A pile of local news has come across the news desk (read: my laptop) over the past few days so I'd like to recap what's been read, emailed and heard...

** Rumblings around the way have indicated that support has been added to all three Iron & Wine / Calexico shows at Webster Hall. Here is the current schedule:

12.04.05 :: Death Vessel
12.05.05 :: Ebony Hillbillies^
12.06.05 :: Tim Fite

^ There are rumors of a possible 2-song solo set by Mr. Sufjan Stevens on Monday. It has yet to be officially confirmed, but it is more than likely.

** If you waited too long to pick up tickets to the SOLD OUT Explosions In the Sky shows at Bowery Ballroom, don't sweat it - they've given you another chance. A third show was added the following Tuesday, December 14th and tickets are currently on sale. There is still no word on who will open the show.

** Keeping with the Bowery - tickets for the We Are Scientists show on January 12th are selling fast. Purchase some today or you'll be left out in the cold wishing for the warmth of Michael's beard. Watch the video for Great Escape, (not the 1963 Steve McQueen film). Tickets for the Onion Holiday party featuring the Wrens go on sale today at noon.

** While tooling around this morning I came across the Joe Jurewicz collection at Gig Posters (dot-com). I'm still trying to find a painting for Joe to deface, but so far no Bob Ross-esque pieces have fallen in my lap. Thanks to Joe for making the flyer for our Friday night party. Funny how it always seems to smell like bacon when he gets mentioned.

** Congratulations to Lio and the rest of the Kanine Records crew on their recent signing of the indie-pop band Ios. Check them out at the Cake Shop on January 7th and keep an eye out for their debut single in the coming months.

** Congratulations to Adam and the rest of the Vice Records crew on their rumored signing of local up-and-comers Favorite Sons, (via Ms. Mess). I've yet to invest much in this band, but Vice is very spot on when it comes to finding emerging talent. I just wish they could get the Stills to put out another record... shiiit.

There are a few different options for those of you seeking a good time in NYC this evening, (and don't have the money to goto Scores). Here in no particular order are the boogie down productions for this, your Wednesday night:

++ Mobius Band w/ Other Passengers :: Mercury Lounge :: 9:30pm
++ Shindig featuring Saints + Lovers w/ Enon & DJ Anton Newcombe :: 60 Gansehoot :: 9pm
++ Lady Sovereign :: Knitting Factory :: 9pm (Tickets still available)
++ Graham Smith (Kleenex Girl Wonder) w/ End of the World :: Pianos :: 7:30pm
++ Chicken & Rice w/ Steamed Veggies :: 186 Cafe :: 6:30pm

First of all, big ups to the current issue of Flavorpill NYC for hooking our Friday night party up with a listing. The info was passed along with little hope of making copy, but the folks deemed it Pill worthy, (much like sponge worthy). Thanks so much. By all means sign up to receive the Pill in your area along with their other publications, (Boldtype, Earplug, etc). The issue also contains a preview of the Secret Machines benefit show on Thursday. Check it out.

Also, a late congratulations to Productshop NYC for his redesign and expansion. The kid has ideas... listen to him. The URL is set to change once his hosting problems are sorted so stay tuned.

Onto last night which wasn't your typical sit around making dinner and watching football with Baldass Monday night. Well, I did make dinner and sat around for a bit, but I was out of the house in time to see The Cribs play at Mercury Lounge. The bar was full of familiar faces including Denise, Zeina, Yaps, Anna, Lucy, Cara, Christen, Ashley, Gigs, Kelley, Meredith and Dr. Roctagon. As UNBUSTED finished their set in the back room, we traded Thanksgiving stories and proceeded to drink heavily, (something I had planned to avoid after the weekend's mêlée). It was a nice precursor to the rock show.

We slid into the back as Spike led the boys to the stage. As you may already know, I'm a big fan of The Cribs and can vouch for them being great guys as their whole crew made Loose's life very easy at the Tribeca Rock Club, (RIP). The band took their places onstage and though the twins seemed to be miles apart their interlaced vocals brought them closer than any physical space would permit. They played a mix bag of old and new tunes. The songs I recognized from their first record were "What About Me", "You Were Always The One" and my favorite song from the album "The Lights Went Out". Songs from their latest release, New Fellas (Wichita) included "Martell", the rousing "Hey Scensters", "Mirror Kisses" and they once again closed their set with "The Wrong Way To Be".

After the first couple songs, I began to wonder if The Cribs were playing down tempo. This continued throughout most of the set which prompted me to listen to their records late night. Turns out they matched beats with the recordings better than every. This isn't to say I'm not a massive fan of bands playing harder and faster, but its always night to see a dirty, gritty bunch of kids return to form.

The crowd wasn't the sweat drenched mosh pit I would had loved to see, but they did welcome the British trio with open arms and clenched beers. There was the usual onstage antics of Ross who refused to take his seat and often found himself standing on his thrown during the middle of songs, (how does the kid hit the kick). The stage banter is a bit incomprehensible, but that makes it more fun. And not to be forgotten, Ryan partook in the requisite beer chug as him and Gary lead the band offstage to a parade of feedback.

By this time the crew had grown to include Paul "dickbag" Bothe, Marian and Kyle. We decided to take the party to Welcome to the Johnsons where tequila was consumed with the Wisconsin kids along with Stevo, Erin and Christie. It was a bit much for this Monday night soldier, but then again - let's do it again.

One last thing... Check out the latest mash up passed from Ms. Totes Probs Culkins: Q Unit.

