SFMOMA Sculpture Garden

The weather is getting better, and I therefore really want to check out SFMOMA's new rooftop Sculpture Garden. Mmmmm. Check out more photos along with other amazing projects at the site of landcape architects Conger Moss Guillard (a fascinating and vastly underappreciated field, in my opinion.)

PS- for anyone who might flip their lid over this: they apparently serve Blue Bottle Coffee.

Four Eyes are Better than Two?

It's amazing how trendy wearing glasses has seemed to become. I guess I should be glad that it's so hip to be square and that everyone wants to look like they have poor eyesight, but it's a little ridiculous when it's gotten to the point where people ask each other, "Do you really need those?" or "Are those prescripps' or no?" (and yes, 'prescripps' is currently being used by at least one person). I do need glasses, unfortunately, and already feel like a caricature- which is why I actually feel torn about these Prism glasses featured on Garance Dore today:

Are they ridiculously pretty, or just plain ridiculous? They are ridiculously priced, that is one thing I am sure of! I do really like the colors and patterns, though- especially the bottom one, which reminds me of a calico cat. Check out all the different styles (guys included) here.

Slackin'

via marispacifica

Yeah, I've been slackin.' With a new semester of night classes starting up, helping a friend move, and beginning too many projects / purging sessions... blogging's been on the backburner. I went through some old photos that I never edited though, and realized how much I love to shoot the salvaged oasis that is Urban Ore. So I uploaded a few and even gave them their own album, which I most likely will be adding to soon.

More posts coming soon, hopefully... in the meantime, wish me luck with my long overdue spring cleaning.

Currently Obsessed With: Liz Hickok

A few months after I moved to San Francisco, I stumbled across Liz Hickoks video work.  I was immediately charmed and would revisit the video from time to time for a dose of spry comedic art. I knew that a city that could host - and be re-molded in Jell-O by - an artist of this nature would certainly do me some good. 

Liz sells videos and prints out of her studio space (a floor below my office!) during Open Studios.  You can also contact her directly via her website. 

HCFM: Spectrum Festival

If you're looking for a way to party hard while avoiding the masses bound to clog the streets at Pride this weekend, Spectrum Fest is your best bet.  

The festival features music all over the map: ranging from drum 'n bass to chilled out synth-pop a la France.  Party-rockin' hip-hop uber-duo Major Lazer will be there. French pop gods Phoenix will be playing tracks from their sure-to-be-a-summer-hit album, 1901.  So save your pennies and put your weekend plans on hold! 

PS: if Spectrum Fest isn't in the cards - or the budget - for this weekend, go check out Major Lazer at Blow Up! at Rickshaw Stop on Friday evening.

Pwning the Local Music Scene

Just bein Themselves, via TBB

Our girl Megs is workin the circuit!!
Check out her interview with Starfucker for SomaFM as well as her write-up for Themselves at The Bay Bridged. I'm so stoked for her, not even MJ can bring me down.

Free Food & Music in Berkeley on Sunday

If you're looking to avoid the clusterfuck that is SF Pride, or want to go somewhere after to wind down, this looks like a nice bourgie alternative....

click on the image to find out more about the Berkeley International Food & Wine Festival

Laugh It Out: The Way

Tonight at the Dark Room you can catch local funny-woman Emily Heller doling out life advice and spiritual guidance.  At least I hope that's what she's doing.  The female comedy sextet, Boner Patrol, also features Emily so tonight is sure to warrant at least a couple belly laughs or guffaws. 

And if I were you, I'd get my tickets quick.  An inside source says they are selling like the proverbial hotcakes. 

