Your Favourite Places

Exmouth Market, London, UK

UK photographer Brian Ferry makes us miss rainy days in London. Join his ride down Exmouth Market:

Perhaps Exmouth Market is one of my favorite streets in London due to nostalgia. I walked down this street on my first full day in London after moving here in November 2009, when it rained every day for weeks and I was living in cramped temporary housing. It was the street where I decided I love this city. But I suspect it’s my favorite street because Exmouth Market has it all - the best local bookshop (Clerkenwell Tales), a great bar with table football (Cafe Kick), a killer coffee shop that serves excellent brunch on the weekends (Caravan), an old-school pie & mash shop (Clark’s), and a famous London restaurant (Moro). On a sunny day, I like to sit at one of the tables outside in the late afternoon with a glass of dry sherry from Moro or Morito next door, chat with friends and watch people walk by on the cobblestone street. It always seems to be an eclectic, interesting, well-dressed and smiling crowd. It feels good, there’s a buzz in the air. It’s the sort of street that every city should have.

US Pacific Coast Highway surf towns

Another fantastic photographer: Michael Muller (Check out his BLOG). Michael is also a musician. Anybody want to go hiking on the Pacific Coast Highway… We bet you do after reading this…

I grew up in the northern coastal region of San Diego county, California. At age 10 my family moved to Texas which was a vastly contrastive landscape and social spectrum. With a few family members still near San Diego and some close family friends we were able to retain ties to the area and visit about once a year on average since. Each time I revisit the slow-paced surf towns that dot the coast northward on the Pacific Coast Highway, my appreciation for the culture and the perfected climate clings a little closer than the time before.

From La Jolla up to Leucadia, there lies a 1/2 dozen towns and beach communities that harness a captivating light and ease that is difficult to let go of. Starting in La Jolla, the most magnificent beach I’ve been to is called Windansea. (It even inspired a song title from my band’s first studio album.) Narrow spits of rocks jut out into the sea to create funnels for the tides and platforms for diving.

Going northward through a nature preserve the next stop is the town I lived in - Del Mar. The train cuts through the parks just off the low-brow beaches through the hollow of the land. Jagged cliffs hold the homes safe above to the breakers below.

Solana Beach is the next town north, which boasts my favorite Mexican food of all time: Roberto’s. I once made the mistake of eating this for two meals in a row. The food is heavy and rich and not to be taken lightly. I recommend the rolled tacos, which are served with heaps of guacamole, sour cream and grated cheese.

Just one hill and a beach away is the long commercial strip of surf shops and restaurants in Encinitas. Lou’s Records sits on the north end of the town limits, housing a diverse collection of new and used LPs, CDs and DVDs. I’d spend every last dime of my hard earned money from mowing yards in my youth to purchase the limited distribution of my favorite early indy-rock and punk releases that were impossible to find in Texas.

Just a few paces up the sidewalk lies a restored old train house which is home to Pannikin Coffee & Tea. A high porch wraps the building and old adirondack chairs are scattered around the groomed grass in front of this staple for breakfasts and afternoon cups.

However, likely my favorite breakfast spot lies on the Pacific Coast Highway just up-shore from the famous Southern California surf spot that dons the same name: Swami’s. Swami’s Cafe is a very casual dining spot, open early for the morning surf crowd. the Acai bowl (pictured) is immense with acai smoothie topped with granola, fruit and coconut shavings. A great entrance to anybody’s day.

The rest of this North San Diego County strip is a spectacle to behold. Soft sands blowing amidst the succulents and palm trees. With temperatures never waving above 80ºF in the summer and the crisp Pacific Ocean beckoning, the region holds a mystique to me I still have yet to fully explore or unravel. I try with my might to revisit at least once a year, as I implore you to do as well.

Taka’s bar, Kabukicho, Tokyo, Japan

Photographer Anton Kusters released a fantastic photo book documenting the Japanese Yakuza. The limited edition of the book sold out in one month, but the second edition is available for order now on www.antonkusters.com. Anton`s favorite bar is of course in Tokyo…:

INSTRUCTIONS: Around 1am, from Shinjuku station in Tokyo, walk towards Kabukicho, the red light district. After you cross the famous big road featured in “Lost in Translation”, turn a right and walk along that road until you come to a crossroad with a “Mr. Donut” on the corner. Take a left into Kabukicho there. In the meantime guys and girls alike will start offering you good times if you come into their bars. Just ignore and walk on. After 100m, the first cross street with traffic lights, turn left, and then immediately, go into the tiny alley to the left again. The alley is only 1m wide, so don’t miss it. Walk about 10m until you see a little shack bar on the left with a “danger” sign on the outside. 2 meter wide, 2 meter high, no more than a big cardboard box. If the seahorse light is on, the bar is open. Drinks are all 1000¥, the bar seats a whopping 4 customers. Across the alley is the best Chinese restaurant on earth. Bring a business card to pin up against Taka’s wall… and ask him to play some good punk music. Have multiple beers with him, thinking where the hell you have ended up literally in the smallest bar in the world in literally the largest city in the world. Do not leave until dawn, and talk about life with the three other customers. Serendipity will happen.

Taka-san has become a great friend of my brother and I, and is the fixer in our Yakuza book project.

Barrio Chino, New York

Barrio Chino

Todays blogpost is from Jesper Majdall, partner in Volcano Management in Denmark. Volcano Management promote artists such as Nephew, Veto and The Floor Is Made Of Lava. Jesper loves Barrio Chino, a mexican restaurant in New York.

My pick is the Mexican restaurant in New York, Barrio Chino. My girl friend tipped me some years ago about this small and extremely cosy Lower East side place, and it’s very unlikely I´ll travel to NYC and not take my time to spend a couple of hours at this place.

