The Bag Messenger BlogBag Design and Urban Living

This Saturday Philly gets a little bit funkier. Come check us out at Medusa Lounge.

-THE BAG MESSENGER

FROM THE FACEBOOK PAGE......

The Blam City posse is back for another go-round at Medusa this Saturday. Fresh off the heels of a month of partying in Los Angeles with Dr. Dre, Ed Blammo & No Arms are relaxed and ready to work it out in the booth for a full night's worth of funky moods and grooves, Philadelphia style.

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As an added bonus, we're bringing along professional party rocker DJ Si Young to join in the madness. If you're not familiar with Si Young's hyped up plus tax DJ sets with Plastic Little or his legendary Monday night freak session known as Jang House, you're in for the royal funky treatment.

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Boogie on, Garth. Recess is 4th Saturdays

RECESS
with DJs Ed Blammo & No Arms
4th Saturdays
@ Medusa Lounge
(21st & Chestnut / 10-2 / No Cover)

Bring your camera, get loose, and photograph the mayhem! Get the mini messenger bag here

This is the final part of the documentary on Dilla's life in LA put together by the guys at Stussy and Stones Throw Records. 

Keep digging for more music.Fit a laptop, records, and more. Get the designer North To South Messenger bag here. 

For those times when there isn't a lot of money in the bank or food in the cupboard take a page from Northern Italian peasant food culinary treats. When I was in Florence I feel in love with this dish, so simple and so satisfying. I was told it is called Fettunta. 

-DAVID BLOOM

Ingredients

1 good loaf of bread (possibly a sourdough round sliced)

fresh or frozen spinach (as much as you like)

1 can beans (navy, garbanzo or other)

6 cloves garlic

olive oil

1 lemon

Process

Set the oven to bake at 350

Put the individual slices of bread on a baking sheet (3 to 4 pieces per person) and place in the oven for ten minutes

Rub the toasted bread with fresh garlic and set aside

Put the spinach in a frying pan with olive oil until tender (if fresh) or until heated (if frozen)Slice into the spinach three cloves of garlic and turn of the heat

Repeat the process done to the spinach with the canned beans after a good rinse under cold water

The beans and spinach are served on the toasted bread with a bit of lemon juice.

Bon appetite!!

Get the simple messenger bag here. The perfect bag for a day of running around with room for life's large and small ingredients .

Cosmo Baker is a bit of an anomaly. He is a bonafide music nerd, with thousands and thousands of records in his collection, and a serious grip of music history in his head. While he can knowledgeably speak on original pressings, debunked disco producers, and the influence of the impeach the president drums on modern music; he will also step into the dj booth, confidently grab the Mic, cue a track, and whip a dance floor to a furry. The world spins, Girls swoon, DJ's jock, Cosmo shrugs, and buys more records. Is it something in the Philly water system? Find out that and more as Tucker & Bloom sifts through the knowledge.

-THE BAG MESSENGER 

THE BAG MESSENGER: How did you get into DJing? What brought you to this point in your life?

COSMO BAKER: I've always been collecting music, from cassettes and eventually on 12"s because there really wasn't any other way to get the stuff that I liked. The stuff that I used to listen to on WDAS Friday nights and Power 99 on Saturday nights, and with Cosmic Kev  and AJ Shine on 91.7 back in the day, back when it was REALLY poppin. I was always that guy. I used to make pause mixtapes in junior high, and highschool. My friends would say "oh yeah Cosmo has all the music", so Id make tapes for folks.  Eventually I just decided I'm gonna take this one step further in highschool and bought some turntables. I kind of took to it like a fish to water, and was doing house parties and basement parties when I was 17. I started spinning night clubs Revival, Silk City and wasn't legal. They just let me do my thing. So I was doing that for a while, and than I moved to New York for a few years to go to college right around when Guliani first came to office. I was doing well up here and the scene died. Guliani basically outlawed dancing. So I moved back to Philly to finnish up school and than did my thingin Philly Djing. Than I bounced to Brooklyn in 2003 and that's when everything just kind of sky rocketed. We ended up starting this party called "The Rub", and the rest is history.

THE BAG MESSENGER: What part of Philly are you from?

COSMO: Growing up I lived in the Northeast for a short time, and in Center City for a bit as well but I spent most of my formative years living in South Philly, so that's pretty much where I claim. And that's where my family is still.

Cosmo Baker using the North To South Messenger Bag at Plan B NYC.

THE BAG MESSENGER: I know you have a background in graffiti. How did you get into graff?

