Arrica Rose

Arrica Rose at the Bradbury Building

ARRICA ROSE

At the Bradbury Building [304 S. Broadway, Los Angeles (Downtown)],

Angels Flight [351 S. Hill St, Los Angeles (Downtown)] and

Angels Knoll [356 S. Olive St., Los Angeles (Downtown)]

Singer-songwriter, musician and frontwoman of Arrica Rose & the …'s (the Dot Dot Dots), Arrica Rose, selected one of the most interesting pockets of Downtown as her favorite spot in Los Angeles. She chose the famed Bradbury Building as our starting point, followed by a walk to Angels Flight and its adjacent park, Angels Knoll.

The Bradbury may seem like an average brick building on the outside with a corporate retail shop and chain restaurant on its first level, but once you step inside, the beauty of this architectural landmark instantly takes your breath away. Brilliant natural light flows through the enormous glass skylight of its center court, allowing you to notice every detail put into the intricately carved polished wood, cast-iron railings with ornate filigree, rich marble staircase and patterned, tiled floors. It's no wonder the Bradbury has often been used as a filming location for movies like Chinatown, Blade Runner and The Artist, as well as numerous TV shows, music videos, commercials and is even referenced in novels and comic books.

As I approach Arrica in the Bradbury's center court, she is talking with a small group of friends that includes Dan Garcia, the producer she has teamed with for most of her releases, including her latest EP, Lucky. Although Arrica is a native Angeleno, she was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, so over the years the time she has spent recording at Garcia's Radio Hill studio near the Bradbury was when she really cultivated a love for the neighborhood.

"The time that I came to really appreciate Downtown was being down here making music. I had been in Downtown when I was small, going to functions and the theater with my parents, and Downtown was really desolate. There was almost nothing going on, except at specific destination spots. Then I was working down here and seeing how the whole area was being revitalized. I found it really fascinating, the whole history of Downtown. That's when I became a little bit obsessed with the area and its culture," she recalls. "Downtown is constantly changing, so as familiar as I am with it, there are always new things to discover. Every time I'm here, there's a new place to explore. That is what's exciting about Los Angeles: Around every corner, there's something you potentially don't know about, even if you've lived here your whole life. As familiar as you are with it, it has that sense of the unknown."

We admire the stunning details of the Bradbury, from the exquisite wrought-iron elevator doors down to the old mail slots and post box, then venture outside for a short walk up 3rd Street to the Angels Flight entrance on Hill Street. On the way, Arrica shares what she knows of the history of the small railway: how it was moved from one location to another, how it closed after a fatal accident and eventually reopened a couple of years ago. It's known as the "Shortest Railway in the World" since it only traverses 298 feet of track. In fact, we forgo actually riding on it for a walk up a long set of stairs leading to Angels Knoll.

As we walk up the steps, Arrica tells me how she was almost a New Yorker. Her father, an actor and native New Yorker, and mother, an educator and writer in her spare time, barely decided to move to California until right before she was born. Currently she splits her time between living in West Los Angeles and the Bay Area.

"Having lived here my whole life, I only had perspective on L.A. and its surrounding areas. Being up in the Bay Area now too, it's nice to go back and forth and maybe appreciate it more here than I ever did," she admits. "L.A. has been home to me for so long that I feel like I know the city inside and out. If anyone asks me where to go, what to do or what to eat, I always have this wealth of suggestions. I think that's what I miss and get homesick for, just that sort of kinship you feel you have with the city."

Once we make our way to the top of the stairs, we discover that white cotton from the trees above is strewn all over the grass at Angels Knoll. It's almost as if we're surrounded by little patches of melting snow, even though it's about 75 degrees out. We take a seat on a park bench, just like the characters in (500) Days of Summer, and I ask Arrica about her other L.A. haunts as we admire the view of skyscrapers, Grand Central Market and people milling about the streets below.

"I lived in Downtown and West Hollywood, and I still gravitate towards going to places in these places instead of in West L.A. A lot of the time I spend in L.A., I'm playing music at shows and recording," she says. "I'll be recording, and we'll go to the Redwood, which is around the corner and very convenient. I love going to Blossom, that's a great one. The pho is great. I also like going to Little Tokyo for sushi."

When I tell her I like the polka-dot dress she is wearing, Arrica confesses her fashion-related addiction.

