Whitesnake: Here I Go Again

Band of Horses: Detlef Schrempf

The Hollies: Bus Stop

Sometimes, you gotta take things into your own hands if you want to live the good life.

The Cardigans: Explode

 

Telepopmusik: Smile

Ken Nordine: Green

I saved this guy while doing laundry today. He was about to walk into a neighbor’s whirring air conditioner. I figure transferring him to the safety of a lush green bush has gotta earn me some good mojo. Hey! Something I could really use right about now…

Smashing Pumpkins: Perfect

The Jam: Ghosts

Its definitely a funny/strange time right now. On every corner it seems I’m being tested; confront your nasty neighbor on her idiotic antics, brace yourself for the coming layoffs, adjust your routine to no longer include another, rethink the new apartment: ditch the deposit, make a break for it. I’m losing the grip on my comfort zone a little bit each day and hell,  its probably a good thing. As disconcerting as it can sometimes be, I can’t help but think that perhaps all this chaos is actually a fantastic disruption designed to push me past my familiar routines. Its really not such a bad deal, its just..well, the timing’s kinda funny. With so much being thrown at you, you can’t help but wonder what’s coming next. At any rate, I found myself  listening to The Jam’s Ghosts the other day and I had that moment; the moment where you’re not really listening to the lyrics but then a key word grabs your attention and you start to focus on the words and realize the song is being sung to YOU. Its kinda like that moment in The Neverending Story where Bastien realizes that the characters in the book are talking to him. All I need now is a giant flying dragon-dog and I’m complete.

Googoosh: Choob Mizani

Arcade Fire: Headlights Look Like Diamonds

 

Photo by Mrs. Z

 Club 8: Everything Goes

 

Taken by Trees: The Sweetness of Air France

Florence + The Machine: The Dog Days Are Over

I promise this is the last P&C redo. Looks alot like the original P&C format, eh? Only it’s white. Which I think makes for a much brighter and cheerier P&C. I say, let there be light and let there be fun songs and silly photos too. Cheers!

The Fiery Furnaces: Benton Harbor Blues Again

Bon Iver: Skinny Love

The Pixies: Wave of Mutiliation

Gettin’ the hell outta dodge and headin’ for the coast. Its been an irksome couple of weeks culminating in a most annoying case of scratchy eyes. Additionally I keep having these dreams where the main characters treat me unkindly and then I wake up feeling like shit and continue feeling that way for the next couple hours. I also cut my bangs thinking it would be the most awesome thing EVER and I gotta say I’m not too impressed (girls, why do we have this primal instinct to pick up the scissors when we know its probably a bad idea..? I’ve done this a mllion times and afterwards I always think, "why did I just do that.."). The rest of the annoying minutae I’d rather forget about and put behind me in a garbage dump. Camping by the ocean seems like it should do a world of good (which is more than I can say for cutting bangs). Here’s to a healthy push of life’s ‘refresh’ button. Over and out.

Camera Obscura:The Sweetest Thing

Photo taken last night at the Fillmore. Awesome show, awesome band, 3 hours of sleep.fdal#1.. life is good.

Los Halos: Dagger Bones

Jason Lytle: Brand New Sun

If you’re a Grandaddy fan, Jason Lytle’s new album  is fantastic and highly recommended for your listening pleasure. Seems to pick up where Sumday left off. Tender, bittersweet and fully awesome.

  Grizzly Bear: Two Weeks

After weeks of deliberation I’ve decided that today, June 1st, I shall relaunch the ol’ P&C.  I’m totally stoked about posting again.  So what do you think of the new look? Lemme know. 

To enjoy the new and improved P&C you must know a few things first:
UPDATE 7/16/09: blah blah blah blah, ok none of this matters because I went back to my original format, though I DID change some colors. So I’d say, to enjoy the new and improved P&C you must like white backgrounds. Yeah.. that’s bout it.
1. Since I’ve changed visual themes, alot of my previous entries went wonky. Fixing them requires reposting the images. And since my posts go back to 2007, it’s taken a lot longer to update than I originally thought. Now, I wasn’t going to relaunch P&C until every post was fixed but I just came to the conclusion that it might never get off the ground if I keep waiting. So I’ve decided to relaunch while fixing past posts. So be warned! Back catalogue posts may contain rampant question marks instead of images (the worst, I know). But hopefully by the end of the month I’ll have that all cleared up.

