Joshua Tree, CA • Outdoor Desert Art Museum

Date: 08-16-13
Location: 63030 Blair Lane
Photography by: Luis Valdizon
Words by: David Morris
Website: noahpurifoy.com

Set in Joshua Tree, CA, Noah Purifoy's 'Outdoor Desert Art Museum' is 7.5 acres of open land displaying Purifoy's assemblage sculptures, all created on-site between 1989 and 2004. Inspired by the harsh landscape of the Mojave Desert, the museum features a variety of "environmental" sculptures and installations, welcoming harsh winds and fluctuating temperatures. The art pieces are not formally maintained, but the wear, tear and aging process is all part of their beauty and appeal.

Silver Lake, CA • Forage

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Date: 07-04-13
Location: 3823 W Sunset Blvd.
Photography by: Luis Valdizon & Katrin Weber (*)
Words by: Luis Valdizon & M. L. Morriss
Website: foragela.com

It takes two hours extra to do anything in Los Angeles. The traffic is every bit as bad as they say it is. Knowingly, we braved our way to Silver Lake, California. It's was my first time in their neighborhood and it's everything you could see yourself loving unconditionally. The locals are pleasant, gastronomy, style and culture interweave with a cool-confident air. It's a well-balanced neighborhood I'd be proud to call my home.

Forage is a highly praised eatery treasured for its community cultivating no-compromise on quality approach. They strictly work with ingredients that are sourced from local farmers, friends and neighbors that all share in same passion for quality and taste. This all results in an extremely fresh menu. On this visit Matt sampled there Grass Fed Beef Burger and potato salad. Katty had the vegetarian sandwich and I had the Short Rib Bowl. "The owners are Korean, the short rib bowls are our specialty." responded the gentlemen helping us behind the counter to my question about is preference between the pork shoulder or short rib bowls. It was perfect. Their homemade cucumber kimchi was the perfect balance of tart, hot with a touch of sweet. We left satisfied and ready to see more of what Silver Lake had to offer.

San Francisco • Tartine Bakery & Cafe

Date: 07-04-13
Location: 600 Guerrero St.
Photography by: Luis Valdizon
Words by: Luis Valdizon & M. L. Morriss
Website: tartinebakery.com

D-WHY • TeamBackPack x Rock The Bells Cypher

Although I pride myself on being a songwriter, rapping is an art. And at the end of the day I am an artist first and foremost. With that said, sometimes it's fun to just RAP--for the sake of rapping. When Futuristic invited me to come to Rock The Bells for a Team Back Pack Cypher, how could I say no? Watch the vid and read the lyrics below.

D-WHY - TeamBackPack x Rock The Bells Cypher (LYRICS)

I ain't a battle rapper, I'd never battle rap ya'
I'd just turn on the mic on, loop the beat and laugh at ya'
Run up in your master, have my homie Kel snatch ya'
Watch Kyle fuck your sister, Futuristic got after

Rappers dressing up now, give me my swag back
I could turn TeamBackPack into the Rat Pack
Shorty up and down, it feel like Nasdaq
Fuck them hands baby girl, go on make that ass clap

Girl got straight A's, but took a lot of D's
Impossibly illogical philosophical oddities
Asshole no apologies, god dam I got at least
30 styles to choose from and right now I'm Socrates

In boxer briefs, in the parking lot of a Dollar Tree
Young Dolly Parton doppelganger, watch her swallow me
Pop my collar toast to the wanna-bees
Never will, never have, never can, I don't want to be

Young Kennedy, mentally running out of memory
Temperamentally, you can even see me instrumentally
Old friends of me turn enemies when they see me in Fendi sheets
I tell them fuck boys rest in peace, tuck you in, now go to sleep

They told me 16 (bars) but I give a fuck about rules
I give a fuck abut you, it's just me and my dudes
I only showed up to Rock The Bells 'cuz I thought it was a fashion show
I'm 'bout to blow, but I ain't a rapper tho

Los Angeles, CA • The Trails Cafe

Date: 07-28-13
Location: 2333 Fern Dell Dr.
Photography by: Luis Valdizon
Words by: Luis Valdizon

Spokane, WA • Dick's Hamburgers

Date: 07-06-13
Location: 10 E 3rd Ave.
Photography by: Luis Valdizon
Words by: M. L. Morris & Luis Valdizon