"I tend to shop at thrift stores. That became an obsession of mine when I was pretty young and started collecting vintage dresses. I've always had a fascination with things that were older. Just that sense of history in the items," she admits. "There's a wealth of little stores that I go to. Sometimes the local Goodwill is fun and Jet Rag, too. I have stuff that's not vintage, but I always end up gravitating towards the vintage because I feel like it encompasses a sense of lost time, of everything that came before you."

Angels Flight

This sense of blending influences from past eras with a bit of the modern into her music for an almost timeless sound is something that Arrica strives for.

"In a way, that's what I hope to do, to take all of the things that came before me and put some spin on it that may be my own so I'm not just recreating what came before, I'm contributing my own take on it a little bit," she tells.

From a young age, Arrica was surrounded by music, from Big Band records to the Beach Boys and the Beatles. Ol' Blue Eyes was definitely a big inspiration to her as well.

"When I was little, if there was a room full of people, I would ask everyone if I could sing them a song. I think I was about 4 at the time. I would put on Frank Sinatra's 'New York, New York' and sing along," she remembers. "My parents saw this and knew that music was going to be an important part of my life, whether it was a hobby or something I pursued professionally. They were very encouraging and took me down that path of, 'I think you should learn an instrument, too.' I am so glad they did because, as I love to sing, one of the things I probably enjoy the most is the songwriting process."

Arrica began taking voice and piano lessons while still in grade school, and she eventually started the guitar at age 15. Around this time, her parents would drive her to see some of her first rock shows.

"One of the first shows I went to see that they just dropped me off for was the Violent Femmes at Universal Amphitheater. That was a lot of fun. I also used to go to a lot of shows at Jabberjaw in the Crenshaw District. I remember the first time my parents picked me up there, they had this look on their faces, they were not pleased with the location. I managed to convince them that I was perfectly safe there, even though there were always shootings like a block or two away. But it was such a fun venue, and I saw a lot of great bands come through there. "

Little did her parents realize, but one of their evening rituals during her bedtime would eventually lead to Arrica being in her first punk band.

"I wouldn't go to sleep without listening to music when I was really small, and my parents would always put on 'Lovesongs on the KOST,'" she laughs. " I'm sure that some of what I do is influenced by going to bed to 'Lovesongs on the KOST' every night. I have a place in my heart for it. That's probably also why I got into punk rock as a teenager, it was my rebellion against the 'Lovesongs on the KOST.'"

She formed an all-girl punk trio called Uxby with Stefanie (Big Harp) and Kerri Drootin. The group played venues like Cobalt Cafe and the Smell, and Arrica shares a great story from one of those early shows.

Arrica Rose at Angels Knoll

"One of the stories that sticks out in my mind the most was playing at Silverlake Lounge when I was still underage. I thought it was so cool and was so excited to play a show there and hang out," she begins. "We played our set, got off the stage and were all amped up to watch the other bands. And then, they promptly escorted us out. 'Thank you for your set, and good-bye." Door closed. Understandably it was not their fault, but we were delusional enough to think that they would let us hang out in the bar after we played. It was fun nevertheless."

Arrica eventually went on to attend USC, where she took a little hiatus from music to concentrate on film school. While she was doing the sound design for a thesis project, however, she began to realize that maybe music really was her destined path.

"I was watching the short and realized that I had a really clear vision in my head of what the music needed to sound like. I remember convincing the director that I should do music for the short, as well. I would up recording the music on a four-track at my house," she recalls. "We were going to watch it in a big theater, and I was so nervous because I didn't know what it was going to sound like, having recorded it in my living room. It turned out well, the director was really happy with it and that was the moment that I said to myself, 'I think this music thing is what I really enjoy the most.'

She began releasing her lo-fi home recordings through her own label, pOprOck records,  put together the …'s – that were eventually comprised of herself on vocals, guitar, keys, mandolin and omnichord; Marc Thomas on lead guitar, Steve Giles on bass, Ryan Brown on drums, percussion; Laura Martin on backing vocals; and Kaitlin Wolfberg on violin – and released their full-length debut, People Like Us, in 2006.

Arrica teamed up with Garcia for the first time on 2008's La La Lost (with songs being placed in TV shows like "Nikita") and again for a solo EP, Pretend I'm Fur. Garcia was also at the helm for the band's 2011 release, the critically lauded Let Alone Sea.

