I'm back on the decks...

Vote for me....please?

If you have a few minutes to spare on, it would be a HUGE help if you could go to the website below and give me the thumbs up for a panel I am trying to put together for next year's SXSW.

You will have to register with the site in order to vote, it will prompt you to create an account when you click on the thumbs up. It takes just a few minutes to sign up, and the if you receive any future emails from them I give you full permission to unsubscribe (there's my email marketing lingo for y'all).

Please pass on to your friends/family if you don't mind.

Thanks in advance!!!

LINK: http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/ideas/view/5104?return=/ideas/index/interactive/q:email

CLICK ON THUMBS UP.

If you aren't already registered it will ask you to create an account.

xoxo
Rachael

Tumblr Away

I get bored of things way too easily, so we'll see how long this lasts. But for now, you can find me posting away at the new Underrated Tumblr.

Click here to check it out: The Underrated Tumblr

Mid Evenings With Jay Miller

This is how I like to spend my Thursday nights...



That was the opening video last week and the evening only got better from there.

Mid Evenings with Jay Miller is a weekly show at Martini Red on Staten Island that features comedians, musicians, and special guests (last week was an amateur wrestler). Think of it as a Tonight Show with actual jokes and stranger guests. Jay Miller is hilarious...I've consistently left with my cheeks hurting from so much laughter.

FYI -- The place gets packed each week, so be sure to get there early for a seat!

Pool Party Fail

Looks like the beer tent at the Pool Parties couldn't handle the storm.



I'm glad i sat this one out!

(Photo by Mike Grubbs)

So Insane

I've officially decided that Discovery's LP will be top 10 albums of 2009, if not top 5. The side project of Ra Ra Riot's Wes Miles and Vampire Weekend's Rostam Batmanglij is so deliciously poppy that there's no reason to turn it off. From a MJ cover (RIP) to the brilliant opener "Osaka Loop Line", these two boys have produced a unique conglomerate of nostalgic funk and ultramodern electronic. This is the soundtrack to the summer, ladies and gentleman - 100% guaranteed. I sure hope that this Discovery project isn't a one time deal because all I want is more.

Check out some tunes below on this nifty player, and links to buy the album are below. Trust me, you will not be disappointed!



Buy on iTunes or at Amazon immediately.

Mission of Burma, Fucked Up, Ponytail & Jemina Pearl | Pool Parties 2009.07.12

I couldn't have been more excited for the first "Pool Party" of the summer, this year at Brooklyn Waterfront. For the past three years, these events have been a staple in my summer weekends, having the luxury of spending the day outside with free music and hipster watching. I frankly was thrilled to hear that the pool was getting a new location -- the vast amounts of concrete and lack of shade was not a friend to my Irish skin. Down at the waterfront there still was a good deal of concrete, but luckily there was some grass and a nice breeze from the beautiful view of Manhattan. Plus, I remembered sunscreen this year.

For a day filled of sets from bands I wasn't completely familiar with (other than Mission of Burma who I saw last year at Pitchfork) I ended up having quite a fun time. Up first was Jemina Pearl of Be Your Own Pet fame, who's spunky tunes made for a great kick off to the day. I was surprised at how melodic her songs were, and impressed when hearing it was their first official show. Sure, there were some misteps here and there, but their energy under the hot Brooklyn sun sure made up for it.



Ponytail was up next, and I think I may have caught them once before as I remember asking Pat how old the lead singer was. Not totally my type of music, I still enjoyed seeing a crowd go bonkers with each new sound emoted from her voice.



The most surprising set of the day goes to Fucked Up who, if you know my musical taste at all, usually wouldn't be my cup of tea. But I can't help but encourage bands who give it their all, and lead singer "Pink Eye" did just that. Playing most of the show from the crowd, I was in awe of his dedication as he poured sweat and tears all over the hands and faces of the kids up front. Like I said, the music itself wasn't exactly what I'd listen to on a rainy day, but they put on one hell of a show.



Next up was headliners Mission of Burma, who I decided to take in from side stage sitting in a nice green pasture. I couldn't help but be distracted from the incredible views the Waterfront offers of the Manhattan skyline. And while listening to the band, I couldn't have asked for a better closing to the day.



