FRANCES HA

"What I do is complicated." say comedically tragic character Frances, played by the versatile Greta Gerwig.  "Because I don't really do it".

This film paints an awkward, hilarious and precise picture of young relationships in Manhattan.
Though very current in tone and language, the choice of black and white makes it timeless.  David Bowie's "Modern Love" is one of several wisely selected tracks for this truly fresh, fun film.

Watch it in theaters beginning May 17, 2013, then go out and enjoy a Chateuneuf Du Pape Domaine Roger Sabon Cuvee Prestige 2010 for a perfect compliment of 'gorgeous freshness and skyscraper-like texture.'      

CRAIG JACKSON BAND

"Sweeter Songs"

Play "Sweeter Songs"

"A shelf full of records / A fridge full of beer" sings Nashville's Craig Jackson on the title track of his forthcoming EP Sweeter Songs.  This record takes the listener back to the early days of Southern California rock, ala vintage Jackson Browne and The Eagles  (pre Joe Walsh); sunny, dusty and just the right amount of country twang in the guitars. Craig is a great songwriter and the kind of vocalist you feel like you know.  Ex-Wilco drummer Ken Coomer brings outstanding production and drums/percussion to this six-song collection, which also enlists other ace Nashville players.  It's smooth and would perfectly accompany a Rock Bottom American Dream IPA or two.  

ONRA

Would you rather be called “passionate” or “pathetic?” If you know your roots - like 31 year old beatmaker and record-junkie Arnaud Bernaud, better known as Onra - then you might say these words have similar meanings, sharing a basis in the concept of suffering. And it’s truly a pathetic passion to collect records the way Onra does. The hours spent sifting through dusty bins in thrift store corners; the smells of cat-pee and onions and mildew and elder armpits as you search for rare pressings; bumping elbows with record-store curmudgeons and other insufferable types; knee problems; oh, and the insane amount of dough one spends on this habit. Double K from People Under the Stairs put it best:  The only way my life makes sense/ I'm 2 weeks late payin my rent /I'm diggin up the past and the present /And all my fuckin money's being spent...

But it’s all good. Just watch this trailer for Onra’s 2011 release Chinoiseries Pt. II: 

All that passionate crate-digging pays off, and Onra’s oeuvre is proof. His influences and colleagues are far and wide—obviously Dilla, Madlib, and Low End Theory crew—but it’s the unearthed, yen-bin, offbeat Chinese and Vietnamese samples that create his signature. If you can’t afford a trip to Hanoi because you’ve spent half of your paycheck at Amoeba buying records, that’s fine because Onra has you covered. Chonoiseries Pts. I and II for the Asian-influenced beat-tape thing, Long Distance for your RnB fix. Follow up on this guy at his here to experience the fruit of his labors…

And to complete the experience, Nong Lá Cafe on Sawtelle serves up the best Tra Đặc Biệt

(homemade passion fruit iced tea) outside of Saigon.