WEIRD FU
Today has seriously been an exhausting, strange, yet exciting day. I'm all over the place, getting things done but still struggling to really focus. I ran around Philly, hit up Deli Mag, chilled at Rocket Cat and scoped out some premises. I even discovered a new bit for laughter; the FU Funnies as I have coined them. Little stick figure comics cracking jokes on the weird shit that pesters all of us. This one is definitely top five for me. The funniest part is I've always had shower doors but lately have been experiencing the shower curtain and why the hell does that steamy shower seem to devour the curtain!? Or more or less, why does that curtain feel the need to devour you when showering!? Gettin bored at the office...check out some more FU Funnies to enlighten your day.
The other bit of excitement was prepping for the launch of a Shadowscene weekly event in New York starting this week! I've teamed up with a good pal from Los Angeles and we'll be kicking off Lewd Thursdays at the Orchard Bar which, hooray, is re-opening! What's even more rad is we get to start off with Womanizer (the members of IAMSOUND's Telepathe) and Kap10Kurt. And yes, Philly, you are next in the big scheme of the party scene. I also jet back to Los Angeles next week, New York this weekend and maybe Miami for Art Basel next month! And tomorrow night is Islands in Philly...yarg! If you're not familiar with this Montreal act, definitely get into it. More bitty bits on this tomorrow.
For now, I'm sleepy. I'm too headwrapped up in design work and this entry is laggin on the humor. I'll be funnier when I wake up. Promise.
This is the end of my weird day. And if you don't like it, FU.

SMASHED BASHINGS
Welcome to the Shadowscene recap of this years CMJ. Okay, it's really not all that formal. I'm just going to lay it out and tell you what bands you need to be watching. Oh, and I might bitch a little bit about having my window smashed in. Let's start there.
Two weeks ago in Philly Carney told me to get my damn pennies out of the tray; because I may as well be asking for it. Pennies. Threw those things into a "give a penny, take a penny" jar and moved on. A week later in New York I park the Shadow-mobile in Brooklyn. Bresnitz helps me clear it out of anything remotely important (robots, cardigans, box of almonds) also enforcing the "smashed window shenanigans". 48 hours later I have a smashed window. And the typical thoughts ensue: wtf!? why!? and why didn't they bother to take anything?! I mean seriously. If you're gonna go the mile of busting in a window and causing all that mess, at least take something. Even the rearview mirror. An air freshner maybe? Make it worth my time. The loose pieces from the console were strewn about on the sidewalk and all we figured was they broke in because the shadow-mobile came with a stupid garmin sticker on it. Thanks pre-owner. Bresnitz and I decided to just cut that piece of the dashboard with the sticker on it right out and then half heartedly attempted to tape a garbage bag to the window...with tape that didn't want to stick. Naturally. After a year of the worse car luck ever, I may as well start leaving my keys in the ignition with the windows down. Maybe even a sign...take me, please.
Now take this. Moving on to the real point of CMJ...bashes with smashed people and music clangs. I hit up the IAM Sound showcase which was listed by Stereogum as the best showcase of CMJ, the High Rise PR fiesta with Via Tania and Midnight Juggernauts, Dovecote Records bash, Green Label Sound with Chromeo and a bunch of random running arounds including the Santos Party House, Fader Party and Brooklyn Bowl. I fortunately rolled a strike in my Dr Martens. I got drenched in the rain and was completely content with it since it was 78 degrees. I ate way too many pork chops thanks to Bobby Flay. I watched the mural for Dinner With the Band take up a wall in Brooklyn: step by step. Drank a shitty chai latte. Drank way too many screwdrivers.

After a week of nonstop music and car repair here are Shadowscene's picks for the top artists to watch based upon my galivanting: Restless People, Apache Beat, Suckers, The XX, Yacht, Duchess Says, Sleigh Bells, and Fools Gold.

But the best part is, I spent the week defrosting and ended it with a nice even thaw.

Check out this video from The XX:

SEE EM JAY!
Yep, it's that time of year again...fourth year of hitting up NYC for a full week of music mania. It's like SXSW...but colder. This year I'll be spending quite a bit of time with Fool's Gold, Casxio, Midnight Juggernauts and Hollywood Holt while launching the week off with a Dovecote Records release party. It should be interesting without the Fader Fort to be our daytime fulfillment; what will we all do without our free hangover fixes and awesome showcases? I guess it's okay, since this year instead of a Pickle festival we will get to partake in a Dumpling festival. Oh my deliciousness. I feel a rock n' roll dumpling dance coming on...
Here's a tidbit from the Sasquatch Dumpling Gang. No actual dumplings included.



Check all of our CMJ events and updates on Shadowscene!

NO MORE TAT FREE
I love all of the ridiculous parties in LA and NY. Why? Because of all the free stuff! What’s insane is that half the people living in these cities can barely pay rent but it’s super simple to go get drunk every night and even snag a full meal without dropping a cent. It’s not rare that you come home with a new t-shirt or album or maybe even something you drunkenly swiped from the bar. But the YRB Magazine party I went to last night in LA takes the cake on freebies for the poor, and rich. How about free double sized drinks, Pinks Famous hot dogs and no lie, free freakin’ tattoos. Talk about an amazing party.
Up until yesterday I've been tattoo free...and all it took was the right moment and the option of "free" and I closed the deal. Other than the tattoo mania going on, there were some intense games of ping-pong, hot dog ravishing, red carpet flukes, WWE dudes and Rae and I even got to model our vintage inspired and revamped outfits for the YRB Spring collection. Of course...the fun didn't stop there. We left around midnight and plopped onto Cahuenga with C-star where we danced in giddyness at Pash with Classixx and The Sounds. I’m happy to say I woke up with a full tummy, fuzzy hangover, and a new inked adornment. Now if we can only get parties to give away free lofts or something.

LOSING NYC
NY has been exhausting. The week has been nonstop with all the CMJ mania and I was suppose to be in Philly last night but ended up losing my wallet at Studio B. Losing a wallet on tour sucks. I can't get my rental car and I can't hit up the ATM for cash. I can't do much other than wander around the streets of NYC. Apparently Studio B doesn't even open until tomorrow at noon. And who knows if my wallet is even still kicking around there. So argh, the decisions. It looks like I may be skipping out on Philly this time around and just heading up to Boston with the bit of cash I still have. And then it'll be some intense high security scrutiny at Logan when I attempt to get on the plane without an ID. Hoooray!!
So I'll be here, hanging in Brooklyn for a couple more days and then Heart-throb in Boston on Tuesday night. Yarg...the adventure continues.

NYC BOOMS
So I'm in NYC again...just shot the final BBQ party for Finger on the Pulse and Dinner with the Band. Sam is a sweet chef. My tummy was well pampered. It's amazing out here in New York right now. I forgot how perfect end of summer weather is on the east coast...well it's basically like year round Los Angeles weather. But somehow different and refreshing. Two more days here in the city before I go to Philly. I think a crew of us are going to head to Coney Island...maybe tomorrow since my jet lagged self woke up way later than planned.
But if you're in Philly...head to The Barbary Saturday night for the return of Live Forever with JHN RDN and Designer Drugs. The Finger on the Pulse boys will be heading there with me and a few of the NY crew will be tagging along for the adventure as well.
I just finished a huge batch of the designer tote bags I secretly spent working on all summer long. The release date keeps getting pushed back but it looks like the first couple weeks of September will be the official launch. More info on that to come.

That's it for now...just a tiny update. Now go outside and play.