MUSIC!

Back again to fill your ears with liquid explosion.

First off, check out Ryan “My Thai” Nerone’s blog TheGoldbrick – he was born to do this… and his musical selections are tough to beat.

Now to the meat.

Because we are the shapers of hip, I got my advance copy of Kanye West’s highly anticipated “Graduation” album and it is, as I expected, hot ish… looks like Fitty’s gonna be strictly pushin Vitamin Water from now on. Grab a copy of this album at first chance and check out the new Esperanza anthem “Drunk and Hot Girls.”

This is the video for “Can’t Tell Me Nothin” and as far as I’m concerned, the sexiest rap video I’ve ever seen.

Now on to something a little less obvious.

Elvis Perkins. Below is my favorite songs off one of my favorite albums right now, “Ash Wednesday.” While a very good version, the neat little Neutral Milk Hotel allegory during the crescendo of the song doesn’t come across as clearly as it does on his album. This clip from the Letterman show is also unintentionally hilarious, so check it out. HAHAHAHA we COULD be in the blimp!

How ABOUT that thing? Yes, exactly.

And finally for tonight….

If you don’t know anything about Numero Group, this pretty much sums it up:

“Recent statements you may have heard:

Anything but another record label. Please, we don’t need another one of those clogging up the bins. Accountants with coke habits, lawyers using Pitchfork as a tip sheet, 60 year-old executives awkwardly trying to converse with 17 year-old groupies. Marketing meetings. Junior VP’s.

Enter the Numero Group. Founded by Tom Lunt, Rob Sevier, and Ken Shipley in 2003, the three self-proclaimed “record obsessives” decided to approach the record business backwards. No corporate hierarchy; no company stationary. Just a big pile of music that no one had ever heard of.

The mission was simple: to dig deep into the recesses of our record collections with the goal of finding the dustiest gems begging to be released from their exile on geek street. No longer would $500 singles sit in a temperature-controlled room dying for a chance to be played. No more would the artists, writers, and entrepreneurs who made these records happen go unknown and unappreciated.

Numero releases are sound with substance, living at the nexus of song and story. Scrupulously researched, painstakingly re-mastered, and with an attention to detail that is unmatched in the reissue field, the end result is a top-of-the-line compact disc.

There is no “Numero” sound; instead, Numero offers an aesthetic. A shelf of Numero discs feels less like a “record collection” and more like a library. The library to date is a mix of thrift shop soul, skinny tie pop, Belizean funk, and hillbilly gospel. Numero makes records for people who may have everything from indigenous Central American drumming to Canadian chanteuses stacked next to their CD players.

This is it. Welcome home“

EVERYTHING they put out is essential and I’m currently digging their Eccentric Soul series release “Twinight’s Lunar Rotation” which they describe as “the Tutankhamen of R&B.” Translation: most of this stuff is so rare it was only rumored to exist and for the mere price of $25 for a beautifully packaged double cd, you get it all!

I’ll have more for you kiddies next week.

Grabbin a frosty brew-pup with Danny Barbs and EK at Blind Willies in VaHi. Come Join Us.

Esperanza adds 2 new stores!!!! Blue Genes and KLA

This week Esperanza Clothing added 2 new stores to the many that sell the shit out of our label. We added KLA boutique in Atlantic Station. KLA is owned by some crazy brasiliens and esperanza is already selling out in the store.

Esperanza also adds nationally recognized BLUE GENES boutique in Buckhead. Honestly we have been trying to get into KLA and BLUE GENES for about 1 year now and persistence has paid off. So check out these store and say hi to the lovely ladies who own these boutiques.

Blue Genes owners(KLA sorry I don’t have a pic of your owners, but I remember one night in Athens, GA about 4 years ago I met a very good looking Brasilien lady who owned KLA)

So here is the current list of Esperanza Clients:

BLUE GENES, STANDARD, KLA, FABRIK MIDTOWN, FABRIK SANDY SPRINGS, FABRIK AT THE FORUM, CHERRYBOMB, M3, EVOLVE, YO YO, PVALENTINE, DESTINATIONS ATL(D CONCOURSE AND E CONCOURSE AT HARTSFIELD-JACKSON AIRPORT)

What I Learned In Vegas…

1.) Cascata is the nicest golf club I’ve ever been to, and may forever be.  Seriously.  30 minutes from Vegas and in the middle of the damn desert, this place is absolutely beautiful.  The pictures on-line don’t even do it justice.  While it was well over 100 Saturday, we barely noticed as the wind was nice enough to keep us cool…  but for a price.  14 lost balls can be pretty costly.  Both monetarily and stroke-wise.  Our caddy was not impressed.