2. Also, keep in mind that since the old P&C used smaller photos in the posts, all posts BEFORE THIS ONE will be square and small compared to the ones freshly posted. Its bad enough that I have to repost the photos; changing the sizes would simply be a trip to Crazytown and all tickets to that city are sold out. Anyhoo, I hope y’all dig the new stylins of P&C. Leave comments, recipes, helpful hints, poems, whatevs. I’m just gonna have a good time and make some good bookah. Holla.

Oh and in case anyone’s wondering, the above image is either of a jellyfish washed up on the beach or a wayward breast implant. Washed up. On the beach. (god I hope not…)

Otis Redding: Change Gonna Come

American Analog Set: Trespassers in the Stereo Field

Mogwai: Waltz For Aidan

Stereo Total: Prends Moi

Adventure Kid: We’re From Barcelona (remix)

LU: Mood Elevator

I’m pretty sure I saw Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in the sky as I drove to work on the Yolo Causeway a few days ago. It was one of the most delightfully bizarre sights I had ever seen. Ok, so maybe Dick Van Dyke circa 1968 wasn’t in the car, but it definitely put a smile on my face.

Digable Planets: Rebirth of Slick

Talking Heads: Psycho Killer (live)

The Vince Guaraldi Trio: The Great Pumpkin Waltz

Memory Cassette: Asleep At A Party

 Blur: No Distance Left To Run

Last Thursday I scored a bike that was thought to be abandonded at my place of employment. It had a flat tire and was chained to the entrance railing for at least 3 months. Everyone there knew I had my eye on it and when it came time for the front office to cut the lock and dump it, someone came to me and asked me if I wanted it. Yeah! Of course! Who wouldn’t want this sweet 1970’s Sears Roebuck "Free Spirit" 10 speed? So I shoved it in my tiny car, brought it home and the next day my brother and I took it apart, bought new tires for it and I spent my Saturday morning scrubbing and polishing it up. Today I get a call from some dude at work. He says, "Hey, did you happen to take home a turquoise bike last week..?" I say, "Uh, yeah…" He says, "Well, that was actually my bike." I pause, and then I say, "Awww nutz.." So there you have it folks. In the grand tradition of life giving you something and then taking it away, I lost my Free Spirit. I had great things planned for us but sadly, it just wasn’t meant to be. Also sadly, Free Spirit is in pieces in my garage and now I have to put it all together and give it back to this guy. Double nutz. (ps: sorry for totally poor photo quality. Its the only one I had of Free Spirit intact and I took it on my cellphone).

TV On The Radio: Staring At The Sun

 Le Tigre: Mediocrity Rules

 Minnie Riperton: Lovin’ You

 
Air France: Collapsing At Your Doorstep

 The Helio Sequence: Broken Afternoon

Peter, Bjorn and John: Let’s Call It Off (Girl Talk Remix)

Shinichi Osawa: Star Guitar (feat. Au Revoir Simone)

 The Who: Boris the Spider

Seriously? First adead weave and now this..? I swear the universe is trying to tell me something. Whatever that is, THIS mess was found in a trashcan in Davis by my Liddle Brudder right after a pleasant park lunch. This was all I heard: "OH. MY. GOD." I was afraid of what he found, ran over to him, peeked in and couldn’t believe my eyes; freshly shorn dreads. Meaning, someone’s 100 year old nappy hair, cut off, at this public park, and discarded – mind you – not in the trash bin which was a few inches away, but the RECYCLING BIN. Personally, I felt like I’d just seen bigfoot. Forget all those hyped up sasquatch reports going around the web at the moment. You want to see something real? Here I have actual visual proof of what happens to dreadlocks when someone doesn’t want them anymore. And the answer apparently is, cut those bitches off and recycle them. (PS: file under "gross.")

DJ Brokenwindow: Hair, Nails, Percolator

Madlib (aka: Beat Konducta): Raw Ground Wire

Walking up to my front door, I spotted this dead fish on the lawn. It felt like something straight out of Magnolia (remember the part about the diver found dead in a tree in the forest..?) There’s a little pond nearby my house and I figured it came from them waters but how did it end up on my lawn? Then I heard a rustle of leaves up in the tree above me. It all made sense; the bird living there (some sort of Heron or Egret) caught it and dropped it en route to its nest. Crazy, no? Oh and PS: the peep project? Its on hold; the last couple days were insane in the membrane. And in a good way. Plus; its my blog; I can do whatever the honk I want. Thats right, honk. Booyah.

New Order: Leave Me Alone

Rockerdog, if I were you I’d just keep on running.

