Doing Stuff Is Awesome. I'm Not Awesome.
A main mate of mine, lets call him JC and yes, it stands for Jesus Christ, is a fucking mover and a shaker. He is throwing down this weekend at Asterisk. He's also the madness behind New Release which is a highly informative email ya'll should receive. Kid breaks more bread than the Christo at his final sader. Go and show some love. While you're at it, suck a fucking titty, because Coco's dance floors are made for it. Here is the information for Saturday:

New Release Presents... an even crazier dance party than you could have ever imagined at Asterisk (258 Johnson Ave in Bushwick) on Saturday, April 30th from 10pm until you can't take it anymore.

featuring the likes of...

Kudu
Criminal Justice (feat. Dana Leong, Jason Lindner and Baba Israel)
Cardenal

followed by an all-night stroke-a-thon with Tim Sweeney (DFA/Beats in Space)

In Flagranti (Codek) spins between sets, and his special friend, Cocoa Cracker Brown (New Release/Nublu) takes care of the super late end of
things

$5 to get in
$3 beers
and could it be? the green fairy?

L to Montrose.
Walk one block south.
Left on Johnson. Look for the red asterisk.

*** Also, tonight at the Delancey, Arbor Day is playing an early set at 7:30pm. Yes, its awfully early, but they are a perfect early band. Go forth and spread the gospel in my absence.

I Regret To Inform You AKA Brief Hiatus.
First of all let me send out a big thank you to each and everyone of you who helped make my birthday weekend kick so many asses. It was truly an exercise in untactful hedonism. A special thank you goes to the boys at 540 Henry who provided us with the killer location and gracious hosting. If you are the bastard who stole a book from Jeff’s room, please return it to me and I won’t cause a stink. I know that won’t happen, but stealing shit from the party house is one of the greatest dick moves of all time. Right your wrong. A sorry goes out to Max for breaking his nose open. I love you. Do you still love me? Thanks also to the door at 186 for not letting me into the apartment at 3am which forced me to hit 151 to take shots by myself. Thanks to Noah for the kick ass gift certificate. Thanks to Dana for taking me shopping on Saturday and helping me act my age, (or at least dress like it). Thanks to The Shins for sounding so fucking great on Saturday night. Thanks to Stevo for being hilariously hammered at Local. Thanks to Dirty On Purpose for stopping by 186 for a hang and an interview last night. Finally, thanks to my mom simply because she doesn’t get enough praise.

With all that being said, Good Times Roll is going to coast through this week due to a massive amount of work that must be done for Loose Record. You may get the occasional heads up for tickets or an amazing show, but the time spent on this blog will have to be cut back considerably. This isn’t the planned farewell I’ve discussed. Every time I ponder my life without Good Times Roll, I struggle to find a personal creative outlet. I’ll still be here and hopefully the show list will stay updated, but for the next week or two, the Good Times will be severely shortened.

As always, thanks for reading this site and spreading the love. Also, thanks to everyone who entered the contests sponsored by V2 and Cornerstone. The winners are:

*** Brendan Benson Prize Package: Michelle Chau
*** Kasabian Grand Prize Package: Alena Kastin
*** Kasabian Runner Up Prize Package: Matt Rutchik

I’ll be seeing you soon. Keep it Loose and enjoy my hiatus.

The Final Reminder: Party Tonight.
186 Birthday’s (Jay, Kyle & Builder) in Carol Gardens
Tonight, Friday, April 22 (7pm till the kegs run dry).

$5 will get you all the beer and food you can handle. Seriously, Kyle and I bought a shit-ton of food, so by all means, come hungry. I’m also looking into running up to Home Depot to purchase a tarp. If you have any ideas, by all means, give me a ring.

Now we realize the weather has definite shit potential. If it’s raining the party will be in the apartment, and we’ll run the grub down from the bbq.

Jeff's address is 540 Henry St. It's really easy by train, (directions below). Come out early. Stay late. Make sure to bring a coat as it’s supposed to be just below 60 degrees. Once it’s too cold, we’ll retire to the apt for further debauchery.

Other things to bring: Tequila, Sparks and friends. All are welcome.

We hope to see you there,
The Boys of 186 & 540 Henry

Directions to Jeff's:
Subway: Take the F or the G train to Carroll St. Exit the station at President and Smith. Walk along the park with traffic on President for a few blocks. Make a left on Henry. The address is 540 Henry St. apt. #2. Call Jeff or Jay to get the keys tossed down or buzz #2.

If you're coming late exit the subway station at 2nd place. Make a right, and walk with traffic on 2nd place until you hit Henry. Make a right, walk a couple blocks. 540 Henry St. Call or buzz.

Makes Jay A Dull Boy.
Right. So, let me think about the last couple days. Oh, I remember; it’s been all work with a second of play. On Wednesday I was at Webster for the Moby show which was hectic, but we made it through it. The young lady who put the list together was quite sweet which made it all the better. After the show I stopped by the after party at her insistence for a complimentary Moby drink from his tea shop, (I believe its Teany). Then it was on to my bed where I spent another night starring at the ceiling trying to unwind.

Yesterday was mildly better. Following work I met with Kyle at Key Foods so we could buy all the food for tonight’s party. Here’s to hoping the weather holds up because our food count is something like:

Hamburgers: 60
Veggieburgers: 8
Hotdogs: 45
Veggiedogs: 16
Chicken Legs: 50
Kielbasa: 4 links
Hot Sausage: 25
Chips: 10 bags

Around 8pm Dana came over to watch The O.C. which was a bit out of control, but I don’t feel like getting into it as I’m tired and cranky. After the show we hung out in the kitchen and played with the meat. We marinated a ton of grub before time ran out, and I had to head down to the Bowery for the late Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy show. The shift was crazy just because everyone came in at once, but by the time I took a deep breath it was over. Merida and I chatted about tonight’s predicted shitshow before I hit the road. Today I’m tired and the day is only beginning. Wish me luck.

Birthday weekend plans: Tonight party. Tomorrow brunch, shopping, The Shins and possibly Outhud. Sunday is for work. Happy Passover to all you Hebrews!

INFO ON NEWLY RELEASED SHINS TICS BELOW

Working Hard For No Money.
Happy April 20th to all the potheads out there in cyber land. For the six or seven of you who don’t know, 4:20 is the universal time to smoke weed thus making April 20th or 4.20 a constant celebration. Now I don’t know the meaning behind the time, (all theories are welcomed in the comment section) but I do recall Eddie Edmondson high school explanation. It had something to do with the time of day that Jerry Garcia passed away. Kind of like Jerry’s own JFK style eternal flame. I suspect the tradition was around well before the death of king hippie, but who knows. These days I no longer participate in said celebrations, but with Builder turning his back to vegetarianism who knows what could happen?

So smoke a joint, puff a bowl or do a knifer. Today’s the day to indulge in some of Mother Nature’s finest creation, (after women). Just don’t do it tonight while seeing Moby at Webster Hall. Security will bounce you faster than Jay-Z.

So Kyle popped into the kitchen last night while Builder and I were ending our nerd session. He went on to tell us that we spend “18 hours a day in front of a computer.” While it was a bit of a guest-a-mation, (don’t you hate people who use that word) it wasn’t far off. Lately, my days are all work and no play. If I don’t go home and camp out at the kitchen table after ever work day, then I’m pulling a shift somewhere in the city. This isn’t really a complaint. It’s more of a realization that I’m going to rock my ass off this weekend for my birthday.

If you don’t already know, 186 is having its 2nd Annual Birthday throw down except this time it’s a house party. Thanks to the top notch Henry Street Boys, we’ll be getting down on a roof in Carol Gardens this Friday, (4.22). Once the weather turns on us, we’ll head down to the apartment for a possible dance party and guaranteed funneling. It’s your chance to relive the college life you consistently pine for. All are welcome. Bottles of liquor are also welcome, (read: tequila). Here are the details:

$5 will get you all the keg beer and BBQ you can handle. Don’t fret vegetarians, (I’m looking at you Dan) we’ll have veggie friendly grub for you.

The address is 540 Henry St. It's mega easy by train.

Directions to Jeff's:
Subway: Take the F or the G train to Carroll St. Exit the station at President and Smith. Walk along the park with traffic on President for a few blocks. Make a left on Henry. The address is 540 Henry St. apt. #2. Call Jeff or Jay (email for number) to get the keys tossed down or buzz #2.

If you're coming late exit the subway station at 2nd place. Make a right, and walk with traffic on 2nd place until you hit Henry. Make a right, walk a couple blocks. 540 Henry St. Call or buzz.

Driving directions: Use Mapquest’s driving DIE-rections.

So come on out to the party. We’d appreciate it, but more importantly the two kegs of beer will appreciate it.

Words From The Street.
*** Check out these M.I.A. video streams for Sunshowers (Real: Hi / Lo) and Galang (Real: Hi / Lo). Believe the hype on this girl. She is so fresh she makes electroclash look like disco, (and I’m not talking cool disco, I’m talking blowing cocaine off the hood of your I-ROC disco… wait a second). Anyway, if you haven’t managed to see this girl, check these out cause their fresh. Hopefully Mike and Christina read this post so they can see why I was a dancing fool in Dunkin Dounuts last night.

*** The Messy Manic broke this year’s Central Park Summerstage lineup. We’ll maybe she didn’t, but it’s where I heard it first so booyakasha. Most of the tickets go on sale this Saturday at noon so set your alarm. If you want to avoid Ticketmaster molestation, head to the Irving Plaza box office. Some of the better shows are: Modest Mouse (6.20); Dinosaur Jr. w/Broken Social Scene (7.14); David Byrne (7.29) and Decemberists w/Stars (8.18). Ms. Mess also condones buying Killers tickets and then selling them to the “trainables”.

*** Do you have friends like these professional lunchers? I do. Man, they are a lovely bunch of coconuts. I’ll keep grinding it out while you lucky dogs sip your $4 lattes.

*** Have you hear the new Fischerspooner record yet? Me neither, but here is your chance to listen to Odyssey for FREE, (for a limited time). Check it out and let me know what you think. Or check it out, close the door to your office and dance like a coked up boy at Luxx.

*** Finally a film I want to see more than Ocean’s 12, (I a sucker for heist movies especially when they are directed by Soderbergh). I’m hoping to get a copy of It’s All Gone Pete Tong at some point this week. The film has done well at numerous festivals and is currently playing in select theaters. Check out the trailer on the official web site and tell me this doesn’t look like 24 Hour Party People on tons of acid.

SOME SHORTS:

*** My fansite has a little update. Dan is the king.

*** Oasis continues to be a bunch of cry babies.

*** Tom Waits hates cars. Well, he hates car commercials.

*** Must buy this record…. NOW!

*** New Order sits down with VH1.

*** Who would pay $3100 to see Styx?

*** Bowery Ballroom Tickets going on sale at Noon today: Gang Gang Dance (May 26); The Wrens (May 27); Goldie Looking Chain (May 30); Electrelane (June 3). Goldie Lookin Chain are fucking amazing live so get your tickets, (if you enjoy having fun). Also, The Caesars are playing on June 15th but there is no ticket information yet.