2.) Pai Gow Poker is GREAT for not losing or making too much money while getting completely ripped and hanging out with old Japanese people…  who apparently also like getting completely ripped.   And hugging.

3.) UFC is the greatest event since Rome.  Oates has been talking about what I previously thought to be wrestling without make-up for a long time now and a ticket to UFC 74 backed up everything he’s ever said.  I had a ticket to the fight Saturday night and walked in mid-way through Renato “Babalu” Sobral smashing some dude’s face into oblivion.  I’ve never seen that much real blood in my life.   After a couple more amazing fights, Randy Couture whipped some Gabriel Gonzaga ass to defend his title.  The energy in that place was amazing and I can’t wait for 75.  Only advantage to watching from home: not being surrounded by 10,000 Affliction shirts.

4.) One that keeps proving itself:  3 days is plenty.

ATLANTA’s Harry the Hawk on a motorcycle and probably on drugs

I dont know what the hell is going on here but nonetheless amazing!!!

I have a couple questions:

1) Did this person steal this costume from the Hawks or is this guy just late for the Game?

2) Why would Harry only drive on the sidewalk on the oncoming traffic side?

3) Does Harry even know how to drive a motorcycle?

All I can say it that the ATL is full of random shit and this one tops my list for sure.

Esperanza runs into the Black Lips at the Drunken Unicorn

I ran into Jared from one of Esperanza’s favorite local bands, the Black Lips.

As Vice Magazine puts it: “The music scene in Atlanta is so right-the-fuck-on these days you can’t drop a sweet tea without it splashing on a band member – or two. Check out this MTV news piece all about the thriving music community. And if you’re in Europe hop over to the tour page to see where you can catch Black Lips near you.

Check out the videos below to get a taste of the Black Lips and be SURE to see them SEPTEMBER 11th at the DRUNKEN UNICORN when they return from a European tour.

AND HEY BLACK LIPS, WEAR SOME FUCKING ESPERANZA DAMMIT! LETS REP THE “A” TOGETHER!!!

Here is a link to information on the Band:

http://www.vicerecords.com/blacklips.php

Shameless…

Daniel and I counted and folded and counted and folded and….  we’re tired so no cool posts tonight.  Online Store is up and running and the orders are beginning to trickle in…  Better get yours before the deluge!  Everything is in stock and ready to ship, and because we’re web geniuses now, you can’t order anything we don’t have!!!!  Imagine that.  Pass this damn thing along to your friends who need a wardrobe makeover.

And if I’m not wrong Ocha La Rocha plays at the Star Bar Thursday night with the Selmanaires… which means Eric will be there screaming like a girl.  Mark your calenders.

The best Reporter in Atlanta

This could probably be one of the best reactions to getting the wind knocked out of you.  And oh, I love the asshole guy reporter back in the studio who has one of the best reactions to the fall.  I would do the same reaction although I would be laughing my ass off.

Same Old Saturday Night

Saturday night we went to Tin Roof Cantina, Jack and Talley from CJ’s new place…  The Beckster was in town and Nicole and I had to take her out before she goes back to Tampa to start grad school.  EK met up and so did Daniel and Sonia for a bit.   It was supposed to be a light night but ended up turning into a full blown barn-burner.  Thanks for the hook-up Talley!

Below is a picture that pretty much sums up the night: Becky in a giant sombrero, the random dude that pathetically followed her around all night asking if her boyfriend was “good to her,” and Nicole… well I don’t know what she’s doing here, but she’s obviously happier than Christmas morning.

Jack and Talley are doing a really good job with this place so go check it out.  Now if they’d only listen to me and put chicken wire up in front of the stage like in Roadhouse…  then this bar would be unstoppable.

Who can’t wait for some GEORGIA TECH FOOTBALL!!!!!`

TO HELL WITH GEORGIA!!!! 

Adoration vs. Abomination

Coming live from Omaha, NE…I’m bringing a new (to be) weekly segment. Here’s how it works: I pick a topic, you comment with your top 5 likes along with your top 5 dislikes. I’ll try to come up with some interesting ish and most topics will pertain to the A, but this diamond won’t shine unless you polish it. We’ll start off nice and lukewarm…key word memorable…

Memorable Albums from High School (release year must be while you were in high school)

Top 5 (in no particular order):

1. Outkast: ATLiens (of course)
2. Nirvana: Unplugged in New York
3. Wu-Tang Clan: Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
4. Notorious BIG: Ready to Die
5. Sublime: Self-titled

Nearly made it – Rage Against the Machine: self-titled, middle school release for me, but de la Rocha owned my heart and the Greyhound lockerroom. Other close calls include 311’s Music, Widespread’s Space Wrangler, Blues Traveler’s Four, Tribe’s Midnight Marauders, Pumpkins’ Siamese Dream, RHCP, Pearl Jam’s Vitalogy, and anything by Bone or Do or Die.

