video directed by: Tom Fitzgerald
music by: Edan

After Edan labored for a year to complete his new project Echo Party he was very happy with the outcome but wanted it to have a visual accompaniment to help compliment his live DJ set. He approached Tom Fitzgerald who also happens to be Cut Chemists go to video guy and film archivist who works for the The Silent Theatre in LA. What has been created in nothing short of a perfect visual marriage for the unmistakably unique album. There will be a full length version for the whole album with a party at The Silent Theatre in LA to debut the full length video in early 2010 (and yes Mr. Edan will be DJing). For now peep this shorter version and dont forget to check out the album Echo Party out now on new boutique label Five Day Weekend.

A stunning BMW R65/7 from the always tasteful loudpop voyager.



This one is a long-time favorite. This was Japan's answer to the European roadsters of the day. The Datsun Fairlady roadsters of the sixties are compact, well-engineered beauties, that can still be grabbed pretty decently when compared to their euro counterparts. I'm all for keeping classics stock, but when they shoehorn a V8 into one of these it's a killer!

From the Reserve website: New shoe collaboration with Freshjive and Etnies Plus out now. Available at Reserve on Fairfax. Phone orders welcome. Ltd to 36 pairs.



Limited to 36 pairs??? I know this was a friend collaboration between FJ and Etnies, but c'mon. If you're going to release them, how about a couple hundred at the least. I'm not fanatical enough to be called a sneakerhead, and I might not purchase these off the shelf whether there were 40 or 4000 produced, but for such a limited production, why not just give'em out to your friends and call it a day? Maybe Etnies was worried they were going to be sued by Vans for jacking their chukka:

Thanks to a pro pal, I've been having fun with a new hand-me-down lens. Not that this is an impressive shot by any means, it's an example of the fun I've been having with impromptu sessions. Taken in the kitchen whilst sitting on my wrist.

Well, I've been meaning to put this together for quite some time... probably at least a year. I've been keeping notes on songs that struck me at the moment, and some went, but most stayed. The first Chickadees mix was created for the final WTW get-together in Oklahoma. In fact, I posted it exactly 2 years ago today. My original intentions remain, make a solid, somewhat poppy, pre-partyesque compilation that folks would want to dance to. The main difference between this mix and the original is that there is a whole lot more synth this time around. As always there are some just- or non-released gems, modern classics, and a few that have been around the block a few times. Hopefully you hear something you like... new and old. Enjoy!



(Tracklisting in the comments)

Unfortunately, blog posts have been more miss than hit lately. I've barely been on the internet to check my email. Between bummers (12-hour stats midterms, long(er) days at work, & standardized testing) & righteousness (health, separate getaway trips with old friends & family, & beautiful weather), there's been little time to share the randomness all around. Currently, I'm deep in SC, enjoying the beach with the family. I've had a mix finished, but the internet connection is too slow to upload. Maybe I'll try and see if it'll go through overnight. Anyway, here's a snippet of the good things that have been keeping me going over the last few weeks:

While looking for a potential "Mayor of Tulsa" suit at a local thrift store, I came across this Danish keeper. Chair No. 78 was designed by Niels Moller in 1962. It's back and the top of the front legs (I call'em knees) are unique, and beautiful. These were only produced in Denmark... funny how one ended up in South Durham. The chair is in great shape overall, just needs a bit of cleaning and maybe a light oil. I wish there were more than one. We still need dining room chairs. It's a start I suppose.

A little about the little teak wonder and the original company that still produces them in Denmark from JL Moller's kind of hard to find website:

Since 1944, J. L. Møllers Møbelfabrik has produced chairs of outstandingly high quality in timeless designs.
The chairs are sold over the whole world and the Møller chair has become the epitome of Danish Design.

Chairs from J.L. Møller are assembled using the old craft traditions. As far as possible no modern technology or assembly lines are used. Each employee is a specialist in specific work processes for creating the chair, giving it a unique quality and elegance.

At J.L. Møller tenons, mortices and dowels are all glued by hand. This is the only way to ensure that all surfaces have been treated. Dowels are dried down to 5% humidity (in the other components this is 8%), so that when the dowel contacts the glue it expands and is immoveably fixed in position. The chair’s tenon construction also strengthens the chair.
Cramping is performed with compressed air in a hydraulic press.
Polishing machines are not used for the final polish, as they treat all wood alike. Instead the chairs are polished by hand. This is J.L. Møller's policy in all production phases. If the latest technology does not give a better and more satisfactory result than the well-known craft methods, it is quite simply not employed in the factory.

When the chairs leave the factory they are dispatched FULLY ASSEMBLED. Not as knock-down furniture in a box. This costs more in transport, but at J.L. Møller our view is that what can be assembled by the recipient can also be accidentally disassembled by the consumer. It is literally impossible to pull a Møller chair apart. Before packing, our chairs undergo a final inspection, where everything is checked one last time before they are packed and sent off.

Picked up some solid, but cheap, Lp's from a local record show last weekend. Cadence and Eric joined me to scour the bins. Cadence spotted rare from the baby backpack. Twas a good time.



o.y.: i also just had a cool modern, furniture find... posting next

I really don't want this to become a youtube blog, but this one struck me. Hilariously awful.

Stanley the LandCruiser and I waiting outside the bank.

This is one for which I never tire.

