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Come Party At B-Side!

Today at B-Side, my friend Adam Mandel will be on the decks from 5-9 for the brunch set. Come get nice and sauced before heading to your Oscar parties. There will be happy hour drink prices (2 for 1!) and Adam has promised some Oscar Trivia with the chance to win drink tickets. Sounds like a good time, so get there and try to take the pool table from Stevo and I.

I hope you are all watching the debate.

Arbor Day, Tonight!

If you can manage to avoid the Oscar's this evening, head to Northsix to check out Dan and the rest of the boys in Arbor Day. These guys are making a steady climb, so catch them early so you can be one of those kids who can say you saw them before they started playing arenas.

It's Time For The News.

It's been over 48 hours since the last news update, so forgive me if you may have already read some of these tidbits.

The Walkmen have decided to grace even more U.S. cities with their tour in support of the new record, Bows and Arrows. They also have a rare 7" that will be available. Someone buy me a copy before it’s gone.

Razorlight is in a rush to finish their debut record. They will be invading the U.S. shortly.

Sir Paul McCartney is planning to headline the Glastonbury Festival this summer in the U.K. This comes only a year after being turned down because of some dude named Thom Yorke.

In case you didn't pick up this week's Village Voice, The Rapture are touring with (snooze) B.R.M.C. Their NYC show will be at the Roseland. Is the Rapture that big? After the Yeah Yeah Yeah's played Hammerstein, everyone is getting a little nuts.

Pitchfork clues in the clueless on The Pixies new website. But as the website claims, they are not yet the "official" Pixies site. Why can't I be Frank Black? I would settle for just having written Debaser or U-Mass.

Some punk bands that may not appeal to the average Good Times reader are taking a stand and trying to mobilize the youth against Bush. Keep it up guys. Fat Mike is the tits.

A match made in guitar rock heaven? Maybe not, but John Paul Jones who used to play with some band named Led Zeppelin is producing the new Datsuns record. Expect ear drums to be broken.

One more link from the kids at Pitchfork. They dig on the new Chromatics record. If I ever have the flow to go record shopping again, you can bet this will be picked up.

Reading Last Nights Post.

What can I say about last night's post? It sounded coherent, and if I didn't put the disclaimer could you have guessed I was drunk or just a bumbling idiot?

Anyway, I'm busy today and have to catch up after being out of the office yesterday. Here is tonight’s agenda so jump on the train and let's have some good times:

First up, The Spicy Rizzak's are playing at Sin-e. This is Josh's band who some of you may know as Sivan's boyfriend. I'm really excited about seeing his band for the first time. Come ready to rock. They will be hitting early (9pm sharp) so don't fuck about making yourself pretty. On second thought, make yourself pretty, but do it earlier than usual. If you don't know where Sin-e is located, check the link in venues list.

Following the show we will be heading to Lakeside Lounge (Ave B, between 10th & 11th) to celebrate Jeff "jigga" Pfeil's birthday. Come out for some cheap PBR, some solid company and possible make out sessions in the photo booth. People will be cruising through a little before 11pm, so let's make a night of it.

I hope to see you all at some point this evening, and don't forget to buy your favorite (broke) blogger a drink.

Kiss It Manhattan.

This may be the beginning of the end. All of Good Times Roll's faithful readers who tune in daily for something entertaining or half assed witty, are up shit creek without a paddle. I say this because the internet can now be accessed from my apartment which means that each and everyone of you will be privy to my ranting and raving while intoxication prevents me and my better judgment from just crashing out. I apologize now, and appreciate all of your reading while you did.

So time to move on.

Sorry to leave you hanging on this most holy of Thursdays. Ok, today wasn't holy. Yesterday was the day set aside for Christ. Not only was it Ash Wednesday (meaning the beginning of Lent for you non-Christians), but it was also the opening day for Mel Gibson's directorial masterpiece, The Passion of the Christ. Instead of wasting my time at mass with the rest of the disillusioned Catholics, I used a Sharpie marker to put the sign of the cross on my forehead. Maybe I didn't, but the idea struck me as clever.

Let me clue you in on what really went down yesterday. Following an afternoon of the slowest work possible, I came home in hopes of getting some work done before a few kids showed up to watch the O.C. from the comforts of my living room. Much to my dismay, no work was completed. This has become a debilitating habit. Each and everyday I contemplate the evening's projected accomplishments only to realize, a few hours later, that these are so far out of my grasp, that they are more difficult than getting Paul to fondle someone of legal age.

Anyway, the O.C. PotLuck was put on hold because of my anticipated hasty exit. Following a killer episode in which we discovered that Luke and his x-girlfriend's mom are fucking on a regular basis, we, meaning Karen and I made a B-line for the Bowery Ballroom. But before I go there, allow me to digress on the happenings at 186.

Mikey was the first kat to show up. After watching Dan Rather plow through the perils of our world, Mike and I got excited for what was to come. Builder rolled in prior to the appearance of Sivan and Karen. Once the girls showed up, we decided that Tiny's would be the joint where we would make our dinner scene. Megan, Miriam and Kyle trickled in, and the stage was set. We tossed a huge order by way of the Tiny's Giant sandwich shop, and settled in for a solid episode from the geniuses at Fox.

So Luke is fucking Julie. Marissa can't get Ryan to go down her pants. Seth loves emo. Summer loves Seth. No one loves Anna. And Sandy Cohen might be the coolest man ever.

Yum Nurr.

Anyway, Karen and I bolted after the close of the show. We made it to the Bowery just in time to see the last few songs from the NYC based the Fever. I'm not gonna waste my time on these guys. They are pretty good, but nothing to special. Karen said it best when she claimed that they were too busy as a whole. It just came off as confusing, but they played a couple tracks that are danceable and more than tolerable.

During the change over, we went downstairs to catch up with Noah, Beach and Daylen. No one seemed to be really excited about the show, but I was interested to see if Jason and the gang could pull off their gritty rock sound, especially after he got his face bashed in by Mr. White.

The Detroit foursome took to the stage and ripped through Lack of Communication which may be my favorite Von Bondies song. That was it. The load was shot, but they managed to keep my attention for the next hour. They played a lot of great tunes from the record of the same name, along with some new songs and the single, C'mon C'mon. The Von Bondies have a great feel, but it's tough to see where they would fit into the grand scheme of things. Hopefully they will find their niche and figure out a way to stick around.

Today was a waste, but I did manage to get a killer tuna melt. This was hours after I made the best pancakes in the world for Ms. Correa and myself. For those of you who may be left in the dark, buy yourself some chocolate chips and bananas and call it a fucking day.

This afternoon I made my way up to Bside where Sivan and Willis were behind the bar. Hole, Mike and Carlos all shared in the afternoon festivities, and eventually Stevo showed up to play some pool. Cami rolled through to hang out and talk about her impending sickness, but hopefully we helped her shake it. Tonight was a good time, and now I'm at home with the roommates fighting the urge to sit in on a session with the help of a bottle of wine given to me by Christie.

This drunk update thing could be a lot of fun. Or not. Go ahead and tell me to fuck off if it is well warranted.

Getting Down To Business.

Fuck the Internet. Time Warner and Apple Computers can eat me. Why do electronics continue to plague me? Yesterday 186 was graced with the presence of Road Runner high speed internet access, but much like Wile E. Coyote I have yet to catch the bastard. This means I need a Mac technician to come to my house which means I'm in need of a visit from Mikey. Please help me Mike.

Speaking of Mike, he had this point to make on yesterdays piece regarding same-sex marriage:

Bush said that a main reason behind wanting to amend the constitution is that right now "activist judges" can allow gay marriages to happen by changing the definition of marriage. That is, unless an amendment prohibiting gay unions to be marriages is added to the federal constitution, the judges can continue to skew the American definition of marriage. Bush specifically said it is a bad and irresponsible thing for said "activist judges" to do because they would be acting against the majority of public opinion.

The point on CNN was that in other similar cases in the past, like racial segregation or mixed-race-marriage, if the government waited for the public opinion to shift, we might still be debating these issues today.

How come when this nation said, we don’t favor a war, the president said something to the effect of, "sometimes a leader has to do what's best for his people, even if they don’t think it’s what is best." But now, a group that is being discriminated against, is having their right's violated and needs the governments help, but the president suddenly has to "protect the will of the majority of the public"?

If you have any thoughts on this or any issue, drop me an email. This type of open forum is important during these politically turbulent times. An ongoing dialogue may help all of us realize what we are searching for in a candidate.

So, back to Tuesday night. Around 8pm Hawkins cruised through and we headed out to Max's on Ave B. If you haven't been to this Italian hot spot, get there soon, because the home cooking is outstanding. My Rigatoni done up "Father Style" was fantastic. Big portions and a bottle of wine left me nearly comatose. Hawkins stands by the Lasagna and with good reason. They also give you olive oil for your bread, but it comes with a twist. Mixed in with the oil is a little marinara sauce and olives. Besides the shitty afro-techno beats playing over the stereo, this place gets an A all the way.

We slide over to Lit to catch up with Noah who was waiting outside. We ran into Dave and Sean Bones before heading into the bar. It was Kristin's 23rd birthday celebration, and she showed up with her crew after some sake bombing at Decibel. Funny enough, some old friends were in the bar. It's always great to catch up with UpTown Tom and other Lumis chaps. Nate, Cami and Leah eventually cruised through and we all enjoyed a drink before Noah and I headed to my house so I could say goodbye to an old friend for awhile. Don't ask, I'm doing it for Jesus.

Tonight Tonight.

So this evening should prove to be a lot of fun. First I'll be doing a low key O.C. viewing at my house prior to skipping over to the Bowery to catch Apollo Sunshine, the Fever and the Von Bondies. There is an after party at Starfoods that promises some FREE Red Stripes, but who knows if I will make it that far. Let me know if you will be at the Bowery.

Because The News Never Stops.

I may have to change my ways. Prince is planning to release a new full length and take that show on the road. This report claims he will be playing on a round stage in the center of the arenas. It should be sexy as hell.

Apparently some people weren't impressed by the Liars show. Gawker posts an email they were Cc'd on regarding last nights show at the Warsaw. This one is funny.

The kids rally behind DJ Danger Mouse's unique piece of work, the Grey Album. As EMI tries to stifle its distribution, people all over the globe are its availability.

Despite signs of increasing record sales, Tower Records has to file for Chapter 11. Could retail be a dying trend? I hope not. Get out to the record stores and blow your pay checks on something that you don't drink or put up your nose.

Next time you are on a bus or train, play the hit British game "No Love for You."

Ambulance Ltd is all growns up. They hit the road in support of their upcoming full length debut. They will be playing shows with the Stills and the Killers.

Pitchfork gives us the goods on Pete Libertine and his budding solo career. They also manage to drop in a condescending tone on their upcoming shows as a full band. Fucking Pitchfork.

Lou Barlow (most recently of Folk Implosion) takes Sebadoh back on the road. This could be a welcomed backlash to the Pixies reunion.

The Soledad Brothers third full length will hit our shores relatively soon. If you can't wait that long, read what Earlash has to say about it.

Louis C.K., the writer and director of the American Cinema Classic Pootie Tang, revisits the film with the Onion's A.V. Club. Why you ask? Who the hell knows?

Some ignorant prick is threatening the life of Darkness front man Justin Hawkins, but he could care less. This man rocks.

Noah sent me this good waste of 2 and a half minutes. The bigger you let them get, the more blood that splatters! Yeah!

Finally, Free Williamsburg dot com agrees with my Ralph Nader conspiracy. Let's keep it going.

Rock and Fucking Roll.

Being A Fag Is Fucking Gay.

Thank God George W. Bush has the presence of mind to make a stand against those horrible fags. Even with our country's economy being pissed right down the drain, foreign affairs growing increasingly tense and a war with no purpose that is breaking up families across the globe, President Bush has the wherewithal to take a stand against the cock sucking, rug munching homo's who are destroying the very fabric of our nation one thread at a time.

Today our Commander and Chief put aside all other business to take the time to urge Congress to pass an Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would prevent perverts from marrying their same sex partners. He sites claims that this is the holiest of human bonds and it is a tradition as old as the capitalic greed the Catholic Church is built upon, (please read between the lines, I'm laying it on thick). Without his courage to stand up for this scared event, we could have queers claiming tax breaks from coast to coast.

