All I Ever Dreamed Of.

So I don't want to sound like a snot, but really I don't give a fuck so I'm going to say it. Getting free shit is awesome. If keeping a blog and trying to start a publication is all that's necessary for scoring free records, then count me in. Today was the strangest receipt ever. Propped against our door at 186 was a copy of Styx, Rockers. I don't know how it got there or why, but thank you to the mystery delivery person. Show your face so I can spit beer on it!

If you have some free time, check out the hilariously well done Jason Forest video for Steppin' Off on the Waverly Films website. These kids are a bunch of chaps who went through NYU at the same time as me. We shared some late night boozers together. Good kids with serious talent. You'll also find videos for The Thrills, VHS or Beta and Fatboy Slim on the site.

Speaking of the Waverly; Moser and I had lunch their today and you can bet your ass I had the Waverly Melt.

posted by jayloose at 5:52 PM 73 comments   

Over The Hills And Everywhere.
My favorite hymn from my formidable years as a Catholic School Boy was Go Tell It On the Mountain. It was one of the few songs that forced my ass off the stiff wood pew and encouraged my prepubescent voice cry out to the higher power. Last night another mountain impressed me enough to believe in a higher power; at least geographically. When someone describes a band by using the word psychedelic I immediately become skeptical. Outside of a few bands doing the psych rock style justice, (Dead Meadow and The Warlocks) I usually get turned off by what seems to be another blatant attempt to mesh influences by bands my mom used to see at lazar rock shows. Not that this is a bad thing, but like some of my friends, I’m not into psychedelics. My reality is hard enough to deal with, (even though I have it pretty good). This idea of psychedelic has me instantly think extended jams and obnoxious guitar riffing. There is also the notion of psychedelic as highlighted in the Nuggets box set, but we all know that has morphed into Neu Garage which has all but fallen off the radar. Last night Black Mountain became a welcomed addition to my current psychedelic rock favorites.

My evening started with a welcomed shift at the Bowery for the Regina Spektor show. Not realizing the temperature was going to drop, I cruised out of 186 in less than the required gear. Thankfully the night was such a breeze. The label reps were super nice and Dave is always a killer guy to have on the team. Once we closed down, I said hello to everyone working downstairs then shot upstairs to catch a couple songs. Not being too familiar with Spektor outside of her vocal track on that Strokes B-side, I was pleasantly surprised to see an extremely earnest redhead prancing about the stage singing about, “Kissing someone close to you so you both get practice.” She is so cute you could bottle her up and sell her to tourists. Cara popped by and we chatted for a couple minutes before Mr. Beardsley and I headed to Mercury.

On our way to the back room, we snagged a quick drink and said hello to Ari Upwelling who always seems to be in great spirits. He filled me in on what I missed in terms of Crystal Skulls. The back corner was stuffed full of familiar faces that included: Beach, Daylen, DJ Del, Tumblehawk, Christina Flavorpill, Lucy, Tracy Lordz, Jintastic, Mr. Beardsley, Sladyk in the Box and a happily drunk Gigs. A very solid crew was assembled for the kick ass rock show during the final hours of Wednesday night.

Hailing from what the bass player called, “Downtown Canada,” Black Mountain isn’t your typical band. The five-piece includes guitar, bass, drums, keys and a wildcard lady who adds harmonies, cowbell, tambourine and even some melodica to the mix. At times they caught grooves that flashed me back to last weeks Dead Meadow show, but they didn’t ride them nearly as long. The bass player hammered away at some great melodies that came across very tasty and even a bit funky. There was also some (intentional?) fuzz seeping from the President of the North American Beard Club’s guitar. This guy made Grizzly Adams look like a poor man’s Barry Gibb. Anyway, this band sounds like they discovered their parent’s acid rock records, smoked an ounce of grass and decided to compose music. There were hints of the obligatory reference points, but Black Mountain definitely took the cue from their predecessors and redefined heavy.

If you feel the need to see what I’m talking about (trust me, you do), then get off your ass and head to Asterisk* tonight where Black Mountain and Crystal Skulls are playing a gig. It’s only 6 bones, and Todd P’s site has all the details. If not there are a couple other shows worth noting:

1. Album Leaf w/ Bloodthirsty Lovers @ Mercury Lounge: This show has yet to sellout which is surprising after all the great press both bands have received, (Tickets).

2. The Giraffes w/ The Diggs @ Sin-e: Do you like hard rock as much as me? Do you want to see a man play riffs for an entire set? Then go to this show, (Tickets).

3. Say Hi To Your Mom w/ Aqueduct & Effel Tower @ Northsix: Eric’s songwriting continues to excel. Go welcome Say Hi To Your Mom home after a tour following their SXSW appearance, (Tickets).

Does Sucking Dick Make You Gay?
Should we be chastised for our former music atrocities? I’d have to lean towards live and learn status. There are definitely some shows that I’m ashamed to say I attended. The numerous Less Than Jake shows along with some even crappier ska/punk bands will continue to haunt my past. But I’m not ashamed. Neither should you Mr. Bravery lead singer guy. Don’t let the man get you down. Your band doesn’t suck because you used to play in Skabba the Hut. Your band sucks because it’s a copy of a copy of a copy, (to use Palanhiuk’s language). Dance Revival is so 2002. The Killers are so 2004. Hating The Bravery is so 2005. Does this mean I agree with The Killers? I guess so, (punching myself where my balls should be).

posted by jayloose at 2:42 PM 12 comments   

Eminem Was Wrong!
TICKET UPDATE: Buy Tickets on Thursday, March 31st at 12noon! Don't miss out!

Whoever said you only get one shot is full of shit. Saints be praised! The Shins have confirmed a third night at Webster Hall. They will play Monday, April 25th in addition to their soldout 23rd and 24th dates. Ticket information has yet to be released. Check the Bowery Presents calendar and the Webster Ticketweb page. This show might sell out as quick as the others so you won't want to miss out.

On another note... who thinks the new Caribou single sounds exactly like Neu?

posted by jayloose at 3:45 PM 4 comments   

posted by jayloose at 2:55 PM 0 comments   

Never One To Sit Still.
If you aren’t heading to the sold out Vagina Spektor show at The Bowery Ballroom this evening, then you should stop by the Mercury Lounge for a solid bill featuring some acts I’m not too familiar with and one that I heart more than most. The Big Sleep hit at 8:30pm and are flowed by Crystal Skulls (9:30pm) and Black Mountain (10:30pm). Get stoned and go have some fun. Send me thank you notes tomorrow.

*** Stream the new Hot Hot Heat record, Elevator or if you’re really bored stream The Bravery’s self-titled debut.

*** I love The Strokes. You do too. Don’t deny it. If you think you don’t love this band, then go home, listen to Is This It in its entirety and tell me you don’t dig it. It’s what made 2001 such a cool year, well, before all that other stuff that made us forget. Anyway, they are nearing completion of their third record. Excited? You bet.

*** Speaking of Pitchfork, they seem to hit the nail on the head in this review of New Order’s Waiting for the Sirens’ Call. Sometimes I think Bernard Sumner should have been my dad.

*** Weezer, please please please don’t let me down. Just put out a good record and quit being such pussies about it. How much does it cost to get a tattoo removed?

*** Can’t get your art in a museum? Man the fuck up and do it yourself.

*** Lollapalooza is back, but not in tour format. After last year’s colossal fuck up, Perry has brought the festival back as a two day event in Chicago. Now that is totally unfair. Chicago gets the Pitchfork festival and Lollapalooza featuring Beck, Kings of Leon and The Killers for starters.
*** I’m going to need to find a cash machine.

*** Please open your mouth… So I can pee in it.

*** U2 is on the most important tour of the summer. At least The NYPost seems to think so. They will never stop touring. Not as long as Bono can do gravity defying leg kicks.

*** Ok, now I’m pissed. The Black Keys announce a national tour, but they don’t book a date in New York. Their last stop at the Bowery was a top five night of 2004.

Argghhhh. Oh, if you blinked, you missed it. Bright Eyes sold out in five minutes. Don’t let the same happen with Spoon. On a sidenote, WOXY just had an advertisement that said the “WOXY the future of rock n’ roll” then ripped into The Hives' track Hate To Say I Told You So. Didn’t that come out in 2000? I still love them even if I’m a snide little prick.

posted by jayloose at 1:36 PM 5 comments   

Buy Your Tickets Now.
So you’re pissed you got shut out of the two Shins shows? Deal with it. You should have been on top of the ticket situation. Since you weren’t I’m giving you some insight to upcoming Webster Hall shows. All the Webster haters can eat it. The sound is better and the space is better. Now here is that information. Have your credit cards ready and go to Ticketweb’s Webster Hall page:

Bright Eyes w/ The Faint (May 21-25): Tickets on sale today at 12:00pm!

Rilo Kiley (May 26-27): Tickets on sale today at 2:00pm!

Spoon w/ The Clientele (June 8-9): Tickets on sale today at 2:00pm!

The Dears w/ The Shout Out Louds (June 11): Tickets on sale now!

A Lovely Bunch Of Coconuts.
Yesterday we collectively logged a terrific tequila Tuesday. This doesn’t save me from the ‘I just drank diesel fuel’ coffee breath that’s rocking my insides, but it does mean I’m leaning toward the happy side. Another reason this is a surprise is the mild heart attack I had this morning on my walk to work when out of the corner of my eye, I caught someone running right at me. Thankfully it was Jenna whom I haven’t seen since our trip to the Central Park Gates, (wow that was a long time ago). We chatted for a minute before she left to enjoy her day off while I was left to my windowless office. No worries though. Things are tip top.

Following a horrendous afternoon in my office characterized by unnecessary stress, I stopped by the Mercury to pickup my paycheck. Dan was dutifully working the box office so we had a chat about the crazy upcoming schedule at Webster. As some guy pulled out his wallet to purchase a ticket to the Eagles of Death Metal show on next Tuesday, I advised him to get there early because The Hold Steady are awesome. He thanked me and informed us that he’s in the band. Upon his departure, Dan commented, “That’s definitely blog worthy,” which cracked me up. Gigs came down with da money, and I took a quick walk with her to snag some afternoon coffee. I wasn’t ready for her scolding in regards to not getting on stage in the Bunny costume. Gigs gave me some serious shit, but I see her point. I’m not a stage person, but it was Easter and Peelander-Z played. Anyway, we got back to the Mercury and I listened as Dan gave me some advice on Brooklyn living versus Manhattan living. Thanks Dan.

Back at 186 I cooked up some mean grilled cheese sandwiches to go with my nasty overcooked chicken soup. Kyle kept me laughing as he got us blacklisted from Tiny’s for giving the girl attitude for not including his dressing. Don’t ever cross Kyle because he’ll make you feel like an idiot and a dick all at once. He’s trained to do so. Christina came over so we could do some work on the Loose Record website while Josh, Sky and Chris argued about Pay Pal. Around 9pm Christina and I headed over to the club for a Sam Champion rock show.

As we rolled into the Mercury there were familiar faces abound. It was good to see the boys in the band after a brief departure for the festival and tour. They spent the day shooting and interviewing for a couple publications. It’s great to see them getting some much deserved attention. There was also tons of old hits in the club including, and forgive me if you aren’t on here, Jersey Dan, Trowbridge, Beach, Daylen, Mia, Denise, Christine, Ramie, Kari, Helen, Joey, Emma, Pooja, Stevo, Builder, Elise, Dave, Greg, Mike, Maggie, Ackerman, DJ Del, Beckwith, Alister, Jody and a few more monkeys. Thanks to Jersey Dan for hooking up a couple drinks and the obligator Tuesday Tequila shot that we shared with Dave, Mia and Christine.

Sam Champion delivered another set of slacker laced rock. Now some bands might get offended by the use of the word slacker, and if Sam Champion is they can kiss my ass. It’s not as if they don’t bring it, in fact they brought it pretty fucking hard last night, (as evident in Sean’s attempts to leg kick and Jack’s need to take of his glasses). Their sound lends itself to a lazy summer barbeque where everyone has a hotdog and is standing around the horseshoe pit. They play good time rock n’ roll that should induce more sing-a-longs and hand claps, but we’ll just have to wait for their record to drop. They got some help from Matt from RANA on the keys for a few songs. He always adds a nice layer to their Americana Indie rock. Anyway, I don’t know what’s next for them, but keep your ears peeled because everyone should see these kids.

Christina, Stevo, Maggie and I made a hasty exit following the show. We cruised over to 2A where Donovan was tending bar. We had drinks while talking about jean bulges, words that disgust us and the Christina’s dorky tendencies. As the night pressed on, we were joined by Builder, Becky, Christina and the Birthday Girl, Allie. Around midnight Builder and I put an ax through the evening and shot back to 186. A nice little Tequila Tuesday indeed.

posted by jayloose at 11:25 AM 3 comments   

Time To Rethink Your Strategy.
Last weekend fell flat on its face. It all began with a shift at the Bowery for the Kaiser Chiefs show that also featured Morningwood and Johnny Lives. Everything went according to plan and the work hardly had that feel of being work. Paul was in the club pimping Capitol’s Morningwood to some press people, but he managed to keep me company for a good part of the evening. Once they closed the 2nd door, I cruised downstairs for a drink before running up to the main floor to catch the last few songs of The Kaiser Chiefs. This show left me with the same feeling as their show at Mercury. It was nothing spectacular musically, but the boys get by on some serious charisma and bouncy pop sing-a-longs to which I’ve yet to learn the words. Sarah and I danced around in the back as they blasted through a song that straight ripped from Pennywise’s epic tribute track Bro Hymn. After the last note, I grabbed my gear and hit the streets.

