This is a an appreciation of Mexican food written by San Diego native Greg Laswell, who seems to be able to sniff out an authentic taqueria anywhere in the US. Laswell shares his favorite Mex food finds.


It happens all the time.  Someone says, "How about Mexican food?"  And someone else responds with a lazy and obviously thoughtless "Eh, I just had Mexican food yesterday." It never ceases to astonish me.  In fact, during the time it took me to write this, such a conversation occurred some ten thousand times in this country alone.  And there are no consequences.  People are just walking around and bombastically mouthing off, loudly mind you, that they "just had Mexican food yesterday," and trying to pass it off as a reasonable argument against having Mexican food today.  Interestingly enough, the very same offenders are probably wearing pants..... they aren't standing there naked from the waist down because of an "Eh, I wore pants yesterday" way of thinking.  You see my point.

In an effort to halt this apparent pandemic from spreading any further, I have comprised a list of my favorite Mexican food restaurants from coast to coast.  I am omitting MANY, but for the sake of brevity, here are 10:  

La Posta
3980 3rd Ave
San Diego, CA 92103
(Hillcrest)

There is no inside dining in this establishment, only tables wrapped around both sides of the counter under an awning. This is USUALLY a good tip-off that you are about to have a really good taco, but not a rule to be applied everywhere. Their red sauce is better than your mom and their plain chicken taco is better than your dad. There will be a decent wait after you order so get some chips.

Adalberto's
1868 Rosecrans
San Diego, CA 92106
(Point Loma)

This was an old college favorite of mine.  My instructions are to walk directly to the counter and order a carne asada burrito with only guacamole (or "con guacamole solamente"), three rolled tacos and a bean and cheese burrito (yes, a plain bean and cheese burrito).  You do not have to finish everything... perhaps take a friend with you to help you.  Oh, and I should have mentioned this before, but if you do not like guacamole then please stop reading this.  I have nothing to offer you.

El Toro Taqueria
598 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110

If you are on a first date with someone in San Francisco, take them here.  If he or she does not like it, then drop them off at their house and never call them again.  If you have never had a Manchaca burrito, then have your first here; it's scrambled eggs, shredded beef, grilled peppers and onions.  I wanted to buy it flowers and take it to dinner and a movie, instead I just ate it.

Por Que No?
3524 N. Mississippi
Portland, OR 97227

After my last show in Portland I met a guy who lives in Portland and claimed to love Mexican food but had never been to Por Que No.  For a split second I pictured myself performing a mixed martial arts combo move on him.  All of their tacos are amazing... On your first visit, try the carnitas taco and their "Porque Tinga" taco.  Their guacamole is first rate.

El Vaquera Mexican Restaurant
3230 Olentangy River Road
Columbus, OH

I've been to Columbus 3 times now and each time asked someone from either one of the radio stations or the venue I was playing where the best Mexican food place is in town.... I got the same answer 3 times:  El Vaquera.  This is a full-blown, sit-down restaurant, not a stand.... I know this makes some of you seasoned connoisseurs a little nervous and I understand your initial hesitation, but don't be scared away so quickly. They put their homemade salsa in milk glasses on every table so that you can refill your own salsa bowl. Their homemade chips are my first choice anywhere.

Carmela's Taqueria
1206 West Lawrence Avenue
Chicago, IL 60640

I found this completely by chance.  It was across the street from a venue I was at.  I didn't expect much from a Chicago-based Mexican place, I have to be honest.  It is as authentic as anything I have ever had.  I went back twice over the course of 4 hours. My favorite was the carne asada tacos with onions, cilantro and red sauce.  

Cactus Tacos
950 Vine St
Los Angeles, CA 90038
(Hollywood)

Everyone who lives in LA has their favorite go-to taco stand.  This is mine...

Mole
205 Allen St
New York, NY 10014

New York has just about everything you could possibly want in every cuisine.... but 98% of their Mexican food is rubbish.  I once ordered a taco from a place that will go nameless because I am a born-again Christian (no I'm not), and what I got was something similar to hamburger helper wrapped up in a store-bought, rubbery tortilla. That being said, a place on the lower east side makes my list and it is Mole.Table-side prepared guacamole and excellent chicken burritos make up for the crimes the rest of this great city does to Mexican food.  Oh and if you want a jalapeno in your margarita, go ahead and ask for it....

