The Show is on 7/18, not 7/17; but otherwise correct...

FIFTY ON THEIR HEELS
GRAND OLE PARTY
MC FLOW
SDSC
21+/$5
doors 9 show 10

Atoms, The Prayers & The Fascination @ The Che Cafe on 7/14/06

First of all, Cat Dirt loves the Che Cafe. What an outstanding venue! Nestled in the forgiving bosom of the UCSD campus, with it's darling sliding glass doors, numerous eucalyptus trees and lovely courtyard. Is there a better all ages venue in all of san diego county? Cat Dirt thinks not! Cat Dirt is adding the Che to it's priority venue list along with the SDSC. Cat Dirt waits for the day when Fifty on Their Heels can play a show there, until then, I will have to admire from afar. Or up close, I suppose.

Last night it was Atoms, The Prayers & The Fascination. Although the Prayers were the putative headliners, Cat Dirt thought it was clear that it was Atoms-fever. Is there a better all ages band in San Diego? Cat Dirt doesn't think so. Cat Dirt thinks Atoms ought be headlining SOMA, let alone headlining Epicentre, but that's just one Cat's opinion.

Here is the sole photo I took of the Fascination:



I should say that there was a fourth band on the bill- if someone writes me I will add the name. Anywho, the Fascinatioin are a power three piece. Their first song really caught my ear- kind of a Wolfmotherish vibe to it. The other songs- not so much. Kind of a power-pop/pop-punk vibe that was not Cat Dirt's cup of tea. Also, the lead singer has some kind of english/australian/new zealand/south african accent, that Cat Dirt was unable to place. I will seek clarification on that.

Next up it was the headliner-in-practice, Atoms. Cat Dirt is developing a real fondness for Atoms- I just like their whole dynamic. It's kooky and fun- and revolutinary, something that I caught in the lyrics for the first time last night.

            
             One thing I wanted to point out about the Atoms is how darling and kick ass their drummer is. They hide her behind the boys, but I think she is really cool! Here is a pic I managed to snap by sliding around to the side of the stage during the set. Her name is Christy.


            
Joey- the lead singer/occasional guitarist/keyboardist, was on fire last night. Cat Dirt loves his incitement of the crowd. Go Joey!

             The Prayers closed the show. Cat Dirt is going to reserve his review for a later, date- no doubt he will have ample opportunity to see, and review the Prayers in the future. Cat Dirt will say this- doesn't that singer/guitarist on the right kind of remind you of Pete Doherty(Babyshambles)?

            


Fifty on Their Heels in Vegas TONIGHT!!!
The Sess and The Prayers in LA TOMORROW!!!
UV Tigers and The Prayers in SD TONIGHT!!!

Great weekend! Someone send pictures of the vegas show, a'ight?

Defamer Blogs Still-Employed DJ/folk singer Anya Marina

            First blog cat dirt ever read? Gawker. Until Cat Dirt figured out how to use kinja, Gawker and Defamer were pretty much the entire blog intake in these parts. So imagine my surprise to see Defamer blogging still employed 94/9 dj/folk singer, Anya Marina, who is apparently playing LA, ah, two days ago. Right. On top of that.


             Did I mention the totally bitching Sess, Prayers show at Part Time Punks on sunday? Oh hell yes. And Fifty on Their Heels with Buddy Akai, The Lashes and a little band called Morningwood at the BBLV on saturday? Great weekend.

            Locally? Che's got the lock down this weekend with The Prayers, Atoms and The Fascination tonight and this barn burner of a saturday bill: Fishboy, Red Pony Clock, Snoozer, golden hill's own Boyish Charms(playing Kate Sessions fest in august) & Team Awesome. Cat Dirt has never been to the Che and would really like to get there one of these days.

Balzac, the Bizarro Starbucks Coffee Chain in Germany...

When I'm stateside I hate Starbucks coffee as much as the next "indie yuppie". But the bottom line is that if you're in Europe, and you want an iced latte, where else are you going to go? Nowhere, but Starbucks, that's where. I drank iced latte in Cologne and Berlin, and at least once that drink saved my life.

So anyway on the last day of our trip, we were trying to find the Manufactum store(awesome place, by the way) down by the university and we stumbled into this coffee shop called "Balzac". Here is the balzac wiki(in german, sorry). Balzac is exactly like Starbucks in every way. And by "every way" i mean- store design, drink menu, pastries for sale, store layout, they sell their own cds, etc.

OK here is the balzac coffee official site.

Creepy, no?

The Panorama Bar @ Berghain in East Berlin

No cameras allowed- ours got confiscated. But here is a blurry outside photo(taken without flash, after we left the club. It's a large building, but the club is contained on a single floor- where you can see the lights.

;

;This is the website for the club/venue.