"We have a great working relationship, in that, I feel like we understand each other really well," Arrica says of Garcia. "He contributes so much to my sound and is also good at distilling what I want from that sound, too. It's one of those things where we just speak the same language, and I think that's important when you're working with a producer – that you really understand one another."

Their professional rapport is so strong that Garcia also co-wrote a few songs on the Lucky EP with her. Arrica has been composing songs since she was 11, but has never really set up a system for her methods.

"I find that if I force myself to try and come up with a system of 'Oh, I'll write every day' or 'I'll just write in the evenings,' that pressure stifles my creativity a little bit. But I do notice that I tend to write songs in threes," she says. "The only pattern I do see in writing music is, if I finish one song usually there are two songs that I will write within a week. I have no idea why, and I try not to think too hard about it because thinking too hard about it sometimes destroys the process for me."

Dwelling too long on specific things instead of relishing the entirety of life is something that Arrica tries not to do, and Lucky's moniker points to that notion.

"The title comes from the song 'Microscope' that has the line: 'Put away the microscope, let's live in a big picture that paints us lucky.' That song for me was very much about not focusing on what's wrong and focusing on what's right. When you focus on what's right, I feel that you're a happier person for it. Not to say that you turn a blind eye to everything that's wrong, but just to be appreciative of what you do have instead of always thinking about what you don't. That's why I chose that title," she informs. "I can be one of those people that can get into sort of a dark space or I can be a positive, optimistic person. I don't want to shut out that dark side of me because I think that it is a place where some of my creativity comes from, but I also just want to remember to be positive and to enjoy life and remember that I am lucky."

Besides her music, Arrica occupies her time as the head of I HEART Inc., a non-profit that allows artists to raise money for charity organizations – such as the Silverlake Conservatory of Music and Sojourn Services for Battered Women and their Children – through unique creative projects and events.

"I HEART started in 2008. I was on tour with two friends, Abby Kincaid and Laura Martin, in Albuquerque, and there was this woman there who had done a pin-up calendar benefit. We met her, she showed us these pictures and we asked her if we could recreated something like it in L.A.," she recalls. "Everyone got a little busy with other projects, and I took over from there and decided to really make it about not specifically doing the pin-up girl calendar but just about doing creative projects in general that could bring artists together that allow them to give back to their communities and also allow them to meet other artists who have this desire to inspire change and expose them to new fans. It's a way for you to do something good and get something good back in return."

I HEART has worked with sponsors and supporters that include Willie Nelson, Crosby Stills and Nash, Jack White, Jackson Browne, Sub Pop Records and Hotel Café, among others. They also sponsored Omaha Girls Rock camp for two summers, a project that Arrica's former bandmate, Stefanie Drootin, had brought into the fold.

"Working with little girls, teaching them how to rock out and express themselves through music is rewarding," Arrica says. "It was an amazing group of women that put this together, and I was really inspired by not only the little girls that were learning but all the women who were involved in the project."

According to Arrica, passion for whatever you're doing in life is crucial. Especially for artists trying to make a living through their music.

"You have to really love it. The music industry is in a weird space in a lot of ways, so it's really important to love what you do and do it for that reason. The rest will fall into place or it won't, but if you're doing it because you love to do it then you can't really go wrong."

Lucky is currently available. Arrica Rose & the …'s perform April 13 at Hotel Café. For more information, visit arricarose.com.

New Release Tuesday - 3/12/13

MARCH 12, 2013

MUSIC RELEASES

Devendra Banhart  – Mala (Nonesuch)
The singer-songwriter has such a distinctive voice that no matter the genre or language his songs are in, his vocals are immediately recognizable. While Banhart often sings in Spanish, the title of his eighth full length (his debut on Nonesuch), Mala, is supposedly meant to refer to a Serbian term of endearment rather than the Spanish word for 'bad.' Although, with Banhart, you can never really be sure whether he's joking or not. Mala is far from inferior to any of his previous efforts, though. From "Für Hildegard von Bingen" and "Mi Negrita" to "A Gain" and "Hatchet Wound," he continues to evolve sonically while creating a completely addictive collection of songs.

