Sometimes New York makes you feel like an athlete. Ok, strike that. What a stupid way to start an entry. Let me explain; last night felt a bit like a marathon - constant action, the need to push past limits and total satisfaction at the finish line. What began as a night with little plans became a test of endurance. It began with some post work emailing from the comfort of my bed. This was interrupted by a phone call from Captain Cape Cod who invited me tag-a-long to The Warlocks show at the new Avenue B hotspot Scenic.

As I rolled up to the venue, the store front was cluttered with familiar faces. I ran into Paul aka Chasing the Dream who was chatting up Elliot. We cruised inside to catch a beer before heading downstairs to see some rock. Cape Codder, Yalan, Leslie, Paul and I tucked into the back corner next to the bar. Unfortunately you can't see a fucking thing at a packed Scenic, but they made up for it with some solid sound. The Warlocks set up the show to prep the press for their upcoming release. This meant there were heaps of familiar faces in the crowd. It was great to see all the beautiful people diving in face first to some west coast psychedelic. The band has the unique ability to transplant its listeners to another time and place. Thankfully I was sipping a diet Sparks that helped snap me back to reality. As the band finished up their set (and the tequila shot Leslie bought us settled), Beach and I stepped back into the night.

The next checkpoint was the Mercury Lounge where another LA band was playing. The four abusers of eyeliner go by the name TSAR. I haven't a clue what it means so don't ask. Mark filled me in on these guys during one of our shifts at Webster, but I had no idea what to expect. The narcissistic boys had a giant sign blinking their name the entire set to ensure we wouldn't forget who played. It wasn't necessary as they were a bit unforgettable. Now, this isn't to say they were good, but they were memorable. It was fairly straight forward glam doused punk rock, (what more would you expect from Los Angeles). The lead singer was also a bit striking - think Skeletor if he traded his purple tights for a black t-shirt and some better nail polish. Some folks think this band will be the next big thing, but for this guy the jury is still out. It's nothing I'd pay to see, but you could probably fool a bunch of teenagers into thinking these guys are the tits.

Toward the end of their set I got a call from Christie. We met up near Katz, locked her bike up and proceeded to get a frozen margarita. After the tasty and totally unnecessary beverage, we slipped into Pianos to check out the latest addition to North Street Records, Trick and the Heartstrings. After saying hello to Karibomb, Chris and the North Street Crew and suffering through some of The Fame's set, we slid up front to hang with Gabby and Ian. We were about to get severely hit by a funk storm.

The last time I saw Trick and the Heartstrings was with Noah at Delancey. It was an unimpressive show that left me with mixed feelings. Last night, the final night of their month long residency, completely flipped the switch. This band is going to be a favorite among all you hipster elite. Well, I can see the pack dividing in some sort of holier-than-thou ambivalence, but you should just succumb to the pure dance-ability of the jams these three art (read: fart) majors pump out. Dressed like a gang of kids who never leave South Bedford Avenue, they worked through a few songs on their recently pressed debut EP (buy it on North Street) along with a bunch of other tracks that lead me to believe these kids listened to a lot of The Police on their way to Prince concerts during their childhood years. They have amazing stage presence that includes synchronized dance steps and a lanky drummer who looks comfortably numb (praise be the Scissor Sisters) while beating around the kit. It might have been the large amount of alcohol coursing through my veins, but I had a fucking rad time. The packed room would probably agree.

After the show we, hung around for a minute and got to chat up Rosie. The night ended with me stumbling home and desperately trying to blog about the evening, but Time Warner has decided to dick 186 over. Fuckers.

Thanks to Leah I just scored cottage cheese for breakfast. Also, I love you but I've chosen Sean Bones is going down hard tonight.

This is a quick heads up in regards to a party that is going down at Groupe this evening, (site of last week's Vice shitshow). Anyway, take a gander and sign up for some free drinks. Here are the details:

Groupe 16sur20 and Mint Advertising invite you and a guest to a private screening of a new, award-winning documentary film -- "STRANGER: Bernie Worrell on Earth." The 40-minute film, directed by Philip Di Fiore, is about the eccentric keyboard genius of P-Funk and Talking Heads.

STRANGER premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival, has gone on to win awards in the U.S. and abroad, and will be submitted for consideration for the 2006 Academy Awards. The film features David Byrne, George Clinton, Mos Def, Bootsy Collins, and many other greats.

Please join us on Thursday, July 28th from 8-10 pm at Groupe 16sur20 (267 Elizabeth Street). As usual we will be treating our guests to a pleasant mix of food and beverages.

For details and RSVP info, please visit the page linked here.

The always in the know Ms. Rosie just sent me this from the Domino mailing list:

Franz Ferdinand will be shooting the video for their upcoming single "Do You Want To?" in New York with director Diane Martel on Friday, July 29th. The shoot will take the entire day and everyone involved must wear dark clothing and get smashed. They are looking for extras - just email contest@dominorecordco.com asap for more info.

You already wear black and love drinking so why don't you go do it with some sexy Scottish boys?

Also from Ms. Rosie:

Extras sought for Cousin music video being shot by Borderline Films on Saturday, 7/30 and Sunday, 7/31. The video will feature Brendan Sexton III and Paz De La Huerta. Looking for hipster indie rock types and Wall Street types (all must supply their own wardrobe). Email cousincontact@hotmail.com with name, contact info, age, and photo to be considered.

Notes from my inbox:

If you are planning to hit up Pianos tonight for any part of the bill, make sure you are there when The Head Set take the stage, (8:30pm). I recently scored a copy of the record they just finished, and I must admit it was very impressive. These four guys have taken leaps since they first began. Their songs are more dynamic and their sound if becoming all their own. Also on the bill: Dude from Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Harlem Shakes & Prince Paul.

This is only coincidence, but I have two pieces of Dirty On Purpose news that comes via their mailing list and Jin's blog.

1. The video for their track "Mind Blindness" has recently been posted to the Dirty On Purpose website. Click on the "Music" section (the pick) and then click to view. Its quite stunning. Bravo to all who made it happen. The kids look great.

2. Dirty On Purpose is playing an In-Store Performance at Sound Fix Records this weekend. Here is the information from the email:

Hello, we are doing a special in-store performance @ Sound Fix Records in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, on Saturday, July 30. We are especially excited to bring you this performance in celebration of Sound Fix Cafe turning into a full-fledged bar! Congrats to James and the gang at Sound Fix, and we look forward to seeing you there. Details below...

Saturday, July 30
@ Sound Fix Records
110 Bedford Avenue @ North 11 Street
(Take the L Train to Bedford Avenue)
4 p.m. // FREE!

Come out to support the cause or simply to throw eggs at Joe. I want to have man babies with Joe - I hope he knows this.

New Yorkers can be fucking retarded. Seriously. If you don't already know, last week a blog titled Manhattan Carnivore popped up on the radar of the daily web junkies. The debut post featured a review of the Vicious Turns 2 party at Southpaw where Dr. Dog, Dirty On Purpose, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Saints + Lovers played. Apparently the Carnivore was none-to-pleased with the show as indicated through the labeling of the evening as "Suck Fest". Now I have no problem with someone throwing down some hater style comments, (even if it is about one of my favorite local bands) but for Christ's sake the backlash is all too redundant. Whether it is band members defending themselves, jaded hipsters who post complimentary comments without recognizing the irony in the voice of the creator or those who post merely to sound funny; you all should shut the fuck up. My point here is that everyone is fucking retarded.

So I'm a blogger. You can call me that - it doesn't affect me. You could also call me Jay Good Times - it is mildly embarrassing but slightly endearing. You can call me a talent less cum dumpster who lacks all command on the English language - I might agree with you. You can call me a hipster - frankly I could give a fuck what you call me.

