born again hooligan, only to be king again.

in my opinion, the best gifts stem from awesome inside jokes. one of my best friends turns 23 today and i made a gift that needs explaining to everyone but the celebrant. and so it goes...

in september, LFC_ moved to LA from SF and lived with me for an entire month while looking for a place. she quickly made fun of me for having way too many pillows and the way my parents taught me to sleep. she said i needed sleeping lessons. fast forward to ALOT of jokes at the expense of me and my harem of pillows, and this is what i came up with.

allow me to introduce you to my interpretation of the ultimate sleeping lesson.

ive also realized i really enjoy giving people gifts with their face on it. haha

special thanks to max & alex at family industries for the custom screenprint.

happy birthday little one.

-t

it's a celebration every time we link up.

nicki minaj couldn't have arrived at a better time, or with a better future husband on her arm. there aren't many female emcees that can repeatedly tangle with kanye, weezy and jay-z, while holding more than their own with just 16 bars.

so, with ridiculous verses like the one she dropped on "monster" and her latest collabo with drizzy below, i salute the wig-rocking, thunderthighs owning, bug-eyed beast with love.

nicki minaj x drake - "moment 4 life" MP3

pink wig, thick ass, give 'em whip lash,

-t

quick talker, midnight sun. for a moment, i forgot where i was.

like most folks, a lot of my memories are tied to music. i can pin point random moments in my life the second i begin to hear specific songs.

for example, if i wanted to travel back in time to the month of april and relive the coachella pre-party i attended, i simply need to just scroll the ipod to H and pull up "say my name" by brooklyn duo, holy ghost!

well that glittery, disco gem has gotten the remix treatment from scottish producer, the revenge. relive my desert madness and stream it here.

-t

flow sweetly, hang heavy.

last night i went to space15twenty to check out my friend teebs' album release show. his debut record, ardour, is getting hi-fives, daps and name drops from everyone and their mothers, cousins, eyebrows, tigers and tastemakers. such sweet success could not happen to anyone more deserving than the humble, soft-spoken boywonder.

the red bull music academy alum/dublab rat is also quite the artist, creating mixed media pieces in his (what i can only imagine is quite limited) free time. peep the collages and keep your eyes out for ardour popping up on its fair share of 'best of' lists this season.

-t

if you're wandering after me, that's where i'll be.

the past few months i've been lucky enough to help with the online campaign for LA based indie-folk duo, the chapin sisters. creating beautiful atmospheres filled with simple songs that evoke deep emotions through earnest interactions, their recently released new album deserves a spin, even if your record collection doesn't usually stop in the folk section.

download the track, "palm tree" and check out what i had to say about it HERE.

they also moonlight as background singers in she & him's band, so don't be afraid to say hello the next time you see them.

it's been a pleasure,

-t

it's funny how one summer can change everything.

if there's one thing i wish i could immediately inject into my life, without question would be the ability to travel. i've been barely anywhere in my 26 years and the last time i used my passport was when i was in my terrible twos.

there are a million places i'd like to leave my stamp on, people i've yet to shake hands with and questionable food that i've yet to ingest. so until the day money will no longer prohibit me from continuous movement, i will find inspiration from other people's travels and fantastic videos such as this.

high hopes,

-t

you can't stop the waves, but you can learn how to surf.

the combination of my two favorites - the wong kar wai classic: 'in the mood for love' and my go to caffeinated beverage of choice.

*if you've never seen the film, this may be a bit too dramatic for you. and as a side note, you've lost a few points for admitting such nonsense. go find a copy and make it a netflix/redbox/bootleg night.

-t

look around you, you're surrounded. it won't get any better.

there are a variety of reasons that im drawn to the music of brooklyn foursome, small black. their layers of fuzz and haze seem to perfectly compliment the sounds of vulnerability and sincerity that exit from frontman josh kolenik.

in their latest video collaboration with gothamist, their carefully crafted architecture of music is beautifully paralleled by an abandoned building in NY. the two tracks below can be found on their amazing new record, new chain, which is available now.

