For the benefit...

Man oh man. I am so happy it's Friday. It's been a hell of a week. But what better way to wind down than interviewing The Diggs. Speaking of, there's a very cool benefit show on Tuesday with some of Underrated's favorites. Go, watch, love, and contribute.

Katrina Benefit Show

When: Tuesday, September 27th @ 8pm

Where: Rothko (Suffolk & Rivington)

Why: To benefit the victims of Hurricane Katrina by donating all proceeds to Oxfam America’s hurricane relief efforts

Who: “Special Guest” • Other Passengers • The Diggs • The Go Station • The Upwelling • and DJ Nora K

How much: $10 @ the door (cheap!)

I'll see you there. Don't forget!

I am laying low for the weekend. Have a lot of work to do. But Maximo Park at Bowery on Sunday. Ooooh baby.

Breath in, breath out

Jerry posted about the new Bloc Party video for "Pioneers" today. I've watched this like 10 times now. Not only is it one of my favorite songs off the album, but this video is amazing. Georgia, you are going to looove this.

Watch here.

Picture This

The Five O'Clock Heroes @ Rothko

See more here

It's About Time

Sorry for my post last night. I was "fuming" in more ways than one. But back to what's important. Big announcement! I can officially tell you now that The Five O'Clock Heroes will be on the cover of the next issue of Underrated Magazine out next month. Since the band is half British/ half New York it seemed perfect. Not only will we feature the best of the locals here in NYC but some of the UK's Underrated acts as well. It's full of fantastic fantastic bands, people, so keep a look out.

I first met up with Antony and Elliot in May over some drinks in the east village. Lucky for me my tape wasn't exactly comprehendible that I got to meet up with them...again. This time with the whole band. Boy I'm a lucky girl. I headed down to Rothko for their sound check. I was greeted quite warmly and we caught up on summer stories. I told Antony how I became addicted to NME over the summer (to which he called rubbish, even though they are off on the NME tour this weekend, shh). If you happened to read any of the letters from New York, he was mentioned three (!) times. Yesterday their feature came out in the issue as well. Not too shabby, but compared to Underrated? Rubbish!

So we walked around the Lower East Side for a while, trying to find somewhere quiet to go. I think they were more conscious than I was about the tape this time. Perhaps I just wanted another excuse to hang out. We found somewhere that seemed low-key until a group of crazies came in. Oh well. We kept it going. It's funny; I used to be extremely terrified giving interviews. I would more often that not be overly prepared with a billion questions and still fumble over them. I went in there with a tape recorder and no notes. Probably one of the most relaxed interviews yet. I think I've finally found my rhythm.

The boys went off to meet Elliott's mom (aww) and I finished my French homework at the bar (blah). Met Liz for some pizza and headed back to Rothko. I told myself I could only have two more drinks for the night and actually held to it, despite Liz trying to convince me otherwise. Ran into Nora who seems to have a liking for Antony. It's hard not to. The Heroes put on such a great show. It's nice to see a band have so much fun on stage; I think that's almost forgotten these days. These guys are going to be huge. I guarantee it. But I can't imagine that it would change them at all. They work hard. They do it all themselves. And they deserve all the success they receive. Cheers!

As we were leaving we ran into Matt outside (I think he's following me). He had a little bit of a press leak for me, which made me feel super cool. The GoStation was asked to play NEMO, Boston's equivalent of CMJ on October 1. It's a huge show, sponsored by ASCAP and MySpace. Heard of them right? Yeah, exactly. However Nick will not be able to make the show due to a family commitment, so they have Dennis from Saints + Lovers stepping in. Cool, right? And then Matt had his own Anton sighting later that night, but that's a whole other story.

I had to use Liz's camera last night because I didn't have mine with me, so pictures from the show will be up whenever she gets around to uploading them. Which could be tonight, could be next year. You never know with that girl. But enough blabbing, you need some music, don't you?