The problem with a blog is that its opens up a venue for rejects to generalize which might be the worst activity of the hipster elite. Who makes up this cross section of the population? Look around folks - your friends, your enemies, the strangers you pass everyday and the person you see in the mirror. We are all part of this hipster elite. We live in Williamsburg, Green Point, Red Hook, L.E.S., Alphabet City, East Williamsburg, Astoria, Park Slope and even Jersey City. We're all a bunch of fuckheads so there is no reason to squabble over bullshit points of reference.

Sure the blog community might be made up of a group of people who gush about bands, but what is the problem there? Many bloggers write to promote things they like. Why would you want to waste your time explaining how bad something is whether its food, music, bars or blowjobs? Every once and awhile some blogs appear, much like the Carnivore, that enjoy playing devil's advocate. Why would you want to waste your time explaining how good a band is if there are already countless sights blowing the boys of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah? The point is - though muddled at best - there isn't much a middle ground. You either love or you hate blogs, but the fact remains you read them.

Now here is my generalization - we're all a bunch of idiots. We play into the games. We get upset with anonymous comments whether they are for or against. Just today I read through some of the comments posted on Carnivore and one of them (another dickless anonymous poster) self-righteously finger pointed at bloggers:

"This hipster, blogger, LES circle jerk is so fucking played. The reason for this is that nothing of any merit has evolved from this self important post NYU group of elitist jerkoffs (I went there, I know them) yet. Pontificating from their "blogs" about the "secret show" this, or the "tickets for this bowery show" that."

This is so typical. Thanks for being more unoriginal than the corn in this mornings bathroom session. This kid must eat pieces of shit for breakfast. Have some balls!

But this burns me because I've struggled ever since I moved out here in 1999. Life hasn't been easy, but I managed to pay my way through school (with help from the loan sharks), get a job, get a second job, pay my rent and stay close to my NYU elitist jerkoff friends all the while having a kick ass time. I've come to grips with the idea that New Yorkers are bitches and this shouldn't be taken personally. We all need to calm the fuck down and in the fashion of my parent's generation - start to love.

So the fact remains that we may be a bunch of fucking idiots, but we're in this together. Yes, this group of fucking retards is bonded by the music - for better or for worse. To the outside world we are junkies. They don't understand half the shit we discuss. They don't know why we waste our time and money going to shows, drinking beers, listening to records and reading blogs. We are better than them, but they'll never know it. So quit hating because you don't write a blog, you write everyday, you don't have money, you are rich, you are unemployed, you are overworked, you like The Killers, you hate The Bravery, you only buy vinyl, you download, you read NME, you own every copy of Mojo, you play guitar, you can't even sing karaoke, you own a white belt, you have a mullet, you go to Misshapes, you DJ CD's, you work at a club, you are in a band, you work at MTV, you work at MNN, you drink at Max Fish, you drink at Union Pool. It's a waste of everyone's time. You aren't cool. You aren't unique. Deal with it. I've moved on. You should too.

Wow, that really doesn't make any sense, but it was fun to write. Fuck you!

So Good Times Roll is officially back. Since the launch of Loose Record the blogging process was a bit distorted. I couldn't update whenever I wanted because it had to be sent to Xtina to be put on the server. Now GTR is back in the loving arms of Blogger. Once again my readers are welcome to leave comments telling me how much I suck or why I'm some sort of Gaylord poseur. Bring it on you fucking hippies. More to come soon.

As the past weekend crept into view, I began to worry. For the first time in a few months, I was faced with a weekend lacking in the plans department. Somehow I managed to get lucky and had one of the best weekends in recent memory. Let me begin on Friday.

My post work exhaustion was remedied after a quick stop by the Mercury to say hello to Josh. Once I returned home, I curled up in bed for an hour or so before gearing up for a huge evening. Beach stopped in once he finished up the work day and we proceeded to have nachos and margaritas at Juanita's Cafe. Next time you stop by this LES establishment, get yourself a plate of the house nachos. You'll thank me later. Next on the agenda was a trip to the Mercury Lounge for a Demander set. We ran into Jori (a new regular run-in) who was there to see her friend play in Hail Social. After the requisite hellos, we scored a drink and slid into the backroom where we were later joined by Christie, Gigs and Mark (from Sono Oto).

As Sivan, Karen and Jared took the stage, I had my fingers crossed with the hope that Demander's sound would fair better than they did at their last Rothko show. Friday was a celebration for the release of their self-titled EP, (of which I didn't score a copy). The kids certainly stepped up for the occasion as it was one of the best Demander shows in recent memory. All the levels were turned up to induce a maximum rock session sanz ear bleeding. They plowed through familiar tunes like "Wicked World" and "Raise a Glass" with Sivan beating the hell out of her kit while Jared chopped up some guitar parts and backing the bass wielding (and drop dead sexy) Karen. Thank god they chose the Mercury for this show because the sound was fantastic and you could actually make out what Karen was singing. Well done Demander! Congratulations!

After their set we ran into Greg who had come downstairs to find a friend. We took some initiative (and longing for free beer) and followed him upstairs to Big W's house where the crew was holding court in celebration of Sarah's birthday. Winch had bought enough Stella to get a small army drunk so we dove right in. It was great to hang with people like Maggie, Mark, Greg and Pedro in a non-work environment. Kyle, Beach, Daylen and a few others joined us as we pounded Tequila in the kitchen and beers on the deck. This was only the beginning of a series of weekend roof deck parties. Eventually Beach persuaded us to meet up with Oveis and Erin who were in from D.C. at PBR Roberts bar, The Bushwick Country Club. On the cab ride out to the bar, tequila got the best of me and I only lasted 15 minutes before running back to the city.

Saturday was one of the best days I've had in a long time. It began with Christie and me visiting Angelina - my favorite brunch spot. This place rocks for many reasons, but most recently I've had a great time seeing the Saturday waiter and completely gay'in out with him. I believe his name is Jeremy and he's a super nice dude. He tells me about his new crushes and how he's on the hunt to find a man wife. The kid has a sharp whit and is just a hilarious individual. Go show him some love, (and if you swing his way, watch out; you may just fall for him). We finished up our grub and made our way to her house. We stopped by Etherea so I could finally score a copy of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's self-titled debut record. After some hang time we cruised down to Soho so Christie could pick up her iPod at the Apple Store. We were greeted by Mikey who was working the door, and while Z-money was taking care of business I got a chance to chat with Rebecca. There was a bit of a wait, but eventually Christie scored her technology and we bounced.

On our way up Prince Street Christie convinced me to head into J Crew with her and thank god we did. Christie found a sale rack that kicked my ass. Yeah, J Crew isn't very punk rock, but I do work in an office and collared shirts are needed. This brand has been my solid over the years, and Saturday's visit was the best ever. We continued to walk around like tourists, and we found this girl on Broadway selling the illist silk screened t-shirts. Though I would never condone buying a t-shirt for $30, the Stevie Wonder shirt was too rad to pass up. Christie snagged a Marley shirt and we made our way back to the neighborhood.

Around 5pm we decided to step out to Queens for the Todd P Parking Lot festival featuring Lightening Bolt. It took no time at all to get out to the Queensboro stop on the 7 Line. Luckily there were a couple of guys headed in that direction so we followed them to the massive spot. For some reason (and it had to be a good one because this was the dumbest fucking set up ever) we had to walk 3 blocks down Jackson Ave to some doorway to buy tickets and sign some list. It was totally weird, but that's exactly what I expected from this event. When we finally got in, we headed right for the $3 PBR's. We didn't know who was playing, but we were content with checking out the scene while hanging in the sun. The strangest part about this scene is that I didn't know or recognize a soul. There were tons of kids there (my guess would be 800 by the time we left), and they were all hip as sin, but more so than the kids who hang in Williamsburg or my neighborhood. A really great opportunity to people watch, smoke cigarettes and enjoy the great company.

Eventually a band started playing in the middle of the adjacent parking lot. We walked over and found 3 set up drum kits along with 3 spastic gentlemen hammering away on them with little care of the resulting sounds. This isn't to say they weren't producing grooves, but there was no structure to what they were doing. It was a punk rock jam full of screaming, a 3 stringed bass and guys hell bent on chaos. The guys go by the name of Necking and though I'm not certain if they exist outside of Saturday's parking lot, I'd advise you to see it if you have some aggression you'd like to exercise. Let the rhythm take control.