Basically, the place is a temple for minimal house. Not as cool as the Weekend Party, which is contained on the 35th floor of east berlin tower office, but cool- many of the fixtures from the former occupant(power plant) remain. which gives it that industrial/minimal vibe. Luke Slater was playing there the next night, but we skipped it, on account from being exhausted from watching the world cup third place game with one million others.

;We only stayed till 2 AM, the place was barely getting going. We were also down the street from the sage club, which had Andrew W.K.(!) playing on that same saturday night that. The entrance is actually located INSIDE an old U-Bahn(subway) station- like on the landing of the stairway descending into the station. When we were coming back from Basement Jaxx on sunday night, there was some kind of coversation going on between the shaved head russian bouncer and a bunch of guys in work boots. Cool!

Cat Dirt Announces Final Band on July, August Chicken! Shows

         At the forth coming Chicken! on July 29th, joining the Glossines and Cat Dirt Records Recording Artist Fifty on Their Heels, we have the lovely and talented Vanja. Favorite two shows that i've seen where i've seen vanja: okmoniks, atoms, power chords, the sess at CHOB(closed by police) & enter telescope, vision of a dying world and the sess @ Scolari's. Cat Dirt can't wait to catch her act.

         Vanja James(myspace)

So that line up is:
Fifty on Their Heels
The Glossines
Vanja James
ALL AGES/ $5
Chicken! @ Golden Hill Moose Lodge 7/29


          In August we've added the delta spirit, who we HEAR(because we weren't actually there) were great last night. that show they played with the duke spirit at bbsd was good, though. Cat Dirt has pictures of that one here.

So that line up is:

The UV Tigers
Qu'est-ce Que C'est(name now on sticker on my computer monitor for future proper spelling)
The Delta Spirit
ALL AGES/ $5
Chicken! @ Golden Hill Moose Lodge/ 8/19
the delta spirit(myspace)

AND Fifty on Their Heels may very well be on the verge of coming out to the beach community in early/mid August. Can you feel the excitement, selected beach communities? You are a highly coveted demographic. HIGHLY COVETED!

Our San Francisco Correspondent Hips Us to Some Cool Blogs from France and UK...

This is in french and english. Music blog. Check out the posts on coming-to-san diego-in-august(and yes im going) favs Bonde Do Role and CSS(with diplo, ya?)
Fluokids(Paris, France)

And here is another... english music blog.
Headphonesex(UK)

The strengths of both these blogs points to a weakness I feel that most amera-indie blogs share(music for robots, people's dance party, you are both excepted from this comment): Utter ignorance of electronica. Just because it ain't happening in America, don't mean it ain't happening.

Man, fluokids is blowing my mind right now.

Weekend Preview: What's Up in San Diego, Las Vegas, Los Angeles...

If Cat Dirt hadn't just arrived back from his monster Paris to Berlin vacation, he would be checking out Fifty on Their Heels and Morningwood in Vegas on Saturday night. I might hit that Prayers show on Friday night... Cat Dirt wants Fifty on Their Heels to play Che, but just can't seem to make a contact.



FRIDAY: SAN DIEGO

The Prayers
Atoms
w/ The Fascination
ALL AGES $6/ @ Che Cafe

SATURDAY: LAS VEGAS

July 15th, 2006
Las Vegas, Nevada
@ The Beauty Bar Las Vegas("BBLV")

Morningwood(Capitol Records, toronto(?))
The Lashes(Columbia/Red Ink, Seattle)
Fifty on Their Heels(San Diego)
Buddy Akai(San Diego)
The Pacific(?-help)
Drugscene(los angeles, myspace)
Hello Stranger(los angeles(?), http://www.totallyvagenius.com/)
Love Like Fire(san francisco)
Casper(?-help)

DJS
DIA (LA/Underground/Kaleidoscope)
OMAR(SF/Popscene)
Johnny Rox
W.I.P.
Paulie
Allen
8 Bits

Presented by: D.U.I(Dancing Under the Influence, Johnny Rox & Ozzie, I-Fusion Entertainment

Visuals by Pablo Visuals
Las Vegas Beauty Bar
July 15th, 2006
517 Fremont St.
21+/ $10advance/$15 door

SATURDAY: LOS ANGELES
SCARLETT CASANOVA PRESENTS
HANG THE DJ'S SUMMER HEAT WAVE INDIE BASH w/
The Hourly Radio(NYC)
The No No Spots(Vancover)

DJS
Maurice De La Falaise(
Paraparazzi(Club 1107)
Edie(HTDJs)
Marina Velocity(HTDJs)
Blake(Moving Units)
PLUS:Hearts Challenger ICE CREAM TRUCK
18+ @ The Echo 1822 Sunset Blvd.