There were two stops to make before my tired ass could get to bed. The first was at Orchard Bar where Ashley was having her birthday party. She was properly sauced as was the rest of the Dirty Jerz crew. Cara, Kat, Chuck and I sat on a bench while Paul jumped around like a possessed drunk man who just finished the last of his PCP. Despite this, he still beat me in the race to wake up on Saturday morning. After a drink or two, I cruised by the Mercury Lounge to catch the last couple songs of the Dead Meadow set. This Washington D.C. based quartet blasts out some heavy rock like no other. In my mildly inebriated state of mind, I found myself closing my eyes and getting lost in their lush psychedelic style. They are definitely one of my favorite stoner rock bands and they deserve more attention as they continue to expand their catalog. My evening ended when after watching Macchia dance around like a wild monkey, Beach and I Culkined Dan which provided him with the outlet to toss a beer in my face. My soaked body scored some pizza and passed out.

Saturday was a bit of a nothing kind of day. It began with a Loose Meeting at 186 followed by a shift at Webster Hall for the New Found Glory (Hole) show. Though I wasn’t looking forward to this show, it was a lot easier than I’d expected. The little punk rock kids were quite docile and nice to this grumpy old door man. Have you heard about the incident at the club? I was already finished by the time the NYFD showed up, so there is no comment from this guy. After the show I stopped into Daylen’s place where she was watching the game with Oveis and Beach. We ordered some Thai food and had a laugh when I tried on the bunny costume. By 9pm I was back home weighing the options for the rest of the evening. Against my better judgment, I pulled the plug on the evening when Builder, Alister, Elise and Howerton egged me into a game of Risk. Let’s just say I made those kids my bitches. Yes, that’s right. I dominated the world. Don’t test my skills because my geek factor registers mighty high on any scale.

Kiss My Tail Bitches.
Sunday was another waste of a day. It began with brunch at the General Store with Oveis, Hawkins and Builder. We returned to the apartment for some recreational activities and a leaf through the Sunday Times. We watched UNC hold strong against Wisconsin. Later that afternoon we traded Hawkins for a hungover Dana. She joined us for a fantastic contest between Michigan State and Kentucky that included one of the most clutch shots my eyes have ever seen. As we crossed over into the evening hours, Oveis headed back to Washington D.C. while the rest of us munched on Café Juanita and watched Arrested Development.

Around 9:30pm I got the call. It was time for me to meet Beach at the Mercury. A while back he asked me what it would take for me to dress like the Easter Bunny for the Peelander-Z show, and my reply was simply, “rent the costume and feed me tons of tequila.” Let’s just say mission accomplished. The funniest part about hanging around the Mercury Lounge in a full body bunny costume is that few people even care. Even when I was outside to get some air, passerbies didn’t pay me any mind. I guess it’s just the nature of the city. We were joined throughout the evening by Daylen, Lucy, Cara, Denise, Mia, Gigs, Zaina, Builder, Graeme and Hawkins. The tequila flowed like water and by the time Electric Eel Shock came on, this bunny was roasted. Halfway through their set, Beach grew impatient with my abstaining from any sort of stage appearance. He ordered me to the load in room where he took the costume from me and proceeded directly to the stage leaving me in the main room in my underwear. Yes, I was in the club in a t-shirt and boxers for a good 15 minutes. At this point I took the knock out punch from my 400th tequila shot. It sealed the deal on another Easter.

When Mother Nature decides to piss rain all day, it calls for a sick day. Not feeling 100% by the time I rolled out of bed, it became clear a sick day was my only option. By noon I managed to wiggle out of bed only to find Graeme on the couch. We popped into 7A for a bit of food with Hawkins before returning home so Graeme could beef up his Ipod before making his return trip to London. It’s was great seeing the kid and it was even sadder seeing him go. I wish he could be one of my full time solids, but at this point I’ll take what’s given and thank the stars we came to be friends. The rest of my day was spent doing Loose Record work and watching episodes of Law and Order. Builder eventually showed up to keep me company as Monday faded away.

Little Pieces. Tiny Thoughts.
***Wow. If you follow the blogsphere, then you’ve probably seen something in regards to Brandon Flowers’ comments about The Bravery. Flowers is the front man for the Las Vegas bread rock band, The Killers. After reading this, I can’t help but laugh. Who the fuck does this guy think he is? I’m not a fan of either band, but Flowers has some serious balls to call another band out on being unoriginal. He has even bigger balls in saying that without The Killers there would be no Bravery. Brandon, you douche bag of a twat, you didn’t start anything. You’re only contributing to its end. Get down off your pedestal because the 14 year old girls holding it up are looking tired.

***Are your bank accounts ready for some New Order tickets? The Pre-sale for the May 5th show at Hammerstein Ballroom begins March 31st at 9am, (check KROCK for information). They will open to the public on April 1st at 11am. The tickets are $47.50 a pop plus probably another $7 or $8 in bitchmaster charges. I know it doesn’t matter for most, and it shouldn’t matter to me, but that is just too steep for a single show. In any event I’m sure it will sellout quickly so buy your tickets ASAP. In other New Order news, though I’ve already posted it, here are a few more formats of their single, Krafty from their upcoming release Waiting for the Sirens’ Call that has an April 26 American street date.

New Order’s Krafty Video: Windows Low / Med / High / Super; Quicktime

New Order’s Krafty Audio: Windows Low / High; Quicktime

***V2 has announced the release date for the next White Stripes album. On June 14th the last living guitar hero and his little pale sister will drop some serious blues all over our sun soaked faces. Bring it on. Speaking of releases today marks the street date for new offerings from Beck, Stereophonics and The Bravery. Check out the complete listing at Prefix.

*** See your favorite bands on the tele this week. Mark your calendar for: 3/29 Kings Of Leon on Leno [NBC]; 3/30 Kaiser Chiefs on Letterman [CBS]; 3/31 Jimmy Eat World on Leno [NBC]; 3/31 Kasabian on Kimmel [ABC]; 3/31 The Music on Last Call [NBC]; 4/2 The Killers on SNL [NBC].

*** Molesting Culkin. Yeah, you knew this was coming, (thanks Ms. Cruz).

***Before you even ask, this isn’t a Gorillaz fansite, but do love posting everything they put out because it’s always entertaining. Check out the video for the single, Feels Good Inc.. I’m not condoning drug use, at least not publicly, but this video looks even better after smoking a big joint. It’s another great track from a record that’s sure to be loved by old and new fans.

Gorillaz’s Feels Good Inc Video: Windows Low / High; Real Low / High

***As if you haven’t heard enough about the Cornerstone bands, here comes another Doves video. This time it’s a pretty rad EPK put together by the good people at Capitol records. It has a bunch of behinds the scenes footage and enough Doves goodness to last you for at least a week or two.

Doves EPK: Windows Low / Med / High; Real Low / Med / High; Quicktime Low / Med / High

*** Now go on and have yourself a laugh at Pat O'Brien's expense, (thanks Cara).

*** Also, its a bit early to get excited, but the Shout Out Louds are opening for The Dears on June 11th at The Bowery Ballroom.

posted by jayloose at 3:02 PM 0 comments   

We Missed You Sam Champion.

Have you been feeling empty the past couple weeks? Well, its time to let Sam Champion fill that hole. Sure, that imagery is a little graphic, but this announcement demands your attention. Our favorite local acts are beginning to take the stage following their SXSW induced New York hiatus. Tonight Sam Champion is playing the Mercury Lounge at 9pm between The Shore (8pm) and The Twinemen who feature the surviving members of Morphine. Noah, Jack, Ryan and Sean are back in town after a tour with RANA and a kick ass time in Austin. Help me welcome them back Tuesday, March 29th which coincidentally is a Tequila Tuesday.

posted by jayloose at 11:34 PM 0 comments   

What Would We Do Without Friends?
After a solid lunch at the Waverly Diner, Noah and I returned to my office to hang for a quick minute. Then I was graced by an IM message from Tumblehawk that read, “Best tattoo ever.” Not being one to pry, I deferred the chance to ask him how the hell he found this, but it does raise some questions. Anyway, this might be the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen in my life. Sorry about making my site totally not safe for work, but this is a must see. Click this link. Don’t worry, it’s not too bad, but boy is it funny and completely mind boggling.

Tonight The Deli is throwing their 2nd Issue launch party at Sin-e. This issue will feature a page of bloggers hyping their favorite local acts, and you guessed it, I showed some love to the boys in Sam Champion, (who are playing this Tuesday @ Mercury). This party will surely be packed so stop in early if you get the chance. The bill includes sets by Nicole Atkins, Mudville, Hopewell, Hello Nurse and The Epochs. There is also a 2 for 1 special on Red Stripe from 8 to 10pm. You can check out The Deli and get all the information by visiting their website.

Sidenote: The Go! Team’s single, The Power Is On just played on WOXY and it just reminded me how disappointed I was by their show this week. It’s a damn shame. Thank god they saved face by following it with British Sea Power.

Tomorrow night Justin Carter and the New Release New York crew are throwing down another boogie down production at Asterisk* Art Project in Brooklyn. The party was featured in this weeks Flavorpill NY mailer by yours truly. Check out the listing for details along with this bitching flyer.

posted by jayloose at 1:43 PM 1 comments   

Pay Attention To The Details.
While working the Queens of the Stone Age show at Webster last night, I received a text from Dana that read, “Taped the OC! Soooo Good!” Thanks to Dana for keeping me in touch with this show. In my hasty exit from 186, I neglected to pop a tape in the VCR which could have meant back to back missed episodes. After the hectic show, I met with Dana, who was on her way home, for a quick handoff. It was time to catch up with Seth and the kids. There isn’t much to say about the episode except I’m sad to see the Julie Cooper porno storyline come to an end. The glaring element of this week’s episode was the music. The final credits exclaimed the episode featured music from LCD Soundsystem, Kasabian and Eagles of Death Metal. It’s as if the music director has my Ipod and is choosing my most played artists, (if my Ipod still works). The O.C. is playing more of my favorite music than MTV, (actually, what do I know? I haven’t had cable in 4 years). The point is, well, there is no fucking point. I’m just tired.

Break Up The Morning.
Recently a generous gent at V2 was kind enough to pass me some of the music they are releasing this month and in the weeks to come. As I said in an earlier post, the gem in this doughnut was the new Brendan Benson record, but there were others that are equally entertaining. Before I get to the other artists, check out the new video for Benson’s Spit It Out (Windows: low / med / high / super; Quicktime) which can be found on The Alternative To Love. Now girls, tell me this guy isn’t the cutest thing to ever come out of Detroit?

The Stereophonics are back and they’ve made a record I can actually enjoy. On Tuesday, they will release Language Sex Violence Other that includes the solid new single Dakota. Check out the video for Dakota and decide for yourself, (Windows: low / med / high / super; Quicktime). The three-piece constructed a melodic record that isn’t afraid to let its hair down. Give it a shot and if you need further proof, check this out.

On the final V2 tip, watch out for The Adored. It looks like V2 may have found themselves a Kaiser Chiefs or Futureheads, but with a bit more punk and a bit less art school. The few songs I received are definitely bedroom sing-a-longs, (read: catchy and fun). Though I don’t think they picked their best track for the single, check out TV Riot, (Windows: low / med / high / super; Quicktime). It’s like throwing early Manchester in a blender and splashing it with a bit of the East End then served the cocktail in the Hollywood Hills, (I don’t know what that meant, but it is something Graeme might say so eat me).

They have some more records coming out, but you don’t want me to comment on Moby. Let’s just say I’m not too fond of the chap. Mainly because he once claimed he hung out at Grassroot all the time, but we never saw the little elf in our favorite pub. He is a twat.

Lost Segment: Words From The Street.
*** New Order is a bunch of busy old men. Hopefully they don’t break a hip dancing around like farts, (they’ve always been so good at it). Here are their plans for their summer vacation. Unfortunately it doesn’t include an Alligator Alley, (those things were wicked).

*** This one is for Builder: Say goodbye to The Get Up Kids on June 24th @ Webster Hall. This tour will be your last opportunity to see the emo juggernauts play live as they plan to break up following the tour. My heart is bleeding on my black hooded sweatshirt.

*** In other News: Mariah Carey is a rich cunt.

*** In other Cunt News: Ian Brown is final realizing his shitty solo live shows won’t get him very far.

*** More proof that the new Gorillaz album is going to be huge. Pitchfork loves their new single Feels Good, Inc., and Pitchfork is definitely the leader of our pack, (is he serious).

*** Dick in the mouth. Dick in the mouth. Dick in the mouth. Dick in the mouth. That’s all I can think of when she talks.

