1) It Starts

Artist: The Happy Hollows (website, myspace)
Song: Meteors



I've been just not caring about new (to me) bands all too much lately; not so much anti-music but just content with the regular fare served up by enjoyable bands and uninspiring sets by others.

So Wednesday morning after reading multiple mentions in all the real LA music blogs, I spent a few minutes to check out the The Happy Hollows myspace page. This turns into 45 minutes of listening, watching, and downloading everything I could get online.

I'm in the must see them live now mindset and hope they are as interesting as they come off in their videos. They sound sort of Pixies-ish in some songs, sort of plain silly-ish in others, and just all sorts of what I like in a band.

Next Show:

Monday March 6th @ The Echo - Free
with Airborne Toxic Event, the resident band with major buzz in the local blogosphere, Radars to the Sky and Low vs. Diamond

Echo Park Log # 58

Saturday was a beautiful day.

Driving down Sunset Blvd I saw first the camera man in the bike line then the pink hair girl ravenously making out with another actor in the bus stop.

"Did you see that?" I asked my passengers from So. Orange County.

"Yeah. That's weird."

"No. Not really."

A few minutes later we were inside Sea Level watching The Parson Red Heads play their CD release show. J loved the female drummer while K thought the guy playing his car keys as an instrument was amusing. A little low key of a daytime show but still quite enjoyable as the four or five times I've seen them before.

Made it back to my place for pizza and laughter.
Like I said, Saturday was a beautiful day.


random:
This girl is a snob - I don't care for judgmental people and if people looked down at her at the Echo, well they suck too.

How did I not notice this minuscule mention (via blogdowntown) in the LA Times? Pretty sure this is me.

(why can't everyday be pizza and laughter?)

some mornings

Some mornings I'm stressing the whole 13 miles down the 110 to work, pushing in boundaries between the car ahead and me secretly shouting "why are you driving like a c***sucker?!?"

Some mornings I wake up late think about a turn to the right and a day at the beach but I never stray off the normal cycle of sleep and work, sleep and work.

Some mornings I'm two blocks from home when I should be sitting at my desk so I stop for gas, then breakfast before moseying it onto the freeway.

I'm in my own little world this morning.
Every Friday should be like this.

I haven't strayed in long time

need a ticket for the police?

well a lot of nothing actually

I have nothing to say.

Friday I laid wrecked on the couch, then on the bed among three pillows until Saturday morning. Sleep escaped me again. This last weekend I forced myself out to The Habit in Glendale with Corey followed by some serious Monkey Ball boxing matches until midnight. That would be a total of two hours of air for the whole weekend eating around strangers who clapped at invisible objects or trucks awkwardly parked in handicap zones illegally. Enjoyable but strange.

That's all I've done. well I did want to call you but I didn't. I cleaned. I wrote half sentences on ATM receipts. I did want to stop by the baby shower but I didn't. Scratch the laundry. Scratch Trader Joes. I shredded a bunch of papers documenting past actions of past mistakes.

So what's getting me down? Well nothing. Well I do have to figure out how much of a car I can afford this week. Well I do have to buy a car in the next day or two. All I need is it to be small, at least two wheels good and economical. Cheap helps. Laughter helps. Sex helps or love or whatever. I could care less about how cool I'm suppose to be or that valets will laugh at me...just small with a cd player and air conditioning. Simple parameters that I've established for myself since my move away from my past. Once I lived (mostly) alone in a four bedroom house. Once I had a loaded Pathfinder - then a cheaper jetta, then a cheaper mitsubishi. Not to be such a George Banks but I do want the cheaper chicken and only need eight buns and not twelve.

I think I'm going to get a Yaris if not a used something and somehow change the Y to a T and squeeze the letter D in the name. Sure I would rather have a mini cooper or actually this instead and one day I will.

I don't want to be here now and that could be taken care with a tardis (the T and D answer for you non Dr Who nerds). Not wanting another car payment is what really keeps me up, but what can I do? Well I'm going to win the lottery. Oh I forgot about that.

why is money so important to some people?

stupid vodka

bad hang over = I can't even make through two hours at work today.

I give up. I'm going home.

Star Wars Exhibit at the Science Center

I forgot that I did this four days ago until I saw it mentioned on Kate Danley's LJ today.

Yes I'm becoming forgetful in my old age.

