take this sinking boat and point it home

Alright. Before we get things started. I wanted to say how awesome it is to see Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova win an Oscar for their song, 'Falling Slowly', from the movie Once. The movie was amazing and by far one of the best "music" films in recent memory. I was so happy to see them perform their song in itself(the highlight of the Oscars), but to win, is a major accomplishment, not only for Glen and Marketa, but for music in general. Marketa and Glen's speeches were really on the money, talking about indie artists and their struggles and how they never imagined being where they were. Being a huge fan of Glen's band the Frames for some time now, I'm really psyched for that band to finally get some of the recognition they deserve. Their most recent album, The Cost is where I first heard a few of the songs featured in Once. And big props to John Stewart, who was a fantastic host of the festivities, and also when he recognized that Marketa had been cut-off before making her speech. Him calling her onstage to finish, was huge and super classy.

While I'm talking about the Oscars, and how it's all some big fancy ass kissing fest, with fancy outfits. I'm glad to finally see some great indie films and music get their fair props. So glad to see Juno and Once, among other great indie films represented. And seriously, what is up with John Travolta's face. Did he forget to take off the makeup from Hairspray or what. The Grand Wizard is getting scary looking. Jeez, I should be careful. I don't want to get blackballed by the Scientologists.


Has anyone been watching Dexter on CBS? Wow, from the first ten minutes of it's debut on the network last week, I thought to myself, 'WOW, is this show good'. I think I'm over watching it on CBS and about to get the DVD's with the original Showtime episodes, fully intact and uncut. Michael C. Hall plays that character so incredibly perfect. He's creepy, smart, funny, disturbed and so likable all at the same time. It truly takes a special actor to pull off what he's doing. I'd been meaning to watch this show for some time now and even had it in my Netflix que, but damn, is it getting moved to the top, along with season 2. Honestly, one of the only good things to come out of the writers strike. And more youtube watching. Came across a link to this beauty the other day. Man, what a lame attempt to recreate the super-bowl shuffle.


Listening Pile:
Been meaning to give iliketrains a mention on here for some time. Part of the fertile Leeds scene but creating musical soundscapes that stand apart from their contemporaries, iLIKETRAiNS played their first gig in February 2004. The band uses visual backdrops by using antique projectors to display their way through films of disaster, films of snow and a film of Raquel Welch in a bikini. The songs are all concerned with catastrophic events and historical figures. Their music is dark, atmospheric, and brooding. I'm a big fan of their EP, Progress Reform and subsequent full length, Elegies to Lessons Learnt
which culminates into everything this band has attempted to this point, with tracks flowing into one another like the glacial disasters displayed in their films. It takes a certain mood to listen to them, or maybe they just put you into that mood after listening to them. Not so sure. But it's not necessarily a bad place.

let's go to synaesthesia

This photo really cracked me up earlier today. My thinking had always been, how the hell did Humberto Sanchez come hurt from Detroit in the Sheffield deal? Well, now we know why he's hurt. He's spending time with Captain Glass Ass himself, Carla Pavano. There should be some sort of mandate that all pitchers are to keep at least 10 feet away from the man. It seems like whatever he's got, is contagious. Why is he in camp anyway? Ugh! That depresses me. The guy somehow had me fooled last year. He fooled a lot of folks into thinking he could finally be healthy and contribute to the team. Hell, he even started on opening day! Oh man, what a waste of some 40 million smackers. I could have contributed more for 1/40th of that.

Love that Jeter, Posada and Mariano all showed up and threw some support for Andy Pettitte the other day, during his news conference. Think that will go a long way in establishing some comradery in the clubhouse for the Yanks. They will surely need it and be tested this year, with all that uncertainty in the pitching rotation and bullpen.

Last night I came across this game called Rez HD. I'd read a few things about it's remake for the Xbox 360 and how it supposedly had this amazing soundtrack and sorta surreal game-play. "Enjoy electronic music? How about first-person shooters? Rez HD combines both seamlessly."

The information age comes to a deadly halt when the core of society's technological memory an AI unit called Eden begins to feel the strain of too much data. Struggling to keep up, the technology actually begins to question its own existence and goes into a futuristic freak out. Now, you must journey deep into the realm of 3D cyberspace in order to fix the system, a task that will require hacking codes and battling fierce creatures.

I read that tag the other day and thought, OK, I'm game. Sounds like it could be pretty cool. And it most certainly was. I downloaded the game demo and proceeded to get my socks knocked off. Rez contains almost no sound effects or spoken dialogue. Instead, the game is set to trance music, which plays in the background and gradually evolves as the player moves among levels. The music is enhanced by musical effects (such as trills and drums) generated by the player's actions, enemies and surroundings.It's a simple game. It's not rocket science, but one hell of a game. I am hooked.


listening pile:
M83, known to his family and friends, as French electro-artist Anthony Gonzalez, is releasing his new album called Saturdays = Youth on Mute Records, in April. "Couleurs", the first single is sick and up for streaming at their MySpace page. It's dense and epic, checking in at some 9 minutes of bliss. It's gonna be digitally released next week, along with a remix by Jori Hulkkonen, because hey, that's what the kids dig these days. Any really, any remix by a guy named Hulkkonne has got to be monstrous. Thank you, there's a 8 and 10 o'clock show, ladies and gentlemen.