COSMO: Well I first really started noticing graffiti in like maybe 1981 because it was just ever-present growing up in the city. I basically lived just a couple blocks away from what would be considered Philly's "Wall Of Fame" and so I would see some of the greatest graff of the time every day going to school - Razz, Mr. Blint, Credit, Jay-Cee, Estro. It was actually Estro that inspired me to write, and I straight bit his famous "2001" piece and started writing "Astro" in about 1983. It was a fascination and I went through a bunch of name changes until the fascination became an obsession I actually decided to get serious about it in about 1989.

THE BAG MESSENGER:Who has the nicest philly hand?

COSMO: Philly has got the nicest hand styles in the world, bar none. And honestly even your middle-rung writers, if they're in tuned with Philly fundamentals, they have a certain flow. But you've got to have that "whip" and the dude that I always say by default is Kadism. Best writer ever in my opinion.

THE BAG MESSENGER: What is it about Philly that breeds DJ's?

COSMO: Philly has a lot of soul and it also has a grand music tradition. Philly is also the type of city that likes to hold on to it's traditions, for better of for worse. Philly was always nice on the DJ tip so that's been on of those sticking points that like if you really want to be respected you had to hold your own. Plus the crowds in Philly are notoriously tough. Like if they do not like you they will let you know. So if you're playing in front of a crowd you had to get really good, really fast, or else you would hear it.

THE BAG MESSENGER: What DJ's were you checking for in the city coming up?

COSMO: Okay of course there were all the DJs that you heard on all the records that you listened to, Jam Master Jay and all that. Then there was the local guys who were famous from being on record - Jazzy Jeff, Cash Money, Tat Money, Too Tuff - I was checking for all those dudes. Then the radio dudes like Philly's Spinbad who was on WDAS, Cosmic Kev on Drexel radio, and the one dude that I would check for the most was DJ Jeff Mills who was the dude who did the Power 99 "Live From After Midnight" broadcasts. I used to tape his mixes every week. Then the 2 DJs that kind of acted like mentors in a way and gave me my first break to do my thing - DJ Storm and King Britt - I checked for them dudes cause they were on some different shit.

THE BAG MESSENGER: What was Center City Jew Crew?

COSMO: Ah that's basically a bunch of Jewish kids that all knew each other via hanging out, going to the same schools or bar mitzvahs and whatnot. Me, DJ Mighty Mi, Jonathan Shecter who started The Source Magazine, Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein, there were a lot of kids, and it wasn't really a Jewish thing. It was just a bunch of kids running around Philly doing our thing. The schools that we all went to, the skateboard store, it all fits in... Good times, man. A bunch of us used to joke about "Man I'm gonna be a rapper one day" and it's crazy to think that a bunch of us have actually made careers out doing just that or things comparable.

COSMO: My mom has always supported me in all the decisions that I make. Considering how well I do I don't think anyone is complaining haha...

THE BAG MESSENGER: You have some pretty heavy crates. What are a few of your favorite finds?

COSMO: Man there's not really any one thing that is like "Oh that's my shit" because I think of my collection as the whole being more important that the individual pieces. That's why won't ever sell my collection. I mean I might get rid of pieces here and there, slim it down or refine it, but dead ass I been collecting since I was 15 and that shit is such in integral part of who I am 

THE BAG MESSENGER: How deep are you?

COSMO: At last count I was in the area of around 16,000 of like 12"s and LPS and like 3000+ on the 45 tip. So yeah, pretty healthy, not much bullshit in the collection either.

THE BAG MESSENGER: Any digging come up stories?

COSMO: I always love telling the story of Dans Pet Food Store which was this gutter-ass spot on 21st back in the day, and I used to walk by it all the time. One day dude had crates of records outside and I stopped and dude was like "Yeah, I figured since nobody is buying them I'm gonna get rid of these." Turns out dude had stacks of vinyl in the back and you would never know it. I walked in and it was a mess - kitty litter all over the place, the whole spot smelled like cat piss. Fucking terrible and it was almost impossible to be in there it smelled so bad. So I flicked through the stacks and what's one of the first things I pull? Gary Bartz Harlem Bush Music. So I was like "Oh, shit let me continue on..." I pulled mad shit out of there, Eddie Palmieri's Harlem River Drive, like almost a complete Strata East discography. Crazy shit.

THE BAG MESSENGER: What does a regular day look like for Cosmo Baker?

COSMO: Wake up around 9, have some coffee, check my email. Take care of whatever projects I got to do right then and there, take a shower and head out, get lunch, run errands, come home, more email and work, hit the gym, have dinner with the wife, relax... I am the most regular dude you know when it comes to shit like that.

THE BAG MESSENGER: Favorite flavor of water Ice?

