:: STAY TUNED AS WE PAUSE FOR THIS COMMERCIAL BREAK ::

:: GHOST HOUSE ARTS & CRAFTS ::

My knees were wobbly while walking through Mike Nelson's Psychic Vacuum. It's a haunting installation created in an abandoned building in the Lower East Side. Catch it as close to dark as you can.

The end is really good so I won't spoil it for you.

The Wild Ride Episodes from my previous post have started airing on VBS.TV. Have a peek.

:: YOU ARE SLOWLY LEAKING, LEANING TOWARD UBIQUITOUSNESS ::

(photo of the lovely, talented, and amazingly unselfconscious Maya Hayuk, as shot for Chief Magazine)

Why the hell is it 89 degrees and humid at the end of SEPTEMBER? This sucks. Someday I may have to buckle and get air conditioning if this keeps up. Ugh.

Goddamn, Matt & Kim are so cute. Watch until the end when Kim goes into one of her squeaking fits.

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MP3:

My favorite Clash song. . .

- Josh Rouse - Straight To Hell

A band's place in myspace.

:: LIKE SITTING IN A BLINDMAN'S TAXICAB ::

Late last June I went on Emerica's Wild Ride to film for Epicly Later'd. Here are some highlights from the trip.

If you're still riveted, there's about four times as many photos and captions on lovebryan.

:: YOU WILL NEVER WIN, BUT THAT'S NO REASON TO STOP TRYING ::

(Les Savy Fav performing at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC)

Parts & Labor and Les Savy Fav played at Bowery Ballroom this weekend, a really energetic show, of course. But when did Les Savy Fav's fans all turn into closeted (and not-so-closeted) frat boys? Haven't had to deal with such aggro bullshit since I went to see Municipal Waste (where it is supposed to be part of the experience).

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MP3:

Speaking of Parts & Labor, here's a track from band member BJ Warshaw's solo project, Shooting Spires. The new (first) album is really good. Some parts Parts & Labor, some parts Animal Collective (when they're good) and some parts other bands I'm not enough of a music nerd to know to reference. Yeah.

- Shooting Spires - Alive And Well

A band's place in myspace.

:: SO WHITE YOU SHINE LIKE FREE MONEY ::

The nice guys over at Fecal Face were kind enough to provide one of their t-shirts designed by Travis Millard (men's large) for me to give away on Sucka Pants (a little cross-promotion never hurt). So I am offering it up to whomever sends me the best photo. That's the only qualification, being the "best." As judged by me, obviously. If you win, I'll mail the shirt off to you with some other goodies, as well as post a link to your winning photo on Sucka Pants. So to enter, please send me an email with:

A) your best photo
B) your name and address (domestic US addresses only)

The contest is open till midnight on Friday, September 28th. And my email is sucka at suckapants dot com.

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MP3:

Whoa. Remember these guys?

- A.R.E.Weapons - Don't Be Scared

A band's place in myspace.

:: BROOKLYN IN TICKERTAPE ::

The Black Lips show at Sound Fix stumbled into a Bad Kids Parade, and though it only went about eight blocks it was so much fun.

Cole did the calling.

Circus tricks.

Oh no, Cole found some dumpster confetti.

A Black Lip with Gold Teeth.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch. MTV NEWS. YOU HEAR IT FIRST!

:: SUM UP YOUR LIFE IN THREE PICTURES ::

(and poof, I'm a wedding photographer)

A friend of mine helped put together this fundraiser happening on Sunday. It has a diverse line-up and takes place in a great open-air location on the Gowanus Canal: The Yard. It's a nice spot with beautiful poplar trees, picnic tables, and a view of the "Gowanus jellyfish" floating by (ie. condoms). They will also be serving local beer, BBQ, and locally grown farm produce. Details below:

:::

STARRY-EYED FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES LINE-UP AND LOCATION FOR BROOKLYN EVENT:
THE BUDOS BAND, MIHO HATORI AND TIM “LOVE” LEE ADDED

On Sunday Sept. 23rd the Starry-Eyed Festival will give New Yorkers another chance to enjoy some great outdoor music and locally grown food at Brooklyn’s coolest new music venue The Yard.

The event will be held from 3-9pm and feature live performances by the dirty funk outfit The Budos Band, the ethereal art-pop songs of ex-Cibo Matto front woman Miho Hatori, as well as Melanie Moser and the Eleventh Hour Band, Bell Orchestre’s Kaveh Nabatian and newcomer folk artist Barrett Lindgren. World renown DJ and Producer Tim “Love” Lee (Tummytouch) and Acid Test DJs SpiritBear and Udagawa will round out the evening with DJ sets.