I have cried til I'm half blind.

Um...Paul. Didn't you get the memo? Came across this story the other day on the NY Times' Bats Blog. Not only did the Yankees assign Paul O'Neil's #21 to Morgan Ensberg!?!, but the Bombers didn't even bother telling Pauly about it. Strange, I honestly thought "The Warrior" as Mr. Steinbrenner loved to call him, would have his number retired. This is kinda blowin me away. I can only imagine about how it makes good ole' Pauly feels. It's pretty strange seeing how some of the young kids are being assigned numbers in the 80's and 90's tho. Not sure how I feel about the number changes for some players tho, like Phil Hughes going to 34. He should have taken a good number, like 11 or 22, or something. Not sure if he has some sort of affinity for it like Ian Kennedy and his #31, which he wore in high school.

So, I honestly don't know what to think about the whole Clemens congressional hearings. Cept, his response to him not knowing what a vegan was, is priceless. Honestly, I think the whole thing is pretty ridiculous, as are the Spygate investigation in Football. The fact that all these congressmen have enough time to look into these issues when much more serious issues are at hand, is just a joke of our government. You're telling me it's more important for congress to worry about whether a bunch of athletes are lying, cheating or taking drugs, than oh, I don't know, world peace, the economy going into the crapper, the lack of health insurance for many Americans and education. Hmmm!


Listening Pile:
The Magnetic Fields have been making consistently wonderful records for a long time now. Generally filled with synthy and indie-pop music about love and life, with clever and humorous lyrics. The new album Distortion, varies from the clean formula Stephen Merritt has been known to practice, it's loud, fuzzy and deliberately dirty and unsurprisingly features a lot of distortion, this album's theme. There are a few fantastic songs on this album, including my favorite, "Please Stop Dancing", with it's irreverent humor, squelch of feedback, minor piano chords and boy-girl echoing. It in many ways is a perfect snapshot of the record.

These Cheese Doodles Are Delicious!

Holy Snikes! It's been a while since I've posted. Dunno what it is about post holiday cheer/depression that puts me into hibernation for a few months. But hot damn! So much going on this week and last!

How about a seven things I think I think? You want it, I want it, don't say no.

1. The Giants won the Super Bowl. Yes, the New York Giants. And no, the invincible Tom Brady wasn't hurt, nor were the entire New England Patriots team stricken with the flu or gang green, or whatever.
The Giants D played their faces off and won. Wow. That double miracle play when Eli Manning snuck away from the Pats D and then the reception by David Tyree. What the hell was that. Talk about a play for all ages. That was nuts. Congrats to the Giants. Boooooooo to Bill Bellichek, the grumpiest sucker this side of Walter Matheau.

2. The celebrity rehab show with Dr. Drew is the best thing on TV right now besides new LOST episodes. Well, and that Breaking Bad show, which seems to only air new episodes every other week? Thank god the writers are back! Finally we may get some new episodes of some of our favorite TV shows back. I read we should get a few more episodes of the aforementioned LOST, however it may end up with a vastly different ending than initially planned. We should also get 4-5 new 30 Rock(honestly, Tracy Morgan needs to get back to work), Office, Chuck and Pushing Daisies, episodes. This is good news, because unless Eva Mendes and Kirsten Dunst joined Dr. Drew, that was about to get boring real quick. I mean, you can only watch China loose her shit so many times.

3. Smell that? It's grass and dirt on the baseball fields in Arizona and Florida. Spring Training has arrived. Pitcher and Catchers have reported this week and position players arrive next week. This is the best thing about February. Really! I cannot think of one other thing that could better this month. Valentines Day, Presidents Day, The ProBowl, Black History Month, nope. They got nothing on pitchers and catchers. The countdown for the first real game is about 45 days. I cannot wait for this year to start. I have tix for the last and first game of this, the final year at the hallowed Yankee Stadium. Plus, I get to go to the All-Star game, the Home Run Derby and about a dozen other games. If it weren't for the catastrophic events that would happen personally and globally by hitting the fast forward button, it would be March 28th today. You can thank that horrible Adam Sandler movie for that!

4. Shin splints! I've never really had a problem with them before, but got em pretty bad this time around. So much that my mileage over the last 3 weeks has been 0, and the previous 2 weeks about 5 per week. Great! The doc told me to stay off it for about another 2 weeks and spend a lot of money on orthotics, painkillers and some cortizone. Luckily, I've been fortunate enough to ride the stationary bike at the wonderful Chinatown YMCA, which may have the most intriguing grouping of patrons you could ever imagine. The shit I've seen has been ridiculous. Really! I'm constantly blown away by the wardrobe people have for the gym, and that's not even counting the people that parade around in their bathing suits(and sadly, by people I mean men too).

