the central cal coast!

Driving along Highway 1 toward Monterey, you’re twisting and turning along the bluffs so often that you’re barely left with any time to think. The turns keep coming, forcing your attention to the black asphalt in the headlights, braking and accelerating, 25mph turn signs every 500 feet. Eyes drift to the amazing scenery outside, only to snap back in time to avoid oncoming semis and SUVs barreling along the narrow road. Once you stop and hop out of the car, however, it’s a completely different story. The cold breeze hits you quickly, somehow crisp and humid at the same time, blending the scent of the ocean and forests. It’s that Northern California Coastal air, the kind that hits you when running in Golden Gate Park on Saturday morning.

The Big Sur section of Highway 1, about an hour north of San Luis Obispo, is sparsely populated. Few signs of civilization rest along the road, never less than 5 miles apart. Gas costs almost twice as much as the cities, no doubt a product of the remoteness of the region. Big Sur, more a span of highway than any real town, is spread along 90 miles, occupying a narrow strip between coastal mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Cut off from the rest of California, this coastal mountain range
includes peaks higher than 5,000 feet above sea level.

The water smashes against the coast far below as towering redwoods sit high in the hills. White cliffs here are especially steep, starting far below the water, rising to incredible heights just a few thousand feet from the rocky beaches. Deep canyons cut into the shoreline, as small creeks feed the great blue Pacific Ocean. The road traverses these gorges on historic bridges, many of which were constructed almost a century ago (and are therefore pretty narrow).

It’s a sight to behold, especially when starting a hike in the early morning fog. The thick fog sits along the cliffs and blankets the churning ocean somewhere below. The hills to the east fade into the fog above, offering no hints of where you’re headed.

Arriving at the Kirk Creek Campground in the morning, we parked the car off the side of the road and decided to tackle the Vicente Flat Trail. The sign at the trailhead informed us that Vicente Flat was a 5 mile hike in, which seemed modest at the time. The trail followed a hill up into the thick fog, disappearing as it rose beyond visibility. We started up, and continued up, only catching glimpses of cliffs as we hiked right beneath them. After a tough, uphill climb in, we noticed a sign signifying our entering the Ventana Wilderness. “Wait, you mean we’re just entering the wilderness now?”

A steep climb along some narrow switchbacks eventually gives way to intervals of meadows and small redwood groves. As you ascend beyond the fog, you realize how far the blanket of haze extends out to sea. The entire ocean is invisible, covered in a white marine layer extending beyond the horizon. Looking north or south, you see the hills jutting in and out of the coastline, the fog pushing its way into the canyons.

We continued along the trail, consistently gaining elevation, in and out of inlets formed by creeks rushing west. After a few miles, we take a right turn along a larger canyon, with the huge Cone Peak looming across the steep gorge. The trail, at spots only a foot or two across, is cut right into the steep hillside, forcing you to choose between precariously balancing over the edge and avoiding poison oak hanging over the trail. The poison oak is avoidable; I think it’s more of a psychological thing, especially because of the name. The three of us actually survived without getting hit by any of it.

The path never gets any thinker until you reach the Vicente Flat campground, set near an underground creek and large, open redwood grove. The campsites nestled in this area are very cozy, under enormous redwoods and within earshot of the creek. The creek, which disappears underground to the east and pops up downstream further down the canyon, seems to be year-round. The flow was pretty strong…coming down into the flat, we genuinely thought the creek was about 3 times the size it really was. Either way, however, fresh water is a quick boil/treatment away.
We turned around here, after a quick break at the flat. The hike back out was odd, mostly since the hillside was now on our left. We had to get used to leaning left to avoid slipping off the ridiculously steep cliff below. Emerging from the canyon, we saw that the heat burned off a good chunk of the fog. A clear view to the ocean now had us wondering, “how high are we?” We found out later that the Vicente Flat Trail gains about 1,800 feet in elevation.

