The other night (24 June), the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) and outgoing (in both senses of the word) city council member Tom LaBonge arranged to have the gates of the Silver Lake Reservoir unlocked for a few hours and thus the South Dam was briefly opened to the public. Despite the … Continue reading There It Is, Revitalize It — Visiting the Silver Lake Reservoir
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
One Album Wonders Northside’s Chicken Rhythms
The following entry originally appeared on the Amoeblog NORTHSIDE - CHICKEN RHYTHMS (1991) My introduction to the quartet named Northside came in my second year of college, I believe, a few years after the release of their only album, Chicken Rhythms. As a teenage fan of all things Madchester, I'd heard of them, of course, but it … Continue reading One Album Wonders Northside’s Chicken Rhythms
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A look at The New Adventures of Philip Marlowe on the anniversary of its debut
NBC's The New Adventures of Philip Marlowe was the first of two radio dramas featuring Raymond Chandler's most enduring literary creation, hardboiled Los Angeles detective, Philip Marlowe. The program was popular Van Heflin but short-lived, a summer replacement which kept a time slot warm and whose star after its conclusion returned to film. It was followed one year … Continue reading A look at The New Adventures of Philip Marlowe on the anniversary of its debut
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One Album Wonders: The Paris Sisters Sing Everything Under the Sun!!!
Real life siblings Priscilla, Albeth, and Sherrell began cutting records as The Paris Sisters in 1954. In the fifteen years that followed, they only released on full-length studio LP and in their final year as a recording unit. The San Francisco trio did appear on more than 25 singles, however, and are best remembered for … Continue reading One Album Wonders: The Paris Sisters Sing Everything Under the Sun!!!
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Old Time Radio –An introduction to Crime Classics on the anniversary of its debut
Crime Classics was a CBS radio series which following a 1952 audition aired from 15 June 15 1953 to 30 June 1954. To quote its own introduction it was “A series of true crime stories from the records and newspapers of every land, from every time.” It's one of the finest programs of its sort. Elliott Lewis … Continue reading Old Time Radio –An introduction to Crime Classics on the anniversary of its debut
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One Album Wonders: The La’s
In 2000, Pearl Jam treated their audience to a cover of The La’s’ “Timeless Melody.” Eddie Vedder, addressing the Mancunian audience characteristically mumbled, “Hey! There’s a good, uh — fuckin’ good? -- a great band who made one great record and they’re called The La’s and I think they’re from your town… I believe. A … Continue reading One Album Wonders: The La’s
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One Album Wonders: The Music Machine’s (Turn On) The Music Machine
The following entry originally appeared on the Amoeblog THE MUSIC MACHINE -- (TURN ON) THE MUSIC MACHINE (1966) Los Angeles's The Music Machine are one of those bands which was not only a one album wonder but aone hit wonder as well (there are a few of them). The Music Machine’s big hit was “Talk Talk,” … Continue reading One Album Wonders: The Music Machine’s (Turn On) The Music Machine
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High Rising — Visiting the Hotel Figueroa
Los Angeles is often characterized as an horizontal city, spread as it is across an area that could contain Boston, Cleveland, Manhattan, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, St. Louis, and several interchangeable college towns. Dodger Stadium's parking lot alone is larger than some principalities. Less often acknowledged is the fact that no city on Earth is as vertical either, stretching as … Continue reading High Rising — Visiting the Hotel Figueroa
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California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Hancock Park
Hancock Park This edition of California Fool’s Gold, currently in its ninth year, is about Hancock Park, an affluent, quiet, and mostly residential neighborhood in Midtown Los Angeles that was mostly developed in the 1920s. On this exploration, I was accompanied by Hancock Park resident, Gonzi, and (at the very beginning) the good folks of Walking LA. INTRODUCTION … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Hancock Park
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One Album Wonders: Sonic Boom’s Spectrum
The following entry originally appeared on the Amoeblog For this edition of One Album Wonders we take a listen to Sonic Boom, who released one album, Spectrum, in 1989. Sonic Boom is Peter Kember, an English musician born in Rugby in 1965. In 1982, whilst at Rugby Art College, he co-founded The Spacemen (later Spacemen 3) with Jason Pierce. After releasing … Continue reading One Album Wonders: Sonic Boom’s Spectrum
Eric Brightwell 