5. I don't know if I've mentioned my disdain for a Mr. Stephen P. Jobs, but I will reiterate it here today. Why, oh why did you make my iPod die the day before Christmas with one of your fancy "DEATH" updates? How convenient that it worked before I plugged it in for a "NEW" update? And then afterwards, it just happens to not work again, ever! It's a neat trick you played on me SPJ. I'll get you back some day. You cost me $200 smackers to get a new nano, which is actually pretty nice, but has horrible synching issues that are driving me nuts. And I love that I can't run it on my ibook since I'm still not even on Leopard with it(I guess kitty doesn't do it). You know who I'm blaming this on. I just hope that when I finally spring the $500 to get an iPhone, it doesn't meet the same fate.

6. All I'm going to say about this, is it's about time someone realized this no-talent assclown is really not all that good. Poor Stephen A. got canned from his job at the Philly Inquirer. Ha. Sadly for the US public, he is ready to resume his broadcasting career(which he is so great at) and ready to blog. HA. If anything his abrasive and warm personality should only be read, not seen on TV. Ugh! When will ESPN finally get rid of this clown.


7. Pedro Martinez, everybody's favorite crazy cockfighting Dominican nursing home bouncer is at it again. Giddy over Johan Santana joining the Mets, says he's like a glass of water on a hot day. Sexy. Very, Very Sexy. And when he talked about how he dominated in the steroids era, saying,

"I have a small frame and when I hurt all I could do was take a couple of Aleve or Advil, a cup of coffee and a little mango and an egg -- and let it go!"

I'm just wondering where can I get some of that little mango and eggs. Cus that sucker was just lights out for about 6-7 years. I hated when the Yanks had to face him back then.

Listening Pile:
Been listening a lot to Working for a Nuclear Free City. The Manchester quartet's Businessmen & Ghosts drops a nostalgic view and huge nod to some of Manchester's finest, including early Roses and the Happy Mondays. WFANFC create a drugged-out concoction of beat-laden soundscapes, dense bass grooves, and dreamy comedowns.

Originally released in the UK in early ‘07 to critical acclaim, the new US version has been updated with a whole new album’s worth of songs, WFANFC has recorded since. Working For A Nuclear City began as a studio project involving Gary McClure and Phil Kay (keys/production). In 2004, they took to the stage, recruiting Phil's brother Jon on drums and Ed Hulme on bass.

Forgive what I have done

The first news of at least someone coming back to the tube came out earlier this week. Jay Leno and Conan both said their shows will be back in the New Year. Thank you jeebus. Now if we can only get the writers for Heroes and 30 Rock back, I'd be OK.

Besides telling peeps to back off on Jenny Love Hewitt, Big Hank still believes that the trade for Johan Santana remains a possibility. I have to say, I hope not. While I love Melky and Ian Kennedy, I'm not opposed to giving them up for Santana. Yet, I'd rather not see them packaged with Phil Hughes for the 2 time Cy Young winner. I think Johan is a great pitcher, but that's a lot to give up for a pitcher that the Yankees have hit in the post season and one that never looked right last year. If anything, wait out the year, see how the young arms develop and if necessary, make a change in July at the trade deadline, or try to sign CC Sabathia next off-season.

Came across this article about how a Google exec: iPod to hold all world's content by 2020

Speaking at the 2007 Captains of Industry Conference in Singapore, a Google executive speculated that at current rates of storage growth, an iPod capable of holding all the worldís content could be a reality as soon as 2020.

Put in perspective, the original iPod debuted in 2001 with 5GB of storage and a price of $400. Currently, Appleís highest-capacity iPod, the 160GB iPod classic, sells for $350 ó 32 times the storage, for $50 less than the original.

That is pretty nuts, but not completely unbelievable to see being possible. Plus, if you caught the last episode of journeyman, and how one piece of technology moved up nano-technology twenty years, it seems more than likely. Crazy stuff isn't it.

Listening Pile:
Soulsavers are an English production and remix duo, Rich Machin and Ian Glover. They've released two albums, Tough Guys Don't Dance in 2003 and It's Not How Far You Fall, It's the Way You Land (with Mark Lanegan and others) in 2007.
They've been best known for their remixes for the Doves and Starsailor, which lead me to check out their work. The pair are also making headway as film score composers, with a portfolio of work that includes 2 feature documentary's. I've been listening to a few songs on their Myspace page and have also heard their song, "Revival" a ton on Spinner, which I honestly thought was Spiritualized the first time I heard it. It's good stuff.

Every Word From Your Lips Is A Lullaby...

So, it's been a while since I've posted. Been doing my kwanzaa shopping. Duh! Got to get it out of the way before festivus hits, you know.

