Happy accidents can certainly play a part, but true innovation is rarely stumbled upon. Achieving it normally requires decades of osmosis and experimentation. Everybody’s gotta start somewhere. Strangely enough, Kraddy craved polka as a pip squeak.

“I remember loving Bobby Vinton, the Polish polka king as a little little kid. The first 45s I bought were ‘Heartlight’ by Neil Diamond and ‘When The Bullet Hits The Bone’ by Golden Earring.”

As the burned out birthday candles piled up over the years, some of the classics—Floyd, Hendrix and Zeppelin, to be exact—made an impact. Genesis also generated its share of air time with the growing Kraddy’s young eardrums. The previously mentioned influences served well together as a sort of musical foundation, but true mind-shattering was still around the corner.

“Two tracks blew my mind when I heard them: LA Style’s ‘James Brown Is Dead’ and KMFDM’s ‘Naïve.’ The 32nd note kicks at the intro of ‘Naïve’ had me bugging! I had never heard drums so fast. I went to see the Triple Threat DJs in SF. After that night, I decided I wanted decks.”

Although he was often designated “stereo b!+ch” at college keggers, Kraddy made his proper debut spinning drum and bass with his first crew, The Stress Collective, at a tiny club in San Francisco. Glitch Mob, a collective of California producers he has since parted ways with, was largely responsible for the popularization of a cutting-edge hybrid of electronica and hip hop called “glitch hop”. Glitch refers to the producers’ propensity for intentional glitches or “stutter edits”. Genius recluse Richard James, slightly better known as Aphex Twin, is recognized by those in the know as the godfather of the technique. Defining stutter edits in laymen terms can be a challenge, but, basically, they are micro-edit percussive stabs that can only be accomplished with computer software. Hearing is believing, but the sound has definitely found an audience. Kraddy has rocked Burning Man, Coachella, Electric Daisy Carnival, South by Southwest and even NASA alongside Bassnectar, Digable Planets, Funkstorung, Glitch Mob, Hank Shocklee of Public Enemy, Freq Nasty, Prefuse 73, Modeselektor, Plaid, Richard Devine, Sound Tribe Sector 9, Telefon Tel Aviv, Tipper and Zilla, among others.

“There’s nothing better than playing with friends to an appreciative crowd.”

Kraddy is set to crush Euphonic Conceptions’ official Pretty Lights’ after-party this Saturday, March 13, at Quixote’s (2151 Lawrence), along with Eliot Lipp and friends.

In the March issue of Self Magazine  there is an article titled “Welcome to the Nine Rooms of Happiness,” which I found particularly interesting. Self’s Editor in Chief, in collaboration with prominent psychiatrist Catherine Birndorf, examines life through the metaphor of a house in the new book The Nine Rooms of Happiness.  Each room represents an area of your life, for example the bedroom houses all things relating to intimacy, sex, love, and desire. The bathroom is all about body image. The goal of the book is to encourage women (and men) to leave certain issues in the rooms they belong and to learn to appreciate the “perfect moments in life”.

Whether it’s the attic, the kids’ room, the family room, the living room, the basement, the office, the bathroom, the bedroom, the kitchen, or the 10th “room” (a sunny space, a cozy corner, or a mental space where you reflect on your life and role in the world), we all have issues. Hell, I think I need a mega mansion with nineteen rooms to house all I got going on upstairs. I mean, cleaning my actual, physical bedroom seems daunting enough, now some psychiatrist wants me to clean my metaphorical room? Ok then.

I suppose the idea of “cleaning” these rooms, basically clearing out mental space and not dragging your baggage with you into every single area of your life, is a valuable concept to run with. Perhaps even making an effort to visualize this metaphorical image could be beneficial. I know I am going to try. In the meantime, I think I’ll go spend some time in my 10th room (couch, tea, magazines are calling my name). Noah, the other half of The Odd Couple, is dividing his time among all rooms equally, just so you know.

How about you? Which room of yours needs the most TLC? Do you like the idea of the nine rooms?

Oh, and on a semi-related note (I suppose, in Nine Rooms speak, having to do with my bathroom and bedroom issues), as we all know I am a bride-in-the-making, check out 303’s new issue with a fabulous feature dedicated to all things bridal.

Before Denver’s longest running club night Lipgloss settled on its longtime current location La Rumba, it tried a few venues on for size. 60 South, now home to 3 Kings, was the first, nearly nine years ago. I was there. Does that make me old school? At the time, I was on assignment for now-defunct Go-Go Magazine. Michael Trundle, recently retired resident Tyler Jacobson and long absent Tim Cook had just hosted their first monthly Brit-pop shindig and I was in charge of checking out the second installment. Losing my Lipgloss virginity at such an early point in the event’s storied history is a bragging right I’m proud of. This past Friday, Orange broke a different kind of cherry when he sang live at the Ginger Perry-hosted First Friday After-Party.