Yes I nerded out and visited the new Stars Wars exhibit at the California Science Center on Sunday.

A quick rundown if you go:

It is free (most exhibits are usually not - the Science Center is always free)
Doors open at 10 - Get there by 9ish to avoid crowds
Go during the week if possible
If you're late you might as well buy those priority IMAX tickets to skip the standby line. I was there at 9.45 on opening day and walked straight in but a hour later the stand by line wasn't too long but the folks in it had to wait for the movie crowd to pass through the exhibit first.

If you happen to attend the exhibit about the time the first movie was made (I saw it at the Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco and assume it traveled down here) you will be a bit disappointed; This one was smaller, had far less ship models and only the important costumes of the main characters and none of the secondary roles. On the good side though were props from the newer movies, the costumes could be seen up close vs. the giant three tier wall-o-costumes in SF, and there were some interactive exhibits that kids will like. To be fair the purpose of this show was to highlight the science while the other one was focused more on the art of the movie.

We ended up skipping the Millennium Falcon ($ 2) Hubble exhibit and were bored to death of the enclosed robot exhibit featuring animatronic C-3PO inside the main room.

While you're visiting Exposition Park give some love to the Natural History Museum, Space Air Gallery (free) and the California African American Museum (Free) next door.

California Science Center @ Exposition Park
Open 10-5 daily -- Free
Exhibit ends April 29th -- Parking $6

my did and did nots

Monday:
Did not go out.
Did not watch 24.
Did not drive to Costa Mesa for a show.
Did share some vegan food and watched Shop Girl w/ a friend.
Tuesday:
Did not go to the premiere of Number 23 at the Orpheum as planned.
(more interest in the theatre than the movie)
Did eat pizza with a bottle of newcastle
Did play super monkey ball for hours.
Wednesday:
Did not call some people for Valentines.
Did not go to Kiss or Kill - some good bands and a Journey cover band with ronnie of the muffs - but I can't stand Journey! Journey + living in the Bay Area during their prime = my ears bleed.
Did have pancakes for dinner and fell asleep on my couch all before 6.30pm
Did receive a valentines from my mom with a Trader Joes gift card.

Tonight to dos:



Club Yoostuh Becool presents @ The Old Towne Pub
5 bucks, 21+
Bobot Adrenaline 9.30pm, The Dollyrots 10.00pm, Pu$$y-Cow 10.30pm,
New Maximum Donkey 11 pm, Inazuma 11.30
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Audio Presents @ Three of Clubs, Hollywood
21+ -- Free - bands at 10.30
The Health Club, A for Attack, Casxio

I do think I might be attending the Reno 911! - Miami premiere beforehand.
I do think I need a laugh right now.
Will I feel less alone in a crowd of strangers?

Sprites - twee for valentines day

For you bloggers I give you my favorite song of the day:

Band: Sprites
Song: I started a blog nobody read mp3

After the demise of the band Barcelona, singer Jason Korzen continued on now with his wife Amy and a revolving door of friends in the musical outfit Sprites. To counter the difficulty Jason had in composing with a set group of people, Sprites was intentionally set up to have fellow musicians "...come together in different arrangements, write songs together, perform, and hang out. Nobody should ever have to be kicked out. The band would never have to break up." The result is cute, lyrically songs with witty observations of love, life and that sense of wanting a girl that you intermittently say hi to smoking outside a show. The wonderful catbirdseat describes them as "mega-twee" so you've been forewarned.

You can download a bunch of songs like one about director George Romero or a nifty cover of Flesh For Lulu's I Go Crazy (youtube vid - this song has a great connection to my high school years for me) at their website.


lyrics after the jump

I started a blog which nobody read
When I went to work
I blogged there instead

I started a blog which nobody viewed
It might be in cache
The topics include:

"George Bush is an evil moron"
"What's the story with revolving doors?"
"I'm in love with a girl who doesn't notice me"
"Nobody hates preppies anymore"

I started a blog but nobody came
No issues were raised
No comments were made

I started a blog which nobody read
I'll admit it wasn't that great
But if you must know here's what it said:

"100 of my favorite albums"
"200 people I can't stand"
"400 movies you must see soon"
"10 celebrities (4 of whom I might assassinate)"

I started a blog, I sent you the link
I wanted the world (and you) to know what I think

I started a blog, but when I read yours
It made me forget
what I had started mine for

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day

Why does Valentine's Day have to be a big deal?