Photo Recap: Lace Hammer & a Paintbrush Launch Party

6.20.09

The girls of Lace Hammer & a Paintbrush are so adorable! A good time was had by all and the evening was quite a success. Check out some beautiful stills of their production work at lacehammerpaint.com

see more at marispacifica

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass '09

I hope I can finally make it this year... if only for Steve Martin :P

The Wronglers, Little Feat, Dr. Dog, Gillian Welch, Aimee Mann, Lyle Lovett and His Large Band, Steve Martin with the Steep Canyon Rangers, Hazel Dickens, Allen Toussaint, Booker T. & the DBTs, Billy Bragg, World Party, The Chieftains, John Prine, Okkervil River, Old Crow Medicine Show, Old 97's, The Del McCoury Band, Richie Havens, Doc Watson, Marianne Faithfull, Neko Case, Earl Scruggs, Mavis Staples...

more to be announced!

Happy Dad's Day + Concert Recap

my father

As an ode to my pops, here's a little list of things I'll always think of when I think of him:

* getting really excited when he decided to "play school" with my brother and I
* listening to ZZ Top
* a constant uniform of an old, big, leather bomber jacket over his scrubs
* tuna salad, ramen, burnt toast, ritz crackers, butter, and always drinking all the orange juice
* napping and watching Saturday Morning Cartoons together
* watching the early seasons of The Real World together
* my friends getting slightly freaked by his "C'mere, you gonna hug me OR WHAT?!" antics
* telling stories, always- whether it was about his own childhood or awesome stuff like The Lobsterboy from Boston, The Ax Murderer of the Adirondacks, and The Thing From the Sewer

Hope everyone had an awesome weekend and that all the dads out there got a little love. I had a nice lunch on a warm and breezy outdoor patio with mine, and I made him a copy of the recently made mix- which he might actually dig this time! We'll see how he feels after a few more listens.

Perhaps he'll the dig the Grizzly Bear track as much as I do- who, by the way, put on a mindblowingly good show together with the aforementioned Here We Go Magic. What a great pairing! Those harmonies... those layers.... and the Fillmore is always such a magical venue. Some cool pics are already up on flickr, check em out.

Highlights from the evening include HWGM's beautifully altered version of 'Only Pieces' and closing the set with an epically noisy and climactic 'Tunnelvision.' Grizzly Bear sported a full line-up of white tees, which worked great with the uber impressive light show- I was really glad they chose to go with all red for 'Two Weeks' since I now will always associate that song with The Red Balloon (just so perfect!). The set list was nicely varied, mixing older and newer faves with each member's talents equally showcased. A shout out to Dolores Park and throwing in 'Deep Blue Sea' from the Dark Was the Night compilation were really pleasant surprises, and during the encore the cover of 'He Hit Me (and It Felt Like A Kiss)' by the Crystals first induced a wave of chuckles which quickly turned into spine tingling chills. After seeing them live, I almost can't bear to listen to a recording.... almost.

Overall, it was an epic ending to a pretty epic weekend- I have so many pictures to upload and edit! Until then, hang on to your butts- it's Monday already. Am I really awake right now?

HCFM: Here We Go Magic

Alright, Imma keep this sweet and simple. I've gushed numerous times about the likes of Grizzly Bear and all associated parties, and I'm so excited to hear their new stuff on Sunday night at the Fillmore. And like a ginormous cherry on top, I'm equally excited to experience the psychedelic pop of the opening act, Brooklyn-based Here We Go Magic. You may have listened to the song 'Tunnelvision' on the mix featured yesterday, and if you like that then you'll probably dig this video for another album highlight, 'Fangela.'

so who wants to dance like a stoned-silly indie kid??

Film, Fun, Free Drinks - Saturday Night

Ok, so actually there is a suggested donation- but it's going towards a group of really awesome and talented ladies who want to bring you the fruits of their film production company's hard labors. One film will be presented, along with a diverse array of art displays and performances- including a bit of stand-up comedy.

Drinks, DJing, and dancing are all part of the package as well... and there are even rumors of a short stint by EB Barbeque and their magical pulled pork sandwiches, which were a smash hit at this month's Art Murmur. They haven't joined the ranks of Twitter yet, but you can add them on facebook.

