good ole sunday afternoon

It’s Sunday, and you know what that means. Foosball(I had to do it for Bobby Boucher Jr.). There are some really great games today; Giants vs. Redskins, Steelers vs. Ravens, Eagles vs. Broncos, Chargers vs. Chiefs, and lets not forget Teddy Bruschi returning to the Patriots line-up. The Giants and Eli looked great last week in that fourth quarter comeback against the Broncos. Steelers and Ravens, man that’s looking to be a great Monday night game. I know the Raven’s D isn’t what is used to be, but this should be a great game, very physical and not much offense.

Fantasy wise, I’m hoping for a big day from Tiki, Delhomme, Ronny Brown, and Mike Pittman. I’m also shooting for a great performance from my Giant’s D. I’ve gotten my ass handed to me the last few weeks and looking to change that this week. The team is looking good.

While we’re talking about sports, how weird is it that Roger McDowell (the phantom spitter) was named the new Atlanta Braves pitching coach. Pretty weird, for various reasons, not just replacing Leo Mazzone. If you get a chance, you have to find this new “Got Milk” ad, taking a stab at MLB. Making fun of the steroid scandal, the TV ad for the California Milk Processor Board talks about a player getting pulled from a game "after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.” In the next scene, a coach pulls a carton of milk from the slugger's locker. Man, this is too good.

And on a final note, I just saw this crazy Randy Moss Halloween skit on ESPN. Man, that mask would be the most amazing costume. I wonder if they really are making those.

trick or treat

So, I just got home from my friend Mike's Halloween party in the Dirtee Jerzee. It's always kind of weird heading back to New Jersey, even more so now living in Manhattan, than it was from Brooklyn. Garfield, the town, not the cat, is one seriously shady town to take the train to. Anyhow, there were some good costumes, a Hasidic Jew, doctor, women dressed as men, mental patients, etc.... I'll try to find some pictures when I can. I'll even put up my mustache picture. I so look like a dirty, dirty man

I can't figure out if the Most Serene Republic album I have is jacked, or if my iPod is. For some reason, half their songs get cut off. Very, very weird. I'm hoping it's just the album; don't think I've heard anything other songs get jacked.

Anyhow, just listened to the Gorillaz album. Demon Days is a mighty fine album. I love the Danger Mouse production and Albarn's vocals. The lush orchestral sounds on a few songs is great, including the choir in every planet we reach is dead and don't get lost in heaven. Feel Good INC, despite being on that iPod ad, is still one damn fine song. So catchy, and great to see De La Soul kick it again. Very, very weird to see the album in stores with an sticker reading "as seen on the iPod ad". Anything to sell some records I guess. Hell, seems like it worked for the Caesars and U2.

come here often?

So, i missed Lost last night. I'm sorta hoping I get to see the repeat on Saturday. I've been going nuts trying to figure out a halloween costume. found some great ideas here: http://gaylife.about.com/od/fashion/a/halloween.htm . sad to say, i'm not gay, but damn, these are some funnys suggestions.

So here is my list of some funny costumes, drum roll please:
martha stewart (of course wearing a prison uniform and you're a man)
ups guys with a stiffy (get it he's delivering a package)
marge simpson(works a lot better if you're a man and/or black)
david caruso from csi (really only works if you look like him and can deliver lines the same way)
jesus from the big lebowski (really, anyone can pull this one off, just grow a goatee and wear puple polyester)
phil spector (you know you need that fro)
officer frank poncherello (sp?) ( we all know he's the man)

so, can you believe this crazy hurricane nonsense. it's like mother earth is seriously pissed off. and what was up with the crazy amounts of rain we got for like a week straight. if i didn't know any better, i'd really think this was the end of the world.

alright! so, i've been listening to this new broken social scene album. it took a few listens, as did you forgot it in people. but damn, now i am so hooked. i love the songs with female vocals the best. which, yeah, is so unlike me. of course i've always thought this band sounds a ton like yo la tengo and dinosaur jr. i think on this album, they find their own identity a bit more than in the past.

who is this weirdo?

ok, so i've quit drinking and have no idea what to do with myself these days. we'll see how long this lasts.


i might as well tell you what i've been up too.
most recently watched movie: crash. overall, not that bad of a movie. after a while the twists and tunrs sorta seemed obvious. ludacris's character annoyed the crap out of me. jennifer esposito, larenz tate, thande newton, and don cheadle were the better characters.