Now I'm not saying that you shouldn't share your love, serious like, lust with that special someone in your life. As a total sap how could I deny that momentary joy from others? I love that crap as much as the next girl guy but does it really have to be mucked up with material objects?

Roses - Why not an exotic plant in a container you picked out? If you think they absolutely have to be roses, well you suck and you're boring.

Dinner - Making dinner is the ideal over a (hopefully reserved) table at the nicest joint in town, but how about doing a bonfire picnic at the beach? Bring a blanket - you might get lucky this year.

Candy - I don't have a sweet tooth but some of you freaks do. Instead of chocolates, may I suggest hitting up some pastries from a cool bakery before buying that heart shape box at Target.

Actually tell your woman that you bought pastries because candy is so over done in this country and then hit the After V Day candy blowout at Wal-Mart. Nothing says I love you more than clearance.

Listen - Shut the f... up and ask her how her day was. You don't really have to care but it helps in the believability department. Then again if you're resisting the urge to raise your arms up so your hands can yap at each other, you might do her the favor and exiting that relationship as soon as possible.

Jewelery - I once gave a girl a handmade ring made of paper with little illustrations I created and an another girl a bone fide diamond ring.

Guess which one still talks to me by choice?
Guess who is still a tad bitter that he spent so much time trying to meet someone's materialistic needs?

Annnnyhow, use these suggestions tomorrow or don't. As for me I'll be home eating pizza, drinking Newcastles and watching Shop Girl again. You can join me but there better be a damn can of Parmesan in your pocket - because I um, forgot to pick some up at the store yesterday.

Jessica Dobson 1.23.07

[So here is my post based purely on memories and assumptions - rough draft ]

This has been driving me nuts: Two weeks later and I still haven't figured out a song she covered at this Prospector show.

If I was a proper blogger I would've taken a note pad, a writing utensil, and a camera. But I'm lazy and this isn't really a music review blog.

So lacking these basic reviewing tools I did what any professional would do: Ordered a beer and pushed my way up for a better view of Jessica Dobson and her new backing band. I remember her starting with song I think was called Dixie Driver, then next to a reworked version of Tsunamo Japan Is Snowed In which stood out in a solo set a year ago on this same stage.

For that show she covered a Smiths song on her guitar (I want to say it was Shyness is Nice Ask - damn I should have written that down) and this night she switched over to bass for what I think might or might not have been a Clash song.*

I'm unsure how recent the musicians backing her up are (I think this is the same drummer from 2005**) but the band did a decent job keeping up with the outwardly confident singer and musician. She didn't hesitate jumping from guitar, to bass, to keyboards on some older material like the song Most Sundays and maybe this confidence I sensed was the enjoyment of a new band dynamic and the knowledge of a new record coming out in April that she was happy with.

When she spoke of her long absents from shows feeling like the scene from the original Charlie and the Chocolate Factory when Gene Wilder is limping along and then pulls out a flip, it hinted to a theme that I didn't detect until I was writing this post; with scrapping her first album and the Margo Lee band name, Jessica Dobson has literally and figuratively reworked her sad songs to happier beats.

As a mere listener, those my favorite kind of songs.

*********
Jessica Dobson’s upcoming shows:
Monday Feb 12th @ Detroit Bar -- Costa Mesa
21+, Free *Playing first at 9 pm* with Feb resident band Venus Infers

Sat Feb 17th @ Coconuts - Capistrano Beach
with The Delta Spirit $10 18+

* Ok. So I got over my shyness and asked Jessica Dobson what cover she played. In this case it was "Police and Thieves" - originally done by Junior Murvin (thanks wikipedia) but I only knew it as a Clash song.

**too lazy to confirm

[Jessica Dosbson @ The Prospector photo by Amanda Obrien. ]

echo park log #36

Two weeks ago:

Sunday morning I was walking down my block to the car and ahead of me was a couple saying a late morning goodbye next to a silver Jetta.

Her hands on his hips. His right hand cupped her cheek. As I moved closer down the sidewalk they repositioned their bodies and with a little push the young man swung her out into the street.

The music swirled from a third floor apartment above as her body was pulled back in with a drifting down a playground slide laugh.

I scanned the moment I walked into and saw only my smile reflected in the their little bubble of time.

not what I wanted to hear last night

Band: Midway
Song: Off to School - Live at the Knitting Factory
---- not best video or song by them
Why: Because I'm mourning the lost of my favorite band who [reportedly] fell apart this week. [unofficial = still hope?]