This Looks Mega-Interesting.
Cara just sent me an email for this panel next week at Columbia:

Noise from Underground:
Pop Criticism and Cred in the Era of MP3s, Zines, and Blogs
March 29, 2005; 6:30 pm

Columbia University
Graduate School of Journalism Lecture Hall, Third Floor
116th Street and Broadway
Admission free

STREAMING AUDIO AND MP3S ARE TRANSFORMING POP MUSIC, from indie-rock to hip hop. But what about those newly minted Web zines, blogs, and alt glossies poking into every nook and cranny of the music world? While the mainstream seems content to leaf through Rolling Stone and channel surf from MTV to VH1, these do-it-yourself publishing channels are busy creating a bewildering amount of chatter about music and contemporary culture.

These days, every aspiring pop critic can create his or her own soapbox. The resulting atmosphere is as fragmented as it is high-speed: A blogger shows up at a club, orders a beer, and reviews a show in real time. New trends break at a faster clip than ever before. How can anyone keep up? And which critical voice do you trust?

For the independent publisher, the zinester, the online gawker, the vintage vinyl collector, or the unknown turntablist, credibility remains the coin of the realm. Cred, after all, is what makes the underground so underground. But do these new voices ever permeate the mainstream? Are they gunning to take over? Are they speaking a new language of pop criticism? Or merely talking among themselves?

Bringing together writers, editors, and musicians, “Noise from Underground” is a welcome conversation about the present-day pop criticism whirlwind -- and whether cred is even cool anymore.

Moderator: Sasha Frere Jones, pop music critic, The New Yorker

Panelists: Watch for details on panel makeup, which will include critics, ‘zine editors, bloggers, musicians and observers both underground and mainstream.

Tunde Adebimpe, musician, TV on the Radio (Touch and Go Records)
Anthony DeCurtis, contributing editor, Rolling Stone; executive editor, Tracks; editor of "Present Tense: Rock & Roll and Culture" and author of "Rocking My Life Away"

Amy Phillips, blogger, More in the Monitor
Knox Robinson, editor in chief, The Fader
Brandon Wall, editor in chief, Prefix
Michael Azerrad, author of “Our Band Could Be Your Life” and editor in chief, emusic.com

Now go forth and purchase Weezer tickets!

posted by jayloose at 9:49 AM 4 comments   

Feel Like Myself Again.
Are you trying to map out the coming weekend? Are you coming to the New Found Glory show on Saturday at Webster, (I kid)? If not, you should plan to stop by the Mercury Lounge for one of the two sets by The Section Quartet who are a strings outfit from Los Angeles. Why you ask? Because it’s something different and we can only hear so much guitar driven post/garage/indie rock. They’re good enough to have backed up some of our favorites such as Wilco on the Tonight Show. Last time they passed through New York they played Radiohead’s OK Computer. During the early show you can expect to hear Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety. The late show is billed as “From Zeppelin to Radiohead,” but you’ll also hear songs from Muse, Buckley, Queens of the Stone Age, Tool and Yeah Yeah Yeahs to name a few. After tonight’s QOTSA won’t you be dying to hear No One Knows on a violin and cello?

If you weren’t lucky enough to score a QOTSA ticket for tonight’s show at Webster Hall, then you should check out Demander at The Delancey who share the bill with the 11 piece Australian band called Starky. They were recently added to Universal’s which everyone is unhappy with these days, (pay to play your videos on my blog?) but they are putting out the next Weezer album so I’m still happy.

As reported on More Cowbell, Bright Eyes will play five nights at Webster Hall. On May 21st – 25th the professional crooner will bring his melodies and mopes to the stage for what is sure to be a handful of sold out shows. The Faint will pull Flaming Lips style double time by backing Connor along with Nick Zinner of Yeah Yeah Yeahs fame. Get there early to work up a sweat for The Faint who will serve as openers. This means you’ll need to stay extremely hydrated. Between all the sweating and crying, we don’t need people passing out from the heat.

In more Gorillaz news, (did I mention the track Dirty Harry will flip your funky shit?) you can now stream their first single from the upcoming Demon Days. Check out Feels Good Inc. (Windows Media / Real) to see if they are living up to the massive hype train that is pulling out of the station. If you aren’t familiar with the cartoon rockstars, you can get acquainted through the use of this bitching electronic comic book. Even if you don’t like the band, check this out because it’s a really interesting concept that I’ve yet to see.

A few other notes about some upcoming shows: Productshop claims the May 5th date set for New Order now has a venue. The boys will play Hammerstein Ballroom, (couldn’t find confirmation, but I’ll take his word for it). If you didn’t get your Weezer tickets yet, the public sale begins tomorrow (Friday) at noon. The Hold Steady have been added to the April 5th lineup at the Bowery that includes The Eagles of Death Metal, (Tickets) and British Sea Power has added a second night on May 15th because the previous evening has already sold out, (Tickets).

On the heals of their debut release, Silent Alarm, that clogged record store shelves beginging Tuesday, Bloc Party announced plans for their next single, Banquet. The release will come in three different formats: 1. CD that will include a Peel Session version of Compliments, 2. DVD that will include a Peel Session version of So Here We Are and videos for Banquet and Little Thoughts, 3. 7inch that will include a b-side Peel Session version of Tulips. Expect more noise to come around the April 25th scheduled release.

The Tripwire reports the WHFS Festival will continue this summer despite the tanking of its namesake radio station. Thanks to some help from AOL the festival will take place on May 14th and has been moved to Baltimore. The bill boasts Interpol, New York Dolls, Muse, Social D, Garbage, The Bravery and Billy Idol. I don’t know how much these tickets will cost, but if it’s reasonable I might consider not going.

Sam Champion’s freshman record finally has a street date! Slow Rewind will hit shelves on July 26th thanks to the good folks at Razor and Tie. For those of you who need a Culkin, it’s a Tuesday. Records come out on Tuesdays. Speaking of Tuesdays, stop by the Mercury Lounge next Tuesday (March 29th) to catch a set by the band along with The Shore and The Twinemen (ex-Morphine).

Life Of Little Accomplishment.
Something Whitney quipped last week has struck a chord as I glanced over a former editor’s work on the internet. Whit claimed he “Couldn’t wait to forget his kids when he went to pick them up at this ex-wife’s home.” Naturally he was joking, but the fear of getting older is starting to bother me more than usual. If you know me well, my intentions have never been to live past the ripe old age of 27, (my apologies to those of you who are offended by this quasi romantic notion). Live fast. Die young. Yes, I’m littered with cliché, but it doesn’t seem to bother me. As my day job grows increasing frustrating, my mind scrambles for a bridge to deliver me from a position that stifles all creative urges. Should I quit this world of administration and attempt to freelance? Fear of further financial burden and lack of balls prevents me from taking this step. The question remains; if my life doesn’t change in the immediate future, is it doomed for all its waking hours? Regret will destroy me as skin loosens and teeth decay. The physical pain of poor arches and careless lifting won’t amount to the level of mental anguish waiting for me. Those facts of life are a bitch. This might be premature, but if I don’t worry about it, no one will.

Sorry, I just had to write something down as to not carry it with me all day.

posted by jayloose at 1:55 PM 0 comments   

Who Knew They Are So Loved?
Apparently everyone at The Bowery Presents knows. The Shins sold out two nights at Webster Hall in less than 24 hours. I had no idea something like this would happen. Sorry to everyone who got shut out. If I happen to hear anything floating around about a third night, (and I haven't heard a thing yet), I'll let you know. Those of you who were on the ball, get ready to buy me a drink on the 23rd. I'm so psyched The Shins wanted to play my birthday party, (just indulge me... ok?).

posted by jayloose at 9:55 AM 1 comments   

Queens of the Stone Age Tickets.
A little birdie just informed me that a few tickets for tomorrow night Queens of the Stone Age show were released on ticketweb. These won't last so stop by this link to purchase your tickets for what is sure to be a kick ass evening.

posted by jayloose at 7:00 PM 0 comments   

We’re Going Back In Time.
It’s been ages since my last rant on caravanning with my crew of dirty roustabouts so bare with this post. There will be hole, but I’ll do my best to fill them. I just said goodbye to the last of my company, and with that hope my life can return to some self centered normalcy. The ride began on Friday when none other than the Scottish Sensation known as Graeme showed up at my office. We decided drinks were in order so we stopped by Juanita’s for cheap margaritas ala Will. We returned to 186 for a bit of a hang before being joined by Whitney (Portland) and The Knowledgist (D.C.). After Syracuse took an early exit from the tournament, we strolled over to Crash Mansion for a set by Arbor Day. It’s too bad that Crash Mansion is such a weird venue because I could get used to an hour of free drinks followed by buckets of PBR, (7 cans for $10). Kyle said it best when after Arbor Day’s second song he shouted, “This place sucks,” at the top of his lungs. Leave it to Kyle to vocalize everyone’s thoughts.

The visitors and I ducked out during their last song and took a quick cab ride to 14th Street for a party in honor of Rebecca’s birthday. The party was packed full of younger kids since Rebecca lives with a bunch of 19 year olds. This didn’t bother us because it meant Mike would have a “Worm Off” with Rebecca’s little sister, (dance move not eatting contest). They cleared the room and wiggled across the floor in hilarious fashion as we sat back getting toasty. Eventually solids like Dan and Beach showed up which helped us turn the bitch out. At some point we slid over to Bar 119 on 15th Street where I made a scene at the pool table. Some kid accused me of stealing the cue ball off the table. After some honest denial, the kid got a bit pushy. Eventually I told him to fuck off so he got in my face. As we were about to make the step outside, his buddy pulled him away from the confrontation. This is when Whitney ducked into me and claimed that he totally had the cue ball the entire time. Thanks Whit, (jackass).

After a couple games of shitty pool, the boys and I hit the streets for some pizza and destruction. People should know not to leave florescent light bulbs out on a Friday night because a bunch of jackass kids will surely break them. Once we finished our light saber battles we returned to 186 for some shut eye.

Early Is An Understatement.
When I came to, it was 9am and my shoes were still on. Whitney was passed out next to me while the other chaps were strewn throughout the apartment. By 10am we had gathered in my room to devise a plan for the day. It started with some brunch at the General Store after a few failed attempts to eat elsewhere. We cruised up to Thompkins Square Park so Graeme could get some shots of the dog run before heading down to Nice Guy Eddies for a game of billiards and a couple beers. Jeff and Liz met up with us as we finished at the bar and spent the rest of the afternoon cruising around shopping. We were like a group of hokey tourists. A number of establishments were hit including Classic Kicks, Other Music, Tower Video, Transit, The Apple Store, Supreme Trading, American Apparel and The Vice Store. Following the marathon we set up base camp at Welcome to the Johnson’s. Their Saturday afternoon margaritas are becoming a favorite of mine.

After a rest and some showers, we decided to catch dinner at Crif Dog. Did you guys know Tony Hawk works at this weenie shop? I shit you not. Check it out and while you’re at it get a bacon wrapped hotdog and some tater tots. A quick Sparks session didn’t help my stomach, but the boys pressed on to the Mercury Lounge. Cara joined the crew of dudes that also included Justin who was at the club to see some brass band jam out. With a couple bevies floating in the belly, we hopped over to The Mud Spot where Kyle, Leah, Dan and a bunch of other Mudders were celebrating Ian’s birthday with cheap Magic Hat and some CCR. We had a beer or two before it got overly crowded inside and forced us to make a move.

The next stop was at our old college haunt, Grass Root Tavern on St. Marks Place. It’s always funny (weird not haha) to be back in the bar where so many nights were destroyed. During the middle years of higher education, you would have been hard pressed to stop into that bar and not find someone from the crew getting drunk on cheap pitches slung by Bob or Maria. We took some shots and got a bit randy before heading back to Johnson’s to close out our night in the same fashion as we started. This time we had Moser and Beach along for the ride that lasted till the lights came on and the bartenders threw us out. We all returned to 186 for a late night session that involved passing out while the party continued way past dawn.

The Pace Takes A Break.
Sunday began with Cara, Knowledge aka Bob Barker Jr., Whitness and I getting some breakfast at Odessa while Graeme was on a flight to Miami. I made the mistake of getting the Pierogies and Kielbasa for breakfast. Something I’d highly advise against. After breakfast Cara returned to the Dirty Jersey while Knowledgist snagged a bus back to the Capital City. Whitney and I decided it was Margarita Thirty so we picked up some mixers and went to Beach’s house for an afternoon of basketball and beverages. The tournament has been such a surprise this year. I can’t seem to figure out what’s going to happen, but with all the number one seeds still alive, it would be difficult to bet against them.

Once the buzzer rang on the final game, we met with Builder for some coconut shrimp at Boca Chica. He filled us in on the plus’s and minus’s of jolly old London. It’s too bad the dollar is getting hammered over there. A vacation to the U.K. would certainly break my slimmer than Kate Moss budget. After dinner we cruised back to 186 for an evening viewing of The Incredibles with Kyle and Mr. Frenchy who is back from his three week vacation to Paris. If you haven’t seen Pixar’s latest gem, do yourself a favor. It may be my favorite yet and with Jason Lee voicing the villain, how could you go wrong? A solid weekend was had by all who didn’t have the opportunity to rock out in Texas with the rest of the allstars.