The Five O'Clock Heroes

Run To Her

Head Games

Turn It Up

Anybody Home

I had a nice little surprise waiting for me when I got home today: an advance copy of We Are Scientists debut album "With Love and Squalor." It's not due out until January, but I can tell you now it's fantastic. I've listened to it three times in a row and I hear different things each time. I'd share some of it with all of you, but there are some crazy crazy copyright warnings on it that are getting me a little scared. So for now, a song that the band ever so nicely posted on their website (and happen to be on the debut album):

In Action
Buy the EP here

I caught Sam Champion at Virgin last Wednesday, bought the album and highly recommend. (Not to mention they are in the next issue as well!) I think I told someone the other day that it sounds like Ben Kweller, with a whole band, and more balls. Or something. Their album release party is on Friday at Mercury. I'd go in a heartbeat, if I weren't so broke now.

TV Fever

Now Look At Me

Now it's time to recap with Lost and watch the season premiere. I've been waiting all summer for this.

Transit Authority: !@(&$^#(!&*)#$(!&#!

Dear Transit Authority,

I was on my way home from the Lower East Side thinking of a creative way to write about my fun night with Underrated's next cover story The Five O'Clock Heroes.

Then the Q train decided to stop service. Then my iPod ran out of batteries. Then I realized I had to get up in 5 hours. But I stayed positive, finally making it to Prospect Ave, and was patiently waiting for the shuttle service to my apartment.

I have an addiction.

I needed a smoke.

What I didn't need was an undercover cop walking over to me as I am stamping out my Parliament Light asking to see my ID. I thought he was joking. He was not.

Now I have a $50 summons for smoking on a platform.

For the record: the platform is outdoors, there are no signs that say I cannot smoke, and I HAVE AN ADDICTION.

Now I have to figure out a way to find $50 within 15 days because I'm seriously broke. Thank you Transit Authority for proving to me that I have the worst luck ever.

Sincerely,
Rachael

P.S. - Five O'Clock Heroes recap and pictures will be posted...soon.

Authenticity...blah blah blah

So remember that class I am taking? Today's topic was authenticity in music. We have a lot of talking heads in this class, but I did my duty as a serious blogger and was the only person scribbling away in my notebook during the class. I missed the class last Wednesday to pick up my CMJ pass but apparently my prof asked some people to bring in some tunes for the class to decide whether on not the music was authentic. Here's what we had to choose from:

1. "Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth" - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
2. "Party All The Time" - Eddie Murphy
3. "Magnet" (I think) - Lindsay Lohan
4. "Sunshowers" - MIA

Take a wild guess to which were considered authentic but the geniuses at NYU. (1 & 4 if you really need to know.) However there was a bit of a debate with our buzzy Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. In fact one girl (I won't name names) went as far to call Alec "a retarded David Byrne." And another who apparently works for a record label revealed that her label has been consistently offering deals to the band but that they are resisting...but not for long, she said. We'll see.

What else did we talk about? How imperfection can be authentic, for example: Mick Jagger and Keith Richards harmonies are considered authentic because they weren't exactly perfect. A band is authentic if they are relevant to the times. And basically everyone in my class decided that being in a band to make money isn't authentic, however my teacher quickly reminded us of a famous saying that "only a fool wouldn't write for money." I agree. It's a living. They won't be able to make music for us to hear unless they are to get paid. Let's not be so naive.

For Wednesday I have to choose a band and write a paper on whether I believe them to be authentic or not. I have a band in mind, but I am hesitant to reveal it just yet. I'll wait until I write it, and perhaps until I get it back. But if you have any suggestions, and some thoughts on this authenticity debate, I'm all ears.

From this moment on, I will only showcase authentic music. Because there’s a very clear and obvious definition to what makes music authentic. Riight.

CMJ Day Four: Everything Ends

And so it goes. CMJ is over. I can't say I'm too disappointed. I'm behind on sleep, work, sobriety, etc. It was a blast and I'm proud of myself for making it to at least one show a night. Met a bunch of cool people and saw a lot of great bands. I must say that I'm glad this is only once a year, and I'm glad I only know of one show I'm going to this week. I think I need a second to breathe.