David Bowie – The Next Day (Columbia)
Fans were given two amazing presents for the legendary artist's 66th birthday in January: a release announcement for his first studio album in a decade and a video for its first single, "Where Are We Now?." I'm a bit more partial to the track "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)" and its video, which features Tilda Swinton as Bowie's wife. The entirety of The Next Day, however, is comprised of gems – "If You Can See Me," "Dancing Out in Space," "How Does the Grass Grow?" – that prove this artist is still brimming with creativity.

Eric Clapton – Old Sock (Bushbranch/Surfdog)
Another music icon releases a new album today, but instead of completely brand-new material, Eric Clapton's Old Sock contains just two original songs ("Gotta Get Over" and "Every Little Thing"). The guitar virtuoso pays tribute to the tunes he has loved most from childhood to now with help from the likes of Chaka Khan, Steve Winwood and Paul McCartney. Covers include Taj Mahal's "Further on Down the Road," Peter Tosh's "Till Your Well Runs Dry," Gary Moore's "Still Got the Blues" and the Gershwins' "Our Love Is Here to Stay."

Jamaican Queens – Wormfood (Notown)
You might want to wait until you get home from work to delve into the music and videos from the Detroit duo. It can be incredibly hard to resist the temptation to get up and flail your arms around the office when listening to Wormfood, and just watching the first few moments of their clips for songs like "Kids Get Away" could get you so caught up in the characters and story that hearing your boss buzz you on your phone would be impossible. Ryan Spencer and Adam Pressley cite a list of influences that run the gamut of Gucci Mane and Young Jeezy to Brian Eno and Lee Scratch Perry – intrigued yet?

Megan Hilty – It Happens all the Time (Sony Masterworks)
I was lucky enough to see Hilty shine as Glinda in "Wicked," and her amazing pipes and acting skills are some of the few redeeming qualities of "Smash." Even if you don't know her from Broadway or TV, her debut album is sure to grab you. It's refreshing and lovely to hear her just sing her heart out on songs like the title track, "Walk Away," and "The Blower's Daughter."

Various Artists – Sound City: Reel to Reel (RCA)
Dave Grohl appears on every track in this collection of songs, all written and recorded for his directorial debut, Sound City (which releases today on DVD), along with a myriad of artists who recorded at the now-defunct studio – such as Stevie Nicks, Trent Reznor, Tim Commerford (Rage Against the Machine) – and others, including Paul McCartney. Additionally, Grohl purchased the custom-built Neve 8029 console from Sound City and transported it to his own studio to record this soundtrack.

Adrian Younge & The Delfonics' Adrian Younge Presents the Delfonics; Biffy Clyro's Opposites; Bon Jovi's What About Now; Citizens' self-titled; Doppelgangaz's Hark; Fifth on the Floor's Ashes & Angels; Girls Names' The New Life; Mindless Behavior's All Around the World; Naama Kates' King for the Day; Off with Their Heads' Home; Rachel Zeffira's The Deserters; Shooter Jennings' The Other Life; Spencer Day's The Mystery of You; The Mary Onettes' Hit the Waves; Wild Belle's Isles

DVD RELEASES

Film – Ang Lee won the Best Director Oscar for bringing Yann Martel's beautiful fantasy-adventure novel, Life of Pi, to the big screen; Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren in Hitchcock; Animated Rise of the Guardians features the voices of Chris Pine, Isla Fisher, Hugh Jackman, Jude Law and Alec Baldwin; Dave Grohl's directorial debut, Sound City, is a documentary about the legendary recording studio; This Must Be the Place stars Sean Penn as a retired rock star, who learns of his estranged father's dark past.

TV – Law & Order: Criminal Intent: The Final Year; BBC America's "Ripper Street"

Also available – Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away; Connected; The Details; The First Time; Grave Encounters 2; In Their Skin; Kumaré; Smashed; You've Been Trumped

STREET SIGNS - Doodle's Valentine

Yet another Snyder piece has popped up in the Melrose and Fairfax District – this time, on the Curson Avenue side of Typhoon Fashion (at 7601 Melrose Ave.) in Mid-City West. Doodle's Valentine went up just in time for the romantic holiday last month and shows Snyder's trademark character putting the moves on a classmate during math class.

