THE HUSKY GENTLEMAN

MOVED

2004-06-05T22:30:00.000-04:00

Hey y'all. We're permanently relocated to www.huskygentleman.com.

See you over there! No more updates on this site. Thanks :)

the warm road

2004-06-04T12:32:00.000-04:00

A cool, spring breeze flutters through palm leaves and the horizon seeps heavily with an amber glow. Over your shoulder, water gurgles gently in a pond, and sotto voce is the m.o. for all ongoing conversations. Could be SoCal, could be SoBe, but would you guess it could be at the base of the Williamsburg Bridge?

The Delancey, a new LES spot at Delancey and Clinton, combines elements of DC's Eighteenth Street Lounge (the aforementioned roof deck), W'burg's Galapagos (spacious, airy bar area), and Lit in the East Village (basement performance space, minus Lit's urine-soaked waftings). Last night, +1 showed off its latest batch of talent with sets by the Twenty Twos, the Hong Kong, Benzos, and the Harlem Shakes.

We'd heard some girl-group oldies being spun upstairs, and were pretty happy about it; quite conveniently, the Shakes were drawing inspiration from those songs of yore, adding a gritty surge atop tried and true doo-wop harmonies. Definitely wanted to hear more, but I wasn't at all disappointed that Benzos were up next.

[Sidebar: My buddy Jed (pictured here with the Husky Gentleman and by his lonesome) often comes to shows with me and has a tendency to be mentioned on these pages. However, we've decided Jed needs a cool nickname. Not that "Jed" isn't a lovely name, but it doesn't represent him well enough. E-mail me with your Jed nickname suggestions and win...something. The nickname "King Garf" is not eligible.]

So Benzos...I had told [insert Jed nickname here] that they reminded me a lot of Radiohead's more melodic side, a statement he interpreted as, "Benzos are the next Radiohead." That's going way too far, but it's not a total stretch. Mike Benzos (vox/keys) even has the Jonny Greenwood haircut. Coiffure aside, Benzos sounded simply superb -- even on a stage that appeared stuffed into a suburban rec room -- by embellishing tracks from their debut EP like "Warm Road" and "You're Forever An Hour Glass" with sublime atmospherics that soared above their supremely able rhythm section.

I missed most of the Hong Kong while babbling with the smokers outside, but I did manage to catch "Galaxies," a giddy romp that's gotten many spins on my iTunes.

Then ladies night kicked into full effect with another set from the Twenty Twos, a band whose ascent seems more imminent with each power chord that Jenny Christmas pounds out of her sparkly Danelectro. Their attitude is, of course, still bitchin'. When a sweaty male admirer thanked the band for getting his nipples hard, Terrah Twenty Twos -- always on the prowl for free bevvies -- asked for a Jack and coke in return. This band has always been cranking out the 3-minute rawk bangers with the greatest of ease, but they're beginning to show a staggering poise while delving into more mid-tempo jams like "Radio." Their debut EP should be out sometime, hopefully...ask Nick Marc next time you see him.

Tonight, it's another set from Ambulance. Very excited. For now, I'm savoring a little Midnite Vultures on this stunning springlike afternoon. "Lady, step inside my Hyundai!" Yeah.

every day it's a gettin' closer...

2004-06-01T18:36:00.000-04:00

...rollin' faster than a roller coaster.

Don't think it gets much faster than Six Flags' Nitro, and I rode that baby three times on Thursday during a lovely day off from the grind. Nitro is so bad-ass that I called up my coaster-loving stepfather just minutes after finishing the ride to boast of its grandeur.

A day out in the park was pretty fabulous, and the crowds were thin, especially after five. We rode Rolling Thunder three times in a row since no one was waiting. Pictures coming soon...yes, I loved Nitro so much that I broke down and bought the stupid, overpriced color photo at the end.

back to reality

2004-06-01T13:55:00.000-04:00

Memorial Day weekend has come and gone, and once again it was chock full of smiles for me as I attended CISV's National Youth Meeting, hosted this year by the Philly chapter at gorgeous Camp Canadensis in the Poconos. This was the first year since 2000 that I'd not been heavily involved in the NYM program, and it was really superb to chill out, kick back, and simply be a participant for a change. Nattie and the NYMC did an amazing job as usual, especially with a record-shattering turnout of 150 people! Wow. Makes me proud to have been a part of this program's growth.

Check out my NYM 2004 photo gallery here.

In other news, I took a wee break from CISV land this weekend to attend a benefit for my wonderful friend Gehrett and his family. Both G and his mom have been very ill of late and without adequate health insurance, and my Philly crew responded by putting on an amazing event at the Khyber in Philly on Saturday night. Thanks especially to Jen Oliver for leading the charge. It wasn't the ideal setting to reconnect with so many lovely Philly faces, but I'm glad I could take part. If you want to find out how to make a donation, visit this site.

i need to write more

2004-05-24T11:47:00.000-04:00

...because weekly recaps are friggin impossible. Not that my life is so darned exciting, but I end up going into every little detail and it nixes an entire work morning. That being said, I'll be brief.

Let's skip into the week a little bit. Wednesday night brought another set from the Upwelling, this time filling the spacious walls of Northsix in Brooklyn. They tore through their songs with their usual vigor and looked quite at home up on the big stage. Josh Upwelling is a funny drunk. The band's next show is Wednesday, June 2 at Mercury Lounge, a venue that suits their sound tremendously. The Upwelling's on at 10:30, but come early for the so-baroque-you-don't-need-to-fix-it sounds of Devotchka at 9:30.

Thursday night provided another opportunity to savor the Magnetic Fields, and it was truly splendid. While Stephin and co. leaned on material from their latest, i, old faves like "Reno, Dakota," "Papa Was A Rodeo," "Yeah! Oh Yeah," and "The Book of Love" brought the crowd ample smiles. That's not to say the new stuff was slouchy at all; I'm really falling in love with "I Don't Believe You," "I Thought You Were My Boyfriend," and "I Wish I Had An Evil Twin" from the new record. More on this show later.

Friday was balls out. Well, any night the Fever take a New York stage, is bound to be balls out. Celebrating the release of the debut full-length, Red Bedroom, the bratty five-piece slapped us around for an hour with particular vigor on "Labor of Love" and the anthemic set-closer "Bridge & Tunnel," but they also rocked us gently with "Put It On You." It was frantic and devastatingly good, and some fans had quite bizarre ways of getting into the Fever's groove. The afterparty at Rothko was a sweatbox (although I loved that they had a bar right by the humongous bathroom line), so we ended the night at Motor City.

After a lovelier-than-lovely afternoon spent sunning in the park under the Brooklyn Bridge among the most delightful company (and a few feet away from a man doing yoga while wearing only a bright yellow jock strap to conceal his AMPLE package), we regrouped at CB's Lounge for a set from Pittsburgh faves Camera, and in mere seconds I was jiggling my mop top along to this band's giddy, modern pop. Afterwards, we headed over to 6's & 8's, my absolute new favorite bar in my neighborhood. On weekends they're perpetually rocking quality tunes ranging from present tense (Franz Ferdinand) to ironic past tense (Van Halen), plus they have the most excellent waitresses in the city, ladies that are sweet, sour, and everything in between.

