It's Time For Something Biblical


Oxegen 2004

Go see Muse like it was the last show on earth...

Curisoa Warmups

Two solid shows tonight:

Mercury Lounge
--- 11:30 ---
ASOBI SEKSU - (Walk on the Moon)
--- 10:30 ---
BENZOS - (You're Forever an Hourglass)
--- 9:30 ---
MIDNIGHT MOVIES
--- 8:30 ---
Other Passengers
$8 cover

There are also a handful of bands playing at Southpaw in Park Slope that look interesting. Southpaw is pretty much my favorite venue in New York...so if the Mercury Lounge show doesn't look like your cup of tea, and you're itching to see some live music...be sure to check it out:

DEFALCO PRESENTS:
Looker
Saintface
Dutch Kills - (Katherine)
Earlymay
& Dj Aaron Chase
$8 cover
8pm doors

As for me...since you asked...my e-mail's all screwed up, so I have no idea what I'm doing as of yet...Gonna try to catch Asobi Seksu I think, but everything else is up in the air. Got a big day ahead of me tomorrow.

This is out of Control

Have any of the political blogs picked up on this? I mean...come on Fox...you're telling me you cant find any pictures of Democrats WITHOUT their right arm extended like they're saluting the god damn Reich??? Whos running Wonkette this week???

Credit all pictures to Tale of Two Cities...






UPDATE: MSNBC STRIKES BACK!

Developing the Ghetto of Central Village...

I read, via Curbed, that the Claremont Group is developing new condos on University between 13th and 14th. This block has always been a sore spot in the hood...Back when the old Wendys was in business, they had the foulest and most disgusting garbage sitting out back there. Now that's been replaced by a colony of heroin addicted kids who are usually getting ruffled by the cops as I walk by in the morning to work...Then when I return, there are people selling bootleg software, sunglasses, handbags and mangos on a stick. Not to mention the constant line of idling busses waiting to be dispatched...Honestly, not the most pleasant place to settle down in...And for 1.8 million, you can do a lot better in the area. Maybe the new building will help clean up the block...I will be curious to see. Either way, CentralVillage will be sure to swing by the open house on Sunday and see if 2000 sq feet in the heart of the city can make you forget about the bus fumes and the smack sleepovers...Stay tuned.

Death Cab makes the day go slower...

I swear to God...Time does not move when Ben Gibbard sings...I've been listening to DCFC and Postal Service all day cause my officemate just got into them and I have Rhapsody at work...And I like them alot and all...but I feel like it should be 6:00 already...and it's only like 3.

Speaking of 6:00...6:00 on Monday is the new 9:00 on Saturday...nobody interesting eats dinner at a reasonable hour anymore...And if you get that resy for 11:00 at night...well...everyone you're trying to impress just saw you walk in at 10:45...Just rock it early and do your own thing...


In other news...I managed to get a reservation at Spice Market for 6:00 a few Mondays from now...Just saying tho...

Amish in the City

Yo, I don't even know where to begin with this thing...First of all, I doubt I've watched channel 9 since the Mets were on in the 80's...and if I hadn't sat on the remote while watching convention coverage on CNN (channel 10), I prolly would have missed it completely. But let me say a couple things...

*The Amish are HOT! When the girls get all dolled up, they're babes! Hot bodies too. Mose might be a little rough on the eyes for the ladies, but overall they got some hot 'ish for this show.

*The "City People" are idiots...not just idiots, but mean and shallow idiots. Just some of the worst people in the history of reality TV...and...I mean...that’s a pretty low bar to squeak under...but this show's done it. Just awful human beings.

*I dunno her name...but the imbecile vegetarian chick needs to be put down. She said, in all seriousness, "Milk is cow puss", "Eggs are chicken abortions", and "Cows are from outer space." This is just the First Episode! The definition of a train wreck...Can't stop looking, but...holy shit is she a Looney Toon! Looked hot in her Amish getup tho.

*One last point: It's kind of an endearing show! When they all went to the beach for the first time, and the Amish girls were tearing up cause they'd never seen the ocean before, it was a genuine moment...I hope the show shows that stuff more, and less of the miserable people talking shit about people they don't understand. That gets old fast.

I can't say I'm going out of my way to watch this show in the future, but it's pretty darn good! Worth checking out if you're doing nothing on a Wednesday night.

The Bravery in NME

The international buzz has officially begun for the gelled-up quintet. Apparently they got a quick mention in NME as sort of a heads up to the British readers.

They've been dubbed by the popular mag, "America's answer to Franz Ferdinand, and the band everyone's talking about in New York."

...Keep it up, boys.

HOLY CRAP!

Well...I was pretty friggin shocked to see myself quoted on Curbed this afternoon. I also realize I came off as a swearing lunatic obsessed with my hood.

To anyone who's new here...I'm actually a pretty nice guy who just likes to listen to and get other people to listen to good music...And I guess I'm pretty proud and protective of my home turf as well. Welcome, and feel free to poke around.

More Music

I know I've been going crazy with the music posting this week...but here's one more song...I'm gonna try and get some links up on the sidebar for easy access.