If Bush is so concerned about the bond of marriage and its sacred nature, why doesn't the dictator make divorces illegal? Better yet, why don't we take it back to the medieval days where kings would have queens decapitated so they could remarry and shag a new broad? Sounds good eh? Can I get a hell yeah from all those of you with nuts and berries? Seriously though, Bush touts this homo hating rhetoric around like it’s his job. What if same sex partners are better equipped for what the church claims is an eternal union? Why not give men and men or women and women a shot at something us hetro's succeed at less than 50% of the time? Maybe we can learn from our brothers and sisters who play for the other team.

And just so we are clear, are church and state still a separate issue? Why does should our constitution have rules that pertain to the something the church developed? Is this not a breech of Presidential power? To be honest, I heard a rumor that God and George Jr. were at scores the other night. While Bush was getting a nice piece of beaver dangled in his face, he looked at God, who was getting rubbed off by two blonde women, and God said "Being gay should be criminal." So we should all calm down and realize that G.W.B. is just fulfilling the word of our Almighty Father (or Mother). I mean really, if you are God, you know you are getting the best piece of ass available, so who can really argue with him. God also assured Georgie Boy that the idea of homosexuality is against human nature simply because, as God put it, “Pussy Fucking Rocks!” Let's hope our divine leader doesn't lose in November or we may have to deal with these homos having a happy life together while poisoning the minds of our nation’s youth.

Matter of the fact is that love is not an institution, and neither should something that symbolizes its eternal bond, (marriage). If it is a fundamental institution to our civilization, how can they deny the actors in said civilization the right to create this union? Does this banning of same sex marriage make sense to other people? If so, go over to the FDR and lay down in traffic. You will be doing us all a favor.

P.S. None of the slurs in this article were used with malice. They were used to illustrate the ridiculous nature of the Bush Administration's stance against gay marriage. No offense was intended, and I hope you all can see my reasoning for using this hurtful language.

Well Hung.

While sifting through the shitty world news on CNN this morning, I came across an article about William Hung. If you don't know the name yet, you will. He was the character from the 1st round of American Idol's who sang the Ricky Martin track, She Bangs. Apparently this appearance has helped him develop a fanbase and some solid prospects for future employment. The picture from this last link begs the question: Is Mr. Hung retarded?

Monday Monday.

The work day seemed to crawl by, but luckily, when the clock struck five, Dano was waiting outside of the Law School ready to give me a lift home. We went back to the house to begin the evening with some beers and Franz Ferdinand. At this point I can’t get enough of that record. I need to get some cash flow so a new obsession can be purchased and spun so many times it makes my roommates hate me. Wait, scratch that, Builder loves the Franz.

Sivan stopped in so we could talk about upcoming dates at Bside. There are some serious parties in the works so make sure to stay tuned. In the near future I will be doing a Sunday afternoon post brunch set so all of you have a reason to get out of bed and ease out of the weekend in style. There is also a 186 birthday party in the mix since Builder’s birthday is on April 17th and Kyle and I both escaped the womb on April 23rd. Finally, I was lucky enough to be chosen for Sivan’s late May birthday bash. These parties will be fantastic, and I will keep you all updated on the dates and times as they grow closer.

Erin and Kevin both came through the apartment last night. This was a treat since I rarely get to see either of those kids anymore. Karen showed up before Demander practice to give me the chop. There was some apprehension when she began to make the cuts. My hair is very important. Ok, maybe not, but I get too many middle school haircuts, so I’ve been shying away from Supercuts. Fortunately Ms. Correa did a great job my locks. I’ve received nothing but good comments all around, so cheers to you Karen.

Some kids took off and those who were left behind retired to the living room for an evening of shitty Fox television. Yeah, that’s right, I said Fox had shitty programming. Normally a statement like this would be considered sacrilege, but after watching the boring finales to The Littlest Groom and My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiancée, the statement is more than warranted. The midget dropped the normi and the fat dude gave everyone money. What fun is that? At least we still have the O.C. tomorrow night so I revitalize my faith in the station.

Speaking of the O.C., there will be no PotLuck tomorrow night. I will be watching the episode and then running to the Bowery to (hopefully) catch what is left of the Apollo Sunshine / Fever / Von Bondies gig. We will be back in action next week so be thinking of menu ideas.

Off The Wire.

Pitchfork does an excellent job covering the official release of Smile. If you don't know about this long lost Beach Boys record and the troubles Brian Wilson had while recording it, check this out. Wilson is also planning to play record live while on a short European tour.

Karl from the Libertines discusses the early workings of their second record along with their fame and fortune in the U.K. I don't care what the naysayers put forth, I fucking dig on this band.

If you haven't heard, Courtney Love is a moron.

Another, If you haven't heard. Morrissey will be dropping his first record since 1997 this May. The album, titled Malajusted, will most likely be supported by a tour. Some people are creaming their pants.

Two of hiphop's biggest names collaborate on a new record. Dr. Dre's label, Aftermath, will be putting out Busta Rhymes new record.

The Liars new record, They Were Wrong, has been hit with a lot of bad press. Pitchfork decides to take the middle of the road and tries to explain why. After a week of bad press, the indies are backing the record. Is it ok to be different? Who knows?

As if this was a surprise. North American Pixies reunion tickets sell out in mere minutes.

The ongoing feud between Jay Leno and Howard Stern gets some serious fuel for the fire. John is leaving the radio show and becoming the announcer for Leno's show. Stern's verbal bashings were childish, but necessary.

Rolling Stones gets on the train and covers the reunion between Rivers and Sharp.

And finally, Light Up the Sky gives us their opinion on the 10 to watch in 2004. Where is Bloc Party? God dammit, I feel like the character in How Soon is Never before he heard the Smiths.

Party. Party. Party.

Post Nader Post.

Yesterday's rant got some reactions from the faithful. The opening of this dialogue was the prime intention of my post. We need to keep discussing this election until it comes to pass. Sitting back idly will not help us dig out of the hole we are presently sitting in. Thankfully, Mr. Oveis gave me his thoughts on Nader's decision to enter the race, and it would be beneficially for all of you to read them:

First, for Kerry, this will almost guarantee him the nomination. Many voters who vote tomorrow and on Super Tuesday will be voting in response to the Nader announcement. These voters, who may have at one point favored Edwards, will be much less likely to vote for an underdog candidate. Instead, they'll want to demonstrate party unity and vote for the candidate who has broad support. Kerry has shown that he can get votes from poor/rich, white/black/latino, and union/management.

Second, the one thing that the pundits have learned from this year's Democratic primaries is that an abundance of candidates does not necessarily hurt the party. Six months ago, all the talking heads were going on and on about how the 10 Democratic candidates would destroy each other, and by the end, Dean would no longer have the money or strength to defeat Bush. Instead, what we've seen is that after Iowa the Democrats would much rather attack Bush than each other. And, as a result, Bush's poll numbers have plummeted. I believe a similar effect could happen with Nader. Most of his attacks will of course be directed towards Bush, as he announced today. He will mobilize the left the same way that Dean did, and ultimately those votes will go to Kerry.

Third party candidates in 2004 have much less appeal than they did in 2000. In 2000, there were few issues that votes could cite to differentiate between the Democrat and Republican candidates. Today, the country is much more polarized and virtually any voter could cite a host of issues that separate Democrats and Republicans (the wars, trade, the environment, etc.). Independents are going to take a beating this year.

Finally, I don't think of Nader as an egotistical maniac as many people have described him as. I, too, voted for him in 2000. It will be impossible for him to be on the ballot in most states. He doesn't have the resources to complete such a feat. And ultimately, I believe he'll drop out days before the election. I think he knows he's partially responsible for giving Bush the presidency and he wants to restore his reputation. He knows he can't win, and so he wants to be a part of the machine that brings down Bush. Don't worry; he won't be taking any votes away.

Though pessimism is often my strong suit, these strong points have helped bring my blood pressure back to normal.

I'm Afraid of November.

Until this weekend, I thought Conspiracy Theory was just a high budget box office smash featuring Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts. The 1997 film followed the zany Jerry Fletcher (Gibson) through his daily routine of damning the government and concocting outlandish conspiracies against it. His life changed when he stumbled upon a conspiracy that was actually true.

Ok, Ok, I’m done with the rant about bullshit nineties cinema. No one cares. What you should focus your attention on is this year’s Race to the White House. This weekend leading hippie brainwash artist, Ralph Nader decided to throw his already limp dick back on the table. Why does this man have to get back in the mix? His feeble attempt to gain 5% of the popular vote in the 2000 election ended in disappointment for white kids with dreadlocks all across these United States.

Don’t get me wrong. Ralph Nader has been a valuable asset to this country. His consumer advocacy has helped all of us at one point or another. To be perfectly honest, I even voted for the man in the last election. Don’t jump to conclusions. I’m a blue blood capitalistic Democrat like most of you, but I was interested in seeing the party get it's 5% which would in turn give them a grant for government funding. This funding could have been the beginning of the decomposition of our two party system. It’s a shame that all the effort was a waste of time, especially when Nader supporters could have been playing hacky sack and smoking fatties. Now I don’t want to say that all Nader supporters are tackles hippies, but they are (excluding myself, of course).

So this is a public outcry to Mr. Nader. Please don’t mess this election up for our country. If you care about the country's current state of affairs you will drop your name from the ticket and let the Democrats have a fair fight against the Republicans. Now I know some people might say it will be the Democratic Nominee’s race to lose, but stacking the odds in George’s favor won’t help any of us. Mr. Nader go home. My new conspiracy is that you are working for the Bush Campaign. You aren't fooling anyone.

Let's not forget that we are not only voting for a President, but we are voting against Bush.

224 Ave B Nostalgia.

Noah is in the midst of writing a paper for his Travel Writing class. He told me he had written a paragraph about living on our couch for a month last summer. The results were fantastic. It really takes me back to this summer and that wretched apartment we endured for what seemed to be years. Well done Chernin.

For the month of August I lived above Mona's, a quaint Irish pub on the west side of Avenue B at 14th street. Mona's is one of those places recognizable only by the circular Guinness advertisement on the outside of the door, a statement of the New York chic in an otherwise neglected, Hispanic part of town. I squatted on my friend Jay's futon in the smallest piece of shit two bedroom apartment this side of Broadway. The place was a sin den laced with cigarette butts crawling out of ashtrays, half empty Budweiser tallboys, and cheap marijuana smoke. A black trunk once used to send Jay to sleep away camp doubled as both kitchen and coffee table. Each night I'd drink myself to sleep to drown out the bass that seeped through the beer stained carpets and the late night arguments that made their way through the broken, rarely cracked windows that couldn't afford to be fixed or let in any daylight.

Also on the Noah front, he dropped me an email stating that Ted Leo will be at HiFi tonight celebrating the release of his live DVD Dirty Old Town which was recorded at Coney Island. Ted will be hanging out from 8pm-10pm.

On a side note, I still disagree with Karen. Rivers Cuomo can have my babies anytime. Ted is cool and all, but come on, its Rivers.

What A Waster. What A Fucking Waster.

Maybe you think my absence this weekend meant I was off on some road trip following a band around the east coast. Maybe you believe my lack of phone conversations was due to a wild weekend chasing celebrities around town. Maybe you think I'm a loser who didn't even make it out of the house this weekend. If you guessed the latter, you are correct.

After the work week ended, I went straight back to 186. Noah stopped by to get a hang on and we got reaquainted with Zoolander. The problem was Noah and I popped some Lou Miller candy, and I took a shot of Rest Easy (aka Ghetto Nyquil). My tired ass could only make it through the first hour of the movie before readying myself to passout. Noah took off and I was asleep by 10:30pm on a Friday night. If you are wondering, it was glorious.

Come Saturday morning, waking up was a harder task than expected. The drugs kept me in bed until 12pm. At that point, Cami and I decided to make some breakfast. We tooled around KeyFoods for a bit and then returned to my abode to make it happen. Following the big brunch (yes, there was a ton of bacon) we watched this strange documentary called Uncle Sadam. It was a strange documentary about Iraq's long time dictator. It was interesting because the subject matter is so relevent at this point in time, but the production was a bit clownish. Cami said it was a satire. I hope sure hope so. That guy was/is a bastard.

More laziness ensued throughout Saturday, and by 10:30pm, I had already taken 2 more shots of Rest Easy and was ready for bed. At this point my slipping from consciousness was interupted by Cami who was in a bit of a bad mood and wanted to hang. We decided that Whiskey and water would be the best cure for both of our alements. She showed up with a liter of the shit, and we proceded to cap it within an hour and a half. We sat in the kitchen listening to the first two Weezer albums, the White Stripes' Elephant and Pavement's Wowee Zowee. Kids came in and out, but I got so sauced that it didn't really matter. The Whiskey didn't really help my sickness, but it got me to bed by 12:30am.