This Just In: More Shins Tic's On Sale!
More tickets for all three of this week's Shins shows at Webster Hall were released on Ticketweb. Get them right now before getting shut down, (again). Click the day for a direct link to the tickets:

Saturday *** Sunday *** Monday

Our Skins Wear Thicker.
Last night’s Bravery show was a bit more successful than the previous evening. The band didn’t sound as good, but more people showed up. Included in this mess of people was HOVA. Yes, Jay-Z was escorted into the club right before the band played. He rolled up to the Bowery in the back of a new Rolls-Royce, and cruised up to the balcony without any personal security. Jiggaman took to the show with his label friends, and I was in awe of his presence. On his way out of the club, I managed to snap a quick photo, but it was on a disposable, (fuck digital anyway). Look for it on a t-shirt near me.

Anyway, let’s get back to The Bravery. Holy bulldog. If provoking emotion is one of the aims of music, then these guys are top of the pops, (as long as rage counts). I’ve never hated a performer more than their lead singer / bass player combo. This feeling doubles due to the fact that it’s nearly impossible to keep still while they jam out their dance tunes. Did I say this yesterday? It feels so fucking calculated, and yet I can’t look away. They are like a 20 car pile up, but for some reason the emergency response team is able to keep a couple lanes open so traffic slowly streams by rubber necking all the way. It makes me want to punch myself where my balls should be while trying to give myself head. If you were able to bottle-up MisShapes and sell it as cologne, these kids would wreak of it. It’s everything I hate about the New York music scene, and yet I occasionally find myself hoping for a spot on the fashionista runway they’ve perpetuated.

So is it jealousy that forces me to keep The Bravery at arms length? Sometimes you might think so, but when the wannabe Adam Ant bass player takes off his shirt and sprays the crowd with beer it’s safe to say this isn’t the case. It’s impossible for me to like this band on personal principle. Much like Diego of Elefant’s constant need of a Culkin; this band is asking for it. There has to be a line where serious simply becomes ridiculous. While some bands manage to cleverly straddle this chalk line, The Bravery takes a collective piss on it in hopes that it will disappear.

Let’s get this over with by putting them on tour with Orgy.

Anyway, if you go ape for The Strokes (I do), Duran Duran (shit yeah), Hot Hot Heat (I did) and 80’s new wave bands like a-ha or Bananarama that were only good for soundtracks (guilty pleasures are a fact of life); then you might fall in love with The Bravery. One warning: the pool looked awfully shallow so don’t fall head first.

Did I mention Mr. Carter was there?

Words From The Street.
*** I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Bob Saget is king.

*** New York bands looking for some solid exposure should consider entering CMJ’s Five-Borough Battle of the Bands. If I recall correctly, The Head Set won last year’s battle, and were given an opening slot for Sonic Youth at Irving Plaza. Make sure you’re a bit on the hip side because the discernable ear of Vice Records, Adam Shore, is one of the judges.

*** CNN profile’s Family Guy creator Seth Macfarlane. I can’t wait for the May 1st return of the Griffin family.

*** Some Libertines hug and make up. So when the fuck is the reunion tour?

*** EMI’s future is on the shoulders of Chris Martin? Then the industry tells him to, “lighten up.” This seems like a contradictory message, but I’m sure X & Y will move a heap of units.

*** Remember The Darkness? Yeah, I don’t really either, but they came up on WFMU this weekend and it reminded me of a crazy summer Noah and I shared. Anyway, Justin Hawkins (don’t call him Pham) isn’t very good at water sports.

*** Who is that Antony and what about his Johnsons? The Independent profiles the singer whose voice is turning all kinds of heads.

*** Talks of a fall Broken Social Scene release lead to boners all over indie land.

Kick ass and take names on this Tequila Tuesday. If you are looking to get into some trouble this evening check out VICIOUS at Rothko where the bill boasts sets by Eugene, The Hong Kong, Benzos and The Harlem Shakes.

The Exodus: You Can’t Pick Them.
After living in New York for nearly six years, I find it very difficult to get out of town even if it’s only for the weekend. Maturing to the point of not caring about missing something has mentally beneficial aspects, but at this stage in the game, it kills me to leave. As my packed NJ Transit train pulled out of Penn Station on Friday, I received a couple phone calls that promptly cut out as we dove below the Hudson River. Upon surfacing I called the first back. It was a call for a shift down at the club. No big harm. No intentional foul. The next call was from a friend of mine who called to invite me to the Beck show. There you go folks. This if proof that if I leave for 10 minutes, I’m definitely going to miss something.

Regardless of my personal misgivings, it was nice to be out of the city for a mere 24 hours. My older sister picked me up at the Point Pleasant Beach train station and took me to the hotel where the rest of the family was waiting. My mom and Aunt Suzanne both read this so I’m going to keep this light, but wow, if you put our crew together things get a little out of hand. It began with the crew of 16 heading across the street for dinner at an Italian Steakhouse called Spano’s. The jackasses at the restaurant obviously don’t understand the concept of reservations because they gave ours away which forced the 16 hungry, angry people to drink for an hour before being seated. During this hour we managed to set off the fire alarm and have the entire Point Pleasant Fire Department arrive at the scene. This was hilarious because the downstairs ballroom housed a junior prom of some sorts. As the firemen stormed to the second floor restaurant, I tucked myself into the corner of the bar with my mom and aunt who ruined my chances with the cute bartender.

We were finally seated when it dawned on us; their wait staff was completely fucking hopeless. Now I usually try to give these employees the benefit of the doubt, but I’ve never seen what must have been a mildly retarded busboy. I had four empty drink glasses in front of me by the end of the night along with my appetizer dishes and our entrée dishes. I’m praying for his sake that Friday was his first shift. The waitress was downright awful. She would bring something to the table and shout, “Who ordered this?” It was kind of humorous. We also waited an hour and a half to get our food. We ended up being the last people in the restaurant. The entire party was drunk and angry. To put the cherry on this shit sundae, I had my uncle’s crass-as-all-hell friend in my ear asking me for drugs in between insults directed at his girlfriend who sat on his other side.

When we finally got the bill, everyone looked in the bag so I took it upon myself to collect from everyone. People just started throwing money at me. By the time the dust settled we were $80 short and no one stepped up to cover it. Eventually crass friend snatched it from me and paid on his credit card. His girlfriend got extremely pissy because it wasn’t fair for him to spend their “cleaning ladies” money. Fuck me. I threw him a $20 in hopes of slowing the embarrassment. Eventually my uncle came back in and grew as furious as me. I stormed out, returned to the hotel room and promptly passed out.

The Wedding: New Day Dawning.
The next morning we hung out in Annette and Jay’s hotel room drinking coffee while mapping out the various tasks necessary for Lisa and Jared’s wedding. Around 9am Bruce, Jay and I cruised down to the place on the boardwalk where the event took place. We gave some things to the wedding planner and stopped at a café to pick up some breakfast sandwiches. The sandwiches cost $6 for one egg, bacon and cheese on a roll. When my uncle laughed at the bill, the counter girl merely replied, “What do you expect? It’s the Jersey Shore.” Remind me never to return.

We returned to the hotel, and the wait was on. I crawled back into bed, but couldn’t manage to sneak in any sleep. Around 1pm I got dressed up and went back down to the ballroom with my uncle and Bruce to meet and greet. Eventually the place filled up and the party went down to the beach for my first Jewish wedding. I was in the cheap seats so it was difficult to hear, but from what I could tell, they definitely got married. Cousin Lisa looked so unbelievable and I repeated informed her of this fact. The reception ended up being a great time. My aunt and uncle were pleased with the entire spread. The open bar provided me with tons of whiskey that facilitated the latter necessity of red bull vodkas.

Around 7pm the need for New York kicked in. I wanted to wake up at 186 so Rachel drove me to the hotel so I could pack my bag. We returned to the reception where I said my goodbyes before mom dropped me at the train station. The train was pulling away as I walked up the platform. The wait was nearly an hour and by 11:30 I made it back to Manhattan. It was really nice to see the family, but next time I hope to do it in a more relaxed setting.

No Place Like Home: Birthday Central.
On my cab ride back down to 186, I stopped at 14th and A to pick up Sean and Sarah. We cruised down to my house where Deborah met up with us before we headed to Brooklyn for DTL and Stefan’s joint birthday venture. On our short walk to the apartment we ran into George who said, “Sorry I’m in a hurry. I’m going to check out a Japanese speedcore band.” That kid cracks me up. Anyway, the party was awfully rad. There was a table full of alcohol and it didn’t take me long to rekindle my afternoon buzz. There were tons of cool kids hanging out including: Jin, Juliet, Dana, Ben, Rachel, Laura, Cara, Josh, Christina and Maggie.

At some point Builder called to let me know he was celebrating his birthday at the Hanger Bar so Christina, Maggie and I hopped a cab and headed to the city. Things definitely got a bit fuzzy, but there was a nice sized crew at the bar. Builder managed to rustle up Mike, Miriam, Alister, Elise, Sky, Rob and a few others. Natalka was kind enough to sling me some strong drinks. Apparently I got pretty rowdy and was swinging kids around, (if I wasn’t dry humping them). Summer is going to bring out the worst (read: best) in me. I managed to get home at a reasonable hour or at least it felt like one.

On Sunday I took Miriam and Josh to brunch at AKA Café for Josh’s 24th birthday. We cruised around the neighborhood in search of desert. The Australian ice cream shop on St. Marks provided us with some killer sorbet. Then Builder and I drove out to Mike’s in Brooklyn to pick up our new Ipods. Mike is a black market Ipod dealer. Well, maybe not, but he managed to score us some gear at a great price. Since we were on her block, we also popped into Erin’s back yard for a quick hang before returning to the city.

Last night I had to work The Bravery show at Bowery. Note to male haters: Hot girls love The Bravery. There were hordes of pretty girls at this show, but it you really have to want it if you’re going to sit through their set. Ash did manage to cover Thin Lizzy which sounded great from out front. Merida wasn’t happy with their choice of cover, but why not play the hits? We have a different take on the art of the good cover. Well, I don’t think many would agree with me, but if you are going to play a cover, be so fucking obvious that it’s almost funny. I mean, you are already ripping something off, why try to be obscure about it? Granted, the most important aspect is to pick a great song, but most of the time that ends up being a hit.

Anyway, I popped upstairs to catch a couple songs from one of the most contrived things I’d ever seen. It felt dirty, but they are moving records and they are playing a sold out tour so more power to them. It’s just not my game. This may sound overly diplomatic, but to be honest, I just don’t care. Play it. Play it with passion, (even if it entails the usage of lame 80’s clichés that may push you to Smashmouth status in a year or two). Make your money, but please curb this whole shtick before I drown in the mass of puke in my mouth. I also killed some time chatting up Denise and Merida before taking off, (thanks for the advice M). By midnight I was at home starring at the ceiling wishing my exhaustion would translate into sleep.

Words From The Street.
*** Have you heard Cloud Room’s single, Hey Now Now? A while ago Noah and I saw them perform at Rothko and it was an absolute nightmare. Now I’m hearing the record and realizing they make great pop songs. They’ll have to dig themselves out of the live show hole, but for now I’m hooked. It’s like listening to Elefant if they weren’t lead by a narcissistic shit stick. You can hear the tunes here. I believe they are playing the FREE Calla show at Knitting Factory on April 25th. Please go and report back to me.

*** The special guest who is slated to perform at NY2LON gig at The Bowery Ballroom is none other than the Ligers. You’ll love it. Just go. Tickets are available here.

*** Ted Nugent is a fucking moron. Do you think he voted Republican?

*** Early reports of the lineup at the Rock Hall Music Festival in Cleveland (June 8-11) include names like Malkmus, Spoon, Misfits and The Futureheads.

Have a killer day. Check your inbox for weekend B-day bash information.

