I AM FUEL, YOU ARE FRIENDS

I AM FUEL, YOU ARE FRIENDS

Just a great blog for anyone looking to find good music. Currently there is a cover of Ray LaMontagne's song 'Burn' by Brandi Carlile.

'Burn (Ray LaMontagne cover) - Brandi Carlile'

the boy least likely to

The Boy Least Likely To - Saturday, June 3rd 2:00pm
Free Instore (The following was postd on Indierecordshop.com)

Come check them out! Fingerprints is an amazing record shop!

With a name like the boy least likely to, it’s way too easy to throw an ellipsis in and finish the sentence with “play fingerprints” or some other slack crap, but the reality is that there are only a few other bands who would so completely qualify as “most likely” to play fingerprints. The Boy Least Likely To is a UK duo that make music that is nothing if not whimsical. Their debut release, the best party ever, was created on their collection of weird, wonderful instruments, which they’ve collected over the years from craft fairs, yard sales, and pre-schools. While perfect for your inner child (or real child) far from sounding like Raffi or some other Toys r Us spinner rack children’s music, TBLLT’s music can be as childlike as its artwork suggests, the similarity ends there. Songs about monsters, spiders, tigers, and cola shimmy between the sounds of the Beach Boys, Belle & Sebastian, 1980s indie-pop labels like Sarah and Postcard, and country disco bands everywhere. But what makes the album so poignant is the uncertainty-- still childlike, but also very adult, and deeply, humanly sad-- lurking beneath every warm synth and each sunshiny acoustic guitar. "If I wasn't so happy/ I wouldn't be so scared of dying,". This is childish adult music that is charming, precious, and cool as hell. The completed album's narrative loosely traces the arc of a friendship, or a romance-- or a party. "It starts off quite happy, then dips as all good parties do, then you get that last burst at the end," Jof, the half who writes the lyrics and sings the songs, says. The reaction has been a whirlwind, with media all over the globe going crazy on these guys (check a few of the press quotes below). Anyway, this should be a very fun, very cool, family friendly way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Pete (the music maker) says "We wanted to make a record that everyone would forget then years later, a magazine would declare it a lost classic." It’s up to us to help make sure this dream gets crushed like a bug; we can’t have to wait 20 years for record number 2.

Check out their website for a few song samples:

the boy least likely to

Video
Be Gentle With Me

Five Crowns

This week’s restaurant recommendation is Five Crowns. Fine dining in an Olde English style restaurant, this restaurant is part of the Lawry's Prime Rib in Beverly Hills. Five Crowns is located on Pacific Coast Highway in Corona del Mar.

If any of you have ever eaten at Lawry’s in Beverly Hills, then you know that they are known for their prime rib. Although Five Crowns also specializes in prime rib, my recommendation is based on their Sunday Brunch Menu. Everyone is always asking me what I would recommend the best Sunday brunch restaurant to be? My answer is, Five Crowns without a doubt.

If you are my friend, and are reading this blog, then you know and understand how much I hate buffets. It seems that every Sunday brunch I have ever eaten at has always been set up buffet style. You end up paying $25-$35 per person and realize that all you’ve really had is an omelet that you could have easily made at home. Well, Five Crowns is not that kind of place. Because you can choose off the menu, prices can range from $16-$25 per person, and I guarantee you price is not reflective of the quality.

One of the things I love about this place is that brunch is not what you would normally expect. It’s better than what you would expect. You can choose from several selections off a menu. Champagne, unlimited champagne is included. My girlfriends and I make this one of our favorite girls day out event. Of course with a designated driver, trust me you’ll need one.

Freshly baked goods are set on the table along with your first glass of champagne. I always start off with the first course of Tortilla Lime Soup. They have several starters to choose from, I happen to love the Lime Soup, it has a familiar taste and smell that reminds me of home. I then follow up with Lawry’s Roast Beef Hash; it's by far one of my favorite things to eat here. The Hash is served with a poached egg, vegetables and potatoes.

I hope the next time you are thinking of Sunday brunch you’ll visit Five Crowns. I know it will become one of your favorites as it is mine.

