[elements]

B-Boy BBQ is my favorite Roc city summer event. All elements of hip hop represented. FUA Krew making it happen.

[lost borough]

Beyond Gotham Trailer from Juse One on Vimeo.

[king of pop aka moonwalker]

[sammy and the delorean]

[dj nu-mark]

DJ Nu-Mark of Jurassic 5 will be at Dubland Underground tonight!

[!*?%$!*]

[videogame-topia]

Strong Museum is hosting a video game exhibit called Videotopia. Basically they have 100 vintage and new arcade style video games that you can play. I'm definitley checking this one out- I love old school video games. They're even offering adults a gamer pass- for $20 you can visit the exhibit as many times as you want until November 30. How could anyone who loved NES and Sega pass on this?

[8-bit]

[i want those sweatpants]

[ayyy]

June 13th Gucci Mane and the So Icey Boyz are at the Main Street Armory. Tickets on sale now.

[fancy]

[kodachrome]

From the NeighborWorks Rochester Website:

"NeighborWorks® Pix and Mix at the Public Market
NeighborWorks® Rochester 30th Anniversary Celebration

June 10, 2009
5-8 p.m.
at Rochester’s Public Market

Join us for an evening of celebration that will include an exciting photo competition with prominent guest judges in which participants will submit wonderful photographs of people, places and architecture in Rochester.

The event will also feature music by Rochester favorite Jumbo Shrimp, food and beverages provided by Public Market businesses, as well as an opportunity to shop in those businesses."

[technicolor]

[altered image from : strange maps]

[word of mouth]

Plenty of music to be experienced Jun 12-20 at the Underground Music Fest at Dubland Underground.

[floor to the ceiling]

[remember]

[more than beats]

Tonight make sure you're at the Bug Jar for the Bronze Nazareth show. Detroit hip hop and Rochester's freshest MCs. Whether you're a devout hip hop follower or completely new to the sound come out and experience the craft.

[cut and paste]

ApSci made this video using an Iphone, a webcam, and a portable printer. DIY.

[lucid moments]

Lucid Music crew will be at Dubland Underground tonight- 6/2. Pittsburgh hip hop for the heads.

[football freestyle]

Sefyu "Senegalo Ruskov"/

SEYFU

[shutterbug]

[ladies room @soundlab in buffalo]

[stop sign near Towners bike shop]

[stencil on a building I used to live in]

[guiness @monty's korner]

[jawbreakers @regal theaters]

>taken on my crackberry storm<

[rock candy]

J*DaVeY - Slooow

[GI Jamaica]

[two wheels]

TONIGHT!!! And every last Friday of the month is the

Rochester Critical Mass bike ride

The ride departs from the Wilson Commons clocktower on the U of R campus at 5:30pm and from the Liberty Pole at 6:00pm. And even if you don't ride a bike- please remember to kindly share the road with us! Or else... (if you've ever seen the biking movie 2 Seconds you'll know exactly what I'm talking about).

[triple stack skittle pack]

If you don't know who the NuRoc Crew is- get familiar. They've been serving up funky breaks and house music for a minute. They currently have parties every Friday at Tilt Nightclub (which by the way is a gorgeous club with an open air courtyard). On June 27 NuRoc is throwing the Sunshine party. 3 rooms of music: line up looks tight! DJ Annalyze, DJ Fixx, McNasty, Nimbus, The NuRoc DJs (Arod, Clotho, Raj Marathe, Rich Kishita), A-ko, Boywonder, K-Gunz, DJ Val, Hellfire Machina, Boxygen, Rolls Royce, Bliss, and Looney Tunes. Booty breaks and house all night!

[drastic rap tactics]

Detroit will be in the house-June 5th at the Bug Jar! Wu disciple Bronze Nazareth will be performing in the Roc with The Wisemen and Beace. Hassaan Mackey, The Soul Slingers, Mdot Coop, and Moon Roc will all be representing the Roc. Hell on Earth will also be in the building. Not to be missed!

[thin white duke]

[smoking gun]

[the grip]

Art/Skating/Fam. Let's get a skate park in the Roc! Check out Roc City Park for more info.

[sliver in my pinky]

I won't even lie- I recently heard about Passion Pit on Twitter of all places. I watched some of their videos, listened to some of their tracks and instantly liked their whole getup. Then by a stroke of VERY good luck I found out they're playing at Mohawk Place in Buffalo on June 17. We are going. Upstaters: Buy tickets HERE.

[writing's on the wall]

Ayo - Lonely


Ayo is a wonderful singer.

[ties that bind]

Invincible makes incredible music. Her album 'Shapeshifters' is available on Itunes, Fatbeats, and Emergence Music. Invincible is making moves- keep up with her. (This song also features Tiombe Lockhart who I love and have been trying to see live for a couple years. Everytime I'm in NY I somehow miss her performances. She's got a new project called Cubic Zirconia).