The Walkmen: Hang On, Siobhan

A taste of stellar job opportunities from today’s sactown Craigslist post. I try, (oh how I try) not to get discouraged in my quest for some sort of temporary shitjob to tide me over but sometimes the mediocrity really gets to me. And thats when I fantasize about moving to Helsinki, start some sort of online search in that part of the world, get sidetracked and start all over again. Ah well, its all good; I signed up for this. If you’re gonna do the whole ‘artist’ thing, you shoure do pay your dues. Or become a Zamboni driver.

Cold War Kids: Robbers

The black shoe was already there. The socked foot made an appearance.

Gershon Kingsley: Hey, Hey (Horror)

It didnt happen to me, but I was first on the scene. Scattered in the kitchen was an empty can of pinto beans, a can opener,  this recipe and the telltale splatter you see here. The involved parties were Madame Steffi’s index finger and the sharp edge of a can lid. The rest is still TBD by a surgeon’s knife and what news the wee hours of the morning brings. Ugh. Everyone, go get insurance right now. The end.

Nick Drake: Hazey Jane II

Nina Simone: Here Comes The Sun

Doves: Firesuite

Torngat: You Could Be

Julianna Barwick: Dancing With Friends

Cibelle: Green Grass

The FM Knives: Down the Street

The Inversions: Morning Show

Cocorosie: Ohio

Led Zeppelin: Tangerine

This totally made my day, and most probably my entire week. Today I was at my favorite café working on my laptop, headphones plugged into my ears. I noticed an old woman dressed in a electric blue muumuu looking at me as she grabbed a free newspaper from the rack just a few tables away from me. I thought nothing of it and she went out the front door, returning to her coffee sitting on the table outside. 20 minutes later she came back inside and this time stopped at my table and motioned for me to take out my headphones. I took them out and expected her to tell me my music was too loud or that I’ve violated some sort of café code when she tells me this:

"You look like an orange sherbert."

Mind you, I was wearing my new fluorescent orange striped t-shirt I found in the Target clearance rack (score!). Yeah, its bright but its not that crazy. Anyways, her comment totally delighted me and I couldn’t help but notice that she was totally decked out in blue, from the muumuu to her turquoise patent leather pumps. I had to. So I replied:

"And you look like a blueberry…. er… ice-"

"Muffin. A blueberry muffin?" she interrupted.

"Yeah! A blueberry muffin!"

Then I thought, oooh… not good, since she was kinda short and plump. She thought it was funny (I mean, she’s the one who offered it) but I thought it was a little off, so I added  "no, like blueberry sorbet!" But she was already on the move and had no time for my stupid retorts. She was the one with the zinger, she made the zing and bam; went back out the front door. I totally chuckled to myself thinking, "who says something like ‘you look like an orange sherbert’ to a complete stranger with headphones in their ears?" Honestly, I think its rad and it really needs to happen more often.

Biz Markie: Alone Again

This cat has his OWN blog. I’m just lucky to know him. Check more of Big Boy out at The Adventures of Big Boy. 

Belle Epoque: Miss Broadway

Right about now I’m feeling like the dude wearing the sandwich board.

Broken Social Scene: I Slept With Bonhomme at the CBC

Hall and Oates: Private Eyes

Morcheeba ft. Biz Markie: In the Hands of the Gods

Rio En Medio: Let’s Groove

Margo Guryan: The Hum

Pinback: Fortress

White Williams: Route to Palm

I’m on solid ground, my friends; back in sunny Cali recuperating from the flight and a month’s worth of adventures and life changing experiences. Its nice to be back and I feel engulfed by a radiating glow of inspiration and energy that is a most awesome result of this whole journey. I can’t wait to get started on my new projects and ideas and feel like I can’t waste a moment’s time to start on them all. I saw 3 interesting films on the flight back; The Kite Runner (I was pleasantly surprised by this one and enjoyed it. It was a little bit overproduced and shmaltzy at parts but all in all it was a nice film) Cloverfield (Ok I really liked this one. Its a movie without a plot, story and the usual character developments but its meant to be that way. A great new spin on the monster movie genre, totally recommended) and We Own the Night (this one was okay and while watching it I kept thinking of The Departed, Scorcese’s last film which was similarly themed and also had Mark Whalberg playing a cop in it. Just replace the Irish mafia with the Russian mafia, replace Martin Sheen with Robert Duvall and add Joaquin Phoenix to the mix. It was okay but The Departed was way better). Decent netflix recommendations for all. I think in the coming days I’ll post selections from my trip in usual P&C style and put the rest up on Flickr. Once I sort that part out I’ll post the link for everyone. This photo was taken in Helsinki. I found all bicycle and walking signs in Europe to be so friendly and inviting. I mean just look at it; father and daughter walking together, holding hands? Love it.