(youtube link)

Tonight at Kiss or Kill

Artist: The Mulhollands
Song: Baby It's Alright
Why: Well I wish the video was for the song "True Romance" (mp3) instead, but oh well this short, somewhat redundant song will do for now.



One of the old things brought back to Kiss or Kill this year is that nearly every band is booked after seeing them live at another venue. So tonight's Girl Fronted Band theme should be filled with some good sets by some bands I'm unfamiliar with.

When I used to drive out 30+ miles every Tuesday to Zen, and later the Echo, there were times when I needed to sober up a bit and ended up catching a few bands that changed the evening from why did bother wasting gas to OMG! I haven't felt this stimulated since my last girlfriend did that special thing with marshmallows and chocolate to me.

yes rock n roll was just as good as smores being stuck in my mouth.

Tonight Kiss or Kill present @ Safari Sam's:
The Mulhollands 12:30
The Press Fire 11:45-12:15
Killola 11:00-11:30
Bang Sugar Bang 10:15-10:45
Wake Up Incinerate 9:30-10:00

lalaland

I think you're cool.
Your friends say nice things about you.

It's only a state of mind

Things have been odd lately.

The good kind of odd and not even all that odd in the odd kind of way. Finally made it through my mental block just in time for a ton of work to land on my desk - A sales ad/artwork to be completed, refiling the files pulled for review, nag my Florida rep to break some knuckles over numerous past due accounts. All fun stuff. I feel like a whirlwind of files are going to whisk me away.

Thing is that I know why I had this block, you might know why I had this block but I'm not going to go into here right now. Let's just say I've been drifting within this air current of uncertainty for the last few days - bumping along the clouds, missing the pockets of turbulence and having a wonderful time not knowing where I'm going to land. Liberating and yet scary because at some point you're going to land and it is only a matter of degree on how bumpy it will be.

Saturday wasn't any different: went to the Vista for my first time to catch Pan's Labyrinth knowing only it was fairytale-ish in nature and walked out of there a little numb by the dark, fatalistic escapism storyline.

In short, I liked the film better when it was called Brazil.


(youtube link)

one big ship

Yeah I know the Queen Mary 2 was just here in Long Beach not so long ago and yes I know it is basically the largest passenger ship ever but seeing it slip under the Golden Gate Bridge gives one a good sense of scale - especially for us folks who grew up in the Bay Area.

SF Gate Article with more pictures

5 minute quicktime video on sfgate.com here

Waiting

I have blocks in my head. I'm fine, I'm quite happy. I'm just waiting for a sign I told my friend last night in the big buttoned purple coat. I could spend all day writing circles of words in my notebook, slowly working on four posts that will get done, trying to remember what it was like before these blocks crushed my thoughts. Trying to remember how a song can change my mood. Remembering how much fun band watching can be, or how people staring across the crowd isn't. "You're doing that staring thing again" she said last night. I was. There was a moment before leaving when I stood on the curb staring out into the parking lot last night and I couldn't think what to say or what to do next.

People said nice things to me last night. Underwater City People made me get up front finally. You see I didn't know how to handle crowds or start a conversation last night and though not meant to be rude I ended a group conversation with "I need to go. I'm feeling really short right now" then walked over to another group two feet away starting with "Wow I was feeling kind of short over there." The two girls looked up to me and I looked down (just physically) at them and one said "Well I hope you feel better now" which I did.

Artist: The Rentals
Song: Waiting
Why: sort of how I'm feeling - though not directed at anyone



Which reminds me:

The lovely and talented Sara Radle (a big part of the reformed Rentals) wrote on her blog about running in the Pacific Shoreline Marathon 2007 this Sunday and is requesting sponsorship in support if the Free Wheelchair Mission.

"This February, I will be running the Pacific Shoreline Half Marathon... my first ever! Through this half-marathon, I'm fund raising for Free Wheelchair Mission - an international non-profit organization dedicated to providing the transforming gift of mobility to the physically disabled poor in developing countries.

I am currently welcoming sponsors online through the following website: firstgiving.com/sararadle

Thank you in advance for any support you can give! Happy holidays!

xoxo,
*Sara*"

You only have a couple days to do this. which you should. people say nice things about you. this could be one more.