Argh...must be productive now. Enjoy photos from the Fever and Camera, and thanks to Alexis for getting some extra Fever shots and all of the Camera shots for me :)

weekends are for suckers!

2004-05-18T17:38:00.000-04:00

With my weeks seeming much more like weekends these days, I decided to chill out a bit. Well, sorta.

Friday night, Natalie and friends were still about, and after a long day at the office I met up with them to see the Bamboo Kids and the Twenty Twos at CBGB. Sadly, we missed pretty much all of the Kids set, but the Twenty Twos were superb, as usual. You know how girls get turned on at rock shows and take their tops off? The Twenty Twos make me want to tear my shirt off too, and my pants, not that anyone would be too pleased. I'm usually nonplussed around musicians, but they make me nervous. Too hot!

Went dancing afterwards at Rififi, a place I truly loathed the last time I went there, but we had a good time grooving to New Order, the Rapture, and Pulp. Nattie and Kelley got the crowd doing the "Common People" clap while pounding the boards all hot and shit on stage. We finished up at Beauty Bar, singing along to classics like "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and "Maneater." I love Hall & Oates. Yay blue-eyed soul.

Saturday I slept. A lot. Then went to Parisi for a last fatty boombalatty meal before going back on the healthy eating plan. If you haven't been, Parisi Bakery (Mott bet. Spring and Broome) serves to-die-for Italian meats and cheese on their own fresh-baked sesame-semolina rolls. Order my special: hot cappicola, fresh mozzarella, and in-store roasted red peppers with a touch of balsamic. You will be one happy camper.

I tried to do some shopping for my husky self on Sunday, hitting the new SoHo Bloomingdales desperately seeking jeans, but sadly I wasn't so desperate as to spend $150 per pair. The whole store, as Jed so astutely pointed out, seemed like Canal Jeans (which used to inhabit the space) on an Apu-like price gouging spree. We left, but not before being cajoled into trying a cologne called "Sexual" (with an accent over the 'u'"). It was misnamed, I think...missing the "metro."

We then jetted uptown to see Kill Bill, and it rocked. I am in awe of Pai Mei's five point palm exploding heart technique and will not rest until I have learned it. Beware, y'all. Watch those steps after crossing my path!

And what the fuck was up with Tony Soprano's dream sequence? Did they hire the creative team from Twin Peaks for one episode? My roommate stormed out of the living room after the episode, disgusted that he'd wasted an hour on such drivel. I wasn't as bummed, having enjoyed the Annette Bening cameo quite a lot.

On tap this week:

Vicious @ Sin-e, tonight

The Upwelling w/Army of Me @ North Six, Wednesday

Magentic Fields (YAY!) @ Town Hall, Thursday

The Fever record release show @ Bowery, Friday

More soon, lovelies. Until then...stay husky!

yay technology!

2004-05-14T16:37:00.000-04:00

Lunch was phenomenal...best BLT in town, and lovely company from Natalie and her Pittsburgh lovelies.

Anyway, just wanted to welcome you all (finally!!!) to my new home at HUSKYGENTLEMAN.COM! Please visit often!

my co-co-coachella

2004-05-14T12:14:00.000-04:00

Many moons since last post. Read all about my California adventures at spin.com, and see my photos of...

Coachella bands

Coachella buddies

stellastarr* @ Coachella

Some news from the music front since California. It's been a busy week out and about for me, beginning with Monday's delightful performance by Norwegian charmer Sondre Lerche at Irving Plaza. For the first time, Sondre brought his backing band -- aptly named the Faces Down -- over from Norway, and it was fabulous to finally hear songs like "Sleep On Needles" and "No One's Gonna Come" with a rhythm section. He also did a fantastic rendition of "Two Way Monologue" on Conan the next night.

Tuesday featured Metric and the Stills, also at Irving. Can't believe I did two Irving nights in a row! Metric was simply jaw-dropping. Each time I've seen them, they get even better and Emily Haines gets even sexier. She's so demure and relaxed off stage, but on stage she's freaking out, crowd surfing (chest down!), and ripping her clothes off. "Calculation Theme" and "Hustle Rose" make my neck hairs stand up. I left about five songs into the Stills set. YAWN!

On Wednesday, I caught a bit of Unison, sort of a launch party for Rothko, a gorgeous new venue on Suffolk Street just south of Rivington. Really excited to see some bands there sometime, but for now I settled for Audrey and Dennis spinning the hitz on the wheels of steel. Also met up with the dudes from Shade who were in town for two gigs, one of which I caught last night. I was really impressed. They rocked my face off, even at a shithole like Siberia near the Port Authority.

Now I'm pooped, but I think a long, tasty lunch at my new favorite restaurant will do the trick.

the sound of settling

2004-04-26T15:59:00.000-04:00

Sometimes, even the most dedicated of revelers needs a break. So I took one, all weekend long. I watched inordinate amounts of the NFL Draft, avoided shaving, watched several movies (Habla Con Ella, One Hour Photo, Buffalo 66, the new Chris Rock special on HBO), chilled for Sopranos, and basically acted like a sofa tuber for 60 hours or so. Been awhile since that happened.

Thursday capped a week of long nights out. After Devendra Banheart's whimsical set here in the Spin offices, I caught the F train and shuffled on over to Northsix for French Kicks/Ambulance/Inouk. Always good to see +1 bands and that company's usual suspects: Kaps, Nat, and Gina. Inouk weren't spectacular (and the sound guy ruined the "shoop shoop" background vocals from the On!Air!Library! girl on "No Danger"), but I'm really falling in love with their songs. They have this Led Zeppelin/Mother Love Bone mysticism wrapped around a very rhythmic sound that ranged from bluesy to jazzy to Middle Eastern.

Ambulance had one of their best-ever sets. They played with a loose, jovial swagger that seems to have evaded them thus far. Bassist Matt cracked jokes throughout the set and guitarist Benji hammered out riffs with a confident smirk, all indications about how this band is finding its niche.

That being said, I have a feeling that they'll blow the French Kicks off the stage most nights on this tour; while I do adore the Kicks' new album, it's a toughie to translate onstage, especially in clubs with mediocre systems like Northsix. The songs are deeply layered with loads of little keyboard nuances, but after a few songs, I found myself wandering off into the Billyburg night and chasing a familiar cloud one block south on Kent Street...

Counting the days until California sunshine (two, to be exact). Coachella's bound to be spectacular. Can't wait.

Alas, much to do before then, so back to the grind. Au revoir.

yo spike i got the moz!

2004-04-22T16:35:00.000-04:00

Last night SPIN hosted a listening party at Pianos for the new Morrissey record. First of all, if you're a Smiths/Moz fan, you have to read the cover story in the new SPIN by Mark Spitz. Not sure if there's another writer who could put together such an endearing and educated portrait of a rock icon. Really splendid stuff.

Can't quite tell what I think of the album, but what I can surely tell you is that it sounded amazing while played inside a crowded bar full of people talking. Wasn't feeling up for drinking, and even shunned the party briefly before running into friends outside who thankfully dragged me back in. After a few free Stoli cocktails, I was feeling much, much better.

