Thursday, January 31, 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Still one of those days...
Today was the first day since my lab moved to San Francisco without me that I really felt like I was in over my head. Up until now, it's been okay. Hell, it's actually been better for me - the guy I'm working with now knows a hell of a lot more about biochemistry than my old boss did, and he's easy to talk to and ask for help - which is something I'm not great at doing. He's been absolutely great at getting me settled in, as has everyone else in that lab.
But it's still an absolutely new environment. I still don't know where simple stuff is. I hate having to bother people to ask where something is when it turns out it's right under my nose. I hate asking people to show me how to use something that I'm 99% sure I know how to use, but don't want to risk breaking.
I feel like I'm a first year graduate student all over again, who doesn't know shit. I've broken tubes in the centrifuge. I've wasted time on the confocal microscope by having to hunt around for someone who knew the password to the computer. I wasted a few hours autoclaving LB agar and pouring plates before finding out that the lab has a common stock of plates. I even had to have someone show me how to use the (ancient) autoclave.
Basically, what it boils down to is that I still don't feel at home. And today, that was compounded by me doing something really stupid - I forgot to loosen the caps on my bacterial cultures when I put them in the incubator last night. Bacteria (at least E. coli) need oxygen to grow. I starved them of oxygen, so they didn't grow so well. So when I tried to expand the culture this morning, in order to induce them to express some antibodies that I need to purify, it took hours longer than I had planned on it taking. I basically lost a whole day. Because of a fucking rookie mistake.
I wish I had the kind of job where this shit didn't affect my daily mood. But it does. I don't know a single grad student in science who doesn't get down in the mouth when their experiments aren't working. I also don't know anyone that doesn't get super excited when they finally get decent results. It's a roller coaster, and you're never really able to get off of it. Not until you get the Ph.D. and find some normal, 9-5 industry or consulting job. Even when I sleep I have dreams about doing science. It's fucked up.
Time to queue up a movie and a big bowl of ice cream. And then start the fun all over again tomorrow. Sigh.
366 Days, 366 Photos: 1/30/2008
Scripps Pier HDR merge, shot by Natalie Kardos
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One of those days...
Work just isn't...working today. My bacteria are taking forever to grow, in part because I did something stupid last night, but I can't do anything until they reach a certain point.
I happened to drive in today, so fuck it, I'm going to La Jolla Shores for an hour or so. I need to get out of this funk.
Yes, I realize that I'm lucky to be able to do this. I also realize it's one of the few perks I get in grad school, and it only slightly makes up for the fact that I was on campus at 7:45 this morning and probably won't be leaving until 7PM tonight. Sigh.
A Review of Sorts: U-31, 1/26/2008
Saturday night was a bust, as far as I'm concerned. We were planning on eating at Urban Solace, but were told they didn't take reservations and to call back at 7PM to get on the list. When we followed those instructions, we were told that there was already a 2 hour wait.
So we headed to Turf Club, where we knew there would be a wait, but since we were with a friend of one of the owners, we thought maybe some strings could be pulled. Alas, it didn't work out that way and we ended up across the street at Pizzeria Luigis, which was just kind of "meh."
After a stop at a friend's house and then at the Pink Elephant, we walked over to U-31. There was a $5 cover, which in retrospect, I really regret that I paid. The point of going there was to see Buddy Akai, but I didn't even last that long in the new bar.
As far as alcohol is concerned, my first drink (Captain and Coke) was $6 and pretty weak. And half the size of the mixed drinks you can get at the Pink Elephant for $1 less. The second drink was stronger, so maybe it was just bad luck on the first one. I realize that some people go downtown to the Gaslamp and pay $6 for a beer, but there's a reason I don't go to the Gaslamp (actually there are many, but that's one of them). The bar is in North Park, so I reserve my right to bitch about the drink prices. Oh, and for the record, in undergrad at Penn State, I routinely paid $5.50 during happy hour (half price on everything in the bar) for a pitcher of Bacardi and Coke.
I do like what they did with the space in the bar. I was in Buster Daly's once, and it just felt super crowded. From what I remember, they had the bar in the middle of the room, and one side consisted of a dance floor while the other side had tables and chairs. It felt like you couldn't really move around at all. So in that respect, I like that they opened up all that space in U-31. It's almost too much space, even with the bar protruding out a little further than necessary.