Kicking Ass Without Taking Names.
Monday was a hellish workday, but that was easy to put behind me because it was also the same day I’d make my Mercury Lounge debut. Around 7pm Whit helped me pack up my gear and drag it over to the club. While The Big Sleep were busy checking, I hung outside with Greg who told me all about his latest creative endeavor as an MC for his new hip hop group Lawn Chair Gigolos, (sorry if that name isn’t 100% accurate). By 8pm Marc set me up and I was in the back playing to a sparsely populated back room that included Denise, Jin, Kyle, Beach, Daylen, Builder, Xtina, Tumblehawk, Lucy, Whitney and Dana. The nice part about having the familiar faces is the lessened pressure on my picks. Basically I played songs only Builder would love, but it seemed to keep everyone happy.

A bit after 9pm The Big Sleep took the stage and completely wowed the early crowd. They were loud. They were powerful. They were just as I remembered them from the first time I saw them except this time they were tighter. Saying this band is loud is a bit of an understatement. Their dirty boogie would strip the paint off of Graceland. The Big Sleep made it nearly impossible to stand still while they belted out some kick ass jams. They are definitely one of my top bands these days and thanks go out to Sonya for passing the word onto Danny that I was looking for a record. He hooked me up with a three song rough mix of their upcoming work, and it is simply fantastic. The guitar work, the drum beats, the break downs, the keys; everything they do impresses me.

Once they finished I was back to work playing some R.E.M., Pop Song 89 and Soul Asylum Somebody to Shove. My only slip came during this change over when I forgot about the abrupt ending to a Built to Spill song. The few seconds of silence weren’t very noticeable except by Whit and Dana who stood their laughing at me. I also played The Upwelling for Nora who showed up during the latter half of The Big Sleep. This is the point of the evening where lines start to blur thanks to tequila shots and tons of friends. I found myself smoking while The Mobius Band played the first half of their set. Upon my return, I was pleasantly surprised by the packed room and their solid electronic rock style. I’ve loved the Mobius Band for quite some time, but for some reason I couldn’t pay attention on Monday night.

As soon as they finished, I blasted Daft Punk’s Robot Rock, New Order’s Krafty and Gorillaz Dirty Harry in rapidfire succession. Those songs get me so amped. By the time The Go! Team took the stage the room was so packed it felt kind of ridiculous. In my highly intoxicated state, I became awfully nervous about someone nicking my disc’s so I stood guard while they kicked things off with Junior Kickstart. Though I was highly excited to finally see the band Kyle and I have been rocking for so long, I was a bit disappointed. First of all, Ninja needs a Culkin. She is their lead singer and though her enthusiasm is welcomed sometimes she needed to shut the fuck up. Additionally, I thought they would be a huge band with a horn section, but the horns were simply played in the mix from a CD or something. This was a bummer, but they still delivered a decent set to the hyped room. I played some more tracks following their set. The room eventually cleared and my drunk ass hit the pillow hard.

My apologies to Sal’s for ordering yet another one of your delicious pizza’s and falling asleep before it arrived.

Repeat Repeat Repeat.
Thinking ahead can be a godsend. On Tuesday I managed to sleep off my hangover thanks to my boss approving a vacation day a couple weeks ago. Whit and I wasted the early afternoon watching Shawn of the Dead which is one of the funniest movies I’ve seen in years. You should all go out and rent this flick. Despite the gruesome nature of a zombie film, the picture is doused with one gut buster after the next. In an effort to enjoy some of the beautiful afternoon, we hit the streets around 3pm and stopped by the Mud Truck to say hello to Kyle before cruising around Union Square. We got back to 186 around 5pm and met with Kyle an hour later at Max’s for some dinner. Unfortunately that restaurant is bullshit. At 6pm on a Tuesday with the restaurant at less than 25% capacity, they sat the three of us at the smallest table possible next to one of the only other parties in the joint. When I asked for them to move us, they denied so we made a stink and bounced to Mary Ann’s for some stellar Mexican and margaritas.

Later that evening we stopped by The Mercury Lounge to catch the tail end of a set by the U.K. (thanks for the correction) five-piece that goes by the name of Pure Reason Revolution. Yes, I know the name is a bit of a wank-a-thon, but they were fucking amazing. It was grunge inspired hard rock that had some heavy melodies and some interesting vocal harmonies. Oh, they also have a super cute singer who looks like she should live on the coolest street in Williamsburg.

Beach, Whit and I hustled out of the club and were picked up by Daylen in a cab that took us to the Knitting Factory where Fred Armisen was in the middle of his standup set. There wasn’t a lot to laugh about, but his video at SXSW was hilarious especially when he commented about a shooting in Arkansas. Ok, so that didn’t make sense, but if you saw the footage you would have burst. He also did a funny impression of Sadam as Johnny Rotten, but it didn’t make me want to see him again.

A special thanks goes out to Mr. Lordz for hooking me up with a chance to see the best Portland band since Stephen Malkmus took residence in New York. The Thermals took the stage and blasted out nearly an hour of some of the fastest, catchiest rock songs around. They don’t waste any time getting through their set. Stage banter is kept to all time low with simple thanks dished out in between songs. They played a mix of old and new songs all of which I sang along to much like my sister at a New Kids On the Block concert. They also played two or three new songs that were a bit different (read: slower tempo) than all of their other material, but they still delivered the same punch as tracks like Everything’s Thermals, It’s Trivia, Brace and Break, Back to Gray, Every Stitch, How We Know, Sladyk In The Box and my personal favorite A Stare Like Yours. They even played a gracious three song encore during which I found myself bopping around with Mina and Anne. They are so much fun even if Hutch is crossing over into hippy land. We finished the evening plotting to Culkin David Cross, but it never seemed to happen so we finished our PBR’s and hit the road.

Broke Like Me? Then Enter.
Yesterday a couple solid records hit the shelves of your favorite record store. First the loveable singer song writer Brendan Benson released The Alternative To Love on V2 and believe me when I say this record is unbelievable. It is in the same fashion of his other records, but his ability continues to shine. He celebrated with an instore at Other Music, but we missed it because of raspberry margaritas. There are still a few tickets available for his April 15th show at The Bowery so purchase them while you can.

Vice Records is the proud parent of Bloc Party’s full-length debut, Silent Alarm that dropped yesterday. Put a hold on all your plans and go buy this record. It’s amazing. No joke. You can’t help but love it. Fuck the haters. If the kids can keep this up, they’ll outlast the hype train now crowded by the likes of The Bravery, Maximo Park and whatever other weekly specials emerge from the ashes of SXSW.

One last thing before I close the books on this gigantic post. Cornerstone and Universal are having a contest to win a free trip to see Razorlight at Coachella. Even if you aren’t a huge Razorlight fan, toss your name in the hat and try to win this round trip for two to the desert for the weekend festival. If you pass it on to friends and they enter, then you’ll be entered again. Spread this contest more than your last battle with crabs. More people will love you for this contraction.

posted by jayloose at 2:48 PM 7 comments   

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See You There.

Weezer @ Roseland on May 11th & 12th

This makes my birthday present very easy.

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posted by jayloose at 3:44 PM 3 comments   

Mystery Boxes Might Be My Favorite.
Yesterday my mailbox had a box waiting that was the shape of a record. After getting back to the house, the obvious suspicion was proven true. The record was a 12” single with a white label simple saying Dirty Harry – Kongo 1. Not recognizing the song title, I threw the vinyl on and was dazzled by its funky goodness. By the end of the track it was easy to identify as Gorillaz. Just incase I checked the web for confirmation. The track is outstanding. Lots of layers but it always comes back to the funky baseline. There are a couple different violin parts on the track that give it a dark unsettling texture especially with the choir type choruses snuck into the song. To put the icing on the cake, there is a rapped versus at the end of the song that aggressively flows right into the beat. Though it wasn’t Del The Funky, it was MF Doom and you can’t go wrong with his style (I stand corrected by Paz; it was not MF Doom). You’ll want to hear the track and then hear it again and again. This has me excited to hear what else Damon Albarn (formerly of Blur) and Danger Mouse could do with guest appearances by Deborah Harry (Blondie), Shaun Ryder (Happy Mondays), Dennis Hopper and Ike Turner. Their first record was solid, but I couldn’t go ape over it. After hearing Dirty Harry I’m ready to let loose on Demon Days Gorillaz sophomore album set to drop May 24th.

If you are hanging out in Austin, try to sneak into this listening party. I’m sure the list will be out of control, but try to get on there because some special guest appearances are in the cards.

Speaking of 24, did you realize the American version of the BBC hit comedy The Office will debut on NBC next Thursday? Myspace has a 10 minute clip of the series posted from a link on its sign in page. It’s dreadful. Steve Carell takes on the difficult task of translating the David Brent roll into something accessible to Yankees. Though I’m a big fan of Carell’s work on The Daily Show and Anchorman, this show seems to fall flat. I’ll still watch and hope they can pull it off, but if American won’t by a quirky comedy like Arrested Development; The Office doesn’t stand a chance.

So you know I wasn’t thrilled by Louis XIV’s live show. This is one point Nora and I disagree on, but I’d have to say she’s right in saying the video isn’t what it should be. The band needed to take a different direction. They aren’t Diego and the other jackasses in Elefant. They are a rock band. They look the part and sound the part. Now only if they’d act the part. Maybe the director had complete control, but for a rip roaring track like Finding Out True Love Is Blind they should have definitely threw some sex, sweat and more rock in the video. I still dig the song on record, but you should decide for yourself, (Windows Media: 56 / 100 / 300 / 450; Real Media; Quicktime: 56 / 100 / 300 / 450). Their debut full length, The Best Little Secrets Are Kept drops next Tuesday, March 22nd and they play the Bowery on April 26th, (Buy Tickets).

One last note before I get back to my real job. I’m certain you’ve been reading various bloggers gushing about Doves performance at Bowery on Tuesday night. Well, they’ve just confirmed a national tour. Since my life is full of delusion, for a moment I’ll consider the fact that everyone who reads Good Times Roll doesn’t live in the 212 or (god forbid) 718. Take a second to check out their tour dates and mark your calendar because they put on an amazing show. With Mercury Rev opening this tour should do quite well. Check out a few tracks from, Some Cities, their third record (which is one of my current favorites).

4/30 Indio, CA @ Coachella
5/1 San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
5/3 Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
5/4 Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theatre
5/6 Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
5/8 Salt Lake City, UT @ Club Sound
5/9 Boulder, CO @ Fox Theatre
5/11 Kansas City, MO @ Madrid Theatre
5/12 Minneapolis, MN @ The Quest
5/13 Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre
5/14 Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre
5/16 Toronto, ONT @ Kool Haus
5/18 New York, NY @ Webster Hall
5/19 New York, NY @ Webster Hall
5/20 Boston, MA @ Avalon
5/22 Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of the Living Arts
5/23 Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club

posted by jayloose at 3:07 PM 5 comments   

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Don’t Miss This Band.
At first it didn’t sound as if it was going to happen, but today I stumbled upon an April 13th show at The Mercury Lounge featuring Austin, TX’s Black Lipstick. This band is fucking Super(Mark)Duper. If you miss this show, we are no longer friends. Kudos to Donkey Breath for making this happen. I was recently passed their new record and though it doesn’t have as many basketball references as Converted Thieves its still getting major play in my stereo. My plan is to put a cot in the basement of the club from April 10-13th.

Speaking of major play, I know that this is a little late in blog terms, but I can’t seem to get over this Kasabian record that was passed to me over the weekend. Big thanks to the hook up. It’s a fantastic record that makes me wonder if The Music should even be a band. Get your tickets for their two Bowery appearances on May 16th and 17th because they are sure to sell out.

Also, get your tickets for a special appearance by the Eagles of Death Metal at the Bowery on April 5th. Another new show is the May 6th Earlimart gig at Bowery. Tickets are currently on sale.

Oh, check it: This girl is cooler than anyone I’ve ever known.

posted by jayloose at 1:41 PM 2 comments   

Safe As Fuck New York.
You know your day is going to be excellent when you start things off by completely fucking up your iPod because some asshole establishment on 3rd Street has their garbage all of the sidewalk and said garbage forces you to run into some metal garbage cage. The cage scored a direct hit on my iPod screen and now its only 30% visible. I’m not going to dwell on this shitty happening, but it unfortunately spells the end of my iPod days. There is no way I’m going to buy a third one in two years. Anyway, the Shit and Donkey show has been in full effect since my last post. Another weekend swooped in and once again destroyed my will to live. In an effort to keep things short and sweet I’m going to recap in a brief sort of fashion. Since I lack all sorts of brevity, here is the long winded version. Inner conflict is not my bitch.

My New Favorite Poison.
What’s with my inability to order anything but a Cuban Sandwich when its on the menu? On Friday Beach stopped by 186 post work to pick Chris, Amy and I up for a bit of dinner before a night of shows. We decided on Yuca Bar which provided us with some delicious meal and a top notch fish out of water scenario. Not pleased with the various vinaigrettes offered on the menu, Amy decided to ask to replace it. The waiter (a pretty boy with a rod up his ass) asked what she’d like upon which Amy replied ranch. The dude shot her a “do you think we have ranch” talking out his neck kind of look which forced her to settle for some fancy dressing. Regardless, we had some tasty sangria and my Cuban kicked balls. We settled up with Mr. No Personality and made our way down Avenue A.

