Softboiled Boiled Eggies Live + Friends

Everyone must be aware of the long overdue Softboiled Eggies show. They are fronted by Janet Kim, the mastermind behind the Tiny Creatures Gallery/label, organiser of countless amazing art shows, including the now legendary No Age-curated art show, and releaser of equally amazing records, such as the perennially in stock Ariel Pink 'My Molly' EP, and now publisher of a debut zine documenting the kombucha-fueled disneyland that is LA right now, which I will surely blog about soon. Sunday 8pm. Free, as usual.

have you heard?

Just in case you didn't see one of Sammy's 3 posts about it, or David's mention of it in the post below this one, Kites aka CF is playing here, in Family, tomorrow night at 7pm, AND signing copies of his new "graphic novel" (?)/comic book Powr Mastrs! Not only that but Russian Tsarlag is also playing. I urge you to come, not just because I had to rewrite the date on the flyers 100x, and not because David and Sammy will be living in a hut for a Jewish holiday and can't come, but because it will be really fun and I'll be playing shit like Raekwon and Wipers in between bands.

BONUS: here are some great kites I found online:

My Black Black, Pocahaunted Sas-crotch

I know it's been a over a week since the event, but we haven't forgotten. It really reminded me why we're all embroiled in this Family debacle. All the bands ruled hard. Sascrotch were heavy, and dark as anything, and so loud I was worried we'd get a noise complaint. Fortunately Fairfax is a ghost town on Sunday nights, and not an elderly Jewish eyebrow was raised. They played at the back of the store so were obscured by the crowd so unfortunately we have no photos. Be sure to check them out! Pocahaunted are one of my favorite bands, completely engrossing, hypnotic, trippy, and totally accessible while being entirely on their own mission. Drenched in reverb, Amanda and Bethany's voices melded and diverged, slowly gaining momentum over the 20 minutes of their single-song set. Our pal Tom brought in some spooky halloween lights for Pocahaunted and as they brightened and dimmed you felt like you were on a ghost train careening through the supernal regions.






The last band to play was Black Black who I'd never seen before and completely blew me away. Without an iota of hyperbole, I say their songs are pop masterpieces - sincere, stripped back, unaffected and untainted by showy musicianship. They sold like a million CDs on the night, each with an original colour drawing on the cover. We sold out of the ones left for us within two days as that was all I listened to in the store. Don't worry we're getting more!









If you weren't able to make this show, be sure to make these two upcoming head-to-head shows:

Thursday 27th, 7pm - C.F. 'Powr Mastrs' book launch with a live performance by C.F. as Kites

Sunday 30th, 8pm - Softboiled Eggies and Ima Fucking Gymnast live

Both entirely free!

the flier

Kites live in 2006

Saturdays @ New Beverly

I have been wanting to write about this for a while but haven't gotten around to it, and I think it's getting really good now so I'll share. My friend and all around nice guy Phil Blankenship (who also runs the great LA-based noise/experimental label Troniks) started working with Amoeba and doing these midnight screenings on saturday nights at the New Beverly which is located five minutes around the corner from Family.

Rumors of Phil's excessive video collection have long been heard of, so it's no surprise he decided to eventually push some of his favorites on people, and with good reason, because if it's one thing Phil knows about, it's good movies (or good sounds, or walking places).

I personally have been blowing it and have yet to attend any of the screenings, but that's about to change. Phil has lined up some primary choices that you shouldn't miss like Howard the Duck on September 29th, and Joysticks on October 27th (apparently this one is going to be insane, I heard Phil's roommate is even making extra keys to their house to hand out to women who attend).

I feel extra lucky living in LA when these kinds of things pop up, so try to come out and support because this kind of stuff does not happen all the time. Plus you get to go out late at night and hang with friends and NOT be in a bar. Have you ever been to a bar in LA on a saturday night? Have you ever been to a bar on a weeknight in LA?!

for show times and upcoming films check out:
http://www.myspace.com/newbeverlymidnights

and for some harsh sounds give Troniks website a look too, hey, why not?
http://www.iheartnoise.com

Powr Mastrs/C.F Thursday 26th.

C.F.'s new book just arrived and it's a killer. The blue ink is metallic, the covers flexibound. And the comic inside cements C.F. as one of the most interesting artists to emerge in a long while, within comics, music, and the art world. It's without a doubt the most beautiful new book in the store right now. The book goes on sale on the Thursday, when C.F. will be apearing in the store on account of the new book and a new Kites record, Halluciantion Gullotine // Final Worship (from Load), playing new songs and drawing in books. A very special appearance from the elusive providence artist.
For those of you far away we will have signed copies on the (soon to be newly improved) site soon after the event.

