[The Audiofiles] Dirtybird Campout Serves Up Salacious Phase 2 Lineup

August 3, 2016August 3, 2016Leave a comment

How do YOU Dirtybird? This Fall, the Dirtybird Campout makes it’s triumphant return for it’s second annual romp in Silverado, California from October 7th through the 9th. It feels like it was just last week that their epic Phase 1 lineup was released with amazing Dirtybird labelmates, Internationally renowned artists and blossoming Domestic talent.

With Claude VonStroke’s hip hop alterego Barclay Crenshaw on the lineup, we were just waiting for them to announce the head honcho himself. Joining Claude on the decks are the esteemed Green Velvet, Justin Martin, Tourist, Ardalan, Justin Jay + Friends live and Will Clarke. As usual, the Dirtybird Campout isn’t showing all their cards at once – paving the way for at least one more epic lineup reveal before October hits.

Purchase Tickets Here
Though audiophiles and music fans flock to the Dirtybird Campout, festival highlights and standout memories truly encompass all parts of the event. This year, the Dirtybird squad has over 50 games up its sleeves for inspired and energized campers including moonlight capture the flag, karaoke, wood carving and even making root beer floats (or just beer floats if you swing that way). Each camper this year will be assigned a Team Color – and each team victory will put you closer to this year’s Ironbird Championship and of course, bragging rights.

But wait, there’s more! Stay tuned for last minute additions, extra special guests and of course those epic camp activities that the DBC is so known and loved for. I’ll tell you one thing – our team? We’re excited. Stay up to date with the Dirtybird Crew for the latest and greatest on their label and this year’s Campout.

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[LA Life] Get Your Culture On With Summer Happenings at The Broad

August 2, 2016August 2, 2016Leave a comment

As someone who admittedly understands most other forms of art – the written word, music, architecture, plays, musicals, theater, opera, film and dance – over the sculpted, drawn or painted variety, some of their mystique, culture and history had always escaped me. But, the good news – I’m definitely not beyond reproach and have maintained both an open mind and heart to see what truly moves me. Growing up in the Bay Area, we visited Science Museums, Botanical Gardens and open spaces from San Francisco to Santa Cruz, and all areas in between – but visiting a museum and looking at art was never in the cards.

Once I moved to Los Angeles and fully grasped how much culture was oozing out of the concrete jungle of our city, I started to get the itch for new and different types of art. The LACMA, the Getty and the Getty Villa are all so unique in what they offer. I’m a little biased because I was at the LACMA for the Tim Burton exhibit, but that was ghoulishly fantastic. I find myself constantly drooling over the Grecian Architecture and landscaping of the Getty Villa, while the Gardens of the Getty are something entirely special to behold. But the irony, was that I didn’t fall in love with art in Los Angeles. I fell in love while I was in the South, in the depths of Arkansas on a work trip. I’d done some remedial research before the flight and discovered the Crystal Bridges Museum of Art – a beautiful museum tucked deep into the town of Bentonville. Beyond the stunning architectural design, this was the first time I was truly moved by Norman Rockwell’s canvases and Andy Warhol’s paintings. Once I planted myself back in Los Angeles, I had a new outlook on the artistic endeavors around the city and as well as a new willingness to explore every niche genre of it.

Ever since word got out last year that a new modern and contemporary art museum would be placed smack dab in the center of Downtown Los Angeles, I was intrigued at what they would have to offer Then, when the architectural design for the venue finally went up – I was absolutely enthralled. So when I finally had the chance to visit The Broad with Danny this past weekend for their Nonobject(ive) Summer Happenings, I was over the moon excited and absolutely jumped at the chance.