Anyhows, the big news that I can't seem to escape these days is all about the Mitchell Report. The implications this report will have on Major League Baseball will probably hurt the game for years to come. So far, the guys considered to be the greatest pitcher and hitter of our time, have been implicated, Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds. Who else's name will come out in the next few months, or weeks, who knows, but how much more damage can this do to the game. I was really surprised by Andy Pettite's admission to using HGH. He's always been a good guy, and I think that's one of the things lots of people need to keep in mind. It's not all bad guys like Canseco, Bonds and Jose Guillen, it's lots of good guys that you admire and support, like Pettite, Clemens and Tejada. I'm sure you'll hear a lot of what Pettite said, that they took them while injured to get back on the field. Excuse or no excuse, I'm not sure if it's something fans should forgive so easily.

I'm gonna come up with a top 20 or something records of the year soon, but I wanted to give some props to other favorites so far this year.

Movies:
No Country for Old Men
Transformers
Superbad
Bobby
For Your Consideration
Hot Fuzz(love these guys, hope they make another funny film)
The Last King Of Scotland (Forrest Whitaker was brilliant)
Once(music in this was amazing)
The Science Of Sleep
300
Mr. Brooks(Costner was great in this)
The Simpsons
Knocked Up(funniest move of the year)
Music and Lyrics, if only for this

TV Shows:
Heroes(wow, killed the sophomore slump)
LOST(when the hell is the new season debuting)
Journeyman(which has been canceled, just as it was getting good, too bad they aren't making it a Sci Fi show)
Chuck
Cavemen(also cancelled, tho funny as hell)
Pushing Daisies(the best new show on TV)
30 Rock(the best show on TV)
The Office(sooo funny)

Mommy's in the doorway, Trying to leave

I'm so bummed I missed the Office Convention in Scranton, PA. Man, does that seem like a good time or what. I wonder if there were more guys dressed as Dwight or Jim?

Came across this article on the NY Times.Com

To find cask ale, you need to find a dedicated beer bar, especially one that is partial to British ale traditions. For bars in the New York area, this is an excellent resource. Here is a good source for cask ale outlets around the rest of the United States and in Canada, while here is a great web site for all matters pertaining to cask ales and craft beers

Never realized there were so many great bars nearby with cask ales available.

Loving this new PJ Harvey album, White Chalk. It's a little more quiet than her last two albums, but man, can that woman write a killer song. Her voice is a sultry and poignant as ever and she plays quite a bit of piano on this album. She wrote it, not on guitar as usual, but on piano and other instruments, such as zither, harmonica and harp. Longtime pals Eric Drew Feldman and Jim White of the Dirty Three augmented the mostly hushed, atmospheric tracks with Mellotron, delicate percussion, guitar and banjo. Very similar album to 1998's Is This Desire? -- also co-produced by Harvey, Flood and John Parish -- but "White Chalk" is even more ethereal. I'm so bummed I missed her in concert the last two times she's played NYC. Hopefully she makes a return trip to NYC to play even more of her new album and old faves.

fat bloody fingers are sucking your soul away...

CMJ came and went. It was a lot of fun. It started on Monday night with a party at Rebel. The venue is a lot different since the last time I was there. I didn't like the set-up. It was too small of a stage and a sweaty mess as We Are Scientists drunkenly played through their set. It was also pretty funny that they had a bunch of hardcore dudes djing, like Freddy from Madball and they were playing hip hop. Too funny. Next up on Tuesday was Little Ones at NME's club night. They were actually pretty good. Unlike Tiny Masters Of Today, which was very awkward to say the least. Followed that up with a friend's birthday party at Motor City bar. Wednesday I took it pretty easy, checking out the 1990's at a Table Tennis video game event. The one thing I'll say about that band is the drummer kinda sings like a little girl. I turned in early...well more like passed out on my sofa at about 10:30 that night.

No problem, as Thursday was the big day. I started it off with an awesome set by Biffy Clyro at the fader house thing. They killed it. They rocked so hard, that they literally made the place shake. It was awesome. They played mostly all new songs from their latest release, except 'Glitter and Trauma' from their last record. Next up was iliketrains at White Rabbit. They were great, though the sound wasn't exactly the best at that place. Next up was We Are Wolves and Born In The Flood at another club NME event. They were both pretty good. I was really surprised by Born In The Flood. Never heard of them before I saw them, but they impressed. Next up, was the one band I had to make sure I saw, UNKLE. Man, it was amazing.
I didn't really know what to expect. Best known as a dj and a collaborative project, I didn't know how James Lavelle and Co. would play the songs and sing the parts usually sung by guests like Thom Yorke, Richard Ashcroft, etc...But they totally pulled it off. Playing mostly stuff from the new album, they did kick in a few jams from the first two albums too, capped off by the encore of 'Rabbit In Your Headlights' melted into 'Eye For An Eye'. It rocked pretty hard. Lights killed and visuals were awesome too.

