I made a skirt today with a SPEAKER PATTERN fabric!

 

A closer look. I love the orange zipper, which I had and miraculously matched, and which set off the whole idea for the project. 

  I can't believe I found this fabric. It was designed on Spoonflower.com.

I made a Black Metal Pillow today for the sofa in my studio

Its done! 

Rineke Dijkstra

Rineke Dijkstra photography on view at the Guggenheim:  June 29 - October 3, 2012

James Murphy doing studio stuff with The Julie Ruin...yes!!

The article from The New York Times! We are very thrilled..... CLICK HERE

Jo Squillo 1983 Italian Punk

My current end of the night 12 Artist Playlist

1- Dirtbombs - "Bug in the Bassbin"
2- Josie Cotten - "Johnny Are You Queer?"
3- The Cookies - "Chains"
4- Modern Lovers -  "Astral Plane"
5- Suede - "W.S.D."
6- Sister Nancy - "Bam Bam"
7- Elton Motello - "Jet Boy Jet Girl"
8- Men - "Credit Card Babies"
9- Wire - "Mannequin"
10- A Flock of Seagulls - "I Ran"
11- Lydia Lunch - "Atomic Bongos"
12- Buzzcocks - "Lipstick"

Cable TV review

"Girls" review: just skip it and watch "VEEP" on HBO instead.  Its actually goddam funny and Buster from Arrested Development stars in it! 

I wanted to think "Girls" was funny. I tried. I also didn't make this poster, just sharing.

SOURCE:

Reference of Female Fronted Punk, revisted

I made a Tote with this vinyl record pattern fabric

First attempt at making a TOTE that can carry a few pedals and my guitar cables. Working on creating a solid, sturdy inside panel with pockets that hold a smaller version of my pedal board.  I need it to be light enough to lug around on subways. I picked out the vinyl record pattern fabric on Spoonflower and sewed it on both sides. Ended up liking it so much I'm using it as a purse. In the works.

Ume in Guitar World!

Interview with Lauren from Ume! My guitar teaching partner from Girls Rock Camp Austin. Good stuff!

SOURCE: Feminist Fashion Bloggers

Spin's updated 100 Best Guitarists List

Click HERE to see Spin Magazine's 100 Best Guitarist List. Yes, its a list made by a few guys in an office, and man, the comments on their site in reaction are brutal! Apparently a very sensitive, important subject  - always relative to the listener's past and tastes, and always up for debate. BUT I think this is a good list, updated finally to whats popular in this futuristic year of 2012, and all of the guitarists/bands on the list deserve a listen-to. And I'm BEYOND THRILLED to see that they've avoided the usual Jimmy Hendrix, Randy Rhoades, fricken Bucket-head....etc

thanks JW

Some more

In case you forgot, one of the best bands ever.

Tricot from Kyoto

10 Female Producers

Nice! 10 Female Producers You Didn't Know Were Running Things

At Last! Tremolo vs Vibrato

Was flipping through the Deli Magazine today and in the "Production Corner" section was a little article about this. I traced it back to the Fender website. The answer to the controversial and annoying question all us guitarists have: what is the difference between TREMOLO and VIBRATO and why are the terms constantly flipped around????

New Website

Check it out!  www.saralandeau.com  Newly revamped teaching website... and a picture of the studio.

Island inspiration

Some people seemed happy and others looked like they felt sorry for me when I told them I took in all the coins saved from the past year and bought 2 tickets to San Juan with 3 nights in a rainforest hotel. I saw this little friend above on the hotel grounds, the side that faces the ocean. (!!)

 Blue cobblestone streets with rainforest moss.

 Spanish architecture in seafoam blue and other bright colors.

 Reading a book from one of my role models about his role models on the airplane.

Airplane screen on the seat in front of us while going over the Atlantic. Notice Motley Crue came up  on Sirius Jetblue radio.

 17th Century graveyard by the sea. Could it get any more religious?

 15th-17th century ocean wall fortresses.

Sad, sad news today...

Because of the passing of Adam Yauch today, May 4th. My heart goes out to his friends and family. Still shocked by this news....

Art History Symposium at the Coney Island Museum

A few photos from an art related panel discussion I attended at the Coney Island Museum last weekend.  The subjects ranged from pre-cinematic immersive amusements, such as the historical shows and games at Coney Island many years back, to using religion as spectacle and as art.

