Saturday, December 28, 2013

Window bike shop

Mi fave bike shop is Citizen Chain, it is located at the corner of Powell y Chestnut.
Last Saturday, I spent some time in North Beach. This window display is just a few steps westbound on chestnut :)


I had to put mi bag up to capture their little ceiling bike rack (¡too cute!) the window glare was super bright.

It was great to catch up with Dallas and spending a bit of time at Citizen Chain.
After hanging out at the shop, I went for a long walk along the Bay. It was a beautiful winter day at approx 60°F.

I am not the most active person on FB, so I just learnt that their window was smashed in late November, with a hammer to smash their front window and steal a bike. It was a grab and go. Damn. So be in the look out for an Italian colors-painted Motta Personal (2001).



I'm not sure if the FB embed feature works, so here is a link [Citizen Chain Cyclery broken window]
The window has since been replaced and looks great. 

If el santa didn't bring you the vintage or pashley bike of your dreams, make sure you visit this little gem and my favorite bikey corner in north beach.
Just a note, none of my posts are/have ever been sponsored. I just really love these guys :)

xxom

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Saturday phone fotos.

Hi, here are some quick phone fotos from yesterday.

At the SF Rapha store at the corner of Filbert and Fillmore. One of the coolest parklets around town. Also lots of good men in beards/people watching, most wearing a bit of lycra and in good shape :)
Good for an early cafecito+sun dose sans marina drunks.


This is a quick shot also with the cell phone, from the east window of Reveille's brick and mortar on Columbus. It is one of my fave coffee shops in the city and I couldn't be more stoked on their 3rd location opening soon in the Castro.


---
morning. afternoon. evening.
 

mi friend muffin was kind to come along with to get my hair some TLC.
we had coffee beforehand. cocktails y pizza afterwards.
MELT ALERT: my hair lady has THE cutest dog.


Good day.
xxom

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Jake Fried and his awesome paintings: he describes them as “altered state of awareness.”

Had to share these super cool hand-drawn animation I just found out about last night.

Raw Data from Jake Fried on Vimeo.

His vimeo bio reads:
Jake Fried (b.1984) lives and works in Boston. Originally known for his paintings, Fried has spent recent years working on a series of hand-drawn, experimental animations or "moving paintings". He has been an Educator at The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston since 2007. His website is inkwood.net
¡Súper!

--
Sprudge has a great little interview with him and three of the 1-minute awesome videos, you can check it out here → This Artist Uses Coffee For Beautiful Animated Short Films

xxom

Monday, December 16, 2013

mucha música Monday: last edition del 2013

Well 2013 kinda started with live music and so it turns out it has been (not over yet!) a great year for checking out bands live. That, I love.
✕  I'm not a fan of best-of-year lists but this is a great short read: Eight Reasons Why We Love End-of-the-Year Lists via the newyorker
Looking forward to see fave bands and continue to randomly find gems on the local radio stations. Also learnt a ton from your comments, tweets and various others ways throughout the last year – thanks so much for sharing!
I appreciate tremendously that you continue to enjoy these Monday musical column with the few of you that still read mi blog :)

Gracias,
M.

✚ | Mexican Institute of Sound: Escríbeme Pronto
Was great to see Camilo and crew once again at the YBCA with mi fave música crew =)

✚ | Andrea Echeverri: El Fusil y La Corbata
Her new single dropped last Tuesday. So stoked.
I love you Andrea. So much. 


✚ | Lorde: Team
I have been an enthusiastic follower of whatever this 17-year old young woman presents to the world since finding out about her earlier this year. I am a fan.
… “This video was borne from a dream I had a few months ago about teenagers in their own world, a world with hierarchies and initiations, where the boy who was second in command had acne on his face, and so did the girl who was queen,”… “Dreamt about this world being so different to anything anyone had ever seen, a dark world full of tropical plants and ruins and sweat. and of this world, I dreamt about tests that didn’t need to be passed in order to be allowed in: sometimes the person who loses is stronger.”

✚ | The Seshen: 2000 Seasons
Really digging this Oakland band. They are playing in The Chapel (SF) this Friday, Dec. 20th. for KALX's Solstice in Stereo. More than a few years ago I submitted a few designs (for shirts, or an anniversary print? I forget) for KALX, I'll have to dig into my scanned archives at some point.

✚ | Joel Gion: YES
The BJM's Joel wrote this. SF's favorite tambourine player.


