Supercute heads up that the exhibit, Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty at Los Angeles’ Japanese American National Museum, which was originally ending after last Sunday, has been extended through the end of May.

The exhibit is, yes, supercute, but also really interesting in often bizarre ways, especially once you leave the first floor to view the Hello Kitty-inspired modern art. We’d recommend it, especially if you’re entertaining 3-year-olds, as we were. Or not. As you can see, they’ve got something for everyone.

To the many friends and clients who’ve sent on this BBC story on to us here at raven + crow studio, our thanks.

For those who missed it, it’s worth a read. The gist—a little girl in Seattle makes a routine of feeding her neighborhood crows; they reciprocate by bringing her gifts in the form of shiny objects and other odd trinkets, including one half of a ‘BEST FRIENDS’ necklace:
“‘I don’t know if they still have the part that says ‘friend’,’ Gabi laughs, amused by the thought of a crow wearing a matching necklace.”

Photo by Lisa Mann.

Following in the tradition we started last year and inspired by our friend Agatha’s Oscar party, Katie threw another fete inspired by the films, actors, actresses, writers, and directors being honored by the Academy last night. Though the show itself was a bit of a snooze, the themed costumes and food were far from it, so we all enjoyed ourselves.

Some pictures from last night’s offerings. Not pictured—Theory of Everything Pretzel Chips. They were mathematically determined to be eaten far too quickly to have their photo taken.

Cards by Katie.

Photos + menu from last year’s party are up on the journal too.

Let’s take this sign—found while walking around the StubHub Center in Carson, CA during halftime at the USA vs Panama friendly inter nation soccer match a few weeks back—as a lesson in design + perceived meaning to your audience.

Is it telling you, as a stadium attendee, “Hey, there’s a public water foundation over here if you’re thirsty, friend”? Or is it saying, maybe depending on exactly how many $15 beers you’ve had, “Hey, buddy, come throw up in this trashcan; it’s totally cool, man”?

I’m afraid the latter perception may have started to prevail the nearer the end of the game we got.

USA!

A few weeks back, we got an oddly minimal email from electronic duo The Blow that started with:

TWO WAYS TO SPREAD THE ELECTRIC WOMEN:

1. ON THE INTERNET
WE MADE A WEBSITE IT’S CALLED WOMANPRODUCER.COM
www.womanproducer.com OR @womanproducer

The second way was just to go see the old school electro pop band live, but the site caught my eye as intriguing.

Essentially, it seems to serve as an homage to women in music production and the more arcane, complicated world of early electronic music, when you needed something akin to the code-breaking computer in The Imitation Game to play a single note.

The Blow’s site is equally minimalist as it is deep, focusing on a specific artist for each post and then featuring a series of usually awesome photos of them in their studios, followed by a long list of Web links for continued self-education on the genre and artist.

Below, a few of our favorite images. See the rest at WomanProducer.com.

File Under: This Looks Awesome.

Salad Days: A Decade of Punk in Washington, DC (1980-90) is a documentary film that examines the early DIY punk scene in the Nation’s Capital, a scene that can easily be called one of the most influential in recent times. Like the related riot grrrl scene, it highlighted to so many of us that music and politics and social change can and should all influence each other and gave voice to a generation who wanted to change the world.

As the film-makers put it:
“This was a particularly important time in the evolution of punk and independent music, with DC based bands like Minor Threat, Bad Brains, Black Market Baby, the Faith, the Slickee Boys, Void, Government Issue, Marginal Man, Dag Nasty, 9353, Gray Matter, Beefeater, Scream, Rites of Spring, Fugazi, Shudder to Think, Nation of Ulysses, Jawbox and others defining the DC aesthetic. Local record labels like Dischord, Fountain of Youth, Teen Beat, and Simple Machines would become standard-bearers for the DIY revolution.”

Created by Writer/Director, Scott Crawford—old school DC scenester + creator of the fanzine, Metrozine—and Director of Photography, Jim Saah—who basically taught himself photography by documenting the punk scene in DC—the film comes with built in cred. It adds to that with interviews from the very people who created this seminal scene and those it impacted, like Dave Grohl.

We lived in DC ages ago, in the wake of this musical, cultural, socio-political scene, and, even to this day, so many waves of gentrification and change for the better and/or worse later, it still very much feeds into the city and its people in a very unique, beautiful, independent way. So I can’t wait to check the film out.

You can see a trailer for it below; scroll down further for screening dates as they’ve been announced.

Salad Days Official Trailer from Scott Crawford on Vimeo.