In Case You Haven’t Heard.
There are a few shows worth catching this weekend. You should make a point to get out and see some live music, or go party with DTL in Brooklyn on Saturday, (See Myspace for directions).

Friday Night:
*** Arbor Day (pictured) @ Luna Lounge (9:30pm, FREE): These kids are good friends of mine and they make fun pop music. Check them out and throw things at Dan, (he plays drums).
*** The End of the World w/ Natural History @ Tommy’s Tavern (8pm, $5)
*** Bishop Allen w/ We are Scientists @ CBGB’s (8pm, $10)

SOLDOUT: Beck @ Hiro; Brendan Benson @ Bowery Ballroom; Ambulance Ltd @ Northsix.

Saturday Night:
*** The Undertones @ Knitting Factory (7pm, $18)
*** Oneida w/ Oakley Hall @ Knitting Factory (11:30pm, $10)

SOLDOUT: Of Montreal @ Northsix; Sonic Youth @ Maxwell’s.

Need A Date? I’ve Got Some.
In more relevant news there are some new tours rocking this summer and More Cowbell is continually in the know so if you live in areas outside of NYC then check it out. Here is what I found for the Big Apple:

*** Iron and Wine @ Webster Hall (June 16th and 17th)
*** Ted Leo and the Pharmacists @ Irving Plaza (June 26th)
*** Dinosaur Jr @ Central Park Summer Stage (July 14th)

A couple Warsaw dates:
*** The Bravery (May 17th)
*** The Decembrists (May 26th)

Here are some summer dates lifted from Brooklyn Vegan, (yes, I’m getting lazy):

June 4th: The Killers @ Central Park Summerstage
June 11th: They Might Be Giants @ South Street Seaport
June 14th: The Pixies @ Jones Beach
June 25th: New Pornographers @ Prospect Park Bandshell
July 16th: Coney Island Siren Festival
July 19th: Elvis Costello @ Central Park Summerstage
July 4th: Stephen Malkmus & Yo La Tengo @ Battery Park
July 14th: Calexico @ Castle Clinton National Monument
July 17th: Brazilian Girls & Femi Kuti @ Central Park Summerstage
August 18th: Stars, Death Cab for Cutie, & The Decemberists @ Central Park Summerstage

Kaiser Chiefs’ Saturday Night is on WOXY and yes, it still rips straight from Pennywise’s Bro Hymn. Damn them. Damn them to hell, (but they’re so cute).

I don’t know what this will entail, but on June 5th at The Bowery there is a special evening with Nick Hornby and Marah. Once I get some details, they will surely be passed on. On May 10th Diamond Nights are playing The Mercury Lounge. This should finally serve as a good opportunity to see a band everyone’s talking about.

I Won’t Do What You Tell Me.
So today you might kill some time cruising through various blogs hoping to get a read on the Annie show last night at Tribeca Grand. You aren’t going to get any of that here. You may also search for Beck set times or horror stories from the jammed up Ticketweb sale. You aren’t going to get any of that here. Today, you’ll get what everyone wants on their Friday morning; a recap of last nights O.C. episode.

Last night the smut was in full effect. As I gawked at the same pair of headless tits and mid-section, (did anyone notice that) I couldn’t help think this was a return to form. The kids snorted coke, there was a threesome in Marissa’s bed and Ryan (and his brother) got into a fight. Lest we forget the dead girl in the pool at the end of what looked like a killer party, but let’s start from the beginning. How fucking annoying is Marissa? The damn rich girl has to keep poking her nicely shaped nose into Ryan’s business. If she could refrain for a second then….

Wait, this is stupid. No one wants to hear this and frankly I don’t feel like writing it. I’m not being salty; I just want to have something more to write about. Expect a full report on life at the Jersey Shore in the days to come.

Enjoy your Friday. It truly is the new Friday.

You Get The Mash. I’ll Get The Bang.
The sands of time aren’t kind to those of us hoping to stay youthful. With this in mind, I’ve recently curtailed the intake of certain herbal supplements. I’m approaching a fortnight without it, but there has been little improvement in my work ethic. Maybe this will change soon, but as long as we live at 186, my apartment will keep its revolving door policy. This being said, last night I was sitting in the kitchen doing some work when the door buzzed. Noah stopped for a post work hang as did Sean who had a hilarious story regarding his latest interview. If you see him, ask him about the crazy musician he met. A bit after 7pm Jacob came through 186 to hook me up with a pre-wedding cut. My hair was getting a bit out of control for my taste, and Jacob tamed the beast. A little later Dana joined the boys for a minute while we decided on a restaurant.

Since we were looking for quick and delicious, Juanita’s Café was an obvious choice. We scored the picnic table in the back and were joined by Christie. The food was solid, but Dana talked me into splitting a pulled pork sandwich and shrimp tacos with her. Unfortunately, I was as unimpressed by the shrimp as our first visit to the Mexican / Cuban style joint. We quickly settled up thinking Black Lipstick would play on time. Sean and Noah broke off from the crew and the three of us headed toward the Mercury.

There were a number of solid monkeys in attendance for the Black Lipstick set. Unfortunately LP had yet to finish their set so Christie, Dana and I tucked ourselves in at the end of the bar while their lead singer belted out a few more songs. Eventually they finished up and the hippy / lesbian crowd cleared out considerably. We managed to score our spot in the back with Christina, Maggie, Beach, Daylen, Tumbledeadtome and Lucy. Black Lipstick took little time to set up and soon we were jamming to the Austin quartet.

Before I jump into how they sounded, let me say that this band has been one of my favorites for nearly five years. It all began in the fall of 2000 when they were in town playing a couple shows. I don’t know how we initially got turned on to them, but Little Chris, Erin and I saw them on a Thursday night. I couldn’t tell you where we saw them, but we found out they were playing a show at Hank’s Saloon in Brooklyn on Saturday night. The three of us took the trip out to Hank’s (I think its somewhere on Atlantic), for an evening of straight rowdiness. The bar had something like 20 people in it, and the opening band was dirty and sexy. It was the second time I’d seen The Fiery Furnaces, and in this setting it was near perfect. Once they finished, Black Lipstick quickly took the stage. At that point they were 50/50 with two girls and two boys. The set was amazing and we were a mess of drunken happiness. The night ended with me having to break up a fight between Chris and some drunken patron. Then he proceeded to puke all over the front of a Rite Aid or some drug store.

Last night didn’t have the same renegade feel as that night in 2000, but it was great to finally see them again. The set began with their new bass player doing an impression of a cow on Jeopardy, “What is Moo?” This joke fell flat on its ass, but the set (minus some sound issues) was great. The problems with the sound may have stemmed from their lack of sound check, but either way, the vocal levels were definitely off and something was wrong with the kick drums mic. Besides that, it was the same Black Lipstick I saw years ago. They were out to have fun and draw you in with mesmerizing drum beats underlying the alt country riffs. Phillip (vocals/guitar) was bouncing around and throwing big smiles the entire set. When he traded places and instruments with the bass player, they jammed out a new song that was fueled by an old school New Order style bass line. This got me awfully revved up. To put the cherry on top; Elizabeth (drums) kept her cool the entire set even when her vocals nearly dropped off the map. She holds it down and looks dead sexy from behind the kit. As their set wound down, I was left wishing they had a date scheduled for tonight, but they are off to Europe for a tour.

A few of us stuck around for some songs by The Beeps. Besides the cute little Frenchman who played guitar, there wasn’t much to like about this band. The drama club lead singer had a blonde wig on (she was prettier without it) and there was tons of echo or reverb on her voice which made it so sleepy. The only musical saving grace was the bass player who furiously climbed all over his frets. By midnight I was passing out like I was in a post Thanksgiving coma.

Pick A Mood And Run With It.
Melancholy or Rage. You decide. Tonight you have a choice between these two emotions. If it’s the former, stop into the Mercury Lounge for the Winter Pageant show with Mono as the headliner. If you are looking to throw down, stop by The Delancey for a set by The Giraffes. The Witnesses will also play on this bill.

Words From The Street, (I Mean Blogs).
*** The NY2LON Series put together by +1 Music, The Barfly and The Fader gets its first crack at New York when it invades the Bowery Ballroom on May 20th. The show will feature sets by The Ordinary Boys, The Hong Kong and Amusement Parks on Fire. Tickets are on sale now. You should definitely consider picking these up because there is a super secret guest on the bill most of you will dig. In any case, The Ordinary Boys kick some major ass.

*** So if you aren’t out of town like me this weekend, then you should get there. The Culture Shock Festival at SUNY Purchase is taking place on Friday and Saturday. Brooklyn Vegan posts the entire bill, but with Beck on Friday, your best bet is the Saturday portion featuring Lightning Bolt, The Walkmen, Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings and GZA (yes, of Wu-Tang).

*** In unsurprising news: The Kills are weird.

*** Ms. Modern Age was lucky enough to score a seat at last night’s White Stripes listening party at Splashlight Studios, (Natedog, how you gonna play me like that?). She was also kind enough to give us a track by track rundown of the new songs. Billboard was also present, but who cares about those slags.

*** Coolfer has the dish on the Kaiser Chiefs before they were Kaiser Chiefs. The band used to be called Parva. Besides having a terrible name, the music is quite a load of ass. Though I don’t know how they changed their style and image so quickly, (I’m sure NME helped) I welcome the new formation. It’s all a bit calculated, but who gives a shit if they continue to be a riot live. This post also has some links to Skabba the Hut songs who we all know housed media darlings laughing stock The Bravery’s lead singer for quite some time. In other Kaiser Chiefs news, IrockIroll has links to the MP3’s for their Spin House session. But “Super,” I wouldn’t go that far.

*** The Sun is a band to watch on Filter, but I have one question for the newly added multi-instrumentalist; do you think that by adding an A to your last name gets you off the hook? Who wants to push?

*** In a final note, Charles Kennedy, the leader of the Liberal Democrats in Parliament, sides with Brandon Flowers and hates on The Bravery. Who doesn’t love this guy?

We Know All Your Secrets Mr. Hansen.
So you might want to punch me in the face for the mild rumorville I started with The Killers and White Stripes hubbub posted yesterday. Let’s push that aside and concentrate on something very awesome set to happen this Friday night, (April 15). A little birdie just informed me that Beck will perform at the Hiro Ballroom at The Maritime Hotel on Friday night. Now this isn’t by any means confirmed, but my source is definitely solid. Since Beck is slated to perform on SNL on Saturday evening this doesn’t seem like such a stretch. We are also comforted by the fact that the last time he played SNL, Beck managed to sneak across the river for a surprise performance at Maxwell’s. No ticket / list information has been passed to me, but I’d put money down on this party happening.

Tell your Mom. Tell your friends. But don't tell Beck you heard it from me. It only figures that an event of this proportion would happen on the one weekend a year that I'm planning to leave the city. Maybe plans just changed.

UPDATE: Thanks to a rogue poster in the comment section, we know tickets are on sale today at 5pm through ticketweb. Thanks to ProductshopNYC we know the tickets are $25 and the password is girls.

Words From The Street.
*** Tonight you should get out of the house and stop by the Mercury Lounge for a 9:30pm set by Austin’s Black Lipstick. They are fantastic. Check out my listing in this week’s edition of Flavorpill and the Village Voice marked it as a PICK for tonight, (though the listings are uncannily similar).

*** Did you get the Bowery email? If so, you don’t need me to tell you that Hot Hot Heat are playing a show at Webster Hall on Friday, May 20th. Robbers On High Street and The Blue Van will play in support. Tickets are available today at Noon.