After saying hello to the crew, we scooted inside where Mr. Carter, (I wonder if that Sly film of the same name pissed him off) greeted us like any proud band manager. We basked in his good nature as his lady friend (who’s name has escaped my clutches) decided it was tequila time. We quickly took a shot and camped out in the back for a set by The Epochs. This was my first chance seeing the band since Kevin Smith was added to the lineup. If you don’t know Kevin, he is a wonderful kid who has some serious chops when it comes to the bass. Though I didn’t manage to see their entire set, the band is really taking strides to crafting their atmospheric pop sound. Kevin adds a funk toned layer to their tracks that at some points can swing all the way to a !!! (chk chk chk) danceable sensibility with better vocals then the masters. Around 10:40 I bowed out to find some cymbals Dan needed me to bring to Sin-e.

Chris, Amy and I met Leclare, Dan and Ando out front of the club. We hustled into the venue and I introduced the girls to heaps of old friends. Since Sin-e doesn’t have a real deal liquor license (*wink* speak easy *wink*) we stepped over to Sin-e bar for a couple quick drinks and a Sparks. We returned to the club a couple songs into The Stammers set. I’ve seen this band in many forms over the years, and it sounds like they finally have a lineup that suits their creativity. They’ve certainly tightened the screws and sound like a well oiled rock machine. My only gripe is their set time. A band without a record shouldn’t play more that 40 minutes at the most. If they cut out a few songs and bring the hits, their set might reach a few more unfamiliar ears.

The last billed act was Explorer who is 3 parts Arbor Day and one part Fabian. The rundown is as follows: Joe on drums, Dan on guitar/vocals, Dileepan on guitar/vocals and Fabian on bass. Despite this being their first live gig, Explorer did quite well. Their sound is definitely heavier than Arbor Day and the splashes of psychedelic rock are surely welcomed. At times they reminded of a band I would have listened to had I been in college in 1995. They also managed to do some justice to a Neil Young song as well as Nirvana’s All Apologies. Hopefully they will start booking some more shows so everyone can get explored, (sorry).

My intentions upon leaving the club were to stop by The Mercury for a quick drink before heading to Crash Mansion to wish Nora a happy birthday. Unfortunately we totally flaked on the latter half of those plans as we got roped into many drinks at the Mercury. Some of the kids from the show stopped in to hang before venturing out to find Irish Carbombs. This left Daylen, Beach, Chris and I in the back room with a pile of Crif Dogs we’d ordered for the party. As the four of us basked in the sent of tater tots and mustard, Greg and Jaclyn joined us for a 4am picnic. Word to the wise; Beach and I also spent some time figuring out the stage configuration for The Culkins first farewell gig. We are going to be bigger than The Beatles.

Got A Tattoo On Mi Bullocks.
With Friday under my belt, I looked forward to a crazy Saturday. It all started with a Loose Meeting before a big hang involving Kyle, Basketball and some records. Around 6pm Chris, Amy and I met Moser, Stevo and Yaps for an early side dinner at Yakiniku West on 9th Street. If you haven’t tried this joint yet, find a date and get your ass over there. Just make sure you know how to use chop sticks or you’ll look like an ass, (unless you can get your hands on a giant pair of tongs). We had a hilarious dinner full of insults and inappropriate conversation. It’s always nice to show your little sister your classy side.

Following our feast, we headed back to 186 for a big wait. If you weren’t aware, I threw a bit of a party on Saturday night for Christie’s 24th birthday. The night was slow in developing but by 11pm the apartment was standing room only. Most of the solids stopped in to revel in the shitshow, but there was also tons of new faces there which is the sign of a good party. Despite some major regulation duties by yours truly, I managed to have a great time. Some highlights involved Mike, Rebecca and I rocking to NOFX which seems to happen at a lot of our parties, Stevo (just because he is an allstar), my little sister teaching drinking games to the likes of Del, Jason, Dana, Dee and Julia and the late night appearance by donkey fucker plus 8. A note to the kid with the dreadlocks who wouldn’t shut his fucking mouth: Don’t ever come to my house again. You severely pissed me off and I was a second away from cold cocking you. Whoever brought him, remind me to punch you in the genitals next time we hang out.

Around 2am the neighbors were banging on the ceiling so we figured it was a good time to close up shop. Thanks to kids like Elliot, Christie, Ghory and especially Dana for helping me clean up the all the fallen soldiers. You made my Sunday clean simple. Also, apologies to all those who didn’t know about the party. It had to be underground because it was going to get out of control. I didn’t really invite more than 5 people, and they did the rest. We stopped into 2A where Jen was slinging tequila shots during the first few hours of her birthday. While we’re on birthday apologies, I’m sorry to flake on your party Jen. All apologies. Around 3am my drunken thoughts turned to pizza so I returned home where the girls had some waiting. My sister is clutch. We think alike except for the whole being punctual thing.

The Once Over. The Run Around.
Sunday was a slow day. More basketball was watched and tons of work got done. Did you get the Loose Mailer? Doesn’t it look great? If you signed up and didn’t receive it, please check your spam boxes and mark Monday’s email as not spam. Around 8pm Cara stopped in for an evening of delicious Thai food and old episodes of the O.C. Speaking of The O.C. did anyone see last weeks? Some claimed it was boring, but I certainly had a great time with the episode. Does anyone know the over under on how long Alex will remain on the show? I’m giving her 2 tops. They also announced the NCAA Tournament bracket. I’m not going to divulge my picks, but let’s just say we’re all mega excited for Thursday. Oh, and a big FUCK YOU to the committee for giving The Irish a snub. They won some big games and had a winning record in one of (if not THE) best conferences in the country.

Guns Don’t Kill People. Rappers Do!
Monday was a hectic day at work followed by a shift at the Bowery for the Embrace show. Apparently it was their first show in New York, (and America?) but the kids certainly knew who they were as the club was definitely close to a sell out. As my tour of duty came to an end, Gigs and I decided to walk over to The Mercury Lounge to check out the Welsh boys known as Goldie Looking Chain. Here’s a warning: If you are going to SXSW and want to see a fun as hell show, GLC is the answer. They were fantastic. Eight or nine whiter than sin kids bouncing around the stage with incredible energy and even more impressive flow. Their brand of hip hop was bouncy, goofy and a certainly tighter than a Christian prom date with a promise ring. GLC douses their lyrics with hilarious anecdotes about drugs, getting laid, Vampires and Mom’s with dicks. As we bobbed around in the back with Jomo and Beach, the smile on my face had a hard time disappearing.

There was some sorting that needed done following the show, but Beach and I managed to roll over to Rothko in time to catch the last few songs by Maximo Park. Since the record was put in my hands, it’s been on heavy rotation at work. Yes, it follows in the footsteps of U.K. hotshot bands of late, but is that a bad thing? Sure, it’s bound to get tired, but they did it well so I’m guessing they’ll do well, (until the bubble bursts). I mean seriously, yesterday The Bravery were #2 on the U.K. charts after a day. The club cleared out awfully quickly, but we siddled up to the bar for some shots (thanks to Kari) while the Tarts kept the brit rock rolling from the booth. With tequila Tuesday coming one evening early, we rolled over to Johnson’s for some more drinks and pool. Unfortunately some ass was there being a drunk dickhead and forced a confrontation. What’s with jackasses these days? Seriously, I’m not one to throw down, but I’m also not one to put up with some guy being a complete dickhead to my friend and me. Thankfully the bartender bounced the guy just as we got into each others face and voices got raised. Stay the fuck home if you can’t handle yourself.

We closed out the night with a San Loco appearance where our Mullet Man was rocking the register. Kari also happened to be scoring some tacos so we all basked in the goodness that is 3am margaritas before calling it a day.

Non Stop Rock Shows.
Isn’t New York City the fucking best? This place makes for a solid consolation prize to all of us who can’t make it to Austin. As the British bands make their way to SXSW many of them make a point to stop by and give New York a taste. Take Maximo Park and GLC; Monday was both bands first show on American soil. On Tuesday Doves made an appearance at The Bowery Ballroom. My main man Dave and I rocked the second door which caused me to miss them playing the single from the new record, but it wasn’t a big deal. The room was absolutely packed to the gills. I’ve never seen it this full. Everyone was digging their broadly cast Brit rock sound. My only problem was the damn lights that made it nearly impossible to watch the show. Maybe they should consider turning those down a bit. In any event, they put on a great show playing songs from all three of their record. I also managed to recognize a lot of the new material. The entire crowd was digging it. If you missed last nights show, check out Doves with Mercury Rev on May 18th and 19th at Webster Hall. A special presale is being done through their website, and Ticketweb will have the tickets available next Wednesday.

Awww heck, I’m rambling. Time to do some work. If you are heading to Austin have a kick ass time and please let me know what was missed. And make sure to dedicate your first BBQ meal to the soldiers left behind.

posted by jayloose at 12:23 PM 5 comments   

Win A Guest List Spot for The Go! Team.
If you don’t receive the Loose Mailer and you aren’t Loose Record’s friend on Myspace then you aren’t aware that we are having a contest and the prize is a guest list spot to The Go! Team at the Mercury Lounge on Monday, March 21st. Check out the information below and please sign up for the Mailer at our website. It’s easy. It’s quick. It’s like me trying to have sex. Ok, not really, but sign up anyway. Also, look us up on Myspace. Mike gets a boner every time we get a new friend request. Support wood! Here are the details from the Mailer, (tell your friends):

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Loose Contest: The Go! Team @ The Mercury Lounge

Maybe you’ve missed the first wave of hype, (read: our roommate blasting their EP at The Mud Truck) for The Go! Team. Rest assured the next break will come following their performance at SXSW and subsequent stops in New York. On Monday, March 21st The Go! Team will play The Mercury Lounge and Loose Record is offering you one chance to get on the guest list. With a bill boasting The Big Sleep and Mobius Band as openers, you’ll definitely want to give this contest a shot. The contest is simple: save the Loose Logo (from this email or our website) to your desktop and mess with it. Alter the logo the best you can without changing the size and send it to contests@looserecord.com. We’ll be using the entries in future mailers (giving the creator full credit) so please nothing too inappropriate. Make it safe for work and make sure our name, tagline and at least one amp are visible in some fashion. We’ll select the winner this weekend and notify them by Monday morning.

Ladies and Gentlemen start your Photoshop!

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Loose Record on Myspace:

Against our better judgment, Loose Record has created an account on Myspace. Though this account won’t have all the crucial information sent in the Mailer, it’s still a good way to stay updated on Loose news and events. Access our profile directly or search for Loose Record (dot) Com! Show some love and help the buzz by adding us as your friend.

posted by jayloose at 10:28 AM 0 comments   

posted by jayloose at 3:53 PM 1 comments   

Who The Fuck Is Stephen Malkmus?
Mr. Sexy Pants Has Been Confirmed.

June 7th @ Irving Plaza
More from Boner City later.
Oh, and some friends are playing a show tonight. You should come. It will be grand and you can hit on my little sister, (for three drinks and a punch in the stomach. Get their early for Death Comes for the Archbishop and stay late for The Stammers and Explorer (Dan, Dilly & Joe from Arbor Day). There is some cheap beer afterparty action, but I'll only tell you where if you come to the show. Here are the details:


If all this wasn't enough to send your head spinning; tonight is the celebration for Ms. Lovely aka Nora Dance Pants birthday at Crash Mansion. The scene queen put together a stellar bill that boasts some solid bands and killer DJ's. RSVP to this motherfucker if you want to be a cool kid. Otherwise, just be a kid and get your ass to the club. Happy (belated) Birthday Nora! Here are the details:

posted by jayloose at 11:52 AM 0 comments   

All The Coffee In The World.
If being late to work isn’t dick enough, come into work smelling like a tequila factory. It’s a surefire way to win the respect of your coworkers. My morning cup of coffee doesn’t want to stay down. As I fight the urge to vomit all over my keyboard, I’m wishing last night never happened. To use one of my buddy’s overused phrases, all bullshit aside, I’m a fucking mess.

The evening started with a farewell to Kyle who had to jump on a plane headed for home. Don’t worry kids; he’ll be back on Sunday. Then I spent some time fucking about with Builder and my new jukebox machine. That’s right kids; Jay bought a dual CD mixer so if you’re in need of a DJ with the gear, let me know.

Fuck me. I have to puke so badly.

So the drinks started at Juanita’s (the new Festival) with Beach. We ordered championship sized drinks and a plate of nachos while discussing our plan to rope everyone into a NCAA pool. If you want to place a $10 bet, get us your picks and we’ll put you on the hook. Speaking of the pool; Jordan still owes Nicky Beats 10 bucks from last year. Once Daylen came in we slid to one of the picnic tables in the back to get our grub on. The formerly surly waitress was great last night, but she isn’t the super cute waitress, (who was bartending last night). Dana surprised us with a pop in towards the end of our meal. We dicked around for a bit before settling up and moving forward.

