Botanica, Brooklyn & Beaches...

1. Vice

2. Red Pleather > than most things

3. Modern Romance

4. Cecelia

Tonight was about Cecelia, et al trying to convince me to move to Los Angeles...Ja'dore you dear and yes the love and hate of it all is the best part. Big kisses on you (and Santa Monica)!!

Cheers, V.

Tuesday Night in NYC...

Yeah, we saw the Beach Fossils tonight. Awesome show - what an evening. Photos are as such: pre-game @ mi casa, the band, smooches on my favorite lady love and open bar. It was a balmy evening downtown with a great show!! God, I lurve NYC sometimes...We didn't spend one dime either.

BTW: best quote of the night (overheard by a random person was: best bands ever are out of Brooklyn, but Bushwick, actually....) PERFECT.

Goodnight I'm druuuunk!! V.

Died and Gone to Heaven...

Say what? Beach Fossils are playing a free gig at Santos Party House Tuesday night with an OPEN BAR from 9 - 11pm?

No stamp required, no money is necessary, nada. Simply RSVP on StyleCaster's FB page and show up with your lovely self.

Post Acid Chest in the West

BEST POST ACID CHEST IN THE WEST (UN-O.F.F.I.C.I.A.L. VIDEO) from PAT VAMOS on Vimeo.

Above is the awesomely bizarre unofficial video for Wavves' first single Post Acid from their new (and highly anticipated) sophomore album King of the Beach on Fat Possum Records.

How many moustaches do you see in the crowd?

via Nathan Williams' highly entertaining blog Ghost Ramp.

Summer in the City...

Scorching temperatures, $1.00 Tecates, PBR & Genny Cream Ales, patios and the Manson Family are all just another typical Friday happy hour in Greenpoint Brooklyn. Oh, and Saturday is pretty much the same thing too. Summer is the best.

Shannon (my music doppelganger)

Squeaky Fromme

Child Bride (with pompadour)

Craaaaaaaack!

Happy Hour (yours truly)

Enjoy your weekends everyone!! XX, V.

Ist Freitag und sehr guten tag!

Neon Indian - Mind Drips from Josh Morgan on Vimeo

Hope your weekends are as fun as the video above.

Cheers, Nanook!

Brooklyn

Bushwick, baby.

Maple Bacon Bliss $1.95

Yeah, that's bacon on top of a glazed bear claw slash donut thingamajiggy. For real. For real.

Video Gem & Best Album Cover

Sleep ∞ Over - Your World Is Night from Josh Morgan on Vimeo.

The Austin trio girl band SLEEP OVER is a soft dream-pop sound of lo-fi haze and soul. I love this William Castle-esque video for Your World is Night. Enjoy.
SLEEP OVER also recently announced their new 7" After the Jump is coming out next month. The cover art is so nasty, but in the best possible way.

Zany kids...

Resting in Peace...

I went to mass tonight and lit a candle under St. Jude for my dad. Thank you everyone for your kind words and keeping my family in your thoughts on Wednesday.

Henry (Buddy) Lyons French, II

September 1, 1949 - June 23, 2008

I'm thinking of you always...

Falafel Royale

I love to cook. I mean really really love to cook. Every single meal I eat is usually made with my own hands. It's pretty rare that I'll blog about food because I make it so often but I was blown away by tonight's meal. The best falafel I've ever had came out of my own little kitchen!!

What made this so special you ask? I tried something new and added grated yellow onion (not as sweet as red and much less expensive), a ton of finely chopped chives (for crunch and general freshness) and the final touch was shredded carrots (they lend a perfect sweetness and hearty texture) into the boring falafel mix. Um, it was amazing. I'm calling this recipe Falafel Royale. It was the perfect blend of ingredients; I only wish I had shaved radishes to add on top.

I made a little side salad too but it's nothing too spectacular - red kidney beans, more yellow onion, more chives, roma tomatoes and a little sprinkle of fresh ground pepper and fleur de sel. It was so simple. I didn't even use olive oil; it was very light and fresh. All produce is so ripe right now I really can't get enough of it.

Dessert was a sugar free orange popsicle. It was also pretty damn good.

Oooh La La...

Image via French photographer Melanie Rodriguez's gorgeous blog.

Coasting's Video for Kids

Coasting - "kids" from alice cohen on Vimeo.

I listened to the Brooklyn-based band Coasting on the road trip upstate today. Admittedly, this genre is not at all unique right now (west coast surfer punk soft girl harmonies pop beach boys sound) but perfect for the warmer months and for driving. Above is the lo-fi lady duo's really fun video for their catchy song Kids.

