Tons of Friends: Tons of DGAF

the "NOT Tons of Fidget edition"





BOOM CLAP BOOM CLAP BOOM CLAP BOOM CLAP

Yes, Crookers could have released the epic fidget house album that we were all waiting and hoping for. Or they could have done something very DGAF and done something that nobody was expecting. So let's all chill the fuck out and appreciate the fact that they did the latter instead of deciding to pigeonhole themselves in one type of genre.

Don't get me wrong, Crookers' unmistakable bouncy sound is what initially drew me in as a fan and kept me there, beat after relentless beat. It seemed like they'd perfected their signature style. Crookers made some of the most addictive, exhilarating, crowd-pleasing remixes this side of fidget... So where do you go from there? Well, you can either keep doing what you're doing, or step out and prove you that you're not just a one-trick pony.

Of course we all, myself included, wanted Crookers to come out with an album that took their original sound a step further. Even though I would have danced my ass off to an album like that, I actually respect Crookers more for releasing an album with a more mature and sophisticated sound, and something less predictable. *gasp* I think it was a badass and interesting move to put the accapella version of "Day N Nite" instead of reminding fans yet again of their obvious straight up smash hit remix. It was like putting a middle finger up to everyone who was wishing for the rest of Tons of Friends to sound like the original "Day N Nite" remix.

We wanted soul claps, they gave us subtlety. Before writing it off, try listening beyond the surface. It's not going to instantly beat you into submission like their older songs... this time you actually do have to pay more attention to the details because it's no longer about face-melting instant gratification. But because they've moved away from their distinct sound, this album does at first sound subdued and even underwhelming by comparison... but once I gave this album a chance, I was hooked. It took a few listens to realize how much the production is integrated with the vocals. Let's face it, the old Crookers sound was pretty overpowering, so this time they've stepped back to allow the guest vocalists to shine, which was a pretty generous and respectful move.

The new Crookers sound is about atmospherics and textures; it actually forces you to listen to the quality of songs and dynamics rather than flashy samples, beats, or basslines. Of course they're still there, but in a different perspective. I think Crookers went in the right direction by proving they could be insanely versatile producers. Tons of Friends boasts a diverse range of pop, R&B, hip hop, electro, reggae and even the indie/country/folk of "Lone White Wolf"... Crookers can tread them all, without losing consistency, or relying too much on past formulas. The future is now, and the future is DGAF. Tons of DGAF.

My only real complaint? "Festa Festa" is not on this album.

check them out at crookers.net

Veggie Thrill

Grubbin' in El Segundo

It's nothing short of a miracle that one of the best vegan restaurants I've ever been to is here in the South Bay! I mean LA does have some pretty legit vegan restaurants... but I would never have expected one like this to pop up in El Segundo. (There are also other locations in Hollywood and Irvine, and hopefully more coming soon!)

Haters beware, because this place is helping to break all the stereotypes associated with vegan food and re-define the concept of fast food. Ignorant people may dismiss vegan restaurants as bland, expensive rabbit food for hippies. But they have no idea what they're missing: chili cheese fries, nachos, burgers, caesar salad, fried "chicken" wings, soup, chocolate pudding... and it doesn't stop there. This may change people's minds about their wrong perceptions about vegan food, and people may be rejoiced to find fast food that won't clog your arteries.

Ok, so it may not be quite as fast as most fast food places. But who needs drive-thrus when you can dine in a nice, modern, clean environment? The atmosphere is spacious and relaxing even though I pretty much always see it busy. It may not be quite as cheap as your local In-N-Out, but it is more healthy (while not sacrificing taste), and of course they use better quality and cruelty-free ingredients than the suddenly "health conscious" McDonald's. The results will surprise vegans and non-vegans alike.


Deirdre loves the Veggie Grill! We don't blame her.

I've enjoyed everything I've had from their menu... every burger, sandwich, and salad I've had from there so far has been consistently delicious. I can't pick a favorite, but I think it's MANDATORY that you try AT LEAST one item with the VG cheese. This is one the most legit vegan cheeses I have had anywhere! Move over, Velveeta. The VG cheeseburger is a good, solid vegan cheeseburger (though they could put more cheese on it). The nachos should be your first choice for an appetizer, and the mac and cheese your first choice for a side dish. And don't forget, just because it's not on the menu, does not mean you can't order chili cheese fries. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT!

You can also get the regular sweet potato fries as a side order (but they're so much better with chili and cheese on them!) or the kale. Yes, kale. It has a delicious miso sauce on them, and they're cooked to a delightful texture and have a mild, pleasant taste. Eating your veggies was never this fun, believe me. The coleslaw is nothing special, and if you're going to order salad, I'd say get one of the big ones instead of on the side. There's free refills on the tasty lemonades and teas that also won't give you diabetes.

The only criticism I have is the dessert menu. With main courses this impressive, you'd think they'd have the sweets to match. I mean, they're not bad at all, just kind of lacking in selection. Their best dessert in my opinion was the pumpkin cheesecake, which they'd taken off the menu a while ago. The carrot cake is fabulous, and the frosting is of course, legit. The chocolate pudding is rich and smooth. The cookies are ok. They should bring in vegan milkshakes and ice cream to the mix. Maybe they could have a dessert of the day, like how they have a soup of the day.

