Gals Rock Paris!
November 11, 2012 § Leave a Comment
Color coordinated rock goods at Gal’s Rock
If you asked me to imagine my dream boutique what would it be? Well, it would have feminist and lady-powered music, zines and independent books, fun accessories, a tight selection of perfect clothes that are both functional and fashionable that could go from the street, to work, to a rock show, as well as serving as a community gathering and event space for music, readings and art. Well, low and behold, my dream boutique exists and it exists in Paris no less.
Cool clothes and rock accessories at Gal’s Rock
Gals Rock is a space dedicated to ladies/women’s/girls/grrrls’ rock music and culture. A petite boutique in the 9eme in Pigalle, just steps away from the tourist crush of Monmatre, its an oasis of feminist creative energy. The front room features clothes, accessories and zines for lady rockers and their allies. I found a perfectly fitted, ladies button down shirt that was created by the Gals Rock crew who were frustrated that they couldn’t find a shift tailored to ladies’ proportions. In addition, I couldn’t resist picking up a silkscreened t-shirt with a hand drawn design featuring the names of all my favorite grrrl bands from the 1990s, including Sleater-Kinney, Excuse 17, and Huggy Bear. I wear that shirt with pride! Gals Rock also features a wide selection of the indie fashion label Kulte.
A wall of lady-powered albums at Gal’s Rock
The back room is dedicated to music, most of it independent, in which girls, grrrls, ladies, and women play a key role. While Gals Rock clearly is focused on rock music and culture, their selection includes electronic and hip-hop music as well and is forward looking and broadly defined. The ladies who run the shop host regular events and concerts, all which sound like the perfect, feminist, music focused soirees. As if I ever needed more reasons to move to Paris.
Gal’s Rock is just a nice place to hang out
Gals Rock, 17 Rue Henry Monnier, 75009 Paris
Sur les toits de Paris
October 9, 2012 § 2 Comments
Bonjour mes amies! As we settle into fall in New York City I have finally finished looking through and uploading my photos from my summer trip to France. It was a magical two-and-a-half weeks full of friends and family and travels that took all around l’hexagon. The full set of photos is on Flickr, but I’ll be highlighting specific parts of the adventure here over the next few weeks. I’ll share my discoveries, shopping, eating, walking and biking adventures and a few of mes bonnes adresses.
Looking east over the 20eme from the 11eme
I love the geography of Paris and the rhythm and cadence of the city’s architecture. The slate grey roofs and round red chimneys inseparable from my mental image of Paris and my friend Leila offered me the opportunity to get a more personal rooftop perspective.
Looking west: les invalides, tour de Montparnasse, le tour Eiffel
It had been raining, cold and foggy when I first got to Paris, but after several days there was a break in the clouds and we seized our opportunity to climb a shaky ladder and haul ourselves onto the roof. I’m pretty wimpy when it comes to heights and was seized with a moment of dizzying vertigo when I first climbed out the skylight onto the gently sloping metal roof. My fear subsided quickly when I saw the how the city unfolded around me.
My generous host and lovely friend Leila
Paris undulates gentle from west to east and north to south, rising to a crescendo at Monmartre and Belleville, but otherwise flat and gently sloping. I loved the how the rooftops around me unfolded gently, punctuated by those iconic chimneys. Paris doesn’t have to work hard to impress me, but the view from Leila’s roof made me fall in love with the city all over again.
Simple style: J Crew t-shirt and Mavi slim jeans
The Summer So Far
August 17, 2012 § 3 Comments
Robert Moses State Park, July 4
It’s a cliche to say it, but can you believe how fast the summer goes? All around me I see announcements for “the last (your summertime activity here) of the season!” Already? I’m still sorting through my photos from France and there will be a myriad of posts coming soon, but in the meantime, here’s a little review of my summer activity so far. Enjoy and bon week-end!
Fireworks from a Greenpoint roof, July 4
11:30 pm “sunset” in Iceland, mid-July
Rainy Paris, from le Ciel de Paris, Tour de Montparnasse
Cheers! With Byglam in Paris
Moody Paris skies, mid-July
Paris may have rain, but also, croissants!
And when Paris is sunny, there’s no where better!
Escape to Sete and the sun in the south of France
Seafood feast in Sete with Clumsy Maria
Pool time in Provence
Exploring Provence by bike, mid-July
Back to Paris to wish our friends Au Revoir!