So come swing by this unassuming warehouse and see the sights to be seen. Grab a drink, say hi, maybe see a cool little film. While you're at it, donate a buck or two, or better yet- a sandwich, to your local starving artists... they deserve it :)

French Beards for American Apparel

Just saw this limited edition Sebastien Tellier shirt for sale for $25.oo- and it comes with a FREE copy of his album Sexuality....

QUOI?!

Mix-Off

"To me, making a tape is like writing a letter. There's a lot of erasing and rethinking and starting again. A good compilation tape, like breaking up, is hard to do. You've got to kick off with a corker, to hold the attention (I started with "Got to Get You Off My Mind," but then realized that she might not get any further than track one, side one if I delivered what she wanted straightaway, so I buried it in the middle of side two), and then you've got to up it a notch, or cool it a notch, and you can't have white music and black music together, unless the white music sounds like black music, and you can't have two tracks by the same artist side by side, unless you've done the whole thing in pairs and...oh, there are loads of rules."

-High Fidelity

The Perfect Mix: an unattainable goal? Recently a friend started hosting a recurring dinner party, and the communal spirit has spread beyond the boundaries of food and into the realm of entertainment. Sure, one of us could just plug our ipods in and be done with it- but what's the fun in that?

Below are 3 different mixes, from 3 different people- I think it's fascinating to try to analyze tastes, organizational styles, or thematic elements. For example, mixing genres versus sticking to one? Old versus new, or a mix? Playing to a certain crowd or the broadest possible audience?

Meghan's Dance Pants Mix:
Stereo (Mono Mono) -- The Brunettes
Dusty Grits -- Branches
Getting Down -- The Kills
Earth Intruders -- Bjork (Spank Rock Remix)
Well Alright -- Spoon
Let's Call It Off --Peter Bjorn & John (Girl Talk Remix)
So Far Around the Bend -- The National
Middle Class Kid -- Pelle Carlberg
Mambo Sun -- T-Rex
The Money -- Larytta
Pop Song -- Starfucker
Fallen Snow -- Au Revoir Simone (Teenagers Remix)
Blue Tears -- Cryptacize
Before We Begin -- Broadcast
Everywhere (Fleetwood Mac) -- Vampire Weekend
We Used Technology (but Technology Let Us Down) -- Maus Haus
A Hit in Sweden -- Say Hi...

Maris's Flavor of the Month Mix:
Everyday -- Buddy Holly
Bag of Hammers -- Thao Nguyen with The Get Down Stay Down
Can't You Wait -- Geographer
The Concubine -- Beirut
Genghis On -- New Villager
I'm A Pilot -- Fanfarlo
Listzomania -- Phoenix
Everytime I'm With You --Dangermouse & Sparklehorse (Dark Night of the
Soul compilation)
Two Weeks -- Grizzly Bear
Fangela -- Here We Go Magic
This Love is Fucking Right! -- The Pains of Being Pure At Heart
Zero -- Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Louie -- Ida Maria
Tightrope -- Yeasayer
Indiana -- Cymbals Eat Guitars
Talk to Me -- Peaches
Evident Utensil -- Chairlift
Holiday -- Pink Mountaintops
Sweet By and By -- Peter Doherty
Clever Girls Like Clever Boys Much More Than Clever Boys Like Clever
Girls -- Pelle Carlberg
Sister -- Vetiver
Words of Love (Buddy Holly) -- Jessica Lea Mayfield

Tim's OG Mix:
Sun Giant --- Fleet Foxes
Our Lips Are Sealed (The Go-Go's) --- Nouvelle Vague
You and I --- Wilco
Oh! Mighty Engine --- Neil Halstead
L'Hotel Particulier --- Serge Gainsbourg
Golden --- My Morning Jacket
Night Rally --- Elvis Costello
Hang On To Yourself --- David Bowie
Weekend Wars --- MGMT
Transmission --- Joy Division
Strange Overtones --- David Byrne and Brian Eno
No One Does It --- Department Of Eagles
All We Want, Baby, Is Everything --- Handsome Furs
Gobbledigook --- Sigur Rós
Gardenhead /Leave Me Alone --- Neutral Milk Hotel
Treat Me Like Your Mother --- The Dead Weather
What We Know --- Sonic Youth
Brother Sport --- Animal Collective
Love Dog --- TV on the Radio
Lucinda --- Tom Waits


Make and share your own mixes at mixtape.me -not every artist or song is available, but it's a pretty awesome start... here's a sample of songs and/or artists featured in the above lists:

Origami Heels

Looking at these is like looking at a metaphor for how I feel about high heels in general.