On Sunday, Cami and I, once again, strolled to KeyFoods to pick up some breakfast food to cook up at 186. This could become a solid tradition. It's a lot cheaper than brunch, and you can catch a buzz while doing it. The key is the Dunkin Donuts coffee. Don't forget the coffee. Noah came by to help us out. We had a big brunch followed by some basketball watching at Beach and Daylen's apartment. If you care, the Knicks got beat up by LeBron and the Caveliers. We went to chill at the dog park for a bit before disbrusing.

Later that evening, Karen came by the apartment so we could catch some dinner. Naturally, we decided to get some grub at the now infamous Festival. This place is the tits for cheap Mexican. I can't thank Beach enough for turning me on to this little L.E.S. treasure. It's across the street from Johnson's so you should be able to find it.

Karen and I ended the evening with a quick discussion on the importance of voting. I'd like to go into it right now, but I'm lacking the energy. In any event, let's be proud of our man Oveis who is driving a minivan in Senator Kerry's motocade all day long. Oveis for president in 2020.

I apologize for the boring update, but as you can see, I didn't do much this weekend besides eat and sleep, and like I said, it was glorious.

Also, I don't know if I mentioned it last week, but Oveis passed the 2nd Season of the BBC comedy, the Office to me last week, and it was hilarious. Make sure you get your eyes on this show as soon as possible. It may change your life.

Here Come's Your Man.

Manchester Unite! Three of the most influential bassists in U.K. indie history combine their forces for what? We'll have to wait and hear.

!!! plan to drop more ass shaking beats on all of us in June. I can't wait to dance around like a drugged out hippie to these boys at Coachella.

Jet plans to quit ripping off Iggy and the Stooges and move on to ripping off music that Noah might like.

More gold from Filter's columnists. This one is a little better from the last. It sheds a funny light on how pop mediums are bouncing off one another. Fuck it though, I love the O.C.

I heard their live performances blow, but Pitchfork seems to like Chromeo's debut full-length record.

Dave Grohl and the rest of the Foo Fighters plan to rock out with their cocks out on their next full-length record.

Johnny Rotten gets more strange press. This time he is claiming that he and his wife were scheduled to take the Pan Am flight that exploded in 1988, but his wife took to long packing and they missed it. Another chance for this old fart to go out in a blaze of glory has been wasted.

Speaking of over the hill rockers, Ozzy will join Slayer and Judas Priest on OzzFest 2004.

In even older rockstar news, Mick Jagger claims it wasn't me, I was framed. A 1969 drug bust has been exposed, and Jagger is fighting for his right to keep party'n.

The International Noise Conspiracy finish their 3rd full-length record with Rick Rubin. This could get interesting.

Hamilton, from the Walkmen, sits down with Junkmedia and tells us everything we already know. Ok, he didn't sit down. It was a call in interview. I'm sorry.

Who let the Daily News into my apartment for a photo opp last night? Ok, you got me. It isn't my apartment, but look at that poor guy in the bottom left corner. What a juicebox.

Sorry for the delay, but have a great day.

The Big Event.

Ok, I want you to guess. No, Paul isn't coming out of the closet. Guess again. No, Hawkins hasn't been deported. Guess again. No, I haven't hit puberty. If you don't know, then fuck it, let me tell you.

I've been asked to Dj an upcoming party at Sin-e that will be sponsored by Rheingold Beer. In the coming months, your favorite beer will be putting on showcases to give local bands a great bill and the kids some cheap (i.e. free) beer. Here are the specs on the first gig:

Tuesday March 2nd
@Sin-e (150 Attorney, btwn Houston & Stanton)
w/Chesterwhite
The Boxes
The Affair
These Bones
and J Good Times on the 1 & 2's
Doors at 7:30, show at 8pm
Only 5$ (FREE RHEINGOLD BEER from 8-9pm)

So this is going to be the first of many. I hope all of you can make it to this great evening of rock.

This May Answer Some Questions.

Some of you may wonder why I continue to love my friend Whitney who graced us with his presence last weekend. Even though he destroyed my apartment, he still manages to pass on emails like this one. Read this and you may just understand the affinity:

My man,

Last night I had this dream that you and I were at Disney World and I had to do this big concert thing with Madonna. At first I was all psyched but then I had to wear roller skates and do all these choreographed moves while she sang and like hug her all sexual and shit. Also I guess the whole thing was sponsored by Starbucks because while I was roller skating around in some tight jeans and a leather vest, I had to hold a Starbucks cup full of coffee. And I was sucking at skating, I just kept eating shit and spilling really hot coffee on Madonna and I was worried she would get pissed because I was burning her and shit. Then she bit my ear all sexy and hard and grunted while shaking her head, "I love rough play." Then they were getting ready for some big finale where Madonna was going to strike a pose front and center of the stage and all these fireworks were going to go off behind her. But I just kept sliding all around and running into all these other dancers that were dressed like those crazy bird guys from that Bill Cosby movie "Leonard Part 6." Finally right before the finale, the producer/choreographer told me that I had to literally kiss Madonna's ass and hold it there for the finale. I rolled over to Madonna and pushed her down and jumped off stage but sprained my ankle. You picked me up on your shoulder and we ran away from the police. The part I really wanted to tell you about though, was that you were all greasy like you haven't showered for days and you were wearing high top white Cons with gross logger socks, like green and brown plaid shorts from eighth grade, and an old primus shirt with a really, really stretched out neck hole. I think this dream means I'm obsessed with the early nineties.

Whit

Last Night, She Said.

Wow, what a fucking evening. I'm so sick. I'm so tired. And I'm so pissed about it. It all started when Stevo stopped by 186 to catch some O.C. PotLuck leftovers. We sat around the table with Kyle for a bit before heading to Bside to grab some cheap happy hour drinks served up by Sivan and her trainee Willis. They kept me pumped up on Vodka Cranberry (since I was sick I opted for the juice instead of tonic) while Stevo and I laid claim to the pool table. Eventually Builder cruised through to partake in the happiest of hours. It was cool to see some Dan (of Matt Pond) and the young barrister Gideon in the bar. Its been awhile since I've seen Gideon, and each time its a distinct treat. Karen rolled through for a couple of drinks as did Jordache. Around 10pm Karen, Sivan and I headed downtown with my evening plans in heavy deliberation.

Karen and I cruised back to 186 and had a PBR with Builder before he took off for the Franz Ferdinand show at the Bowery. My plan for the evening had been to go with him, but my increasing lack of wellness kept me on the fence. I am currently fighting a serious cold, but the consistent calls of my friends who were requesting my presence got me motivated. With my window of opportunity growing ever smaller, I decided, just in the nick of time, to run out of the apartment and jump in a cab.

Much to my relief, Franz Ferdinand had yet to take the stage as I approached the front entrance of Bowery. When I got to the bottom of the stairs, I looked across the bar and saw the faces of Noah, Beach, Builder, Daylen and Mr. Oveis. We met up and headed above ground to take our place in the crowd for what was my first time seeing the Scottish wonder boys. All we had to do was wait.

My foggy memory coupled with my lack of sleep will prevent me from articulating how good this band performed. They played MOST of the hits. I say most because those cheeky bastards didn't play my favorite track off their debut record, Dark of the Matinee, which left me a little disappointed but even more revved up to see them again at Coachella.

Sidenote: I purchased my flight and my Coachella Tickets yesterday, so it is now official.

Despite the flu their drummer was fighting, these four guys from Glasgow really brought the rock. Don't hold me to this, but I believe they opened with the track Shopping for Blood and then followed that up with a killer rendition of Jacqueline (aka Better on Holiday). They also played their singles Take Me Out and Darts of Pleasure, but they played the version Darts of Passion which can be found on the Ep, Darts of Pleasure. The gem of the entire evening was their energy filled tune, This Fire which had my head banging, hips shakin and feet tapping. They gave NYC a little shout out by changing one of the courses to: This fire is out of control we're gonna burn this city, New York City. It was everything I had come to expect from these guys, and I hope they continue to be as arty/indie/dancey/fuckingrockandroll as they are now. I highly recommend this band, this album and their lifestyle. It may just change the way you feel about music.

After the show, Oveis, Builder and I headed back to the neighborhood. Karen was passed out when I got back, but we watched a bit of Lost in Translation which may be the best film I've seen in ages, but I believe that has been established. Now I'm at work, practically dying, but let me tell you, it was all worth it.

Good Times Roll Update.

FYI faithful readers, today is the day that 186 finally gets the internet. That means that I will be able to devote more time to this website and hopefully get Builder to create a new template so you can stop looking at these heinous shades of green. Expect big changes in the near future. People get ready!

Here's the News. Sorry It's So Late, but I Spoil You.

Pitchfork reports that The Hold Steady are preparing their debut album, The Hold Steady Almost Killed Me, which will drop in march. They are also planning to embark on a mini tour so catch them if you can. They are a solid rock act, and ex Lifter/Puller for all you junkies out there.

Pitchfork also publishes the complete track listing for their We Are The World mix tape for December 2003 and January 2004. I have to bow to this one. These people know how to pick the hits.

Filter gives the Shins a thumbs up for their Valentine's Day show at Irving Plaza. I hope the Shins continue to reach out and touch the masses with their beautiful pop songs.

The Independent sits down with the southern boys of My Morning Jacket. Jim James compares his sets to football. I have a new favorite band.

Spin covers the 5th Annual Voodoo Music Experience in New Orleans and gives mad props to the man and the myths: Iggy and the Stooges.

I still have to get my hands on this Bloc Party's 7inch. If any of you have leads, please help me out. It may be my favorite band I've never heard.

And finally, 75 Words or Less agrees with me regarding LCD Soundsystems' new single. This shit is so hot it will strip the paint off your ass.

What's doing tonight? Let me know. I may make it out of the house.

All Right. All Right. All Right. All Right.

Another Wednesday night, and yet another great O.C. PotLuck only this time it was the O.C. Picnic. Sivan and I discussed the idea at its conception, I was skeptical about the turnout for the O.C. party. It was my presumption that after the first week, attendance would drop and the idea would live one through a few diehards. I couldn't have been more wrong. Since the first week and each week there after, it seems like more and more people show up to share in the festivities. Some of the newcomers for last night's episode included Wackerman, Cami, Leah and Jodee. The apartment was stuffed to the gills with kids hungry for some delicious food and a killer program.

Can we just sit back and reflect on this episode for one second. First of all, good for Ryan, he shouldn't let Marissa run right back into her arms. Next up, who knew Summer would still be holding onto her V-Card. How about Sandy and Seth having "the talk?" And finally, Luke is now hooking up with his x-girlfriend's mom. Who writes this garbage? Someone and I believe it might have been Builder, told me that the show is becoming predictable, but I highly disagree.

Following the show and a quick clean-up (a big thanks to those who helped out on this), Sivan, Karen and I took a cab down to the Knitting Factory to catch the Ace Fu showcase that was getting on in the Tap Bar. This promised to be an evening of loud guitar rock (aka some sort of core) and the bands we caught delivered on it. We walked in during Lot Six's set, but I didn't really listen to any of it because I was being introduced to kids and trying to get a PBR. Next up was Officer May which was the band that Sivan really wanted to see. These three Boston based boys really brought some serious rock that stemmed from what sounded like a lot of angst with their present surroundings in life. Their lead singer was a little guy with a huge voice. It is easy to compare them to what was going on in the 9T's in Seattle, but they seemed more mature than their grunge predecessors. They might have trouble finding the right fan base, but once they do, they will get on the board.

The final band to hit was the Philly shit rock band An Albatross. There isn't much to say about these guys. Three songs into their set and I was ready to go. It felt like 9th grade in the basement of some VFW. They play fast. They play loud. The lead singer screams intelligible lyrics while the drummer seemed to hammer away at the same repetitive beat. To make things worse, they threw in some circus like keys that really brought the whole thing together like the coils of some neatly laid dog waste.

Another quick cab ride later, and I was back home where Builder, Alister and I huge out around the kitchen table talking about nothing important and everything essential.