-t

good weed, white wine. i come alive in the night time.

oh you just knew i was going to post this. cue spilt milk!

fivehead x platypus collabo.

ya, you know word of mouth!

-t

sometimes it's the little things that occupy the biggest part of our lives.

dear blog,

meet roy.

he's rad.

love,

-t

we have to pay for the love we stole.

usually my mental calendar is pretty spot on. i'm great with remembering birthdays, impending events in the lives of my friends that deserve a text message or a visit and shows i must be in the audience for.

so im especially mad at myself for missing stones throw maestro, aloe blacc's free show at ameoba last week. the throwback singer has got a brilliant new record to show off and if your only familiarity with him is because he's the voice behind the theme song for the HBO hit, how to make it in america - then allow me to enlighten your ears with the soulful and sexy jam, "dark end of the street".

and if you're still not convinced, his recent take away show will certainly seal the deal.

-t

you with all those curves, me without no breaks.

my mom has made it her mission to clean out the garage of the house my family has resided in since 1991. filled with mementos and crap from the collective childhood and teenage years of my brother and i, there truly are some hidden gems and forgotten embarrassment.

before the inevitable trip to the garbage dump, she had set aside some stuff for us to look through to either veto or keep. i happened to find a handful of notebooks from my last year in college. bursting with essays, syllabuses and homework, it was all from my upper division english courses (and lower division spanish classes. the irony!). it was interesting to see how i sounded back then and the dumbass ways i tried to impress my professors with my word choice.

despite my college years remaining in my rear view mirror, there's absolutely no reason for me to let my vocabulary skillz go down the shitter (yeah, i just wrote that). so i will continue to impress folks thanks to my new favorite website:

the fucking word of the day.

enjoy!

-t

it's no fun, to be predictably lame.

for some of us, expressing need and want is virtually impossible. there's a few theories behind such inabilities. perhaps it's because some folks believe they don't deserve the things they desire. or they're worried about how their urges will be perceived. or the answer could be as simple as them not knowing what's best for their life.

my current favorite band of drunks and geniuses, lcd soundsystem sure know what they want and aren't afraid to admit it, even if it handsomely drips of desperation, isolation and break-up induced melancholy.

stream the live version of "all i want" from their upcoming live album, the london sessions HERE.

-t

all you have to remember, is that everything will be okay.

james franco vs. the world.

my money's on franco.

-t

not quite sure where we're going, but I know we're gonna get there soon.

it always surprises me when people make a big deal about youngsters writing simplistic, yet exquisite songs about love. let's be honest. no one falls in love quicker, with more unforgiving vulnerability than teenagers. it's bare bones heart-on-the-sleeve emotion, that exposes a universal sympathy. because we've all been 14 and love struck at some point, right?

check out oxnard's finest youngsters laying it all on the line.

catwalk - "please don't break me" MP3

-t

the tipping point is the biography of an idea.

for everything good and bad, there is someone behind it, spreading their ideas, talents and point of view. they don't strong-arm others into acceptance, but in fact easily infiltrate the process and way that people see and want things. who influences you? and more importantly, who do you think you influence?

-t

there is a light that never goes out.

captivating doesn’t seem to be a strong enough adjective to describe the ladies of warpaint. the foursome always seem so cool under pressure, while managing sexy glares and stylishly mangled hair. even more intriguing is despite being shrouded by moments of darkness, their fans aren’t scared away - but instead become even more emotionally drawn in.

their latest collaboration with yourstru.ly showcase all of the reasons warpaint are probably cooler than you.

what's the matter? you hurt yourself?

-t

so what's it gonna be? dessert or disaster?

drinks + costumes + cabs + friends + selective memory = halloween 2010.

-t(ricksten)

stacks like the international house of pancakes.

when i was in oregon a few months back, i caught a live set from UK producer and hat enthusiast, slugabed. i didn't know anything about him or even how to correctly spell his name.

now he's back on my brain with this ridiculous remix for a kankick track called "say".

press play and let this banger help you get over your halloween hangover.

-t

im hardly alive if i try to survive, with just a paper heart

for everyone that enjoys that complimentary basket of hot bread upon entering a restaurant, allow me to introduce you to butter! better!

-t