My time in Clearfield can be summed up in one word: Shitfest. It was an all out assault on my body. So much meat - so little vegetables. So many drinks - so little water. I'd go out to lunch every afternoon with a couple of friends, but the only places you can eat are bars. Every chicken salad follows the same formula - bed of lettuce, a few diced tomatoes, chicken, French fries and melted cheese. Don't get me wrong, its all gravy, but right now I'm feeling one chicken salad away from a heart attack. In any event here are the Top 10 moments of this year's Thanksgiving, (the moments I can remember and actually post without getting in trouble):

10. Watching Fade To Black at Matt's house with Evan and Trevor. Have you scene this documentary yet? It chronicles Jay-Z's final show at Madison Square Garden. One of the best concert films I've seen in quite a long time, and the behind the scenes footage used to tell the story of the life of a song is unreal. I'm a bit late on this one, but everyone should run to rent this film.

9. Trying to climb into bed with Bruce. When I drunk like I did on Wednesday night, its easy to see why I should stop drinking. We took so many tequila shots that a blackout was guaranteed. Bruce sleeps in my old room because mom can snore something fierce. At 4am on Thursday morning, I tried to climb into my old bed (not realizing I was instructed to crash in the guest room), where Bruce crashed. He threw me to the ground 5 or 6 times while I asked him to, "Just move over dude". At one point he tossed me to the ground, I hopped up and skyed over him to the other side of the bed. I'm lucky he didn't kick my ass.

8. Seeing Evan's Dad's band play at Legends. During the Wednesday debachery, we slipped from Buster's to Legends to catch some songs by Serious Jones that features Doc Horton on keys and backup vocals. Much to my delight, we entered the smoke filled basement to a cover of Rick Springfield's Jessie's Girl, but scene was a bit crazy. As I tried to dodge grinding old English teachers, I heard some Fountains of Wayne and Poison, but the rest just ran together as the tequila kept coming.

7. By Saturday night, I could walk into the most popular haunt, Busters, and the bartender would have a tequila shot and a Busch Light tallboy waiting for me. She'd finish this transaction by asking me if I wanted a straw. Brilliant.

6. Watching Notre Dame beat Stanford in the last minutes of the ballgame with Matt who was my Irish confidant back in the day. Jeanette, Kevin, Melissa and Evan joined us in the back of Dingers, but we were the only kids wearing the pride on our sleeves while a couple of rednecks sat behind us badmouthing the team.

5. Winning the Taboo championship at the Belin house. Mom and I destroyed Bruce and Chris. They are both appealing to the commissioners, but we believe in our win even with the cloud of uncertainty surrounding it.

4. Fighting with my friends. First it was Trevor and I in the snow out front of Busters. He banged me up pretty good. Don't mess with an Army man after you've tied one on. Then it was Brandon on the couches of the PR. You might know Brandon from his periodic visits over the years. We got into a nice little bitch fight that left me spitting up blood the next morning.

3. Bailing out on the first half of Saturday evening to check out Jarhead with my lil sister. A stop by the Ritz Twin is requisite to every visit home. This time left me a little disappointed as the sound was shit and the screen was unsteady. Pick up your shit or you won't be getting my $5 at Christmas time. The film was good, but it left me feeling extremely unsettled in regards to the war and what might be going on with Trevor. He has adjusted well, but that movie made me wonder.

2. The old school bro' down at the Practice Room on Thursday night. It was an all-star affair with Eddie Edmondson, Evan Emoson, Dr. Funk, Sticky Stan and a Slop Shop digital performance. Good looks.

1. Thanksgiving dinner with Mom, Chris, Bruce and Trevor. This year was a small affair, but it didn't stop us from grubbing a fantastic meal by Mom and Chris. I managed to carve my first turkey, Trevor kept the table entertained and we all took turns passing out on the couch for the entire afternoon.

Honorable Mention: Arguing with Nicole White about how awesome I was in High School. Catching up with Rachel at Busters. Beating Seabass and Bruce Wright at pool. Seeing the Denny's Beer Barrel Belly Buster in person. Meeting Eddie's son Taco, (who has a mohawk). Hearing that Janelle loves Cleveland. Hearing Adams tell me, "It's weird being on the other side," moments after realizing he is now a police officer. Jeanette persisting that I am gay because I barely looked at her tits. Nathan explaining how he is steps away from 100 notches. Spinning out in bad weather. Not going to Mojo's - not even once.

So that's it from the Pennsylvania front. Big thanks to everyone who drove me around and didn't beat me up. It was a lot of fun. Now we return to the grind and though I might not be ready for it, I welcome it with open arms. Don't forget to cruise down to the Mercury Lounge for The Cribs show this evening. The English trio hits at 9pm so don't be late. If you have tickets to The Magic Numbers show at the Bowery, don't worry, you can see both. Now someone bring me a salad.

From the Loose Family to yours, we'd like to wish everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Enjoy yourself and stuff your face. In the spirit of the holiday I'd like to send a big THANK YOU to my wonderful co-workers, our talented writing staff and our fantastic photographers. We are through the first six months of production and things continue to grow. I'd also like to send thanks to all the fellow bloggers, bands, publicists, labels, clients and other folks who have helped us get established around the web world. Most importantly, a thank you is owed to readers like you who continue to support us and watch us grow. We do it for you and without you we wouldn't exist. Take is slow, and always remember to keep it Loose.

So Turkey Day is around the corner which means the Holiday party circuit is about to kick off, (in fact it kicks off tonight with a Girlie Action party at Avalon - thanks for the invite). With this in mind Loose Record has joined forces with SESAC to bring you the (not so) Silent Night at Fat Baby on December 2nd. Check out this flyer (provided by Joe of Dirty on Purpose) for all the details. Links and even more info can be found on the Loose Event's page. As Christen pointed out this morning, I hang a bit to the left. Click flyer for full size image, (ewwww).