The highlight of the evening was walking into the Knitting Factory and seeing a "Ska is Dead" show billed in the upstairsÃ¢ÂÂ space. It really took me back to the days of shitty taste and punk rock girls. The bill boasted three bands that I proudly listened to in the past: Big D and the Kids Table, Mustard Plug and Catch 22. Ok, maybe I am not proud that I used to listen to those bands and many others like them, but you can't deny the past, especially when I was an alienated kid in central Pennsylvania looking for a punk rock princess. Wait, has anything changed?

Tonight It All Comes Together.

The day is finally here. I haven't been this excited about a show since the Libertines played at CBGB's. Tonight the Scottish boys of Franz Ferdinand with be at the Bowery Ballroom, and this time, I'm definitely going. Since I was passed a copy of their upcoming debut full-length it hasn't left the cd player. You can get the import or wait for it to drop domestically. Either way, bring on the rock.

The Knews.

There is an amazing article regarding Elliot Smith posted on Spin's website. Check this out and believe it. This is and will continue to be a great loss for the rock world and those close to the troubled soul.

The Beastie Boys have been in the studio cooking up a new record set to drop this summer on Capitol.

Can somebody explain the buzz around this band? I really don't get it.

Let's all give Filter a round of applause for another shitty review. Maybe if this writer wasn't so fucking caught up in the scene she could have written something that truly reflected the music. Isn't that what reviews are supposed to be about? It's the music right? Your affected interviews bore me. Please stop writing them and get back to study hall before the bell rings.

I really want to hear this Fitness record. Does anyone have a copy for me to burn?

Hmmm... The Shins will be making an appearance on the Gilmore Girls. I can't wait to listen to the part of my interview where James talks about being an American Capitalist. It is ringing so true. Also, what the fuck it Pitchfork's problem? Why do they have to write with this tone?

Rolling Stone gives the new Liars record a single lonely star.

It looks like Justin Hawkins, of the Darkness, will have to switch back to the PBR.

This sounds like a dream for filmmaker Kevin Smith. I can't wait to see Jersey Girl, but his next project may take the cake, (thanks to Noah for this link).

Poor Ozzy. Poor, poor Ozzy. He can't lay off the pills.

And finally, Pitty Sing has their mom send Ms. New York Doll a letter. What the fuck?

Dean is Done.

The Democratic Primary just got a whole lot smaller. After his unimpressive showing in Wisconsin, Dr. Dean has decided to call it quits. In an effort to continue pushing voters into booths Dean stressed that we must keep our objective clear: a Bushless White House. Despite his unprecedented grassroots following and enormous donations, Dr. Dean has created a two man race.

Well, Fuck Us All.

After yesterday's edition of the evening news I fell ill. The sickness was brought on by the horrible scene from a Louisiana Army Post where the President gave a speech to soldiers who where being sent to Iraq. Bush has decided to send 10,000 more soldiers to the Middle East in our quest to end terror. Is it just me or has our resolve in this War on Terror been flip-flopped so many times that the American people don't know what we are actually up against? Why does the Bush camp have such a hard on for a few fundamentalists in the Middle East? I understand the 9/11 argument, but come on, let's focus on some of the real problems that this administration has perpetuated on their people.

If Bush continues to push his bullshit rhetoric of fear, religion and freedom on the waiting public, he might be able to fool enough people into thinking he's the man for the job. While he's out there sending mothers and fathers into a war with no end, the people on American soil are suffering through an economic crisis. Let's check the record... the Surplus to Deficit issue is outrageous, the country is losing jobs due to international outsourcing, and the unemployment rate is much worse than it was when Wild Bill was in office. At this point a blowjob or two might be all Bush needs to loosen his cleft asshole.

And furthermore, the reason I have been fired up is, as I mentioned before, the sensational scene the administration created at the Army base. The linked picture hardly does it justice. As you can see Bush was surrounded by the troops who are being shipped overseas. He stacked them to the sky. It is fucking scary. It is starting to remind some of us of the propaganda and fear inspired by some other horrible campaigns that have destroyed nations throughout history. I don't take the idea of Nazi Germany lightly and we are so far from it, but the images are starting to match up, and that is fucking scary.

Why can't this asshole be more like Conan O'Brien and work on an apology that may help international relations.

Yesterday's Hope.

As we continue to forge ahead in our individual campaigns against our Commander and Chief, democrats must unite. Yesterday's primary in Wisconsin only proved that most voters are undecided on which candidate will stand up against the republican political machine, but one this is for certain, anyone will do. Like I've said before, I don't care who it is... just get that moron out of office.

Yesterday's Waste.

So besides the fuel that has been added to my political fire, nothing of real importance to wax on about. I did manage to go to the hospital and get an almost clean bill of health. The doctor said all my tests were negative, except one, so they decided to drain my veins a little longer. I have to ask all those who went to Lancaster with me, was there any point where i got clocked in the chest? Nothing really stood out in my mind, but we all know I was in a bad way out there.

Noah, Hawkins, Lowel, the roommates and I hung around yesterday and wasted our late afternoon. Once the crowd cleared some cleaning ensued, and now I'm preparing for what should be an amazing episode of the O.C.

Link This.

This has been linked before, but can I reiterate that I'm sooooo excited.

Mike Skinner, aka The Streets, is getting set to follow up his stellar debut record with another full-length titled A Grand Don't Come for Free. Vice will drop it on the U.S., but who knows when.

The Darkness start the hype train on their follow-up to Permission to Land. They will be brimming with confidence after they cleaned up at last nights Brit Awards.

After skipping through America and it's gentler cousin to the north, The Von Bondies will be heading to the U.K. in their bid to takeover.

The Voice covers this month's performances by Modest Mouse and the Zombies.

Arts & Crafts is getting set to reissue Broken Social Scene's debut record, Feel Good Lost. Pitchfork seems to like it, and I'm certain I will.

The Times does a profile on Dave Chappelle and the popularity of his show. They actually call him Mr. Chappelle.

Filter has a huge interview with British Sea Power and a review of Ambulance Ltd's reverb laced debut full-length.

British Tabloid Papers Rock.

The A.V. Club give the Coral's new record some high marks.

Billy Corgan tries to give some closure to the Smashing Pumpkin fans who are still holding on. Give it up Kyle, no one cares.

Peace, and I'm out.

A Weekend of Epic Proportions.

First and foremost I would like to send you all a huge THANK YOU for coming out to Bside on Sunday night. I apologize if we didn’t get a real chance to chat, but we can mend that in the future. You made my night, and hopefully I helped make yours. More on this party below.

Let me take this weekend from the top. After getting out of work early on Friday afternoon, I went home and crashed out for a good 5 hours. It was a much needed rest that helped prepare me to rock out. The evening started at the Mercury Lounge where I met with Demander (Sivan, Karen, Jordan) who were having some band bonding time at the Ex Models and Roger Sisters show. We found a place up front after the Ex Models set. I have little to say about this band because they are impossible to describe. It was angular freak outs with minimal song structure. Oh, I guess it wasn’t impossible. Anyway, it was loud and tedious, but the crowd dug it. During Change over, someone decided to blare death metal over the PA which made for a horrible wait.

Bringing up the rear was the trio the Roger Sisters who, despite some problems (i.e. broken string and chipped teeth) were pretty good. Their brand of punchy rock mixed with some Sonic Youth esq dissonance (which is quite unnecessary) is interesting. The trading vocalization is also a good choice. Jennifer has a high pitched Go-Go’s style while Miyuki (at his best) emulates David Byrne when he isn’t harmonizing.

We hit the streets after the show to meet up with Josh at Arlene’s Grocery. We stopped by for a quick hello and then rolled right back out into the night. I split up with the girls at this point to join Kyle and D on our way up to Scratcher’s where kids were celebrating Noor’s birthday. If you haven’t been to this Irish Pub yet, I suggest you check it out. They have cheap PBR and a great atmosphere and by that I mean lovely British girls who are nice and chatty. The only problem was the awful music that made its way onto the cd player (though I was caught mouthing the lyrics to a Spice Girls track). It was a good time, and by the end of the night I was hammered enough to pull a Jay Belin and ditch out to the friendly confines of a cab.

Let’s move onto Saturday.

The middle of the weekend already felt like its end. Noah and I met with (once again) Demander for a cup of coffee followed by sitting in on a couple of songs during their early practice. I’m getting excited for these ladies and gent to get back on the gigging circuit. It should prove to be fun.

By mid afternoon Mr. Whitney Sweet had shown up to my place. For those of you who don’t know the Whit, he may be the coolest kid from D.C. (when he isn’t punching me in the face). Naturally, we went over to Festival to get the evening started with Margarita’s and Mexican food. After dinner we popped into the Johnson’s where we met two really sweet girls, Jenny and Rebecca from L.A., who were in NYC on holiday.

We got ourselves cleaned up and rolled over to Leah and Barbs’ joint before going to Irving Plaza. I was pleasantly surprised when Barbs started ribbing me about this blogger. She was using some of my patented vernacular to poke a little fun at moi. It was all in good fun. This whole part of the evening is important because Leah showed me (for the first time) the video for Outkast’s hit single, Hey Yeah! which was absolutely fabulous. Why is Andre 3000 the coolest fucking dude alive?

The whole crew headed to Irving in hopes of catching some of Cass McCombs set before the Shins were to play. After a little trouble getting in, we managed to see this young mans set. From what I can remember (which overall is very little), Cass had some great songs and real potential. The basslines were the most attractive portions of his tunes because they had a Smith’s vibe, but good Smith’s. The kind that makes you want to dance.

After some chatting with Dennis Realistic and Audrey of Vicious and Melody Nelson fame, the Shins took the stage and wowed a room full of excited onlookers. Now I can’t really piece together much of the set because my dumbass got a little to drunk. What I can remember is being extremely happy and bouncing around with Noah a whole heck of a lot. We also ran into Sivan and Josh who were celebrating their Valentines with the pretty pop sounds of the boys from the Northwest.

My night ended abruptly when I (allegedly) ditched Whit and woke up naked from the waste down in the black chair in my bedroom. How did I get there? Email me if you know.

Can Sunday be as cool as Saturday?

The answer is simple, yes it can and it was. The day started with me doing prep work for an afternoon interview. I then met up with Whit and some of his friends who now reside in Brooklyn. We ate at the Colonial Café for breakfast where I had a fantastic salmon and onion scramble. Whit and I then went back to the house before heading to Union Square.

We tooled around the Virgin Megastore for a moment before heading to Irving Plaza. I was so close to buying a Razorlight single, but I backed down in fear of being broke by the end of the week. We met Nate and Homer out front of the venue where they informed us that the interview and the photo shoot had been moved. After close to an hour wait, we met the Shins at their hotel on Gramercy Park.

The Shins had just gotten finished getting fitted by Molly over at the Diesel store, and they were quick to show off their new gear. Marty was most impressed with his $50 scarf that had designer holes all through it. Once we got up to the room and got settled, the guys from the band really began to warm up to us. We kept the whole interview very relaxed and the Subpop boys seemed to appreciate it. I could go on and on about how nice they were, but it wouldn’t do them any justice. This band truly deserves all the fame and attention they are receiving. They not only create pop gem after pop gem, but they are genuine people who just know how to act right. Dave kept the whole room entertained with various internet clips of people doing stupid shit, while Jesse and I had a chat about fellow Portland band, The Exploding Hearts, who, if you remember, lost 3 members in a tragic accident this summer. Nate took the photos with the help of Homer while Whit hung out and looked pretty. Look for the interview in an upcoming issue of Slap. I’ll let you know when it’s available.

We got back down to the house and caught a fantastic new episode of the Simpsons before heading to Bside to get the party started. Whit and I hung out with Carlos until the crews started rolling in. I got on the decks at 10pm and by 11pm the place was so packed that Sivan couldn’t stop smiling (well, she stopped for a little while, but she seemed psyched). I brought a set of hits that had the crowd happy. That’s all I really aim for. Party anthems were abound as were the drinks and Mikey who was busy wrestling someone every time I turned around. Ok, maybe it was just Hawkins who probably deserved it, but that’s what I remember. Thanks to all of you who came out and made the evening soooooo excellent. I hope you all had a good time, and if you have suggestions in the future let me know. And by the way, that big dude who was belting out ever song is now part of my crew. He will be rolling with me to ever gig and singing over the tunes that I play. On second thought, no he won’t.

After the party, we headed back to my place where Whit and Jenny destroyed every piece of furniture in the house. To put icing on the cupcake Whit thought it would be funny to come in and punch me a number of times while I was sleeping. What a great kid.