Phoenix Ranch Market
1602 E. Roosevelt St.
Phoenix, AZ 85006

This is basically a super market dedicated to Mexican food.  Put another way, it is Disneyland.  They have an entire aisle dedicated to salsas, okay?  Along the back it feels like an indoor farmers market with stations for fish, seasoned meats, vegetables and Mexican spices.  And yes, if you just want a burrito or a taco, you are STILL in the right place. Head towards the back and look for the huge menu signs.  

Taco More
9400 Parkfield Dr.
Austin, TX 78758
They have goat tacos here.  So there's that.  And the chibo tacos will make you question your faith.  You will simply quit believing in EVERYTHING except these little things in front of you. 


So there it is - a short list of some of my favorite Mexican restaurants across the country. I realize that a lot of them are on the West Coast.  What can I say?  Oh and I didn't include tex-mex which I do not enjoy as much. 

Laswell is currently on the road for his new release Take A Bow. Recorded in a remote cabin in Arizona with his dog for company, Laswell wrote, performed (he plays all the instruments) and engineered the songs, making his "band" the studio and the studio his laboratory. The results are lush without being slick, textured while still maintaining an organic feel. His songwriting draws comparisons to writers such as Martin Sexton and Jeff Buckley and his sonorous, distinct vocal style (not unlike Stephen Merritt of Magnetic Fields) is haunting and has made him a top choice of film and TV licensers.

The video for the first single, "Take Everything" is filmed backwards. Says Filter Magazine, who is premiering the video: "In the video for "Take Everything", California singer/songwriter Greg Laswell, is taking a cue from the film <Memento and running through his bouncy ball, pillow fight, guitar fire and party filled afternoon in style. Check out the video, by award-winning director Otto Arsenault (Matt and Kim), here:

Out ‘n' about in the City of Angels with Blurt's roving shutterbug (5/15 - 5/31).

By Scott Dudelson

(above and below) Angus & Julia Stone  - Live @ Hollywood Forever (www.hollywoodforever.com) - 5/26

Chris Hillman (of The Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers, Manassas, Desert Rose Band)  - Live @ Grammy Museum (www.grammymuseum.org) - 5/20

Black Diamond Riders (feat: Steve Sato of Agent Orange / The Adolescents & Jonny Wickersham of Social Distortion) - Live @ The Mint (www.themintla.com) - 5/27

The English Beat - Live @ Hollywood Park (www.hollywoodpark.com) - 5/30

Dave Wakeling (of English Beat / General Public) - Live @ Hollywood Park (www.hollywoodpark.com) - 5/30

***

Scott Dudelson is a music journalist and concert photographer based in Los Angeles.  Scott is also the Chief Operating Officer of Prodege, LLC, the company behind www.swagbucks.com.

Out ‘n' about in the City of Angels with Blurt's roving shutterbug (6/1 - 6/15).

By Scott Dudelson

(above and below) Dr John  - Live @ Grammy Museum (www.grammymuseum.org) - 6/14

Hot Hot Heat - Live @ The Bootleg Theater (www.bootlegtheater.com)

Alex Lambert (from American Idol Season 9) - Live @ The Mint (www.themintla.com) - 6/5

Suckers - Live @ Amoeba Records (www.amoeba.com) - 6/5



Jonathan Clark (w/Gary Oldman) - Live @ King King (www.kingkinghollywood.com) - 6/6

Jonathan Clark - Live @ King King (www.kingkinghollywood.com) - 6/6

Gary Oldman - Live @ King King (www.kingkinghollywood.com) - 6/6

Wayne "The Train" Hancock - Live @ The Mint (www.themintla.com) - 6/8

Naked Eyes (Pete Byrne) - Live @ Hollywood Park (www.hollywoodpark.com) - 6/9

Wang Chung (Jack Hues & Nick Feldman) - Live @ Valley Cultural Center (www.valleycultural.org) - 6/11

Wang Chung (Nick Feldman) - Live @ Valley Cultural Center (www.valleycultural.org) - 6/11

***

Scott Dudelson is a music journalist and concert photographer based in Los Angeles.  Scott is also the Chief Operating Officer of Prodege, LLC, the company behind www.swagbucks.com.

Typical Zippity Doo Dah morning here in what we like to think of as our upstate, modern Mayberry --- blue skies, warm breeze, birds singing --- the whole bit.