(via WWWTZ)

Schmap Guides

I was just notified that one of my photos is featured in something called Schmap City Guides- I checked it out and it looks pretty neat. You can browse by destination with highlights of top picks, suggested tours, reviews- all accompanied by spiffy photos. And hey, that's one of the first things I look at on Yelp, so bonus points for that. You can add a widget to your own desktop or website, or check em out at schmap.com - here's the one for San Francisco.

if you're interested in which of my photos is on there, just look up Rainbow Grocery :)

The Perfect Splurge for PayDay:

very fitting, non?

Back to Reality

check out more at marispacifica

The perfect one-night getaway in Santa Cruz: shopping at Stripe, fireworks at the Boardwalk, perusing the monthly Antiques Fair, and an afternoon beachcombing...

does it have to be Monday already?

Weekend To-Do List

If you are a fan of all things folk, be sure to check out the Free Folk Festival. BAB favorites BeatBeat Whisper will be there.

If retail therapy is more your style but you are feeling the recession crunch, hit up the Alemany Flea Market.

And just a heads up, but Sunday marks the 32nd anniversary of the Haight Ashbury Festival... whether you want to be there or run for the hills is up to you. Some cool stuff will be there though, like clothing from 4Fifteen and movie posters from the Red Vic (they better be selling this one)...

Also on Sunday, FREE Dreyer's ice cream at Fisherman's Wharf in promotion of not one but four new flavors: Chocolate Peanut Butter Chunk, Java Mashup, Choco Cookie's n Cream Collision, and Nestle Drumstick.

On the EB side of the bridge, there's Open Studios- FREE both Saturday and Sunday from 11-6, featuring over 400 artists and a self-guided peek into some of their studios...

have a Fran-tastic weekend, and we'll see you on the flip side.

HCFM: Datarock

As always, HCFM is designed to put a little pep in your step.  To get you through those long Friday work hours.  To give you something to boogie to come the weekend.  

Off the top of my head, I can't think of a better band to do that than Datarock.  I have to confess, I am slightly biased.  I had a chance to meet the guys last year at the Bay Area's Download Festival and I found them to be highly entertaining and laidback.  There is something so comforting about musicians who get buzz without the ever expanding ego. 

Anywhoo, go check out Datarock at the Independent this evening.  They're promoting their most recent album, Red, which is ostensibly titled after those snazzy jumpsuits. 

Thrush Vintage

I try to stay away from Etsy as much as possible, because I always end up finding everything my little heart never knew it desired. Especially everything at Thrush Vintage. Check out the plethora of iconic pieces, with equally iconic names. Bonus- there's an online sale going on through the weekend. As for me, I'll sit here and kick myself quietly for spending all my money at Target...

Tonight: Lightbox at Bloodhound

I've been wanting to check out awesome hunting-lodge-inspired interiors of SOMA's Bloodhound for a while now, and this sounds like it would be the perfect excuse. Tonight, Lightbox will be selling the wares of 14 local artisans, from 5-9 pm. Check out the links for the featured artists below (I'm totally digging the upcycled vintage suitcases and killer octopus jewelry) and peep those interior shots above... I am in love with all those light fixtures, especially below that ceiling!