We strolled over to the main stage (read: where an actual PA was set up as there was no physical stage) and got prepared for what I thought was going to be a face melting assault by the two gents of Growing. They had a ton of equipment for being a two piece. There must have been 15 pedals between the two of them. Well, they started playing and we quickly realized they were BORING. I don't like to outwardly state something like this about a band because everyone should be given a shot, but Jesus, they didn't fit in at all. We ducked out of the front section, found a nice piece of curb and got sun drenched.

Before heading back to the front, we ran into Gabe and Tom who we teamed up with for the rest of our stay. We slinked our way back by the band for a set by Parts and Labor who I'd previously seen at Tonic. They are fairly straight forward modern punk rock. Decent songs, but as expected, you couldn't hear any of the vocals. By the end of their set the power had gone out and the guitar player ran into the crowd while the drummer finished up using the only instrument capable of making noise. This was the end of our parking lot experience. Christie and I headed back to the city in search of dinner.

We got out of the subway at Union Square because someone was going to pee their pants. Then we headed to Alex's house on Prince and Mulberry where a rooftop bbq was in progress. Alex is one of the first kids I met at NYU so it's always good to see him and play a bit of catch up. The usual suspects were rocking out on the most pimped out roof deck I've ever seen. I talked a little business with Tony and Kahn while Christie hooked up some delicious burgers. After a couple shotguns with Greg, we found Sean Bones and bounced over to the second rooftop deck party on B and 2nd. I can't remember the girl whose birthday the kids were celebrating (Jessica?), but she had a great spot and tons of drinks. Oveis, Erin and Jin were all hanging out. Eventually we found the hard alcohol and hot dogs downstairs which put a serious cherry on top of our sundae.

A bit after midnight I slipped out to meet Rebecca and her friend at Sin-e to catch a set by her friends band Camilla. I walked in, grabbed a PBR and found the kids up front. The band was just about to start so we said hello and settled into a set of fairly straight forward emo rock. Though it's not my particular brand of cigarette, these guys were awfully tight. It had as the makings of emo band that is ready to step up to the next level. I'd keep an eye on them if you dig this style. After the show we cruised over to The Hat to snag some margaritas. Let me take a quick second to mention that Rebecca was in the most

Have you ever had that brief epiphany where you realize if you somehow manage to get old you'll spend your twilight years regretting the early years? I don't mean to be so dramatic, but that feeling keeps popping up as the days go by. It's easy to forget about your overall goals (to be rich) when you are stuck in a present that doesn't provide a window to the future - actually, it's probably there, but I can't find it. My life runs at 73 MPH, (8 more than the speed limit on Pennsylvania's section of I-80). When you are going this fast you lose site of anything outside of tomorrow. My life has gone from year to year; month to month, week to week; day to day; and finally rests at hour to hour. It would be nice to have a block of time where I can be sober and not worrying about what has to get done for tonight, tomorrow, etc. It's not going to happen anytime soon unless you are a rich girl who wants me to marry you, (I cook and clean), so I might as well shut the fuck up.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for some sort of head injury that will score me a hefty out of court settlement because grinding it out is getting tiresome.

I Predict a Culkin!

After I finished up at the office, I hustled home for a quick change before cruising over to Webster to set up the Kaiser Chiefs, Cribs and Redwalls show. Upon entering the venue, I heard the Redwalls checking. They played a solid cover of The Rolling Stones' "Dead Flowers" along with what I thought was a Dylan song, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Now some people have hated on this band since they've gotten some attention and a deal from Capitol. Is it because they are too young? Is it because they are treading on all too familiar musical territory? Is it because they are from the Midwest, but often sound like they have a North London accent? Someone please tell me because I don't see a reason to hate on them. Sure they outright pilfer sounds from The Beatles, Stones, Byrds, et al. but that's no reason to get on their shit especially when you could rattle off a few specific names that have influenced that last couple years of music, (Joy Division, Jesus Mary Chain, Duran Duran). Anyway, I thought they sounded great from downstairs, and I'll definitely be watching their development from a distance. Now if only someone could send me a record.

Second on the bill was The Cribs who powered through the same set they played on Tuesday. To be quite honest, this band fucking rules. I didn't get a chance to sneak upstairs for a glance at them, but what I saw on screen along with the sound that leaked down the stairwell reminded me of the days I used to sit in my bedroom and freak out while listening to the first Libertines' single. Hopefully they'll comeback around soon so I can fully enjoy their throw down.

Last night's main event was definitely the Kaiser Chiefs. The crowd was so into this band, and who can blame them? When this band is in full on rock out mode, they have audiences eating out of the palm of their hand. Though I'm not a fan of their record, I certainly appreciate what they pull off live. Their set opened with "Na Na Na Na Naa" which induced a bit of mayhem that had the floor shaken. The door was quite hectic during their set so I didn't get to hear much. They did play the hit "I Predict A Riot", the sing-a-long "Oh My God" and the personal favorite "Everyday I Love You Less and Less". The coolest thing about their set was they pulled a fan onstage to bounce around during one of their songs. Jeff (it was good to meet you) Central Village has a picture of said fan. This girl was outside of Webster Hall at 11am waiting in line. Apparently she stood out front all day singing their songs. She'll never forget that night, and if you can be a part of one of those nights (that doesn't involve someone losing their V-card) then I think it's pretty fucking rad of Ricky to step up and make it happen.

On my way home I stopped into Standings which is this new bar on 7th Street. It is a little pricey, but they give you chips and party mix with your brews. Beach and Daylen were hanging out catching the middle section of the Yankees game against the LA Angels. The problem was the amount of douche bag Red Sox's fans in the bar. What is it with these people? Fucking Christ. Like I come into a bar to hear you talk shit to my face? I came into have a beer with some friends and I barely got a word in edge wise because one had Daylen caught and the other had Beach. I sat by myself at a table until the one guy came over and started on me. I told him to back off and leave us alone. He tested my patience, but I've been schooled by Giggles so I was able to keep my nerve. Thank god because I was about to punch his fucking teeth through the back of his head than stuff his loafers down his throat while he spilled blood all over his white collared shirt. Have some fucking class assholes. Sorry if I scared you. I'm certain one of my BoSox friends will give me shit for this, but chill the fuck out and turn the volume down on your shitty accents.

Anyway, get out this weekend and enjoy the weather. I haven't bothered to look at show calendars so I'm not going to impart my bullshit wisdom. You should call Rosie - that girl knows what's up.

Yesterday was full of Run-In's. It was almost absurd how many people crossed my path after 5pm yesterday. In this entry I'm going to give it to you in number form. If someone was left out and gets upset, I'm sorry, but you should understand that there were many to remember. Let me just say that I opted out of the Brooklyn shitshow that was Southpaw. I heard the show was great, but people didn't stick around for Saints and Lovers which is a damn shame. Congrats to everyone involved for "killing it" Brooklyn style. I've yet to get a full report from Mr. No Scene, but if he passes on any nuggets - you'll hear them later. Now... Let the games begin.

1. Justin Carter: Ya'll should know this chap by now. He's a sweetheart. We met in our first class at college and didn't really get the friendship rolling to full steam until this year. Yesterday I met him outside of 186 so he could pass off a disc he's promoting. I'll let you know the verdict after hearing it. He was on his way to see a Broadway show - loser. Thanks Justin!

2. Rory: This kid is great. He works the weekend box office shift for the club along with some AddVice work. We recently crossed paths and realize we get on like champs. He was hanging outside of Gracefully when I cruised through to get a sandwich. We sat in the sun talking about nothing in general. After picking up my sandwich we cruised back through the hood.

