22 posts tagged “vox hunt”

Show us a book you feel like you should read, but just can't bring yourself to actually pick up.

Oh, there are so many to chose from.  Just one book, huh?  How about?

People magazine named Hugh Jackman the Sexiest Man Alive. Show us who you think should hold that title. 

Um, Hugh Jackman, of course.

Do I look bi in this photo? Good.

Show us your latest iPod mix.

I have a variety of mixes based on genres and moods.  For example, when I'm feeling very chill or lazy, I play my "Lazy Soul Sunday" mix (Neo-Soul) or "Mellow Out" mix (Soft Rock/R&B).  When I'm in the mood for a little bit of Country, I play my "Twangs 'n Thangs" mix.  And in the words of Yul Brynner, et cetera, et cetera.

This was the last mix I listened to on the plane home from Florida.

 

Show us the book you're reading right now.
Submitted by Strive2Be.

 

Show us something shady.
Submitted by House of Humor.

Show us your New Year's Resolution.

I don't really have New Year's resolutions.  I tend to make goals mroe so than resolutions.  Not to split hairs or anything, but it's just that the word "goal" makes it seem like I have a work in progress that I'll dedicate time to throughout the year, instead of focusing on doing something regimently day-in and day-out.  Sure, there's a few items listed below that I'll need to work towards weekly, but if I miss a week or two here and there, I won't beat myself up.  My goals are something to aspire to, not to berate myself over if I don't complete them.

I’ve based this year’s set of goals on my old 2005 list, which were inspired by a chick on LJ whom I’ve never met. :-P I suppose some of these could be considered personal or private, but I honestly have no problem sharing the list the six three of you who read my rantings.  So here we go! 

Professional (Career/Life's Work)

 Final Verdict - 3 out of 5 Complete + Bonus = B-

Inspired Author

1. Search for a more fulfilling job and land it! Ongoing!  Didn't happen
2. Join mediaBistro’s AvantGuild Done! Sept. 12!
3. Take 2 or 3 classes in freelancing Done! 02/08 Breaking into Freelancing; 10/08 Pitch Letter Essentials
4. Build clip portfolio and freelance website Ongoing! Didn't finish
5. Submit queries to at least 3 magazines Done! Happen ezine, LA2Day.com, Bellezza magazine

** Continue building professional wardrobe Done! 07/08 Bought 3 new suits, cocktail dress, 3 tops; Not great, but not bad

Sadly, the #1 on that list is the same as the #1 on my old list. That one never seems to go away, does it? But then again, neither do some of these other ones. How telling.

Financial (duh?)

Final Verdict - 2 out of 5 Complete + Bonus = C-

Balancing the Accounts

1. Save money for Lafayette’s California registration Done!  02/08 Kind of. It was only $102
2. Update Quicken and keep checkbook balanced for at least 6 months LOL! Didn't happen
3. Call credit card company and negotiate a lower APR  Done!  01/08 Lowered APR by 4.5%
4. Increase automatic savings transfer Nope. Didn't happen
5. Purchase Renter’s Insurance  I researched it, but didn't follow through

** Pay down department store charge card to half of its available balance Done! By default, they increased my limit while I continued paying down the balance

The most difficult item on this list is #1. I’m thinking I might need to file my income taxes ASAP in an effort to use every cent I have toward this goal. I don’t have much of a choice. I have to take care of this by March. But I’m thinking once I switch my car insurance over, I can take care of #5 at the same time and maybe receive a discount. Keep your fingers crossed for me, gang. This is going to be tricky. Watch this space [for cursing and tales of woe.]

Mind & Spirit (Psychological & Spiritual Well-Being)

Final Verdict - 1 out of 5 Complete = F

Towel, aromatic candles and other spa objects

1. Meditate at least once a week Jan  LOL!  Didn't happen
2. Volunteer for at least 3 events throughout the year Didn't happen, only volunteered for one
3. Write in private journal at least once a month Jan Mar  Nope
4. Read Bible at least once a week Ha! Not even close
5. Visit family and friends back East at least once Done!  By default of having to move back East.  LOL!