The Broad, Los Angeles’ newest museum, opened just last September to fill some contemporary art chasm that vast amounts of local and street art couldn’t. Founded and funded by the esteemed Eli and Edythe Broad, the 120,000 square foot venue was immaculately designed by the combined brainpower of Renfro, Diller Scofidio and Gensler, and boasts over 2,000 prominent paintings and pieces of art distributed between it’s two floors of gallery space. But when their Summer Happenings swing into bloom, the outdoor courtyard becomes transfixed into an open air concert venue with stunning acoustics against the textured exterior of the building while the insides are engaged in spoken word and performance art while attendees ebb and flow through the first special exhibition at The Broad, Cindy Sherman’s Imitation of Life. Though some of the performances this past weekend were a tad lacking – Sky Ferria’s DJ Set, I’m looking at you – it was a wonderful reason for my first visit.

Though I did enjoy bits and pieces of the museum, there was a large portion that felt like a multimedia smorgasborg and sensory overload. Swimming through troves of hipsters sipping on the latest fads and latest drinks, it was hard to actually get some breathing room regardless of if you were in the middle of the crowd during one of the many performance pieces or simply observing a piece of art. As expected, the pop art from Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol colored me moved; but more than that, I also discovered new art and artists that I appreciated.

I found the emotive work of Jean-Michel Basquiat to be pulling at my heart strings, and I fell in love with the work of Takashi Murakami – both Of Chinese Lions, Peonies, Skulls, And Fountains as well as the detailed, grand and inspiring In the Land of the Dead, Stepping on the Tail of a Rainbow (above). Standing 82′ in length, I could’ve spent an entire day analyzing the vibrant colors and intricacies within it. And who doesn’t adore neon, or vibrant, shiny, gigantically fake balloon animals – so, those were cool too, I guess.

The great thing about art, is it’s all subjective – the real question is: are you moved enough to feel – something, anything? Maybe, just maybe, certain forms of art just aren’t my thing, maybe I need to go back on a day where I can move like molasses between rooms, taking ten, fifteen minutes to digest the art…or maybe I just wasn’t high enough; either, or. Whichever. The good news is that I’ll keep digesting the world around my like I’m at a buffet, and eventually – I’ll have my just desserts.

If you’re interested in getting attending the Nonobject(ive) Summer Happenings, you have two chances left! Tickets for the penultimate event on 8/20 with Rostam and Sparkle Vision are available here. The final showing lands on September 24th with Sophie and Vessel, tickets go on sale August 15th. Or, if you’d like a more laidback and relaxed visit, visit online and reserve your spot. Admission is free to the general public unless there’s a special event, but that wait list is legendary.

For more about The Broad Museum and their contemporary collection of art, head to their site and socials –

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[The Audiofiles] Put Down Your Phone and Pick Up The Groove at ‘This Never Happened’

August 1, 2016August 3, 2016Leave a comment

Have you ever been so lost in the music you could forget where you were? So lost, that you felt the entire venue has been transported into an entirely new plane of existence? So enamored by the moment that you leave your cell phone in your pocket as you dance away your worries? Twenty years ago, before smartphones existed, there was a moment in time where this was the norm – where people bonded over a mutual musical admiration and created new bonds, fast friendships and an unforgettable night to remember. Fast forward to 2016 and you’ll find people Snapchating, Tweeting, Instagraming, Shazaming and even playing Pokemon Go on the dancefloor; whatever happened to being there for the love of music, and passion of truly being part of the community instead of just an observer with a camera phone? Thankfully, one producer has finally had enough – and is bold enough to do something about it.

Still marinating in the awe inspiring success of his inaugural ‘This Never Happened’ event in San Francisco, melodic deep house tastemaker Lane 8 is ready to take his novel concept across North America and into a city near you.

““My team and I were super anxious about whether we could pull an event like this off….We focused on getting the message out – letting people know what our vision is and why we think it’s so important. San Francisco is possibly the most tech-hip city in the US, but not only did 99% of people keep their phones in their pockets the entire night, they also had a noticeably better time at the show. That show reinforced even more what we believe in and that what we’re doing is something that the music community actually wants and needs.” – Daniel Goldstein / Lane 8

Presale tickets for ‘This Never Happened’ are on sale on Tuesday, August 2nd while General On-Sale tickets are available starting Friday, August 5th. While you’re (im)patiently waiting to get your paws on a coveted ticket in a major metropolitan area from Miami, Chicago and Los Angeles to Toronto and Washington DC, feast your ears on his latest singles – Divina and Crush, both out now!