Coasting is playing a few upcoming gigs in Brooklyn. I'll be at the show with the BEETS, one of very favorite local bands! These guys are so cute. I bought a record from their website and the next day they rode their bikes to my apartment from Jackson Heights to personally deliver it. They also gave my super the nicest and most thoughtful handwritten thank you note addressed to me. I mean, how much more "indie" can you get? I love telling that story.

Coasting's Brooklyn Tour Dates:

June 24 @ Union Pool
June 25 @ Matchless
June 26 @ Death by Audio!
July 2 @ Monster Island (also playing: The BEETS)

Best Coast's Crazy for You

Best Coast's new album Crazy for You is one of the most anticipated releases this summer (and year). There are 12 new songs and features the bonus track "When I'm with You".

The album releases on July 27 on label Mexican Summer and will follow with a major tour.

WAVVES King of the Beach

WAVVES @ SWEET TEA from Pete Ohs on Vimeo.

Bonus! Download the song Post Acid from the record here. I already know this album is going to kick ass.

Deep Sea...

Last night was absolute perfection. The new songs were beautiful. Thanks for the magic Kurt.

Read Shannon's take on the evening and being vile-ated (I wish).

The Weekend...

Dearest friends, happy Friday!! I am so excited about this weekend I can hardly stand it. I am kicking it off with Kurt Vile at Union Pool tonight! I can't wait to hear the new EP Square Shells live and thank him for sharing his songs with us. God, I'm sooo in love. If you haven't heard the new record you are seriously blowing it.

Saturday is the usual afternoon volunteering at MoMA and then a rooftop soiree in Brooklyn. The evening will promise fun times as usual.

Sunday is a day trip to the Hudson River Valley for swimming and hanging out by the river. Yes! Yes! Yes! It's going to be an insane 150 degrees or something like that and a great excuse to get out of the city. I can't wait.

What is better than your favorite musician, do-gooding, watching sunsets on a rooftop and a lazy Sunday spent on a river? Um, not much. That's what.

Kisses on everyone!! V.

Summer Songs & Margarita Machines

The official start of summer is on Monday. I am a firm believer that your summer starts when you have your first frozen margarita (from a machine, naturally) in balmy temperatures. As you can clearly see from the evidence above my summer has started.

I have also included the following songs on my summer soundtrack: The Sandwitches' Back to the Sea, Kurt Vile's I Know I Got Religion & Times New Viking's These Days. I'll share the updated list as it grows.

Rock on, V.

You've Got a Best Friend Now...

Kurt Vile's song Ocean City from his new EP Square Shells.

Kara Walker at MoMA

Kara Walker's installation in the Museum of Modern Art's atrium titled Gone: An Historical Romance of A Civil War as It Occured b'tween the Dusky Thighs of One Young Negress and Her Heart is currently on view. The work is paper cutouts adhered to the wall. This particular piece is about 50 feet long and depicts scenes from the Gone with the Wind.

"The history of America is built on...inequality, this foundation of a racial inequality and a social inequality," Walker has said, "And we buy into it. I mean, whiteness is just as artificial a construct as blackness is."

The work is brilliant.

Cornelia Street

I took this photo on my walk to the L train this morning on Cornelia Street. I bought my little "handyman special" one bedroom classic New York City prewar apartment two years ago tomorrow on June 16th. Happy anniversary Cornelia Street!

I'd also like to take a quick moment today and congratulate Erin Suhy and Dan Wilke on buying their first home in beautiful Philadelphia. Erin just texted me and they FINALLY closed!! They signed and got the keys. THE keys! I am so proud of you both; I can't wait to come and see your new home.

I also listened to more of the new Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti album Before Today this morning on my walk. Take a listen to Revolution's A Lie - what an amazing song, right?

Dennis Hopper at MoCA

Dennis Hopper

Double Standard

1961

Gelatin Silver Print

Friends in Los Angeles, please do not miss Jeffrey Deitch's first exhibition as Director at MoCA which is titled Dennis Hopper Double Standard on view from July 11 - September 26, 2010.

Hopper shot images for over 40 years and it's very fitting the exhibiton comes at a time that will also coincidentally serve as a memorial and in his hometown. Seeing this show needs to be on your summer to do list.

Monday's Commute

Normally a Monday's commute into work doesn't mean much in a person's day or even become blog worthy but today was different. I think when you know you won't be seeing the same things you are used to every single day you will begin to have a new found appreciation and love for them. Even if you thought you lost it long ago...