COSMO: You'll think I'm crazy, or that I'm not really from Philly, but I'm not a huge Water Ice fan. If it were a choice between cherry and lemon I would go for the lemon, but if you really want to fuck with the real shit you'll get the Capogio.

THE BAG MESSENGER: Best Cheese Steak?

COSMO: If I had to choose between Pats & Ginos, like if I was with a  tourist and we were drunk and it was 4 AM after the club and they wanted a cheese steak it would have to be Pats. BUT, if you're on some straight REAL SHIT it's tough. Up the Northeast there's Chinks which are crazy. There's Delessandro's in Roxborough and honestly I won't front on Campos on Market Street - their sandwiches are really good.

THE BAG MESSENGER: Favorite Cutty lunch spot?

COSMO: In Philly? For some reason the first thing I thought about was Koch's Deli up West Philly. Banging sammiches...

Check Cosmo Baker out Monthly at The Rub, Southpaw 125 5th Avenue Brooklyn, NY and March 5th at The Vault (Basement of Element 225 E. Houston St NY, NY) for The Sheen Bros monthly. You can also keep up with his blog here.

Keep digging for more music.Fit a laptop, records, and more. Get the North To South Messenger bag here. ...

Happy Monday everyone. We have results from the Leisure mix contest held last month, and we are going to leave the final selection up for public vote. Below is the taken info from Pipomixes. Enjoy!
-THE BAG MESSENGER




“Last month I posted about a Leisure Mixtape Contest hosted by yours truly and Tucker & Bloom. The contest rules were simple, send a 40 minute mix consisting of music that is either Brazilian, soul, or funk themed breaks. The winner receives a Tucker & Bloom record bag worth $250 and distribution with all Tucker & Bloom purchases. Now, we need all of your input. The top 3 mixes are posted below. We received dozens of excellent submissions, but the three mixes below were the cream of the crop according to a panel of judges consisting of Cosmo Baker, Case from Tucker & Bloom, and myself. Before you all roll your eyes about not getting a new mix to download today, you are actually getting 3 mixes today. Let me assure all of you that all three mixes are top quality and I guarantee satisfaction. Pipo doesn’t have time for amateur hour, these mixes are of the same level of all mixes posted on this blog.- Pipo

Please take the time to listen to all three mixes and vote for your favorite mix in either the comments box or email me at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (put contest in the subject line). For obvious reasons, anonymous comments will not count. Voting closes on Friday, February 26th at 11:59pm pst.




DJ Chill Wilson Mix



DJ Forty Fivan AKA DJ Ferrari Mix



DJ Hudson Mix
















Keep digging for more music.Fit a laptop, records, and more. Get the North To South Messenger bag here. ...

This is part two of a three part documentary on Dilla’s life in LA put together buy the guys at Stussy and Stones Throw.

Keep digging for more music.Fit a laptop, records, and more. Get the designer North To South Messenger bag here. Plus you can use coupon code (pa1101) at check out for 25% off any bag purchase at http://www.tucker-bloom.com ...because we know how it goes…save green backs for wax

Ten or twelve years ago when I worked for Hartmann Luggage Co., I had the opportunity to travel to South America to work with a small leather goods supplier.  One of the great pleasures of international travel is discovering new foods.  Though now, Chimichurri is more of a known condiment that when I was discovering it, I still find it a wonderful exotic addition to a eating palate.
Bon appetite!!
-David Bloom



Chimichurri Recipe


Here is my personal favorite recipe for chimichurri. You can mix it all together but I prefer to go through a 3-step process while preparing the sauce.

1/2 Cup Olive Oil

1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar

1/4 Cup Water

1 small bunch flat leaf-parsley; chopped (should equal about 1/2 cup)

1 medium onion; finely chopped

4 cloves garlic; finely minced

1/2 of a red bell pepper; seeded and finely diced

1 tomato; peeled, seeded, finely chopped

1 Tablespoon dried oregano

1 Tablespoon paprika

1 Teaspoon bay leaf (laurel); very small flakes

1 Tablespoon coarse salt

1 Teaspoon ground black pepper
hot chili flakes to taste










Get the simple messenger bag here. The perfect bag for a day of running around with room for life’s large and small ingredients .

This week Tucker and Bloom caught up with savvy world traveler, astute business owner, loving family man (sorry ladies), super friendly guy, and dead serious BMX legend Van Homan. Those who follow BMX know the mans reputation. For those of you who don’t, here are a few video clips that may help clear that up, and a quick guide to the man known as Van Homan.
-THE BAG MESSENGER




THE BAG MESSENGER: How long have you been riding bikes professionally? How did you get into this line of work?