Scheduled Salad Day Screenings:
February 14 at Top Hat in Missoula, MT (Big Sky Film Festival)
February 15 at Midtown Cinema in Harrisburg, PA
February 21 at Roxie Theatre in San Francisco, CA (West Coast Premiere)
February 25 at SPACE Gallery in Portland, ME
February 27 at Kiggins Theatre in Vancouver, WA
February 27 at The Regent in Los Angeles, CA
February 27 at Grand Illusion Cinema in Seattle, WA
March 1 at Stage II Cinema in Amesbury, MA
March 2 at Prytania Theatre in New Orleans, LA
March 6 at Circle Cinema in Tulsa, OK
March 6 at UCSD in San Diego, CA
March 8 at Underground Arts in Philadelphia, PA
March 13 at XOXO B Modern Events Venue in Las Vegas, NV
March 15 at Byrd Theater in Richmond, VA
March 19 at Metro Gallery in Baltimore, MD
March 20 at Greenwich Odeum in East Greenwich, RI
March 20 at Ojata Records in Grand Forks, ND
March 22 at Alamo Drafthouse in Houston, TX
March 22 at Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, TX
March 23 at Alamo Drafthouse in Dallas, TX
March 27 at Hollywood Theater in Portland, OR
March 30 at High Noon Saloon in Madison, WI
April 10 at AS220 in Providence, RI
April 16 at The Local 662 in Tampa, FL
April 17 at Gateway Film Center in Columbus, OH
April 17 at Headliners Music Hall in Louisville, KY
April 17 at FilmBar in Phoenix, AZ
April 17 at IFC in New York, NY
April 18 at BSP Kingston in Kingston, NY
April 18 at The Hollywood Theater Dormont in Pittsburgh, PA
April 23 at Bryant Lake Bowl & Theater in Minneapolis, MN
April 24 at The North Door in Austin, TX
April 24 at Studio C in Lansing, MI
April 25 at The Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor, MI

Photo of Guy Picciotto of Fugazi by Jim Sahh.

This quote, from the truly excellent movie Dear White People, so very succinctly explains this basic concept that seems to elude most of us Americans.

Next time someone spouts some bullshit about King Obama or reverse racism, just repeat this calmly and clearly.

And seriously, this movie is awesome. If you haven’t already seen it, please do watch it at your earliest convenience. It is that beautiful, rare mix of entertaining and important.

Let me just say, this is awesome.

Just before the release of their new album (which we wrote up recently), Sleater-Kinney was interviewed by one of our new favorite comedy duos, Abbi Jacobson + Ilana Glazer of Comedy Central’s Broad City.

The panel discussion took place in New York City’s Ace Hotel in front of an intimate crowd of 150 or so lucky souls and clocks in at just over an hour, all of which is worth watching.

Oh, to have been in that room. But we’re all runners up thanks to NPR, who shared the videotaped Q+A with Carrie Brownstein, Corin Tucker, and Janet Weiss last week, embedded below.

As NPR put it: “The mutual respect onstage was unmistakable: When Glazer and Jacobson insisted that Broad City wouldn’t exist without Sleater-Kinney, Tucker replied, ‘When we watch your show, I want to write a song.'”

We’re trying out a little bit of Web synergy today, so after you watch this interview, head over to Forgotten Favorite, the music journal we started with Pel, to read our retrospective on Sleater-Kinney and hear their relatively ancient cover of Boston’s classic “More Than A Feeling”.

Shortly after opening MooShoes Los Angeles last fall, Katie and I were enjoying one of our favorite Sunday activities—walking down to the Hollywood Farmers Market—when we stumbled upon a friendly looking fellow just off the beaten path selling hand-made vegan tacos. Turns out this fellow was named Mick Weldon and he happens to both make some stellar vegan tacos and seemingly be one of the nicest guys in the world. Tomorrow, he’ll be heading down to MooShoes (3116 Sunset in Silver Lake) to sell tacos and brighten up everyone’s day, so we thought we’d take this opportunity to find out a little more about him and his bike-cart-based taco company, 100 Tacos.

And, since I know it’s likely everyone’s question right off the bat—amazing photo above by Maria Foto. Everyone needs one of these portraits. Everyone.

raven + crow: Alright, obviously the first question has got to be—why are you so nice, man? Are you from the mid-west or something?

Mick Weldon: Aw shucks…I’m from Texas!

Southern kindness then. I’ll buy it. Alright, second question—what made you want to start up a taco cart? Are you particularly into tacos or is it more a matter of promoting veganism…or something else entirely?

100 Tacos began not by design, but rather out of necessity…and partially as a joke. I started carrying pre-made tacos to cycling races around Los Angeles to feed my friends and other racers (okay, and myself). Those things go on for hours, and rarely is there anything worth a damn to eat, much less something vegan or vegetarian. People were receptive to the idea, and about two years later I took it to whole new worlds (don’t you dare close your eyes).

Nice. I love an organic start-up story. For the unlucky souls who have yet to try your tacos, break ’em down for us, ideally in the style of a 80’s rap song.

Lay on the warm sand and listen to PM Dawn’s “Set Adrift on Memory Bliss”…it’ll all make sense.

The soy chorizo totally tastes exactly like that song. So what’s the inspiration behind the fresh, made-to-order tortillas?

It was love at first bite. I use non-GMO Masa Harina flour; the truth is in the tortilla. And doing it all by hand blurs the lines between food preparation and performance art or interpretive dance.

You should totally have interpretative dancers behind you while you prepare the tacos. Why a bike-drawn cart though? Was that just a by-product of the races or getting to know the guys over at Bicycle Coffee?