Lipgloss has come a long way in its near decade existence. Back at 60 South, it was a fledgling monthly struggling to find its niche audience. The complimentary sampler CD I received upon entry was dominated by bands like Blur and Ladytron. Accolades have since been showered on the tenacious weekly for the past five or six years running. Friday’s rager saw more than 575 heads through the door–over 1,100 feet on the dance floor. Electro has infiltrated the playlist in a big way. New resident Chase Dobson even dropped some dubstep, including a re-rub of MGMT’s electro-pop masterpiece “Kids”. Performing the Arete & Kaution mix of “Pussy Whipped” live at midnight was a fantasy fulfilled. Trundle, also known by his alias Boyhollow, brought acts with axe—including Faith No More and Rage Against the Machine–back at last call. Kitty, lead singer for Le Divorce, and I air guitared our hearts out. ‘Twas bananas, I tell ya. Bananas.

Listening parties have become a Lipgloss staple over the course of its lifespan. This Friday, March 12, Trundle and company will engage in a little Gorillaz marketing when La Rumba plays host to the single most famous animated band on the planet. The five year dry spell since Gorillaz’ last gazillion-selling platter has got fans ape nuts with anticipation. Plastic Beach, due on both digital and physical shelves today, doesn’t monkey with their aural formula much, and no one’s complaining. Co-conspirators this time around include Snoop Dogg, Lou Reed, Mos Def, Barry Gibb, De La Soul, Little Dragon and The Lebanese National Orchestra, among others.

I foresee a jungle fever epidemic on the horizon, not to mention Miike Snow (4/9) and Hot Pink Delorean (4/16).

No relationship is all roses and rock star sex. Yesterday, Kailey and I were getting ready to leave her house when one of the dogs decided it wanted to get her attention by jumping on her when she wasn’t looking. The result was a canine-human head-butt whose resounding crack filled the air. Uh oh, I thought, this is gonna be bad.

Sure enough, the skin just below Kailey’s lower lip split wide open. If she wanted a Labret piercing, she’d be all set–just stick some jewelry in there and go. It looked like she’d need some stitches, so we headed to the closest hospital. On the way, I decided to take her to urgent care instead, with the hope the wait would be shorter than at the ER. We arrived at a nondescript downtown storefront that hardly looked like the sort of place you could find any kind of medical care, let alone urgent care. But we walked inside, anyway.

Picture the scene: a receptionist wearing too-tight Broncos gear from head to toe talking to a doctor with mad-scientist hair. A young woman, waiting to be helped, wore a garish green and white floral dress, Buddy Holly glasses and patent leather Mary Janes while clutching a bright red lunchbox purse. I understood the look she was going for, but on her it was a complete miss. “Oh my god, we’re at Kmart,” Kailey groaned under her breath. I think that sight pained her more than her busted lip.

Just then, a burly man walked in with his friend and announced in a booming voice that he brought the friend in for a blood test. He then proceeded to quiz all the injured, sneezing, sniffling, gimpy waiting room occupants about what ailed them. “Didn’t he ever hear of HIPAA?” Kailey mumbled through the wad of tissues pressed against her lip. Maybe because it appeared that Kailey couldn’t speak, Geraldo Rivera’s more obnoxious twin (thankfully) spared us.

It was all so unusual that I started to feel like the protagonist in a David Lynch film. Finally, we got in to see a nice, normal doctor who decided her wound wasn’t bad enough for stitches. He glued her together with Dermabond–which is basically superglue–and sent us on our way. We assessed the damage: one slightly chipped front tooth, a prognosis for zero scarring, and a moratorium on kissing. If the worst thing we experienced that day was horrific fashion and a surreal waiting room, I’ll gladly take it.

I initially wrote a winded entry about Milan Fashion Week and it’s fall highlights, but after seeing today’s Christian Dior Paris Fall 2010 show, I had to immediately share it with you all.

Always a favorite of mine, John Galliano delivers perfectly crafted, feminine garments with a sexy edge. While the collection may not have been as cohesive as editors would have liked, it had all the Dior details to make one drool. Often a fan of equestrian themes and eighteenth century milieu, Galliano had models galloping down the runway in English riding attire broken up with soft colored, georgette, ruffly dresses. Then, there was the leather to supply ample edge – jackets and dresses with texture detail in brown and blacks, gave the collection a more fall feeling. Over-the-knee boots and thigh high socks also added warmth to some of the barer looks.

It is truly one of my favorite collections to date! The feminine rawness is both timely and timeless. May I never wake from my Dior dream…

All images provided by Getty Images. Images of the entire collection can be found at Getty Images.