But whether you're a strict vegan, a meat lover who thinks they can't stand vegan food, or anyone in between, this place is for you.

The Veggie Grill

Afterparty at THE WAFFLE!!!

UPDATED 2-1-10


You'll eat so much you'll get a double chin

Here's a problem that many of you might encounter while being out with friends in Hollywood. It's late, and most restaurants are closed, so you can't decide on a place to eat. Your vegan friend wants Toi on Sunset, another friend wants Denny's, another wants breakfast from Jack in the Box, another wants to keep drinking, and you don't want any of those. That means you're all screwed and just need to go home, right? WRONG.

For those of you who don't know, this place is one of the best kept secrets in Hollywood. It's never packed, but it always serves some of the dopest tightest food around. It's open til midnight or 3am most nights. This is the place to go after a show or a club (it's right next to the Palladium) or a trip to Amoeba (it's practically across the street) ... or for a friend's birthday meal.

There literally is something there for everyone... it's called The Waffle but besides waffles and breakfast items there is a good selection of burgers, sandwiches, soups, salad, alcohol... even dog biscuits! Plus, your vegan friends can get down too because there's a small but very legit vegan menu! I've liked everything I've tried on the vegan menu, but the most impressive were the vegan Philly Cheesesteak sandwich, the vegan chili (called Bowl of Red), the un-chicken salad sandwich, and the veggie dogs (which are specials). The only complaint I have is that they seemed to have discontinued their vegan shakes. :(


Waffle ice cream sandwiches? You'd better believe it!

For meat eaters, I'd recommend the Chicken Jalapeño Waffle. The first time I had it, I didn't look at the description on the menu, I just knew I had to order it. I figured it was chicken and jalapeños baked into a waffle, you know, kind of like their bacon waffle. When the waiter came out with a plate with a piece of fried chicken, collard greens, and a waffle... I can't even describe it.

If that doesn't sound appealing to you, I'd get one of the Double Wides. They are basically waffle sandwiches: instead of bread, they're waffles. THIS SHIT IS DELICIOUS and you probably won't see this anywhere else.

And get a side of onion rings. The coleslaw is good, and so is the salad, and you can't lose with waffle-cut fries, but the onion rings are where it's at! They're thinly cut with seasoned batter, these are quality onion rings, not those nasty crunchy breaded circles you get at fast food places.

Their $12 bottomless drinks might be the best deal in town. Yes, take your pick for unlimited Mimosas, Bloody Marys, Margaritas, or Sangrias. And they're surprisingly strong and very well made. So before hitting a club or party in Hollywood, stop by the Waffle to save some serious $$$ on what will be overpriced and mediocre drinks. Or just stop by afterward for an awesome afterparty!

The atmosphere of the place is chill and has a really cute, modern style interior. It's cozy without being cramped, but spacious enough to be comfortable. There's both indoor and outdoor seating, and I think there is seating upstairs but I've never been there. The servers are friendly too, and it's affordable; you can definitely get some decent grub for around $10. So tell all your friends and grab a booth! It's a wonder why I never see this place super busy! LA, show The Waffle some love!

The Waffle

Follow them on Twitter for surprise discounts!

Discotheque with Don Rimini: A Chat Review

Last Friday, the Suzanarchist and I went to Discotheque at Club 740 in downtown LA, which is a new weekly party thrown by the guys from Nitrus + MFG, aka the promoters for the HARD festivals. This week had artists Don Rimini, Destructo, Staccato, Acid Girls, Classixx, Switch, Spank Rock, and the MAD DECENT basement with Paul Devro + more. Here’s what we thought:



SUZANARCHIST: so we got there and the parking was $5, not bad
SHIMOSH: yeah, right next to the club, so that was good
SHIMOSH: getting in was smooth (no water bottles, but whatevz)
SUZANARCHIST: yeah i had to dump my 5 hour energy shot
SHIMOSH: LOL, is that what happened?
SUZANARCHIST: yup. idk i didn’t really care, it was almost empty
SHIMOSH: oh ok. i thought you meant an unopened one
SUZANARCHIST: nope. so we get there and the line is short, which is bomb
SHIMOSH: yeah line was cool because we got there at like 9:50ish?
SUZANARCHIST: yeah
SHIMOSH: doors opened at 10
more people came later on, but it was free before 11 (with rsvp)
SUZANARCHIST: ah
SHIMOSH: it was a really cool venue
SUZANARCHIST: yeah
SHIMOSH: i really liked it
SUZANARCHIST: it was pretty big
the lighting was SICK as fuck
SHIMOSH: HALE yeah SEVEN FORTY! the “underground” part had a “rave” feel to it
SUZANARCHIST: yeah totally
SHIMOSH: not necessarily music, but the vibe, or maybe it was just the setup
SUZANARCHIST: well honestly, at first they were playing reggaeton and shit, latin american music
but later when they started dropping baile funk, i was fucking DOWN. and someone played “let the bass kick,” i almost creamed.
SHIMOSH: lol gross. yeah... MAD DECENT, right? paul devro?
SUZANARCHIST: MAD DECENT
SHIMOSH: MAD DECENT! yeah it was good stuff
SUZANARCHIST: yeah the beats got dirty downstairs.
when classixxx was on upstairs, the beats were super clean—almost sterile. Like immaculate sterile coked out 80’s beats.
Acid girls were cool
SHIMOSH: yeah acid girls were good
SUZANARCHIST: i remember them near the beginning
SHIMOSH: so was it acid girls then classixx then rimini then staccato then swtich then spank rock? (even though we couldn’t make it til the end)
SUZANARCHIST: i guess spank rock finished?
SHIMOSH: i guess so
SUZANARCHIST: i remember staccato being there before we left