For more on Lane 8, head to his socials:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud

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[LA Life] Frolic Among the Flowers at LA’s Best Botanical Gardens

July 29, 2016July 29, 20161 Comment

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With the weather we’re blessed with in Southern California, it’s no surprise that we spend the better part of our lives outside. Beyond the fact my wardrobe is perfectly equipped for it ( my daily uniform consists of a tank top, cut offs and flip flops – thank you, working from home), there’s an impressive amount of outdoor activities to partake in. You want wine tasting? You don’t have to go to Sonoma or Santa Barbara, just head to Santa Monica or Malibu – skiing and snowboarding are only a few hours away at Big Bear, and the beach is equidistant in the opposite direction. Fun, sun, snow, sand – we’ve got it all, and then some. Now that Summer season is in full swing, I’m finding it near uncomfortable to be stuck indoors with so much amazing weather, so when it comes to daily adventures – it’s time to start thinking outside the box – or at least, outside the home – for some fun day trips and day-tes in the area.

Though Los Angeles can come across as a completely concrete jungle, once you’ve found the right nooks and crannies you’ll realize it’s anything but! From the West in Santa Monica to the East in Pasadena, Los Angeles has been blessed with a gregarious amount of green space throughout the city, and it’s only right that as residents we get to revel in it. The fabled Griffith Park Observatory offers up acres and acres of fresh green space smack dab in the middle of the city and it feels like you’re on a wild safari when you’re trying to trek towards the Hollywood Sign, while assorted areas like Ernest E Debs Park and NELA’s Lincoln Park provide a pop of vivaciously contrasting greens in the heart of residential neighborhoods and burrows.

Even though I’ve lived in LA for over eight years, I’ve realized that here’s still so much to discover and uncover. There’s simply so many options to choose from that I have a hard time narrowing it down – after all, they all have their je ne sais quoi moments of sheer bliss, utter beauty and vivacious blooms. Between the neat little retreats and hidden gems with sincere botanical beauty, I’ve definitely made my way through a pretty solid chunk of what the city of angels has to offer and I’m eager to share my favorite botanical gardens and nature nooks with you.

The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens

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The trifecta of artistic expression, creation and perfection – The Huntington boasts a bevvy of fantastic art collections, a wonderful library rich library and of course – a delectable amount of shrubbery, flowers, trees, flora and fauna. There natural areas are broken out by region, and you can take a leisurely stroll through a Japanese Tea Garden, a Chinese Garden and even a banzai exhibit, which is even cooler when you realize you’re staring at tiny Sequoias and Redwoods – it’s actually unbelievable. With over 120 acres to revel in, it’s easy to get lost – and even easier to not see absolutely everything the park has to offer. Good news – you can get an annual pass and visit whenever you want. Seeing as the park spans the globe, there are always wonderful specimens in bloom.

Check their website for the latest exhibits as well as their Summer hours, from my knowledge the venue is open from 10:30 to 4:30 every day except Tuesday.

1151 Oxford Rd, San Marino, CA

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The Descanso Gardens

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Though I’ve only visited in the Winter (which in Los Angeles just means it’s below 60), the Descanso Gardens boast a stunning landscape that includes a Lilac Garden, a Japanese Garden, California Natives and a sprawling 5 acre rose garden. Open year round and only $9 for adults, botanical gardens offer a menagerie of courses and programs, and host a wonderful series of summer concerts.

1418 Descanso Dr, La Canada Flintridge, CA

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Los Angeles County Arboretum

Located off in Arcadia on the East Side of Los Angeles sits one of my absolute favorite venues, and every time I go I’m absolutely astounded by the fact it exists within Los Angeles county. Just one stroll around the LA Arboretum, in through the tall bamboo shoots or the indigenous South American trees, and you’ll feel instantly transported into a new land. Each corner and every inch of the park is impeccably maintained and absolutely stunning to marinate on. Plus, the third Tuesday of every month is free!