The DJs were still really loud. At Beauty Bar, I felt like it was really loud because you were dancing in such a small space (technically it was the hallway between the bar and the stage, with the bathrooms on one side). Interestingly enough, I felt that the music was really loud in U-31 because there was too much space. Like the DJs were afraid that people in the back might not be able to hear the music.
However, I would have taken the DJ's loud music any day over what happened next. The band that opened for Buddy Akai was an atrocity called Hyper Crush. They brought their own blacklights for the stage - all the better to see their neon Hammer pants and plastic sunglasses with. They also brought a keytar, which appeared to not be plugged into anything, and I highly doubted that the guy pushing buttons on it was actually "playing" anything. But as for the girl who was with them, there was no doubt - she was lip-syncing, and doing a poor job of it at that. The other MC did appear to be rapping, but most of that was just catchphrases from early 90's hip-hop songs. "Doin' it and doin' it and doin' it well," - I wish.
The banner over the stage proclaimed that they were established in 1952 - the same year that my mom was born. If they were going for some sort of irony with their act, it was completely lost on me. There comes a point when irony stops being funny and starts looking pathetic, and Hyper Crush reached it a long time ago. Maybe in 1952, even.
Here's the link to their Myspace site, just in case you're curious. But be forewarned, it may crash your browser and/or induce epilepsy.
The crowd was mostly Beauty Bar-types, with a few holdovers of the Buster Daly's sort. Unless there's a band playing at U-31 that I really want to see, I'll probably stick to the more low-key Pink Elephant or the super close-to-home Whistlestop.
Daily Photo: 01/20/2008
Sunset, shot by Natalie Kardos
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Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Contest Reminder: Nanking
Last reminder, folks - get your contest entries in to me at natkardos AT gmail DOT com. As of now, if you enter, you have a very good chance of winning. I'm just saying.
For all you faithful readers out there, I've got three pairs of passes to give away to the movie Nanking, which is playing at the Landmark Ken February 4-7. I know that's a little ways in the future, but the passes will be good for any of those days, so no need to be cautious on that account.
Nanking is a documentary about the Japanese invasion of Nanking, China, during WWII. It features interviews with Chinese survivors, archival footage, and testimonies of Japanese soldiers interspersed with readings of Westerners' letters and diaries by the likes of Woody Harrelson, Mariel Hemingway, Jurgen Prochnow, and Stephen Dorff, among others. You can view the trailer here.
If you're still not convinced, the film recently won the Sundance Documentary Editing award, and inspired a few new Lou Reed tunes. You can check them out on his myspace site (yes, Lou Reed has a myspace site - who'd have thought?).
I'm definitely planning on checking out the film, and if you want to as well (c'mon, it's FREE), send me an email at natkardos AT gmail DOT com, with "Nanking contest" in the subject line. The contest will remain open until January 29th, at which point I'll pick three lucky winners at random. Good luck!
Show Review: Hotel St George, Desert Diamonds, The Tighten Ups, Team Abraham @ Casbah, 1/27/2008
Photos: Hotel St George, Desert Diamonds, The Tighten Ups, Team Abraham
I wasn't willing to head to the Casbah three nights in a row this weekend, so I skipped out on Gram Rabbit's CD release party, because there was no way I was going to miss this lineup on Sunday night. Several of the bands contained friends of mine, and as always, Tim Pyles makes sure that it's a good time for everyone. Free food and free music - what more could a girl ask for (other than free booze, I guess)?
I made sure to get there early to snag some of the tasty, even if slightly cold, Mexican food, and also to ensure that I didn't miss out on Team Abraham. I've seen Abraham at about 90% of the shows I've gone to in the last few months, so of course we've exchanged a few words, all of them kind.
However, I never had any idea that he had his own band. I honestly had no clue what type of music they were going to bring, but I definitely didn't have to worry about the quality. It turns out that they played a sort of bluesy, rootsy alt-country, complete with harmonic on several songs - naturally. And naturally, I loved it. I believe it was their first show, so there's some brushing up and tightening up to be done, but for their first show, they really blew me away. And it was only a sign of things to come that night.
The Tighten Ups were on second, which my friend Andy on drums. Even if you don't know Andy, you've probably seen him drumming for some band around town in the past couple of years. The man gets around, and I mean that in the best way possible. He's played with Lady Dottie and the Diamonds, GoGoGo Airheart, Cash'd Out, and who knows who else. And the man has skills. It seems like he's found a new project that runs right alongside his obvious interest in blues and soul music, and with it, he's found a great lead singer and stage presence in Laura Jane.