* Before someone decides to mention it, yes, we know a radio station throws a party of the same name, but due to appeasing some corporate sponsors we had to quickly change the name from "Deck Your Balls". We sold out. We suck. We don't care.

To continue the tooting of my left hanging horn, here are a couple of links from some recently published work.

** The Cribs listing in this week's Flavorpill. Don't forget you can still win tickets to both the Mercury Lounge (NYC) show and the Spaceland (LA) show by clicking Loose Contests and submitting an email entry.

** In yesterday's batch of Deli online updates, they posted my brief love fest regarding The Big Sleep who coincidentally are playing our show next Friday.

** The interconnected nature of this content reminds me of the ongoing tiff between Information Leafblower and Econo Culture in response to Information's list of the Top 40 American Bands. Econo Culture blasts the list on grounds that it is self-serving and racist - or that's what it implied. Then Information Leafblower fires back only to be hit with more slander from Econo Culture. This would make for one great bitch fight. Let's book the Garden and instate mandatory attendance for all bloggers. Everyone needs to stop taking this shit so seriously. It's just indie rock. It will fade away.

One Last Taste Of Rock Before Carving The Turkey.

Tonight Sam Champion makes their New York return after taking a couple of months off to tour the United States. The band is set to hit at the Mercury Lounge at 9pm sharp so make an effort to get to the club and welcome the boys home. If you heard their WOXY Lounge Act a couple weeks ago, then you know the road has done wonderful things for their sound. To make this party a la mode, the Merc has heaped Texas up-and-comers, SOUND Team on the super indie bill. Last time they stopped by the Mercury (the week before CMJ), they completely blew me away. They are certainly a band on the rise and one that should be on all your radars.

Nothing Last's Forever In That... To Obvious.

Last night was an evening of sausage and football. The Packers lost to the Viking on a last second field goal which didn't sit well with Ms. TPMs, but she knows she is not alone, (fucking Jets). Beach and Matty also stopped in to watch the game, but the big news is that Trevor is in town for a couple days before we roll back to Pennsylvania for Thanksgiving. If you see a bald kid with glasses looking mildly thuggish at the Mercury or Webster tonight - buy the motherfucker a drink; I promise to pay you back.

And now for a public service announcement: Please be advised that on Friday, November 18, I got so ridiculously drunk that little was remembered. If you saw me, I don't remember it. If you talked to me, I'm sorry to have offended you. One should not drink a six-pack of Sparks in an hour. It's bad news. But here is a weekend rundown featuring what was remembered.

Friday kicked off something fierce with my little sister coming by the house with her friends Palmer and Adam. She was in town on a trip with 50 kids from her college who are in the Marketing Association or something. Noah came by after work and the five of us cruised over to Juanita's to run up a bill while eating nachos and sipping margaritas. Halfway through the meal Dana joined the team and we returned to 186 to slug some beers before heading west.

Around 9pm we parted ways with lil'Belin and took a cab to Club Rare where We Are Scientists played a show sponsored by Sparks. Thus the trouble began. The room was full of familiar faces, but the most important thing to remember was that I double fisted Sparks the whole time we where there. An honest apology goes out to Michael who I mistakenly called Ben. I met both Michael and Ben through Liz and they both play in bands, (Michael - WAS; Ben - End of the World). I realized this after the quick round of catch up between Michael and me.

(Photo via Brooklyn Vegan) Their set sounded fantastic (kudos to Fisher) despite it being so short. At times We Are Scientists reminds me of the good old days of chasing the pop punk dream simply because the hottest girls were into that bubblegum shit. They are a bit more sophisticated than the Blink 182's of old, but only by a hair. They certainly are a goofy bunch to look at, (well, the bass player is), but it's easy to see the potential Virgin found in the three-piece. They are fun, quirky, catchy and very good humored. It also helps that they saturate their songs with the best hooks since Peter.

After their set, Paul gave Christian, Dana, Lucy and I a ride to Don Hill's for the Love Is All show. Might night quickly hit a tail spin at the club during the dollar drink specials. At some point I showed up at 2A and was a dick to Builder. I was also a dick to Dana that evening. My apologies to both. On the plus side, I heard my hair was the coolest thing ever.

Saturday began with lil'Belin bringing a bus load of kids to the Mercury for a panel discussion about the music industry. I'd assembled a group that included Mike, Gigs, Jin, Josh, Chris, Dana, Kelley, Beach and I. For an hour or so we talked to these kids about the music industry. We explained that partying is essential to being awesome and doing stuff. Keep partying - one way or another you'll get to where you're going. Afterwards we caught brunch before heading back to 186 for the Notre Dame game.

Later that evening, Kelley, Gigs, Beach, Christine, Shannon, Chris, Josh and I took the PATH out to Jersey City for one of my worst Chili’s experiences ever. The food was amazing, but the service was wretched. Fortunately we managed to take a bunch of tequila shots between the end of the meal and the point of pass out. It was another crazy night, but I was glad to have spent this one with some very top notch friends and family. I thinkt that could be said for Friday, but I'll be damned if it can be recalled.

Sunday was a lazy day that consisted of Tumbleweed bringing a ham over to the house for sandwiches and football. The living room was graced by Matt, Builds and Meredith at different points of the day, but the most important player was our new couches. So best. Later that night I worked the Animal Collective show at Webster Hall. Before my night was over, I received a "Thank You" from Mr. David Bowie. Yes, consider cloud nine to have one more resident.

