is that a pizza balloon with a side mug of beer?

nothin like bruised knees and skin drenched in beer on a tuesday night. thanks a million to Diarrhea Planet for TCBing on that tip. 4 guitars, bass, drums, plus endless amounts of unabashed spunk/pride/humility ...to make a DBA show feel like everything else outside the sweaty confines of a tiny graffiti filled noise box didn't matter. All else was invisible. Show of all shows..anchored (literallY) by supersized balloons shaped as pizza and beer mugs and a happy newly-turned-30 dudefriend. OH GOSH feeling feelings, OH MY! get sentimental at birthdays and milestones, no doubt. inching upon my first foray into Bushwick living. Leaving my first NY apartment for the everexpanding/gentrifying neighborhood we all keep hearing about: the one that we let linger in our budget conscious and next big thrill thoughts: AKA Bushwick. Tacos, 99cent values, and THE spandex goldent skintight fabric mecca of stores thrive. here i COME fuckies~! welcome me to lost adventures and proper late night sandwich discoveries. and if my fear of change is listening, well fuck off. LETS REALLY BE REAL: i'm throwing a show/party thsi saturday. i miss putting on events and shows in the ol homestead, so i feel lucky to have found a space that allows me to curate a proper bill and DJ for the straphangers as well. its nice to be free of pressure and expectation which was a hovering beast in austin..and just put together somethign special. Dont wanna know or care about much of anything except good times and big fun..in the form of sonic happiness. how gay does that sound?!?! so much faITH in Cool Serbia, daytona, and Summer Saints..i'm gonna be a kid in a gumdrop swimming pool!! and Kate is a dreamy DJ partner who is always in it to win it and i wouldn't have it any other way in terms of an inspiring and funloving partner. SO THERE> I really hope the enthusiasm in my head makes its way into the heads of everyone! (GOD PLEASE) 6:00am its been a night and its time for bed.. post pickle sleep, its the best sleep you and I will ever know. a thousand things are on my mind: my upcominig change of scenery, my trip to Atlantic City with the unstoppable K-Spot, Spring time in Austin, my new crush who gives me blushy cheeks and peels off the layers of this weirdo brainfruit ever so nicely, Jazzer boot camp, the end of Middlesex, hugging the new everything and letting go of the old everything...sometimes the mind overflows and its a really sweet feeling <3

meet me at the bar, its goin down

its been forever since i've had a solo DJ gig. its going down tomorrow night. actually i hope its goin up. i havent had a car or a stereo in my room, much less a sewing/craft/keyboard room to jam it at all costs in quite some time.. So i guess the most exciting part is to hear my favorite tunes in full form on full blast..anything i want to hear at my finger tips. anyone who comes, many many thanks and hearts and hugs and kisses forever and in advance (no expiration date). kinda counting on support from some homies. thats my ticket to playing more. anyone who dares buy an overpriced beer in Nolita due to a haphazard facebook invite or a belated text, i adore you. if all goes well, i'm gonna wanna keep doing this on the regs. plus it pays decent, my brokeass can't argue with that.

a constant flow happens here: missing random meaningful(less) stuff and super important till the end people in Texas VS. the crush as all hell i have on my new city.. the potential to find moments of curiosity and joy (really? really!) in the tiniest shit.. pretty cool, but a weird play by play in the head when the big picture comes into play. enough of that, just live..

so living..yes, what's that w/o adventure.. and adventure i will in the next month.. going to Atlanta, Georgia to visit K Spot in her new world of a life. gonna seriously geek out. loved atlanta on the sour notes tour. awesome that i have an even more awesome reason to visit again. Gonna hit some shows, and looking crazy forward to seeing Toro y Moi, Bass Drum of Death, and Unknown Mortal Orchestra in onefreakinnight!! We are going to Athens for that one kids. Never been, dreamed about it for years..the place of musical history i care most about. no its not Strawberry Fields, but that was quite moving. Its the 40 watt y'all. can't believe the show is gonna go on there. The birthplace of elephants..or at least the newborn phase.. whatever, no worries, seeing it first hand, maybe touching too many surfaces knowing brilliance (in fantasy husband form) has touched them too. plus its football weekend in athens so i'll prolly get off on that shit too, with a few "HOOKEMMUTHAFUCKS" in the mix. Funny how Krissie came here and we saw no shows.. the city where i can go to bed nightly and think damn i fuckin missed that shiiiiiit, suuuuucksss!! And on my trip to GA, its shows TTM... reading rainbow on night two. anyhow..vacations, like anything new and off the normal routine are what keep me going.. so this one, i'm super stoked to attend. Bring it Georgia, be a peach for me!

As for the next month of August..its TCB month. Until vacation, its task time. Oh and BTW, the FFF lineup was released today in full. FTR, it is not sick and it isn't epic whatsoever..BUT FUCKING A sure is grand and kinda wishing i could go. and wondering how i fared in teh "Guess the Fest" contest.. i think i scored over 50%, but who knows if that gets you anywhere.. spot on is what they're looking for. made a good run though (i think). oh austin, why are you so difficult? and why are you so tempting sometimes? maybe i'll pop in on a whim. hopefully sooner than later, TYVM southwest airlines. Till then, here i am and oh my, what next ;)

Northside festival

Sure was a festival this weekend. Northside Festival in Williamsburg and Greenpoint, very young, very much an in utero sister festival to sxsw, which in my opinion, is a nice thing. Now that i live here among the thick of the area of said festival,i can honestly appreciate the compact geography and smaller size of the northside fest.. versus the beast that is SXSW. even living on the outskirts of sxsw, where i had to bus or car it ,i could still bitch about the shows taking over my favorite venues and bars knowing i didn't have a space to call home...that means YOU Nomad bar, Longbranch Inn, etc..i love you but i want a quite calm amongst the storm ;) But here, yeah, it was small enough to where the venues didn't amass into a complete takeover and a lot of the shows were in sepparate rooms from the hangout bar area. Plus, I could walk everywhere, including home, yeah!! That said, i enjoyed both aspects..the shows and the scene. i must say i was most enamoured with X-Ray Eyeballs, an apparent brooklyn fave introduced to me by my go to goer of shows, craig (!!!) They had me hooked on first listen and nearly took down the ceiling at death by audio at an unofficial showcase this past weekend. I had visions of shapes have fangs or the apeshits or one of Penny's many projects at beerland as i listened. Ass shots, weiner shots, you name it :


also caught The Oh Sees as said venue, the sweatiest, DIYest, smokiest indoors, you could walk by and miss it totalliest venue i've been to here. They killed it.

Surprise sneak in to Music hall of Williamsburg brought Thelonius London, and honestly was captivated. Never a fan before. Clueless in fact. But i see the rage now...

Other highlights included a decent outdoor set by wavves, who was much funner w/ KSpot at FFF BTW...it was a weird setup..the crowd was blocked 10 feet from the steve madden stage and apparently nathan was a lil under the weather..Still played my faves and i was happy to see it, big as all Jesus pot leaf T shirts and all. Beirut gave me a new reason to love them playing on the same stage...go figure. Surfer Blood gave me chills with Catholic Pagan, and GBV did 3 fucking encores. yes emphasis on 3 and fucking, cuz these dudes have been around the block and still do kicks and mic swinging, yelling.. and 3 encores. Woven Bones show also blew my mind and cant hardly believe the transformation of Andy and his new crew. A +

Last day i opted for Blair and Airwaves at Glasslands... super duper cool to see Blair solo, WOW! and despite sound and mix issues, Airwaves brought the songs that made me smile. Go Knock Out.

I also became infatuated with Fergus and Geronimo..a brooklyn band that i'd heard of but never experienced. I heard TV personalities, The Clean, Gogol Bordello, and all kinds of gypsy craziness and i figured an accordian would make its way on stage at some point.
In other Hardly Art news, i saw Collen Green (the east coast version of Best Coast) and was amped TTM hearing her solo and electric. Sweet lady and a drum machine, a guitar, pink sunglasses, and a voice that made me jealous. YES.