*** Weezer announces the track list for their upcoming release, Make Believe. Things like this continue to make me nervous. I hope the record is better than the bullshit single they’ve released.

*** Also, if you don’t check other blogs, (though I wouldn’t be so presumption as to think you don’t) I’m sure you’ve heard about the new White Stripes record set for an early summer release. Here is a press release from V2 in regards to the Detroit duo, (can we calm down on the all caps):

APRIL 12th 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

THE WHITE STRIPES WILL RELEASE THEIR NEW ALBUM — THE BAND'S FIFTH — ON THIRD MAN RECORDS/ V2 RECORDS ON JUNE 7TH 2005. RECORDED IN DETROIT AT JACK WHITE'S THIRD MAN STUDIOS, MIXED IN MEMPHIS AT ARDENT STUDIOS AND MASTERED IN NEW YORK CITY AT MASTERDISK, THE ALBUM WILL BE TITLED GET BEHIND ME SATAN.

THE ALBUM CONTAINS 13 ORIGINAL SONGS, ALL OF THEM WRITTEN ON PIANO, ACOUSTIC GUITAR AND MARIMBA. THE FIRST SINGLE IS TITLED “BLUE ORCHID.” GET BEHIND ME SATAN WAS WRITTEN, PRODUCED AND MIXED BY JACK WHITE.

JACK WHITE DESCRIBES THE RECORD AS AN EXPLORATION OF "CHARACTERS AND THE IDEAL OF TRUTH."

THE WHITE STRIPES START A WORLD TOUR ON MAY 11TH IN MEXICO. THEY WILL PERFORM AT THE GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL IN ENGLAND IN JUNE AND WILL COMMENCE A TOUR OF THE U.S AT A LATER DATE — DETAILS TO BE ANNOUNCED.

TRACK LISTING AS FOLLOWS:

1. Blue Orchid
2. The Nurse
3. My Doorbell
4. Forever For Her (Is Over For Me)
5. Little Ghost
6. The Denial Twist
7. White Moon
8. Instinct Blues
9. Passive Manipulation
10. Take, Take, Take
11. As Ugly As I Seem
12. Red Rain
13. I'm Lonely (But I Ain't That Lonely Yet)

*** Here’s more inbox stuff. The new video for the highly played Gorillaz single, Feels Good Inc gets a mild dissection by 2D and Murdoc. Check out the video then read the dialogue, (Windows: Hi / Low; Real: Hi / Low):

2D: I think Gorillaz built a tower around themselves that they couldn't get out of. Of excess and hedonism. The video is based on this feeling. For a while it was great to be on the inside, but the party's got out of hand. It' s become like the Last days of Pompeii....a...er...Sodding Gommorah. The Feelgood Inc Tower represents this. The palace we built has become a prison. In the video I'm just waking up from this year-long hedonists dream, and I realise that maybe... the fruits of success have turned sour.

Noodle is outside of the Tower, in the pale morning-after light, sitting on the edge of this floating island. And you can see she knows what's happening. But people have to wake up to it themselves. So that's what the video is about; being trapped by the things you make, and realising everyone else is caught up in it. Using it. Just...they need their party to continue, to keep this thing afloat. The Tower of Babel.

Murdoc: Apart from the obvious thing, which is my gyrating hips, the coolest thing about the video would be the the hydraulics on this gig. Just for the windmill section alone cost about 3.5 million pounds. That's sterling. We had to buy a small island, make a mold of it and then scrape out all the insides. When that was done we filled the whole thing full of helium. Using the motor from the windmill we managed to get the thing to float, but it was an absolute bugger.

*** The Pixies are coming back and this time they will be hanging out at Jones Beach on June 14th. This show should be amazing. I may actually check this out because last time we hit up Jones Beach for Iggy and the Stooges, it was a blast.

*** On a final note, no one deserves a Culkin more than Rob Mitchum. His Pitchfork review of The O.C. Soundtrack is so fucking self-serving. What a jackass. Honestly, you watch American Idol, but the O.C. is garbage? You are a fucking twat. And the final paragraph is so cliché it made me puke in my mouth, (and not just because I’m hungover). You sir, deserve a kick in the jimmy. Here is the paragraph in question:

So if this throwaway compilation has an underlying message, it's this: You're not special. That complex, detached, artfully depressed persona you've cultivated isn't unique; in fact, it's so easily simulated, the network that also brings you "Life on a Stick" can replicate it. But don't let it bring you down, it's only castles burning. Accelerate the inevitable: Embrace your lack of the unique, stop liking bands for their scarcity, enjoy the full spectrum of music, not just the portions with credibility directed prefixes. And don't forget to thank "The O.C." for saving you some time along the way.

It’s not that I don’t agree with some of the things he says, but Jesus H. Christ you act like this is such a bad thing. These artists want to sell records. Isn’t that the point of going through the trouble to get a deal? It’s a way to keep creating music you’re full time job. Just as your cocksucking ramblings are your means to financial security. This review should be put in the liner notes so young kids know the danger of how jaded they’ll become if they actually embrace good indie rock.

Let’s look at the ratings Pitchfork gave some of the artists on the compilation:

AC Newman, The Slow Wonder: 8.8
Futureheads, Futureheads: 8.3
Modest Mouse, Good News For People…: 7.9
Pinback, Summer in Abaddon: 8.1
Sufjan Stevens, Seven Swans: 8.1

Is Pitchfork trying to tell us that the music is no longer important? We shouldn’t concern ourselves with the likeability or over all composition of the songs. Should we waste our time worrying about what it will do to our scene? Should we be upset if this music makes it mainstream and has the chance to compete with other genres that completely suck? Rob, I’m sorry, but you can’t lock away your iPod and hope that in 20 years you can pull it out like it’s a 7” Sex Pistols single that only did a press of 1000. Catch up with the digital age and realize that this indie rock infection is going to spread simply because the music is good and not because Ryan and Marissa had a tension filled moment while it was playing off in the distance.

Tonight I’m heading straight home to burn all my discs and tomorrow I’m buying a copy of The Source so I don’t have to think about this shit anymore.

Satellite Gone Up To The Sky.
Well fuck me silly. The past couple days have been rockless, and yet I’ve had a wonderful time. It began on Monday when Dan showed up at my front door. Kyle and Dan had a scheduled hang, but my intention was to do work. They made it a bit difficult, but I managed to sit in the kitchen and pound through some Loose stuff. By the time 9:00pm rolled, I finished up my tasks and was planning to take off, but Dan wanted to know how to set up some features on his new blog so I obliged. Then he fucked me. Around 10pm I made my way to Dana’s so we could catch up on The O.C. After Sylvia, Dana and I struggled to hook up their VCR / DVD / Cable to their fairly new television we settled into a wretched episode of The O.C. Did anything happen last week? What the fuck is the problem with that show? Hopefully it was just a set up episode, but let’s get on with it. Where are the scandals? Who cares about Sandy befriending the dude his wife totally wants to bone? And the older brother, who Dana and I agreed is hot, should take his ass back to Chino. He’s ruining the story lines. The only good part of the show was when Seth introduced himself to the egg buyers as, ‘Pippins McGee’. Unfortunately Dana and I didn’t see the ‘scenes from the next’ because Tumbledick decided to cut the tape off just as they started. Tumbleweed is a marked man.

Upon returning to 186, I found North Street Records meeting in the living room. I took my milk and cookies to the kitchen table and chatted up Miriam for a minute. Our apartment has quickly become a hotbed of sure to fail entrepreneurial endeavors. Well, they might not fail, but success seems so far away. Here’s to hoping!

Before I forget, Happy Birthday to Kristen. Go buy her drinks at 7B this evening. She’s the one with the lip piercing. That pierce is so 2000. Just kidding, but that’s when I got mine. I remember quite vividly. I was on my way back to work from the Chase branch on 7th Avenue with a cashed paycheck when I spotted a sign that read, “$25 Pierce Anything.” This seemed intriguing though I was previously against piercing, (but I also used to be against pot smoking and tattoos). It was a steal so I walked in, asked what the kids were getting these days and Mr. Piercer Guy told me the lip. Being the trendy bastard that I am, my lip soon had a massive hole in it. My boss nearly shit a house when I returned to work, but she was always accepting of any appearance. That evening I was going to relive some glory days at the Roseland where Rancid was playing. While walking back the line I ran into Scott Stammers who also got his lip pierced the same afternoon. It was a bit embarrassing, but not as bad as the huge infection mine got from when some crowd surfer kicked me in the face and ripped the hell out of the inside of my mouth. Then I was a slack ass in regards to cleaning it which was a stupid move. Now it’s almost five years later and the bullshit still hangs from my lip. Grow up Jay. I know you can. This was only mentioned because Miriam asked about it last night while I was brushing my teeth.

Speaking of the previous evening, it was out-fucking-standing. Around 7pm Builder and I stopped into the Mercury to pickup Beach for dinner. Gigs, Denise and the crew were ending / beginning their work days, so we chatted them up for a minute before hopping a cab down to Dylan Prime for an early Builder / Belin birthday dinner. It’s been ages since I had a dinner like the one we were about to experience. We met Noah in the bar and grabbed a booth while we warmed up with some libations, (not the terrible club on Ludlow). Eileen was working this room so she took care of us without even asking. It was super rad of her. Once we had a few drinks in us, it became time for the feast. We sat down with our beverages and before we got a chance to look at the menu there was a cheese fondue platter in front of us that included apples, bread, bacon and fried onions. The problem with getting a fondue plate with Builder in attendance is that you have to race to eat because if you don’t the kid will eat it all, (and maybe even drink the cheese). We also split a couple bowls of the lobster bisque that had a bit too much brown sugar, but it was still pretty solid.

The main course was the money shot. They had a surf and turf special that sounded too good to resist. The plate came with a 6oz filet and 7oz of shelled lobster. We also ordered sides of creamed spinach, crispy fries, sautéed mushrooms and creamy potatoes. We ate like there was no tomorrow. Builder, who is normally a vegetarian, even took down the surf and turf plate. On his last bite of lobster, the kid put back the little ladle of butter like it was a shot of tequila. Not a group to know their limits, we ordered a piece of chocolate peanut butter pie for desert. Builder managed to get the waiter to make it a la mode. They put a candle single candle in it so Builder took the honors as his birthday is closer on the calendar. The little man also ate the flower. What a champ. We finished up and moseyed out of the restaurant happier than pigs in shit.

We walked down the block to Noah’s place of business for a quick second. He was kind enough to let us score a couple records. Noah took off while the rest of us headed to Nancy’s Whiskey Pub for a couple drinks. Though the old dude in the Pirates hat wasn’t behind the bar, (I thought he slept there) the bartender still hooked us up with heaping drinks. As we sat discussing the proposed NBA age limit, the night grew late and I was clearly drunk. We packed it in and I went home a happy man.

Kiss The Links Bitches.
*** So I was going to write about what went down last night, but apparently someone already did. Oh for the love of the spin-off. Hopefully I’ll be obsolete faster than Joan Rivers lesbian daughter.

*** A fly on the wall has told me some interesting rumors. I’m not claiming either of these shows are actually happening, but keep your ears open in regards to Monday nights at Hiro. Word on the street is The Killers will play next Monday and The White Strips will play the following Monday. Is any of this true? I don’t know; you tell me.

