Love Will Tear Us Apart

Norwegian Duo Morten Qvenild (Jaga Jazzist) and Susanna Wallumrød (A.K.A. Susanna & the Magical Orchestra) have made a video for their gorgeous cover of this Joy Division classic. With the help of producers Andras Mjøs (Jaga Jazzist) and Helge Sten (Deathprod, Supersilent) their songs are left sounding like haunting pop music played through the strictness of electronica and the improvisation of jazz.

rune grammofon

CP: The Short Stop for Adam's bday celebs...

Em & I went to the Stort Stop for Adam's birthday celebrations. There was a man, dressed mostly in white, with a black studded belt and white handkercheifs/towels/bandanas hanging from his belt loops. Those hanging strands of various cloth did not serve any purpose except for looking pretty rad when the guy would skip-dance-gallop-sway on the dance floor. He was a crazy dancer who peaked right around a Bruce Springsteen song. The description of the man has no point, really.
The picture you see here is one that I took while Em was getting more quarters so that we could play tabletop Miss Pacman. I turned and saw this Elvis pinball machine.
Lord knows why I would be nostalgic or emotional over a pinball machine, but they used to have one at Rainbo Club in Chicago. I used to go to that bar at least once a week if I was in town. James The arse used to play that game incessantly if we were there. During those times, I thanked whoever brought that pinball game into that bar because sometimes those were the only solitary (solo in a bar full of people?) moments I got. In lighter memories, Rachel would always play the game too. And it was just comforting to turn and see it was there. I miss Rainbo. Not just the bar, the 'tenders, music, photobooth, sometimes-rad-sometimes-ick art on the walls, or the locals both good and the most annoying you'll ever meet... but all of it wrapped up in one!
This room at The Short Stop where this picture was shot... it smells of farts.

CP: After brunch

Barragan's put up their Xmas decorations already. I guess that's pretty standard for after-Thanksgiving ritual, isn't it? Christopher (Willits) and his drummer Gabriel and I went to eat there for lunch. Great breakfast special if you get there before 11a. Meal with coffee for just $3.99, beat that Denny's! Unfortunately, it's greasy (as all cheapy breakfast meals should be) and it didn't sit well with my stomach today - but that won't prevent me from going back now will it?

Anyway, in the spirit of the holidays, here's a Xmas message from the Beatles in the 60s: [mp3]

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Originally uploaded by Celestronica

Rufus wrote a song about this called "Release The Stars"

CP: On the way to work...

The actual (echo) park.


Paramount's Melrose gate. (Grace and I snuck into here once when we were teens and ate the catering/checked out the clothes for a Gucci advert being filmed. You think security has been upped since 1996?)


How would I live if it wasn't possible to deliver absolutely everything in L.A.?

Carrie's Bachelorette

For Carrie's Bachelorette we met up at Lori's, then went to Malo for dinner and more drinks, and then to Bang! for a little bit of dancing. All in all it was fun, but I miss the soul room at Bang! for sure.
Two nights in a row of dancing for me resulted in bruised toes. No shit. Don't worry, I don't have pictures for that...

Em makes friends