Rubin Recommends

(Part of The Weekly Check In series)

Heather and I grew up in the same suburb of Kansas City, but didn’t really become friends until we both moved to Lawrence. Since then we’ve gone to Las Vegas and Barcelona together and now live around the corner from each other in Brooklyn. She’s got great taste in pretty much everything and is basically a very classy lady. If you’re going to go on vacation I definitely recommend inviting Heather. She now works as studio director at Acne in New York.

Lane: What are you currently working on or just finished that you’re excited about?

Neuburger: I just started my own blog, brownpapercake , it’s totally random shit that I am inspired by, but it’s main focus is my musings about fashion. Gosh, I am turning into such a geek.

Lane: Where have you traveled so far this month?

Neuburger: Paris this spring. Pure MAGIC!! I ate an insane amount of pastries, steak, and delicious stinky cheese. My favorite museum was the Centre Pompidou. What a terribly ugly building. But filled with some of my favorite art works. I could wax poetic about Duchamp, Matisse, and Beuys forever.

Lane: What’s your favorite music right now?

Neuburger: I’ve been going through a 90’s goth phase listening to the Cocteau Twins non-stop. My best friend gave me 2 incredible Serge Gainsbourg records last week for my birthday, they kill me. And a lot of “world music”: Ethiopiques, Selda, some crazy Cambodian music and this great Tropicalia comp.

Lane: Best food you’ve had in your neighborhood lately or while you were traveling?

Neuburger: There is this restaurant in St. Germain-des-Pres  that has no menu, it only serves steak frites. They ask you how you would like your steak, and then give you a salad with that perfect mustard dressing and then bring out this perfect little serving of steak and perfect crispy frites. Then they pour this incredible secret green sauce on, I’m not sure but there are some herbs and definitely a lot of butter in this sauce.

Lane: Anything else you want to mention?

Neuburger: I guess this is a pretty “mushy” weekly check in. But you asked for it, and that’s me. Oh and kurt, I really want to be the singer in a band with you and your badass wife.

(Part of The Weekly Check In series)

The first Weekly Check In by Kurt Lane.

I met Sharan while in high school and we’ve kept in touch over the years. I called her up when I moved to New York last fall and she immediately gave me a job at a record store that was about to go out of business. It pays (in cash and just above minimum wage) to know people! In addition to her awesomely elaborate listening habits she’s a drummer and composer of note. She also knows more about delicious beers than I could ever hope to. Basically, the perfect person to hang out with.

Lane: What are you currently working on or just finished that you’re excited about?

Singh: I’m presently working for Waxpoetics on an archiving project of the label Fania (and its subsidiary labels) down in Miami, Florida. It’s been a fascinating excavation of the true gems of Latin music, mostly from the ’60s and ’70s. Uncovering relics like master tapes, test pressings, photos, film, and press kits from musicians I have long admired has been an unbelievable experience.

Lane: Where have you traveled so far this month?

Singh: Well, I’ve been in Miami all month! I miss public transportation…and recycling!!

Lane: What’s your favorite music right now?

Singh: Where to begin…Well in the spirit of the Fania Project I’m working on, I’ve been listening to a fair amount of Latin (particularly Boogaloo). Some current favorites are Joe Bataan, Ray Barretto, Eddie Palmieri, Willie Colon, and Joe Cuba. Also, Waxpoetics recently re-issued Lyman Woodard’s “Saturday Night Special” which is an office favorite back in Brooklyn.

Apart from that…I’ve been away from home for so long and realized that I didn’t equip myself with enough music to get me through the duration of this stay. However, I made several random mixes before I left of a few favorites namely Ronnie Lane, Throbbing Gristle, Moondog, Silverhead, Hollywood Brats, Mott the Hoople, Wreckless Eric, Kim Fowley, Dwight Twilley, Heptones, Horace Andy, Cecil Taylor, Sonny Sharrock, a mixed bag of releases on Numero and Sublime Frequencies, Roy Harper, Bill Fay, Nick Garrie, Billy Nicholls, Pierced Arrows, Big Boys, Hanoi Rocks, Scratch Acid, and the Jesus Lizard (in celebration of their reunion shows)!