(1) W&M .99 store by my subway station
(2) THE train!!
(3) Walking (everywhere and nowhere)

I still love you Bushwick, Brooklyn. Oh, and as I walked to the train this morning I was listening to Times New Viking's Stay Awake EP and perfect song Call and Respond. You can now enjoy your Monday a bit more while you chew on the amazing tune.

Happy Freitag

Happy Freitag everyone! I spent some of last night researching the (near) future "menu" and I am glad to report Genny Light has made the cut. She's a crisp delicious canned beer brewed in the great state of New York and city of Rochester AND only 90 calories.

I'll be celebrating a book launch this evening on the Bowery (congratulations Justine and Marcus!!). Tomorrow is an afternoon volunteer shift at MoMA until 4pm and then a little more research perhaps...Sunday I'll spend cleaning out my closets and donating a ton of things to Goodwill and selling some items to Beacon's Closet.

It's a weekend of celebrating, do-gooding, researching and cleaning. I'd say that's pretty darn perfect.

Kisses, V.

Magnificent Specimens

I saw a small exhibition this afternoon at the Chelsea Markets by the insanely talented photographer Dave Mead. His latest series is a project titled Magnificent Specimens. The gorgeous and cheeky prints go for $350 unframed and $500 with the amazing over-the-top faux guilded frame as seen above.

I'm seriously thinking how I can afford to buy two of them, hang them side by side above my dining table. Hmm...eat soup for months?! I just may do that. I love love these images.

What's better than an ultra baroque photograph of a bearded weirdo?

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti's first single from their new LP Round and Round has just been released on label 4AD.

Um, can you say genius?!

Thanks Satan!

This is such a great sign on the El Diablo taco truck parked in the back of Union Pool in Williamsburg. I wish Satan air conditioned all of New York last weekend.

Weekend Warrior!!

It's official. I am a masochist. I finally finished building my kitchen this weekend. It felt amazing and I am so happy and relieved that is completed. I gave my contractor the biggest hug in the world and a Coors Light when we cleaned the last of the construction dust. Boy, trust me when I say there was A LOT of it.

This was quite possibly the most difficult leg of the renovation phase. We had a heat wave that lingered all weekend (if you are reading this and don't live in NYC, thank God you weren't here) and carrying all of the materials up a four story walk up in an apartment with NO aircon due to the construction dust was pretty much hell for two days. I had one or two emotional break downs. It was rough; I actually cried once. I kept thinking I must be absolutely crazy to think I can pull this off.

The above photos are from the kitchen renovation. We had to cut all of the butcher block tops, install them, rip out sheet rock to place reinforcements for the shelving, build the wall back again, install (the gorgeous) stove, put in the farmhouse sink (I've always dreamed of one), install the faucet, install the water lines and a hundred other last minute touch ups. It's not 100% complete; I need to figure out why the dryer isn't working, get the gas turned on and get the washing machine leveled properly still. Oh, and I need to paint the walls white. The list goes on and on...

Anyway, I can't believe how much got accomplished. It was a great weekend!

Hot Child in the City...

Yesterday was sooo HOT in the city! It never cooled off. The temperature was at a near 90 degrees at 10pm in my apartment. I drank an ice cold pellegrino and ate black berries for dinner. This weather puts me in fruit mode until September. NYC is so muggy at night already; how will we survive another hot ass summer?!?!

Well my dear friends, I am glad to say it is Friday and our weekends will begin shortly. I am meeting Diana and friends for a congratulatory "you got the job" soiree in Williamsburg this evening. Tomorrow is a day filled with home improvements again. My contractor is installing the last of my kitchen countertop, backsplash and pantry shelving today (yay! yay!). Sunday, hopefully, will be a mellow day of farmer's market, a very long walk and not much else.

Photo above is the fruit I just bought for lunch at the little stand down the street in Chelsea. Clementines are my absolute favorite - well, next to strawberries.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!! Kisses, V.

Overnight Religion

Listened to Kurt Vile's Overnight Religion on the way into work today. I can not wait to see him at Union Pool next Friday.

Sooo good!

Letter Cult

If you love typography (hand raised) take some time to browse Letter Cult. The site gives kudos to talented artists and designers doing some remarkable work with custom lettering. They take a moment to highlight some of the more original work around today in their extensive gallery section.

Trust me, you can really get lost in the letters and inspired in there.