During a brief interlude at the house, Cara stopped in for a quick hang. She’s been sick this week (and I’ve been busy), so it was great to finally see her. She was also kind enough to be happy drunk and bring me a copy of the new Black Lipstick album, (Jay hearts that band). By 10:15pm we’d gotten out of the house and I cruised into the Mercury Lounge for the Apollo Sunshine / Builder High School Reunion show. I’m not shitting you. Every John Jay kid was in the house; Howerton, Rob, Sky, Alistar, and Jeanie were all in the club. To add shitshow to injury, we also had Beach, Daylen, Dana, Lucy, Tumblehawk, Ramie, Del and Miriam floating about hunting for Culkins. Oh, and Greg aka The Wagon was pouring heroic shots, (one of which I took with a happily drunk Keegan).

So anyway, we slipped into the back room for a highly disappointing set by Apollo Sunshine. It lacked in the regular Sunshine far, but to be fair I’m pretty certain they were fucked up. To make matters worse, everyone was fishing for a Culkin. Tumble and I managed to get Builder after he botched a Tumble attempt. Then Beach and Builder pulled one on the unsuspecting Sky who did a backwards survival roll. It was a move that could go down in history.

Since I’m sick of typing, this is going to get cut short. Here goes: Little sister called. Parked little sister’s car. Brought sister and friend (Amy aka Don’t call me Sarah) over to the club. More Tequila. Greg on Ipod DJ. Jay doesn’t like pale ale. Rocked till 3am. Passed out. Sea of Chex Mix. Tons of puke.

Put in adjectives and stuff. Enjoy. Don’t forget to run with the devil.

posted by jayloose at 11:15 AM 0 comments   

Louis, You Broke My Heart.
Reflection can be a terrible thing. Some of you might be wondering could Louis Miller have done to warrant such a headline. Though it wasn’t directed at my former roommate, who introduced me to the goodness that is Gorilla Biscuits and Richard Hell, it could have been. The kid went underground and is seen less than his distant cousin, Jeremy Miller. No, this headline was not because of Lou, but because last night I saw Louis XIV and they didn’t live up to my expectations. In fact, the entire night was a bit of a let down, but let me start from the beginning.

After work I hustled home to get my wash started. During the dry cycle I stopped into the Mercury Lounge to put a Sam Champion poster in a prime window spot. I chatted up Richard for a quick second before returning to get my fold on. Sometimes I wonder if the people at the Laundromat watch the unique precision in which my t-shirts are folded. Maybe they think I’m some sort of former championship folder, but in reality, I’m just Danny Tanner anal about being neat. How did that happen? Once everything was put away, a quick dinner was cooked and enjoyed in the company of Builder. Around 9pm Jin and Shara stopped into 186 for a quick hang. They were on their way to the New York Noise party at HiFi while I was heading down to the Bowery.

On my way to the club I noticed a familiar chunk of hair in the window of El Nueva, (sp?). Upon further inspection, it was Tumblehawk and Lucy slamming back some Mexican grub before heading to the show. After a quick NFL catch up session with Sam, I made it to the downstairs bar at the Bowery. Merida and Frank were their gracious selves behind the bar. I made it clear to Merida that if she needs ANYTHING while Noah’s on tour; Jay’s here for her. Yes, I’m kidding jackasses. Oh, I also promised to note that Frank is a Phoenix Rising. His band is undergoing more changes than a 12 year old boy, but he didn’t elaborate. With a drink in hand, I chatted up Sarah and Daylen. It’s felt like forever since the last time I saw the Weiss, so it was great to play some catch up even if she was giving me shit. The Plus One kids were floating around, and Hollywood wanted to throw down, but he backed off once he knew I talked street.

As Louis XIV took the stage, I shot up the stairs to catch a glimpse of these boys. I’m a huge fan of the Illegal Tender Ep, but there was something about their live show that didn’t sit right. Was it all the 8T’s cock rock guitar riffage? Was it the undeserved cocky attitudes? Was it the sloppy play? I can’t put my finger on it, but it really didn’t move me. Granted I’m willing to give them another chance when they come back through the Bowery on April 26th, but if they don’t deliver on that show; the love affair is over. To put a cherry on the shit sundae, they looked like the survivors of the last Los Angeles holocaust. Battered soldiers trudging forward in a war they can’t win. They weren’t dripping the expected amount of sex. The final problem came when they played my favorite song; Finding Out True Love is Blind. The lead guitarist took a seat behind a keyboard and belted out vocals through an effect that made him sound like a poor man’s Ben Gibbard. Louis XIV may be touted as the next big thing, but it may turn out to be in Bravery proportions.

As we waited on changeover, I got to chatting with Mia and Zeina about Mastodon. She told me about their show she saw in London with High On Fire which must have been rightous. Mia has great taste in hard rock (read: metal) so I’d by tickets to their Bowery show before it sells. Sky and Rob also made their way to the back corner and we talked about loving bad music. We lost Tumblehawk due to an aliment, so I perched myself in the back and waited for Hot Hot Heat. It was my first time seeing these four Canadian boys; unless I saw them at the Siren Festival and can’t remember, (we did a lot of drugs that day). At first glance, I wanted to invite the four kids to take off their coats and stay awhile. They all had their jackets and scarves on. Hot Hot Heat could be dedicated followers of fashion, but they just looked like they wanted to be The Strokes with At the Drive In haircuts.

So the seven or so songs that I saw rotated from old to new and back to old again. To be honest, I loved their debut record when it came out a couple years ago on Sub Pop. Now it can safely be stated that I’m not a fan. Sure, I’ll listen to the new record, but it sounds like the old songs, and frankly we’ve been cheated. Last night I realized. Hot Hot Heat is a ska band disguised by hipster cloths. They are a copy of Reel Big Fish. Seriously. Listen to their record and try not to skank. I’ll dust off my Doc’s and Pork Pie hat for their next tour. At a certain point I couldn’t take any more and I had to bounce. My first night out after a few was a bust, but tonight shall rock.

Dirty But Not Too Dirty.
So I just got done listening to the Dirty On Purpose in studio set at WOXY, and they sounded great. In an attempt to warn all of you, I tried to post something regarding this performance, but Blogger has been sucking more dick than Greg Louganis, (inappropriate?). You missed the on air DJ complimenting DOP for being punctual a number of times. Anyway, check out this interview Joe did with Deli Magazine. He is one hilarious motherfucker. Also make sure to get your paws on the new issue when you see it floating around. Jin, Audrey and I are doing a blog page. Read me fumble through an attempt to sound like a journalistic blog, (oxymoron much?).

Come Early. Stay Late.
This is just fair warning that your ass should be at the Mercury Lounge this evening. You’ll want to catch the early set by the Ohio dirt rockers Heartless Bastards and the late set by the MA based pop lovers Apollo Sunshine. It will be well worth the cover, and come ponder how my little sister and I have the same genes.

Oh, has anyone else noticed that Doves new single Black and White Town, sounds exactly like Burning In My Heart (Heatwave)? I like their style. I like their moves.

posted by jayloose at 2:40 PM 5 comments   

posted by jayloose at 3:07 PM 1 comments   

It’s Always Me, Me, Me, Me.
Is it possible to pull a Belin for the entire weekend? This hypothesis was proven true over this past weekend. I managed to be a shit the entire time. This pattern has made the past few Mondays distressing at best. Friday began the same way as the previous weekend. Moser, Kyle, Stevo and I met at Juanita’s for cheap margaritas and delicious Mexican style grub. After finishing dinner, we stepped back to 186 to play some cards and continue our journey to drunkenness. Around 10pm I made my way to the Mercury to meet up with Beach, Tumblehawk, Lucy and Daylen for a set by Liverpool’s The Stands. They played a great set laced with vocal harmonies that reminded me of British Sea Power if they managed to enjoy sunlight every once and awhile. Maybe that isn’t a fair assessment, but they definitely wore American rock influences on their sleeves, (i.e. Dylan, Petty, et al). The four kids (they literally look like they just hit their 2T’s), played a short, energetic set. Their gig has me convinced the record may be worth a few spins. Now for the hook up!

Speaking of the hook up: Thanks to Calvin for sending the Louis XIV Ep in my direction. It’s the flavor of the weekend at 186. I can’t wait to check them out at some point this week. They are dirty boys.

Following the set, I stopped by Orchard Bar where I was supposed to meet the kids who saw Six Organs at Tonic. No one had made it yet, but Dana and Juan were nestled up against the bar enjoying the free Red Stripe. We managed to drink a healthy amount of alcohol while waiting for the crew to roll through. Dan, Kyle, Chris, Becky, Leclare, Cami, Adrian, Max, Stevo, Ghory, Moser and a few others I’m too drunk to remember made it in time for a few free drinks and some dance party action from the Tarts. When Josh ran out of Red’s to pass out, a few of us went back to the Mercury Lounge in time to catch the tail end of Calla. By 1am, a tequila shot somehow found its way down my throat and sealed the deal. We stopped by Local 138 for a quick drink, but according to some, I was surly and pulled a Belin.

A True Exercise of Decadence.
Saturday began with a shitshow of a brunch at Essex with Stevo, Christie and Moser. Essex should only be a choice for brunch when you are looking to piss your day away. We managed to have four drinks with our meal. As those beverages hit my already tainted blood stream, we decided it would be best to check out Welcome to the Johnsons for $1.50 PBR’s and $3 margaritas. By 6pm I was passed out in my bed. The whole day was wasted.

After a good night’s (and half a day’s) sleep, the Loose Team met up for a solid meeting. We managed to get some solid work done. Around 6pm I cruised out to the Dirty Jerz to have dinner with Cara at some fancy pants restaurant. The meal (and the company) made the ride out there totally worth it. I’m still a bit nervous about my trips out to Jersey, but after a couple more things should be butter. We stopped into her local joint called Uncle Joe’s for a quick beer before I headed back to the city. My intention was to do some work, but Dan, Builder and Kyle were hanging out, so I baked us a cake as we watched New York Noise on channel 25.

A Few Words From The Street.
*** Stop by the website for David Black’s debut film, The Ice Castle. The site has a couple clips featuring Brendan and Homer getting their acting on. The premier for this film should be one killer party. People get ready.

*** Um… Should I be dating this author? Builder, you’ll understand. Sometimes my life feels like this.

Ok, I’m just not into this today. Sorry for wasting your time. It's still surly season. Take it slow.

posted by jayloose at 12:22 PM 0 comments   

posted by jayloose at 9:32 AM 1 comments   

GTR: The Sign Of The Least.
My life has been full of fish out of water situations. In 1995 I was forced to leave the comfort of Catholic School and found myself in the unfamiliar territory known as Public School. In 1999 I traded the quaint small town life for the grandiose landscape that is New York City. These are two of the biggest examples of my life as an outsider. Why is this important? Last night I managed to coax Builder into stopping by The Magician for the second installment of Glenn’s Blogger Happy Hour. Never have I felt so left of the dial. First of all, let me just say I’m not part of the blog community. It’s definitely not something for me. The other bloggers have some credibility and good taste, (apparently). I don’t. They didn’t affirm this; it’s just something I gathered from the discussion. The evening did serve a purpose by putting faces to names, but to be honest, I only read the blogs that I’ve been acquainted (in person) with and who cater directly to the LES rock scene. In any event I was happy to shoot the shit for J-Go for a few before ditching out for work. Check out his recent hilarity of a conversation with Vagina Spektor. After this experience, I can’t help but think Good Times Roll and its obsolete vernacular are doomed unless my tales of shitshowery never get old. I rest easy knowing a couple jackass friends will never stop loving this bullshit.

(Upon reflection, the above paragraph might sound pretty dick. That wasn't my intention, but from the looks of the attendees at last night's happy hour; none of those kids would read this bullshit.)

With some uneasy feelings running through my mind, (mainly, how do I stop this monster) I made my way into the Mercury Lounge for the second night of Sleater-Kinney. Last night’s crowd was far more ready to party than Wednesday’s. After setting up their little bit of merch, I settled in for a night behind the table. Thankfully, the early portion of the evening was spent scheming with Captain Tequila and his First Mate Cupcake. As the night moved forward, a bunch of familiar faces kept me company while I hocked product. Cara rolled in with her friend’s Ashley and Lou. She was sweet enough to keep her promise (I don’t actually know if she promised) of bringing me a coconut shrimp from Boca Chica which I happily split with First Mate Cupcake. The ever present Mr. Lordz was kicking it like a champ and I was graced by the presence of Mia and her crew that included Sherri and Zana. Sherri was talking about moving back to Virginia to finish up school, and as much as I’d hate to see a warrior like that go, her intentions are solid so rock on. Ashley hung out for latter half of the show and tried to explain the rhyme and reason to Murray Hill.

Janet was quick to settle up last night so by 12:30am the shop was closed and I was on my way back to 186. The past couple of days made me exhausted, but I can kind of proudly say I’ve only had one beer in nearly 60 hours.

