Sunday, July 29, 2012

i feel too little and think too much.

i just walked half a mile for a free ice cream sandwich. on the walk back, the sun beat down on me and my prize, causing a trail of melted ice cream throughout los feliz. when i finally reached my destination, i devoured what was left and wondered what the next cool down source would be.

luckily, i came across the latest poolside track and things seemed to work out just fine.

poolside - "only everything"


-t

pour you. pour us. a fuss. a fight.

nashville production duo, jensen sportag, takes the southeast asian karaoke aspects of the blood diamonds + grimes collab and injects a filter of sultry darkness that drips and teases more than it flows. 


-t

Saturday, July 28, 2012

i dont want to go into the darkness.


happiness is achieved through an interweaving of passion, hard work and magic. and if you're aussie five-piece, panama, it also involves a lover and a sliding scale of distance in-between.


-t

Friday, July 27, 2012

i wont let you go unless i'll be alright.

this week i was lucky enough to catch a screening of a movie i've been obsessing over for the past month. the rashida jones, andy samberg, elijah wood, ari graynor and emma roberts vehicle, celeste and jesse forever. i've been actively trying to see it since falling in love with the trailer.

they really go out of their way to keep the major conflict out of the marketing (no spoilers here), so it feels like a very intimate reveal for both the main character and the audience when everything changes. admittedly, the movie has a little trouble in the beginning, hitting too many familiar beats. but once it found solid footing, i found it irresistible, relatable and relevant to my age group. rashida jones' performance proved that she's not only capable of leading lady status, but it's a long-over due title. with a handful of cameos (hellllloooo chris pine), what really tips the enjoyment scales is a soundtrack to die for and very recognizable east side-centric locations (silver lake, echo park, larchmont and hollywood just to name a few). 

celeste and jesse forever opens next week in limited release. track it down.


-t

Saturday, July 21, 2012

you're the french on my toast.

a lot of people need to have a hashtag intervention. taking an ugly, dim lit, blurry or black and white picture of something that looks absolutely nasty isn't saved by adding #foodporn at the end. while i can totally appreciate that not every picture needs to be perfect, the flipside is that every average or greasy meal doesn't need to be shared to your entire social network.

but for those taking angled pictures of their mcdonald's bags or boring empty plates...let me introduce you to real food porn. (no hashtag necessary when it's this amazing).

peep the debut episode of a cut above brought to you by eaterLA.


-t

in the sweet bye and bye.

late night adventures don't always stay feasible in the unforgiving sting of the am. whether it's that maxed-out credit card receipt anchoring a guilty reaction, the name-game with the stranger sleeping in your apartment or suddenly realizing that you're not quite sure where your car is parked, it's an instant snap-back into reality that one shouldn't deal with before at least one cup of coffee.

if that just described your morning, press play and decide if finding your dignity, car or caffeine is the day's top priority.


-t

Thursday, July 19, 2012

if it's crowded all the better, cause you know were gonna be up late.


the second to last time i saw lcd soundsystem perform was an emotionally fucked-up day. i found out my aunt had suddenly passed and i debated quitting my job (spoiler alert: i did). when they played, "someone great", i remember fighting a losing battle against tears. that song has always been an all-time favorite and after that night, i still can't hear it without getting a little misty-eyed.

two years later, lcd soundsystem is no longer together. as devastating as it was to hear at the time, they've offered their fans a sense of closure with the stellar documentary shut up and play the hits. it was one hell of a going away present and a perfect ode to my favorite band.

after successfully completing a july 18th one-night-only stand, it's theatrical run has been extended due to popular demand. i highly recommend giving it some attention if you enjoy good music and a coffee-loving, charismatic front-man.


-t

Sunday, July 15, 2012

from the outside, everybody must be wondering why we try.

working in hollywood exposes me to a variety of dwellers, street performers and lost souls. while most of them annoyingly stalk the streets trying to hustle unknowing tourists out of a few bucks, there's usually one who manages to catch your attention because you're not quite sure of their intentions. they genuinely appear to feel at home on the corner and instead of pestering strangers, they simply live off the kindness of them. as they roam, seemingly content, you hope that they're okay even if they don't seem none the wiser.