During the Spokane, Washington stop of the "Young, Loved, Hated & Broke Tour," Dick's Hamburgers was our post-show saving grace. Established in the 1960s, Dick's is a drive-in burger shack known for its authentic, old-school look and its economical, inexpensive menu that offers a wide variety of hamburgers, chicken sandwiches and strips, pizza, fries, onion rings, hot fried pies, shakes and malts (ask about seasonal flavors), and other cold treats. The most popular item is the "Whammy," which is comprised of two meat patties and two layers of cheese–-you could say it serves as this Spokane burger institution's take on In-N-Out's "Double-Double." The seating at Dick's is limited to a few outdoor picnic benches, but most patrons tend to enjoy their meals inside the comfort of their vehicles or standing outside with friends. On a warm summer night, the area around the hood of our car was suitable for our crew of rumbling stomachs. Although Whammies didn't quite satisfy our cravings for Double-Doubles, the taste for price ($1.69 each) couldn't be beat. We were looking for any eatery open at 1 a.m., and we just so happened to stumble upon a local landmark. If you're ever venturing through this quaint Pacific Northwest city and in need of a cheap, but tasty lunch or dinner, now you know where to go. And if you're in need of coffee, stop by Couer Coffeehouse, highlighted here in another recent TCC post.

D-WHY • One Day

Date: 08-04-13
Cover Artwork & Photograph by: Luis Valdizon
Words by: David Morris

I am so excited to finally start sharing music from the eight-or-so tracks on the 'Young, Loved, Hated & Broke' EP with you guys. Since the release of 'Don't Flatter Yourself' a year ago, I've probably written/recorded enough material for three albums, but I'm big on putting things out the right way, at the right time. With summer nearing its end, school starting back up for some of you and a big fall tour approaching for me (with Hoodie Allen, Mod Sun and OCD: Moosh & Twist--tickets here), I felt as though it's the right time for me to give you the first real taste of YLHB. Thus, I bring you "One Day," produced by Dave Cappa and featuring a sample from one of my favorite songs of the past year by Asaf Avidan & The Mojos. Disclaimer: Before you press play, put headphones on and turn the volume up LOUD.



If you made it out to any of my summer tour dates, you probably heard me preview this song towards the end of each show. And if you watched the first episode of my behind-the-scenes mini-doc series, 'New Frontiers,' you heard this instrumental running through the performance footage. Today, I give it to you in full. As mentioned above, the original song that we sampled is by Israeli singer-songwriter Asaf Avidan. It became popular overseas last year when German producer Wankelmut turned the folk song into a house hit, but it hasn't really reached the masses in the U.S. Upon discovering that remix, I became a huge fan of the song and its melody, lyrics and message. I had it on repeat for days. I attempted to rap over the house version, but the tempo was off. After sending it to Dave Cappa, we both quickly understood what we needed to do. The result is a track that blends hip-hop, trap, EDM and folk music together. We like to call it "Folk-Trap." People who have been following my career know that I pride myself on writing and releasing music that doesn't adhere to genre labels. I love folk music, I love rap music. To me, this is a great marriage of both. I hope you guys enjoy. Please share it with your friends, and be ready for the 'Young, Loved, Hated & Broke' EP coming soon!

Spokane, WA • Dick's Hamburgers

Date: 07-06-13
Location: 10 E 3rd Ave.
Photography by: Luis Valdizon
Words by: M. L. Morris & Luis Valdizon

Costa Mesa, CA • 2013 OC Fair

Date: 08-10-13
Location: 88 Fair Drive.
Photography by: Luis Valdizon
Words by: M. L. Morris & Luis Valdizon

The first Orange County Fair was held in 1890, and by stepping onto the event grounds, it's easy to tell how it could have become such a staple summer event of Southern California. This was my first fair experience in America, but it wasn't too different from what we have in Vancouver. Everything I expected to be offered was available in abundance, from the adrenaline-inducing rides, to the overpriced games, to the eyebrow-raising gastronomy--chocolate-covered, fried bacon and fried Kool-Aid bites were two particular eye-openers unique to the U.S., but we do have similar oddities in Canada. However, when I look at these photos, I realize there is something about them that I wouldn't be able to capture back home. I've always loved the colors present at fairs, but it seems like the bright tones of the OC Fair are brought out in a unique way with the SoCal weather and breeze blowing in from the shore. Most importantly, though, is the people in them and the day we had leading up to this. This was the same day as our spontaneous discovery visit to Balboa Island and it served as a great evening to Matt's birthday. Are we the target age group to attend a fair? Probably not. That's the beauty of events like this, though--as long as you're able to get into the spirit, there's no limit to the fun you can have. The only difference is, there's no reason to bring the giant plush ape home after spending $30-worth of tickets to land a plastic ring on a bottle top.