We just confirmed Chicha Libre as the live band for our wedding reception!  The Brooklynites recently came back from a tour in Peru and look forward to sharing music in the high desert with our friends and family.

Chicha Libre plays a mixture of latin rhythms, surf music and psychedelic pop inspired by Peruvian music from the Amazonian jungles. The Brooklyn-based band mixes up covers of dusty, rarified Chicha classics with French-tinged originals as well as cumbia versions of French composers, Eric Satie and Maurice Ravel.

The group includes Brooklyn Barbès scene: Olivier Conan and VIncent Douglas) and includes Keyboardist Joshua Camp, who plays an antiquated Electravox; Olivier Conan (who also play with Las Rubias del Norte) on Cuatro and vocals; Bassist Nicholas Cudahy ; Guitarist Vincent Douglas and veteran percussionists Greg Burrows (Andy Statman) and Timothy Quigley (Romashka).

They also happen to be great friends of Dengue Fever.  About a year ago, Ethan interviewed the founder of Chicha Libre, Olivier Conan, for my online pub, EM Magazine.  To read more about the band and listen to their music, check out the interview here: http://evilmonito.com/2008/05/01/rebirth-of-cumbia-psych/

We’re pleased to announce that our close friend and premier DJ in Los Angeles, Miles Tackett, will be providing some grooves and beats post ceremony and another set after the live band performs.  He currently heads one of the longest running funk & soul joint in LA at The Echo every Saturday.  He also founded his band, Breakestra (currently signed to Strut Records) and tours the world.

British-produced Northern Soul from The Flirtations. Filmed at Tintern Abbey (Monmouthshire, South Wales.)

MORE FUNKY SOLE HISTORY (excerpts from his myspace page)
Seven years ago L.A was crying for some real deal funky soul sounds to dance to. Music Man Miles & Egon started a party called “At the Soul Inn” around the Silverlake area. This eventually became an offshoot of Star Shoes where they were welcomed by bar owner Johnny Nixon to bring the ruckus on the dance floor.

Music Miles Miles first got into funk and soul music listening to hip hop then discovered the originals by hearing DJ’s like Cut Chemist, Marvski and Mix Master Wolf, who were all busy keeping the original Bronx B-Boy break flavor alive and well in early 90′s Los Angeles. By 1996, Miles would start the Breakestra (house band for the Breaks Club)-playing out the funk fantasy of making the live band the DJ at the party. Later he would start Rootdown with former Breakestra and phantasm member Carlos Guaico of the Rebirth, where he eventually started buying and spinning records.

Other supporting Funky Sole DJ’s:
DJ CLIFTON AKA SOFT TOUCH has been puttin funky soul down with us since the star shoes days as an occassional guest but now is a full time resident.He’s a veteran of the eastside/hollywood L.A. music community as bass player for the (mojo filters) and also a guitarist singer/songwriter on his own. A dedicated lover historian/sage of most western popular & underground music forms out there, he always digs deeper in his funk selection but always moving the crowd.

Egon (another supporting DJ) moved out to L.A to help run Stones Throw Records with Peanut Butter Wolf. He continues to unearth unreleased material from across the country which can be heard regularly at Funky Sole. Working with Stones Throw and Now Again Records, Egon would later release music from artists old recordings for the first time ever such as The Brothers 7 and L.A Carnival.

Other heads that supported Funky Sole in the past included: guest DJs Quantic,Keb Darge, DJ Shadow, Chairman Mao, Jeremy Sole, Andy Votel,Mahssa, J ROCC, Renato, Boss Harmz, Greg Belson, Mahssa, Tom Noble, Skeme Richards, Dennis Owens, Peanut Butter Wolf, DJ Day, Phoreyz, Smite, Small Change,Danny Holloway, Citizen Kane and of course Cut Chemist- our usual funkspekt!

Rare footage (shot by Ginger Baker) feat. Fela & Afrika 70 performing in Calabar, shortly after the the Nigerian civil war

***
You can read Miles Tackett’s full interview on EM Magazine: http://evilmonito.com/2009/12/01/interview-miles-tackett-breakestra/

For those lookin’ to take home the funk, you can get Miles’ Funky Sole Vol.1 online at turntablelab.com, ksdmusic.com, or dustygroove.com.

I want these Cephalaphora Aromatica in my wedding bouquet.  Instant bursts of joy quantified in concise yellow poms.

Mi Familia of Women (3 generations represented here!)

My sister and best friend, Ciara Adams

A Heartfelt hug with Terry Welles for all her love and support!