Then: "I fucking hate you. I'm going to fucking kill you," a woman shouts from across the street. At her four-year-old little girl. Sadly, also typical; these are our neighbors.

And, also typically, I'm conflicted about a response. Say nothing? Keep walking? Or, what I really want to do: call the bitch out.

As a 36-year-old entrepreneur, I'm confident in one thing: I don't want to be that woman, I don't want to create little monsters --- obviously, literally, but speaking figuratively --- think "output;" not only work achieved but energy expelled. I want to create value [...]

A Triple-A radio programming veteran, Kate has served as Music Director of the Loft at XM, Midday Host at WYEP, Evening Host at both WNCS and WUIN, as well as Content Supervisor for Pump Audio. Currently, she's the CEO of Outlandos Music, a new-music discovery service for grown-ups. Kate has been nationally recognized for her ardent presentation of music and her ability to champion talented, compelling artists.

It probably comes as no big shocker to anyone with half a brain that the Republican Party in this country has some pretty skewed ways of "contributing" to the betterment of society. It has become painfully obvious to even the most conservative Democrat that "business as usual" is all that matters to these people and at this point it's really getting out of hand. Let's examine a few key points to back up that statement.

I recently watched as Republican Joe Barton (R - Texas) apologized to Tony Hayward (BP CEO) during the congressional hearings. He tried to use his time at the podium to call out the current administration, saying that the $20 billion allotment set aside for companies and people affected by one of the largest natural disasters of our time was nothing more than a government "shakedown". In fact, let me not try and paraphrase what he said. Here's the exact wording Mr. Barton used;

"I'm ashamed of what happened in the White House yesterday. I think it is a tragedy of the first proportion that a private corporation can be subjected to what I would characterize as a shakedown. In this case a $20 billion shakedown. With the Attorney General of the United States who is legitimately conducting a criminal investigation, and has every right to do so to protect the interest of the American people, participating in what amounts to a $20 billion slush fund, that's unprecedented in our nation's history, that's got no legal standing, and which I think sets a terrible precedent for the future. If I called you into my office and I had the sub-committee chairman Mr. Stupak with me who was legitimately conducting an oversight investigation on the company and said "If you put so many millions of dollars in a project in my congressional district", I could go to jail and should go to jail. Now there is no question that British Petroleum owns this lease, that British Petroleum, I'm sorry BP, it's not British Petroleum anymore, that BP made decisions that objective people think compromised safety. There is no question that BP is liable for the damages. But we have a due process system where we go through hearings, in some cases court cases, litigation, and determine what those damages are, and when those damages should be paid. So, I'm only speaking for myself, I'm not speaking for anybody else, but I apologize. I do not want to live in a country where anytime a citizen or a corporation does something that is legitimately wrong is subject to some sort of political pressure that, is again in my words, amounts to a shakedown. So I apologize."

OK, so you have read that and are now thinking to yourself, wait a minute, all he is really saying here is that he wants the due process system to run its course as per normal operating procedure in this country. He wasn't apologizing to BP for anything more than that so what's the big deal? Well, here are a few tidbits to explain why this is such a big deal.

Federal Election Commission records show that during the current 2009-10 campaign cycle, the oil and gas industry has been the second-biggest contributor to Barton, at $100,470, behind only the electric utility industry ($162,800). FEC records show that BP has given Barton an average of $1,350 a year since 1990. Public Campaign, which calls itself a nonpartisan advocate for reducing campaign costs, said its analysis shows that he has received $27,000 in contributions from BP since taking office in 1985.

So, Mr. Barton, Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, who has accepted money time and again from BP was the one who just wants due process to run its course? Right, and I'm Mayor McStupid of Idiot Land. This is plain and simple a failed attempt to make the White House look bad while trying desperately to show BP as some sort of victim in all of this. Thankfully he did fail and was reprimanded by top members of the Republican party to the point that he was forced to apologize for making those statements later that day in the same hearing.