Above and beyond, a great weekend.. missed diamond rings and the strange boys, atlas sound, porcelain raft, reading rainbow, and Dom. whatcha gonna do? I was able to work and see shows and get paid. That spells FUCK YEAH in my lil book.
Speaking of pay, more of it woulda resulted in a splurge to see Foster The People and Gardens and Villa ... or a venture out to see Hooray for Earth DJ in Greenpoint last night.. but rest was much needed.
Many more brooklyn musings to come... so many more i could type for hours..but the sun comes up early here and i have readily available project runway to watch..more to come after a lil R and R and cable TV xoxo

the Austinite

i don't have much to say, but i have a feeling that my next few blogs will be regarding the whole last days in ATX agenda i have going on. I felt like a total AUstinite today.. went to town lake, jogged for about a half hour.. then headed over to barton springs..dude next to me was trying to smoke weed, but i guess he thought i was some sort of narc lady so he kept it under his blanket. WTF?! not a partaker doesnt = hater. noticed rather obviously that everyones swimsuits are getting smaller by the season.. dont know if i can hang with that. the ruffly boy shorts kinda have me hooked. But i may need a follow up evaluation. BTW< is macarren park (<--sp??) pool an actual pool now? sure as shit hope so!! Slapped on some fake tattoos yesterday and despite my lack of weed, dreadlocks, and hippie/ster swimming attire i felt right at home.. oh wait! i didn'[t stop at daily juice on the way home.. woops! Studied my NFT brooklyn book and David Sedaris short stories underneath the sunrays. pretty nice day.
got in some nice dinner with lovely donations from K-Spot, who so generously stocked my freezer with healthy expensive delicious foodstuffs.. plus ice cream bars, yeeeaah! How is Atlanta i wonder? went dancing with Kandice tonite at Brabarella.. and i say that cuz i wore a bra. yeah big news.. i guess its time to make that a habit. Had a wonderful time. Danced Dirty Dancing style (not dirty, just partnered up like baby and whatever Patrick Swayze was named in that damn movie) with some random dude and it was pretty awesome. Got to practice lots of ballerina steps and had a partner to back me up. homeboy was doing some major break dancing, so i had to play pinch hitter and step off a bit.. damn how the fuck did he do that?!? but i was never put in a corner, har har. bottom line, dancing alone is ALWAYS my thing, yet having a lil partner action was kinda nice, esp w/o groping and all that unjazzy BS. sooo.. "Home" sans krissie is not as fun. last weeks memories danced in my head...just noting it for the record. Kandipants sure gave me some swift moves to emulate, i just don't get how some people can just craze out so naturally...its pretty awesome. caught my ass shazaaming twice tonite...and GODDAMNIT, i WILL buy that record by The Generationals. its waay too catchy to not own. The weeks been nice.. morphed into Paul Pierce, had some polvo's, bday love and laughter..makes me wonder what up next.. but wonder is most def different than doubt.. at least for now <3 so i took this pic of totally random grand piano (one of two i've spotted on the town lake trail) that really reminds me of how crazy/weird/unique/WTF this sweet sweet hometown of mine is..you can see it here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/85739421@N00/5584645236/

the letters on the piano say "Play Me, I'm Yours". fucking rad.

BTW did Best Coast play in College Station tonite? fucking twatter, are you for real?
loves loves,
elfgirl

this.is.the.real.deal.

so here comes the end of march...birthday party is over. i retired my larry bird jersey for paul pierce.. and i'm ok with that. K-Spot has left the building and i'm in denial about that. i went to see Light Me Up and Boys Life tonite. it was spectacular on all fronts. felt like a second birthday actually. only cuz i had some very HQ people around me..Light Me Up sang a new song "Lucky Penny" and i was almost freaking over with tears. OMG!!!!ahhh..
hungover, pensive, sad today, along with the onset of nightmares (fuck off i thought i sent you fuckers to the corner store yo!) I predict mini freakouts to come.. The realization that i have a month left in this house and this city. its madness. no fucking around anymore. get rid of shit, get plane tix booked, get the idea that YOURE NOT JUST COMING RIGHT BACK into yer head. NY has always been a place i adored, but i caould always come home to somewhere else. No escapes this time. moments of confidence and doubt swing like a pendulum, but thankfully they linger longer at the more uplifting side of the swing. I don't know really how this next month is gonna be.
At the mohawk tonite i heard Edward Sharpe, Crocodiles, Soft Moon, MGMT, etc.. in between bands. Craving a Krissie next to me.. wanted her to see Boys Life really bad cuz she loves the beach fossils and its right up her alley. July will bring BL to new york for 5 shows, and i can't tell you how happy that makes me. even on vacation, i will go see a band from austin, just to witness the tourlife, the crowd reaction. i anticipate many front row spots for ATX bands coming thru the new city. rent or buy some vans fuckies! if i have a room, my floor is all yours!
so...what else is new? well what else is old? i'm clinging to both right now. srsly don't want to blog down the blog with a bunch of personal crap, but hey this.is.the.real.deal. it really does hit all at once. today being the pre all at once day. April is my month of TCBing. can't afford not to. must lay off the vices and get boxes and sell shit and "just get there" as my friend Jenny from denver told me tonite. it is very simple when you put it on the table. all you gotta do is get there. and BTW, getting there isn't half the fun whatsoever. Being very negative and nostalgic..should listen to more of that Naked and Famous album..kinda makes me pumped when it pops up on the ipod as of late. so...sad to miss the psych fest..turns out i will be a moving ass machine that weekend. hauling and trucking whatever belongings i have left to my parents house. The garage sale will certainly be an eye opener. My hope is that my house will be empty, i will be $200 richer, and moving shit will become more carload style versus truck load. Thank GOD! moving blows. Missing ATX psych fest is really gonna be lame (reevaluation of the lineup today AKA stupid internet search). missing intimate and friend fueled shows like tonite and gatherings like last nite are gonna be the lamest. making jokes with my folks and seeing them so often is gonna kill me. BUT i've grown up so much..being sick and conquering demons has been the most grown up and challenging thing i've ever been thru. sometimes it happens when people are 18. i waited a decade for my own awakening. things happen for a reason , i truly believe that. GOD ain't fuckin around here. so bring on the challenge. i'm ready. i'm ready. i'm ready. the worst fear is the unknown, but its also the most thrilling. let's try keep the pendulum on the thrilling side of things. rambling thoughts are out for now...i don't have a therapist or a punching bag, but i have long jogs, jazzercize, upcoming skype dates with K-spot, HQ folks ,shoulders to lean on, and mytwinletoes on my side until shit hits the fan. feeling very nostalgic, thankful, and dare i say optimistic at said moment. goodnite sweet march, its been a great month. let the real madness begin, April, come in like a fucking lion.

ATX weekend/sxsw memos

sweet, bitter, sweaty. AKA tonite, the last night in the ATX to dance with my besty K-Spot, who will relocate to Atlanta, Georgia next week for the HR dept at the job. super proud of her, and will sadface my last month in austin due to her absence. Sister in law came down for teh weekend and it was pretty much bliss. Dancing tonite kinda ruled, even though the songlist coulda been better..it was grand times all around. Going away party last nite at Shang (duh!) GTBF with Teamfab mate Jen and rocking "on a boat" with damon on the #19 bus late nite style.