There's nothing I can say about The Postal Service that anyone who could have found this site doesn't already know...Once Karl Rove posing as the Bush Twins drops their name, there's nothing more a guy like me needs to do. Credit Stereogum with the find. It will be on the amazing soundtrack for the mediocre looking Wicker Park.

Postal Service - Against All Odds

UPDATE:I actually did something regarding this site I said I would! Notice to the right, below my profile, is a list of links to songs I'm listening to...I'll keep it updated with new stuff fairly frequently, so be sure to check it out.

Whoh!

Dogs Die in Hot Cars are awesome! Picture Queen meets Hot Hot Heat...Just listened to a few songs off their website...Can't wait to see them with Morning Theft next week! They've seriously just jumped into my "Favorite Band of the Moment" slot.

DDIHC - Godhopping

DDIHC - I Love You Cause I Have To

Scissor Sisters



Their self titled album dropped in the states today, and everybody should go pick it up...unrelentlessly catchy...And still up there for one of the best albums of the year IMO...They are a 3/5's gay New York band that are HUGE in England...They have the #1 record in the UK, and blew out the main stages at Glastonbury and Oxegen last month. They also lay claim to, no joke, arguably one of the greatest covers of all time: Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb." Now they are ready to blow up in the US. Was lucky enough to see them play at Bowery Ballroom a few months ago, and if you're not going to Curiosa, Head to PS1 and check them out Saturday...you'll regret missing Muse and Interpol...but at least you'll have something fun to talk about at work on Monday. Also, you can see them perform for free Friday afternoon at Tower Records in NoHo. They won't be back in NYC for a while, so do what you can to catch a glimpse before they head back onto their world tour.

Update: I forgot to mention their other stellar cover...Franz Ferdinand's "Take Me Out"...Have a listen HERE courtesy of Scenestars.

Listen Up

I'm bored at work, but I don't really have anything to say...so here are a bunch of MP3s and songclips from some bands you should check out if you haven't already...

Elkland - Apart

These guys are the tops...really sound like they are ready for radio...Opened for Elefant last week and totally made the Bravery look like it was their first time playing together. Apart isn't representative to the rest of their songs, imo...they sound very Smithslike live...and the lead singer clearly got his style and stage presence from the Mozzer...Keep a lookout for their album coming out soon.

The Bravery - Honest Mistake

When I first heard this song, I was blown away...It was right after I had started listening to The Killers, and I was convinced that this was their "Somebody Told Me"...It hit me the same way...Now I've seen them perform a few times...and though I'm still a fan, I feel like they got a long way to go before they are the next Killers. There is A LOT of talent in them boys...I'm excited and curious to see where they will be one year from now.

Saucy Monky - Don't Wanna Know Your Name




I saw these girls at Oxegen a few weeks ago on a wet and chilly Sunday afternoon. I had read something that said they were a girl duo...one from Dublin and one from New Jersey...There was nobody else playing that early I wanted to see, so I went over to the tent to check them out...and they were good! There were only 5 sets all weekend that I stayed watch the entire thing: Muse, The Strokes, Stellastarr*, The Shins, and Saucy Monky. That's some pretty great company to be in. Anyway...they're playing in Boston in October, and are hoping to get to New York soon. Keep an eye out...They are available on Real Rhapsody too if you're nasty like that.

Leya - Let's Pretend (Video)

When I was at Oxegen, I met a kid from Northern Ireland who was one of the nicest guys I've ever met. He was friends with some girls I was hanging out with from the Shins set, and we got to talking about music, politics, culture differences, and the such. Anyway...He mentioned his brother was in a band that had a pretty descent following in the Belfast music scene...so I made sure I got their website down...They are called Leya. I believe he mentioned they opened for Interpol once, and have played on some impressive other bills. They have a video for one of their songs on their site that's pretty good . Apparently, they're playing in NYC in Mid-October...Try to check them out when they get here...I'll put something up if I hear any other details...They are known back home for putting on great live shows.

Morning Theft - On End

Back to a little bit more familiar territory...Morning Theft are a New York band I had the pleasure to see at Lit last week. They sounded really good live...Lots of energy and a great sound...It's a relief to see a band play a set without all the showmanship and excessive bullshit too many NY bands seem to think they need to rise to the top...Good music stands up on its own, and Morning Theft are living proof of that. To be honest, I don't think the MP3's on their site really do the band justice...you gotta see them play to get it. They're headlining a show at Rothko next Wednesday with Dogs Die in Hot Cars, who I know nothing about, but I remember they played at Oxegen, so they're legit in my book. Check it out.

Thats all for now...Be sure to check out the band's websites if you like what you hear...all the MP3's came from their sites, and most of the bands have more stuff where that came from. Enjoy!

"Strength and wisdom are not opposing values."

Lots of posts today...but I had to say a word about Clinton's speech...

Perfect.

Let this be known as the "My Tax Cut" speech...I don't even know what to say...but I was floored. It hit all the right buttons, and I hope it did the same for all the undecided voters in the swing states.