Whenever I get a chance I’ll tell people to stop by when they are in NYC. Actually I feel obliged to spread the word. And although it can be hard to convince people to do the effort necessary (see, it’s not easy to get a table here!) and since NYC offers quite a few decent Mexican restaurants, you just have to take my word for it: This is the best. And if you are not a huge fan of Mexican food this is likely to change when you taste the enchiladas verde. When combined with their grape margarita it’s hard not to feel happy and relaxed.

I’ve brought a string of friends and bands to this place as it’s located not too far away from Mercury and Bowery and is a perfect place to dinner before a show.

And yes, book your table in advance.

French Films debut album coming out!

“French Films” as previously seen in our blog is releasing their debut album “Imaginary Future”. It´s coming out on the 21. september. Check it out!

GEAE Booking and Records has this to say about the album:

The album contains 10 songs about being alive and about the struggle between the fading dreams of

childhood and the growing cynicism, forced upon by the surrounding reality. With its combination of sunny

and cloudy sounds, wide echoes, young energetic drive and escapistic vocals sung by several lead singers,

the music creates its own world full of islands, mountains and celebration, where the joke is on those who

praise the unequal system and the questionable truths. But when the last track ends, you wake up to the

reality again and remember that it’s not the worst, yet. This album is an ode to the young and

young-hearted minds.

We are looking forward to listening to the album! Check it out people!

Lofoten, Norway

Bendik plays dreamy, haunting pop, drenched in harmonies and reverb. Originated as the solo project of singer and multi-instrumentalist Silje Halstensen, Bendik grew it’s branches and became a trio this winter, embracing Erlend Elvesveen and Eivind Helgerød, all living in the beautiful city of Trondheim, Norway. They are already playing on numerous norwegian festivals this summer, including Slottsfjellfestivalen in Tønsberg, Huset ved sjøen-festivalen in Nesodden, and Pstereo in Trondheim!

To Bendik, nature has a special room in our hearts, and we all know many beautiful places we would love to share. And some to keep secret. But we all share a dream of visiting what we know will become one of our favorites - Lofoten in Northern Norway! We dream of sleeping in the open under the midnight sun, hiking the mountains, dive in the sea, and listen to the silence of the prettiest place on earth. One day soon!

Where is Lofoten?

Bakklandet, Trondheim, Norway

Photo: Scanpix

Angelica’s Elegy plays melancholic indie pop inspired by Beach House, Deerhunter, Yo La Tengo og Madlib. The band was started by Simen and Erik at Trøndertun Folk high school. They have cooperated with people from Dråpe and Bendik (who’ll appear on this blog on tuesday).

Our favourite place is more of an area of the city we live in, than a specific smaller location. The place is called Bakklandet, and is an old part of the city laying next to the Nidaros river. This place is all “brick road, old tree houses, old shops and bridges”, with several cozy pubs and coffee shops. Also, the fact that Simen and Karl’s Greener Productions is located in a studio called Trondheim Studio at Bakklandet makes this place very relevant when we reminisce over “what made all of this the way it is?”, “how did Angelica’s Elegy come to this point?”

Angelica’s Elegy is playing at Slottsfjell festival in Tønsberg this summer!

Where is Bakklandet?

Bergen, Norway

Foto: Embla Karidotter

Razika is the most honest indie-ska-punk band in Norway at this time. Their first album, Program 91, was released 2nd of may 2011 and their single Vondt i Hjertet is currently B-listed on NRK P3.

Our favorite place on earth is Bergen. All of us are born and raised her, this is the city we have a relationship with. We are all city-kids from the centre and “need” what a city can offer: shops, cafés, parks, cultural offers etc. And in addition to that, Bergen hare 7 amazing mountains and a harbor. Can it possibly get any better.

Yes, it’s one of the cities in Norway with most rain, but when the sun is out the city just explode! Everybody is outside and there’s a good atmosphere everywhere. Also, Bergensere (people from Bergen) is without doubt the coolest people in Norway. As Agnar Mykle once said, Oslo is the dog, Bergen is the cat. We support each other in Bergen patriotism. Just like the amazing musical environment: there’s no competition because everybody does their own thing and therefore everybody support and help each other. If it wasn’t for Bergen, the coolest city in the world, there wouldn’t be any Razika!

Where is Bergen?

Tourist info

The Ark, Corfu, Greece

Christoffer Timoteo sing and play guitar in the band Memetics. They’re a indiepop band from Sandefjord, Norway and have been playing since 2009. They recently released their first EP: “Generations EP”, and will be playing at a couple of festivals this summer (one of them is Slottsfjell festival in Tønsberg, Norway).

My favorite place in the world must be “The Ark” lounge bar on the island Corfu in Greece. It’s been a long time since I’ve been there, but I can recall everything as it was yesterday. An open space with huge sheets as roof and the soothing sounds of the waves washing up on the clear white beach. This was also where I first got in touch with the game Backgammon, and I believe this also was where I had my first glass of wine. I was 13, so I felt really grown up playing backgammon and drinking wine with my older brother. Great place, on a beautiful island, filled with magnificent people!

The Ark (in greek)

Slottsfjell artists

We are, as everybody else with a little sensibility, super excited about the festival summer. I can’t wait to get dirty feet on festival ground, buy the funkyest hat I can find, hang out with my old friends, make some new friends and sing on the top of my voice! I am also pleased to see that some of the bands that contributed to this blog is playing at the Slottsfjell festival in Tønsberg, Norway, one of the festivals I’m definitely going to :D

Dråpe

Blood Command

Jonas Alaska

If you work with music and want to contribute to this blog: send an e-mail to marie@ufa.no and tell me about your favourite place and who you are (about your career) and a picture of the place.