This month has flown by it seems... sxsw was just last week...realized a few things. 1)i love public transit. Everytime i get on the bus there's a guaranteed compliment. Thanks fuckies, it really does mean something when you say i'm "lookin' good". plus i don't have to deal with APD or driving or giving a shit about getting to my vehicle. i feel free. this is good prep for new york. 2) i became a Twatter. well, i've had a Twitter acct for a while but never used it. Now i'm following some fuckies and it really is kinda fun. Shitsville on the battery power of the iPhone i will admit. 3)officially hoooked on Instagram. I wonder what real photographers think of all these effects and color washing and framing and such..at the press of a button. prolly haters. But i'm no expert, and instagram lets me pretend. Still in awe of all you people that can shoot the pics w/o the instahelp.
SXSW recap:
Thursday:
*lunch at east side kings w/ RT saved my tummy all day..delicious.
*surprised by Hooray for Earth who i hadn't heard of but caught at the pitchfork takeover at east side drive in. I thought of bear in heaven on prozac. glee!!
*Caught The Fresh and Onlys for the first of a thousand shows they played all week. sheesh!
*worth the walk to see Atlas Sound. homie was seriously painting a canvas of noise right in front of us. got serious chills. Thanks KSpot for the wise decision to try get in..super great timing.
*evening time..on thursday. Beach Fossils and Hunx and His Punx at Shang. Beach Fossils were stunning, as always..the crowwd actually got the fuck into it and John ended up with a bloody bass thumb. Love me some sweet dudes who are appreciative of humble atx crowds. and the townies of course.
FRIDAAY:
*Small Black was a winner...same with last year with guest Washed Out. Made it back this year for teh Rhapsody party, which was pretty grand with the free shirts and guiness and such. Covered THe Sun was High (So was I) by best coast and was super dreamy
*great decision made to skip deerhunter (sorry braddy) to go to the Gorilla Vs bear party.. HRO tweeted that Matt Bonner from the Spurs was in attendance and that was kinda awesome. Made our way down for fucking Summer Camp, which was totally enthralling.. This girl had me cross over for a second. came down into the crowd and we danced, got a lil 3 finger action in..the recording is even better. Thanks kspot! I fancy a duo, but the production on the album fills that shit up.
*Soft Moon: perfection. dark in the club. Pedals fucking everywhere, seriously, how the fuck do you remember what each pedal does?!? holy geez it was perfect. A place to bury a place to bury strangers y'all.
*Longbranch in at night. Another decision with great luck and timing cuz that shit filled up. Saw WEekend and prolly was supposed to like them more or something. BUT the highlight of the fest was Gobble Gobble from canada. These dudes had a Dj on stage making beats..band on the floor with crazy ass keyboards, samplers, percussion out of your mom's kitchen cabinets, glocks, makeshift shakers..plus they had no shirts and wore tutus. carried props through the crowd and totally let us bang on shit. We were seriously grinding against a Nord electro..so fucking up front. sweaty dance party to songs we'd never heard. love love TTM.
*Cloud nothings played right after and we were equally close and it felt houseparty cozy.

Saturday:
east side drive in for mess with texas fest..
*finally saw The Oh Sees, kinda over rated live.but hey, not pissed.
*caught candy claws finally at Gypsy, along with Headless Horsemen. Two dudes face to face with drums and a laptop..by god you must be from NY and practice in your 1/2 bedroom. good job guys!
*Surfer Blood at ESD..view from the top of the #19 Bus (food trailer with upstairs hangout zone). it was nice, but of course the sound not the greatest. Dead Milkmen kinda rocked it though..i think the view and the nostalgia made up for the sound.

*finally say Constantina from Belo Horizante Brazil. Friends of Rapha's, never met, instantly recognized me, bought me a beer and offered me food. GODDAMNIT i love Brazilians! the show was spectacular and they put on a grand party. Mostly instrumental, loungy, somewhat jazzy, but the drums kicked in and hints of Mogwai and noisy, clamorous chaos brought life into it. Streamers and confetti? yup. did i say i fucking loved brazil? shiiiiiit!

So Jen and I had our Team Fab gig for the Thrillist Party on monday. It was kinda the most awesome show we'd ever played. The crowd was amazing, we were treated like queens, if queens like Pop Chips, free Rum, and Durex condoms, hee hee. well, we are those types of queens, and it was great beign on stage with each other, interacting with the crowd, and honestly NGFing. If that was Team Fab's last show (sniff sniff) it was one for the books.

OKAYS, enough about southbysouthwest. its over. austin is normal again, if only for a brief time. cuz this next month is gonna be chaos. i predict a riot. of freakouts. and uncertaintity. But this weekend, as we said farewell to Krissie, its apparent that this place will always be home.

Random thoughts:
-Kanye West i didn't see you live but dancing to monster is fuckin A
-Michael Cera wears a hoodie and a backpack...and this ain't a movie set son. you're still adorable
-bummed about not seeing Foster the People
-Jam of the Week: Oberhofer : I Could Go. justcan'tfuckingstoplisteningtoit!
-the generationals have some great songs, i should just listen to the fucking album more
-fuckies in austin don't need spring break to go bat shit crazy. eeks RE: tonite
-i'm retiring my Larry Bird jersey for Paul Pierce on Tuesday. go celtics! here we go birthday. yay!

<3 all

words will break my laughing muscles. SXSW

WOW, did you hear the news?!!? so. it was a violent fest. i hate that shit. we're trying to have fun and we don't want to end up in a hospital or searching for cotton balls we don't have in our fucking purses cuz when the fuck would we need those? bandaids perhaps, but shit.. wanna be scotch tape doesn't stop the bleeding. i can count the number of scary episodes at sxsw this year (and the many thanks for my lack of presence at said events):

1) the strokes at auditorium shores for free. fuckies stormed the barricades and all of a sudden RIverside drive onlookers had a blocked off street and a place to bro down at the shitsville festival style BS atmosphere that is Auditorium Shores. gugh. has anyone seen the strokes live? not worth the madness. musically perhaps, but check your egos at airport security please!!!!!

2) Screeching Weasel fuckface decided to punch two WOMEN at the scoot in. FUCK YOU twice. san antonio show cancelled either cuz homie is in jail or will get his ass beat. thank you LA times and all the interweb velocity for getting the word out on this..shit TTM. srsly, just search Screeching Weasel gets into Fight! on YouTube. gross

3) Boom camera arm at OMD show at stubbs fell on crowd and sent two ppl to the ER.This was an official SXSW showcase w/ improper permits.

4) DFA played at the beauty bar where alley onlookers broke down the fenced barricade. is on Youtube and looks not toooo bad, but screams of a girl needing help never sets my heart at east. Nice interim jokes told by DFA whilst the APD had to TCB on horses.

So aside from some superduper amazing nice shows, which i will write about later, i'll close with a few memorable quotes from the week:

1)" now would be a great time to be on psychadelics" - some bro hanging out at Flamingo Cantina awaiting the only Atlas Sound show at SXSW. K-spot and myself agreed that the general monstrosity of the sponsorship logos and oddly placed gold watch dealer banner would put anyone on psychadelics into a tailspin. #beerisgood

2)"man i wish i could get into a fight right now!" some dudester just kicking it, post 2:15 AM on east 5th street on the walk to my car last night. srsly bro, the pure volume house is not worth a fight.

3)"You are not an Ostrich" -kpsot telling me that my outstretched neck wouldn't even be able to see the end of the line at longbranch inn for Gobble Gobble and Cloud Nothings. Thank GOD cuz we posted up early fuckies and were rewarded with the madness of houseparty style dancing and noise <3

4)"Can I Kiss you" -homeless dude "no"-Me "Can i give you a hug?" -homeless dude "no but thank you anyway" --me. "I like your demeanor" --homeless dude. This was an extrememly awesome interaction witha non begging homeless man. dare i say i was smiling the whole time?!? well i was, out of laughter and maybe a bit of 'GODDAMNIT I LOVE AUSTIN!!" but the smell was a bit intrusive.. said homieless was spotted eating out of trashcan tonite, FYI

5) "my mic smells like beard." --Aaron Sinclair of Frank Smith. I found it to be the least vulgar of things one could say about a weiner shaped apparatus. just sayin.