-t

things won't change until we do.


don't get discouraged by their dumb ass name (ya i said it) and immediately place "changes" in your summer rotation.


-t

removing the labels, revealing your home.

a bouncing display of eloquent discussions, descriptions and dances, grimes absolutely slays these 10 instantly gratifying minutes.

grimes en el laberinto courtesy of pitchfork.


-t

Saturday, July 14, 2012

unwitting tools capable of linking past and future.


my favorite band in college was a trio called the like. i went to all of their local shows, religiously rocked one of their merch pins at all times and knew the words to every song. as my taste post graduation changed, my allegiance ran its course but always managed to leave a soft spot. now 10 years and a few line-up changes later, they've parted ways and former lead singer, z berg, has teamed up with a few other favorites from my past to form jjamz.

an acronym for jason boesel (formally of rilo kiley), james valentine (formally of maroon 5), alex greenwald (formally of phantom planetblackblack), michael runion and berg, their music transports me to the carefree age of 22 and it's a very welcomed backslide for the ears and mind.

their debut full length, suicide pack, is out now. 



-t

Friday, July 13, 2012

when you try to lock them up, they escape you know.

via headphones, laptop, ipod, youtube or the back of a london cab, i adore jessie ware through any device or location.


-t

Sunday, July 8, 2012

lay your hands on me, i need healing.

whenever i needed a good pick me up or a change in programming, i always used to head north and visit one of my best friends. something about the bay used to recharge my batteries and allowed me to return home with a clear mind and excitement about my regular routine. with that said best friend now living down an extended street from me, my trips to san fran have unfortunately slowed down quite a bit.

but this track by toronto newbies, diana, gives off vibes on par with being on the 5north, bags packed and ready for adventure.


-t

Saturday, July 7, 2012

Friday, July 6, 2012

the first hint of this storm is not a thunderclap, it is a knock.


everybody say hello to malcolm and travel from london to iceland in two minutes with him.


-t

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

roll the dice for me.

this is for all of those times where i've run out of fucks to give.


xoxo,
-t

i don't make the rules, no one even knows i'm here.


my social life is divided into the keepers, the tolerated and the shut outs. it's pretty easy to see if you fall in my favor. for those folks, every mile is an extra one. the tolerated usually are by-products of various stages of friendships and the shut outs sadly ever shift between groups. 


-t

Sunday, July 1, 2012

keep breathing, find skin you believe in.

i know i'm totally in the minority, but i'm proud to say that i've never seen any of the harry potter films. in spite of my friends accusing me of "hating imagination" (a hilarious way to point a finger BTW), i'm just not into those types of narratives. try to convince me all you want...unless michael fassbender himself asks me to see a potter flick. it.just.ain't.happening. 

in a way it kinda works to my advantage. because i can look at daniel radcliffe and not be pigeonholed into only seeing a wizard in those dorky, circular frames. i like radcliffe and think he's got that british quick fire charm on lock. so as he flashdances his way through slow club's latest music video, i'm totally amused sans any subconscious character associations. 

slow club - "beginners"


-t

It takes courage to grow up and turn out to be who you really are.


i'll be the first to admit that the trailer for people like us is garbage. and while a nice photo, the instagram-filtered movie poster above doesn't really command interest either. but after seeing it a few weeks ago with little expectations, i walked out completely intrigued by the story and it's characters. after listening to the cast break down the movie's various emotional layers and interviewing the folks behind the soundtrack (shoutout to A.R. rahman, the first academy award winner i've ever talked to on the phone!), i'm really pulling for this movie to find an audience - even if it's just through redbox.

if you're curious about the features i wrote, just click the titles - understanding 'people like us' and history & collaborations: the music behind 'people like us'. 


-t

if you were here, i'd be home now.


uk producer slugabed's "sex" + animated video = perfection. 


-t

much to learn, you still have.

if you've got an aversion to feet, feel free to by-pass this post.

"her shoes" by the always fantastic everynone.


-t