Also…There is a great German Psych label called, World in Sound, who recently released Austin, Texas’ Cold Sun’s 1970 opus “Dark Shadows”. If you like the 13th Floor Elevators, but have never heard Cold Sun, get on it!

I really could go on forever about this subject, but I’ll spare you all!

Lane: Best food you’ve had in your neighborhood lately or while you were traveling?

Singh: Palacio De Los Jugos has so far been the spot in Miami for delicious Cuban food and fresh fruit juice. Jimbo’s is also a Miami treasure. From what I gather, it’s largely an outdoor biker hang with bocce, cheap cans of beer, smoked fish (too dubious for me to actually sample) and tons of mosquitoes. Bring repellant, or suffer the consequences!

Back home in New York, I love going out for sushi. Zenkichi and Bozu in Williamsburg are both excellent, as is J Pan in Park Slope. Also, every Saturday during the summer, there’s a great Flea Market in Fort Greene, Brooklyn with delicious Mexican food and brick-oven pizza. Aside from the food, the flea’s a great way to spend a nice day in Brooklyn.

Lane: Anything else you want to mention?

Singh: Kurt Lane is the coolest!!

I’ve posted about artist Mel Kadel on here before but she’s got a new site up with new work and news. So go check it out http://melkadel.com.

I really love the Bowerbirds. Here’s another track from their upcoming release Upper Air, out 7/7 on Dead Oceans and available for preorder now with an instant digital download.

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(MP3)

(Part of The Weekly Check In series)

I found out about Hilary Pecis’s work because of the CCA Grad program here in San Francisco. I really liked her work and have been following ever since. She just did the album cover for the new Deastro: Moondagger record that came out a few weeks ago, has a solo show up, with more on the way.

Learn more by visiting her website at http://hilarypecis.com.

Rubin: What are you currently working on or just finished that you’re excited about?

Pecis: I currently have a solo show up at Triple Base Gallery in San Francisco on 24th st. I will have work in a group exhibitions On June 27th at Catherine Clark Gallery in SF and then on July 9th at Morgan Lehman Gallery in New York City. I just finished the MFA program at CCA, and am kinda just looking forward to holing up in my studio and making some super secret work without having to explain it to my teachers or my peers. Grad school was wonderful, but I think it is time for some artistic freedom, experimentation and personal research.

Rubin: Where have you traveled so far this month?

Pecis: Right now I am in LA helping my boyfriend, Andrew Schoultz set up his solo show at Roberts and Tilton Gallery. He has more opportunity to travel, but it kind enough to drag me along as his helper. Los Angeles is really fun, but it seems so much more complicated than life in SF.

Rubin: What’s your favorite music right now?

Pecis: I like Earth, Do Make Say Think, Karen Dalton, I don’t know… Can, Boot Camp Clik, Dead Moon… it’s all over the board. To be honest I mostly listen to talk radio shows. NPR on KQED is my favorite.

Rubin: Best food you’ve had in your neighborhood lately or while you were traveling?

Pecis: Hmmm… in SF I eat at Slow Club, which is near my studio, way too often. I like classic cocktails, and Nopa has a nice selection of scotches and bourbon for mixing. Other than that, Andrew and I spend many nights cooking at home… he’s a great cook and I am amazing on the dishes.

Rubin: Anything else you want to mention?

Pecis: No, but thank you for checking in.

Holiday Shores are a Florida based band lead by Nathan Pemberton.

Their first full length release Columbus’d The Whim comes out August 4th on Twosyllable Records. They just played a bunch of shows in NYC so keep an eye out for them and make sure to remember to get this release in August.

(MP3 Holiday Shores - “Phones Don’t Feud”)

Listen to more at Myspace.
Learn more at here.