Also ran into two of my fellow Rolling Stone interns, class of 1997, which was really cool. Shhhh!!!! Yes, I worked at RS. For no money, though, so maybe it doesn't count.

Off to see French Kicks/Ambulance/Inouk tonight. Oh, the drama! More on that tomorrow.

four twenty

2004-04-22T16:18:00.000-04:00

Remember when 4/20 was a big deal? No? Me neither. Ha. No, really, I do. In college, the crunchies would throw huge parties out in the woods with big jugs of wine, drum circles, etc. I could never get used to the patchouli, though. It's funny how a fragrance that people wear to smell nice actually puts me on bad hygiene alert.

Anyhow, 4/20/04 featured some decidedly non-stoner music at Sin-e in the Lower East Side. I got nearly simultaneous suggestions to head over there after work, with one lass suggesting I check out the Blondes Inc. and another recommending Prosaics; I'd been wanting to see the latter for a long time.

Prosaics: Shoegazers on speed, Catherine Wheel playing vintage R.E.M. rhythms. They had some technical difficulties and seemed disappointed with their set, but I liked them enough to see them again soon (and they conveniently happen to be playing Sin-e again next Tuesday, 4/27).

Blondes, Inc.: Also having some issues, but only due to illness; the primary vocalist was flu-stricken. They coulda played instrumental for all I care. The sound was staggering at times, ranging from haphazard D.C. core riffs (which guitarist Baxter jerks out of his guitar with mesmerizing edginess) to delicate slow-builds. Definitely on my radar now.

Instead of going home, we piled into Nina's VW bus, freshly swiped from her parents' house, and tooled around the East Village, nearly running over Ultragrrrl's unsuspecting brother in our travels. Once we realized he hadn't been flattened, we shouted expletives at him, causing a companion of his to wonder, "What the hell? Random people on the street call you 'muthahf&%$#'?" He sighed and responded, "No, I really know them."

Also worth a mention: Checked out the Upwelling on Monday night and my boys are just surging on the verge right now. The crowd was fabulous, cheering over the first notes of each song and even filling in on vocals when Ari's guitar misbehaved during their set closer, "American Night." You will hear this band soon, wherever you are. They touch on elements of the Police, Pink Floyd, Coldplay, and other brooding Brit outfits but inject enough bratty irreverence to keep things from going sour.

Then I talked to Alex from the Forms for an hour about Shudder to Think. Note to all y'all: DO NOT get me started about Shudder to Think unless you have LOTS of time to spare.

days go by

2004-02-19T12:49:00.000-05:00

...and no words from me. I tried to write, and life just said "no fucking way," so alas it's been forevah evah since my last post, but that also means it's been an eventful run of boozy nights, stage lights, etc.

Let's review briefly...

Last week I went out every freakin night. Among the highlights: The Twenty Twos looking hot and playing hotter at Plaid, despite the obscene price-gouging bartenders and the awful sound system; Eyedea & Abilities rocking the mic at Irving Plaza along with Atmosphere; Metric and sexy Emily Maines getting my blood flowing while opening for South at Bowery.

I've been digging the new Streets record (!!!) and the new French Kicks, both out in May. The Kicks are playing the last night of their month-long Mercury Lounge residency on the 25th and it's worth checking out. Last night they covered Tears for Fears' "Mad World" and it rocked my socks off, at least until a jet engine fell through the roof, wiping out a large number of NYC hipsters.

My culinary skills continue to blossom. I made some absolutely divine fajitas on Monday night for a little crew, but I pissed everyone off by pronouncing them to rhyme with "angina."

Sunday's Day After party sponsored by the Vicious crew was so much fun, such a fabulous idea. Michael and Arthur from ss* were on the decks, and I emptied many ounces of Jameson from my glass.

Speaking of stellastarr*, they launched a message board recently and they asked me to be one of the moderators...it's really a lot of fun to babble with British teens about my friends. You should too.

I saved New York Doll's website.

My CISV crew was in town all weekend, and five lovelies stayed in my crib. They crack me up. Also, Nattie drew Hitler-esque moustaches on a Bamboo Kids poster in the LES.

I will surely remember other things. For now, that's all my brain can concoct. See you at Franz Ferdinand tonight...come early for Ambulance.

the pepsi/itunes conspiracy

2004-02-11T20:20:00.000-05:00

The Pepsi/iTunes promotion is genius, and my devotion to iTunes and my iPod has made me make the switch from my usual Diet Sprite or Poland Spring lunch accompaniment to Diet Pepsi and the one-in-three chance to win a free iTunes download.

However, on two consecutive occasions, I've spotted an alarming trend here in NYC...many delis seem to have opted not to participate in this promotion. Of course, this is the city where it seems every fifth set of ears is plugged up with those trademark white headphones, and such a promotion stands to be widely used by the brains in between those white headphones. Pepsi seems to have countered by not allowing the yellow-capped iTunes Pepsi bottles into the city for fear that NYC hipsters will drain the entire promotion in mere days.

Hey, if I have to drain Pepsis all freakin day, I want my one-in-three chance, goddamnit. So if you see delis not stocking the iTunes Pepsis, let me know! Fight for your free music!!

it's not gonna be me

2004-02-06T16:39:00.000-05:00

Check out JC from NSYNC making a pretty intelligent statement. Wow...there are brains under the hairdos. From Billboard.

tone deaf

2004-02-06T15:32:00.000-05:00

I've been a bad blogger lately. Sorry. More on that later.

First off, check this shit out...my boy Jesse from back in MD who, of course, now lives in the five boroughs, has been doing this utterly cheesy and utterly brilliant mixtape project where he and his partner lay down real a capella versions of hit hip-hop and R&B songs over their respective cellphone ringtones. This will be playing for sure at my next partay.

Visit www.burncopy.com and click on the link for "Blazin' Blip Blop and Blar & Blee". You will move your booty.

karaoke supernova, part two

2004-02-04T11:28:00.000-05:00

Rock Rule #283: When you film a video in a karaoke bar, be prepared for an onslaught of karaoke comments.

Enter stellastarr* and their video for "My Coco." The NME, creative folks that they are, decided that a band with a karaoke-inspired video deserves a karaoke-inspired interview. So the band gathered some friends at Village Karaoke, the location of the "Coco" video shoot, to have a BYO night of new wave hits, cheesy '80s pop, and a rousing group rendition of "Hey Ya!"

Among the highlights:

- Two rousing renditions of Zep classics by Jonny Kaps' girlfriend
- A night-closing group effort on Madonna's "Like A Prayer"
- Shawn singing the Boss
- Me singing Lionel Ritchie's "Hello"
- Me dueting on "Like A Virgin" with Mike from Hall Or Nothing
- Mandy and Lawrence on "Islands In The Stream"
- Michael singing New Order
- Arthur singing anything, particularly "The Bad Touch" by the Bloodhound Gang

And apologies for not writing for days...had a flu-ish battle over the weekend. But, I did manage to pull off a kickass Shabbat dinner with the JDS crew where I cooked an absolutely mouth-watering 7 lb. brisket to perfection.

radio lives!