Conventional Wisdom

I stole that pun from Anderson Cooper, who is my favorite cable news talking head. Not only did he once have my uncle, Dan Baum, on his show regarding the Wal-Mart article, and not only was he raised as a liberal rich kid from New York City, but he was spotted at the Scissor Sisters concert a few months ago at the Bowery Ballroom...He's a hip dude. I was happy to see him chatting with Ana Marie Cox just a minute ago on his show. Keep on playing Cure songs to go into commercials, Anderson...We love ya here in the CentralVillage. I'm not gonna blog the Convention...but Al Gore is ON FIRE to start off the night...Y'all should watch.

Fuck the Post

Via Curbed, from the NYPost:

Q: I say that I live in "Greenwich Village," but was recently told that I live in the "West Village." Is that right? I moved here a few months ago and don't want to sound like a tourist.

A: "The Village" is the area between 14th Street and Houston Street (north to south) and Lafayette Street and the Hudson River (east to west). Once you cross Sixth Avenue, you can amend it to the "West Village" to be more accurate (though if you don't say it, you're not technically wrong). If you live east of Lafayette Street you must say "East Village" to be correct. But do avoid saying that you live in "Greenwich Village." Even if you pronounce it properly (that's Nitch not Witch!) you'll be pegged as a tourist.

Um, first off...fuck that...call it whatever you want. If you're living here, and somebody pegs you for a tourist for saying you live in Greenwich Village, feel free to tell them to go fuck themselves, stop reading the Post, and head back to whatever suburb, outer boro, or uptown shitbox they came from. I've lived in Greenwich Village for 23 years...and I'm only 22 years old...call me a tourist, Jane. If it was good enough for Mark Twain, Jackson Pollock, Jack Kerouac, and Allen Ginsberg, it's good enough for me. If you don't like it, then you're not welcome here.

A Blur

This weekend was a throwback...A bunch of friends from college came into the city and a shitstorm ensued...The details are fuzzy, but to be honest, weekends with college friends are usually a bit of a disappointment...it seems like people come to New York expecting to have sex with a model in the bathroom at Lotus...and when all they do is go out to a bar, play buckhunter, and get fucked up, they leave a bit disappointed...but this weekend was an exception. The nights out weren't really all that amazing to be honest...but the debauchery that ensued once everyone reconvened at my apartment was like being in college all over again...And in a good way.

Friday I had a hellish day between work and trying to dump my 4 Devo tickets with it pouring outside. I found someone on Craigslist who was willing to pay well above face, but I'd have to come down to their office in Soho and make the switch. I figured I could take a lunch and do it. I was then stuck with 2...Some dickhead told me he was going to take one off me for face value, but after 4 hours of me holding the ticket from anyone else who wanted it, he apparently got a offer for below face...and with that I was stuck with 2 again at 4:18...10 minutes before the doors opened...not to mention I had a brief going out, so I wasn't going to get out the door for at least another 2 hours...Screwed...If you're out there...Fuck You Al Goldstein Style.

Anyway...this post is getting long...I ended up getting out of work at 7, cabbing up to the park just in time to sell my extra to a guy for face value and catch the YYY's set...didn't stick around for Devo cause of the friends in town, but after selling all my extras, it came out to seeing the Yeah Yeah Yeah's for free and it didn't even rain...Good deal.

I don’t have the energy to go into detail about the rest of the weekend...so I'll list the highlights...

*In the cab downtown later that night, I realize my friends never heard of Sparks...so we took a detour to Rothko which is the only bar off the top of my head that sells it...and I had remembered hearing about some hot euro band playing, so we went...Small crowd, but good Sparks...good band too, tho I was by then too drunk to really remember anything about them. I remember liking them for the most part tho.

*The next day we hung around my apartment and went to check out Ted Leo around 5, who was really fucking awesome...as was that bandshell on the east river...hopefully they'll be able to put out more shows there next year. Then we met up with my buddy Stos and went to No. 1 Chinese, which despite it getting destroyed by every review, was really good. It made me think about all the good things people hate because its cool to hate it...I still think The Strokes are awesome, Titanic was a great movie, and No. 1 Chinese is one of the best Chinese meals I've ever eaten...so fuck all you haters...no love lost in liking good things...

*That night I went to a girls birthday party in Tribeca, which would have been perfectly fun if some guy and his weasely boyfriend didn't accuse me of pinching this girls ass...which I obviously didn't do...(I was just trying to get through a crowd...) but these two fucktards weren't like trying to start a fight...there wasn't one moment where I felt threatened or anything...They were just kind of teasing me...like telling me I don't get out much, and I read porno...and I just kept asking them like, ok...what else. Sooner or later they started asking for an apology, to which I said absolutely not...and that was really it...they left in a cab...back to penn station or the upper east side or somewhere they belonged. If I ever see them again...and they stand out cause one of them is going bald and really goofy looking...I'll have to remember to ask them about that...if their MO is to go around to bars and tease strangers with no threat of physical force...maybe fun, but kinda weird.