3. Scott B: He rolled by Rory and I on his way to the studio to do some work with Alec, (Tuesday's top Run-In). He told me little Chris was down about the Dungen show and that Karl's vocals sound great on the new Stammers record. Pass me a rough when they are ready!

4. Dan & Erin: They had some business to attend to so they stopped in at 186 for a brief hang while I pounded my Mr. Nice. We played a little game of catch up before the bell rang only to reveal that the keyless Kyle was home from work. We sat in the dark of the living room glazed with sweat until Mr. Happy Pants came by. We love Mr. Pants. The boys hit the fire escape while Erin and I got wrapped up in Jeopardy.

5. Kyle: See #4

6. Mr. Happy Pants: See #4

7. Builder: Fuck Builder. Ok, maybe not. I love him, and I love giving him a hard time. He came in from work, and told me I look like a gay clown when my jeans are rolled up. We hit the street and broke off at the 2nd Avenue F stop.

8. Rebecca: Now everyone should make a point to run into Rebecca. She's super rad. This was one of the only planned Run-In's of the evening. We had our sites set on the Vice Photo Issue parties that Hawkins was hosting at Se Ser Vant & Groupe. As we cruised down Houston she filled me in on her Apology and Thank You rules. Rebecca is aces.

9. Eric: There was a brief encounter with this gent and a lady (Jessica?) on the corner of Bowery and Houston. We planned on meeting at the Scissor Sisters show later.

10. Karine & Joey: These girls were hanging out front of Se Ser Vant as the masses were moving to round two of the party. Its funny how much I've seen college friends like this in the past few days, but like I always say - pretty girls are always welcome.

11. Dude with dreads who looks like he should be in the Counting Crows: This guy was working the door at the space and wouldn't let us in. I'd never been in the shop and since it's such a big part of Hawks day, I wanted to check it out. Name dropping didn't work (yup, I'm a whore) so Rebecca and I headed back to the other party. Get a fucking haircut.

12. Christen: Ahhh... another regular Run-In. She was having the same trouble with the door guy so she took off for the other party. We crossed paths once again after Hawk had given me the call and told us to come by Se Ser Vant.

13. Hawkins: This boy has gone completely summer. He is now clad in Searsuckers and loafers. He seemed to be a bit frantic, but he was able to get us past Captain Dreads. Rebecca and I took a look around, stepped out into the back yard and decided it was time to get free beer. We bid adieu to Mr. Summer and walked back to Groupe where the party was beginning to pick up. We slid through the unofficial fashion show, and made our way to the back where the bars were hiding. I opted for a Limon in Tonic while Ms. Low Maintenance scored a PBR. We slugged back those drinks (along with a Sofia - yuck), grabbed another drink and went searching for a fan.

14. Kelly & Jorri: On our way up front we ran into this lady who was bouncing around in normal fashion. Then Jori popped into the circle and we reintroduced ourselves for the 100th time. We discussed how fucking hot it was before breaking off to find our savior.

15. Anoush: We made our way to the front of the space where the car sits, and we even managed to get a spot by the fan before one of those kids (you know, the ones that look like Vice is their Bible stood right in front of it. It wasn't a problem because Anoush cruised by chilling us with his instant cool. Ok, that was weird, but the kid rocks. We were neighbors during our first semester at college before the scary kid I lived with forced me to relocate. Its always a pleasure to see Anoush.

16. Tony Walker: When you have Anoush, Kelly, Hawkins and free drinks in one room, it's a safe bet that TW is lurking in the wings. Another solid college chap. We tried to plot a safe way for him to do "The Alligator" on the roof of the car, but realized it wasn't a good idea. Rebecca and I wanted to climb in and turn the AC on, but we had no luck so we ducked out for a smoke instead.

17. Dana & Rachel: As we spilled out of the overly packed Groupe, we ran into these two ladies who were looking fabulous in their summer dresses. That reminds me, I want to give a big thank you to all the girls in New York. You ladies are doing great this year. So Rebecca and I huffed one down and the four of us cruised back into the store. I went on beer patrol while she hit the bathroom. I could barely squeeze through the room, (Note: ran into Marc, his lady friend who's name escapes me and Rory - again). It was a bit of a disaster and the beer was warm so we broke out.

18. Danielle: I have to admit, she was almost forgotten. But I do remember when I stuffed my way back to the bar, there she was, standing right next to me. It's a shame this beauty is leaving the city, but I'm sure she'll fare well on the west coast.

19. Nate & Amy: The plan was to catch a frozen pear mojito at Cafe Colonial before making our next move, but while we were on the sidewalk, these two cruised up the street. I haven't seen them since the July 4th bbq where I made Jack's grill my bitch, so we decided to 86 the Colonial and follow them.

20. Homer & Jason: Nate lured us a couple blocks west to some bar that might actually be called Downstairs, (for obvious reasons). These gents were sipping on some beers before heading to Motor City. We saddled up to the bar and had some Buds.

21. Spanish Dude In The Deli: So Rebecca and I busted out in the direction of frozen margaritas. We figured a Sparks would be a welcomed addition to the walk so we popped into a deli. Some dude started saying something to Rebecca. I hadn't noticed, but when we got outside she was a bit pissed. What the fuck is it with some dudes? Why do they just say shit to women? I guess it's like that David Cross bit... "Maybe, just maybe that 100th girl loves to fuck in a pile of trash".

22. Sean: This is another freshman hallway friend who I've managed to see over the years. He was having dinner at The Hat with Jorri and a couple other folks when we stopped in for a to-go margarita. We wished them a good night and headed to Houston in search of a stoop for cigarettes and ritas session. So yeah, before I go any further, let me explain. I'm trying to get into smoking. Why? Well, early death... no scratch that... because it's a good excuse to have to step outside at work. Also, and I think this has been said before, but Mr. Baldass told me you look cooler with a cigarette.

23. The Bowery Crew, Meredith, Bucket, Christie, Hawk & Jimmy Fallon: So we finished our ritas and crossed Houston. The front room of the Mercury was bustling with excitement as Scissor Sisters just took the stage. We grabbed a Bud and managed to squeeze into the back corner where their person sound board found a home. After a few songs we opted for the bar room since neither of us are HUGE fans. Scissor Sisters sounded great and had the room moving, but it really wasn't what I needed at that point in the evening. Eventually Rebecca took off, Beach and I did a tequila shot and I slept like a baby. Oh, Jimmy Fallon was at the bar when I pulled up for another Bud.

So that was my evening in an extended - who the fuck would want to read this - nutshell. My new plan is to be drunk all the time so the next time you see me I won't remember this kind of stuff and feel totally compelled to write about it.

Christ I need some sleep. My temper is so short this morning that I feel bad for my coworkers. Its probably due to the minimal amount of sleep I've been getting, but when faced to choose between good times and bed times, the latter usually gets the boot - at least when I'm not shithoused. Hopefully I'll power through tonight with the hope of catching some Megapussy at Mercury Lounge instead of bothering people for a spot on the Southpaw list. This reminds me: Congratulations to the Vicious Crew on their second anniversary. If you don't know by now, they are what some might label "The Shit". Keep it coming Audrey and Jasper!

So Monday was a bit hectic because of all the work that had to be done along with my 6pm appointment with Jamie at Daredevil on Ludlow Street. I was a bit weary about the new piece for my right bicep, but the preliminary sketches were sweet so we decided to go forward. Jamie is a really sweet tattoo artist. She did excellent work on my arm, and as always, I highly advise all of you with aspirations for new tattoos to check out this shop. It's been my go-to for 4 out 5 of my tattoos, (the one on my wrist was a bit on a whim so I just popped into Andromeda). She worked straight through for close to three hours, and the pain was fine so we didn't take a single break. I couldn't be happier with the results... so I want to send a big shout out to Jamie - you rock.