So you are punching yourself where your balls should be because you dicked around and missed out on this Sunday's Animal Collective show at Webster Hall. Well, leave your junk alone and rejoice because at 5pm today (Friday) tickets for the Thursday, March 23rd Animal Collective show at Webster Hall will be on sale for $20, ($22 day of show). Get them early before you have to start assaulting your man meat again, (Ticketweb).

In a bit of bad news (to put it mildly), with the death of TV On the Radio's lead singer's father, the band has been forced to pull out of the benefit show scheduled at Webster Hall on December 1st. The jury is still out on whether or not the show will go on, but when something definitive crosses my desk, you'll be the first to know. My thoughts go out to Tunde as I know this will be a difficult time for him and his family.

Awhile back I was clad with the ball, (insert Bothe balls joke here), always walking around with it firmly tucked under my arm. The ball and I became great friends. Friends knew the ball and I came as a package, (insert second Bothe balls joke here). Last night I dropped the ball and it rolled away only to be snagged up by some other chubby hipster wannabe who thinks they're cool because the keep a blog. Dig that.

Yesterday wasn't a good day to post. I was in a sour mood all morning that Kevin helped me snap out of at lunch. Plus Wednesday was a slow night. It consisted of me putting a recent pile of new CD's on The Future before Dana (aka Let's Talk About My Tits) came over to grub some grilled cheese and get drunk on wine while watching the Family Guy movie. See that movie! It's hilarious. I'm very pumped to have finally put the following on the iPod:

- Big Sleep (rough cuts of new album)
- Broken Social Scene, Self-Titled LP
- Cut Copy, Bright Like Neon Love
- Diamond Nights, Popsicle
- The Double, Loose In the Air
- Editors, The Back Room
- The Evens, Self-Titled LP
- Franz Ferdinand, You Could Have It...
- Gang of Four, Return the Gift (reissue)
- The Grates, The Ouch The Touch
- Happy Mondays, Pills 'n' Thrills
- Holy Fuck, Untitled
- The Joggers, With a Cape and a Cane
- The Legends, Up Against The Legends
- LEVY, Rotten Love
- The Magic Numbers, Self-Titled LP
- Rogue Wave, Descended Like Vultures
- Tom Vek, We Have Sound
- The Walkup, These Walls Have Ears
- We Are Scientists, EP
- Wolfmother, EP

So back to my ball-less existence. Once the work day finished, Kyle stopped by work to pick me up in the van. We took the sick ride up to Stevo's storage space to get Moser's leather couches, (Thanks goes out to Scott and the Moser clan for hooking us up). The first test was getting them into the van which took us about an hour because we couldn't configure it so they both fit. Oh, and we were by the water so my nips nearly froze off. Then we sat in traffic for a half hour on our way back to 186. Then the next challenge was getting the sons of bitches up the stairs and into the apartment. We had to take our front door off the hinges to fit them in the pad. Our final Jenga puzzle came in the form of fitting three couches into our living room. Fortunately we were up to the task. The whole fucking project took over three hours to accomplish. Thanks to Stevo for his help and for not allowing the couch to completely crush me in the stairwell - that was big.

Kyle, Stevo and I popped into Two Boots for some quick grub before Kyle bailed and we hit 2A for some cocktails. Peter, Kyle and I had some bevvies at the hand of Donovan before the night grew late and we peaced out. On my way home I stopped by the Mercury to say hello and extended my night by a good couple of hours while catching some of the Matt Pond PA set. The band certainly has a more rock sound since the last time I saw them. It was a pleasant surprise, but I wasn't too interested so after saying hello to Beach, Sha-na-na-na and Sarah, I slid out to the front bar to snag a tequila shot with Greg, but got flanked by Lauren aka my one and only and Colin who were enjoying the rock from bar. After the show, Lucy, Sarah, Beach and I paraded back to 2A for more drinks where we were later met by Sha-na-na-na and Lindsay. At some point the plug had to be pulled. I didn't realize the level of drunkenness until my alarm went off this morning and my shoes and coat were still on.

So the ball... With the whole couch fiasco I missed two very awesome events: 1. The Strokes listening party at Black and White; 2. The Echo & the Bunnymen show at the Diesel Store. My apologies for dropping the ball. I promise not to do so at tonight's We Are Scientists gig.

In other news, last night Sarah and I started an Art Brut franchise. We are calling it Art Brut 14. Anyone can join, (that means you Dana). The twist is that we walk the streets handclapping and singing Art Brut songs. We formed a band! Start learning the words and you can join.

So there aren't many shows this weekend, but there is a druged out Lord of the Rings marathon in Brooklyn, Nick's 25th Bday party, Yaps house warming party, Sam's Bday party and probably more house parties that will definitely help me be a jackass.

Found on roommate Kyle's desk:

New Years Res -

1. Go Underground
2. Get a Tag
3. Represent
4. Get a Ride
5. Start a Gang
6. Fuck that Shit

Living with this kid is awesome, but maybe not as awesome as this Big Sleep rough demo I found in his room.

After all the drama surrounding audiences' inability to stick out The National's set following their openers Clap Your Hands Say Yeah on their fall tour, the boys in The National take it on the chin by hopping on CYHSY's NYE bill at Irving Plaza. Yes, The National will open for Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Score tickets at Ticketmaster or save a couple bucks by stopping at the Irving Plaza box office.

If you think you've missed out because The Magic Numbers November 28th Bowery Ballroom show is already SOLD OUT, well, you're in luck. On Tuesday, November 27th the goodtime family band will play a set at Mercury Lounge. Tickets are currently available for $15 at Ticketweb.