Events for March 7-13, 2013

Get with THE PROGRAM

THURSDAY, MARCH 7

Nü Sensae

MUSIC

Nü Sensae @ The Echo (Echo Park)
The Vancouver threesome – originally formed as the duo of bassist Andrea Lukic and drummer Daniel Pitout, who eventually recruited guitarist Brody McKnight – released their sophomore full length, Sundowning, last summer. The album continues Nü Sensae's mission of "redefining the sound of punk, while respecting and adhering to its hallowed history." Their explosive live show is sure to bring all those at the Echo to their knees.

FRIDAY, MARCH 8

CULTURE

Musink @ OC Fairgrounds (Costa Mesa)
The sixth annual music festival and tattoo convention invades OC once again this weekend. With over 300 artists from all over the world, this is the place to be if you're looking for inspiration for your next piece. Plus, each day features a stellar lineup of punk bands: Bad Religion, the Vandals and Guttermouth Friday; Pennywise, Lagwagon, T.S.O.L and COR on Saturday; Reverend Horton Heat, Lucero, the Head Cat and Jonny Two Bags & Salvation Town on Sunday.

FILM

In Theaters This Week
Twenty-six directors were each given a letter of the alphabet to base the death(s) on in their chapter of The ABCs of Death; Dead Man Down, the American debut of Niels Arden Oplev (the director of the original The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo), stars Noomi Rapace and Colin Darrell; Matthew Fox and Tommy Lee Jones in Emperor; I am obsessed with all things Oz, from the original L. Frank Baum novels to Gregory Maguire's four Wicked books and, of course, the Broadway musical "Wicked," so it's pretty much a no-brainer that I want to see Oz the Great and Powerful, directed by Sam Raimi and starring James Franco, Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams and Rachel Weisz. Also in theaters: Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey; Electrick Children; The Monk; War Witch

MUSIC

Emma Louise @ Hotel Café (Hollywood)
The Brisbane musician has such a captivating voice that's full of genuine emotion, matched by her ability to craft songs that completely capture your imagination. She's touring the states in anticipation of her full-length debut's release. vs. Head vs. Heart is coming May 21st via Frenchkiss, and it's guaranteed that you'll hear plenty of the new material tonight at Hotel Café.

Erin McKeown (Merri Cyr)

Erin McKeown @ McCabe's (Santa Monica)
The prolific singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer and activist released her latest album, MANIFESTRA, earlier this year, featuring a track, "Baghdad to the Bayou," which was co-written via text message with Rachel Maddow. Besides uniting her political and musical dimensions, MANIFESTRA comes alive with bright horns, melodic vocals and minimal electric guitar lines. She'll assuredly sprinkle older tunes in with the new during her intimate set at McCabe's.

WALL @ Bootleg Theater (Westlake)
Lyla Foy (aka WALL) plays her fist set of U.S. shows in Los Angeles tonight at Bootleg and Monday at the Echo on the way to SXSW. The Londoner has a new EP, Shoestring, releasing April 2, full of haunting vocals set to beautifully simple melodies. Both venues provide the perfect atmosphere to experience her intimate music live.

STAGE

"Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth" @ Pantages Theatre (Hollywood)
Directed by Spike Lee, the heavyweight champion and pop culture icon stars in this one-man show. Tyson is an undeniably compelling personality, and the production seems to show the contemplative, comedic and even his explosive sides. Performances run through Sunday.

SATURDAY, MARCH 9

FILM

Blazing Saddles @ Electric Dusk Drive-In (Downtown)
The Mel Brooks classic at a drive-in, what's not to love? Snuggle under some blankets with a lapful of snacks in your car as Gene Wilder, Cleavon Little, Slim Pickens, Madeline Kahn and Harvey Korman make you laugh out loud.

Radiation City (Michael Harper)

MUSIC

Radiation City @ The Echo (Echo Park) Portland's Radiation City is one of those group's that take a myriad of influences from all eras, mix them with modern electronic elements and end up with a genre-defying sound all their own. Aside from releasing an EP on a USB drive connected to piano keys and covering the entirety of Outkast's The Love Below, the five some prides itself on thoroughly unique live shows, that are more experiences than concerts.

MONDAY, MARCH 11

MUSIC

Shout Out Out Out Out @ The Whisky A Go Go (West Hollywood)
It's pretty much impossible not to get up and dance when listening to this Canadian sextet. Whether it's their latest album, last year's Spanish Moss and Total Loss, or their upcoming The NMC Sessions EP, which was written and recorded during a residency at the National Music Centre, their tracks will have you moving. Go ahead, try to resist the temptation to dance all around the Whisky during their set. I dare you.