** Read at least one non-work-related book per month
Jan: Everything But the Burden, Betty Crocker's Low-Carb Recipes Cookbook  May: Shrub July: Sliders Companion There were more books than this, but I wasn't consistent though.

I use "at least" a lot in this one, don't I?  Believe it or not, I actually edited a couple out.  :-P  Most of these goals are holdovers from my 2005 list, but not because I didn’t do them, but because I haven’t yet developed the habit of doing them automatically. For instance, I’ve taking to jogging/walking on Sunday morning so easily, I really don’t need to write it down as a goal because I know that I’ll continue to do it without any prompting. I wish I could say the same thing for meditating.

Body & Fitness (Physical Well-Being)

Final Verdict - 2 out of 5 Complete + Bonus = C-

Pilates Exercise

1. Go to the doctor: GP, OB/GYN, dermatologist, optometrist, podiatrist Jan: GP Apr: OB/GYN Didn't make it to the optometrist; the rest were unnecessary - 1/2 Done!
2. Attend 2 dance classes a week for at least 1 semester (16 weeks) Drifted between 2-4 classes per week throughout the year  Done!
3. Have eyeglasses treated with anti-glare and scratch-resistant coating Didn't happen
4. Do Pilates at least once a week Again, LOL! Nope.
5. Enroll in self-defense course 07/08 Sort of - Capoiera - 1/2 Done!

** Continue lowering sodium intake and introducing a greater variety of dishes into diet  Cut out Ramen noodles & canned pasta lunches, tried 4 recipes from Low-Carb cookbook, permanently added Vegetarian Skillet dish to monthly menu, added more fish to my diet - Done!

Of course, #1 is the most important. Especially for me. I’m one of those people who only seems to go to the doctor after I can’t bear dealing with whatever’s wrong anymore. Notice how dentist is not on the list. One step at a time, folks. I’m most doubtful about #4, especially when things start to get really busy at work. We’ll see.

Social (the Fun Stuff!)

Final Verdict - 3.5 out of 5 Complete = B-

1. Enjoy my 31st birthday!!  Done! Yes, yes, I did.
2. Attend at least 2 social events a month, including but not limited to: concerts, museum exhibits, book signings, film screenings, gallery openings, band gigs, lectures, plays, and festivals. Going to the movies does not count!  Jan: Garth Brooks concert; Feb: SCB gig; Mar: Birthday shindig, Maddy's gig at Karma; Apr: Trip to Mt. Baldy, Grand Slam con; May: Theatre Unleashed show; Kathy & Jen's party; Long Beach Pride parade & day trip; Jun: Pest Control at NoHo Arts Center, Get Smart promotion at Santa Monica Apple store; July: Barbara Ehrenreich book signing - There were more than enough considering how 2008 ended, so Done!
3. Continue building casual and after-hours wardrobe  A little bit, but not as much as I would've liked - 1/2 Done!
4. Visit at least 4 major Los Angeles landmarks, including but not limited to: the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific, the Griffith Observatory, the Silent Movie Theater, and the Bradbury Building  Mt. Baldy trip, Didn't finish  :-(
5. Buy a swimsuit and actually chill at the beach Done! But in that order.

** Figure out what the hell’s going on in the guy dept. Still haven't figured this out.  Not a surprise.

Told you this was the fun stuff. Okay, this year’s birthday needs to make up for the non-spectacular birthday I had last year due to my crappy boss.  (Did I mention she was ungrateful?)  I don’t have anything planned yet, but whatever I do, someone better not tell me that I can’t get any time off, even if it’s just one day! When my mother came to visit, I managed to hit quite a few L.A. landmarks that I hadn’t seen before – the Watts Towers, Greystone Mansion, Pink’s Hot Dogs, the hiking trail to the Hollywood Sign, etc. – so I decided that I’d like to make the effort to get to know my adopted city and its history more without waiting until my fam comes to visit.

