The following entry originally appeared on the Amoeblog We're spoiled for entertainment choices here in Los Angeles; sometimes I feel almost paralyzed by cultural options and end up in an almost catatonic state listening to old episodes of Dragnet. That almost happened the other day, when I was torn between whether to go to KDAY’s … Continue reading Ukrainian Block Party — Huun-Huur Tu and DakhaBrakha at Royce Hall
Author: Eric Brightwell
Eric Brightwell is an essayist, rambler, explorer, cartographer, and guerrilla gardener. He lives in Los Angeles, not because he was born here, but because he chose to... for all of the things for which its famous: its verticality, its mass transit, its diversity, its schools, its liminal spaces, its architecture, its wildlife, its museums, its night markets, its cinemas, its theaters, its enclaves, its restaurants, its bars, its libraries, &c
Brightwell’s Top 10: 1897
In 1857, Frenchman Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville patented his invention for recording sound, the phonautograph. Twenty years later, in 1877, someone first realized that his phonautograms could also play back recorded music. It was the same year, coincidentally, that Thomas Edison patented the phonograph and thus the age of recorded music began. In 2015, former Amoebite Matthew Messbarger posted an NME "Best of 1990" on my Facebook timeline and I … Continue reading Brightwell’s Top 10: 1897
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Pendersleigh & Sons Cartography — Map of Los Angeles Neighborhoods and Los Angeles County Communities
I worked on the actual map for about six weeks but I've been mapping Los Angeles since about 2007. Most of the maps are done with ink, oil paint, or water colors but computer maps do have their advantages. For example, it's a lot easier to change this map than it is a painted one, … Continue reading Pendersleigh & Sons Cartography — Map of Los Angeles Neighborhoods and Los Angeles County Communities
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Brightwell’s Top 10: 1968
The following entry originally appeared on the Amoeblog In 1857, Frenchman Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville patented his invention for recording sound, the phonautograph. Twenty years later, in 1877, someone first realized that his phonautograms could also play back recorded music. It was the same year, coincidentally, that Thomas Edison patented the phonograph and thus the age of recorded music began. In 2015, former Amoebite Matthew … Continue reading Brightwell’s Top 10: 1968
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One Album Wonders: Armageddon
The following entry originally appeared on the Amoeblog This week’s One Album Wonder is Armageddon, a short-lived heavy rock band led by Keith Relf which proved to be the singer's last. In Armageddon, Relf was joined by Robert Caldwell (drums), Louis Cennamo (bass guitar), and Martin Pugh (guitar). ***** Relf was a noteworthy English singer, … Continue reading One Album Wonders: Armageddon
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Alles gute zum geburtstag Schaffel – The musical repercussions of Depeche Mode’s “Personal Jesus”
The following entry originally appeared on the Amoeblog This year marks the 25th anniversary of the infamous Depeche Mode Riots, in which half a dozen people were treated for minor injuries. Another Depeche Mode milestone is upon us as on 29 August 1989 the band released their 23rd single, "Personal Jesus" and basically invented the "schaffel" … Continue reading Alles gute zum geburtstag Schaffel – The musical repercussions of Depeche Mode’s “Personal Jesus”
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California Fool’s Gold — A San Bernardino County Primer
San Bernardino County, along with Riverside County, comprise the Southern California region known as the Inland Empire. Before 1914 (the earliest recorded use of the term "Inland Empire") the region was known as "The Orange Empire." Both San Bernardino and Riverside counties are inland -- the nearest point in San Bernardino County to the sea is … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — A San Bernardino County Primer
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Homes Fit for Heroes — Clinton Manor Apartments
Clinton Manor is an apartment complex located at 5184 Clinton Street in the Larchmont neighborhood of Midtown Los Angeles. I visited yesterday for what my be the last time, to help some friends and tenants prepare for their move to Portland, Oregon. I’ve always thought that it had a certain charm and decided to write … Continue reading Homes Fit for Heroes — Clinton Manor Apartments
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Fastfood Undead – A Taco Bell reborn as a Thai Original BBQ
I’m not a big fan of Taco Bell, the restaurant chain founded in Downey in 1962. I’m not a fan of their food, anyway -- or the chain in general as it exists today. I am, however, a fan of the iconic architecture from the Golden Age of Fast Food (1940s-1980s) and I’m an even bigger … Continue reading Fastfood Undead – A Taco Bell reborn as a Thai Original BBQ
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One Album Wonders: Sad Iron
The following entry originally appeared on the Amoeblog SAD IRON - TOTAL DAMNATION (1983) This week’s One Album Wonder is Dutch heavy metal band, Sad Iron, who released their only album,Total Damnation, in 1983. ***** Sad Iron wasn't forged in the Netherworld, but rather the Netherlands -- the harbor town of Hoorn, to beprecise. The founder and … Continue reading One Album Wonders: Sad Iron
Eric Brightwell 