Any Arrested Development fans out there must check out this blog post for mp3s of some classic lines from the show.
When I get my puppy, which will happen sooner than later, I'm debating between Buster and Maeby as names. It's either that, or Bob Ross.
Long live Buster Bluth.
Okay, so I'm finally off the medication so I hope I sound a little less "out there" this week. Nora yells at me a bit, I fumble with my words, but the music is GREAT. That's all that really counts...right?
Plus, we dedicate one of my favorite bands to our bloggers of the week: The Music Sluts. Listen to the show TODAY and ALL WEEK, and make yourself happy.
Playlist!
Parade Of Punk Rock T-Shirts - Maritime
Tearing Up The Oxygen - Maritime
Calm - Maritime
Parentheses - The Blow
Bonjour Jeune Fille - The Blow
Eat Your Heart Up - The Blow
Rainy Monday - Shiny Toy Guns
Starts With One - Shiny Toy Guns
Le Disko - Shiny Toy Guns
Down Now - French Kicks
Trial Of The Century - French Kicks
England Just Will Not Let You Recover - French Kicks
All The Holes In The Wall - Birdmonster
Head on over to www.breakthruradio.com and click on "The Blog Show."
On Sunday the roomie and I decorated our apartment for the holiday season. It helped the absence of a puppy and couch. We thought it was appropriate to play some Christmas music, so I made a mix. Too early? I don't think so.
Yesterday I arrived to work to find my first holiday card from the boys of Princeton. I have already stated how much I love this band, but now the love has reached that funny stage of adoration. They may just be my favorite band discovery of the year. The boys were sweet enough to send me an exclusive CD (I had #14 of 20), complete with a fantastically hysterical holiday song "Where Is My Christmas Morning?" They told me I was okay to post it for all of you to enjoy, because...well, this is the season to be merry.
I also had the honor to interview the boys a few weeks ago and the article is up on BreakThru Radio. Here's an excerpt of the interview:
Will you stick with keeping future recordings to a lo-fi, raw sound, or opt for something different?
Jesse: Lo-fi is something that we were forced into because of circumstance. If we could do it over we would have wanted to do more to the recording. But we also enjoy making our own records and using our own equipment, which means no studio and therefore sound quality is sometimes compromised. The goal for the next record is to take a long time and try every idea we have for every song. We want to use string and horn arrangements as well as electronic elements so it is going to be quite different.
Matt: We want to continue honing our own recording space and do the future records on our own. The idea of a large studio is pretty intimidating and I like the idea of living in the same place as I record. We can work at any hour with no restrictions, and hone the sound slowly.
Ben: Future recordings will offer a large variety of instrumentation, experimentation and spankin’ new harmonies, all with a home-recording feel. What I really like about A Case of the Emperor’s Clothes is that it sounds like we are playing right there in the room.
Read the whole thing here.
P.S. - My new years resolution? Get Princeton to NYC!
I try and provide myself with enough musical knowledge as possible. As I've stated here many times before, I don't have the background or experience to ever be considered an expert. I know I never will, but I'm trying to at least have some basis to be able to speak about music. Sure, ask me about any buzz indie rock band of today and I could spurt off a lot of info. But if we go back in time, I'm a bit lost. Call it naiveté, or just youth, but I'm working on it.
You probably have noticed that the "52 albums in 52 weeks" have been missing. Life has gotten a bit hectic and the actual purchasing of these albums a bit hard. Do not fret. I will make it in those 52 weeks. Hopefully this weekend I will catch up on the ones I've been missing and get back on schedule.
I've been meaning to post about a few films I've watched in the past couple weeks that have helped my musical discovery. About a month ago I rented Sid & Nancy. It had been on my netflix queue for about a year, and finally I decided it was time to put it at the top. I wasn't really sure what to expect. Naturally, I'd heard amazing things, and I've always been intrigued by Sid Vicious and the story of the Sex Pistols. The film boasted comparisons to Romeo & Juliet. Sure. I had to see for myself.
I watched the film one rainy Saturday afternoon in my apartment by myself. I found myself completely captivated by the screen. Nancy, brilliantly portrayed by Chloe Webb, was absolutely atrocious in all the right ways. Their relationship clearly fueled by heroin but genuine nonetheless is the kind of loyalty you don't actually think exists. But it did. And the final scene, whether it's what really happened we'll never know, was powerful, and yet oddly satisfying.
I found myself researching Nancy for the rest of the afternoon, fascinated by her life, background, and real story. It's one of those tales that will always live in infamy. I watched interviews with the two of them together. It really broke my heart.
The gasps I received when I said I had never seen Purple Rain scared me. I clearly miss out on far too much. So after a friend lent me his copy, it sat on my dvd player for a few weeks. There's no good reason for this. I just never got around to it. Luckily the sickness this past week forced me to sit still for extended hours, so I popped it in and gave it a shot. I always have liked Prince's music, and had listened to the album as part of the 52 album series. I'll be completely honest; I knew nothing about this movie going in. And yes, it was wonderfully cheesy and incredibly entertaining.
Purple Rain is like one long music video with exaggerated plot lines and simplistic dialogue. I wouldn't have had it any other way. Semi-autobiographical, the soundtrack basically makes the movie. Prince's performances are passionate, and ultra sexy. I never really found myself attracted to the guy, but damn. When he performed "Darling Nikki" I forgot about the fact that he was an obnoxious prick. Grind away, Prince. Not exactly the same love story as Sid & Nancy but still worked for me.
Last but certainly not least was Festival Express, a film I had read more about than actually seen, so I felt it appropriate to see the whole tale for myself. I've long been a fan of Janis Joplin, and watching her, especially in those last scenes literally gave me the chills. What a fantastic idea this whole thing was. It completely inspired me to think of something like this to do. Music and touring has become so corporate, I just want to get a van (or a train in this case) and get a bunch of musicians, booze, and document it all. Everyone was there for the right reasons. You could see it in their faces.
The movie proved to be much more of a comedy than expected. Certain moments caused me to laugh out loud. Especially when they ran out of alcohol. Genius. But of course the performances were incredible to watch first hand, and seeing the crowds really put you there. I love The Band more and more seeing them play in a live setting, and no one can dispute the talent of Jerry Garcia and The Dead. No, I'm no deadhead, but I can appreciate the fandom. The movie watching experience was a perfect musical high, and one I think should be replicated in today's setting. Who's with me?
Enjoy some tunes, and check out the flicks. They all come highly recommended.
Just today I was walking to work and a song came on, and i promised myself if there was ever a tv show or movie about my life (which, god help us, never happens) I would like "No Rain" to be my theme song.
Then i saw someone posted this, and it got me thinking...
