Our neighborhood video store announced they would be closing at the end of this month and put their entire inventory up for sale. We stopped by and bought a few cds. I felt like I was scavenging through the belongings of a friend that just passed away. I guess I took it for granted it would always be there.
I refuse to rent from Blockbuster, which also has a store in our neighborhood. Ironically, they are closing too. The convenience and selection of Netflix is so easy, most video stores will probably go by the wayside—if they haven’t already. We did Netflix the first year they launched, but became disenchanted with it for too many reasons to list here and quit our membership.
The film also has interviews with Thurston Moore, from Sonic Youth, and a handful of other music aficionados commenting on the current state of record stores. It portrayed the neighborhood record store as more than just a retail outlet, but as part of the community and a social place for people of all ages to go.
I left the film feeling very melancholic, and a little bit angry. I want to blame technology for what I think are the negative shifts in our culture, but it’s not really the technology to blame—it’s much more complicated and involves so many different factors. And I know, everything must change and evolve.
Mr. Peacock should make a documentary called, I Need That Magazine. I grew up reading and enjoying magazines. My mother was a magazine junkie, mind you she didn’t subscribe to Better Homes & Gardens, or Good Housekeeping—she bought Interview, Ms, Vanity Fair, Details (when it was a downtown Manhattan cultural guide), W, and Prevention (when it was just text and a few illustrations) to name a few. Of course my dad got all of the Golf Magazine titles, which bored me at the time.
Above: Some of my favorite Gourmet magazine issues—new and old.
I still enjoy the physical experience of sitting and reading a magazine, saving it and reading it again later on. I guess if I didn’t have that experience, and grew up only with the Internet, then maybe an online magazine would be a similar experience for me. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Internet and have many favorite online magazines, I still prefer to have a hard copy of some of my favorite issues. I’ve read the newspaper online for almost a decade, but I still like to buy a physical copy of the Sunday New York Times.
Mr. Peacock embraces and celebrates technology, but some of the side effects on our culture and society seem bittersweet. Of course I love blogs—which are sort of like the new form of leisure reading, instead of magazines. But I’m mourning the loss of many hard copy magazines (ie Gourmet), used bookstores, and local record shops.
I feel fortunate that I live in a city that has unique and independently owned stores and restaurants—all within walking distance of my home. It saddens me that a kid growing up somewhere outside of a big city will only have chain restaurants (the same ones across our country), Borders Bookstores, and Walmarts as choices for their local cultural experiences. Admittedly, these kids can find and explore the Internet—if they’re curious and long for something more, but it’s not the same social experience as the real thing.
Mr. Peacock’s hope for these endangered media favorites (magazines, local bookstores and record shops, and art film houses too) is that they start to reopen as niche shops that cater to a narrow clientele that specifically wants what they’re offering.
Our favorite local record shop, Aquarius Records (above), has weathered the storms for 30 years by focusing on offering a unique selection of music in a small shop—but also having a great website too (you can hear samples and read honest reviews). The staff is all music aficionados who love music—many are in bands too. That energy is reflected in the store.
There’s a fantastic bookstore nearby called Get Lost, which specializes in only travel books and maps. It’s great because if you’re going on vacation to say, Italy…you can go peruse everything on Italy. Yes, you can do that on Amazon too, but it’s different comparing titles in person. I admit, I succumb to the conveniece and the great prices on Amazon, but I still like to patronize my local shops too. I don’t want to end up with one monopoly online store.
Many great magazine titles have shut down in the past few years, but many new titles have also launched. So I'm optimistic about the longevity of magazines. One of my favorite launches from the past few years, Buckstyle, segued from a hardcopy magazine to a web magazine (you can read about BuckStyle's founder and editor, Steve Doyle, right here).
I think there’s still a market for magazines, but it’s a niche market that will be willing to pay more for a quality magazine. So the cost of publishing the magazine will weigh more on the reader (with a higher newsstand price), than relying on the income of selling advertisers. I look forward to the new titles that will launch in the coming years. There are only a few good local newsstands left in the city. Luckily, I can walk to almost all of them (see one above)! And support my favorite titles!