VAN HOMAN: I guess I’ve been riding professionally for just over 10 years now.  Wow that seems crazy.  It seems funny to call it work.  It was just what I loved.  I rode every day and then I just started traveling and entered a few contests.  So companies took notice and started helping me out and it just took off from there.

THE BAG MESSENGER: Who do you ride for? 

VAN HOMAN: Fit Bike Company, Orchid Footwear, Duo Brand and Two by Four

THE BAG MESSENGER: You travel a lot. What are some of your favorite places to visit? 

VAN HOMAN: Japan was really cool to see.  Dubai was amazing.  Costa Rica was great.  Any place with a vastly different culture is always interesting

THE BAG MESSENGER: What do you carry with you when you travel?

VAN HOMAN: Can’t travel with out the I-pod Shuffle, Lap Top, Random Wrench, my Blackberry and an extra pair of socks.



THE BAG MESSENGER: Favorite spots to ride?

VAN HOMAN: My local street spots, FDR, Little Devil Bowl, Peco Rail (RIP), Any new city or street spot.  Discovering new set up’s is the best.

THE BAG MESSENGER: How would you describe your style of riding? 

VAN HOMAN: Calculated risk….I’m not sure.  I’m not afraid to roll the dice a little but I like to think I have the skills to back up whatever I’m trying.  I don’t look at myself as just a hucker.

THE BAG MESSENGER: What is Two By Four? How did it come about?

VAN HOMAN:  I basically wanted to be involved in BMX in some other way then just riding.  It seemed like there were a ton of companies making the bikes and parts but not enough core shops putting the product out there.  It seemed like a great opportunity to get involved on the ground level.  I love seeing the all the riders and the kids come in to the shops.  It reminds you what its all about.

THE BAG MESSENGER: Where do you find inspiration to do what you do?

VAN HOMAN: Its what I love.  I think you have to love Bmx to do it and be a part of it.  Its certainly not a get rich program.  You have to have the heart for it.

Hit the road and bring just enough, because sometimes less in more.
Get the Tucker & Bloom transit pass here,

Mix Monday

DOWNLOAD HERE

Here is a collection of remixes by the guys at The Rub. This has been out for a bit, and getting shine on a lot of blogs. Some of these are great to play out, take a listen.
-THE BAG MESSENGER

1. Archie Bell - Any Time Is Right (Apt One remix)
2. The Wise Guys vs The Jets - Wise Crush (Platurn remix)
3. Kid Sister vs Justin Timberlake - Damn Girl (Sammy Bananas remix)
4. Afrika Bambaataa vs Breakout - Planet Rock Unplugged (DJ Ayres edit)
5. Kool Keith vs Switch - Papa Large (Matthew Afrika remix)
6. Big Daddy Kane - Raw (DJ Day remix)
7. MSTRKFT ft NORE and Isis - Bounce (A-Trak Dub)
8. Notorious B.I.G. vs Diamond D - Party & Bullshit (Cosmo Baker remix)
9. B. Hamp vs Puff Daddy - Do The Ricky Bobby (DJ Protege remix)
10. Wale vs BDP - Chillin (Skratch Bastid remix)
11. Kanye West - Champion (Nick Catchdubs remix)
12. Lloyd vs Commodores - Girls Around The World (Skinny Friedman remix)
13. ODB vs Rhythm Heritage - Got Your Money (DJ Eleven remix)
14. Pase Rock vs Axwell - Get Money (Emynd remix)
15. C&C Music Factory - A Deeper Love (Morsy remix)
16. The Supremes - You Keep Me Hangin’ On (DJ Eli Remix)
17. Stevie Wonder - Fingertips (Pase Rock remix)
18. Jonny Blaze - Let’s Rock This Joint
19. Tittsworth ft Kid Sister & Pase Rock - WTF (Sammy Bananas remix)
20. Funky Green Dogs - Fired Up (DJ Ayres & Nadastrom remix)
21. Subfocus - X-Ray (Tittsworth remix)
22. Diplo & Buraka Som Sistema - Inna De Ghetto
23. Benga & Coki vs Project Pat - Night (Smalltown DJs)
24. Mr Vegas vs Ludacris - Hot Wuk (Nick Catchdubs remix)
25. The Specials - Ghost Town (Sake One remix)
26. Lil Scrappy - Money In The Bank (Ross Hogg remix)
27. Ghostface & Raekwon - Freek’N U (DJ Eleven remix)
28. Marvin Gaye vs Groove Theory - Sexual Theory (DJ Day remix)
29. D’Angelo - Girl You Need A Change of Mind (DJ Eleven edit)
30. Waajeed - Jeedo Suave
31. B.O.B. vs Marvin Gaye - I’ll Be In the Sky (B.Cause remix) 



Keep digging for more music.Fit a laptop, records, and more. Get the designer North To South Messenger bag here and be the envy of all your friends.
Plus you can use coupon code (pa1101) at check out for 25% off any bag purchase at
http://www.tucker-bloom.com ....because we like you.