Tuesday turned out to be more exciting than I'd expected. The after work hours were spent in a productive Loose Meeting at the office, (read 186). Around 9pm I shot out of the apartment in the direction of the Mercury Lounge. As expected, the line of people waiting to get in wrapped all the way around the block. The show was pretty high profile on top of it being somewhat of a showcase for each band involved. This meant each band had a significant label buy which caused some major problems for friends and eager concert goers. Unfortunately every show can't go exactly as planed and the fact of last night remains that the show was near capacity before it even opened. It's great for the club, good for the bands and sometimes works against the fans. Luckily, a lot of people who waited got in once Sam Champion got on stage.

Oh, let me get to the bands. Since the meeting ran late, I missed the opening set by Nine Black Alps who had me intrigued following their Siren appearance. They were on changeover by the time I squeezed into the back room full of familiar faces. Seriously, you couldn't turn around without running into someone which was nice because the outside would have led you to believe differently. So I ran over to the show room bar, grabbed a drink and settled in for a bit of the old rock n' roll.

It's been a few weeks since Sam Champion and I got back from tour. After last night, I realized the best part about being on tour (read: SC show out of NYC) is that you can really concentrate on the songs. I've nearly memorized all the intricacies of their set ready tracks; the killer fills, bass climbing, double timing, reggae splashes and vocal tendencies are more recognizable than ever. Coming that close to a band is a special thing, especially when you care about the people making the music. When you return home to a room full of friends, the emphasis steps away from the music and back to the experience. I'm certainly a fan of this, but last night I just wanted to lock back into the mode I'd grown accustomed to. Unfortunately this chance didn't really present itself. There were a few songs that caught my attention ("Mexican Rags", "All Of Our Tommorrows" and "Too Broke") but for the larger part of the set my time was spent chatting up friends. Outside of a bit of sound trouble and the aforementioned attention span problems, Sam Champion sounded great last night. You'll definitely want to arrive early at the Bowery on August 6th when they open for The Hold Steady and Love As Laughter.

For some reason the lineup got switched in my own head. I thought The Cribs were playing while Hard-Fi was on stage. The room was packed so I opted to hang out front with Gigs, Merida, Tanya and Pauline. Who gives a shit about rock music when you can be surrounded by beautiful women? We shot the shit until there was a song or two left in the set. We cruised into the back room, but to be honest I don't remember what they sound like. Thanks to Cara for hooking me up with the helpful reminder, (I pulled a cd out of my pocket at the end of the evening).

Hard Fi took forever to get their gear off stage. I'm certain it had something to do with the major label folks meeting them in the back and on their massive tour bus, (I have to say, who are these guys? I only know them because my days are spent reading blogs like Brooklyn Vegan, Central Village and the like). After what seemed to be forever, The Cribs took the stage. Our crew had dwindled to a few spectators like Josh, Dave (I remembered!), Daylen, Beacheros, Kirsten, Kelley and Gigs.

Y'all shouldn't have left because the The Cribs were actually quite solid. They were a bit too loud, but the music lent itself to the volume level. Pretty straight forward Libertines style rock, (I'm so fucking obvious). They powered through a heap of new songs along with my two favorite tracks: "You Were Always The One" and "The Lights Went Out" which apparently are from their old album. They seemed surprised that the kids knew these tracks, but I seemed surprised because I thought that was their only record. They had unmatched stage presence. The drummer was standing on his thrown pounding away at the drums while the boys up front did their best to bounce along with their up tempo rock. The guitarist / vocalist had blood all over his face from what I thought was the microphone banging against his face. Later I found out the chap does it every night by biting the inside of his cheek until its ready to spew. Doesn't sound too healthy to me, but it looked pretty punk rock. Come out early to the Kaiser Chiefs show to get a taste of what I'm talking about. And by all means, wear some loose clothing - that club is H. O. T. - hot.

Sidenote: WOXY is currently playing "Damn Damn Lease" by Be Your Own Pet and the vision of that vixen bouncing around is forcing me to need some alone time. Yeah! I'm a dirty old pervert. Now they are playing The Ponys. God bless you Mike.

Toward the end of The Cribs set I ducked out and ran over to Max Fish to have some drinks with previously mentioned beautiful girls. There's nothing quite like sitting a table with a group of ladies who are completely out of your league while numerous hipsters file past wondering how long I can keep them convinced that I'm a homosexual. Ok, that was over dramatic, but you get my drift. After a couple Buds, the night was called and I wondered back to the apartment to update the site.

Ok, so tonight's schedule in NYC is a bit crazy. There are a pile of big shows on the chopping block including the Vicious Party at Southpaw and Megapussy (read: Scissor Sisters) at the Mercury. Those shows are both soldout, but if you are itching to do something there is always Keren Ann @ Bowery, Innaway @ Pianos and Hard Fi @ Rothko. I'm thinking about just getting drunk at the Vice party and catching some sleep.

If you don't keep up in the blogsphere you may not know about this free party featuring a set by The Juan Maclean (with a full band). It should be a hipster fuckfest so dig out your tightest jeans, darkest sunglasses and whitest belt. If you're lucky you'll be reminded by Last Nights Party that you showed you were making out with some fat sweaty dude named Jay. RSVP just in case!

FIXED w/ The Juan Maclean (DFA/ Astralwerks)
LIVE @ midnight!! Plus residents JDH & Dave P

@ Studios at Tribeca Grand- 2 Ave of the Americas
10pm, FREE w/ rsvp to: weare138nyc@yahoo.com
*Free PBR from 10-11pm, Drink specials all night!

We're super excited to have The Juan Maclean playing live at this edition of FIXED. Juan Maclean has released numerous kick ass singles including "Give Me Every Little Thing", "By The Time I Get To Venus", and "My Time Is Running Out" on DFA. His full length debut album Less Than Human will be out on Astralwerks in August.

I love me a good weekend full of rock. The past few days have forced me to shelf my newly acquired ambivalent attitude toward rock shows. There were small clubs, big festivals and piles of Latinos. Allow me to explain.

Friday's post work shuffle began with a margarita delivery to Gigs, Mr. Met and Josh who was working the box office at the Mercury. After a brief hang, I hustled back home to bask in the foul stench of death that lingered in our apartment for a few days. The funk had me questioning the activities of my housemates, but thankfully it has since dissipated. Noah popped in to hook me up with the new Constanties record and a copy of The Wilderness from the amazing Jagjaguwar Records. Around 8pm I cruised by Little Frankie's where Jill and Heather were starting their evening with a bottle of wine. They settled up and the three of us headed to 14th Street to pick up Rebecca on our way to Sarah and Mike's.

Every once and awhile the dealer makes your day by hooking you up with a full house on the flop. This was my exact feeling as I rolled into Sarah and Mike's apartment. There I was, the lone dude in apartment of seven girls, but unlike the weathered card playing professional, I instantly revealed my tell. Fortunately they were a bunch of solid ladies who didn't mind me being a jackass. It turned out to be a lot of fun even if we were above 14th Street. By 10:15pm I was back in the hood on my way to Rothko for the Insound party. Upon entry, the jam packed club was rocking something fierce with Be Your Own Pet. Though the sound was near deafening and you could barely make out a word from the 17-year-old Jemina Pearl. The band did win me over with their unbeatable stage presence. She gyrated and spazed out while her band of boys pushed their sound to the brink of collapse. Though she wasn't even born yet, I believe a girl like Jemina could be exactly what Iggy had in mind when he wrote "Shake Appeal". I also dug on the bass lines pouring out of the afro powered ax wielded by Nathan Vasquez. He doused their punk sound with a healthy amount of groove.

During change over I started to get really excited to see Chin Up Chin Up. Kari took care of Beach, Daylen and I as we saddled up to the bar. As Stefan and Ben from The End of The World explained their future plans for world domination, we ripped through some Budweiser and the obligatory tequila. I also ran into Cara who might be the second biggest Ponys' fan I know, (after me - of course). We collectively settled into an atmospheric set of glitch laced pop by the first of two Chicago bands. Chin Up Chin Up has been a favorite of mine since I first heard their debut full-length. Live, the songs come off with a lot more energy, but they still retain the understated charm of the recordings. Fans of Broken Social Scene will love this band once they get the chance to fly a bit above the radar. Expect big things from these guys if they can deliver another record with the same craftiness as We Should Have Never Lived Like We Were Skyscrapers.