Feet aching, knees shot, we finally saw the car again and sprawled out on the cool grass for a half hour. Feeling adventurous, we drove further north, traversing all 90 miles of the Bug Sur coast. We stopped off at McWay Falls, which everyone says if the highlight of the region. I don’t even want to describe the falls…it’s something everyone should just check out for themselves. A mere 2 minutes from the road, it really doesn’t take too much effort…

The effort it takes to get here is far outweighed by the unique scenery and the miles of hiking trails, taking you to places that feel completely foreign. About the same drive time as LA to Vegas, The coast is a totally different experience, secluded, wild and serene. Fluffy beds and nice restaurants may be in shortage, but who can argue with waking up on a seaside bluff, cool breezes, and redwoods? And 90 miles of it? I’m always ready to see more.

adventures

So it's come to this...

...take a little restlessness, a little curiosity, some furlough days, and (a small amount of) initiative and you may find yourself on a rock fin on top of the world, perusing unique art in odd places, in a deep red-rock canyon in the Moab Desert, or overlooking the great California coastline in serenity, free to think on your own and (finally) take deep breaths. I want others to feel what I have felt, sitting 1,500 feet up or hiking through hoodoos; I think it's more inherently human than the cars we drive in or the offices we slog off to work in every morning. Humans are animals, and as much as we try to deny it, cover it with concrete, or drive through it, nature always continues on. We're products of a natural process, of billions of years of change, and yet we constitute less than a blink of an eye in the grand scheme of things. Our development as a species, as profound as we think it is, really isn't; we exist but won't last, and the Earth will get along perfectly well after we're gone. To think that we've figured anything out, in a few hundred years in contrast to the earth's hundreds of millions, is simply an act of arrogance and naivety, and besides, we're still in only one of billions of galaxies, orbiting one of billions of stars, sitting on a small percentage of one of billions of planets. Everything is and will continue to be; the human species, the sixth extinction of the earth, will end someday, and a seventh will come along.

That said, I'm absolutely proud to be an earthling, we really lucked out. And human ingenuity is something unique in the world...the things we create for ourselves are, more often than not, beautiful. Before we completely tear our world apart, at least some of us have given our cities and concrete jungles many reasons to shine. Sure we took the nicest, most forgiving natural environments out there and paved over them, but we still managed to create some neat things that are a testament to our ingenuity and creativity. It's not all bad everyone, and I encourage all to go find those places that take your breath away, natural or man-made. They're out there, and deserve a moment of your appreciation.

I made a promise to myself a few months back. About a year after returning to LA after a few years away at school, I started to feel a little stagnant. Tried the school thing again and it kinda sucked...got a great job, but still felt unfulfilled. I was older, however, and had a small income.

So on to the promise. I solemnly swore to explore my hometown, to take a look around and see what a tourist might see on his/her first visit to the Southwest corner of this great country. I realize that Angelinos are among the most privileged people around (it is, after all one of the few places where a pad 30 miles from the city center still costs $500k), and that there are tons of amazing things to see on an everyday basis. Throw in some weekend trips and so much is within reach. I surprised myself within the first month, and I finally know why Anthony Bourdain loves his show so much. Fucker, he has the life.

#1 Downtown Los Angeles

It seemed the logical place to start exploring, considering proximity, my office, and free parking. The anti-nature, sure, but I had to start somewhere. Plus, is there nothing more natural than the thousands of people moving back and forth through city streets like ants underground? The city is at once the furthest and closest thing to man in his natural state. We construct artificial towers of concrete and glass with manufactured pieces...yet is there anywhere many of us feel more at home?

Downtown LA is full of great shops, bars, and eats, for it's as much a big-city downtown as any other. Forget anyone that says LA's Downtown is lacking; like any other LA neighborhood, it has a flow that takes some time to get used to, but yields big rewards. I started with a leg up considering I'm there 4-5 times a week anyway, but from Little Tokyo, everything is accessible - the Old Bank District, the Arts District, Gallery Row, Civic Center, Financial District, Chinatown, Bunker Hill, and more.

Exploring Downtown is cake. Not only is the place accessible by the 10, 110, 101, and 5 freeways, multiple bus lines and three different metro rail lines converge here. Downtown even has its own internal bus line, the Dash, which costs all of a quarter to ride anywhere. Or walk..cause you'll never see or notice more than when you're aimlessly strolling.