*Later that night consisted of Samba de Amigo and a $60 bag of gak from a guy off the street... (Not me kids...I don’t do drugs that don't come in an orange can)

*The next day was a private CentralVillage Screening (me in my living room with friends) of two of my favorites...Sleepaway Camp, and The Warriors. If you've never seen either, watch them now. There is no debate. Two undisputed classics...Then into HBO...which had a fantastic drug and Death Cab induced orgy...

*I know I barely touched on the crazy fun parts of the weekend...but they weren't the kind of fun that translates into words...Maybe they do, and I'm not a good enough writer to get it across...but whatever...I had a blast, and hope to do it again soon.

*Pretty quiet week coming up I think...Staying home and watching the convention mostly, leading up to Curiosa on Saturday...Might go out if something comes up, but nothing planned.

I chuckled to myself for a while...

Now its your turn...



Courtesy of My Blog Is Poop

Who cares, you ask?

I am fascinated by FedEx package tracking...fortunately in my exciting line of work, I get to do this a lot. It's kind of like hearing about somebody's vacation third hand...anyway...the point is I checked the tracking of my iPod this morning and am happy to say it has arrived and been signed for by my doorman. Its incredible journey has taken it from Shanghai to Anchorage to Indianapolis and finally to Central Village, NYC. You could make a Bond movie based on that shit. It also gives me a little bit of incentive to stop fucking around on the web and get my work done...so peace till later.

Quickly...

because I'm fucking exhausted, but I've seen some great music the last couple nights.

*So glad I got out and went to see Morning Theft last night. Despite having to deal with depths of Lit, they played a really solid set. Y'all should go check them out next time they're around...If anyone's in Boston tomorrow night, they're playing some club with Asobi Seksu...check out the details on their website.

*Tonight I saw Elefant with Elkland and The Bravery...First off, let me say how impressed I was with the Elkland set. These guys sound like pros. One of the tightest opening bands I've ever heard. The song on their website (Here) is great, but not representative of the rest of their music. They rock a serious Smiths vibe...and pull it off flawlessly. Apparently they are signed to Columbia Records, and are supporting Elefant on their upcoming tour with Ambulance Ltd. Keep an eye out for them, cause they are the real deal.

*They actually made The Bravery, who came on after them, look pretty rough. I'm still a big fan, but I'm starting to develop a couple of annoyances with them...that's a discussion for another time, however. I still think the little set they did at Bar 13 a few weeks ago was them at their best, but they've got a long way to go to live up to the hype surrounding them. I continue to look forward to watching them grow.

*Finally, Elefant. They are...no longer Stellastarr*...the most underrated New York band right now...are they even from New York? I have no idea...that’s how little buzz there is about them. They are GREAT! Love every song they play. Played a couple new ones which, as my buddy Steve pointed out, are a bit heavier than their other stuff, but sounded excellent. My highlight was the second new one they played that started out kinda dull, but picked up into this bombastic opera-esque frenzy that had me completely floored. I dunno if they have a new album coming out or whatever, but I will keep an eye out. Overall, a great night of music.

*One more thing...Time Out New York has rated all the NY music venues in this week's issue...and from a quick glance, no big surprises. I'll try and remember to post some of the ratings tomorrow. Gotta goto bed now.

"You'll Never See a Finer Ship in Your Life..."




Real busy today...but I had to get this down...

I woke up this morning with Interpol's "Take You on a Cruise" stuck in my head...then I'm watching Cold Pizza, and a Carnival Cruise ad comes on...and...It's the Same Logo! Has a better ad campaign ever been conceived???? I'm not saying now...but in 10 or 20 years...when Interpol has reached Iggy Pop status...It’s a match made in heaven. Just remember where you heard it first, y'all.

Duke Sucks Regardless...
 
Duke freshmen will be attuned to iPods

On or Before 7/21...  

Is the ship date for my new iPod...Meaning it will arrive on Friday at the latest.  Whoopee!  



Does anyone else wanna go see Harold and Kumar a lot more after reading this Gothamist write up?  I thought it'd be worthless...but now...I think it might be kinda good...Its hard to make a valid statement about Asian-Americans in popular film while also referencing Neil Patrick Harris doing coke off a strippers ass...But Gothamist, you pulled it off...Props.

A Week in Advance...  
 
*Went to dinner with my Dad tonight at Yujin...Really good restaurant that is tragically empty on a regular basis...I give them props for being able to convert a Kinkos into a beautiful place...but it's tough to compete with Japonica around the corner on a night to night basis...If you're interested in a tasty (albeit pricy) Japanese meal without too much rice or sushi...check it out before it closes down.  If you want sushi, however, there’s' no point going anywhere else but Japonica.  
 
*Expect in the coming weeks my CentralVillage Restaurant Awards...Since my neighborhood is literally defined by the Zagat listing, "Central Village/NoHo", I feel it'd be a good idea to recognize.  Hopefully this won't go the way of CentralVillage Radio (Too much $$$...maybe someday tho)  
 
*Tomorrow night I'm gonna swing over to Lit after work and finally check out Morning Theft...I suggest everybody do the same.
 