Jennifer Farmer-Knowles of Mi Vida Vintage

Jennifer Farmer-Knowles at Mi Vida Vintage

 

JENNIFER FARMER-KNOWLES of MI VIDA VINTAGE

712 S. Grand View St., #102, Los Angeles (Westlake) 

Most people would probably love to be their own boss, but few people actually have the work ethic and passion to make that dream a reality. However, Jennifer Farmer-Knowles, the owner and founder of antique furniture refurbishing boutique Mi Vida Vintage, has the necessary entrepreneurial spirit and determination in spades. In fact, it's something that is ingrained in her DNA.

"I've always liked decorating, but it was never anything I thought I would do for a living. The only thing that I ever wanted was to have my own business. My parents are both entrepreneurs, and from a young age, I wanted to work for myself. It didn't really matter what it was. I just never wanted to be in a stuffy, corporate environment," she says.

The space Farmer-Knowles has created is anything but stuffy. As soon as you walk into Mi Vida Vintage, located in an old brick building across from MacArthur Park in Westlake, you're surrounded by beautifully refurbished antique dressers, nightstands, tables and credenzas painted in a array of bright colors. Her assistant, Laureen Carter, is busily covering a piece with a paint gun in one room, while Farmer-Knowles leads me to a couch in her office area where we sit and talk about her company and life in Los Angeles.

An intense drive is something that she has always had, even at the age of 18 when she first made the leap to Los Angeles from Texas.

"About 10 years ago, I moved out here for acting school, and it made me never want to act again," she laughs. "I discovered the Kibitz Room, went to shows and hung out with music people. Something clicked that I should do music instead of acting because I was in that world. My boyfriend at the time was in a band up in San Francisco, and when I went up to visit for the summer, I helped his manager (who also managed bands like the Killers) do press kits and mailings. I eventually enrolled in the Music Business Program at MI [Musicians Institute]."

Farmer-Knowles then took on several jobs in the music industry – an internship at Interscope, doing radio promotions ("That was terrible. I made like $7 an hour minimum wage and had to drive out to Van Nuys by 7:30 a.m. to start calling radio stations on the East Coast. I hated it!"), as a personal assistant to Japanese musician Yoshiki, doing booking and promotions for Safari Sam's, at a music start-up technology company and finally in artist relations for Daisy Rock Guitars. After parting ways with Daisy Rock and getting married, the idea for Mi Vida Vintage was born.

Laureen Carter and Farmer-Knowles

"When my husband and I got married we find our own place and had our money from the wedding to use to furnish it. I wanted to refurbish stuff because I would see people posting about it online, so I went on Craigslist and found a purple dresser from this girl. I went to her house and saw that she had other pieces in her garage that I had seen on Craigslist too. When she said that this is what she did for a living and that it was going well, I thought, 'I could do this,'" Farmer-Knowles remembers. "I had a friend who was also unemployed, and I told her, 'I have a garage, let's do this!' We started buying vintage pieces and began to figure out how to do it. We had no idea what we were doing, buying the paint and supplies. The first piece we did was we stained a table and then a purple piece almost the same as what I had originally bought. We started listing them on Craigslist and getting inquiries. Stuff started selling slowly but surely. My friend ended up leaving because it wasn't moving as fast as she wanted it to, but I wanted to keep doing it. I just kept doing it out of my one-car garage, found a painter to help me and it just went from there."

Since then, Farmer-Knowles created a website, as well as Etsy and Craigstlist pages, for customers to place custom orders and peruse any special pieces that are already finished. Most of Mi Vida Vintage's work is from custom orders, where customers select an unfinished piece from a gallery of photos and indicate what color paint and type of hardware they want.

"Sometimes if custom stuff is slow then I make stuff to sell, but this entire year so far, we haven't had to do a piece to sell," Farmer-Knowles says.

When she does have time to do some finished pieces, she sets up a booth at the Rose Bowl Flea Market to sell the pieces.