Five Crowns

Location: 3801 E. Coast Highway Corona del Mar, California 92625

Phone: (949) 760-0331

Sunday Brunch: 10:00 am - 2:00 pm

Gustav Klimt

One of my favorite art periods was Art Nouveau, developed in the 1880s and 1890s. Such artist as Klimt, Mucha, Henri de Toulouse-Lautre, and Gaudi inspired the era. On my travels through Europe I was introduced to this style of art, specifically during a visit to Spain and Italy.

I'm excited to find some of Gustav's painting on exhibition in Los Angeles and thought I'd share it with anyone out there who also appreciates Art Nouveau. For more information on this era you can go to this link:

Anatomy of an Exhibition

Exhibition runs (April 4 –June 30, 2006)

LACMA is honored to announce a special exhibition of five important paintings by Austrian artist Gustav Klimt (1862–1918). The paintings were recently returned by the Austrian government to the family of Maria Altmann, of Los Angeles, following a lengthy legal dispute over the rightful ownership of these works stolen by the Nazi regime.

The five masterpieces by Klimt epitomize the height of Viennese Jugendstil. They include two portraits of Maria Altmann’s aunt, Adele Bloch-Bauer (1881–1925) and three landscapes, Beechwood (1903), Apple Tree I (ca. 1911), and Houses in Unterach on Lake Atter (1916). The five paintings, which until recently hung in the Austrian Gallery Belvedere in Vienna, have never before been shown together in the United States.

LACMA

Pasta Primavera

Located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, Pasta Primavera prides itself for its hearty fare of delicious food and quick service, while maintaining affordable prices. This week I’m choosing Pasta Primavera as my weekly recommendation.

I found this restaurant five years ago when my office was relocated from Long Beach to downtown Los Angeles. It was a big change moving from my usual lunch hangouts to a much larger city, filled with high rises and bustling streets. It took me awhile before I found a local place to call my own.

In the downtown district you’ll find your handful of chain name restaurants but if you look a little deeper you’ll find little gems everywhere. Pasta Primavera truly understands its clientele and in my opinion they have become the pride of downtown.

In my continued search for the best iced tea, this place never lets me down. I don’t know about you, but if the first thing that touches my lips is a refreshing not over brewed ice tea, then I know the food to follow will be great. The bread is always served fresh out of the oven with room temperature butter. What a concept, tempered butter that you can actually spread on your bread. I always start off with a Caprese Salad (fresh buffalo mozzarella, Roma tomatoes and basil) served on a bed of baby mixed greens drizzled with olive oil and vinegar. Every dish here is excellent but my favorite lunch item is Fettuccine Verdi di Pollo, a perfect blend of spinach fettuccine with chicken, broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes and scallions in a light cream sauce.

The next time you find yourself in downtown Los Angeles and are looking for a great place for lunch stop by Pasta Primavera.

Location: 611 West 7th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90017 (Between Grand and Hope)

Phone: (213) 688-0808

My New Obsession ~ Fingerprints ~

I walked into Fingerprints today with the intention of purchasing the Gomez album, ‘How We Operate’, and walked out with three other great albums. I should have known better. If you haven’t already purchased the following albums I highly recommend you do.

Gomez - How We Operate

Gomez is having a free instore performance on Sunday May 21 @ Fingerprints in Long Beach. Click on Fingerprints on my link section for more info.

Calexico - Garden Ruin

Band of Horses - Everything All The Time

Kings of Leon - Aha Shake Heartbreak

The Back Room at Morry's

I'll save the complicated and hyper critical reviews of The Back Room and other restaurants for the journalists and food critics. My recommendations are simply based on restaurants I enjoy. This week my choice is the Back Room at Morry’s, which just so happens to be one of my favorites.

Located at 5764 East Second Street in Long Beach, CA 90803, it has been one of Naples Island’s best kept secrets; until now that is. I must say that I’m somewhat skeptical of giving out this address, but when the food is so divine I feel it’s my obligation to share it with you all.

As you arrive at 5764 you will be surprised to find that there is no sign indicating The Back Room. You see, it literally is in the back room of Morry's. If you are planning to venture to this restaurant it is best to make reservations. My favorite spot in the house are the lounge couches to the left. They'll know what you're talking about when you ask for it. Gather a group of your closest friends and make your way to this spot for a relaxing night filled with great food, wine and ambiance.

Shaun Crowley is the CEO but greets you as if you're his long lost friend. Don't be afraid to ask for his suggestion on wines, he won't be shy in giving them to you, after all it is his wine store out front.