*Wednesday is gonna be big...Elefant, The Bravery, and Elkland are all playing at Bowery Ballroom...Can't wait...all three bands are class, as the Irish say...It'll be a hell of a time, so don't miss it.  
 
*Thursday is a good friend of mine's birthday...so I'll be doing something...Would love to check out Hope of the States, but as amazing as they are, and as much buzz as I've been hearing, chances are the birthday boy will prefer something else...so that one is up in the air as of now. 
 
It's annoying to get to (fake info works), but check out the video for "The Red, The White, The Black, The Blue"...absolutely unreal...These guys may be the next Muse...or the next Smashing Pumpkins
 
*Friday is StellaStarr*, The Yeah Yeah Yeah's, and Devo at Summerstage...Looks like they're predicting thunderstorms, however, and after a long week, I might just put the tix up on Craigslist and try to break even...Stellastarr is the main attraction for me, and I just saw them last week...this one is still open for debate.  
 
All this, plus we're one short in my department at work, so I'm gonna be working like crazy to compensate...thankfully, I've got a wide open weekend to look forward to.

NEW iPOD!



This kinda came as a surprise to me...I was expecting it closer to Christmas...but its out and its...good.  I don't know what the world was expecting, but its got gigs and a big battery.  That’s all I need.  My 5 gig 1st generation was completely full and starting to wear out...so I sorta needed a new one...Impressions by the end of the week...If they're able to ship mine out in time.

HOLY FUCKING SHIT
 
Six Feet under is the best show on TV...Horrifying tonight...Gotta go watch Entourage now...but...holy shit.

Sunday Killers News...
 
First off...Keep your eyes open for the Hot Fuss poster in the opening credits of the new HBO show Entourage tonight...Looks like there's a line outside some club and a big pink Killers banner on the wall...
 
Secondly, I just read this quote from some online chat a while ago with Josh Schwartz (The OC): 

Digital Dish Diva says: What kind of music do you listen to personally?
Josh Schwartz says: Everything that's on the show.
Josh Schwartz says: I just saw this band The Killers and they're a great new band. 

 
The Killers and The OC are a match made in heaven...make it work, Schwartzie...
 
 
Yeah, whatever...I know I'm kinda lame, but I'm still under the fantastic impression that The Killers are kinda my personal little band...and I still get excited when they get mentioned in the news or something...Someday I'll grow out of it.
 
And by the way...the Bowery Ballroom show on August 16th is all sold out...Sorry slowpokes...Makes that Mercury Lounge show a few weeks ago all the more impressive, huh.

GTA: San Andreas Soundtrack Leaked...

GTA: SA  
   
Below is the alleged soundtrack for the new Grand Theft Auto game, which takes place this time in the early 90's:
 
Salt’n’Pepa - Push it
Vanilla Ice - Ice Ice Baby
Inner Circle - Bad Boys
KLF - 3am Eternal
Massive Attack - Unfinished Sympathy
Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
Jane’s Addiction - Been Caught Stealing
Poison - Every Rose Has It’s Thorn
Guns’n’Roses - Sweet Child O’ Mine
Smashing Pumpkins - Today
NWA - **** Tha Police / 100 Miles And Runnnin’
Snoop Doggy Dogg - Gin N’Juice / Ain’t No Fun
Warren G - Regulate
Fugees - Killing Me Softly
Coolio - Gangsta’s Paradise
Public Enemy - Rebel Without A Pause
The Stone Roses - Fools Gold
Happy Mondays - Step On
The Verve - Bitter Sweet Symphony
Radiohead - Creep
 
Nice mix...Happy Mondays and the Stone Roses are interesting, but welcome choices...everything else fits in just about right for an early 90's Gangbanging simulator...need more songs tho...those all will get really old fast.
 
The game is said to take place in 3 cities...LA, San Francisco, and Las Vegas...and each city is 3 times bigger than the entire Vice City...plus country and desert driving...I don't talk about video games on here too often...but this game is gonna be groundbreaking stuff...Look for it around October.

I prefer my Hot Hot Heat on the stage at Siren, thank you.  
 
Central Village trekked to the other West 10th street today for the 4th Annual Siren Festival.  I don't know what it was exactly this year, but I couldn't make it through the day down at Coney Island...It was a great lineup and everything, and my apologies to Electric 6, Blonde Redhead, ...Trail of the Dead, and Death Cab, but I just wasn't having a good time...and the more I thought about watching the upcoming bands, the more I realized that Siren was not the right place to see them.  If I was able to hang back, sit down, have some space and watch them peacefully and comfortably, I would have been set...or even if there was some sort of escape from the heat between acts...that'd been perfect...But I understand the limitations of Coney Island, and that's nobody's fault.  It was just too hot and crowded this year, and the sound is so lousy, that you really had to push up to the front to enjoy...I just wasn't feeling it today.  It seemed more crowded and hotter than last year...maybe I was imagining things, but it was enough for me to regrettably head home early.  
 