6) "can i get more applause in my monitor?"-- Lead singer of Smith Westerns. funny as hell, but a complete DB the entire time. WTF? hate that shit. file that under too young to be so idolized by the pitchfork readers...and don't let shit go to yer head.

i would write more about the amazing music i saw (Dom, Gobble Gobble, Cloud Nothings, Soft Moon, Summer Camp, The Lemurs, Beach Fossils AKA the nicest band ever, Hunx, Royal Bangs, No Age..etc) and the ultra fun DJ gig with Jen a la Team Fabrication style... but girls gotta rest. Maybe a regrets and highlights blog to come?? so...Spring Break is officially cashed. only the week, not the mentality, hee hee.. Kanye or not (emphasis on not damnit!!) it was breathtaking and sentimental..and was enjoyed with the greatest of forever friends... i'm talking to you RT, Krissie, Gunner, Jen, Damon, and new friends, my Brazilian homies from the band Constantina (hailing frome Belo Horizante) as well. <3 special thanks for my bro, sis in law, and my folks for coming in to enjoy the march madness. Special thanks to Rio Rita double espresso over ice with a shot of sweet n low and cream. and maddd thanks to the door peeps/ bartenders at shang, gypsy,Longbranch, rio rita, hotel vegas, mohawk, and everyone for being so bushy tailed and grinning ANY time a regular like myself/us stormed up amongst a sea of tourists. it'll be hard to leave home after such hospitality. TAKE A BREAK KIDS>>> its much deserved ;) and TYVM for GVBear for an excellent party at the Klub K. kinda got excited that HRO tweeted that Matt Bonner was at said party. Go Spurs..sort of..i mean, after the celtics of course ;) oh and diazepam, old school homeowner on east 6th with 1$ watter bottles and cokes, plus Sopranos reruns to lull me to bed..much love and hugs ;)

BTW, i got prime viewing for surfer blood and dead milkmen on the top of the cheesesteak smelling lonestar stocking #19 bus..all hail buddy Tim for the bus and awesome food trailer invasion of east austin. here's a mini vid:

time baby

another brilliant nite in austin that deserves a write. saw two ends of the ATX spectrum, highlighted by the simple notion that gettin across the entertainment district should always be quick and free *just say NO to night time parking meters!!
so went to beerland w/ GFace to see Black Gum. was oh so pleasantly surprised.(well the rough tracks i'd heard had me excited so perhaps surprised isn't the best word. who cares) Nonetheless, Badger on the drums, Travis on guitar and IDK who on bass..it was on LD for sure! sloppy muddled vocals, jangly guitar, drum lady totally TCBing mad style, a song named "the longest two minutes of your life" ..played with a Harlem/woven bones asthetic..it was amazing..it belonged in the matador Casual Victim Pile. One song, introduced as "we're gonna sing about the beach!" made my receptors go in high gear happy. Saw some really old faces (srsly considered before going that i may be the only person over 30 in the venue..NOT TRUE) and was happy that the same Austintes AKA ex models, ppl at afterparties of the olden years, ex/semi musicians were in attendance. Beerland will always be hip apparently because that's where everyone starts, and everyone stays, if that makes sense. reminisced about the too many times i'd played on that same stage and how FUCKING LOUD the stage monitors were, how shit wasn't heard at all in the crowd.. esp regarding vocals. always wondering how it sounded after playing... I didn't miss This Microwave World oddly enough, it was a run that raced like many an austin band..it was in a happy sort of memory zone i fell into..for a brief moment...i wish i coulda stayed for Soft Healer but made my way across town to see Frank Smith. I tell you, i've been waiting for the new 2011 Frank Smith song births..and sure enough 2 new songs were delivered. Evolved and raw, harder and with even more strut and swagger. jaw dropped. small splices of noisy Spiritualized feedback, a hint of CCR, and vocalist Aaron sinclair had thoughts of Kurt Cobain yelling as he did on "Drain You". I'm not even sure this can be conceptualized for a bluesy americana band, and it may not seem appropriate. but seriously, a whole new level was achieved. it. was. intense. best live so far by the FS.
Last nite dream of seeing Wild Nothing was realized. Saw with K-Spot and new fan Jeannettieo. the set was eternally perfect in every way. the band was gracious and i got the feeling they weren't expecting to play for a packed ass room. as i fan, an admirer, i think " how the fuck could they not realize it?", but honest to GOD they seemed humble and surprised. Abe Vigoda pretty much rocked it after a few songs and some sound board realizations. Just a few adjustments were made and the sound was grand. Props to the keyboardist/guitarist. unprops for the crowd not allowing me to see WTF kind of synth he was playing. Wah, wah.
Kspot and i both came to the oddest conclusion: this band Abe Vigoda rules but singer sounds like dude from the bravery (or the futureheads/kaiser chiefs/whoeverthefuckelse was buzzband at the time during SXSW ..um...06 perhaps??) either way couple the bands and above and beyond the best show i've seen at Red 7 inside.
in other news, i have a DJ gig in a few weeks. Its been since november and that was a wedding. i wonder WTF to play. i wonder if Traktor still works. I wonder how the skipped AP at danny's is going. I wonder where all the hot Brazilians were tonite since it was Carnival.. oh wait, perhaps they were AT carnival festivities ') oh well..
things are still grand when you let them be. even when you venture back to past stomping grounds you thought were not welcoming or welcomed for that matter. There's no place like home.

magic and mystery

so i was gonna write about seeing no joy, wavves, and best coast. But honestly, i can't say enough about how seeing a sold out show at emo's makes me cringe. i could listen to it all in my car and geek the fuck out moreso than the show thursday nite. whatever..shit was fun and much anticipated..but like most shows at emo's (God bless 'em) just can hear what i wanna hear properly when i can't get front and center. IN other newz..I'M GOING TO SEE JEFF MANGUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HFC, holy fucking christ i am going to new jersey to see Jeff Mangum at the intimate (?) monday nite show following the all tomorrows parties festival in october. I never thought i'd get to have this experience. My girl Julia refreshed and refreshed browser style and was able to procure us tix. This means i have to move to NY.not that there was any question, but hey, i'm going...and i have an adventure to attend to a few months after i arrive. the stars have aligned for once. YOOOOZA!!!!! and on a side note, K-spot and myself tried dancing this saturday and heard a terrific track..we couldn't figure out who it was..had a beach fossils sort of vibe...something about Olivia in the lyrics.. if anyone knows said track please comment! it would make us veeeery happy!
xo
elfgirl

last meaningless blog of the year

its 433 am and i'm finally home... it was a good calm NYE, easing on the booze, and prioritizing my state of mind for my last bit of time with my niece tomorrow...not sure what to write about so i will prolly just babble on about good times big fun this year...

free week happens every year in ATX... starting Jan 1st.. all local all free. and all the cheapskates come out in groves.. But its good to play.. last year was grand with The Laughing, Frank Smith, Low Line Caller, Ovenbyrds, Riverboat Gamblers, Cartwright...may you all venture out farther than ever in 2K11

SXSW in march...most memorable shows were local natives, bear in Heaven, best Coast, Diamond Rings, fanfarlo, surfer blood, reading rainbow, hunx, we are scientists, washed out, small black, Tanlines, so many more..but the Windish party at emo's was outta site..it was all day shows...energy drinks, gas station sandwiches, goin home for a hot second and NOT napping.. then out again...i guess thats the time when "i can sleep when i die" mentality comes into play.. its a whole different world here during march..a world i enjoy..

working around the fanfarlo kids in march was quite awesome. seeing the songs come to life..the frustration and magic, fatigue and perseverence involved in the recording process...wonderful

April brought Beach House to Emo's ...i hate standing side stage, but its almost mandatory unless yer under 21 at this venue at a sold out show... still first time live was brilliant

Future islands in may (opening was lower dens) quite an intimate sunday nite show with k spot and new bandmates from teh sour notes...love loved...

toured with Sour Notes in late May...great to play all around teh east coast and canada..O canada! i want to live in you! seeing brooklyn after 3 yrs was pretty great..as was the old friends and faces. so much <3

Triggermen show at trailer space was fuckin A!!

random mixtapes from k-spot always hit the spot <3

June came the NBA playoffs and i was in celtics mode.. FUCK the LAKERS!

July-august - the entire year.. it was peppered with Team Fab DJ gigs.. weddings and clubs...CD releases...it was all so grand..i hope to do again before i move..

August: dj gig prevented me from seeing woven bones and happy birthday..Beach Fossils at Emo's was just incredible

September...dj gigs and the one nite KSpot and myself chose to see Harlem over the Drums.. Not disappointed.. Harlem ruled it..just off tour.. But fuckin A i've yet to see the drums live..