Sébastien Tellier, Mr. Oizo & SebastiAn: Skatesteak

Feist: I Feel It All (Britt from Spoon remix)

 Bob James: Angela (Theme From Taxi)

Photo credit: team españa (aka: Lil’ Bruder and Madame Nef)

The Breeders: Mad Lucas

Cut Copy: Feel The Love

I’m digging this song so much right now. Its got everything I love; chirpy synthesizer flourishes, vocoders, "ooh-ooh’s", a breakdown, and that mesmerizing beat that makes you want to hear this song in the background as you take off running up a hill quite possibly right off a cliff, straight up in the sky. Seriously, between the last album and this one, I think these guys really have the perfect feel-good dance song formula down.

The Books: The Lemon of Pink

Devendra Banhart: Little Monkey

Pizzicato 5: This Year’s Girl #1

Toni Basil: I’m 28

The Peanuts: Historia De Una Amor

Aphex Twin: Rhubarb

Wilco: Either Way

Spiritualized: Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space

Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions: On The Low

Thom Yorke: Eraser (XXXChange mix)

Club 8: Heaven

The Phoenix Foundation: Apples and Tangerines

Beirut: Venice

Django Reinhardt: Blue Drag

Group Inerane: Awal September

Cozy Powell: Dance With the Devil

The Kinks: This Time Tomorrow

E*Rock: Them What Do

Hall and Oates: I Can’t Go For That

Daedelus: Fair Weather Friends

Check this out: the face in the above photo reminds me of this face which is actually a character in the music video made for the very song featured above. Whoa… And watch the video. Cuz its really fun.

Simtec Simmons: Teapot

Black Moth Super Rainbow: Jogging Home

CSS: Knife (Grizzly Bear cover)

Radiohead: Reckoner

Tim Buckley: Once I Was

Olivia Tremor Control: Shaving Spiders

Lazy Smoke: Under Skys

Perrey/Kingsley: Gossippo Perpetuo

Kate Bush: Cloudbusting

Modern English: Melt With You

The Beatles: Getting Better

Kelly Slusher: I’m the Devil of the Neighborhood

Stars: What the Snowman Learned about Love

Cornershop feat. Bubbley Kaur: Natch

Little Dragon: Twice

The video for Twice is just as haunting and pretty as the song itself. I love it.

The Orange Peels: San Francisco

 I Am The World Trade Center: Metro (Athens Mix)

Hey kids, I’m in the middle of hell-poop (aka: moving) so posts might be a bit scattered and infrequent. But its ok, cuz I have raspberries on my fingers.

Clutchy Hopkins: Track 12

Marisa: Christine

Taken By Trees: Lost and Found

*photo credit: Gina Zycher

Elliot Smith: Bottle Up and Explode!

Age Pryor & Tessa Rain: Funny Shadow

The Shins: Sleeping Lessons (The RAC Mix)

Bishop Allen: Things Are What You Make Of Them

Slaraffenland: Polaroids

Looper: Quiet and Small

The Orb: Little Fluffy Clouds

The Clientele: An Hour Before The Light

Wilco: Venus Stopped The Train

(check out That Truncheon Thing for nice YHF Sessions post & sampling)

The Fugees: A Change is Gonna Come

Tycho: Cloud Generator

Toothfairy: Kicked Outta the Band

Bruce Springsteen: I’m On Fire

 

So this weekend, I found myself up in the eastern Sierras for a little outdoor fun AND…. thunder storms. Oh you know, the kind with lots of jagged lightning bolts flashing across the sky. One of those bolts hit the top of this cliff (which incidentally was right above our little motel) and started an instant fire. For a split second I thought it was over for me. But then all the water carrying planes and helicopters started flying overhead and that made me feel better. Yes folks, Marnie lives a life of danger just to bring you an exciting photo to enjoy your Springsteen with. Next week I’ll be blogging from the belly of a crocodile. Stay tuned!

