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.

posted by jayloose at 1:19 PM 28 comments   

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.

posted by jayloose at 11:07 AM 6 comments   

posted by jayloose at 9:17 AM 12 comments   

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.

posted by jayloose at 10:14 AM 8 comments   

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

posted by jayloose at 9:01 AM 1 comments   

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.

posted by jayloose at 9:23 AM 3 comments   

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.

posted by jayloose at 10:46 AM 14 comments   

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.

posted by jayloose at 1:54 PM 4 comments   

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.

posted by jayloose at 9:22 AM 1 comments   

posted by jayloose at 8:30 AM 1 comments   

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?

posted by jayloose at 1:08 PM 0 comments   

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.

posted by jayloose at 3:15 PM 6 comments   

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.

posted by jayloose at 10:34 AM 53 comments   

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.

posted by jayloose at 2:28 PM 6 comments   

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.

posted by jayloose at 8:35 AM 9 comments