PG 2007 Mix CDs are ready!
Wait, you say. Aren't we almost a third into the new year? Please excuse the lateness and send me on your address if you were one of the contributors. 3 full CDs are coming your way.

email: meredith@pudgy-girl.com

Labels: freebies, music

Last year's giveaway was a lot of fun. Those that joined in are still enjoying their 2006 mix (3 CDs total!). This year the guidelines are the same: I start the list off with my favorite songs from 2007. You send me your lists of favorite songs from 2007 by posting in the comments section of this post. Then I compile all the lists, take some editorial license, track down the songs and burn some mix CDs. Email me your address and I'll send you the mix until all supplies run out.

Worried about the nitty-gritty? All songs must be off albums released in 2007.
Check iTunes if you're unsure of the date. It's not at challenging as it sounds. To be eligible for a mix CD you just have to submit a list with at least one (1) great song. I know some of you have been keeping these lists handy since last year so let's get it started!


Pudgy Girl's Best Songs of 2007 (since I'm anal - these are in order of release.)

1. "Satan Said Dance" Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - From the album Some Loud Thunder. It's just one of those albums you listen to all the way the through even when you weren't planning on it.

2. "Phantom Limb" The Shins - Every once in a while a band comes along that makes everyone who sings along to their songs copy the lead singer's style. I dare you not to pick up on it when you sing along to the Wincing The Night Away album where this track comes from.

3. "Young Folks" Peter Bjorn and John - This whistling tune is more reason to thank Scandinavia for importing cute culture to the States besides IKEA.

4. "Keep The Car Running" Arcade Fire - The influence of Bruce Springsteen is strong on this album. If you were lucky enough to see the Fire play this song with The Boss then you might possibly be part of the most fortunate people on earth. Us mere mortals can enjoy the extraordinary indie orchestra that is Arcade Fire in the comfort of our homes.

5. "Grace Kelly" Mika - Oh this is super gay. I need to wear a lot of purple and spandex just to keep up with all its Freddie Mercury stylings. So much fun.

6. "Everything I Cannot See" Charlotte Gainsbourg - She's French art royalty. She delighted audiences in The Science of Sleep and I'm Not There. Her fashion will go down as legendary. Did I mention she's French? Miss Gainsbourg's second album is a delicate acquired taste. I like this track especially when I'm in an obsessive, stay in bed all day mood.

7. "My Moon My Man" Feist - This little Canadian lady keeps gaining a bigger and bigger following and she is so deserving. The "1234" video featured in those iPod commercials is pretty nifty but the video for "My Moon My Man", the first single off her '07 hit album The Reminder, had me hooked and wanting to step in time just like her. Watch all of Feist's clever videos here.

8. "Home" Great Northern - This track started getting airtime on local L.A. stations early before the full album release. Everytime it came on I wished I could run to the radio station and beg them to play it again.

9. "Mistaken for Strangers" The National - '07 was the year that brought back Joy Division with the film Control and continued to promote all things neo-folk-pop. I like The National probably because they sound a little like Joy Division. Anytime a deep-voiced pretty boy sings sweet lyrics I get weak. I can't help it.

10. "Falling Slowly" Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova - From the film Once. There is not a more a romantic song from this year. I dare you cynics not to get a little mushy.

11. "Tenderoni" Chromeo - More tongue-in cheek than truly legit, this electronica duo is like the post-modern Hall & Oats. Only into their first album, these boys promise much more booty shaking in the future.

12. "Conquest" The White Stripes - Jack Black is truly a rock historian. The entire Icky Thump album from this year is deceptively simple but stands out as a primer to rock and roll basics. Covering this Patti Page tune could not be more fun. Jack's voice is a little girly, a little gravely, and the beat is infectious. You can't go wring. I equate listening to the White Stripes as joyous as reaching a high score on Guitar Hero.

13. "Umbrella" Rihanna - This was practically the pop anthem of the summer. So catchy. So many covers. But the OG still stands up as one poppy delight.

14. "D.A.N.C.E." Justice - Little kids voices? Disco break-beats? What else could be the definitive party song of 2007?

15. "Earth Intruders" Bjork - Leave it to our petite Icelandic art princess to take on global warming with one very inspiring call to battle.

16. "Stop Me" Mark Ronson feat. Daniel Merriweather - Ronson produced 2006's darlings Lily Allen and Amy Winehouse and he made a great album of his own this year. Full of brass horns and upbeat tempos, Merriweather does a take on the medley covering both The Cure and The Supremes. The album's other brilliant cover is a completely instrumental version of "God Put A Smile On Your Face" by Coldplay.

17. "Pioneer To The Falls" Interpol - These indie-rockers are at their best when they embrace the showmanship of an epic song. "Pioneer.." takes the listener on a melodic journey proving that indie-rock is strong and staying at the top of the charts for good reason.

