Tag Archives: Alternative Rock

Monday Music Notes

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Happy Monday to y’all! It was my birthday last Saturday, which means I’m another decade older 😳 It was a quiet day spent doing some of the things I love most: listening to music, making art, and drinking coffee, lol! I headed to one of my favorite coffee spots, Reinne’s Place, on Retro Row in Long Beach. It’s a local favorite, especially within the Filipino community. The owner experienced a profound loss, and the coffee shop was born from that grief. Seriously, some of the best coffee in LB. And right next door is San & Wolves Bakeshop, a Filipino bakery that makes a variety of irresistible treats. They were down in Orange County at a huge festival, Daisy Chain, so I’ll have to wait until they reopen tomorrow to grab my bakery fix!

I visited my daughter in Hollywood on Sunday, and she baked me a homemade pot pie. Delish! It was altogether a quiet birthday, as my birthdays have been for the past couple of years.

I also facilitated my first sound bath, a Sturgeon Full Moon Sound Journey, on Friday night. There were eight attendees, including a good friend and former coworker, as well as a former student. I was thrilled to see them both! It was hot, unfortunately, but other than that, I think it went pretty well. Sound therapy is still very new to my skill set, so there’s obviously room for improvement. I’m learning with each experience and will keep honing my skills along the way.

I think the highlight of my weekend was listening to Turnstile. A guy I knew a couple of years ago introduced me to them, and I’ve been hooked ever since. They’ve been redefining the boundaries of modern heavy music, successfully bridging the gap between traditional punk and mainstream alternative rock. Seriously, if you don’t get up and groove when listening to their music, there’s something amiss! 😂

The songs currently on repeat are Seeing Stars, Birds, and Slowdive from Never Enough: Versions (Disc 2).

Turnstile is currently on tour, and they’ll be making their way to Southern California in October and November, playing a couple of different festivals. One is at the Observatory Festival Grounds in Orange County, and the other is Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. I’m seriously considering going to the Orange County show. Tickets are already almost sold out! I’ll be in Taiwan visiting my birth family in November, so October may be my window. I’d be perfectly okay going solo, as none of my friends are really into hardcore punk, but we’ll see 😎

In the meantime, here’s a live performance so you can get a taste of what I’ve been listening to. Fair warning: you may find yourself getting up to groove 😉 I know I do!

What music are you listening to these days? Leave a comment and let me know! 🎶

Blackout and Birds performed live at Lowlands 2026

new beginnings

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Can you believe we’re almost midway through June? Is it just me or does time really fly?

I’ve had the past 10 days free of work, frolicking on the beach and house hunting. It’s been exceedingly lovely to rest and restore. I so enjoyed my time off from work and spending time with friends. It was much needed. I don’t think I could have worked another day. In the span of 10 days, I found a new home rental that I’ll be moving into in just a matter of weeks. Wow. It is a time of action with the waxing crescent moon, so I guess the timing is fitting. It feels as though a lifetime occurred in the last 10 days 

I’ve gone back and forth about this new home, questioning whether it’s the right move. It’s small, just the right size, very nice, and has cottage-y vibes. I adore the house. The homeowner I experienced as warm and approachable. There’s a small backyard with string lights and enough room to move in my baby grand piano. So what’s the hang up? It’s just further away from the beach, where I’ve lived for the past year. A close friend and I have lived walking distance from each other’s apartment, and I will truly miss that as well as walking across the street to the beach. The new house is in a somewhat mixed neighborhood, meaning it’s in a relatively safe area, but my first impression was, it’s kinda “sketchy.” I keep reminding myself that the home has a backyard. I’ll be able to keep my sweet pup for longer periods of time. I think she’ll feel more comfortable in the space and will have a backyard to explore. I share her with my ex. She loves her doggie door and big backyard at what used to be the home we all shared. It was one of the hardest things ever to leave her.

Change. Change is hard. So many changes in the last year. More changes to come. I should be celebrating, yet I feel a little sad about leaving this space, and ultimately, endings. It’s the end of a chapter. I wanted to stay close, but home properties are less available and more expensive. Life is complicated, messy. How I wish it weren’t so. I will miss this area very much, despite crazy apartment living and crazy neighbors. For many months, it’s been a safe haven, a place to heal.

Why move? I’ve asked myself a million times, weighing the pros and cons obsessively. My lease is up on June 12th, so it seemed an appropriate time. Moreso, I’ve been longing for a home with a backyard for my dog, space for my baby grand, and privacy.

There is much to love about the new house, and I’m grateful that the owner chose me to rent to. The beach is about a 10-minute drive south. Change and transition, nevertheless, are hard, even when it’s for the best. I get attached to things and people. I don’t want to lose what I’ve worked hard to attain. My higher self tells me it’s a time of rebirth, but I seem to be gritting my teeth.

So, cheers to new adventures and new beginnings. If I could trust that the Universe has my back, I suppose transition would feel easier. But trust does not come easy. So be it. Let the packing begin. Once settled, I’m certain I’ll fall in love with the house, and who knows, maybe the neighborhood.

Been obsessed with The Marias latest album, Submarine. No One Noticed seems to describe my mood lately. 

Photo by Giulia Bertelli on Unsplash