Left: Judy Hillestad & Me                    Right: Abbey & Olivia

More views from the picture gallery:

We went up to Topanga for my dad’s birthday and had dinner with the folks.  After dinner, my dad posted a question about lighting on our wedding night.  If the wind permits, we’ll have a roaring bonfire, two metal burners going, some lanterns, votive candles on the table and strings of white, ambient light.  I also decided to check out an online astronomy site and it appears that we will also have a waxing gibbous moon illuminate the dance floor on the desert sand!

Our First Jaunt to the Rejuvenation Machine
When we stumbled upon the Integratron, we had no idea what would be in store for us. Located in Landers (between Joshua Tree and The Mohave), a wooden parabolic structure stands over a recognized vortex (where three underwater aquifers joined as one.) Alabaster white and geometrically pure, this striking building was the hard work and dedication of the late George Van Tassel.  The aeronautical engineer of Howard Hughes left his position with a prestigious military complex, to reside in in the middle of nowhere and build what he claimed were architectural plans for a “rejuvenation machine” bestowed upon him by Venutians.

Whether or not we fully believed this encounter actually occurred, we couldn’t deny the inscrutable and compelling energy that exuded from the place. Suffice it to say, both Ethan and I felt a surge of real emotion and knew instantly this was the place where we had to exchange our vows.

In the picture to the left, you can get a general scale of the room with Ciara shown there stretching her arms to the heavens.

The Integratron itself is an acoustically perfect dome (or “tabernacle” as the locals like to call it) and when you step in the middle of the structure on the second floor and speak aloud, it literally sounds as if 50 voices were coming out of your mouth.  It reminded me of when Hermann Hesse (in his novel, Steppenwolf) speaks about the Indian tradition of splitting the protagonist into multiple characters to represent the multifaceted nature of the human soul.  Various and yet perfectly unified.

Meeting with Joanne (co-owner of the Integratron)

While out in the desert, I realized why Joshua Tree was so attractive to many.  For it makes the very act of thinking (and dreaming) possible without wading through all the clutter of “progress”, work schedules and overdue bills.  The clarity of mind that is achieved after a 60-minute session of Yoga can be attained in a matter of minutes when you lose yourself in the vast, empty purity of the arid landscape (and I’m not even going into the rejuvenating power of the vortex that also exists.)  I think the closest example to this phenomenon is the Japanese word, satori, a term in Zen Buddhism, of when you jettison the oppressive trappings of logic and reach instant enlightenment.  For these many reasons Joshua Tree, and particularly the Integratron, is a special place to us and we look forward to sharing this experience with you on April 24, 2010!


Ethan is “swinging life like a hammock”

China Berry trees that dot the perimeter of the Integratron

Foraging for  Chanterelles
Late January a heavy winter storm soaked LA Country for five days straight.  When the skies finally cleared we headed up to Topanga Canyon to celebrate my dad’s birthday.  On the drive up, we took a small detour to an area where the hills are covered with oak trees.  The creek was flowing, nice to see for a change. 

Sylvia and I hiked along the water’s edge scanning the hills for fungi.  A little frog jumped in front of us.  I caught it and held it in my hand for a  minute or two, admiring it’s beauty and then released it into the water and watched it swim away.  Shortly after we stood by one another looking at the piles of wet leaves on the ground.  I remembered saying to Sylvia, “This is the perfect spot, they should be right here.”  Then as if some one had strewn them magically across the hillside, they appeared everywhere.  We gathered them up estimating about 4 or 5 pounds worth of delicious fungi.

Insomnia is an untapped well of inspiration.
During this torrential onslaught, I find comfort in the geometric beauty of the Victoria Regina.  This beautiful variegated specimen from the Agave family possesses thick radiating fronds that look as if drawn over with white oil crayons.  I came across this stunning plant a few days ago and decided to post it up as one of my many inspirations for the upcoming desert wedding.  Although my mind is swimming with possibilities, I seriously need to try to get some sleep at this ungodly hour of the night…

The Queens of Effie Compound
A panoply of the finest felines to grace this earth. The oldest in the motley crew is an advanced calico by the name of Cheetah (aka “Butches” or “Wheetie.”) She’s a tough battle axe who can stand up to a dog 10 times her size and has a penchant for stinky underwear. The grey tabby, Hazel (known affectionately as “Teenie”), has a coat soft as chinchilla and eyes, green as olives.

Hazel (pretty in bamboo)

Last but not least, there’s the youngest, a seal-point/tuxedo mix whom we rescued from Mexico. She struts around like a bulldog (notice her bowl legs) and loves curling up in our laps. Aside from her chronic bronchial cough, she has a strong disposition.

Cheetah in zen repose

The only male in the posse, Xochi, is a brawny Bengal bedecked in auburn and leopard rosettes.  He possessed an incorrigible spirit, however, and sadly never returned home.  He took it upon himself to find a new owner and is content to live a few homes away from the Effie Compound.  We miss you Xochi!

Phoebe the “Asthmatic Kitty”