So the day started out yesterday a little later than usual, but I made my way up to Times Square to catch the screening of Elizabethtown. Cameron Crowe was supposed to be present for a Q&A session following the film, but could not make it because he was back in the editing room. For good reason. I may be one of the biggest Crowe fans, but I'm not going to make something out of nothing. It's not a great film. It has its moments and naturally a killer soundtrack (Ryan Adam's seems to be the muse for this one). Prior to seeing it I thought Kirsten Dunst would bother me, but she was okay. Orlando Bloom, while nice on the eyes, should never attempt an American accent again. I don't know why he was chosen for the film. Apparently an edited version will be released in theaters, so I'm curious to see what Crowe changes. Needless to say, I was quite dissapointed after waiting awhile for this film.

After the flick, I jumped on the subway and dropped my stuff off at Georgia's apartment before running (literally) to CB's Gallery for the Dovecote Records showcase. I missed Tim Williams but made it for The Late Greats, a fantastic band from the UK. Their music is a unique collection of eclectic pop and power rock that seem to blend together seamlessly. Watch out for these guys.

From there I was off to Scenic for the first time since it opened. Very cool venue. Small space but great sound. I ran into Karen and the yummy Five O'Clock Heroes boys who were also there to check out We Are Scientists. Unfortunately things ran late (like usual) and I had to leave but I caught a few songs. They are impossible not to like. I just want more.



Liz was waiting outside so I had to run. Beginning to feel the alcohol run through me but knew the night was young. We made our way down to Crash Mansion for the consistently wonderful GoStation. Liz wasn't drinking so she wasn't her usual crazy self but that didn't stop moi. The boys debuted some new material which on first listen was pretty strong. Hopefully it won't take them another 2 years to release another EP.



We stuck around for a little while to embrace the couches and space that we knew would be lacking at Mercury. But we said our goodbyes and walked across Houston to catch Dirty on Purpose. Made it there with only two songs left but two songs is better than none right? Love the environment that band projects both on record and live. It's like stepping into a dream world of melodic pop.



Although I was quite intoxicated at this point I was still standing and not going anywhere (thankfully). Next up? Australia's own Youth Group. I've been in love with this record since I purchased it in London and seeing them live was like icing on the cake. They are just super good, need I say more?



And then it was time for the closer of the night and one of my favorite local bands The Upwelling. I made my way up to the front because I was drunk enough that I didn't care if I was seen singing along to every song. It had been a good three months since the last I saw these guys, which is perhaps the longest I've ever gone. Never to be disappointed, the songs sounded better than ever. So good, in fact, that they blew a speaker right into the last song, "Diamond Ring." But Ari was on top of things, and opted to sing a song solo sans mic. Made for a unique set and an even more pleased crowd. Kudos to them.



It was definitely time to go home after that. I hopped in a cab for the first time in awhile up to Georgia's apartment. Thank god she let me crash there or else it would have been an interesting subway ride back to Brooklyn. We traded stories of our nights and then very quickly passed out.

I hope up early this morning and thought that I was dead. Not just the usual next morning headache, I felt like my entire body was going to explode at any given second. I swear they need to put warnings on pint glasses. I met Liz for brunch at Schillers which felt great at the time, but quickly resulting in being in rough rough shape. We walked around the Lower East Side for a bit until I felt the need to lay down. Luckily, we found a bench.

I almost was about to just hop on the subway and head home but felt the need to end the weekend on a high note. I very slowly made my way over to Pianos to catch the annual post-CMJ show. After chatting with Carter I got myself a nice big glass of water and sat down. Who did I see come straggling into Pianos? The one and only, the infamous Anton Newcomb. I stood for a second in shock and then was about to say hi but feared I might get kicked in the head if I said something stupid. Within those 10 seconds he walked in and he walked out. I missed my change.

Caught The Late Greats for the second time in less than 24 hours but had to step outside half way through their set. My head hurt. Met up with Susan and Sof and returned back to the stage for A Brief Smile. They got a nice sized crowd in for a Sunday afternoon. But as soon as the set was down and after sharing some delic french fries with Sof, all I wanted to do was get myself home.



Here's to doing laundry, work, sleeping and detox. Work begins again tomorrow morning, perfect timing. See all the pictures from this weekend here.CMJ, see you next year.

Turn It Up

I guess I'm not all as ambitious as I thought I was. I caught Kevin Devine at The Living Room early in the night (although it was quite packed) and met up with Liz for some drinks at 2A. A couple pints later and I was on my way back home. I felt it neccessary to save up my energy for today. Besides, it's not like these bands will never come back to New York, right?