Bottom 5

1. Nas: Illmatic (just for Bart)
2. Backstreet Boys: self-titled
3. Ace of Bass: The Sign
4. Beck: Odelay (simply because, to this day, I can’t figure out if I love him or hate him)
5. Coolio: Gangsta’s Paradise

No Doubt’s Tragic Kingdom got so much radio play that I almost threw ‘em in, but I couldn’t gig Bart twice.

Braves Games are Fun….and Educational

Well, Daniel and myself took in the Braves game last night and had a grand ole time. Did anyone ever realize that $7 beers taste delicious when it’s 100 degrees outside? Anywho, we hung out in the Chop House and made sure that Bonds understood that Hammerin Hank is the real home run king by screaming obsceneties at him. (i think he looked at me once too!) So after a couple innings of yelling we went to our seats where we met who I would describe as the most glorious bum to grace these parts in a long time. This guy was oldschool and he was badass! We will hopefully have a picture up soon to prove it. He had a pile of about 7-8 empty airplane bottles underneath him of what I originally thought to be vodka, until he offered me a nip of what turned out to be Mr. Boston’s Gin, AND it was just like I like it…..STEAMING HOT! He had a cooler next to him so I knew he had plenty more to spare but, I declined his original offer. You know how bums are though, they are so convincing! I took a little sip and my oh my, that must be what heaven tastes like! I decided that just a little taste of heaven was enough for me, but he just couldn’t contain himself, he chugged the rest of that bottle and that’s not even the best part, about 3 minutes later he threw up…over the balcony! We were on the front row of the upper deck and he splattered everyone below us! CLASSIC. The story is not over yet either. The man leaves and is gone for a good hour or so, like 3 or 4 innings. While he is gone, I get curious as to how much gin is actually in his cooler and keep in mind, he’s been gone forever. The second I touch that cooler and I mean the second, he shows up and starts screaming “HEY! That’s my bag!” He sits down and tries to stare me down in the only way a drunk bum can, completely blurry and unfocused. It’s at this point that I notice a strong odor of human shit and come to the conclusion that this man was gone for so long because he shit his pants! I know this sounds crazy, but could you make up a story like this?? Could You?? So the thing I learned at the Braves game is that ice cold beer is delicious when it’s 100 degrees and steaming hot gin with a bum is NOT! EK

Jake Brown Blew It!

Jake Brown totally blew his chance to be the first person to ever do a can opener into hardwood. I mean, think of how big that splash would have been! A cannonball would have also been acceptable, but not as impressive. That could have been a groundbreaking moment, no pun intended. I thought the fact he kicked off his shoes at the end was just showing us that he is too lazy to put forth the effort needed to create a gigantic splash of pine. Maybe next year Jake.

Japanese People are amazing swimmers

HOW THE HELL DOES NO ONE DROWN IN THIS FREAKIN WAVE POOL????

Braves take down ***Bonds*** and the Giants 5-4 – Great Recap

So I head to the game with a couple friends are we sit on the front row of the second balcony at the Ted(aka. Turner field).  Sitting in the row starting from the aisle is an old, disgusting fat white guy, a space, my buddy Eric kelly, Thomas Isaf, Cristine(aka Swiss Miss), Jason Chaifetz, and then me.

The old fat man tries to hand Eric Kelly a mini bottle of Gin.  Eric agrees and takes a swig only to find out that the gin is warm as shit and was in the guys pocket for the previous 4 innings.  We also notice 7 empty mini bottles at this guys feet.  He was wasted.

So Eric gives back the mini bottle and turns to us in disgust from the warm gin.  The old fat man grabs the bottle back and downs the rest of the gin only to now THROW UP over the balcony on to the people below.  UNBELIEVABLE!!!

Then the guy leaves but leaves he cooler behind in his seat.  So what does Eric do?  He waits 4 innings and with still no sign of the guy he starts rummaging through the cooler.  THE SECOND he does this the old fat man appears in the aisle and start yelling at Eric and calling him a thief.  He sits back down next to Eric and not only is he more drunk but he smells like he SHIT HIS PANTS.  AGAIN UNBELIEVBLE!!!