The brutal hype machine - it can help, but it can also hurt. Last night I stepped into the Mercury Lounge only knowing a few songs by the Sheffield quartet of youngsters that call themselves the Arctic Monkeys, but I certainly knew they were the hottest of shit. The first time the name crossed my desk was during the planning of our Non-CMJ CMJ party at the Tribeca Rock Club. A friend of mine passed me the names of a few bands that were making some waves in various circles. The list included The Lashes, She Wants Revenge, King Elementary, We Are Scientists and the aforementioned Monkeys. We were in talks with Arctic Monkeys, but as you know they canceled their trip to America for the CMJ Marathon which may have been the right move because the club was jam packed with excitement last night.

The post work day began with a hang with Jigga in the kitchen. He came over to discuss the creation of my next tattoo while we munched on some tacos de belin. I'm a bit conflicted right now. All of my tattoos are a bit scattered, and I'm looking to get a big defining piece. The location is the question at hand. I was thinking of getting something up my right side - between my hip and right below my armpit. Jigga told me this will hurt like a bitch, but the pain is a bit relative. After telling a couple people, namely Dana and Josh, they both thought it was bad placement. So I'm considering getting my entire right leg done from knee to ankle. It might take more than the previously thought two-session work, but it would be worth it. Let me know if you have a tattoo on either side of your body (mine is quite thick), and tell me how you feel about it.

Around 8:30pm I popped into Fat Baby to say hello to Jocelyn, Jake and the rest of the Flavorpill gang of writers and editors who met for their periodic drinking session. After meeting a few new faces, I stepped outside to find Nora finishing a smoke. We bro'down at the end of the bar with her fellow talent buyer who's name, I shit you not, is Shouting. People should really consider naming their kids verbs - its a lot cooler than a boring old proper noun.

(Pics via Brooklyn Vegan) After a couple drinks, we walked over to the Mercury Lounge where a mob scene had formed for the gig. There were tons of familiar faces in front of the club so after a few hellos and a head lock from Paul, I stepped inside to find a drunk Kevin and Dave who came over after sipping tons of free Hennessy (with Morrissey). I took a minute to console Beach on the Eagles collapse late Monday night, (the poor guy is in playoff denial - it's over for the Birds). It was off to the back corner to find a space for the Arctic Monkeys American debut. Dana, Kathy (who stalks me), Rachel and Lauren (my beautiful girlfriend) had carved out a nice space a few steps in front of our regular spot so I sidled up with the girls for the beginning of the rock show.

The lights dimmed and Dr. Dre's "Next Episode" (thx Dana) began to pump from the sound booth as their guitar tech began to clear a way from the back corner to the stage. The unassuming kids - they are all under the legal drinking age - took their places behind their prescribed instruments and won the crowd over before they even struck a chord. At first glance you have to root for these kids simply because they are themselves. They aren't the fake bullshit that is the Kaiser Chiefs, (weren't they a emo or math rock band a couple years ago). They aren't made up of a bunch of pre-Madonna drug addicts, (forgive me Pete and Carl). They aren't indie fashionistas, (for the record I love Bloc Party). And they don't relie on campy attitudes and ambiguous sexuality, (Michael was 17 working at a desk). They appear to be playing the roll of young kids who love their rock n' roll songs - and it showed.

Though I didn't stay for the entire set, what did make it to my ears was very impressive. For kids at their age, they are extremely tight. For a band that has only been playing together for a year or so, they sound like a cohesive unit. The few songs I've heard over the past month or so, including the hit "I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor" sounded like they were lifted from the album, (if they had one). Other recognizable tracks were "Fake Tales of San Francisco" and "Wavin' Bye To the Train or The Bus" and they were played with the same spot on intensity as the rest. At times they reminded me of The Music if you played their records at 33rpm instead of 45rpm and took out all the space junk. Basically, what it comes down to is that they were impressive, but not inspiring, (not yet).

Yes, the safe bet is that the Artic Monkeys are going to be huge. Everything is lined up for them: a phenomenal booking agent, press and fan love without an album and interest from every major in the country. There must have been hordes of big wigs at the club, including this legend who rocked out while standing on one of the benches. By the time they leave the U.S. they'll probably have a couple million dollars waiting in their bank account, but only time will tell, (they are still unsigned unless Epic is keeping something very secret). Hopefully tonight will sway me one way or another because right now sitting on the fence is beginning to hurt my ass.

If you've yet to hear Arctic Monkeys, check out the offerings at Hype Machine. This should catch you up.

Alternative Takes:

** Brooklyn Vegan dug it.

You know its over when Dana, Del and Rachel start a blog, (with guest commentary from Meredith). Goodbye blog world. Lock up your children for they will quickly lose every ounce of learn'n they scored during phonics class. Now presenting:

Totes... Probs... Maybs...
A place where anything goes. And I mean anything. Well maybe not anything, we have high expectations on witty remarks. And only pretty people can be involved. Yep, anything goes.

This is the best thing I've ever seen.

(Pic via Jinners) Much like yesterday's Art Brut post, today's take on The Strokes video for "Juicebox" comes a few days behind the rest of the blogsphere. I should probably get an assistant, but in the mean time you'll just have to deal with me being one step behind, (or beyond if you want to be all ska about it). So I found this link (Quicktime) on Modern Age and decided to take gander. Here are some thoughts.

** Nice work on the David Cross cameo; surprise, he plays a douchebag disc jockey. It's too bad the plan for Cross and Albert Hammond to purchase Bar Eleven never came to fruition. MisShapes could've moved to the neighborhood where you have to be under 21 to get into the cool bars. Instead we have to settle on this comedic abortion. Look at Fab's expression after the Morning Wood joke - isn't it priceless!