18. "Back In Your Head" Tegan and Sara - These sisters' repetitive ditties never fail to delight me. Both innocent and conniving at the same time, "Back in Your Head" is the type of song you listen to after a crush has gone sour.

19. "Paper Planes" MIA - In wartime it is refreshing to hear a strong woman's take on violence and greed. The schoolyard sounds mixed with gunfire puts MIA right up there with the more money more problems crew like vintage Jay-Z and Nas.

20. "Is There a Ghost" Band of Horses - The band's howling, folky shoe-gazer signature sound is strong on their opening track. I'll listen to this song ten times in a row and still want to hear it again.


So that's just 20 songs to get us started. What are your favorites?

Labels: freebies, music

Patti Smith plays a free show this Thursday on the Santa Monica Pier. Weird, right? I thought Santa Monica's Twilight Dance Series were for the washed-up bands found in yuppie record collections (no offense Arrested Development - who played last week). Indeed the original punk goddess/poet will be there in all her androgynous skinny glory. As far as lanky, scraggly punk heroes go I would argue Smith blows Joey Ramone out of the water. So pack up early for the Westside and let's start the debate this Thursday evening. If nothing else you'll get a pretty sunset and maybe a chance to grab a smooch on the Ferris wheel.


An Evening with Patti Smith
Thursday, Aug. 16 7:30pm
Colorado Ave. & Ocean Walk
Santa Monica, 90405
parking info

Labels: events, freebies, music

This all ages event rages from 6:00pm to 6:00am. The FREE all night happening features ambient music galore, video projections, and a slew of DJs. Bring chairs, blankets and pillows to lie out on the cement and experience all the magic.

If you're not in a festival state of mind drop by to find out what Farm Lab is all about. They're probably one of the most important cultural groups in the City of LA. Since the shutdown of the downtown Corn Fields, they've continued exploring sustainable eco living in an urban environment. Farm Lab's latest community outreach projects include making garden boxes, they call them Ag Bins, for Skid Row so the homeless population can grow their own food and even beautify their street corners. Farm Lab Under Spring provides an art space in hope of community building and cultural change. Located under a bridge on the LA River, every person who visits the site grasps what a truly diverse environment LA is and the worth of what it means to protect it.




Here's the list of the performers for Saturday night/ Sunday morning:

DUBLAB DJS & FRIENDS

Hoseh (Headspace, KXLU)
Morpho
Frosty
Ale
MatthewDavid
Part Time Punks DJ Michael Stock
J.Mendez (Cytrax/Sandwell District)
Farzad Moghaddam (WRAS, Atlanta)
Farbod Kokabi (WRAS, Atlanta)

LIVE SETS UNDER THE STARS

Dntel
Languis
Tropic of Cancer
smgsap

LIVE NATURE SOUND DUETS CURATED BY CARLOS NINO

Mia Doi Todd and Andres Renteria
Adam Rudolph and Ralph "Buzzy" Jones
Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and Peter Jacobson
Adventure time (Daedelus & frosty)
Carlos Nino & Gaby Hernandez

PROJECTIONS PROVIDED BY

Carolina Chaves and Ben Loiz
the Labrat Matinee
the Masses


Saturday, Aug. 4 6:00pm - 6:00am
Tonalism
Farm Lab Under Spring
1745 N. Spring St.
Los Angeles, 90012

Labels: environmental, events, freebies, music

The hipsters know no bounds to the lengths they will go to prove the LA art and music scene is the place to be. This Thursday kicks off the Indie 103.1 sponsored free summer concerts at the Hammer Museum. More than just a place to schmooze up the cuties and the caterers these events bring out the spirit of a city in the summer - warm nights, free concerts, and courtyard canoodling. This year's lineup each Thursday night features some of LA's favorites and rising indie stars. Inaugurating the night is one of my new faves Great Northern. The boy-girl-boy-girl band evokes the moody melodious rock that's so popular today standing apart with sophisticated lyrics and indie bread simplicity. I play their single "Home" all day long. The breathy vocals, gentle orchestration and rocky drums that chime in at all the right parts equal one great summer anthem. Great Northern shares the bill with Foreign Born, another LA rock band who's gaining quite the UK following. On the walls of the Hammer is Eden's Edge, an exhibit of 15 LA artists' work from the past decade. The work can all be categorized as highly personal, mixed media fantasies.

Thursday, Jul. 8th 8:00-11:00pm
Also I Like to Rock at The Hammer with Foreign Born and Great Northern
Hammer Museum
10899 Wilshire Blvd.
Westwood, 90024
310.443.7000
FREE

Museum Parking $3 after 6:30pm on Thursdays.