 View from the 2nd floor museum's window.

I couldn't stop staring at the Wooly Mammoth drawing in pencil framed on the wall behind the speakers. Nice.

Afterwards, we headed to the Natural History Museum, hoping to see the Bioluminescent FISH Show, but we were too late (they were closing in an hour). And *25$ to see the show....maybe not running back for it... So instead we walked through the different worlds set up for us to view through glass. This little guy was posing next to some deer.

I'm in this Gallery Show in SOHO

Here's the "aftermath" of me playing drum fills on a kit with 10 dozen roses at the GREY AREA ART GALLERY in SOHO Nyc, yesterday, Saturday the 28th. Waiting to see the video and final pictures. Apparently this is a moving series, and people like Moby's drummer did it in SF, other drummers took over in different cities. It was like drumming under water! As soon as the roses hit the drum heads they split and flew up in the air, or just flopped out of control. Sometimes I'd get a few good fills before I found stems left in my hands (or nothing). The goal was to create an explosion of rose petal fire works which happened a few times with the requisite "Ahhhhh" from the crowd. I want to do this again. The remains stay at the Grey Area Gallery until the end of the month. See Ted's art here.

The Liverbirds, All Girl Band 1963-67

Source: Dangerous Minds

Yes!

If you've ever lived in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, or near it, you probably know the Polish-owned "Peter Pan Bakery" on Manhattan Ave. Easter decorations were exceptional today.

READ: TINA FEY's REVIEW of this bakery! (beware, adults only....ha!)

Brooklyn Springtime Guitar Show

Yes! A guitar show and there will be girl power! Wait WHAT? No girl power like the flyer indicates, but thats okay, there were plenty of interesting guitars, basses, gear, pedals, and knick knacks to look at. Plenty of guys with grey feathered hair and red eyes, Dave Mustaine dopple-gangers galore, and one severe dead ringer for a shaggy late Harry Nilsson (who played guitar the entire time through a pedal that turned it into the sound of a sitar...YEP). Unfortunately the lighting at Brooklyn Bowl was terrible so almost no pictures turned out. The stand owners whole heartedly shook hands with my guy friend and starved me off without a glance. Then jerked their heads suspiciously when I spoke up. I learned how to put a Bigsby bridge on an arch top Les Paul (look-out) and took a card from someone who makes custom pick guards in Mod/art deco angles (look-out again, I'm about to transform another guitar). My favorite stand was Ritchie from the East Village because he was humble, had a warm smile and amused sparkle behind those thick glasses, or so it seemed (like I said the lighting was bad and there were many red eyes). BUT his prices were the best because, I'd like to believe, he's just that cool. Here's some pieces my friend Josh bought from his stand - 5 for 20$! Bridges, pickups, etc...

Mo-Dettes

Ovarian Gang Sign

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Help Free Moscow Girl Band "Pussy Riot"

Moscow based girl band "Pussy Riot" are now in jail facing up to 7 years criminal punishment for publicly demonstrating for human rights and against the current oppressive regime under Putin.

READ: article from the Guardian: Russian punk band were doing devil's work, says leader of Orthoodox church

What you can do to HELP.

Japanese Chin Ring

He was just 25 cents from a machine.

Yep, I watched Mad Men premiere last night too...

Just in case you were wondering which Ye-Ye song that was sung by Mrs. Draper, here it is, from 1962. And "Zou bisou, bisou" means "Oh kiss, kiss."

Cute/smart/simple genius - why didn't I think of that - Drumset

Source: Absurd Photos

Daily Inspiration

John McGeoch - favorite guitarist series

John McGeoch (1955-2004) was the post-punk Scottish guitarist who played with Siouxsie and the Banshees, Magazine, Visage, The Armory Show, and Public Image Ltd. I'm inspired by his abstract guitar style, picking, and flare harmonies.

This comment by Siouxie about John McGeoch has forever changed the way I play guitar:

"John McGeoch was my favourite guitarist of all time. He was into sound in an almost abstract way. I loved the fact that I could say, "I want this to sound like a horse falling off a cliff", and he would know exactly what I meant. He was easily, without a shadow of a doubt, the most creative guitarist the Banshees ever had."

This 6-part series is really more like a radio show. This is the first part.

With Siouxie. He played guitar on the Banshees albums "Kaleidoscope (1980), "Juju" (1981), and "A Kiss in the Dreamhouse" (1982)