Spoon: The Ghost of You Lingers

The Rosebuds: Hold Hands and Fight

New Order: Your Silent Face

Michael Andrews (with Miranda July): When I Call A Name

CocoRosie: Candy Land

RZA: Flying Birds

The Field: Everyday

Velella Velella: So Much For Whats His Face

Bill Callahan: Night

Action Biker: Farrah

I love Action Biker. Ever since I heard her single, Sandy Edwards she’s had a special place in my pop heart. And after reading her myspace profile, I feel like we could be good friends. Believe it or not, I often spend my time thinking who I could be good friends with out in the music/movie/art world. Sometimes I go so far as to plan parties with grand guestlists. This is how I live my life. Moving on… The inspiration for posting this song came from a most wonderful mix from another Scandinavian pop favorite, Jens Lekman. I stumbled upon this last week and it really made my day. I think it’ll make yours too. Jens made this mix last August to commemorate the end of the summer but I find it most appropriate now because summer’s right around the corner (it was 90+ degrees today!). And so The Death of This Summer mix makes a most perfect soundtrack to it all. Because from death, comes life. Sort of. In the world of mixtapes at least. One listen and you might have to bring out the barbecue and blend some margaritas. And what does this have to do with Action Biker? Among other really fun bands featured (Ennio Morricone, America and Hall & Oates to name a few) you can hear Farrah mixed in at the end of it all. Amen.

(and here’s the link to Jens’ fun blog. The posting for The Death of the Summer with all song listings is under ‘August 31, 2006′. You have to scroll down a little bit to get to it. Sorry, there’s no direct link. Work it!)

TV On The Radio: Dry Drunk Emperor

Lindsay Buckingham: Trouble

Cut Copy: Going Nowhere (Whitey Remix)

Note: No lobsters were hurt in the making of this P&C post. You can blame that on some hungry seagull.

Mates of State: Proofs

Looper: Bug Rain

Electrelane: Cut and Run

Visage: The Damned Don’t Cry

Arcade Fire: No Cars Go

Jim Carroll Band: People Who Died

Damn, so much sadness for what happened yesterday at Virginia Tech. It makes me sick to my stomach. Just goes to show how lucky we are to wake up each morning and ‘live’, even though we complain about co-workers, papercuts and the printer being broken again. That shit just really doesnt matter, does it.

Everything But the Girl: Night and Day

Lynn Anderson: Rose Garden

Девочки Не Хотят! (Girls Dont Want): Пусть Все Сосут! (Let Them All Suck It)

I’ve always clung to the hope that Russia HAS GOT to have an Indie music scene *somewhere.* Somewhere beyond the bejewelled hair bands and the mindless euro-pap, I can’t help but think that the mighty country that sent the first person into space can surely house an original pop group or two. I think these girls just might have it… Download this gem of a song here (if its been a while since you brushed up on your Russian, its #2 from the top).

Broadcast: The Ominous Clouds

Hot Chip: Colours

The Phoenix Foundation: Going Fishing

Matt Pond PA: Closer

DJ Broken Window: Beige Sit Down!

Wow, Fanky Malloon is not just a typo; its a deliberate product name, proudly marketed at this site. Also, I’ve always wondered about the secret of popcorn’s popularity. After visiting the site I realize that “It can be said that the particular lightness and savory flavor are the secret of popcorn’s popularity.” I knew it was something…

This one needs a little ’splainin. First off, I’ll start off by saying I had a pretty caca day today. It started with a plugged eardrum and a shot of Astelin up my nose (which I like to call ASStelin..ugh. Tastes SO bad..) and just in general, the mood was pretty low. Eventually it became time to go home from work, when I noticed someone talking on the other side of my cubicle. To themselves (FYI; on the other side of my cubicle lies the community scanner, where everyone comes to do their imaging). So here I am, staring at the computer, just waiting for the day to end when suddenly I hear: "I’m so mad." I take a quick peek over the top of my cubicle and realize its a frustrated employee trying to get the scanner to work. Ok, that happens. No biggie. A few minutes later I hear, "WHY WONT YOU WORK?!" in a progressively angrier voice. Wow, this is starting to get funny cuz that poor bastard doesn’t realize that just over the wall is my lonely cubicle and I can hear everything he’s saying. I sensed things were getting bad cuz the scanner started to make unpleasant noises and Mr. Grumpy angrily shuffled papers around. Thats when the F bomb was thrown. "FUCK—YOU" said Mr. Grumpy. At this moment I frantically searched for my camera thinking I could film this tirade, but at that moment Mr. Grumpy got up and left, leaving a mumbly trail of obscenities behind him. I only hoped he’d come back after a frustration break. And… he did. He only lasted 2 minutes though; enough for me to hear him snipe "I shouldnt have wasted all my time!!", growl (literally; there was an audible "Grrr!"), and take this picture. So thats my story. After that whole scene, my day turned out not to be so bad after all. I dedicate this song to Mr. Grumpy.

The Innocence Mission: Into Brooklyn

Department of Eagles: Family Romance

Travis: Blue Flashing Light