What I think is important for all of us to realize is that what the White House did in this situation was nothing short of heroic. Instead of 10-15 years of court battles, eating away at the dollars people would receive, our President moved all of that aside and made sure that these people would be made whole. How that ends up being administered is yet to be seen but it's a great start in a very ugly situation. This is not a slush fund for some campaign. These are people's lives, homes, welfare, and lets not forget the environment and the poor unsuspecting and helpless wildlife. This is a monumental disaster that, as the facts keep emerging, could have been avoided should BP not have tried to save a buck instead of concentrating on safety. Beyond all of that lets not forget that 11 people lost their lives. Honestly, I think $20 billion, although a lot of money, is barely scratching the surface of what BP should be paying. To call it a shakedown and make a public apology to BP's CEO while chastising our President and the White House staff is abhorrent.

Alright, enough free press for Mr. Barton. Let's talk about the Tea Party.

A few years ago I took a hard look at the candidates and thought Ron Paul had some pretty great ideas. That is until I looked a bit further under the hood. Now I certainly didn't agree with his stance on abortion (he is pro-life) nor his stance on gun control (he doesn't want any) but his thoughts on abolishing the IRS which I do believe to be an evil organization, moving to a flat tax, and stopping illegal and unjustified war efforts were all great things. Admittedly I do not know Ron Paul personally, nor have I ever spoken with him directly. However, the movement that he created, now known as the Tea Party has taken these somewhat interesting ideas to an entirely different and pretty scary level.

I think by now we've all heard of the "Birthers" and the redneck morons who want to hoard assault rifles for their "protection" but it goes even further than that. Sharron Angle, who is running against Harry Reid, and is a member of the Tea Party, has been quoted numerous times saying "if we can't win at the ballot we are going to look at second amendment remedies". She has also said "the first thing we need to do is take Harry Reid out". The first time I saw that reporting I said to myself, come on, all she's saying is we need to remove Harry Reid from office, however, the more I looked into the rest of her wording it became increasingly apparent that she is trying to start a revolution (read: another civil war) in this country and is making statements encouraging these lunatics to pick up their weapons and do whatever they feel is necessary to achieve their goals.

I don't want to make this rant about the Tea Party so let me stay on topic with regards to the Republicans. It is the Republicans who saw this movement forming and since they were in such a minority due to the last elections, they silently (and then not so silently) starting supporting the Tea Party in the hopes that they could garner the votes they needed in this upcoming election. The problem is, they are now seeing who these people really are.

Bad decisions, bad politics, business as usual, no care about the American people, less regulations even in the face of tragedy (both environmental and financial), the list goes on and on. This is the new Republican party. I mean seriously, filibustering every single vote? Voting against the White House's agenda no matter if they contributed or not to the end result? No intelligent person could respect these people. I encourage everyone to take a look at the facts behind every issue and decide for yourselves. You may just find that what you thought you knew wasn't even half the real story.

I used to be an independent and to some extent I still am, however it's becoming impossible to vote for anyone who is not a staunch Democrat when you see what's really going on in Washington. I'm all for a difference of opinion and finding some middle ground, but there's no reason to even attempt that stance if you are just going to be thrown down at every turn. President Obama has tried time and again to work with the Republicans and hear their ideas. He has even gone so far as to water down massive legislation (something I strongly oppose) in order to have both sides working together to move this country forward. There is no pleasing the Republicans and at this point I don't believe there's any sense in trying. Let's just hope that we can retain the Democratic majority this fall. It's unlikely due to how the political spectrum circulates but if we can get smart people out to the ballots it is possible, especially with the "wonderful candidates" the Republicans are putting up.

Blogger Joshua Aaron is the guitarist/vocalist for STEALING HEATHER. Visit them online at http://www.stealingheather.com

Column #6: Green Day: Rock Band, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Toy Story 3, The Sims 3: Ambitions; plus Nintendo 3DS.

By Aaron Burgess

Green Day: Rock Band

Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3

Developer: Harmonix / Publisher: MTV Games

ESRB Rating: T

Offer up the Beatles on one end and Green Day on the other, and odds are good that many current-generation rock fans would have a hard time picking favorites. (Don't snigger, pop purists.) So it's fitting that, for its second band-themed Rock Band game, Harmonix has followed up the Fab Four (last year's mega-popular The Beatles: Rock Band) with a game devoted entirely to the Dookie-spawning American Idiot savants. Though less cinematic-and surreal, for that matter-in scope than its Beatles counterpart, Green Day: Rock Band is everything a fan of the Bay Area trio could want and then some: 47 playable songs' worth of classics spanning Green Day's evolution from punk brats to stadium-packing, generation-crossing icons. Unfortunately, for those of us who remember the band before 1994's breakout Dookie, the set list for Green Day: Rock Band skips the Lookout! Records era where Green Day not only cut their teeth, but also wrote some of their catchiest three-minute tunes. (Read here for more.) Dookie, 2004's American Idiot and 2009's 21^st Century Breakdown appear in their entirety, however, with a smattering of hits from 1995's Insomniac, 1997's Nimrod and 2000's Warning bookending the three albums.