Open Credits:
No Rain - Blind Melon
Waking Up Scene:
Lola Stars and Stripes - The Stills
First Day at School:
Golden Years - David Bowie
Falling in Love:
Lovefool - Cardigans
Fight Song:
Lithium - Nirvana
Breakup Song:
Where Does the Good Go? - Tegan and Sara
Prom:
Flagpole Sitta - Harvey Danger
Life's OK:
So Far We Are - French Kicks
Mental Breakdown:
Talk Talk Talk Talk - Love Is All
Driving:
California - Low
Flashback:
City Rain, City Streets - Ryan Adams
Getting Back Together:
Case Of You - Joni Mitchell
Sex Scene:
Kiss - Prince
Wedding:
All I Want Is You - U2
Birth of a Child:
Strawberries - Asobi Seksu
Final Battle:
I Might Be Wrong - Radiohead
Death Scene:
Hide and Seek - Imogen Heap
Ending Credits:
Come Sail Away - Styx
I was just beginning to make a mix for a "welcome back" from turkey vacay, but I couldn't just let this song get lost in the...mix. Beat Radio, a NYC band who has always been at the top of my list, has just released their debut album The Great Big Sea for FREE on their website. Yes. Free.
The whole album is simply fantastic, but I have always had a soft spot for "Ancient As The Stars" ever since I first heard that demo. It was a year ago that I saw them play for the first time. And yes, I still adore the song.
The newer version is even better than the first, adding in some banjo, which is always an underrated instrument. But seriously, go check out the whole LP. Did I mention it's free?
Beat Radio is playing The Lucky Cat in Brooklyn this Saturday as well as the Product Shop NYC party on December 23 at Pianos.
I didn't listen to a lot of music this past weekend. Most of the time I was sitting in my apartment watching Top Chef marathons, What Not To Wear (my roommate has given me this wonderful addiction) or countless cheesy movies while sniffling and coughing away. I was on a good amount of medication. If I sat in my room and just listened to music, I probably would have passed out.
However, I am back and breathing fairly normally again, and it feels nice to be out in public. The only time I went out was to take the puppy to the dog run at Tompkins Square, which is maybe the most fun place on earth. You can oooh and awww over so many dogs, and play around with them all day. It helped put a smile on my face during a quite depressing break.
Back to music loving and appreciation, so here's a mix I came up with this morning to help pump me back up into reality. Enjoy.
Exactly four months to the day I found myself listening to Everything All The Time and having a moment. I wasn't aware that it was exactly four months ago until I referenced that blog post, but it seems appropriate. I like going back to albums like this, where that obsessive listen is a clear memory in your head. The apartment was different. My hair wasn't the same. I could smoke inside. Life and time were drastically separate. And yet I listened to it now, with that same intensity and incredibly closeness as I felt that night.
Four months ago I thought I was going through some sort of pre-quarter life crisis which at the time seemed justified. I don't know. But I do know this album calmed me.
And I still find it.
Oh.
So.
Beautiful.
Well it's been seven weeks and we thought it was time for a recap. Plus, it's Thanksgiving so Nora and I thought it best to give thanks to all our favorite bands. Tune in today and all week to "The Blog Show" as we go back and pay respect where respect is due. And sorry if I sound a bit cracked out on this week's episode. I was on a lot of cold medicine.
Head on over to www.breakthruradio.com and click on "The Blog Show."
Here's the playlist:
Brother - Annuals
Modern Class - The Head Set
Tigers - Division Day
Modern Love - The Changes
Someday - The Silent Years
Saved Your Life - Army Of Me
Rented A Tent - A Tent, A Tent - Bound Stems
Lost (On An Island) - The Undisputed Heavyweights
Pretty Mess - A Brief Smile
Wound Up - Office
The Blue Around You - The Benzos
Fast As You Can - Liam & Me
The Once-Great Gender Debate - Sure Juror
Tokyo, Japan - Princeton
Tonight - Ennui
Welcome To Tally Hall - Tally Hall
Be Born - Tally Hall
Ruler Of Everything - Tally Hall
Feel free to gather round the whole fam for a listen. Or maybe not. But either way it'll be up all week for you to enjoy.
Happy Thanksgiving :)
Well, I regret to inform you that I will not be at The Skinny tonight for our wonderful pre-Turkey Day dance off. While I had been sniffly and congested for the past four days, last night took a turn for the worse. After a restless sleep, I found myself in emergency care this morning, wheezing beyond control and then diagnosed with some sort of bronchial infection.
Awesome.
I've been told that DJing is not part of the recovery, unfortunately, so Nora will be on her own tonight. So that's all the more reason why you should go and keep her company. Have a drink of seven in honor of me. Don't forget that the $30 open bar starts at 11 PM. I'll be dancing on my sickbed.
Looks like it'll just be puppy and me for Turkey day tomorrow. I think I have a frozen dinner somewhere.
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! Hopefully it's better than mine...
No no, I didn't get a puppy. But I do get to watch my co-worker's adorable little one named Suki for the next six days. If you have spoken to me in the past two months, you know how happy this makes me. We have big plans, the two of us. We will be playing in the park, finding some other puppy friends, and perhaps Suki will be making a guest DJ appearance tomorrow night at The Skinny. I hear she likes motown. You'll have to come and see.
It feels like just yesterday these boys were playing for my issue 4 (?) release party at the now extinct Tribeca Rock Club. My how time flies. Now they are opening up for The Stills (!) at Bowery Ballroom next week. Ah, they grow up so fast.
Buy your tickets here.
The Music Slut is now officially a huge fan of the band, and recently interviewed them in their 8 question series.
4. What's your favorite infomercial?John (bass): The one with the flying and the guys jumping over walls with rope and stuff where they stand on mountains in awesome uniforms and put swords in front of their faces. It was really cool looking and the guys were all super hot.
Garrett (guitar): The one with Chef Tony ‐ I believe the company name is Miracle Blade. They put Cutco to shame ‐ Chef Tony can cut through pure marble and even steel without any effort. The knives never dull either...... you should see what they can do to the skin of a tomato......
Read the whole interview here.
I never really got into ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead for no reason other than I just didn't ever listen to them before. I know. I miss out on a lot of things. I've had their latest album So Divided sitting on my coffee table for some time now. Everyone who has come over has asked me how it is. I told them I hadn't listened to it yet. They give me looks. Sigh even. Probably very similar to whatever you are doing right about now, as you read this post.
I'm sorry.
So I gave it a whirl and turned out I quite liked it. I even went back and listened to Worlds Apart and liked that too. See, once in a while I do my homework. I'll make my way back to their older albums once I fully digest these two. I keep going back to the song "Wasted State Of Mind" many times. It's a really good one. From those first bongo (?) beats to the sing-a-long chorus, I'm pretty sure it was this that jump started the interest. My play count of this song at work is kind of embarrassing. Good thing I only see these things.
Oh, and writer's block sucks.