301 N Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA

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Storrier Sterns Japanese Garden

Located off the beaten path, in the residental neighborhoods of Pasadena is one of the city’s unique hidden gems. The Storrier Sterns Japanese Garden is a stunning piece of throwback landscaping and architecture built by the one and only Kinzuchi Fujii in 1935, not to mention – the last standing one he ever created. Over 80 years later the two acre span is more beautiful than ever with a teahouse, relaxing areas to sit and meditate in and an active coy pond. The venue is tiny, only about two acres, but there simply so much to see that you could be there all afternoon.

270 Arlington Drive, Pasadena, California 91105

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Arlington Botanical Gardens

One thing about the wonderful botanical gardens in the area – is you more or less have to pay for them. Great news about the Arlington Botanical Gardens, is they’re open to anyone, any day, for Free.99. The Arlington Botanical Gardens stand as the only public open space in Pasadena and it offers a great arena to walk and relax among it’s community maintained garden, or the rich array of Californian and Mediterranean trees, bushes, flowers and succulents with a wonderful amount of benches scattered among them – so bring a book, get comfortable and get into your R&R.

275 Arlington Dr, Pasadena, CA 91105

Website

I’ve by no means gone to all of the local gardens, but I’ve been blessed with the opportunities to visit a great number of them and be awe struck by their beautiful, blooming bounties. Also, if you couldn’t tell – I effing love reflection shots!

What are your favorite Botanical Gardens and Open Spaces – in Los Angeles, or your favorite city?

Let me know in the comments below!

[Self Discovery] Discover An Organized Happiness with the Passion Planner

July 27, 2016July 27, 2016Leave a comment

As the years go by and I’ve catapulted by way from being a 20-something with a bunch of dreams to a 30-anything with a menagerie of passions, I’ve found it harder and harder to wrangle all of my daily activities, hobbies, part time gigs and fun shenanigans into one compact, concise, contained and well maintained location. Existing within a highly chaotic and energetically entropic world requires some sort of organizational opulence.

For the smart phone user in our highly digital age, there’s a long list of apps for both iOs and Android that will keep you on your toes. Google Calendar has long been a favorite of mine for scheduling events while I’ve depended on the seamless ease of Evernote from my phone to my desktop computer for the last three years to keep my litany of lists in line. I’ve always prided myself on my memory recall for dates, phone numbers and meetings – however, whenever I use anything digitally based, I honestly have a harder time keeping track of the events. And then it hit me – having a physical, tangible resource that our brain power went into creating helps forms neural pathways that we later revisit as a ‘Memory.’ Nowadays, even though we’re well into the year 2016, I’ve found myself with a penchant for paper planners over anything electronic, and believe you me – I’ve tried them all. The goal of a great agenda isn’t to fill every last hour of your day with tasks, but in finding the hidden hours in your days, weeks and months so that you have time for the little things you find important, dear and sacred that make you happy, calm and collected.

After juggling stacks of postits, notebooks and to-do lists for the better part of the last two decades, I figured it was about time I get my shit together. So, around the turn of the year year, I started scavenging for an awe inspiring agenda and finally – almost 8 months later, I think I’ve found the perfect planner – aptly called the ‘Passion Planner.’ Originally funded on Kickstarter , the Passion Planner is my one stop shop for staying sane in this mad, mad world.

Just one look, and I fell head over heals into organizational bliss – there are so many different ways to stack your days, weeks and months – and this planner makes it easy as pie. Even offering space to dream, doodle and delineate to-dos. Twice a year, you check in with yourself and your goals, realigning yourself with your true home frequency while to wrap up the moth, the planner offers up a few great journaling prompts for some retrospection.

The highly organized habits of successful people are inspiring, and to me the Passion Planner is the perfect way to get on track. The first day with the journal, I’d suggest giving yourself a lazy afternoon to get acquainted with all of the little details – especially your roadmap; but after you find your focus, it’ll be smooth sailing. As a general rule, I devote 10 minutes at the start of the day and 10 minutes at the end of the day to keeping my schedule plus a good half hour on the weekend to figure out what’s ahead for the week.