Gameplay loosely mirrors the storyteller formula of The Beatles: Rock Band, following Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool from their salad days (via the fictional punk venue The Warehouse) to real-life locales both large (the National Bowl in Milton Keynes, England) and small (the Fox Theatre in Oakland, California). Likewise, in addition to standard guitar, bass and drums playability, the fun-but-tricky three-part harmonies and Career achievements also follow those of The Beatles: Rock Band, with troves of MTV archival footage (Green Day, after all, are nothing if not products of the MTV era) available for the unlocking. Ironically, the games' similarities tend to magnify the areas where Green Day: Rock Band doesn't quite meet The Beatles version: fewer venues, less song diversity, a reliance on realistic visuals where fantasy would tell a better story (Green Day did, after all, did ride two concept albums all the way to Broadway). But if you're looking for similar levels of pop smarts with a mega-dose of adrenaline to drive them home-well, you had to see this coming, but welcome to paradise.  

Rating: 8/10

Super Mario Galaxy 2

Platform: Wii

Developer / Publisher: Nintendo

ESRB Rating: E

Maybe it's because of the world in which it lands-a realm of co-op shooters, rock-band simulators and grave, hyper-realistic realms where faux physics supplant our own in all manner of settings-but Super Mario Galaxy 2 is the rare videogame that truly feels like a game. If that sounds a bit heady, know that there's nothing brain-bending about the game itself-with its objectives set across multiple wacky 3D planets, SMG2 feels like the logical sequel to 2007's fun, frivolous adventure starring everyone's favorite Italian plumber. (No offense, Luigi.) But it's the Zen-like simplicity and childlike sense of wonder with which Nintendo approaches this platformer that makes it such a standout-that, and the addition of Yoshi, of course.

Available as a power-up (one of many such boosts to Mario's mojo this time out), the lovable, long-tongued dinosaur makes for a delightful addition to Super Mario Galaxy 2-but really, he's as much a symbol of everything that's right with the game. Bowser, his captured Princess Peach and a map that takes you further toward them are the primary catalysts for action, while the incredibly designed levels that comprise the map are the reasons you'll lose yourself in the quest. Long, challenging and beautifully framed no matter which dimension (2D or 3D) you're experiencing it through, Super Mario Galaxy 2 tests your preconceptions about platformer games while holding you to the basic platformer premise. Even memory (with warm tinges, both visual and musical, of Mario games dating back to the Nintendo 64 days) plays a role in how you experience SMG2-and by the time you finish it, you'll have carved a new space in your memory bank for this one.

Rating: 9/10

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

Platform: PSP

Developer: Kojima Productions / Publisher: Konami

ESRB Rating: T

It's ironic that you can only get Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker on Sony's smallest system. Infinitely playable, the handheld-only game from MGS series mastermind Hideo Kojima offers huge potential whether you're playing it in linear fashion or experiencing the countless side missions offered as detours. Picking up where Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops left off, the 1970s-era prequel puts a full-sized console adventure-gorgeous graphics and all-in the palm of your hand.

You're transported, via one of many comic-book-style cutscenes, into a storyline where Naked Snake, a.k.a. Big Boss, is leading the private mercenary unit Soldiers without Borders when fate intervenes to send him on an emotionally riveting mercenary mission of his own. Stealth and strategy remain key tactics for fighting your way through Peace Walker, but the integration of deep RPG elements expands the way you interact with everything from weapons (which you can develop and upgrade) to enemies. You can develop your own army by literally plucking soldiers from the field and sending them (this time via balloon harness) back to your Mother Base for training. Just make sure you also have some real friends (up to four in co-op mode) along for the ride. You'll need all the help you get to make it through Peace Walker's more daunting boss battles.