Very cool video of Ra Ra Riot from various shows in both NYC and Philly that they just posted up on their myspace. The recorded track is "Each Year At our Graves" which is not on their demo CD but is from their WOXY lounge act.
This weekend was a total bust. I was completely ready to have a fun weekend without worrying about anything else, when I woke up Saturday morning and felt like my head was going to explode. Now, granted I did have a good amount of wine the night before at the annual parental visit, but this was a different kind of explode. Then the sniffling set in. And the congestion. Then I went straight back to bed.
I had to leave Nora that night to fend for The French Kicks without me. I also gave up my ticket to see Modest Mouse at Bowery. I'm pretty much kicking myself after seeing this. You stay in for one night and look what happens.
I did catch up on all the TV I had missed for the past week, and now have successfully added Heroes into my viewing schedule. It fills my Lost void quite well, and dare I say..I think its better that Lost is this season. Don't hit me. I watched Thank You For Smoking which was quite hilarious, cleaned my apt, and went through two boxes of kleenex. Now that's what I call a fun filled weekend.
Still sniffly. It's Monday again. But it's Turkey week. And today, I get a new friend. Details soon.
Still sick. Head feeling like it's going to explode. But I am a trooper and I will stay strong, and you know why?
Nora and I are djing at The Skinny THIS Wednesday as a pre-turkey day dance off. And we JUST heard that there will be 5 hours of OPEN CRAZY BAR from 11pm -4am. 30 dollars for ALL YOU CAN POUR DOWN YOUR THROAT. Holy potatoes, am I going to be hungover for Thanksgiving, or what!
Wednesday @ the skinny
174 orchard @ stanton
10-4 w/ your two most favorite djs EVER
Speaking of how awesome we are, head on over to Nora's blog for Tally Hall's cover of The Killers "Smile Like You Mean It." It's so amazing, I can't stop listening.
And it's only Monday...
Visual representation....
p.s. I have NO photoshop skills....
afterparty for The Walkup....
any questions?
I've never been more happy to see a Friday before. Is it just me, or has this week felt like a lifetime? Maybe just me. I'm taking serious action to reevaluate my lifestyle, which means that I plan to stay in more and get to sleep at a normal hour. Every week there's more bands and more shows to go to, and more dj opportunities, but sometimes, somehow, I will find a way to say no. I swear. Just not next week. Or the week after. Maybe this will be my new year's resolution. That will give me at least a month to kill my liver a little bit more.
This was my thought going out last night. I initially told Nora I didn't have to see Annuals again, to which she gave me the most puzzled look and asked if I was serious. Okay, I wasn't. I wanted to see them again. Secretly, I'm going for a world record to how many times I can see this band in the shortest amount of time. Last night marked 5 in one month. Beat that.
The plan was to go early to Mercury Lounge, catch A-Sides, grab dinner, back for Annuals and then bed. Surprisingly that's exactly what I did. Somehow in the midst of that, a lot of alcohol was ingested and Nora and I decided that we would become rappers. We would cover only Lilith Fair singers, and make those songs cool again. We practiced in the restaurant while eating delicious homemade pasta. There were looks. And stares. But man, were we convinced that we would be the next big thing. It could still happen.
Back to the music.
A-Sides is another one of those bands that I have been meaning to check out for far too long. They were, in short, awesome. I really dug their Walkmen-esque vibe, their unapologetic jam sessions, and the equally impressive craftsmanship of each of their songs. I found myself really paying attention to every part of each song (something that my musical naivety rarely does). I was sitting right at the front of the stage and I sought out the origin of every noise. You could easily break the song up in parts, but together it created a wall of sound that blasted through Mercury Lounge in the early evening. I must say, I was really into it.
Have you heard about this band named Annuals (no the) from North Carolina? There are six of them. They are young. I have been known to have religious experiences while watching them. You think I exaggerate when I say how much I love this band, but I'm not. If you saw me last night, you'd know. My only addition to every other review I've written about this band is this: Mercury Lounge crowd last night.... you stink. You really should have been into it a little bit more. Don't make me look like the only one there, making a fool out of myself by dancing around like an idiot. You know you wanted to as well.
That is all.
Like I said, I'm pretty ecstatic it's Friday. The parental unit is in from the land of London for a couple more days, so I get a nice yummy dinner, all expenses paid, this evening from some guy at the Food Network. I think its Bobbly Flay. I can never keep track of those guys. Then it's time to reorganize my life this weekend, which will include (in no particular order): laundry, cleaning, cd-listening, book shelf organizing, alphabetizing, hair product purchasing, hydrating, and....oh yes, oogling over The French Kicks. That will be recapped for you on Sunday, don't you worry.
I hear "Please Visit Your National Parks" by Oxford Collapse on WOXY at least once daily. Every time, I like it a little bit more. Today, I decided, I am a fan.
Take a listen. Enjoy your weekends. Be nice to each other. And buy me a puppy.
Ok, one more thing before I head out of here. This has nothing to do with music but my brother's girlfriend just sent me this link, and it's frickin amazing!!
Clocky® (patent pending) is an alarm clock that runs away and hides if you don't get out of bed on time. When the alarm sounds you can snooze one time. If you still don't wake up, Clocky will jump off of the bedside table, and wheel away, mindlessly bumping into objects until he finds a spot to rest. You'll have to get up and out of bed to silence his alarm. Clocky will find new spots everyday, kind of like a hide-and-seek game.Clocky alarm clocks were designed to reinterpret the common alarm clock into something that is not stressful and obnoxious but amusing and a better fit between humans and technology.
Read more about it here.
Um, genius?!
Everyone having as much fun as we are listening to The Blog Show?
Hello….is this thing on?
Hi!
Well good news: my voice is back and we're got four more awesome bands for you to listen to. Plus I fumble over all my words and Nora and I get down and dirty (listen to find out exactly what that means). Plus, blogger of the week goes out to the one and only Jerry Yeti. We have much to say about this one.
Head on over to www.breakthruradio.com and click on "The Blog Show".....if you dare.
PLAYLIST:
We Could Be Good – Via Audio
Modern Day Saints - Via Audio [MP3]
Developing Active People - Via Audio
Hollywood – The Head Set [MP3]
Late For The Show – The Head Set
Enemies – The Head Set
Various Kitchen Utensils - Skybox [MP3]
Infinity and Blue Skies - Skybox
It's A Bumpy Ride On The Back of A Camel - Skybox
Time and Place - Ennui
One Thing - Ennui
Ruckus - Ennui [MP3]
Hold Steady Hot Weather – The Gaskets
Have I told you lately how much I love Kevin Devine?
I find myself saying that at least once daily, usually towards Wes, who happened to take that that wonderful picture above (more here) and can deal with my constant gushing. I just can't help it. Every time I listen to Mr. Devine I feel the need to tell the world just how much I adore him. So here I am, telling you, again.