The great thing about this place is that it really can suit any price range. If you're looking for a light dinner I would recommend the Smokes Chicken Croquet. The bread is spread with basil aioli and filled with smoked chicken, caramelized onion and Comte (Comte is a type of Gruyere cheese). Butter is spread on the outside of the bread, and then the sandwich is cooked on a panini press.

If a panini is not what you are looking for then I recommend the Filet Mignon. The meat is pan-seared with only salt and pepper. It's served with Point Reyes bleu cheese gratin, which means sliced russet potatoes are sautéed in a pan with butter, thyme, shallots and garlic, and then stacked evenly in a baking pan, covered with heavy whipped cream and baked. It is accompanied by asparagus and baby carrots sautéed with salt and pepper. Executive Chef Jason Mazur hasn't failed me yet. He gets it perfectly right every time no matter what I order.

You can pick out a bottle of wine at the store, buy it, bring it in and enjoy it with dinner. They have a fantastic wine selection, but I’m partially biased to the bubbly. You can never go wrong with Sparkling Wine.

"We’re not really trying to mimic anything in Los Angeles. We're really trying to be the pride of Long Beach"-Shaun Crowley

Reservation Number: (562) 331-6797

Hours: Dinner Tuesday through Saturday 5 to 10 p.m.

The Back Room

Saying Goodbye

Airports. They are a place of endless fascination.

My best friend and I were having a conversation about airports a few days ago and it got me thinking. I've been traveling a lot in these past months and until recently I've never realized how emotional airports are.

Airports are full of strangers just coming and going. Those terminals are consumed with moments of happiness and sadness. So many people going who knows where? Maybe a vacation, a wedding, or perhaps even a funeral. Some are greeting people whom they are delighted to see others saying goodbye to people they are heart broken to see go. All those moments are filled with lifes little tribulations.

When I'm in an aiport often times I find myself looking at people from a distance. I'm just far enough from them so I don't hear what they are saying, but close enough to let my imagination run with the information they are giving off. I am most intrigued by couples saying goodbye.

I always wonder why they would choose such a public place to let thier emotions overflow. I realize now that saying goodbye is a difficult but necessary thing. I think you need to say good bye to people well in order, even if that order is in an airport, only then will you be able to begin on new relationships. It is easier when you leave someone without saying goodbye in order to minimalize the loss, but you cheat yourself of truly embracing the loss.

So it is here where my imagination runs. I see those couples allowing themselves to not only feel some sadness, but to communicate it, only then they are rewarded with the opportunity to really get a sense of how much they meant to each other, and to recognize what gifts they are leaving behind. One will board the plane the other will stay, but for that moment in the airport they allowed themselves to put their lives in order.

The Lit Show

"Kevin May, of The Guggenheim Grotto, was recently interviewed on the highly proclaimed college radio station WNUR 89.3 FM as part of The Lit Show (as in 'literature'). As the name implies, the show invites authors onto the show for readings and informal interviews. Recently, The Lit Show has featured such notable writers as Margaret Atwood, Susan Orlean, and former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins. WNUR 89.3 is the nation's farthest-reaching college radio station, and was recently named Spin Magazine's 'U.S. College Radio Station of the Year'. So not only was it a huge compliment for Kevin to be invited to speak, but he is also the first songwriter they've ever had on the show. The interview is now available to download from the The Lit Show ." - From The Guggenheim Website


"I know a lot of the songs that I write are love songs, and for a long while I beat myself up about it because I just thought I was being very unoriginal. Eventually I came to the conclusion that the reason love is the greatest theme is that when you're in a relationship, your senses are so heightened, you're lifted out of the banal, you notice more and you see more details. I think that it's within that idea of a relationship that you learn a lot more about yourself because it's far more dramatic (than normal life) - that's why I write love songs." - Kevin May

The Guggenheim Grotto

MySpace ~The Guggenheim Grotto~

A Taste of SoCal

After 11 years in the restaurant industry and countless phone calls from all my friends, I've finally decided to start this blog, featuring my weekly restuarant recommendations.

I've spent endless hours in kitchens and could easily write about places "not to eat" but since I know a majority of restaurateurs in the greater L.A. area and really value my job I'll stick to the places I personally consider to be the best.