Upcoming lineups:

Jul. 12th
The Pity Party & The Little Ones

Jul. 19th
Castledoor & Fields

Jul. 26th
Sea Wolf & Midnight Movies

Labels: art, events, freebies, music

In the book tour tradition, a very special lady graces cities across the country telling anecdotes and promoting the acheivement of her new book. Miranda July is indeed one special lady. Long before she was grabbing up indie film awards for Me And You And Everyone We Know she was holding unique lectures as part of her personal credo project to create art everywhere all the time. She pretty much does everything that requires any creativity and does it with open arms for the world to share. Her stop at the Hammer this evening to share her collection of short stories should be sweet and special. If you can't make it early for a good seat just peruse her new website for the book No one belongs here more than you. You'll get a taste of her wacky exuberance and like me you'll begin to wonder, why haven't I used my refrigerator for a white board before?

Tuesday, May 15 7:00pm
Miranda July reading
Hammer Museum
10899 Wilshire Blvd.
Westwood, 90024
310.443.7000
Free

Labels: art, books, events, freebies

Sunday evening Night Hawks alum Pedra Furmall shows her colorful figurative and plant studies along with photographer Yoshihiro Makino and painter Eszter Csaki in a mellow coffee house. Pedra and I cased the joint a couple weeks ago. I can finally say I've had a decent cup of espresso on the East Side. Atwater Village's Kaldi Coffee roasts all their own organic beans on the premises. The quiet easy-going vibe makes me think the laptop workers could actually get some work done in here too. With a couple small shops to the side and an authentic Cuban cafe a couple doors down, the old strip of Glendale Blvd. is finally living up to its Boho potential.

A reception with wine cheese and DJs will be held in Kaldi's courtyard. The art will adorn the walls until May 27th.

Sunday, May 6 6:00-10:00pm
GREEN art opening and reception
Kaldi Coffee
3147 Glendale Blvd.
Atwater Village, 90039

Labels: art, events, food, freebies

I was going to spend the weekend pouting that I didn't get Coachella tix and watching the recently released Twin Peaks Vol. 2 DVD but then my Friday took a turn for the more social with these three happening events.

Enlightened Development + Crosswired - A & D Museum
6:00-10:00pm
Not even my architect buddies knew there was an Architecture & Design Museum in LA. But there is, a small gallery with a lovely courtyard space near Wilshire's museum row. Friday nights until May 21 DJ's take over the courtyard for vodka fueled mingling over new architecture models. Even if pre-fab is not in your vocab, free drinks and techno beats is not a bad way to kick-start your weekend. Like any gallery reception, show up on time. Shop promptly closes up @ 10pm.

A&D Museum
5900 Wilshire
Miracle Mile, 90036
323.932.9393


Not For Tourists Party - Footsie's Bar
6:00-9:00pm
Another FREE party with beer - print out the invite for a complimentary PBR. This time the folks at NFT (Not For Tourists) City Guides opens up Footsie's Bar in Highland Park to celebrate their new 2007 Los Angeles edition. I'm a big fan of their pocket city guides. The New York City guide really saved my bootie when I was in desperate need of the closest subway or latte in Manhattan. Their neighborhood maps of LA's burroughs make attractive and informative office decor too. Giveaways at the door while supplies last.

Footsie's
2640 N. Figueroa
Highland Park, 90065
323.221.6900


Dirty Found - Steve Allen Theater
8:00 & 10:00pm
The adorable Davy, Jason and the gang of FOUND Magazine reach new heights off the grounds of decency and privacy with a very special DIRTY FOUND Outreach Show. Pulled from the pages of the 'zine, which collects found objects of the risque nature (homemade cartoon porn and pervy Polaroids never meant to see the light of day) the multimedia show will feature slide shows, readings, songs and more. Tickets are still available for $12 at the box office or add on $3 for an online ordering charge.

Steve Allen Theater
4773 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Feliz, 90027
323.666.4268

Labels: art, bars, books, design, events, freebies

Did you know every year Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream has a free cone day? They do and it's today. Let the taxes filing go down easier with Cookie Dough or Cherry Garcia on the house. Today only at any Ben & Jerry's ice cream parlors. Click here to find one near you.

Labels: food, freebies

Thanks to technofile blog Gizmodo for pointing out a Dealzmodo (their word, not mine. I swear.)

When you buy 3 $15 iTunes gift cards at any Best Buy, you get a fourth one for free. So that's $60 worth of music and videos for $45. And yes, after sales tax the numbers dwindle a lil more, but not too shabby - especially if you have purchase-itis and need to own every second of Lost on your iPod.

Not sure how long the deal lasts (those tricky Best Buyers) but you can skip the ordeal of stepping foot into the big box store and order your cards online. Just in time to pass on the love this Passover & Easter.

Labels: freebies, shopping

Three great things about Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (Monday, Jan. 15):

1. Honoring the man and trailblazers for freedom

2. LA DWP will be off for the day so that means a break from the traffic due to construction on Toland Way. Be extra thankful when they start re-piping underneath Glendale Blvd. next week.

3. Play hookie and go get cultured.

LACMA museum Admission after 5pm on weekdays is free. Gallery stays open 'til 8:00 so there's time to take in the latest Magritte show. Don't neglect the costume gallery either in the permanent collection.

Labels: art, freebies