It is easy to get caught up in the idea of a place or thing rather than what it really is. Sometimes it is best to step back a bit and gain a better vantage point.  Here are a few legends surrounding the creation of Valentine’s day, and they don’t involve chocolates.

“Most scholars believe that the St. Valentine of the holiday was a priest who attracted the disfavor of Roman emperor Claudius II around 270. At this stage, the factual ends and the mythic begins. According to one legend, Claudius II had prohibited marriage for young men, claiming that bachelors made better soldiers. Valentine continued to secretly perform marriage ceremonies but was eventually apprehended by the Romans and put to death. Another legend has it that Valentine, imprisoned by Claudius, fell in love with the daughter of his jailer. Before he was executed, he allegedly sent her a letter signed “from your Valentine.” Probably the most plausible story surrounding St. Valentine is one not focused on Eros (passionate love) but on agape (Christian love): he was martyred for refusing to renounce his religion” Via Infoplease.com

I’m not sure if the story of the execution of Saint Valentine will make any single souls less lonely today, but if it doesn’t help, there is always Chinese New Year. It began last night, and involves people dressed as dragons, fireworks, and dancing in the street. Sounds like more fun anyway.
-THE BAG MESSENGER


Here is our Valentine to you…Vintage photos of New York City.






















Bring your camera with you wherever you go.Get the mini messenger bag here, and photograph the future old NYC.

This is part one of a three part documentary on Dilla’s life in LA put together buy the guys at Stussy and Stones Throw.

Keep digging for more music.Fit a laptop, records, and more. Get the designer North To South Messenger bag here. Plus you can use coupon code (pa1101) at check out for 25% off any bag purchase at http://www.tucker-bloom.com ...because we know how it goes…save green backs for wax

This Friday the Khyber floor gets a heaping slosh of dishpan funk. Get there early and stay late. We’ve got work to do.
- THE BAG MESSENGER




Add Tucker and Bloom on Facebook here


Ed Blammo, Coolout, and Case Bloom are back at the Khyber this Friday, Feb 12th

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Expect the usual heavy dose of
FunkSoulHipHopHouseRockReggaeDiscoClubJams, a bathroom upgrade (believe it and see for yourself), a top shelf crowd of charming young ladies and gentlemen to groove with, and a party that some experts are calling the funkiest freak out south of Market St.

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Also, from 10-11 we’ll be paying tribute to one of our fallen idols, legendary music producer, Jay Dee, who passed away Feb 10, 2006 at the age of 32. We’ll be giving away free donuts too! Jay loved donuts, and we love Jay.

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Kitchen Sink
Every 2nd Friday
Upstairs @ The Khyber
w/ DJs Ed Blammo, Coolout & Case Bloom
$1 PBR / $2 Kenzinger till 11

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Kitchen Sink consists of 4 members: Ed Blammo, Coolout, Case Bloom & Jarobie



Photos from last months event….
















Bring your camera, get loose, and photograph the mayhem! Get the mini messenger bag here

Check out these Coolout remixes of of the Stones Throw Records catalog on the new and improved cooloutmusic.com
Give him your email, and get the album for free. Not a bad deal if you ask us.
-THE BAG MESSENGER


Get Coolout Vs Stonesthrow here






Keep digging for more music.Fit a laptop, records, and more. Get the designer North To South Messenger bag here. Plus you can use coupon code (pa1101) at check out for 25% off any bag purchase at http://www.tucker-bloom.com ...because we know how it goes…save green backs for wax.

Tucker and Bloom caught up with Music City hip hop instrumentalist, record collector, and tambourine shaker, Cash Hathaway. He has been avidly thumbing through records, filtering space gunk onto samples, and chopping drums for years.The man stays in the studio doing push ups on drum pads. The resulting sound? Well…we will let him fill you in on the details.
- THE BAG MESSENGER

THE BAG MESSENGER:Name, age, where are you from?

Cash Hathaway: I go by Cash Hathaway. I’m 27 and I live on the East side of Nashville, TN

THE BAG MESSENGER:How did you get involved in making beats? How long have you been doing it?

