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!!

I Know Which Way To Run

As soon as I wrote that post yesterday I wanted to delete it, but I suppose that would go against everything I wrote. I'm a bit out of practice I suppose.

I've found myself oddly addicted to this solitaire game on my iPhone. When I say oddly addicted, I really mean that it's an unhealthy obsession. I can't seem to go more than a few hours without playing this Pyramid game, where you have to match each card with its opposite (Queens with Aces, Jacks with 2's, 10's with 3's and so on). It's all very therapeutic, I suppose, matching everything up it's in right place until they are all gone could be some inane metaphor for my life.

In other news, I'm attending what could be classified as my most anticipated show of 2009: Antlers/Cymbals Eat Guitars/White Rabbits at Bowery Ballroom. Have you heard the White Rabbit's new album, It's Frightening? It's calling out for a horrible pun in that it's frightening how much I love it.

This is probably why I stopped blogging.

Watch this instead:

The Burning City Smoking

So most days I can't put to rest the burning city smoking in my mind
And I play pretend the principals are nothing more than actors running lines
And I stumble through a movie set where torture victims laugh
An abandoned journalist who juggled knives and daggered glass
While they entertain the marble Heads of State and CEO's
Oh whoa oh woh
I stagger past anarchist extras through saloon doors painted gold

I attended this panel recently about publishing and I remember someone saying, "If you love to write you'll find a way to do it." That line lingered in my mind for a few days, as I thought about coming to this page, or any blank page, to try and form some thoughts. I wrote posts in my minds, found lines from songs and subway stations that I found interesting, but not enough to sit and write them down. It's funny. There was a time not too long ago when you couldn't tear me away. It defined me. It was what I aspired to, longed to do, and when I got it, I no longer wanted to do it anymore.

I had struggled to find the point where it all just stopped. I now blame the fact that I finally started writing professionally, in a profession that I dreamed about for years. It was there that this act of expressing thoughts in words no longer appealed to me. I was writing about things I didn't know or didn't love, and felt like I was never good enough or would ever be. I know I'll look back last year as as a major turning point. My life was dismantled, this dream job wasn't all it was cracked up to be, and everything I knew to be true was dispelled. So I changed courses, moved out of the city, and found a new job. One year later, I am starting to feel the urge to return to writing, for the right reasons.

Walking through Manhattan these days is more than a scrapbook of memories. I've tried to take time now to look around me instead of rushing from place to place, remembering the late nights, the apartments, the roommates, the gigs, the bands, the shows, the streets, the bars, the friends -- all these things that have affected me, for better or for worse.

I almost prefer that no one really reads this blog so much anymore. It makes it easier for these self-deprecating posts. There have been little signs in the past few months that reminded me of just how far I've come, of the years that are now adding up, and the back and forth of every day life. I'm not quite sure if there was a point to all of this, or to any of that, but it's nice to have the space, even platform, to work it all out.

So that's that. I'm still listening to the exact same bands I was listening to a year ago. There's plenty of other more informative, and definitely entertaining out there. But I can't deny that I once was, or always will be, a writer. So every writer needs their page and this one happens to be mine.

Don't Look At Me Like Another Lost Soul

And if all of our lives turn out to be lies
Then I'll go back home
To the people that knew me
Before I was old and grown...

I toyed with the idea of writing a year-end list. I scoffed at even attempting to make a list of 10 albums (I think I've listened to a total of 3 on repeat this year) and yet did end up coming up with a list of songs. The songs, however, are nothing interesting or unique. What is, however, is what can happen in the span of one year. I saw my life dissected, judged, with too many ups and downs to count. And while I finally learned how to make myself feel somewhat normal, all that was normal to me growing up quickly disappeared.

2008 started with some very major decisions. First up? Quit smoking. I'm proud to say that I have stuck with that new years resolution (probably the first) and couldn't even imagine sucking in smoke ever again. I was a heavy smoker for about seven years, and thanks to the strange sensation of a prescription drug (Chantix), I was able to kick the habit and still live with a smoker. I give myself a nice high-five for that. Once in a while, I think we all deserve a little praise.

The start of the year also saw a number of doctors appointments, swelled lips and hands, chronic hives, and the constant bewilderment of those claiming to be experts. I remember sitting in one allergists' office and after a long sigh while looking over my charts, he simply shrugged. "You're an enigma, Rachael," he said. That wasn't good enough for me.

It took almost half of the year to realize that I had had food allergies all along. If anyone had bothered to do a blood test, opposed to a skin test, they would have discovered that my allergy to wheat was the main culprit in my illness. It was utterly relieving, however frustrating to take on this new lifestyle. Constantly checking over ingrediants, and having special orders are probably things I"ll never get used to. I never wanted to be singled out of a crowd, and now, I'm feeling strange on a regular basis. Lucikly I'm finding ways to make this work for me so I can still retain my wallflower-ness.

As anyone who has read this blog for sometime knows, music was a huge part of my life -- and a huge part of my blog. In March, I decided to take a huge risk and quit my dream job, convincing myself that this was not the end of the road and there was something out there I still needed to achieve. And whilst I have not continued to write about the music I still listen to on this blog, I know that I'll eventually revist this crazy life I once lead -- if only to showcase that yes, I was once cool. But we all know that was always just a ruse.

I moved from Chelsea to Staten Island, I watched my once-happily married parents separate, I embraced my inner nerd, and stopped taking pictures at every show I attended. I'm not sorry to see 2008 go -- it was hard, long, and took a lot out of me. But there's one thing I did learn -- no matter how we identify ourselves, the real person exists inside. Through it all, I'm glad I never lost my sense of self, or my sometimes questionable thoughts.

In case you are curious, my number 1 song of the year is "Mistletoe" by Jukebox The Ghost [listen here]. It's just a demo, but hearing it live (and then begging for a demo version to listen to repeatedly) led to the following email to their lead singer Ben Thornewill.

....So anyways, the REAL reason I'm writing this is because I've acquired an unhealthy obsession to your song "Mistletoe." Seth sent me the demo a little while ago (I'm not sure if I was supposed to mention that, but oh well) and I'm pretty sure its the best song that you (and Tommy?) have written. It's fab. So I was wondering if you could do me a favor or sending me the lyrics? I just want to make sure I'm singing the right words when I'm freaking people out on the subway to work. Make sense?

Ben was nice enough to send them back with the following request:

now go freak people out on the subway

Somethings never change....

Thanksgiving 2008

Ten things Rachael is thankful for this year:

1. Barack Obama
2. guacamole
3. joining a book club
4. Pat
5. having a job...and liking it
6. The Cable Guy showing on HBO
7. gluten-free items now popping up in regular supermarkets
8. Amanda Peyser
9. the new Mason Proper album
10. Old Navy slippers...I live in them

Gluten-Free in Pittsburgh

I am in Pittsburgh for the weekend visiting my old roommate and was shocked upon heading to the grocery store and finding a whole gluten-free section! I bought the Cherrybrook Kitchen mini chocolate chip cookies, which I hadn't tried before, and turns out they are quite yummy. I'm glad to see the gluten-free products spreading throughout the country. In fact, October is Celiac Awareness month. More to come!