Teenacide/Shakes Records Release party !

Ghettocide !

Teenacide Records held their Record Release party for the new Shakes disc “The rise and fall of Modern Living” down in the new epicenter of Hipsterness…Echo Park…at Sea Level Records.

Since SilverLake has been “gentrified” ie: overrun by yuppies with too much cash demanding gelato and American Apparel Stores, the lower income hipsters (ie: indierockers) have had to “take it somewhere else”.

PETE-ZUH. Pete from the Shakes doles out the dough for the event’s “catering”.

An here lies the subject matter of the new Shakes release, a concept record about the neighborhood they live in, but really can’t afford anymore.Silver Lake, more specifically Sunset Junction. “The Rise and Fall…” deals with the hell that is apartment living in the heart of Sunset Junction and the “gentrification” of SilverLake. The most obvious song of the bunch, “Gentrification Blues”, an uptempo hillbilly cowpunk ditty, grabs the subject by the throat, while at the same time, merely gives up, saying “I guess I’ll have to move”.

The Blondes,back after 3 years(left). RAAAAD! Bill Rocks the Dolphin Shorts !(right)

The Blondes, who reunited after 3 years of silence for this event, started things off.
They rocked, and Bill gets extra points for bustin out the old school “dolphin shorts” , and striped sweat socks. Now THAT’S fashion.

The Shakes came out and rocked their set, and hey, they even gave away prizes !
Hey, the yuppies who took over SilverLake won’t even don’t do that. Check out their new release “The Rise and Fall of Modern Living” on Teenacide records.

Dirty Hipsters, we can’t get a seat at Eatwell because of you!

An ex-New Yorker’s hunt for good Chinese Food in SoCal

If you grew up in the New York area, and live in Southern Cali, you know that there a few things that you just can’t get here. Pizza, Bagels, Drakes Cakes, and GOOD Chinese Food.

People who live here have a thing for toppings on Pizza. Having tasted alot of LA Pizza, I know why….for the most part, it’s pretty bad. A REAL good slice of Pizza needs no toppings to be great…just the sauce and the cheeze.

That being said, I HAVE succumbed to the pizza thing somewhat and now commit the unthinkable for a NY Italian…Pineapple on Pizza !!!! yes, you heard it right. My fond affection for all things Hawaiian has blinded me for the committing the unholiest of NY Ginny Sins. Hey, I like it, what can I do ? Add some sausage, and I have to admit, it’s good. So, I don’t mind bending the rules every now and then, and when I’m in NY, I just order it straight up…no taste enhancers, it don’t need it.

Bagels ? Oy Vey!….There are some ok places, but you’re not gonna find anything that comes close to a SLIMS bagel, fresh outta the oven at 2 am, after a night of gigging in the City….Just add butter, and it’s pure bagel perfection.

Drakes Cakes….We just don’t have em’…period

.
Gone are the days for me, stopping into a corner deli and grabbing a pack of Devil Dogs on the run. Now, someone has to buy them and ship them out, and since they’re not exactly “health food” in the first place, I just plain don’t bother.I miss em’ like crazy tho’.

Yes, there are some things that you give up for living in that great LA weather all year…it’s tradeoff I guess, but try I do, to find some of the acceptable substitutes for my favorite foods from home….which brings me to the matter at hand…CHINESE FOOD.

When I first moved to LA, I tried some Chinese food and nearly gagged….Something as simple as Chicken Chow Mein has a different meaning here. Chicken Chow Mein in NY is made up of a few simple elements…Bean sprouts, Onions, Celery, water chestnuts (I ususally pick these out), chicken, and that’s it…it’s stir fried, mixed in with a white starchy sauce, and served with rice, and crispy fried won tons strips or crispy noodles on the side.Not in LA…you order chow mein and you get low mein noodles, and usually a whole mangerie of veggies that have no business being there, and it’s sautee’d in a brown garlic-y sauce, with too much oil, and you get no rice.
I don’t get it !

So, when I do come across a good Chinese restaurant, it’s a nice surprise. This particular one is in Costa Mesa, around the corner from one of my old friends from high school, and member of my first band. I passed Golden Garden, and noticed it’s old school Chinese restaurant appearance, and asked him about it. He gave it the thumbs up, and said he eats there all the time. I really didn’t have to ask much more, because I KNOW he understands what I’m talking about when I ask about Chinese Food, because we both grew up with the same stuff.
Old School, NY CHow Mein ? Got it.
BBQ Spare Ribs smothered in that gooey red Char Siu sauce? Got it.
Wonton Soup ? Got it.

All really good too. The crispy noodles were crispy, the wontons were tasty, and the ribs were sticky and delicious.
I HAVE found some other good places as well, and will be posting them on this blog in the future, now that I’ve become one of these damn bloggers.

Pizza, Bagels, and Drakes Cakes…coming soon