Christian Dior Fall 2010

Christian Dior Fall 2010

Christian Dior Fall 2010

Christian Dior Fall 2010

Christian Dior Fall 2010

Christian Dior Fall 2010

It’s the first Friday of the month, which means almost every gallery/boutique in Denver will be having an opening of some sort. First Fridays can be overwhelming to some, me included at times, so here is a list of some of my recommended shows tonight.

• The Illustrated, featuring work by John Grigsby and Kristophor Hutson, at Illiterate on 82 South Broadway. I never cease to have a great time (i.e. drunken debauchery) at Illiterate, Denver’s newest contemporary/emerging art gallery.

Kristophor Hutson

• Detour Legends, featuring the work of Thomas Evans, at Division West.  I have not been to Division West yet, but I have heard good things. It is a sneaker/snow sport botique located at 2632 E. Third Ave in Cherry Creek North, they have art openings every month.  Evans  partnered with a local charity, Arts Street, for the show.  Arts Street mission is “to help high-risk youth channel their artistic talents, creative ideas and natural curiosity into professional activities that provide real-world employment experience.”  The show is 6pm-10pm and will have a DJ at the event.

Thomas Evans

• f/Stops at Indyink. My good friends from xrocksthespot.com is putting on this bicycle inspired photography show.
• A Solo Exhibit of Vague Proportions by Josh Shively, at Crema Coffeehouse - my new favorite coffeehouse and untraditional art venue! Also music by DJ AWHAT! from the Pirate Signal. Should be a great time.

Josh Shively

These are just a few shows that came to mind, if I missed something that you think is worthy of checking out tonight, feel free to post it under comments! Also check back on Sunday to see a recap of the shows I attended.

Restaurant week is always fun. As a waitress, I’m making some good cash and meet tons of interesting people (mostly…you know who you are…jerks…) ANYWAY, one of my guests told me about this new play that would be up my alley (I’m a glorified Russophile…Johnny Weir and I totally have that in common, although I don’t have embroidered ice skates with my name in Russia on them….note to self..get those.)

It’s called When Tang Met Laika, and it’s playing at the Space Theater in the Center for Performing Arts. The play is about the international space station, love in space and the ghost of Yuriy Gagarin and Laika (if you don’t know who they are…Google them. now.) It was AMAZING, and what’s even better, for plays at the center, students can get in for $10, and if you’re not a student, it’s only $18. You’re not sitting in a movie theater…you are seeing actual people act, and there is something to be said about injecting yourself with real art. The next day, I told my friend that I went to a play and they said, shit, we just stayed home and got stoned watching Futurama reruns.

If Dentyne Gum ads taught me anything, there is always something to be said about making face time and going out with people. Plays are fun, and for the sake of fun and art, I can always find a crumpled $10 bill. Seriously, do something new, I’ll be Smokey the Bear..only I am for plays, not forest fires…but also, forest fires are bad…mmkay.

And P.S The next play is coming soon, so if you miss Tang, check out Mama Hated Diesels, its got Johnny Cash music…you can’t go wrong.

Make Face Time (love this commercial!)

I love figure skating…(this is Johnny Weir) He and I are peas in a pod, only I can’t skate. Check out his hat!! love it.

My skin feels like the bottom of my rottweilers paws at least three times a day.  I love Colorado don’t get me wrong, but this dry climate forces me to lather up my body with lotion  like I am some sort of burn victim recovering from a napalm bomb. The piles of empty body lotion bottles in my trash could easily compare to the vodka bottles of an alcoholic. So I’m sure you see where this is going. Perhaps I am going to recommend a body lotion this week? Well, you’re right but not only one because I cannot choose just one drugstore body lotion to recommend to my 303 readers, I have a list of my top 5 favorites.

Products of the Week:

Curel: Original Formula:

For as long as I can remember my mother has been using this product and after all these years I realize that she is always right, especially when it comes to moisturizer.  It is not too heavy or think but moisturizes skin very well and is unscented which makes it a great everyday body lotion.

Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion with Sunscreen:

This basic body lotion is used by most of my girlfriends and is loved my most. It is great for all skin types, including real sensitive skin types. And of course the fact that it has sunscreen makes it important as well. Wear sunscreen every day ladies, please, even in the winter! Sunscreen now; less botox and cancer later.

Johnson’s Baby Lotion:

Not only does my 7 month old niece love this shit but I do as well. Who says babies are the only ones allowed to be baby soft? The truth is I love the smell of this product and I love how effective it is.

Nivea Original Moisture Lotion:

This is a thinker lotion than most and is perfect for those extra dry months here in Colorado. It also gives the skin a sexy, silky glow that makes any pair of legs look amazing.

