some of my favorite mixtapes

dude who doesnt love mixtapes? you just start one and dont have to worry about anything you dont want to listen to coming on for half an hour, an hour, two hours. I have some new ones I haven't had a chance to listen to yet so I'll probably add those later. what's your favorite?
also here's a picture i took at bonnaroo

orbguy2, originally uploaded by genevievenyc.

Absolute favorite right now: the So Long Summer Mixtape by Punches
So Long Summer Mixtape by punchesbk

Dead Fame 001 by Midnight Conspiracy
DEAD FAME 001 (Mix Tape) by Midnight Conspiracy by Midnight Conspiracy

Thunderbeard Mix by Ask & Erik from Disco Horror
(no embed click the link)

So Cosmic by Cut Copy


Valentine Mixtape by Breakbot (download here) (less ugly looking tracklist and original post here)
Breakbot's Valentine Mixtape by Kriax

Essential Mix by The Twelves (download link here)
The Twelves Essential Mix by lofihighlife.blogspot

Kitsune 10 Mixtape by Punks Jump Up


Dark Days Of Winter Mix 2010 by Hot Pink Delorean
Hot Pink Delorean - Dark Days Of Winter Mix 2010 by hot pink delorean

Delorean Nights by Midnight Conspiracy
Midnight Conspiracy - Delorean Nites (Mix Tape) by Midnight Conspiracy

Strictly for my Hipstaz by Ninjasonik (download here)

All I can say is this feeling is the best that I have known

this is definitely a conclusion to my previous post but I'm strangely ok with how everything turned out. mainly, I'm proud of myself. I put all of last year's toxicity behind me and am ready to be happy and healthy in my relationships.
and so begins a new chapter =)

side note: i love punches everyone should check out their new mixtape here
NYC pride



Sleepless City - PUNCHES

We're all alone in this sleepless city
I mean, I was 'til I found you
Things have changed since you've been with me
Cause night by night we make it through (Yeah)

I was lost in this sleepless city
I mean, I was 'til I found you
Y'know things have changed sinve you've been with me
Cause night by night we know what to do

I feel alive before the sunrise
In my sleepless city, in my sleepless city
Maybe tonight we won't say goodbye
In my sleepless city, in my sleepless city
Stay with me, Stay with me
Stay with me, Stay with me

We're all alone in this sleepless city
I mean, I was 'til I found you
Some things have changed since you've been with me
Cause night by night we make it through

I feel alive before the sunrise
In my sleepless city, in my sleepless city
Maybe tonight we won't say goodbye
In my sleepless city, in my sleepless city
Stay with me, Stay with me
Stay with me, Stay with me

I know a change is coming
But I'm not gonna do it alone
And I know these streets are lonely
But they're the streets that I call home
When I came here tonight
I told myself this must be better than sleeping alone
All I can say is this feeling
Is the best that I have known

I feel alive before the sunrise
In my sleepless city, in my sleepless city
Maybe tonight we won't say goodbye
In my sleepless city, in my sleepless city
Stay with me, Stay with me
Stay with me, Stay with me
Stay with me, Stay with me
Stay with me, Stay with me

Strange weather, isn't it?, originally uploaded by genevievenyc.

there's never enough hours in a day

to do both the things I need to do and the things I love. I did manage to break my 14 month darkroom dry spell somewhat although it has yet to feel cathartic. I'm only 4 prints in (only one of which i don't want to completely reprint) so I'm sure relief will come soon. I'm itching to produce everything and be able to visually narrate the past year. It was a fun ride =D





aaand because all memories have music:

(not as good as the yes giantess remix but I couldnt find it on youtube or anything. click here for a free legal download thanks to their record label, neon gold )




(yep i took these)

Lollapalooza day 1 reviewed

I got a late start but here was my day:

The New Pornographers - Very good. Only caught a few minutes but they sounded good and the crowd was enthused.

Matt & Kim - Great. I saw them before in nyc opening for cut copy and they were awesome then too. Kim has longer hair now but they have that same great energy and antics. Matt even climbed 100 feet up the side of the stage. I want to hang out with those kids more than anything!

The Black Keys - Great. I just saw them so I wasn't paying attention that much but they're awesome.