2004-01-28T12:23:00.000-05:00

In search of daytime musical programming that doesn't require me to manipulate iTunes all day long, I stumbled across WOXY, a Cincinnati-based station that's totally indie and plays kickass tunes all day long. You can even request songs via email, and they play them and say "That was 'Primitive' by Ambulance Ltd. for Peter in NYC." So damn cool. Visit their site to listen, or if you have iTunes you can find it by clicking on the "Radio" listing, then looking under Alternative. Yay! Good radio! I haven't made a request on the radio since I was 13 and WHFS in DC was still good.

frustrated incorporated

2004-01-28T11:59:00.000-05:00

Sleep trouble leads to television discoveries. Last night I learned that Good Eats is on at 3 a.m., and I learned that I could make homemade English muffins on a stovetop. Alton Brown is the shit. If only NYC kitchens were more roomy and wonderful. Actually, I'm sure there are some fabulous kitchens in this town, just not in my price range.

I channel surfed through all the movie channels and had slim pickings, mainly between softcore porn and wretched B-movies, and I didn't want to start an in-demand movie because I wanted to sleep. I continued to find shows I wish were on at normal hours, like back to back episodes of old Super Bowl highlights, then I ended up watching the last hour of The Two Towers.

What was shocking was a bit of MTV2 I caught around 6:30 or so. In the span of a few minutes, they played YYY's "Maps," Ryan Adams' "So Alive," that new Incubus single (which is actually pretty solid), and Kanye West. Where the hell is this type of programming the rest of the day??? One of the reasons I upgraded to digital cable was for MTV2 and it's been such a let down. Why don't they play blocks like that when people are actually awake? Frustrating...

tiswas wuz here

2004-01-27T13:20:00.000-05:00

New York Doll has posted some lovely photos of the secret stellastarr* show from Saturday night. Click here for all the goodness.

don't you dare be my girl

2004-01-27T13:07:00.000-05:00

The NME Awards nominees were announced, a far more important event than the silly Oscar noms. I prefer the People's Choice Awards when it comes to deciding on the best films of the year, with the Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards a close second.

Anyhow, here are the NME nominees. Please help all of humanity by absolutely positively NOT voting for Jet as Best New Band.

keep it like a secret, part two

2004-01-26T00:01:00.000-05:00

I went down to my corner bodega for some treats and there's this yuppie looking dude blabbing on his cellphone and purchasing a tin of dip. Then he ends one call and picks up a conversation with the cashier. I didn't notice at first because I was digging through the freezer for some Chubby Hubby, but then my ears picked up the phrase "Victoria's Secret."

Apparently, this guy had been in a bar (probably Puck Fair, knowing my neighborhood) and met a Victoria's Secret model who he'd ended up smooching. While (inexplicably) purchasing a tin of CHEWING TOBACCO and then asking for a paper cup TO SPIT INTO -- requests that could not possibly help this lad get any further with the lingerie lass -- he took advantage of his captive audience, i.e. the cashier and I, because he absolutely HAD TO TELL PEOPLE that he'd locked lips with a push-up princess. Pathetically, he couldn't reach any of his "friends" so he had to brag to the cashier and myself in between voicemails.

While novel for a moment, my ice cream and I were late for a date with Larry David, so I pushed through, past the Skoal, and left the loogey launching romeo to his own devices.

keep it like a secret

2004-01-25T17:00:00.000-05:00

The endorphin flow has been ceaseless, almost to the point where it's hard to imagine doing anything else because it would cheapen the experiences that came before.

Last night pretty much encapsulated my life in music over the past year. It was like central casting just rang up all of the important players, squished us all into Don Hill's, and lit the fuse. Celebrating the launch of Jonny Kaps' +1 turned into a sweat-drenched and nostalgia-laden evening full of euphoric fist-pumping, full frontal moshing, throat-damaging shouts, and as much fucking Boru vodka as could possibly be consumed.

The secret surprise was an absolutely spastic and brilliant unannounced set by stellastarr*, a band Kaps was dragging people out to see little more than 18 months ago. I've seen Shawn, Michael, Mandy, and Arthur perform at least 16 times in the past year, probably more, but last night was perhaps the first time I'd seen them play for an audience they'd won over before Michael even kicked the opening licks of "In The Walls." I mean, last night, kids in line were asking me if they were really playing, like the whole world depended on it. When openers Inouk made it official by spilling the beans after their own set, people howled in anticipation, exchanged glances with their buddies, sent frantic text messages. Playing Don Hill's shitty ass stage was a gift back to all of us who gave so much back to the stellas every time they took a stage.

However, what really sent the buzz through my system last night was another gift, the gift of friendship. Over time, the faces in those first few rows at Mercury and Luna turned into familiar ones and ultimately cherished ones. Kaps, Nina & Gina (together they are DANGER with a capital -INA), Kip, Audrey, Giulia, Jasper, Sarah, Lawrence, Mel, Nat, Jessica, Paige...others I'm sure I'm aimlessly forgetting right now. Not to mention those three guys and a girl who took me on tour in England, hung out at shows, had me over in the studio, tweaked my nipples (well one of them likes to), asked me to write their official bio, etc.

Part of me feels like last night closed one chapter. As we sat at the bar, the new video for "My Coco" was running on a loop, a constant reminder that we might never see these kids rock the stage at Don Hill's ever again. On stage, it's so apparent that this band is absolutely worthy of the next level, a notion supported by the fact that their next scheduled NYC show has them headlining freakin' Irving Plaza (1,000 capacity!).

For those of us who have been along for the ride so far (and who show no signs of fading away), we'll have moments like last night to savor forever.

british dudes

2004-01-23T12:14:00.000-05:00

Why do British dudes seem to be dominating the infomercial circuit these days? I awoke to one hawking some snazzy variety of broom this morning, plus there's that guy who sells that wok set as well, the one who annunciates all of the syllables in "vegetables" and makes "aluminum" rhyme with "condominium." I wonder if Americans with Midwest twangs sell, I don't know, Texas BBQ sets or leaf blowers in the UK.

'oy' is 'yo' spelled backwards

2004-01-22T13:07:00.000-05:00

My Jewish people have often been outcasts, but never before have they been OutKast! Check out the heeb version of "Hey Ya" at suburbanhomeboy.com. Thanks to Ultragrrrl for the link.

new york, i've been living here without you

2004-01-22T11:56:00.000-05:00

Two of the bands that marked 2003 for me are being joined by one that's quickening my pulse in '04 for a kickass triple-bill at Irving Plaza on March 31. Here it is:

stellastarr* with special guests Ambulance Ltd. and the Killers.

Get your tickets now!

trust, trust, baby

2004-01-22T11:48:00.000-05:00

The perpetually fabulous Ambulance LTD will be playing Tiswas @ Don Hill's this Saturday night along with Inouk to help my old buddy Jonny Kaps celebrate the launch of his new company, +1 Management & Public Relations. You can get in for reduced admission with this ad.

Could I get any more links into one tiny post?

cake or death?