Maybe "found" isn't the right word though - Laura Jane is plenty well-known around these parts. I only just recently met her, but she was a familiar sight at the old Vinyl Radio shows and many other local shows. She's got an amazing set of pipes, and an amazing personality that practically jumps across the stage and grabs you.
Add to this a few horns (trumpet and sax), a skilled guitarist, and a bassist who almost succeeds in stealing the show, and you've got a recipe for a good old-fashioned toe-tapping, ass-shaking time. Nevermind that they play covers. When you play 'em this well, who needs originals? They crowded the dance floor and got the kiddies dancing right quick.
As hard as the Tighten Ups are to follow, the Desert Diamonds did a great job of it. Their sound was a little more rock and roll than soul, but it was still highly danceable. I had never heard of them before, but they're definitely on my list of bands to check out again and to recommend to friends.
The closer of the night was Hotel St George, which is fronted by former Vinyl Radio lead man Matt Binder. If you ever had the pleasure of seeing his former band, you already know how dynamic a frontman he is - which is quite a contrast to his "normal," offstage self. He strutted across the stage, belting out lyrics to songs influenced by classic rock.
This band is not just a continuation of Vinyl Radio - it's a step further in the right direction. There is still reason to mourn Vinyl Radio's demise, but out of the ashes two new, great bands have arisen - first The Swedish Models, and now Hotel St George. Shame on me for waiting until their fourth show to check them out.
Show Review: Yeasayer and MGMT @ Casbah, 1/25/2008
Photos: Yeasayer @ Casbah
Impose Magazine article
Unfortunately, I was running a little late on Friday night, so the only bit I heard of Calico Horse was from the wrong side of the Casbah's wall while waiting for my contact from Impose Magazine. A real bummer, because Emily is one of the sweetest people I know in the San Diego music scene, and this was probably the third time I'd tried to catch them live, but to no avail. Rest assured Emily - Feb. 6th I will be at that Casbah show, come hell or high water.
I made it into the venue just as MGMT was starting their set. However, the front room was packed, and I had an exchange to make at the back bar (cash for drinks, a super wide medium-sized hoodie for a slimmer-fitting, much cuter one), so I headed there first. I was hoping to get some photos of MGMT, but the closest I got to them all night was about halfway between the stage and the sound board. They sounded good, and I definitely danced, but I wonder what I would have thought of the show had I been right up front for them. I'm just so used to getting the front-row view of things, that anything else seems like a let-down nowadays. That being said, they were energetic and lively, but I think they might need some tightening up onstage - their record had actually impressed me more than Yeasayer's, but when it came to the live show, it was Yeasayer, hands down.
Granted, I had only heard snippets of Yeasayer's album - snippets that made me hold back from downloading it from eMusic. I had heard that the band was great, but I just wasn't hearing it in the recording. After seeing them live, I think the problem is that the recording is muddy - the vocals aren't as crisp, and the band just doesn't sound as taut as they did Friday night. Of course, I actually elbowed my way to front and center for their set, so that could have made a difference too.
Yeasayer @ Casbah, shot by Natalie Kardos
Yeasayer @ Casbah, shot by Natalie Kardos
Yeasayer @ Casbah, shot by Natalie Kardos
Video: Okkervil River's "A Girl in Port"
"Well I'm a weak and lonely sort
But I'm not sailing just for sport
I've come to feel, out on the sea
These urgent lives press against me
I'm just a guest, I'm not a part
My tender hands and my easy heart
These several years out on the sea
Made me empty, cold, and clear
Pour yourself into me."
Daily Photo: 01/29/2008
Interior of Pizzeria Luigi, shot by Natalie Kardos
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Monday, January 28, 2008
366 Days, 366 Photos: 1/28/2008
San Diego Skyline, shot by Natalie Kardos
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New Mountain Goats Video: Sax Rohmer #1
Daily Photo: 01/28/2008
Drainwater, shot by Natalie Kardos
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366 Days, 366 Photos: 1/27/2008
Self-Portrait, shot by Natalie Kardos
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Daytrotter features Grand Ole Party
In some well-deserved San Diego love, Daytrotter features a session with locals Grand Ole Party. Understandably, they gush over Kristin.
" Not shy, but purposely reserved, Gundred would be fingered as the person least likely to show such blinding and daring fury to go along with this reckless, but verbose abandon that is the engine oil of the San Diego band’s debut, Humanimals."