The Weekender. No Bag Of Chips.
So another weekend is starring us in the face. Fortunately I’m taking half a day to hang out with mom who is passing through on her way to Long Island. Tonight the shows are a bit limited, but luckily there is a killer bill at, yes you guessed it, the Mercury Lounge. Though I don’t know much about the opening band, their name certainly rocks; Eastern Conference Champs. You have to love any band that incorporates sports into their name, (go with Special Teams, you know who I’m talking to). Anyway, they will be followed by the British boys in The Stands who pulled a Belin last time they were scheduled to play. Then it’s on to the power pop ladies of Palomar with the now one part Austin other parts NYC band, Calla, bringing up the rear. Then check out the After Party at Orchard Bar. Here’s a flyer for the event:



Tomorrow night (if you aren’t back at the Mercury to check out The Stands, Dr. Dog and The Baptist Generals), then get up town to support WBAR. Bidi sent me this flyer yesterday. It’s a damn fine bill for a budget friendly rocker. You’ll want to see Akron/Family while they are still a bit underground. They put on a tasty live show dispite their inherent wookieness. Here's a flyer for the event:



If you have some time to kill, check out the new Ash video for Clones (WinMedia or Real) which is the first single off their forthcoming record. Unfortunately their Bowery shows have sold out, but I’m sure that the diehard fan can find something on Craigslist. Sidenote: Where are all the discs Cornerstone promised to send me?

That’s all from here. I’m swamped at work and need to get some tasks accomplished so I can shoot out of here by 2pm. Have a great weekend.

posted by jayloose at 11:33 AM 3 comments   

All Growns Up AKA SXSW Tours.
Tis the season to be touring. Below you'll find listings for a ton of bands that will hit the road on their way to and from the infamous Austin Festival. I'll be with you all in spirit, I only wish it were in body as well. Have a kick ass time and remember to take some pictures for those of us stuck in the cold.

From Sam Champion w/ RANA.
Please find below our very first ever tour dates outside the tri-state area, minus the time Ryan and I drove to Nashville to play some festival with Def Leppard and that band Live. We'll be touring with our friends and family - New Jersey's own RANA. If you know anyone in Evansville, Indiana - please tell 'em to come see our band. It's free.

The Indiana or bust tour '05 reads....

Wednesday 3/9 @ The Fire
412 West Girard Ave.
Philadelphia, PA
$7 / 21+

Friday 3/11 @ Wilbert's
812 Huron Avenue East
Cleveland, OH
$5 / All Ages

Sunday 3/13 @ Bullocks
401 Edgar Street
Evansville, IN
FREE! / 21+

Monday 3/14 @ Hi-Tone Cafe
1913 Poplar Avenue
Memphis, TN
$7 / All Ages

Tuesday 3/15 @ George's Majestic Lounge
519 West Dickson Street
Fayetteville, AR
$5 / 21+

Wednesday 3/16 @ Bigsby's (SXSW Showcase)
506 E. 6th Street
Austin, TX
21+

Tuesday 3/29 @ Mercury Lounge
217 E. Houston Street
New York, NY
w/ Twinemen (ex Morphine)
9pm

From Dirty On Purpose.
Check out our March tour dates!
++DIRTY ON PURPOSE++
March 6 @ Black Cat (DC)
with The Small Shouts

March 7 @ Silk City Lounge (Philly)
with Collette Carter, DJ Rob (TBTMO Records)

March 9 @ WOXY.com (In-Studio Performance @ 4 p.m. EST) (Cinncinnati)

March 9 @ Southgate House (Newport, KY)
with Asobi Seksu

March 10 @ The Empty Bottle (Chicago)
with 90 Day Men, Mahjongg

March 11 @ Ten Bells Bar (Grand Rapids, MI)

March 12 @ Earlham University (Richmond, IN)
with Say Hi To Your Mom, Bobby Conn

March 14 @ Young Avenue Deli (Memphis, TN)
Free Show!

March 15 @ Rockin Horse/ High Note Lounge (Birmingham, AL)
414 21st Street South (Richard Arrington Blvd)
with Linear High

SXSW Parties and Showcase!
March 17 @ John Mueller's BBQ (Austin)
Sponsored by Green Potato Ventures and KVRX (91.7fm)
with Die Princess Die, Loxsly, America Is Waiting, The Winter Pageant, AM Syndicate, Hell Is For Heroes (3 p.m., Free Show!)

March 17 @ The Co-Op Bar (Austin)
SXSW Showcase @ 10 PM

March 19 @ Indierect Selections Series - Spider House (Austin) Free Party!
2908 Fruth Street (East of 19th and Guadalupe)
@ 2 p.m. with Knife Skills, The.Story.Of, Modena Vox, Purchase New York, Parker & Lily

From Say Hi To Your Mom.
It’s been a while, but were looking forward to seeing you! We’re heading down to that big appendage you like to call Texas, to play a showcase at SXSW, that odd confluence of manic, spiky haired youth, delusional not-yet-rockstars, cigar smoking suits and coup-plotting tastemakers. We’ll also be making some stops along the way, in towns where we’ll be playing selections from the first two records as well as never-before-heard songs from the forthcoming third record (which we’re proud to announce will be coming out in May). Anyway, see you very soon!:

3/02 @ The Uptown Theatre -- Washington, PA
3/04 @ Falstaff's (Skidmore) -- Saratoga Springs, NY; w/ ± (plus / minus)
3/05 @ Goodfellas -- Hampton, VA
3/08 @ Smith's Olde Bar -- Atlanta, GA; w/ Bettie Serveert
3/10 @ The Nick -- Birmingham, AL
3/12 @ Earlham College -- Richmond, IN; w/ Aqueduct & Dirty On Purpose
3/14 @ The Dame -- Lexington, KY
3/19 @ Copa (SXSW) -- Austin, TX; w/ Mobius Band
3/24 @ Red Star Bar -- Baton Rouge, LA
3/26 @ Back Booth -- Orlando, FL
3/28 @ Local 506 -- Chapel Hill, NC

We also suggest you contact your local venue for specific times, prices and advance tickets.

From The Winter Pageant.
This is it. we're REALLY excited about this, so if you live in any of these cities, or if you'll be at SXSW... please try and come out! and if you know anyone in any of these cities, try and tell them about us and get em to come out to the show!! thanks guys!

on tour:

3.12 Pittsburgh, PA 31st. St. Pub
3.13 Chicago, IL Bottom Lounge
3.14 Springfield, MO The Outland w/Asobi Seksu
3.17 Austin, TX KVRX Day Party
3.19 Austin, TX Porchlight Studios Day Party
3.19 Austin, TX SXSW Showcase at Blender Bar @ the Ritz. w/ American Analog Set, Stars, +/-, I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness
3.20 Baton Rouge, LA SoGo Live
3.21 Jackson, MS Martin's Lounge w/ The Hold Steady
3.22 Athens, GA Caledonia Lounge
3.23 Raleigh, NC Kings Barcade
3.25 Hoboken, NJ Maxwell's w/The Dears
4.13 Brooklyn, NY Northsix w/Mono, Eluvium

***SXSW SHOWCASE MARCH 19, Blender Bar @ The Ritz (320 E 6th St.)
9 +/- (New York NY)
10 THE WINTER PAGEANT (Brooklyn NY)
11 Stars (Montreal QC)
12 I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness (Austin TX)
1 American Analog Set (Austin TX)

***Thursday 3.17.05 KVRX Day Party @ John Mueller's BBQ 1917 manor rd. (east of IH 35 downtown). 5pm: THE WINTER PAGEANT

***Saturday 3.19.05 Porchlight Studios Day Party
@ The Tillery Street Theater
701 Tillery Street
Austin, TX 78701
2:20 THE WINTER PAGEANT

Good luck to all the kids who are hitting the road. If you are a reader in any of these areas, get off your ass and support some great bands. You'll thank me later.

posted by jayloose at 2:15 PM 0 comments   

And God Is Empty.
Since my dinner with Mr. Moser and Mr. Marks, I’ve been thinking about Jeff’s plan to keep his life cleaner than usual. He wants to be sober more than not which translates into him being completely clean four days a week. This is not an easy task. Think about it. Most of us go out at least five nights a week. Whether its wine with dinner, pot with The O.C. or beers at a show, most of use consume some form of toxin nearly every single evening. In an effort to take Jeff’s lead, I’ve decided to make my own run at three nights of sobriety a week. This is nearly impossible, but last night was my first chance to stare the devil in the eyes and tell her (or him, but I think women make better temptresses) to fuck off. This figured to be an easy task because I had to work a shift later that evening which meant my head couldn’t be cloudy.

Not so fast says Builder. As the door opened at 186, I was greeted by Builder who just opened a bottle of wine. The first test of the evening was thwarted with maximum efficiency. Around 7:30pm I went to the club and set up the merch table for Sleater-Kinney. By 9pm I had been offered two drinks, but managed to stick with water. The night pressed on and boredom reigned supreme, but my intentions stayed strong. While Sleater-Kinney blasted the backroom, one of the bartenders and I chatted each other up. He promised me there would be a tequila shot waiting for me once my duties were complete. Who can resist a free tequila shot? Around 12:30 things slowed down and the settling up was complete. With the notion of sobriety raging through my mind, I said quick goodbyes and bounced before any bevies hit the auction block.

Stage two of my toxin free evening was complete. My only hope to finish the evening without any damage relied on my roommates being ghosts. Luckily I walked into a dark apartment. No one was available to toss me a PBR or offer a knifer. Then it happened. As I saddled up to some cookies and milk, my eyes fixed on a little piece of something on the table. A stray nugget was starring me in the face, (sorry this sounds so much like Tumbleweed). After a quick inspection, I’d confirmed its genus and began pondering what destiny had against me. Somehow the grass found its way into a pipe, but my willpower soon took over. With a lighter in hand I decided it was ridiculous for me to get stoned at this juncture of the evening. The shit was removed, and I got cozy with a couple episodes of Family Guy.

Day one of three for this week is in the books. I’d like to keep it rolling this evening which means the only thing I can order at Glenn’s Happy Hour is Coke. And I’m talking about the shit that you ingest through your mouth; not your nose. After one day, I have a ton of respect for Mia who kicked the alcohol for lent. She’s a trooper. A word up goes out to the kids who kept me company last night and the cool girl (Christine?) who was selling Kevin Devine merch.

Double Dutch Champs Got Cramps.
*** Do get VH2? Would you mind if I came over Monday night? I’ll bring snacks. Sean Bones: did you buy this yet? Hook me up.

*** Are you like me and missed both Interpol shows? Read what the NY Post has to say about the creatures of the night. Who would have thought they looked like kids from New York?

*** Interscope makes a smart move and signs the hotter than sin M.I.A. Look for her debut, Arular, next month from the same label who drops Trail of Dead records. I wonder how much green XL made off this deal.

*** It was destiny. Builder, get out your fork and knife.

*** The headline says Dizzy is arrested for a possession of a firearm. When did mace become a firearm? It’s funny how they equate this to Fiddy being strapped.

*** This isn’t news, but damn that picture is scary. Can you imagine being famous simply because your dad got a blow job? Oh, someone just pointed out he was also a kick ass president for eight years. Who knew?

*** Hey Reverend Dickbrain! Remember that piece of paper that entitles you to freedom of religion? It also protects our freedom of speech. You don’t see us getting all upset when you preach about living some sort of bullshit moralistic good life that will lead to a one way ticket to Fantasy Island? Religious people are dumber than the Knick’s front office. You’d think the rednecks would calm down after he received the stamp of approval by their poster boy. If you are worried about something being offensive, then read this.

*** This review by the Husky G. gets me all wet in anticipation of their Bowery gig. Everyone want to see a white kid get down? Come to the back corner.

*** The NY Times has a well written Luna sendoff.

*** Now I don’t know what the hell to call myself. If only there was a way to figure this whole gender relations issue. Speaking to Builder and Miriam sure doesn’t help things. They both believe I’m gayer than Richard Simmons on a unicorn.

posted by jayloose at 11:44 AM 4 comments   

posted by jayloose at 3:04 PM 0 comments   

The Return Of A Solid Or Banned Funnies.

If you are part of the old gang, you understand the excitement surrounding the return of Jeff Moser. He returned from a self imposed exodus to London only a couple days ago. A couple years ago Jeff packed up his apartment (read: rolled everything up in a rug and threw it on 3rd Street) and moved to Los Angeles for a change of scenery. My little sister and I managed to pay him a visit during our drive down Route 1 a couple summers ago. The sun-kissed bastard was kicking it in an unfamiliar setting. Now that he has those bugs worked out, he’s back with a Bruce Willis vengeance.

Around 7pm I met with Stevo and Moser at Max’s on Avenue B. If you haven’t been to Max’s yet and you love cheap(er) Italian food, you should check this joint out. We caught up over massive bowls of pasta and a pricey but delicious bottle of Merlot. Moser caught me up to speed on his NYC plans and informed us that it only took him a day to find an apartment. Following dinner Stevo suggested some pool at Ace Bar. It’s been awhile since I’ve graced the establishment, but I quickly realized my absence was unfounded. They have two pool tables, two dart boards, a killer jukebox and $3 pints of PBR. It was pretty dead so we managed to score a pool table for the duration of our consumption. Toward the latter half of our stay, Yaps stopped in for a couple drinks before we decided to cut the chord.