2004-01-21T18:22:00.000-05:00

Or how about Husky G and Killer Dulce...so hot it be singeing my eyebrows and shit:

seen it in your eyes, needed what u needed when i was out

2004-01-21T13:13:00.000-05:00

While many of my fellow NYC pundits got cameos in stellastarr*'s "My Coco" video, I'm making a cameo on their website. Click on the "Gallery" link, then view the Michael's pics from Reading/Leeds. I'm the husky gent with the DeLorean hat. Or, simply view below:

in between days

2004-01-20T17:07:00.000-05:00

The Cure has been added to the lineup for Coachella. With this news, I make the following solemn promises:

1) I will buy a black suitcase for this trip and fill it solely with black clothing
2) I will not let my skin be exposed to sunlight starting today so I may maintain an appropriate pallor

Oh yeah, I'm going for sure. Pixies, Radiohead, Air, the Cure, Flaming Lips...pinch me.

one in a million girl

2004-01-20T13:31:00.000-05:00

As I reached a total of 79 Friendsters this weekend, I noticed that I am now connected to 852,134 people. I've decided that when I reach 1,000,000 that I will stop dating strangers and limit myself to the 1,000,000 people with whom I share a common friend, thereby meeting the standard requirements for finding that one in a million girl.

Now I'm going to go download that song by the Tubes...

fuck you eminem

2004-01-20T03:06:00.000-05:00

I posted last week about finally watching Eminem and 8 Mile and I said the following: "I'm still not quite sure I understand all of the acclaim that Em received for that role. I mean, he played himself with all the vigor of an afterschool special actor."

Tonight I realized that Eminem should be my fucking role model, an admission that was painful to make but euphoric to discover. James and I were embroiled in a 3+ hour chat on the phone (which only concluded moments ago) rambling quite eloquently through theories about the reasons why we can feel miserable and how we might rise above the eternal question: "Is there something wrong with me?" Many of us ask it, and I for one feel blessed to be one of those people. We ask it in response to evaluations of our lives and our shortcomings, times when we feel perpetually unsuccessful or misunderstood. We look for ways to blame ourselves, or we invent and/or amplify the things we think that people think about ourselves.

At the end of 8 Mile, Em faces Papa Doc, the reigning king of Detroit's freestyle battles, and throughout the film we see freestyle as a medium where an opponent's faults are employed as weapons to break their potential flow. Here's some choice bits from Em's final battle:

This guy aint no mother-fuckin MC,
I know everything he's got to say against me,
I am white, I am a fuckin bum, I do live in a trailer with my mom,
My boy future is an uncle tom.
I do got a dumb friend named Cheddar Bob who shoots
himself in the leg with his own gun,
I did get jumped by all 6 of you chumps
And Wink did fuck my girl,
I'm still standin here screamin "FUCK THE FREE WORLD!"
Don't ever try to judge me dude
You don't know what the fuck i've been through...

Fuck the beat, i go acapella
Fuck a Papa Doc, fuck a clock, fuck a trailer, fuck everybody
Fuck y'all if you doubt me
I'm a piece of fucking white trash, I say it proudly
And fuck this battle, I don't wanna win, I'm outty,
Here, tell these people something they dont know about me

At some point while tunneling through the human mind with James, I instantly zipped back into 8 Mile and realized Em's utterly obscene brilliance, particularly via his Rabbit character in the film. After leaving Papa Doc speechless, Rabbit trots off down an alley, seemingly back into the fucked up life he'd spent the entire film trying to escape, back to pressing bumpers and dealing with his drunk ho of a mother. He doesn't stamp off with perky Brittany Murphy riding his arm, but alone. No record company exec scoots from the crowd with a pen and a contract. The line that resonates: "I'm a piece of fucking white trash, I say it proudly. And fuck this battle, I don't wanna win, I'm outty." He does something that some aspire to achieve and fewer actually accomplish: he comes to terms with his ills and accepts them. The quest to achieve such a state puts millions of Jacksons into the pockets of therapists.

So the trick is to say it and believe it. I wish I could say (or rap) that yeah, I'm a husky, hairy fellow who sweats a lot, overeats, can't fit into vintage clothing, and who has not had a long-term relationship in his adult life, but I'm a fucking gentleman, I have a kind heart, I'm a good listener, generous with my time and my emotions, and if you can't see that then fuck this battle, I don't wanna win, I'm outty.

I'll be trying to keep saying those lines, and trying even harder to believe them when I say them.

i had seven faces...

2004-01-19T23:07:00.000-05:00

...when I looked in the mirror after this long, boozy weekend. Three-day weekends snicker at us from the calendar, threatening to throw our productive lifestyles into utter disarray as we damage ourselves in triple-time. And I didn't even go out Friday night!

Brief recap: Saturday marked the arrival of the one and only Killer Dulce from Pittsburgh (don't forget that 'H' at the end, goddamit). Dulce hopes to be taking over NYC this summer, and I believe that. A kickass blonde that looks like Sharin Foo and talks like a goddamn comedian and rocks like Johnny Thunders? Umm, yes, here are the keys to the fucking city.

Actually, a hefty portion of the Steel City was in town as two of their homegrown took NYC stages. I caught a few songs from Camera at the Baggot Inn (which serves PBR in bottles...delish!) and they put on a sleek and suave set designed for the boogie down, but unfortunately the Baggot's band observation area was filled with tables. And said tables could not be danced upon by anyone above hobbit size. I then jetted over to Luna with Jed to try and catch Shade, another PGH band, but I just missed their set closer while mired in E. Houston traffic.

After a beer or two at Luna, Jed and I left the Pittsburghers for a spell and met up with Audrey, Giulia, Laura, and other well-wishers to see Dennis Realistics' solo set at the Living Room which featured lovely material and sparse arrangements that lent prominence to Dennis' endearing vox. I wished the songs would have been a smidge longer at times, but haunting feelings still carried the set. Dennis also introduced a cover of an "old song" called "NYC" by Interpol which sounded simply divine in such a stripped down format.

The rest of the night included a stop at Rafifi where verge-of-middle-age mods danced like it was 1964. I hope in 15-20 years I look, act, and dance as hotly as those revelers. I could not look, act, and dance as hotly as them on that particular evening so I headed to Odessa for coffee and fries with two-thirds of the Bamboo Kids and one of the Pittsburghers. The BKs are the nicest people ever and we bullshitted for quite awhile about Judaism, politics, music, etc. They've got gigs upcoming on the 24th (Arlene's with the Blackouts) and the 30th (Maxwell's with the Everyothers)...check 'em out.

Sunday went real slow after a batch of buckwheat pancakes at Veselka knocked me out like a Jack White uppercut. Went home with the crew, watched the Eddie Izzard special again, then retooled for Modern Age/Rob Sheffield's DJ nite at Filter 14. Sadly, crap bands played most of the night and by the time Rob took to the decks (playing the Darkness super loud so Ultra could rock out), my gang's Chinese dinner had crept up on them so we all hightailed it home.