Friday I didn't catch all that much, aside from iliketrains again and the Macabees, who were dreadful. Saturday, I headed over to the newly re-designed, Music Hall of Williamsburg, formerly known as the Northsix. It's now a massive venue. I'm not sure if I really like it. guess I'll have to see another show, or another band. As the band playing that day was Trail Of Dead, who tend to be way too loud and sloppy anywhere they play. They were solid the other afternoon, but it was so loud you could barely here certain instruments and vocals. And that's about it. I drank a bunch of free beer, and closed out my night with dinner at Cafe El Portal and too many margaritas.



So, the Joe Torre saga has finally come to an end. He was a great manager and had 12 amazing seasons with the Yankees, highlighted by the 4 World Series, in five years. But honestly, I've felt like the team has needed a change for some time. I love Torre and all he's done for the team, but I think his ways have become a thing of the past, and I always think he's been bad at managing a pitching staff and using his bench properly. He stuck by veterans, when others would have taken them out of the line-up. He failed to motivate his players and make adjustments in the playoffs, which ultimately sealed his fate. So, now what's next for the Yankees?

My vote is for Joe Girardi to become the next manager. I think he's smart and really understands the game well. He's a former catcher and has worked with a young pitching staff, both as a player and manager in Florida last year. While Don Mattingly is my favorite player of all time and monumentally adored by fans, I just don't think he's ready to be a manager, though maybe one day he could be. To me, it seems like next year will be a rebuilding year and Girardi seems like the right guy to lead a team like that. I can easily see A-Rod playing for Anaheim of Los Angeles of Disney of Petuluma or whatever that team is called now. Clemens will not return, and it's possible Pettite, Rivera and Posada don't return either.

We'll have a very young staff with Hughes, Kennedy and Joba, not to mention Wang who is only still 27. Giambi's huge contract will not match his quickly declining health and skills. The bullpen looks like a mess, however it could be promising if one or two of the youngsters, Ohlendorf, Ramirez, Veras, Bruney, Britton, etc... can effectively throw strikes and mix up their pitches. Will Cano and Cabrera finally mature and become elite hitters. Can Damon and Jeter continue to be big-time run producers. Will Moose rebound from an awful year. Man, lots of questions. It was disappointing to see this season end the way it did, especially with the big come back from their dismal start. I really didn't think I'd find myself rooting for the Indians to be the AL champs.


Listening Pile:
I leave you with the Warlock's 'Baby Blue', the pretty and deliciously retro 7" and CD single taken from the LP arrived awash with sitars, a touch of feedback and a melody that sounded like it had blown in from the West Coast of pop. The single's extra tracks featured two songs from the album recorded on their British tour, "Hurricane Heart Attack" boasting a guest appearance from ex-Spaceman 3 front man Sonic Boom that together with "Inside Outside" successfully conveyed a sense of the band's gigantic live sound. They announced the Warlocks new album "Heavy Deavy Death Skull Love" is finished, and due out on Tee Pee Records this week.

Look for a full-body and amber color.

Last night on PBS, I came across Explosions In The Sky's Austin City Limits Performance.
Explosions in the Sky Song List
Recorded June 29, 2007: * Yasmin the Light / Catastrophe and the Cure / Memorial
After seeing their great performance, I'm really bummed I didn't get to see a show there when I was in Austin. Next time, I guess. The performance was pretty great and really showed off some of the band's wonderful music.

I don't think I've ever written anything about this band before, but they are indeed awesome. They formed in Austin, in 1999. Explosions has become known for its elaborately developed guitar work, and its narratively styled instrumentals, as well as their enthusiastic and emotional live shows. I'm a big fan of 2003's The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place and their most recent album, All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone, released earlier this year. They also scored the soundtrack to the great Friday Night Lights movie, after being contacted by director Brian Reitzell. Despite having access to rare equipment in the studio for that project, the band kept to their songwriting style in creating original material, which is still used on the TV show as well.


I drank my very first Post Road Pumpkin Ale of the season the other night as well. The Brooklyn Brewery's Post Road Pumpkin Ale is a revival of a beer brewed by the early American colonists. Pumpkins were plentiful, flavorful and nutritious and they blended nicely with barley malt. Hundreds of pumpkins are blended into each batch of Post Road Pumpkin Ale, creating a beer with an orange amber color, warm pumpkin aroma, biscuity malt center and crisp finish. Post Road Pumpkin Ale is spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. There are a few other really great Pumpkin Ales, including, Smuttynose and
Dogfish's Punkin Ale, both of which are fantastic.

Don’t get any big ideas, they’re not gonna happen.

The CMJ Music Marathon is coming this week. While the magazine itself, has become a 6 page pamphlet in recent years. The marathon is still kicking, alive and well. It's always a great week, with tons of bands to see, parties to attend and friends to catch up with. UNKLE and British Sea Power are probably the two bands I want to see most. Saw some parties with cool lineups too, which invariable, always end up being some of the best shows, plus they tend to have free booze. Can't complain there.