October...ACL best shows were pre show with Spoon at the Mohawk.. then offically, saw Spoon, plus Beach House, Soft Pack, Henry clay people, Edward Sharpe,Girls (roses round the mics...ahhh) sonic youth, the fuckin Eagles...dont' ask about the drug use or clothing please ;) plus so many others.. VIP is wonderful.. after show with Mates OF State at mohawk was surprisingly Afuckingmazing! also caught Sonny and the Sunsets which was a perfect icing on a delicious weekend cake

Elf Power.. my old lovers at emo's.. small crowd.. it dwindles over the years.. and no surprise guest spot from jeff mangum

FFF Fest in November..first time to see Wavves, the antlers, toro Y moi, os mutantes..was waay into all these sets, but mostly wavves..plus best coast, Black Nasty (best show i've seen from em live, woo hoo!), delorean (gotta love that language barrier!) ariel pink, GWAR WTF? the descendents....lost..Deerhunter OMG!

saw Future Islands and Lower Dens at mohawk properly w/ K-spot.. was thoroughly moved..to somewhere

saw millionyoung and teen daze... made for some great dancing, even if it was inside at the mohawk

WMMF and frank smith at antones was pretty awesome too.. again, locals completely kicking ass

memorable musical moments include many...live beach house, Barbarella dance nites, team fab DJ nites, weddings where we had to behave, artist weekends with jim and britt and kspot at shang, five fingering geek outs, dancing to wild nothing, bryan/college station music festival, White dress, Karaoke, road trips to houston singing Detroit Cobras and Kelly Clarkson, the new Kanye west (this weeks been a bad massage, i need a happy ending) <---OMG i could go on forever!
lookings forward to in 2011:

Jean on Jean
The Laughing
Jeff the Brotherhood
Kuroma
Mister Heavenly
rainbow Bridge (<--great live vids on youtube)
The generationals
The very best
blackbird blackbird
Family of the year
the so so glos
white fence
maximum balloon
the crocodiles
pearl harbour--whatever they are called now..
more beach fossils, more wild nothing, more CEO, more SXSW discoveries... cheers to Candy Claws at the fest, RIP Women, RIP Ponytail :(, learning all the words to My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Elephant 6 holiday tour...
No Joy, getting around to that newish smith westerns....
and all the other bands i hear so much about this year but never really took the time to get up on that shit.. so here's my memory aid for 2011..

this year really meant a lot more than this blog..but i'm all for jotting down and editing.
much loves to you all..

sweet redemption

the weekend that looked bleak turned out to be kinda spectacular. for starters, i saw What Made Milwaukee Famous on friday. i've been following them for years, almost wept tears at the beauty of this reunion...knowing a teeny bit of the back story of the dudes, the triumpths and turmoils and tragedies and blessings...some of which hide under thick blankets of drunkeness and self preservation.. well all of it culminated into a WOW of a show that nearly brought me to a weeping finish. thank you for playing curtains. thank you for the right stage monitor position i posted up at..it was nice to see everyone being bros again..

so sweet redemption. decided i would give saturday nite new noise another chance tonite. After viewing past weeks playlists online, and needing some serious dance therapy, i had to venture back..thinking i would get the shit end of the stick, i was pleasantly rewarded with these artists:

Miike Snow
Edward Sharpe (OMG, heart skipped many beats!)
Hot Chip
Daft Punk
yeasayer
Tanlines
apples in stereo
YYYs
sleigh bells
the drums
arcade fire (yep, srsly from Funeral)
active child

sooo glad i gave it a shot. crowd got busy, left at 1:00 am. the dancing beast was unleashed and tamed, if only for a few days ;)

plusses:
*nobody got in my way, and i was able to practice jazzercise in my own lil corner
*gay boy told me i smelled like cotton candy. i thought i smelled like sweat. i know i did
*the three drinks i had were ordered w/o lines or attitude
*high five from a stranger who was enamoured with arcade fire
*galloping/not giving a fuck/not knowing anyone there
*leaving satisfied and not bitching at how shitty dancing in the ATX is

minuses:
*meant to text K-Spot and my sis to say, hey, the dance is back in town! hope they read this
*boys in the ladies room
*shitty songs i didn't know with waaay too much filter sweeping
*missed BCoast, BFossils, CEO, but hey i got what i could for a nite i thought would blow balls
*no K-Spot
*everyone in this town is 20 with fake IDs

can't complain too much...i actually had to force a water break. i haven't AP'd in a loong time, and was craving conversation...met up with work ladies at a party with, guess what?!?! a dance shack. nice!

Went to 2nd AP to Danny's studio and finally saw where the laughing, the lemurs, WMMF, and white denim make magic. It was a brilliant old house converted into a studio. only one bedroom was livable.. every other one was soundproofed, full of mics, keyboards TTM, and lots of amps that i have no idea how wonderful or shitty they sound. whatta place!

so a weekend that looked a bit boring actually turned out to be pretty awesome. beginning to appreciate what it is i'm about to leave. anxiety reared its ugly head today, but i found a remedy all by myself. guess i gotta learn to do that, yeah? eeks, yeah. alright, sore muscles and fading...smiling out now.. ;)

i'm hoping to be asleep before the end of this post

insomnia is a bitch. SRSLY. not like sticky syrup fingers after eating waffles bitch, that's merely annoying. not like mistakenly DLing the clean version of the new Kanye album bitch...that's just a lapse in soulseek judgement. Insomnia is a whole different beast of a bitch.. a cold hearted, throat slitting bitch. I'm sitting here kickin it with her now and i can't get her to leave. she makes me wanna think too much and smoke cigarettes for no reason. Those behaviours i do tend to indulge in but kinda trying to cut back on both.. grr..Speaking of insomnia, there was a 24 hour coffee shop near my college dorm, and what was it named?!?! yup, Insomnia. i thought it was the grandest name in the world for a coffee shop. i wish it was next door now..the dent in the mattress midsection isn't the most comfy..speaking of bitch, i'll quit that shit right now!

so in other news...i'm outta the closet on the whole relocation tip. and i must select a coast.. funny how i've always been obsessed with brooklyn bands and the "how the fuck is anyone even in a band in the city?!?" stuff...This past year some favorites came from the west coast.. the beach is good for us. it keeps us human, and makes people want to smoke a ton of weed and make some great tunes. right? hell karen o seemed to like it. ahh, what a way to pick a place to move, huh?

actually i really am thinking this one through..more than ever y'all. hence the insomnia. i'm assuming. Yet with all this deciding and step taking and quivering nerves, the days of thriving in the possibilities of life are seeping back in..taking care of myself and living faithfully in moments (at least trying to, hehe) welcome back also. wasting time, its fucking rubbish...Absurdities and obscenities cannot be forgotten. they are the slices of life.

New Habit Alert: went jogging on the outskirts of a mall parking lot this past weekend, and fuck jogging, let's dance! made up silly routines and pretended i was a dancer, a real one at least. sometimes a ballerina...sometimes a celtics cheerleader.. whatthefuckever..it was freedom. Freedom like a jog in the country the morning after i decided to decide...when i didn't even mind the sun and had spontaneous dancing in the pasture... So far my favorite songs are "Mien" by Million Young for modern/interpretive dance, "Chinatown" by Wild Nothing for ballet, and of course "Home" by Edward Sharpe for skipping.. <--that one would be funner with a partner. If K-Spot is reading, hey, that was for you!

New Habit Alert #2: Jazzercise. $20 for 12 classes. Let's make a Deal yo

New Habit Alert #3: board games. must play them more. i think my dream job would be the person who though up all the stupid questions and topics, and such..not too savvy on an exact example right now.. but working on a game seems just as much fun as playing it, especially if it involves word games. Oh and PS-have you ever fucking tried to MAKE a crossword puzzle of your own. that shit is an insomniatic bitch too! AKA difficult.

ok...so year end lists arriving in a while probably in top 10 form..we'll see...just read K-Spot's worst itunes puchases of 2010, and i was in stitches. tomorrow will dive into the pitchfork list of best and worst album covers of the year...one of my favorite articles this year was about modern bands using old photos or digitally dehancing them to look completely antique, i suppose its called hipstamaticulating? ha. czech it here if you like: This is Not a Photograph http://pitchfork.com/features/articles/7833-this-is-not-a-photograph/1/

especially if you are someone who has "a specific lifestyle that merges real-life obligations with the desire to stay deliriously young." <---damn i love that line.

and with that, i think the bitch went to bed. Tomorrow is today,g'nite <3

Million Young or bust!