The last two times I saw Kevin play, I found myself completely in awe. I stood there, wherever it was, and could not take my eyes off of him. There's a certain intensity in his voice that I find inviting, whether he's pouring his heart out or just plain complaining about the state of our country. He's fearless, the type of artist that will use his craft unapologetically, while coming off completely sincere. The last two times I saw Kevin play he ended his set with "You'll Only End Of Joining Them," each time causing myself to unexpectedly cry. It hits me in a way that most songs try to but never do. The album version, off of his latest effort, is nothing compared to what you see live. I wish he had recorded it stripped down and acoustic. It's so much more powerful.
Kevin is currently on tour with Matt Pond PA and Straylight Run. Check his myspace for all the dates. That tour will hit NYC on December 3 at Bowery Ballroom.
Buy Put Your Ghost To Rest and the rest of his albums over on his website.
One of the greatest parts of my parents coming to visit (besides their loving company) is the fact that they bring me a stack of music magazines from the UK. I have a certain addiction to NME that is usually fixed by routine visits to Virgin Megastore, but it's nice to actually have them to take home with me. It's the worst kind of music journalism out there, but it's so fantastic. I love every article and every band they undeservingly hype. (The Horrors as their latest example). But nonetheless, NME has it's place in pop culture and most definitely has its effect on the industry. So kudos to them for featuring our favorites Ra Ra Riot in their CMJ recap.
Click below to enlarge. Congrats to the band!!
Ra Ra Riot is back next month, December 13 playing the always amazing Friction show at Sin-e brought to you by Crackers United. This lineup may just be their best yet. I'm already prepping for a long night of awesome bands. Check out all the info here and make sure you buy your tickets in advance. This is sure to sell out.
Stop the presses. I actually like a Pitchfork Review.
For a band that I have associated with religious experiences, and one praised by the bloggers, you'd expect Pitchfork to hate Annuals. Even if they did fawn over "Brother," time has passed, and everyone is a buzz. And with a 7.8 review, they don't exactly love them, but thank god it's actually an insightful review this time around. They actually talked about the music in a way that I actually understood. Imagine that!
Refreshingly unconcerned with perpetuating cool, Annuals' attack is fundamentally escapist: Baker seems to prefer living inside his ever-aburst music, and listeners will be lured by the world it creates, a place of freakishly sustainable energy fluctuations where surprises would be routine, naps would raise heart rates, and sighs would result from exhilaration rather than exhaustion. Diehard residents of actuality might even find the Annuals' abstract plane inaccessible, or preferable at a distance...."Carry Around" invokes exactly-- exactly-- the futuristic tropicalia that Beck was supposed to be perfecting by now. The disco-waltz "Complete or Completing" submerges into a Steely Dan tide, then locks into a chant-groove that is triumphantly resumed on album closer "Sway", which dips the last few years of indie-rock's most-soiled dishes into a Ladysmith Black Mambazo rinse.
Read the whole thing here.
The band is playing yet another show in New York, and yet another chance for me to totally geek out. The rest of the tour dates are below.
11/15 Cambridge TT the Bear's w/ Evangelicals
11/16 NYC Mercury Lounge
11/18 Dublin Vicar St. w/ the Flaming Lips
11/19 Dublin Vicar St. w/ the Flaming Lips
11/21 London White Heat @ Madam Jo Jo's
11/23 Kings Cross, London Water Rats Theatre
11/24 London Stylish Riot @ The Barfly
11/25 London Frog @ The Mean Fiddler
12/2 Tucson Rialto Theater w/ Calexico
12/3 Albuquerque Launchpad w/ Calexico
12/4 Flagstaff Orpheum Theater w/ Calexico
12/5 Tempe The Clubhouse w/ Calexico
12/6 Los Angeles Spaceland w/ Tralala and Jim Noir
12/7 San Francisco Bottom of the Hill w/ Goblin Cock and Pleeseasaur
12/9 Seattle Neumo's w/ Juno and Junior Boys
Hi. I'm a bit busy, but I can't forget to mention that last night's battle of the bands was the most strange show I have ever been to. First of all, it was at Avalon, which I've never been to before and probably wont again. I felt strange drinking beer in a church, although I'm sure much worse has gone down there since. The open bar ended up closed by the time we got there, but Nora, god love her, managed to get us a bucket of beer when she pretended to be The Go Station's manager.
Speaking of The GoStation, they played their best show to date last night, and if I say so myself...definitely should have won. I have seen this band countless times, but last night all the right stars were aligned for them. A big stage, big smiles, and a big crowd that was eating up every minute of every song. PLUS, they even had a string player. My goodness! Bring these boys to a stadium, ASAP.
After The GoStation was Locksley, whose CD I have been sitting on for weeks (ok months) now and I sincerely apologize for. I heart this band like whoa. Not only are they cutie cuties, but they were so much fun. Seriously, I don't know what came over me, but all of a sudden I was a giddy 13 year old screaming my heart out and...dancing. I know. It shouldn't happen, but when it does, there's always a good reason for it. The band ended up winning, and if it had to be someone else other than The GoStation, I'm glad it was them. Definitely not the emo band that followed. They hurt my ears.
Head on over to Nora's blog for more Locksley love, including mp3s, and then her babbling about the Chipotle woman. My vote is for Brendan from Olive Garden, ps. He makes my heart skip a beat almost as much as the free breadsticks and salad.
Oh boy, now I'm babbling. I really should remember my camera when I go to these shows. Sorry.
I very rarely post links to just myspace pages for songs, but with so many people have been asking me for some White Rabbits tracks... this is the best I can do.
Ever since I saw this band at Mercury Lounge, and then again twice during CMJ, I have been dying DYING to get a hold of their full-length debut, or at least some MP3s. I haven't been able to do that, just yet.
However, the band just posted a new track "The Plot" on their myspace page, and I can't stop listening to it. I immediately recognized it from their live show, and while the recording does no justice to the anarchy you see on stage, it's still a fantastic listen. It reminds me a lot of what The French Kicks would sound like if they, well, got a kick in the ass. It's got the same wailing harmonies, but combined with an addicting beat. I'm not kidding when I've said I've already listened to it a billion times this morning. It's that good.
No dates yet. No news on the album. But you can guarantee as soon as I hear, you'll be the first to know.
[Update: The powers that be got you guys a NYC date. Feel free to send flowers/candle/money over my way. Or I'll just see you at the show. Either one.
12.6.06: Mercury Lounge w/ The Grates
AWESOME.]
Okay, let's sidetrack from music for just a minute here. I missed the first part series finale of Lost last week for some Tally Hallness, but caught the episode when I was in Maryland this weekend doing the whole family thing. I had heard mixed reviews about it, and then my sister hyped it up by saying how good it was. Regardless there was no way I'd miss the show, so let's just continue.
