Not Just For Your Dorm Room Anymore

Posters. I love posters.

When I was a kid, I had wall-to-wall posters covering my wallpapered bedroom. Shaun Cassidy first, then moving on to Rick Springfield, and culminating in a full out graphic assault during my Duran Duran years. (Which have never really left me... At this moment, I can count 6 Duran buttons on one stereo speaker.)

Then on to college, where everyone put their life up on their walls. It was a cheap statement to make. Mine, at the time, seemed to shout, "I am a girl who is really into guys with eyeliner and lots of hairspray!" (And none of those guys were in metal bands.)

My taste in posters got a bit more refined as I got older, but they never really went away. Now there is a smattering of tropical deco designs, or sassy Mexican sirens, or teasing Chinese ladies... but I still have lots of rock and roll. All sorts of specialty concert prints line what I like to call my Rock and Roll Hallway. I live in an apartment - that's about as much space as I have for them. Lots of Koziks leftover from my Bay Area days and some other work.

I even have one by this guy, Darren Grealish, for a Clean Needles benefit that turned out to be one of Elliott Smith's last shows.



I don't own this, I just like it. But there will be a show and reception for him on Saturday night, and you are welcome to go check it out! It's right by Paramount Studios, and here are the deets:

Sat. Feb. 28
6-10pm
709 N. Ridgewood Place
L.A. 90038

Get some art!

Scott Walker - 3.0.

About a week or so ago, I was lucky enough to get a sneak peak at a glorious documentary, Scott Walker: 30 Century Man.



In it, folks like David Bowie, Alison Goldfrapp, Brian Eno, Jarvis Cocker, Johnny Marr, Mark Almond and (yummy!) Damon Albarn listen to Scott Walker albums and discuss. Well, there's a lot more to it than that - lots of interview footage (past and present) of Mr. Walker himself too. It's a fascinating watch. The doc has already been around the world and is winding up its US run here in LA this weekend at the Nuart in Santa Monica.

And tonight is a lovefest for the man at downtown's sexy Bordello. Among those doing their version of the Scott Walker thing? John Doe (swoon!), Rob Dickson, David J, Jason Falkner, Ann Magnuson and many more... Michael Des Barres emcees. Michael Des Barres cracks me up. Should be an excellent time!

Monday Music for ya!

Well, we're back to the weekly Monday Morning Mo Show - yay!

Here's what you heard this morning

Little Radio Playlist
2/23/09

Insurance From God - 45 Grave
Six Inch Gold Blade - The Birthday Party
Charlotte Anne - Julian Cope
Be Thankful for What You've Got - Donovan Carless
Too Too Too Fast - Ra Ra Riot
Microphone - Coconut Records
Robot Trouble - Barcelona
Yesterday - Martina Topley Bird
Wind Powered - Deastro
Holy Chord - Dappled Cities
Salesman At the Day of the Parade - Rogue Wave
Your Picture - Camera Obscura
Start A War - The Nacional
Raiz - Mariene de Castro
Sign of the Times - Belle Stars
Check Me Out - Little Denice
You're Such a Sweet Thing - Mar-Vellos
Snake Eyed - Holly Golightly
Last Year's Leaves - Blanche
Big Iron - Marty Robbins
In a Razor Town - Jason Isbel
Are You Happy Now - Slender Means
Right Place Wrong Time - Dr. John
Can't You See - Ken Boothe
I'd Be Ahead (If I Could Quit While I'm Behind) - Bobby Womack (fronting the Faces)
This Thing Nowhere - Bettie Serveert
Between Something and Nothing - The Ocean Blue
Bubble Gum - Brigette Bardot
In My Arms - Mylo
Reflections - The Supremes
You Could Have Both - The Long Blondes
Debaser - Pixies
Freak Out - Liars
Tender - Blur


Again, if you missed it today and want to tune in next time, here's the scoop:

The Monday Morning Mo Show
Starting around 10am PST
(that's 1pm EST, 6pm in London, 7pm in Berlin, and 5am in Sydney... sorry Sydney!)
Little Radio.com
(If you have iTunes, also check in the Radio section under "Eclectic")

Thanks for tuning in!

Tips for Teens

How to spend Valentine's Day...

Well, in my book, it's a "holiday" that shouldn't exist. I worked in a card and candy shop for many years, and V-Day was the only day when we could get away with letting the customer have it. Just stopping in to get a pound of cherry jellybeans? Guess what - we're out. Box of chocolates? Too late - you're screwed. Red roses? Unless you reserved them a week ago, you're outta luck. And these guys (rarely were girls stuck in this bind) couldn't get mad, they knew they'd blown it... and they would hang their heads and skulk away.

What fun we had at that shop!

Anyway, as my friend Matt pointed out to us this past Saturday night, "What could be more romantic that spending an evening with Sparks?"

I wouldn't say it was romantic, but it sure was magical!

I'm not the biggest Sparks fan in the world, but I do own quite a few albums (yep, vinyl) and somehow, quite a lot of their catalog has seeped into my brain over the years. This past summer, the Brothers Mael played each of their 21 records (one a night) in London. I knew people who flew out to see it, and one of those people is pretty well connected here in LA and convinced somebody at UCLA Live to let Sparks do a special show here, in their once and current hometown.

On Valentine's Day, they played their new album, Exotic Creatures from the Deep, in its entirety. When a group of women in lovely dresses came on stage, pushing Trader Joe's shopping carts with microphones affixed to the handles and singing... I knew it was going to be a special evening. After an intermission, they played an oldie, Kimono My House, in it's entirety, in full rock formation (with Redd Kross' Steve MacDonald on bass, even!). Then, the encore... for the next 45 minutes.