Oh, and while all this is happening some drunk teenager is behind us yelling ” FRANCOUR I’ SUCK YOUR DICK”.  I think she yelled this in earshot of children about 20 times when Francour was up to bat.  Oh, almost forgot.  She also referred to herself as one of FRANCOURS WHORES.  I guess there is a kind of ring to it.

See you Braves fans at the next game.  Seriously, buy $5 parking, $1 ticket, then go to the Chop house or more exlusive and hidden, Top of the Chop bar, and buy $5 beers.  Whole night cost $40-$50.  VERY WORTH IT!!!

Sweatin’ to the Newies

So, back by popular demand, are my musical selections… I search long and hard for music your radio dial can’t find and then bestow it upon you, my music-craving minions, out of the kindness of my own heart.

Best recommendation of the moment… the hot sweaty soul of Nicole Willis and the Soul Investigators. These guys are makin the kind of music you can’t help but blast out your window and down the alley while fannin’ yourself and watchin some kids crack a hydrant…

Go get their album “Keep Reachin’ Up.” You won’t be sorry. But you’ll still be hot as hell.

Next Iron & Wine. You should know Sam Beam by now and if you don’t, shame on you. He’s got a new album comin’ out called “the Shepherd’s Dog” and this is part of “Resurrection Fern” from an in-store performance he did recently after waking up underneath a tree and stumbling into town:

This album really surprised me… Some really progressive stuff compared to his normal fare… and I love it.

and finally, cause I’m tryin’ to not be in front of the computer making history tonight, check out Atmosphere’s new EP entitled “Sad Clown Bad Summer No. 9.” The first song “Sunshine,” in addition to being sick as hell due to a reference to “Summertime,” is pretty much an explanation of every weekend of my life since I was 17.

That’s some good stuff to dig on until next week. Brup.

Esperanza Clothing Wakeboarding Trip

Still Got it.  I went riding this past week at Lake Lanier north of the ATL.

The fist is an attempt was unsuccesfl and hurt pretty bad….but try try again, and the second video shows success.

Advancements in Lunacy

Okay, I must admit, I didn’t watch the X Games last year because they just didn’t seem dangerous enough to me. I like sport that has a very high chance of its competitors being killed… like bear-wrestling and lawn darts. However, I found out Friday that the real reason I hadn’t watched the X Games is because I had not been made aware of this beautiful death trap they call the Mega Ramp. Take a look….

Now because most of these guys are insane in the first place, they can typically ride this beast with dry pants… but that may not be the case for much longer as skater Jake Brown demonstrates in the clip below. The only way this could have turned out worse is if fire had somehow been involved:

Oh, and getting hit by a car is the only other thing that can make a man’s shoes explode from his feet like that.

Friday Night

TAP on Peachtree with Ali and Cybil last night – had a great time. I thought somebody told me the beer selection at this place was supposed to be insane, but beyond a few rare selections, I wasn’t all that impressed. I highly recommend the Victory Hop Devil IPA on draught though… I could have drank that badboy all night.

Our friend Oana who works there got us a great table when the place was slammed which definitely made the night.  Check it out, definitely a scene on Friday… especially the bar.

What We’re Drinking This Weekend

Look…  its hot as balls out and beer’s great, but I’m growin a gut and can’t stay awake long enough to drink the amount of beer I need to feel like I wanna.  Plus, Gin is cool.

So, now that we’ve established that Gin is what we’re drinking this weekend…  Why Hendrick’s?

Tanqueray is delicious, no doubt.  And Bombay Sapphire is sophisticated.  Beefeater is for badasses, like my dad, who want a punch in the mouth.  But Hendrick’s is interesting…. and makes you look like you know what you’re doing.  Not to mention its infused with cucumber and rose petals, which may sound a bit soft, but make no mistake, deep down it contains powerful Scottish influence that’ll may you gin-drunk violent better than anything those piss ant Brits can come up with.

So try a G&T with this fine selection and cool off…  before you go fight someone.

…And Along Came Tex

Okay, I was a HUGE Fred McGriff fan… so my dad and I obviously reminisced over his first game with the Braves tonight on the phone in light of the Mark Teixeira trade. Both deadline trades, both marquee players, and both provided brawn to their respective line ups. AND both hit home-runs in their first games with the club. This is by far the most exciting thing to happen to the Braves since that day in ‘93.  Not to mention he’s a Georgia Tech boy.