I didn't care for the episode. In fact, I haven't really cared for this whole season. But when I compare it to some of the other crap on TV, and think about how genius the first season of the show was, I'm still hooked. I just think that the writers have taken some sleeping pills and forgot how many people were watching the show. I won't give much away, but come on. I'm a big fan of cheesy romantic stories, but not in this show. I want action. I want theories. I want to be confused enough that I can still talk about it for hours afterwards. I want fate vs. science, and crazy flashbacks. Come on Lost, bring that back.
Working my way back to music, every Wednesday a group of us gets together to adhere to our addiction with a big HDTV screen. It's funny, because there are three different bands present, and one crazed blogger. One of those people is a member of The Undisputed Heavyweights, who is equally as obsessed with the show as the rest of us, if not more.
In fact, it was Wes who introduced me to the beauty of Lostcasts, who we declared as website of the week a little while back.
Sadly, the Lostcasts boys have had some mic problems this week so there is no podcast just yet for the part 1 season finale. BUT, they do link their "Lost Links" to The Undisputed Heavyweights song "Lost (On An Island)" that is up on their myspace page. Yes, this song is indeed inspired by the show. And yes, this song is indeed fantastic. I get goosebumps every time they play this song live, just waiting for Eko to pop out from behind me and dance around with his stick.
Speaking of, The Heavyweights are playing this Thursday at Rockwood Music Hall. It's free, and god damn they are wonderful, so please do not miss it. They will be taking a bit of a hiatus for the rest of the year, so get your fix in now.
[Photo via Bea]
Goshdarnit. I look like a total follower, right? Right. Everyone and their mother is talking about The Blow, with good reason. Their debut album Paper Television is some of the greatest indie pop I've heard in quite some time. During CMJ, I ran into an old friend, and former writer of the magazine whose taste I always admired and she couldn't stop chatting about The Blow. She had seen their show and thought it to be quite fantastic. Then I see all the posts. And then I find out that the album has been sitting in our offices for quite some time now and my co-worker is obsessed. Somehow I was the last to finally listen to it. But I did. And holy crap.
I've been listening to Paper Television on repeat and I can't help bouncing in my chair. Seriously. It's getting to be a bit harmful. For anyone who wants to listen to some pure cheese, while still being considered cool this is totally up your alley. The Portland (really?) duo combine electronic beats with simple melodies that should be straight out of the UK, but somehow these kids are from Oregon. Perhaps all that makeup got to their heads and they went a little bit crazy. Either way, I'm thankful for whatever caused this album.
It's without pretension and without the annoying repetition of most dance music. It's simple and catchy and incredibly addicting. Expect a lot of remixes to move around the blogosphere with these songs [Yeti's got some here]. Lord knows I'm ready to whip them out while DJing.
Listen to more songs on myspace. Buy Paper Television here.
You know how much I adore Snowden, so you can imagine how cool it is that BTR is airing their acoustic set from Gothamist House all week for me to play over and over again. It was, hands down, one of the best performances from them I've seen. While I love them ripping it up, it was a nice change of pace to see it stripped down.
Head on over to www.breakthruradio.com and click on "In The Mix" to listen to the exclusive acoustic performance. The band will be back at the end of the month at Bowery with iForward, Russia! for you to go nuts to, so enjoy the peace while you can.
Greetings from Maryland.
It was time I got out of the city. Last week's CMJ madness continued a bit into this week and frankly, I needed a break. I needed a long drive, a couch, and the lack of sirens to remind that I'm not, in fact, going crazy. Or at least get some sleep. That's always nice.
I met my Mom in Jersey yesterday. She had flown in from London earlier in the week and stayed with friends. She had a rental car for our drive down to Maryland, and I called her in the morning to ask if there was a CD player. No, sweetie, she said. I cringed at the thought of commercial radio for a 4-5 hour drive.
When my mom picked me up for the bus station the first thing I noticed was the CD player. God dammit mom! Sorry, she said. She never notices technology. Now I had a CD player at my fingertips, but no CDs. I hopped into the driver's seat (ah, driving, it's been too long) and pulled a detour over to Tower Records.
First of all, Tower Records is incredibly depressing. Most of the shelves are bare and the selection of what is left is anything but exciting. All CDs were 30% off, but managed to still rack up a decent bill. I had 5 minutes to pick out as many CDs as I could. It was like Supermarket Sweep: Indie Rock edition. Five CDs later, I was set for a drive.
Here's an mp3 from each album I purchased. My mom totally approved of them all, especially Goldfrapp. I had the most fun listening to Phoenix, because goddamn I love that band. (And, might I add, calm you drastically while sitting in traffic.) Some of these albums I already owned, but wanted them for the ride. Two copies of something super is never a bad thing.
Enjoy.
I'm heading down to DC tonight to see the family, but if I was in town, you bet I'd be here.
Both Square Wave Punch and Jupiter One are fantastic bands, so it's pretty frickin cool that they are playing a show together. Square Wave Punch was named band of the week not too long ago, and even kicked off our special CMJ acoustic radio show last week. Don't say I didn't tell you so when this band blows up.
I was just reading this very old blog post of the last time I saw Jupiter and laughed at how funny my life was at the time. [Chuckles]
Anyway, Jupiter One is a really awesome eclectic band that is not to be missed. It's been far too long since the last time I saw them, and unfortunately I'll have to wait a little while more. Jupiter One's song "Countdown" just won 2nd place at the New York Songwriter's Circle competition from 4000 submissions. Congrats to them.
Go tonight. Let me live vicariously through you.
Okay, before you listen to the show, let me just preface this by saying I had NO voice last week and this was the tail end of that exhaustion. So please, don't make fun of how I sound.
Other than that, I LOVE this week's show. Nora and I picked four of our favorite bands that we saw live during the festival, and actually get serious for about two minutes about blogger backlash. Seriously. Then we went back to talk about cute boys.
Go listen over at www.breakthruradio.com (click on "the Blog Show").
PLAYLIST!
Complete Or Completing – Annuals
Dry Clothes – Annuals
River Run – Annuals
You're Forever An Hourglass – Benzos
Mechanical Comrades – Benzos
Teach Me The Way (Live) – Benzos
Can You Tell – Ra Ra Riot
The New Flesh – Ra Ra Riot
Dying Is Fine – Ra Ra Riot
Going Through Changes – Army Of Me
Rise – Army Of Me
Come Down To DC – Army Of Me
Can you guess which picks are mine? Ha! Also, congrats to Jeff Central Village for being blogger of the week! We loved the Gothamist House so much, we had to give him due props.
Speaking of blogs check out the awesome review A Brief Smile received over at The Music Slut. Let's all decide to write nice things from now on eh? Or at least let's not cross that ethical line....criticism is criticism. No need to be vulgar.