*** Wisconsin hates pussy, (thanks Dana).

*** Speaking of Dana, she also sent me links to The Dead 60’s Riot Radio single, (Win: Hi / Low; Real; Quick). I thought they were from LA, (they are from Liverpool). I thought they had a female lead singer, (they’re an all male band). I thought they had a dreamy bossanova sound, (they sound like the Clash). Where the fuck do I get this information?

*** If you didn’t already know, Dirty On Purpose’s debut EP, Sleep Late For A Better Tomorrow is available on North Street Records. Check out the web site for ordering information. The record is so good it makes me feel like I’m wearing sweat pants.

*** Soak up the Aqualung video for Brighter Than Sunshine. It’s pretty tasty, (Windows; Real: Hi / Low). They also have a new Mediaplayer on the website.

*** Vermont kids are known potheads, but who knew it was to this degree. A 17-year-old kid was arrested for stealing the head of a corpse, (thanks Hawkified). From the NY Times:

Authorities are not sure of the motive of the crime. Court documents said the suspect allegedly talked of using the man's head as a bong or a pipe for smoking marijuana.

*** One of the student workers in my department just popped in to tell me he's been at this Q&A with Supreme Court Justic Scalia. This is happening in our auditorium. Anyway, a student asked Justice Scalia about a V. Texas case involving sodomy. I don't know the basis of the back and forth, but the conversation ended with the student asking Scalia if he ever F'd his wife in the A.

Before The Day Takes Off.
*** I apologize if this seems like a fansite, but this is just a quick note to let you know tickets for the Bloc Party shows on June 14th & 15th at Webster Hall go on sale tomorrow (April 13th) at Noon. Make sure to get your tickets early because these kids are hotter than Hurricane Dan Rosato.

*** Also, there is a second contest going on in addition to the Kasabian contest. Check it:

Win Brendan Benson Gear!

If you haven't noticed, Brendan Benson has earnestly spent the last few years creating some finely crafted pop songs. On March 22nd he released "The Alternative To Love" on V2 Records. He is currently making his way east with a stop in New York (April 15) before headlining a European tour. Then he'll be back on the West Coast in support of Keane. In conjunction with Loose Record, we are giving away a prize package that includes a "Spit It Out" 7", a "Spit It Out" Import CD Single, a Brendan Benson Eames Stacking Card Set and badges. To enter, simply send an email to goodtimesroll (at) gmail (dot) com with Brendan Benson in the subject and your full name in the body. We'll announce the winners will be announced April 25th. Good Luck!

*** And sorry to mislead you; last night was not the Pony Up! show at Mercury Lounge. It’s tonight and they are playing with The End of the World who is simply fantastic. Get to this show and be the first on the train.

On A Lighter Note: Win Kasabian Gear!
You may have noticed by now, but there is a contest brewing. Thanks to the good folks at Cornerstone, I have some Kasabian prize packages to offer the friends and family of Good Times Roll. The contest will run until Thursday, April 21st and the winners will be announced/informed on Friday, April 22nd. To enter send me an email (goodtimesroll [at] gmail [dot] com) with your full name. The winners will be chosen at random. Good luck and good rock.

Grand Prize Winner:
Autographed Kasabian poster (red), approximately 3' x 5', showcasing image from the album cover. Tucked inside the poster is the "Club Foot" single on 10" vinyl, sticker pack and badges.

Runner-up:
Club Foot single on 10" vinyl w/cover art, sticker pack and badges.

Hanging At The Talent Show.
When you bust your ass nearly 7 days a week in an effort to make some sense out of young adulthood, a weekend like the one I just experienced makes it worth every bloody knuckle and sleepless night. It all began Friday after work. I stationed myself at the kitchen table with the single hope of prepping for an interview that was scheduled for the next morning. My cold had resurfaced and I was on the fence about stepping out, but the most important task was the prepping. It took me nearly 3 hours to get everything in order before running over to Kinkos to print out my work. After wolfing down some Subway, I realized Bloc Party would need to redeem themselves from their half-assed Thursday night show. Don’t get me wrong, Thursday was decent, but it didn’t come close to the Motherfucker performance in February.

Once I got into the Bowery it was all butter. I ran into Sivan, Josh and Karen; three kids I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing in quite some time. We got comfortable in the corner while The Ponys played a somewhat disappointing set. It sounded really flat and I barely recall hearing any of my favorite songs from Laced With Romance which should be considered one of the better albums from last year. Anyway, as the crowd grew during changeover, we waited anxiously as familiar faces began to arrive. We established a great crew that included Tumbleweed, Lucy, Dr. Rocktagon, Dana, Rachel (and her wannabe Tumblehawk new friend), Gigs, Sarah, Big Daddy Kane and a few others. The Reverend Bango was kind enough to keep the drinks coming and only gave me a couple dirty looks when I asked for water.

The ballroom felt less packed on Friday despite both shows being completely sold out. When Bloc Party took to the stage (again to some hip hop music) the bossman came in the back door and started dancing which had me in stitches. Yes, the reports are correct; Bloc Party kicked so much more ass on Friday than Thursday. They seemed shaper, tougher and generally more on point. Once again, they played all the hits and really ripped a better version of Little Thoughts. My apologies to everyone who had to endure my air guitar antics, but that song gets me so pumped. They did the same style of set without all the cover intros. After a good 40 minutes they finished up before coming back for a four-song encore. The set closed with some mild destruction of the drum kit. It was their way of saying we’ve had enough, now go home.

Honestly, this band should be huge and most likely will be. Hopefully the rest of the country catches the fever because their record is tip top. The record has received the same overplaying as all the indie hits of the past few years. Give it a shot; I can’t something stronger to recommend. If you want to see a bit of what I’m talking about, check out the video for Banquet and a live video of Positive Tension at Rolling Stone.

The post show hours were spent in the basement sipping tequila and worrying about the following day while Sarah clued me in on all things Billy Brag. Eventually I called it quits and stopped for a Frankie with Cheese on my way back to 186.

The Boys In The Band.
Saturday morning came too quickly. I got out of bed early in order to avoid being groggy for the afternoon. Around 11:30am I hit the subway and headed up to Splashlight Studios where Nate and I had a date with …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead. We managed to score one of the big studios on the ground floor which meant we had a ping-pong table to kill time while waiting for the band. Homer, Brendan and David were all hanging out contributing various things to the afternoon. Their publicist and I ran out to get a bunch of coffees and sushi before the band showed up.

They were only 30 minutes late which is better than most of my previous experiences. When they came in the room, Danny (bass) pushed Homer off the table and instantly started playing me. No introductions necessary. Ping-pong was the binding force. The rest of the guys circled around the food and stuffed their faces. After the dust settled (and we had a Minor Threat sing-a-long), Nate started taking their portraits which gave me a good opportunity to interrupt Conrad (lead vocals/guitar/drums/keys) who was sprawled out on one of the couches reading. The interview was going so well when we realized the mini-disc recorder was acting up. Eventually it quit on me. This sent me into a panic, but I ended up finding a Staples a few blocks away. Conrad was kind enough to start where we thought the tape quit, but this time we went out in the lobby for some more intimate conversation. Once we finished, I snagged Jason (drums/vocals/guitar) for a hilarious half hour discussion. Unfortunately our time ran out. The boys posed for some group shots and then took off. It was an amazing day and I can’t thank them enough for being so cooperative and rad. I’ll let you know when the interview runs.

With the clock ticking away, I packed up and jetted back to the neighborhood. Builder and I caught a quick hang before I headed to Webster Hall to work the Blood On the Wall / Dios Malos / Fiery Furnaces show. Though I say this about a lot of bands, all three of these acts were so nice and easy to work with. Thanks to some company by Dana and the always reliable gigs (who put up with my ridiculous ‘tude like a champ) the evening flew right by. Once my time was up, Dana and I cruised upstairs to catch a few songs of The Fiery Furnaces set. They sounded amazing. It made me want to investigate their recorded material with a fine tooth comb. They were danceable, a bit campy, somewhat dark and sexy as all hell. The clock was still moving so Dana and I moved on to Irving Plaza.

We arrived just as The Octopus Project was finishing up their set. This was unfortunate because Jason highly recommended catching them. If you don’t know by now, I’m a huge Trail of Dead fan so my excitement was peaking like a motherfucker. We grabbed beers, got a nice space towards the back and were joined by Daylen and Beach. Trail of Dead opened their set with the intro to Worlds Apart and Will You Smile Again For Me which is the first song on the new record. They then blasted through It Was There That I Saw You which completely flipped my shit. After a much needed tequila shot, we returned to are spot for the rest of the show. Conrad’s voice was a bit roughed up, but he told me earlier that it wasn’t up to par. Anyway, Jason finished the show by inviting a ton of kids on stage, but this time I refrained. They didn’t destroy anything, but they did have me head banging for a solid hour.

After the show the four of us split a cab downtown. Dana and I went to the Tribeca Grand for the after party, but we were way too early. We had a $100 Budweiser and relaxed on the couches before heading over to the Knitting Factory for Liz’s birthday. We met up with Rachel on our way into the club and somehow talked our way into the Tap Bar. When we rolled in, Beach informed me there was much to celebrate because Justin proposed to Liz earlier that evening. Congratulations you crazy fucking kids! I’m so happy for the couple who have been together longer than I’ve known either of them. We celebrated with tequila shots and good times. It’s kind of nuts knowing my friends who are only a year older are beginning to get engaged. There is no possible way I could imagine being married in a year.

Dana, Rachel and I eventually rolled back to the Tribeca Grand. We were surly and definitely tossed. The evening had bled my wallet dry so after one drink and a quick hello to Danny and Conrad, I took off. My books were cooked and so was my sanity.

Its So Fucking On.
Yesterday the Loose Crew met at Angelina’s (Ave A and Third) for an amazing brunch. We always seem to have a great time together while accomplishing some goals. After brunch, Mike and I split and walked around to record shops dropping off some promotional material. We returned to 186 for some arts-and-crafts time with Noah. We made a bunch of packages for our writers before realizing it would be crazy if we let this day pass without hanging in Tompkins Square Park. We stopped by the dog park and watched the fuck fest in the mini-park. Then we found a nice place on the grass and were later joined by Jack, Jenny, Sean and Hawkins.

As 6pm rolled around Mike, Hawk and I broke off and stopped by Lucky Burger for some grub. Nate, Leah and Ethan joined us on our walk back down to the neighborhood. The boys grabbed some beers and headed to some roof about Schillers to soak up our last bits of the day. Around 8pm we cruised over to Pianos where Cara, Christie, Yaps and Christina were hanging out waiting for the acoustic Sam Champion (minus Ryan) jam. We snagged an upstairs table and sipped cheap PBR’s while the band tuned their instruments. The set was pretty solid. It’s always nice to see a familiar band in a different format. These familiarities lead me to playing Ryan’s drum fills on my knee caps. At one point Sean got upset with his banjo and threw it down in disgust which scored a healthy laugh from the crowd.

Following the jam, Christina and I headed up to Irving Plaza for my second round of Trail of Dead. We stopped into Bar 119 and ran into Tova, Jamie and Sarah who spent most of their afternoon getting sloppy. By 10pm the crew had grown and by the time we got into the club we had Christie, Hawkins, Jin, Mark, Dana and John along for the ride. Thanks go out to the door girl who was more than cooperative with our situation. Seems the band put the kids on last nights list, but then just added us under the magazine’s name. It all worked out. Before the set started we teamed up with Nathan, Amy, Dave and Homer for another kick ass set by Trail of Dead. There was a bit more of destruction at the end of this set, but I’m not going to get into. Look for a review of the show on Loose Record once we (finally) get launched.