There are multiple designs to choose from – Academic Calendars that Span from 2016-2017, or Annual Calendars which are currently on a discount since the year’s half over. I wasn’t sure what I was getting into at first, or if I’d even want to keep up with it – so getting a little Trial version was perfect. Right now if you buy one planner – you’ll get a second for free so you can share the wealth with a friend. Trust me, they’ll love it – I know I do! And to boot, if you’ve got the printer paper you can even download your own pages to keep handy in a binder or notebook.

What’s your favorite way to keep organized? Join in the conversation in the comments below.

For more details on the Passion Planner, or to simply snag your own – head to their website and socials:

Website | Purchase | Facebook | Twitter

[LA Life] Can You Outwit The Escape Room?

July 25, 2016July 25, 2016Leave a comment

For the last four years, I’ve worked my job from home – which definitely has an equivalent amount of both perks and problems. On the plus side, I can work from anywhere with a WiFi signal, or from home on my front yard in a bikini, or with my cats in the comfort of my apartment and my pajamas. Conversely, some days I have almost no social contact and end up talking to the cashier at Trader Joe’s about our cats for twenty minutes because I JUST NEED HUMAN CONNECTION. So when Disney tells me to come in for the day and do some team building exercises with the entire department, I jump at the opportunity and eat it up like hot cakes. Well, at least 95% of the time. We’ve done personality workshops and have volunteered with local shelters…but when I found out we would be doing an Escape Room – my heart skipped a beat or three.

Maybe it’s because I’ve seen the movie Saw too much (highly possible) or my anxiety was just running away with itself (equally possible), but my initial reaction included thinking “Hell to the no, how can I get out of it?!” I don’t talk about it much, maybe even at all except to Danny and my family, but I get anxiety, and lots of it. Anxiety over small things, anxiety over big things, anxiety over past actions and future endeavors. My mind is creative, vast, deep, imaginative – and it tends to run away with itself at times, like the Escape Room. Being stuck in a room with hypothetically close quarters and people on other teams that I wasn’t as familiar with struck an anxious chord in my body that I couldn’t shake. After some excellent convincing by teammates, friends and Danny – I put on my big girl pants and saddled up for the ride.

There are multiple variations of the Escape Room around Los Angeles like The Exit Game, The Basement and Countdown Escape Room, each with their own tricks and treats. Some seem a tad more sinister or brooding than others, but the one we went to reminded me more of Da Vinci Code mixed with some CSI than anything else. The Escape Room in Downtown Los Angeles was a pleasant experience that I would actually do over, over and over again. A mix of problem solving ingenuity and being able to think outside the box while trapped inside a box, the Escape Room was befit with four incredibly different rooms. The Detective and The Theatre transport you back in time, while The Cavern and The Alchemist transport you to another place altogether.

As we descended into downtown Los Angeles, my nerves started getting the best of me – I’m incredibly thankful that I have solid friends that surround me that know how to calm me down. Plus, you technically only have an hour to outwit the design – after that, you’re released from the room regardless! As we separated into teams, I tried to translate my anxiety into excitement – because let’s face it, this was about to get fun. My team was assigned to The Alchemist, and once inside the room, I kind of went from 0 to 100 real quick – but in the best of all possible ways. I think in patterns and have a keen ability to recognize them immediately, not to mention thanks to shows like Law and Order and CSI, I was always under the impression that I’d be a pretty kickass, problem solving detective and after kicking ass and taking names with my team – I actually have some foundation for that claim. Each room contains hidden clues that need to be unlocked in succession, some of it is cryptography – some of it is ingenuity, but it’s all an amazing amount of brain power, team work and fun. Though we didn’t get allll the way through, we were damn close – plus our room only had a 18% success rate. The Escape Room was the perfect ploy for team building in an extra special setting. Games run $30 a participant during the week, and $35 on the weekends.