Oh my Million Young !! it was an anticipated show for K-Spot and myself , finally ending in a saturdaynite supersatisfaction! i admit the whole one man with beats/ chillwave tip is pretty trendy. i will also admit that usually i love it. Washed Out, Memory Tapes, Ducktails, Toro Y Moi...you're all pretty tasty. With the exception of ducktails i've seen each of these bands live.. and well, Million Young takes the ice cream cake. Teen Daze was a solid opener. One lil guy, some nice ambience, sweeping synths, a few hits on the sampler for beats and gunshot effects. kidding, hee hee. Excellent match for Million Young.. when its just one person up there, hopefully they have charisma. And Teen Daze did. Thankfully dancing to his own tunes in a way that seemed very authentic raising his hands in the air.. this type of behaviour can really annoy the shit out of me. but like washed out, teen daze was charming and inviting, both personally and musically. nice jokes and an "I LOve Lone Star!" thrown into the mix.

The finale of course was Million Young, who i thought was going to set up with just a laptop. Curiosity had already risen when a drum kit was backlined so hrmmm..... could this be an actual live band performance?!? Did Mike Diaz bring his homies from Florida along for tour?!? OMG yes indeed! (apparently 5 ppl in a sedan we were told) A four piece Million Young played a full set from Sunndreamm EP and Be So True EP. I can say much about shows not having dull moments, hell, most of them do.. but this entire set filled the room with blissful noise and dancey beats way hotter than most chillwavers.. god that was terrible, ha. i must say no offense to any one man showmen, but the sound was 100 times more tremendous when it wasn't just a computer making it. The kick drum was throbbing, loud and unsampled guitars, and the same filtered and ethereal vocals from the recordings..it came together so miraculously. Perfectly placed samples when used, perfectly proportioned free space, intricate 80's synth blips, bells, and tons of energy. Even the slower songs like "Mien" and "Day We Met" were not lets-get-drilled-and- sway..even these songs had requisite beat acknowledgment. heads bobbed, feet tapped, hips shook. and geez when "CYnthia" and "Weak Ends" came on, it was like watching Delorean at FFF fest. One couldn't help but dance, smile, laugh, and lose their wits for a moment..hell maybe even better due to sheer proximity to the band and the crowd. apples and oranges. both delicious.

I can never say enough about bands putting the fun into performing. as much as i already liked Million Young recorded, my fandom has increased from seeing them play live, with such a grand stage presence, vivacity, and humility. AKA no pretense or ego to get in the way. real instruments can always enhance virtual ones.

coupla highlights:
*When the first few notes of "Calrission" came on KSpot and I turned to each other and said "this is my favorite!" last nite really couldn't have been sweeter
*Million Young outro of Gorillaz wha? neato!
*realizing that i don't always know where the bands i like are from but pretty sure that Yo Majesty was the only one from Florida i marginally liked until now. Thanks Million Young, maybe i shoulda looked into that garage punk booze cruise docking outta Fla ;)
*million young is an oxymoron in the context of age. wow, i love that shit!

stay young lovelies. here's "Mien"

turkey necking and high fiving

i hear a story: via the K-spot, bradford cox just released two atlas sound albums available for free on the DL tip on his website. i kinda cant wait to hear them.. Thanksgiving came early for krissie.. and it sure came early for me as K-Spot made me a mix CD...The new Girls EP Broken Dreams Club is there.. (i hereby nominate us as co presidents) plus beach fossils, Wild Nothing, and Foxes in Fiction. Not familiar with FIF except for blip, i turned the tracks to 15-18 to hear Foxes in Fiction. I guess i sorta melted away, and things were so backgroundishly surreal and sublime...atmospheric and lush... that the tracks flew the fuck by..all of a sudden i'm back to the Girls EP. I'm going to seriously enjoy the trip to my parents house.. it'll take an hour but with traffic maybe longer, so i'll be able to soak it in even more.. The girls EP does have me impressed. a bit unexpected... i hear female backing vocals, a pedal steel perhaps, and some serious twangish soul coming out. sort of like lying under a bed of small town texas stars...if i actually did go camping, this may actually fit in if only for one second. Jeff Mangum and everything Elephant 6 will most definitely dominate any sitting around a fire moments i have.. soo. GIrls: Everything about the lyrics is what we'd expect.. all about the broken heart, the lost love, searching for the high of just plain normalcy or the drug/buzz/crush that will let us escape from the dark place we all refer to when we look at ourselves. if i had the lyrics in front of me i'd quote it, but for now, ill just say thankyou. you got me. you got us all.

in other random news, its thanksgiving weekend. starting RFN~! Right Fucking NOw!! i'm dog sitting and house sitting, and both are still alive and well. BONUS!! tomorrow i go out to see the folks. Thursday the family.. I love it when my mom puts on her sirius radio in the mornings instead of news. its calming, and she will always pop up with some obscure reference to a band she heard... and its always quite awesome.. also quite enjoyable for someone without a telly: HD muthafuck! i will get to watch football all day and stuff my face with sweet potatoes and turkey and everything under the great big holiday sun. woo hoo! so yeah, its time to go out, come out, and get out. if only for a couple of days. being in the middle of nowhere is really something i could never do as a living situation, but to listen to your dreams under a bright clear sky of stars without the city noise or haze is kind of alluring. there's always a new reference point and new fantasy to be devoured.

BTW, has anyone else noticed how music lovers and sports fans are usually packaged into one person? Anyone read Chuck Klosterman? i've kind of seen this ellipse of music geeks and sports geeks..where the middle is the most dominant part..seriously! don't wanna analyze it..or relate the two at the moment.. just wanna appreciate it, and say, fuck yea a good games a good game! and i hope to see good games this week. *sidenote-can't wait for NBA post season

also looking forward to year end top ten/top 100/best of lists, etc.. maybe i'll even participate at some point.. its all about the recap and nostalgia of the year, and not that i've got better things to do...like.. say, looking at the future, I"m not above it, i totally get off on that stuff..so ill try to put something together. it keeps me grounded. i have to be grounded to move forward, and yes that makes sense..right??

i can't fucking believe its almost 2011.

ok, out for now.. eat all you can kids... hook em and shit!

the itch to hitch

weddings are actually quite fun to DJ when people know how to moonwalk. not just the groom but the groom's daughter, sister, brother, mother,and father. i've never seen a family get down so much..except maybe when my dad and uncle are on guitar and bass, and everyone knows the words to both covers and originals from....whenever. Jen played Kicks tonite. and i thought about when i played the keys to Paul Revere and the Raiders with my Daddy. I missed it. i love that song. these lyrics c'mon:

Girl, you thought you found the answer on that magic carpet ride last night
But when you wake up in the mornin' the world still gets you uptight
Well, there's nothin' that you ain't tried
To fill the emptiness inside
But when you come back down, girl
Still ain't feelin' right

And don't it seem like
Kicks just keep gettin' harder to find
And all your kicks ain't bringin' you peace of mind
Before you find out it's too late, girl
You better get straight

No, but not with kicks
You just need help, girl

Well you think you're gonna find yourself a little piece of paradise
But it ain't happened yet, so girl, you better think twice
Don't you see no matter what you do
You'll never run away from you
And if you keep on runnin'
You'll have to pay the price

wow,you'll never run away from you...don't overthink it. STOP IT! so....in other news, if you've never seen jana hunter w/ the lower dens, please do so promptly. K-Spot and myself went to see Future Islands and lower dens friday nite..one of the best shows of the year, and its fucking november. Year end list to come, BTW, but for now, this one is making a good run for top 3. SO go do it, if you are even reading this and you live somewhere within 5 hours driving distance, i recommend taking the trip. You will most certainly be elated the entire way home.