Ok, that’s it for now. Sorry I couldn’t be briefer, but the weekend was packed from start to finish. If you are looking for something to do tonight, (and don’t have tickets to the sold out Kills show at Bowery) stop by the Mercury Lounge for the Canadian lovelies known as Pony Up!

*** Check out the much deserved love Flavorpill scored in this weekend’s NY Times Magazine. Nice work kids.

*** WOXY just played Wax's 90's hit California. Now that makes me smile something nostalgic.

A Brief From The Frontline In Iraq.
My homeboy Sticky Stan just sent this email report on life in Tikrit. If you don’t know, I spent my better days in Pennsylvania with this guy. He is a standup person who consistently puts the needs of others before his own. It is a definite must read. Please keep in mind that the kid is as tolerant as a back country kid who joined the service can be. He continues to amaze me with his optimistic outlook and constant inquisition. Please have a read from the frontlines of our war in Iraq as he tries to internally sort out the mess. There is also some interesting insight on soldiers from New York and how they are treated within the ranks. If you’d like to send him some sort of well wishing email (or some porno), email me your information and I’ll hit you with his. This blows my fucking mind:

What up,

HOW I BE LIVING
I’m living in Tikrit right now at a military base called camp Danger (sounds safe right). Saddam grew up here in Tikrit, so he held this place dear to his heart. After he became famous he never forgot about his ol' hood (I guess you can take the dictator out of the hood, but you can't take the hood out of the dictator) he built a bunch of palaces for his family and close friends. When the Army started blowing shit up back of 03 (shock and awe), I guess we're not stupid and we decided to call this place home. I live in the water palace; it is built right over a river. Story has it that Saddam used to park his boat here right underneath the palace, and when he didn’t like somebody he used to cut em up and throw them in the river and that is why the fish are so fucking gigantic. Right beside my palace is the one that Saddam called home, it is ridiculously huge. Back when this war started before we found Saddam in a cave we thought we had him pinned down in that palace, you can still see where we sent the Tomahawk missile right into his bedroom window. There is also another hole, I think for good measure we decided to drop a bunker buster right thru the ceiling. It is the only building we don't occupy because the foundation is a little shaky; I suppose a 500 pound bomb will do that. For his mothers birthday one year Saddam built his mom the most extravagant building I have ever seen (hmmm, moma's boy). This place is so big it's retarded; it is also where I work.

THIS PLACE IS GAY
So the day after I showed up I was being showed around base, and we went down to Iraqi island. It is an island on the river right beside post where we train the new Iraqi army how to do soldier stuff (kinda like basic training). So we are chilling, when I’m told to go to the shower building and get the Iraqi's for some classes. I walk right up to the building and open the door and successfully scar myself for life. 10 Ft. from me are about 7 or 8 dudes fucking and sucking each other's dicks. With no formal training on what to do in these situations all I could do was yell "HAY STOP THAT, SHOWERS OVER" when they saw me they were frozen with fear with the dear in the headlight look. I got the fuck out of there, when I got back to the vehicle everybody was laughing at me (I got punk'd). See, the Iraqi people are a gay sort with a different way of thinking. Women are for breeding and men are for pleasure.

ELTON JOHN AND 1 CRAZY JAMACAN
Now, I haven’t made my final analysis yet on weather we should be here or not, but I do know what we are doing here seems to be good. The future of this place lies on those gay bastards in the shower. We need to get them trained and ready to fight, with the right training they become pretty fierce fighters (you got to have some kind of respect for a dude that can take a dick in the ass for fun). As for the bad guys these guys are real evil and also real gay. I’m not talking gay plan for a straight man gay, I’m talking Elton John if he was stuck in a third world country for any amount of time with no paparazzi gay. The way I understood it before I got here is this. If these guys strap a bomb to themselves and die for their religion they go to Ala and spend eternity with 12 virgins (sign me up, right). I come to find out that that those 12 virgins are little boys (ewww). So we are fighting people that blow themselves up for little boys (now, that’s just silly). To make a long story short we are training a bunch of gay bastards to do battle with a bunch of evil pedophiles (it would be more funny, if it wasn't so true).

Most of the bad guys used to be rich before we got here; they used to rap women, control all the money, chop people's heads off (typical evil doer stuff). Now they are kinda pissed that we took that from them so they hide in the mountains and shoot mortar rounds at us and try to attack the base. It's not as scary as it sounds though, it is actually the funniest part of the day. It's so boring here (it would be Groundhog Day but instead of starring bill murray you get Jack Osborne) that when they shoot a mortar on base which happens about twice a day our tax dollars go to work. Like 20 seconds after the mortar lands we are locked on the vicinity of where it came from and the Apache's are in the air raining Hell fire all over the mountainside (pretty impressive), and than the Tank parked right beside the dinning facility starts popping off (they aim for the dinning hall during lunch hours because of the high concentration of troops, so we parked a tank right there (I get my food to go). The guy that works the tank is some crazy Jamaican dude that lived in Manhattan during 9/11 and he still has a grudge, so nobody argues with him when he pop's off an extra round or 5. word on the street is that some evil doer's are gonna get together and try to rush the gate, that would be the quickest way to get 12 virgin boys. We got a couple thousand pissed off New Yorkers (42 Infantry Division is the NY national guard, 9/11 never forget), we got a 82 billion dollar budget(hmmm deficit), and we got 1 corn fed Pennsylvanian boy (Sheaff Diggity). Now I am the last person to promote violence but if your going to try to kill me FUCK IT.

OTHER THAN THAT
Other than that the food is pretty good. The shop has semi new DVD's and CD's, sometimes mail gets blown up on the convoy over, we have a really nice gym I go to everyday, palm tree's are pretty, the insects are deadly, and I’m getting a really great tan.

Peace to the Streets,
Sheaff Diggity

We'll Be Having A Good Time.
Don't stop me now! So I'm not going to get into how Bloc Party ripped last night at The Bowery, but lets just say they killed it. It was ten times better than Thursday nights show. Anyway this post isn't about the past; it's about the future and the future meaning tonight. There is a kick ass Ludlow Street doubleheader on the not so distant horizon.

First up, The Head Set is playing Pianos, (158 Ludlow). They hit at 9:30pm, and as some kick ass incentive, make sure you say you're there for The Head Set because they are giving away free 3 song EPs upon entry. Jordan was kind enough to sneak one into my mailbox, and after listening to it a couple times I'm hooked, (literally and figuratively). Richard Lloyd (if you don't know, look it up) did a great job with the production on these songs and if its any indication of what their next record will sound like, all the ambivalent New Yorkers will soon agree. Give me Head, (Set, of course).

Secondly the lovely ladies of Demander are throwing down at the Luna Lounge, (171 Ludlow). Wait, wasn't Luna closing? Sure it was, but for some reason I keep getting emails from Rob. If they continue to stay open, it was a brilliant marketing ploy. After checking the set time, it seems Demander is also playing at 9:30pm so everyone is going to have to play this one smart. This means no drinking at 3pm, (I'm looking at you Jeff and Stevo). Ok, you can drink early, but just be on your toes because both of these shows are worth a gander. Did I mention Luna's shows are still FREE? So go see a rock show tonight. It's nearly titty season, so there's no reason to stay at home.

Not satisfied? Well, you should be, but if you want to be a fucker, here is one more gem you may not have on the radar. On Sunday, April 10th, Sam Champion will play a FREE acoustic set upstairs at Pianos, (7pm). You'll see a stripped down version of Sam Champion featuring Sean, Jack and Noah passing around instruments pretending to be Trail of Dead. So maybe this has nothing to do with the Austin boys, but Sam Champion is sure to deliver some original material and covers of Neil Young songs I've never heard before. They are opening for Alec of Clap Your Hands And Say This Band Name Is To Long who is doing the Seventh Day Residency. After this show we'll drink margaritas until its time to see The Ponys at Mercury Lounge. Hopefully their set will be laced with older material that didn't see much stage time at Bowery.

Ok, so now that you've got numerous reasons to get out there and achieve, I expect none of you to lay low, but if you are a moron and take Sunday off, tune into WBAR for a live set by Man In Gray. I don't know much about the band, but support live music. Let me know how it goes.

A note to Tumbleweed: I need that tape.

If you are going to the Fiery Furnaces or Trail of Dead, come say hi, but please don't buy me a tequila shot. Sorry this post made you so dizzy, (rascal).

Say Goodbye: The Delgados Are Done.
Long time collaborators, The Delgados have decided to call it quits. In a message sent via the Chemikal Underground email list, the band claims the parts aren’t nearly as important as the whole. Take a gander:

The Delgados, influential figures in Glasgow's independent music scene for over 10 years, have announced that they are to amicably disband. The reason has been put down to the departure of their bass player Stewart Henderson who informed the band in the New Year that he did not wish to make another album. The Delgados have always been known as uniquely collaborative songwriters and as such, it was decided that the band could not continue without all of its original members.

The Delgados leave behind them 5 critically acclaimed albums including The Great Eastern, Hate and last year's Universal Audio. Their two principal songwriters Emma Pollock and Alun Woodward will be pursuing individual projects and drummer Paul Savage will continue production duties at the band's Chem19 Studios in Hamilton.

The four friends will continue to run their record label Chemikal Underground in this, its 10th Anniversary year, with releases scheduled for Malcolm Middleton, Mother & The Addicts and Arab Strap. They are extremely grateful to everyone who has supported The Delgados over the course of their career.

Save The Last Dance.
After finishing up a shift at the Bowery, I headed to the spot to catch the tail end of Bloc Party’s set. The past few weeks have been crippling. It’s been only on the rare occasion when my iPod has pumped anything but Silent Alarm. The record is great and the live show is even better. They played it so loose, (maybe because of Kele’s voice). It had a punk rock feel to it, but the set delivered the danceable goodness that hits so many of us in the loins. In response to a crowd member shooting that they paid $200 for a ticket to the show, (TWO HUNDRED FUCKING DOLLARS) the band played snippets from bands such as Interpol, Coldplay, Radiohead, The Killers, Franz Ferdinand and even Weezer. Kele wanted to make sure, “You got your monies worth.” They ended the short set with a not so tight version of Little Thoughts before an encore that included four songs. Hopefully tonight blows last night away. Despite it being a lot of fun, their sound came off as careless which adds to the whole punk rock idea. Anyway, get to the Bowery early for a set by The Ponys who might be the coolest band you’ve yet to see.

Cry Me A River. But Don't Flood The Joint.
Today I happened upon a post that really upset me. The link came from Ultragrrrl’s site, but it wasn’t for the post that fired me up. All the Young Mod Soldiers recently threw up a post titled You Are The Generation That Pays To See Shows And You Get What You Deserve.. This kind of hate on Webster Hall doesn’t have any grounds, and let me try to explain why.

First of all, the indie soldiers who troll the streets in search of the good ole days are becoming saltier by the minute. How can we avoid this? These bands we carried on our sleeves for the past six years have finally received their just deserts and we want to punish them for their popularity? It doesn’t make any sense to me. Yes, I understand there are a few bands that have quickly risen to stardom over the past couple years with little or no effort, but are they to be punished for the road paved by their older brethren? Are these bands no longer considered indie rock because they reach a larger audience? Would you rather be subject to more boy bands or worse yet, more terrible rap core? Sometimes I hear a song from The Killers, and it makes my blood boil. Then I take a second and thank Christ it isn’t another Slipknot single, (sorry Stevo). Kids should listen to The Shins, Bright Eyes (though my distaste for them has been proven), Spoon and other rising indie rock bands on the Webster calendar. It’s better than most of the shit I had to sift through as a kid growing up in central Pennsylvania.