Cash Hathaway: Oh man,I started djing at age 16. Buying records with every dollar I had. From there, I started to get into the classic samples, bought a 303 and began the beat journey. Been doing it 9 years now…
I remember the first time I walked into a studio.  It was at a friend’s house. His father owned a construction company and he built him a small room off of their house.  I ended up sleeping in there the first night, learning what I could while I could. That was when I knew I had to start getting equipment. I’ve been at it ever since. 



THE BAG MESSENGER:Where does it come from? Do you remember first finding your passion for music?

Cash Hathaway:For me creation is a spiritual experience. Art, music, dance, beats, rhymes, it all comes from the creator. I enjoy creating freely, with no expectations. There is a level of submission required of one’s self to reach past our limits. Many times I find the best stuff usually happens by accident. Art is a process

THE BAG MESSENGER:What kind of sounds do you like to work with? How would you describe your sound?

Cash Hathaway: I work with a lot of samples. My sound is on some offbeat, crunchy, organic, spacey stuff.

THE BAG MESSENGER:What are the tools of the trade? (whats in the bag)

Cash Hathaway: I enjoy having limitations.  I believe it forces me to be more creative. Therefore, I use only hardware. I use a MPC 3000. Drums, Fender Rhodes.  Korg Poly 61.  Microkorg. Roland Juno 60. Fender Bass. Tambourines. Shakers. Technic 1200’s. RECORDS. RECORDS. RECORDS.



THE BAG MESSENGER:Where do you find inspiration to create?

Cash Hathaway: Inspiration is found in everything: people, emotion, space, incense, colors, design, mood, nature, history, records, shapes, sound, everything. Life is inspiring to me.

THE BAG MESSENGER: Favorite producers?

Cash Hathaway: Oh man. I listen to a lot of music. Producers I’m feeling….Dilla, SA-RA, King Tubby, Spacek, and Janiero Jarel. 

THE BAG MESSENGER:What are you listening to these days? Any projects we should be looking for?

Cash Hathaway: I’m digging a lot of Latin and Brazilian Music these days. Bossa nova, and Afrobeat. The new Jay Electronica stuff. Again Janiero Jarel is dope. Shafiq Husayn, Bob Dylan, Bibio, Radiohead, Dilla Beats, and Camp Lo. I tend to mix it up. I am working on an album of beats, called Vibrations, to be released summer of 2010. Stay tuned at http://www.myspace.com/cashhathaway.



Cash Hathaway: Knox

Keep digging for more music.Fit a laptop, records, and more. Get the designer North To South Messenger bag here and be the envy of all your friends.
Plus you can use coupon code (pa1101) at check out for 25% off any bag purchase at
http://www.tucker-bloom.com ....because we like you.

In honer of “Dilla Month” we bring you a classic. In case you don’t already have this one, its one of the most well constructed mixes we have ever heard. Dilla and J Rocc…what more can you ask for? Mixtape Monday…LETS GO!
-THE BAG MESSENGER

  J Rocc, March 03, 2009-
  “Here’s another Act. Just when you thought it was safe. Part 4 picks up where 3 ends. Track list coming if/when we can sort it out.”
Click here for a free Itunes download




Keep digging for more music.Fit a laptop, records, and more. Get the designer North To South Messenger bag here and be the envy of all your friends.
Plus you can use coupon code (pa1101) at check out for 25% off any bag purchase at
http://www.tucker-bloom.com ....because we like you.

What’s in your bag? Kon and Amir shopping for records at Amoeba. These guys have some serious knowledge when it comes to records. Check out their picks from the bulging stacks at Amoeba records in California.- THE BAG MESSENGER

Keep digging for more music.Fit a laptop, records, and more. Get the designer North To South Messenger bag here and head to Amoeba records often.
Plus you can use coupon code (pa1101) at check out for 25% off any bag purchase at
http://www.tucker-bloom.com ....because we know how it goes…save green backs for wax.

Anyone who knows our family can attest to our serious love of food. That being said, we are going to share some of our family recipes on here from time to time. Here is another family favorite. Enjoy!
-The Bag Messenger

I like crab cakes but for some reason I have never liked the type you get regularly in restaurants, so here is my take on a good crab cake, spicy and crispy - David


Crab Cakes



Your shopping list

1 Can frozen picked Crab (claw meat is fine)

5 Slices of sour dough bread

1.5 Cups mayonnaise

1 Bunch scallions

1/2 Red bell pepper

1 Lemon

1 Tablespoon Old Bay seasoning

1 Tablespoon fresh Cilantro

2 Large eggs

1 Tablespoon hot sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

Panko breadcrumbs


Here we go

1. Finely process the bread in a food processor

2. Rinse crab, then press out water

3. Combine bread crumb and crab in large bowl

4. Add eggs, hot sauce, Old Bay, lemon, salt and Pepper

5.  Process scallions, red pepper and cilantro in food processor, add to mixture

6. Mix everything thoroughly (if you need additional moisture add more mayo)

7.  Form into patties, coat with dried breadcrubs and place on grease baking sheet

8. Bake at 350 until brown

* You can substitute crawfish tails, tuna etc. for crab.