The Yard, located on the banks of the Gowanus and just a few steps from the F/G trains in Carroll Gardens, will be serving up local beer, BBQ and locally grown farm produce at the festival. More acts to be added in the coming weeks.

Proceeds from the Starry-Eyed Festival will benefit the Star Island Corporation, a Portsmouth, NH -based non-profit organization. The non-profit organization maintains a Victorian-era hotel on the island, which has been a haven for historical figures as diverse as Henry David Thoreau and the pirate Blackbeard.

Recently, the hotel has needed some prohibitively expensive repairs, threatening the island’s future as a family, artist, and intellectual retreat center. More information on Star Island is available here. Pictures and event information at Starry-eyed Festival.

Starry-eyed Festival: a benefit for Star Island
Sunday, Sept. 23rd 3-9pm
The Yard, 400 Carrol St. Brooklyn, NY
$15 (it is a benefit after all)

Budos Band
Miho Hatori (from Cibo Matto)
Tim "Love" Lee
Melanie Moser and the 11th Hour Band
Kavek (from Bell Orchestre)
Acid Test DJ's
Barret Lindgren

:::

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MP3:

Somebody sent this to me, I kinda like it. Thanks, person.

- Colourmusic - Yes

A band's place in myspace.

:: IT'S OKAY TO FEAR DEATH, BUT TRUST IN LIFE ::

(Dan Deacon, Big A Little A, and Best Fwends performing at Todd P's "End of Summer Birthday Bash" at The Yard on the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn)

I told you it was going to be a lot of fun.

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MP3:

Goodbye Summer, hello "seasonal mood disorder."

- Old Crow Medicine Show - Wagon Wheel

A band's place in myspace.

:: SUCKIN' ON CHILI DOGS OUTSIDE THE TASTEE FREEZ ::

We went to Farm Aid last weekend and got weird with Neil Young, Willie, John Cougar and, to our dismay, Dave Matthews.

Sprout assault.

Spank.

"Sweeet! Thanks for the brewski, Kelly. I'll totally give you the answers to the Pre-Cal homework."

Sunglasses at night.

Heart of Gold.

I'll remember this night for the rest of my life.

Ain't that America somethin' to see, baby.

Ain't that America, Home of the Free.

Neil.

Fukengruvhan.

Goodnight, America.

:: CLUMSY HANDS, CLUMSIER HEART ::

(Team Robespierre performing at the Chicken Hut in Brooklyn)

The Team Robespierre + Japanther show would have been a great homecoming if some jackass hadn't thrown bottles off the roof and caused the cops to shut the party down. Nice one, dipshit.

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MP3:

One of my favorite bands, Japanther is coming out with a new album. Can't wait. Here's a cover, of sorts.

- Japanther - Boyz Donut Cry

A band's place in myspace.

:: I WOULD CHANGE FOR YOU, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN I WOULD BE A BETTER MAN ::

(Yeasayer in the kitchen, check out their song below)

Um, holy crap this looks like fun. Come kill off summer by dancing your ass off outside.

:::

====> SUNDAY AFTERNOON 9/16 @ THE YARD <====

:: END OF SUMMER PARTAY!
:: Todd P's & Maggie's & Natasha's & Meeo's BDAY PARTAY!!

:: Dan Deacon
:::: USAISAMONSTER
:::::: Aa aka BIG A little a
:::::::: Best Fwends
:::::::::: These Are Powers
:::::::::::: Bill Cosby & His White Puddin' Pops (TENTATIVE)
:::::::::::::: High Places
:::::::::::::::: more TBA

:: djs GEE WIZARDS ----> Nick & Jamie from THE UNICORNS

[ THE YARD ] ---> OUTSIDE!!!
400 Carroll St btwn Bond St & Nevins St | Gowanus, Brooklyn
F/G-Carroll St, M/R-Union St | --> 2PM <-- | $8 | ALL AGES

-- RAIN LOCATION --> THE HOOK - 18 Commerce St, Red Hook, Brooklyn

:::

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MP3:

Yeasayer has been getting some buzz as of late. I checked them out when I was assigned to shoot them for a magazine. I love when I am perusing new songs by a new band and one just reaches out and grabs my attention, as happened when I heard this track off their new/first EP. They are currently on a short tour, so if you get a chance to catch them, I would.

- Yeasayer - Sunrise

A band's place in myspace.

:: MY GIRL WANTS TO PARTY ALL THE TIME ::

Despite having little inclination to go out nor a girl, this post is dedicated to the duo ofEddie Murphy & Rick James.

