Ryan + Ezra

One by one, he's going to cover them all, or so he claims.

"here's a cover of "Oxford Comma"... by Vampire Weekend, second track on their first record. i am a superfan so forgive me."  --Ryan Adams

He does what he wants, and you just have to love the guy.  Ahhh married life.

NKOTBSB

OH.MY.GOSH.  How in the WORLD did I miss that this was happening??  Hello amazing, it's so nice to see you again, as you rock my freakin' world.

Oh Oh Ooohhh OOHhh, Oooh Oh OOH Oh!!  This could be the best thing you see or hear all day. Go ahead, squeal, sing along, we all are, I sure am.
If only I'd known...  THEY'RE TOURING!!!  Here this weekend, and we'll be out of town.

Happy Father's Day to all the great dad's out there, especially to these two:

Mark and Mike, you have been incredible sources of encouragement, guidance, support, and love. We are who we are because of you.  

Thanks Dads, and happy Father's Day!!  Beware of banana slugs and barking spiders.  We love you!!

Boys > Girls

thumbs up buddy.

Ghost Ride The Whip

Thank you Mista Fab for putting two and two together.

Happy Spring

It's a gorgeous day in the City, so put on a sundress, paint your nails the perfect shade of red, and listen to this playlist:

*California Stars -Billy Bragg & Wilco
*What Light - Wilco
*To Be Young -Ryan Adams
*Golden - My Morning Jacket
*Fake Palindromes -Andrew Byrd
*Gone for Good -The Shins
*O Valencia! -The Decemberists
*Wagon Wheel -Old Crow Medicine Show
*Chicago -Sufjan Stevens
*You Are The Best Thing -Ray LaMontagne
*Candy -Paolo Nutini
*I Turn My Camera On -Spoon
*Naked As We Came - Iron & Wine
*For Emma -Bon Iver
*Spanish Stroll -Mink De Ville
*White Winter Hymnal -Fleet Foxes
*In The Aeroplane Over The Sea -Neutral Milk Hotel
*The Littlest Birds -The Be Good Tanyas
*July, July! -The Decemberists
*Missed The Boat -Modest Mouse

Ryan Adams Makes Metal Record

via pitchfork.com:

Ryan Adams Makes Metal Record

Over on Ryan Adams' website, the alt-country vet has a fun little piece of news: "We're going to begin pressing ORION -- my most legit METAL record -- on vinyl next week. Have a listen to the song below and let us at PAXAM [Adams' label] know if you'd be interested in purchasing one."

The "legit" qualifier is in there presumably because Ryan has played around with joke metal before, primarily through his goofy web-only Werewolph side project. But the song streaming at Adams' site does indeed sound fairly serious, though it probably tilts more toward messy late-80s Pacific Northwest proto-grunge than toward actual metal. There's no soloing, no bottom-heavy riffage, and no lyrics about dragons, but Adams' scratchy growl/whine is pretty impressive. (The Soundcloud tag seems to indicate that the song is called "Electrosnake", which does push us a little further back into "joke" territory.)

Over on the site, there's also a poll where fans can vote on whether or not they'd buy the record. Whatever our intentions, we should all probably vote "yes," if only because the world's a slightly more interesting place when Adams is pulling unabashedly ridiculous moves like this one.

"The world's a slightly more interesting place when Adams is pulling unabashedly ridiculous moves like this one." --A-freaking-MEN.

Let Her Dance

In the past three weeks I have seen three of the best movies made last year. Fantastic. See them all. See them all and improve your life.

I immediately bought the soundtrack, and might just call this my new favorite Wes Anderson film, but that's likely because I LOVED this Roald Dahl book as a kid. (Though I was disappointed that Mr. Bean's hearing problem was not explained in any detail, as stuck with me from the book so long ago.)

OF COURSE it's amazing, who DIDN'T know it would be? and it is. Wonderfully exciting, a perfect follow-up to Helvetica.

This ain't no place, for the weary kind

I was NOT prepared for the movie experience that was Sundance Kabuki Theatre and HECK YES I will be going back for incredible films, Stone Brewing 22's at my 21 and over balcony seat with a side-table. Whoa.

