Econo at 8:30 on Sunday which tells the story of the Minutemen. Great punk band out of the South Bay.

Go support local music and art, you know they worked hard in their each individual way. Rock!

Minutemen "Corona"
Built to Spill "Lie for a Lie"

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Albertsons, The new Alpha Beta

Remember the Alpha Beta grocery stores? Or was that a Northern California thing? All 200 grocery stores eventually got bought out by Luckys and Ralphs in the late 80's/early 90's.

Well the sun is going down on the Albertsons Eagle Rock store. The rumors from the employees say they will bulldoze the whole lot, possibly building a shopping center. What the hell? There goes one less grocery store with more people moving to those areas every day.

Late last year an Albertsons in Mt. Washington bit the dust. Last week, Albertsons in my former home, Hermosa Beach, also shut down. Even up in the Bay Area, they closed down 31 underperforming stores. On and on.

Who knows, maybe another Trader Joes will come into town one of these days.

Fugazi "Shut the Door"
Yonder Mountain String Band "On the Run"

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Irie


If you haven't been, or haven't heard about it, skank down the hill and over to The Echo. Every single Wednesday, their dj's always spin the old roots of reggae throughout the night. Every so often they pull in some of the bigger reggae legends when they come to town (Wailing Souls last month, Scientist last couple of months, etc).

This Wednesday is a treat, Jamacian legend Rankin' Joe will show up. He is an old school "toaster" who has worked with all island lengends and, of course, recorded some records at the legendary Studio One. Also with LA's own Future Pigeon. They are an eight-piece dub/punk band with cool vocal samples to new-wave synths to ska horns, organ, melodica and a smooth rhythm section. Sounds like the roots of dub colliding with the future.

Rankin' Joe "Wood For My Fire"
Wailing Souls "Dog Bite"

Biggie Dick



Some stencils spotted around
Amoeba Records in Hollywood.

What a pair.


















Notorious B.I.G. "Nobody"
Eric B. and Rakim "Eric B. is President"

Monday, June 26, 2006

E.L.B.O.

This sounds pretty cool, if you own a fixer upper bike or just enjoy cool bikes. Just coast your bike down the hill, or half of the hill, or wherever you live in the Heights. Over the river and across the bridge. Left on Fig and you are close to the East Los Angeles Bike Oven.

Here are the details....

Every Wednesday 9 PM - and Beyound
Show up, and work on your bike in some dude's garage, with a bunch of tools - totally free of charge. Boxes of wine are reported to have been imported from the local Target to keep everyone well lubricated. Later, rally to the taco truck on the corner on bikes.

Meet: 130 W Avenue 42 (cross Figueroa) Los Angeles, CA, 90065
Contact: Joseph at (310) 902-5439 or e-mail at Ubrayj02(at)yahoo.com

Grateful Dead "I Know You Rider"
John Holt "You Riding for a Fall"

Thursday, June 22, 2006

Art Tonight



Art show opening at the wonderful Gallery C in downtown Hermosa Beach. It is located in an old theatre building which has been refurbished. They will have live brazillian music and summer themed drinks. Here is the official word: Each year Gallery C explores the power of numbers with its annual summer showcase. This year, 13 artists come together to bring to life, highlighting the best of California abstract art. will open to the public on Thursday, June 22, for a group exhibition that features a myriad of contemporary abstract sculpture and painting.



If you are going to be stuck on the 110S, why not make an evening out of it once you get down in Hermosa Beach. Go eat mexican food and sangria at El Gringo, walk the strand with all the beautiful people, watch the sunset, and then go see some cool art.


Go-Betweens "Statue"
Modern English "Ink and Paper"

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Behind Schedule



When, oh when, will the Griffith Park Observatory re-open. It was supposed to open the first part of 2006. Now the official website says that it will "open the second part of 2006".

Enough already although I am sure it will be grea when it does open. They have supposedly made the Observatory twice its original size. And for all of you Pink Floyd fans, the planetarium will open with its all new state-of-the-art star projector. The observatory is a great place to spend a summer night.

Hum "Stars"
Modest Mouse "The Stars are Projectors"

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Southern Gifts

There have been a couple good swells from the South this summer already but the internets were buzzing about the swell hitting this morning.

The alarm went off at 3:30am. I turned the coffee pot on as I loaded up the rig with my boards, wetsuit, hot water bottle for the after session shower, and a banana. Drove up past the popular Northern LA breaks which already had a couple of cars lining the PCH. What? Already! I was luckily the first car to arrive at another spot around 4:30, twilight (the time at which the darkness starts creeping to light) is at 4:37. Perfect. Suit up as fast as I could, made the long walk down to the water and enjoy solitude and good 20 sec energy. Not as big as it was supposed to be but had good shape. Pick of several long rides until the masses show up, frothing and wanting to see if the hype is real.

Also found this seashell, a cowrie, that washed up on the high tide this morning. I couldn't believe it. It was the same kind of shell an old girlfriend gave me after she got back from Cabo. You never find these shells around these parts. They are usually found in tropical locations. This swell originated in New Zealand and I guess the cowrie came along for the ride. Think how many nautical miles this little cowrie saw before being pumped up onto a shore in Los Angeles!

Surfed for 3 hours, and now I am sitting at work satiated and stoked! Swell should be growing so get out there and sliiide!

The Dead Milkmen "Beach Song"
Steel Pulse "Man No Sober"

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Saturn Local


Cool. Found out that a musician from the Sun Ra Arkestra, or played with THE Sun Ra, lives on our little hill. If you don't know, Sun Ra played the piano, synth, keys and lived in Chicago, then New York and finally Philly. He played an eclectic, outrageous jazz that went in all different directions but kept the beat goin'. His music was "far out" there and "hypnotic".

He was very much into "an unexpected hybrid of space-age science fiction and ancient Egyptian cosmo religious trappings". He told everyone that he was from Saturn, and not earth. He, in fact, had no birth certificate. Just a one of a kind human.

Wonder what our local Montecitoian plays in the band? Wonder if he or she is from Saturn? Either way, welcome and hope to listen to the music sometime.

Read more here: www.furious.com/perfect/sunra.html

Sun Ra "Astro Black"
The Sun Ra Arkestra "Egypt Strut"

Friday, June 09, 2006

Far out



Soon we will join the rest of Montecito Heights in understanding why they live there. What makes it so great. Why the locals stay up there so long. The views. The cleaner air. The people. The life.

And just in time for summer!

Oh and go join some of the gang at their annual yard sale. Here is the official notice from Dianne Ryan, President of MHIA (Montecito Heights Improvement Association):

Montecito Heights Improvement Association (MHIA) Yard Sale
Saturday, June 10th
9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
415 Montecito Drive (Cross street is Griffin Avenue)
Los Angeles, CA 90031

Stop by to browse at our fun event! Donations are welcome!


Modest Mouse "Sleepwalkin'"
Masta Ace "Sittin' on Chrome"