"I did the Rose Bowl in December and January. We just don't have time to make the pieces because we have so many custom orders now, and it's very expensive. With custom orders I get paid, but with stuff I'm making I have to put forth all the money for the materials, to rent the space and a truck to transport," she says. "I would like to do it again, especially since we just made the switch from paint to lacquer, which is a lot more durable. When we were transporting stuff back and forth from the Rose Bowl, no major damage would happen, but there were little things just from moving everything around. Now that we have more durable pieces I would like to do it again, but I would need to block out a month and delay custom orders. It's fun, but people go there looking for deals and I already set prices at the cheapest price point that I can still make money from."

"There's so much involved that people don't even realize. A gallon of lacquer can range from $50 to $100. There's not a furniture fairy who drops off the pieces to me," she laughs. "I spend a lot of time looking and picking out pieces I think people will buy. I take my old '90s van with horrible gas mileage to go pick the pieces up, so even just picking them up adds like $20 to $30 in gas on top of what I paid for it, which could be anywhere from $50 to $100 each, plus I have people working for me that I have to pay and rent."

Mi Vida Vintage is doing really well, though, as one can tell from the amount of custom pieces that fill their showroom. When I ask Farmer-Knowles about the favorite pieces she's refurbished so far, it's hard for her to pick just one.

"I really like everything that we do," she admits. "There's been some stuff where I had no idea what the finished product would look like because of customers' color choices, but when we actually did them, they looked awesome."

Farmer-Knowles asks Carter for her opinion, and she answers, "My favorite is the first one that I ever helped with, the one with black-and-white stripes in it."

"It was a really ornate one: white, with gold handles and black-and-white stripes on the inner drawers," agrees Farmer-Knowles. "I felt like that one got us a lot of work. Everyone wants white and gold now. We also did this mint green one for a nursery that was really cute. We did one that looked like a giant Tiffany's box, which was cool. I painted one piece, a small nightstand, as a Union Jack by hand, that was very tedious."

Hard work is something that she doesn't shy away from. Farmer-Knowles lives in the heart of Hollywood, but rarely has the chance to go out anymore. Her husband does sound at Bootleg Theater, so if she does make it out to a show, she usually goes there.

"I don't really have a life anymore. Laureen and I are here 10 to 12 hours a day. She's my right-hand person. While she does the painting, I'm finding pieces, dealing with clients, running around buying paint and dealing with the money," she tells. "The work never stops, but that's not a bad thing. I don't dread coming here. The only thing I dread is people not liking their pieces. I'm a perfectionist, I inspect every detail. I try to make everything something that I would put in my own house. I think that's what's going to make us better than everyone else: paying attention to details and making things as good as we can get them for being vintage.

Getting into the furniture/home decor business was never Farmer-Knowles' expected path she would follow in life.

"It wasn't something where I said, 'I want to paint furniture when I grow up.' The opportunity presented itself, and I took it because I've always wanted to work for myself," she says. "This was something that I saw that I could make immediate money from, that has potential to be even bigger than it is now."

Farmer-Knowles intends to do everything she can to ensure Mi Vida Vintage reaches that potential, including plans to expand into home decor accessories and eventually fabricating their own stock pieces for customization.

"I'm working on a pillow line with my friend Kate. Vintage inspired pillows, in five different sets, each from a different era – the 1950s, '60s, '70s, '80s and '90s. Each era will have three different pillows. Then, we'll do another line with musical eras. She's an artist, so she's doing all of the images and graphics by hand," she explains. "I've also been talking to someone about making my own pieces, but that will be down the road. Eventually it would a lot better for me to have stock pieces that people could customize, and then what we're doing now would be the higher-end orders. My plans are to make this big."

For more information, visit mividavintage.com.

New Release Tuesday - 3/5/13

MARCH 5, 2013

MUSIC RELEASES

Caitlin Rose – The Stand-In (ATO/RED)
The Nashville chanteuse's sophomore full-length is full of soulful Americana tunes that reflect not only her country roots but her love of artists of all genres, such as Bob Dylan, Linda Ronstadt and the Replacements. Rose's voice shines on every track of The Stand-In, whether it floats over a simple beat on "Pink Champagne," over a wailing slide guitar on "I Was Cruel" or over horn blares on "Old Numbers." She stops by Bootleg Theater for a performance in a few months, on May 2.