So earlier this week, Radiohead, announced the release of In Rainbows. It's safe to say, few bands have been able to reinvent rock as often as the British quintet has in recent years. Now Radiohead has gone and done it again, and not necessarily by the music itself, but the means by which it is being distributed. By choosing to release their seventh studio album, In R
ainbows, as a digital download through their own site, on a sliding scale, determined by each consumer willing to part with an email address. An idea, that was actually coined by, Jonah Matranga with his Onelinedrawing project. After two days, sources within the band’s camp were claiming that more than 1.2 million copies had been downloaded.

As guitarist, Jonny Greenwood has said over the past few days, the band’s intent is not to start a revolution or give away its music, but rather to prevent it from leaking out to the public over several months before the official CD release next year. In turn, it is the band’s hope that once fans hear the music on compressed MP3 files, they’ll want to buy the sonically superior physical product. An lp version, cd bonus and the downloads up front. All for $81, which seems high, but I guess it all makes sense, when those are the superfans buying it in the long run.


On Monday, Trent Reznor posted on the Nine Inch Nails website, that he has finished his contract with Interscope and his hoping to put out is his own albums, free of label pressure and interference.

Hello everyone. I've waited a LONG time to be able to make the
following announcement: as of right now Nine Inch Nails is a totally
free agent, free of any recording contract with any label. I have
been under recording contracts for 18 years and have watched the
business radically mutate from one thing to something inherently very
different and it gives me great pleasure to be able to finally have a
direct relationship with the audience as I see fit and appropriate.
Look for some announcements in the near future regarding 2008.
Exciting times, indeed.

So, his upcoming Year Zero Remix will be released on the label, and could be the last. Trent Reznor announced a release date and format options for the upcoming Y34RZ3R0R3MIX3D, also known as Year Zero Remixed. This follows the April release of Year Zero and features contributions from Saul Williams and Ladytron, both of whom have recently opened for Reznor's crew, as well as mixes from the Faint, Fennesz and members of New Order and the Knife. One track, "My Violent Heart" by Pirate Robot Midget is actually "a fan's work," he wrote, adding "I thought it was great, it filled a need."

Just read that Nada Surf will be releasing their new record, LUCKY, on February 5th, 2008 on Seattle label, Barsuk Records. This is Nada Surf’s fifth record and third for Barsuk, following the highly successful and critically acclaimed Let Go (2003) and The Weight is a Gift (2005). You can hear and download "See These Bones" now, in a bunch of different places. Do it. It's a great song. The album was co-produced by the band and John Goodmanson (Death Cab For Cutie, Blonde Redhead, Sleater-Kinney). Many great artists make guest appearances on the record, including: Ben Gibbard, Ed Harcourt, and Jesse Sykes. To help announce the coming of the new record, Nada Surf is about to embark on a national headlining tour. The dates begin October 13 in Philadelphia and end November 2 in Baltimore. Sea Wolf will support.

So what'd you have to do that for?

I was lucky enough to check out the Shudder To Think sorta re-union the other night. Craig Wedren and Nathan Larson joined each other on stage for the first time in about eight years at Mercury Lounge. Nathan came on about half way through Wedren's solo set and performed six Shudder songs with the Craig's band, which included former Shudder drummer Kevin March(who also played in GBV). The artists played "X-French Tee Shirt," "Red House," "Lies About the Sky," "No Rm. 9, Kentucky," "Day Ditty" and "Appalachian Lullaby," which featured vocals from Larson's wife, the lovely Nina Persson, of the Swedish pop group, The Cardigans, who also put out a great album last year. Wedren was funny, recounting stories about the first songs they wrote for movies, how the brief reunion happened and Larson meeting Persson when they collaborated on a song.

This was certainly one of the coolest and low-key re-unions in some time. I think we've been lucky enough to see a few really great bands re-unite over the past few years, Texas Is The Reason, the Jesus and Mary Chain, Seaweed, the Pixies and of course, the ill-fated, Police. If now we could only get Quicksand,Dismemberment Plan and Failure back together.

Came across this logo the other night. Kinda looks a lot like a band's logo if you ask me. I smell a lawsuit, HA!







Listening Pile:
As you might know by now, Les Savy Fav has an incredible new record entitled Let's Stay Friends that came out earlier this month. Praise the Lord! Its the first all new material from the band since 2001. Please go to the media section at their label, French Kiss now and check out "The Equestrian" and "What Would Wolves Do?". This band is awesome. They make great records, run their own label and play the most incendiary shows this side of old Trail Of Dead. I mean, come on! Who doesn't love a portly man running around kissing people and hugging them in bikini briefs? Who?