Okay, I'm done now.
I thought I had seen it all.
Even though I was missing Lost and even though I had been out and about all day and only ran home for a 20 minute clean up session, I couldn't miss Tally Hall. No way. Not going to happen. I heart this band too much.
I've gushed and gushed and gushed, and gushed some more, about how great this band is. I won't put you through it again. But let me tell you. Although the "Freebird" cover they did at Maxwells the other week was fantastic, they ended their set last night with "Praise You." Yes. The Fatboy Slim song. Now we had heard rumors of this cover, and it hadn't been performed in New York for years. But those tie wearing boys brought it back last night and by golly, it was amazing. Zubin and Joe sang it so well, I was fearful they may pass out from holding those long notes. And Rob thrashing on the drums. Holy potatoes.
We ventured backstage with an invite for their amazing food spread. We ate some hummus and chocolate covered pretzels. Yum. This time Nora said I had to be kidnapped by their van. Don't tempt me. I'd follow these boys anywhere.
I wish wish wish wish I had a video or mp3 of their cover, but alas I don't. But I have spent some quality time with their amazing video library. I haven't laughed so hard in a long time. Okay, I actually fell off my chair.
Check this out and make sure you have a comfortable landing.
Tally Hall, ladies and gentlemen. Truly one of a kind.
I have my beef with the station, but once in a while they'll feature some pretty cool stuff. Like Tally Hall, who I'll be seeing tonight (swoon) and then a segment today about Ruined Music, that awesome website that we are kinda addicted to. We named it our website of the week a little while back, so clearly....we heard it first?
I kid, I kid.
Check out the spot here. Bono speaks!
It's election day. I'm not a US citizen so I don't get to partake in all the fun. But let me tell you what is fun...the fact that my intern is running for State Senate of Connecticut's district 32. Can we all just acknowledge how awesome that is? She was sick and tired of some old dude running unopposed that she decided to do something about it. A real go-getter. She's got blue hair and she likes Ghostface Killah. How can she not win?
I'm afraid Vanessa will win and leave my side, but god help me if I wont help her out. I'd be ecsatic if she wins. Check out this article that ran about the election. They really missed the mark with the real story. Poor journalism, I say. But still cool.
Anyways, here's a message from Vanessa about what she's doing and if you happen to live in those parts of Connecticut, go VOTE FOR VANESSA!
It's official! I'm running for State Senator of Connecticut's district 32. Just in case, that covers the towns of Bethlehem, Bridgewater, Middlebury, Oxford, Roxbury, Seymour, Southbury, Thomaston, Watertown and Woodbury.
Okay, so we can all probably guess that I'm not going to win this election (a single, pitiful tear is running down my face). I'm actually running against the Senate Republican leader, Lou DeLuca. He's been in the seat for 16 years now, but for many of those years he's been running unopposed. This year, I'm the only other person on the ballot. I'm being sponsored by the Working Families Party of Connecticut to basically make a statement that people should be offered a choice on the ballot. Plus, the Working Families Party of Connecticut stands for some really great things, like fair taxes, preventing the outsourcing of jobs and universal health care, which I'm all about.
Even if you're not all about the issues, it freaking rules that a 20 year-old with blue hair who snorts when she laughs made the ballot. Eh? Eh? So vote for me on November 7th! Or get your absentee ballots!
Oh, and...I love you all.
That picture is classic. Go Vanessa!
[Update: Vanessa received 11% of the votes as broadcasted through Connecticut news stations, around 3,000 votes! Vanessa also got to endorse the Democratic Congressman for her district, Chris Murphy. He congratulated her on her candidacy and said that being on the ballot was everything that the Working Families stood for. Vanessa would like to add, that because she got over 10% of the votes, the Working Families party of Connecticut is now eligible to get state financing for the position in two years. So great! She thanks you all for your support! Congrats Vanessa, a job well done for sure!!]
I needed one more horrah.
As if seeing over twenty bands during five days wasn't enough, I decided it would be stupid to pass up missing Annuals one more time, especially when they are teamed up with those indie pop darlings Voxtrot. After a yummy sushi dinner I found myself back in Bowery Ballroom, back amongst a crowded hipster crowd, and with beer in hand. Oy vey. Old habits die hard.
We got there just in time for Annuals to start, and like you know, I love this band. Their album is most definitely in my top 10 of the year, and seeing them live for the first time at Sin-e ended up being a religious experience. I saw them twice over CMJ, the first at Fader house, which was awful due to the sound, and the second at Bowery, where everything fell together perfectly. But I've come to conclude it's hit or miss with Annuals. And last night, I'm sad to say was a miss.
Now don't get me wrong. It was still a good show. Just not their best. I think the CMJ wear and tear took its toll, especially on Adam's voice. Every screech was far too forced for my liking, and the band as a whole just seemed tired. Can you blame them? I was tired as well. They played through their usual repertoire, and had a couple people in the crowd go bizerks. I'll never get sick of hearing "Complete or Completing" into the honky tonk loving "River Run." It's so good.
And then there was Voxtrot, a band I've seen more times than god, but can't help but feel happy every time I see Ramesh jump around like a little dork on stage. It's endearing. I'd never say that Voxtrot is a live band, by any means, but I have to say last night proved to be their best sounding show yet. Perhaps it was the acoustics of the lovely Bowery, or maybe it was some really spectacular new songs, but the band was in top notch. Then again, maybe it was just the fact that they hadn't spent the last week corrupting their liver. Oh, the possibilities.
Voxtrot is like those cheesy romantic comedies. A lot of people won't admit how good they really are, because they hit all the right spots. There's no real surprise when it comes to this band. It's straight forward and inviting. I became a bobble head for most of the show while singing along to the old favorites. They even did an encore! There was talk about a cover of "Dancing In The Dark" which would have, maybe, made my life. But sadly it didn't happen.
After the show I got drunk. It was like CMJ all over again.
(P.S. I forgot my camera. Sorry to all you Ramesh lovers, but there's no sweaty pics this time around.)
Oh boy. It's over. I survived.
Just barely.
Let's recall how I spent my last day. I know it began with making cookies, and ended with an almost fight outside some bar. Somewhere in the middle I saw some bands. I talked to a statue. No better way to end this five-day ridiculous festival.
I woke up at the ass crack of dawn, ran to the super market and bought enough cookie dough to feed a small army. I got the oven going, which was a pleasant surprise for my -3028209 degree apartment. There were lots of cookies. I checked out on my fire escape to see when the bands arrived and checked in with the folks across the street before heading to Dunkin Donuts and buying three boxes of coffee. Best idea ever. Not only were the bands so appreciative, but man...I needed that coffee too.