song that seems to be stuck in my head: wolf parade's dear sons and daughters of hungry ghosts. check them out here dammit, http://www.subpop.com/bands/wolf_parade/apologies/ , unfortunately, the song i'm talking about is not previewed. go to i-tunes or something. man this song is catchy as hell. i think what got it stuck for me was the david byrne-ish vocals screaming "sons and daughters of hungry ghosts" over and over. i couldn't get that lyric out of my head. i'm hoping i'll get to see these guys live next week. i missed them during cmj.

time to do something else. the lady just gave me a nasty look. cheers!

navarrete

i'm old enough to rent a car. i like french fries. people tell me i remind them of someone they know. i can't balance my checkbook. in fact, i don't even own a checkbook. i grew up in new jersey, no really! i live in new york city now. i walk everywhere, but i'm not kane. i hate rainy days and love the spring. i have a lovely girlfriend who occasionally thinks i'm funny.

we want to get a dog. i work more than 40 hours a week and get way more free music than i really need. i have been approved for platinum status and free viagara, but who hasn't these days. i've also won the zimbabwe national lottery, yet i haven't seen a penny.

Well, what if there is no tomorrow? There wasn't one today.

Highlights from CMJ 2005

yes, it's that time of the year. the post cmj sunday
hangover. i've slept about 15 hours in the past 5
days and drank more free beer than should be allowed.
i've seen more bands live in the past 5 days, than i
did in the past three months. one of the best parts
about running around is finding those hidden gems of
bands, you never thought you'd find and seeing the old
mainstays, you might not have seen in some time.

Idlewild at the SCB on Tuesday. Man, they rocked the
house. A great mix of old and new. Apparently, they
couldn't get their keyboards on the small stage, so
they decided to have a punchy rock set. This is the
liveliest I've seen of them in years. Great show.

Wednesday, Beans rocked the house at the Bowery
Ballroom. Accompanied by Holy Fuck as his backing
band, he added a great live element to his unique hip
hop sound. It added so much depth to his songs, and
they had some instrumental interludes on their own.
I'm interested in seeing their own live set. It was a fantastic warm up for Devendra Banhart's set. The new stuff sounds amazing with a backing band. It adds so much depth and an interesting twist to the older songs as well. Mommy
and Daddy played a great set of electropunk, with the
two members alternating bass, electronics and vocals.
Grizzly Bear on the same night was a surprise. their
folky/dreamy hybrid and crazy instrumentation was a
treat, as I cought the end of their set at Pianos.
Immediately afterwards, Amusement Parks on Fire
destroyed the house and my eardrums. Possibly the
loudest show of the week. Expansive guitar rock with emotive lyrics and crushing melodies.

Thursday, I had the pleasure of catching Most Serene
Republic at the Fader Lounge. Definitely one of the
best young indie rock outfits. Their spastic frontman
sounds like the bastard son of j.mascis and benn
gibbard. Their songs are pretty and they play with
intense energy. Immediately afterwards, I jumped over to the Bowery Ballroom again to check out a great set from Canadian's The New Pornographers. This band just keeps getting better every time I see them. Later in the evening, I caught The
Exit. A band I've known for a long time. It seems
they've finally realized their full potential.
Drummer Gunnar pounds the skins like his life depends
on it. And their combination of pop, raggae and indie
creates some of the catchiest songs out there.

Friday was a scattering of bands, early on in the day, I caught a great set by North Carolinians, The Rosebuds at the cmj daystage. The wife/husband duo of Ivan and Kelly first caught my attention at MacRock, 2003. It's amazing power pop w/ a slight country tinge to it. Worth checking out, if only for the sight of Kelly. Also the day's highlights included the double at the frying pan, which is a anchored on Manhattan's West Side. I swear, it still moves and made me a little woozy. Celebration, a hot new band produced by Dave from TV On The Radio killed at our very own CMJ Party. Of course, that was the night that took the most out of me.

Saturday was some funtime action at the fader lounge where i caught a glimpse of favourite sons, celebration and soft. Later on that evening,I managed to head over to Mercury Lounge to see a 2nd Amusement Parks on Fire set. Not as punchy at the first show, but still loud and interesting enough. Later on in the evening, I saw Australian's Youth Group for the very first time. I've been addicted to their album, the Skeleton Jar since I first heard it months ago. They did not dissapoint. A tight set, late that night, with lots of emotion and jangly guitars, plus singer/songwriter Toby Martin’s melodies float around in a hazy kind of heartache.