I admire The Village Voice for putting together this great great show for free, and I have nothing bad to say about the effort, but the festival may be outgrowing the limited stage space that is available on the West 10th and the Stillwell street areas...I mean they're just side streets...narrow and flat...so if you're more than 100 feet from the stage you're hopelessly screwed to see the bands...Next year I'm sure I'll give it another shot, and maybe (hopefully?) they'll come up with something to accommodate the growing crowds.  Then again...It's still free, and its great fun if you prepare yourself and can tolerate the atmosphere...Just wasn't up for it this year.  
 
One more quick note...last night I went out to the dreaded Don Hills for Vito Fun's birthday last night...Nuclear Family were amazing, as usual...I urge everyone with even the slightest interest in good hip hop to make a point to go see them.  They play alot of sets at Southpaw in Brooklyn, and I'll be sure to post whenever they have a show coming up, so check back here if you're interested.
 
Thats it for now...Tomorrow I'm gonna try to set up CentralVillage Radio, an internet radio station streaming from this site...check back to check it out...

La Vie...
 
Ooooh...new posting formats...

First off...I read a blind item in last week's NME I couldn't figure out: 

WHICH member of a mid-table New York Indie Band's ego has swollen so much that he insists on champagne and gak before he'll even contemplate taking to the stage?

The Strokes are too big to be called "mid-table"...and nobody else I can think of is big enough to develop thoese kind of issues...Any ideas? 

Anyway...busy weekend coming up...  

• Tomorrow @ Don Hill's The Nuclear Family is gonna perform in honor of Vito Fun's birthday...come on out and celebrate...great, intelligent hip hop and a guaranteed good time...$5 at the door.  Nukfam is The Wu-Tang of park slope...a crew of smart, well rounded rappers from Brooklyn who always throw a hell of a party.  Check them out if you're looking for something different...you will not be disappointed.
• Saturday is Siren...whose lineup speaks for itself...If you've been meaning to head down to Coney Island, this is the day to do it...Looking forward myself to Fiery Furnaces, TV on the Radio, and Blonde Redhead...but all the bands are solid...and its free...what's your excuse NOT to go?  Everyone will be there...Afterparty TBD...Open to suggestions.
• Sunday is the New Ali G's and Entourage...which I'd dismiss as trash if it wasn't on HBO...everybody should give it a shot...at worst its a trashy FOX show with tits...at best its a new classic...worth a half hour of my life indeed.
• Next Wednesday is a show not to be missed...Elefant we've all heard of...Great Great New York band...but that fact that they are being supported by Elkland and The Bravery elevate this to must see status...The Bravery NEED a large stage to really shine I think...It's tough to pull off all those moves in the back corner of Bar 13...Elkland sounds great from what I've heard...been wanting to see them for a while now.  Get tickets before they're all gone...The show should sell out (If it hasn't already...)
• Finally, tickets for Modest Mouse and The Killers both went on sale Thursday...Don't miss a chance to see these two great bands show their shit off in New York.  The Killers show in London was probably the overall highlight of my trip last week, and they are not to be missed.  Modest Mouse speaks for itself. 
• UPDATE: Ticketmaster and Clear Channel jack up the price of the Modest Mouse tickets from $24.50 (some say a modest price...) to an aubsurd $35.00...thats a 45% jump!  No wonder nobody's going to concerts this summer...these guys should be ashamed of themselves.

That's it for now I guess...am ready for another vacation already,

I'm back


Oxegen Festival - Punchestown, Ireland 

Jesus...amazing week away from home...I miss it already. Some highlights:

*The Edward Hopper Exhibit at the Tate Modern blew me away...can't explain it really...but he's brilliant...captures the most authentic moments of American society perfectly.

*Saw Feist and Buck 65 at the 100 Club on Oxford Street. Got there early caught the sound checks...both are good, but Feist is in a class by herself...Amazing album and amazing stage show. If you see her album out, or her playing nearby, check it out, and let me know. She has the talent to be huge.

*Q-Tip cancelled his show, but, alas, The Killers were playing a sold out show 10 minutes from my hotel at the Astoria...so I went down and got a ticket off a scalper. Hung out with these three 16 year old girls (one of whom may be pregnant) who loved the guys. They were amazing, natch, but the crowd was the highlight...They packed a place the size of Hammerstein Ballroom and had the whole place jumping up and down singing along to every song. It was almost surreal...a complete 180 in comparison to the show at Mercury Lounge just a few weeks earlier. They are full blown rockstars in the UK.

*Managed to hit up this party afterward where Mark was playing a DJ set. Got a chance to talk to Brandon for a while, and he mentioned they're hitting Bowery Ballroom up in a few weeks. Not to be missed.

*Up next was the Oxegen Festival in Ireland...Which I could go on forever about...so here are the brief highlights.

-First day started with Stellastarr* ...Who are so great and so underappreciated I feel. Not very big in Europe, but they played a great set and certainly earned some new fans.

-Rest of the day was great...caught big chunks of the sets of Scissor Sisters, Franz Ferdinand, The Rapture, Snow Patrol, Paddy Casey, PJ Harvey, Complete Stone Roses (more on them in a second) and Kings of Leon, who's set was one of the surprise highlights for me.