Get the simple messenger bag here. The perfect bag for a day of running around with room for life’s large and small ingredients .

Tucker and Bloom caught up with Philadelphia bike messenger Josh ( NO ARMS ) Alsup and asked him to describe what he does for work. Below is a peak into the fast paced hustle that is courier work, and is the strength behind your 12 o’clock delivery. If you see Josh on the street give him a nod, and ask him how he got the name “No Arms”... He just might tell you, if hes not on a rush.
-The Bag Messenger

 
THE BAG MESSENGER:How long have you been a bike messenger in Philadelphia? How did you get into this line of work?

NO ARMS:I’ve been doing the work for four years. I moved to Philly from the burbs in the summer of 2005. At the time I was a landscaper and climber for a small tree service company out on the main line. That work mostly dried up in the winters and I was looking for another day job to supplement my income. Also, I wanted to work in the city, just because commuting out every day is so lame. I was moonlighting part time at Tower Records, but that had no kind of future in it. Sometime in the fall of that year I became aware that cycle courier was a job that existed. I had coincidentally moved in next to some kids that worked for a company called Timecycle, and i saw them coming and going. One time I was walking to the video store and i saw this guy named Sharky making a drop. He’s worked in some other cities and He’s kind of a legend. I saw him come out of a building and jump on his bike, and he looked so frigging hardcore. Pretty soon after that i went around and applied to a bunch of companies. I mountain biked all the time as a kid, so i figured I could do the job pretty easily. Plus, I was already doing pretty tough manual labor. That was when i was still a rookie, and I didn’t know that the job isn’t really about hard work. It’s about hustling.

THE BAG MESSENGER:How does a normal day for you look?

NO ARMS:I start late because i stay late. This is a pretty good situation. I check the weather and pack accordingly and get on the road around ten in the morning. Probably chirp in on the radio when I’m a few blocks from my house. The first thing I have to do every day is go to the National Labor Board and copy new information about labor disputes that were filed the previous day. It’s downtown, about thirteen blocks from my house. It takes a while to get through the security and write down the goods, but I usually have time to get some coffee on the way to my next pickup, at eleven. This is only a few blocks from the labor board. I go to this large firm twice a day, at eleven and at three. I check in their mailroom at these times for various types of jobs. They frequently send out subpoenas to be certified at the court, requests for copies of case files, or simple hand deliveries to other law firms. After I’ve gone there I head uptown to the business district. This is about a ten or twelve block ride. Much of the riding I do is back and forth like this, from the old city to uptown, and back again. Around twelve thirty someone in the crew has to head across the river to West Philadelphia. We do some daily jobs for the hospital systems out there. Between one and three in the afternoon there can be a lull. We eat lunch or hang out in the park. After three it can get much busier, and this is what we call “crunch time.” If it’s nice and busy, the other five riders and myselft might not stop moving during these two hours. It pretty much dies at five when everyone quits work. One other guy and I stay after five and make our way to a handful of clients to collect certified and express mail that needs to be taken to the post office. These daily mail runs can take an hour or more, with all the waiting in line and processing. By the time I quit, I have probably rode about twenty miles over the course of the day.



THE BAG MESSENGER:How do you deal with being out in the elements all year?

NO ARMS:This is a question that folks frequently ask. My single greatest advantage, I guess, is that I really do love the outdoors. I love working outside. I love battling the inclement weather, and winning. If you approach this whole issue with a sense of exhilaration, then most of the work is done. The other answer is in the gear. Over the years I’ve invested in some expensive cold weather tech. Last year I spent $80 on these gore-tex shells that go over my socks. That’s an expensive item, but they are miraculous, real talk. You gotta keep cotton away from your body, too. Even though it looks silly, I wear shorts over thermal tights when it’s cold and rainy. My pants are usually cotton, and the soaked cotton will compromise the wicking effect of the tights. When I started, I swore that I wouldn’t wear the tights, but you get over it once you realize how necessary they are. It sucks that fancy gear is so expensive, but you learn from other guys what brands last more than one year. It’s an investment. Some good things aren’t expensive, like the six dollar swedish thermals from the army surplus store.

THE BAG MESSENGER:What do you bring with you for work? What’s in your bag, other than packages?