I am in love with this movie. In. Love. Jeff Bridges is incredible in it, incredible. Break my [crazy] heart.
I tell you, I've seen some incredible films in the past year (2009 included Scarface and all three Godfathers for the first time) and this, THIS has got to be the best.

hot chip and peter gabriel: yes please

Mix it Up

A girl with MANY skills, there are few things I truely excell at. However, one thing I do extremely well is making playlists, mixtapes if you will. (The other is knowing people are into each other long before it's announced.)
The soundtrack to our litte trip down the 1 this weekend included "[We Layed About in Our]" disk one of the Summer Skin two part series, Riding in Cars With Boys, Listed [as it is written], and Bringing it Home Safely.
If you give me [read: take me on] an adventure, I'll create a soundtrack for it. Really, even just a situation, or an event. Likely, it will be one of the best you've ever heard, and you might just find yourself saying, "ooohhh, good song," and "I LOVE this song!" Surely followed by "this is such a great [playlist/cd]!"

Top 5 Records

Happy Birthday! Top five records of all time (in no particular order):

Radiohead: OK Computer
Simon & Garfunkel: Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme
The Shins: Chutes Too Narrow
The Beatles: White Album
Ryan Adams: Heartbreaker

The grass is bluer on the other stage

I love San Francisco and it's love of festivals, and I especially love The Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival. I think it's my favorite all year, and this year was no exception.

Dr. Dog

Bluegrass Bikes!

We skipped out of church a few minutes early to make it to see Dr. Dog, and they did not disappoint. Over to Billy Brag, who is nothing good outside of Wilco and Jeff Tweedy. Please do not bring your politics into my bluegrass festival, no thank you very much. Scored an excellent spot to stick around for Old Crow Medicine Show, and in the meantime, boogied to the likes of Mavis somebody and to The Knitters. A very chilly evening, but with very warmed souls, thanks to fried chicken, mac and cheese, new wine in a new wineskin, backyard bbq chips, and plenty of Boddingtons. Then came OCMS and you rocked us well, young men, you rocked us well.

Thursday nights are for lovers (of art, music, and each other)

Dear David Bazan,
Thank you for starting your tour in my fair city, and for doing such a great job at it. So nice of you to bring our friends too, what a fun surprise it was to walk into The Independent and be greeted with people we love but did expect to see! You bring out the best, well done.

Sincerely,

Team Kerry and Co.

Before that, we went to a special (to us) Anniversary edition of First Thursdays, and saw (among others) and loved this Michael Gregory show at the John Berggruen Gallery. It struck such a chord in my wanderlustful heart, and makes me want to be on a long road trip in the heartland. (I wish I could add an image here, especially of my favorite from Western Constructs, "The Way Things Dissolve" but I think they are protected, and rightfully so, I guess.)

Go see it, I know you'll love it.

John Berggruen Gallery

228 Grant Avenue

San Francisco, CA 94108
Hours: 9:30am - 5:30pm Monday through Friday

10:30am - 5:00pm Saturday

in one ear and out the other

and




At The Independant. Such a great show all in a whisper. love.

My heels are high, my eyes cast low.

Stars at the Fillmore. A fantastically good show and night.



Yes please and thank you very much.
No poster, what?

Boots all dirty, sexy and thin

Oh MAN, Ryan Adams rocked me again, how he does me right. He always delivers and last night was absolutely no exception. I sold my extra ticket and went alone, so it was all mine. They played until 1:30am, (started at 10:15) and I danced all, danced all, danced all night. YES. I love how he absolutely brings the rock, and everyone danced, because you just can't not. He and those Cardinals man, they know how to do it.



Set highlights (and he played two sets) include:
*Beautiful Sorta
*Shakedown on 9th ST
*Wonderwall
*Cold Roses
*When the Stars go Blue
*Easy Plateau



Ultimate happiness, feeling and life is a Ryan Adams show.
He gets me through.

listen to this

Of COURSE I have suggestions! I was asked by Jen if to only buy three CD's this month, what should she buy, this was my reply:
(granted, they are tailored to her, but truth is still truth)


1. Rilo Kiley: Under the Blacklight
2. Death Cab for Cutie: Narrow Stairs
3. Delta Spirit: Ode to Sunshine

Also excellent is:
Last years' Shins album, Wincing the Night Away, if you don't already have it, I would call that number 4 to buy --if you like the Shins.
Stars: Heart --an oldie but a greatie
The Cave Singers: Invitation Songs
The Snake The Cross the Crown: Cotton Teeth
Ray Lamontagne: Till the Sun Turns Black
The Magnetic Fields: I
Loney Dear: Loney, Noir
And The Weepies dropped a new album but I haven't bought it yet, I've only heard one song, but I love that and am SURE the album will be excellent.
And of course, Vampire Weekends self-titled full-length, man it is good and dancey.