Monday came all to soon.

The next day Dan, Max, Jenny, Rebecca, Whit and I headed to 7A for some solid brunch. I was feeling off all day due to the absurd amount of Red Bull and Vodka’s I downed the previous evening. By midday we were back out the house getting a serious hang on and watching the 1st season of the Office. Hawkins, Noah and Karen eventually showed up and we all chilled till the early evening. Later that night, Whit and I met with Rebecca and Jenny for a farewell type dinner at the Japanese steakhouse. They were both really cool ladies who I hope to meet up with at Coachella.

Sunday night ended with a trip to Oveis’ huge L.E.S. apartment for a quick chat and an Office trade off. We swapped the first season for the second. Whit, Jenny and I went back home and caught a couple of episodes before passing out.

Speaking of Coachella, I will definitely be there. Plans are in the making and I’m booking my flight this evening. Let me know if you are going, and hold tight on the accommodation questions, I’ve have to figure out how this is going to be handled.

Again, I want to send a big thanks for all of you who came out for the party on Sunday. You made Sivan and I very happy. There will be more in the near future so keep checking back for the latest.

First up: the News.

I know what you are thinking. Who gives the shit about the news. We want a weekend recap. Well folks, so much happened this weekend, that I'm going to do the news first, and then put together what will be an update of epic proportions. So don't forget to check back. In the mean time... check this shit out.

Sports Warning: Can you believe this? I think the Yankees should go after Nomar and put him at 2nd.

Krist Novolselic will not be running for office in his home state of Washington. In related news, Dave Grohl will be Howard Dean's right hand man if he wins the primary.

Sonic Youth is in the business of selling nothing. Their track Silence has been creating a stir at the iTunes store.

Pitchfork devotes some time to the hottest shit of 2004 while EMI makes a point to restrict it's sales.

Selling the legend. New rock museums are popping up everywhere. We should check one out.

Eminem is interested in buying the Neverland Ranch. What a waste of money, but think of all the kids that will love you. Michael did.

It seems like Ultragrrrl has some heavy influence over the people at Spin. In this review of the Stills show at the Bowery, they give bonus points to the Killers while sounding unimpressed by the Canadians.

Filter lays the claim that Rock is Dead. Wow, thats really profound. Thanks for wasting my time Lesley. Well, maybe rock is dead. If you consider these guys rock.

Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys get ready to officially release Smile.

The Numbers think they have started a trend by getting the indie kids to dance, but wait till they come to NYC. The kids in this town refuse to move.

That's all from the News desk. I'll be working on that write up as much as possible and it will be posted ASAP.

As always, thanks for reading.

Bush League Psych Out Stuff.

Sometimes you wonder what the fuck is wrong with the world. Then you see something like this. Who votes for this stuff. You have a Pope who can barely speak an audible word and you have a mass murder who we also like to call our president. I don't know how Bush could be nominated after his flub. He is a fucking idiot who uses his rediculous religious beliefs to justify his political moves. Do you hear me middle America? He is an IDIOT! Some one should kick his ass. Anyway, what happened to Justin Hawkins. He should at least be considered, (thanks to Jordan for bringing this to my attention).

In A World of Shit.

Right now some good news is necessary. Thanks to Sean Bones my prays are answered. The lucky kids at Cal State Fullerton were treated to a reunion last night of epic proportions. Yesterday, during one of Matt Sharp's solo performances, he was joined on stage by Rivers Cuomo. If Matt plays on Weezer's next record, we may be in for a serious treat. I doubt it would happen, but thank God their relationship has been rebuilt. Only good things can come from this.

Rock to the Roll.

You know how sometimes you can get caught in a bad mood and nothing could change your disposition? No matter how hard you try you can't bring your attitude around despite the internal efforts to change your feelings. Well, following work yesterday evening, I was caught in one of those. With a big night ahead of me, I didn't know how things would change. Lucky for me, I've got one hell of a support group who wouldn't let me even show a glimmer of content for the evening a head of me. Things quickly flip flopped once Kyle came home from work.

Kyle and I hung out until I began cooking dinner for the newly reinstated carnivore named Cami. It has been a long time plan for me to cook her a steak if and when she ever came back to the Dark Side. Since her trip upstate Cami has been munching the meat like its her job. So last night I decided to cook her a dinner of steak, potatoes and some veggies. It turned out to be scrumptious, (naturally, I never had my doubts). We shared the leftovers with Noah and Ryan who had loaded in at the Luna and wanted somewhere to chill out. Eventually Flynn showed up and we drank our way to the show.

Around 9:30pm we shot over to the Luna to catch the big rock show. Much to my pleasant expectation the place was packed and ready for the well crafted tunes of Sam Champion and These Bones. Everyone came out to the show, and the band thanks you for it. You guys made the show great, (even during the impromptu call and response during the Pavement cover). Noah, Jack and Ryan turned it up for a room littered with blonde girls and dudes in tight jeans. Their studio time truly did them well, as they sounded tighter and more confident than ever before. Finally, I could look on and see Noah brimming over with the rock confidence that has always been there, but has yet to fully manifest itself. They played the entire record (I think), and if you are lucky, you already have a copy of their work. If you don't contact Noah or even me, I'd be happy to pass it along. Noah was nice enough to plug the Dj party this Sunday at Bside as well as dedicating one of my favorite tracks, Company Dance, to moi. They brought Matt (of Rana fame) up on stage for Can't See the Stars and holy shit, that boy was on point. He wields a harmonica like Neil Young sans the cocaine. I may not be much of a jangle country fried man, but a couple more shows and I could be fully converted. Keep bringing the rock, we appreciate it.

Between sets I got good chats on with a bunch of kids who had assembled for the big show. Sean came down from upstate. Karen and Sivan canceled practice. The SF crew came out in full force. Stevo hid the best he could in the back. Mandel braved an oncoming cold. And even Oveis took some time off his campaign to show up for the boys. Good thing Sam Champion brought it so hard.

Next on the bill was These Bones who are also fresh off some studio time. I haven't seen these boys since their crazy set in the basement of Lit, so needless to say, this fan was pumped. The always dramatic Kyliee took his place behind the mic and ripped through a song or two before Mr. Sean Sullivan took command of the singing stick. They played the three songs from their old demo, and the new song off the new demos. They were all great. I was standing at the bar when I heard the beginnings of Rugburns. I looked across the bar and saw Noah. I grabbed him and we went it to pay some serious head bang homage to the boys from the north. These Bones have some really solid tracks, and I can't wait to get a hold of a full length. So if you own a label and you are looking for a serious guitar rock band with some real chops on guitar, a front man who plays his role and a tight as hell rhythm section, then get off your ass and sign these guys. You'll be kicking yourself if you don't.

Following the gig, we were standing outside and rumors of Max Fish were floating around. Not being a big fan of that bar and also being sick of hanging out front of the Luna, Cami and I ducked out to head to Johnson's for some $2 PBRs. We were walking down Ludlow when a group of fuckfaces started to yell shit at us. Then I glanced over my shoulder and saw that one of the kids was walking right up behind me. I turned around to ask him if he had a problem, and before I could get to excited I realized it was my friend Brandon (of Alabama Black Snake). We exchanged middle fingers and went on our way. Eventually Mikey, Alister and Builder joined us at the bar and we shot some pool. The night ended with the boys back around the kitchen table talking shit and making fun of Builder's new Steve Urkle inspired style.

The moral of the story is.... I need to quit being a grumpy bitch because no matter how hard I try, it's impossible for me to not have a good time when I'm out with my friends. Rock and Fucking Roll.

It's Friday. You Ain't Got Shit to Do.

Check out the full list of winners from this years NME awards. They seemed to forget one of the biggest U.K. bands of this year. Why the hell don't we have an awards show like this? Well, at least we have the CMAs. Thank Christ.

The BBC newswire covers Courtney's call into Howard Stern's radio show. A girl with a mouth that dirty is only fit for Paul.

I guess when you aren't all smacked out on junk you can accomplish things. Take note all you brown horse riders. Pete may not be the cutest, but he's still my favorite.

Looks like I'm going to be in the business of buying a Cold Mountain soundtrack. But really Pitchfork... Kenny Wayne Shepherd?

The Queens of the Stone Age's line up continues to disinegrate in front of their fans glassy eyes.

Pull out your Burks. It's Boonaroo Time. Is that patchouli I smell?

Liars get the artist spotlight on CMJ. At this point isn't everyone over this band? I have yet to hear the new record, so I'm with holding judgment.

The Sounds put some of their "Living In America" tour on hold so they can open for the Strokes. This is a good ploy for the boys to get into Maja's pants. Lord knows they should try.

If you are the person who stole all of Apollo Sunshine's equipment, you should give it back. That shit isn't cool.

Well, I'm off to begin my Friday. Did I say Friday. That's right folks.

Funny As Hell.

Goto The Hall of Douchebags at Rock and Roll Confidential. Trust me, you won't be dissappointed. It is hilarious, (thanks to Jordan for passing this gem).

Also, Art still gets high and is now paying for it, (thanks to Builder for this one).

Free Rock Show Tonight!

If you aren't aware of the action thats going on tonight, then clear your evening plans and get set for a good time. The boys of Sam Champion and These Bones will be sharing the stage at Luna Lounge in what proves to be a solid gig. Here are the specs:

Thursday, February 12
Luna Lounge (171 ludlow st, btwn Houston & Stanton)
sam champion at 9:30
these bones at 10:30
21+
FREE!

I'll see you there.

More Thursday Night Rock!

If you are in the neighborhood, stop by the Mercury to check out my friend Jordan's band, The Head Set. They are opening for Dopo Yume who are getting back on the horse and gigging out. Here are the specs on their set:

February 12, 2004
Mercury Lounge (217 E Houston
The Head Set at 9:30 pm
Dopo Yume at 10:30 pm
21+
8 Clams

Get there and get rocking.

Holy Sheet!

Take your wardrobe to the next level. Enter to win this pair of Darkness Puma high-tops that will have the ladies swooning and the dudes whimpering, (Thanks to Noah for the link).

The Oh!C.

Holy Shit that was an amazing episode and a Rockstar PotLuck. First let me give a big thank you to Mikey, Sivan, Builder, Josh, Karen, Hole, Megan, Stevo, Hawk, Oveis, Jack, Noah, Bones and Lance for making it a solid dinner. The O.C. breakfast with mimosas was executed to perfection, and I thank everyone for their contributions. Just 6 more days till the next O.C. PotLuck so lets get some menu item ideas out there.

Besides Mikey spilling everything (beer, water, bacon grease, his guts) all over the kitchen things went really well. The food got finished with just enough time for everyone to eat and shut up for the big come back show. I'd like to sit here and recap the show, but that might make some of you question the sexuality of this writer, so instead I'm just gonna give the top three highlights of last nights episode:

#1. Luke is gonna bone Ms. Julie Cooper. He could end up his x-girlfriend's step dad!
#2. Oliver's freak out. We may have seen the end of this head pounding, pill popping, gun touting psycho. And I will miss him.
#3. Sandy Cohen's plea for the keys. Maybe you thought he wasn't gonna let Ryan go to Marissa, and then boom, he decides to drive. Give me the keys. Give me the keys. Give me the keys. I'm driving.

Worst O.C. Moment: That scene in the hall where they used quick cuts and scattered dialogue to make us feel uncomfortable, but really, was any of that necessary? Could they draw out the Anna / Seth break-up any longer?

Ok, Ok, enough of that, I'm gonna have to go engage a co-worker in a conversation about football or red meat.

Shot Through the Heart.

Following the show, Karen, Hole and I headed to the Mercury Lounge to catch the French Kicks set. Unfortunately, there was no list that night, and thus no name on the list. I 86'd the idea and went back home to hang with a tipsy Mike who apparently loves the Stellastarr* record. Eventually Alister, Amy and Builder showed up and we got to eat delicious cupcakes that Amy brought with her.

The evening was capped off with air guitars and head banging from Mikey, Builder and myself. We holed up in my room and listened to NOFX.

Let's Hope I Pull This Off.

As you may know, I had a huge news section worked out yesterday, but one slip of the old index finger led to its deletion. I'm gonna give it another go, so cross your fingers, (sidenote: I don't know why a sentence like the last one would be written. It doesn't make sense to include it, but I'm gonna let it go).

First off, here is the blurb about next week's O.C. episode: It's Valentine's Day and Marissa tries to make up with Ryan just as his ex from Chino drops in, complicating things. Will Seth's day end with a special gift?