Spend the day here and check out some of Historic Downtown's buildings, most of which have been here for more than a century. Despite the fact that most have been converted to lofts for lawyers and screenwriters, these buildings can still instill a sense of wonder and awe, especially for being constructed more than 100 years ago.

The Pacific Electric Building houses Cole's French Dips and two bars - The Varnish and the Association, swanky spots with good (albeit expensive) cocktails...

The Eastern Building, with its turquoise walls and giant clock...

But few are more spectacular than the Bradbury Building on Third Street. An unassuming building from the outside, the red brick building was constructed in 1893. It was renovated in the 90's and today looks amazing, at least from the inside.

There are tons of things happening in Downtown and the best way to take it all in would have to be the monthly Art Walk, which happens on the second Thursday of each month. Thousands take to the streets after work to enjoy drinks and the many galleries that now line the old financial district. I completely recommend checking out some local bars and eateries as well, from bacon donuts at Nickel Diner to ramen at Daikokuya, whiskey at Seven Grand to $3 Hoegaardens at Golden Gopher on Tuesdays. And there's always Wurstkuche and the famous Phillipes...

I could go on...but there really isn't a good way to explain. Just make the trip one of these days and see what's happening...it may be surprising.

shows

A few weeks back, I saw the Decemberists, in all their glory and storytellers' grace, spin their tall tales of the Hazards of Love. They tore through their entire new album, front to back, a fantastic opera with the grandiose whimsy that is the Decemberists. This new album is easily the most rock-inspired, including far heavier guitars, loud drums, and even some head-banging moments...however, the lyrics stay the course, as Colin Meloy invokes forest spirits, shape-shifting, and all sorts of magical imagery usually reserved only for fairy tales and card games. The 5-piece band definitely understand how to stage a spectacle, as the enormously wide Palladium stage became their podium, like watching a great orator's story of love, life, and the occasional infanticide. During their ode to offing one's children, "The Rake's Song", everyone sharing the stage whipped out mallets and began slamming hard on a floor tom and snare, adding to the already thunderous drums, like taiko drummers from another world. I've seen them play with an entire orchestra, filling every space with majestic strings and slow-rising horns...this rock epic seemed miles away. That's not at all a criticism, in fact, the ease in which the band can seamlessly transition from open, harmonic soundscapes to a pure hard rock opera-while maintaining the enchantment and feel to a vintage Decemberists show...is simply a testament to their longevity and success.

Also dropped into St. Vincent's El Rey show about a week later...the intimacy of the El Rey is something I'll always love, and the free street parking makes it feel that much better. Throw some sweet-potato fries in and you can almost forgive a $7 Bud Light (!?)...but not completely. St. Vincent's opener, Pattern is Movement, brought a very unique feel to the show; the band is a duo - one on keys and vocals, the other on the drums. The drummer can rip, plain and simple, throwing in ridiculous off-beats and super quick hi-hat hits in between intricate sequences. I just remember wondering how the guy can come up with it, let alone remember how to play it? (perhaps that's why I can't drum worth a damn). The keyboardist/singer carried his weight with a lighter voice, a folksy-avant garde style slightly reminiscent of Jim James that echoed throughout the room over his smooth keys. Kicker of the night - one quick bar of the opening sequence of "Everything in its Right Place" that got pretty much everyone in the room looking around at their friends, asking "woah, did you just hear Radiohead?". Pretty cool. And amazingly ballsy to throw that in. They pulled it off though, and for that I picked up their album...and the funniest tote bag you'll ever see. It'll be a gift for someone.

St. Vincent simply owns the room when she takes the stage...and with the amount of control she has over her sound, she can punctuate the highs and draw out the lulls, seducing the crowd until we're all on her time. Her band varied from her last performance at the Echoplex (which really varied from her solo performance at the Swerve Festival-who the fuck remembers that!?); her string section was reduced to a single part-time violinist, signaling an emphais on her newer, more electronic rock sound captured by her latest LP, Actor. Standing close to the sound booth, I caught a glimpse of a Kaos Pad and some other sound-modifying instruments, which the sound girl was using to add some ambient depth to many of St. Vincent's songs. The added pops and chopping of sounds added to the eerieness of some songs, while building up others. Of course, the most captivating thing about St. Vincent is her guitar playing, which is just ridiculous. Her voice is the sugary-sweet to her hard-nosed picking and dark lyrics. Good times.