NO ARMS:On the shoulder strap of my bag is a holster for my two-way radio. Below it on the strap is a velcro pouch that holds my phone and my city hall access card. If i have extra rain gear, that is in the main compartment, which is also where the packages go. That compartment has a thin side pouch that holds my notebook and wallet. The bag has two large outside pouches. One holds pens and my clipboard. The clipboard is a metal folding thing that holds my manifest sheets and various receipts or other paperwork. I also keep my spare change in that pouch, since i go through metal detectors a lot and it’s a pain to keep taking it out of my pants pocket. The other pouch holds my camera, city map, sunglasses, and tool kit. Tool kits are fundamental to the job, since sometimes your bike breaks down. My kit contains an air pump, spare tube, patch kit, spoke wrench, chain breaker, adjustable wrench, leatherman, hex wrench set, tire levers, and an extra key for my U-lock. The lock itself hangs from a holster that threads onto my belt. I also carry an old pair of work gloves for messing with chains and greasy stuff, and some extra compression straps for tying on large or unwieldy packages. It sounds like a lot, but it’s actually pretty compact. Like with camping or whatever, you get a system going that works for you.

THE BAG MESSENGER:What sorts of things do you see or experience on the street that normal pedestrians miss?

NO ARMS:Being a courier is working in different zones. I see a lot of things that delivery people see. Like loading docks, freight elevators, mail rooms, hospital labs, alleys, etc.. Then there’s the times when I go a little out of my league, socially. I go to the reception or offices of law firms to meet lawyers personally, or into court rooms during proceedings. I go into judges chambers, private clubs, high class hotel rooms and apartments. In places like that it’s seen as a special circumstance that “a courier” is there. It’s funny when you’re walking in there looking like this scruffy dude that’s been on a bike all day and it’s kind of a fancy or formal spot. I get a kick out of it. Then i guess the third zone is the street. During the down time between jobs a courier is kind of like a homeless person. Maybe I go to the book store and read or go to a coffee shop. But mostly we end up standing around in the park acting like bums. In the winter we stand on this grate that vents the underground parking garage and it’s kind of warm. Probably broke if it’s Tuesday or Wednesday. Actually living out of a bag. I know people see us and think that we’re all huddled like March of the Penguins out there, all miserable. But that’s really the space where the scene exists. If someone gets a new bike, that’s when you see it. A lot of other street level crazies come up to us. Trying to sell stolen batteries or just yelling. And we just sit there and watch the city and are on call.






Hit the road and bring just enough, because sometimes less in more.
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Once again, Cosmo is the dude. Part two of The Love Break. Check Cosmo out monthly at “The Rub”  Southpaw 125 5th Avenue Brooklyn, NY and at The Sheen Bros monthly at APT 419 W 13 ST NYC. You can also try to keep your thumb on the dude here, but good luck with that. 
Below is a description of the mix….THE BAG MESSENGER

The sequel to the Love Break (duh) had me kind of take the same lane with the oldies and classic soul slow jams. Lots of sampled / sample material here of course, but the focus on joint going heavy on STRONG SONGS and keeping it classy.

01: Soul Mann & The Brothers “Bumpy’s Intro”
02: The Jackson 5 “All I Do Is Think Of You”
03: The Intruders “Memories Are Here To Stay”
04: Johnny “Guitar” Watson “Lovin’ You”
05: The Manhattans “Devil In The Dark”
06: The Ebonys “You’re The Reason Why”
07: Al Green ” I Wish You Were Here”
08: Luther Ingram “To The Other Man”
09: Eddie Kendricks “Intimate Friends”
10: Don Blackman “Loving You, Holding You”
11: Lamont Dozier “The Picture Will Never Change”
12: Dynasty “Adventures In The Land Of Music”
13: Dionne Warwick “You’re Gonna Need Me”
14: Bobby Glenn “Sounds Like A Love Song”
15: The Impressions “Man, Oh Man”
16: Billy Stewart “We’ll Always Be Together”
17: Lyn Collins “Take Me, Just As I Am”
18: The Ambassadors “Ain’t Got The Love”
19: The Fuzz “I Love You For All Seasons”
20: The Delfonics “La-La Means I Love You”
21: The Impressions “Gone Away”
22: Jean Plum “Here I Go Again”
23: The Dells “Free And Easy”
24: The Three Degrees “You’re The Fool”
25: The Temptations “I Wish It Would Rain”
26: Marvin Gaye “Hope I Don’t Get My Heart Broke”
27: The Jackson 5 “2-4-6-8”
28: Edna Wright “Oops! Here I Go Again”



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