Now I've returned from drinking a bottle of wine and watching Curb Your Enthusiasm (since I forgot that yesterday was Sunday) and I would like to lay down. However, I've only been awake for 10 hours today so far and I will likely be up for awhile...maybe to return to the keyboard for your viewing pleasure.

positive bleeding

2004-01-16T15:38:00.000-05:00

I just bought a ticket to see Urge fucking Overkill at the Bowery on 2/6. Saturation remains one of my top 10 records of the '90s, a perennial classic and road trip grinder, and this was all before Uma Thurman's lip-syncing and air guitar made them VH1 staples. I plan to dance like a collegiate fool.

Also going to the Stills/Killers show on the 29th. Methinks New York Doll is booking for Bowery these days. That fine lass also has a ticket giveaway going on for that evening's festivities AND some free MP3s of the Killers on her site. Enjoy.

all hope is lost

2004-01-16T13:03:00.000-05:00

Poor guy. Hope of the States guitarist Jimmi Lawrence was found dead by apparent suicide in the band's UK studio where they were finishing their much-anticipated debut. They just got props in the new SPIN as a band to watch in '04. Here's hoping they manage to overcome. Click here for the NME story.

mom's spaghetti

2004-01-16T12:53:00.000-05:00

I finally succumbed and sat through 8 Mile last night. I'm still not quite sure I understand all of the acclaim that Em received for that role. I mean, he played himself with all the vigor of an afterschool special actor. His flow is still something special...the final battle rhyme where he tears himself to shreds was quite fabulous, although the setting just kept reminding me of The Karate Kid. Sweep the leg! Sweep the leg!

karaoke supernova

2004-01-15T18:09:00.000-05:00

Stimulate me, my co-co-co! Here it is, the video for stellastarr*'s meal ticket single, "My Coco." See how many NY scenesters and bloggerazzi you can ID in the clip!

Click here to watch. Count the seconds until you are humming along.

le musique du trois-rivieres

2004-01-15T17:33:00.000-05:00

Three rivers indicating Pittsburgh as the origin of these bands that are playing Saturday night in York Nouveau.

Catch the mod stylings of Camera at The Baggot Inn, 8:30 p.m.

Psychedelic wizards Shade play Luna Lounge at 9:00 p.m.

Crack open an Iron City and enjoy!

oooh baby do you know what that's worth?

2004-01-15T17:31:00.000-05:00

Oooh, Diego Garcia is a place on earth!

I'm not kidding...click here.

rock show symbiosis

2004-01-15T13:58:00.000-05:00

Sometimes rock and roll can surge into your circulatory system, infecting your blood with all sorts of unexpected goodness. Last night was one of those nights.

Even though they rock pretty damn hard, the Ingber brothers have always been about friends and family first and foremost. Josh and I have known each other since we were six. We rode the bus to school together, we had the same safety patrol post in the bus lane, we performed in the 6th grade talent show together...he even stuck with me after I peed my pants while waiting in line for a waterslide at Wild World when we were little kids (although when he retells the story, my age constantly increases...I think the last time he told it, I'm 28...even though I'm only 26 right now).

Anyhow, the Ingbers comprise 2/3 of The Upwelling, and last night they made their first ever trip to Philadelphia. I don't know where the idea originated, but soon emails were circulating about a booze bus carrying friends and well-wishers from both NYC and suburban DC (our hometown) to the show in Philly. What an idea.

How shocked was I when a classy, comfy, nicely-heated coach arrived to pick up our group of 25 or so in Union Square. With a nice posse of my homeboys and homegirls in tow plus a bunch of new friends and our tourguide Christine (aka Josh's leading lady), we set off into the snowy night, me with a leftover bottle of Veuve Clicquot from New Year's and a bag of Tings (my new favorite snackfood). About two and a half hours and one whole bottle of champagne in my belly later we arrived at the Grape Street Pub simultaneously to the DC bus. Lots of embraces, etc, ensued.

But then there was the rock and roll. I've mentioned this band before here, but shit...last night's show was simply superb. You can check out the sublime songcraft on the band's website, but last night was the first time I think all the pieces fell into place. Then that rock show symbiosis happened: the crowd's energy, the band's energy, melding into one, etc. Such a surge. Hard not to smile.

Then we piled back onto the bus and navigated through a disasterous, white-out turnpike to make it back to NYC by 3. Killer.

i lied...

2004-01-13T12:00:00.000-05:00

...when I said nothing's been going on.

Two words: JOE GIBBS.

zzzzzzzzz...oh wait, was i supposed to be blogging?

2004-01-13T11:48:00.000-05:00

I guess I'm not ready to make blogging my full-time job just yet, as indicated by the three-week vacation I just took. It's such a fantastic paradox...in order to be a diligent blogger, you need to fuck off everything else you do including the things that provide you with a paycheck every few weeks. I'll figure out the balance someday.

So what's been going on? Surprisingly little...am I just getting over my New Year's hangover? There are no shows to go to, it's been colder than a witch's titty outside for days upon days, and I got all of those in-demand channels on cable. Sounds like a recipe for couch potato au gratin.

I did manage to see the band I love to love, The Upwelling, at Acme Underground on Saturday. They continue to make broad jumps forward as a live band, fleshing out their brooding tunes on stage.

the world beyond new york

2003-12-23T15:06:00.001-05:00

I always love on NY1 where they take about 90 seconds to run through what's going on in the "world beyond New York," as if it's some laborious task for them, and a time for all of us snot-nosed (fo real these days) New Yorkers to change the channel.

Anyhow, in this world beyond NY, there are indeed bands that play rock and roll music. My dear friend Natalie (a.k.a. stAMpy, a.k.a. Killer Dulce) lives in the lovely riverside hamlet of Pittsburgh, and while she constantly emotes her desires to relocate to the world inside NYC, she does have some PGH pride, especially in the music scene. Here are two bands she recently turned me onto:

1. Shade. Definitely drawing drive from across the pond, this quintet layers fuzzy, Buzzcockian guitar over shimmy-worthy punkish grooves and piano-led meanderings while maintaining an itchy trigger finger for sporadic and noisy explosions. Listeners with ears for everything from new wave to hardcore will find points of entry. Their debut full-length, Forever Now, Nowhere Tomorrow, is available on CDBaby.com. Shade plays our own Luna Lounge on Sat. 1/17 at 8:30 p.m.

2. Camera. This band puts out saccharine yet insanely catchy mod morsels, finding a middle ground between the slickness of a Hot Hot Heat and the faux grittiness of the Strokes. Camera's website boasts an EP for sale and two stellar MP3 downloads: "Red 12" and "That City." Camera plays the Baggot Inn on W. 3rd bet Thompson and Sullivan on Sat. 1/17 and Sin-e on 2/20.

a weekend off

2003-12-21T23:42:00.000-05:00

After a busy week, it was perfect to just chillax with old friends this weekend. After the company holiday party at Cielo (yay open bar), I met up with the JDS crew for a few rounds at some night spots that are far from my usual hangouts...lots of bankers and yuppies bumpin' around.