We weren’t allowed to take photos inside the rooms, so besides what was on the website -there aren’t any- plus, I don’t want to ruin it for anyone that might fancy a game! For more on the Escape Room LA, or to reserve a room for you and your squad – head to their website or socials:

Website | Book a Room | Yelp

[Keep It 100] Burn Your Bra: Bralettes Are The New Black

July 11, 2016July 11, 2016Leave a comment

Life back when I was a little kid felt so much simpler – parents helped with the meals and laundry, my biggest concern was whether to play four square or tether ball at recess, and wardrobe choices? Easy as pie. Inundated with the Hollywood scene and celebrity , I always looked forward to when I was ‘old enough’ to wear certain things: dress like those fancy ladies on TV and in the movies, dazzle in designer choices- and finally fill out more than a training bra. You know, a bra with underwire and uumph, pushing out daisies from our chests like the first day of Spring. Besides shaving my legs, it was the milestone that my friends and I were truly waiting for: all my friends older sisters and the teenagers on swimteam had bras, while we were flat-chested and full of wonder on when we’d actually become a ‘woman’. Fast forward 18 years and I wish I never traded my training bra for the real deal – for multiple reasons.

For one second, lets do some personal little show and tell with me, myself and I. Ladies, stop me if you’ve felt this way before: you’ve been looking fly all day in a cute outfit, you’re proud of shape and showing off your wares, and then it hits you – your shoulder blades sting and your chest can only swallow the shallowest of breaths. Dipping, ducking, dodging and diving your way to the closest restroom, you reach under your shirt and feel the jagged etches that your bra straps have etched on the small of your back – only to leave a rough, red effigy of where the bra sat, sturdily holding up your hooters. Nine times out of ten, this is when I just say fuck it, take my bra off at the club or music festival and stuff it in the bottom recess of my purse – that tenth time, I’m tossing it in the trash to burn – proverbially speaking, of course. The last time this happened was at Beyond Wonderland back in March. I remember romping through the fields debating if beer would help the tightness in my breath while I watched while girls in pasties prance around me without a care in the world. They were free, their tits were free – and I couldn’t wait to join them.

The Perks of Going Braless

Now, you might be saying – “Oh, hell no, you won’t catch my girls sagging….”Well, I hate to burst your boob-bubble, but in studies of women that don’t wear bras – it’s been shown that their natural lift is better than those who wore them for their entire life. As it turns out, there are tendons and ligaments surrounding our breasts, and the more they’re engaged – the more terrific our titties become. So, let your body do what it knows how to do! Let your caged birds sing: free your breasts and allow them get a proper workout in by just hanging out. The end result is your pair will be perkier, and you’ll be happier.

Last year, I started the slow conversation of my undergarment drawer after Danny pointed out that I technically didn’t need to wear a bra, less some redeaming amount of chest coverage. Fast forward to 2016 and I own maybe one bra with underwire that I actually never wear and continually debate if I should donate or not. I can take the deepest breaths, and I don’t feel pressure on my chest; my back feels long and healthy instead of constricted and I don’t have any pain around my shoulders. Unlike bras, bralettes have thin or lacy straps, don’t have molded cups or contain any wires; they’re lighter, more airy and have minimal but excellent support.

A day worthy of celebration – October 13th is No Bra Day, and while a few months out – we can certainly start today. I’ve found that unlike their sturdier sister with underwire, bralettes aren’t just more comfortable – they can also be a lot less expensive, depending on where you pick your poison from. Some of my favorites are from Urban Outfitters – they’re incredibly affordable have literally all the colors and styles you could dream of, and then some! Other retailers with great bralette and bandeau selections include American Eagle’s Aerie Collection, Abercrombie + Fitch (say what you will, but I worked there for three years and enjoyed myself) as well as Forever 21 and Victoria’s Secret, which as all the ladies know can get pricey but the good news is the pieces have longevity. Join the revolution, burn your bra – and come to the bralette side, we have cookies and they’re comfortable.