Music & Art in London

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In fall 2010 my husband and I spent our belated honeymoon in London. We had planned our trip so as to accommodate our main interests: music and art.

Our main shopping destination was Sounds of the Universe, which is not just a record store, but a true institution. Suffice it to say that Sounds is associated with the mighty Soul Jazz record label, famous for its compilations of top-notch funk, reggae, avant-garde jazz, dub, no wave, and world music. Soul Jazz also publishes beautiful books (such as Kanaval—Vodou, Politics and Revolution on the Streets of Haiti) and releases DVDs. The atmosphere in Sounds of the Universe is not unlike San Francisco’s Aquarius Records, with knowledgeable and dedicated staff playing underappreciated albums and singles (the soundtrack to our record-browsing was some magnificent heavy dub). The difference is that Aquarius’s primary interest is avant-garde metal and noise, and Sounds of the Universe, just like Soul Jazz, has its main focus on Black music genres and their progeny, such as the various strains of contemporary bass music. Apart from Soul Jazz releases there are records and CDs put out by other independent labels. Sounds of the Universe recently started its own label, the first release of which was a 12″ by Chicago house and techno producer Hieroglyphic Being.

Sounds of the Universe. Photo courtesy of Julia Glosemeyer

To hear some cool new sounds live, we headed to Fabric. It is a giant, labyrinthine club, known for being very democratic: no one will turn you away at the door if your clothes are not expensive. Snobs might hate Fabric because it is so large and crowded, but I adore the fact that you can enjoy gigs by the most cutting-edge DJs in a non-elitist setting. When we were there, we heard sets by young dubstep producer Gemmy as well as drum ‘n’ bass institution Roni Size. If you want to brave Fabric and bypass the long lines, get a membership. For a monthly fee you will get not only priority entry, but also CDs delivered to you by mail. Recent additions to the Fabric and FABRICLIVE CD series have included mixes by Four Tet, Pinch, Agoria, and Pearson Sound/ Ramadanman. Continue reading →

Stonehenge Musings

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In honor of the upcoming London Olympics, we’ll be incorporating more posts about the UK into this blog. First up: personal experiences at Stonehenge.

Photo courtesy of Joanna Ortiz

Laura D. says: I visited Stonehenge in the late afternoon on an especially windy day. The type of wind where your face immediately becomes chapped and you have to squint your eyes in order to avoid being blinded. However I did get close to Stonehenge and the weather didn’t disturb my sight that much, so the wind might not have been a big deal…except that I wanted to take a cute picture of me in front of the monument. The type of picture where I could show my family and say, “Look at this adorable picture of me at Stonehenge.” I did not get that photo. The wind destroyed my hair and no matter how many times I redid my ponytail, strands became loose and whipped my hair back and forth. I took about 40 pictures that day. I look normal in one photo. In the rest of the pictures my hair was in front of my face and I looked like the the creepy girl from the The Ring. Overall I’d call that a success. As for Stonehenge itself, well it was exactly what I imagined: impressive, large and old. It was surreal to be standing near a monument that was built thousands of years ago. And it was especially surreal to see that there was nothing around it, just a highway and a flock of sheep. The sheep came close to the fence and watched our group as we walked around the huge attraction. I took a picture of myself in front of the sheep. That was the one picture that I looked cute in. Continue reading →

Top 5 Austin Food Trucks

When it comes to the cuisine in Austin, Texas, many travel advertisements for this great metropolis proudly tout the abundance and high quality of Tex-Mex and Barbecue (BBQ). The recent hardships many are suffering due to our compromised economy have led chefs to create food trailers in order to keep their businesses afloat; thus, it is not uncommon to see many promos for BBQ and Tex-Mex food trucks in Austin.

While I have family and friends from out-of-town who “hyperfocus” on these genres of food during their stay here, I am of a different variety—I flock to this cosmopolitan to venture into more “exotic” fare. Yes, as a native Texan, I will always have a place in my heart for Tex-Mex and BBQ (they’re my soul foods), but there is also room for tastes from Spain, England, and Germany, to name a few. That being said, here is a list of food carts you must try while in Austin. And, yes, I would be criminally insane if I didn’t throw in a taco trailer or two…

LATASCA
415 Jessie Street
(512) 426-5841

Wow. Just, wow! I am a proud American of Spanish descent (three cheers for Spaniards!), and we need more eateries of our culture in the USA, especially ones serving lip-smackingly good food.  Enter Latasca, a dark, sexy, Spanish tapas truck inspired by eco-friendly Texas ingredients. Tapas can be ordered temperature hot or cold; I strongly prefer the former. For a whirlwind of tastes across the Spanish peninsula, combine albóndigas (organic grass-fed beef meatballs, olives, and red wine sauce) with champiñones al ajillo (vegan, garlic mushrooms) and patatas bravas (griddled potatoes with caramelized onions in a spiced tomato sauce). Everything is served with warm pan de horno real (oven-baked Spanish bread).  BYOB, and cash only.