Just so you all have some idea of what areas I will be posting about I travel from Ventura County to San Diego County and everywhere inbetween. Thus, if you are dining anywhere in the SoCal region, then my blogs will hopefully be your guide to a more fulfilling dining experience. Some of the places I will be writing about will be those which I frequent (my personal favorites) and occassionally some new openings but only those new openings in which I personally know the Chefs and can guarentee anything they cook will be nothing but spectacular.

I'll post my weekly recommendation each Monday. That will give all you boys a chance to MAKE RESERVATIONS and more importantly, call your dates in advance (believe me, when she discovers that you actually know what the two of you are doing on Saturday night when it's only Tuesday, she'll find a way to reward you). There is nothing more appealing to a woman than a man with a plan. So, to all my friends and acquaintances, it's time to stop calling and instead begin reading here each Monday to find out where you'll be eating your next time out.

PostSecret

The Thought Project

Thought Project": «Over a period of 3 months I stopped 150 strangers on the street and asked them what they where thinking about the second before I stopped them. Using a mic and a dictaphone I recorded what they told me, then took a picture of them. 55 of the 150 thoughts are presented on this website as quotes. All quotes state exactly what was said during the interviews. The interviews took place in Copenhagen, Denmark, and New York City.» Simon Hogsberg

A friend sent me this link a few months ago and I've just now come around to actually reading all the entries.

I often find myself looking at strangers passing by and making up my stories of what their lives might be. I like to imagine that my stories are more interesting than what their lives actually are. The Thought Project is fascinating. A simple concept, such as walking down the street at any given time of the day, can give us an insight of the thought process we all go through.

I have a million thoughts that go through my head every second of the day, and I sometimes wonder how does it all fit in there? Why am I having this random thoughts, am I crazy for having them? I guess they’re not as random as I thought, afterall. This site presents that randomness in a simple yet effective way. I now have the urge to conduct my only little project. I hope you find this as interesting as I did.

The Thought Project

Ashes and Snow

“Ashes and Snow is a four-part ongoing project that weaves together photographic works, a film, art installations, and a novel in letters. It is a loving exploration into the nature of animals in their natural habitat as they interact with human beings. No longer shown as merely a member of the family of man, humans are seen as a member of the family of animals.”

If you live in the So.Cal area I highly recommend this exhibition. Back in March a few friends and I had the opportunity to visit The Nomadic Museum. It was a humbling experience, one I truly will never forget. The exhibition will be in Santa Monica until May 14th.

Ashes and Snow

"We are the music makers. We are the dreamers of the dream."

Every once in a while we are lucky enough to come across souls that touch us to our inner core. The Guggenheim Grotto is a group of souls who have blessed us with their beautiful songs. I just finished listening to XM Loft, they had a session on there today. Kevin sang a new song called ‘Lost Forever And’ although I’ve heard it before for some reason the sound in Kevin’s voice today made me reflect. With lyrics such as “as simple as a grain of sand I let it slip from my fingers." "How must a broken heart believe the abundance of the sea" and "a breath of her still in my lungs.”

This song made me think of the nights I would drive out to the ocean. How many of us have stood in front of the sea and just stared out and thought there is no end in sight. I know that often times I’ve stared out into the sea and just thought to myself what ever it is that I’m going through at this moment it is so minute compared to the world that’s out there.

The Guggenheim Grotto is one of those bands that lyrically they’ll capture you, the music will penetrate your heart and the souls of these lads will keep you wanting more. I’m honored to call them my friends. I hope one, anyone, everyone will take the time to seek them out.

The Guggenheim Grotto

MySpace ~The Guggenheim Grotto~

'A Lifetime In Heat'

"We don't remember days, we remember moments"

The world is truly very small. I'm in Dulbin to see Ray LaMontagne perform. We had already spent the day before hanging out with Ray and CT and if that in itself wasn't enough Ray had dedicated a song to me during his performance. To "me" unbelievable, and just when you think life couldn't get any better. The unexpected happens.

Someone just said to me "Do you have any idea how lucky you are??!!?!? You get to forever go down in history as the person who introduced Ray LaMontagne to Damien Rice." I'm sure neither Ray or Damien will ever remember but the important thing is that my bestfriend and I will for ever remember November 8, 2005. The moment when two masters of the trade met for the first time. This picture is that moment.

The link below is a video of 'Forever My Friend' taken Dublin, Ireland November 08, 2005!

Download 'Forever My Friend'