[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.