Are you not entertained? Are you not entertained? Is this not why you are here?

Seven Things I Think I Think

1. cab drivers talk on their cell phones too much

2. i need to get me that new ipod cell phone

3. just got a new pair of paper denim jeans. man these are nice and comfy.

4. hurricane katrina and the aftermath, is like the craziest thing i have ever seen

5. the sound at the warsaw sucks ass

6. the new england patriots looked scary good the other night. i dont think they can be stopped. brady looks better than ever,
dillon ran the ball well. branch played well. the defense started slow, but then turned it on, and shut down moss and collins

7. kanye west is bigger than god right now.

Now! You're looking at "now," sir. Everything that happens now is happening "now."

Seven Things I Think I Think

1. We should all be happy A.C. Slater can still find work, despite the fact that it's on some lame ass ESPN Hollywood show. If you're as big of a fan as I am, I'm sure you've already joined the fan club,

2. Santana has got to be really high. I mean really, really, really high. Go here to see what i mean.

3. We all know the Kansas City Royals are terrible, but this is just plain stupid! As if the Hall Of Famer and former Cy Young Award winners couldn't sell this thing, they bring in Buddy Biacalana for the hard sell.

4. Tommy Lee, college, why? Is this torture or what!

5. Why do women flock to Bea Arthur, Betty White and the rest of those Golden Girls?

6. Family Guy is gut-busting laughter! Or at least it just seems that way everytime I'm subjected to watching an episode.

7. When did Hilary Duff go from teen queen to Cruella DeVille Hilary Pic

Oh yeah! Well history's gonna change!

the listening pile

The Most Serene Republic – Underwater Cinematographer – Arts & Crafts (www.arts-crafts.ca/themostserenerepublic)
The young Toronto group, and possibly the first A&C band that doesn’t feature a Broken Social Scene member, create a wonderful soundscape of gleeful indie pop, scattered with electronic flourishes and a varying degree of instrumentation. Bookended by instrumentals, Prologue and Epilogue, the album sputters like children at play. You cautiously look ahead to make sure they don’t poke their out, skin their knee or go down the slide to fast. Each song sort of has that moment where everything can either crash and burn, or carefully go on to the end unscathed. Most of the songs go unscathed, push and release, in and out. They create a great debut album for Arts & Crafts, who have once again made me wonder what is in the water north of the border, and how do we get more of it here.

Death Cab For Cutie – Plans – Atlantic (http://www.deathcabforcutie.com)
From lead track, “Marching Bands Of Manhattan”, all the way through album closer, “Stable Song”, Ben Gibbard and company woo you. Lead single, Soul Meets Body, is one of the more overtly rocking songs on the album and separated from the album, is a wonderful song in itself.But as I think many fans of this band know, especially those fans of their earlier work, it’s the quiet, introspective songs, that sing you to sleep and leave a lasting impression. Many of the songs are sparse, with minimal arrangements and Gibbard’s hushed vocals. Gibbard has a way to suck you in with wonderful narratives about relationships, longing, and desire, on top of catchy sing-alongs. He’s always had a knack for really capturing the moment well. Sure there are the pop tunes, the lullaby love songs and slow building gems. I can’t say they’ve sold out, nor have they done anything to draw in more O.C. Fans. Aside from the overproduction, I think this is their finest work in some time and I’m happy to say they’ve not disappointed an old fan.

Giant Drag – Hearts and Unicorns – Kickball/Interscope (www.giantdrag.com)
I’m gonna be the jerk and say, that I have a tough time liking rock bands fronted by women. I’m now going to say, that despite that, I really like this Southern California duo. I heard their Lemona ep a while back and loved it. Of course they are going to get compared to a bunch of bands from the mid 90’s with swirling, distorted guitars, syrupy vocals and mischievous lyrics. But is that so bad? They keep it so fresh and so clean. Singer, Annie Hardy makes me wonder what she’s going to say next, what kind of riff is going to mesmerize me, did she just sing that, yes she did. They update a few of the songs from Lemona on here, but for the most part you get a new batch of wonderful and inspiring songs.