Erol Alkan - Very good. A random new friend took me to this and I skipped Hot Chip I mean I just saw them and I was down to try something new. Erol Alkan was a good scene there was room to dance so everyone was just letting go and having fun. It had more of a Bonnaroo vibe than any other show today.

Chromeo - Best of the day. I've been dying to see these guys live and they were awesome. I think this was the best show of the day. They were energetic and upbeat and good to dance to. I'd looooove to see them again.

Lady Gaga - Good. I chose Lady Gaga over The Strokes because although I listen to The Strokes more, Lady Gaga is truly an icon of our time and a performer. I felt like I was at the theater with all her costume changes, props, dancers, and monologue interludes. There were several slow songs in the middle where I got bored but it was a solid show overall and very entertaining.

I missed Devo, Dirty Projectors, Tiga, and The Strokes. It breaks my heart but I simply cannot be in two places at once. I think the one I regret the most is Tiga because I never hear about him doing shows in nyc. Aaaaaand now I'm late to go see Midnight Conspiracy...

hot chip concert review

Yesterday I saw Holy Ghost! and Hercules and Love Affair open for Hot Chip at the central park summerstage. I finally got around to getting my laptop repaired but this meant, unfortunately, that I had to bring it to the concert. Still, I am very glad to have it with me in Chicago. Allow me to extol my favorite virtues of this laptop: wide screen so I can have a ton of things open at once, working battery unlike my temporary laptop, light-up keyboard, 35 gigs of my music, a sexy hipster spiderman desktop background.

Anyway, back to the concert. Holy Ghost! opened and were AWESOME. The vocals were great, and the keyboard and synth and guitar. Basically, everything. They're as good live as they are on mp3s and that's saying a lot. I'd totally see them again, hopefully for a longer set.

Hercules and love affair was a bit of a disappointment for me. They came on in an awesome seemingly random group of individuals including two dancers. I was more taken the on-stage antics than anything. I could easily chalk it up to them poorly miked because hercules and love affair sounded significantly quieter than the other two groups and it was hard to get into it. I'd like to see them again in a smaller venue, late at night and very loud with some tequila-based drink in my hand.

Hot chip was adorable. They were one man short as Joe Goddard was having a baby but they had a video of him play for a couple key songs. I was skeptical at first that they could be as good live as they are in the studio but they delivered. They sounded more like a rock band often than electropop or however you'd usually categorize them. All in all, good show, not the best but solid. Worth seeing again.


Holy Ghost!

Hercules and Love Affair

My phone died so I have no pictures of hot chip =(

the black keys concert review

I am going to start this review with a quote from the film Kinky Boots (2005). "You are making two and a half feet of irresistible, tubular sex." The same could be said of The Black Keys except replace "feet" with "hours".

I saw The Black Keys this past wednesday, July 28th at the central park summer stage. The Morning Benders opened for them. The Morning Benders are adorable. Like stick figures with guitars. I'd never actually listened to them before but I'd definitely heard good things about them and I know they've been playing a lot of shows this summer; apparently they released a cd last month.. They were really good. The songs were all different enough (a pet peeve of mine with artists i don't already know) and I was really impressed that these kids were so skilled. Seriously they look like they're all about 15. I couldn't corroborate that in the brief google search I just did. They wanted people to sing along and they said they'd be hanging out at the merch tent to make new friends and I would've gone if I hadn't been so close to the stage and excited for The Black Keys. Bottom line: they're adorable, I'm going to start listening to them, and I'm seeing them again at lollapalooza.

Then there was a pretty long break before The Black Keys. I was grateful for my cold Corona and the sun was setting in everyone's eyes but it was totally worth the wait. The Black Keys have such a sexy sound and great stage energy. Clearly they were born to be stars and have lived up to it. (side note: Dan Auerbach had a haircut and scruffy beard and apparently is really attractive under all his usual hair) They played a super long set, too, so I really got the bang for my buck, so to speak. Halfway in, a bassist and keyboarder came up to play songs from the new album, Brothers, and I wasn't as enthused. The bass was good but I didn't feel the keyboard fit or maybe the sound was wired awkwardly, I don't know what it was but that segment didn't last very long. They wrapped up with some megahits like "Your Touch" and "I Got Mine", left, came back for a two-song encore, and left the stage again. I made a run for the exit but I heard them starting a second encore right after I left. Seriously this was a long show and they had another one right after at Terminal 5 so I was happily surprised they just kept playing. On the other hand, I see a lot of artists who have one or two albums out so of course going to a show where the artists have a bevy of material to choose from is going to last longer.