We hit off the party with local favorites The Head Set, whose new songs sound so so good live. I love their album, but they are totally a band I enjoy seeing live. Jordan's vocals are so incredible. I was so happy to have a NY band amidst the out of town lineup. It's nice to have some familiar sounds once in a while.
I managed to dj without headphones, as I forgot that mine were broken. I think I did okay. I couldn't really hear much of it anyways, but there's never any problem when you put on The Rapture. The place began to fill up, the cookies were being eaten and I was feeling like a million dollars. No alcohol yet.
Division Day, who I had been dying to see for months now played an awesome set regardless of how tired I'm sure they, and all the bands were. They kicked it off with "Lights Out" and ended with "Tap, Tap Click Click" and Peter from Birdmonster got up on stage and helped out with some beats. It was so great to see a band that you've listened to endlessly for the very first time. No one can take that back. Nope. Don't even try.
And then all of a sudden Sin-e was packed. It's no surprise. Ra Ra Riot is easily the buzz band du jour and had played so many CMJ shows this week, everyone is talking about them. Delightful people both on and off the stage. They need to put out an album asap, but it's funny that I know all of their songs already. Watch out for this band. They'll take over the world in a very short time.
Time for a beer.
I've yet to be completely sober for Birdmonster, so I figured if I had a beer, I wouldn't look completely crazy when I rocked out. I made my way front and center, because god dammit I love this band too much. They put on an even more rowdy show than Tuesday at Pianos and even played "Resurrection Song." Amazing. They ended the set with an encore, my favorite, "Janine". The boys let it all out. I couldn't have asked for anything more.
I was on a complete high after the show, so pleased how everything turned out and so appreciative of all the bands that came out and played. It was definitely one of my favorite lineups and I can only hope everyone else there had as much fun as I did. I said my goodbyes, cleaned up the cookies, and grabbed my coat. It was still so early.
Grabbed a drink with Katie who was in town from DC before heading to some Blogging for Beers party up at Hi-Fi. I don't know what exactly that entailed, but I did get free pints of Brooklyn Lager. Genius idea, if you ask me.
From there we went down to Gothamist House for the Charles Bissell from The Wrens. I must admit I was a bit intoxicated at this point, but the set was entirely enjoyable from what I remember. Then I ran over to Cake Shop and realized we were a bit earlier than anticipated. Probably should have gotten something to eat, but instead the $1 PBRs were calling my name. We caught the end of Maison Blanche who I think I liked. Then I pushed my way to the very front because White Rabbits were on stage. Let the record reflect that this band is one of my new favorites, so there's a good chance you'll hear a lot about them. While the sound was iffy in that venue, they put on an amazing show. Drumbeats were everywhere. Lots of people. Couldn't contain my excitement. Get your cd done already!
Thank god for Zozos. Grabbed a burger and then stumbled our way to Annex. Couldn't get in, of course. This was either before or after I started talking to the statue outside Zozos, convinced it was going to come alive. This is where I realized my exhaustion and alcohol level was at an all time high. Met up with Chris and Pat who I'm sure I insulted. On to Arlene's where of course I didn't see any bands, but did drink some more. Then another bar. Then there was some kid who I didn't like and I decided I wanted to fight him. He called me whitey. I knew it was time to go home.
Bye CMJ. I had fun. But please don't call me for at least a year.
I am ready to move on past CMJ related posts, but I must say as exhausting as this entire week was, I had a really great time. With the chance to see a lot of my favorite bands all within hours of eachother, catch up with some old friends, and find an excuse to start drinking at 11 AM...for free, I can't really complain about anything.
Except that I know I missed all of the amazing shows that everyone else will repremand me for, but I am only one gal. I am also partial to the bands I hold near and dear to my heart, and will never pass up the opportunity to sing and dance my heart out seeing them live. So no, I didn't go to even half the shows I expected/wanted to, but I did get to see some really incredible ones. I have a bunch of pictures up on flickr, but here are some of my favorites.
Birdmonster @ Pianos
Sure Juror @ Pianos
The Undisputed Heavyweights @ Rockwood
The Changes @ Fader Lounge
Tall Hands @ White Rabbit
Wrens @ Skirball
The Walkmen @ Skirball
Kevin Devine @ Bowery
Annuals @ Bowery
White Rabbits @ Cake Shop
But of course the real highlight of the whole entire week was the Underrated Party at Sin-e. Seriously couldn't have asked for a better bill, and I thank all the bands and everyone that came out. It was so much fun.
The Head Set
Division Day
Ra Ra Riot
Birdmonster
Find all pictures from CMJ here.
I reached a new stage of delirium yesterday. I was up at 7 to finish work, and found myself back at Pianos by 11:30. It's official. I'm moving in.
We got there and stood on line for the Colin Meloy acoustic show. Honestly, I was in it for the free drinks and brunch, but Colin was a nice added bonus. Once we got in, it was a mad rush to the food so instead we made a mad rush to the bar upstairs. Colin was performing already. It sounded nice. I couldn't see. Mimosas are yummy.
There was no food once we went back downstairs. Go figure.
Hung out for a bit at Pianos thanks to our drink tickets, and then we made our way over to Fontanas for the BV showcase of the day. Got there just in time to see iForward, Russia! who I hated at SXSW, but really quite liked yesterday. Maybe it was just the mood I was in. Anyways, they rocked the house.
Ran into some more familiar faces and then caught up with the Changes boys. They are so nice. I love seeing this band and I thanked CMJ for chances to see them twice in two days. The Changes put on a super set, albeit short. Ended again with "Her You And I" and I did my little headshake dance. Awesome.
From Fontanas we were delayed by Sean's little 15 minutes of fame with the MTV crew, but headed over to Fader Lounge for Oh No! Oh My!. My poor little intern and Matt Picasso couldn't get in, so instead we decided to get some nutrition in the shape of a Tiny's sandwich. Mmmm, so delicious. And so needed. All this CMJ running around you sometimes forget to eat. Oh and PS. Matt Picasso, nicest blogger ever!!
Ok so then we headed over to White Rabbit where my two youngins passed out on the couch. Seriously. I sipped my beer and listened to the dude from Diamond Nights play acoustic, then Vietnam, and then Office. I seriously love Office and it sounded like an amazing acoustic set. Unfortunately I only got to hear two songs before I had to head out for work related things.
A couple hours later I made my way to Bowery where I thought I had missed my lovely Kevin Devine, but ended up getting there just in time for him to begin. I would see Kevin every day of my life if I could. I just really frickin adore him. And he ended the set with the amazing "You'll Only End Of Joining Them" which never ceases to give me chills.
Nora called me after Kevin Devine and I told her I was about to see Annuals. "Oh my god," she said. "Are you geeking out?" I thought to myself, no I actually was not. I was so utterly exhausted by that point I was literally hanging onto the stage to not fall asleep. I ran into Kathryn who asked me if I was okay. I figured that was a sign that I didn't look so together. But I blamed it on CMJ and once Annuals got started, I did, in fact, geek out.