** Julian's so hot. I mean seriously.

** Do all old ladies who have Dalmatian looking Marmaduke style dogs scrub their floors with campaign? Why are they trying to imply that this dog will fuck her? Is that just my sick 'jar of peanut butter' fantasy?

** There was all that fuss in the press about The Strokes getting randy in their new video, and that bullshit dyke out on the roof is all we get? I'm trying to figure out what this all means, but does it have to mean anything? Have they seen a hip hop video in the last few years? Why aren't these girls rolling around on a silk bed topless wearing some special panties I've never even seen before?

** This reminds me. The last time I tried to get randy in the back of a cab was on the way home from a bar not to far from 186. The lady friend and I had been all over each other throughout the course of the night and figured it would be best to take it to the house. We took a cab despite my house only being 10 blocks away. Once we were in the cab the situation quickly progressed much like this scene. Unfortunately the cab driver opted for the "No Stairway" clause. He pulled over and shouted at us. After a half-second of pleading, everything was put away and the cab was back on its way. If you don't live in NYC, you are missing out on shit like this so enjoy the tutorial. At least mine didn't end in booting.

** The night Kyle broke his ankle at Grass-fuck that place-roots, he puked buckets from our cab right in front of Katz's Deli. It was epic.

** Nick is really skinny. He looks like one of those elf princesses from Lord of the Rings only with great hair.

** Wait, did that guy just text message "what are you wearing" to that other guy who responded "white shoes"? That is fucking awesome. I wonder if that idea came courtesy of David Cross. There is nothing quite like beefing the scene you helped create. God bless The Strokes and all the Urban Outfitters they've inspired. Did you know they were the Governors of Williamsburg circa 2000? It's true.

** Fart jokes rule, especially after 4 minutes of weird sexual situations. If life came with built in fart jokes, you could always alleviate uncomfortable scenes with a push of the button. Everyone love a good fart - I don't care who you are pretending to be.

So check out the video and let me know your thoughts. Paul, please keep all your gay jokes tasteful. Don't forget that their third and horribly titled record, First Impressions of Earth is due out in January 2006. You want a prediction: I will love it.

More Day Wasters:

** Our beloved Miss Jinners sits down with The Deli and discusses management along with Kip from Magnum PR and Perry from Good Cop PR.

** Jason at One Louder explains how to win over a crowd as an opening band. Unfortunately, for him, The Occassion seriously lacked in this department.

** Jin also points us to a party Fringe Benefits is throwing in honor of the GBV DVD release. I'm going just to get my own personal GBV shot glass that I will make into a necklace.

Art Brut will save your life! They certainly changed mine. The British quintet finally parked their bus on Houston Street for a gig at the Mercury Lounge this past Thursday. So what if I'm late to the dance and you've already read reviews on Brooklyn Vegan, Yeti Don't (Slam) Dance and One Louder - my night nearly destroyed me.

It all began with a Broadcast show at Webster Hall. Dana came down to meet me at the club and once we shut down, I popped up to the balcony to find her. We were set to bail when I ran into Jocelyn and Jake from the beloved Flavorpill. They were dug on tunes that once again (like Caribou) sounded like they found deep roots in the Neu! krautrock discipline, but with a bit more personal mood draped over the entire sound. If Eddie Argos didn't demand my attention, we would have stayed longer. We darted from the club and into a cab headed a few blocks south.

We hustled into the club and met a crew that consisted of Builder, Sky, Dr. Conejo, Lucy, Tumblerawk, Kelley, The Macchias, Merrida and a few others who informed us that they were four songs into their set. It's a shame any songs had to be missed, but I couldn't have been more psyched on the rest of their set. Eddie Argos is the best front man in the business, (ok, the business being importing cheeky rockers from across the pond). He is commanding. He is comical. He is self-deprecating and cocky all at once. Argos' personal style is a bit funny, but his expression and facial hair recalls Matt Dillon's character in Something About Mary. He constantly badgered his new guitarist, Jasper, in between their tunes. The rest of the band had more of a punk look, especially the 8inches of spiked hair on the other guitarist.

(Pic via Brooklyn Vegan) Yes, one can definitely say that Art Brut 'takes the piss', but I'm a fucking American so I'll say it like this; Art Brut exudes the most sincere 'fuck all' attitude I've seen in a long time. Their music is so fucking catchy that you can't deny the attraction from the start. If I could use a time machine back to take a record back to myself in 1994, it would be Art Brut's Bang Bang Rock & Roll. As they blew threw rousing versions of tracks from this record, I couldn't help but think Art Brut is playing music exactly the way I like to hear / see it. They involved the crowd, had an unreal stage presence and sounded fantastic. At one point I tried convincing Builder to put me on his shoulders and run to the front of the packed room, but he wouldn't go for it.

After the show we hung out in the front bar for quite some time. Lucy and I proceeded to down piles of tequila provided by Greg until she was drunk enough to purchase a t-shirt. Yalan and JC showed up and we continued our beverage onslaught. At some point Paul came by and convinced me (it probably didn't take much convincing) to go over to the Dark Room with him. I don't remember any of this which means I still don't know the layout of the Dark Room. Somebody help me out with that one. If I recall there were two rooms.

Anyway, the rest of the weekend was very tame as Mom and lil' sister stayed at 186. On Friday we went uptown with Rachel and Sean for some dinner at one of my Mom's old haunts on 62nd Street called Il Vagabondo for some sick Italian grub. The restaurant has an indoor bocce court! Now all I have to do is learn the scoring before returning. On Saturday, Builder took us to Supper for some solid brunch, but I highly recommend you don't eat eggs with meat sauce for breakfast. Mom, Chris and I went up to the MET where I realized that art no longer matters to me. It's a shame, but a fact of life I'm comfortable admitting. We killed another awesome dinner at Azul Bistro and finished the night at Ino' Ani’ for some coffee before we got back to 186 for a roommate and mom bro' down. Yesterday was a very lazy day, but I did manage to do some cooking. Now there are so many leftovers its perpetually Thanksgiving.