Andreas Gursky has a new book of photography out called “80-08″. I got a chance to see a copy the other night (thanks Heather!) and it’s impressive.

Basically a comprehensive look at his work and evolution to large-scale photos of office buildings, international commerce, motorsports and, ya know, individual anonymity in the global economy.

You can buy the book here.

(pictured above Dirty Projectors: Bitte Orca)

(If they have a STAR by them, it means I’ve heard it and I like it. Album title links go to Amazon. If I miss any good releases, please add them in the comments.)

Blank Dogs: Under and Under *
British Sea Power: Man of Aran
Busdriver: Jhelli Beam
The Dirty Projectors: Bitte Orca *
The Faint: Mirrir Error
Headdress: Lunes
Here We Go Magic: Here We Go Magic
Joan Of Arc: Flowers
Little Boots: Hands
Little Boots: Illuminations EP
Mos Def: The Ecstatic
Pelican: Ephemeral EP
Regina Spektor: Laughing With EP
Rhett Miller: Rhett Miller

“Year of The Rat” is the third in a series of records that Fucked Up is doing based on the Chinese astrological cycle. It has my vote for hardcore song of the decade. Really, really amazing. The record was released in April and is basically an 11 minute synthesis of punk’s thirtysomething-year-old critique of “square” culture.

Whereas Fucked Up’s full-lengths are more focused (relatively speaking), “Year of the Rat” is sprawling and contains something like 90 audio tracks. Great drums and bass throughout. When I got the record I listened to it three times straight with headphones. Pretty mind blowing.

The B-side (”First Born”) is kinda a dud. Much more straight forward and seems like Fucked Up is “speaking to the base” as they say on CNN. Doesn’t matter, the A-side more than makes up for it.

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Get record from What’s Your Rupture?

Get mp3s from Amazon.

(Part of The Weekly Check In series)

Michael Ardelean and I met in Los Angeles when I showed up at his house because I was shooting portraits of him for an interview in Dig BMX magazine. Michael is an amazing BMX rider, runs a clothing company, manages BMX teams, works at Quicksilver, now turned wedding officiator, amongst other things he’ll tell you about below.

Rubin: What are you currently working on or just finished that you’re excited about?

Ardelean: Dreams are coming true. I just assembled a BMX team for IPath shoes… IPath is one of those skate brands that a lot of people have been wishing would get into BMX, so now that they have, I’m happy to be involved and manage the team. With Quiksilver, I get to work on the Limited line which is really fun because we get to create things for ourselves with no restrictions. That’s been the best part of my job lately. With Lavar we’re getting a Winter delivery together, with Quintin we’re working on the BMX section of the website, and with riding I’m supposed to be shooting a full section for Stuart Munro’s upcoming video. I also officiated Jim Bauer’s wedding a couple of weekends ago, which was an honor and an opportunity to face my fears of being in front of people.

Rubin: Where have you traveled so far this month?

Ardelean: I just got back from Cologne where I was visiting family. My 2.5 year old niece is a remarkable person that I can never get bored of.

Rubin: What’s your favorite music right now?

Ardelean: The other night I was at El Prado in Echo Park for the first time after hearing a lot of good things about their beer selections and the fact that they only play vinyl. I said out loud to my friend “the music is the only thing I don’t love right now. Some M83 would really complete the package.” Two minutes later “Don’t Save Us From the Flames” came blaring on and the album cover was on display on the bar across from me. It was a moment.

At work I listen to beats and chilled out background stuff. For driving, it’s The Raveonettes or just straight up rap; usually Clipse.

Rubin: Best food you’ve had in your neighborhood lately or while you were traveling?

Ardelean: For the last few months we’ve been frequenting the taco truck at Lincoln and Rose. It’s so LA to get gourmet tacos out of a truck. But I cook at home most of the time.

Rubin: Anything else you want to mention?

Ardelean: I just spent three days trying to think of something witty, but failed. No more overthinking.