Monthly Archive for March, 2008

The Weekly Check In - with Brad Breeck

(Part of The Weekly Check In series)

Brad Breeck? Hmmm Just read this… Also if you’ve never watched it make sure you watch The Mae Shi video for Run To Your Grave (link)

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

Breeck: I’m about to score a movie my friends are making called “One Too Many Mornings.” Here’s a link to a (kind of) theme song I wrote for the movie.

One Too Many Mornings Theme Song (MP3)

The director made a video for the song too — basically just to test the camera for the movie. you can check it out here and and you can check out the movie website at http://onetoomanymornings.com.

The band I’m in, The Mae Shi, is working on a new EP, it’s about half way done. Hopefully it’ll be out early this fall or late summer. We’re working on an LP for next year too — bunch of ideas in the can, it’s gonna be epic… Haha.

I’m also working on some songs with this 13 year old pop prodigy girl named Bel Kertesz. I’m probably most excited about this project. She’s like Rhianna and Xtina and Britney all rolled into one girl, but better! She’s gonna be HUGE someday.

RR: Where have you traveled so far this month?

Breeck: Just got back from Austin where The Mae Shi played 18 shows in 6 days for South By Southwest, which was insane and awesome and exhausting. Austin is pretty rad. If i wasn’t so obsessed with Los Angeles, I could probably live in Austin. They have good food co-ops and weird movie theaters and decent weather. Plus half of Best Fwends live there, and they are my favorite band of all time.

RR: Favorite music right now?

Breeck: mmmm…. I’ve been really into the new Britney Spears record — I think it’s her best yet. I like the new Clipse mixtape a lot. I just got this Bee Gees record called “Cucumber Castle” that I’m really into. It sounds like Animal Collective — I mean, Animal Collective sounds like this record… haha. I like the MGMT record. Does that make me boring? Been listening to The Homosexuals record again. I missed them at SXSW, but my friends saw them… I fucked that up, big time. Also, been into the second Kelis record, “Wonderland”, which is a classic Neptunes production. It’s really funny, they use the same kick and snare sample on every song.

Mostly though, I listen to NPR, The Ricky Gervais Show, and Scharpling & Wurster. I work on music 14 hours a day, so I have a hard time listing to it recreationally most of the time.

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

Breeck: I’ve been obsessed with Taco Zone for a while. It’s a taco truck that lives on Alvarado in Echo Park by the Vons. I get the Suadero tacos…. Life changing.

Also, my wife and I went to this cafe in Echo Park called Elf Cafe the other day that was REALLY epic. I had a roasted red pepper tart! WTF!! SOOOO gooood. I had some pizza in Austin that was amazing… It was chicago style super-deep dish. I spent 24-hours in a hotel room alone waiting to fly home, which was very weird for me, and that pizza probably saved me from going crazy.

RR: Anything Else You Want To Mention?

Breek: I want to give a shout out to my main man Lil PePe, word to Pooky, The Double Dragons, Keisha, Lil Show Stoppa, NeNe, Camaro, and my eternal boo, JeJe.  East Siiiiiide!!!

Thanks for having me!!

David Leventi - Places

View David Leventi’s work here.

The Dodos - Visiter

You should check out Visiter by The Dodos, released this past Tuesday on French Kiss Records.

You can stream the whole record here.
Purchase it on Amazon MP3.

The Weekly Check In - With Ruben Fleischer

(Part of The Weekly Check In series)

Ruben Fleischer, where do I start, I don’t EVER know where Ruben is, from this quick check in, I guess I can see why. I think the first time I realized how I could never keep up, was when I was watching the Chuck & Buck DVD commentary and his voice started coming through the speakers.

Since then he’s made music videos, produced TV shows, and now he’s onto directing movies. Here are links to his daily blog and his website to find out more.

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

Ruben: We just turned in the Nick Thune pilot script to ABC. We are waiting to hear back if they are going to let us go and shoot the pilot episode. It’s very exciting!

