FILTER

(O)range (C)rosby

Living in Los Angeles, I rarely make my way to Orange County.  There has to be a specific reason for me to make that 30 minute (give or take traffic) or more trek.  Luckily, there is now a very specific and special reason that the OC has become a destination of choice and that reason is The Crosby.

Making its home in the historic arts district of Downtown Santa Ana, The Crosby is the brainchild of three dapper gentlemen: Chris Alfaro, Phil Nisco and Marc Yamaoka.  Featuring an always evolving menu courtesy of head chef, Aron Habiger and sous chef, Joshua Han, the food speaks the language of deliciousness and affordability, without lacking a sense of what’s hip and essential for the taste buds.

What makes The Crosby even more appealing, is the FREE music that haunts the bar every night.  Spinning an eclectic mix of hip hop, electronica, punk, dub step and indie, every night guarantees a head bob (or twenty) with your sangria.  They’ve also boasted some of Los Angeles’ brightest producers and beat makers - Flying Lotus, Nosaj Thing, My Hollow Drum, Daedelus - with Alfaro’s own musical incarnation, Free The Robots, hitting the tables for perennially inspired sets. 

Now hosting a full bar and notoriety quickly surpassing their humble Orange County roots, make sure to include Downtown Santa Ana in any upcoming itineraries, holiday schedules and birthday considerations.  While you’re there, order the Starving Artist with a side of Orange Tomatoes.  You can thank me later.

The Crosby is located at 400 N Broadway Santa Ana, CA 92701.
Hours: Monday - Saturday 5pm to 2am.

THE CROSBY | A VIEW OF THE KITCHEN

RIP, John Hughes

Today, popular culture mourns the loss of an icon, director John Hughes. The man responsible for nearly every generation-defining film of the 1980's, passed away due to a sudden heart attack early Thursday morning. Hughes directed The Breakfast Club; Sixteen Candles; Ferris Bueller's Day Off; Uncle Buck; Planes, Trains & Automobiles (a personal favorite); and Weird Science. He also wrote and produced Pretty in Pink; Some Kind of Wonderful; Vacation; and Home Alone, as well as many, many others. In fact, it's easier to list movies in the 1980's that Hughes was not involved with.

Hughes had the ability to bring teen angst so close to home for so many viewers. His portrayal of Middle America in the 1980's, in the fictional town of Shermer, Illiois, was so insanely accurate that for many, all that differed from their Saturday detention was the presence Mr. Vernon himself.

Aside from the obvious plot strengths and quoteable lines, Hughes' movies had another thing going for them- great music. His films brought new age to the homes and cinemas of suburbanites everywhere, and for that, FILTER is thankful. Here are some of our favorite John Hughes' moments, as told through song.

“Don’t you (Forget about me)” - Simple Minds

"Try a little Tenderness"- Otis Redding

"If You Were Here"- The Thompson Twins

"Weird Science"- Oingo Boingo

"Pretty In Pink"- The Psychedelic Furs

"Danke Shoen"- Wayne Newton

"If You Leave"- Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

"Every Time You Go Away"- Hall & Oates

"Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want"- The Smiths

John Hughes Tribute

Over the Moon

As we’re sure you’ll hear, today marks the 40th anniversary (the ruby anniversary, who knew?) of Apollo 11’s landing on the moon. Here in the FILTER New York office, we decided to come up with a list of our favorite “moon” songs. We didn’t realize there were so many great ones. What did we leave off?

Moon Songs

FILTER's Top 5 Albums for the First Half of 2009

The FILTER staff have spoken and here are our Top 5 Albums for the First Half of 2009. This year is shaping up so well that Publisher & Founder Alan Sartirana felt that a Top 5 list was too limiting and that only a Top 10 list would do justice. We'd love to see what your favorite albums for the first half of 2009 are  so feel free to leave your Top 5 in the comments.

Alan Miller (Publisher & Founder)

1. Kasabian West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum (Red Ink)

2. U2 No Line On The Horizon (Interscope)

3. Moby Wait for Me (Mute)

4. Depeche Mode Sounds of the Universe (Capitol)

5. Franz Ferdinand Tonight: Franz Ferdinand (Domino)

 

Alan Sartirana (Publisher & Founder)

1. Other Lives Other Lives (TBD)

2. Bat For Lashes Two Suns (Astralwerks)

3. Phoenix Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (Glassnote)

4. Yeah Yeah Yeahs It's Blitz! (Interscope)

5. White Lies To Lose My Life… (Geffen)

6. Animal Collective Merriweather Post Pavilion (Domino Records)

7. Miike Snow Miike Snow (Downtown)

8. White Rabbits It’s Frightening (TBD)

9. Doves Kingdom of Rust (Heavenly Records)

10. Morrissey Years of Refusal (Lost Highway)

 