While waiting for my favorite four-piece to take the stage, we ran into Zach Mexico who was kind enough to pass me an Octagon disc. The Ponys finally took the stage a bit before mid-night and played a kickass, pogo inducing set that featured a heap of songs from Celebration Castle along with a couple of my favorite oldies. I'm not going to waste my time gushing. I think this band is top of the pops. They can play my birthday party anytime. If you like rock and roll, you should love The Ponys. N'uff said.

Following the show we popped into the Mercury for a couple of songs by Robbers on High Street. Feeling uninterested, I bolted and cruised back to Sarah and Mike's where a few folks were holding court on the terrace. Matt G joined us and we rocked a six-pack or so before heading back downtown to pass out and prepare for Siren.

Unfortunately I can't give you all the Siren details because I plan on writing a feature that will most likely be sub par and poorly articulated. Something to look forward to! Just know we got thrown out of the bumper boats. Yesterday Stevo and I took the day to hang out, drink margaritas and watch some BBQ cooking shows. Then I went to work and sweated my ass off while 1200 rabid Latin kids went absolutely ape shit for Cafe Tacuba.

Thank god it's over. Do it again!

Last night consisted of work, work and a bit of work. I couldn't be happier that the weekend is coming and we only have one show at Webster Hall. Thankfully Thursday's band was Tegan and Sara. Their whole crew was great and the show went way too smoothly. I feel like after the past couple of shows things are taking shape over there, but its probably God's way of making me think everything is cool and then (s)he sends the plagues. Fuck it. I'm ready for it. After we closed down the doors, I popped up to the balcony to catch a few songs that actually impressed me. It was the first time I'd heard the band. The second song in their encore was a Bruce Springsteen cover that they introduced by saying their parents knew a biker gang back in the day. When the twins were seven (I don't know if that's exactly right) they took them to a show and the biker gang was able to score them tickets in the parking lot. Another funny moment came when Glenn came through the club. I asked him why he was there to which he replied that his 1st high school girlfriend now dates Sara. Small world!

After the show I walked around aimlessly listening to records and sipping margaritas in the heat. By midnight I was back home hanging with Kyle before drifting off. This weekend should prove to be the polar opposite of my week. Tons of shows including: Ponys, Chin Up Chin Up, Knife Skills, Siren Festival and Dungen. Hopefully I can pay attention long enough to give you a recap, but its going to be difficult as I hope to drink lots of frozen beverages. It will hopefully be a long weekend. My main concern is that I manage to last and avoid bailing too soon. Warning to my friends - if you see me with the crazy eyes, slap me until I snap out of it.

Take Me To The Festival. Feed Me Tacos.

So New York and Chicago are hosting two solid festivals this weekend. Let me first address the situation in my adopted home town. The 5th Annual Siren Festival is going down at Coney Island tomorrow afternoon. Some people have told me the lineup sucks. Some have expressed concerns about the weather. Everyone needs to grow a set and man up. Siren Festival is always cool no matter what you do. If the bands blow, go to the beach or eat some bacon-cheese-fries. If you're too hot, go jump in the ocean. If you have to take a leak, find the arcade. If you are bored, ride the cyclone. Either way it's going to be a good time. Mother Nature may try to stop us, but she'll have to get up pretty early to fool me - I'm bringing a trash bag. So without further delay, here are my picks for the Siren Festival:

Must See: Spoon, Dungen, Q And Not You, Brendan Benson, VHS or Beta

Might Check Out: Be Your Own Pet, Ambulance LTD, Diamond Nights

Wouldn't Mind Seeing: Nine Black Alps, Morningwood, Saul Williams

Could Give A Shit: Mates of State, The Dears, Detachment Kit

Get all the set times and directions from the Siren website.

Now onto the 1st Annual Intonation Festival brought to you by our main competition, Pitchfork Media. For a full preview, check out what Noah had to say in the Preview section of Loose Record. Even though I'm not going to be there, here are my picks:

Must See: Les Savvy Fav, Broken Social Scene, Hold Steady, Dungen, Out Hud

Might Check Out: The Decemberists, AC Neuman, DFA 1979, Thunderbirds are Now!

Wouldn't Mind Seeing: The Wrens, Four Tet, The Go! Team, Deerhoof, Head of Femur

Could Give A Shit: The M's, Xiu Xiu, Tortoise, Magnolia Electric Company

Don't Know: Pelicans, Andrew Bird

Get all your vital info from the Intonation website.

Ok kids, go for it this weekend. Drink too much. Eat too much. Smoke too much. Dance too much. Fuck too much. Talk too much. Spend too much. Make out way too much. And by all means Rock the fuck out.

I hope you all know where that quote came from. Mandel probably knows since he is the king of quotes. Anyway, strange day in my department as everyone, but me and a single coworker are out of the office. This means I'm in charge (in a sense) and it's kind of funny to me. I want to tell someone to hold my calls. I want to take an executive lunch. I want to get a blowjob from a secretary, (so what if I don't really have one - a boy can dream). So once again it feels like I'm working too much, but who can complain.

Last night we had The Bravery, The Dead 60's and Nic Armstrong at Webster Hall. After my day job and a quick pit stop back at 186, I made it up to the venue with my Mint Mocha Frappacino in hand. Gigs got me started on the Starbucks train. Sorry to my roommate who runs the Mudtruck - if it were on the way I'd go Mud. Now I'm hooked but after getting one this morning it took me a second to realize that in the matter of 2 days I spent over $10 on coffee. Bullshit! I don't have that kind of money. After sucking down my tasty beverage we got the show set up. The entire evening went a lot smoother than I had expected. The crowd was super cool and excited to catch a glimpse of the newest next-big-thing.

I only got to see one Dead 60's song and one Bravery song. Both were unmemorable, but The Bravery did have the place going a bit crazy. People may not dig them (including me), but kids have a good time and it sells tickets so why complain? After the show I hung around the venue with Gigs, Sarah, Denise, Matt, Kregan and Melody for a bit before cruising down to the Mercury. Last night was the first night of the Scissor Sisters three night residency at the club, (check out Central Village for some pictures). After a quick hang with the necessary players along with some equipment moving, I returned home happily buzzed on only 3 drinks.

Check out the flyer (click to enlarge). This party is being put together by some of the Dirty On Purpose crew. It should prove to be a killer start to an amazing weekend, (Mother Nature pending). Bring your friends and get on down.

Big ups to Jason (Product Shop) for his post regarding the Bouncing Souls. I fucking love this band and don't give a shit what you think about it. They are super fun live. Does anyone want to hit up the boat cruise with me? It's for a good cause and the potential for some kid going overboard intrigues me. Their shows have always left me smiling. There was the one time that sucked because I got tossed out of Irving Plaza before they had a chance to take the stage. My favorite show(s) were the two nights they did at the Continental during the fall of 2000. The first night they came out dressed as The Ramones while Tony, Hawkins and I ruled the pit. The second night I hopped like it was 1977 with Karl and Jeff. Good times.

Tonight's Suggestions:

Austin: Moving Units @ Beerland
Chicago: Nas @ House of Blues
Los Angeles: Kinski @ Echo (Free Instore @ Amoeba Records - 6pm)
New York: Dinosaur Jr. w/ Broken Social Scene @ SummerStage
Portland: Evan Dando @ Crystal Ballroom (incorrectly listed yesterday)
San Francisco: Dance Disaster Movement @ Hemlock Tavern

Let me start by saying that if you are indoors around 12:25am this evening, take a second to tune into The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. The Shout Out Louds are scheduled to perform. It seems as though they are still flying below the radar, but they've made appearances on all the big talk shows. It blows me away. Make sure you purchase your tickets to their Mercury Lounge show on August 8th. Sharing the bill is the young chaps known as The Redwalls - think Strokes with more Beatles than Velvets. Prepare for an evening of developing healthy man crushes.