-Complete Stone Roses are a cover band, but they are one of the most popular acts of the weekend. You could barely get into where they were playing...and everyone sings along to every song. It’s a sign of how unimaginably popular the Stone Roses are there...I can't even think of another band in the world who could have that kind of following...weird.

-The night continued with a riveting set by The Strokes, who blew through their setlist with about 20 minutes to spare, and then winged it the rest of the way absolutely hammered. The Irish crowd hung on every word Julian slurred out, and danced and sung along to every song. One of my favorite things European crowds do is sing along to the music...pretty crazy to hear 50,000 heads "do do do"ing along to these songs...glad they don't do it here too much tho...you'd get sick of it. I think New York is the only place in the world where The Strokes overkill as kicked in...Cause they are still giants everywhere else. They were followed by another energetic set from The Killers, who looked pretty wasted themselves. Finally I went over to catch the end of The Cure's set, which was solid. Overall an amazing day of music.

-The next day was much more wide open...fewer bands I needed to see, but more I was curious about. Started off with the New Jersey/Dublin Chick duo Saucy Monky, who are hot as hell. They sounded pretty good too. I leaned over to this pimply teenage kid next to me and told him I've never been so happy to see a jersey girl before...I don't think he got it.

-After them, I caught bits of pieces of Future Kings of Spain (about to blow up), Black Eyed Peas (UGH), The Zutons (eh), Pink (huh?), Michael Franti (hard to hate...I tried but he was really good), Keane (better at smaller megastore set),Faithless (Wow!), Ash (eh), Wilco (wish I saw more), and Wu-Tang(um...yeah...more in a second).

-Wu Tang has a pretty solid following in Ireland. It was a b-team Wu...with Ghostface and Raekwon being the only real names...but absolutely stunning to see and hear 10,000 pasty Irish boys shouting along that cash rules everything around them. I left in the middle of their set to go get a good spot for...

-MUSE!!!! MUSE MUSE MUSE!!!! Never has an act been hyped up more...Everyone I talked to told me I had to see them...they were great, amazing, geniuses, etc. I was excited...love the new album, but didn't expect them to live up to the hype...few rarely do...

-to say they lived up to the hype would be the understatement of the year...nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to get. Literally had grown men in tears at times. Mat Bellamy is a true genius...goes from the most complicated guitar riff to the most amazing piano solo in perfect accord. There's nothing else I can say...words can't describe it. It was the best set I've ever seen in person...and I've seen a lot...What more can I say?

-After catching my breath, I couldn't handle The Darkness...I honestly don’t like them enough to stand and watch their set...and it wasn't gonna top Muse, so I had to go in the different direction...

-Ocean Colour Scene was packed, and I stuck around for a few songs, but couldn't see very well, so I left and conceded it was gonna have to be The Darkness...

-As I was walking past the "new band tent" (where the Killers headlined a night earlier), I heard a band come on and play a familiar song...Holy shit, The Shins! I had completely overlooked them. Went in and joined a quiet and interested crowd. Very few had ever heard them before, but they quietly listened on and with every new song, they grew to like them more and more...They were great...just perfect in every way. A perfect compliment to Muse...who were perfect in a completely different way...They had certainly made a handful of new fans that night.

-After them I caught the end of The Darkness...Heard a Thing called love, then an encore that included a number of fun covers. Not bad, but not upset about missing most of them either.

-And that’s about it...I met some amazing people over the course of the week. The Irish really grow on you...At a glance you see all the drinking and the craziness and you think they're Europe’s New Jersey...but they're not at all...everyone gets fucked up, and still can all get along without fighting or being annoying...how perfect is that?

-After packing up my shit, I was walking to catch the bus to Dublin to begin my long trek back to New York...I walked passed these two guys around 9AM...prolly about 25 years old, arms around each other stumbling down the road back to the campsite. As they pass by, I see one of them hand the can of beer to his friend and say, in the most brilliant Irish accent, "Alright...you drink....and I'll walk."

I don't know this makes any sense to anyone reading...I don’t know if this trip makes sense to anyone reading...I don't even think there actually IS anyone reading...but it was such an amazing sight I almost cried. No idea what they had been doing all night, where they were going, where the rest of the beer was...but they had one solitary can between the two of them...and they made it work...Brilliant.

*I met a ton of great people, heard a ton of great music, and had the time of my life. Nothing else to say really...but life goes on...tomorrow I'm back to work...and I have a whole summer in New York City to look forward to...It's hard to complain...

I'm out...

In about 2 hours i'm gonna take off for JFK...and go to London...Don't really have much else to say...I'll be gone for a week...on my first real vacation by myself...get away for a week...its well overdue. I'm planing on seeing Feist and Q-tip in London, then going to the Oxegen Festival next weekend. A couple parting notes:

*Been listening to Frou Frou...She/they rock. Know nothing about them, but Steve and Asa both reccomended them...just burned their CD off Real Rhapsody to throw on my Ipod for the trip.

*On the Female Tip...Rachael Yamagata and Leslie Feist are must buys. Feist may not be out in the US yet, but when she is, pick up a copy.