Eucerin Everyday Protection Body Lotion:

Eucerin is a great line for extra dry or sensitive skin. I love this everyday protection body lotion because it is not as think as the other Eucerin products but still does an amazing job at moisturizing dry skin.

This week’s Cheaper Side is about dance lessons.  This is probably the last topic I should be writing about, as I am a terrible dancer.  I wish I had two left feet.  If I have rhythm, it matches up with no known musical genre in existence.  That being said, I know a good deal and a good time when I see one.  I took my girlfriend to The Mercury Café for swing lessons on Sunday night.  It’s only $8, and the price of the lesson includes admission for the live swing band that plays for two to three hours after the lesson.

The dance instructor is thorough and friendly.  Her #1 rule is, “Don’t criticize your dance partner!  Unless they’re hurting you.”  She has a partner to dance with each week and show you how the professionals do it.  Usually there’s a lot of joking around, like this gem: “Keep pressure on your partner like there’s a hundred dollar bill between your hand and her back.”  If you don’t have somebody to bring, feel free to come stag and meet some people.  The single boys and girls rotate and spend about five minutes with each partner.  I got to dance with a 75 year old lady when I came a few months ago.  If you bring somebody and want to keep them all to yourself, there’s no need to trade.

The Mercury Café also offers structured dance lessons (building on the previous lesson for one month) on weekdays: Lindy Hop Tuesdays, Salsa Wednesdays, and Jitterbug Thursdays.  They cost (I think) $30 for a month of weekly lessons.  Check out their calendar for a full listing of events at the Mercury Cafe.  For a more comprehensive offering of dance classes, check out Turnverein.  Their classes are also pretty affordably priced, generally $7-10 for non-members.  So get out there and dance!

Long, long ago…well rather only a few weeks ago in an old blog post, this member of the Odd Couple expressed sex feature frustrations. Well now that the feature is nearly complete , the pressure and stress are slightly alleviated, I find myself more open to discussions and water cooler chats about sex. Recently, while thumbing through Details, I came across an article that reminded me of an early idea for the sex feature.

Way back when the creative wheels for the feature, made their first few turns, The Odd Couple sat together discussing the complexities, dangers and fascination of using the internet (Craigslist, Adult Friend Finder) and other various media to locate sex. It to this day still baffles me, how can you trust the person on the other end if you’ve never met them until the time of bump n’ grind? The idea fathoms me, but yet there are still hundreds that log on everyday and do just that.

Seeking Men for Men or Men for Women

So thumbing through my magazine a few days ago, I stumbled upon Gay 3.0. It begins with the story of Jared (obviously not his real name), a man who found himself locked out of his apartment with only a few minutes to spare while he waited for the arrival of his landlord. In the meantime, he loaded his new Iphone application “Grindr“. Grindr is an application that helps gay men connect with other gay men in the area, what you choose to do from then on is your choice. Well Jared wanted to really connect and within minutes found a hot guy in the area and hooked up in a nearby courtyard…Thank you Grindr!

For Jared, it didn’t matter that this boy was a  complete stranger or that until that day the two had never shared anything together, all that mattered was that Jared needed his man parts satisfied and HOT GUY was only 602 feet away looking for the same thing.

So it got me thinking, could I ever allow myself to make the same choice? Could I ever experience an act so carnal and personal with a complete and total stranger (when I say complete, I mean you haven’t even shared a few drinks before bumping bagels or playing hide the pickle)?

To answer the question, I downloaded the application, created a fake profile (complete with a slightly sexy photo) and waited for people to try and “connect” with me. Bing, Bing, Bing…in only a few minutes I had five new messages. Some were innocent “Hi” or “Hey” but others got straight to the point, “145 lbs, 7inches cut, top, ddf, neg…you?”…well damn. Being the mischievious guy that I am, I took some of the more attractive options and just toyed with them for a minute. How far were these guys willing to go? All the way thats how far. After only a few hours on and off the application I had recieved more nude photos and invitations for sex than ever before.

In the end, the application wasn’t my style. I’m a get to know you gay, who enjoys sharing those dirty moments with someone that’s earned it (at the very least they need to feed me). I’m not putting down the guys and girls out there that use Grindr or Craigslist or any other tool out there helping stimulate random sex. My only is advice is be safe and smart. The last thing anyone wants to end up with a nasty STD they have to explain to their future partners, or in a worst case scenario they can’t explain anything because they were killed by a complete stranger…(sad day).

Like the commercial says, “I’m not gonna be like that guy” (sure the commercials about meth, but I think it still applies). Do you want to be like this guy?

"I'm not gonna be like that guy."

See…(again, sad day)