Rating: 9/10

Toy Story 3

Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PSP, DS, PC

Developer: Avalanche Productions / Publisher: Disney Interactive Studios

ESRB Rating: E10+

You know what to expect from most licensed kids' videogame tie-ins before you even crack the shrinkwrap: predictable storylines, simple challenges and a handful of minigames to help justify the sticker price. However, just as Toy Story 3 is no mere kids' movie, the film's videogame twin isn't your run-of-the-mill 3D platformer with a simplified control scheme and seemingly endless string of collectable items. That's not to say you won't find both elements in Toy Story 3, just that once you clobber the game's eight relatively easy levels, you still have a whole other videogame to explore.

Playing as Woody, Jessie or Buzz Lightyear, you run, jump, chase and object-gather your way through a story mode whose colorful, action-packed settings play off scenes from the movie. Then, well, you're done-at which point it's time to crack the lid on the game's Toy Box mode, which itself is worth the price of admission. The open-world adventure lets you customize an entire Old West toy town to your liking, embarking in literally hundreds of side adventures along the way-and, perhaps more importantly, out of the way. Complete missions to earn gold. Herd cattle or corral townspeople into buildings of your own silly creation. Or, heck, simply roam through the sandbox, move stuff around and see how many boundaries you can push. Much like the experience of play itself, Toy Story 3's Toy Box is alive with possibilities.

Rating: 8/10

The Sims 3: Ambitions

Platform: PC

Developer: The Sims Studio / Publisher: Electronic Arts

ESRB Rating: T

Anyone who's played a version of The Sims knows that, just as in the real world, work is part of your pint-sized avatars' daily lives. Until now, however, your Sims simply donned their work attire and headed off to do whatever it was they did all day-but with The Sims 3: Ambitions, you can experience a veritable "take your creator to work day" that

The expansion pack for 2009's The Sims 3 expands on your ability to choose a Sim's career by tacking an actual profession-and its attendant tasks, challenges, hobbies and war stories-onto it. It's a subtle difference, but it makes for huge possibilities and, particularly in the roles of ghost hunter, firefighter and private investigator, some curious dramatic twists. No matter what your lot in (fake) life, though-doctor, stylist and architectural designer are among the other options-you'll find hours' worth of adventures to expand your world. Here's hoping EA similarly expands the available careers, because the potential here is just, well, ambitious.

Rating: 8/10

Moving in Stereo: Nintendo 3DS

Goodbye, fourth wall. It's like we never knew you. At least that's expected to be the reaction next year when Nintendo succeeds its DS handheld with the 3DS, which will deliver 3D graphics without the need for glasses. The system will, thankfully, be backward-compatible with your existing DS and DSiWare titles, and there's talk that several major movie studios are working with Nintendo to bring 3D movies to the 3Ds' 3.53" stereoscopic top screen. (The bottom is a 3.02" touch panel.) Of course, that's just the basic visual experience-the 3DS also features beefed-up wireless capability (including hardware that "talks" with other 3Dses while your system is asleep) and three cameras for recording your own real-life action. Yeah, that's right: three. One for you, and two facing the outside world so you can capture it in stereo, too.

Check out the details, complete with some excellent teaser video, at Nintendo's 3DS site.

***

Our game guru, Aaron Burgess, lives digitally but dreams in analog down in Round Rock, Texas. Contact him at first2letters@gmail.com  / AIM: First2Letters

Sanctified and girli-fied.

By Coco Hames

See, I was just thinking about being female again, and I was thinking about the imagery associated with my sphere in this world, specifically the sphere of the musical world.  Tags would include, but are not limited to: garage, punk, rockabilly, trash, desert, surf rock, '50s and '60s pop icons and art, etc.  There are skulls, there are tattoos, there are greasers, and there are girls.  And these girls are undeniably attractive.  The natural female form is celebrated and presented with great care, and the end result is oftentimes a very girli-fied version of the woman.  You know what I mean, little dresses, pigtails, little school girl skirts and oxfords, etc.  And I am thinking to myself, how CUTE these girls are, and then I think about WHY they are cute.  And the cuteness, that's a noun, that's the undeniable part.  It's fucking cute, it's a fact.  But what I am really thinking about is why it is ATTRACTIVE.  And previously -- while not against self-expression in any form of any other person -- I was thinking to myself, I am NOT dressing like that.  Because all I could think was, who am I trying to appeal to?  Some GUY with a school girl fetish?  FUCK that.  But consider, I took a photograph a few years ago dressed up in this type of style.

