Musical Monday #11: Fist Fite

I've always kind of liked Fist Fite. Always meaning in this case, since I first saw them at Rotture a couple of years ago. There are times when they are pretty much...exactly what I want to hear. Anyway, I was delighted they were playing with Red Fang right above/after our Mighty Market with HasBeen in the recently deserted/about to be demolished Couch street building on Saturday. It looked exactly the way I felt. And it was fucking cold.

Only he knows (Thursdays are for thinking)

Something about Kobe Bryant has always fascinated me. I read about him in some facts about major NBA players book that someone had left in our kitchen months and months ago and only became more fascinated. The singular focus? The weird underlying intensity? The Italian? Dressing up as Voldemort for Halloween? The defiant, uncompromising agenda to be his bad self despite criticism? I don't know. I was just watching him fly around the court in the final minutes of the Blazer game last night like a raven of rage and death and had to wonder. Who IS this guy? Anyway, my bf Nicolas Batum kind of summed it up for me on Blazersedge.

"He is very good, sometimes, yeah, he is unstoppable, sometimes. You can crowd him, get on him, he's going to find a way to score. I don't know how. Only he knows."

It's happening.

Total bummer that the HasBeen has to relocate to make way for gentrification, but hey. That's how it all works, right? Off to scummier digs until the ice cream shops and fancy restaurants start moving in...but before they do that come get yourself decked out head to toe in fancy frocks, discount HasBeen gear and pump your fists in the a-yer.

Ladies night: Gentlemen prefer blondes

Musical Monday #10: Annie

If you've been cruising with me in the Ranger lately, you've heard this. To those of you who haven't, you're welcome. Having taught child dance for nearly three years, I was constantly on the prowl for good pop and hip hop with a positive message without profanity. Not an easy task when you take into account I also have to kind of like it/not be annoyed by it. In doing so, I found Annie. I never ended up using any of these tunes for choreography, but I was surprised to discover that her most recent album "Don't Stop" is good synthy pop with better than average lyrics all the way through. Plus she lives in Berlin, where all cool Scandinavians end up going at some point or another...

The Dark Mark (Thursdays are for thinking)

It's easy to make assumptions about people. That only takes one person to do. It's a lot more difficult to be patient with each others' abilities to reveal character and motivation over time, considering that requires the cooperation of both parties involved...

Ladies night

Johanna lives in a great house full of ladies in SE! They invited even more ladies over for valentine crafting, snacks and wine this past weekend, which is how I got to see the inside. I also got to help her put the chickens away (apparently all three of them like the roost area so much that they just stay there until they're freezing so they have to be individually put into the coop each night. Hahaha) The other highlights were: eating the most delicious cupcake of my life, folding fifty paper cranes with recently married Monica for her reception (only 950 to go, right?) and watching all of these maniacs craft meticulous mementos for their loved ones. Hope you boys appreciated those.

...but they're the ones that I crave, goddamnit!

(Psst! This one also comes in mansize! Series coming soon to the shop...)

Ladies night

You, me, us, everyone. Musical Monday #9: Akron/Family

My first experience with Akron/Family was "Raising the Sparks" from 2005's self titled album, and something about the energetic hallelujah hippie sound nabbed me. I've had an eye out ever since, especially when they reappeared on Matthias' computer while cleaning the kitchen in Amsterdam one evening. It was 2009's Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free and I listened to the entirety at full volume without regrets. Today I listened to their latest album, S/T II: The Cosmic Birth And Journey Of Shinju TNT, and it's...pretty good. I mean, I liked it. It just wasn't quite right for the mood or something. For some reason though, this song followed me home at the end of the day. Maybe because it's true. Enjoy.

Don't know where it stays all over the place...

I've been so hungry for so long (Thursdays are for thinking)

Happy Socks

I found this website on Neet's blog and experienced a strange sort of recognition while browsing through. I entered to check out the hemp/recycled yarn socks (lower right) but stayed for the bright colors and awesome patterns. The "wait a second, something seems familiar here" feeling was explained when I hit the "about" page. Guess where this company is from. Just GUESS. Hahaha, why? Why do you always tantalize me with your offbeat but not TOO kooky or calculated style, Sweden? Even in SOCKS? They really do have nothing better to do besides think of nice things to make in quality, sustainable ways using perfect proportion and color harmony. How am I supposed to keep up with these people?

www.happysocks.com

Musical Monday #8: Starfucker

I read about Into the Woods a while ago, before I went to Amsterdam, I think. Although my interest was piqued (sans serif pseudo scandophilia with NW flavor, how to resist?), I thought it was just a video of Wampire in a mountain cabin. Turns out, this ragtag mob of PDX music documenting goons has been up to stuff! Also turns out they're not only prolific, they're good videographers. I could, and have already spent a considerable amount of time on the website watching videos (partly because some of the videos take so goddamn long to load). And look who I found! These familiar sounds were the soundtrack of my at-home existence for nearly two years...

It's important to have a place to belong, or at least feel like you do. It doesn't have to be the ultimate anything. It just has to feel like home. Thank you Vince and Josh, for making me feel welcome (back). And thanks Into the Woods, for keeping tabs and making our town look cool.

http://intothewoods.tv