…and directly to upstate New York for a beautiful farm wedding!
Mission of Burma, Ted Leo and Wild Flag for free in Prospect Park
Back to Robert Moses State Park, early August
Corita played a show at Don Pedro’s with Easy Lover (above), Paper Fleet and Space Merchants
Brooklyn Bombshells won a rollerderby match at Coney Island!
… and after Corita rode the Wonder Wheel
A toast to a summer well spent!
Paris This Time Last Year
November 18, 2011 § 8 Comments
It’s feels strange to imagine, but exactly a year ago today I was getting on an Air France flight at JFK airport and leaving cold, damp grey November weather in New York for cold, damp grey November weather in Paris. Even in chilly November Paris sparkles. It’s just getting ready for the holidays and all the glitter that come with them, and late fall sunlight never fails to make even the dampest, greyest sidewalks inspiring.
I try to remind myself that I am lucky to live in New York, but when I look at pictures of Paris, I feel my heart start to soften and melt and nostalgia overwhelms me. This is the city I feel I am truly meant to be in. I feel about Paris in my 20′s and 30′s how I felt about New York City in my teens. There’s a deep attraction and a longing to be in a place that I feel fits all the contours of who I am, or at least who I wish myself to be.
I know it’s irrational. I live in a big city and I understand the frustrations of daily city living. It wears you down. People are rude. It’s exhausting. But then there are the rooftops, the sky, the open markets, the cafes, the boutiques, the culture, the Seine, the rues, the quartiers, the Canal St. Martin, all the many nuances that make up Paris.
Last year I set myself a Parisian itinerary guided by collections of “bonnes addresses” from blogs I had been reading and Pia Jane Bijkerk’s book Paris Made by Hand. I visited my dear sister, ate croissants like there was no tomorrow (the average Parisian croissant is better than the best New York croissant, which should not come as a surprise to you), and learned about the 80′s teen pop sensation Lio. I spent a lovely afternoon (and several awesome evenings) with my dear friend Leila, running around to indie boutiques like Corner de Createurs and La Cocotte (twice!), and doing silly things I love like going to Monoprix, having tea at Mariage Frères, cooing at beautiful clothes at Antoine et Lili, and buying bras at Princesse Tam Tam. I also just let myself wander until my feet were frozen, rode the metro just because I like it (I never do that in New York), snapped pictures, and soaked it in what I hope was enough Paris to sustain me until I can come back to the city that feels like my rightful home in the world.
Petite Atlier de Paris. Great for handmade gifts!
Near Gare du Nord
Repetto paradise on Rue du Paix
The cozy apartment of my friend Leila. I love how Parisian apartment have the most perfect, tiny balconies.
The only disadvantage being that old Parisian apartments are also walk ups. In this case 7 floors!
Noodle soup lunch at L'Alicheur, just off Rue Oberkamf
My first breakfast in Paris at Pick Clops in the Marais after my overnight flight
Rue Cremieux, stumbled upon close to the Gare du Lyon while I was on my way to catch the train to my sister's house.
Perfect Parisian pierre de taille
MiLK & Fruit Juice in NYC!
November 9, 2011 § 1 Comment
Photo by Anne Bourgeon
It started with a tweet, “When I am I going to see Corita play?” It seemed like a simple enough question, except that the author of the tweet was Michel, of the indie band MiLK & Fruit Juice and he lives in France. Unfortunately Corita did not have (and still does not have) any plans to play a show in France. Or anywhere else outside of New York. So I wrote back, “I don’t know, when are you coming to New York? I’ll set up a show.” Then I got a better idea, “Why don’t you play a solo show with us?” When Michel told me he was coming to NYC in September I wasted no time in booking a venue. However, I knew the other members of MiLK & Fruit Juice could not come to NYC and that being on stage alone in a new city is intimidating, and so I volunteered to be the backing band.
Photo by Anne Bourgeon
First of all, let me explain why I love MiLK & Fruit Juice: Michel writes catchy, dreamy songs that are full of heart. Some of them sound a bit twee, with with accents of toy instruments and excellent backing vocals from Marjorie and Sabine, but there’s also a twist of sadness, irony and realism. I am delighted to have met someone all the way across the Atlantic that shares so many of the same musical interests and passions as me. While that may seem like a small thing in this Internet age, when you meet in person, it still seems pretty magical.