Sharon Tate/Fearless Vampire Killers.

Anders Nilsen in the Chicago Reader.

A great article on a great artist.

End Summer With A Psych-Out

Three killer bands: Pocahaunted, Black Black, and Sascrotch. Loads of new stuff (from europe too!). And maybe an ice cream truck. What could make you miss this?

McCoy Tyner Interview.

Yo.

Family in RVCA in San Francisco

Sammy and I just returned from San Francisco, where we were setting up our section of the brand new RVCA store. It's on the corner of Haight and Ashbury, in the place of the GAP. The window display has a multracial manniquin couple in silver space suits on some alien planet. The gallery isn't set up yet, but without revealing anything, the first exhibition is going to be mind blowing. There are four monitors at the back with headphones, looping dvds we chose. We're starting it off with Street Trash, Paper Rad's 'Trash Talking', 'The Invasion of Thunderbolt Pagoda' (the only psychadelic movie ever made according to Jay Babcock), and the latest 'Wholphin'. We'll change them monthly.

Here's Sammy, very stoked that he can now watch Street Trash over and over without pressing anything.



They were bulding bag check shelves, with each compartment featuring a different cover of ANP quarterly, the magazine RVCA publish, edited by our pals Ed Templeton, Aaron Rose, and Brendan Fowler, also featuring the cutting reportage of our own Nate Harrington.







The street is a healthy mix of teenage runaways in Grateful Dead shirts, and white-bearded men in leotards, our exact demographic. If you live in SF, stuff is arriving daily so be sure to pop in often.

While we were in town we dropped by the Mcsweeneys office to say hi to the discerning editors, Jordan Bass and Andrew Leland. It's a humble working place for the greatest literary journal ever. Everyone was sharing one boardroom table.



Jeremy Crown, who runs Little Otsu, the deluxe stationary and book publisher/boutique in the storefront section of the office, was raving about the new issue, gushing it's the best one yet. They gave us one to take home. It looks totally awesome. It opens in different directions at the back and front. I don't really know what to call it - Double spined?



Plus - Jordan and myself have the same glasses. Behind me are the shelves that a bunch of art school kids built for Mcsweeney's for free.





We stayed at Alvin Buenaventura's house, the man behind Buenaventura Press, publisher of such amazing books as Kramer's Ergot 6, Johnny Ryan's Comic Book Holocaust, and Comic Art magazine, to name only a fraction. His office is in his house and the whole place is a museum of amazing artwork.

This weeks new titles, briefly noted.

Nightmare USA by Stephen Thrower
huge oversized 525 page book covering unknown gems of the US exploitation cinema era. sorta like the Art Out of Time book, but for movies. Thrower is an excellent writer and really gets to the heart of each of these films.


Uninked edited by Chris Ware
hardcover 'catalogue' (more like a small art book) for a show in Arizona which featured non comic art from cartoonists. Includes Jerry Moriarty, Seth, Ron Rege Jr, Gary Panter, and Kim Deitch.


Of Walking in Ice by Werner Herzog
In the mid seventies Herzog had a friend dying in the hopsital. His response? Walk across Europe in the dead of winter. He kept a diary, and this is it. Out of print since 1978.


Boy by Takeshi Kitano
The great filmmaker's first book of fiction to be translated into English, with nice die cut covers. Looks awesome. Haven't read it yet, so heres the (slightly overblown) info from the publisher's website: Quentin Tarantino introduced Kitano’s cinematic genius to America years ago, but his equally brilliant word-craft has been a well-kept secret outside his native Japan…until now. Kitano’s beautiful, lyrical anthology of short stories exemplifies the theme of “boyhood,” found in all his works. Fans of Kitano, Tarantino, or anyone in love with solid thoughtful writing will devour this impressive collection. It’s a literary meal not to be missed.


Uptight All Night by Jordan Crane
Stunning postcard set of recent artwork from our in-house wallpaper and insane ideas man. Really feels and looks more like a little art book than a postcard set.


Galactic Zoo Dossier
probably the best old school style zine around-published by drag city and the entire thing, text and all, illustrated by hand! Interviews with Clive Palmer, Gary Panter, Strawbs, Kevin Coyne, scattered Steve Ditko and sixties marvel appreciations, 2 free cds with tracks by many, and a 72 trading card set is included as well.


Comic Art #9
this magazine is just getting better and better, with the best cover yet. Finally something on Jesse Marsh, as well as an in depth Ben Schwartz profile on Kaz, Guylias Williams strips, Abner Dean, and best of all Jerry Moriarty nancy strips! Comes with a small guide to cartoning by Ivan Brunetti.

And a bunch of other stuff like new silkscreen prints from C.F., Matthew Thurber, and Leif Goldberg.