Knew What He Was Doing When He Caught My Eye

The most recent chapter of the Phil Spector story is a tragedy that can't be undone. But I'll miss thinking about him as the guy who created this wall of sound for The Crystals:

The Manifestivus Mixtape

Are You Cooler Than A First Grader?

So, I chaperoned a field trip to the Brooklyn Aquarium with my daughter Emma's class yesterday. We had a blast. I read somewhere recently that the tween demographic starts at age 6 (yikes!), but I'm happy to report that the kids in Emma's class are still sweet and innocent and more concerned with what they're having for lunch than the vicissitudes of popular culture.

Although one buddy of Emma's did tell me he plays guitar, is saving up for a Gibson double neck SG, and that his favorite guitarists are Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, and Slash. Whoah!

Here's a pic from yesterday. That's Emma in the ladybug raincoat. I swear she had a better time than she appears to be having in this photo.

Breakfast Spread for Brendan's Birthday

We stuck a candle on a danish and called it a birthday last week, celebrating Brendan Gilmartin's big day with a big and welcome breakfast spread. Hot coffee, cold fruit...a great way to start the day and a big congrats to Brendan.

If You Don't Know, Now You Know

My neighbors are going to kill me if they ever read this.

Vinegar Hill, the little gem of a neighborhood nestled between the Navy Yard and Dumbo, is one of Brooklyn’s best-kept secrets. It’s quiet, it’s cobblestoned, it’s full of artists and musicians, professors, writers, welders, bakers, deli owners, cat ladies and an old mansion that bike-riding European tourists come and gawk at every weekend and now we have a fine new restaurant to boot. And, most importantly, it’s the place I call home.



I moved in a few years ago and every year, in spite of the crazy goings on in Dumbo, Vinegar Hill has remained a humble little piece of paradise where vinegar was never actually produced. I have heard, however, that many of the storefront buildings that some lucky residents now live in have two basements: the second one was needed to hide all of the illegal alcohol that was being sold during prohibition.

Vinegar Hill is truly an amazing piece of Brooklyn history. It’s also very small. If you are considering checking it out, I would also recommend walking along Admiral’s Row down Flushing Ave. The monster mansions you see there are completely ruined but have somehow managed to maintain their former glory.

Come visit. It’s a great place.

Where Are The Musicians?

Pretty interesting, if flawed, article online from The Atlantic on where musicians live. Richard Florida contends that more and more musicians live in Nashville than ever before. He postulates that Nashville "turned into the Silicon Valley of the music business, combining the best institutions, the best infrastructure, and the best talent."

(click here for a larger version of the image above)

Not surprisingly, the number of musicians in Nashville takes the cake, with others concentrated in NY, LA, and San Francisco. Not many musicians in the midwest and a surprisingly large number in Florida. What Richard Florida (er, the writer, not the state) fails to break down is the genre concentration. How many non-country musicians live in Nashville? What about non-Latin musicians in Florida? Nonetheless, this is pretty interesting and worth a quick scan.

You Tube Friday: I'm leaving now!

I love Black Sabbath just as much as the next guy... well maybe not as much as this guy.




P.S.: This is how Carrie Tolles was feeling inside as she snapped photos with My Morning Jacket members at the Morrison Hotel Gallery exhibit opening yesterday.

The Soul of John Black Lets Loose in NYC

The Soul of John Black brought the funk last night in an eclectic set at NYC's Sullivan Hall. He ranged from R&B jams to hard electric blues and from what he calls "country funk" to rock, varying things up and crossing genre boundaries at will. It was a fantastic set and I was able to snap a few photos:

Kendel Carson Stirs it Up At The Living Room

Mark Satlof, Nick Baily and I went out to the Living Room last night to see our new client Kendel Carson for the first time, and I think I speak for all of us when I say she blew us away.

Her magnetic stage presence and beautiful voice were incredible to see live, and her inventive fiddling was truly something else.

She mostly played tracks off her new album 'Alright Dynamite,' out June 23, but she ended dueting with co-conspirator Chip Taylor on covers of his famous songs "Angel of the Morning" and a raucous "Wild Thing." Taylor also produced and wrote most of the songs for Kendel's record.

Here's a shot of all of us at dinner after the show, it was truly beauty and the beasts...



Left to right: Chip Taylor, Nick Baily, Me, Mark Satlof and Kendel Carson

My Gift From TD Bank

So I recently exchanged my coins in the coin arcade machine thing-y at TD Bank. First of all, I have to say that this is the most useful invention since the 311 system (which came in handy when figuring out how to properly dispose of various pieces of furniture during my recent move).

Before throwing all your change into the machine (make sure you sift out all those dust bunnies first!), you can guess the dollar amount of cash you have saved. Usually I bypass this step but for some reason I was feeling lucky this time. And get this: I guessed within $.41, which is shockingly awesome. And my prize? A plastic puke green change holder. I was absolutely gutted. I haven't felt this cheated since the final Sex Pistols show.

Groovie Heaven

My co-worker Nick Loss-Eaton provided an excellent Ponderosa Stomp recap below, so I'll just cut to the chase. The Flamin' Groovies are one of my all-time favorite bands, and seeing Cyril Jordan and Roy Loney reunited was a rock & roll dream I never thought would come true!

P-Stomp photographer par excellence Jacob Blickenstaff snapped the above photo of Cyril, Roy and me just a few minutes before they took the stage. And yes, that's the neck of Cyril's signature translucent Danelectro guitar (the same one featured on the cover of 'Teenage Head') in the pic.

As for the show itself, check out the below clip. If it doesn't totally blow your face off, then you need to schedule an appointment with Doctor Boogie stat!