first aid kit on kcrw

lotta's 2012

every year i'm jazzed for what lotta will design.  2012 looks like a beaut. pre-order your's now!

daytrotter goodness

must subscription: daytrotter. shar's loved daytrotter for years now, so when she received the message that the unique music hub was charging $2/month to access their sweet tunes she didn't think twice in joining.  they've had a stellar group of sessions posted just this week, including the antlers, surfer blood and yellow ostrich. these seshes are truly musical gems.  striped down and often with extra special covers.  

yay snail mail

best snail mail: n amesak e ny-ny 07-09. my pal adam made this and was kind enough to send me this snail mail treasure trove.  thank you, thank YOU!  pre-gobble gobble. 

niners win!

9-1!

stare at the sun

new tune from eleanor beautifully shot by jeff martin.  saw it live last night. 

fnl

best late to the game recovery: friday night lights series completed.  okay everyone and their mother has been lauding this series.  my brother for years had been telling me best show ever. coworkers were on me.  my best friend was the one who eventually got me to start.  after kyle chandler and jason katims won the emmy this year, my butt got into gear.  i barreled through three seasons like nobody's business.  only took me less than 2 weeks.  season four in three days.  THREE DAYS!!!  it was my tv crack.  last night, friday night, i concluded the series with another late adopter, liz.  one of the few series that's ending is pitch perfect.  closing out story arches nicely and nothing too over the top.  it vies with my fav tv series of all time, the wire.  funny, a certain someone is featured in both series. coincidence? luckily it isn't exactly the end of fnl.  there are already confirmations of a movie in the future and not like that one with billy bob.  clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose.  can't believe i'm typing this, but texas forever.

cannot wait for...

fltgc: marilyn minter and billy childish

must fltgc: salon 94 and lehmann maupin.  two of old trusted friends of art.  first up, marilyn minter at salon 94.  while passing by the new museum, there was a crowd in there probs getting ready to slide down the museum.  anyhoot, minter's video pieces are mesmerizing.  who knew dousing metallic paint on toddlers would so awe inspiring.  friends, it is.  i especially like the pig tailed girl wallowing in the silver goodness.  catch before is close december 4.

then it was billy childish at lehmann maupin.  recently featured on a/v, this dude is kinda awesome.  art and tunes.  poetry and prose.  this gent does everything.  his paintings are impressionistic, but modern.  up until january 21.

lykke li on letterman

check the swede attack!  also caught the first aid kit last night.  they are singing backup.

creator's project can't get enough of a/v

niners win!!!

thought i was in trouble as the lone niner fan at rock shop, but the niners didn't let up and my guys showed up (thanks leonard and hieu) to provide bay area support.  being a niner fan in ny when playing the giants is satisifying when we win 27-20.

glass house

must daughter of an architect excursion: the philip johnson glass house. ahhhmazing and well belated.  it was two and half years ago when my pal saki (now in japan) and i decided to get our then design student pal vanessa a trip to the famed glass house for her birthday.  i finally got around to honoring the gift post-graduation.

an hour train away from new york city and you are dropped into the posh town of new canaan.  our very knowledgeable tour guide expounded on johnson's architectural intentions from the location of buildings to his personal life with david whitney.  he liked circles and rectangles. he was pals with andy warhol and frank stella.  he wasn't much of a cook, but he loved parties. my pictures don't do it justice, but my pal catherine did a good job documenting in her visit. seriously go and visit yourself if you have a chance.  it's highly recommended.  

a/v on lost at e minor

gnomes vs snowmen

must cute overload: gnomes vs snowmen at gallery hanahou.  this is the best way to get into the winter season (aside from skating).  bonus, you get a candy cane when you visit.  SCORE!

jens lekman: tiny desk concert

love the hanging key on jen's guitar.

pre-gaming to t-day = niners win!

best pre-gaming to t-day: turkey loaf + niners win.

+

= celebratory turkey feast.  can't wait for the baltimore ravens on t-day

first saturday!

much missed saturday activity: first saturdays at brooklyn museum.  how shar's let saturday after saturday slip by, she doesn't know but she was fully prepared to make up for it.  first up the sanford biggers exhibit in the cantor gallery.  pianos. lights. trees.

i was quite excited to check out the youth and beauty: art of the american twenties exhibit, but honestly was underwhelmed. i guess i was expecting a more robust collection.  it was the usual suspects - georgia o'keffe, alfred stieglitz, edward hopper and imogen cunningham.

i breezed through the eve hesse's septres 1960 exhibit with it's free flowing strokes.  lastly, i was pleasantly surprised by the singular piece by matthew buckingham.  "the spirit and the letter" feels like you are part of the installation. 

maurizio cattelan at guggenheim

must on site exhibition extravaganza: maurizio cattelan at guggenheim.  wow!  shar hasn't been to an exhibit in a long time that may garner a return visit.  cattelan takes full advantage of the frank lloyd wright designed space, hanging his assemblage of taxidermy, sculpture, paintings and prints.  reminds me a bit of banksy's village pet store. it's surreal with a humorous tone.  i was amazed by the taxidermy and this coming from a lady that lived next to one. there's playful repetition of objects throughout with pieces decreasing in size as they descend to the ground.  check before it closes january 22.

feisty bam

best all inclusive set: feist at bam.  i haven't forked over duckets in a while for a show, so this was kinda a treat for myself way up in the balcony of bam.  its been 4 years since i'd seen the songstress and that was back in sf.  leslie played the bulk of her new album "metals".  

funnily, a few folks in the front row began to take pics during feist's rendition of "graveyard".  as ushers swarmed, leslie playfully inserted the lyrics "i really don't if they take pictures of me".  feist was the hostess with the mostest this evening. she invited a gent with a skeleton painted on his face to join her on stage and dance to "my moon my man".  she encouraged the crowd to get up to the stage so friends way back in the orchestra section got a fast pass to the front.  

i was hoping grizzly bear would make an appearance, but got mountain man as backup singers instead.  they did lend nicely with harmonies and sweet sways.  feist managed to not play hits  "1234" or "the limit to your love".  she did encore with "sea lion woman", and invited everyone to the stage to sing along.  she fittingly end with "let it die".  a perfect "storytime" setting and happy ending.