fun wedding playlist tonite, just for grins:

The Beatles: I wanna Hold your Hand
Al Green: Let's Stay Together
Passion Pit: I've Got Your Number
Michael Jackson: Wanna Be startin Somethin
Millionyoung: Calrissian
Rolling Stones: Start Me Up
The Kinks: waterloo sunset
OMD: If You leave
Sebastien Tellier: Divine
Prince: I would Die For You
Bruce Springsteen: Dancing In the Dark
MGMT: Kids
Run DMC, Franz Ferdinand, The Knack: mashup TDF!!

only regret of the evening:
no sad Team Fab wedding photo to document. *sidenote, we're really not that sad ;)

alright, its been a weekend, and lugging around PA speakers and gear has me in need of a kick, AKA sleeeeepytime. gnite all <3

funfunfun weekend

happens all the time, whether it be before a fashion show, DJ gig, SXSW, a music fest, a vacation...I get sick. lay in bed all week sick. Last week was no different. Had plenty of time to rest and cross my fingers and toes that i'd be well enough to go to funfunfun fest with a full and healthy spirit. Luckily by Friday morning (Day 1) i was good to go. Not much to see except weird Al, which i didn't even watch. but it didn't matter cuz i got to hang with my favorite girls..Jen, Krissie, and my sister in law, but still my sister Leah. Let the weekend begin..in highlight form:

Saturday

-Jeff the Brotherhood: i didn't know two shits about these dudes. but seeing the two of them performing was awesome..i walked in on the last couple of songs, but now i'm kinda hooked

-The Antlers: as promised, beautiful, intense, dismal yet uplifting.. and the sound filled the park. Props to funfunfun for the last minute addition because they turned out to be a highlight.

-Wavves: for the first time live. Excellent set, i can listen to most of all the old album, and most def straight through the new one, and was pleased with all the choices.. But WTF with the volume? yet again, like Girls at ACL, how about a lil bit of amplification folks. Sincere and adorable with the crowd. Nathan needed a beer and traded a joint for a 24 oz tecate with a fan. He assured that they had plenty more weed. i expected a more excited crowd..but again, its tough without audible noise.

-Os Mutantes: well, i have an obsession with Brazil and this band has been making music for ages....first heard on a mix tape from boy i was dating several years ago. They broke into mean rock guitar solos under a haze of psychadelia and tropicana..they kept me on my toes. brazil always does.

-Man Man: shoulda watched more. but resting and sidewalk socializing (instead on gravel) backstage with every fucking scenester person in austin apparently took a bit of time, and didn't get everything done. Food and beer need consumption too.

-Delorean: the band i stalked during sxsw,i have much love for "Deli" and "Monsoon" but a lot of older tracks but was met with new and unfamiliar tunes at that particular festival. since then new songs have grown on me. perfect crowd for a dance band, glow necklaces and everything. and my favorite jogging keyboardist on the nord..so happy for these guys...they deserve the bigger crowds and kept the fun coming.. PS- great light show

-MGMT: first time to see live! Oracular Spectacular was a seriously meaningful album to me...it was one of those "get me thru this godddamn depressive breakup state i'm in " albums...i rode around the streets of san francisco listening to it with Raya, thinking, hey, things are gonna be for the moment, ok. and it was most certainly moment to moment then.. anyhow..definitely stoked to see live. Not let down. at that point was having crazy sisterly moments with my girls and doing that dance hug thing that looks really gay, but actually does kinda mean something.

Sunday:

-Black Nasty: absolutely the best way to start the day. without question. Black nasty has collaborated with several indie artists, and he receives death threats. But you know what, sack up, he has a lot of shit to say. PLZ listen to shark tank. if you are offended i'm sorry. truly.. i just think he's either taken too seriously or not taken seriously enough. enough of that talk..Team Fab, Gino, and the K-Spot and Leah laughed our asses off. Its funny to see your friends up there singing about doing it up the butt, festishes, and straight up jizz in the face.. Standouts were...fuckin A the whole set was a standout. congrats kids.

-Toro Y Moi: caught a bit of the action from the sidestage for this one. pretty amazing to watch so close. it was def a chill set, kinda matched the weather.

-Cults: long hair dudes, and lady.. all dressed in black. another decent addition to the fest. had their shit together.

-Best Coast: um, i love this band. i know there's a lot of singing about dudes and weed and cats and general dissatisfaction.. but get a group of girls together and whats likely to enter the conversation? dudes, cats, dissatisfaction, and coping strategies. weed, TV, wine, exercise, prayer.. whatever. i do'tn agree with people who say best coast is whiny...in my opinion bethany can sing about whatever the fuck she wants to...its stilly a beachy blast, even if you're not high. mucho singing along for this set.

-Deerhunter: most anticipated act of festival. it was pretty awesome. Expected to hear all of Halcyon Digest, but set peppered with older songs. longed for "Hazel St." and "Basement Scene" but it doesn't matter, its fucking Deerhunter. no lights, playing as shadows. lovely. i almost got lost.. i wanted to get lost... but most certainly not a letdown. a longer time slot woulda been really nice.

Weekend highs:
-attending a festival that's actually easy to get around with HQ bands and people
-Best coast guitarist stopping set to swig off the whiskey bottle in his backpack
-high fiving my favorite spaniard AKA delorean keys dude.
-Delorean saying we "De-yay" at beauty bar tonite.. AKA DJ awww..language barriers
-making friends with security homeboy
-meeting two members of wavves
-jen meets milo
-Seeing austin icon Leslie fully clothed for once eat a piece of pizza out of a trashcan.. 2 seconds later pulled a gnawed on turkey leg out of another trashcan and started chowing away. my stomach hurt from laughing.
-free beer and free burritos
-black nasty
-aftershow at mohawk with sonny and the sunsets..
-hanging out with blip friend igetfreepie
-seeing buffy
-clean port o lets
-K spot yelling penis! and being rewarded with vagina!
-jen getting on my shoulders for the descendents
-getting drilled

weekend lows:
-shitty sound at wavves
-missed most of man man
-missed most of jeff the brotherhood
-no afterparty dancing
-jen's camera lost
-egos and general douchebaggotry
-short sets
-my little bro not being around...but i had my sister

ok, i'm late for a meeting with ...guess who?

candy claws, millionyoung (thanks K-Spot), deerhunter, cults,and grandchildren. i want nothing else right now musically. on a more personal note, if you wanna gimme fiction, these nightmares and wanderlust thoughts would quit. but they don't seem to be stopping. so its a fact, elfgirl land is guilty without reasonable doubt...of confusion, suffocation, and negative analysis. i would hope to really be satisfied with just being happy with what i have. But i'm realizing i can't. i don't know if i should blame the sadistic media, my own musings, or the general fairytales i create about anyone else's life but mine.. either way, i need something else. i want to see myself changing every day..making little advances. (<--FUTURE ISLANDS!!!) i talk and talk, but can't take myself on a walk. so i will fly to portland, travel to atlanta with Krissie, text my boss in new york, and just be with my thoughts. try to figure it out. cuz right now, i have to think bigger than what i'm presuming i'm capable of. Team Fab made it into Nylon magazine this month. instead of champagne we drank Lone Star in celebration. a shitty picture and a blurb about DJing is really awesome when its in print. at least for us! all smiles... Also in Nylon's America issue: Boston,Nashville, Portland, blah blah, i havent even read the entire damn thing. but definitely some food for thought. anyways, a big shout out to my HQ friends whose ears i talk all the way off about this shit.. maybe i'll have something more interesting to say now that ive written it all out and can get off my own soap box..mmm...how about some Fun Fun Fun?!?!g'nite yalls.

