Closed for a bit...

My teddy bear, Ted, will be all by his lonesome self starting tomorrow when I go away on vacation. xoxo

bicycle, bicyclette, cykel

Bicycles are somewhat foreign to me. I grew up in car culture, I drive everywhere, everywhere. It's a necessity here in LA. It's a given!

But I am so looking forward to renting my Velib in Paris...




And to get all CPH like the rest... This is my new favorite blog: www.copenhagencyclechic.com


A-MAZING... Contemplating renting one for London but not sure if I want to ride with this lot!


My classic J.C. Higgins bike I found in front of my old house and recently had it spruced up at this great new place, Echo Park Cycles. I don't use it that often as I'm still freakishly scared to ride it in LA! People drive crazy here! I use all precaution at all times!


"The key to any successful bike culture is to get women onto bikes. They are the group that is most likely to ride and yet least likely to actually do it, especially in urban settings."

The Electric Piano

I like electric pianos. I have two. This one's in storage. I should bring it home...


Truly one of the best instruments ever made.


...on the road, it's a suitcase ...on the stage, it's a piano... indeed it is!


The beautiful tone bars and tines of a Rhodes... a lot easier to tune then this one below...


My beloved Wurly which I rarely play these days... the re-done interior is mint with Mercedes speakers. Yes, only the best for me...

My Itinerary

Back to Blighty.


Then to the 18th arrondissement.


Then to the unknown...

Vikings!

In about two weeks.... I might get to see this:


Ships


Houses


Landscapes likes these...


Bridges


And her!

Say Yes to Comet Gain!

For a band that's over a 15 years old, Comet Gain keeps getting better. I can still remember the first time I heard Casino Classics... Direct heirs of 60s pop, successors of C86 twee, proponents of intellectual internationalism, Northern Soul bound, and punky indie royalty, there's no else like them! David Charlie Christian Feck is a pop prodigy à la Lawrence. Lyrically, musically, the songwriting is superior. Rachel + Kay are sweethearts and Jon (the Slade) + Taylor (let's not forget Phil), total stunners.


The Rademaker brothers with Comet Gain back in 2003 somewhere in old Blighty. The Tyde played with them a few times on tour I think, it's all a bit fuzzy now but those were the heyday of youth. If I remember correctly, the encore song was "The Movies," originally done by another great band, The Lefties.

Here's one of my all-time favorite songs, "Days I Forgot To Write Down" from their masterpiece, City Fallen Leaves. John, Bill, Brent... I think I cried when I first heard this... "If you're fucked, it's all right. It's Saturday night and you are alive, and you are all right!"

They are touring the east coast next month. BUT no west coast dates. WTF? I may have the chance to bring them to California or at least have the opportunity to make it happen. I'm really trying to sort this shit out and bring them here. They are part of a long rich history, a love story between London and LA...

Sleeveface

My new favorite blog is Sleeveface. Please RSS it. My favorite pic of the day is this:


I'm planning to do my own version tomorrow but just realized now that I have one from January! I wonder if it's good enough to submit... nah. I'm gonna have to really art direct it and make it mind-blowing!