SHIMOSH: i’m not sure, it sucks bc it was starting to clear out a good amount after don rimini
i wonder if everyone just migrated downstairs? or went to smoke?
because there were a buttload of people smoking
SUZANARCHIST: oh yeah, after don rimini the dance floor was almost empty. it sucked. i’m sorry but female djs need to be repped.
SHIMOSH: yeah lamesauce
SUZANARCHIST: staccato DROPPED some fucking beats
SHIMOSH: staccato was dope, but i think don rimini exhausted everyone. It’s like he just blew a giant load on everyone and the crowd was like OMG I LOVE IT and couldn’t take it and died
SUZANARCHIST: he fucking DROPPED so many dance bullets
SHIMOSH: OMG I KNOW. Don Rimini=best


SUZANARCHIST: fucking bombs. missiles. let me back up i think just brought on the armageddon. don rimini was the shit.
SHIMOSH: let me back up = awesome. i loved when he played “warp” i was like omg <3
SUZANARCHIST: WARP WAS FUCKING SICK YES
SHIMOSH: crookers remix of let me back up <3
SUZANARCHIST: i mean i always liked that remix, but hearing that live just...
SHIMOSH: made you melt
SUZANARCHIST: gave me cardiac explosions of ecstacy and i didn’t even drop
SHIMOSH: haha, nice
SUZANARCHIST: that’s the test of really good dance music—you can rock out to it completely sober, which is why HARD and its promoters put on the dopest tightest shit
SHIMOSH: but “i cant imagine moshing to dance music”
SUZANARCHIST: fuck that bitch
SHIMOSH: HAH
SUZANARCHIST: well u couldn’t back in the 90s, but now... i mean acutually maybe the prodigy
dance definitely started getting more eclectic roots, but it wasn’t widespread as this. i think DJs are showing their diverse influences more
SHIMOSH: totes

SUZANARCHIST: it’s not just “rave” music anymore, it’s not as specific, it’s not cheesy—
people are turning cheesy samples into fucking quality shit.
SHIMOSH: Discotheque win?
SUZANARCHIST: yeah discotheque brings on fucking quality djs
SHIMOSH: first discotheque wins. don rimini was amazing
SUZANARCHIST: good vibe
SHIMOSH: totes
SUZANARCHIST: it wasn’t too packed
SHIMOSH: yeah! that’s what i liked
SUZANARCHIST: the venue was nice, large, spread out... there were chill areas to sit down
SHIMOSH: it wasn’t like PACKED FULL like a Japanese train during rush hour
SUZANARCHIST: yeah or cinespace LOL
SHIMOSH: HAH yeah! cinespace was just uncomfortable
SUZANARCHIST: and the best thing is it’s free before 11.
SHIMOSH: well it was for this first one, but i don’t know if they’re doing it for all of them
SUZANARCHIST: yeah but that was good
SHIMOSH: yeah it was. free=awesome, but otherwise it was like $10 presale which isn’t bad. worth it, i’d say. good times.
SUZANARCHIST: oh yeah $10 is good—for that quality too!
the downstairs failed when it dropped the electro reggae
SHIMOSH: yeaaaaaah
well i’m not partial to reggae, so maybe i’m too biased but yeah... not into the reggae
SUZANARCHIST: yeah i hate dance reggae. i mean both of us are biased, but u know that baile funk/funk carioca shit was TIGHT
SHIMOSH: discotheque was pretty dgaf awesome, right?
SUZANARCHIST: the sheezy yes
SHIMOSH: BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT
SUZANARCHIST: ?
SHIMOSH: i say the DGAF award of the night goes to this guy

the dancing man. he’s so fucking disco. that man was dancing from the very fucking beginning and did not stop. he probably started dancing at 9, and the thing started at 10 and i think he was just non-stop party. this guy seriously was so. fucking. DGAF
SUZANARCHIST: yup. DGAF of the night
SHIMOSH: he was so sweaty. DGAF award
i’m going to make like a “dgaf award” ribbon to put on that
like a first prize ribbon
but that says “DGAF”
or “#1 DGAF”





So, this week will be another fun weekend! Discotheque on Friday with Busy P + SebastiAn, then HARD Summer on Saturday! We predict this friday’s #1 DGAF to be Busy P, but we’ll see. So go to Discotheque this Friday, (21+) bitches.