Miscellaneous (that Other Stuff)

Final Verdict - 3 out of 5 Complete + Bonus = B-

Recycle Concept

1. Switch cell phone service company – probably to MetroPCS  Done! Didn't switch; they all stink; stuck with what I know
2. Repair Lafayette’s reverse lights switch, T/A mount valve collapse, and buy new front tires  04/08 Didn't finish, not too broken up about it
3. Gather emergency preparedness kit for home and car 06/08 Sort of - Small kit for car; Didn't finish
4. Register Lafayette in the state of California Done! 03/08
5. Do more to reduce consumption, recycle more materials, and purchase secondhand when suitable. 06/08 Donated 2 bags and 1 suitcase of clothes and shoes to Goodwill; 07/08 Switched from buying plastic water bottles to using 1 water bottle and home Brita filter system; 11/08 Donated & gave away a ton of stuff to Goodwill, Vietnam Vets charity & neighbors.  Done!

** Continue decorating apartment 07/08 Bought new office desk chair and houseplant; 08/08 Bought bookcase Done!

All of these are important to me, but #4 is probably where I’ll focus my energy first. I need to get the reverse lights switch repaired first, but the other repairs can wait until after the car is registered. I don’t think they’ll affect my smog inspection and the like (here’s hoping).

I plan to revisit this post throughout the year and cross off anything I complete. Oh, and the little asterisk item at the end of each numbered list is to mark a to-do that can be swapped for another item on the list.  So if I fail to, say, negotiate a lower APR on my credit card, I won't feel too much like a loser if I manage to reduce my charge card debt by half of my available balance.

Okay. I thnk I'm done boring you.

Final Verdict for 2008:  B- + C- + F + C- + B- + B- = C 

Could've been worse, could've definitely been better.  Here's hoping 2009 is an improvement. :-)

Show us what you're looking forward to in 2008.

Show us your favorite local band.
Submitted by Soup.

On Wednesday night, I attended what is probably my 27th-ish SCB gig at the Hotel Cafe in Hollywood.  So I think it's no small stretch to say that they're my favorite local band.  I moved to L.A. in the summer of 2004, and from what I've learned about the band's history since then is that Steve started performing on his own (i.e., sans Kane co-conspirator, Christian Kane) in the spring of that year, and assembled his band later that summer.  You know, I think that's maybe why I have such a fond affection for the guys.  My first year in L.A. was pretty rough, and going to see them play was one of the few high points I had in my life at the time to distract me from all my relocation drama.  Also, as I've become more settled here and started building a life for myself, the more exceptional their shows have become.

SCB (also known as The Steve Carlson Band) includes frontman and lead guitarist Steve Carlson; bass player (that's both electric bass and upright double bass) Steve Dress; drummer Jonah Dolan; and sax player (and flutist aficionado) David Olivas.  The band first started out with Carlson, Dress, and T.J. -- aka Timothy Jimenez -- on drums.  The trio quickly became a mainstay at the Hotel Cafe, but they've also played a few other venues throughout the Hollywood scene: the King King, Knitting Factory, Whisky a Go Go.  Dave Olivas joined the band about a year-and-a-half later, and his addition has only added more layers to their already soulful sound.  (Ha!  I remember the days when David would come to gigs dressed in some really nice slacks, a button-down shirt, and blazer.  Now he's transformed into a T-shirt and jeans man like the rest of the boys.)  Sometime last year, T.J. moved onto another band, The Rave-Ups (we miss you Tim!), and was replaced by Jonah, who played with Steve Dress in another local band called Dress.  So now Jonah's the new kid (sorta) and the band's fanbase continues to grow like whoa!

I'm not quite sure how to describe the boys' sound.  I know their Myspace page lists them as Rock/Funk/Pop, but Steve's personal Myspace says Rock/Indie Rock/Folk.  I would say they're a mix of all those.  I know what personally attracts me to their music is the soulful side of the coin.  They used to include an old Sam Cooke joint, "Bring It on Home to Me," in their set list, but they haven't done it for a while.  And anyone who counts Sam Cooke among their musical inspirations -- and actually does his songs justice -- will always have a spot in my playlist.  Don't get wrong, I like me some Rock and Folk music, but I was raised on R&B and it moves me in a much more profound way than any other genre.  That's why my favorite artists are usually Soul singers.  And Steve definitely has a bit of that Blue-eyed Soul.