IZZOZ TACOS
1503 S. 1st Street
(512) 916-4996

First of all, for all you non-Spanish speakers out there, this business is pronounced “E-zoes,” but don’t fret too much about the pronunciation; fret about whether or not you will have a big enough appetite to down the delicious offerings. Health-conscious advocates will enjoy the Del Mar Taco (blackened tilapia, slaw, pickled red onion, and chipotle aioli), but the best-tasting tacos are—of course—unhealthier: the Padre Taco (braised carnitas, avocado, pineapple, and tomatillo salsa) and the Slowrider Taco (braised machaca beef, caramelized onion, cotija cheese, and cilantro).  No trip to a taco cart would be complete without washing everything down with Topo Chico (Mexican mineral water) or Jarritos (Mexican soda).  BYOB.

BITS & DRUTHERS
1001 E. 6th Street
(361) 850-0645

God shouldn’t just bless the Queen, God should also bless the creator of fish & chips. Who would have thought that slathering haddock fillets in a beer batter, deep frying them to a crisp, and serving them with French fries would result in groans of culinary appreciation? The British, that’s who!  If you are blessed with a superhuman stomach as I am, then the Fish Supper is for you (said fish, said fries, tartar sauce, cole slaw, and a cornichon pickle).  Cheers! Cash only.

ONETACO
6th Street & Nueces
(512) 539-7561

No, you’re not alone. I’ve been there. Usually a trip to 6th Street means bar/club hopping until 3a followed by a haphazard excursion to a crowded 24-hour fast food joint somewhere else. I’m here to assure you that those days are over (well, at least those Saturday nights)! OneTaco is the satellite taco trailer that forms a symbiotic relationship with the bar Little Woodrow’s. Although they are two independent businesses, you can order from OneTaco, take your number to Little Woodrow’s, and the servers will bring your food to you.  The Al Pastor taco (spicy marinated pork with onions, pineapple, and cilantro within flour or corn tortillas) pairs perfectly with a side order of their guacamole and Austin’s own Citrus Green Sweet Leaf Tea.

TREY’S CUISINE
600 S. Lamar Boulevard
(512) 234-2103

Compared to the majority of the food trailers on this list, this truck is not flashy at all—by all means, no. Fortunately, it’s not the décor that brings people here; it’s the food—by all means, yes! World dishes are Trey’s specialty, with kabobs (skewers of meat and/or veggies), croquettes (small fried rolls with various fillings), and pierogi (unleavened dough dumplings). Don’t overlook the chef-recommended daily specials! On one visit, the lamb Salisbury Steak (with spinach, mushroom, spätzle, and grilled bread) proved exemplary.

Know of any other food trucks in Austin that Freddie should try?  Let us know in the comments sections or hit him up at freddie_obregon_iii@yahoo.com. Don’t forget to add us on Facebook and Twitter, too!

Spotlight: Adorna Bella

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Be Jeweled in North Beach

Sitting pretty on Columbus Avenue in the beautiful North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco is a girls one stop shop for adornment. Adorna Bella is a charming jewelry boutique that is a combination of femininity mixed with touches of Victorian class. The gleaming items lining the walls of the shop dazzle the visual senses. Once you start adorning yourself with the precious jewels in this treasure chest you won’t be able to help but prance back and forth in front of the mirrors, playing a game of adult dress up.

Adorna Bella carries an array of items to accessorize for any occasion. This charming shop won the Best of Citysearch 2007 Audience Choice Award for the Best Place to Shop for Jewelry and Accessories.  Whether on the hunt for unique pieces, or just wanting something fabulous to spruce up an outfit, your needs to embellish will be met here. Continue reading →

Thoughts on SF

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In the third installment of her photo diary, Ayeon talks about some things she likes about SF and American culture…and some things that puzzle her. Read on…

It’s been almost one year since I came to San Francisco. I’m glad to have the chance to look back on my life in SF through this blog. Below are some things that I find interesting about San Francisco and American culture in general:

Walgreens

Have you ever heard the following announcement at Walgreens? “Customer service is needed at the counter.” On my first day in San Francisco, I went to Walgreens to buy some groceries. I noticed there was shampoo on a locked shelf. I always wonder why those shelves are locked, especially here in the USA. Are those items really a target of stealing? I asked a bunch of people, but it’s still unclear to me. Crystal, Chris, Adam – I’m still waiting for a good reason…

Old and New Technology

I know there are plastic Clipper cards for the Muni bus and train, but I was surprised to see paper Muni tickets too. It’s strange to me that the best country in the world still uses paper for some transportation tickets. What if the paper blew away, or I tore it? After I got used to it though, I now feel like it’s more convenient, reasonable and environmentally-friendly. In Korea, most credit cards can be used as transportation cards. Another thing I find interesting is America’s obsession with Apple. One day while I was at a cafe, I realized I was the only person with a Samsung laptop. Everyone else was using Macs. It was the first moment that I really felt like foreigner. The power of Apple is beyond my imagination.

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