[possibility on a saturday]

Little Dragon doesn't have to try at all. On my list of groups to see.

[jus gimme the lite]

I just heard about this show today! I don't listen to the radio much but overheard it on DKX while I was thrifting. Perfect show for the holiday weekend. We just copped our tickets and we're looking forward to some dutty rock tomorrow night!

[buy local, eat local, be local]

Obviously there are many, many reasons why you should buy your food and other goods from local farmers and local small businesses. If you need more info on this check out Sustainable Table or just google 'buy local'. I find it healthier and just more enjoyable to buy local. People selling goods locally usually have a more vested interest in their business and are very passionate about what they do. I have come across two Rochester businesses I want to share: Slim Goodie Boutique (530 Thurston Rd.) and Small World Bakery. Slim Goodie sells men and women's accessories, clothing, and shoes. Small World Bakery specializes in local and organic artisan breads and sweets. Folks in Rochester- check these businesses out. This weekend we will be biking over to Slim Goodie and to the public market so I will update in a couple days.

[she's gotta have it]

"That Nola D" by Nola Darling" on Vimeo.

Fun, springy track that is a nice upgrade on the peas' beat. You should also check out Nola Darling's Pretty Gritty Mixtape.

[this is Africa]

K'NAAN "T.I.A" music video directed by: NABIL

I first heard K'Naan while shopping in my favorite Toronto music store Play De Record a couple of years ago. I was instantly smitten with his sound and grabbed his album "The Dusty Foot Philosopher". K'naan is brilliant (say that in your best fake British accent).

[get buck]

Go. Get Buck. Dance like you've never danced before. Friday May 22 at Bug Jar. {And on a side note- while searching for this flyer online I accidentally came across someone who calls herself White Kool-Aid. Not sure exactly what this means or why she thinks that's a good look but who am I to judge.}

[The Transcontinental]

Wow. I'm glad I'm back on my blog grind because this song definitely deserves my attention and a place on my humble little piece of the internet. Hip hop lovers, supporters, aficionados, or anyone who's curious about some new freshness- make sure you check out IMAKEMADEBEATS and Roc C. Together they are The Transcontinental and their future album is one to keep your eyes and ears open for. Right now you can cop the track 'Warriors' ft. Rapper Pooh and Chino XL on Itunes.

[la-di-da-di we like to party]

Slick Rick in the Roc! May 27 at Dubland Underground.

[back on track]

Yes we took a brief hiatus- but now we're back. Just in time for the spring/summer warm-up. And we all know what that means- cook-outs, porch parties, 2-wheels, 4-wheels, toes out, picnics, sunnies. Our collage above is a nice summary of things we're currently digging on...

1. Fast Friday: this movie is just plain dope even if you're not into fixed gear biking. and yes there's always time to get addicted like we have. Our tiny-ass garage (but a garage nonetheless) has quickly become a bike warehouse and our computer goes straight to velospace when we turn it on.

2. Diplo: We've loved him for ages and have seen him perform at various parties including the Roots picnic, at Mod Club(Tdot) with Switch and recently at Soundlab in Buffalo. Never fails to drop the heat and make ya booty bounce. I'm guessing surfer tracks are the next frontier.

3. Organic Wine.

4. Major Lazer: Switch+ Diplo= music that makes you pretend you're surfing in your bedroom. Summer time madness!!! Pretty sure they're dropping an album. Love the track "Hold the Line" featuring Santi.

6. Mi Black Barbie she go go go.

7. Green smoothies/ juice: grab a good blender or juicer and go to town. Veggies are good in a glass.

8. Pins I had in the 80s: I can't remember all of them but I definitely had a SNAFU pin I got from Village Green Bookstore and a smiley face one from Record Theatre in Midtown. I can't even help that I'm humming Bobby McFerrin right now...

9. Carebears care-a-lot: If the Carebears, Rainbow Brite, and Cabbage Patch Kids could form a sweet army led by Punky Brewster and kick cancer's ass the world would be a better place.

10. Zion I: We had the privelege of seeing Zion I perform in the Roc last week. Good vibes, tight musicians, and lyrical skills to boot. Zion I has a new album out called "THE TAKEOVER". don't sleep.

[In and Out of Time]

***Mdot Coop's Album Release party- March 20th@ the Bug Jar***

If you know Mdot Coop then you already know what kinda party this is gonna be. If you aren't familiar then here's a tip- make sure you come out on March 20th! Mdot is releasing his full length album "In and Out of Time" and the party at Bug jar will be a celebration of good music, good energy, and good art. Not only will Mdot be performing new music he's getting support from DJ Ease, Tim Tones, Destroy, and Zone (artist/FUA). So get your crew together, invite that girl/guy you've been eyeing, or just roll out for dolo and come enjoy a live party! More information: Mdot Coop, Bug Jar

[androids/cyborgs]

Janelle Monae - Many Moons on Vimeo.