What’s your thoughts on the state of technology and media? Do you have a favorite little shop in your neighborhood?
Mr. Peacock has been a huge fan of actor, musician, and gentleman peacock Jason Schwartzman, since seeing him portray Max Fischer in the film 1998 film Rushmore (below).
Jason Schwartzman has had roles in many of my favorite films including: Darjeeling Limited(below), Spun, and Shopgirl. I have to admit, I even enjoyed Marie Antoinette.
On and off camera, Jason Schwartzman exudes a casual, American elegance. At 5’6’ tall, he understands the importance of well-fitted, tailored clothing.
Mr. Peacock likes the quirky little pins Jason Schwartzman likes to wear on his blazers.
Long hair, short hair, scruffy, clean-shaven or bearded—Jason looks well-groomed.
And he always looks effortlessly stylish—whether he is wearing a rumpled oxford shirt and jeans, a suit with a tie, or just a t-shirt and jeans.
This native Californian was destined to be an actor (and have style)—he’s part of the Coppola clan.
His Mom is actress Talia Shire (Coppola), his uncle is Francis Ford Coppola, and his cousins include Nicolas Cage and Sofia Coppola.
His HBO series, Bored to Death, premieres September 20th (above). Jason plays an amateur detective in this upcoming “noir-otic” comedy. He reminds Mr. Peacock of a modern-day Peter Sellers. I hope the script of Bored to Death is as good as the cast, and costumes.
Above: You can order a Coconut Records tote bag or t-shirt here.
In addition to his acting talent, this peacock is a musician too. His current solo music project is called Coconut Records. The debut album by Coconut Records,Nighttiming, was released on Schwartzman’s Young Baby Records in 2007.
His sophomore album, Davy,was released this past January (Microphone, above video, from Davy CD). He also performs the musical score in his new film, Funny People.
This peacock is also a newlywed. He married clothing designer, Brady Cunningham, earlier this year.
They have an adorable French bulldog—Arrow (named after Harry Nilsson’s song “Me and My Arrow”). Arrow has a cameo in the Microphone video above.
Jason Schwartzman also posed for the Band of Outsiders Fall Collection look book, which was photographed with a Polaroid camera by Band of Outsider’s designer Scott Sternberg. Many of the shots were taken on Chung King Road in L.A.’s Chinatown, a nod and homage to Sternberg’s inspiration for this collection—the 1967 Jean-Luc Godard film La Chinoise.
Both Jason and the Band of Outsider’s Fall Collection shine in all of the shots!
Mr. Peacock loves this image with parasols. Jason is wearing a wool patchwork suit, Sea Island cotton shirt, oxford cloth bow tie, and flannel boat shoes.
This wool patchwork windbreaker is brilliant...and of course Jason makes it look casually elegant. Mr. Peacock salutes this Californian peacock for his talent and effortless style. Thanks Jason Schwartzman!
Around 1990, when I worked at a weekly newspaper, I liked to listen to a local oldies Am radio station while I designed the layouts. The station, which is now defunct, played American standards and jazz—think Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Goodman, and Peggy Lee (above c. 1956).My dad would listen to a similar oldies station while driving his car, when I was a kid, so that music is very comforting to me.
One day, on a lark, I called the radio station when they announced a trivia question to win a pair of tickets to see Peggy Lee in concert. I don’t remember what the trivia question was, but I won those tickets!
I queried my friends to find someone to accompany me to the show—either they weren’t interested in seeing Peggy Lee, or had previous plans (the Folsom Fair was the same day as the concert). I ended up going to the show by myself, and had to take a bus for about 45 minutes, to what seemed like the middle of nowhere, out in the suburbs of San Francisco.