I owe it all to them. No company just “manufactures” a cart like this. I’ve been friends with Bicycle Coffee since they were roasting beans in a wok in their Inner Sunset apartment’s kitchen. Matthew McKee began designing and welding these magical carts off of which they now serve cold-brewed coffee out of a tap, as well as hot pour-over. I told them I quit my job and was ready to take 100 Tacos to the next level. After a short drive and a few days in Oakland, the first BC cart for food was completed.

Wait, what job did you quit for 100?

Working at a vegan bakery. 

Ah. I picture you whiling your days away in an Office Space style cubical. Does that get really rough some days though, maybe in the middle of the summer when you’re trucking that thing up a pretty serious hill?

I just count my lucky stars I’m not melting my life away in someone else’s kitchen, or in the office of a stuffy corporation.

High five to that. Now, not to put un-needed pressure on you, but any plans to expand the menu at all in the future?

Most definitely, as long as it is within my means. Evolving as needed is natural growth. Creating new options with what’s locally available and in season is how we should be eating anyway.

Nice. Excited to see what comes then. And where does the name come from—100 Tacos? Why 100?

“I sure could go for 100 tacos right about now.” – Bart Simpson

100 tacos is an achievable goal for an afternoon. When I’m all sold out, I move on to the next thing I want to do with my day.

AHHHHHHHH! A Simpson’s reference. I’m disappointed in myself for not catching that in the first place. Are you looking at this as a start to a brick-and-mortar kinda operation or are you more keen to keep it as is?

The beauty of not being tied to a set location and schedule affords me the time and energy to travel and pursue my other interests.

Like holding cats in a portrait-esque manner. And you’re a fairly recent transplant to Los Angeles, right?

Going on five years now. I hopped on a one way flight from Dallas, with a bag of essentials and my bicycle.

Why LA?

It’s nothing like TV tells us. And if people are complaining about traffic, lack of nature, Hollywood, etc…they are doing it wrong. The mountains and the ocean are just a bike ride away.

Our favorite thing about this town. Though don’t tell everyone. We don’t want to over-saturate this place with stuffy ex-New Yorkers like ourselves. So what do you think of the food scene here?

It’s pretty incredible. Anything vegan you could ever want is here. Honorable mentions: Vin Loi, Shojin, Donut Friend, Mohawk Bend, PFFP, Pure Luck, Organix, and Araya.

Aw, man, I have yet to check out Vin Loi. Gotta get on that. Did I see somewhere that you were in a band at one point with Austin from Parquet Courts?

Yes! We are Secret Path. Austin Brown, Donovan Jones (This Will Destroy You) and I create dark mystic space jams for bumping in aircraft jalopies on interplanetary voyages.

Have you been doing music at all since your move?

Each album takes one decade to complete, so we are halfway to the next installment!

We look forward to Secret Path 2020! Favorite thing about Los Angeles?

“Tip the world over on its side and everything loose will land in Los Angeles.” – Frank Lloyd Wright

That guy. He knew what was up. Best place—besides your cart—you’ve ever had Mexican food?

Bouldin Creek and Mr. Natural in Austin are classics. But I’m still lookin’.

And where can people find you, regularly or semi-regularly?

Currently, next to the Hollywood Farmers Market at Space 1520 (Sundays from 9am-1pm), but I am available to cater events, and I would love to serve tacos at your central Los Angeles Bat Mitzvah, Quinceañera, Grandmother’s 80th, or spooky roller disco party. –> soymick@gmail.com <–

Best farmers market in LA, man! Finally, spirit animal?

Falcor; flying on a non-GMO corn tortilla carpet.

Obviously.

Tomorrow—Saturday—you can find Mick slinging tacos in front of MooShoes Los Angeles at 3116 Sunset in Silver Lake starting at 11AM or so. Come by, eat some tacos, peruse some vegan shoes, and say hey. 

This just in—David Byrne’s new project is a color guard. No joke.

As the artist informed his fans this morning, some years back, a color guard team approached the artist about using some music he’d written for theatre piece in their routine.

His response—“Fine, no charge… you are a high school team after all,” asking that the team send through some sort of documenting of the finished product down the line. When they did, he “watched, and was amazed and delighted to find myself in a new world that I didn’t know existed.”

He continues:

“Over recent decades, the teams have evolved into something strange and wonderful; they’ve created a vibrant, innovative and original vernacular artform that is wildly popular across the whole North American continent, but is all but unknown in many of the big urban centers—like New York, where I live. Contemporary Color aims to remedy that situation.”

You can read his full announcement for more, but, the take away for you—David Byrne’s doing color guard-based performance accompanied by him and the likes of Nelly Furtado, Kelis, St Vincent, How To Dress Well, Devonté Hynes, Nico Mulhy and Ira Glass, tUnE-yArDs, and who knows what other awesome artists.

The only performances announced so far are June 22 + 23 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto and at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on June 27 +28. Click the link to the original message from Byrne above for pre-sale codes.

Tickets for the Brooklyn show went on sale today and were still available at the time of writing.

And get ready for what I can only assume will be a rising trend of color guard-based popular entertainment.

Can’t wait for their version of Pitch Perfect.