RR: Where have you traveled so far this month?

Ruben: Just got back from NY. It was my first ever cross country private jet experience. Pretty cool. We made it there in 4 hours and 16 minutes. NY is funner than LA. I haven’t partied till 5 in the morning in LA in a long time.

RR: Favorite music right now?

Ruben: I don’t have anything too cool to drop on the hipsters. I guess I’d say Vampire Weekend as my favorite new music. But I pretty much just listen to old soul music, hip hop circa 1989, and girlie music.

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

Ruben: As I have just moved, I guess I can claim it as my new neighborhood, but Mozza is probably my current favorite restaurant in LA. I ate at a cool spot in Green Point this weekend called the Queen’s Hideaway. Very comforting food.

RR: Anything else you want to mention?

Ruben: My dog (Claude) will occasionally howl at the top of his lungs for no rational reason, and it is making me crazy. I don’t know what to do about it.

This Weeks Releases - 3/17/08

(I might not list them all of these but these are the ones I’m interested in. If they have a STAR by it, it means I’ve heard it and I like it)

CDs / Digital Downloads:

65daysofstatic: The Fall of Math (reissue)
Adam Green: Sixes & Sevens [Amazon MP3]
Be Your Own Pet: Get Awkward
Crystal Castles/Health: Crystal Castles/Health
Daniel Lanois: Here Is What Is
Destroyer: Trouble In Dreams [Amazon MP3] *
Dodos: Visiter [Amazon MP3]
Fuck Buttons: Street Horrrsing
Great Northern: Sleepy Eepee
Joseph Arthur: Could We Survive EP
The Kills: Midnight Boom
Mission of Burma: Horrible Truth About Burma (remastered) [Amazon MP3]
Mission of Burma: Signals, Calls and Marches (remastered) [Amazon MP3]
Mission of Burma: Vs. (remastered) [Amazon MP3]
Mogwai: EP + 6 (remastered)
Mogwai: Kicking a Dead Pig (remastered with bonus disc)
Mooney Suzuki: CBGB OMFUG Masters: Live 6/29/01 The Bowery Collection
She & Him: Volume 1 [Amazon MP3] *
These New Puritans: Beat Pyramid

DVD’s:

Atonement
Battlestar Galactica - Season Three

I Am Legend

The Ice Storm - Criterion Collection

Fourth Of July - Daytrotter Session

The Weekly Check In - With Michael Perry

(Part of The Weekly Check In series)

Not only is Michael Perry my friend from highschool, he’s also one of my favorite artists. Midwestisbest (midwestisbest.com) is the name of his website/design studio he runs out of Brooklyn, NY. Recently he has published his first book Handjob and is currently working on his 2nd. Also check out his magazine called Untitled, A magazine.

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

Michael Perry: Some tees for Nike 6.0

RR: Where have you traveled this month?

Michael Perry: Buenos Aires, Argentina

RR: Favorite music right now?

Michael Perry: Lykke Li - Youth Novels

RR: Best food you’ve had in your neighborhood lately?

Michael Perry: Chavella’s Cafe Mexicano in Brooklyn, NY

Backstage Sessions - Bon Iver

Backstage Sessions : Bon Iver - Creature Fear from Hard to Find a Friend on Vimeo.

WHY? - Alopecia - Out Today

WHY? - Alopecia is out today. I’ve listened to it probably 1,000 times and seen them play songs from it live a few months ago and this past Friday at the Natural History Museum. Go see them live if you can, buy this record, it’s a good time.

Listen to WHY? on Myspace
Purchase
at Amazon MP3
Read the Pitchfork 8.2 Recommended Review

Baggu | Reusable Shopping Bag

A little steep in price but I’ve seen them in action and it seems well worth it. The carrying pouch makes it easy to throw in your back pocket so you don’t forget it. Comes in lots of colors so you can re-use in style.