Some Voxtrot News:

Voxtrot lead singer and founder of the Jomo coined, fey dance move, 'Doin' the Voxtrot', Ramesh, has started a blog titled The Voxtrot Kid. Check them out on tour and hope that Ramesh keeps his blog current while they are on the road. Here is their latest set of dates:

12.02.05 :: Dallas, TX :: The Cavern
12.03.05 :: Lawrence, KS :: The Jackpot Saloon
12.04.05 :: Champaign, IL :: Cowboy Monkey
12.05.05 :: Chicago, IL :: Subterranean
12.07.05 :: New York, NY :: Mercury Lounge
12.08.05 :: Waltham, MA :: Bentley College
12.09.05 :: Cambridge, MA :: Pa's Lounge
12.10.05 :: Washington, DC :: Warehouse Next Door
12.11.05 :: Chapel Hill, NC :: Local 506
12.12.05 :: Atlanta, GA :: Lenny's

Now onto the week of Arctic Monkeys.

This is from a Bowery Ballroom bulletin on Myspace:

To launch our brand new myspace page, Bowery Ballroom is giving away a pair of tickets to our SOLD OUT Arctic Monkeys show on Wednesday, November 16. The show is 16 and over, doors open at 8pm. To enter send us a message with your Name, email address and phone number. You must be our friend to win. The winner will be chosen randomly and be notified Tuesday evening.

Good Luck! Thanks for your support,

The Bowery Ballroom

Click to access the Bowery Ballroom Myspace page.

Ahhh... Finally, a night off from work. To sweeten the deal, it rained and cold seemed to gather around the city. The perfect scenario was painted for an evening spent at home with my best friend, ESPN. So what does this jackass do? Well, I reached out to Sarah to see if she was into checking out the Black Keys. Always one to fiend for more rock she obliged and plans were set. After some necessary writing, I settled into bed to listen to the Sam Champion Lounge Act performance at WOXY. Shiv handled the duty of host while the boys pumped out the jams for nearly 40 minutes. It quickly became clear that a month on the road has done the band good. They sound like a cohesive unit; a powerful rock machine that is tuned to perfection and well oiled. Maybe they took the response to their debut album Slow Rewind to heart. Some press claimed the record is "sung so slowly that it no longer sounds human" (Junkmedia) and it was created by musicians "doped up on valium" (Splendid). In what certainly felt like a reaction, Sam Champion sped up the tempo and proved they can exude the "balls out" side of the coin that firmly contradicts their softer recorded sound. They played a few new songs along with some choice album cuts and a Beatles cover. The set made me miss my dear friends, and it only makes their Monday homecoming that much sweeter. Nice chops fellas! (Shiv just emailed to inform me the session is available on Podcast, but I don't know how to work those so you're on your own.)

After the session, I busted out the door to meet Sarah and Johnny for some dinner at Angelina's. We bro'd down on some serious grub before Sarah and I cruised up to Irving Plaza for the Black Keys show. It's been ages since my last appearance at the club, but I've gotta say it's still in good form. It's typically pretty easy to get inside, the security are all business (but don't hassle you) and it's fairly easy to get a drink, (if you hit the upper level). I nestled into a vodka tonic as the club changed over. While I sorted out a problem over the phone, Jordan and Stevo passed buy. We scored more drinks and settled in for a solid show by the Ohio duo. We were under the balcony overhang so the sound was a bit muted, but the band still rocked. They played a decent mixture of new and old hits, and though the show could never match the Bowery show from a couple years ago, I ducked out early and satisfied.

Christie and I met on 14th and 1st to walk downtown together. She parted around 2nd Street, but I was headed to the Mercury Lounge. Once again I missed Benzos, but as I promised Kari, I will be at their next show. Terrell Owens, Gigs, Lucy and Tumblerawk were in the back corner rocking to Lake Trout, but they didn't do it for me. On my way out the fire alarm went off (due to the ill-advised use of a smoke machine) so the club had to empty. After sticking around to help out, I rolled home and passed out.

This had to be short (in a sense) because I am so fucking swamped. Fuckers.

Mr. Brooklyn Vegan posted the news that Broken Social Scene plans to return to New York on January 27th and 28th. After they announced the first tour in support of their stunning self-titled follow-up to the legendary (at least in the indie world) You Forgot It In People, New Yorkers finally felt left out. Broken Social's first trip around the states did not include a stop in the Big Apple, but now there is a two night stand at Webster Hall on the horizon. Tickets are scheduled to be on sale via Ticketweb at Noon on Wednesday, November 16th.

Mr. Vegan (are you really a vegan?) also posted some hilarious photos of The National versus Clap Your Hands Say Culkin showdown on the pitch. By the looks of it The National was victorious, but when questioned about the lose Alec CYHSY claimed no one kept score except for Pitchfork.

Have you heard that Immaculate Machine single "No Future"? It sounds like it was ripped from the floor of Dogs Die In Hot Cars studio session. If you are going to emulate a band to the T, why the fuck would you choose DDIHC?

Tonight is the big Crashin' In party at Cake Shop featuring one of the latest U.K. buzz bands - Test-Icicles. Mr. Lust brought these blokes to my attention during CMJ, but I failed to follow up and Domino Records doesn't seem to acknowledge the existence of this site so I've only come across a few tracks. Since the family is coming up this weekend which makes it impossible for me to hit Northsix Saturday, I'm looking to brave the what is sure to be packed as hell basement to lay my eyes on this three-piece who garner comparisons to all the bands you like. They share the $6 bill with Shy Child and Mixel Pixel. Who's coming with me?