Speaking of buying tickets, there are two amazing shows happening in NYC this weekend that still have available tickets. On Friday you can see The Ponys, Chin Up Chin Up and Be Your Own Pet for a measly 5 bucks! Seriously folks, the last Ponys show at the Knit knocked me out and the last time Chin Up Chin Up played Mercury Lounge, they confirmed my suspicions - they fucking kill. The first comes recommended if you like dirty rock and roll (Television is an easy starting point) and the second is for fans of The National. Be Your Own Pet is the newest southern sensation. Its three southern boys and one hot lead lady playing rapid fire punk rawk. While Sam Champion was in BYOP's hometown of Nashville, we stopped at Grimey's and the super nice clerk let me listen to their singles. They sound like they'll be a good time. Buy your tickets now!

The second show is happening on Saturday night at Mercury Lounge. Sure you might be beat after a long day of drinking in the sun and blowing coke in arcade bathrooms, but you need to rally because Dungen is playing at midnight. Don't give me the excuse that you are seeing him earlier that day. It's not going to fly. This music was built for a small club. It's supposed to engulf you and melt your insides. If anything you should come down to the show and listen to my jackass roommate yell things at the band, (he's notorious for it). Anyway, we're planning (actually, I just decided) we are having a Siren Festival Afterparty / Dungen pre-party at 186 so if you want to join us, buy a damn ticket and get ready to be rocked. Be warned, the band is billed under the name Ta Det Lugnt.

Ok, enough gushing about shows. You can read about the new stuff on other blogs. This blog is all about me. Ok, I'm just kidding, but it's starting to feel like there isn't much for me to write about in terms of music. I know we are in the middle of the summer slump, but I can't help to think my attention span is growing even shorter. Thankfully my killer team of writers comes up with great suggestions. Last night I got some work done, passed out for a bit and then met Christie for a drink at 2A before calling it a night. She got all girl on me for a bit, but every once and awhile its welcomed because my interaction with people is so minimal these days.

My highlight of the evening was when I received a call from Beach asking for some advice. He wondered if it was worth it for him to jump off the RANA boat cruise and into the East River in exchange for Tumbleweed getting a Mohawk. Naturally I said yes, but today I found out Tumblepussy wouldn't go for it. You had a chance to have Beach jump in the fucking East River and you don't take it? You are not men. You are Culkin.

Tonight's Suggestions:
Austin: Ted Nugent @ La Zona Rosa
Chicago: Mixel Pixel @ Bottom Lounge
Los Angeles: Coheed and Cambria @ Spaceland
New York: 5 O'clock Heroes @ Rothko
Portland: Evan Dando @ Crystal Ballroom
San Francisco: Built To Spill @ Slim's

My brain just farted and it's stinking up my office. Yesterday my plan was to take my lunch hour to write up the weekend, but everyone was out sick so I had to cover more than the Bush Administration, (zing!) Today we are bit better staffed so I can take a minute to indulge you. Whoa, that's funny. I rarely use the word indulge, but it works as a perfect lead into the weekend recap.

Around 4pm I bailed from the office and made my way to Webster Hall to help set up for the first of three gigs by Mindless Self Indulgence. The show went smoothly even with the bands, "No Moshing, No Crowd Surfing, No Stage Diving" policy. Only a few kids got thrown out and for the most part the crowd seemed to rage despite the temperature in the room. Christine and I were on the front door, and we couldn't help but gawk at the parade of goth-esque kids as they rolled into the venue. Like I've said before, despite their appearance, these kids are quite well mannered and made the shifts go awfully quick. We dubbed some little girl (she couldn't have been more than 16) the cutest girl at the show. Christine told her which made us look creepy, but so it goes. That's the one problem with having three shows in a row by a band like MSI; by the end of their run I must have checked out large number of what had to be underage girls. Though no action was taken, I'm psyched it finished without any viable reason to put me behind bars. At least this wasn't the strangest thing about the shows; the lead singer managed to simulate sex with a stuffed dog along with making $153 charging the crowd a $1 per kiss.

After the Friday show, I cruised down to the Mercury Lounge to meet up with Lucy, Tumblehawk, Matty G, Daylen, Beach, Stevo, Liz, Gigs, Noah and a couple others I'm sure to be forgetting. I was jazzed up to see Oxford Collapse's set. Though it sounded like something was a bit off, (maybe the snare could have been sharper) the show was exactly what I wanted from the three-piece. They played some of my favorite songs from their new record A Good Ground that comes out today. Congrats to the band and Lio at Kanine for making this happen. Bright lights should blind this band, but it will be up to you guys to make it happen.

During change-over Gigs, Stevo, Chernin and I ran over to Nice Guy Eddies to throw back a massive carbomb. We returned to the club in time to catch the beginning of The Constantines, but I wasn't particularly moved so I made my outside to have a smoke, (yeah, I'm trying to take up smoking thanks to the advice of Alex Baldass and the legion of teenagers I met this weekend). Greg and Kregs were out front, so Kregs and I decided to grab a carbomb at an overly packed Library. We slammed it home before heading back to the Mercury for the last bit of the show. Post show was a bit blurry. There was Julia at Orchard Bar, Sean and Sara Bones at Dark Room (my first time ever in that place) and a walk by of 2A. At that point my night felt beyond salvaging so I returned home to hang out with Kyle, Dee and some rad girl whose name I think is Angelina, but that seems way off.

Speaking of Angelina (probably where I'm getting the name), Stevo and I got up on the earlier side to grab brunch at my favorite joint that shares the name. Our waiter took a liking to Stevo which provided some unsuspecting hilarity. We worked on the Style Guide for Loose before returning to 186 to type up some notes. Then Stevo bailed and I went to Webster for work. After another wild night with the kids at MSI, I met with Hawk, Stevo and Kelly at Blue 9 Burger. The lady ditched us before we could get to Beauty Bar for some whiskey. We managed to slurp back a quick drink before Mike joined us and we made our way to Rebecca's house for Deanna's birthday. The place was packed by the time we got in there, but it was tough for me to tell because I had my sunglasses on at Rebecca's instruction. The next couple hours flew by thanks to the gentleman who rolled up with a backpack full of Crunk Juice. Yes, that's correct; grain alcohol. My first cocktail was a tall glass of 1 part Sparks and 1 part Crunk. Later that evening I filled my OE forty nearly a quart full of Crunk. This was a bad move and I could barely finish. After sing my guts out to NOFX's Linoleum with Rebecca and Mike, I bailed out only to return home to crash. Sunday was a bit of a wash.

It began with Hawk and I grabbing brunch at AKA Cafe. We were seated next to a table of 3 ladies and one dude. We went about our business, but I noticed the mood was a little tense at their table. I paid it no mind and devoured my veggie breakfast burrito. Midway through our meal, the gent left their table and the ladies proceeded to bash him. I'm not talking about anything friendly. These girls ripped him a new one. They were going on and on about how he was a prick and a sleaze ball. I believe the dude tried to get in all there pants at one point or another. It was hilarious, but it made me wonder if that's what always happens when you leave a pack of girls?

The rest of the day snaked by and following the final MSI show, I stopped by Standings to have a beer with Beach and Daylen. They were hanging with the rad bartender Eric who has great taste in music. Could this be the start of a new wave - Indie Rock Sports Bars? Yesterday was one long work day. Serkan, Xtina, Rosie and I got together to do some Loose work. Look for new improvements to the site in the coming weeks.

Keeping a blog isn't easy. I look at blogs like Brooklyn Vegan and wonder how the hell he finds time to keep it so updated. This will get easier as the blog is mad into an actual blog (don't worry its happening soon thanks to Serkan and Christina), but with work, work and Loose it's tough to find time to love it properly. Hmmm... am I talking about a blog or a girl? Eh, either way time is tight and so is money.