All in all, it was a great start of what looks to be an incredible line up of shows. Hopefully the crew will think twice about the roped off beer area (boo) and provide more choices of food (sorry vegetarians, you'll find no luck here). There were definitely some aspects of the original location that I'll definitely miss (long live slip 'n slide) but I'm definitely embracing the change!

dark winters wear you down, up again to see the dawn

Ah, vacation. There are few things better than getting out of the city and escaping to places where the water is that surreal shade of blue and everyone waves hello. I had the pleasure of heading out of town, and have the sun burn to prove it! And when I got back, I think I finally realized it was summer. It wasn't until I headed to the first Seaport show that it hit me.


For the past few years, summer has always been a time where I've tried to spend as much time outside at free concerts. It's pretty remarkable how many shows are open to the public in this city, and I do not want to take it for granted! From the Pool Parties to the Seaport, and everything in between, there's nothing better than having a cool drink in your hand while checking out some great tunes. I'm particularly thankful this summer, as I've been a bit out of the loop with all these cool new bands that now I'll have a bit of a crash course into what I'm missing.

Tonight I'm heading to the Seaport for the Pains of Being Pure At Heart. Diggin' this band and excited to see them live. Come on down and help me celebrate this beautiful weather and summer in the city!

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - Come Saturday[mp3]

The Pains OF Being Pure At Heart - Everything With You [mp3]

The More I See The Less I Know...

Yesterday was one of those strange days where everything seemed a little off. I was late for work for the first time in years (I'm one of those rare breeds, a morning person) and from then on in I just didn't feel right. Life has been a bit busy lately, as I've started taking classes two days a week after work in web design. In retrospect, I probably should have picked a different semester other than the summer to try and tackle on all these things, as every other day it seems like someones having a baby, getting married, or making some other large life decision that warrants a celebration.

As soon as I made it home last night, all I wanted to do was throw on comfortable clothes, pour myself a huge glass of water (I was thirsty, ok?) and veg out on the couch. I finally watched this week's season finale of Weeds and by the episodes end I was off my feet dancing around like a chicken with its head cut off (luckily Pat was out so he didn't have to witness this moment). Why, you ask? Well the episode ended with this fabulous "dance" number with a song called "Say Hey (I Love You". Since then, I haven't been able to stop listening.

Check out the video of the scene here.

However, the point of this post (sometimes I find one) is that I am djing tomorrow night for the first time in what seems like forever and I'll probably play that awesome tune above (see the correlation?) The night is to celebrate the release of second EP Restaurant Airport. I caught the boys last month for the 1st EP party (there will be 3 in this series) and it was surreal to see how they've transitioned over the years. Their new work is really something to get excited about, and judging from the turnout last month, I think tomorrow is going to be a pretty crazy night.

More details on the event can be found here and make sure you download Restaurant Airport (FOR FREE) before coming out to the show.

DOWNLOAD: Restaurant Airport

See you tomorrow!

The air is feeling good to me, just as cool and ripe as air can be

I can't remember the last time I saw Jukebox The Ghost. I have a feeling it could have been exactly this time last year, when I offered to do merch for the funny little trio when they opened up for the Wombats. Okay, so it wasn't exactly a year ago but it was pretty darn close.

I had just turned 24 and was unemployed. I didn't have the greatest of greatest birthdays, in fact I turned into that rare form of myself when I drink to calm nerves or anxiety and I can't seem to shut my mouth. Or refrain from yelling at strangers who just wanted to play foosball. Either way, I remember heading to the show a bit down in the dumps and by the end of the night there was a faint smile on my face. There are a few bands that can evoke that reaction, and Jukebox the Ghost is most definitely one of them.

(However, now I realize that wasn't the last time I saw them, but for the purpose of this blog post I'll continue.)

So I remember the band wishing me Happy Birthday. They may have even sung, but my memory is failing me quite a bit. And less than a week later, I landed a great job that I'm still at now. Am I saying Jukebox the Ghost is magical? Absolutely.

Come see the magic tonight at Bowery Ballroom. Yes, those boys who I called my new favorite band all the way back in 2007 have hit the big time. Hope to see you there!!