The bus was running late, and I was worried I would miss the beginning of the show—and there was no warm-up act. I walked into the theater, which was a tiered half-circle with maybe 1000 seats—and it was less than half full. I couldn't believe it—I thought it would be sold out. The audience was a mix: dressed-up older couples, some gay men, a handful of hipster kids, and a couple of drag queens. The band, about 10 or 12 guys, came out on stage and began warming-up. Then the lights dimmed and a male voice boomed over the sound system, “Ladies and gentlemen—Miss Peggy Lee.”
Above: Peggy Lee in her dressing room, before a show, c. 1990.
A spotlight appeared on the side of the stage...and Miss Lee was in a wheel chair, being pushed out to the center of the stage, by an assistant. It was rather surreal—and just a few yards away from where I was sitting. She was wearing a sparkly sequined outfit with her signature platinum wig, and a large sparkly rhinestone decoration (brooch?)on top of her hair...and a huge bunch of balloons fastened to the handles of her wheelchair. She was sparkling like firecracker, and brought the whole theater to life.
She took the microphone and looked out at all of the empty seats and said, “How about everyone squeeze in, and come closer.” So everyone crowded together down in the front section, and she began her first song. I literally had goose bumps hearing this legend perform! Like a good wine, her voice had aged, but was still wonderful—and thousands of times better than many young pop songbirds today.
Above: I'm a woman, with Johnny Cash.
She sang all of her hits and many cover songs: Fever, Manana, I’m a Woman, and my favorite—Is That All There Is? Between songs, she told stories and chatted with the audience, and even allowed the audience to ask questions.
Tony Bennett said, "Peggy Lee was the female Frank Sinatra...she was the epitome of popular jazz singing and a wonderful songwriter as well." Quoted from the Chicago Tribune, 1/23/02
What a performer! This lady with panache entertained us for almost 3 hours, and was so charming, funny and warm. At the time, she was involved in a lawsuit with Disney (they ripped her off for the songwriter royalties for the song, Lady and the Tramp), but still made funny references to the case, without naming names.
k.d. lang said, "She represents an era that is leaving us, one where vocals were king, and I honestly can't think of a better vocalist in that jazz-pop crooning style. What made her so good was that she interpreted and delivered songs with such a complex and dense range of emotions." Quoted from Time magazine, 1/27/02
Peggy Lee was a Gemini, born on May 26, 1920. This elegant and glamorous woman was a singer, songwriter, composer and actress. I can’t even begin to list all of the hits and professional accolades this girl from a small town in North Dakota achieved in her 60-year career.
To learn more about Miss Peggy Lee's amazing life and career, be sure to stop by theofficial Peggy Lee website, or read a book about this American icon. If you don’t have some Peggy Lee in your music collection, buy a cd today....make yourself a Casanova Cocktail and sit down and listen to it this weekend!
I feel very fortunate that I was able to see this icon perform live in my lifetime. She passed away in 2002. Mr. Peacock salutes this fellow Gemini—Miss Peggy Lee!
Purple, encompassing shades from deep aubergine to the palest lilac, can add a sophisticated touch to your wardrobe. The color is historically associated with royalty; in the 80’s purple immediately brought visions of Prince—a royal of his own kind. Many peacock gentlemen wear purple...peacock icon, James Andrew, elegantly wears all shades of this regal color; and the peacock artist, Emile Norman, likes to wear his signature purple Converse sneakers. If you don’t already wear purple, start with a belt and then work your way up to a shirt or jacket. Here are some purple goodies that will get you started…
1)Pantone has a plethora of purple colors...and your coffee or tea will definitely taste better sipped out of this purple colored Pantone Mug(spot color 2583).
4)Mr. Peacock loves these steely lilac oxfords. They would look great with a dark suit or even just your favorite jeans.
5)The Fine and Dandy Shop always has a selection of economical pocket squares in various shades purple of purples.
6)Thank you Marc Jacobs for your “special items.” There are always bargain treasures, and these purple and navy web belts for $20 are worth their weight in gold for adding a bit of purple to your wardrobe this spring. 7)These slim fit purple jeans take be back to high school. They would look chic with a navy blazer.