Side note: I never actually wore that dress, I bought it on eBay for a '60s party and it didn't have a back, that photo shoot was the only time I ever wore it.  No wait - I wore it once, to that New Year's party at the Echo where Poni slipped in someone's puke and I caught her by the FACE, that was amazing.  But anyway, I'm not trying to get around the fact that I wore babydoll dresses, it happened.  And I was thinking the other day, WHY did I wear them?  I am generally uncomfortable in BEING of the second sex (which isn't entirely true, I'm just getting used to it is all), and I don't typically dress to impress anyone, let alone anyone who like their girls pigeon-toed and dumb-eyed, so what was I trying to achieve?  I was trying to look cute, I guess.  Because I was cute, I was young and cute and that's what was happening.  And I LOVED '60s music, so that was my representational homage, too: my visage, my countenance, paying visual tribute to the swingin' '60s.  That was the definition of that look for me.  But the impact of the photo carried different meaning than what I was trying to convey, which has always annoyed me.  But I was up against common public associations of imagery, and it's hard to change that.  Easy to achieve, hard to change: the ontology of the photographic image. 

Currently what has developed in MY mind as MY perception of this look is one that excuses, in MY mind see, and allows for this look in MY world of understanding.  Previously, I had considered this aesthetic as pandering to a male fetishized demand, which of course I personally CANNOT allow.  And I didn't understand how these tough, smart, punk women would subjugate any portion of their being to ANYONE.  So I knew that MUST not be what's behind the "look" for them.  Knowing I sound psychotic ranting about these things, I was kind of always too shy to ask my friends, "Hey, can you give me an in-depth reasoning behind why you dress the way you do?"  I only have a few friends, and I regularly scare people away, so I kept said girl friends and I thought about it, about what I was seeing: the youthfulness, the representation of girlhood, e.g. the pig tails, the school girl skirts.  But then the tattoos, the piercings, the breasts (which you do not have when you are a little girl) and the tough, real, adult attitude, mannerisms, etc.  The juxtaposition of the celebration of girlhood (which is different from femaleness) with BEING adult, from a female perspective, that's what I was interested in.  And I think I've figured it out.

Now for some, I do believe the "little girl" thing is a fetish and is an issue, but that was THE issue I was afraid of when I initially started thinking about this.  But (wo)man is reasonable in that (s)he can make a reason for anything, and I reasoned that since these women are not women who would make themselves subservient in any way (words I'm thinking of are "shrink", "small", "stultify") that THEY must have control of the definition of the code of their dress.  Anthropologically, these things matter, you see.  And what I understood THEIR perspective to be is that, for many girls, the girlhood-advent-of-puberty time is, like, the CRAZIEST exciting time of your life.  You recognize yourself as a sexual being, you learn what that power means, there is a new (as in, not ever there before) responsibility and definition of self, I mean, it's crazy.  And I'll bet a lot of girls, subconsciously or otherwise (we already defined and decided upon "cute", you see) want to remember and celebrate that time.  And so, for them, their "girly" look is powerful.  And it is attractive because not only do a lot of women respond positively to that imagery and its inherent representation, MEN do, too.  Because when those little girls were discovering their power, uh, dudes were discovering it too.  In themselves, and outside themselves, in that opposite sex.  There has to be a moment for a lot of men where Suzie goes from having stupid cooties to having mystical powers.  And then therefore, I like to understand the MEN who find this "look" attractive are responding to the subconscious memory of THAT sensory impulse, which is practical and reasonable, and understandable.

And that is why I like rockabilly girls and celebrate their look.  Go on with your punk selves, my sistas, it works, and I love it, AND now I know why.

Do you SEE why I hate shopping?  Do you SEE why I hate photo shoots and videos?  Everything MEANS something, and I'm always trying to figure out WHAT. 

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Blurt "co-co-editor" and advice columnist Coco Hames fronts The Ettes, which include Jem on bass, Poni on drums and Johnny on guitar. Their Greg Cartwright-produced album Do You Want Power arrived in stores last fall, their music was featured in the Drew Barrymore-directed film Whip It. They're currently working on their fourth full-length and additionally have a new collaboration with Cartwright called The Parting Gifts, whose debut record is due this fall. You can read all about that as well as details of their recent tour with the Dead Weather in our exclusive interview with Hames. For music, tour dates and details, check out the band at its MySpace page and the official website.