Year End Giving 2013

I know you.  You like to give.  You don't have the most money, but you like to share.  You contribute to your friends' Kickstarter and IndieGoGo campaigns.  You volunteer at the holidays.

Downtown Women's Center

Shelter and positive support for women.

KCRW

Best radio station in the world?  Maybe.  You know you listen.  Time to donate?

No Kid Hungry

Meals for kids.  There's a handy button on the right of this page if you want to click and give.

Playa Summer Lake 

Support artists in residence at this oasis of quiet and beauty.

Union of Concerned Scientists 

Science in service of sustainability!


You can also support the Zestyverse.

By subscribing or by making a one-time donation.  There are some handy buttons on the right ------>


We appreciate your readership and your support and look forward to being even zestier in 2014!

Quote of the Week - Mike D.

"You could call me a straight-up amateur.  But that hasn't stopped me before.  And that hasn't stopped me here." 

- Mike D. on curating at MOCA (from an interview on KCRW)

Being professional is great.  It's a good feeling to have some command of your chosen turf.  But everyone starts as an amateur.  Everyone.  You'll never get anywhere if you're not willing to move through that.  You'll never surprise yourself.  You'll never grow.

What if the Beastie Boys told themselves before Cooky Puss - we're a bunch of white dudes from the NYC/BK with no hip hop skills - we can't do this?

Yet, I bet you listen to that loop in your head a whole lot.

It's Monday - put your karma on straight and get out in the fight.

Nothing should stop you.

The Alternative to Corporate Black Friday Shopping Guide (Part 2 - Sounds)

Wondering how to avoid the machine on Black Friday weekend?

Go indie.

SOUNDS

Soundcloud.  Bandcamp.  LastFm.  All of these and, yes, even iTunes, will get you plugged in to distinctly un-corporate music.  It's great to listen to up and coming acts on Spotify or Pandora, but take the extra step and support the artists by putting money in their wallets!  Some of my favorites...

KAL LAVELLE - Fantastic voice and songwriting, the aptly-named Shivers EP gives a hint of things to come from the wonderful Kal.

ELEVATERS - I.  Just.  Love.  This.  Band.  

KEVIN SANDBLOOM - The tireless troubadour has just recreated Joni Mitchell's Blue album - cover to cover - for its 40th anniversary.

ALI WHITTON - Ali's gorgeous new EP Ruapehu is available now.  Here's a sneak peak:

DEF SOUND - Don't sleep on Def Sound.  You may wake up wondering what happened.

KCRW  is just perfect.  LA's local NPR station has an awesome line-up of DJ's, as well as provocative and fun cultural programming.  Membership is inexpensive, comes with a load of levels and benefits, and even if you're not an Angeleno, you can get everything KCRW has to offer live streaming and archived on their website! Not to mention Eclectic 24 a separate 24-hour streaming music channel!  G'won!

Tis the season to GIVE!

 

It's a good time to give!

Micro-donations make a difference - so don't feel like you can't give!  Even donations as small as a dollar add up if you spread the word, too!

In the spirit of the season, here are a few places your donations will make a contribution to the quality of life of many people.

KCRW

Los Angeles' public radio station and one of the best radio stations in the world.  They bring culture to Los Angeles, and they tie together all the different cultural media and institutions.  At the moment I'm crushing on Edward Goldman's Art Talk, but who can live without Evan Kleiman's Good Food, or MBE w/Jason Bentley, and my always personal fave - Jeremy Sole?

DOWNTOWN WOMEN'S CENTER

Giving shelter to women who need it in times of trouble.  Think on it - this is very necessary.


BEYOND BAROQUE

Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center has been holding down poetry in Venice for DECADES.  What other poetry venue can you think of that has kept it together for so long and brought out so many voices from our local scene?  They are going through some radical transition and need dollars and members to transform into the 21st Century organization they are going to become.

United States Artists

A micro-financing site for artists of all disciplines with projects they are hoping to fund.  Just scroll through and pick a project you'd like to see come to fruition.  Imagine it was that easy to get your project going...it is!

All of these are practically one-click donatable!

Feel free to suggest your own below!