*Also starting to listen to Elkland...opening for Elefant in a few weeks...They are really good as well...playing a Sunday Matinee show at Rothko next weekend...with none other than The Bravery...check it out if you got the free afternoon and are looking for something to do...

*Something else this week I was sorry I was missing...can't think of it now...but I'm sure you'll hear about is somewhere else if it was that important.

*Thats it...I'll be checking my e-mail whenever I get a chance...and maybe throw up a quick post if I have a minute...I'll be back in New York in one week.

RE-AFFIRMING MY FAITH IN MANKIND

I saw a footlocker employee offer a homeless man a chance to get a job at his store...get cleaned up and come to an employment openhouse. It was a rare act of kindness...something that you'd never hear about...sorta made my day...Mr. Footlocker is a better man than most.

I will prolly post something tomorrow before I take off for London. Going to go watch the fireworks now on a friend's roof. till later...

OFFICIALLY THE WEEKEND

*The new Interpol rocks...plain and simple. Don't know what else to say...it perfectly complements their first album. Good songs front to back. Let the buzz begin.

*The Bravery played a great set last night at Bar 13...Sounded much better than they did at Mercury Lounge...No open bar tho...kinda wack...looks like a miscommunication between the band and the bar...no biggie I guess...Wasn't drinking much anyway...but its principle. I urge anyone to check them out next time they are around.

*I'm leaving for Europe Monday evening. Gonna rock a few days in London before hitting up the Oxegen festival in Ireland. I've said it before and I'll say it again...the Best Lineup Ever. Too bad Bowie had to cancel...but even still...so many bands...can't wait.

*While In London I'm planning to check out Leslie Fiest, whose CD is incredible. Coolfer Glenn had mentioned it, and I got a copy and gave it a listen. Some great chill songs on there. Strongly recommend checking it out

*Also gonna see Q-Tip perform in London...Really excited for that as well...I love seeing hip hop in foreign lands...since its really a true American genre.

*Thats it for now...

Hilarious

This stuff cracks me up...



Slow day...I'll post something about The Bravery show in a minute...just getting some work stuff out of the way first.

Via LowCulture

ANTICS

Got it...but havn't gotten to listen because AOL Queda is terrorizing my computer and it crashed this morning. Will give my impressions when I get home today. By the way...for being ALL OVER THE INTERNET!!! it was pretty hard to find. The only server I ever saw hosting it took it down sometime yesterday afternoon. I know my way around the internet pretty well...and it took me a full 24 hours before I was able to get my hands on it...So I would't worry too much if you are scared the band is getting screwed over. Its not as big a leak as initially reported...and it's already being quashed.

By the way...The Morning Theft is a really good band from NY that everyone should definitely check out if you haven't already. Below are the songs off their EP they have available on their website:

On End
Horseshoes & Hand Grenades
Made to Hurt
Living With Your Ghost
Plus One

And so the buzz begins...

Interpol's new album Antics is out. Its not in stores yet, but its out and about and everyone will be talking about it for the next three months leading up to the official release at the end of September. I'm interested to hear it, so please send it my way if you've got a copy. Thanks

Another Slow Day at Work...

Kinda bored...looking forward to tonight...The Bravery is playing a coverless show at Bar 13 tonight...represent CentralVillage to the fullest...with an open bar from 11-12. There is no excuse you shouldn't be there to hear them out. They are a lot of fun to watch, play great music...and it's all very very free. Freeer than free, as a matter of fact. Just make sure to mention the name "Michael T", or "Jess" if you want the open bar...That's how it works. Never seen a band play at 13 before to be honest...kinda curious how they set it up...no doubt they'll do it right...usually a fun spot to hang out...extra bonus cause it's in my jurisdiction.

Here are a couple MP3s off their site again...and below that is another craptastic cameraphone shot from last night. Eat it up.

The Bravery:
Honest Mistake
No Breaks
Fearless



Via Cameraphone... 

Come for the Rascal...stay for The Streets


via cameraphone... 

The Streets put on a hell of a show...no doubt. I went out to see Dizzee Rascal...Incredible rapper...lost in translation by most...Lyrics are great but totally incomprehensible . He's got great beats tho, and that keeps the attention of anyone who is willing to give him a chance. Played a solid set...

But The Streets are brilliant live. They connect with the crowd like nobody I've ever seen. Their music is totally unconventional, and once you get used to it, it really flows well. I've never given them a chance before, but after tonight...as I listen to them right now...they sound like a different band. Whereas Dizzee Rascal is a brilliant derivative of American rap, The Streets completely make their music their own...A unique mix of early British punk and post-modern hip-hop. I can finally understand what all the hype is about.

Met some random chick smoking a cigarette before the show who was hell bent on meeting Mike Skinner one way or another...We hung around the post show jawn for a minute before taking off and popping into The Belmont, where, chillin with some chick, was the man himself. She got to say hi and whatever...totally made her night. Ciaran also made sure to introduce himself...pouring some bullshit about LL Cool J or something...I couldn't stick around to listen. All in all, a great show, and a great night. Good times had by all...