But tonight is the night where there's no excuses for hitting up all these shows. Fantastic bands, Saturday night, a place to stay in the city...a girl could not ask for anything more.

-2:30 Elizabethtown Screening @ Paramount Screening Center
-7:30 Tim Williams @ CBs Gallery
-8:00 The Late Greats @ CBs Gallery
-9:00 We Are Scientists @ Scenic
-10:00 GoStation @ Crash Mansion
-11:30 Dirty on Purpose @ Mercury
-12:30 Youth Group @ Mercury
-1:30 The Upwelling @ Mercury

And don't forget, tomorrow a post-CMJ show at Pianos featuring The Late Greats and A Brief Smile.
Pianos (Ludlow & Stanton)
1:00 / $5
Annual POST-CMJ Matinee Show!
2:00 The Late Greats
3:00 A Brief Smile
4:00 The Besties
5:00 American Princes

CMJ Day Two Recap/Day Three

I'm beginning to realize why bands and show goers are not the biggest fan of CMJ. It's just far too much in too little time. My hopes of seeing over 40 bands in 4 days are no longer. One day at a time. I don't know why I feel the need to see all these bands when half of them I’ve seen before and half of them will be back in NYC soon enough. So with that said. I am taking it easy tonight and then going all out tomorrow. Last night was the most bizarre day ever. The interview with Brandon went pretty well. His view on those "lazy hipsters" was unapologetic. "I hate the people just like me," he said. Can't blame a guy who's honest, right?

From 7A, Katie and I walked down to the Lower East Side realizing we were far too early for Pianos. So instead we found it not early enough to start drinking. I had to bring Katie to Schillers for some Decent Wine. I ordered a half carafe and then Katie ordered her own delicious chocolate martini.

Then I drank the half carafe myself and wanted to take a nap. But nap I could not, as I put Katie in a cab to head back to DC and I made my way to Pianos.

Two beers later, some familiar faces, and a entertaining set from The Changes and I could have been content for the day. After listening to this Chicagoans for some time now it was great to see them play in person. And is true what the say, they are perhaps the happiest band on stage.




From there I had to run around on some errands, meeting my new Ad sales gal and picking up my French books from Georgia's. Then it was back down to Bowery for The New Pornographers which was sold out or something because they wouldn't let me in. Boo.

So all the way up to Central Park where I was hoping to sit down with a nice cold beer and chill out to Arcade Fire and hopefully a David Bowie appearance. On the way into the park I ran into Josh and we caught up on our busy summers. The Arcade Fire was a bit disappointing, I must admit, but not at the fault of the band whatsoever. It was god awfully hot, which I presume cause everyone to stand still for the majority of the show. It was far too quiet from where I was standing as well. David Bowie was not the biggest surprise of the year but still fantastic. I love that man. And I loved his hat.


Back downtown where I stopped by Susan's for some reenergizing through water and checking my email. Thank god she lives next door to CBGBs where I caught The Honorary Title. I fulfilled my emo needs and found myself singing along to every song. Who knew?



I was beyond tired and in need of starting my French homework but I figured I was next door so I would go see The Changes again. Clearly I didn't get enough earlier. However set times were running late so I caught a bit from an LA band An Angle who were surprisingly fun. Sort of Arcade Fire-esque but a bit less experimental and a bit more singalong.



A couple songs in and I was yawning far too much. I hopped on the subway trying to conjugate verbs and was home with just enough time to finish the assignment and get a couple hours of sleep. Hence, today...I take it easy.

-8:00 Kevin Devine @ Living Room
-10:00 Imogen Heap @ Living Room
-11:00 Robbers on High Street @ Mercury

CMJ Day Two

I can tell you now not all of this is going to happen. But it's nice to dream, right?

-3:00 The Changes @ Pianos
-7:15 The New Pornographers @ Bowery
-8:30 Arcade Fire @ Central Park
-10:00 Joggers @ Scenic
-10:30 Army of Me @ Delancey
-11:00 The Honorary Title @ CBGB
-11:30 The Changes @ CBs Gallery
-12:00 Tom Vek @ Scenic
-12:30 Dungen @ Bowery
-1:00 Wrens @ Mercury Lounge