SATURDAY: SAN DIEGO
UV Tigers
The Prayers
Oliver Future
@ The Casbah 21+ $8advance/$10 door

SUNDAY: LOS ANGELES
The Sess
The Prayers
@ Part Time Punks @ The Echo in Los Angeles
All AGES!!! All kinds of smoking....

San Diego Reader's "Blurt" Column Reprints Grand Ole Party Post from San Diego Serenade...

            Blurt reprints San Diego Serenade Post on Grand Ole Party 7/13/06>

          Cat Dirt is a big fan of San Diego Serenade and it's author, Conor. In fact, Cat Dirt told San Diego Serenade about Grand Ole Party for the first time in a comment left on May 12th, 2006.
         And just to point out the obvious, sad thing(about the Reader, not about San Diego Serenade, which we love), here is the original post from San Diego Serenade that was reprinted in Blurt TODAY. Original date of post? May 13th, 2006. So that's, oh hey, two months to the day. Suppose better late then never, right?

         Catch Kristin Gundred, Grand Ole Party, Fifty on Their Heels and MC Flow at the San Diego Sports Club next wednesday!!! Maybe Conor will be there! $5, doors at 9 show at 10(July 18th, 2006). 21+!

      Next week's show is going to be L I V E. And here is my humble propsal for a joint feature on Cat Dirt Sez & San Diego Serenade: Conor has a discussion with Kristen Gundred and Junior Metro about life, the universe, and the meaning of local music. How about it guys?

This Photograph is for the People Who've Said, "The New SDSC looks like a high school prom"

         Q'est ce Qu'est @ Club Suspira SDSC 7/13/6


         Cat Dirt has been all over the new/old SDSC from the beginning.

         Last night Cat Dirt and Club Suspira presented Cat Dirt's first semi-official(i.e. not on any flyers) show at the SDSC with The Sess, The Delta Spirit and Q'est ce Qu'est. Cat Dirt was jet lagged, and only managed to make it part way through Q'est- but they were great, and Cat Dirt looks forward to seeing them on 8/19/6 @ Chicken! with UV Tigers.

         Here is a show review of the sess @ the tower bar.
         Here is a show review of the delta spirit w/ the duke spirit @ BBSD.
         Sorry for leaving early. Of course, the Sess will be playing the Power Chords dubbed "San Diego All Star Show" presented by Tim Pyles on Sunday, July 30th w/ Fifty on Their Heels, Manual Scan, The Power Chords, Atoms and Vinyl Radio playing multiple sets in the Atari Lounge @ the Casbah. And the Sess will also be playing with iSociety!, Fifty on Their Heels, The New Collapse(LA), Jezebel, the Boyish Charms and others at the Kate Sessions Fest @ Golden Hill Park on 8/29/06.
         So, the SDSC rocks and y'all better recognize. Cat Dirt wants to get some out of area talent to come down and party, so don't be shy. Well, don't be too forward.

Show Review: Poupee De Son, PARIS FRANCE 6/30/06

         Here is the original post I did on Poupee de Son @ the club La Fleche D'or(golden skin/fleece) in Paris, France.

         We missed all the bands because we thought the show started at midnight, when in reality it started at 8. oops!

         Here is the golden fleece they had hanging up, artistic shot by Cat DIrt Wife.


The pictures don't particularly capture it, so some description is in order.


One, it's past three A.M. Two, the tempature is 80+ inside, with 50 or more humidity, so everyone is just pouring buckets of sweat. And smoking, everyone is smoking. In attendance is coming-real-soon-to-us ed-banger-breakout artist Justice. I'm pretty sure that Gaspirator, one member of justice, was the crazy bearded cat playing with the eq while other dj's were spinning(!). We gave him a Fifty on Their Heels CD.


I'm pretty sure this is a picture of Vicarious Bliss(Ed Banger/Skint). He was off the hook- crazy crowd reaction. Reminded me of the Kid 606/Funkstorung bill I caught over the holidays '05 in San Francsico. But the crowd was mad into it. Mind blowing!

Broken Social Scene Breaks Up

earvolution reports broken social scene broken up.

Los Angeles: 1955-1985 n'aissance de un capitale artistique 6/29/06 @ The Centre Pompidou PARIS, FRANCE

Art Review
Los Angeles 1955-1985
The Birth of An Artistic Capital
The Pomidou Center, Paris France


This is a picture of a Black Flag and Minute Man record put out by Los Angeles label SST in the early 80s. Punk records = museum art.

Of course I'd go to Paris to see an exhibition about Los Angeles, and, as they so winningly refer to it in the essay "socal". I even bought the english language catalogue, which is awesome. My favorite museum visit since the Guggenheim Matthew Barney takeover. Although, the Jewish Museum in Berlin a few days later, was pretty good, too.