weekend warriors

i drove home from a miraculously weird evening..covered in dos equis and sweat from strangers. but i shall explain. spent a fantabulous weekend in bryan/college station with K-spot and my sister in law, plus 5 other girls...yes i said 7 girls in one house.. wowza! I learned that i'm really not girlie at all, i should probably take care of my skin better, and that i can smoke cigarettes "on vacation" and not make it something that has to seep in to normal routine...this is good. its good that i can set boundaries on my vices and stick to my guns. back on track after tonite... and gonna pay for it in a straight up BTW (balls to the wall by the way) work week. so as long as i can get thru this week of manual labor, i will indulge in a wonderful weekend november 7-9 AKA fun fun fun fest. Team Fabrication was asked to design/fabricate a DEVO inspired T-shirt for Transmission Entertainment...creators of the festival ...rendering me full access to fun X 3. let's hope we can find time to squeeze in the sewing and fabric shopping together....its always better that way...more blogs on FFF to come.. In other news..had a meeting with a bride and groom tonite..wedding ETA a week after FFF fest..everythign went smoothly, should be a piece of cake, and a smaller, younger crowd means a lot. it also means "we don't want any country because our parents like the rolling stones and prince and hall and oats" OMG, thank you veeerrry much! what a lifesaver..and a big plus is that the actual ceremony music will be handled by an ipod. i couldn't be happier with the couple to be. its one of those nonchalant weddings where the bride and groom would rather see people having fun than stress out about that GODDAMN ONE PERFECT SONG that has to be played.. srsly, let's get the traditionals outta the way and then get the shit on straight. its gonna be good. in other very important news, listened to Lower Dens from Baltimore this weekend.. krissie and i went to see Future islands at Deville less than a year ago.. we liked the openers but didn't know WTF they were.. sure enough K-Spot researches and breaks out with the full length lower dens and confirmation that we both enjoyed the shit out of then unknown to us band...for the way in and the way home..YES!! home route: i lamely play iphone girl and manage to access the internets in the cuts and wouln't you know it, Lower Dens are opening yet again for future islands..and Astronautilus is playing outside (prolly spelled that wrong, but shit). super excited for this nite...Astroman has never let me down in a live environment..freestyling and flowing..gentlemans insane..counting the seconds.
OTHER THINGS TO NOTE:
-must make mix of old elephant 6 recordings for krissie cuz damnit that new cloud nothings she played for me is so genius.. and i heard influences out my ass...stuff i want to get all nostalgic and gaytarded about..who better would i do that with?!?!
-must listen to more kesha (i prolly misspelled that)
-tonite i went to a gay latino nite that happens every sunday in the ATX. My friend grisel asked me to go since she deems sundays sungays.. haha. I love that in existence was a pretty hot dance routine that everyone knew..and that it only took two tries for me to almost master that shite. Thanks to my grizzle! must dance more.
-saw my gunner tonite and discussed his new recording school project about muted bass drums and why that happens and why that is totally wrong most of the time
-listened to sea wolf and starfucker on the way home and decided that Starfucker is amazing is either underrated or pussyrated (most likely pussy rated since when i went to see them at mohawk, everybody was 20 or some shit)...either route is wrong, and they are TFA y'all.
totally fucken awesome
erin

i heard good stuff today

i heard the kid cudi, best coast, and vampire weekend song.."All Summer" probably something everyones heard and i'm the last, blah blah... but one of my favorite blipsters daretoeatapeach TCB'd on that today and i reblipped it twice. had to make sure craigz had heard it cuz shit was amazing... bethany stood out vocally from the get go, and i can't believe what an amazing mixmash of artists it is...shit, i fucking hate summer. maybe this is the end of it.. one genius song to say goodbye.. i have my "So Long Summertime" mix from K-Spot, which i adore (lots of twin shadow, palmbomen, and a song by the virgins that is TDF)...so here is the icing on an already delicious cake. been looking into my lastfm recs lately and i found a nice one today...Candy Claws..i find it ironic that with a name like Candy Claws (fearful, menacing, abrasive in my book) can make such relaxing tunage. some of my recs were so literally beachy (AKA waves from the ocean/sleep machine/please play this during my massage tomorrow) but candy claws stood out....maybe the percussion? must listen more, but i feel a calming obsession coming on.. ciao for now loves.

Elf Power

a sunday nite in austin texas usually means nothing more than staying home or goths nite out..AKA 80's dancing at Elysium, where i spent probably 50 consecutive sundays each year when i was 24-26. let's just say fond memories. not necessary to be goth, but you get the gist.. and you sure did get it when the B52s hour came on. shit sucked honestly ewww! but nonetheless i loved my sunday nites of yesteryear quite a bit.....old OMD, pet shop boys,FKW, Psychadelic Furs...it was all lingerie (usually of the black or white persuasion) all the time. not goth, but elfgirl. and that was when i could actually dance..now i feel all angular and weird. not sure if its due to the skinny arms or feeling older than, but yeah, doesn't seem to be my jam anymore...but you know, on occasion, 80s nite works. Tonite, being a sunday i was excited not for dancing, but to see one of my all time favorite bands Elf Power. Yes i've followed them for over a decade, and i've seen their audiences dwindle with each passing tour..yet i still go...and i am still rewarded. They dont sacrifice what most bands do...the die hards. AKA die hard songs or fans. I was on my first hit of ecstacy (well i was a pussy and took a half), prolly 22 years old, when my older bro introduced me to Elf Power.. I was lying in the grass and heard my first elf power song: "Will My Feet Still Carry Me Home." It was incredible to say the least...i can't even begin to describe the Elf Power obsession that came of the evening...or the subsequent falling in love with all things related to the Elephant 6 Recording Company/collective out of Athens, Ga. Tonite Elf Power played a song from their very first release "vainly clutching at the phantom limbs". sure i wish i woulda heard Temporary Arm or All your Experiments, but for a band in this stage of the game, rolling around the country in a van after all these years..to play something off the first release is pretty amazing and endearing to me. A few original members still play, but must give props to the new drummer...shit was very good. i'm no music theorist or genius but his time signatures or whatever were completely different than what i was used to hearing off the albums, and the tamborine came in at unexpectedly perfect points. brilliant. always wanting more keys and bass in the mix, but for a band that doesn't necessarily rely on those aspects, the guitars and sweeet vocals made up for it... admittedly i missed the accordian... i didn't hear Jane or Secret Ocean. BUT still i was so impressed...and was so happy to have seen them again. Even bought merch. tshirt coveted if not only for love, but for my (probably still) belief in the notion of the elves, fairies, and mystical world Elf Power sings so earnestly about. I stuck with a CD instead...first release. Jeff Mangum coming onstage woulda been amazing but hey, you get all the e6 you can on a sunday nite ;) I was overjoyed to be accompanied by K-Spot, who wasn't as famaliar w/ EP as i was. But she knew i was geeking out, and stood by me all the way. even took the "take my picture with you please" picture with Andrew Reiger and told him he was making a funny face and we should shoot one more. GAWD, i love her!! post shot, we were headed home and wouldn't you know it, a new leaf on the dancing scene was turned over. We walked into a near empty Barbarella (famous this past year for 80s on fridays and new indie on saturdays) . well, we decided it was one more drink before home time on "Disco" (WTF?) sundays. Requested Atomic by Blondie and were rewarded immediately. It sure is fun when its only you and one other person on a giant dancefloor. prancing around like dorses..Hall and Oates prolly like 5 times, and Krissie's old drill team routines spontaneously erupting out or her already badass dance repertoire. I think i missed my calling as a dancer in highschool cuz that shit was fuuuuuuuun!! we danced for over an hour, just poppin in on our way home..some dude even two stepped with me! finally, jeez i've been craving a two steppin dance, or any dance that involves a bit of a skill or a count. Not that i know how, but i don't have to lead, shit! so Krissie made me dance to some steve earl song with said dude and that was nice...woulda probably made my dad proud.. don't ask my ass why that song was even played, who cares, right?!?! worked up a nice groove to disco/mostly non disco tunes, where we could be as free and fulfilled as we wanted. judging by the sweaty hugs at the end, we were certainly and vivaciously satisfied. SO...seeing as how this nite was meant for nostalgia and old hits..i feel full of love...fond memories of songs heard past, new dance moves to old tunes (dance practice w/ K-Spot coming to a venue in the ATX very soon!)I learned that with the right company and the right elves, you can have a grand time on a sunday nite here in ATX even if yer over 30. xo