Secondly, why should we persecute these artists for playing larger venues? Is it their fault the audience has grown, (hopefully the answer is yes)? Why should we hold a grudge against these people who are trying to make a living? Sure, I understand it’s a problem when financial gain becomes more important than the creation of art, but again if I had to choose between Brandon Flowers and Fred Durst, you can call me Mr. Brightside anytime. Should we turn away from bands that are capable of selling out larger venues just because they’ve walked away from their indie sweaters, (whose thread you’ve slowly pulled)?

Finally, the one thing so many of us have forgotten is the common ‘enemy’ in this whole equation. Enemy is put in quotations because some of the people who work for the huge media conglomerate are employed merely to make a living and not to push the agenda of its high ranking board members. Though I only know a few, it seems as though many Clear Channel people know they work for a giant machine, but it pays the bills and they get to be involved in music. Sure, give me all that holier-than-thou indie credibility bullshit, but it doesn’t stand up when you are starring loan payments, child support and the monthly pain of rent directly in the eyes, (and you are without any financial security or fall back).

That being said, let’s remember that Webster Hall’s rock shows are put on by The Bowery Presents which consists of the same good people who’ve kept us entertained over the years at The Bowery and The Mercury. They’ve successfully positioned an alternative to Clear Channel directly in the heart of our locale. It would be the same as SUNY putting a campus on Washington Square North. Everyone would bitch and moan because there is another school facilitating the influx of young, culture hungry kids. But wouldn’t an alternative to NYU’s ridiculous tuition costs be a good thing for the neighborhood? Like NYU, no amount of bitching will ever stop Clear Channel, but baby steps such as the booking of shows at Webster Hall makes for a success story that gives us the same hope we carried while seeing shows at Brownies and Tramps. Though it may be on a larger scale that’s just what some (not me) might call an inevitable, unfortunate sign of the times.

It’s important to note my particular bias in this whole argument. Yes, from time to time I work at Webster Hall. Yes, I believe their sound system is far superior to that of its equals. Yes, I love many of the bands that have come through the club. But this bias doesn’t change the aforementioned statements.

So let’s stop the hating and realize that Webster Hall is a great alternative to Irving Plaza, Roseland and Hammerstein. Isn’t ‘alternative’ what started it all anyway? There was no intention of starting beef with this post. It’s just something I’ve had on my chest for quite sometime, and it’s great to finally lift it.

Sold Out? So What? Quit Crying.
So you've spent all day sorting through Craig's List trying to find a cheap pair of Bloc Party tickets for either of the sold out Bowery shows, but can't seem to find the treasure? Well, don't worry because you aren't alone. Thankfully the boys will be back sooner than you think. On June 14th and 15th Bloc Party will play 2 shows at Webster Hall with Engineers and Automato in support. Don't sleep on these tickets. I'll post the info when it hits me.


Cause I'm On Fire.
Additionally, with all the skatacular press floating around these days, I’m hoping this show will serve as a Rumble in the Jungle between The Killers and hometown boys, The Bravery. I’m not sure whether or not The Bravery will be on tour or shooting a sequel to Return of the Jedi, but The Killers will play Summerstage on June 4th. Let’s do this! Can you imagine all the smudged eyeliner and girlie smacks that could occur? My guess is The Bravery would take them out in less than five rounds. Though The Killers have the gentle giant and a former ska boy, that dude from Skabba the Hut was Rude. He'll skank all over their asses.


For The Record: I Heart Ska & Star Wars.

Thank God I Don’t Own A Gun.
It’s been nearly six fucking years since I started at NYU. Five years. No, I’m not on some extended Van Wilder plan. In fact I carried a pretty strong GPA during my tenure. In order to pay my way through school, I had to take night classes which meant I only took 9 credits a semester all year round. I’m currently ‘working on’ finishing my Gallatin Colloquium. This is something that has hung on my conscious for quite some time. My credits were finished last spring, but since I’m such a slackass the colloquium has fallen to the wayside. Hopefully this summer will see its completion, but more than likely, I’ll never do it. Anyway, point of this is, NYU is a model of bureaucratic inefficiency. In order to get my status to read maintaining matriculation I had to write my advisor to get approval, send that to my acting advisor, have her send it to someone to fill out the forms, pick up the forms, sign the forms, get them stamped by student services and then take them to the Bursar Office to pay some exorbitant fee just to stay ‘active’. When I finally got to the Bursar (after wasting 3 lunch hours on this process), they told me the forms were incomplete. Well fuck all. Kiss my ass. I’m quitting. Fuck you NYU. You were the worst decision I’ve made to date.

You’re Such A Fucking Slag.
The past couple days were a dreadful bore. It took me nearly 48 hours to get the strength to crawl out of my apartment. After two days of watching Law and Order while wrapped in a blanket sweating my ass off, I finally emerged. Last night I met up with Dana and headed to the Apple Store on Prince Street for a show by The Secret Machines. As we rolled into the roped off store, we scored one of the many complimentary beverages and some gummy bears before saying hello to kids like Rebecca, Mike and Lauren. We slid upstairs amidst the sea of older gentlemen dawning jeans with sport coats and their ladies who were crammed into their jeans and wearing some reveling top. It was truly not my crowd, but we were happy to be there. We stood in the back as some opener went through the motions. Between sets we stopped back downstairs for another beverage before returning to our carved out perch.

By the time they were ready to take the stage we were joined by Christina and her friend Nadine. Yeah, this might sound ridiculous, but last night was the first time I’d laid eyes on The Secret Machines. It’s strange because I remember an old NYU friend begging me to hit up the many Brooklyn loft parties they used to play, but knowing I wasn’t cool enough for that scene, I politely declined. Then I finally find myself seeing the band in a room full of industry types, but from what industry; I did not know. The stage was set up in front of the theater they have upstairs. It was high enough so every spot was decent, but it didn’t account for the older ladies standing on the benches. Their sound had some sort of virginal appeal to my ears, but it did at times sound a lot like Neu or Pink Floyd. I figure they get that a lot by now. No matter what the reference points, these boys had something that screamed stoner. Mike and Builder joined us by the end of their short set. They played through what Dana told me was the hits, but it all sounded new to me. I went home having the same ambiguous feeling toward The Secret Machines, but happy to get out of the house and to final see this band.

Fans take note: In case you care, last night's show will be made available exclusively at the iTunes store online. I've never used the store, but its probably pretty easy.

Also, a big happy birthday shout out to main gent Dennis Cahlo. Hope you have a kick ass day!

FREE! Calla Show at The Knit.
If you keep an eye on my show listings, then you saw the FREE Calla show quite some time ago. It’s been scheduled at the Knitting Factory for quite some time, but there has been little information on how to get in. If you aren’t attending the third sold out Shins performance on April 25th like me, then you should take a second to send an email to RSVP(AT)giganticmusic.com to get on the list. The show is part of the "Satellite" Soundtrack Concert for the Tribeca Film Fest and will feature sets by Calla, The Cloud Room and Seedy Gonzales, (Thanks to J for the dirty work).

Get Down For Me.
I’m still home sick. It’s been a serious bitch. If you are feeling the love of spring, then do me a favor: get off your couch and head to the Mercury Lounge for tonight’s show featuring a 10pm set by Blue Sparks. Check them out and show some love to Mike (bass) who used to pull duty in The Realistics. You’ll dig it. Trust me.

I Know Your Body.
So I was right. Yesterday's annoyance has become today's full-blown sickness. It's not as bad as it could be due to the massive masking of symptoms by Vitamin Water, Emer'gen-C, Airborne, Wellness Formula and whatever else I've pumped into my body during the past few waking hours. My early afternoon was spent viewing Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, (yes, finally). Michel Gondry is an amazing director. The extra features gave me some insight on their organic special effects, and it was all quite impressive. This is something I'm sure you already know, but if you're like me and always a step or two behind in the film game, then go rent this modern gem. I just love how all Focus Films make me doubt every decision I've made for at a few hours.

Weird: While I was writing that paragraph, WOXY played the Delgados cover of Mr. Blue Sky. Life's little syncopations are rad.

Since my LCD Soundsystem recap left some doors open, I'd like to slam them shut with this link to my review of the show on The Stereo Effect. Also, a big shout out to Brooklyn Vegan for hooking me up with some pictures. Also, if you are wondering, the last line of the review reads, "Now go buy yourself a mac," which is the English slang for slicker. Since its primarily a UK web site the editor made the decision to go with mac. I didn't want you thinking I meant for you to go buy a computer, but maybe you should. Ask for Mike.

If you are planning to hit up the Eagles of Death Metal show tonight at The Bowery Ballroom, make sure you get there in time for both of the openers. The Hold Steady and Bling Kong both put on shows that are worth your time.

You Look Great. I’m Just Drunk.
At the end of a weekend like the one I had, it’s obvious my physical health isn’t what it should be. It feels like I’m coming down with something, but all the vitamins and pills have properly masked any real symptoms. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Friday night began with a shift at the Bowery for the Graham Coxon show. It went like a breeze and I was finished before the evening had a chance to become morning. Don’t ask me how the show was because I never made it upstairs. Instead my ass was kept downstairs fraternizing with the likes of Sarah, Jen, Paul and Dan. Eventually I got a call from Rosato who was heading to Lit for a free hour of drinks. Since that was in my price range, I packed up my stuff and rolled north with Paul. He broke off at Houston while I pressed on to Lit.

After snagging the first of five free vodka Redbulls, I ran into Dan, Fabian, Dilly and Matt who were all getting loose. The party began to get packed in the back so we made our scene up front where we had better access to the bar. We were soon joined by a bunch of kids including Leah, Cami, Mandel, Hal, Jason, Dana, Rachel, Ethan, Rudy, another Rachel, Dee and Kyle. We slammed drinks, smoked cigarettes and even did a little dancing. I swear Lit brings out the craziness in people. Especially down in that basement. After the free drinks were over, I had another beer and then hit the street with ever intention of returning home.

On the walk home I ran into Christine (yes, that Christine) on 1st Avenue. Since we rarely see each other, it wasn’t tough to decide on continuing our evening. We decided Cherry Tavern would do the trick. We found a seat at the bar and threw back cocktails while catching up. Hanging out late night with an ex-girlfriend can sometimes spell danger, but with Christine it was just great to find out what’s been keeping her busy. Eventually the crew found us. Stevo was the first to arrive followed by Leclare, Ando and Mandel (well, I don’t know if Mandel was there). Anyway, we took a closer tequila shot and rolled out of the bar. Del and I closed the evening out with some Lucky Burgers on Avenue A.

Who’ll Stop The Pain, I Mean Rain.
When I got back to 186 there was a mini-party going on. Fighting all urges to stay away proved futile so I hung out for a few hot minutes. This made Saturday morning a bit difficult for my weathered bones. Thankfully I managed to roll out of bed and up to Telephone on 2nd Avenue where I met Cami and Erin for brunch. As we dined I realized that when hanging out with old friends like these ladies, I totally revert back to prepubescent days. I act like that dickhead kid at Denny’s who is super obnoxious, but (hopefully) hilarious. My stories are for pure entertainment and my actions, though rarely premeditated, have the feel of routine.

Anyway, we finished up and walked through the rain to East 4th Street Bar for a PBR, but the whole place smelled of paint thinner so we avoided the high by jumping back out into the downpour. The girls went to the movies while I heard 186 calling my name.

