Aram David

McCartney's Video for Heart Of The Country

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 08:24 -0400

There is something I have always loved about this video. I am not sure if it is the light, or the general mood… and though the song stresses simplicity, I feel like Paul McCartney looks like he has the world in this video, which shows you that it only takes a few things you really love to feel like you have everything.

The Strand Tavern, Wexford Ireland

Tue, 11 May 2010 15:55 -0400

When I travelled through Ireland, the most surprising thing was just how terrific all the food was. Ireland carries a drab-food stigma. I had unquestionably the best meal when in Wexford, at the Strand Tavern. With no prior knowledge we drove into the small fishing village of Duncannon in Wexford County and just walked into a small pub. Scared off by my shrimp allergy, I passed on the seafood stew and went for the smoked salmon appetizer (I never liked smoked salmon until that day, when I fell in love with it), and the boring old staple of Fish and Chips with mushy peas, which turned out not only to be amazing, and extremely fresh and fried crispy and golden, but far superior to the famous Leo Burdocks in Dublin. The meal was washed down with a fresh pint of Guinness, and shared with locals who came in for a pint and to watch an episode of EastEnders.

Later, after discovering the oldest lighthouse in Ireland or the UK, we passed by an empty restaurant/pub where we were treated to Irish Coffee and Sticky Toffee Pudding.

Out of all the surprisingly terrific meals I had in Ireland (not counting the gluttonous breakfasts), this was by far my best day of eating in a long, long, time.

Ireland School Of Falconry At Ashford Castle

Tue, 11 May 2010 15:24 -0400

One of the highlights of my Ireland trip was visiting the Ireland School Of Falconry at the Ashford Castle. My cousin Ryan, Paul, and I visited the school and got a rare opportunity to take 3 birds out into the woods and fly them, watching them as they swoop with amazing agility, and land with precision back on our gloves when called (and offered food). I highly recommend the experience, and if you visit the castle in County Mayo and don’t visit the Falconry School you are really missing out.

Travels Through Ireland

Tue, 11 May 2010 09:45 -0400

In May of 2010 I travelled through Ireland with my cousin and with Paul. We rented a car and drove from Dublin clockwise around the country, stopping in B&B’s along the way, with the last night spent at the Ashford Castle. Each thing we saw along the way was somehow more beautiful than the last, and we had to resist pulling over every 15 minutes to take photographs. I can not even begin to explain my love for the country, and I figure its no use. Those who have been surely understand already, and those who have not yet been will never understand until actually being there. But here are 3 highlights from the 1,000 photos I took.

Levain Bakery

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 00:26 -0400

When I moved to the Upper West Side, I had no idea what I’d find in the area. One of the greater surprises was Levain Bakery, which I visit every weekend to add a scone or muffin to my breakfast. But Levain is probably most famous for their monster cookies, which are oozing and undercooked in the center (in the best way possible). The cookie shown is a Chocolate Walnut cookie.

Lan Cafe

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 09:53 -0400

Nestled between the standard chili light Indian restaurants on Curry Row (aka East 6th street) you will find a jewel of New York vegetarian cuisine called Lan Cafe (342 E 6th Street). Its an incredibly simple, unassuming, and comfortable (albeit small) Vietnamese restaurant that is an extreme value. The standout dish is the Vegetarian Ham Salad (pictured here to the left), which has so many layers of flavor it manages to refresh in the summer and comfort in the winter. I think the difference with dishes like these is the use of fried shallots for flavor and crunch. I always love to start with it, and move on to the Grilled Lemongrass Seitan over rice vermicelli (pictured right). These dishes seem as traditional as they come, and though they do seem like “meat substitutes” its hardly what you think of when you eat them. It’s an outstanding meal being piped out of a tiny restaurant that I can only hope stays open for years and years due to (what has to be) the low overhead.

Fleeing From Bard

Sat, 20 May 2000 09:58 -0400

After a year away at college I was ready to come home, and the prospect of returning to college to make a second trip home with my remaining items did not sound appealing. So I sat on a mattress, filled the back seats, and even the front passenger seat, going so far as to have a printer on the dashboard. I couldn’t see out of any mirrors. We closed the door and people dumped loose items into the moon roof, which was open already since I had a rolled up persian rug sticking 4 feet outside like a sail. When I rolled up to 10th street my parents were waiting and a crowd gathered to marvel at just how much was crammed in my car. We opened the door and things poured out into the street like in a cartoon.

Winter Wonderland

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 12:20 -0400

I took this picture with my iPhone and I love how it came out. It was taken on LeRoy street.

Clarks in Brooklyn Heights

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 18:10 -0400

Everyone should to have a restaurant they can go to that makes them feel as comfortable and as welcome as eating in their own home. For me its Clarks in Brooklyn Heights. Clarks is not fancy, but everything on the menu is good, and I can’t bring myself to go and not get the eggplant parmigian.

Purple Sunset

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:40 -0400

I’ve seen some ridiculous sunsets since I moved to the Upper West Side, and I can’t figure out if it has to do with my location, my new wrap-around windows, or I just never paid attention before.

True Love Travels On A Gravel Road

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 21:08 -0400

True Love Travels On A Gravel Road was written by ‘Music Row’ giants Dallas Frazier and ‘Doodle’ Owens. It has been recorded by Percy Sledge, Elvis, and Nick Lowe. In this track I play the drums, 2 guitars (electric and acoustic), bass, and sing lead and harmony vocals.

Horrible Self Portrait

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:47 -0400

Does this horrid self portrait even need a description?

If It's Really Got To Be This Way

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 01:02 -0400

This song, written by the great songwriter Arthur Alexander (along with Donnie Fritts and Gary Nicholson) has been covered by Bill Kirchen, Robert Plant, and of course Alexander himself. When I thought about the song, I heard it to be radically different than the recordings. So I set out to record what I felt when listening to the message of the song. I performed all 8 vocal tracks and overlaid them to get the final result.

Martin Hits My Car With A Football

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 02:35 -0400

Playing football in the street is not a good idea when your car is in the vicinity.

Can't Get It Out Of My Head

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:53 -0400

I love ELO, and especially Jeff Lynne for his rich, lush, production. But his songwriting is top notch, and every single one of his songs would stand up with a stripped down production. I set out to record this famous ELO classic with just a guitar and vocal, but when I applied pitch correction to my horribly off-key vocals it sounded interesting… so I punched it up into T-Pain territory, applied a filter to the guitars, and added bass and drums. I am playing each instrument, singing lead and harmony vocals.

Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 10:02 -0400

This song was originally recorded by Darlene Love, and written by Phil Spector, along with Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich. I am singing the lead vocals, harmony vocals, playing electric and acoustic guitars, drums, percussion, and bass.

Digital Aram

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:55 -0400

I am particularly fond of video games where you can make yourself. Here I am playing for the Royals in MLB The Show 09.

Now Known As Ichi Umi, But Forever Todai

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 00:43 -0400

The name changed, but the restaurant is still the same… an extraordinarily fun Japanese restaurant in Manhattan is Todai (I just can’t bring myself to call it Ichi Umi). The buffet spans a city block, and the restaurant holds (and usually fills) a capacity 10 times that of most restaurants. As a result the food is some of the freshest you can get. I didn’t take the picture above because I could never stop eating long enough to snap a pic.

Highmay Rides Like The Wind

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:29 -0400

One of many “Highmay” moments thankfully caught on film.

Miami Vacation

Sun, 15 Jul 2007 20:49 -0400

Hours after we landed back in New York I decided to record my own version of Will Smith’s “Miami,” and set all of our photos and videos from our Miami trip to it.