Upon my return to 186, Kyle was messing around with the various heaps of found equipment in our house. There is a bunch of salvaged electronics that Kyle and Builder wooed into functioning. Then Kyle took me into his studio and played two amazing tracks he recently recorded. The A side to his first release must be the mega hit titled Kitty and the B side will inevitably be Dancefloor aka I Love Everyone and They Love Me. It would be easy to compare him to the likes of Har Mar or Baby Dayliner, but this kid has something different. He is obsessed with his creations, and rightfully so; they make you feel good inside. Next time you visit the house, ask Kyle to blow your mind, (without the use of acid). He already has a fanbase. Now all he needs is a label.

Before I forget, Happy Birthday to Anna. I'm working tomorrow night so I won't be able to tell you in person. Have a kick ass time and play Arkanoid for me.

Rock For A (James) Worthy Cause.
Those of you not going (or working) to the Mercury Lounge tonight or tomorrow for Sleater-Kinney should make an effort to get to these solid Tsunami Benefit Shows:

Wednesday, March 2nd @ Crash Mansion:


Thursday, March 3rd @ Rothko:

No fancy pants flyer for this one. Just stop in to check out Elkland, Daddy, Asobi seksu, Stiffed, and Kite Operations. This show is presented by SESAC (doesn’t that sound funny?) and Giant Robot Mag. Update: Ms. Go-To-Heller just sent me this flyer:



Words From The Street.
*** Don’t forget to do your taxes. I remembered yesterday and my stuff is going in the mail today. We don’t want to end up like Willie Neson, do we?

*** If this band wants a war then bring it on. They shouldn’t have blatantly called me out with their album title. That hurts.

*** Both Bloc Party and Chin Up Chin Up made great freshmen records. Now they are both working on the follow-ups to their killer debuts.

*** First it was Bonnaroo, but now the hippies have two festivals this summer? Damn the man. They are poised to take over the world. Then companies like Right Guard and Speed Stick will crumble.

*** The Los Angeles Times is looking for a culkin. Next they’ll jump on the Arnold for President bandwagon.

*** I can’t keep track of the disses, but seriously, what the fuck? Can you imagine if this happened in the rock scene? Last year Albert Hammond would have surely been capped by Jet.

*** Ok, keep talking. This doesn’t have me as excited as the New Order release, but it did make it move, only slightly. Teenage Fanclub gets set for a May release.

*** Pitchfork finally catches up with Good Times Roll. And they start the 2nd wave of hype for Detroit’s Thunderbirds Are Now! Does anyone work at Frenchkiss? Can someone hook up a burn? Speaking of music; (say it like a robot) must get copy of 7inch.

*** I wish she’d stop stalking Hawkins. She’s not worth the jail time.

*** On second thought, I think Bubba should be given to Builder. It would feed him for a couple days. Builder loves to eat history.

*** We love our queen. God save her. I bet she could pick the Spice Girls out of a lineup. Fucking A. I wonder if she’ll let me crash in Buckingham for a few days in June? Oh, and Glen Matlock is a fucking pussy.

*** Ok, so I’m currently digging the new record like it’s my job, but seriously could the Kings of Leon be bigger pussies. This makes me want to beat them with a guitar.

*** And you wonder why I have this band tattooed on my body.

Sorry this post was so agro.

posted by jayloose at 1:21 PM 2 comments   

Detox Is The Answer, But I Didn’t Ask.
This isn’t a cry for help or some futile attempt to lure girls with self-deprecation, but I’m a fucking reject. If you believe anything I’ve written over the past couple years, believe this apparent fact. As I lament the shortcomings of this past weekend, my decision to go into detox is complete bullshit. I’m writing this while sitting in the dimly lit backspace at The Library. I’m not talking about Bobst or the NY Public Library. This is a Library familiar to most. It lies on Avenue A between 1st and 2nd Streets. If you’re familiar with this establishment then you know the toilets often wreak, the jukebox kicks ass and the bartenders are super cute. If you are (or pretend to be) a hipster, you know Marc Spitz featured the bar in his novel, How Soon is Never.

Sidenote: It’s now Tuesday and the above paragraph is still suiting my mood, but I’m going to continue sans the bullshit.

I've Been Beat Up, I've Been Thrown Out.
Friday seems so long ago. My after work plan was to get some work done, but it was spoiled by a call from Hawkins. I decided to meet him and Tony for some fabulous margaritas a la Will at the Juanita’s on Rivington. As Tony gawked at the waitress (and made a futile attempt to get her number), ex-neighbor Will and I got a quick chance to catch up. Following our drinks, we picked up Beach at the Mercury and headed to Paladar for a couple of Cuban sandwiches. Chernin joined the crew and pulled up big by paying the check for our obnoxious party. Seriously, the women sitting next to us were appalled by the conversation, but it’s difficult for 5 guys working on an early love buzz to keep things PG.

We finished up the grub and headed back to 186 to pound some Sparks before Beach and I packed into a cab headed for the Northsix. This is where my first weekend blunder occurred. Jay managed to tip the cab driver $82. Yeah, I thought it was a $20, but later realized I handed over my weekend budget to the asshole who took advantage of my love buzz. Hopefully he’ll get in a car accident and die. Ok, that was harsh. Maybe he’ll just die. We met Cara outside of the venue and proceeded inside to find the best spot in Northsix. The Picture was beginning their set. They sounded decent, but it was nothing to get wet over. I’m not going to tell you about the secret spot because it doesn’t need to be over populated. We ran into Christie, Elliot, Mark Filter and a few other monkeys who were embracing Friday with the rest of us.

In an effort to stop my bitching, Beach kept buying us tequila shots which lead me to forgetting the entire evening. I Love You But I’ve Chosen Culkins took the stage only to play a set that was less than impressive. It just seemed flat. I was expecting something grandiose, but it just sounded like darker indie rock. By the time Longwave took the stage, I was drunk enough to throw water bottles at the band. What is it with me and Longwave? Everytime I see them I end up heckling them in some manner. If friends of Longwave are reading this, I apologize. They are actually a band I enjoy, but since its surly season, my motives were skewed. This is where things get even more blurry. Cara and I bailed. We traveled for what felt like days, and the next morning I woke up in Jersey City.

But I’m Not Down, No I’m Not Down.
I’m not shitting you; my feet touched Manhattan, Brooklyn and Jersey all in one evening. It was quite a leap for a kid who is afraid to cross 14th Street. It managed to work out because the next afternoon was our first big trip to the new Chili’s in Jersey City. After a couple hours of Mr. Show watching, Cara’s friend Kat joined us and we walked over to the Dirty Jersey Oasis. As we waited upstairs at the bar, I began my day with an El Nino that was tarter than Sarah and Karen combined. We were quickly joined by Beach, Lucy, Tumblehawk, Shannan, Noah, Del and Builder. The party took their seats and began throwing drink orders at our cute waitress Estephanie. She was so nice to put up with our shenanigans throughout the course of the afternoon. As we pounded through some boneless buffalo wings and an awesome blossom, Ashley and two dudes who’s names I didn’t catch, (probably because they weren’t given) joined us for the main course.

The meal ended up being fantastic. It was one of the few times we’ve made the exodus to Chili’s that didn’t end with Noah or me puking our respective guts out. Towards the end of the meal there were mix ups with drinks so the table ended up scoring some colorful free bevies. We settled up with the ladies, said goodbye to the New Jersey contingency and headed for the Path Train. After a botched attempt to put Beach down in the snow, we made our way back to the city for a quick hang at 186.

Around 6pm Noah and I made our way to Webster Hall for the sold out Ian Brown show. The front door saw a whole lot of action that night, but with the much needed help of the crew things went decently smoothly. The show must have been packed with British Patriots because the band sounded terrible, but the place was going absolutely nuts. I only managed to catch a couple songs, but it wasn’t even listenable. Yesterday Lee told me it was pretty awful and that the band even stopped a couple times in the middle of songs. Bad form Ian. You should definitely practice before taking your step class on the road. We emptied the room by 11pm so I got back to the house for a quick beer with Builder and Becca.

A few minutes later I headed to the Mercury Lounge to meet up with the crew for the 2nd stage of the evening. After a quick drink with some folks out front, I slid to the back to catch some of Boobytrap’s set. The five-piece band delivered exactly what the name promised. The exclusively lady act wrapped their sexy around me and forced me to pay attention. Saturday was a celebration for their full-length release, One False Move And and if the disc delivers the same loveable indie rock as the live show then its well worth a listen. These girls flashed massive chops and made for a great kickoff to my post work evening. As the set changed over, we were joined by the likes of Tumblehawk, Lucy, Gigs and Dana. Everyone was revved up for the headliners.

It has been awhile since my last Peelander-Z experience. I may have to dig as far deep as the bill they shared with the Bahamas down at Don Hill’s. Either way it’s been too long. This band is so much fun. Don’t go in thinking you’ll hear some innovative punk rock out of these three Japanese dudes. Just go into the show realizing you are going to have fun, yell a whole lot, po-go in a pit and possibly end up on stage playing their instruments. A Black Peelander took the stage and made the announcements for Peelander Red and Blue before disappearing. Peelander Yellow was then lead to the stage by Peelander Pink who guided the way using her wireless spotlight. They blasted through a set that included nose picking, random gibberish and my two favorite songs: Mad Tiger and Steak. Everyone in the room was having a blast. At one point they pulled a few people out of the crowd to take over on their instruments while they proceeded to perform the bowling portion of the evening. It was a madhouse. Beach was so psyched to see Peelander Blue flashing the “Freddie Mitchell” belt move throughout the course of the night. For me, it was all about Peelander Yellow’s ridiculous banter flowing from front toothless mouth. It was pure enjoyment.

As they finished up their encore, we were joined by Builder and Del. A quick tequila shot later and we were upstairs at 2A. Dan and Kyle joined us. Dan told me Jeff’s birthday party was all but over and that Jeff was passed out after a violent puking session. Happy Birthday Jigga! Sorry I missed your party, but I do have a couple presents for you. Somewhere after 3am I pulled an obvious Belin, scored a slice and promptly passed out.

Anger: Hostility Toward The Opposition.
Sunday morning found me a mess, but I managed to join Noah and Merida for some brunch in the neighborhood. Once the necessary amount of coffee was consumed, I made way for Christina’s apartment for a productive Loose Team meeting. Later that afternoon I stopped by Beach’s to watch the Irish get their lunch handed to them by UCLA. Then it was off to the Library for some writing while my wash spun next door. Del cruised through toward the end of my cycle. We decided to head back to 186 to drink some terrible wine before The Oscars started. Though most of the show was terrible, there were two redeeming moments: Charlie Kaufman’s awkward acceptance speech and the segment where Chris Rock polled moviegoers at the Magic Johnson Theatre.

Snickers In My Blizzard.
Monday fucking blew. Well, everything except for the latter half of the evening. Nothing seemed to go right for me, but by the end of the day I was copasetic after a Boca Chica appearance with Beach. We dined on some bitching coconut shrimp. At some point the coconut shrimp challenge must take place, but a handicap must be set if Builder is to enter. Dude could eat more shrimp than Shamoo. Then I met with Cara and Carli at Ray’s while they finished up their dinner. We proceeded to head to the Mercury where the ladies had to check out Ringside for work. Denise was working the back bar which is always a welcomed addition to the evening. I also ran into Lee who seems to be the everywhere man these days. Well, actually I only recently met him, but now that we are acquainted it seems like we are always at the same gigs. We watched as The Primms finished up their set of grunge laced hard rock. Their high energy level certainly helped the cause, but the lead singer could use a little work. Marc appropriately played Nevermind following their set.

We met up with some coworkers of Cara and saddled up for a set by Ringside who are a Los Angeles band not worth too many damns. Brenda Walsh was in the crowd and must be dating the lead singer because he dedicated their slow, piano driven track to “Shannon.” She was a tiny little person, but she still looked pretty damn good. The one redeeming member of the band was the drummer, but I was later informed he was only hired for the tour. Near the end of their set I’d had enough of their U2 meets Bon Jovi rock that was laced with ambient beats and LA smog so I stepped out front to hang out with Greg for awhile. Once my knickers had frozen it was back to the show room for a song or two by Walking Concert. They began by spray painting the head on the bass drum with their logo. That was about all I could handle. They weren’t our style so Cara and I decided to call it an evening.

Words From The Street Or A Little Help.
*** Christie threw an email at some friends this morning announcing her 2nd place finish in a blogs design contest. Christie and Brie’s (Manchester Hue) creation are displayed on the cute ears of Little Z. Check them out and place an order. The girls will love you for it.

*** Meet Brendan Donnelly. He is probably cooler than you and has a better eye for fashion than anyone you claim to know. Check out his new website and be amazed by his work. Dude has got some serious goods. Couple that with a good times attitude and you get a grade A monkey.

*** At dinner last night, Beach informed me that The Upwelling have been added as the openers to next weeks second night of VHS or Beta, (March 8th). The stellar bill also features The Crimea. Get your tickets here.

posted by jayloose at 1:17 PM 3 comments