At right: Menswear designer, Michael Bastion, showed purple trousers paired with a plaid jacket at his Autumn/Winter 2009 Collection. Why wait until the fall to wear purple, be inspired now!
Above video: Whenever I hear Prince, it reminds me of my late sister, Theresa. We saw Prince in concert numerous times together—we loved him in the 80's. She first turned me onto him with this album.
Above: The Seekers, looking very stylish and polished, performing the song, Georgy Girl—which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1966.
The Seekers were a popular 1960's folk-influenced music group from Melbourne, Australia. They’ve sold over 50 million records and had a string of hits including: I’ll Never Find Another You, and Georgy Girl(the title song from the film of the same name). Mr. Peacock remembers singing along with his mom to the song Georgy Girl, while it blared through the AM car radio.
Looking Mod (above) circa 1965—The Seekers:Keith Potger, Judith Durham, Bruce Woodley, and Athol Guy.
Mr. Peacock is inspired by the style of the gentlemen band members of The Seekers. They always looked so stylish in matching Mod trim-cut suits, or dressed casually in Ivy League style apparel. The perfect looks for this spring!
The last time they played at The Fillmore,Mr. Peacock watched the show standing towards the back of the crowded main room. Karen O. was drinking shots of tequila while she sang, and being provocative with a banana on stage. Suddenly, she threw the banana peel into the audience and it landed directly at my feet—plop. I was laughing as I picked it up, and some girls in front of me asked if they could have it as a souvenir. Of course I obliged their request. Karen O. is a great performer and changed costumes numerous times. All of her amazing costumes are designed by Christian Joy.The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are a great band to see live—if you get a chance to see them, don't miss it! Here's the tour dates.
My partner, Jason, turned me on to the 1960’s New York girl group—The Cake.Mr. Peacock is mesmerized every time he watches their 1967 performance from the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour(see video above)—singing “You Can Have Him.”The Cake girls step out from a pink sherbet colored Dali-esque set; immediately Chelsea Lee (blond hair) & Barbara Morillo (dark brunette) start singing and grooving, while seventeen year old, Jeanette Jacobs, stands completely still—like a Japanime deer frozen in the headlights.
The Cake recorded two albums, between 1966-1968, of R&B standards and their own original material. Jeanette Jacobs sadly passed away in 1980, at age 30.
Here’s another video (above) of The Cake performing "Mockingbird" in 1967 on the television special, Popendipity. Again, heavy-eyed Jeanette Jacobs, barely moves, while Chelsea and Barbara slide around on the floor. Who knows…maybe this was their schtick to have Jeanette just stand there—I guess we’ll never know? What do you think?
Mr. Peacock’s parents sometimes had their differences, but one thing they didn’t disagree on was their love of blues and jazz music. Most of my friends grew up with their parents listening to The Beatles (my older sisters played them though)or The Rolling Stones, not mine, they listened to the blues and jazz. I occasionally will hear a blues or jazz song and not know who the artist is, but I know the song because it’s buried in my brain somewhere from hearing it at a young age. Other kids' parents in my neighborhood would go square dancing or go to church potlucks when they went out socially, but not my mom and dad—they would frequently go to night clubs and private parties to hear the blues and jazz music.
I occasionally accompanied my parents, as a child, to hear live jazz, usually when my older sisters or a babysitter weren’t available—and always at a supper club type of venue. My mom would dress me up in a little suit, usually with a bow tie. She would instruct me before we got to the night club to be quite and sit still, and be polite if anyone spoke to me. My dad didn't like me chattering at the table, especially when the music was playing. My parents would order a fancy dinner and the dishes usually had some fancy monogram or logo on them. My mom would drink daiquiris, while my dad would drink dry martinis. I was allowed to order as many Batman or Shirley Temple cocktails as I wanted. The cocktail waitress would usually bring me an extra dish of maraschino cherries. I remember people (friends, golfing buddies or the band musicians) always coming over to our table to greet my parents and they usually would comment on how cute I looked in my outfit. It was very boring for me at the time to sit still and watch my parents talk and party with their jazz friends, while the bands and singers performed. I still have a problem sitting still and not talking for any extended amount of time—which drives my partner crazy, just as it did my father. I think it’s because I’m a Gemini.