This was inevitable. The success of Apple's Ipod has spawned many imitators, but none that are greater than the original. I'm a proud wearer of my white box.

PopMatters has a great review of the sophomore effort from the Walkmen. Bows and Arrows may have to be purchased.

Pitchfork doesn't look to kindle on Kurt's widow's new record, America's Sweetheart. I only disagree with this sentence: Because in the end, journalists and fans have always been more than happy to swallow the goofy, satisfying sleaze of hair metal bands and poorly-aging cockrockers, but a drug-addled, sexually aggressive woman still grosses everybody out. No Way! Plus she skips court... that's hot.

You may have read this in NME yesterday, but here is Pitchfork's coverage of the EMI / DJ Danger Mouse scuffle over the Grey Album. It's too bad EMI can't see what kind of gold mine they are sitting on. That record is the hot music, the hot music.

Today, all over the globe, stoner rock fans will smoke a huge jbird at 4:20 for their fallen heroes.

Paramount pictures gets the rights to Dylan's Life. Expect a poorly done, big budget, biographical picture to be released in the future. Should anyone even try to mess with Don't Look Back?

The most influential people in British culture get listed. Ipod, Potter and The Office. That's some solid company.

Yesterday's Billboard Bits informed us all that Simon Cowell will be on an upcoming episode of the Simpsons. That assbag gets to be a character when they haven't even approached Rivers Cuomo?

Filter provides us with the Track Listing and Album Art for the new Vines record, Winning Days. There is also complete tour info for their North America tour with fellow Aussies Jet and The Living End.

Could this be true? If it is, this boy will be smiling all the way to the box office. On a side note, if the film gets finished, they will legalize joint smoking in the theaters during the viewing.

Ok, so Franz Ferdinand is RockFeedback's band of the week, but do we really have to start with all that "I'm not jumping the bandwagon" bullshit. I mean really, who gives a fuck about how many people dig the record. If I had it my way, your mom, your sister, your dog, your cousins would all be listening to this new record and shitting their pants (yes, literally) because its so fucking good. Give me a break RockFeedback, do you really have to protect your cred.

Click here to learn how to be a punk. This isn't very punk rock. And coming from a Blink 182 loving post punk nerd like myself, that’s a real blow to the ego. When did Pitting become a class at Crunch?

Don't forget about the show tonight. I'll remind you later.

They Say It Isn't Over. It Is.

Another big Tuesday in the books, and for Senator Kerry another couple of big wins for his campaign. As the Kerry machine rolls through two southern states, General Clark's race comes to an end. His week showing in Tuesday's primaries has forced him to throw in the towel. Despite their loss, Dean and Edwards continue to forge ahead in hopes of gaining credibility so they can assist in building the parties platform. At this point its a safe bet to assume that we will be voting for Kerry in the coming Presidential Election. Who will share the ticket with Kerry? Does it really matter? Here is the Times wrap up of the southern scramble.

Tuesday In. Tuesday Out.

Well, yesterday evening I declined some tickets to the Carson Daly show. As Jin let us know, the French Kicks were the house band and Dave Chappelle were scheduled guests, but the daunting task of having to cross over 14th Street was just to much for me. So I opted for another evening on the L.E.S.

It began with me burning the Justin Timberlake album that my boss let me borrow. That's right kids, JT. I don't know what to make of it, but I'm giving it a shot because the boy has pipes. Close your eyes and imagine a poor man's Stevie Wonder. Either way, I'm now leaning toward the converted.

Kyle had rented the documentary, Capturing the Friedmans, so I decided to give it a shot. Watching this film makes you realize that all your family troubles really don't stack up to anything. The Friedmans were a family torn apart by a child molestation case in which the father and son were being tried for over a 100 counts. The film managed to keep in objective point of view and actually (maybe inadvertently) caste doubt on whether or not these men committed these heinous crimes. The problem with the film lies in the complete dysfunction of the entire family. It is sometimes hard to believe, but the only feelings is conjures up (appropriately) is one of disgust mixed with pity for these horrible people. See it and judge for yourself.

Around 8pm Liz stopped by to pick me up for dinner. We headed over to the Clinton Street Bakery which has quickly become a big favorite of mine. The dinner menu was a bit pricy compared to the brunch, but we stuck it out and got some great food. If you are ever there teetering on the decision to get the asparagus and artichoke appetizer, let me make that choice for you. Just say yes. That dish was amazing, but then again, I'm a sucker for artichokes.

Following dinner we caught a drink at the Library where we met the self proclaimed Budda of Wall Street. This cat just moved to the L.E.S. and he told us his story a good three or four times. We humored the nice guy until I saw Cami and DTL pass by the window. I popped out and gave them a yell so they came in and joined us. They were at the Mercury seeing some horrible band whose name isn't worth mentioning. Stevo was the last to come in. Before we knew it, Stevo and I were back at the house with Builder trying to come up with scams so I could make a little more cheddar. Here are so of the ideas that will not be exercised:

1. Deal Cocaine (only a couple ounces a month)
2. Become a gay phone sex operator
3. Go on a Mugging spree
4. Turn a couple tricks in Chelsea
5. Work for it

You Snooze. You News.

I just did a huge news piece, but it was all lost with one key stroke. So maybe I will do some later. There is a bunch of news on new records from the Vines, Walkmen, Hives and Hot Hot Heat. If anything, check out the Pazz & Jop Critics Poll from the Voice.

I’m so pissed right now. It was truly a thing of beauty. Fuck Blogger and their lack of backup. I was copying and pasting the work into Word, and I lost it all. God Dammit.

Thursday Night Plans.

If you didn't already know, Sam Champion and These Bones (see the links on the right side of the page) are playing this Thursday, February 12th at the Luna Lounge. The show will kick off around 9:30pm. And did I mention that its FREE! Come see these bands before the underground turns over. Check out my write up of the gig in this weeks Flavorpill.

When Did Monday's Start Rocking?

My late afternoon was spent cleaning up our apartment. By the time that was finished, all I wanted to do was lay on the couch and keep my solid state of vegetation. Luckily those plans were thwarted my Ms. Brindise. She cruised down to my neighborhood after work, and we headed to Schiller's. The place was packed so we tried to figure out how long the wait would be. While standing there, I began to receive a verbal bashing from some old gay fag. That's right, I said gay fag. Now granted I have no problem with anyone's sexual orientation, (I am still friends with Paul Bothe) but when you start giving me shit about the way I dress and telling me to go to Wendy's (he did!) then you better keep your dandy ass in the West Village. We quickly exited after I called him a dickhead. It was strange, and now I'm starting a Schiller's protest. The place was full of juiceboxes anyway. Fucking Old Gay Fags. He must be in love with Elijah Wood.

So we did what any of us would do after an incident like that, we headed to Festival for some solid Mexican. At this point in my life, I do believe that I sweat guacamole. The amount of Mexican food that is put in this body is scary. It can't stop me though, I love the shit. Nate came into the restaurant to say hello. He had been drinking all afternoon at Johnson's and at that time he was sauced. Cami and I split some beef nachos as an appetizer. Yeah, that's right, she eats meat now and she gets all 10 year old school girl excited about it. It was great. We had a few drinks and headed to the Mercury to catch Arbor Day.

At the Mercury we ran into a bunch of kids who where there to see Dan and the rest of the kids in the band. These guys have seriously improved since the last time I saw them. It was a good idea for Vin to put down the sax and pick up the guitar. He has really improved and is now a great compliment to Dilly. Dan also appears to be growing more and more comfortable with the band. He was throwing solid fills in every where possible while keeping that right arm steady. Bringing it home in the rhythm section was the ever so rocking Joe who has some thick ass bass lines that really pull you through the song. Keep it up boys.

Following the show, Noah helped me take the drum equipment back to my house, and before I knew it there were a bunch of kids there. Sivan had met us at the front door. She stopped by to talk about the O.C. PotLuck. Then Anna, Cami, Erin, Dan and Kevin all cruised in to throw down for a quick hang. I was a bit cross and to those of you who were in the crib, I apologize. I was just grumpy and tired. In the words of Heavy D and the Boys, "I've got Nothing but love for ya".

Make or Break Tuesday.

Today we could see some of the top contenders for the Democratic Nomination bow out of the primary race. The Southern States now have the opportunity to determine the fate of Gen. Clark and Senator Edwards. If they don't show strong numbers in Tennessee or Virginia, aids who are close to the candidates believe they will drop out of the race. I'm still an undecided man who will vote for the ABB candidate, and at this point it looks like I'll be voting for a Kerry ticket. Congratulations Oveis.

If you don't want to vote for these guys, you can still vote for this one. Let's pray this doesn't happen.

The O.C. PotLuck

From Fox's O.C. Homepage:

Ryan's mission to expose Oliver has Sandy and Kirsten doubting their decision to bring him into their home. But what if he's right?

This week's episode should prove to be amazing. With Seth loosing his virginity (to a girl!) and Ryan's obsession with Oliver's bad side boiling over, things could get hectic. Oh, did I mention Oliver holds Marissa hostage. Could this show get better? Bring on the trash.

If I emailed you about the O.C. PotLuck, please respond so I know who can be expected. In my rush to get out the email, I think a couple kats were left off. Email me if that was the case. Sivan and I decided we are doing the O.C. breakfast, and we have a breakdown of items for each of you.

Bringing Up the Rear.

Here is a little recap of the After Parties that followed Sunday evenings Grammy's. The only thing this article really achieves is making you want to fuck Jennifer Love Hewitt. She is into having sex, not into making love.

People of Winnipeg have something to get excited about. For some reason the Pixies have decided to make that the kick off show for their come back tour. Winnipeg. Who the Fuck? What the Fuck?

Clive Davis proves he is still the man. Take notes aspiring industry moguls. This guy is the real deal.

Filter gets a hold of a Swedish import and puts them on the road. The Sounds will be kicking off their North American tour in lovely Milwaukee. Joining them will be Kill Hannah and IMA Robot.

More amazing DVD releases on the way. This one is from Superchunk and it looks delicious. Here is a less exciting DVD.

How did I forget to mention 50 Cent's jaunt across the stage after he lost to some dumb wannabe goth band. What is their name? Effervescence?

The Independent gives us a great article on why Chris Martin may be the poster boy for conscious rock stars. His endorsement of Senator Kerry made some serious wave.

U2 is taking a step in the right direction by bringing back their long time friend Steve Lillywhite who worked on their best records.

Y'all have a great day.

Two Noteworthy Events.

If you don't know, now you know. This Sunday I will be laying down another set of HITS at B-side. Cum Early and Party Late. I'll be taking bathroom makeout requests. Fuck Motherfucker and come down to the real President's Day party. Here are the specs:

BIG DAY OFF
Sunday, February 15 (10pm-2am)
At B-side (204 Ave B, btwn 12/13 St)
J Good Times on the Decks (Punk/HipHop/Soul/Rock)
Drink Specials: 1/2 Price Rheingold (1-2am), Rheingold + Shot of Whiskey $5 (all Night)
And Yes. It's Fucking Free!

Come on down because you know we rocked it last time, and this time will be even better. Whitney from D.C. will be in the city and ready to cop any feels available.

Second on the list of events. Tonight Arbor Day will be playing at the Mercury Lounge. I know many of you don't know about this because these guys don't promote for shit, but come down and give them your support. Dan will be sure to splash some beard sweat your way. Here is the info:

Arbor Day
Monday, February 9 (9pm)
Live! Mercury Lounge (217 E Houston)
8 clams / 21 plus
w/ The Amber Smith

I hope to see you at both of these gigs.

Hail to the Thief!