The Beginning of the End - Funky Nassau Pt. 1
a short bit from wiki:
The Beginning of the End was a funk group from Nassau, Bahamas. The group consisted of three brothers and a fourth member on bass. They released an album entitled Funky Nassau in 1971 on Alston Records (a subsidiary of Atlantic Records), and the track "Funky Nassau - Part I" became a hit single in the U.S., peaking at #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and #7 on the Billboard Black Singles chart. The same track reached #31 in the UK Singles Chart in March 1974.

Members

* Ray Munnings - organ
* Roy Munnings - guitar
* Frank Munnings - drums
* Fred Henfield - bass

The Seegs wasn't always a soft rock tool a la "Night Moves."

I wanted to pass this along quickly, so I've only had a taste of the first 5 tracks, all of which I'm enjoying. Grab it while you can at Stones Throw: Koushik Beep Tape 1.

More on Koushik from the Stones Throw site:
Koushik specializes in making that hazy, hip-hop-based downbeat sh*t that you could easily compare to contemporaries such as Four Tet (who released Koushik's first single on his Text label), RJD2, and DJ Shadow. What sets Koushik apart from the others is a beautiful '60s psych-pop element that tends to pervade throughout. It shows itself in the spacious panned strings, acoustic guitars, and harpsichords that fall in and out of each other; and the beats have a harder regimented classic true school hip-hop sound, that Fourtet and Prefuse tend to stray away from. But what I truly love about this record is Koushik's voice. His singing is soft and mixed way down in the center of the track, sounding like the voice choirs you'd hear on one of those old Percy Faith or 101 Guitars from the late-'60s. If you're a fan of any of the aforementioned artists, you need this record. – OTHER MUSIC, NYC

Just a little reminder that your brain is pretty important for maintaining a worthwhile existence on this here planet. When it comes to leisurely rides, I too, need reminding. Bike or Motorcycle... put on a helmet.

From my local bike co-op listserv:

Hey yall, I'm sure some of you heard i was in an accident yesterday.
This is true, and i was really lucky, my helmet took nearly all of the damage.
Had i not been wearing it, well, the DBC would need a new youth coordinator.

I got off lucky with a Mild concussion, deep bruise on my pelvis, sore jaw, and some serious road rash on my left arm.

My helmet saved my life yesterday, my head ran so hard into the trunk that i dented it.

So basically, get a helmet, and wear it, it may look a little dorky, but it will totally be worth it in the event of an accident.

I love yall, thanks so much for the support.
-josh

A couple shots I took of the Eno River almost two years ago.

We're currently undergoing a minor kitchen/dining room renovation: furniture, paint, & window treatments. At the moment, we have decent-looking, but inexpensive mission style chairs. The problem is that they fold (yes, they actually look okay) a little too easily, and we're worried our 2-year old will end-up tucked in the chair on the floor. So we ordered 4 vintage, yellow Eames fiberglass chairs. Unfortunately, we got to take a closer look at them, and we were not happy with their condition. So, we pulled out.

The Eames chairs, while ubiquitous, are beautiful and clean (see top picture). We're still leaning that way as long as we can find some that are fairly-priced, gently-used, and in a color that works. However, our runner-up chairs differ significantly. We could use a little help.



I've always been a fan of the crafted-minimalism of the Shaker style. I dig Design within Reach's glossy version of a Shaker chair (see 2 above pics). It's also only $98 a pop. Corrina isn't sold on them, though. I think that these chairs would really stand out in a lightly-yellow painted room with bright white (sheer) treatments.


Corrina's choice is another fairly priced ($119) offering from CB2. While Corrina is leaning toward the grey version, I've posted a picture of it in green, so that the lines of the chair would stand out. I'm actually a fan of the chair, but I feel it might be too bold (polished legs) and contemporary for our house.

We'd love to get your opinions. Set your friendship and family bias aside and let us know what you think... especially those that have been in our casa. Thanks!

Continuing the theme of the "Shot & Song" concept, Duane sent me this photo. We were on our way to the beach when he snapped this howitzer at a rest stop in Warsaw, NC. So in accordance to our theme (he provides the pic, so I provide the song), here's my selection!:

I'm thinking that maybe half of you have experienced a desert monsoon. If you haven't, they typically start popping-up around the end of the summer. This is the time of the year when you feel you just won't live through another 110 degree day. I guess maybe that's why ol' mother nature put their scheduled visits on our calendar. Anyway, these monsoons are visually striking, have a unique (and wonderful) scent, and replenish the environment both figuratively and literally. I don't miss the heat, but I miss them.

My jr. high buddy, Jason Baker, put together a wonderful mix that I envision is a perfect accompaniment to a late summer storm... even a heavy thunder storm for us folks here in the south. Go to his site for a free download. You can also stream it as you sit on the computer. Get it now while it's still up! Here: Jason Baker: Summer Monsoon Mix.

Well done, friend.

It may not make much sense, but I'm putting the tape back into mixtape. Gotta love the clean design of that cassette.

Besides this (and the recent "blood-splatter" L.A. hat), I'm almost always on-board with what the folks at Hall of Fame come out with. Honestly, who wants to wear a hat with their head-size giantly posted on the front?... not to mention you'll have to throw down $40 to do so. Comes out looking like a cheap swap-mart adjustable hat. It seems to be an idea that fell short from a group that's usually pretty consistent, IMO.



an example of one of HoF's greater designs:

Another Duane shot from his time here in NC a month or so ago. This one is at Kure Beach, NC. Coming in from a tiny surf session on my 80's Becker 3-stringer log. Heavy, slow to turn, and way fun!

He was rehabbing. Didn't look like he needed it. He's good.