Saturday night featured a stellar meal at the always delicious Mexican Radio followed by a trip to one of the only LEGAL smoking joints left in town, Circa Tabac, a move that pleased my crew immensely but tested my non-smoker willpower. Went to Tiswas for the first time in forever and caught a fun band called Everybody Else. Kind of in between Urge Overkill's crunch and the Gin Blossoms pop. Check 'em out.

rock yer face off

2003-12-19T12:36:00.000-05:00

Keeping with the year-in-review theme, here are some of the best shows I caught this past annum. I'm sure I'm leaving some out (I'm noticing gaps, like March through June particularly), but these are the ones I'm remembering right now...

The Fever, Mercury Lounge, NYC, March 7: On a night designed to be dominated by NYC's supposed second-coming, only one band devastated (pumps fist). I also loved them in early September (the night of the Stills' showcase @ Sin-e) when Diego and Andreas got into a beer-tossing brawl with a heckler during the Fever's set. Labelmates unite!
Underworld, Ultra Music Festival, Miami, March 23: Hanging out with Karl all week, dancing with Mike Skinner amidst 20,000 party peeps, working my ass off at Ultra. This made every headache and chaotic moment disappear into the steamy Miami night as the lasers and ebullience took over.
stellastarr*, Bowery Ballroom, NYC, August 1: So triumphant. Headlining for the first time at Bowery, our friendly foursome turned into rock stars. Long live strobe lights and electrical tape!
Ambulance Ltd., Vicious @ Sin-e, NYC, August 12: The moment they turned everyone into believers.
The Mars Volta, Leeds Festival, Leeds, England, August 24: Was that the end of the song? Did he just asphyxiate himself with the mic cable? Wait, didn't they play this chorus 20 minutes ago? Is his hair diameter twice the size of his waistline? Wow.
Beth Gibbons & Rustin' Man, St. Ann's Warehouse, Brooklyn, October 10: She sang parts without a fucking mic. Absolutely brilliant.
Interpol w/Elefant, 9:30 Club, DC, October 18: From an email I wrote describing the show: "interpol are fucking spectacular. it's been awhile since i lost myself in a show. i feel like so many of the bands i see these days are more about entertainment than emotional stimulation, you know, the hot hot heats and the fevers and the metrics and the radio 4s, etc. it's all attitude, style, and simple fun, something you want to watch with open eyes and smiles abound, but on saturday i spent most of the time absorbing the show through my pores. it was flawless."
Sondre Lerche, Bowery Ballroom, NYC, November 18: It's not every night I turn into a pathetic teenage girl. He's so dreamy.
Metric, Mercury Lounge, NYC, December 9: After one song, Emily asks the crowd if they need to hear more bass, more vocals, more guitars. Someone in the crowd yells, "Shorter skirt!" Here, here!!

you'll put me on the list

2003-12-18T19:18:00.000-05:00

Not being one of those peeps who gets every single fucking record ever released, this list is entirely personal. There may be more "important" records from the past year, but these were important to me and my world in 2003.

10. Elefant, Sunlight Makes Me Paranoid: Although I became much less interested in Diego Garcia and his willing followers as the year went on, Elefant had some triumphant moments and no matter how hard I tried, these songs just stayed in my psyche. Diego puts the P.O.P. in "pompous." Choice cut: "Sunlight Makes Me Paranoid"
9. Basement Jaxx, Kish Kash: Dance music disappointed me immensely this year, but then along came another gem from Simon and Felix that showed about as much respect for electronica's inane subgenre madness as George Bush showed for the truth. Choice cut: "Tonight"
8. The White Stripes, Elephant: I was supposed to like this record much more, wasn't I? Sorry. Choice cut: "There's No Home For You Here"
7. Fountains Of Wayne, Welcome Interstate Managers: Not their best record by any means, but Rachel Hunter's portrayal of Stifler's mom finally got the masses to take notice of FoW's superb songcraft and keen wit. Choice cut: "Fire Island"
6. Ryan Adams, Rock N Roll: If he took some time off occasionally from being a total reclusive jerk, this guy might eventually live up to the hype. Who didn't want to hate this record? Damn you for being so deft, Ryan Adams! Choice cut: "So Alive"
5. The Raveonettes, Chain Gang Of Love: If Thurston Moore were replaced by Eddie Cochran, maybe Sonic Youth could make a record this good. The Danish duo turns sugary guitar pop into a force-feeding of NutraSweet, and they look adorable doing it. Choice cut: "Little Animal"
4. The Stills, Logic Will Break Your Heart: Boy, did we have to wait for this one! My iTunes was tired of me playing "Still In Love Song" over and over again for months on end. Yeah, the hysteria got annoying, but the final product was laden with more gems than red carpet-ready chandelier earrings. Choice cut: "Of Montreal"
3. Metric, Old World Underground: While everyone was anointing Broken Social Scene, two of their members quietly escaped and helped make this sweet tart of a record. Emily Maines' lyrics are so brutally intelligent and possess more memorable quips than Steven Cojocaru could concoct in a lifetime. Choice cut: "Hustle Rose"
2. The Postal Service, Give Up: I never knew I'd been craving some lost Human League record until a friend made me a mix with "Such Great Heights" as its cornerstone. This record made me shimmy and it made me swoon, two of my favorite things in the world to do. Now if I could only find someone to make out with me while listening to it... Choice cut: "Nothing Better"
1. stellastarr*, stellastarr*: OK, I'm admittedly a little bit biased here. Still, it's been a long time since I've been won over by a band (I barely paid attention the first time I saw them live), and it's been an even longer since I've loved an album so much from front to back. stellastarr*'s growth over the past year has been absolutely exponential, and I couldn't be happier to see them go from strength to strength. So many bands go for a "sound," churning out records that are so much more about attitude and backward looking references, but no band this year made a record with more standout songs than stellastarr*. Choice cut: "My Coco"

Also in rotation:
Beth Gibbons & Rustin' Man, Out Of Season: No one sends chills up my spine like Beth Gibbons.
Earlimart, Everyone Down Here: A smidge too mired in concepts, but "The Movies" is just gorgeous.
Mando Diao, Bring 'Em In: A recent discovery, but these Swedes made up for everything bad Oasis has done since 1995.
Pretty Girls Make Graves, The New Romance: Yay for heavy rock and roll! A dark and unconventional winner.
The Rapture, Echoes: Got a bit boring, but I still dole out mondo props for making jaded indie rockers shake it like a Polaroid picture.
South, With The Tides: Renewed my faith in moody Brit rock.
The Strokes, Room On Fire: Barely missed my top 10, which is a shock because I was a massive Strokes hater until I heard "Under Control."
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Fever To Tell: Karen O and co. made a believer out of me, managing to be brash and sensitive too.

Best EPs:
Ambulance Ltd., Ambulance Ltd.: "I might not be the one that's true, but I'm tryin', don'tcha know?"
Ben Folds, Sunny 16: "There's always someone cooler than you."
The Fever, Pink On Pink: "We're gonna push it through darlin'."
Sondre Lerche, Don't Be Shallow: "We should have come home in pairs. Instead we have single-hand affairs."
Moving Units, Moving Units: "We couldn't go on any faster."
The Upwelling, The Upwelling: "Can everybody breathe? Is everyone OK?"

get mobile!