"Gundred will likely always be linked with that nasty Yeah Yeah Yeahs/Karen O comparison (you’ve likely already seen it in every mention of the band), but she’s more of the dark places that Jim Morrison went to when he got really drunk or really high and she’s actually more of Eric Burdon of The Animals. She finds blackness everywhere she thinks, everywhere she looks."I couldn't have said it better myself.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Video: The Making of a Camera Lens
366 Days, 366 Photos: 1/25/2008
Yeasayer @ Casbah, shot by Natalie Kardos
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Friday, January 25, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
I Need You So Much Closer...
Oh FM94.9. How do you always seem to know exactly the music I want to hear, even without me knowing? Maybe it's just Big Sonic Chill, but you've gotten it perfectly at least twice in the last week:
- Driving home from the Lupe Fiasco show, you played Cat Power's "Lived In Bars." Even after a fantastic show, it was pretty much the highlight of my night, just because sometimes I feel the same way about my life.
- Tonight, after seeing Juno, I got in the car to drive home, only to hear the opening chords of "Transatlanticism." Possibly one of my favorite Death Cab songs - only "Blacking Out The Friction" comes close, and that's more because of a personal connection (I did once assume that making changes to my window's view would give a new perspective). I saw Death Cab open for Ben Kweller in 2004 at the 9:30 club in D.C. I barely knew them and had just obtained a copy of Transatlanticism, and the title song was my definite favorite. I figured there was no way I'd hear them play it live - even though it was off of their new album, it's freaking long and reliant on a lot of tension that could have easily fizzled live. We missed the first half of their set, due to a Dylan concert elsewhere in the city (unplanned). But a mere two songs or so after we showed up to the sold-out venue, they broke it out. And absolutely nailed it, in all its breathless tension and anticipation. The only thing better that night was when Ben Kweller played "In Other Words." Oh yeah, and when Joe snagged Ben's guitar pick as it was flying through the air at the end of the show. Sometimes it helped to be dating the guy that was 6'4".
Daily Photo: 01/24/2008
You can see the wire mesh that forms the top of the table in the raindrop on the left. That's why I like this photo.
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Wednesday, January 23, 2008
366 Days, 366 Photos: 01/23/2008
Looks like I finally found a way to get decent black and white images from digital photos. Hooray!
I've also been using my hot-shoe flash a lot these days. Trying to get more comfortable with it, although I wish it didn't weigh so much.
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Last.fm to Stream Free Music from Major Labels
All Major Labels to Stream Free Music on Last.fm
"The mission is to have every track available," said Last.fm co-founder Martin Stiksel.First three plays are free. This is good. I'm a fan of the try-before-you-buy method. It looks like they're also trying to do something like RCRDLBL - paying the artists based on how much their music is streamed. Oh yeah, and I like this part too:
Any independent artist can submit their music to be part of the site, and will receive undisclosed standard fees with no label deduction -- "more than double the payment artists get from commercial radio in the UK," according to Miller.
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - Buy Early Get Now
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks have decided to go the Buy Early Get Now route with their album Real Emotional Trash. I'm a sucker for these preorder deals, and a sucker for Malkmus' music. Even the Pavement stuff I gravitate towards is the stuff that he wrote. And I think the line, "She said 'Done is good/but done well is so much fucking better.'" from "Freeze the Saints" is one of the most perfectly delivered lines ever. Anyone else with me?
Anyway, Pitchfork's got more details. I just preordered my copy. I'll let you know how it is.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
366 Days, 366 Photos: 01/22/2008
Bathtub drain, shot by Natalie Kardos
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Update: Black and white version also available, as per Adrian's request. I think I like the color one better, although I can't really explain why...
This Week in Shows: 01/21-01/27
As always, full listing over at SD:Dialed In. This week, my tastes seem to be running right in synch with Rosey's. Imagine that.
Monday, 01/21: Oops, a little late on this one. I went to see There Will Be Blood.
Tuesday, 01/22: The Lonely H, The Shaky Hands, Fing, The Rafter Band @ Casbah, $7.
Wednesday, 01/23: Will Hoge, Jason Isbell, Jeremy Fisher @ Casbah, early show 7PM, $12 advance/$14 day of show.
Thursday, 01/24: Citizen Video presents Local Filmmaker Showcase + music by The Sess @ Whistlestop.
Friday, 01/25: Yeasayer,