Photo by Anne Bourgeon
On a rainy night in September at Spike Hill in Williamsburg the Pale Lights, MiLK & Fruit Juice and Corita shared the stage. Michel and I had one practice together under our belt and I was playing drums and singing back up on five of his songs. The day of the show I listened to the songs from his well-crafted album I’m Cold Handed Because I Have No Heart to Pump The Blood Through My Fingers on repeat. That night Michel debuted a beautiful, vintage Silvertone guitar he had found at Rivington guitars. I got to break out of my usual role as a guitar player and play drums, with drum sticks that Lisa Goldstein of the Pale Lights loaned to me for Michel’s set. Apparently I kept the fact that I play drums secret from my friends, but I actually took drum lessons for several years in middle school! I never really graduated beyond a 4/4 rock beat though. In any event, it was really fun (and a little nerve wracking) to be on stage playing drums supporting a friend whose music I love and who lives so far away. Anne, who co-runs the label MonsterK7 in Montreal and Paris, took these beautiful photos and video, and Sabine was kind enough to share with me. Enjoy and if you like Michel’s music perhaps you will set up a show for him in your town! Or at least buy his record.
Photo by Anne Bourgeon
Photo by Anne Bourgeon
Photo by Anne Bourgeon
Photo by Anne Bourgeon
Video for Corita’s Song “Remember That You Will Die”
September 28, 2011 § Leave a Comment
When I asked my dear friend Leila Bourgougnoux if she would be interested in making a video for my band Corita I didn’t honestly believe she would say yes. Making a video is a lot of work, after all, and it’s not like Corita can pay our artist friends the big bucks. But she did say yes and I sent her a bunch of songs to choose from. She chose our shoegazy take on metal and Buddhist philosophy “Remember That You Will Die” and, after getting kicked out of filming in a Parisian laundromat, shot this beautiful Super 8 footage in the south of France. When the other members of Corita and I saw the results we were absolutely thrilled by how perfectly she interpreted our song. I hope you will be too.
The Rubin Museum of Art also wrote about the video and their song on their Education blog. It was my work on the Rubin exhibition of the same name that inspired the song, so this is a nice full circle!
Falling in Love with Paris from the Seventh Floor
December 8, 2010 § 3 Comments
While the news is going nuts with the fact that currently Paris is covered in snow, I traveled there recently for a week that was much to short and very cold, with only a little bit of snow, but filled with wonderful friends and sights. One of my favorite parts of my trip was looking at the city’s fabled slate rooftops and red chimmenies from my friend L.’s 7th floor apartment. Yes, seven floors up and no elevator. It was how I evened out all the croissants I ate. For more view of the buildings, sky, and other pleasures of Paris in November view my set on Flickr.
Paris, Again
March 3, 2008 § Leave a Comment
I don’t need anything special in Paris. I could be completely happy doing nothing more than walking around, drinking coffee, and reading the newspaper. I don’t mind the perpetually grey skies. They enhance the atmosphere created by the narrow cobblestone streets, the tin roofs and red chimneys of the Haussman era apartment buildings, corner cafes with their sidewalk seating and the murky, contained mirrored waters of the Canal St. Martin. There’s more photos on flickr.
Unexpected Paris
March 3, 2008 § Leave a Comment
I’ve been reading a book about travel writing and one thing that the author stresses that is important for travel writers is to be open to the unexpected and be willing to investigate. I felt this advice boded well for me when, thinking I would write some cute piece on “romantic Paris,” I tried to go to the Musee de la Vie Romantique, but it was closed during the installation of their new exhibition. However, I found something even better on the Rue Chaptal, near the museum. There was a small impasse coming off the street and I noticed the sign said “Bibliotheque.” Noting there was a garden, I decided to go in, because I love the gardens and courtyards in Paris hidden behind outer, street facing walls. I was not disappointed in the least. This, comfortable, renovated library with futuristic looking chairs, computers and newspapers available for browsing is snugly located in an 18th century hotel particular. They’ve kept the details like the fireplace, frescoed ceiling and moldings intact, and reading Le Monde in such a salon-like setting felt like a truly unique Paris experiences.
My Trip to France (as interpreted by Flight of the Conchords)
January 5, 2008 § Leave a Comment
In case anyone was wondering how my recent European sejour went…