This is not a post regarding Radiohead. Sorry folks, I still have a grudge with Thom Yorke. Though I may not dig on their music, their last album title couldn't be more relevant. Here is a list of facts (republicans read: Liberal Propaganda) in reference to our Commander and Chief that was passed to me by David. This blog will grow increasingly political as we grow closer to one of the biggest elections of our political infancy. We must come together, not only as blue bloods, but as people who are concerned with the current state of disarray and delusional fear the Bush Administration has imposed on our country. Tell your Mom. Tell your Dad. Tell anyone with the right to vote that we need someone with real "intelligence" to be the leader of the free world. Bush should not have the ability to harness the power of the "World's most powerful country," and here are some reasons why in his own words (not really his words, but written from his perspective:

- I am the first President in U.S. history to enter office with a criminal record.
- I invaded and occupied two countries at a continuing cost of over one billion dollars per week.
- I spent the U.S. surplus and effectively bankrupted the U.S. Treasury.
- I shattered the record for the largest annual deficit in U.S. history.- I set an economic record for most private bankruptcies filed in any 12-month period.
- I set the all-time record for most foreclosures in a 12-month period.
- I set the all-time record for the biggest drop in the history of the U.S. stock market. In my first year in office, over 2 million Americans lost their jobs and that trend continues every month.
- I'm proud that the members of my cabinet are the richest of any administration in U.S. history. My "poorest millionaire," Condoleeza Rice, has a Chevron oil tanker named after her.
- I set the record for most campaign fund-raising trips by a U.S. President.
- I am the all-time U.S. and world record-holder for receiving the most corporate campaign donations. My largest lifetime campaign contributor, and one of my best friends, Kenneth Lay, presided over the largest corporate bankruptcy fraud in U.S. History, Enron. (Fucking Crook!)
- My political party used Enron private jets and corporate attorneys to assure my success with the U.S. Supreme Court during my election decision.
- I have protected my friends at Enron and Halliburton against investigation or prosecution. More time and money was spent investigating the Monica Lewinsky affair than has been spent investigating one of the biggest corporate rip- offs in history.
- I presided over the biggest energy crisis in U.S. history and refused to intervene when corruption involving the oil industry was revealed.
- I presided over the highest gasoline prices in U.S. history.
- I changed the U.S. policy to allow convicted criminals to be awarded government contracts.
- I appointed more convicted criminals to administration than any President in U.S. history.
- I created the Ministry of Homeland Security, the largest bureaucracy in the history of the United States government.
- I've broken more international treaties than any President in U.S. history.
- I am the first President in U.S. history to have the United Nations remove the U.S. from the Human Rights Commission. I withdrew the U.S. from the World Court of Law.
- I refused to allow inspector's access to U.S. "prisoners of war" detainees and thereby have refused to abide by the Geneva Convention.
- I am the first President in history to refuse United Nations election inspectors (during the 2002 U.S. election).
- I set the record for fewest numbers of press conferences of any President since the advent of television.
- I set the all-time record for most days on vacation in any one-year period. After taking off the entire month of August, I presided over the worst security failure in U.S. history.
- I garnered the most sympathy for the U.S. after the World Trade Center attacks and less than a year later made the U.S. the most hated country in the world, the largest failure of diplomacy in world history.
- I have set the all-time record for most people worldwide to simultaneously protest me in public venues (15 million people), shattering the record for protests against any person in the history of mankind.
- I am the first President in U.S. history to order an unprovoked, pre-emptive attack and the military occupation of a sovereign nation.
- I did so against the will of the United Nations, the majority of U.S. citizens, and the world community.
- I have cut health care benefits for war veterans and support a cut in duty benefits for active duty troops and their families -- in wartime.
- In my State of the Union Address, I lied about our reasons for attacking Iraq and then blamed the lies on our British friends.
- I am the first President in history to have a majority of Europeans (71%) view my presidency as the biggest threat to world peace and security.
- I am supporting development of a nuclear "Tactical Bunker Buster," a WMD.
- I have so far failed to fulfill my pledge to bring Osama Bin Laden [sic] to justice.

Stand with the rest of the free world in November when we add Bush to the list of unemployed. Don't be fooled by his bullshit Freedom Rhetoric. It's a ploy to lure the stupid.

Grammy's Rock.

I know what you are thinking. Watching the Grammy's isn't very punk rock, but you know what, I did it anyway, and dammit it was worth it. All my dreams came true when Celine Dion was singing into a broken microphone. And that wasn't even the high point. Let's take a minute to reflect on how FUCKING ROCK AND ROLL the White Stripes were last night. Jack and Meg held it down in their fashion. They roared through versions of Seven Nation Army and Son House's Death Letter Blues with a fury that must have left Middle America with wet crotches. I can't even imagine a 12 year old kid in Kansas seeing that and not suddenly having the desire to purchase the best guitar their local Wal-Mart has to offer.

My second favorite moment came directly after their performance when Andre 3000 got called for one of Outkast's three trophies. His delayed arrival to the stage followed by a speech no longer than the words, "Thank You," was so fucking spot on. I nearly fell to the ground laughing. I was psyched to see them take home the Album of the Year though I was pulling for the Detroit duo.

Other performances that were amazing include: Justin Timberlake's performance with Arturo Sandoval. Yeah, I said it. I enjoyed it. The boy has soul, and it can't be disputed. The Foo Fighter's pair-up with Chick Corea paled in comparison, and on second thought, what the hell was Chick wearing? And lest I forget, Outkast's... well Andre's... moves during his performance of the fucking best song ever, aka Hey Ya, were tip top. I took notes, so be prepared for the look next time I hit a dance floor. Honorable mention goes to the sex that oozed over during the Prince and Beyonce number. Hova is a lucky man.

Other titillating incidents include: Samuel L. Jackson's rant and rave about funk. That man has the fever, but P-Funk didn't sit to well. Coldplay won some award, but I really don't care. Norah Jones acted like she hadn't gotten laid in ages. What was up her ass? And finally, the Osborne's were charming, as always. Ozzy in a neck brace. Oh that was a riot.

What happened to the Beatles tribute. Oh I remember, it was bullshit.

Here is a link to Billboard's roundup of the awards. And here is a list of the Winners.

Waste of a Weekend.

If you didn't see me this weekend it was with good reason. I didn't do much of anything, and it was beautiful. Thanks to all of you who kept me company while I pulled some serious hang time. Friday night Dan, Steve and Noah came over for awhile. Eventually Phoebe showed up and we settled into the documentary Spellbound. This film was great. Go rent it now, its an absolute riot. Oh, I also saw Lost in Translation for the first time, and I think I have a new favorite film. Everything Bill Murray touches turns to gold.

Saturday was a bit more exciting. Noah and I caught American Splendor in which Paul Giamatti turned in a darkly hilarious portrayal of Harvey Pekar. This film was another fantastic piece of work. In fact, if you haven't seen any of the flicks I've mentioned, get to your local video cassette borrower and rent them.

I was lucky enough to be invited out to dinner with Stevo and his pops. We headed to Spark's Steak House in midtown. It was a nice joint. So nice in fact, that yours truly wore a sport coat and even a collared shirt. The dinner and drinks were the best I've had in ages. Despite doctor's orders, I went for the sirloin and if it kills me, I'll die happy. That was one tasty animal.

Following dinner we headed downtown, at my suggestion, to Rue B to catch some classy drinks and a little jazz. Mr. Marks seemed to enjoy the place so I felf my job had been done. Hawkins, Christie, Anoush, Erin and Cami showed up at the bar and we all had drinks till I couldn't see straight. We also ran into Phoebe and Christain, but that's where the night begins to blur. Hawkins, Christie and I rolled down to Sofie's, but as soon as I walked in, I realized it wasn't anything I could handle in my highly inebriated state, so I bolted home.

Yesterday was a complete waste. By complete, I mean complete. Don't even ask.

The O.C. Returns.

That's right kids. This week the O.C. returns with an all new episode. We need to get the ball rolling on dinner plans. This one will be epic, so get the mice moving. We need menu ideas. Email me what you got.

Bits and Bites.

If you missed it, read the transcript of President Bush's conversation on Meet the Press. Tim Russert put the Commander and Chief on the hot seat, and Bush didn't respond well. If you remain apolitical, just look at the economies figures during the past 4 years. If that isn't reason to get off your ass and vote, then you my friend should move to Canada.

If you haven't heard Queens yet, you will. In the mean time, listen to the original. Hell, they got voted best rock anthem ever and I must agree.

Coachella line-up is finalized. Yes Paul, I'll be there. Don't ever call me again.

I cover a lot of Unicorns' press, but with good reason. These guys are young, funny and they play great music on top of it all. Check out a sit down Junkmedia had with the Canadian two-some.

Whirlwind Heat gets a little help from their big sister.

Strokes spring tour dates sans NYC.

I need this single. Why won't record stores carry this damn single. If I don't get it soon, someone is gonna be in trouble.

Emily Haines is cute. Really cute. And her band, Metric, though at times they remind you a the dumbest kids from high school, play some great tunes. Come see them with me this Friday at the Bowery.

Thats the last of it.

Past Couple Days.

Despite all this wear and tear my heart is enduring, I couldn't let it stop me from seeing the rock. Wednesday night it was brought in full force. Builder, Rob and I popped into Kai Kai for a quick Thai bite before heading into the Mercury Lounge to see a big rock show. First on the bill was the Chicago four-piece called the Changes. I really wanted to see these guys because the Bahamas played a show at the Knit with them last year and they were impressive. Wednesday showed the same promise for these guys. They play melodic pop with hints of the Smiths, the Clash (on the reggae tip) and some Costello. Hopefully these guys will be coming around again. I hear that some kats at Startime are watching their progress.

Next up was Child Ballads featuring Stewart who is the former lead singer of Jonathan Fire Eater. This duo took nearly an hour to set up two guitars so I wrote them off quickly. Their 4 song set didn't impress me at all and Stewart's Perry Farrell manurisms were overplayed. Their songs could have used work. It seemed like one big chorus with little variation between each tune. It was boring and it was holding up the rest of the evening.

Bring on the Shout Out Louds! This swedish rock band took me by surprise. Good straight ahead rock that is heavy on the keys and the vocalists apprehension (intentional or not) was welcomed. I got to chat with Jinners for awhile and she passed me the Dirty on Purpose recording which is pretty solid. Go check them out at the Knit tonight.

The French Kicks were up next, and by this time I was sauced. They played tons of new tunes. It was the first time I saw the band with Nick as the official front guy. His lanky body was a bit scary, and I thought he was going to go through the roof, but they delivered a stellar French Kicks performance. We can only speculate on how the next record will fair in the press, but hopefully it will do better than the last.

Getting By With A Little Help.

Well, I'm now in Kinko's checking my email. I left work early because the chest pain just won't quit. I want to send a quick thanks to all of you who dropped me a line with concern. Rest assured Hugs and Morphine is all I need.

Here are some links from kids looking to help the hurt:

Whitney passed me this jem on how David Hasselhoff stopped the Cold War. Let's here it for this guy!

Noah dropped me this link to a review of what could be the movie of the year. Upon Beach's return we will drinking 40's and hitting this thing up. Anything with sports is automatically good. He also sent me this French Kicks interview with some NYU assbag.

Christian sent me this link to the new Courtney Love video and he claims its the best thing ever. You be the judge.

And finally Paul sent me this piece of gold. Are you Mary Kate or Ashley Olsen? Check this out. Genius.

That's it for now. This was all a bit rushed. These bastards charge you by the minute. Can anybody help me steal the internet? I don't mean the whole thing. Just enough so I can do this from the comfort of my own home. Hopefully I'll see you all later.

A Jay Belin Update.

First of all let me clear some things up. The spotty blogging during the past couple days can be attributed to my fucking health problems. I didn't go into work yesterday because of the continuous chest pains that I've been dealing with. I don't know what the problem is, but I took a trip to the doctor to see if she could help me. It was my first trip to a doctor in 3 years, and it took little time to remember why. Well, it actually took a lot of time. I waited for nearly 2 hours before my doctor saw me.

Half of this time was spent in an actual examine room where I played my Ipod Music quiz while waiting. You will be happy to know that I got 78 out of 100 songs right which I think is pretty damn good. So the doc came in and stripped me down so she could do an EKG. After the first reading she let out an "Oh." What the Fuck? Who lets out an "Oh"? That's some shit. So she took another reading and informed me that there is an abnormality in my heart rate. She faxed the EKG results to cardiology and the wait was once again on.

Nearly an hour later, I was called back into the examine room where the doctor informed me that cardiology believes its a skeletol or muscular virus, so blood work had to be done. The doctor proceeded to draw piles of blood from my right arm. It seemed like 10 minutes of a needle in my arm was all I needed to set off my heart again, but luckily I made it through. She sent the 7 viles of blood off with some nurse and gave me some meds. At this point she informed me that I would be called today with the results. Pending on the outcome, I may have to go in for a stress test. Either way, I'm not gonna sweat it, but if you see me out this weekend clenching my chest, give me a break and don't bust my balls.

Wednesday Night Update

In case you didn't know, tonight's Mercury show has not sold any advance tickets and therefore it has not sold out. Get there on the early side if you want to participate in night of solid rock. I forgot to mention Child Ballads will be playing early, which is fronted by Whitney's friend Stewart who was the former lead man of Johnathan Fire Eater. Hopefully I'm right this time.