Cave In - Perfect Pitch Black – HydraHead (http://www.cavein.net)
Before this band got all proggy and turned into a poor man's Failure, they were heavy as hell. On what I consider to be their best and heaviest release, Until Your Heart Stops, they crossed genre's and boldly pushed the threshold of your average metalcore band. They created the perfect hybrid, of a then changing, metalcore scene, with beautiful arrangements, zepplinesque riffs, instrumental segues, and spacy jams all to go along with singer Steve Brodsky's both melodic vocals and emotional screams . After turning out a few mediocre prog rock albums, sans the screams, they felt the need to go back to their roots and bring back the heaviness and screamy vocals. I remember reading in an interview that said he no longer wanted to scream, as he felt it made him sound like a monster. Well, what's missing on Perfect Pitch Black is any sort of cohesiveness and those emotional yelps, with cookie monster vocals, chug along riffs and formulaic tunes. Bassist Caleb Scofield's guttural screams seem out of place and dare I say very typical to today's metalcore mush, the lyrics are junior high angst and no song really seems to be challenging or groundbreaking. It's sad to say, but Cave In made a really disappointing album, much more so than their major label debut, and demise, Antenna. What was once a young talented band, now just seems to be going through the motions.
Friday, Aug 26, 2005 - 01:21pm

We need to talk about your TPS reports.

Seven Things I Think I Think

1.isn’t it funny that reality tv shows are sort of making fun of themselves now:
a. that lame trailer fabulous show on mtv
b. the kill reality tv show, where the reality tv show rejects are put together to make a movie

2. what is up with Ricky Williams. Dude, you were supposed to stop smoking the doobey remember. Did anyone see his press conference. It was like an scene out of Half Baked.

3. it’s sad Peter Jennings died. I have to say, I could never stand the old school blow hard news anchors, of the big 3 media channels. But Jennings really seemed like the cream of the crop. Very classy and always very professional. I can remember him being on air during the tragedy of 9/11 and he was the epitome of class.

4. I love how people who rsvp to parties that have been emailed to them by friends of friends get pissed when they get to the door and can’t get in the ten people they are with. Shithead, you should have known better. What moron is going to let you and ten of your moocher friends into any party, much less one with anything that’s free inside.

5. Yankees Pitcher, Randy Johnson is washed up. I mean, I still think he can look brilliant every once in a while, but for the most part, any capable hitter seems to jump on his pitches like their hitting off the batting practice pitcher, especially his slider. Ugh!

6. I don’t know who these Sam Champion guys are. But they totally ripped off some Quicksand riffs on their song, “TV Fever.” They look young, so I guess that’s an excuse. And what did the weatherman ever do to them.

7.i want to get t-shirts made that have my face on them.

oh and this is for some good laughs: Office Space Quotes Friday, Aug 12, 2005 - 10:49am (PDT)

Damn! That boy can sing.

the listening pile

Amusement Parks on Fire - Amusement Parks on Fire – Filter/BMG (http://www.amusementparksonfire.com)
first time I heard this band, they blew me away. swirling guitars, pulsing rhythms, emotive lyrics. It made me feel young again. Plus, I hear it’s all one young kid that did it all on his own. they'll be doing some dates in the US in the fall. can't wait to see it live.

The Willowz – Talk in Circles – Sympathy for the Record Industry(thewillowz.com)
i got a 7 inch of theirs a wild back from someone I worked with and didn’t think much of it. Then someone goes and sends me their record last week and I popped it in recognizing the name. these are some young kids playing ‘60’s inspired garage rock. They’ve already gotten some attention from having some tracks on the eternal sunshine soundtrack.

Death Cab For Cutie – Soul Meets Body – Atlantic (http://www.deathcabforcutie.com)
ok, I didn’t want to like this song, but damn if I can help myself. I hated Transatlanticism since even before it came out and I was going to lean towards that way on the new album. And Ben’s Postal Service side project made me resent him even more. But damn can this guy write some catchy tunes. I do have to be honest and say that the reason I like this song so much is because he sounds like Jeremy Enigk most of the way through. I just hope the rest of the album doesn’t disappoint.

Efterklang – Tripper – Leaf Label (http://www.efterklang.net)
k, so here is another band I somehow found myself not really paying attention to despite people around me liking this band. I remember listening to the album thinking, man these are some cool indie electro pop songs from some foreign band(from copenhagen). so a few wks ago i saw their video for "swarming" and was instantly hooked. i went back listened to the album and have deemed this one of the best electro releases i've heard in some time.