I Bring Her Home Everything I Want, Nothing That She Needs

Made my way over to Madison Square Garden the other night to catch Interpol playing their biggest NYC show yet. It's pretty crazy to think they are now big enough to play MSG, and not the Paramount Theater at MSG, but the main floor. You know, where the Knicks and Rangers play. To think, I remember seeing them 6 or 7 years ago at Brownies(R.I.P.) and Mercury Lounge. You have to give this band some credit, they've worked pretty hard and toured endlessly to get where they are. And what a great night for a fantastic show featuring the New York quartet. The band seemed perfectly at ease on the large stage at MSG. Sam, as always, was powerful and precise on the kit, Daniel's guitar soared all night long, as he was found doing his shuffling dance moves and White Guy rap on 'PDA'. Carlos, for once looked happy, posturing himself with his new urban cowboy look, all over the stage. Paul, always seemed reserved and never strained with his trademark monotone vocals, while busting out the black wristbands ala James Hetfield style. They rolled through a powerful set, trading new tunes from their solid new album, Our Love To Admire, with classics from the first two albums, such as 'PDA', 'Stella Was A Diver', 'Obstacle 1', 'Narc', 'Hands Away', 'Slow Hands' and 'NYC'. The audience went nuts when they played recent single, 'The Heinrich Manuever', and worked themselves up into a frenzy when they played singles from the first two albums.

Now, I will say, despite a great set from the band, I can easily do without seeing another concert at MSG for some time. At one point I found myself in a bar that wouldn't have been out of place in Hoboken watching the Yankee game. Strange.
And later on, as I tried to make my way down to the floor to meet up with friends, I ended up in some random hallway deep inside the Garden. I swear, I think the ghost of Ernie Grunfeld must have been following me around. Anyhows, a great show and certainly a good time had. I didn't see Liars open, even though I really wanted to. Cat P ower, seemed oddly out of place on the large stage, and I really don't understand what's up with that backing band. Makes her sort of sound like a bar band. Really it doesn't do her justice, as she's a great singer, albeit certifiably insane.

Listening Pile:
I've been meaning to write up something about the SoftLightes for some time now, but have managed to completely forget to even mention this band. Guys, I apologize. This band is great, as are their electro-tinged indie-pop tunes and videos. ‘Heart Made of Sound’ maybe their best jam, though it's one of many great ones, is a light tune with hints of faint piano keys embellishing the harmonies. The Softlightes, from San Diego, is the latest project from Ron Fountenberry, who's better known as The Incredible Moses Leroy. He put out a fantastic album a few years back, and has now resurfaced with a new band and sugary pop gems. Fans of Leroy will instantly absorb The SoftLightes, who continue where Leroy left off with their new album Say No! to Being Cool. Say Yes! to Being Happy. The album may have come out last winter, but it’s a great album and now there is a new ep w/ some remixes and alternate takes.

While we're here, I came acoross this Cadillac commercial the other day. I have to say, I was more than a little shocked to hear one of my favorite songs from the mid 90's as the background music. Yes, listen again. It's Hum, with their hit, 'Stars'. Very, very strange indeed. I was taken back by it. Add to that, the introduction by Grey's Anatomy star Kate Walsh and it's a strange moment in time. Cadillac is really reaching for a new crowd huh. I used to think only old men drove Cadillacs. Guess they are trying, desperately maybe, to change that.

And Your Words Came Just Like A Hard Rain

The Juice is loose, again! Seriously, from the Files of Police Squad:

"Thursday night just before 8 p.m., Las Vegas police responded to a call of a person as a victim of an armed robbery at the Palace Station casino," Dillon said. "The victim stated that one of the suspects involved in the robbery was O.J.
Simpson. The items that were taken were various sports-related products."

The items were in a hotel room at the casino, authorities said, adding that although they had seized many of the items they could not describe them.

Simpson told the Associated Press that the memorabilia were his and that he entered the room without breaking in to retrieve the items.

I bet he thought all that stuff was his. Didn't he feel the same way about his ex-wife? Was that out of line? Too soon? I kinda feel bad about that now. Man, has there ever been such a monumental fall from grace, as O.J.? Mike Tyson, Superman, Mike Vick, Webster or Wrestling? I think O.J. has got them all beat. Check out this timeline of his happenings since '94.

Anyhows, over the next few weeks we'll start seeing our favorite TV programs, and surely some new ones we fall in love with, debut on the tube. I have to say, I personally cannot wait for the new seasons of LOST, 30 Rock, The Office, Heroes, Friday Night Lights, How I Met Your Mother. Some new shows that look like they could be interesting, Chuck, Cavemen, Journeyman, Back To You, Pushing Daisies, and what could become something like the next X-Files, the Sarah Connor Chronicles, which has her on the run, trying to keep son John safe in order to save the future of humanity and hide him from the Governator. Also, looking forward to some old favs, like CSI and CSI Miami, Cold Case, Family Guy, and Law & Order.

New shows that look like they'll be on for a month then disappear, Cane, Dirty Sexy Money(despite what looks like a great cast), Gossip Girl, K-Ville, Big Shots, and even though I want it to succeed, Bionic Woman, plus anything on WB or UPN, .. Check out this fall tv preview thingy AOL has up. One thing that seems good about the fall TV lineups, less reality. Yes! I think we can all agree we could use less reality in our lives these days.

