Rubin Recommends

Yours Truly + First Aid Kit

Rubin — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:40:48 +0000

Watch this beautiful footage of First Aid Kit performing for the site Yours Truly right here in San Francisco.

Samantha Mansfield

Rubin — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:21:16 +0000

View the portfolio of San Francisco based graphic designer Samantha Mansfield.

Neighbors – Hooligans

Rubin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 17:37:16 +0000

Here is the new video for Neighbors title track off their new EP Hooligans! You can view the video on Vimeo by going here. We released their record on Paper Brigade on June 22nd and I’m excited to post this video.

Filmed by Ethan Blum
Directed by Noah Stitelman
Post Production by Evan Johnson
Ghost is Sarah Grinberg

Upcoming Shows:
Jul 28 2010 8:00P Public Assembly Brooklyn, NY
Aug 18 2010 8:00P The Bell House Brooklyn

Available on iTunes and Amazon.
myspace.com/neighborsmusic
paperbrigade.bigcartel.com (Purchase Vinyl)
digital.paperbrigade.com (Bandcamp)

This Weeks Releases – July 27, 2010

Rubin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 09:00:47 +0000

I’m hoping this Best Coast record will bring Summer to San Francisco. It’s killlllinggggg meeeeeeeee nooo mooorreee colddddd. (Buy all those Kinks re-issues too)

If they have a STAR by them, it means I’ve heard it and I like it. Album title links go to Amazon and sometimes iTunes. If I miss any good releases, please add them in the comments.)

For all your MP3 needs – you can purchase from iTunes or Amazon using these links! (please and thank you)

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
MP3 >> Best Coast – Boyfriend

DVD:

21 Jump Street: The Complete Series (you betcha)

Instant Gratification: Street Thief

Adam Wood — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 21:40:59 +0000

(Part of the weekly Instant Gratification feature)

Street Thief
Run time: 85 mins | Director: Malik Bader

Watch Now

“Who is this guy, and why the hell is someone filming his robberies?”

The thought swirled through my mind during the initial scenes of Street Thief. The film opens on theverybrink of a break-in outside a Chicago supermarket. From his car, a man sucks cigarettes and watches the last of the store’s employees dissipate into the darkness. He exits his car and paces around in the lonesome street. The camera footage is raw (is this a documentary? A mockumentary? Just pure fiction?), it’s grainy, and it’s difficult to tell what the hell is going on.

“What is he doooooooooing?”

Your heart races as the man approaches the store window, peers in, and prepares to make his entry. He looks around, steps back, and tosses a small, indistinguishable object at the glass door. A diminutive pop! barely becomes audible as the camera angle moves overhead to the rooftop across the street.

“Uh, what?”

In a flash, the man expertly kicks out the glass, hops inside, and cleverly covers the broken shards on the ground with cardboard. He drapes a black garbage bag over the door. It resumes looking like every other rundown market in a bad part of town. Time to work. Loud, penetrating sounds of tools destroying a safe ring through the air.

Beat.

He emerges, something in hand, gets in his car, and drives off. He was never there.

The man, the expert thief, (the insanely hairy) and elusive con man is Kasper Karr (played brilliantly by the director of the film, Malik Bader). As Karr points out the finer points of his skill set to the camera, it becomes clear that two documentarians are following him around trying to get his story. As he tries to explain his method, he reinforces the fact that there is no sob story; there is nothing to learn about his motivations other than the game.

And learn we do! As Street Thief progresses, Karr lets the cameras in on his processes (and you constantly forget this is “fake”). Days, weeks, and months can go by while he cases a supermarket (his favorite places to hit). He may don disguises and survey the store with a hidden camera to learn every single pitfall that could come up during a job. He shows off his impeccably kept power tools, his boisterous nature (deserved), his surveillance systems—along with pretty much anything that can help him bag a worthy score (seems to be upwards of $35K only). It’s clear that Karr is good (nearly too good) and that something must be destined to happen to him!!! With one MAJOR heist on the horizon, it’s clear that…

…I am not going to tell you! What I can share is that watching Karr plan and execute his crimes is both thrilling and disturbing. You will not want this film to end.

Purchase Street Thief on DVD at Amazon.

This Weeks Releases – July 20th, 2010

Rubin — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 09:00:07 +0000

If they have a STAR by them, it means I’ve heard it and I like it. Album title links go to Amazon. If I miss any good releases, please add them in the comments.)

For all your MP3 needs purchase from iTunes or Amazon.