In short, if you don't listen to The Black Keys, you MUST. They are a blues/rock duo from Ohio and uniquely talented among the live acts performing for this generation. A great concert gives you that tingly feeling you get right before you first kiss someone. I felt like that when I saw The Black Keys at Bonnaroo and I felt like it again on Wednesday. Youtube em, buy em, go to their concerts! Irresistable, tubular sex.

a state of active boredom

I feel like nobody has an excuse to be bored. There is always something to do unless, of course, you're in some windowless concrete room. The way I feel is different. I'm bored but not for want of activity. I am cooking and reading and going out all the time but something's missing. Perhaps it's wanderlust, yet I feel happy in my current environment. I think I may start doing some creative writing. I just finished a "#1 New York Times bestseller!" and although the protagonist went through enough interesting stuff, it was simply not well written and the plot hung together like a bunch of cotton squares parading as a quilt. In short, I feel I can do better. Then I will also have physical evidence of my productivity to show my dad and reassure him that I am, in fact, serious about my education. I wish I could be in the woods right now and go exploring with a flashlight. The terror of the unknown would be exhilarating. If a bear walked outside my house right now I'd never hear it over the air conditioning. How boring.

bear in heaven concert review

I saw Bear in Heaven at south street seaport here in nyc the other day. I love how much free stuff there is to do in the city seriously. Well, we got there at 6 so we heard the opening acts. The dj was so unremarkable i don't even remember who it was. They played a steady stream of chill indie worthy of urban outfitters. Then came some two-person surprise act who i'd never heard of but who some people in the pitchfork crowd were excited for, even though they played a two song set. whoopee. then Zola Jesus played. I've never listened to them and every song sounded the same to me. Needless to say, I didn't dig it and an hour was torture. We were super grateful drinking beer out of plastic cups seems to be legal there.

Finally, Bear in Heaven came on. I'm honestly confused as to who is actually officially in the band versus who was on stage but there were only three of them instead of the purported four. Jon Philpot is certainly a character. He wore suspenders, an awesome mustache, and an infectious boyish grin. Having only listened to two Bear in Heaven songs before this concert (thanks to free last.fm downloads), I was really surprised when he started singing. His speaking voice is deep but his singing voice is clear and high and deliciously odd. The concert was great. Straightforward chill indie rock. It was worth sitting through Zola Jesus for, to say the least. The crowd was 95% hipsters. My favorite person was for sure this old man to the right of the stage who spent half the concert skipping and spinning like a whirling dervish, half standing in place doing a shaking dance reminiscent of a seizure. I was also super amused when the drummer used a maraca as a drumstick. My only complaint really was the lighting for the show. There was mostly back-lighting which is hell for the light meter on my analog camera. There were some cool strobes though that seemed to be triggered by the drums in certain songs. But, yeah, I want photos of the band's faces, not their silhouettes. Can we get a spotlight at south st seaport?

All-in-all I recommend at least getting those free last.fm downloads and checking out Bear in Heaven. And if you have a chance, go see them in concert. They're touring the US mostly with Twin Sister and then Europe for the rest of the summer and then back to the US where they're even opening for Crystal Castles at a couple of shows.

neon indian concert review

wow june certainly came and went fast i really haven't been keeping up with my posts. suddenly i'm getting a ton of visitors from france and i'm super flattered. bonjour et enchantée. looks like most french visitors are coming for breakbot lyrics so i'll post more from him soon (also cause breakbot is awesome!)

I saw neon indian live the other week and it was epic! i was front row center because i showed up at like happy hour. i also spent a good amount getting their vinyl and "should have taken acid with you" shirt. sadly, i didn't bring my analog camera because the rules vary so much on photography at concerts but i did have my cell phone so i did the best i could with that. those to follow.

There were two opening acts but i had no idea who it was. A group took the stage who looked like they were about my age. I raised an eyebrow at first i mean how could college-age kids open for neon indian? Then they played and i was in love. The vocals were great the songs were all different and engaging and it just plain sounded great! I made a trip out to the t-shirt/music vendors and discovered i had just seen Body Language but they hadn't played "work this city" so i totally had no idea. I dug out $10 for their ep "speaks" right then and there (although later found out it's $4.95 on itunes but whatever). definitely a band to watch. listen to Sandwiches on youtube and Work This City (Yes Giantess Remix) on last.fm so so good.