Birthdays.

Deitch's Art Parade.

Hair Metal.

:: CRANKY IN PLAID ::

(suckapants.com is only a small slice of my photographic work. See more here, here, and here. Above images from travels on the Mississippi River)

I'll be speaking about my landscape/night photography (aka Of Quiet dot com) in NYC on Thursday as part of the Conflux festival. Details here.

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MP3:

Kind of Bjorkish, in a good way. This band is the stepsister of Dark Dark Dark, whom I've posted before.

- Woodcat - Ulv

A band's place in myspace.

:: IT'S A GAME TO SEE HOW MANY HANDS IN YOUR PANTS AND LIPS ON YOUR ASS YOU CAN GET ::

A fan holds it up for Wu-Tang.

A lot of fans hold it up for the reunited Wu Clan.

Drum fan.

Rockin' the homemade rock meter.

Paul The Plumber of the Cyclecide crew.

Vau de Vire Society.

Greg from the Bouncing Souls likes his fans.

Mohawk in the crowd.

George Washington reminds you to fight the power.

Shower time.

These kids are psyched.

God was so excited for Wu-Tang to reunite that he made them into angels.

Smoke on the river crowd.

Cell phones are the new concert-lighters.

Concerts are fun... texting is funner.

I've been in Seattle covering the Bumbershoot music festival. It's been fun but exhausting. I've met some really nice people, and seen some old friends. Life is pretty good here in Seattle.

- Best quote: from one security guard to another as the Wu-Tang crowd disperses, "I miss the old days, when you could just clock 'em."
- Best new racial slur: "Jewbag."
- Favorite political t-shirt: "Support Our Remaining Troops."
- Favorite non-political(?) t-shirt: "Support Piracy" (at a music festival, get it).
- Favorite police overkill moment: Eight cops/security guards to surround a guy with a counterfeit security shirt.
- Most surreal moment: seeing Fergie in concert.
- Most bumming-out moment: watching while security guards rushed into the crowd to grab and eject anyone who even ATTEMPTED to crowd surf at the Bouncing Souls show. They were, unfortunately, very effective at their job. Is having fun so illegal now?
- Most annoying moment: a festival worker getting in my face and threatening to throw me out for taking this photo of a girl receiving medical treatment (excessively drunk?). Since it was near the end of the last set of the festival I just shrugged at him, but didn't get a chance to get a clearer photo.
- Injuries sustained: a couple blisters, and very bruised ribs from the crowd-crush-barrier at the Bouncing Souls. And I almost got puked on, but not quite.

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MP3:

This was one of the Danish bands I found while I was in Denmark. They did a whole album of very different tracks as a tribute album to Mississippi John Hurt. Here are three of them.

- Rumspringa - Boogie

- Rumspringa - Folk

- Rumspringa - Mus

A band's place in myspace.

:: KEY LIMES AND WHEATGRASS ::

Found myself in San Francisco for a wedding.

It was Benny Gold that got hitched. And conveniently enough, he had a bag release at Timbuk2 while all the friends and family were in town.

Ben & Hiromi. August 25th, 2007.

Tradition.

Euro Alex was in full-effect.

Elias waiting for that vegan wedding cake.

All is full of love.

I also caught a Morning Benders show at Bottom of the Hill.

Heavy Hearts is the jam.

Crooner.

Rocker.

Crowd pleaser.

While I was out, I road around with Gabe and Mike from MASH and worked on some interviews with them for VBS.tv.

Gabe's got a lot of good things to say if you can get him to open up.

Also interviewed the riders: Josh, Demcarco, Rob, James and Dirt. Maniacs. Should be a good episode.

Besides all that, I didn't have much time for vacation. All my leisure activities happened en route to the taqueria. Did some gambling.


Snake eyes.

Did some dancing.

Do the beanie weenie.

Did some shopping. Can you believe that they sell lazers at the Dollar Store? Lazers are the future yet so affordable. But the pregnancy test might be even more unsettling.

"Take my picture. I'm Wesley Snipes." No lie.

Golden Gate.

SF is windier than NY.

I went back to Berkeley for the first day of school. It's changed a lot in the seven years since I first stepped onto campus for school.

One of the world's finest humans. Cameron is taking off to Mozambique for the next two years to make the world a better place.

Stopped by the lake for a last summer swim.

This is one of my favorite spots in the Bay because you can ride your bike there and it's warm through October.

Keenan had to work on his jumps before doing the rock.

First jump. This kid's got heart.

The Vamp.