Big Boi: Sir Luscious Left Foot… The Son of Chico Dusty [vinyl]
The Books: The Way Out [mp3] [vinyl]
Bruce Springsteen: Live on Air
Dan Sartain: Lives [mp3]
Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse: Dark Night of the Soul (2-CD, 2-LP deluxe edition)
Daniel Johnston: Story of An Artist (6-CD box set) [vinyl]
Darker My Love & Moccasin: Split 12″ [vinyl]
Daughters: Hell Songs [vinyl]
Delorean: Ayrton Senna EP
Department of Eagles: Archive 2003-2006 [mp3] [vinyl]
Francis & the Lights: It’ll Be Better [mp3]
The Gentle Guest: Cast Off Your Human Form [mp3]
Japandroids: Younger Us [mp3 & vinyl] [mp3]
Mahjongg: The Long Shadow of the Paper Tiger [mp3] [vinyl]
Mirah: Don’t/The Tears That Fall [vinyl]
Mountain Man: Made the Harbor [mp3] [vinyl]
The National: Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers (reissue) [vinyl]
Nirvana: Live on Air
Pelican & These Arms Are Snakes: Split [vinyl]
Piebald: Volume III
Richard Youngs: Beyond the Valley of Ultrahits (remastered) [vinyl] [mp3]
Rick Ross: Teflon Don [mp3]
Shellac: Terraform (reissue) [vinyl]
Sleigh Bells: Treats [vinyl]
Toro Y Moi: Leave Everywhere [vinyl] [mp3]

David Luraschi

Rubin — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 19:41:56 +0000

View the work of San Francisco based photographer David Luraschi. You can also find more of his work on his Flickr and Tumblr. (via 01)

Instant Gratification: Booty Call

Adam Wood — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 18:24:04 +0000

(Part of the weekly Instant Gratification feature)

Booty Call
Run time: (A whopping) 79 mins | Director: Jeff Pollack
Netflix categorization: Raunchy, Goofy

Watch Now

This is less of a review and more of a “May I have your attention!?” – since one of the greatest, and most frequently aired movies in Comedy Central’s history, Booty Call, is now available for your instant consumption (seriously though, it’s probably on TV right now, just go check). If you’ve never seen it, or just want to relive Jamie Foxx’s horrendous haircut, Tommy Davidson playing a “Buppie” (Apparently allmovie.com’s term for “black yuppie”…?), or Vivica Fox as the amazing “Lysterine,” get on it now! Fire up the xBox, log onto the laptop, wind up…your Wii….?

In addition to an incredible cast, the basic premise (essentially, two dudes need to find condoms in order to bone ZOMGgG1!) nails what it’s like to be in a new relationship and wonder when (and how) you’re going to take it to the next level. You know, THAT level.

Fun fact: this movie really brought the term “booty call” into common parlance with your father, who probably (constantly) misuses it!

Purchase Booty Call (The Bootiest Edition) on DVD at Amazon.

This Weeks Releases – July 6th, 2010

Rubin — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 00:11:01 +0000

You should go grab the Baths record that came out today. Just watch him do his thing live over at Yours Truly.

(If they have a STAR by them, it means I’ve heard it and I like it. Album title links go to Amazon. If I miss any good releases, please add them in the comments.)

For all your MP3 needs purchase from iTunes or Amazon.

Baths: Cerulean [mp3 version] ******
Big Boi: Sir Lucious Left Foot… The Son of Chico Dusty [cd & dvd] [mp3] *
John Phillips: Many Mamas Many Papas
Juvenile: Beast Mode
Kathryn Williams: The Quickening [mp3]
Robert Pollard: Moses on a Snail
The Roots: How I Got Over [vinyl]

This Weeks Releases – June 29th, 2010

Rubin — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 08:00:17 +0000

(If they have a STAR by them, it means I’ve heard it and I like it. Album title links go to Amazon. If I miss any good releases, please add them in the comments.)

For all your MP3 needs purchase from iTunes or Amazon.

!!!: AM/FM/the Hammer [vinyl]
Cap’n Jazz: Analphabetapolothology (2-LP vinyl reissue) ******
Maps & Atlases: Perch Patchwork [mp3] [vinyl]
Suckers: Wild Smile [vinyl]
Velvet Underground & Nico: Velvet Underground & Nico [vinyl reissue]
Wildbirds & Peacedrums: Retina [vinyl]
Wolf Parade: Expo 86 [mp3] [vinyl]