Late Breaking News. Emphasis on the Late.

First of all, have any of you seen the Z100 Television spot featuring Britney Spears' crotch. My friend David just informed me that it has been around for awhile, but the video's behind her and her silky nighty are new. So they are recycling ad this on the premise that her vagina attacks listeners. They might be on to something. Does Britney have one of those tattoos placed right above her happy patch? Someone should let me know, (C'mon Christian, I know you've seen it).

In less important news, there were several Primaries held yesterday. Kerry took 5 states while Edwards and Clark kept their campaigns alive with wins in South Carolina and Oklahoma respectively.

If you can't get to Indio, you may have another shot at seeing the Pixies. Frank Black lets us know that they plan to tour this year. Your plane ticket to one of these shows may be a bit more expensive than Coachella.

Filter's newest issue brings together the Strokes and Lou Reed. Do you think Lou let Julian shit in his mouth? Nah, I bet those days are over. They probably just made out.

Go figure. Robert and the rest of his crew get set to work on a new record. These guys lay more tracks than a preteen still in diapers.

Some big releases were dropped yesterday. The biggest being the Walkmen's 2nd full-length, Bows and Arrows (reviewed by the A.V. Club here), The Mountain Goats and the Microphones.

The Unicorns keep the PR machine rolling. Here is a brief review of W.W.C.O.H.W.W.G. by Junkmedia. Go buy this record, its really solid.

Jack White claims to have put Elephant on the shelf and will take some R & R before working on a new record prior to the U.K. summer festival circuit.

I didn't know the Exploding Hearts had more tracks on record. I've got to get myself a copy of this 7" before its way to late. R.I.P. E.H.

You can take the punk out of the scene, but you cannot take the punk out of the punk. Johnny gets his mouth washed out with soap for a few curses.

Bowie extends his Reality Tour just a bit longer. Bowie at Jones Beach. Please sir, may I have some more.

This David Berman article is for Noah and Cami. That's it.

Check out the new look of the Stereo Effect. I used to write for these guys, and can be found in the archive... but be mindful, they didn't edit me. Big mistake. Just ask Liz my personal gramma hamma.

Uh Oh! Free Williamsburg starts what might be a train of bad press for the upcoming TVoR full-length debut. If they don't like their own poster boys, who will?

Ok, gotta run. Call me if you want to pregame before the Mercury.

Die, Alright!

Allow me to apologize for the last couple days. I've been put out of commission by a couple of health problems. Don't you go worrying yourself. I'm planning to see a doctor tomorrow afternoon, and hopefully they can just tell me its stress. Until then, relay this message for me.

If that God of yours wants to take me out, tell him or her that they better come with something a bit stronger. I'm still here, so bring it on.

NO.C. PotLuck? Fuck it, Bring the Rock.

As you may already know, Fox has decided to destroy my Wednesday night by not showing any O.C. That's right, no rerun, no newbie, no nuffin. Those bastards don't know they are killing me... slowly. In any event, if you are staying home tonight, make sure to catch American Idol. This has been the first season in which I've seen a whole episode, and let me tell you, I'm impressed. The amount of juicebags that make it through to the finals is enough to keep you entertained until the O.C. returns.

If television doesn't suit your fancy, why don't you check out a few of the other options being thrown at you tonight:

1. The Notwist @ Bowery Ballroom
2. Modest Mouse @ Irving Plaza
3. French Kicks, Shout Out Louds and The Changes @ Mercury Lounge (I'll be at this one)
4. Adam Mandel is Spinning @ Black & White (10th St)

Past Couple Days.

Bed Stricken could best describe my past couple days. On Monday night Phoebe came over to lay the ground work for a party night we are planning in the near future. We are hoping to put together a party that will bring you cheap drinks and solid dance tunes. We will keep you posted with the info as it begins to take serious shape. During our hang time, we decided to order from Tiny's Sandwich shop. It was the first time I had done so despite the good things coming from roommate Josh's mouth. While skimming the menu I noticed there was a Spicy Rizzack sandwich which is also the name of Sivan's boyfriend, Josh's band. I wanted to get to the bottom of this chicken & egg like mystery, so I called Sivan and she told me the band got a sandwich named after them. Crazy shit huh. Maybe not, but it is a personal goal of mine to get a sandwich named after me.

Tuesday I woke up still feeling like hell in a handbag so I called off work. Stevo decided to keep me company so we had a pool shark double feature with the Hustler and Color of Money. If only my name was Fast Eddie, I might amount to something. Tuesday quickly faded out, and now I'm working on Wednesday.

Lane Bryant Sponsored.

Ms. Ediken just called to let me know that there is a link below my hit counter for Lane Bryant, the oversized woman's clothing store. I'm happy to have them as a sponsor. I don't really know where this link came from, but I think it's great. As a wise man once said, "My anaconda don't want none unless you've got buns hun." And as Erin pointed out, Lane Bryant is spelled wrong. This blog is going to hell and I'm navigating.

What To Do With Wednesday Night.

Someone at Fox has decided to burst my bubble. This Wednesday there will be no O.C. which means there will be no PotLuck. This midweek activity is a long time favorite of mine, well not to long, but it rocks, and now I don't have a reason to invite a bunch of girls over to impress them with my kitchen skills. That's some shit.

Why Won't This Lasts Forever?

Get a warm cup of coffee and settle in. I'm gonna try to recap this weekend the best I can. Some of these stories happened while I was passed out in the corner of a hotel room, but they need recognition none the less.

Let me begin with the road trip. The trip to Lancaster consisted of 8 brave souls who were poised for rocking. We split the team into two cars. Stevo, Ghory, Mike and Amy took Erin's car (thank you so much Erin!) while Beach, Daylen and I were in with Builder. The trip was going well, and we were making perfect time. Beach even played me the new Franz Ferdinand full-length so I was beyond copasetic. We were barreling down the Jersey Pike when Beach first noticed that something was amiss. He mentioned it to the rest of the vehicles occupants, but Builder assured us that he knew, "Exactly where we need to go." As we continued to forge ahead, Delaware grew closer and closer. Around Exit 3 panic struck the car so we pulled into a service station. I asked Builder about the kids who were supposed to be following them, and he replied, “I just thought we lost them. I was driving pretty fast.” Once we were inside the station we realized that we should have hit the PA Pike nearly 30 miles ago. We managed to develop a plan that would take us into Delaware and then have us shoot a diagonal up to Lancaster. We were golden. Or so we thought.

We had made it to the first leg of our new direction when a sign stated that arrival in Lancaster would rely on us abandoning our new plans. We pulled into a shoulder and hit the phones. Beach called Oveis while I called Hawkins. Between the two we managed to figure out the correct path. We rolled into the Ramada nearly 2 hours later. Funny enough, as we walked to the elevator Jim James of My Morning Jacket stepped out and informed us that he was heading to the club to catch the opener.

We met up with the rest of the kids and did a high speed pregame. In the matter of an hour, we were well on our way. We headed to the Chameleon Club in just enough time. As we entered the joint, the Jacket was taking the stage to a huge room of hungry PA types and kids from all over. Their show was fantastic. Though it leaned toward the new material, their set was played with some serious rock n’ roll conviction. If you haven’t seen the beauty that is the Jacket in the flesh, get your ass to their next concert and be prepared to be knocked down, (and I don’t mean a unassuming Culkin knockdown, I mean an upset girlfriend kick in the balls). They are that good. The hair, the guitars, and the cheap beer all added to an evening of ridiculous hedonism.

Following the gig, we headed to the basement for 50 cent drafts and conversations with the locals. I met a nice girl from Harrisburg whose name now escapes me, but she is in a band and loves the Jacket. We headed back to the Ramada where my surely ass passed out by 12:30am after a brawl with my roommate. I missed hallway chair races, pretzel fights and a 4am session of throwing everything around the pool into the pool in an attempt to create what Stevo called, “An underwater Oasis.”

Saturday was hell for me. I spent the morning sick as a dog, but soon recovered after I popped my Waffle House Cherry. Our waitress, Nina, was such a sweet girl and she hooked up our food something wonderful. We arrived back in the NYC by 5pm and concluded that the trip was the, “Definition of Top Notch.”

Saturday Looked Good To Me.

Not even three hours after returning home, we were preparing for battle once again. Phoebe and I planned to catch some grub at 7A, and much to my dismay (or delight, at this point I can’t decide) we ordered some Mexican appetizers. A drink or two later and we had made it back to my place to slug a PBR before heading to the Bowery to see another Stills gig.

We managed to miss both of the openers and rolled into the back corner just as the Stills were taking the stage. Tonight they had a projection screen hanging behind them and images, reminiscent of Alkaline Trio’s, artwork were dancing around during their set. It added to the overall stellar performance by these Canadian boys. Their confidence was boiling over and with good reason. Two sold out nights at the Bowery is nothing to shake a stick at, (what the hell does that mean). The vocals didn’t seem as shaky as Thursdays, and even the drummer’s song was tighter. After some discussion with Phoebe we decided that their songs are a great timestamp of our demographic amidst the horrible fear tactics of the Bush administration. I hope this band can keep it up for a second effort.

Following the show, we bounced around the L.E.S. in search of the Vice after party at Happy Ending. A few mistakes later, we arrived at the bar and made it to the basement where Carlos D was spinning records and Vice was keeping the alcohol free. We ran into more of the Cali crew who were taking as much advantage of the free bar as physically possible. Nate, Brian, Phoebe and I eventually rolled back to Phoebe’s place for a night cap and some chats about SXSW. Another great evening in the books.

No More Football.

It’s over. I can’t believe it’s over. Last night the Carolina Panthers lost to the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. It was a great game and the Panthers covered the spread so I’m a happy camper. We spent the game at Daylen and Beach’s apartment. It was crowded, but all the hits showed up. I concocted a huge plate of nachos and we ordered a pile of wings. That grub coupled with the PBR made for a solid evening. My personal highlight was the half time tit show. I’m glad to see one of the Jackson’s isn’t embarrassing the family. And by one I mean Tito.

And the winners of the commercial medals (In my opinion) are:

Bronze: Monkey on Your Back
Silver: Simpson’s MasterCard Commercial
Gold: NFL “Tomorrow Tomorrow” Commercial

If You Can Keep Reading, Here is the News.

It's the 25th anniversary of the death of Sid Vicious. Read the official report here. God bless that boy what he did for so many disillusioned youth in search of escape from their plots. He may have sucked at singing and playing bass, but damn that boy had the touch.

Is it March yet? One Weezer fan is on the edge of his seat in anticipation of this release. Mykel and Carli, Jamie and a pile of other tracks are going to be on this record. I can't wait.

Dr. Dre also throws some fuel on the anticipation fire. This will have Dan pissing his pants. Literally.

In honor of yesterday's Super Bowl half time spectacular, the Times has done a report on lip synching. This coming prior to that horrible display by Nelly at the big game.

Can you believe this article from the Post. They are upset with yesterday's half time sex romp, but I thought this was right up their ally.

Pussy problems at CBGB's. Is this a real story?

The Coachella roster continues to grow with the additions of Wilco and the Flaming Lips. That's it. I'm fucking going.

The Guardian gushes over Yoko Ono's artwork. I've never seen her work, but after this article I believe its necessary.

I really have to get to work.

Losing My Cred.

Thanks to the watchful eye of Mr. Pearl I am now sitting here in indie shame. On a previous post (and its still below) I made a comment that compared the Killers front man to Ham of the Walkmen. At the end of the sentence I made the claim that Ham is an x-Fire Eater, and I couldn't be more wrong. Ham was in the Recoys while Matt and Walt were a part of Johnathan Fire Eater. My apologies to all of you. Stoner Boner.

Sunday, February 29, 2004

Friday, February 27, 2004

Thursday, February 26, 2004

Wednesday, February 25, 2004

Tuesday, February 24, 2004

Monday, February 23, 2004

Friday, February 20, 2004

Thursday, February 19, 2004

Wednesday, February 18, 2004

Tuesday, February 17, 2004

Friday, February 13, 2004

Thursday, February 12, 2004

Wednesday, February 11, 2004

Tuesday, February 10, 2004

Monday, February 09, 2004

Friday, February 06, 2004

Wednesday, February 04, 2004

Monday, February 02, 2004

Sunday, February 01, 2004

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