My parents were a stylish couple. As a small child I remember thinking my mom looked like some glamorous movie star when she was dressed up. She’d usually wear a black cocktail dress with some very minimal diamond or pearl jewelry. She had (and still has) amazing porcelain skin and luxuriously thick dark hair and would only wear a little mascara and red lipstick for make-up. My dad would dress in his usual palette of black and gray.
One of my father's favorite blues/jazz performers was Dinah Washington, who tragically died at age 39, from an accidental overdose of diet pills. As a child I would sit on the floor next to my dad while he polished his alligator shoes—listening to Dinah Washington records. He had seen her perform live and owned many of her records.
My parents were friends with jazz clarinettist, Peanuts Hucko, and his wife, singer Louise Tobin (who had been a big band singer, previously married to big band legend, Harry James). My parents would frequently socialize and party with Peanuts and Louise at their jazz niteclub, The Navarre.
Here’s a clip of jazz legend Sarah Vaughn.I remember how excited my mother was when she met Miss Vaughn in the early 1970’s.
My parents had many fun stories about their night club and party experiences, but it didn’t interest me as a child or teenager hearing about old jazz musicians. I now wish I remembered (or had written down) some of those crazy jazz stories—the few I remember are to provocative to repeat here. I thank my parents for instilling in me at an early age a love of blues, jazz and live music.
PLEASE NOTE: THE MIXWIT CASSETTE PLAYLIST IS GONE—THEY WERE SHUT DOWN AT THE END OF 2008. AS SOON AS MR. PEACOCK FINDS ANOTHER TYPE OF PLAYER, HE WILL REPLACE IT OR MAYBE ADD A PODCAST.
Here's a little mixtape for the holidays from Mr. Peacock. There's no carols, just an eclectic assortment (heavy on the shoegazing) perfect while cleaning the house...Click the arrow to play the tape. To play by song—roll your mouse below the tape to see the control bar and click the menu button.
You'll need to play this little mixed tape before December 27th, because MixWit, the website that allows you to make these fun "mixed-tapes" is sadly shutting down on December 27th. Enjoy!
Jason dragged me to the 8th Annual San Francisco Documentary Film Festival this past Sunday afternoon at The Roxie theater near our apartment. We saw the film, I Need That Record, which chronicles the demise of the local independent record store—focusing on a few closing shops in Connecticut.
Above: Some of my favorite Gourmet magazine issues—new and old.
Our favorite local record shop, Aquarius Records (above), has weathered the storms for 30 years by focusing on offering a unique selection of music in a small shop—but also having a great website too (you can hear samples and read honest reviews). The staff is all music aficionados who love music—many are in bands too. That energy is reflected in the store.
There’s a fantastic bookstore nearby called Get Lost, which specializes in only travel books and maps. It’s great because if you’re going on vacation to say, Italy…you can go peruse everything on Italy. Yes, you can do that on Amazon too, but it’s different comparing titles in person. I admit, I succumb to the conveniece and the great prices on Amazon, but I still like to patronize my local shops too. I don’t want to end up with one monopoly online store.
Many great magazine titles have shut down in the past few years, but many new titles have also launched. So I'm optimistic about the longevity of magazines. One of my favorite launches from the past few years, Buckstyle, segued from a hardcopy magazine to a web magazine (you can read about BuckStyle's founder and editor, Steve Doyle, right here).
I think there’s still a market for magazines, but it’s a niche market that will be willing to pay more for a quality magazine. So the cost of publishing the magazine will weigh more on the reader (with a higher newsstand price), than relying on the income of selling advertisers. I look forward to the new titles that will launch in the coming years. There are only a few good local newsstands left in the city. Luckily, I can walk to almost all of them (see one above)! And support my favorite titles!