The second opener was Wild Nothing. Although they were really hot and charming when we chatted after, i thought their music was only ok. I'd never heard them before so it was hard for me to get into them but apparently that weekend they opened for the morning benders and they seemed well connected on stage so i'll buy a couple of things on itunes and give them another chance.

Neon indian is the brainchild of Alan Polomo, who composes all the music. Live, he performs with Ronnie Gierhart, Leanne Macomber, and Jason Faries. From where i was standing i could barely see Leanne over Alan so there really are no shots of her unfortunately. The performance was awesome. I saw them at bonnaroo but i had been completely unable to see the stage so i didn't get the full effect. They played all of Psychic Chasms plus the new single, sleep paralysist, plus, according to my friend, something from Alan's other project, Vega. Sounds like i have some more research to do, huh. They had good lights and neon trippy visuals. Alan and Ronnie were so close at times i could've touched them but decided not to be a total creeper lol. the crowd was good too apparently the show was sold out and every time we wanted to pee or smoke it was almost impossible to get back to the front. Neon indian certainly have done a lot in less than a year. it's worth mentioning that unlike pretty much every other artist/band i've seen live, neon indian played through every transition as if they were flexing their wings between flights. i liked the vibe that gave, like the band members were feeding off each other.

I met a girl there who had hung out with them after a show once before so with her encouragement, we stationed ourselves near the t-shirt/music vendors in the lobby. Sure enough, Ronnie and Leanne came out and chatted with us. They're mad chill. Ronnie signed my t-shirt so now it says "should have taken acid with you ronnie" haha. Neither Ronnie nor Leanne could reveal when their sophomore album may be coming out.

All in all i came away from that show feeling awesome and would totally see them again live and hopefully hang out with them again.
ditto body language who are actually playing july 1 with toro y moi at glasslands gallery and july 31 at mercury lounge. see you there

aaaah awesome summer concerts!

there's no better motivation to survive finals than a summer full of kickass music. i'm contemplating bonnaroo if i can find people willing to road trip it with me. here's what's planned for nyc so far:

June 17 - Neon Indian at the music hall of williamsburg. i have been dying to see them live seriously psychic chasms is one of my favorite albums of all time. if i go to bonnaroo i'll get to see them twice in one week. crazy. ON SALE FRIDAY
June 21 - Goldfrapp at hammerstein ballroom. eh, goldfrapp is cool but not a top priority. right now i have to prioritize due to cash flow issues. it's $42.50. her new album is solid i've just always found her a little too pop-y. ON SALE FRIDAY
June 30 - Passion Pit and Tokyo Police Club at governor's island. i just saw passion pit like the other month so i'm def not going to this. they were ok live honestly i preferred their recorded stuff. also there were huge amounts of teenyboppers which, to me at least, detracts from the experience. $40. ON SALE NOW
July 24 - M.I.A. on governors island. i already saw m.i.a. in concert last year and it was great so i'm not so eager to go again so soon especially to governors island cause then you have that ferry and the whole thing is $60. ouch. if you're interested, though, she's good live. looks like ninjasonik and some other artists will be there too. ON SALE NOW
July 28 - The Black Keys at the central park summer stage. $35 so i gotta save up cause of all the other tickets i'm buying and cause they're not a tip-top priority but yeah i bet theyre awesome live and their show for the day before (July 27th) already sold out. Also, they'll be at bonnaroo if i can go. ON SALE NOW
August 4 - HOT CHIP with Hercules and Love Affair AND Holy Ghost! at the central park summer stage. $35 just bought my ticket i am so obsessed their new album is awesome! Now who's coming with? And Hercules and Love Affair and Holy Ghost are hotness and will surely bring their own fans =) ON SALE NOW
August 21 - Crystal Castles at terminal 5 AAAAH i'm SO excited. c'mon it's crystal fucking castles!! bummer it's so expensive looks like it's $45. I predict this concert will sell out faster than you can blink. ON SALE FRIDAY

i have my phone programmed to remind me when to buy the neon indian and crystal castles tickets. is anyone else as excited as i am? are there any missing from the list? let me know

passion pit concert, originally uploaded by sassafrassgirl13.