Goodness, I see a lot of great shows. Caught Animal Collective at the Wiltern, which was a transcendent experience...you immediately walk in and notice the crazy pattern of Merriweather Post Pavilion's cover and 6 PA speakers in a semi-circle around the band. Animal Collective is just one of those amazing bands that thinks of everything before you do. Space, light, everything is accounted for and adds to the total experience of the show. Being there is completely surprising and a truly unique experience, since for most of the show, you really can't tell with certainty what exactly each band member is doing/playing. There's just so much sound to manage...but they do it with ease. Sadly, there's no angled-mirror for the crowd like a cooking show (which would be perfect), only Avey, Panda Bear, and Geologist's moving arms and fingers as certain sounds eminate from their vast array of samplers and synthesizers. I'll just go ahead and say that you need to see them. Certain shows can be captured in a paragraph or two; this wasn't one of those. Just what they did to "Fireworks" is a masterpiece in itself.

And, as perhaps a grand finale of sorts, got some tickets to see Femi Kuti, Santigold, and Raphael Saadiq at the Bowl last night. Bringin Your Own Booze is a blessing, as I didn't once think about whether or not to buy a bottle of wine/large beer. Santigold. I've heard things, but I never really realized what she's up to...shame on me. You know she has arrived when she can rock the shit out the Hollywood Bowl. That's 20,000 people, all dancing like maniacs. Her music is intoxicating in a lot of ways, from her heavy electronic jams and anthems to her sunnier, airy guitar-driven pop cuts. She spits them all with style and energy, pretty much forcing you to stand up and appreciate it. "Creator" live is something to behold. And she mentioned that this tour was her first with a full band. I would love to see her work in a studio. Femi Kuti is already a legend, following in dad's footsteps, doing it on the sax and trumpet with flair and style. His political lyrics ride his lively music, giving a real reason to stand up and join in on the party. For every 500 artists on the pop charts singing about fucking and getting drunk, there's a gem like Femi, crafting music that makes you realize how lucky you are to be hearing this, in this place, at this time, with these people.

Cheers, friends.

absolute zero

24 is a week away...

wednesdays...the day where I have an opportunity to reflect on the week from right in the thick of it...

in this day and age, is anything a flowing path anymore? it seems that everything is caught up in overly long diversions, meaningless switchbacks, and stagnant pools on the side [it's anti-erosion]. communication across distances unthinkable only decades ago has rendered our attention span utterly useless...flood in china, flu in mexico, war in afghanistan, texts to friends, emails to work...to get to where you should be requires more focus than I am capable of. distractions abound...oh, the death of god is old news, this is the end of determination, the end of focus, and the end of concentration! no longer can we move through life unaware...like a begging puppy in the rain, we must donate some of our attention to finding the answer to our most mundane questions - because we can. who is the new idol? whos winning the game? how goes the market? there are answers and they are now available in seconds...taking us away from what matters most. is there a problem of knowing too much? of course there lies no fault in knowledge...but to lose ourselves trying to answer questions with facts forgotten by sundown only serves to push us away from that which really matters. the human spirit is dim today and becomes ever more so, as the creators [the apollonian man at his finest] are praised to keep men in the fog of oversaturation. and we are happy.

the dark box man has found himself in is a construction from the inside, hostages to our own invention as the lid descends. every day the machines on which we are so dependent take precious minutes from our potential. the tipping point of technology has come and gone. while the divide between the contractors and the herd grows ever more. and we are content.

is this what the molecule feels as absolute zero approaches?

unhealthy thinking

I sat at home today and listened to Neil Young...

It was a fantastic Saturday.

I realize that I'm jealous of drunks.

But only a little bit.

After two long weeks, I return to the sounds of Widower and Chad Vangaalen

Have a happy start to the new year, kiddos, for life is far too short and far too many decisions lay ahead that will one day be insignificant-

My punctuation is odd, I know...but I am my audience.