✚ | Phantogram: Fall in Love
New single by Phantogram, though it sounds layered I thought it fell a bit flat in comparison to some of their previous material. Will be cool if the video may compensate for it? Can't wait to hear the complete new album 'Voices' (drops Feb. 2014)


✚ | La Cumbiamba NY: Avión de Papel
Fun music, found it via the David Byrne blog. Really enjoy all the NY/bridge views :)


✚ | Kitten Grenade: Gray
Just found out this SF Ukulele player, I typically don't like this type of too-cute music, but this is kinda cheering me up. –Found via thebaybridged



✚ | Hologram: Flesh and Bone
These Swedes are playing tomorrow at Bottom of the Hill.
-also via the baybridged


✚ | Bro show
Recently my mom told me she just learnt what a man-cave is from lady gaga. I was confused/concerned. She also watches the Ellen show daily. Then I said -mom, I never watch the show, I'm at I work-
She said “Ay pues fijate en el internets” -well, look in the internets- (of course sounds better en español). ohright, DUH… hahaa!


✚ | Lou/VU in NY
And if you are enthusiast of before/now imagery, you'd dig this:
Finding Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground’s photo locations in NYC via thestrut.

✚ | Betty Black: Fatality of Love
“Betty Black releases the video for “Fatality of Love” today. The smoldering and kaleidoscopic video finds her in odalisque poses and shattered reflections as she contemplates rejecting a lover before they betray her. This is the first video from the just released Fatality of Love (The Remix EP)”


✚ | March 25th, 2014
Johnny Cash, new album.
Heard about this on the AM radio, my mouth was opened for quite a bit…
“Out Among the Stars” drops March 25th | Out Among The Stars, A Lost Johnny Cash Album, Coming March 25, 2014 Newly Discovered Studio Album Premieres 12 Previously Unreleased Tracks

✚ | Dr. Maya Angelou: His Day is Done - A Tribute Poem for Nelson Mandela
And last but certainly not least:

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

fotodiary número 3: for diciembre.

half moon bay sunset
Half Moon Bay sunset.

hayes valley
Weeknight, some kind of urban space talk. Hayes Valley.

San José Sharks
San José, after the Sharks game.

Portal
Portal, Oakland.

velcro du noir
Home is where Velcro is.

IL newspaper snail mail awesomeness
Newspaper snail mail awesomeness from the land of the fighting Illini.

half moon bay pier
Half Moon Bay pier

half moon bay bike rack by the docks
Half Moon Bay bike rack by the docks.

brava
Inside the beautiful Brava theatre.

Untitled
24th street at night, from behnd the Brava's doors.

--
ybca
YBCA upstairs, after watching a 1940 German film about morphine.

up.
SF MOMA, currently closed for renovation and surrounded by other buildings, hotels.



--
As December continues its yearly route through the peak of emotions winding down to conclude yet another year, this is a minute photographic ode to it.

I observe and listen to December quite closely.
It frequently gets omitted from all those best of year and notes of such listing nature.

I like December's quiet and serene path even if many prefer to chose its chaotic and consumerist drag alter ego.
I will patiently await for the first sunrise of the upcoming page, after this chapter concludes.


Sincerely –Meli.


--
✕ | Images Lumix LX5. and last two images with [phone] HTC Evo. All unedited. Randomly from Sept-Dec 2013. 
✕ | Words by Meli – after eating 3/4 of a small pizza and the last bottle from a six pack of the first tasted Anchor Holiday Ale of this year, purchased 2 weeks ago, 4 blocks away.

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Mucha música martes (Tuesday)

Monday +1day of los lazy= Tuesday.
Hope you all had a good few days of food, family and/or friends. I, slowly am getting back into the grind.
zzzzz.

Martes de música y arte. 
Short y sweet dose.
Here we go:

✚ | Mission Local features: Diana Gameros
I love her. I got to see her 2 Sundays ago.
BELLEZA musical.
She is originally from Ciudad Juarez (Chihuahua, MX) and now based in San Francisco♥


✚ | The Shoes: Wasting Time
The shoes like the bikes and the young men in their videos. The youth The cool :)


✚ | The Shoes: People Movin


✚ | Billie Joe Armstrong & Norah Jones: Foreverly
Norah y Billy Joe cover the Everly's and Foreverly was dropped last week. How'bout that?!
Below, the lyric version.
For the last few Decembers I have enjoyed getting into total folk-mode, will be headed to the music store in west portal, amoeba or aquarius soon to buy the CD – this will be a great road trip addition.
Liking this very much so, what do you think?
You can listen to their interview here: [NPR] ‘Foreverly’ Yours: Billie Joe Armstrong And Norah Jones Get Close


✚ | We Are The Brave: Sparrow
We Are the Brave were formed in Sydney, Australia. Easy synth pop to listen to after the 2pm coffee dose.


✚ | Natalie Duncan - Devil In Me (Live from Universal Studios)
Found this via Patrina's tumblr, so good :)


✚ | My Brightest Diamond "Be Brave"
Then I found this via Patrina's hubby Dave, los fantastic!


✚ | OutKast: Ms. Jackson
Last but not least, Outkast is reuniting. Are they for real?!


✚ | Perera Elsewhere: Everlast
Found this via one of mi fave music blogs 8106 – can easily space out duuring work. BTW the mobile app for soundcloud is pretty no-fuzz, clean, easy to use. me likes.