Matt tracked down the setlist, and here you go:

Act I - EXOTIC CREATURES OF THE DEEP (the new album)
Good Morning
Strange Animal
I Can't Believe That You Would Fall For All the Crap in This Song
Let the Monkey Drive (including Ron's famous shuffle dance)
I've Never Been High
(She Got Me) Pregnant (featuring six backup dancers dressed like a
pregnant Ron)
Lighten Up, Morrissey
This is the Renaissance
The Director Never Yelled `Cut'
Photoshop
Likeable

INTERMISSION

Act II- KIMONO MY HOUSE
This Town Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us
Amateur Hour
Falling In Love With Myself Again
Here In Heaven
Thank God It's Not Christmas
Hasta Manana Monsieur
Talent Is An Asset
Complaints
In My Family
Equator

ENCORE

Propaganda (from 1974's Propaganda)
At Home At Work At Play (from 1974's Propaganda)
BC (from 1974's Propaganda)
Number One Song in Heaven (from 1979's No. 1 in Heaven)
Mickey Mouse (from 1982's Angst In My Pants)
Dick Around (from 2006's Hello Young Lovers)
When Do I Get To Sing My Way (from 1995's Gratuitous Sax and
Senseless Violins)
Suburban Homeboy (from 2003's Li'l Beethoven)

Truly, a better Valentine's has not been had.

Walking in L.A.

Angelenos don't like to walk on the sidewalks. It's okay to go hiking, jogging, strolling along the beach... but heaven forbid one casually walks around town. I've been yelled at for it.

However, some wacky art types downtown started opening up their galleries for all to wander in and see. At night. Downtown is not very car friendly (meaning it costs a fortune to park there)so "walking" is pretty essential. And now that Little Radio has moved smack into the midst of this Downtown Art Crawl area, I decided to check it out. Nay, an art lover herself, came along for the ride.

It was great to see LA bustling with pedestrians who were out on the town, as opposed to rushing to get somewhere or trying to avoid each other. People were friendly to each other, chatting on the sidewalks, enjoying the art... Well, just not the kind of thing I'm used to here. Nay was encouraged by the New Yorky-ness of it all (minus the snow). We loved it. Art was purchased. We're going back, and I recommend you give it a try too.

And take the Metro. I dare you.

We're Back!

Little Radio has returned! Or at least, my show on it has. So today, I got to DJ for the first time in about 3 months. Seriously! That's crazy.

Here's today's playlist:

Little Radio
2/9/09

No Way Down - Air France
I Don't Wanna Die - The Unicorns
For Our Elegant Caste - Of Montreal
Talk to the Left - Shrag
What's A Girl to Do - Bat For Lashes
Too Much Too Young - The Specials
How Much More - Redd Kross
My Side of the City - Beulah
Sufferer's Choice - Jackie Mitoo & the Soul Brothers
Podes Crer, Amizade - Toni Tornado
No Thing On Me (Cocaine on Me) - Curtis Mayfield
This Old Heart of Mine - Delroy Wilson
High School - The Watson Twins
Hand-Me-Down Tune - The Avett Brothers
Sheep - Bonnie Prince Billy
Wedding Bell - Beach House
Gangsta Blues - AR Rahman
So Futuristic - Figurine
Don't Talk to Me About Love - Altered Images
Turn the Radio Off - Love Is All
The Once Over Twice - X
To Be Someone - The Jam
Two Sisters - The Kinks
The Next Time Around - Little Joy
In the Flat Field - Bauhaus
Suburban Home - Descendents
Say Na Na - Robert Uhlman / Arash
Tale to Tell - The Mummers
Killing for Love - José Gonzalez
Mini, Mini, Mini - Jaques Dutronc
I Like What I'm Trying to Do - Fleur de Lys
White Composition - Darker My Love
I Woke Up Today - Port O'Brien
Oh My Love - Inara George
Shake Your Head - Spanky Wilson
The Tracks of My Tears - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
I Lost You - The Walkmen
The Last Beat of My Heart - Siouxsie & the Banshees

So remember...

The Monday Morning Mo Show

Starting around 10am PST
(that's 1pm EST, 6pm in London, 7pm in Berlin, and 5am in Sydney... sorry Sydney!)
Little Radio.com
(If you have iTunes, also check in the Radio section under "Eclectic")

Thank you for listening!

Texas Has Zombies!

Some genius (or group of) in Texas has been hacking into those freeway LED signs you see on the side of the road, warning you of traffic conditions and alerts and such... I realize it's dangerous, but, um, it's also awfully funny...

Remember, you've got to get 'em right in the head...

Forever Smutty...

When I was eleven years old, I walked into a bookstore near my childhood home to buy a book. I was (and wish I still had time to be) quite the reader, and loved trashy horror novels by Stephen King and John Saul.(I still firmly maintain that It is one of the best and most touching books about the bonds of childhood friendship EVER.) I'd graduated from Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys into these early gorefests, somehow, and never had nightmares over it.

But it was time for an instructional book, and I got my very first Judy Blume publication. Judy Blume, queen of the tween books about getting your period, getting fat, and freckles. And oodles more. I'd never read a single one of these legendary books until I heard about this one - which I spent hard earned babysittng money on. It was the legendary tale of virginity lost, Forever.

Well, I needed something. I went to Catholic school, fer chrissakes.

This book made the rounds with all the girls. We memorized passages. We hid it from the nuns (somewhat successfully). We laughed whenever anyone named "Ralph" was unfortunate enough to be in the vicinity. We learned about young love and the passions lost. We learned that it was probably gonna HURT.

Now, some many, many years later, the folks at the Scared Fools Theater are doing FOREVER: THE MUSICAL, in all its smutty, prissy, curious glory. With music.

It's truly an afternoon delight. See it before it's gone!