Thank 2008 for many things I don't want to remember; for all kinds of amazing, terrifying, and beautiful things; for things I'll probably one day remember as just one of those middle years...

I want to remember.

The sound shores, the spacey skyline, the old stacks on the calm coast, is that the future?

The Strip, the lights, the 10, head-on collisions and the derailing of the evening commute are a life I will come back to.

Bless the others, they save me and understand what only I fail to recognize.

The window open, the cold air, the warm night, the lovers

I at times love where we've been and look to where we're going...
...I can't help but wondering if we've been here before

don't let it get to your head.



The Decemberists are set to ignite the world with their new one.

M83 is doing their thing with the LA Phil in March.

We're there.

DW

Indie kids...you're both hilarious and awesome.

Taken from TIG blog...

Music Sales Up (?)

Submitted by Imaginary Shrie on January 13, 2009.

Last year was crap financially, as was this last holiday season. Retail stores bitched and moaned about their losses, people were laid off... the recession continued. One indie music retailer, however, has somehow managed to increase their sales.

Insound.com remains a glimmer of hope in the current dire state of retail woes. A whopping 91% increase was reported for the month of December in 2008, as opposed to the same month in '07. Much like other retailers, their vinyl sales soared 130% in 2008.

Recession be damned! Indie rockers need their sustenance! (BTW Insound.com has a free digital mixtape available now AND a post holiday sale. Can't beat that with a stick!)

Insound Sees a New Kind of Music Retailing Emerge This Holiday Season

For the better part of the last decade, Insound, the premier online indie store, had heard countless gloomy forecasts for music retailers. Although combined in 2008 with a weak economic environment, Insound’s surprising optimism proved well-founded as it enjoyed a 91% increase in total transactions in December 2008 when compared to the same month the previous year.

The marked growth was driven by dramatic up-ticks in vinyl, band merch and music gift and accessory sales. Insound is not a CD store or a digital store. While they sell music in both aforementioned formats, they excel in products that the most avid music fans desire — vinyl, band merch, gig posters, turntables, music related art-books, etc.

Insound’s success echoes recent Nielson reports indicating a significant increase in the number of music related sales in 2008, despite a distinct decline in CD sales. Aside from digital track sales, this trend is most prevalent in vinyl; Insound’s vinyl sales showed a staggering 130% increase in 2008, contributing to the national increase of 89% in vinyl sales reported by Nielson. Insound’s sales were spurred by its forward-thinking “LP +MP3” program, in which customers who buy select LP titles receive the MP3s of the album’s MP3s for free, immediately with purchase. “LP+MP3” includes nearly 500 titles from labels such as Sub Pop, Saddle Creek and Beggars.

While vinyl accounted for over 40% of Insound’s sales this past December, band t-shirts and posters accounted for over 15% of business. Insound works with leading indie labels and silk-screen studios to aggregate the best designed band merch in the market. Similarly, Insound’s selection of turntables, music books and well designed audio accessories reflect a new approach to music retailing that is driven neither by CDs or by MP3s.

In line with this approach, Insound recently announced a series of Pre-Order Product Bundles, that connect digital music to band merch. For the same cost of a t-shirt, each pre-order delivers customers an exclusive t-shirt designed by a renowned design studio and a digital download of an entire album (both of which ship on the album’s release date). The series kicks off with A.C. Newman’s album Get Guilty (Matador) with a t-shirt designed by Sydney Vermont. Future offerings include Beirut, designed by Delicious Design League, Handsome Furs, designed Andy Dixon, and The Thermals, designed by Bwana Spoons. Learn more here.

To learn more about Insound’s “LP+MP3” program, visit: http://www.insound.com/noteworthy/promo.php?p=57

To learn more about the Insound 20, visit:
http://www.insound.com/insound20

“The go-to for all things indie rock” — NPR’s “All Things Considered"

“A megastore for hipsters, Insound makes it simple to explore the newest indie boomlet.” — Entertainment Weekly, “25 Best Music Websites”

Outlook: good