Anyway, one of the essays discuseed how the los angeles art scene in the 50s flourished because it was ignored by contemporary patrons and critics, something to do with the art coming out of new york at the time.

Only on till July 17th, and then it's gone, so hurry!!!

Click on the introduction link to see the clip.

San Diego Serenade Pod Cast

            OK, so Cat Dirt did one of these podcast thingies on June 3d, 2006.


         But San Diego Serenade has a dj track and everything. So it's better and... um doesn't repeat a power chords song out of sheer inability to operate the software properly. Also: Stop hating on Broken Social Scene, guys, they're cool!

San Diego Serenade Pod Cast #1

Hey Conor- drop a play list in the comment list, please?

Local Radio Comings and Goings... Hilary @ 91x

;Liner notes reported while cat dirt was away that Hilary from 91x was "unexepectedly fired" during a station reorginization in late June. Blurt was also on the story. Looks like Local's Only missed it...
Cat Dirt never met Hilary in person but she was always nice to us on myspace!

liner notes(look past first two posts)
current blurt link

Travel/World Cup Blog: "I was at the World Cup Final in Berlin 2006"

So I was. We got there in time for the third place game and the final. Of the two the third place game was better, because the (german) crowd was super fired up. We went to see both games at the fan mile, which starts at the brandenburg gate and then extends through the tiergarten, which is berlin's "central park", except that instead of having been developed by a progressive political party, it had been transferred from its status as the private hunting reserve of the hozenhollen famiy!


Here is the entrance to the fan mile, notice the apparent size discepancy(illusory) between the giant inflatable fifa soccer ball and the brandenburg gate, itself a powerful symbol of 19th and 20th century german nationalism.



We were at the back of the fan mile- this utter mayhem extended about 3/4 of a mile beyond us, with a screen every couple hundred of feet. we were there for... ten hours on the night of the third place game.



World Cup is a time to make friends, said the english language signs on the side of the autobahn leading to berlin, and we made friends with... this guy? who brought a suitcase of pinned butterfly's to the world cup final, but only busted it out after his eighth beer.

So the whole thing was really incredible- the final was a let down compared to the third place game, but the Cafe Moskau party with Bassment Jaxx was much better then the night at Panorama bar the night before(more on that later).

Basement Jaxx @ Cafe Moskau(Puma) in Berlin on 7/9/6

First we went to see the world cup final at the fan mile in berlin, with about a million people, give or take a hundred thousand or so. it was a let down compared to the third place game, featuring GERMANY crushing Portugal in dramatic fashion, which was a blast.

So then we went to see Basement Jaxx at Cafe Moskau. It was sponsored by multi national (italian based) corporation Puma, which provided a full slate of free shows. I surmise from the photos in the near by U Bahn that Cafe Moskau was a glitzy spot for the communist elite, so if you can just get that swanky, cool vibe: russian gangster, eastern european communism, and, of course, basement jaxx, who cat dirt last saw at Coachella 2005- where they were GREAT!



Things you need to know about the scene: a lot of germans on e. italy won the world cup, and puma is an italian firm, so all of the corporate vips are also on e. And Basement Jaxx was AWESOME! They played to a packed house for over two hours.



The club itself was super cool, as this below photo shows. Also, check out the celining in the above pictures. I mean, the place was designed the east berlin political elite circa the 50's? 60's? 70's? It's underground- a secret labyrinthe of decadence whose existence was kept from the people of east germany. This is all surmise- they had some killer photos of the way it "used to be" at the place- including photos of cafe moskau back in the (communist) day.



I just think the design of the bar is super cool. We were hanging out in the back corner with a couple of canadians, who shall remain nameless, but were pretty cool. they seemed happy just to see people who spoke english. anyway, the guy works in the world of music, which was interesting- he had worked with ministry of sound in london and nettwerk records, in canada. has other business interests, etc. Only in Berlin! On the night of the world cup! at Basement Jaxx!

So that's one part of the trip.

Other trip highlights:
Poupee de Son Show Review(Paris, France) July 2006
Panorama Bar(Berlin, Germany) July 2006

July 12th @ sdsc: the sess, delta spirit, que c'est, $5

Cat dirt is still kicking it here in Berlin. Last night we checked out the world cup final with about one million people, and then caught bassment jaxx at club moskau in east berlin. More on that later.

Check out the show on Wednesday 7/12 @ sdsc

The sess
The delta spirit
Que c'est ce qu'est

21+/$5
Doors 9/show 10

Next Tuesday 7/18 @ sdsc

Fifty on their heels
Grand ole party mc flow

Same price, start time

Chicken! @ moose lodge
Fifty on their heels
The glossines
And special guest

7/29

Chicken! In august(8/19)
Uv tigers
Que c'est ce qu'est
@ moose lodge


Are you ready for this? San diego represent!