Bajofondo – Presente (Sony Masterworks)
I absolutely love the video for the Latin Grammy-winning collective's first single, "Pide piso," off their latest album. Besides its ability to immediately get me dancing, as most of the tracks on Presente do, the entire video is like a 1980s 8-bit video game. You can witness songs from the new album, as well as older favorites, come to life at the Fonda on March 18.

The Last Bison – Inheritance (Republic)
The septet of Last Bison immediately transport you to a front porch in their home state of Virginia with the opening strums of a banjo on "Switzerland," the first single from their debut album. In no time flat, you'll be clapping, stomping your feet and singing along with frontman Ben Hardesty, his father Dan, sister Annah and lifelong friends Andrew and Jay Benfante, Teresa Totheroh and Amos Houseworth. The entirety of Inheritance is guarantee to captivate, from the title track that opens the album with a burst of energy to the more solemn "River Rhine" and plaintive "Distance." The Last Bison swings through the Mint on March 30.

Ólöf Arnalds – Sudden Elevation (One Little Indian)
The Icelandic singer-songwriter's completely unique vocals never fail to strike a chord from first listen. Sudden Elevation, her second U.S release, was largely recorded during a a two-week, partially snowed-in stay at a seaside cabin in the west of Iceland, and, in turn, each track feels completely intimate. The album highlights her compelling voice, enhanced by acoustic guitar and charango as well as subtle hints of a koto, keyboards, strings and electric guitar. It also features contributions by her two sisters, producer Skúli Sverrisson and Magnús Trygvason Eliassen on gossamer drum.

Javelin – Hi Beams (Luaka Bop)
"Nnormal," the first single from the pair of cousins' sophomore effort, grabs you from its pulsating intro and keeps your attention with robotic vocals, beeps and heart-thumping bass. George Langford and Tom Van Buskirk continually shift aural landscapes from track to track throughout, but their ability to intellectually and physically stimulate your musical senses is consistent throughout Hi Beams.

Superhuman Happiness – Hands (The Royal Potato Family)
One thing you should never do when preparing to listen to a Superhuman Happiness song is have expectations of what instruments you're about to hear. Aside from guitar power chords, funky bass lines, pulsing drums, analog keyboards and playful horns, don't be surprised at the random beeps, buzzes and other sounds that make Hands such a joy to listen to. I am such a sucker for hand claps, so you know exactly why I love this album.

Also available – Autechre's Exai; Ayatollah's Avant Garde; Blanche Blanche Blanche's Wooden Ball; Blue Hawaii's Untogether; Boz Scaggs' Memphis; The Cave Singers' Naomi; Chelsea Light Moving's self-titled; Demigodz's KILLmatic; Hollis Brown's Ride on the Train; How to Destroy Angels' Welcome Oblivion; Josh Ritter's The Beast in Its Tracks; Kate Nash's Girl Talk; Krokus' Dirty Dynamite; Luke Bryan's Spring Break: Here to Party; Madeleine Peyroux's The Blue Room; Making Movies' A La Deriva; Palmyra Delran's You Are What You Absorb; Rhye's Woman; Robyn Hitchcock's Love From London; Soilwork's The Living Infinite; Son Volt's Honky Tonk; Stubborn Heart's self-titled; Suuns' Images Du Futur; They Might Be Giants' Nanobots; The Woolen Men's self-titled; Young Dreams' Between Places; Youth Lagoon's Wondrous Bughouse

DVD RELEASES

Film – Wreck-It Ralph features the voices of John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman and Jane Lynch; The remake of 1984's Red Dawn stars Chris Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson; Gerard Butler is a retired soccer player trying to win back his ex (Jessica Biel) while dodging the advance of several other women (Judy Greer, Uma Thurman, Catherine Zeta-Jones) in Playing for Keeps; The Twilight Saga comes to an end with Breaking Dawn Part 2.

Also available – The Bay; California Solo; Collaborator; A Dark Truth; Heleno; Interview with a Hitman; The Intouchables; Lay the Favorite; Unconditional; Waiting for Lightning

STREET SIGNS - El Ultimo Beso

I've showcased the work of painter Héctor Pónce before (L.A.'s Teachers), and this is another of his murals near MacArthur Park. El Último Beso depicts a touching farewell between an American soldier and his love. The work is painted on the side of Metro Mall Swapmeet on Westlake Avenue at 7th Street in Westlake.