[fun to the 100th power]

I go to Rehab every month- do you??? More info: Rehab Record Party

[poisson gras]

March is that month us northeast folks always look forward to. March marks the end of winter (technically), it's when spring fever begins, and it's when we resume our usual party mode. It's also the month of Pisces birthdays including Mdot's. I happen to have a serious thing for Pisces people and this party is all about them fishes. If you don't know French the name of this party translates to fat fish in honor of Pisces birthdays. If we can't party in honor of birthdays- what can we party for??? See you at Pearl on March 12th! More info: RipRoc

[The Global Female]

Rochester International Women’s Day

at Rochester Contemporary Art Center (RoCo)

137 East Avenue

March 8th, 2009- 1:00 - 3:30pm

Formal Program begins at 1:30pm

Enjoy...

*Earth Tones Woman Installation: A Modern Gypsy’s Photo Journal

by Jamie Columbus

*Blessings by multi-cultural spiritual leaders

*Peace offerings in sign language by Trinity Montessori girls

*Proclamations by offices of the County Executive, Mayor, and Town of Brighton

*Ethnic hors d’oeuvres, tea, wine coolers, beer, International music, cultural dancers & performance groups representing women of the world,

*Goddess Make up, Henna Hands, Sacred Hand Art Project

friends, conversation, and surprises

More info and other Rochester events: http://www.riwd.org/index.html

[guverment name]

[eat to live]

Ryoko's in SF, best sushi I've ever had!

I am a sushi addict- no joke. I have to have sushi at least once a week or the cravings take over. So it was fitting that the first restaurant I went to in San Francisco was a sushi joint- Ryoko's in Nob Hill. Inside feels like an underwater cave (try to get one of the "booths" in the back) and the music is great. There's a grand piano, a dj on the weekends, and some great art on the walls. But the best part of Ryoko's is the food- the sushi is fresh and so tasty! Best sushi I've ever had and I eat sushi everywhere I go. The menu is a nice balance between traditional sushi and fun rolls. Everything we had was delicious including the Hot Tail and the Jumping tuna rolls. I'm not a fan of tempura rolls but even those were amazing at Ryoko's. I ate here twice while in SF- it's that good.

Mussels at Hog Island Oyster Co., sf

Seafood is perfect food. And oysters are the most fun shellfish to eat- eating them is like taking a seafood shot- a yummy, savory, refreshing shot! Hog Island Oyster Co. (in the ferry building) is an incredible San Francisco restaurant to eat oysters at. They have a happy hour special where their signature Sweetwater oysters are $1 and believe me you will want to take advantage of this deal. Oysters are really easy to eat and the average person can put away a dozen no problem. Hog Island has a scrumptious vinegar/cilantro sauce they serve with the oysters and it is all you need on these raw treats. Nic had the mussels which she said were heavenly. We also had the baked oysters appetizer, the warm olives, and a bottle of Sonoma white wine. A divine meal.

they love to put cucumber in their water on the west coast

Other SF food/drink spots:

Olive- a hidden gem. Their martinis are to die for. Example: "The Spicy Dirty One" -Ketel One vodka, jalapeño peppers, olive juice and house made jalapeño stuffed olives

Em's Place-cheap, fast breakfast spot. greasy spoon that's not so greasy. Also serves Chinese food. Mongolian chicken is yummy.

Brenda's French Soul Food- Do yourself a favor- eat at this Creole inspired spot. Just get there early as the wait can be serious- or go on an off day like I did. Read my review on Yelp.

Squat and Gobble- I really can't stand the name of this brunch spot but the food is delicious so I can't complain. Crepes, omlettes, you name it. Huge portions!

[fillmore to the mission]

[jazz lives on the west coast too]

I woke up early on my born day...then promptly fell back asleep. I was a bit hungover from the previous night of partying at Yoshi's. (Yoshi's is a jazz spot in the Fillmore district- which is referred to as the Harlem of the West). Brooklyn Circus (check them out!) had thrown a dope soiree and everyone had made sure I was extra saucy when the clock struck 12! The music was on point- everything from Jay-Z to Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, some dancehall riddims, and of course 2Pac! After those tequila shots (that a very friendly stranger bought for me) I don't remember much- but yezzir we got it in!

[get a burrito and try all of the salsas]

On my birthday day, after getting some much needed rest and pomegranate juice, we headed to the Mission to wander the streets, do a little birthday shopping, and just let the day take us where it would. We ate at Pancho Villa Taqueria (see picture above). If you like Mexican food you will love Pancho. It's affordable, offers huge portions, and seems to have a cult following in sf. After lunch we happened upon Clarion Alley. Here are pics from this artistic walkway: