lezarduweb’s Neighborhood

This is what $73.00 gets you. May as well just round it up to Bugger All. I don't normally buy all those cup pasta meals but Lizzie is doing work experience and wanted them for her lunch.

Docket

As you may notice I forgot to get tomatoes. Which is why I just had to slice up about ten cherry tomatoes to put on my sandwich.

I did find someone had left these in the fridge. You wonder why they bothered. I mean I bet they weren't planning on coming back for them.

Scraps

 08/21/2008 00:02:46  ♥ written by vu ()

Brothers and Sisters - Mason City

The Brothers and Sisters of L.A.

1 comment

There were a few albums that was released August 19^th that we have in house for review, so I'm working my way to clear out my queue.

I also wanted to remind you that Brothers and Sisters's album, Fortunately was also released. I reviewed this album a few months ago when I thought it was released in July.

I also mentioned that at that time, there was no touring information. Well the good news is that they've finalized their tour dates, so see if they're coming to your town below:

MAKEUPBREAKUP makeupbreakupband.com ♥ myspace.com Make Up Break Up - Blame Game I got a note that Fanatic is offering two new free downloadable tracks from electro dance-pop MakeUpBreakUp. This Providence, Rhode Island duo, Mikey Lamantia Jr. and Alexander Laorenza, have just released their EP, We Prefer Not To... last Tuesday, on SAF Records. It would seem that these guys are old friends, and in 2007, Laorenza moved to Rhode Island to concentrate on their music collaboration. Since making music, their songs comes off as sounding like 80s techno, but a little faster. It's not a surprise as their main influences seems to be from New Order. I did enjoy their title track, "Blame Game" (one of the free track), mostly because I like hearing Lamantia's (?) vocals. I only wish he has more lyrics to sing. Sometime hearing his voice on "Fall Her Love Trap", "She's Always X Rated", and "I Dream I'm Stone" reminds me of early 90s pop songs (like Information Society[W♥M] when they're doing their pop songs). It would seem that MakeUpBreakUp is currently associated with such retro acts as She Wants Revenge[W♥M] and The Faint[W♥M], and it's not a bad company to be in. I don't think they're as dancey or catchy, but given time, I can see a lot of potential in this band. Make sure to download the free tracks ("Blame Game", "Jungle City", and "She's Always X Rated") and if you love it, their EP is available for a minimum price at SAF Records. This EP is supposed to lead to their debut full length, and if the EP is any indication, I'll bet the album will be just as good or even better.

KELLEY MCRAE kelleymcrae.com ♥ myspace.com Kelley McRae - More of Nothin' As I've previously mentioned in the W♥M Video #10, I do enjoy gaelic singing-style - and Kelley McRae lives up to her Irish heritage. Well I'm pretty sure she's Irish, I think it's the "mac" that are Scottish, right? I guess it doesn't matter because McRae, is a singer/songwriter from Brooklyn, New York. Her debut album, Never Be received a four-star rating from Paste magazine. I like Paste magazine, they're one of the few magazines that I still see in newsstand at Barnes & Noble and they are generally into singer/songwriter type of music. They're also well-respected by everyone I know. Her latest album is Highrises in Brooklyn, just released yesterday on SonaBlast! Records. My favorite song off Highrises is the punchy soulful blues song, "More of Nothin'". I think this is such an outstanding song, but it really sounds nothing like her other more poppier songs ("Tomorrow", "BQE") and singer/songwriter-folk-type songs ("Highrises in Brooklyn"). If you like women-singer, definitely check out McRae. If you need songs recommendations, be sure to check out "Long Walk Home" (she sounds like in this song), the sweeping violins on "Fall", and the semi-biography song of "Sparrow" (this song sounds like it's about McRae's being a vagabond, traveling the countryside and always missing home). Sadly, it looks like she's just wrapped up her two month tour dates. She will appear again in Viriginia at Jammin' Java on August 23rd.

Links: www.weheartmusic.com weheartmusic.mypodcast.com

あまり食欲がないのでマックで飲み物でもと思ってたけど…チーズバーガーセットを買いました。

食欲のない私はあり得ませ〜ん！

明日は中学の同級生とディナー。香港から出張で東京にいるみたい。たしか去年東京で会った。婚約者と旅行で遊びに。私はショッピングのガイドしました〜。

ST330177.jpg

 08/20/2008 23:13:56  ♥ written by vu ()

What Laura Says - Illustrated Manual What Laura Says Tour Dates 21 Aug 2008 Tempe Marketplace w/ The Airborne Toxic Event Tempe, Arizona 22 Aug 2008 Wells Fargo Arena Tempe, Arizona 23 Aug 2008 ASU Memorial Union Tempe, Arizona 27 Aug 2008 The Rhythm Room ::: CD RELEASE!!! Phoenix, Arizona 30 Aug 2008 Mia’s Lounge ::: CD RELEASE!!! Flagstaff, Arizona 31 Aug 2008 The Avalon w/ DATH Salt Lake City, Utah 1 Sep 2008 The Black Sheep w/DATH Colorado Springs, Colorado 2 Sep 2008 Oz Cafe w/DATH Wichita, Kansas 3 Sep 2008 Maintenance Shop w/DATH Ames, Iowa 4 Sep 2008 The Bottom Lounge w/DATH Chicago, Illinois 5 Sep 2008 Rockstar at Peabodys w/DATH Cleveland, Ohio 6 Sep 2008 The Picador Iowa City, Iowa 7 Sep 2008 Jackpot Music Hall Lawrence, Kansas 9 Sep 2008 The Marquee Tulsa, Oklahoma 10 Sep 2008 Hailey’s Denton, Texas 11 Sep 2008 Stubb’s BBQ Austin, Texas 12 Sep 2008 Rock Bottom Tattoo Bar San Antonio, Texas 19 Sep 2008 Bar Pink Elephant San Diego, California 20 Sep 2008 SPACELAND Los Angeles, California 21 Sep 2008 Beatles Revolution Lounge Las Vagas, Nevada 23 Sep 2008 Blakes on Telegraph Berkley, California 26 Sep 2008 The Clubhouse w/DATH Tempe, Arizona

If only this band was called "What Lara Says", then I would've just assign the record to Lara for review. Thinks & Feels is What Laura Says' debut album from MRI Label and it just came out yesterday, August 19^th.

As far as I know, there are no Laura in this band, this is especially confusing because there is a woman singing on the opening track, "Couldn't Lose Myself If I Tried". This duet features an easy-to-follow, 1,2,3 beat that really sounds nothing like the country and blues song "Fashionably Moral" that follows it.

Just when you think you've got this Arizona, band pegged, they surprise you with a pop/piano number called "Illustrated Manual". Once they got me intrigued, I ended up searching online to find out more about this band - apparently NRP loves these guys.

NRP seems to generally like all-American/folk/roots music, and it's easy to see why they would like this band. It seems to me that What Laura Says are into antique music and movies. "Wish I Could Fly" sounds like it's an old-time Barber Shop song, while "Paradice" sounds like an old Cabaret (complete with cheesy sobbing in the song).

Looking at their liner notes, the band is mostly driven by two creative guys: Danny Godbold and James Mulhern (they write and sing on all their songs). The other three members (Greg, Jacob and David) is credited, but they don't list the woman singer on the first track, "Paradice", "Waves", "July 23", and "1000 Faces". Could it possibly be "the Laura" singing on these tracks?

So, anyway Thinks & Feels is out now at all online stores and catch them on tour!  Keep up with their news by visiting site.w♥m.

Links: whatlaura.com myspace.com/whatlaurasaysthinksandfeels

The Gift of Fear

I have been meaning to post something on my blog about a book that captured my attention.  My purchase of this book was inspired from some random searching on YouTube, when I saw video of the author, Gavin De Becker.  He was promoting his book "The Gift of Fear" and I was hooked.

I would have to say this is probably one of the most important books I have read, ever...I say this with complete certainty because it gave me insight into how to make fear your friend, to trust in my instincts about people and situations.

Everywhere you turn, we are exposed to horror stories of women/children being attacked & murdered.  But you don't hear too many stories about how people used their survival instinct to avoid bad situations, or how they escaped from a violent attack.  I understand that violence is a common thing across the globe, big cities & small towns, there is no completely safe place.  But living in fear is a real prison, sometimes worse than the potential attack we may face.

Here is a quick excerpt from the book - I do encourage you to go get a copy & learn more..

"Every day people engaged in the clever defiance of their own intuition become, in midthought, victims of violence and accidents.  So when we wonder why we are victims so often, the answer is clear: It is because we are so good at it.

A woman could offer no greater cooperation to her soon-to-be attacker than to spend time telling herself, "But he seems like such a nice man." Yet this is exactly what many people do.  A woman waiting for an elevator, and when the doors open she sees a man inside who causes her apprehension.  Since she is not usually afraid, it may be the late hour, his size, the way he looks at her, the rate of attacks in the neighborhood, an article she read a year ago - it doesn't matter why.  The point is, she gets a feeling of fear.  How does she respond to nature's strongest survival signal?  She suppresses it, telling herself: "I'm not going to live like that; I'm not going to insult this guy by letting the door close in his face."  When the fear doesn't go away, she tells herself not to be so silly, and she gets into the elevator.

Now, which is sillier: waiting a moment for the next elevator, or getting into a soundproofed steel chamber with a stranger she is afraid of?

I always mean to write down things I saw, or thought or heard on here and for reason, I always forget what it was that I was going to write. But the sunset over NYC tonight was so incredible, it inspired me to write.

I have been researching a ton of graffiti artists - cause I do that anyway - but this time it's work related. The cool thing about where I work is that we always want to incorporate the coolest designers, artists, and  illustrators into our work and we look all over the Burroughs for it. And it's my job to find them, talk to them, make friends with them. This part of my job I love.  Cause I do get to meet all kinds of people and see crazy studios that most people don't get to see.

I signed up for grad school this fall - I am starting online classes again September 17th. I am super excited about this.

If this isn't grand I don't know what is.