2003-12-18T14:41:00.000-05:00

So what have I been doing lately? My new gig is with VIBE and SPIN magazines as mobile editor. No, that doesn't mean I'm a writer on the go, transversing the globe with the hottest bands. Not yet at least. I'm in charge of content development for both magazines' forays into the world of wireless. We're developing versions of VIBE and SPIN that you can access right from your cellphone, giving you access to the latest music news, interviews, album reviews, polls, trivia, games, ringtones, and much more.

SPIN Mobile is currently under development, but if you're an AT&T or Verizon Wireless subscriber, you can get your hands on Mobile VIBE right now! Here's how:

Verizon:

You'll need a phone with Verizon's Get It Now capability. For launch, we're only offering Mobile VIBE on two Verizon phones: the LG VX4400 and the hot LG VX6000 camera phone, my weapon of choice!

Verizon's web site has a great step-by-step guide to getting connected with Get It Now.

Already have a VX4400 or VX6000? From your phone's menu, find the Get It Now button. Once Get It Now loads, click on the Shopping Cart icon to browse through Get It Now applications. Find Mobile VIBE in the What's New section and download away!

AT&T:

If you have an AT&T handset with mMode capability, you should be good to go! For a list of mMode capable handsets, click here.

From the mMode main screen, click on mMode Guide then browse for Mobile VIBE in the Music section.

Not on AT&T or Verizon? Don't you worry 'bout a thing...we'll be on your network real soon. Email me with your comments, especially if you give it a trial run...

so this is the new year

2003-12-18T14:09:00.000-05:00

Ugh...everyone's talking end-of-year lists, and now it's fucking clouding my head up. I will have a list up soonish.

Speaking of the New Year...check out this hot affair.

that's what friends are for

2003-12-18T13:29:00.000-05:00

There's no greater mitzvah than taking time out of your own chicanery to support your friends' artistic endeavors. Sitting here in a padded chair, it's often easy for me to be critical of a record or a song or an artist, but it takes sac to get up on stage and put forth your creations in front of real humans, most of whom you don't know.

Last night, two buddies of mine just happened to be playing at Pianos on the same bill, extra convenient given the bitter, umbrella-damning cold and rain. Up first was Joemca, the chill, mild-mannered assistant from my old job. It was my first time seeing him play live, and the first time anyone's seen him with the backing accompaniment of a bassist, cellist, violinist, and a nouveau piece of equipment called a TiBook. I really loved some of his arrangements, ones where he grafts Bjork-like beats and layers them with Stratocaster strums and his empassioned vocals. You can tell his visions are coming into focus. Looking forward to seeing him again.

I took a break for chow with Kip at Rush Hour on Ludlow where mediocre burgers and fries come with a unique side dish: a plastic ziploc bag containing a free cigarette and a toothpick. Highly illegal, I would imagine, but novel nonetheless. Afterwards, it was back to Pianos where the GoStation took the stage featuring good ol' Doug on lead vox. If you dig on bouncy indie pop with a shoegazer tinge, you'll definitely dig on this band.

Good as always to see the lovely Nina and Shawn and their adorable and always convenient purple Acura.. And thanks to Kaps for the Patron. Yum.

speaking of drink tickets

2003-12-17T17:26:00.000-05:00

Don't you wish drink tickets could be saved up like the old subway tokens? Or you could have one of those punch cards or a stamp card like you get Subway? Drink ten, get one free. Maybe they could make the stamps taste better, or make them minty like Listerine strips (especially good for drinks 7-10).

I also remembered last night how much I love stoops...no better place to chillax than the stoop. Manhattan is heavily lacking in the stoop department. When I lived in Philly, I had the most spectacular stoop that was perfect for beer consumption, cigarette inhalation, and, umm, other stuff. I also loved coming home in the wee hours and finding my neighbor's various boy toys either passed out on the stoop or inconceivably trapped in between the first and second doors.

Damn I miss that town.

stockholm syndrome

2003-12-17T15:33:00.000-05:00

Record of the week that I had previously missed like a dumbass:
Mando Diao - Bring 'Em In

Ruvan and I embarked on an endless search for pizza last night after being unnaturally blessed with drink tickets at the stellastarr* afterparty. When you live in the neighborhood-people-want-you-to-call Nolita, pizza at 2 a.m. is rather hard to come by. Young Ruvan ignored my insistent pleas that there wasn't anything open for blocks and led us on an epic journey that culminated with slices at Ben's on W. 3rd. However, the journey bore musical fruit in addition to the cheese-covered variety...Mando Diao, the band that's been thumpin' on my stereo all day.

They're from Sweden. First impression: Hives side project? They even look like the Hives on their website, minus the husky ones. The more I thought about it, though, the more I realized that I must be reacting to images of Swedes like many caucasians respond to Asians, i.e. thinking they all look alike, and in the case of Swedes, this usually means much hotter than me.

Think Noel Gallagher with a soul, Jet with brains. Good shit...I'm on fire. Check it out.

thanks so much for coming over

2003-12-17T13:52:00.000-05:00

No band has experienced the patronage of the huskygentleman more often in '03 than stellastarr*, and last night was no exception. Opening for Placebo at the utterly irritating Webster Hall (whose staff aggressively handled my package then fondled a friends boobs during a pat down), the stellas were in top form, romping through tasty treats from their stunning debut disc (which makes a lovely stocking stuffer, Hanukkah handout, or Kwanzaa keepsake this holiday season) as well as the newish "Angela," a song that's rapidly turning from raw to cooked.

One qualified onlooker said last night's show felt like a graduation for our young friends as they pranced about on Webster's grand stage, looking confident and all rock star gorgeous. I prefer to look at it as more of a bar mitzvah, but that's just me. Also seems like the band had a lovely time on tour in the UK with the cuter-than-a-baby's-mushy-tushy Twenty Twos, even lovelier for some. Metric was also in da house, taking in the scenery at Webster.

And what scenery! Placebo's fans are more fun to watch than Placebo...by leaps and bounds. Droves of swooning babes in black and Dead or Alive lookalikes everywhere. Placebo had some moments of its own...why wasn't "The Bitter End" a big hit? That song curls my toes. "Pure Morning" was fun to absorb live, but it was plainly obvious that Brian and company are plain old ti-ti-tired of playing that one. Aside from a verbatim cover of "Where Is My Mind" that was just too deadpan to be interesting, I rather enjoyed Placebo and their sass. Rock on.

everyone's a fucking blogger

2003-12-17T09:05:00.000-05:00

In the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one broad-shouldered gentleman of ample girth to begin his own foray into the glitzy, witsy, and get-yo-face-all-shitzy world of blogdom.

OK, it's actually entirely unnecessary. I mean, there are some balls-out bloggers and bloggerettes out there who will, at many junctures, be far funnier, better connected, more frequently visited, more stylish, more awesome, and definitely hotter than me. It's OK though...I'm used to it.

Basically, I'm making a trial run at something that will eventually be a little bit bigger and more prominently placed in this vast digital world...more on that later. For now, I lend creedence to one lovely blogger queen's fairly blunt but immensely valid statement: "Everyone's a fucking blogger."