Listening Pile:
I've professed my love for the Swedish band, The Shout Out Louds before. And I'm about to do it again. They are back with their new album, Our Ill Wills. Two years after hitting US shores with their debut album, Our Ill Wills, Produced by Bjorn of indie-darling Peter Bjorn & John, is 12 wonderful songs of bouncy, gleaming guitar hooks on deceptively up-tempo pop songs, self-deprecating lyrics in a vocal stylings very, very similar to that of The Cure's Robert Smith. 'Tonight I Have To Leave It' kicks off the record jangly guitars and bursts of waltzing strings. The band dips into darker territory when keyboardist Bebban Stenborg helms the mic on the standout 'Blue Headlights' to deliver a sultry tune laid gently over simple, spare percussion and guitar. The Shout Out Louds have always worn their beaten hearts on their indie pop sleeves, yet they provide just enough mystery and spontaneity is what keeps things exciting, like the album’s awesome ending, 'Hard Rain,' a song that methodically builds into a cataclysmic ending that matches its title perfectly. Of course my favorite track is the bouncy pop gem 'Normandie,' about falling for a girl and well...sailing away to Normandie.

It's Always Someone Else's

The Whole Foods by us, just made it that much better to go to. Last week they opened the Beer Room. With 200 different beers, from pilsner and weisse to lambic and porter, they've got anyone's beer needs covered.
You can also fill a 64 oz. growler with one of six local beers on tap. The first one I went for was, Bluepoint No Apologies Double IPA. Malty flavor upfront followed by a pleasant caramel sweetness and it's got a crazy 10% alcohol content. It was pretty good to say the least.

So glad that the NFL came back this week. There's no better thing to do on a Sunday than be lazy around the house, kick back watch some football and take naps. Seriously, I can think of no better way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Anyhows, if you watched any football this weekend, you noticed the Patriots and Colts looked pretty good, as expected, and everyone else is basically playing for third place. Huge disappointments from New Orleans, Kansas City, and both New York/Jersey teams. I keep reading lots of pre-season picks saying the Jets and Giants should win 8-9 games, which I'm finding really hard to believe. I can easily see both teams not winning more than 7 games. Rutgers easily won against Navy on Friday, to start their season at 2-0. Not too shaby. And how about A-Rod. Think he's got something like 7 home runs in his last five games. Sick! Hope he continues to hit well going into the last month of the season and hopefully, the postseason.


listening pile:
Definitely my favorite album of the year, Fil m School returns w/ Hide out. The band has mastered a dark pop sensibility that reminds of you of all the best qualities of new wave, shoegaze, and alternative rock. With the help of Phil Ek, who mixed the new album, the band found a dense, layered, dark texture with swirling guitars, dreamy production and instrumental flourishes that the band incorporate almost perfectly into every song. The guitar intro of 'Dear Me' pretty much leads you into the compressed, noisy guitar and synth-drone atmosphere of the entire record. To say this album is shogaze is an understatement. Not only are there are some female vocals, courtesy of new bassist Lorelei Plotcyzk, but guest musicians, like Colm O’Ciosoig of MBV, help deliver the best shoegaze album not born of the 90's. This album kills from start to finish and certainly dispels any concern of a sophomore slump. Where their last album suffered from being a bit uneven, Hide out is an ambitious effort and easily the best headphone experience of the year. Somehow, the album ends on it's best song as well, 'What I Meant To Say', which could be the most rocking and complex song on the album.

I'll Be Sitting On The Left Side, You'll Be Sitting On The Right

Headed down to Webster Hall last night for a fantastic show, featuring the Birmingham, England quartet, Editors. The band seemed at ease as its piercing rhythms kept pace with the strobe lights, and melodic theatrics when singer Tom Smith traded in his Telecaster for a seat at his custom-made piano, all Chris Martin style. The biggest cheer of the set came during the encore with 'Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors,' a tale about death that impressively shifted from a soaring cascade of glacial guitar work into an anthemic chorus. They started off their set with the title track from their new album, An End Has A Start, which is one of the better songs on the new disc. They shifted through a powerful set, trading new songs with old favorites like 'Bullets', 'Munich' and 'Lights'. Even the new material sounded great in a live setting.

The Scottish trio, Biffy Clyro opened and received a warm reception, enough so to keep singer, Simon Neil, bare-chested the entire set as the group blurred between aggressive rock and roller-coaster power pop. They mostly played material from their exceptional new album, Puzzle, also their fourth, but did include "Glitter and Trauma" and "The Ideal Height" from their previous two albums. This band killed it live. They are finishing up their tour w/ the Editors and then hitting the road with the mighty Queens of The Stone Age, how about that. I cannot wait to see them again, and I'd be even happier to see them play a headlining show to play more of their older stuff. Love this band and finally happy to see them get their fair due here in the US, after getting huge love in their native UK. Puzzle which is available now in the UK & Ireland, will be released on September 18th in America. The album features the singles 'semi-mental', 'Saturday Superhouse', 'Folding Stars', 'Living Is A Problem Because Everything Dies' and forthcoming UK single 'Machines'.