A coworker came into my office today wondering how she sets up her 401K plan. My answer to this type of question always brings me down a peg. I gave her the same Sex Pistols inspired response of "there is no future," that I've passed around for years. Is it time to get serious? Probably not, but living week to week is a bitch. I'd like to know what it feels like to have a savings. That is such an appropriate name for a chunk of squirreled away money. In any event, I don't waste time trying to save money. It's more fun to blow it on things like mussels and margaritas

Before I move to far along, let me tell you about the last couple days. Wednesday was a nightmare because the heavens opened up on my way to work at the Bowery. Three blocks from the club, the sky took a huge piss on me and I had to work my shift soaked to the bone. It was nice though because the 2nd door was for the 1st band so I got out pretty early. Then it was back to the house for more work. Yesterday mirrored Wednesday except to break up the evening Hawkins and I caught some kickass grub at Paladar. Then I returned home and tried to get into some Loose work, but faded off around 1am.

Weekend Comes Into Focus.

Ok bitches, y'all know its Friday which means everyone has pretty much checked out while daydreaming about the weekend.

Let me give you a brief rundown of my picks for this weekend.New York: My number one pick for this weekend is the Oxford Collapse show at Mercury Lounge tonight at 10:30pm, (07.08.05). Their new record, A Good Ground, comes out on Kanine Records on Tuesday, (07.12.05). The show has an added bonus: The Constantines are headlining at 11:30pm. This show is not to be missed especially if you kind of liked the whole NYC dance craze of 2002, but feel like you are more of a wiry art punk who should have grown up north of London in the late 70's. I don't know what that means either, but for a second it sounded right in my head. If you are booked for this evening, then get out to the Southpaw show tomorrow night. It's worth the hassle of going to Brooklyn. Read more about the Oxford Collapse's recent tour at Prefix Magazine.

Quick Note: If you were planning to check out Cass McCombs at the South Street Seaport, don't bother. The show has been postponed until August.

Other great shows include: Winter Pageant w/ Viet Nam @ Tonic (07.08.05); Cass McCombs @ Northsix (07.09.05); Streets @ Rothko, Akron/Family @ Glasshouse Gallery (07.10.05).

Austin: Weird War @ The Parish (07.09.05); Cake @ Stubb's (07.10.05).

Chicago: The Pacifics @ Abbey Pub, Femi Kuti @ Metro (07.09.05); Shellac @ Subterranean, Castanets @ Empty Bottle (07.10.05).

Los Angeles: Everyone in this country needs to see Dungen. Luckily the people out west have their chance this weekend. Dungen is hitting the Troubadour on Saturday night with Mia Doi Todd, (07.09.05). They are part of the revolution in psych that is lead by Comets On Fire, Dead Meadow and The Big Sleep. If you have other bands of this nature that we need to hear (for mind blowing experiences) by all means, send us a fucking record. Go see this shit and rethink you're whole approach on life.

Other great shows include: Tussle w/ Shy Child @ The Echo, Moving Units @ House of Blues Anaheim, Brazilian Girls @ Avalon (07.08.05); Built to Spill @ House of Blues Anaheim (07.09.05); Shelby @ Viper Room, Coheed and Cambria @# Avalon (07.10.05).

Portland: Blitzen Trapper @ Berbati's Pan (07.08.05); Gogol Bordello @ Berbati's Pan (07.10.05).

San Francisco: So what if Tom Cruise is a fucking nut job, all Scientologists can't be batshit crazy. Ok, strike that, but who cares, Beck rocks with the best of them. On Sunday night you can check out papa Beck at the Civic Auditorium, (07.10.05). This works well because you won't have to waste your Sunday digging for your dancing shoes. Saturday night... I shit you not... MC Hammer is playing a set at Chronicle Pavilion, (07.09.05). Someone please check it out and let me know if pigs are actually flying.

Other great shows include: Dungen @ Bottom of the Hill, Esthero @ Fillmore (07.08.05); Gravytrain!!! @ Bottom of the Hill, Brazilian Girls @ Fillmore (07.09.05).

Last night began with ambitious intentions, but the evening quickly derailed after the first tequila shot. Tis the nature of any good Tequila Tuesday. My plans were simple. Get home, put some new music on the future (my iPod is boring me), have dinner and return home to get back on track with the writers.

Things were going well. I returned home from work, holed up in Kyle's room and used his super computer to beef up my selection on the iPod. I was fortunate enough to sneak new records by The National, Oxford Collapse, Youth Group, Of Montreal, Mike Doughty and The Ponys onto the iPod. This morning's walk to work was glorious. Around 7:15pm I made my way over to 2A to meet Beach for a before dinner cocktail. A couple whiskey's later and we were on our way up Avenue B.

My cohort got called out by a rather imposing figure across the avenue. Apparently he is one of the main players in the new club Scenic, (formerly Guernica). A couple of guys gave us a quick tour of the facility before leading us downstairs to the showroom. It just so happens that Adam (of Webster / Knit fame) is their chief engineer. The four of us rang in Tequila Tuesday with a shot of a smooth top shelf brand called Corzo. Though I'm a firm believer that the L.E.S. is completely saturated with clubs, Scenic is trying to break some ground. They offer extremely cheap (and so called delicious) cheeseburgers for $1.50 along with $4 well drinks, $3 PBRs and $6 Colt 45 32oz. Slide over Mercury Lounge, Pianos, Sin-e, Rothko, Nublu, Tonic, Living Room and Arlene's Grocery; we need to make room for one more.

We once again hit the street in the direction of Avenue C. Our mission was to eat steak and drink margaritas. Thankfully Cafecito afforded us the opportunity to complete said mission. That restaurant amazes me. The food is outstanding. The portions are way too big. The prices are more than fair. And the wait staff is drop dead gorgeous. They could drop their drink prices a couple dollars, but they make up for it with incredible meals. We finished our second margarita and once again hit the streets.

This time we cruised to Beach's part of the neighborhood with the hope of scouting out a spot that supposedly could end up a solid spot for football season. Unfortunately the joint was closed so we opted for a bit of desert in the form of a Mary Ann's Margarita. We entered as the final diners finished their meals and didn't leave until an hour after they put the chairs on the tables. The bartender was great and so were the two couples dancing and making out to the same damn salsa song over and over again. What you've just read is a textbook Tequila Tuesday. This is one of our few traditions. If you'd like to learn more about the way we operate, jump over to the feature titled Hunting Culkin. Be forewarned, we're a bunch of jackasses.

Tonight's Suggestions:
Austin: Eisley @ The Parish
Chicago: The Hunches @ Subterranean
Los Angeles: Moving Units @ Henry Fonda Theatre
New York: Misfits Tribute Night @ Joe's Pub
Portland: Get High and Watch Family Guy
San Francisco: Laura Cantrell @ Café Du Nord

*** And yes, that's right folks... The Arcade Fire is set to close Central Park SummerStage on September 15th. Try to fit that into your CMJ schedule.

Don't worry friends, I haven't abandoned you... yet. Ok, don't expect me to run to the hills in some sort of Bruce Dickinson fashion. I'm back and ready to kick Loose Record up a notch or five. We've got big plans in the pipeline, but I know that isn't why you read this page so let's just cut the bullshit. The past two weeks have been an absolute dream. That period of time was the longest I've gone without walking into the Law School since January of 2001. Yes, I've had a real job since then, and though it kills me to come back into the office after such a glorious fortnight, my bills need paid. So I know you're all wondering, "Where the fuck has Jay been?"

A few months ago Noah and the rest of Sam Champion invited me to hit the road with the band on a short tour down the East Coast and up through Chicago. I'm planning to write the entire trip up as a feature so expect that in the near future, but for now let me give you the quick highlights for each city.

1. New York: Watching them play to an enthusiastic crowd of more than 250 people. Working with Bowery as a tour manager rather than an employee. Sean's guitar solo in "All of Our Tomorrows".

2. Philly: Getting to hang with Jersey Dan, and the number of quotes that came out of this visit, (Whole Foods).