Jeff at Central Village points us to a new edition to ESPN's Page 2 staff - Chuck motherfucking Klosterman! Chuck, whom we've gotten to know from his novels Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs, Fargo Rock City and most recently Killing Yourself to Live along with his piercing cultural commentary in Spin, is one of my favorite contemporary authors if only because I consistently find myself personally vested in the topic at hand. He is now contributing a weekly piece to ESPN which makes one indie rock sports fan quite elated. Here is the first installment. Did anyone ever see the Queer Eye for the Straight Guy where they made over Chuck's Avenue A apartment and backyard? My mom and I watched it a couple years ago... funny stuff.

If you don't know by now, Sarah and Karen are hot shit! The purveyors of decadence known in tandum as the Tarts of Pleasure took home three awards at the Paper Magazine Nightlife Awards show. The girls are New Yorks true favorites as they took home the prize for People's Choice of Best Party for their Friday night staple Stolen Transmission at Orchard Bar. Congrats ladies; well done.

Last night I got called into work at the Butch Walker and Damone show at the Bowery Ballroom. The night began a bit slow which allowed me to start my new book From the Velvets to the Voidoids: The Birth of American Punk Rock by Clinton Heylin. As you can imagine, so far the book feels like a retread of Please Kill Me, but instead of allowing the interviews to completely dictate the flow of the book, Heylin interjects with various facts between commentary by those who lived it. So basically its like a Behind the Music punk rock version with those annoying little bubbles popping up on screen to give you more information as Lou Reed tells us how he didn't mind sleeping with Nico, but he wasn't into having her play with the Velvets. It feels like a "junior" right now, but unfortunately it could get down graded to a "poor man's" if the novel doesn't make any leaps. Kelley kept me company toward the twilight minutes of my shift. She has one of those iPod video contraptions that completely blew my mind. Everyone needs one - trust me.

After the Damone set, they closed down my door so I cruised upstairs to have a drink with Shannon. While we enjoyed our vodkas courtesy of Dr. Frank, some pop-punk looking guy came up to ask me if I was the drummer in Tokyo Rose. For a quick second I contemplated running with it, but then quickly reversed my track and told him I was fucking around. Though he was a bit disappointed, he ended the conversation with, "Well, at least you are here for Butch Walker. That's all the matters." At which point Shannon and I slugged the rest of drinks and bailed. On second look it appears that there is yet another kid who looks just like me; so much for being unique.

I accompanied Shannon to get some stuffed grape leaves that had a fancy name, (Domo)? Unfortunately I couldn't stop making up my own Butch Walker songs which had to try her patience. At 10:30pm she hopped a bus and I cruised over to Fat Baby to have a drink with Jamie, Josh, June, Brad and Mike. Eventually the group lost the latter two gents so we decided to get comfy in the big leather booths and talk a bit of shop. We've got some plans coming together in the very near future and you can bet y'all will be the first to know about them.

This is all you'll have to dig up to see The White Stripes at St. Ann's Warehouse on November 29th & 30th. For two days your favorite candy stripers will invade Brooklyn to perform as part of MTV's $2Bill Series. Unlike the Darkness $2Bill show at Irving Plaza a couple years ago, it's a safe bet to say these tickets will be hard to come by. I plan to buy a 100 of them and sell them for $20 a piece, but they probably won't let me. Expect this footage to be released on DVD in the not so distant future.

MTV $2 Bill Presents...
The White Stripes
@ St. Ann's Warehouse
November 29th & 30th

Past $2Bill events: The Hives, The Strokes, My Chemical Romance, Kanye West, Hawthorne Heights, Jurassic 5, The Killers, The Secret Machines, Fat Joe

Do you hump a desk all day? Join the fucking club. This fact of life facilitates my desire to surf the web all day. Along with the music sites, blogs, venue sites and ESPN; I often find myself checking out Cobrasnake or Last Night's Party to see what kind of trouble Hawkins has gotten into. Well, to be honest I just look to see if any acquaintances have flashed their tits, (though as Gigs might tell you, that's not my favorite part of the ladies). Anyway, this morning I bumbled around Last Night's Party and found this picture of James Murphy and Mattie Safer from some hipper-than-sin Halloween post. Now I've been known to say that Murphy would be the one gentleman that could say me to go gay, but who knew he was so close to the middle ground. Ahhhh... man crushes can be a son-of-a-bitch, but they are so fun.

Fellow man-crushers of James Murphy; don't miss your chance to get all Ricky Martin when LCD Soundsystem invades the Nokia Theatre on Thanksgiving Eve, (Tickets). Go forth and shake that bon bon. I've yet to see the venue, but the blog world is buzzing (both good and bad) about the new addition to Times Square.

So last night was a bit of a bust. We had the Hold Steady, Blood on the Wall and Thunderbirds are Now! play at Webster Hall. As Jerry commented, the show could have done better, but it didn't stop any of the bands from rocking out in impressive fashion. The highlight of the evening came courtesy of Kregan who mistook Nate, who was in the balcony, for me and proceeded to flip him off until Nate yelled, "I'm not Jay!" Last night was an all around hilarious shift; it was like Opeth except we were the bumbling idiots.

Another perfectly executed weekend has left me wanting more, but as Monday afternoon grows old I realize that I definitely had my fill. Friday began with a trip out to Williamsburg via the Delancy bus which has become my favorite way to get to hipster heaven. Instead of being dropped off on North 6th Str