Later that evening some guys came over to watch the Final Four and act like the dickheads we’ve come to know and love. The all-star ensemble included Moser, Stevo, Ghory, Builder, Kyle, T-Diddy, Carter, Hawkins and Rosato. The games came second in the entertainment category as Moser dazzled us with one-liners. Both games were close, but in the final minutes the stronger teams definitely shined. Tonight University of North Carolina plays University of Illinois in the title game. It should be one hell of a basketball game.

Toward the end of the second game, Hawkins, Carter and I busted out in the direction of the Bowery Ballroom for the (personally) highly anticipated LCD Soundsystem show. We got into the venue and said high to the numerous familiar faces working that evening. Then we stepped upstairs to hang with Merida and grab a drink. Kevin filled us in on Friday’s Lightning Bolt show while Stephen Culkin tried to buy me shots, (probably to loosen me up for an attempted Culkin later that evening). We eventually shot down to the back corner and settled in for a sweaty dance fest with me leading the way.

Before jumping into this review, let me first say this: FUCK THE HATERS. LCD Soundsystem ripped on Saturday and I don’t understand how anyone could think otherwise. James Murphy and the crew took the stage and allowed the final DJ track to bleed into Beat Connection which is a fantastic way to get the engines revving. I’m not going to fill you in with all the details as a review will be posted on The Stereo Effect soon, but rest assured they were solid. I had a great time getting sweaty in the back corner with a bunch of drunk, dancing friends. We were joined by Del, Gigs, Beach, Sarah, Daylen, Builder, Paul and a few others who rocked the most. The show left me all smiles and I proceeded to throw down cash for the vinyl singles at the merch table. If you want some pictures then check out Brooklyn Vegan or One Louder. If you want a spot on recap then check out Modernage. If you want to try dissecting the asshole that is Mr. Murphy then check out Tale of Two Cities. If you want to hear old man river wax philosophical on why this show reminded him how much he hates NYU then check out Casa De Punk. This should give you enough reading material on the subject.

If any of this intrigues you, check out LCD Soundsystem at Webster Hall on June 10th. Save me a dance. Tickets are on sale and can be purchased at Ticketweb or the Mercury Lounge Box Office. Buy your tickets and polish your dancing shoes.

After the show my perma-grin found its way to Grass Roots where we met up with the rest of the kids. It only took me an hour or so to get thrown out of the bar. Following a tequila shot I squared up and gave Dan a healthy smack on the face which didn’t sit well with the bouncer. He immediately grabbed me by the neck to which I replied, “You must be new.” He told me I was gone. I told him to fuck off. This went back and forth as he placed me outside the bar and I continued cursing. Builder followed me out and was kind enough to join me at D.B.A. for a night cap. We returned home and slammed down some Rosarios pizza. When I went to hop into bed, I fell through a booby trap set by the boys. They had removed my mattress and replaced it with milk crates that held up the blankets. I cracked my fucking elbow, had a laugh and passed out.

Mask It. You’ll Feel Bet(turd).
Sunday went according to plan. We had a Loose meeting in the early afternoon. Despite the time change everyone was on time and on point. After cleaning myself up, I headed to Other Music to drop off some promo stuff on my way to the movie theater. Dana and Jamie convinced me to sneak in a matinee of Sin City which was the most visually stunning film I’d seen since Uma was in a yellow jumpsuit. Though the story seemed to leave us guessing, it is still a film worth seeing in the theater. The contrasting black and white was so crisp. Couple this with the splashes of color and the various strange decisions regarding continuity and you get a puzzling film that is wholly entertaining. Check it out and let me know your thoughts.

My day ended with a shift at Webster Hall for the Ray Lamontagne show. Everything went smoothly as expected and we were pretty relaxed for most of the gig. I managed to get in some good hang time with Dan, Christine, Gigs and Sarah while taking care of business. Even Mia’s mom stopped in to rock out at the show. She was super rad! After the gig, I cruised back home to catch the highlights of the Yankees beating up on the Red Sox. Can you believe its baseball season already? This only means one thing; we are five months away from kickoff. Go Irish!

A quick note: Happy Birthday Daylen! May the tots be with you.

Help Me Help You.
So I just wrote a review of Saturday's LCD Soundsystem show at The Bowery Ballroom for The Stereo Effect. I could use some pictures to accompany it. If you were there and have a few shots, help a brother out. I don't get paid which means you don't get paid, but you still get some credit. Who doesn't love a good link? Email me a couple of your best shots, (goodtimesroll at gmail dot com). Thanks!

My Kneecaps Can’t Take It.
I didn’t party to hard last night, but my body is aching like it just went for a jog after 2 years of never jogging. Maybe it was the mini-marathon evening that was had, but at this rate Friday night may never happen. Following work Kyle and I sat around talking about the Styx record before I resigned to making a mix. Around 8pm Cara and I met on Ludlow and popped into Paladar for some delicious grub. They sat us at a strange little table off in the corner which reminded me of the Max’s mishap a couple weeks ago, but I wasn’t going to burn this bridge. The good company got me past it. After dinner we met with Noah and Jin at San Loco for some margaritas. Their drinks are cheap and delicious, but totally not worth smelling like nachos for the rest of the evening, (though I know one jackass who’d love it). We were entertained by some dickhead customer who was cursing out the register girl and telling her that he was, “Going to bring down his sister so she can beat your WHITE ass!” After reject central was down the block we rolled over to 186 for a brief session.

We said later on to Cara and popped into the Mercury where Bloodthirsty Lovers just took the stage. Greg hooked Noah and me up with beverages before we slid to the back corner for the show. Bloodthirsty Lovers are a four piece featuring Dave Shouse formerly of the Sub Pop standout, Grifters, (a fact Noah pointed out). The band pulls from a lot of different styles, but they coalesce into a unique sound that could be the poster child for Indie Rock. There are certain aspects I could do without such as the more often than not Bono esq vocalizing. This isn’t always a negative, but it was so blatant last night. In pushing that to the wayside, you are able to hear the great mesh of pop and psychedelic. There were also songs that sounded like the bass line was ripped straight from Fugazi’s studio floor. When Dave took off his guitar and paid more attention to the keys, the band became more foot tapping accessible. Bloodthirsty Lovers aren’t an instant favorite, but they certainly could be considered a grower rather than a shower.

During change over, Noah and I crept downstairs to say hello to the likes of Nate SF, Amy, DTL and Haley who had Jin in tow. When Jimmy from the Album Leaf walked by, Nate introduced us by saying, “You remember Jay,” (we had played pool at Max Fish during their last stop in town). Jimmy replied, “Oh, yeah, Nate what’s up.” Damn you Nathan Martin. Why must we look switched at birth? Anyway, we got back upstairs with a few minutes to spare. Beach and Daylen had showed up and the room was getting ridiculously packed.

Last night was my first Album Leaf show and they completely surpassed my expectations. After only listening to the record a couple times through, my preconceived notion was this show would be a total snooze. It just didn’t seem like my cup of tea. Thankfully I missed the mark. In fact I never even saw the target. The Album Leaf was captivating despite the fact I could only see one person most of the time. Their electronic pop sound was accompanied by some highly stimulating visuals. At times I felt a little weepy because this band would have made a great touring companion for the now defunct Sea Ray. The tunes are composed by Jimmy and encompass a wide range of experimental leaps. It was extremely entertaining.

If you are without plans for tonight, get over to the Northsix where Bloodthirsty Lovers and The Album Leaf will perform. At this time tickets are still available, (Tickets).

Noah and I ducked out of the club a few songs before the end and stumbled over to The Delancey. The plan was to catch a set by Trick and the Heartstrings which is a band Builder has hyped for the past couple weeks. We stepped downstairs and were greeted by Josh, Chris and Sky. As the DJ brought down the music, three guys took the stage. At first they looked as though they stumbled down the wrong NYC block, but after the first note, they knew their exact location. I’m not going to sugar coat this; they sound exactly like The Police. They have the soulful sex fueled vibe that made Sting such a player. The baseline was heavy. The guitars were sharp. The drums were there to validate everything. In an effort to see the band I propped myself on top of a stool in the back of the room. The bassist/singer and guitarist had choreographed moves that revved up the sizeable crowd. I was eventually coaxed off my perch by KariBomb who hooked up a beverage. Noah and I found a better look out and watched the lead singer do his best Michael Jackson meets Prince impression. These guys are definitely worth a gander.

Words From The Street.
*** Thanks to Mr. Yaps for turning me on to this event featuring an idol of mine, Greil Marcus readings from his new book, Like A Rolling Stone: Bob Dylan at the Crossroads. From the Press Release:

GREIL MARCUS' "LIKE A ROLLING STONE: BOB DYLAN AT THE CROSSROADS" PUBLISHED

Greil Marcus' new book, Like a Rolling Stone: Bob Dylan at the Crossroads, has just been published by PublicAffairs, and he will be making appearances in several U.S. cities to talk about his book.

Publishers Weekly reviewed the book recently: "Marcus's engaging exegesis on the musical and cultural ramifications of Dylan's 1965 six-and-half-minute hit is not just a study of a popular song and a historic era, but an examination of the heroic status of the American visionary artist. Recorded when American popular music was 'like a running election,' Dylan's 'music of transformations' induced a conflicted, confused America to look at its social disasters of racism, drug abuse and Vietnam, Marcus says, while simultaneously permitting it to strip away its illusions and hope for a better future. Ostensibly about a rich young socialite's fall from grace, the song's lyrics are open to many interpretations, which may have helped make it such a phenomenon. Marcus displays a comprehensive knowledge of American popular and political history, tracing the song's roots back to Robert Johnson and Hank Williams and spotting its influence on such disparate artists as Frank Zappa, the Village People and various contestants on American Idol. Part scholarly discourse and part beatnik rambling, the book is chockfull of lively metaphors and includes 20 pages of studio outtake banter. Marcus successfully convinces readers that (in the words of hit songwriter Gerry Goffin), 'Dylan managed to do something that not one of us was able to do: put poetry in rock n' roll and just stand up there like a mensch and sing it.'

Marcus’ will be in New York on Thursday, April 7th. His itinerary includes: WFUV “City Folk Morning” (10-11am); Makor Steinhardt Center of the 92nd Street Y at 35 West 67th St (12:30pm); New School University at 66 West 12th St, Room 510 (6:30pm). This is a good chance to hear an expert on all things cool. If you've never read Lipstick Traces then please do yourself a favor in picking up a copy.

*** Gang of Four reissues their ground breaking album, Entertainment. The disc will include 8 new songs including The Yellow Ep cuts and a live cover of The Velvet Underground’s Sweet Jane.

*** John Convertino of Calexico refuses to make an appearance on The O.C., but the band will make an appearance without him. Sam Beam of Iron and Wine will stand in during the taping.

*** Snow Patrol quickly fills their bassist position after parting ways with Mark McLelland last month. On further inspection, Gary still twitches worse than that character on The Wonder Years who got his girlfriend pregnant and ruined poker night.

*** E-40 wants his props. He popularized everything from scratching your butt to saying words like ‘fo shizzle’.

*** It’s nice to see local band We Are Scientists getting some love on their trip across the pond.

Ok, that’s all for now. If you don’t hear from me, have a kick ass weekend despite all the rain that’s expected. If you are going to the LCD Soundsystem show, come to the back and dance with me.

Also, word up to my little sister who just played a solid April Fool’s joke on her gullible older brother. I’ll get you back!