Beth Anderson • Brown Pigeon • Hamburgerpanda • Em’s Studio • Hilary Finck Lobotomatics • Preen • Hello There Friend • Panhandle Handmade • Iacua
Octopus Me • Transaction • Sita Rupe • XOJF

Another Reason Why the Bay Area Rocks: Dave Eggers

Yup, the Bay Area claims McSweeney's and 826 Valencia, both founded by this amazingly talented Boston-transplant. I remember buying A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius in an airport when I was fairly young, and just being really excited about the almost-on-Real-World-San-Francisco subplot. I think I was too young to be reading it at the time- but I knew this guy was on to something.

Tomorrow, I'm excited to say, is the opening of the film Away We Go, which was written by Eggers and his wife. With an amazing cast: John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph, Catherine O'Hara, Jeff Daniels, and Maggie Gyllenhaal, and what sounds like an equally amazing soundtrack... this will probably end up in my DVD collection right next to Garden State.

Funny in a touching and poignant way, it definitely seems to encapsulate the current time and place for a lot of people. Case in point, doesn't Krasinski's recessionisto beard-n-glasses look just seem so relevant right now?! I'm definitely not complaining...

Hump Day Inspiration: notcot.org

I have 697 unread items from notcot.org in my Google reader - there are too many amazing things getting posted there, way too frequently! Here's a recent selection of highlights for your pleasurable distraction:

Yo-Yo ABC's

ABC YO-YO (full version) from abcyoyo on Vimeo.

Explore famous historical and fictional journeys via Good, from Magellan to Kerouac

awesome food art by Kevin Van Aelst

Love At First Bite

photos via i8pixistix

You probably haven't noticed, but there is a new link under our 'Friends & Neighbors' list. I knew our friend Mary had an enviable job working in the world of pastries, but it wasn't until I got a business card that I actually checked out the Berkeley "cupcakery" called Love At First Bite. How good do those little morsels look?

If you're looking to satisfy your sweet tooth, definitely check this place out. Their mouthwatering menu includes the strawberry flavored 'Pretty in Pink,' Lemon Pistachio, 'Ginger Babycakes,' Pumpkin Bliss with cream cheese frosting, and even Matcha Green Tea- just to name a few.

If you're against the rising designer cupcake trend, they have something for you as well. Cookies and cakes abound, and they have dairy-free and vegan options. They also have an amazing sounding banana pudding, which has never before sounded amazing to me. Cheers to the sweet life!


PS- the link to our friend Sunny's AIDS Lifecycle page is also gone now, as the race has come and gone. Sunny was able to successfully complete the ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles, and even raised over $2,000 in the process! If anyone deserves to scarf on some cupcakes, it's him!

peep this: Penelopea

Some of you may know that I am a sucker for a beautiful, talented lady. Friend and one-time neighbor Meredith is just that, and it's her birthday today! She and her crew run an inspirational little blog called Penelopea and if you check out this post from yesterday you can see the amazing work which she is quickly becoming known for. I am definitely jealous of her mad skills.

Have a great birthday Mer, you deserve it!

Monday Leftovers

more pics at marispacifica

Art Murmuring, wine tasting, and picnicing- oh my! A very indulgent weekend with no complaints. Saturday's winetasting adventures took us up to the quaint Lodi area where we visited the Michael David Winery, Lucas Winery, and Heritage Oak Winery. The only information I was able to process is that the area is known for its Zinfandels, and the Michael David Winery would make for an amazing party. Not only is there a restaurant, produce market, and tasting room there, but also 60 acres of land complete with duck pond, vintage tractor, turkeys, bunnies, chickens, bocce ball, and garden (where you can pick whatever you want). Amazing.

In other news, I'm totally overwhelmingly stoked to see the Handsome Furs tonight at the Great American Music Hall. Check out this zombie-chic music video for their song "I'm Confused" off their sophomore album Face Control. Damn that is one hot rockstar couple.... I can't wait to watch.

As a final and completely random tangent, check out this video I had to watch for class. I recommend watching if a) you have a lot of time on your hands, b) you're really interested in perspective drawing, or c) you have a random sense of humor and thus might find it as hilarious as I did...