Connie Tsang (Marketing)

1. Placebo Battle For The Sun (Vagrant)

2. White Rabbits It’s Frightening (TBD)

3. Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears Tell 'Em What Your Name Is! (Lost Highway)

4. Phoenix Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (Glassnote)

5. Anglos Anglos EP (Great Minds)

 

Eli Thomas (Events)

1. Grizzly Bear Veckatimest (Warp)

2. Black Lips 200 Million Thousand (Vice)

3. Animal Collective Merriweather Post Pavilion (Domino Records)

4. Miike Snow Miike Snow (Downtown Records)

5. Passion Pit Manners (Frenchkiss Records)

 

Ewan Anderson (Online Marketing)

1. Pains Of Being Pure At Heart  Pains Of Being Pure At Heart (Slumberland)

2. Silversun Pickups Swoon (Dangerbird)

3. Franz Ferdinand Tonight: Franz Ferdinand (Domino)

4. Bat For Lashes Two Suns (Astralwerks)

5. Röyksopp Junior (Astralwerks)

Jose Vargas (Advertising)

1. Juan Son Mermaid Sashimi (Universal)

2. Silversun Pickups Swoon (Dangerbird)

3. Hello Seahorse Bestia (MUN / Magic Marker)

4. Doves Kingdom of Rust (Heavenly)

5. Los Amigos Invisibles Comercial (Nacional)

 

Max Hellmann (Marketing)

1. Animal Collective Merriweather Post Pavilion (Domino Records)

2. Cymbals Eat Guitars Why There Are Mountains (Self-Released)

3. Passion Pit Manners (Frenchkiss Records)

4. Phoenix Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (Glassnote)

5. Junior Boys Begone Dull Care (Domino Records)

 

Megan Healy (Online Marketing)

1. Yeah Yeah Yeahs It's Blitz! (Interscope)

2. Doves Kingdom of Rust (Heavenly Records)

3. Metric Fantasies (Last Gang)

4. Phoenix Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (Glassnote)

5. Jason Lytle Yours Truly, The Commuter (Anti-)

 

Mike Bell (Marketing)

1. Phoenix Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (Glassnote)

2. Yeah Yeah Yeahs It's Blitz! (Interscope)

3. Animal Collective Merriweather Post Pavillion (Domino Records)

4. Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears Tell 'Em What Your Name Is! (Lost Highway)

5. Au Revoir Simone Still Night, Still Light (Our Secret Record Co.)

 

Patrick McGuire (Editorial)

1. Obits I Blame You (Sub Pop)

2. Elvis Perkins in Dearland Elvis Perkins in Dearland (XL)

3. Animal Collective Merriweather Post Pavillion (Domino Records)

4. Phosphorescent To Willie... (Dead Oceans)

5. Mos Def The Ecstatic (Downtown)

 

Patrick Strange (Editorial)

1. Animal Collective Merriweather Post Pavilion (Domino Records)

2. Elvis Perkins in Dearland Elvis Perkins in Dearland (XL)

3. Grizzly Bear Veckatimest (Warp)

4. Dan Auerbach Keep It Hid (Nonesuch)

5. Andrew Bird Noble Beast (Fat Possum)

 

Samantha Barnes (Online Marketing)

1. Animal Collective Merriweather Post Pavilion (Domino Records)

2. Phoenix Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (Glassnote)

3. Grizzly Bear Veckatimest (Warp)

4. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (Slumberland)

5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs It's Blitz! (Interscope)

 

Samantha Feld (FILTER US Recordings & Marketing)

1. Miike Snow Miike Snow (Downtown)

2. Bat For Lashes Two Suns (Astralwerks)

3. Empire of the Sun Walking On A Dream (Astralwerks)

4. The Juan Maclean The Future Will Come (DFA)

5. Doves Kingdom of Rust (Heavenly Records)

 

Tristen Gacoscos (Online Marketing)

1. Phoenix Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (Glass Note)

2. Passion Pit Manners (Frenchkiss)

3. Nosaj Thing Drift (Alpha Pup Records)

4. Animal Collective Merriweather Post Pavillion (Domino)

5. Drake So Far Gone Mixtape (Self-Released)

 

Wes Martin (Marketing)

1. Animal Collective Merriweather Post Pavillion (Domino)

2. Dan Deacon Bromst (Carpark)

3. Phoenix Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (Glass Note)

4. Akron/Family Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free (Dead Oceans)

5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs It's Blitz (Interscope)