the city that's where we belong

i went home this weekend =D


City - Lo-Fi-Fnk

tired of living this country life
it's time to move up from the south
it seemed to have something for us
but now it's time to hit the bus
60 miles of where its at
to finally get things back on track
so cmon boy, just take us home
to the city, that's where we belong

light , originally uploaded by philippe*.

things have changed but still the same
like bars and crowds with different names
24 hour grocery stores
where the kids hang out just like before
is this the place that we are sure
could be Paris, London or Tokyo
boy it's great to be back home
the city that's where we belong
the city that's where we belong

boy it's great to be back home
the city that's where we belong
the city that's where we belong

(this one's mine)

we need excitement for a change
but that doesn't mean that we will stay
the beginning feels like oh so great
but soon it turns to just okay
see, I've known this place for much too long
I'm always one to be moving on
but still it's great to be back home
the city that's where we belong

, originally uploaded by Marcos Ribas.

i love/hate that little game

Crying Lightning - Arctic Monkeys

Outside the café by the cracker factory,
You were practising a magic trick,
And my thoughts got rude, as you talked and chewed,
On the last of your pick and mix.

Said your mistaken if you thinking that I am gun’ go cold before
As you bit into your strawberry lace,
And then a flip in your attention in the form of a gobstopper,
Is all you have left and all is going to waste.

Your past-times, consisted of the strange,
And twisted and deranged,
And I love that little game you had called,
Crying lightning,
And how you like to aggravate the ice-cream man on rainy afternoons.



The next time that I caught my own reflection,
It was on its way to meet you,
Thinking of excuses to postpone.
You never look like yourself from the side,
But your profile did not hide,
The fact you knew I was approaching your throne.

With folded arms you occupy the bench like toothache
Saw them, puff your chest out like you never lost a war.
And though I try so not to suffer the indignity of a reaction
There was no cracks to grasp or gaps to claw.

And your past-times, consisted of the strange,
And twisted and deranged,
And I hate that little game you had called,
Crying lightning,
And how you like to aggravate the icky man on rainy afternoons.

Uninviting,
But not half as impossible as everyone assumes,
You are crying lightning.

Your past-times, consisted of the strange,
And twisted and deranged,
And I hate that little game you had called,
Crying lightning,
Crying lightning,
Crying lightning,
Crying lightning.

Your past-times, consisted of the strange,
And twisted and deranged,
And I hate that little game you had called,
Cry-ing.

looks good feels good too

HAPPY NEW YEAR
here's fischerspooner in homage to the new years concert i'm missing while i'm in the caribbean
fischerspooner's song "never win" was my #11 most played song for 2009 (bet you cant guess #1 but #2 was sleepyhead by passion pit then we have some sebastien tellier, ghostland observatory, cut copy, metric, goldfrapp, crystal castles, justice and some random stuff)
when i get back to cell phone service land there'll be an influx of new photos and hopefully more black and whites by february fingers crossed. hmm resolution to shoot a roll a day? sounds good to me. susan would be proud!


Fischerspooner - Emerge - MyVideo

Fischerspooner - Emerge

Hi
Huh-i
Hyper
Hyper-mediocrity
You dont need to
Emerge from nothing
You dont need to
Tear away
You dont need to
Tear away
Feels good
Looks good
Sounds good
Looks good
Feels good too
Feels good too
(Uh-huh thats right)
Feels good too
(Uh-huh thats right)
You dont need to
Emerge from nothing
You dont need to
Tear away
You dont need to
Emerge from nothing
You dont need to
Tear away
(Uh huh thats right)
(Uh huh thats right)
You dont need to
Emerge from nothing
You dont need to
Tear away
You dont need to
Emerge from nothing
You dont need to
Tear away

(This one's mine)

You dont need to
Emerge from nothing
You dont need to
Tear away

***, originally uploaded by Nana Lutea.

You dont need to
Emerge from nothing
You dont need to
Tear away

Exorcism Alter, originally uploaded by HistoryRepeating.

Look alive!
You dont need to
Emerge from nothing
You dont need to
Tear away

[repeat chorus until fadeout]

street walking

summer people

let me sleepwalk

it was warm today

hello friend

sun spiral galaxy

trying out my new LG enV
pretty good for a cell phone but it lacks the fuzzy painterly quality of my voyager...

pumpkin season