With three albums to his resume (not including the Kane albums), it's difficult to pick my top 5 favorite songs.  Also, a lot of my favorites are determined more by their live performances than their albums.  For instance, I've always liked "One Thing," but now that they've added Dave's flute to the number, I love it.  Well, I love it when I can actually hear it above the din of jackasses who like to talk while the guys are on stage.  (Why do people do that?!  Seriously?  There's a whole 'nother room for them to go and gab to their heart's content.  Why not go there?)  Anyway, but if I had to pick my top 5 tunes off of the three albums, I would pick:

1. Pinata Novia (live or the Spot in the Corner version)
2. Rollin' On
3. If It Ain't Easy
4. She's Not There (which you really have to see them perform; the album version's good, but live is somethin' else!)
5. Nonstop Lady

Unfortunately, the boys aren't that great at promoting themselves, so their website is kind of blah! and the last time it was updated, the Hotel Cafe was still charging $6 at the door.  Dress is actually a little better at mentioning what's coming up for the band, but that may be because he's in like 5 other bands and he has to stay on top of that stuff in order to keep his gigs straight.  But I suppose that's a credit to how good the band is because their audience has grown considerably over the last 2 years, and it's been largely due to word of mouth.

Their Wednesday night show was another dose of the good stuff, except Steve actually blanked on the second verse of one song and started laughing.  :-P  He doesn't do that often, so when he does, his buddies in the audience always turn into Waldorf & Statler and give him hell.  They opened the show to this instrumental jam that I think only they know the name of; it's not on any of the albums.  And they closed with "Hummingbird Billy," which they've started doing to take advantage of the easy access solo spots throughout the song.

If you ever make it to one of their shows, make sure not to run to the bathroom or order a drink at the bar while they're performing "Pinata Novia" and "She's Not There."  During "Pinata Novia," you'll listen to Steve's bittersweet lyrics, but your eyes will be on Steve Dress's beautiful bass solo that easily made this number a fan favorite.  (Note: This track on the Spot In The Corner CD doesn't have Dress's bass.  It's a cello player instead.  And the new album, Groovin' On The Inside, has a slightly louder orchestration that tends to cover the bass's sound, unfortunately.)

Speaking of, I finally bought the new CD at Wednesday's gig, and can I just say, "What a difference a bigger production budget makes!"  Groovin' On The Inside is the closest one of their CDs have ever come to capturing how great they sound live.  I mean the difference is . . . just . . . damn!  The album's producer, Darren Sher, has got some skills, son, and he knows how to use 'em.  All I can say is Congratulations!

NB: I had to wait until the act following SCB was over before I could buy the new CD.  Why?  Because after our guys left the stage, the next artist was Tom Freund, who brought along his pal, Ben Harper, to that night's show.  Man, I can't even describe how freakin' quiet that place was while Tom performed.  Not in a bad way, of course.  It was like no one wanted to miss anything because, OMG, Ben might join him on this one!  And he did for at least 4 songs, off and on.  I kind of felt sorry for both Tom and SCB: Tom because I wonder how much attention he would've commanded if Ben wasn't there, and SCB because some of their friends/fans take their shows for granted now and spend half their time chatting/gabbing/hollering while they're on stage, and it's hella-annoying for those of us who came to actually watch the show.  Bastiches.

But Tom's definitely a talented cat, and his percussionist is sick!  The quiet just seemed so out of place at the Hotel Cafe, and gave the whole performance a very wierd and off-kilter atmosphere.  He delivered a really strong show, except I think his song order needs some adjusting.  (Why is it that folk artists seem to have 12 slow songs for every 1 fast song?  Seriously, poco allegro won't kill you.  Try it sometime.)  I would like to see him again without Ben's juice to see how he handles a slightly more vivacious crowd.  Also, even though I think Tom's a skilled musician, his bass playing can't touch Steve Dress's talent.  Yeah, I'm biased, but that doesn't mean I'm not right.  :-)

Audio: Share what you're listening to right now.

Video: Show us a great music video from the '90s.