Annuals set was night and day from the Fader Lounge before and I remembered why I'm so obsessed with this band. They are so good. But the thing I don't like about CMJ is that you'll have a pretty crowded show, but its full of people who have no idea who you are. There was no crowd singalong, no one else rocking out, so I felt a bit out of place. But only for a second. Annuals totally rocked it and probably provided my favorite show of the week.
I tried to go to Mercury afterwards for Cloud Cult but was sidetracked by my roommate who wanted a drink. Then I tried to get into Sin-e for Pela but they weren't letting in any more badges. I was right across the street from my apartment. It was time to go to sleep.
Still standing. Just barely.
Status: excited. tired.
Looking forward to: Head Set, Division Day, Ra Ra Riot, Birdmonster
Current state of mind: aw, one more day?!
In actuality: can't wait for this to be over
Okay, just a quick post before I start making the cookies for today's show. You best be there. It's the best lineup in town...if I say so myself.
SATURDAY
1:00 – The Head Set @ Sin-e
2:00 – Division Day @ Sin-e
3:00 - Ra Ra Riot @ Sin-e
4:00 – Birdmonster @ Sin-e
7:30 PM – Charles Bissell @ White Rabbit
10:00 PM – Army Of Me @ Annex
10:45 PM – Honorary Title @ Annex
11:00 – The Tyde @ Mercury
12:00 – French Kicks @ Mercury
Status: hungover, exhausted, no voice
Looking forward to: Oh No! Oh My!, Cloud Cult
Current state of mind: i think i can i think i can
In actuality: need. water.
Holy potatoes. Can't wait to sleep all day on Sunday.
12 PM – Colin Meloy @ Pianos
1:15 – Forward Russia! @ Fontanas
1:55 – The Changes @ Fontanas
3 PM – Oh No Oh My @ Fader
4:05 – Oxford Collapse @ Fontanas
4:50 – The Thermals @ Fontanas
5:15 – Office @ White Rabbit
7:00 – Kevin Devine @ Bowery
8:00 – Annuals @ Bowery
10 – Cloud Cult @ Mercury Lounge
11 – Tokyo Police Club @ Mercury Lounge
12 – Albert Hammond Jr @ Mercury Lounge
1 – Longwave @ Mercury Lounge
You'd think I would have run out of things to say about this band. If you have read this blog you know the absurd amount of times I've gushed about how good they are. Heck, I've seen them play more times that some NY bands and they live on the other side of the country. It's been less than a year since I saw Birdmonster for the very first time, but my goodness..my life has been changed.
I like to exaggerate, a lot, but when I talk about Birdmonster I'm not kidding. I know their songs like the back of my hand and they never, ever get old. Their live show is rowdy and fun, and honestly gets better every time. You'd think with all that craziness on stage they would be the same way off stage, but no. They are some of the nicest guys I've met and always a pleasure to have each time they are in town.
On June 30 I hosted their first NYC show and now they are back. They will close out an awesome afternoon tomorrow with four of my favorite bands. Come early, stay til the end and have some fun. There will be coffee. There will be cookies. I wish I had free beer, but alas, not this time around. Sin-e's prices are totally reasonable though, so feel free to get drunk during the day. It's encouraged.
So there we have it folks. TOMORROW. Sin-e. Starting at 1. It's the last day of CMJ and we'll all need a kick in the ass. This will be it.
See you there!
Previously:
My head hurts. A lot.
I felt fantastic when I woke up yesterday. I was well rested, hydrated, and ready to take CMJ on. Today I feel exactly the opposite. 11 hours of straight drinking will do that to you.
Woke up early yesterday and got all of my work out of the way before I left my apartment. That was good. Going to head over to White Rabbit for Pela but found myself drawn to the wonder that is The Changes. I can't see that band enough times. The Fader Lounge is a pretty sweet place thanks to the free Red Stripe. The Changes are another band that makes me happy. I should open a musical therapy practice with bands like them. You can't help but smile.
From The Changes we headed over to Pianos on the word that there was free food and alcohol. This is what makes CMJ special. Apparently it was a Stereogum party. Said hey to Amrit, ignited my mouth with buffalo wings, and looked up meaning of words with Matt. This is why I shouldn't drink in the afternoon...I become this coherent idiot. I told Nora it is nice to be intoxicated when its light outside. I can see better.
From Pianos we walked over to White Rabbit where Gothamist is having their daytime shows. Really comfy place with great sound, if only there were free drinks. Oh well, can't please us all. Caught a set by Land of Talk whom I'm still ambivalent to, and caught up with some co-workers. More drinks. Saw Tall Hands who I really like and then sat up front for Bound Stems. I think I'll always be drunk when I see this band, but at least this time I was aware of that fact. Still really like that band. And yes, Nora, I'm still listening to the album. Stop making fun of me.
Snowden took the stage and we caught a couple slowed down acoustic tracks before heading back to Fader Lounge. Is that where I went after? Oh yes. I was rushing everyone because of Annuals. This was at 6 pm and already I was stumbling. My goodness. Back to the land of free Red Stripe. Ran into the Birdmonster boys and began to exclaim my love for Annuals. Too bad the sound in Fader Lounge destroyed their set. Saw Adam outside afterwards and he didn't seem too pleased. I told him not to worry and that I'd burn the album for everyone so they'd know how awesome they are. He said that was ok. He's cool.
Hopped in a cab with my intern and headed west to my alma matter. We picked up some 40's in the deli and snuck them into NYU. I felt like a badass. The venue at NYU made me realize where all my money went to for those four years. It's almost too nice. You can sit in very comfy chairs, which caused Jerry to leave early on. He didn't think people would rock out. Oh, but they did. I remember a bunch of kids up on the stage. One of them took his shirt off. I remember wanting to go up there too.
I heart The Wrens.
Yet another band that makes me happy in a completely different way. Their songs are just so damn good. It sounded amazing in that venue and I was so pleased I made it to see them. Maybe my highlight of the week. Seeing The Wrens is always such an awesome experience.
Up next were The Walkmen who I hadn't seen in quite some time. They started out their set strong and Sean and I finished my 40. My intern drank one on her own. She's awesome. After the band played "The Rat" and I rocked my little socks off, I got really sleepy. The Walkmen didn't do much for me after that and I think I took my CMJ nap for a couple minutes. Felt nice.
Said goodbye to silly NYU and made it back to home turf. Met up with Nora and The Changes at El Sobrero for some margaritas. Yummy. Followed Piper to Annex where there was some horrific band on stage. Popped downstairs for a smoke and then tried to finish my vodka tonic. At that point I was happy to still be standing. It was time to go to sleep.
CMJ is kicking my ass.
